Publications

de novo generation of a unique cervid prion strain using protein misfolding cyclic amplification.	substantial evidence supports the hypothesis that prions are misfolded, infectious, insoluble, and protease-resistant proteins (prp(res)) devoid of instructional nucleic acid that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (tses). protein misfolding cyclic amplification (pmca) has provided additional evidence that prpres acts as a template that can convert the normal cellular prion protein (prp(c)) present in uninfected normal brain homogenate (nbh) into the infectious misfolded prp(res) is ...	2017	28144628
the structure of mammalian prions and their aggregates.	prion diseases, such as creutzfeldt-jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, chronic wasting disease in cervids (i.e., deer, elk, moose, and reindeer), and sheep scrapie, are caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (prp(c)) into a disease-causing conformer (prp(sc)). prp(c) is a normal, gpi-anchored protein that is expressed on the surface of neurons and other cell types. the structure of prp(c) is well understood, based on studies of recombinant prp, w ...	2017	28109330
characteristics of shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli o157 in slaughtered reindeer from northern finland.	fecal samples collected from 470 slaughtered reindeer 6 to 7 months of age were screened by real-time pcr (after enrichment) for shiga toxin genes (stx) and then for escherichia coli serogroup o157. shiga toxin genes were found frequently (>30% of samples), and serogroup o157 was detected in 20% of the stx-positive samples. from these samples, a total of 25 e. coli o157:h(-) isolates (nonmotile but pcr positive for flich7) were obtained. twenty-four of these e. coli o157:h(-) isolates did not fe ...	2017	28207302
presence of foodborne pathogens, extended-spectrum β-lactamase -producing enterobacteriaceae, and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in slaughtered reindeer in northern finland and norway.	various food-producing animals were recognized in recent years as healthy carriers of bacterial pathogens causing human illness. in northern fennoscandia, the husbandry of semi-domesticated reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) is a traditional livelihood and meat is the main product. this study determined the presence of selected foodborne pathogens, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa), and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (esbl)-producing enterobacteriaceae in healthy semi-domestic ...	2017	28049493
detection and molecular characterization of the mosquito-borne filarial nematode setaria tundra in danish roe deer (capreolus capreolus).	setaria tundra is a mosquito-borne filarial nematode of cervids in europe. it has recently been associated with an emerging epidemic disease causing severe morbidity and mortality in reindeer and moose in finland. here, we present the first report of s. tundra in six roe deer (capreolus capreolus) collected between october 2010 and march 2014 in denmark. the deer originated from various localities across the country: the eastern part of the jutland peninsular and four locations on the island zea ...	2017	28229043
on the tragedy of the commons: when predation and livestock loss may improve the economic lot of herders.	this paper studies the practice of semi-domestic reindeer (rangifer t. tarandus) herding in finnmark county in northern norway. in this area, the saami reindeer herders compete for space and grazing areas and keep large herds, while at the same time, the reindeer population is heavily exposed to carnivore predation by the lynx (lynx lynx), the wolverine (gulo gulo), and the golden eagle (aquila chrysaetos). it is demonstrated that predation actually may improve the economic lot of livestock hold ...	2017	28361495
unique bacteria community composition and co-occurrence in the milk of different ruminants.	lactation provides the singular source of nourishment to the offspring of mammals. this nutrition source also contains a diverse microbiota affecting the development and health of the newborn. here, we examined the milk microbiota in water deer (hydropotes inermis, the most primitive member of the family cervidae), reindeer (rangifer tarandus, the oldest semi-domesticated cervid), and the dairy goat (capra aegagrus, member of the family bovidae), to determine if common milk microbiota species we ...	2017	28098228
arthropod and oligochaete assemblages from grasslands of the southern kenai peninsula, alaska.	by the end of this century, the potential climate-biome of the southern kenai peninsula is forecasted to change from transitional boreal forest to prairie and grasslands, a scenario that may already be playing out in the caribou hills region. here, spruce (picea × lutzii little [glauca × sitchensis]) forests were heavily thinned by an outbreak of the spruce bark beetle (dendroctonus rufipennis (kirby, 1837)) and replaced by the native but invasive grass species, calamagrostis canadensis (michx.) ...	2017	28325976
