The largest European lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss 1810) population from the Zoolithen Cave,Germany: specialised cave bear predators of Europe

Remains of 13 individuals with 3/1 male/female ratio of the extinct Upper Pleistocene lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the Zoolithen Cave near Burggeilenreuth (Bavaria, Germany) include the holotype skull and all paratype material. The highest mortality rate for the Zoolithen Cave lions is in their reproductive adult ages. Bite marks on lion bones or skulls are results of hyena activities, or rare cannibalism of lions under stress situations. Lions were possibly also killed in battles with cave bears during predation on hibernating bears in winter times. This cave bear hunt specialisation in caves overlaps with the ecological behaviour of cave bear feeding by Ice Age-spotted hyenas. Both largest Ice Age predators, lions and hyenas, had to specialise on feeding herbivorous cave bears in boreal forest mountainous cave rich regions, where the mammoth steppe megafauna prey was absent. This cave bear hunt by felids, and scavenging by hyenas and other large carnivores such as leopards and wolves explains why cave bears hibernated deep in to the European caves, for protection reasons against predators. Within such lion–cave bear and even lion–hyena conflicts in the caves lions must have been killed sometimes, explaining mainly the skeleton occurrences in different European caves.     

Predicting bait uptake by feral cats,Felis catus,in semi‐arid environments

Feral cat control using aerial broadcasting of toxic baits continues to be used in the rangelands of Western Australia. The effectiveness of these operations has sometimes been compromised by different environmental factors that affect prey and cat numbers. This study demonstrates that the ratio of cats to their preferred prey (small mammals) can be used to predict the most effective time to bait. The regular baiting of three conservation sites offered an opportunity to study the relationship between feral cat abundance, the abundance of their prey and ingestion of toxic baits. Peron Peninsula on the mid‐west coast, Lorna Glen station in the northern Goldfields and the central Gibson Desert of Western Australia are sites where cat control using toxic baits has been routinely applied over the last 15 years. We postulated that bait ingestion by cats was linked to the availability of live prey. Small mammal abundance (capture rates in pit‐fall traps) and relative cat abundance (based on daily track counts) were assessed at these sites and the data used to produce a predator‐prey ratio index (PPRI). We used generalised linear mixed models to test the effect of prey abundance, prebaiting cat abundance and PPRI on baiting efficacy (BE). The best model for predicting efficacy of baiting contained only PPRI. This simple model was able to predict baiting success over the entire range of outcomes, from highly successful ( >75% cat reduction) to unsuccessful (0% cat reduction). The ability to predict feral cat BE in advance of planned toxic baiting operations will provide a valuable tool for wildlife managers involved in cat control.     

Discriminant analysis of Lepidopteran prey characteristics and their effects on the outcome of bird-feeding trials

Discriminant analysis was used to analyse the results of 348 bird-feeding trials conducted from 1982 to 1985 in Leverett, Massachusetts. Four size classes, seven appearance categories, and five larval host types, based on 163 species of moths and butterflies used as prey in two or more trials, were selected as predictor variables to discriminate between prey taken and not taken by birds. Discriminant analysis of individual feeding trials correctly classified 97.5 percent of prey taken or not-taken and ranked the predictor variables according to their relative importance in determining prey acceptability. Characteristics most acceptable to birds were: (1) large size, (2) bark-like appearance, (3) warning colouration, (4) woody generalist, (5) dead-leaf-like appearance, (6) woody specialist, and (7) medium size. Characteristics least acceptable to birds were: (1) small size, (2) mimetic appearance, (3) butterfly appearance, (4) herbaceous specialist food type, (5) black-and-white appearance, (6) extra large size, and (7) overall generalist feeder. A summary of the analyses includes a discriminant function based on lepidopteran characteristics that can be used to predict the prey acceptability of species not used in this study. A multiple regression analysis of prey taken revealed that size alone and larval host type combined with other prey characteristics were the most important variables in determining the selection of prey regardless of their abundance in the trials.     

Changing patterns of nest predation and predator communities along a tropical elevation gradient

Tropical montane communities host the world's highest beta diversity of birds, a phenomenon usually attributed to community turnover caused by changes in biotic and abiotic factors along elevation gradients. Yet, empirical data on most biotic factors are lacking. Nest predation is thought to be especially important because it appears to be common and can change selective pressures underlying life history traits, which can alter competitive interactions. We monitored 2538 nests, 338 of which had known nest predators, to evaluate if nest predation changes along a tropical elevational gradient. We found that nest predation decreased with elevation, reflecting the loss of lowland predators that do not tolerate colder climates. We found different “super” nest predators at each elevation that accounted for a high percentage of events, suggesting that selection pressures exerted by nest predator communities may be less diffuse than has been hypothesized, at least for birds nesting in the understory.     

