Risk factors associated with sero-positivity to Toxoplasma gondii in captive neotropical felids from Brazil

From September 1995 to February 2001, blood samples were collected from 865 neotropical felids belonging to 8 different species. These animals were housed in 86 institutions located in 78 cities of 20 Brazilian states. Our goal was to identify the risk factors associated with sero-positivity to Toxoplasma gondii in captive neotropical felids from Brazil. All serum samples were tested by the modified agglutination test (MAT), using formalin-fixed whole tachyzoites and mercaptoethanol. For each animal an individual questionnaire was filled with questions about tattoo number, felid species, age, sex, origin, number of animals in the group, introduction of new animals in the group, time in the institution, eating meat previously frozen for a period <7 days in the last 6 months, eating meat of run-over or euthanized animals in the last 6 months, predation of rodents or birds in the last 6 months and presence of domestic cats near the enclosures in the last 6 months. The total sero-prevalence was 55% (95% CI: 52%, 57%). We estimated a prevalence of 46% (95% CI: 40%, 54%) for jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi); 58% (95% CI: 53%, 63%) for ocelot (Leopardus pardalis); 50% (95% CI: 45%, 56%) for oncilla (L. tigrinus); 54% (95% CI: 46%, 62%) for margay (L. wiedii); 12% (95% CI: 4%, 31%) for Pampas-cat (L. colocolo); 83% (95% CI: 65%, 93%) for Geoffroy's-cat (L. geoffroyi); 64% (95% CI: 50%, 68%) for jaguar (Panthera onca) and 48% (95% CI: 42%, 54%) for puma (Puma concolor). Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between the variables in the questionnaire and sero-positivity to T. gondii. We concluded that the independent risk factors for toxoplasmosis were: age >3 years (OR = 4.75 [2.75; 8.2]), eating meat previously frozen for a period <7 days (OR = 2.23 [1.24; 4.01]), and consumption of animals that were run-over or euthanized (OR = 1.64; [1.14; 2.37]).     

基于智能软开关的农村配电网无功优化

农村配电网建设是农村电气化和电力发展规划的重要组成部分。目前农村配电系统整体电压低,无功补偿不足,损耗大,使得供电质量低。为了优化农村低压配电网,本研究提出了1种电容器组与智能软开关(Soft openpoint,SOP)共存的双层优化模型,上层进行电容器组的选址定容,使得配电网节点电压偏差最小,下层利用上层优化得出的电容器位置与容量,规划出SOP的位置,使得网络有功损耗最小。采用改进狼群算法对所提模型进行求解,并在IEEE33节点系统中进行仿真,验证算法可行性。     

圈养山羊添喂S25山羊浓缩料增重效果及效益分析

进行了圈养山羊添喂“山羊浓缩料”增重试验，结果显示：试验组羊群比对照组健康、少发病，平均每只增重分别比对照组Ⅰ和Ⅱ高38．1l％和131．37％，增重盈利效益分别比对照组Ⅰ和Ⅱ高181．71％和288．70％。     

Genomic analysis of influenza A virus from captive wild boars in Brazil reveals a human-like H1N2 influenza virus

Influenza is a viral disease that affects human and several animal species. In Brazil, H1N1, H3N2 and 2009 pandemic H1N1 A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza A viruses (IAV) circulate in domestic swine herds. Wild boars are also susceptible to IAV infection but in Brazil until this moment there are no reports of IAV infection in wild boars or in captive wild boars populations. Herein the occurrence of IAV in captive wild boars with the presence of lung consolidation lesions during slaughter was investigated. Lung samples were screened by RT-PCR for IAV detection. IAV positive samples were further analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRRT-PCR), virus isolation, genomic sequencing, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Eleven out of 60 lungs (18.3%) were positive for IAV by RT-PCR and seven out of the eleven were also positive for A(H1N1)pdm09 by qRRT-PCR. Chronic diffuse bronchopneumonia was observed in all samples and IHC analysis was negative for influenza A antigen. Full genes segments of H1N2 IAV were sequenced using Illumina's genome analyzer platform (MiSeq). The genomic analysis revealed that the HA and NA genes clustered with IAVs of the human lineage and the six internal genes were derived from the H1N1pdm09 IAV. This is the first report of a reassortant human-like H1N2 influenza virus infection in captive wild boars in Brazil and indicates the need to monitor IAV evolution in Suidae populations.     

