Finegoldia magna,an early post-operative cause of infectious endocarditis: Report of two cases and review of the literature

We report two cases of infectious endocarditis (IE) on prosthetic valves caused by Finegoldia magna. The diagnosis was obtained by detection of the bacterium in valvular biopsies using 16S rRNA PCR amplication and sequencing, and prolonged culture. Five other cases were previously published in the literature. Following analysis of these seven cases, F. magna endocarditis presented as a subacute endocarditis, developing early (60 days) following valvular replacement (85%), with an elevated mortality (28%). Our report highlights the potential role of F. magna in early post-surgical endocarditis on prosthetic valves.     

Anti-fibrin antibody binding in valvular vegetations and kidney lesions during experimental endocarditis.

In Streptococcus sanguinis (sanguis) induced experimental endocarditis, we sought evidence that the development of aortic valvular vegetation depends on the availability of fibrin. Endocarditis was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by catheter placement into the left ventricle and inoculation of the bacteria. Fibrin was localized in the developing vegetation with 99mTechnetium (Tc)-labeled anti-fibrin antibody one or three days later. When rabbit anti-fibrin antibody was given intravenously on day 1, the mass of aortic valvular vegetation was significantly reduced at day 3; infusion of non-specific rabbit IgG showed no effect. The 99mTc-labeled anti-fibrin antibody also labeled kidneys that showed macroscopic subcapsular hemorrhage. To learn if the deposition of fibrin in the kidneys was a consequence of endocarditis required a comparison of farm-bred and specific pathogen-free rabbits before and after the induction of endocarditis. Before induction, the kidneys of farm-bred rabbits were labeled, but specific pathogen-free rabbits were free of labeling and signs of macroscopic hemorrhage. After 3 days of endocarditis, kidneys of 10 of 14 specific pathogen-free rabbits labeled with 99mTc-labeled anti-fibrin antibody and showed hemorrhage. Kidney lesions were suggested to be a frequent sequellae of S. sanguinis infective endocarditis. For the first time, fibrin was shown to be required for the continued development of aortic valvular vegetations.     

Fatal attacks by American black bear on people: 1900–2009

At least 63 people were killed in 59 incidents by non-captive black bear (Ursus americanus) during 1900–2009. Fatal black bear attacks occurred in Canada and Alaska (n = 49) and in the lower 48 states (n = 14). There were 3.5 times as many fatal attacks in Canada and Alaska but only 1.75 times as many black bears, and much less human contact for black bears in Canada and Alaska. There was a weak positive correlation (r_s = 0.56, P ≤ 0.000) between the estimated size of a bear population within a given jurisdiction and the number of fatal black bear attacks. Some jurisdictions had no fatal black bear attacks but had large estimated black bear populations. Of fatal attacks, 86% (54 of 63, 1.08/yr) occurred between 1960 and 2009. There was positive linear relationship between the number of fatal black bear attacks per decade and human population size in the United States and Canada per decade (r² = 0.92, β = 0.000, P ≤ 0.001). Of fatal attacks, 91% (49 of 54) occurred on parties of 1 or 2 persons. In 38% (15 of 40) of incidents, peoples' food or garbage probably influenced the bear being in the attack location. We judged that the bear involved acted as a predator in 88% (49 of 56) of fatal incidents. Adult (n = 23) or subadult (n = 10) male bears were involved in 92% (33 of 36) of fatal predatory incidents, reflecting biological and behavioral differences between male and female bears. That most fatal black bear attacks were predatory and were carried out by 1 bear shows that females with young are not the most dangerous black bears. As a result of our research agencies managing black bear can more accurately understand the risk of being killed by a black bear, and can communicate this to the public. With training, people can learn to recognize the behaviors of a bear considering them as prey and can act to deter predation. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

