bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of experimental immunosuppression in cattle with persistently high antibody levels to SalmonellaDublin lipopolysaccharide O-antigens
Authors: Lomborg Sanne R , Agerholm Jørgen S , Jensen Asger L , Nielsen Liza R
Published: August 2007

Background

SalmonellaDublin (S. Dublin) is a zoonotic bacterium which is host adapted to cattle. The bacterium can cause subclinical persistent infection in cattle (carriers), which may be reactivated. During reactivation, animals may shed bacteria, thus constituting a source of infection for other animals. Identification of such carriers is assumed to be critical in attempts to control and eradicate the infection. Some authors suggest that persistently high antibody levels in serum or milk is indicative of a carrier state in cattle. However, this has been questioned by other studies in whichS. Dublin were not found in all animals suspected of being carriers based on antibody measurements when such animals were examined at slaughter. Some hypothesize that the lack of isolated bacteria from long-term high antibody level cattle is due to a latent infection stage that can later be reactivated, for instance during stress around calving or due to transportation.

This study examined nine adult cattle with persistently high antibody responses toS. Dublin O-antigen based lipopolysaccharide for cultivable bacteria in faeces, milk and internal organs before and after transportation, isolation and experimental immunosuppression with dexamethasone sodium phosphate over a period of 7–14 days.

Results

Clear signs of immunosuppression were seen as expression of leucocytosis and neutrophilia in all animals on day 3–5 after the first injections with dexamethasone sodium phosphate. No clinical signs or necropsy findings indicating salmonellosis were observed in any of the animals. No shedding ofS. Dublin was found in faeces (collected four times daily) or milk (collected twice daily) at any point in time during the 7–14 day period.S. Dublin was recovered by a conventional culture method from tissue samples from mammary lymph nodes, spleen and liver collected from three animals at necropsy.

Conclusion

In this study, immunosuppression by transportation stress or dexamethasone treatment did not lead to excretion ofS. Dublin in milk or faeces from infected animals. The study questions the general conception that cattle with persistently high antibody levels againstS. Dublin O-antigens in naturally infected herds should be considered high risk for transmission and therefore culled as part of effective intervention strategies. It is suggested that the location ofS. Dublin infected foci in the animal plays a major role for the risk of excreting bacteria.
A cross-sectional study of personality traits in women previously treated or untreated for alcohol use disorders
Authors: Östlund Anette , Hensing Gunnel , Jakobsson Annika , Sundh Valter , Spak Fredrik
Published: August 2007

Background

A better understanding of the relationship between treatment-seeking for alcohol problems and personality traits could give useful insight in factors promoting or hindering treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD). The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between treatment-seeking for AUD, personality traits, and psychiatric co-morbidity in women. The study was based on pooled cross-sectional data from three population based samples and one clinical sample (n = 1,339). Comparisons were made between treated and untreated women with AUD, and between those with resolved and unresolved AUD.

Results

A stepwise logistic regression model showed that treatment-seeking for AUD was not associated with personality traits. Among women with lifetime AUD (n = 217), those who had been treated (n = 42) had significantly higher scores than untreated women (n = 175) on three personality traits of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP); somatic anxiety, muscular tension, and guilt. Women with resolved AUD, who had received treatment (n = 23) had significantly higher scores on scales measuring somatic anxiety, psychic anxiety, muscular tension, irritability, and guilt than untreated women with resolved AUD. The latter group resembled women without AUD on most personality traits. There were no differences in occurrence of lifetime psychiatric disorders between the treated and the untreated women, whereas treated women with current AUD had increased risk of lifetime anxiety (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.1–8.7).

Conclusion

Treatment-seeking was not associated with personality traits in this study. Still, it can be concluded that women with resolved AUD who had received treatment had high scores on the KSP-scales measuring psychic and somatic anxiety, tension, irritability, and feelings of guilt. This suggests that personality assessment might be a useful tool in tailoring individual treatment programs for women with AUD. Future studies need to explore if women who do not seek treatment have special needs which are not met in usual treatment settings.
Prostaglandin PGE2 at very low concentrations suppresses collagen cleavage in cultured human osteoarthritic articular cartilage: this involves a decrease in expression of proinflammatory genes, collagenases and COL10A1, a gene linked to chondrocyte hypertrophy
Authors: Tchetina Elena V , Di Battista John A , Zukor David J , Antoniou John , Poole A Robin
Published: August 2007

