Search results for " Animals"
showing 10 items of 703 documents
Zoonotic Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens infection in humans and an integrative approach to the diagnosis
2021
Abstract Dirofilariosis by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens is endemic in dogs from countries of the Mediterranean basin. Both species may infect humans, with most of the infected patients remaining asymptomatic. Based on the recent description of the southernmost hyperendemic European focus of heartworm disease in dogs from the Pelagie archipelagos, we performed a serological and molecular survey in human population of that area. Human blood samples were collected in the islands of Linosa (n=101) and Lampedusa (n=296) and tested by ELISA and molecular test for the detection of D. immitis and D. repens. Samples were also screened for filarioid-associated endosymbionts, Wolbachia s…
Dog behaviour classification with movement sensors placed on the harness and the collar
2021
Dog owners’ understanding of the daily behaviour of their dogs may be enhanced by movement measurements that can detect repeatable dog behaviour, such as levels of daily activity and rest as well as their changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of supervised machine learning methods utilising accelerometer and gyroscope data provided by wearable movement sensors in classification of seven typical dog activities in a semi-controlled test situation. Forty-five middle to large sized dogs participated in the study. Two sensor devices were attached to each dog, one on the back of the dog in a harness and one on the neck collar. Altogether 54 features were extracted from th…
Leishmania tarentolae and Leishmania infantum in humans, dogs and cats in the Pelagie archipelago, southern Italy.
2021
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic in the Mediterranean basin with most of the infected human patients remaining asymptomatic. Recently, the saurian-associated Leishmania tarentolae was detected in human blood donors and in sheltered dogs. The circulation of L. infantum and L. tarentolae was investigated in humans, dogs and cats living in the Pelagie islands (Sicily, Italy) by multiple serological and molecular testing. Human serum samples (n = 346) were tested to assess the exposure to L. infantum by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (WB) and to L. tarentolae by IFAT. Meanwhile, sera from do…
On hidden heterogeneity in directional asymmetry – can systematic bias be avoided?
2006
8 pages; International audience; Directional asymmetry (DA) biases the analysis of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) mainly because among-individual differences in the predisposition for DA are difficult to detect. However, we argue that systematic bias mainly results from predictable associations between signed right-left asymmetry and other factors, i.e. from systematic variation in DA. We here demonstrate methods to test and correct for this, by analysing bilateral asymmetry in size and shape of an irregular sea urchin. Notably, in this model system, DA depended significantly on body length and geographic origin, although mean signed asymmetry (mean DA) was not significant in the sample as a wh…
Evolutionary genomics can improve prediction of species' responses to climate change
2020
Abstract Global climate change (GCC) increasingly threatens biodiversity through the loss of species, and the transformation of entire ecosystems. Many species are challenged by the pace of GCC because they might not be able to respond fast enough to changing biotic and abiotic conditions. Species can respond either by shifting their range, or by persisting in their local habitat. If populations persist, they can tolerate climatic changes through phenotypic plasticity, or genetically adapt to changing conditions depending on their genetic variability and census population size to allow for de novo mutations. Otherwise, populations will experience demographic collapses and species may go ext…
Sex influences rat personality more than geographical origin
2011
Abstract The Norway rat is an indispensable model organism. Behavioral studies on rats usually concentrate on a single trait without considering how different behaviors are linked to each other and whether there are differences in this respect between rat strains or sexes. This study aims to describe the personality structure of the Norway rat, and investigate if the structure of personality varies between sexes or populations, using owner assessments of pet rats. Rat owners from three countries filled out a questionnaire which was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The data were divided between the sexes and populations, resulting in six groups. Preliminary exploratory factor ana…
A Primer on Memetic Algorithms
2012
Memetic Algorithms (MAs) are population-based metaheuristics composed of an evolutionary framework and a set of local search algorithms which are activated within the generation cycle of the external framework, see [376]. The earliest MA implementation has been given in [621] in the context of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) while an early systematic definition has been presented in [615]. The concept of meme is borrowed from philosophy and is intended as the unit of cultural transmission. In other words, complex ideas can be decomposed into memes which propagate andmutate within a population.Culture, in this way, constantly undergoes evolution and tends towards progressive improvemen…
The Trumorph℗® system: The new univ the morphology of living sperm
2015
Abstract Evaluation of sperm morphology is a fundamental component of semen analysis, but its real significance has been obscured by a plethora of techniques that involve fixation and staining procedures that induce artefacts. Here we describe Trumorph℗ ® , a new method for sperm morphology assesment that is based upon examination of wet preparations of living spermatozoa immobilized by a short 60 °C shock using negative phase contrast microscopy. We have observed samples from five animals of the following species: bull, boar, goat and rabbit. In every case, all the components of the sperm head and tail were perfectly defined, including the acrosome and midpiece (in all its length, includin…
Sperm morphological abnormalities appearing in the male rabbit reproductive tract
1996
The role of the excurrent duct system in producing and/or eliminating morphologically abnormal spermatozoa may modify the semen parameters and interfere with sperm fertilizing capacity. To study this process, changes in the morphology of spermatozoa during their transit through the reproductive tract in sexually mature rabbits were investigated. The incidence of head, midpiece and tail abnormalities as well as of multiple defects in a single spermatozoon, and the position of the cytoplasmic droplet along the sperm midpiece were evaluated in samples from the testis, 6 regions of the epididymis and the vas deferens. Spermatozoa were characterized by rapid migration of the cytoplasmic droplet …
Sleep Induction by Intranasal Application of Melatonin
1981
The sleep inducing potency of melatonin was tested in a double-blind study against placebo. The application form was a nasal spray with a 0.85% solution of melatonin in ethanol. 70% of the subjects fell asleep after treatment with the hormone.