云南高黎贡山国家级自然保护区保山片区周边社区人熊冲突现状

亚洲黑熊 (Ursus thibetanus) 与人类之间的冲突普遍存在。在高黎贡山国家级自然保护区周边社区,人熊冲突严重威胁了当地居民的生产生活和生命安全。因此研究人熊冲突现状是了解其发生机制并提出缓解冲突措施的基础。我们于2019年通过半结构式访谈法对高黎贡山保护区保山片区周边社区的79位居民进行了人熊冲突相关的调查。结果表明亚洲黑熊在高黎贡山保护区周边社区的肇事类型按发生频率由高到低依次为破坏农作物 (119起)、捕食家畜 (43起)、损害蜂箱 (40起) 和伤人 (5起)。亚洲黑熊造成受访者经济损失最多的肇事类型是捕食家畜 (799 200元),之后依次为损害蜂箱 (309 300元) 和破坏农作物 (298 790元)。在高黎贡山保护区周边社区亚洲黑熊肇事的高峰期是每年的7—9月。在高黎贡山东西两侧亚洲黑熊肇事特征明显不同：东坡以破坏农作物为主,而损害蜂箱在西坡最常见。居住在高黎贡山西坡的村民比在东坡的村民对亚洲黑熊持有更为消极的态度,但消极的态度没有导致他们对黑熊进行报复性捕杀。此外,在高黎贡山周边社区72.0%的受访者表示没听说过当地有偷猎黑熊的事件,98.6%的受访者表示没听说过熊产品交易事件,大部分受访者表示在未来也没有使用熊产品的意愿。本文分析了高黎贡山保护区保山片区周边社区人熊冲突的现状,探讨了人熊冲突的空间和时间格局,为在高黎贡山开展缓解人熊冲突措施提供了科学依据。     

Prosthetic valvular endocarditis due to the fungus Paecilomyces

The third reported case of prosthetic valvular endocarditis caused by the fungus Paecilomyces is presented. The clinical course of the patient is discussed. The distinctive morphology of the fungus is described, together with the histologic and cytologic features found in the excised prosthetic valve and in the tissues at autopsy. Prosthetic valvular endocarditis presents a serious antibiotic and surgical problem in therapy. Despite antifungal antibiotics and valve replacement this patient died as a result of metastatic cerebral microabscesses and subarachnoid hemorrhage.     

Fibrinous Endocarditis in Dogs

Fibrinous endocarditis was observed in 67 (0.58 per cent) of 11,574 dog autopsies. The lesions were valvular in 62 animals and parietal in five. Valvular endocarditis mainly involved the left side of the heart, particularly the mitral valve. The pulmonary valves were never involved. The endocardial deposits in 42 animals were examined bacteriologically. Infection with streptococci could be demonstrated in more than half the dogs. Infections with staphylococci or Escherichia coli were also encountered. There was no evidence of sex predisposition, but a distinct age predisposition; fibrinous endocarditis was most common among dogs seven years old and over. A breed predisposition was seen for German Shepherds. There are reasons for believing that fibrous endocarditis is generally not a sequel to fibrinous endocarditis.     

Amplification reaction to bacterial DNA for diagnosing infective endocarditis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of broad-range bacterial PCR in infective endocarditis of bacterial etiology, and to determine its specificity and sensitivity. Twenty five blood samples were taken for analysis from patients with infective endocarditis and acquired valvular heart disease. Infective endocarditis was diagnosed according to Duke criteria. There were two control groups consisting of patients with acquired valvular heart disease: 10 patients with urinary tract infection and 15 patients without. Three different primer pairs for the region of the gene coding for 16S rRNA were tested, to find the most specific one. The highest specificity was found for F/R primers, as the relevant amplified PCR product was present in every blood sample with infective endocarditis, and also in 4 out of 10 patients with urinary tract infection. Broad-range PCR in bacterial endocarditis is a fast, sensitive and inexpensive tool for the detection of bacteria, but it is far more prone to contamination than species specific-PCR. However, in controlled conditions it may be valuable in the identification of non-specific infection allowing for a more rapid clinical diagnosis of endocarditis.     