Suppression of type II collagen (COL2A1) cleavage by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 in cultured human osteoarthritic cartilage has been shown to be associated with decreased expression of collagenases, cytokines, genes associated with chondrocyte hypertrophy, and upregulation of prostaglandin (PG)E2 production. This results in a normalization of chondrocyte phenotypic expression. Here we tested the hypothesis that PGE2 is associated with the suppressive effects of TGF-β2 in osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage and is itself capable of downregulating collagen cleavage and hypertrophy in human OA articular cartilage. Full-depth explants of human OA knee articular cartilage from arthroplasty were cultured with a wide range of concentrations of exogenous PGE2 (1 pg/ml to 10 ng/ml). COL2A1 cleavage was measured by ELISA. Proteoglycan content was determined by a colorimetric assay. Gene expression studies were performed with real-time PCR. In explants from patients with OA, collagenase-mediated COL2A1 cleavage was frequently downregulated at 10 pg/ml (in the range 1 pg/ml to 10 ng/ml) by PGE2 as well as by 5 ng/ml TGF-β2. In control OA cultures (no additions) there was an inverse relationship between PGE2 concentration (range 0 to 70 pg/ml) and collagen cleavage. None of these concentrations of added PGE2 inhibited the degradation of proteoglycan (aggrecan). Real-time PCR analysis of articular cartilage from five patients with OA revealed that PGE2 at 10 pg/ml suppressed the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and to a smaller extent MMP-1, as well as the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α and type X collagen (COL10A1), the last of these being a marker of chondrocyte hypertrophy. These studies show that PGE2 at concentrations much lower than those generated in inflammation is often chondroprotective in that it is frequently capable of selectively suppressing the excessive collagenase-mediated COL2A1 cleavage found in OA cartilage. The results also show that chondrocyte hypertrophy in OA articular cartilage is functionally linked to this increased cleavage and is often suppressed by these low concentrations of added PGE2. Together these initial observations reveal the importance of very low concentrations of PGE2 in maintaining a more normal chondrocyte phenotype.
Randomized Phase III Study of Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin Plus Bortezomib Compared With Bortezomib Alone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Combination Therapy Improves Time to Progression
Authors: Orlowski Robert Z. , Nagler Arnon , Sonneveld Pieter , Bladé Joan , Hajek Roman , Spencer Andrew , San Miguel Jesús , Robak Tadeusz , Dmoszynska Anna , Horvath Noemi , Spicka Ivan , Sutherland Heather J. , Suvorov Alexander N. , Zhuang Sen H. , Parekh Trilok , Xiu Liang , Yuan Zhilong , Rackoff Wayne , Harousseau Jean-Luc
Published: August 2007

Purpose

This phase III international study compared the efficacy and safety of a combination of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) plus bortezomib with bortezomib monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Patients and Methods

Six hundred forty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of an every 21-days cycle, or the same bortezomib regimen with PLD 30 mg/m2 on day 4.

Results

Median time to progression was increased from 6.5 months for bortezomib to 9.3 months with the PLD + bortezomib combination (P = .000004; hazard ratio, 1.82 [monotherapy v combination therapy]; 95% CI, 1.41 to 2.35). The 15-month survival rate for PLD + bortezomib was 76% compared with 65% for bortezomib alone (P = .03). The complete plus partial response rate was 41% for bortezomib and 44% for PLD + bortezomib, a difference that was not statistically significant. Median duration of response was increased from 7.0 to 10.2 months (P = .0008) with PLD + bortezomib. Grade 3/4 adverse events were more frequent in the combination group (80% v 64%), with safety profiles consistent with the known toxicities of the two agents. An increased incidence in the combination group was seen of grade 3/4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, asthenia, fatigue, diarrhea, and hand-foot syndrome.

Conclusion

PLD with bortezomib is superior to bortezomib monotherapy for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The combination therapy is associated with a higher incidence of grade 3/4 myelosuppression, constitutional symptoms, and GI and dermatologic toxicities.
Capecitabine and Trastuzumab in Heavily Pretreated Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Bartsch Rupert , Wenzel Catharina , Altorjai Gabriela , Pluschnig Ursula , Rudas Margaretha , Mader Robert M. , Gnant Michael , Zielinski Christoph C. , Steger Guenther G.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

In human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER-2)–positive advanced breast cancer, taxanes or vinorelbine plus trastuzumab are among the most widely applied options in the first-line setting. We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of capecitabine plus trastuzumab after anthracycline and docetaxel or vinorelbine failure and prior trastuzumab exposure.

Patients and Methods

Forty consecutive patients were included. Capecitabine was administered at a dose of 1,250 mg/m2 bid for 14 consecutive days in 3-week cycles, with dose modifications if necessary. Trastuzumab was administered every 3 weeks. Time to progression (TTP) was defined as primary end point. Response was evaluated every 3 months using International Union Against Cancer criteria.

Results

TTP was a median of 8 months, and overall survival was 24 months. No significant difference was found for second-line and beyond second-line treatment. A complete response (CR) was observed in 2.5%, partial response (PR) in 17.5%, stable disease lasting at least 6 months (SD) in 50%, resulting in a clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + SD ≥ 6 months) of 70%. Diarrhea (5%) and hand-foot syndrome (15%) were the only treatment-related adverse events that occurred with grade 3 or 4 intensity. Three patients (7.5%) developed brain metastases while receiving therapy.