Effect of cowpea monocultures and polycultures with sorghum and greengram on predatory arthropods

Prior to implementing biological control, knowledge on availability of the possible enemies of pest(s) is important. Therefore, as part of a larger on-farm study whose main objective was to develop a farmer-friendly package for the management of cowpea pests, the diversity and abundance of insect predators within cowpea cropping systems (sole crops and intercrops) were monitored at three diverse locations in eastern Uganda. Coccinellids, syrphid larvae, spiders, Orius sp. and earwigs were observed at all locations. Abundance of Coccinellids and syrphid larvae were not influenced by the cowpea genotype nor cropping systems. Contrastingly, the abundance of predatory Orius sp., spiders and earwigs differed significantly among the cowpea cropping systems, being more common in the cowpea pure stands and cowpea + greengram than in the cowpea + sorghum intercrops.     

地塞米松对腰硬联合麻醉剖宫产术后腰背痛及神经并发症影响

目的：硬膜外腔注射地塞米松对腰硬联合麻醉腰背痛及神经并发症的预防效果。方法：将200例ASA I-II腰联合麻醉下择期剖宫产患者随机分成2组,A组吗啡2 mg＋生理盐水稀释至10ml硬膜外腔注射;B组向硬膜外腔注射吗啡2mg＋地塞米松5mg＋生理盐水稀释至10 ml硬膜外腔注射。术毕两组均行静脉术后镇痛。观察并记录患者术后24,72 h的腰背痛及神经并发症情况,同时记录每例患者试穿次数。结果：B组患者术后24,72 h的背痛发生率为11.0%,4.0%,明显低于A组（P〈0.05）;穿刺1次和2次及以上背痛的发生率分别为5.1%和19.5%,明显低于A组（P〈0.05）。两组72h内神经并发症差异无统计学意义。结论：硬膜外腔注射地塞米松有效预防腰硬联合麻醉剖宫产术后腰背痛,但对神经并发症的影响还有待进一步观察。     

Does habitat heterogeneity affect the diversity of epigaeic arthropods in vineyards?

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南极Gerlache海峡海鸟的取食集群及食性

1997年12月至1998年2月,我们对南极半岛席尔瓦角善于飞翔海鸟与企鹅的取食关联性进行了研究,同时调查了取食集团中主要鸟种的食性.发现每个取食集团中有35.6-37.0只善于飞翔的海鸟,其中几乎都有纹颊企鹅群 (Pygoscelis antarctica),黑背鸥(Larus dominicanus)、灰贼鸥(Catharacta maccormicki)、花斑鹱(Daption capensis)和巨鹱(Macronectes giganteus)是各集团中最常见的鸟类.各取样单元内有相关性的种数随季节变化而减少,一些种类的减少与特定的物候期有关.南极磷虾(Euphausia superba)是绝大部分飞翔海鸟的主要食物,研究发现黑背鸥与纹颊企鹅所捕食的南极磷虾的大小最为接近.飞翔海鸟的觅食行为表明:在海面上短时停留的飞翔海鸟也能够成功捕捉到磷虾,这可能与磷虾躲避企鹅的捕食有关[动物学报 53(3):425-430,2007].     

股骨近端防旋髓内钉与联合加压交锁髓内钉治疗老年股骨转子间骨折的疗效比较研究

目的:研究对比股骨近端防旋髓内钉(PENA-Ⅱ)与联合加压交锁髓内钉(Inter Tan)治疗老年股骨转子间骨折的疗效。方法:选择2014年6月至2016年6月我院收治的老年股骨转子间骨折患者92例,按照随机数字表法分为PENA-Ⅱ组与Inter Tan组,每组各46例。两组患者分别接受PENA-Ⅱ治疗和Inter Tan治疗,术后进行为期12个月的随访。比较两组临床疗效、手术相关指标(手术时间、术中出血量、骨折愈合时间)、手术前后骨密度水平变化情况以及并发症发生情况。结果:PENA-Ⅱ组优良率为89.13%,略高于Inter Tan组的86.96%,但两组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。PENA-Ⅱ组患者手术时间、术中出血量分别为(65.2±15.3)min、(57.2±29.3)m L,明显低于Inter Tan组患者的(84.3±13.8)min、(104.7±36.5)m L(P0.05),两组患者骨折愈合时间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。术前、术后12周以及术后24周PENA-Ⅱ组患者的腰椎骨密度水平与Inter Tan组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。两组切口感染、肺部感染、下肢深静脉血拴、近端股骨外侧皮质劈裂以及髋内翻发生率对比差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:PENA-Ⅱ与Inter Tan治疗老年股骨转子间骨折的临床疗效相当,且两种手术方法对骨密度水平的影响及术后并发症发生率相似。但PENA-Ⅱ治疗具有手术时间短以及术中出血量少等优势,值得临床推广应用。