Diet selection in the Coyote Canis latrans

The Coyote (Canis latrans) is one of the most studied species in North America with at least 445 papers on its diet alone. While this research has yielded excellent reviews of what coyotes eat, it has been inadequate to draw deeper conclusions because no synthesis to date has considered prey availability. We accounted for prey availability by investigating the prey selection of coyotes across its distribution using the traditional Jacobs’ index method, as well as the new iterative preference averaging (IPA) method on scats and biomass. We found that coyotes selected for Dall’s Sheep (Ovis dalli), White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus), and California Vole (Microtus californicus), which yielded a predator-to-preferred prey mass ratio of 1:2. We also found that coyotes avoided preying on other small mammals, including carnivorans and arboreal species. There was strong concordance between the traditional and IPA method on scats, but this pattern was weakened when biomass was considered. General linear models revealed that coyotes preferred to prey upon larger species that were riskier to hunt, reflecting their ability to hunt in groups, and were least likely to hunt solitary species. Coyotes increasingly selected Mule Deer (O. hemionus) and Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) at higher latitudes, whereas Black-tailed Jackrabbit (L. californicus) were increasingly selected toward the tropics. Mule Deer were increasingly selected at higher coyote densities, while Black-tailed Jackrabbit were increasingly avoided at higher coyote densities. Coyote predation could constrain the realized niche of prey species at the distributional limits of the predator through their increased efficiency of predation reflected in increased prey selection values. These results are integral to improved understandings of Coyote ecology and can inform predictive analyses allowing for spatial variation, which ultimately will lead to better understandings about the ecological role of the coyote across different ecosystems

Characteristics of patients with venous thromboembolism and atrial fibrillation in Venezuela

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies describing venous thromboembolic event (VTEE) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in South American populations are limited. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe the characteristics of Venezuelan patients admitted and treated for these conditions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective medical record review of 1397 consecutive patients admitted to three private hospitals or clinics between January 2000 and December 2005 was performed. Data was collected on demographics, anthropometrics, hospital visit, comorbidities and treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among 401 VTEE and 996 AF patients, men were more likely to have AF (58%) while more women experienced a VTEE (58%). Most patients were admitted via the emergency room (87%) and had only one event during the study period (83%). Common comorbidities included hypertension (46%), heart failure (17%), diabetes (12%) and congestive heart failure (11%). Characteristics of Venezuelan patients with VTEE and AF are similar to that reported in the literature for other populations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results provide background characteristics for future studies assessing risk factors for AF and VTEE in South American populations.</p

Diet selection in the Coyote Canis latrans

DATA AVAILABILITY : Data used in this paper are stored in https://doi.org/10.5061/ dryad.xgxd254k9.The Coyote (Canis latrans) is one of the most studied species in North America with at least 445 papers on its diet alone. While this research has yielded excellent reviews of what coyotes eat, it has been inadequate to draw deeper conclusions because no synthesis to date has considered prey availability. We accounted for prey availability by investigating the prey selection of coyotes across its distribution using the traditional Jacobs’ index method, as well as the new iterative preference averaging (IPA) method on scats and biomass. We found that coyotes selected for Dall’s Sheep (Ovis dalli), White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus), and California Vole (Microtus californicus), which yielded a predator-to-preferred prey mass ratio of 1:2. We also found that coyotes avoided preying on other small mammals, including carnivorans and arboreal species. There was strong concordance between the traditional and IPA method on scats, but this pattern was weakened when biomass was considered. General linear models revealed that coyotes preferred to prey upon larger species that were riskier to hunt, reflecting their ability to hunt in groups, and were least likely to hunt solitary species. Coyotes increasingly selected Mule Deer (O. hemionus) and Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) at higher latitudes, whereas Black-tailed Jackrabbit (L. californicus) were increasingly selected toward the tropics. Mule Deer were increasingly selected at higher coyote densities, while Black-tailed Jackrabbit were increasingly avoided at higher coyote densities. Coyote predation could constrain the realized niche of prey species at the distributional limits of the predator through their increased efficiency of predation reflected in increased prey selection values. These results are integral to improved understandings of Coyote ecology and can inform predictive analyses allowing for spatial variation, which ultimately will lead to better understandings about the ecological role of the coyote across different ecosystems.FUNDING : MWH was supported through grants from Aussie Ark/ Australian Endangered Species Recovery Fund, and the Australian Research Council (LP200100261).https://academic.oup.com/jmammalam2024Mammal Research InstituteSDG-02:Zero Hunge

Association Between Intravenous Thrombolysis and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With Ischemic Stroke and Unsuccessful Mechanical Reperfusion.

