Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol concentrations in cannulated seawater-acclimated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) following black-box confinement and epinephrine injection

The present study investigates the effect of cannulation and chronic'black-box' confinement, as well as epinephrine administration (4–0 μg kg⁻¹), on the degree and time-course of alterations in trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) catecholamine and cortisol concentrations. Plasma cortisol concentrations in seawater trout acclimated to 3–6° C reached 104 ng ml⁻¹ 1 day after cannulation/confinement and remained elevated above resting levels (8 ng ml⁻¹) until 6 days post-confinement. Although plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine generally declined over the period of confinement (day 1 approx. 12 nM; day 7 approx. 6 nM), norepinephrine titres were usually higher and more variable. Epinephrine injection caused elevations in plasma epinephrine levels but not in norepinephrine levels; epinephrine titres reaching 107 ± 26 nM (range 65–238 nM) at 2 min post-injection and returning to pre-injection levels by 30 min post-injection. Plasma cortisol increased by 20 ng ml⁻¹ following epinephrine administration. Based on the time-course for post-confinement alterations in plasma cortisol, it appears that up to a week may be required before cannulated fish are completely acclimated to 'black-box' confinement. The findings suggest that meaningful results from experiments utilizing epinephrine injection and 'black-box confinement are contingent upon: (1) knowledge of circulating epinephrine levels shortly after injection (i.e. within 2 min post-injection); and (2) an experimental design that takes into account the elevated cortisol titres that are inherent with cannulation/confinement and epinephrine injection.     

花尾榛鸡冬季活动区及社群行为

无线电遥测结果表明,长白山冬季花尾榛鸡的月活动区大小为22.5～6.52hm~2。11月至1月,随着天气变冷,花尾榛鸡的活动区面积明显减小(P<0.001)。冬季花尾榛鸡的日活动范围很小,平均466±127m~2。整个冬季花尾榛鸡的活动中心区出现阶段性改变。花角榛鸡对其活动区有一定的依赖性。花尾榛鸡冬季不存在明显的领域,出现集群行为,这与其栖息地食物丰富与抵御天敌有关。花尾榛鸡集群的组织结构是松散的,缺乏义务性,集群中的个体关系有亲疏,存在2只或2只以上个体组成的小组,同组个体之间的距离大多数情况在150～200m以内的联系范围内。推测花尾榛鸡集群时的活动区面积增大。     

Cell Boundary Confinement Sets the Size and Position of the E. coli Chromosome

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Home range structure and inter-group competition for land of Japanese macaques in evergreen and deciduous forests

The per capita home range area of Japanese macaques,Macaca fuscata, is significantly smaller in evergreen forest than in deciduous forest, though a corresponding difference in food resource utilization patterns has never been described. The present study compared the home range utilization pattern of Japanese macaques living in two habitats: the Yakushima population inhabits an evergreen forest, while the Kinkazan population inhabits a deciduous forest. We found that in the Yakushima population, (1) food density was higher; (2) inter-feeding bout sites distance was shorter; (3) daily travel distance was shorter; (4) home range size was smaller; and (5) the unit value of the main home range was higher, than in the Kinkazan population. Yakushima groups utilized a small home range area intensively, compared to Kinkazan groups. We also found that a Yakushima group shared 24% of its main home range with neighboring groups, though a Kinkazan group shared only 10% with other groups. It is supposed that food distribution affects daily ranging pattern, and ultimately the social relationships between groups in Japanese macaques.     

津巴布韦奇马尼马尼人工松林中狒狒分布型和结群大小与树木剥皮的关系

本研究调查了人工松林中狒狒结群大小和家区面积与树木剥皮率的关系。于2003年9月至2004年8月间每月对每个狒狒结群进行5天观察,采用足迹计数法统计狒狒结群大小,对不同结群狒狒家区内具有新旧剥皮的树木数进行统计,以方差分析和回归分析狒狒结群大小和家区面积与树木剥皮之间的关系。结果表明:定居和访问松林的狒狒结群分布型不受结群和家区大小的影响而与季节有关。树木剥皮与狒狒结群大小和家区面积均无相关性,特别是雨季更是如此,揭示狒狒对树木剥皮不是对食物和水源短缺的反应。树木剥皮具有很大的月份间变异,与狒狒群定居和访问利用松林亦无相关。树木剥皮率与狒狒结群大小的关系说明树木剥皮是由于狒狒结群中少数个体的偶然剥皮行为造成的。     

Why do female Lesser Spotted Eagles ( Aquila pomarina ) visit strange nests remote from their own?

There is very little confirmed information on the social organisation of breeding Lesser Spotted Eagle populations, the turnover rate of adults, and their nest-site and partner fidelity. According to established knowledge, however, breeding individuals are territorial and defend at least the immediate vicinity of the nest site against their own species. It has further been thought that females rearing young, as with the females of other raptor species, remain within a radius of only a few kilometres of their eyrie. Using GPS satellite telemetry and DNA microsatellite analysis (DNA STR typing), we were able to disprove this prevailing hypothesis. A satellite-tracked female flew over 50 km away from her eyrie (D) in at least two different directions and visited at least one other occupied eyrie (T). It was also established that at least two strange females arrived at her eyrie, which contained young, from as far away as 57 km, and probably remained there for some considerable time. The pool of alleles represented at the different loci analysed, as well as the distribution of these alleles among the individuals, excludes the possibility that these females could be sisters or even half-sisters. Visits of strange eagles at this eyrie were also confirmed by direct observation. It can therefore be assumed that males only exhibit territorial behaviour towards their own sex and not towards strange females and that females do not exhibit territorial behaviour towards other females; but all these assumptions must be confirmed by further studies. For the first time it could be proved by means of microsatellite analysis that almost all females studied used the same breeding site for 2 consecutive years. The longest established period in which both partners of a pair remained at the same breeding site was 3 consecutive years.     

