Potential Welfare Impacts of Chase and Capture of Small Cetaceans during Drive Hunts in Japan

Drive hunts are a method to herd, capture and kill small cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in coastal waters of some countries including Japan and the Faroe Islands. In Japan, these methods are often associated with the acquisition of live dolphins for international marine parks and aquaria. During the hunts, dolphins are herded by a flotilla of fishing vessels and loud underwater noise created by fishermen banging hammers on metal poles. The prolonged and strenuous chase and use of sound barriers to herd, capture, and restrain the dolphins can result in acute stress and injury. The authors review physiological and behavioral data pertaining to chase, encirclement, and live capture of dolphins and draw comparisons between chase and capture data for marine and terrestrial species. This analysis raises substantial welfare concerns associated with the hunts and acquisition of dolphins from such capture operations. The authors assert that this data detailing the negative impacts of chase, herding and handling (capture) of small cetaceans renders these hunts inherently inhumane and should inform policy relating to the collection and management of dolphins in the wild.</p

Bubble Ring Play of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Implications for Cognition

Research on the cognitive capacities of dolphins and other cetaceans (whales and porpoises) has importance for the study of comparative cognition, particularly with other large-brained social mammals, such as primates. One of the areas in which cetaceans can be compared with primates is that of object manipulation and physical causality, for which there is an abundant body of literature in primates. The authors supplemented qualitative observations with statistical methods to examine playful bouts of underwater bubble ring production and manipulation in 4 juvenile male captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The results are consistent with the hypothesis that dolphins monitor the quality of their bubble rings and anticipate their actions during bubble ring play

Bottlenose Dolphins and Antillean Manatees Respond to Small Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Systems

Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are powerful tools for research and monitoring of wildlife. However, the effects of these systems on most marine mammals are largely unknown, preventing the establishment of guidelines that will minimize animal disturbance. In this study, we evaluated the behavioral responses of coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) to small multi-rotor UAS flight. From 2015 to 2017, we piloted 211 flights using DJI quadcopters (Phantom II Vision +, 3 Professional and 4) to approach and follow animals over shallow-water habitats in Belize. The quadcopters were equipped with high-resolution cameras to observe dolphins during 138 of these flights, and manatees during 73 flights. Aerial video observations of animal behavior were coded and paired with flight data to determine whether animal activity and/or the UAS's flight patterns caused behavioral changes in exposed animals. Dolphins responded to UAS flight at altitudes of 11–30 m and responded primarily when they were alone or in small groups. Single dolphins and one pair responded to the UAS by orienting upward and turning toward the aircraft to observe it, before quickly returning to their pre-response activity. A higher number of manatees responded to the UAS, exhibiting strong disturbance in response to the aircraft from 6 to 104 m. Manatees changed their behavior by fleeing the area and sometimes this elicited the same response in nearby animals. If pursued post-response, manatees repeatedly responded to overhead flight by evading the aircraft's path. These findings suggest that the invasiveness of UAS varies across individuals, species, and taxa. We conclude that careful exploratory research is needed to determine the impact of multi-rotor UAS flight on diverse species, and to develop best practices aimed at reducing the disturbance to wildlife that may result from their use

Deslocamento apical produzido por instrumentos de níquel-titânio acionados a motor e limas de aço inoxidável

