Publications

3,4,5-trinitropyrazole-based energetic salts.	high-density energetic salts that are comprised of nitrogen-rich cations and the 3,4,5-trinitropyrazolate anion were synthesized in high yield by neutralization or metathesis reactions. the resulting salts were fully characterized by (1)h, (13)c nmr, and ir spectroscopy; differential scanning calorimetry; and elemental analysis. additionally, the structures of the 3,5-diaminotriazolium and triaminoguanidinium 3,4,5-trinitropyrazolates were confirmed by single-crystal x-ray diffraction. based on ...	2010	20661962
exposure of growing and adult captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) to dietary isoflavones: twenty years later.	dietary isoflavones are associated with oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic effects, and have been linked to infertility in cheetahs. this study aimed to determine the isoflavone content of commercially prepared diets consumed by captive cheetahs. sixteen international zoological facilities provided diets, and the isoflavone content of each diet was determined by acid hydrolysis and hplc quantification. proximate nutritional composition was also determined. over half the diets analysed contained de ...	2010	20662971
is the presence of abnormal prion protein in the renal glomeruli of feline species presenting with fse authentic?	in a recent paper written by hilbe et al (bmc vet res, 2009), the nature and specificity of the prion protein deposition in the kidney of feline species affected with feline spongiform encephalopathy (fse) were clearly considered doubtful. this article was brought to our attention because we published several years ago an immunodetection of abnormal prion protein in the kidney of a cheetah affected with fse. at this time we were convinced of its specificity but without having all the possibiliti ...	2010	20684771
bilateral vision loss in a captive cheetah (acinonyx jubatus).	the following case report describes a 1-year-old female cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) with bilateral blindness and unresponsive pupils. for comparison, a second healthy 2.5-year-old male cheetah without visual deficits was also examined. clinical examination of both animals included biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, tonometry, and electroretinography. the young female cheetah showed no menace response, no direct or indirect pupillary light reflex, and no dazzle reflex in either eye. fundus le ...	2010	20840102
evaluation of two milk replacers fed to hand-reared cheetah cubs (acinonyx jubatus): nutrient composition, apparent total tract digestibility, and comparison to maternal cheetah milk.	commercially prepared milk replacers are frequently used to provide the sole source of nutrition for hand-reared cheetah cubs (acinonyx jubatus). the nutrient composition of two commonly used milk replacers was determined. using titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker, nutrient digestibility was calculated from the analyses of fecal samples collected from each cub (n = 4 on formula 1, and n = 2 on formula 2). mean apparent total tract digestibility for both formulas was >90% for all nutrients ...	2010	20853414
renal lesions of nondomestic felids.	to comprehensively evaluate the occurrence of renal lesions in a variety of nondomestic felids, necropsy cases from 1978 to 2008 were reviewed from a municipal zoo and a large cat sanctuary for those in which the kidneys were examined histologically. seventy exotic felids were identified (25 tigers, 18 lions, 6 cougars, 5 leopards, 3 snow leopards, 3 clouded leopards, 3 canadian lynx, 2 ocelots, 2 bobcats, 2 cheetahs, 1 jaguar), and their histologic renal lesions were evaluated and compared. the ...	2010	20876911
is the climate right for pleistocene rewilding? using species distribution models to extrapolate climatic suitability for mammals across continents.	species distribution models (sdms) are increasingly used for extrapolation, or predicting suitable regions for species under new geographic or temporal scenarios. however, sdm predictions may be prone to errors if species are not at equilibrium with climatic conditions in the current range and if training samples are not representative. here the controversial "pleistocene rewilding" proposal was used as a novel example to address some of the challenges of extrapolating modeled species-climate re ...	2010	20877563
female reproductive cycles of wild female felids.	many felid species are endangered because of destructive human activities. as a result, zoos are being tasked with sustaining genetically healthy populations in case of catastrophic extinctions. unfortunately, with the exception of a few species, most felids do not reproduce well in captivity. the ability to track reproductive activity via hormones is key to developing successful ex situ breeding programs. through the development of noninvasive fecal hormone monitoring techniques, a high degree ...	2010	20888156
nitroimino-tetrazolates and oxy-nitroimino-tetrazolates.	highly energetic 1,1'-ethylenebis(oxy)bis(5-nitroimino-tetrazolate) salts were obtained by reacting equimolar quantities of the acidic 1,1'-ethylenebis(oxy)bis(5-nitroimino-tetrazole) and energetic bases in aqueous solution. additionally, metathesis of silver 1,1'-ethylenebis(oxy)bis(5-nitroimino-tetrazolate) with diaminoguanidinium chloride or triaminoguanidinium chloride gave the corresponding oxy-nitroimino-tetrazolate salt. these salts were fully characterized using ir and multinuclear nmr s ...	2010	20925341
hemodynamic changes as a diagnostic tool in acute heart failure--a pilot study.	to examine whether posturally induced changes in cardiac output differentiate patients presenting with dyspnea to the emergency department (ed) with acute heart failure (ahf) from other causes.	2012	21030189
functional anatomy of the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) hindlimb.	the cheetah is capable of a top speed of 29 ms(-1) compared to the maximum speed of 17 ms(-1) achieved by the racing greyhound. in this study of the hindlimb and in the accompanying paper on the forelimb we have quantified the musculoskeletal anatomy of the cheetah and greyhound and compared them to identify any differences that may account for this variation in their locomotor abilities. specifically, bone length, mass and mid-shaft diameter were measured, along with muscle mass, fascicle lengt ...	2011	21062282
from tiger to panda: animal head detection.	robust object detection has many important applications in real-world online photo processing. for example, both google image search and msn live image search have integrated human face detector to retrieve face or portrait photos. inspired by the success of such face filtering approach, in this paper, we focus on another popular online photo category-animal, which is one of the top five categories in the msn live image search query log. as a first attempt, we focus on the problem of animal head ...	2010	21156394