Use of formulated diets as replacements for Artemia in the rearing of juvenile American lobsters (Homarus americanus)

American lobsters, Homarus americanus, have been successfully reared in hatchery operations for over a century, yet formulated diets have never been commercially produced. In recent years, commercial Artemia replacement (CAR) diets have been developed and marketed for use in aquaculture production of marine shrimp. Three separate experiments assessed the utility of rearing American lobsters on these shrimp CAR diets. First, survival and growth of stage IV American lobsters fed one of three CAR diets (Artemac 5, CAR1; Economac 4, CAR2; and Progression 3, CAR3) were compared to those of animals fed frozen adult n-3 fatty acid enriched Artemia. Survival to 3 months was highest for animals fed CAR3 (85%), while animals fed Artemia had the greatest weight gain (> 6 % day^− 1). A cost / benefit ratio analysis showed that CAR2 was the most cost efficient for juvenile production because of its low overall purchase cost. Second, stage IV lobsters were fed either CAR2 or frozen adult n-3 fatty acid enriched Artemia exclusively, or in combination (2 : 5, and 5 : 2). Again, CAR2 was a cost effective feed to use, even as a partial replacement for Artemia. Survival was higher in diets that included CAR2, and feeding it two days per week compensated for low quality Artemia. Finally, 1.5 year old lobsters fed a gelatin-bound mix of 80% CAR2 and 20% frozen Artemia for five months survived and grew equally well compared to lobsters fed gelatin-bound frozen adult Artemia, and better than a custom formulated maintenance diet. The benefits of incorporating formulated feeds into American lobster rearing programs to increase the effectiveness of enhancement programs is discussed.     

广西山羊圈养现状与发展思考

本文对广西山羊饲养情况和圈养情况进行了统计，对实施圈养的优势进行了论述，并就目前存在问题提出几点发展对策，以期促进该区圈养山羊工作的推进和石漠化治理。     

Conspecific attraction in loggerhead shrikes: implications for habitat conservation and reintroduction

The loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus, is a declining songbird that forms breeding aggregations. Despite such reports from several populations, only one statistical analysis of loggerhead shrike territory distribution has been published to date. I use a spatio-temporal simulation technique to test for deviations from randomness in the spatial distribution of point data that takes into account date of nest establishment. I apply this model to data on the distribution of shrike nests in Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA, collected over the 1998 and 1999 breeding seasons. When the data are considered without regard to date of nest-establishment, the results are equivocal; nests are significantly aggregated in 1999, but not 1998. However, when order of nest establishment is taken into account, later nests are significantly more likely to be closer than expected to conspecifics in both years. This is true even when the distribution of simple resources, such as suitable nest-trees, is included in the model. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that loggerhead shrikes ‘prospect’ for suitable habitat using the distribution of breeding conspecifics. This aspect of loggerhead shrike breeding ecology should be considered for both habitat conservation and captive breeding and reintroduction programs for this species.     

人工养殖下金钱龟常见疾病及防治模式

在金钱龟的人工养殖过程中,观察到部分个体发生了腐皮、肺炎、腹泻等疾病。通过对细菌的实验室诊断和生化特性鉴定,发现引起金钱龟腐皮和腹泻的病原体为嗜水气单胞菌,而肺炎则是由温度突变引起的感冒造成。因此,进一步研究了人工养殖条件下金钱龟的常见疾病与一些环境因子的关系。研究表明,温度差异对金钱龟的生理机能有显著的影响,而水质条件和养殖密度的调控也关系到金钱龟的健康生长,这也为金钱龟防治疾病及健康养殖模式提供一些参考依据。     

Fractals and search paths in mammals

The fractal index by Katz and George (1985) for thecharacterization of planar curves is applied to wolf search pathsrecorded by radio-telemetry. All the sets of paths studied showspatial patterns whose complexity is between a straight line anda true random walk. Females fractal dimensions show significantchanges throughout the year, depending on the state of their lifecycle (normal, breeding and wandering). There are alsodifferences between males and females, but not between adults andnon-adults. The results are discussed with regard to wolffood-search strategies.     

Monitoring the performance of wild-born and introduced lizards in a fragmented landscape: Implications for ex situ conservation programmes

Ex situ conservation of animal populations may benefit from captive-breeding programmes, but these are criticised because they are assumed to be difficult, time-consuming and expensive, while they do not guarantee success. However, such assumptions remain untested in most organisms; for example, introductions could be very useful for recovering populations of small-sized species with short generation time, no learned behaviours, and ease to rear in captivity. Here, we document an easy, cheap and successful reintroduction programme of the lacertid lizard Psammodromus algirus. Two captive-bred cohorts (178 juveniles in 2001 and 187 in 2002) were released in four woodland fragments (0.9-5.2 ha) at two localities (B and V); B housed a stable lizard population whereas V apparently lacked a viable population of lizards. We monitored introduced and native lizards during 2002 and 2003, and carried out a corroborative searching in 2006 which confirmed the existence of a lizard population at site V. Introduced lizards had higher activity and dispersed more frequently among woodland fragments than native ones. Survivorship and growth rates were similar for both groups, but introduced juveniles were about 25% larger than native ones, due to both early hatching and better rearing conditions. The whole procedure was easily implemented in our Faculty facilities (mean hatching and hatchling survival rates of 0.90 and 0.87), and cost less than 20,000 € (excluding salaries). Therefore, similar programmes may be of wide application in small animals and of practical importance for species with a meta-population structure living in fragmented landscapes.