The aim of this study was to evaluate the apical displacement produced by different rotary nickel-titanium instruments, testing the hypothesis that rotary systems with nickel-titanium instruments produce lower mean values of apical displacement than stainless steel hand instruments. A total of 100 maxillary permanent first molars were selected for the study. The mesiobuccal roots were sectioned at the top cervical third and embedded in blocks of self-curing resin. The specimens were randomly divided into 5 groups and the root canals were prepared using the following nickel-titanium instruments: Group 1 - Quantec system 2000 (Analytic Endodontics, Mexico); Group 2 - Pro-File T.0.04 (Dentsply/Maillefer, Switzerland); Group 3 - Pro-File Series 29 T.0.04 (Dentsply Tulsa, Switzerland); Group 4 - Pow-R T.0.02 (Moyco-Union Broach, USA). Specimens in Group 5 were prepared using stainless steel hand instruments Flexofile (Dentsply/Maillefer, Switzerland). All root canals were previously submitted to cervical preparation using Orifice Shaper instruments #1, 2, 3 and 4 (Dentsply/Maillefer, Switzerland). After odontometry, the remaining root canal was shaped employing increasingly larger instruments, so that the final instrument corresponded to Quantec #9, Pro-File Series 29 #6, and #35 for the other groups. Specimens in Groups 1 to 4 were prepared using an electric handpiece with 16:1 reduction at 350 rpm. The specimens in Group 5 were manually prepared. Apical displacement was measured and recorded by means of radiographic superimposition on a specific desk. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) of the results revealed that all groups presented apical displacements. Considering only the nickel-titanium instruments, Group 4 showed the lowest mean value while Groups 2 and 3 produced the highest mean apical displacement values (pO objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o deslocamento apical produzido por diferentes instrumentos de níquel-titânio acionadas a motor testando a hipótese de que os sistemas rotatórios que usam instrumentos de níquel-titânio produzem valores médios de deslocamento apical menores que as limas manuais de aço inox. Foram utilizados 100 primeiros molares permanentes superiores, cujas raízes mesiovestibulares foram separadas e incluídas em blocos de resina autopolimerizável. Os corpos de prova foram divididos aleatoriamente em 5 grupos e os canais radiculares preparados com instrumentos de níquel-titânio: Grupo 1 - sistema Quantec 2000 (Analytic Endodontics, México); Grupo 2 - Pro-File T.0.04 (Dentsply/Maillefer, Suíça); Grupo 3 - Pro-File Série 29 T.0.04 (Dentsply Tulsa, Suíça); Grupo 4 - Pow-R T.0.02 (Moyco-Union Broach, EUA); e Grupo 5 (limas manuais) - limas manuais de aço inox Flexofile (Dentsply/Maillefer, Suíça). Todos os canais mesiovestibulares foram submetidos a um preparo cervical prévio utilizando-se instrumentos Orifice Shaper números 1, 2, 3 e 4 (Dentsply/Maillefer, Suíça). Realizada a odontometria, o restante do canal radicular foi modelado a partir dos instrumentos do menor para o maior calibre de tal ordem que o instrumento final de preparo correspondeu ao número 9 para o Quantec, número 06 para o Pro-File Série 29 e o número 35 para os demais grupos. Nos grupos de 1 a 4 foi utilizado motor elétrico com contra-ângulo de redução de 16:1 numa velocidade de 350 rpm. No grupo 5 o preparo foi realizado manualmente. A análise dos resultados (ANOVA), obtidos pela sobreposição radiográfica numa plataforma especifica, demonstraram que todos os grupos apresentaram deslocamentos apicais, sendo que o menor valor médio foi verificado no grupo 4 e os maiores valores médios foram observados nos grupos 2 e 3 (

LUVMI: an innovative payload for the sampling of volatiles at the Lunar poles

The ISECG identifies one of the first exploration steps as in situ investigations of the moon or asteroids. Europe is developing payload concepts for drilling and sample analysis, a contribution to a 250kg rover as well as for sample return. To achieve these missions, ESA depends on international partnerships. Such missions will be seldom, expensive and the drill/sample site selected will be based on observations from orbit not calibrated with ground truth data. Many of the international science community’s objectives can be met at lower cost, or the chances of mission success improved and the quality of the science increased by making use of an innovative, low mass, mobile robotic payload following the LEAG recommendations. LUVMI provides a smart, low mass, innovative, modular mobile payload comprising surface and subsurface sensing with an in-situ sampling technology capable of depth-resolved extraction of volatiles, combined with a volatile analyser (mass spectrometer) capable of identifying the chemical composition of the most important volatiles. This will allow LUVMI to: traverse the lunar surface prospecting for volatiles; sample subsurface up to a depth of 10 cm (with a goal of 20 cm); extract water and other loosely bound volatiles; identify the chemical species extracted; access and sample permanently shadowed regions (PSR). The main innovation of LUVMI is to develop an in situ sampling technology capable of depth-resolved extraction of volatiles, and then to package within this tool, the analyser itself, so as to maximise transfer efficiency and minimise sample handling and its attendant mass requirements and risk of sample alteration. By building on national, EC and ESA funded research and developments, this project will develop to TRL6 instruments that together form a smart modular mobile payload that could be flight ready in 2020. The LUVMI sampling instrument will be tested in a highly representative environment including thermal, vacuum and regolith simulant and the integrated payload demonstrated in a representative environment

Prevalidation of Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Cancer Detection