Conclusion

Capecitabine plus trastuzumab appears to be an effective and safe option in a heavily pretreated population. Therefore, a direct comparison of this regimen with capecitabine monotherapy in this setting is warranted.
Role of Chemokines in Endocrine Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Rotondi Mario , Chiovato Luca , Romagnani Sergio , Serio Mario , Romagnani Paola
Published: August 2007

Chemokines are a group of peptides of low molecular weight that induce the chemotaxis of different leukocyte subtypes. The major function of chemokines is the recruitment of leukocytes to inflammation sites, but they also play a role in tumoral growth, angiogenesis, and organ sclerosis. In the last few years, experimental evidence accumulated supporting the concept that interferon-γ (IFN-γ) inducible chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11) and their receptor, CXCR3, play an important role in the initial stage of autoimmune disorders involving endocrine glands. The fact that, after IFN-γ stimulation, endocrine epithelial cells secrete CXCL10, which in turn recruits type 1 T helper lymphocytes expressing CXCR3 and secreting IFN-γ, thus perpetuating autoimmune inflammation, strongly supports the concept that chemokines play an important role in endocrine autoimmunity. This article reviews the recent literature including basic science, animal models, and clinical studies, regarding the role of these chemokines in autoimmune endocrine diseases. The potential clinical applications of assaying the serum levels of CXCL10 and the value of such measurements are reviewed. Clinical studies addressing the issue of a role for serum CXCL10 measurement in Graves’ disease, Graves’ ophthalmopathy, chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and Addison’s disease have been considered. The principal aim was to propose that chemokines, and in particular CXCL10, should no longer be considered as belonging exclusively to basic science, but rather should be used for providing new insights in the clinical management of patients with endocrine autoimmune diseases.
The Complex Role of Estrogens in Inflammation
Authors: Straub Rainer H.
Published: August 2007

There is still an unresolved paradox with respect to the immunomodulating role of estrogens. On one side, we recognize inhibition of bone resorption and suppression of inflammation in several animal models of chronic inflammatory diseases. On the other hand, we realize the immunosupportive role of estrogens in trauma/sepsis and the proinflammatory effects in some chronic autoimmune diseases in humans. This review examines possible causes for this paradox.

This review delineates how the effects of estrogens are dependent on criteria such as: 1) the immune stimulus (foreign antigens or autoantigens) and subsequent antigen-specific immune responses (e.g., T cell inhibited by estrogens vs. activation of B cell); 2) the cell types involved during different phases of the disease; 3) the target organ with its specific microenvironment; 4) timing of 17β-estradiol administration in relation to the disease course (and the reproductive status of a woman); 5) the concentration of estrogens; 6) the variability in expression of estrogen receptor α and β depending on the microenvironment and the cell type; and 7) intracellular metabolism of estrogens leading to important biologically active metabolites with quite different anti- and proinflammatory function. Also mentioned are systemic supersystems such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the sensory nervous system, and the sympathetic nervous system and how they are influenced by estrogens.

This review reinforces the concept that estrogens have antiinflammatory but also proinflammatory roles depending on above-mentioned criteria. It also explains that a uniform concept as to the action of estrogens cannot be found for all inflammatory diseases due to the enormous variable responses of immune and repair systems.
Practice Abstracts
Authors: Denton Brian T.
Published: August 2007

The goal of “Practice Abstracts” is to present interesting, topical, and novel applications of operations research methodology to a wide range of industrial applications. “Practice Abstracts” are intended to provide Interfaces readers with short (2–4 page) descriptions of the most relevant aspects of operations research-based projects, in a form that is accessible to academics and practitioners in other organizations. Contributions should be sent for evaluation to the editor of “Practice Abstracts,” Brian T. Denton, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Pavilion 3, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, denton.brian@mayo.edu.
Book Reviews
Authors: Lev Benjamin
Published: August 2007

The range of books reviewed is wide, covering theory and applications in operations research, statistics, management science, econometrics, mathematics, computers, and information systems (no software is reviewed). In addition, we include books in other fields that emphasize technical applications. Publishers who wish to have their books reviewed should send them to Professor Benjamin Lev. We list the books received; not all books received can be reviewed because space is limited. Those who would like to review books are urged to send me their names, addresses, and specific areas of expertise. We commission all reviews and do not accept unsolicited book reviews. Readers are encouraged to suggest books that might be reviewed or to ask publishers to send me copies of such books.

The authors or editors of books reviewed in this issue are C. R. Bector, S. Chandra, K. R. Chelst, T. G. Edwards, D. Li, X. Sun, J. McManus, T. Wood-Harper, M. S. Seppanen, S. Kumar, and C. Chandra.
Executive dysfunction and its association with personality and behaviour changes in the development of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome and mild to moderate learning disabilities
Authors: Ball Sarah L. , Holland Anthony J. , Treppner Peter , Watson Peter C. , Huppert Felicia A.
Published: August 2007

Background

Recent research suggests that preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) in people with Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by changes in personality/behaviour and executive dysfunction that are more prominent than deterioration in episodic memory. This study examines the relationship between executive dysfunction and the clinical and preclinical features of AD in DS. To determine the specificity of this relationship, performance on executive function (EF) measures is contrasted with performance on memory measures.

Methods

One hundred and three people with DS (mean age 49 years, range 36–72) with mild to moderate learning disabilities (LD) took part. Dementia diagnosis was based on the CAMDEX informant interview conducted with each participant's main carer. Reported changes in personality/behaviour and memory were recorded. Participants completed six EF and six memory measures (two of which also had a strong executive component) and the BPVS (as a measure of general intellectual ability). First, performance was compared between those with and without established dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT), controlling for age and LD severity using ANCOVA. Next, the degree to which informant‐reported changes predicted cognitive test performance was examined within the non‐DAT group using multiple regression analyses.