cheetah paradigm revisited: mhc diversity in the world's largest free-ranging population.	for more than two decades, the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) has been considered a paradigm of disease vulnerability associated with low genetic diversity, particularly at the immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (mhc). cheetahs have been used as a classic example in numerous conservation genetics textbooks as well as in many related scientific publications. however, earlier studies used methods with low resolution to quantify mhc diversity and/or small sample sizes. furthermore, hi ...	2011	21183613
phylogeography, genetic structure and population divergence time of cheetahs in africa and asia: evidence for long-term geographic isolates.	the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) has been described as a species with low levels of genetic variation. this has been suggested to be the consequence of a demographic bottleneck 10 000-12 000 years ago (ya) and also led to the assumption that only small genetic differences exist between the described subspecies. however, analysing mitochondrial dna and microsatellites in cheetah samples from most of the historic range of the species we found relatively deep phylogeographic breaks between some of th ...	2011	21214655
fecal progestagens to detect and monitor pregnancy in captive female cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).	the purposes of the present study were to establish a noninvasive monitoring assay of fecal progestagen measurement to detect pregnancy and to identify the components of fecal progestagens in early, middle and late pregnancy in cheetahs. feces were collected from 7 female cheetahs and analyzed from 30 days before the last copulation to parturition in 9 pregnancies. blood was collected from one cheetah. fecal progestagen and serum progesterone concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay ...	2011	21242656
neurological dysfunction and caudal fossa overcrowding in a young cheetah with hypovitaminosis a.		2010	21257402
nitrogen-rich salts based on energetic nitroaminodiazido[1,3,5]triazine and guanazine.	highly dense nitrogen-rich ionic compounds are potential high-performance energetic materials for use in military and industrial venues. guanazinium salts with promising energetic anions and a family of energetic salts based on nitrogen-rich cations and the 6-nitroamino-2,4-diazido[1,3,5]triazine anion (nadat) were prepared and fully characterized by elemental analysis, ir spectroscopy, (1)h nmr and (13)c nmr spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (dsc). the crystal structures of ne ...	2011	21268156
glycolytic enzyme activity is essential for domestic cat (felis catus) and cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) sperm motility and viability in a sugar-free medium.	we have previously reported a lack of glucose uptake in domestic cat and cheetah spermatozoa, despite observing that these cells produce lactate at rates that correlate positively with sperm function. to elucidate the role of glycolysis in felid sperm energy production, we conducted a comparative study in the domestic cat and cheetah, with the hypothesis that sperm motility and viability are maintained in both species in the absence of glycolytic metabolism and are fueled by endogenous substrate ...	2011	21325689
functional anatomy of the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) forelimb.	despite the cheetah being the fastest living land mammal, we know remarkably little about how it attains such high top speeds (29 m s(-1)). here we aim to describe and quantify the musculoskeletal anatomy of the cheetah forelimb and compare it to the racing greyhound, an animal of similar mass, but which can only attain a top speed of 17 m s(-1). measurements were made of muscle mass, fascicle length and moment arms, enabling calculations of muscle volume, physiological cross-sectional area (pcs ...	2011	21332715
a defense of the primitive cheetah skull.		2011	21385697
daily fecal sex steroid hormonal changes and mating success in captive female cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) in japan.	daily fecal estrogen and progestin concentrations were measured by enzyme immunoassay in five female cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) for 4-6 months. the animals were housed under different conditions: (1) a female always housed in a group including one or more males; (2) two females isolated individually for short or long periods; (3) the other two females housed together. these females were separately housed with males for mating around the time of the estrogen peaks. the hormone profiles were simi ...	2011	21398057
growth rates and energy intake of hand-reared cheetah cubs (acinonyx jubatus) in south africa.	growth rate is an important factor in neonatal survival. the aim of this study was to determine growth rates in hand-reared cheetah cubs in south africa fed a prescribed energy intake, calculated for growth in the domestic cat. growth was then compared with previously published data from hand-reared cubs in north america and the relationship between growth and energy intake explored. daily body weight (bw) gain, feed and energy intake data was collected from 18 hand-reared cheetah cubs up to 120 ...	2011	21429043
trinitromethyl-substituted 5-nitro- or 3-azo-1,2,4-triazoles: synthesis, characterization, and energetic properties.	various new polynitro-1,2,4-triazoles containing a trinitromethyl group were synthesized by straightforward routes. these high nitrogen and oxygen-rich compounds were fully characterized using ir and multinuclear nmr spectroscopy, elemental analysis, natural bonding orbital (nbo) analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (dsc) and, in the case of 12, with single crystal x-ray structuring. the heats of formation for all compounds were calculated with gaussian 03 (revision d.01) and then com ...	2011	21449560
bilateral carpal valgus deformity in hand-reared cheetah cubs (acinonyx jubatus).	four hand-reared cheetah cubs (acinonyx jubatus) exhibited progressively severe bilateral valgus deformity of the carpi (cv) during the weaning period. radiographs of the thoracic limbs suggested normal bone ossification, and serum chemistry was unremarkable. all affected cubs developed cv shortly after the onset of gastroenteritis, which was treated medically, and included use of a prescription diet. a sudden decrease in growth rate was associated with gastrointestinal disease. before gastroent ...	2011	21462246
focal palatine erosion in captive and free-living cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) and other felid species.	we examined 1,092 skulls of captive and free-living individuals, representing 33 felid species, to determine the prevalence of focal palatine erosion (fpe). fpe was detected in 3.2% of cats evaluated, including cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) and 14 other felid species. the prevalence of fpe between cheetah (9.4%; n = 64) and non-cheetah species (2.8%; n = 1,028) (χ(2) test; p = 0.004) and between captive (5.7%; n = 246) and free-living (2.4%; n = 824) individuals (χ(2) test; p = 0.010) were signific ...	2011	21541986