Background: Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 60%. Presently, there are no scientifically credible early detection techniques beyond conventional clinical oral examination. The goal of this study is to validate whether the seven mRNAs and three proteins previously reported as biomarkers are capable of discriminating patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) from healthy subjects in independent cohorts and by a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Early Detection Research Network (EDRN)-Biomarker Reference Laboratory (BRL). Methods: Three hundred and ninety-five subjects from five independent cohorts based on case controlled design were investigated by two independent laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) discovery laboratory and NCI-EDRN-BRL. Results: Expression of all sevenmRNAand three protein markers was increased in OSCC versus controls in all five cohorts. With respect to individual marker performance across the five cohorts, the increase in interleukin (IL)-8 and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) was statistically significant and they remained top performers across different cohorts in terms of sensitivity and specificity. A previously identified multiple marker model showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for prediction of OSCC status ranging from 0.74 to 0.86 across the cohorts. Conclusions: The validation of these biomarkers showed their feasibility in the discrimination of OSCCs from healthy controls. Established assay technologies are robust enough to perform independently. Individual cutoff values for each of these markers and for the combined predictive model need to be further defined in large clinical studies. Impact: Salivary proteomic and transcriptomic biomarkers can discriminate oral cancer from control subjects. ©2012 AACR

Cetaceans have complex brains for complex cognition

MEDLINE® is the source for the citation and abstract of this record.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Prevalence and effect of pre-treatment drug resistance on the virological response to antiretroviral treatment initiated in HIV-infected children - a EuroCoord-CHAIN-EPPICC joint project.

Few studies have evaluated the impact of pre-treatment drug resistance (PDR) on response to combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) in children. The objective of this joint EuroCoord-CHAIN-EPPICC/PENTA project was to assess the prevalence of PDR mutations and their association with virological outcome in the first year of cART in children. HIV-infected children &lt;18 years initiating cART between 1998 and 2008 were included if having at least one genotypic resistance test prior to cART initiation. We used the World Health Organization 2009 resistance mutation list and Stanford algorithm to infer resistance to prescribed drugs. Time to virological failure (VF) was defined as the first of two consecutive HIV-RNA &gt; 500 copies/mL after 6 months cART and was assessed by Cox proportional hazards models. All models were adjusted for baseline demographic, clinical, immunology and virology characteristics and calendar period of cART start and initial cART regimen. Of 476 children, 88 % were vertically infected. At cART initiation, median (interquartile range) age was 6.6 years (2.1-10.1), CD4 cell count 297 cells/mm(3) (98-639), and HIV-RNA 5.2 log10copies/mL (4.7-5.7). Of 37 children (7.8 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI), 5.5-10.6) harboring a virus with ≥1 PDR mutations, 30 children had a virus resistant to ≥1 of the prescribed drugs. Overall, the cumulative Kaplan-Meier estimate for virological failure was 19.8 % (95 %CI, 16.4-23.9). Cumulative risk for VF tended to be higher among children harboring a virus with PDR and resistant to ≥1 drug prescribed than among those receiving fully active cART: 32.1 % (17.2-54.8) versus 19.4 % (15.9-23.6) (P = 0.095). In multivariable analysis, age was associated with a higher risk of VF with a 12 % reduced risk per additional year (HR 0.88; 95 %CI, 0.82-0.95; P &lt; 0.001). PDR was not significantly associated with a higher risk of VF in children in the first year of cART. The risk of VF decreased by 12 % per additional year at treatment initiation which may be due to fading of PDR mutations over time. Lack of appropriate formulations, in particular for the younger age group, may be an important determinant of virological failure

The challenges of transferring chronic illness patients to adult care: reflections from pediatric and adult rheumatology at a US academic center

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little is known about the transfer of care process from pediatric to adult rheumatology for patients with chronic rheumatic disease. The purpose of this study is to examine changes in disease status, treatment and health care utilization among adolescents transferring to adult care at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We identified 31 eligible subjects who transferred from pediatric to adult rheumatology care at UCSF between 1995–2005. Subject demographics, disease characteristics, disease activity and health care utilization were compared between the year prior to and the year following transfer of care.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean age at the last pediatric rheumatology visit was 19.5 years (17.4–22.0). Subject diagnoses included systemic lupus erythematosus (52%), mixed connective tissue disease (16%), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (16%), antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (13%) and vasculitis (3%). Nearly 30% of subjects were hospitalized for disease treatment or management of flares in the year prior to transfer, and 58% had active disease at the time of transfer. In the post-transfer period, almost 30% of subjects had an increase in disease activity. One patient died in the post-transfer period. The median transfer time between the last pediatric and first adult rheumatology visit was 7.1 months (range 0.7–33.6 months). Missed appointments were common in the both the pre and post transfer period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A significant percentage of patients who transfer from pediatric to adult rheumatology care at our center are likely to have active disease at the time of transfer, and disease flares are common during the transfer period. These findings highlight the importance of a seamless transfer of care between rheumatology providers.</p