Results

The DAT group (N = 25) showed a consistent pattern of impaired performance relative to the non‐DAT group (N = 78), across all measures. Within the non‐DAT group, number of informant‐reported personality/behaviour changes was a significant predictor of performance on two EF and two ‘executive memory’ tests (but not on episodic memory tests). Informant‐reported memory changes, however, were associated with impaired performance on a delayed recall task only.

Conclusions

These findings provide further evidence for a specific impairment in frontal‐lobe functioning in the preclinical stages of AD in DS. Implications for the assessment, diagnosis, and management of dementia in DS are discussed.
The crystal structure of Li4[(UO2)2(W2O10)] and crystal chemistry of Li uranyl tungstates
Authors: Alekseev Evgeny V. , Krivovichev Sergey V. , Depmeier Wulf , Malcherek Thomas , Suleimanov Evgeny V. , Chuprunov Evgeny V.
Published: August 2007

The crystal structure of Li4[(UO2)2(W2O10)] (1) has been solved by direct methods and refined to R
1 0.036. The compound is orthorhombic, Cmc21, a = 7.3823(3), b = 14.0498(5), c = 10.1887(3) Å, V = 1056.77(7) Å3. The structure is based upon uranyl tungstate sheets with the composition [(UO2)2(W2O10)]4–. The sheets are strongly corrugated and are parallel to the (001) plane. The sheet can be described as consisting of two types of chains. UO7 pentagonal bipyramids share edges to form UO5 chains, whereas WO6 octahedra share corners to form WO5 chains. Both chains extend along the a axis. The Li+ cations reside in between the sheets providing their linkage into a three-dimensional structure. The structure can be considered as a derivative of complex oxides observed in the U—W—O and U—Mo—W—O systems. However, the topology of polyhedral linkage is different as a result of the presence of Li+ cations in the structure. The crystal chemistry of Li uranyl tungstates is discussed.
Temperature-dependent crystal structure analysis of methyl iodide by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction
Authors: Ibberson Richard M. , Prager Michael
Published: August 2007

High resolution neutron powder diffraction data recorded at 4.5 K confirm the orthorhombic structure of methyl iodide reported previously by Kawaguchi et al. (1973) from an X-ray single-crystal study at 193 K. The present study, using neutron powder diffraction, provides more precise structural parameters and reliable atomic co-ordinates for the hydrogen atoms enabling the methyl group libration to be analysed as a function of temperature up to 193 K.
The American Model Penal Code: A Brief Overview
Authors: Robinson Paul H. , Dubber Markus D.
Published: August 2007

If there can be said to be an "American criminal code," the Model Penal Code is it. Nonetheless, there remains an enormous diversity among the fifty-two American penal codes, including some that have never adopted a modern code format or structure. Yet, even within the minority of states without a modern code, the Model Penal Code has great influence, as courts regularly rely upon it to fashion the law that the state's criminal code fails to provide. In this essay we provide a brief introduction to this historic document, its origins, and its content.
Debussy's L'Isle joyeuse as Territorial Assemblage
Authors: Klein Michael
Published: August 2007

This article develops what Deleuze and Guattari call an assemblage around Debussy's L'Isle joyeuse in order to account for its signifying power in terms of territory, time, and desire. An assemblage is a multiplicity that territorializes natural, cultural, biological, and artistic phenomena in search of objectives that are fueled by desire. In this article, the assemblage around L'Isle joyeuse begins with a study of the interpretive aporias concerning time and place in Watteau's Le Pelerinage a l'Isle Cithere, a putative inspiration for Debussy's piano piece. After a discussion of the parallels between Watteau's Cythera paintings and Debussy's L'Isle joyeuse, the article turns to the problem of apotheosis in the latter work, using Chopin's Barcarolle as an intertext. The article turns next to Debussy's compatriot, Bergson, whose early philosophical writing conceives of time as duration, freed from spatial metaphors. From the Bergsonian perspective, we can hear Debussy's piano piece as a musical correlate to a conception of time far from the linearity of space. The article concludes with a discussion of Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus with particular emphasis on their ideas about chaos and ecstasy, illustrating how the desire and fulfillment in L'Isle joyeuse renew themselves as they participate in assemblages.
"Inescapable" Coherence and the Failure of the Novel-Symphony in the Finale of Mahler's Sixth
Authors: Monahan Seth
Published: August 2007

Critics have long viewed Mahler's Sixth Symphony in A Minor (1904) as the composer's consummate essay in musical tragedy or negativity, one with deeply personal implications. Its enormous finale draws together materials from all the preceding movements and enacts a terrible conflict ending in failure. Yet few studies have looked beneath the work's bombastic rhetorical-expressive surface to explore how its negativity might be reflected in its tonal, formal, and thematic processes. This study sets out to link that negative expressivity to a breakdown of what Adorno called the "novelistic" character of Mahler's symphonies. For Adorno, Mahler pioneered a new, emancipatory symphonic idiom, one that liberated its musical materials from the dictates of preconceived formal totalities. Unlike the Classical symphony, where the parts exist for the sake of a symmetrical, tightly knit whole, the "novel-symphony" follows no predetermined path. Instead, it unfolds according to the dictates of its constituent elements, realizing its unique form from the "bottom up" rather than the "top down."Yet (as Adorno suggests) in the finale of the Sixth this integrating totality returns with a vengeance. We can read the movement as a clash between Adorno's novelistic and Classical paradigms, a showdown between the impulsive freedom of certain recalcitrant thematic elements on the one hand, and the increasingly punitive demands of rigid minor-mode sonata on the other. This drama--one that caricaturizes "classicism" itself as a repressive or stifling force--plays out on both formal and thematic levels. Several writers have noted the claustrophobic effect created by Mahler's incessant recycling of certain key motives, an "inescapable" coherence in which the organicist imperatives of the grand tradition themselves become corrupt and, ultimately, corrosive. As these generic, subthematic particles proliferate, the movement's "novelistic" themes--those seeking to subvert the strict sonata--are systematically denuded of the differentiating features and dissolved beyond recognition. In the end, the movement's infamously brutal minor-mode conclusion reveals itself to be the culmination of a musical plot spanning the entire movement, one that gathers its many details into an inexorably tragic narrative whole.
Low Serum Immunoglobulin G2 Levels in Infancy Can Be Transient
Authors: Atkinson Adelle R. , Roifman Chaim M.
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVE. The immunoglobulin G2 subclasses contain predominantly antipolysaccharide antibodies. It was therefore believed intuitively that low immunoglobulin G2 levels could predispose individuals to infections with encapsulated bacteria. Although many reports initially supported this notion, more recent studies challenged it. Regardless of the biological significance, the natural history of low immunoglobulin G2 levels has not been carefully studied.

METHODS. We studied the outcome of low serum immunoglobulin G2 subclass levels in children. Thirteen patients who were referred because of recurrent infections were found to have low immunoglobulin G2 levels. Laboratory evaluation at presentation and follow-up visits included total serum immunoglobulins, immunoglobulin subclasses, and specific antibodies to protein antigens and to pneumococcal vaccine.

RESULTS. Low immunoglobulin G2 levels resolved completely within 0.6 years to 6 years (median: 1.5 years) in all patients. All 13 patients responded adequately to vaccination with protein antigens such as tetanus toxoid and polio as well as to immunization with pneumococcal vaccine. Four of 13 patients had a previous history of transient hypogammaglobulinemia, raising the possibility that the other cases may simply represent the tail end of this condition.

CONCLUSION. We have demonstrated that low immunoglobulin G2 detected in early infancy and childhood is likely to resolve completely within several months and up to 6 years from the time of presentation.
Canopy Closure, Competition, and the Endangered Dusky Gopher Frog
Authors: THURGATE NICOLE Y. , PECHMANN JOSEPH H. K.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: A major challenge facing wildlife biologists is understanding why some species go extinct while others persist in the same habitat. To address this question, we investigated whether tree canopy closure over ponds affects growth and survival of rare and common tadpoles within ponds and mediates competitive interactions among species. We conducted 2 experiments to test whether canopy closure and competition may have contributed to the decline of the endangered dusky gopher frog (Rana sevosa), but allowed the persistence of the southern leopard frog (R. sphenocephala). We explored the response of both species to canopy closure in single‐species and mixed‐ (1:1) species treatments of identical total tadpole density. An experiment using aquatic enclosures in temporary ponds showed that canopy closure reduced tadpole growth approximately 20% for both species. Survival of dusky gopher frog tadpoles was higher in mixed‐species enclosures than in single‐species enclosures. In a complementary experiment using artificial ponds, dusky gopher frogs had lower survival to metamorphosis, reduced size at metamorphosis, and produced a lower total biomass of metamorphosed juveniles in shaded ponds. Southern leopard frogs exhibited reduced body size at metamorphosis only when shaded. These studies suggest that pond canopy closure, not larval competition, may be contributing to the decline of the dusky gopher frog. The different responses to canopy closure suggest a potential mechanism for the loss of dusky gopher frogs and the persistence of southern leopard frogs. Removal of trees from historically open‐canopy ponds may help facilitate the recovery of dusky gopher frogs and benefit similar species.
Anticoagulant Exposure and Notoedric Mange in Bobcats and Mountain Lions in Urban Southern California
Authors: RILEY SETH P. D. , BROMLEY CASSITY , POPPENGA ROBERT H. , UZAL FRANCISCO A. , WHITED LYNN , SAUVAJOT RAYMOND M.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: Humans introduce many toxicants into the environment, the long‐term and indirect effects of which are generally unknown. We investigated exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides and evaluated the association between notoedric mange, an ectoparasitic disease, and anticoagulant exposure in bobcats (Lynx rufus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) in a fragmented urban landscape in southern California, USA. Beginning in 2002, an epizootic of notoedric mange, a disease previously reported only as isolated cases in wild felids, in 2 years reduced the annual survival rate of bobcats from 0.77 (5‐yr average) to 0.28. Anticoagulants were present in 35 of 39 (90%) bobcats we tested, multiple compounds were present in 27 of these 35 (77%), and total toxicant load was positively associated with the use of developed areas by radiocollared animals. Mange‐associated mortality in bobcats showed a strong association with anticoagulant exposure, as 19 of 19 (100%) bobcats that died with severe mange were also exposed to the toxicants, and for bobcats with anticoagulant residues >0.05 ppm, the association with mange was highly significant (X2 = 10.36, P = 0.001). We speculate that concomitant elevated levels of rodenticide exposure may have increased the susceptibility of bobcats to advanced mange disease. Bobcats were locally extirpated from some isolated habitat patches and have been slow to recover. In 2004, 2 adult mountain lions died directly from anticoagulant toxicity, and both animals also had infestations of notoedric mange, although not as advanced as in the emaciated bobcats that died with severe disease. Two other mountain lions that died in intraspecific fights also exhibited exposure to 2‐4 different anticoagulants. These results show that the effects of secondary poisoning on predators can be widespread, reach even the highest‐level carnivores, and have both direct and possibly indirect effects on mortality. Further research is needed to investigate the lethal and sub‐lethal effects of anticoagulants and other toxicants on wildlife in terrestrial environments.
Emigration and Density Dependence in Yellowstone Bison
Authors: FULLER JULIE A. , GARROTT ROBERT A. , WHITE P. J.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: Understanding the relative importance of density‐dependent and density‐independent feedback on population growth is essential for developing management strategies to conserve wildlife. We examined a 99‐year time series of annual counts and removals for 2 bison (Bison bison) herds occupying northern and central Yellowstone National Park in the western United States. Yellowstone's aggressive management intervention effectively recovered bison from 46 animals in 1902 to > 1,500 animals in 1954. Supplemental feeding of the northern herd facilitated rapid growth (r = 0.16) during 1902 to 1952. Augmentation of the central herd with 71 animals also led to rapid growth over 1936 to 1954 (r = 0.10). In 1969, manipulative management ceased in the park, and we detected evidence of density‐dependent changes in population growth rates for both herds during 1970 to 2000 as numbers increased to >3,000 animals. The central herd showed evidence of a constant density‐dependent response over 1970 to 2000. In contrast, density dependence had a stronger effect on the northern herd's growth rate during 1970 to 1981 than during 1982 to 2000. We found evidence to suggest that these trends resulted from pulses of emigration from the central herd to the northern range beginning in 1982 in response to resource limitation generated by an interaction between density and severe snow pack. Corroborative evidence supporting this interpretation included 1) the annual growth of the central herd was negatively correlated with snow pack but that of the northern herd was not, 2) growth rates of the central and northern herds were uncorrelated during 1970 to 1981 but significantly and negatively correlated during 1982 to 2000, and 3) the northern herd could not have sustained the high removals experienced during 1984 to 2000 without immigration. Density‐related emigration from the central herd to the northern range may be fueling bison emigration onto private and public lands where large‐scale removals occur, exacerbating the brucellosis controversy for natural resource managers.
Effects of Habitat on Mallard Duckling Survival in the Great Lakes Region
Authors: SIMPSON JOHN W. , YERKES TINA , NUDDS THOMAS D. , SMITH BARRY D.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:Habitat provides food and shelter resources for prefledgling waterfowl and thus plays a critical role in their growth, development, and survival. However, few studies have examined whether and how particular elements of habitat affect duckling survival. We investigated relationships of duckling survival rates with distance of overland travel, wetland vegetation composition, water permanency, and surrounding upland vegetation for 116 mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) broods in the Great Lakes region from 2001 to 2003. We found that the probability, on hatch day, that a mallard duckling will survive to 55 days was positively related to the proportion of wetland area that was vegetated and negatively related to the proportion of forest cover within 500 m of duckling locations. We found little support for relationships between duckling survival rates and the proportions of grasslands or seasonal wetlands or to distances traveled overland by broods. Our results suggest that conservation groups and wildlife managers in the Great Lakes region can improve mallard duckling survival rates by managing for, creating, and protecting vegetated wetlands and focusing efforts within lightly‐forested areas.
Ruffed Grouse Winter Habitat Use in Mixed Softwood‐Hardwood Forests, Québec, Canada
Authors: BLANCHETTE PIERRE , BOURGEOIS JEAN‐CLAUDE , ST‐ONGE SYLVAIN
Published: August 2007