increasing age influences uterine integrity, but not ovarian function or oocyte quality in the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus).	although the cheetah routinely lives for >12 yr in ex situ collections, females > 8 yr of age reproduce infrequently. we tested the hypothesis that reproduction is compromised in older cheetah females due to a combination of a disrupted gonadal, oocyte and uterine function/integrity. we assessed (1) ovarian response to gonadotropins, (2) oocyte meiotic, fertilization and developmental competence and (3) uterine morphology in three age classes of cheetahs (young, 2-5 yr, n = 17; prime, 6-8 yr, n ...	2011	21565998
oxidative phosphorylation is essential for felid sperm function, but is substantially lower in cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) compared to domestic cat (felis catus) ejaculate.	compared to the normospermic domestic cat, sperm metabolic function is compromised in the teratospermic cat and cheetah, but the pathway(s) involved in this deficiency are unknown. glycolysis is essential for sperm motility, yet appears to function normally in spermatozoa of either species regardless of structural morphology. we conducted a comparative study to further understand the mechanisms of energy production in felid spermatozoa, with the hypothesis that oxidative phosphorylation is requi ...	2011	21593479
minimizing predation risk in a landscape of multiple predators: effects on the spatial distribution of african ungulates.	studies that focus on single predator-prey interactions can be inadequate for understanding antipredator responses in multi-predator systems. yet there is still a general lack of information about the strategies of prey to minimize predation risk from multiple predators at the landscape level. here we examined the distribution of seven african ungulate species in the fenced karongwe game reserve (kgr), south africa, as a function of predation risk from all large carnivore species (lion, leopard, ...	2011	21618919
allometry in the distribution of material properties and geometry of the felid skull: why larger species may need to change and how they may achieve it.	extant members of the cat family (felidae) have been considered behaviourally and morphologically conservative, i.e., despite great differences in size, there is relatively little variation in either the shape of the felid skull and dentition across species, or in the way in which these structures are used to kill and dismember prey. consequently felids have been considered an appropriate focus for a number of investigations into the influence of allometry on craniomandibular mechanics and morph ...	2011	21651916
reactivation of a cryptococcus gattii infection in a cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) held in the national zoo, havana, cuba.		2011	21668523
beta amyloid deposition and neurofibrillary tangles spontaneously occur in the brains of captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).	alzheimer disease is a dementing disorder characterized pathologically by a+¦ deposition, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss. although aged animals of many species spontaneously develop a+¦ deposits, only 2 species (chimpanzee and wolverine) have been reported to develop a+¦ deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in the same individual. here, the authors demonstrate the spontaneous occurrence of a+¦ deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus). among 22 cheet ...	2011	21712514
characterization of the gastric immune response in cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) with helicobacter-associated gastritis.	captive cheetahs have an unusually severe progressive gastritis that is not present in wild cheetahs infected with the same strains of helicobacter. this gastritis, when severe, has florid lymphocyte and plasma cell infiltrates in the epithelium and lamina propria with gland destruction, parietal cell loss, and, in some cases, lymphoid follicles. the local gastric immune response was characterized by immunohistochemistry in 21 cheetahs with varying degrees of gastritis. the character of the resp ...	2011	21730348
hippobosca longipennis - a potential intermediate host of a species of acanthocheilonema in dogs in northern india.	abstract: background: hippobosca longipennis (the 'dog louse fly') is a blood sucking ectoparasite found on wild carnivores such as cheetahs and lions and domesticated and feral dogs in africa, the middle east and asia, including china. known as an intermediate host for acanthocheilonema dracunculoides and a transport host for cheyletiella yasguri, it has also been suggested that h. longipennis may be a vector for other pathogens, including acanthocheilonema sp. ? nov., which was recently report ...	2011	21781294
digital gene expression for non-model organisms.	next-generation sequencing technologies offer new approaches for global measurements of gene expression, but are mostly limited to organisms for which a high-quality assembled reference genome sequence is available. we present a method for gene expression profiling called edge, or ecop15i-tagged digital gene expression, based on ultra high-throughput sequencing of 27 bp cdna fragments that uniquely tag the corresponding gene, thereby allowing direct quantification of transcript abundance. we sho ...	2011	21844123
integrated bayesian network framework for modeling complex ecological issues.	the management of environmental problems is multifaceted, requiring varied and sometimes conflicting objectives and perspectives to be considered. bayesian network (bn) modeling facilitates the integration of information from diverse sources and is well suited to tackling the management challenges of complex environmental problems. however, combining several perspectives in one model can lead to large, unwieldy bns that are difficult to maintain and understand. conversely, an oversimplified mode ...	2011	21853523
the curse of the prey: sarcoptes mite molecular analysis reveals potential prey-to-predator parasitic infestation in wild animals from masai mara, kenya.	recently, there have been attempts to understand the molecular epidemiology of sarcoptes scabiei, to evaluate the gene flow between isolates of s. scabiei from different hosts and geographic regions. however, to our knowledge, a molecular study has not been carried out to assess the molecular diversity and gene flow of sarcoptes mite in a predator/prey ecosystem.	2011	21978557
cheetahs have 4 serum amyloid a genes evolved through repeated duplication events.	amyloid a (aa) amyloidosis is a leading cause of mortality in captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus). we performed genome walking and pcr cloning and revealed that cheetahs have 4 saa genes (provisionally named saa1a, saa1b, saa3a, and saa3b). in addition, we identified multiple nucleotide polymorphisms in the 4 saa genes by screening 51 cheetahs. the polymorphisms defined 4, 7, 6, and 4 alleles for saa1a, saa3a, saa1b, and saa3b, respectively. pedigree analysis of the inheritance of genotypes for ...	2011	21987659