IMPORTANCE Clinical evidence of the potential treatment benefit of intravenous thrombolysis preceding unsuccessful mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is scarce. OBJECTIVE To determine whether intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to unsuccessful MT improves functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Patients were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study from the prospective, observational, multicenter German Stroke Registry-Endovascular Treatment between May 1, 2015, and December 31, 2021. This study compared IVT plus MT vs MT alone in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion in whom mechanical reperfusion was unsuccessful. Unsuccessful mechanical reperfusion was defined as failed (final modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction grade of 0 or 1) or partial (grade 2a). Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were matched by treatment group using 1:1 propensity score matching. INTERVENTIONS Mechanical thrombectomy with or without IVT. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Primary outcome was functional independence at 90 days, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2. Safety outcomes were the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and death. RESULTS After matching, 746 patients were compared by treatment arms (median age, 78 [IQR, 68-84] years; 438 women [58.7%]). The proportion of patients who were functionally independent at 90 days was 68 of 373 (18.2%) in the IVT plus MT and 42 of 373 (11.3%) in the MT alone group (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.63 [95% CI, 1.41-5.11]; P = .003). There was a shift toward better functional outcomes on the modified Rankin Scale favoring IVT plus MT (adjusted common OR, 1.98 [95% CI, 1.35-2.92]; P < .001). The treatment benefit of IVT was greater in patients with partial reperfusion compared with failed reperfusion. There was no difference in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages between treatment groups (AOR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.29-1.81]; P = .45), while the death rate was lower after IVT plus MT (AOR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.34-0.86]; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that prior IVT was safe and improved functional outcomes at 90 days. Partial reperfusion was associated with a greater treatment benefit of IVT, indicating a positive interaction between IVT and MT. These results support current guidelines that all eligible patients with stroke should receive IVT before MT and add a new perspective to the debate on noninferiority of combined stroke treatment

Postnatal Expansion of the Pancreatic β-Cell Mass Is Dependent on Survivin

OBJECTIVE—Diabetes results from a deficiency of functional β-cells due to both an increase in β-cell death and an inhibition of β-cell replication. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects in susceptible individuals are mostly unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether a gene critical for cell division and cell survival in cancer cells, survivin, might also be important for β-cells

Increased Recruitment but Impaired Function of Leukocytes during Inflammation in Mouse Models of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND: Patients suffering from diabetes show defective bacterial clearance. This study investigates the effects of elevated plasma glucose levels during diabetes on leukocyte recruitment and function in established models of inflammation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Diabetes was induced in C57Bl/6 mice by intravenous alloxan (causing severe hyperglycemia), or by high fat diet (moderate hyperglycemia). Leukocyte recruitment was studied in anaesthetized mice using intravital microscopy of exposed cremaster muscles, where numbers of rolling, adherent and emigrated leukocytes were quantified before and during exposure to the inflammatory chemokine MIP-2 (0.5 nM). During basal conditions, prior to addition of chemokine, the adherent and emigrated leukocytes were increased in both alloxan- (62±18% and 85±21%, respectively) and high fat diet-induced (77±25% and 86±17%, respectively) diabetes compared to control mice. MIP-2 induced leukocyte emigration in all groups, albeit significantly more cells emigrated in alloxan-treated mice (15.3±1.0) compared to control (8.0±1.1) mice. Bacterial clearance was followed for 10 days after subcutaneous injection of bioluminescent S. aureus using non-invasive IVIS imaging, and the inflammatory response was assessed by Myeloperoxidase-ELISA and confocal imaging. The phagocytic ability of leukocytes was assessed using LPS-coated fluorescent beads and flow cytometry. Despite efficient leukocyte recruitment, alloxan-treated mice demonstrated an impaired ability to clear bacterial infection, which we found correlated to a 50% decreased phagocytic ability of leukocytes in diabetic mice. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate that reduced ability to clear bacterial infections observed during experimentally induced diabetes is not due to reduced leukocyte recruitment since sustained hyperglycemia results in increased levels of adherent and emigrated leukocytes in mouse models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Instead, decreased phagocytic ability observed for leukocytes isolated from diabetic mice might account for the impaired bacterial clearance

Oral Thromboprophylaxis Following Total Hip or Knee Replacement: Review and Multicentre Experience with Dabigatran Etexilate

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total knee or hip replacement surgery is high. As a result, thromboprophylaxis is highly recommended. While current thromboprophylactic agents, such as low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) and vitamin K antagonists, are safe and effective their use can be problematic. Therefore, there is a need for alternative anticoagulants that are as safe and effective as conventional agents, but are more convenient and easier to use. Dabigatran etexilate, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is one such anticoagulant. For VTE prevention following major orthopaedic surgery, dabigatran etexilate shows similar efficacy and safety to the LMWH enoxaparin, and is approved for use in more than 75 countries, including Europe and Canada. Here, we summarize and discuss the experiences of four German clinics that have recently introduced dabigatran etexilate into clinical practice. Overall, dabigatran etexilate was well received by patients, surgeons and nurses, and compared favourably with enoxaparin. Staff appreciated the oral, single-dose administration of dabigatran etexilate. Patient satisfaction was high, especially in those individuals who had previously used LMWHs. In this review, we also address a number of questions that were asked by patients or staff; this will be of relevance to orthopaedic surgeons and nurses. We conclude that, in these four German clinics, dabigatran etexilate offered an effective oral alternative to existing thromboprophylactic agents in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery