Causes and Correlates of Calf Mortality in Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus)

Juvenile mortality is a key factor influencing population growth rate in density-independent, predation-free, well-managed captive populations. Currently at least a quarter of all Asian elephants live in captivity, but both the wild and captive populations are unsustainable with the present fertility and calf mortality rates. Despite the need for detailed data on calf mortality to manage effectively populations and to minimize the need for capture from the wild, very little is known of the causes and correlates of calf mortality in Asian elephants. Here we use the world's largest multigenerational demographic dataset on a semi-captive population of Asian elephants compiled from timber camps in Myanmar to investigate the survival of calves (n = 1020) to age five born to captive-born mothers (n = 391) between 1960 and 1999. Mortality risk varied significantly across different ages and was higher for males at any age. Maternal reproductive history was associated with large differences in both stillbirth and liveborn mortality risk: first-time mothers had a higher risk of calf loss as did mothers producing another calf soon (<3.7 years) after a previous birth, and when giving birth at older age. Stillbirth (4%) and pre-weaning mortality (25.6%) were considerably lower than those reported for zoo elephants and used in published population viability analyses. A large proportion of deaths were caused by accidents and lack of maternal milk/calf weakness which both might be partly preventable by supplementary feeding of mothers and calves and work reduction of high-risk mothers. Our results on Myanmar timber elephants with an extensive keeping system provide an important comparison to compromised survivorship reported in zoo elephants. They have implications for improving captive working elephant management systems in range countries and for refining population viability analyses with realistic parameter values in order to predict future population size of the Asian elephant

Falls in ambulatory non-demented patients with Parkinson’s disease

This study aimed at determining the prevalence of falling in PD patients, to assess generic and disease-specific clinical and pharmacological factors, relationship with health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and changes in falls from OFF to ON in patients with motor fluctuations. Six-hundred and eighty-three PD patients of the COPARK survey were evaluated (11 had missing data and were excluded from the analysis). Patients with falls were identified as those with a UPDRS Item 13 ¡Ý 1 in the ON condition. All patients were assessed in a standardized manner [demographics, treatments, Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburg questionnaire and HR-QoL scales (SF36, PDQ39)]. Falling was reported by 108/672 (16 %) PD patients during the ON state and prevalence increased according to PD severity, from 5 % in Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-60 % in stage 4. Falling was significantly related to lower HR-QoL. Falling correlated with (1) generic factors such as female gender, age at the end of academic studies and diuretics consumption, (2) motor PD-specific factors including disease severity, frozen gait, difficulties when arising from a chair, dyskinesia and higher levodopa daily equivalent dose and (3) non-motor PD-specific factors such as orthostatic hypotension and hallucinations. Falling was more frequent in OFF than in ON in 48/74 (64 %) patients with motor fluctuations and remained unchanged in 27 patients (36 %). In summary, falling affected a significant proportion of PD patients, especially in advanced stages. It was associated with a variety of generic and PD-specific factors and was related to reduced HR-QoL.Fil: Rascol, Olivier. NS-Park Network; Francia. Université Paul Sabatier; Francia. Inserm; FranciaFil: Pérez Lloret, Santiago. Université Paul Sabatier; Francia. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Damier, Philippe. Hôpital Laënnec; Francia. NS-Park Network; Francia. Inserm; FranciaFil: Delval, Arnaud. Seul Centre Hospitalier Universitaire; FranciaFil: Derkinderen, Pascal. Hôpital Laënnec; FranciaFil: Destée, Alain. NS-Park Network; Francia. Inserm; Francia. Seul Centre Hospitalier Universitaire; FranciaFil: Meissner, Wassilios G.. Universite de Bordeaux; Francia. Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; Francia. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux; FranciaFil: Tison, Francois. Universite de Bordeaux; Francia. Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux; Francia. Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; Francia. NS-Park Network; FranciaFil: Negre Pages, Laurence. Inserm; Francia. NS-Park Network; Franci