mitogenomic analysis of the genus panthera.	the complete sequences of the mitochondrial dna genomes of panthera tigris, panthera pardus, and panthera uncia were determined using the polymerase chain reaction method. the lengths of the complete mitochondrial dna sequences of the three species were 16990, 16964, and 16773 bp, respectively. each of the three mitochondrial dna genomes included 13 protein-coding genes, 22 trna, two rrna, one o(l)r, and one control region. the structures of the genomes were highly similar to those of felis catu ...	2011	22038004
blood values of adult captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) fed either supplemented beef or whole rabbit carcasses.	this study evaluated nutrient intake and relevant blood parameters of 14 captive cheetahs, randomly assigned to a meat-only diet (supplemented beef, sb) or a whole prey diet (whole rabbit, wr) for 4 weeks each. despite a higher food intake, daily metabolizable energy intake was lower when fed wr (308 kj bw(-1) ) compared with sb (347 kj bw(-1) ) (p = 0.002). the ratio of protein to fat was markedly lower for wr (2.3:1) compared with sb (8.8:1), which was reflected in higher serum urea levels whe ...	2011	22052742
How to spot a cheetah.		2011	22053345
animal fibre: the forgotten nutrient in strict carnivores? first insights in the cheetah.	as wild felids are obligate carnivores, it is likely that poorly enzymatically digestible animal tissues determine hindgut fermentation, instead of plant fibre. therefore, faecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (scfa, including branched-chain fatty acids, bcfa), indole and phenol were evaluated in 14 captive cheetahs, fed two different diets differing in proportion of poorly enzymatically digestible animal tissue. using a cross-over design, the cheetahs were fed exclusively whole rabbi ...	2011	22074361
Effect of diet on the incidence of and mortality owing to gastritis and renal disease in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in South Africa.	Seventy-two adult cheetahs were evaluated for the degree of gastritis by endoscopic biopsy and for renal disease by serum creatinine. Cheetahs free of Grade 3 gastritis and renal disease were placed on Trial A; remaining cheetahs were placed on Trial B, which ran concurrently. All cheetahs were monitored for 4 years. Cheetahs exited Trial A and entered Trial B if they developed Grade 3 gastritis or renal disease. Cheetahs exited Trial B if they developed clinical gastritis or renal disease that ...	2011	22083933
unintended consequences of conservation actions: managing disease in complex ecosystems.	infectious diseases are increasingly recognised to be a major threat to biodiversity. disease management tools such as control of animal movements and vaccination can be used to mitigate the impact and spread of diseases in targeted species. they can reduce the risk of epidemics and in turn the risks of population decline and extinction. however, all species are embedded in communities and interactions between species can be complex, hence increasing the chance of survival of one species can hav ...	2011	22163323
using pgfm (13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin f2α) as a non-invasive pregnancy marker for felids.	understanding the complex endocrine interactions that control reproduction in felids is essential for captive breeding management. the most important demand is a quick and reliable pregnancy diagnosis. however, the occurrence of pseudopregnancies in felids complicates matters. we investigated whether the fecal prostaglandin metabolite (pgfm) recently suggested for pregnancy diagnosis in the lynx is suitable for all felid species. we found that increased levels of pgfm during the last trimester i ...	2011	22192399
dietary isoflavone absorption, excretion, and metabolism in captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).	dietary isoflavones, capable of influencing reproductive parameters in domestic cats (felis catus), have been detected in commercial diets fed to captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus). however, the absorptive and metabolic capacity of cheetahs towards isoflavones has not yet been studied. experiments were designed to describe the plasma concentration-time curve, metabolite profile, and urinary and fecal excretion of genistein and daidzein in cheetahs following consumption of isoflavones. four adul ...	2011	22204061
different patterns of metabolic cryo-damage in domestic cat (felis catus) and cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) spermatozoa.	felid spermatozoa are sensitive to cryopreservation-induced damage, but functional losses can be mitigated by post-thaw swim-up or density gradient processing methods that selectively recover motile or structurally-normal spermatozoa, respectively. despite the importance of sperm energy production to achieving fertilization, there is little knowledge about the influence of cryopreservation or post-thaw processing on felid sperm metabolism. we conducted a comparative study of domestic cat and che ...	2011	22227231
the swimming behavior of selected archaea.	the swimming behavior of bacteria has been studied extensively, at least for some species like escherichia coli. in contrast alomost no data have been published for archaea in this respect. in a systematic study we asked how the archaeal model organisms halobacterium salinarum, methanococcus voltae, methanococcus maripaludis, methanocaldococcus jannaschii, methanocaldococcus villosus, pyrococcus furiosus and sulfolobus acidocaldarius swim and which swimming behavior they exhibit. the two euryarc ...	2012	22247169
fermentation of animal components in strict carnivores: a comparative study with cheetah fecal inoculum.	the natural diet of felids contains highly digestible animal tissues but also fractions resistant to small intestinal digestion, which enter the large intestine where they may be fermented by the resident microbial population. little information exists on the microbial degradability of animal tissues in the large intestine of felids consuming a natural diet. this study aimed to rank animal substrates in their microbial degradability by means of an in vitro study using captive cheetahs fed a stri ...	2012	22287677
pandemic (h1n1) 2009 in captive cheetah.	we describe virus isolation, full genome sequence analysis, and clinical pathology in ferrets experimentally inoculated with pandemic (h1n1) 2009 virus recovered from a clinically ill captive cheetah that had minimal human contact. evidence of reverse zoonotic transmission by fomites underscores the substantial animal and human health implications of this virus.	2012	22305505
first report of taenia acinonyxi (ortlopp, 1938) in acinonyx jubatus venaticus from iran.	the asian cheetah is known as iranian panther. a four years old female cheetah was killed in a road accident by a truck in abbas abad (biarjamand) county around shahrood city in semnan province, central part of iran. two days after the accident the carcass of animal was autopsied and only five cestodes were obtained from its intestine. in inspection of other organs no other helminth was observed. cestod samples were fixed and stained by carmine acid. characterization of the cestodes using morpho ...	2011	22347321
evaluation and interpretation of the effects of environmental enrichment utilizing varying degrees of sampling effort.	documenting the effects of novel forms of enrichment is becoming increasingly important within the field of environmental enrichment. appropriate documentation and evaluation must accompany any enrichment research project in order for accurate results to be obtained. the objective of the present study was to provide an example of how the level of effort in documenting the effect of enrichment is linked to how it is evaluated. this study was carried out on eight cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) at fot ...	2013	22383365
characterization of α2,3- and α2,6-sialyltransferases from helicobacter acinonychis.	genome sequence data were used to clone and express two sialyltransferase enzymes of the gt-42 family from helicobacter acinonychis atcc 51104, a gastric disease isolate from cheetahs. the deposited genome sequence for these genes contains a large number of tandem repeat sequences in each of them: hac1267 (rqkele)(15) and hac1268 (eekllefkni)(13). we obtained two clones with different numbers of repeat sequences for the hac1267 gene homolog and a single clone for the hac1268 gene homolog. both g ...	2012	22504533
the clavicles of smilodon fatalis and panthera atrox (mammalia: felidae) from rancho la brea, los angeles, california.	the rancho la brea collections at the george c. page museum in los angeles, california, contain the largest single inventory of smilodon fatalis remains representing virtually every bone in the skeleton. eighteen clavicles of two distinctive shapes have been recovered from historical and recent excavations at rancho la brea. in this study, we identify these specimens to species through comparison of their morphology and morphological variability with clavicles found in modern felids. this study ...	2012	22592918
an advanced method to assess the diet of free-ranging large carnivores based on scats.	the diet of free-ranging carnivores is an important part of their ecology. it is often determined from prey remains in scats. in many cases, scat analyses are the most efficient method but they require correction for potential biases. when the diet is expressed as proportions of consumed mass of each prey species, the consumed prey mass to excrete one scat needs to be determined and corrected for prey body mass because the proportion of digestible to indigestible matter increases with prey body ...	2012	22715373
high speed galloping in the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) and the racing greyhound (canis familiaris): spatio-temporal and kinetic characteristics.	the cheetah and racing greyhound are of a similar size and gross morphology and yet the cheetah is able to achieve a far higher top speed. we compared the kinematics and kinetics of galloping in the cheetah and greyhound to investigate how the cheetah can attain such remarkable maximum speeds. this also presented an opportunity to investigate some of the potential limits to maximum running speed in quadrupeds, which remain poorly understood. by combining force plate and high speed video data of ...	2012	22723482
fleet of foot: nimble robots like this "cheetah" will help the military navigate terrain too rocky for wheels.		2012	22779272
cutaneous leishmaniasis and rickettsial african tick-bite fever: a combination of exotic traveler's diseases in the same patient.	cutaneous leishmaniasis and rickettsial african tick-bite fever are two zoonoses increasingly diagnosed in industrialized nations due to more international travel to endemic areas.	2012	22788813
molecular detection and characterization of potentially new babesia and theileria species/variants in wild felids from kenya.	piroplasms frequently infect domestic and wild carnivores. at present, there is limited information on the occurrence and molecular identity of these tick-borne parasites in wild felids in kenya. in 2009, a pair of captive lions (panthare leo) was diagnosed with suspected babesiosis and mineral deficiency at an animal orphanage on the outskirts of nairobi, kenya. blood smears indicated presences of haemoparasites in the erythrocytes, however, no further investigations were conducted to identify ...	2012	22796449
what can zookeepers tell us about interacting with big cats in captivity?	despite the potential dangers involved, interactions between zookeepers and captive big cats are increasing. research with other animals, particularly nonhuman primates, suggests that closer interactions can be beneficial not only for the animals and their keepers, but also for zoo visitors. this study sought to determine whether the same benefits may apply to keeper-big cat interactions. an online questionnaire was completed by 86 keepers worldwide, assessing which types of handling (hands-on, ...	2013	22887705
retraction for christiansen and mazák. a primitive late pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage.		2012	22908293
knowledge of mange among masai pastoralists in kenya.	pastoralists in low-income countries usually live in close proximity to their animals and thus represent an important repository of information about livestock disease. since wild and domestic animals often mix freely whilst grazing, pastoralists are also able to observe first-hand the diseases that are present in wildlife and as such are key informants in disease outbreaks in sylvatic animals. we report here the findings of the first study of the knowledge and role of masai pastoralists in mang ...	2012	22912858
biomechanical differences between experienced and inexperienced wheelchair users during sport.	during functional wheelchair movement there are several types of stroke pattern that a manual wheelchair user (mwcu) can utilize in order to propel.	2012	22918910
preparing our paralympians: research and development at ossur, uk. interview by sarah a. curran.	in the last 25 years, the continuous evolution in the design of prostheses for individuals with transfemoral and transtibial amputations has been remarkable. mirroring this development is the dependency and expectancy of the prosthesis technology by the athletes, coaches and other personnel involved in creating paralympians of today and the future. össur is recognised as a leader in designing innovative prosthetic products that have contributed worldwide to developing leading paralympians. the o ...	2012	22918916
specifying and sustaining pigmentation patterns in domestic and wild cats.	color markings among felid species display both a remarkable diversity and a common underlying periodicity. a similar range of patterns in domestic cats suggests a conserved mechanism whose appearance can be altered by selection. we identified the gene responsible for tabby pattern variation in domestic cats as transmembrane aminopeptidase q (taqpep), which encodes a membrane-bound metalloprotease. analyzing 31 other felid species, we identified taqpep as the cause of the rare king cheetah pheno ...	2012	22997338
sarcoptic mange and cheetah conservation in masai mara (kenya): epidemiological study in a wildlife/livestock system.	the sanitary control of threatened wild animals is of pivotal interest for their conservation. this task, however, is highly complex in wildlife/livestock systems. in this paper we report findings from a 2-year cross-sectional study of the epidemiology and attempted control of a sarcoptes mite infestation in the threatened cheetah population in masai mara (kenya), and discuss its interaction with sympatric wild (lion, wildebeest and thomson's gazelle) and domestic (dog, cattle and sheep) animals ...	2012	23036718
characterisation and validation of an enzyme-immunoassay for the non-invasive assessment of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).	the non-invasive measurement of adrenocortical function in cheetahs is an important tool to assess stress in captive and free-ranging individuals, because stress has been suggested to be one of the causes of poor reproductive performance of captive cheetahs. we tested four enzyme immunoassays (eia) in two captive cheetahs in germany using adrenocorticotropic hormone (acth) challenges and identified the corticosterone-3-cmo eia to be most sensitive to the increase in faecal glucocorticoid metabol ...	2013	23108105
first evidence of hemoplasma infection in free-ranging namibian cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).	infections with feline hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) have been documented in domestic cats and free-ranging feline species with high prevalences in iberian lynxes (lynx pardinus), eurasian lynxes (lynx lynx), european wildcats (felis silvestris silvestris), african lions (panthera leo) in tanzania and domestic cats in south africa. the prevalence of hemoplasmas has not yet been investigated in free-ranging felids in southern africa. in this study we screened 73 blood samples from 61 cheet ...	2013	23123173
immunogenetic variation and differential pathogen exposure in free-ranging cheetahs across namibian farmlands.	genes under selection provide ecologically important information useful for conservation issues. major histocompatibility complex (mhc) class i and ii genes are essential for the immune defence against pathogens from intracellular (e.g. viruses) and extracellular (e.g. helminths) origins, respectively. serosurvey studies in namibian cheetahs (acinonyx juabuts) revealed higher exposure to viral pathogens in individuals from north-central than east-central regions. here we examined whether the obs ...	2012	23145096
changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide and volumetric carbon dioxide as predictors of volume responsiveness in hemodynamically unstable patients.	the purpose of this study was to determine whether changes in petco2 and exhaled co2 (vco2) can predict fluid responsiveness after a preload challenge.	2013	23182383
movement activity based classification of animal behaviour with an application to data from cheetah (acinonyx jubatus).	we propose a new method, based on machine learning techniques, for the analysis of a combination of continuous data from dataloggers and a sampling of contemporaneous behaviour observations. this data combination provides an opportunity for biologists to study behaviour at a previously unknown level of detail and accuracy; however, continuously recorded data are of little use unless the resulting large volumes of raw data can be reliably translated into actual behaviour. we address this problem ...	2012	23185301
autonomous reinforcement learning with experience replay.	this paper considers the issues of efficiency and autonomy that are required to make reinforcement learning suitable for real-life control tasks. a real-time reinforcement learning algorithm is presented that repeatedly adjusts the control policy with the use of previously collected samples, and autonomously estimates the appropriate step-sizes for the learning updates. the algorithm is based on the actor-critic with experience replay whose step-sizes are determined on-line by an enhanced fixed ...	2013	23237972
detection of feline coronavirus in cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) feces by reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction in cheetahs with variable frequency of viral shedding.	cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) are a highly threatened species because of habitat loss, human conflict, and high prevalence of disease in captivity. an epidemic of feline infectious peritonitis and concern for spread of infectious disease resulted in decreased movement of cheetahs between u.s. zoological facilities for managed captive breeding. identifying the true feline coronavirus (fcov) infection status of cheetahs is challenging because of inconsistent correlation between seropositivity and fe ...	2012	23272344
diagnosis-based treatment of helminths in captive and wild cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).	this study was designed to identify endoparasites in captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) living in a seminatural captive environment in north-central namibia. results were used to assess the need for anthelmintic treatment and for the selection of an appropriate drug. the study assessed fecal parasite excretion qualitatively and quantitatively using a fecal flotation method during the winter of 2009. four different species of parasites (two nematodes and two coccidias) were identified. parasite ...	2012	23272366
straight talk with...stephen o'brien. interviewed by elie dolgin.	stephen o'brien joined the us national cancer institute as a post doc in 1971 and climbed the ranks to become head of the institute's laboratory of genomic diversity, a position he held for 25 years. but, after four decades at the government agency, o'brien was ready for something new. in december 2011, he stepped down and took up a three-year, $5 million 'megagrant' in russia through a program started a year earlier by the russian ministry of education and science to attract big-name researcher ...	2013	23295996
implications of diet for the extinction of saber-toothed cats and american lions.	the saber-toothed cat, smilodon fatalis, and american lion, panthera atrox, were among the largest terrestrial carnivores that lived during the pleistocene, going extinct along with other megafauna ∼12,000 years ago. previous work suggests that times were difficult at la brea (california) during the late pleistocene, as nearly all carnivores have greater incidences of tooth breakage (used to infer greater carcass utilization) compared to today. as dental microwear texture analysis (dmta) can dif ...	2012	23300674
determinants of persistence and tolerance of carnivores on namibian ranches: implications for conservation on southern african private lands.	changing land use patterns in southern africa have potential to dramatically alter the prospects for carnivore conservation. understanding these influences is essential for conservation planning. we interviewed 250 ranchers in namibia to assess human tolerance towards and the distribution of large carnivores. cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus), leopards (panthera pardus) and brown hyaenas (hyaena brunnea) were widely distributed on namibian farmlands, spotted hyaenas (crocuta crocuta) had a narrower di ...	2013	23326333