Abstract: Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is a popular small game species in northeastern North America. We assessed female ruffed grouse habitat characteristics during winter of 2001‐2002 and 2002‐2003 in a region dominated by mixed softwood‐hardwood forests by comparing used and random locations. We followed 23 radiotagged adult females in 2 forest sites of the Réserve faunique de Portneuf, Québec, Canada, from late November to mid‐April. We described grouse habitat using ground surveys and identified selected habitat characteristics using analysis of variance and logistic regression. Females preferred mixed softwood‐hardwood stands > 17 m tall and 61‐120 years old. Compared with random locations, grouse locations had more well‐developed total canopy cover (>4m;75%), canopy (>4m;35%), midstory (1‐4 m tall; 35%), and lower‐story (<1 m tall; 23%) coniferous cover, and higher coniferous stem density and tree basal area (dbh > 9 cm; 343 stems/ha and 9.0 m2/ha, respectively). Forest management should maintain mature mixed softwood‐hardwood stands (50% coniferous), which are adequate winter habitat for ruffed grouse.
Activity Budgets Derived From Time‐Depth Recorders in a Diving Mammal
Authors: BODKIN JAMES L. , MONSON DANIEL H. , ESSLINGER GEORGE G.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: We describe a method to convert continuously collected time‐depth data from archival time‐depth recorders (TDRs) into activity budgets for a benthic‐foraging marine mammal. We used data from 14 TDRs to estimate activity‐specific time budgets in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) residing near Cross Sound, southeast Alaska, USA. From the TDRs we constructed a continuous record of behavior for each individual over 39‐46 days during summer of 1999. Behaviors were classified as foraging (diving to the bottom), other diving (traveling, grooming, interacting), and nondiving (assumed resting). The overall average activity budget (proportion of 24‐hr/d) was 0.37 foraging (8.9 hr/d), 0.11 in other diving (2.6 hr/d), and 0.52 nondiving time (12.5 hr/d). We detected significant differences in activity budgets among individuals and between groups within our sample. Historically, the sea otter population in our study area had been expanding and sequentially reoccupying vacant habitat since their reintroduction to the area in the 1960s, and our study animals resided in 2 adjacent yet distinct locations. Males (n = 5) and individuals residing in recently occupied habitat (n = 4) spent 0.28‐0.30 of their time foraging (6.7‐7.2 hr/d), 0.17‐0.18 of their time in other diving behaviors (4.1‐4.3 hr/d), and 0.53‐0.54 of their time resting (12.7‐13.0 hr/d). In contrast, females (n = 9) and individuals residing in longer occupied habitat (n = 10) spent 0.40 of their time foraging (9.6 hr/d), 0.08‐0.09 of their time in other diving behaviors (1.9‐2.2 hr/d), and 0.51‐0.52 of their time resting (12.2‐12.5 hr/d). Consistent with these differences, sea otters residing in more recently occupied habitat captured more and larger clams (Saxidomus spp., Protothaca spp., Macoma spp., Mya spp., Clinocardium spp.) and other prey, and intertidal clams were more abundant and larger in this area. We found that TDRs provided data useful for measuring activity time budgets and behavior patterns in a diving mammal over long and continuous time periods. Fortuitous contrasts in time budgets between areas where our study animals resided suggest that activity time budgets estimated from TDRs may be a sensitive indicator of population status, particularly in relation to prey availability.
Validating Predictive Models of Nutritional Condition for Mule Deer
Authors: COOK RACHEL C. , STEPHENSON THOMAS R. , MYERS WOODROW L. , COOK JOHN G. , SHIPLEY LISA A.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: We developed new, and validated existing, indices of nutritional condition for live and dead mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Live animal indices included a body condition score (BCS), thickness of subcutaneous fat and selected muscles using ultrasonography, and body mass. Dead animal indices included femur, metatarsal, and mandible marrow fat, 3 kidney fat indices, and 2 carcass scoring methods. We used 21 female deer and 4 castrates (1‐11 yr old) varying widely in nutritional condition (2‐28% ingesta‐free body fat). Deer were euthanized and homogenized for chemical analysis of fat, protein, water, and ash content. Estimates of fat and gross energy (GE) were regressed against each condition indicator using regression. Subcutaneous fat thickness, a rump BCS, and rLIVINDEX (an arithmetic combination of subcutaneous fat thickness and the rump BCS) were most related to condition for live animals (r2 ≥ 0.87, P < 0.001) whereas the Kistner score and kidney fat were most related to fat and GE for dead animals (r2 ≥ 0.77, P < 0.001). We also evaluated range of usefulness and sensitivity to small changes in body condition for all models. In general, indices with moderate or highly curvilinear statistical relations to body fat or those based on only one fat depot or a small number of ranking scores will have limitations in their use. Our results identify robust tools for a variety of research and monitoring designs useful for evaluating nutrition's effect on mule deer populations.
Winter Habitat Selection by Canada Lynx in Maine: Prey Abundance or Accessibility?
Authors: FULLER ANGELA K. , HARRISON DANIEL J. , VASHON JENNIFER H.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:We related winter habitat selection by Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), relative abundance of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), and understory stem densities to evaluate whether lynx select stands with the greatest snowshoe hare densities or the greatest prey accessibility. Lynx (3 F, 3 M) selected tall (4.4‐7.3 m) regenerating clear‐cuts (11‐26 yr postharvest) and established partially harvested stands (11‐21 yr postharvest) and selected against short (3.4‐4.3 m) regenerating clear‐cuts, recent partially harvested stands (1‐10 yr), mature second‐growth stands (>40 yr), and roads and their edges (30 m on either side of roads). Lynx selected stands that provided intermediate to high hare density and intermediate cover for hares (i.e., prey access) but exhibited lower relative preference for stand types with highest hare densities where coniferous saplings exceeded 14,000 stems/ha.
Comparing Scat Detection Dogs, Cameras, and Hair Snares for Surveying Carnivores
Authors: LONG ROBERT A. , DONOVAN THERESE M. , MACKAY PAULA , ZIELINSKI WILLIAM J. , BUZAS JEFFREY S.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: Carnivores typically require large areas of habitat, exist at low natural densities, and exhibit elusive behavior—characteristics that render them difficult to study. Noninvasive survey methods increasingly provide means to collect extensive data on carnivore occupancy, distribution, and abundance. During the summers of 2003‐2004, we compared the abilities of scat detection dogs, remote cameras, and hair snares to detect black bears (Ursus americanus), fishers (Martes pennanti), and bobcats (Lynx rufus) at 168 sites throughout Vermont. All 3 methods detected black bears; neither fishers nor bobcats were detected by hair snares. Scat detection dogs yielded the highest raw detection rate and probability of detection (given presence) for each of the target species, as well as the greatest number of unique detections (i.e., occasions when only one method detected the target species). We estimated that the mean probability of detecting the target species during a single visit to a site with a detection dog was 0.87 for black bears, 0.84 for fishers, and 0.27 for bobcats. Although the cost of surveying with detection dogs was higher than that of remote cameras or hair snares, the efficiency of this method rendered it the most cost‐effective survey method.
Predation on Moose Calves by European Brown Bears
Authors: SWENSON JON E. , DAHLE BJØRN , BUSK HELENA , OPSETH OLE , JOHANSEN THOMAS , SÖDERBERG ARNE , WALLIN KJELL , CEDERLUND GORAN
Published: August 2007