Influence of fruit on habitat selection of Asian bears in a tropical forest

Wild bear populations in Southeast Asia are threatened with extinction, but the ecology and distribution of the 2 species occurring in the region's protected areas is poorly known, so there is little scientific basis underlying conservation strategies. We used bear signs, primarily claw marks on climbed trees, to study habitat selection and distribution of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) across Khao Yai National Park, Thailand from March to December 2008. We found black bear claw marks in 24 of 30 random sample blocks (80%), indicating that this species was widely distributed across Khao Yai. Sun bear signs were much scarcer: their claw marks occurred in 11 blocks (37%); data were too sparse for sun bear so we limited our focus to Asiatic black bear. Using logistic regression, we found that fruit abundance best explained variation in presence of black bear, whereas human disturbance, distance to park edge, elevation, and ground cover had little influence. Fruits appear to be a key resource for Asiatic black bears, and factors affecting fruit abundance or shifts in seasonality (e.g., climate change) will impact bear populations. Knowledge of this relationship will allow managers to be more proactive in managing bears. We recommend using sign surveys for monitoring changes in black bear occupancy as they are inexpensive, efficient, and can be conducted by trained park rangers. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

大熊猫等五种食肉动物血清蛋白和LDH同工酶盘电泳比较

大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)是世界珍稀动物之一,近年来,兽类科学工作者对它进行了多方面的研究,也包括生化方面的工作(潘文石等,1982;Sarich,1973),但与其他食肉哺乳动物相比研究较少,而此又为探讨其分类地位所需。本文应用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶盘电泳,对大熊猫、小熊猫(AilurSs fulgens)、黑熊(Selenarctos thibetanus)、家猫及犬等5种食肉动物的血清蛋白和LDH同工酶进行比较分析,目的在于了解这5种动物的血清蛋白图象和LDH同工酶酶谱以及它们之间的谱型、相对活力、迁移率的异同,进而讨论大熊猫的分类地位。     

Beta-endorphin levels in blood from selected Alaskan mammals

Blood samples were analyzed for beta-endorphin from 43 non-torpid black bear (Ursus americanus), 8 torpid black bear, 3 non-torpid brown bear (Ursus arctos), 14 moose (Alces alces), 6 mountain goats (Oreamnus americanus) and 30 Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Beta-endorphin levels were detected in all species sampled and there were no significant differences in levels among non-torpid black bear, brown bear and sea lions. Also, no differences were detected between moose and mountain goats, but all other comparisons were significantly different (P less than 0.001). Torpid black bear had higher levels than all other groups. Moose and mountain goats had the lowest levels. The possibility of beta-endorphin influencing behavior and physiology of mammals is discussed.     

Vibrio damsela infection in a stranded leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Necropsy of a stranded adult leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) determined that the animal died as a result of valvular endocarditis and septicemia. Vibrio damsela was isolated from the endocardial thrombus. The route of entry for infection probably was through the gastrointestinal tract.     

黑熊种群年龄结构和生命表初探

本文以四川野生黑熊（Ｓｅｌｅｎａｒｃｔｏｓ ｔｈｉｂｅｔａｎｕｓ）的头骨标本为基础材料,结合养熊场所积累的有关黑熊的年龄构成、繁殖、死亡等资料,运用数学分析方法对四川黑熊种群的年龄儿性比进行了分析研究,编制出黑熊的静态生命表,分析了黑熊种群的内禀增长能力,并得出了野生黑熊种群的平均期望寿命为６．３６６岁,净生殖率（Ｒｏ）为１．６９３２５,平均世代时间（Ｔ）为１１．５４４年,内禀增长率（ｒｍ）为０．     

Subspecific affinity of black bears in the White River National Wildlife Refuge.

The black bear population of the White River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is adjacent to populations of black bear in Louisiana (Urusus americanus luteolus) which are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Wildlife management plans can pose restrictions on bear harvests and timber extraction; therefore the management plan for the White River NWR is sensitive to subspecific classification of its bear population. The objective of this study was to analyze genetic variation in the White River NWR and seven adjacent populations of black bears to assess the subspecific affinity of the White River NWR population. Here we report the variation at seven microsatellite DNA loci among eight black bear populations. The patterns of genetic variation gave strong support for distinguishing a southern group of black bears comprised of the White River, Arkansas; Tensas River, Louisiana; Upper Atchafalaya, Louisiana; Lower Atchafalaya, Louisiana; and Alabama/Mississippi populations. Phylogenetic analysis of individual variation suggested that historical black bear introductions into Arkansas and Louisiana affected gene pools of certain southern receiving populations, but did not significantly change interpopulation relatedness. Phylogenetic inferences at both the population and individual levels support the hypothesis that the White River NWR population of black bears belongs to the U. a. luteolus subspecies.     

应用兔抗大熊猫免疫球蛋白G血清探讨大熊猫的分类地位

从大熊猫血清中纯化出免疫球蛋白(IgG),以此作为抗原免疫家兔,获得兔抗大熊猫IgG血清。以黑熊、小熊猫、狗、猫等动物血清为抗原,兔抗大熊猫IgG 血清为抗体．进行了免疫扩散和微量免疫电泳实验。 实验结果表明,收集的食肉目动物：黑熊、小熊猫、狗、猫的血清都可与兔抗大熊猫GIg血清进行沉淀反应,其中尤以黑熊的反应最强且与大熊猫的反应沉淀线完全融合;小熊猫、狗、猫反应较弱且融入大熊猫反应沉淀线后形成树板状。从此看出大熊猫lgG 与黑熊的IgG最相似,从亲缘关系上讲,二者更为接近,大熊猫反应属熊科。     

Estimating grizzly and black bear population abundance and trend in Banff National Park using noninvasive genetic sampling

We evaluated the potential of two noninvasive genetic sampling methods, hair traps and bear rub surveys, to estimate population abundance and trend of grizzly (Ursus arctos) and black bear (U. americanus) populations in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Using Huggins closed population mark-recapture models, we obtained the first precise abundance estimates for grizzly bears (N=?73.5, 95% CI?=?64-94 in 2006; N=?50.4, 95% CI?=?49-59 in 2008) and black bears (N=?62.6, 95% CI?=?51-89 in 2006; N=?81.8, 95% CI?=?72-102 in 2008) in the Bow Valley. Hair traps had high detection rates for female grizzlies, and male and female black bears, but extremely low detection rates for male grizzlies. Conversely, bear rubs had high detection rates for male and female grizzlies, but low rates for black bears. We estimated realized population growth rates, lambda, for grizzly bear males (λ=?0.93, 95% CI?=?0.74-1.17) and females (λ=?0.90, 95% CI?=?0.67-1.20) using Pradel open population models with three years of bear rub data. Lambda estimates are supported by abundance estimates from combined hair trap/bear rub closed population models and are consistent with a system that is likely driven by high levels of human-caused mortality. Our results suggest that bear rub surveys would provide an efficient and powerful means to inventory and monitor grizzly bear populations in the Central Canadian Rocky Mountains.     

Genetic status of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) reintroduced into South Korea based on mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite loci analysis

The Asiatic black bear is one of the most endangered mammals in South Korea owing to population declines resulting from human exploitation and habitat fragmentation. To restore the black bear population in South Korea, 27 bear cubs from North Korea and Russian Far East (Primorsky Krai) were imported and released into Jirisan National Park, a reservoir of the largest wild population in South Korea, in 2004. To monitor the success of this reintroduction, the genetic diversity and population structure of the reintroduced black bears were measured using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. Mitochondrial D-loop region DNA sequences (615 bp) of 43 Japanese black bears from previous study and 14 Southeast Asian black bears in this study were employed to obtain phylogenetic inference of the reintroduced black bears. The mitochondrial phylogeny indicated Asiatic black bear populations from Russian Far East and North Korea form a single evolutionary unit distinct from populations from Japan and Southeast Asia. Mean expected heterozygosity (H(E)) across 16 microsatellite loci was 0.648 for Russian and 0.676 for North Korean populations. There was a moderate but significant level of microsatellite differentiation (F(ST) = 0.063) between black bears from the 2 source areas. In addition, genetic evidences revealed that 2 populations are represented as diverging groups, with lingering genetic admixture among individuals of 2 source populations. Relatedness analysis based on genetic markers indicated several discrepancies with the pedigree records. Implication of the phylogenetic and genetic evidences on long-term management of Asiatic black bears in South Korea is discussed.     