parasites of domestic and wild animals in south africa. xlviii. ticks (acari: ixodidae) infesting domestic cats and wild felids in southern africa.	ticks collected from domestic cats (felis catus), cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus),caracals (caracal caracal), african wild cats (felis lybica), black-footed cats (felis nigripes), a serval (leptailurus serval), lions(panthera leo), and leopards (panthera pardus) were identified and counted. thirteen species of ixodid ticks and one argasid tick were identified from domestic cats and 17 species of ixodid ticks from wild felids. the domestic cats and wild felids harboured 11 ixodid species in common. t ...	2010	23327159
from cheetahs to chimpanzees: a comparative review of the drivers of human-carnivore conflict and human-primate conflict.	human-wildlife conflict is a growing conservation threat, and is increasingly of importance to primate conservationists. despite this, relatively little work has been done to date on the drivers of human-primate conflict, especially compared to other conflict-causing taxa such as large carnivores. however, the drivers of conflict are often very similar across species, so conflict researchers can learn important lessons from work conducted on other taxa. this paper discusses 8 key factors which a ...	2012	23363596
comparison of the effects of artificial and natural barriers on large african carnivores: implications for interspecific relationships and connectivity.	1. physical barriers contribute to habitat fragmentation, influence species distribution and ranging behaviour, and impact long-term population viability. barrier permeability varies among species and can potentially impact the competitive balance within animal communities by differentially affecting co-occurring species. the influence of barriers on the spatial distribution of species within whole communities has nonetheless received little attention. 2. during a 4-year period, we studied the i ...	2013	23402594
fear of the dark or dinner by moonlight? reduced temporal partitioning among africa's large carnivores.	africa is home to the last intact guild of large carnivores and thus provides the only opportunity to investigate mechanisms of coexistence among large predator species. strong asymmetric dominance hierarchies typically characterize guilds of large carnivores; but despite this asymmetry, subdominant species may persist alongside their stronger counterparts through temporal partitioning of habitat and resources. in the african guild, the subdominant african wild dogs and cheetahs are routinely de ...	2012	23431590
[cyptococcus gattii isolated from a cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) in the national zoo of cuba].	cryptoccosis--systemic mycosis caused by cryptococcus species--has considerably raised its incidence in the last years, mainly associated with the human immunodeficiency virus infection. it has also been described in animals, but rare cases.	2013	23437558
influence of dietary fiber type and amount on energy and nutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics, and fecal fermentative end-product concentrations in captive exotic felids fed a raw beef-based diet.	little nutritional or metabolic information has been collected from captive exotic cats fed raw diets. in particular, fiber types and concentrations for use in raw meat-based diets for captive exotic felids have not been well studied. our objective was to evaluate the effects of fiber type and concentration on apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics, and fecal fermentative end-products in captive exotic felids. four animals of each captive exotic specie ...	2013	23463568
ecomorphology of the african felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history.	morphology of extant felids is regarded as highly conservative. most previous studies have focussed on skull morphology, so a vacuum exists about morphofunctional variation in postcranium and its role in structuring ensembles of felids in different continents. the african felid ensemble is particularly rich in ecologically specialized felids. we studied the ecomorphology of this ensemble using 31 cranial and 93 postcranial morphometric variables measured in 49 specimens of all 10 african species ...	2013	23496381
dense iodine-rich compounds with low detonation pressures as biocidal agents.	fifteen iodo compounds and six iodyl compounds with an iodine content between 45.3 and 89.0 % were prepared. the mono, di, and triiodyl compounds were obtained from the corresponding iodo compound by employing oxone. all the compounds were characterized by ir, (1)h and (13)c nmr, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (dsc). the impact sensitivity was measured by using bam (bundesamt für materialforschung) methodology. based on the calculated heats of formation and experimenta ...	2013	23576298
power output of skinned skeletal muscle fibres from the cheetah (acinonyx jubatus).	muscle samples were taken from the gluteus, semitendinosus and longissimus muscles of a captive cheetah immediately after euthanasia. fibres were 'skinned' to remove all membranes, leaving the contractile filament array intact and functional. segments of skinned fibres from these cheetah muscles and from rabbit psoas muscle were activated at 20°c by a temperature-jump protocol. step and ramp length changes were imposed after active stress had developed. the stiffness of the non-contractile ends ...	2013	23580727
babesia lengau associated with cerebral and haemolytic babesiosis in two domestic cats.	although reported sporadically from various countries, feline babesiosis appears to be a significant clinical entity only in south africa, where babesia felis is usually incriminated as the causative agent. babesia lengau, recently described from asymptomatic cheetahs, has now possibly been incriminated as the causative agent in two severe clinical cases in domestic cats.	2013	23634743
cardiac index assessment using bioreactance in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery in ovarian carcinoma.	this clinical study compared the cardiac index (ci) assessed by the totally non-invasive method of bioreactance (cibr) (nicom™, cheetah medical, vancouver, usa) to transpulmonary thermodilution (citd) during cytoreductive surgery in ovarian carcinoma. the hypothesis was that ci could be assessed by bioreactance in an accurate and precise manner including accurate trending ability when compared to transpulmonary thermodilution. in 15 patients cibr and citd were assessed after induction of anesthe ...	2013	23689837
risk avoidance in sympatric large carnivores: reactive or predictive?	1. risks of predation or interference competition are major factors shaping the distribution of species. an animal's response to risk can either be reactive, to an immediate risk, or predictive, based on preceding risk or past experiences. the manner in which animals respond to risk is key in understanding avoidance, and hence coexistence, between interacting species. 2. we investigated whether cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus), known to be affected by predation and competition by lions (panthera leo) ...	2013	23692142