Resultados de un programa de rehabilitación domiciliaria tras hospitalización en pacientes con fractura de cadera

IntroductionHip fracture is one of the most frequent disabling injuries, presenting serious complications during the acute and subacute phase. Rehabilitation at home, after hospital discharge, allows rapid functional recovery. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible usefulness of a home rehabilitation program in patients with hip fracture integrated in a Hospital at Home Unit.MethodsRetrospective study that consecutively included patients accepted for home rehabilitation treatment between September 9, 2019 and December 31, 2021 in the Hospital at Home Unit of the Hospital Universitario de la Ribera, Alzira, Valencia. Demographic, clinical, functional and quality of care variables were collected.ResultsTwo hundred twenty-four subjects were included. The mean age was 84.6 (SD 7.7) years, with 66% women and 34% men, with 32% of patients diagnosed with dementia in one of its degrees of severity. The mean hospital stay was 8.4 (SD 4.1) days and 6.5 (5.3) days in the Hospital at Home Unit rehabilitation program. 90% of the patients included in the program reached the therapeutic goal outlined during hospital admission.ConclusionsThe home rehabilitation of patients with hip fracture contributes to a functional recovery of the patient in a shorter time. Further studies are necessary to confirm the results obtained.     

Residency and movement patterns of bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, in a large Florida estuary

The use of a coastal estuary by bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, was examined by acoustic monitoring, gillnet sampling and tag- recapture studies. Acoustic monitoring data were used to define the residency and movement patterns of sharks within Pine Island Sound, Charlotte Harbor, Florida. Sharks were monitored for periods of 1–173 days with individuals regularly moving in and out of the detection range of the acoustic system. Patterns of movement could not be correlated with tidal level or time of day. Home range sizes within the Pine Island Sound population were typically small with individuals using core areas on a daily basis. However, core areas shifted within the study site over time resulting in eventual usage of most of the available habitat. Gillnet sampling revealed that S. tiburo were abundant in shallow water near seagrass beds, but that presence of individuals at specific sites was variable. Tag-recapture data showed that most individuals remained within the Pine Island Sound region over time and did not appear to undergo long coastal migrations. The movement and residence patterns of S. tiburo suggest that individuals are resident within the estuary, but do not show site fidelity to specific areas within the estuary.     

Spacing behaviour and habitat use of rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) at low density in the Italian Alps

Studies of rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus in northern latitudes have shown that, in the breeding season, the majority of cocks pair monogamously and defend small territories, whilst in most populations, a small proportion of cocks are polygynous or remain unmated. Little is known, however, on spacing behaviour and habitat use of alpine rock ptarmigan populations occurring at low densities at the southern edge of the species’ range. From 1995 to 1997, we trapped, radio-tracked and observed birds in the Central Italian Alps (elevation 2,000–3,000 m) in order to investigate spacing behaviour and habitat use in alpine landscapes where habitats offering rich food and cover are patchy. Both sexes were selective in their habitat use, and cocks did not establish territories on bare ground, artificial or nutrient rich grasslands or bogs. In the breeding season, cocks had larger home ranges than hens (cocks 99 ± 57 ha, hens 50 ± 25 ha) that overlapped with the ranges of neighbouring cocks and hens. Cocks were monogamous and defended relatively large territories (core areas of home ranges: cocks 37 ± 26 ha, hens 24 ± 12 ha), which corresponded with low spring densities (0.47–2.29 cocks km⁻² and 0.35–1.60 pairs km⁻²). Territory size of individual cocks was negatively correlated with the amount of high quality habitat in the core-area. Our results suggest increased home ranges and large breeding territories in low density alpine rock ptarmigan populations, compared to populations occurring at higher densities in the central and northern alps, and on subarctic and arctic grounds at northern latitudes, confirming the predictions of models on food-based territoriality.     

Ranging behaviour of roe deer in an experimental high-density population: Are females territorial?

We studied the ranging behaviour and spatial relationships between seven roe deer during more than 4 years in a partly wooded 14.2-ha enclosure. The animals (three young males, four adult females) were monitored with GPS telemetry collars. As expected, the surface area and overlap of the males’ bimonthly ranges decreased, and the distance between their arithmetic centres increased, as they became adult and, for two of them, territorial. Unexpectedly, females also tended to space out, the surface area and overlap of their bimonthly ranges being minimal in May to June, i.e. during the birth period. The distance between their arithmetic centres reached its maximum at the same time. Overlap between females’ ranges was consistently lower than those between males and females’ ranges, or between 1-year old males’ ranges. Our results raise the questions of female seasonal territoriality and of independence of the spacing systems of the two sexes in roe deer.