Exophiala dermatitidis de Hoog from a valvular aortal prothesis

A case of endocarditis originating from a valvular aortal prothesis contaminated with Exophiala dermatitidis de Hoog is described.     

Ten novel tetranucleotide microsatellite DNA markers from Asiatic black bear, Ursus thibetanus

Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for the endangered Formosan black bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus) from a partial genomic library enriched for GAAA repeat. Polymorphism of these loci was evaluated in 27 Formosan black bear specimens of unknown relationship. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 15 and the observed heterozygosity of each locus ranged from 0.556 to 0.889. These loci should provide useful molecular tools to study conservation genetics of the Formosan black bear and other Asiatic black bears.     

Trichinella infection in wildlife of the southwestern United States.

Several potential mammalian reservoirs of sylvatic species of Trichinella were examined from Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. During 1998-99, tongues were collected from a black bear (Ursus americanus) in Arizona; from 9 black bears, a coyote (Canis latrans), and a mountain lion (Felis concolor) in New Mexico; and from 154 coyotes, 32 raccoons (Procyon lotor), 13 opossums (Didelphis marsupialis), 4 ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), 3 bobcats (Lynx rufus), and 5 feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in southern Texas. Larvae of Trichinella murrelli were identified by a multiple-polymerase chain reaction analysis in 1 black bear (11.1%) from New Mexico and in 7 coyotes (4.5%) of Texas, whereas Trichinella spiralis larvae were detected in the black bear of Arizona. This is the first report of Trichinella infection in wildlife of New Mexico and Texas and extends the distribution of T. murrelli into the southwestern United States near the border of Mexico.     

Phylogeographic and Demographic Analysis of the Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) Based on Mitochondrial DNA

The Asian black bear Ursus thibetanus is widely distributed in Asia and is adapted to broad-leaved deciduous forests, playing an important ecological role in the natural environment. Several subspecies of U. thibetanus have been recognized, one of which, the Japanese black bear, is distributed in the Japanese archipelago. Recent molecular phylogeographic studies clarified that this subspecies is genetically distantly related to continental subspecies, suggesting an earlier origin. However, the evolutionary relationship between the Japanese and continental subspecies remained unclear. To understand the evolution of the Asian black bear in relation to geological events such as climatic and transgression-regression cycles, a reliable time estimation is also essential. To address these issues, we determined and analyzed the mt-genome of the Japanese subspecies. This indicates that the Japanese subspecies initially diverged from other Asian black bears in around 1.46Ma. The Northern continental population (northeast China, Russia, Korean peninsula) subsequently evolved, relatively recently, from the Southern continental population (southern China and Southeast Asia). While the Japanese black bear has an early origin, the tMRCAs and the dynamics of population sizes suggest that it dispersed relatively recently in the main Japanese islands: during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene, probably during or soon after the extinction of the brown bear in Honshu in the same period. Our estimation that the population size of the Japanese subspecies increased rapidly during the Late Pleistocene is the first evidential signal of a niche exchange between brown bears and black bears in the Japanese main islands.This interpretation seems plausible but was not corroborated by paleontological evidence that fossil record of the Japanese subspecies limited after the Late Pleistocene. We also report here a new fossil record of the oldest Japanese black bear from the Middle Pleistocene, and it supports our new evolutionary hypothesis of the Japanese black bear.