speed test for wild cheetahs.		2013	23765470
locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs.	although the cheetah is recognised as the fastest land animal, little is known about other aspects of its notable athleticism, particularly when hunting in the wild. here we describe and use a new tracking collar of our own design, containing a combination of global positioning system (gps) and inertial measurement units, to capture the locomotor dynamics and outcome of 367 predominantly hunting runs of five wild cheetahs in botswana. a remarkable top speed of 25.9 m s(-1) (58 m.p.h. or 93 km h( ...	2013	23765495
crystallographic data processing for free-electron laser sources.	a processing pipeline for diffraction data acquired using the `serial crystallography' methodology with a free-electron laser source is described with reference to the crystallographic analysis suite crystfel and the pre-processing program cheetah. a detailed analysis of the nature and impact of indexing ambiguities is presented. simulations of the monte carlo integration scheme, which accounts for the partially recorded nature of the diffraction intensities, are presented and show that the inte ...	2013	23793149
captive-housed male cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) form naturalistic coalitions: measuring associations and calculating chance encounters.	cheetahs are known to reproduce poorly in captivity and research suggests that the reasons for this are behavioral, rather than physiological. in the wild, male cheetahs remain in stable groups, or coalitions, throughout their lifetime. appropriate social group housing is important in enhancing welfare and reproductive success in captivity and this study examined the effect of changes in social group composition on the behavior of four male cheetahs: two siblings and two half siblings. during th ...	2013	23813720
a comparative study of the speeds attained by captive cheetahs during the enrichment practice of the "cheetah run".	the enrichment practice of the "cheetah run" is becoming increasingly popular within zoological institutions as a method to enrich captive cheetahs. a lure moving at speed represents an artificial prey item that the cursorial cheetah can pursue, therefore allowing it to perform an important hunting behavior within a captive setting. this study was conducted in order to highlight how employing different forms of this type of enrichment may influence its efficacy. this is important in relation to ...	2013	23861086
cheetah do not abandon hunts because they overheat.	hunting cheetah reportedly store metabolic heat during the chase and abandon chases because they overheat. using biologging to remotely measure the body temperature (every minute) and locomotor activity (every 5 min) of four free-living cheetah, hunting spontaneously, we found that cheetah abandoned hunts, but not because they overheated. body temperature averaged 38.4°c when the chase was terminated. storage of metabolic heat did not compromise hunts. the increase in body temperature following ...	2013	23883578
electron microscopic, genetic and protein expression analyses of helicobacter acinonychis strains from a bengal tiger.	colonization by helicobacter species is commonly noted in many mammals. these infections often remain unrecognized, but can cause severe health complications or more subtle host immune perturbations. the aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative novel helicobacter spp. from bengal tigers in thailand. morphological investigation (gram-staining and electron microscopy) and genetic studies (16srrna, 23srrna, flagellin, urease and prophage gene analyses, rapd dna fingerprinting and ...	2013	23940723
creating larger and better connected protected areas enhances the persistence of big game species in the maputaland-pondoland-albany biodiversity hotspot.	the ideal conservation planning approach would enable decision-makers to use population viability analysis to assess the effects of management strategies and threats on all species at the landscape level. however, the lack of high-quality data derived from long-term studies, and uncertainty in model parameters and/or structure, often limit the use of population models to only a few species of conservation concern. we used spatially explicit metapopulation models in conjunction with multi-criteri ...	2013	23977144
cheetahs, acinonyx jubatus, balance turn capacity with pace when chasing prey.	predator-prey interactions are fundamental in the evolution and structure of ecological communities. our understanding, however, of the strategies used in pursuit and evasion remains limited. here, we report on the hunting dynamics of the world's fastest land animal, the cheetah, acinonyx jubatus. using miniaturized data loggers, we recorded fine-scale movement, speed and acceleration of free-ranging cheetahs to measure how hunting dynamics relate to chasing different sized prey. cheetahs attain ...	2013	24004493
creating a behavioural classification module for acceleration data: using a captive surrogate for difficult to observe species.	distinguishing specific behavioural modes from data collected by animal-borne tri-axial accelerometers can be a time-consuming and subjective process. data synthesis can be further inhibited when the tri-axial acceleration data cannot be paired with the corresponding behavioural mode through direct observation. here, we explored the use of a tame surrogate (domestic dog) to build a behavioural classification module, and then used that module to accurately identify and quantify behavioural modes ...	2013	24031056
blood vitamins and trace elements in northern-east african cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) in captivity in the middle east.	there are few published data regarding the endangered northern-east african cheetah (acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii), held in captivity in the middle east and europe. studies have demonstrated a high incidence of disease in captive cheetahs, in which vitamin and trace element imbalances have often been implicated. blood vitamin and trace element reference values in cheetahs merit further investigation. in this study, blood samples were opportunistically collected from apparently healthy a. j. soe ...	2013	24063089
development of a case definition for clinical feline herpesvirus infection in cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) housed in zoos.	the identification of feline herpesvirus (fhv) infected cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) and characterization of shedding episodes is difficult due to nonspecific clinical signs and limitations of diagnostic tests. the goals of this study were to develop a case definition for clinical fhv and describe the distribution of signs. medical records from six different zoologic institutions were reviewed to identify cheetahs with diagnostic test results confirming fhv. published literature, expert opinion, ...	2013	24063091