Abstract: In North America, brown bears (Ursus arctos) can be a significant predator on moose (Alces alces) calves. Our study in Sweden is the first in which brown bears are the only predator on moose calves. Bears and moose occurred at densities of about 30/1,000 km2 and 920/1,000 km2, respectively, and bears killed about 26% of the calves. Ninety‐two percent of the predation took place when calves were <1 month old. Bear predation was probably additive to other natural mortality, which was about 10% in areas both with and without bears. Females that lost their calves in spring produced more calves the following year (1.54 calves/F) than females that kept their calves (1.11 calves/F), which reduced the net loss of calves due to predation to about 22%.
Bird Response to Clear Cutting in Missouri Ozark Forests
Authors: WALLENDORF MICHAEL J. , PORNELUZI PAUL A. , GRAM WENDY K. , CLAWSON RICHARD L. , FAABORG JOHN
Published: August 2007

Abstract:We evaluated changes in breeding bird density and shifts in territory distribution with respect to clear cutting and timber stand improvement (TSI) of even‐aged stands on >300 ha experimental management units as part of the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project. After one harvest entry, clear cutting had positive effects on density of indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor), and yellow‐breasted chat (Icteria virens) and negative effects on density of Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens), ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), and worm‐eating warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus). In buffer regions within 100 m of clearcuts, indigo bunting, hooded warbler (Wilsonia citrina), wood thrush (Hylocichila mustelina), and Kentucky warbler (Oporornis formosus) densities increased and ovenbird density decreased. Breeding bird densities did not change in interior regions > 100 m from clearcuts except for a small increase for wood thrush. Breeding Acadian flycatcher and ovenbird showed greater use of stands not treated with TSI. We recommend combining adjoining stands to keep clearcut sizes between 8 ha and 13 ha to reduce negative effects on ovenbirds by cutting. We suggest a 7‐year offset between the timing of clear cutting and TSI to reduce their combined effects on ovenbird.
Survival of Pelagic Juvenile Loggerhead Turtles in the Open Ocean
Authors: SASSO CHRISTOPHER R. , EPPERLY SHERYAN P.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: We deployed pop‐up archival transmitting tags on 15 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) that had been lightly hooked in the United States pelagic longline fishery and on 10 loggerheads that we dip‐netted off the surface to serve as controls in the North Atlantic Ocean. We received data from tags of 10 lightly hooked turtles and 7 control turtles. We used data transmitted by the tags in a known‐fate model to estimate annual survival rates and determine if there were differences in survival between the 2 groups. The best model indicates there is no difference in survival between the lightly hooked and control turtles, and the estimated annual survival rate was 0.814 (95% CI = 0.557‐0.939). Our results suggest that when all fishing gear is removed lightly hooked turtles may not suffer any additional mortality relative to control turtles.
Factors Affecting Bowhunter Access in Suburban Areas
Authors: KILPATRICK HOWARD J. , LABONTE ANDREW M. , BARCLAY JOHN S.
Published: August 2007

Abstract: Access to private lands for hunting has been implicated as one factor affecting management of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations, especially in urban‐suburban communities. Our objective was to identify factors influencing suburban landowner decisions to allow hunting and bowhunter willingness to comply with additional requirements imposed by landowners. We surveyed bowhunters to assess bowhunting skills, challenges of hunting in residential areas, and hunter perspectives on shooting proficiency. We also surveyed landowners to assess opinions about hunting and factors influencing their willingness to allow hunting. Both bowhunters and landowners were divided on the value of demonstrated shooting proficiency as a factor influencing landowner willingness to allow hunting. Ability to restrict hunting activity on their property and completion of a state‐certified bowhunter safety course were important factors for all landowner groups. To maximize cooperation with landowners, hunters and hunt managers should assess and accommodate landowner needs.