continental divide: predicting climate-mediated fragmentation and biodiversity loss in the boreal forest.	climate change threatens natural landscapes through shifting distribution and abundance of species and attendant change in the structure and function of ecosystems. however, it remains unclear how climate-mediated variation in species' environmental niche space may lead to large-scale fragmentation of species distributions, altered meta-population dynamics and gene flow, and disrupted ecosystem integrity. such change may be especially relevant when species distributions are restricted either spa ...	2017	28505173
explicit not implicit preferences predict conservation intentions for endangered species and biomes.	conservation of biodiversity is determined in part by human preferences. preferences relevant to conservation have been examined largely via explicit measures (e.g., a self-reported degree of liking), with implicit measures (e.g., preconscious, automatic evaluations) receiving relatively less attention. this is the case despite psychological evidence from other contexts that implicit preferences are more informative of behavior. thus, the type of measure that predicts conservation intentions for ...	2017	28135298
the impact of global climate change on the spread of parasitic nematodes	climate changes may influence the frequency, intensity and geographical distribution of parasites, directly affecting their dispersive stages in the environment (eggs, larvae) and, indirectly, the larvae living mainly in invertebrate intermediate hosts. in biologically diverse nematodes climate warming contributes to the increase in the range of distribution, colonization of new hosts and modification of their development cycles. this is particularly acute in the arctic and pertains, for instanc ...	2017	28432859
clinical outbreak of babesiosis caused by babesia capreoli in captive reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) in the netherlands.	from a herd of captive reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) consisting of two males and seven females with five calves, three calves were diagnosed on post mortem examination with a babesia capreoli infection. the diagnosis was indicated by pcr and when the other reindeer were examined two adult females and a one-year-old male were babesia-positive. molecular characterization of the 18s rdna of the parasite showed complete identity with known b. capreoli sequences. ixodes ricinus has been demon ...	2017	28648772
the structure of the infectious prion protein and its propagation.	the prion diseases, which include creutzfeldt-jakob disease in humans, chronic wasting disease in cervids (i.e., deer, elk, moose, and reindeer), bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, as well as sheep and goat scrapie, are caused by the conversion of the cellular prion protein (prp(c)) into a disease-causing conformer (prp(sc)). prp(c) is a regular, gpi-anchored protein that is expressed on the cell surface of neurons and many other cell types. the structure of prp(c) is well studied, base ...	2017	28838667
cervid herpesvirus 2 and not moraxella bovoculi caused keratoconjunctivitis in experimentally inoculated semi-domesticated eurasian tundra reindeer.	infectious keratoconjunctivitis (ikc) is a transmissible disease in semi-domesticated eurasian reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus). it is regarded as multifactorial and a single causative pathogen has not yet been identified. from clinical outbreaks we have previously identified cervid herpesvirus 2 (cvhv2) and moraxella bovoculi as candidates for experimental investigations. eighteen reindeer were inoculated in the right eye with cvhv2 (n = 5), m. bovoculi (n = 5), cvhv2 and m. bovoculi (n = ...	2017	28438213
meat inspection of reindeer - a rich source of data for monitoring food safety and animal and environmental health in sweden.	background: this study scrutinized carcass conditions recorded in post mortem inspections (pmi) of reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus, l.) during 2015-2016 because of the importance for monitoring food safety and animal and environmental health threats. material and methods: pmi results were retrieved from the national food agency. a negative binomial regression model was applied. for actual parameters, incident risk rate (irr) with confidence intervals was calculated. results and discussion: ...	2017	28811870
macro-microscopic research in reideer (rangifer tarandus) hoof suitable for efficient locomotion on complex grounds.	reindeer are adapted to long distance migration. this species can cope with variations in substrate, especially in ice and snow environment. however, few detailed studies about reindeer hoof are available. thus this article describes the results of studies on macro- and micro-structures of reindeer hoof.	2017	29978077
the european union summary report on surveillance for the presence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (tse) in 2016.	this report presents the results of surveillance activities on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (tses) in bovine animals, sheep, goats, cervids and other species, as well as genotyping data in sheep, carried out in 2016 in the european union according to regulation (ec) 999/2001, and in iceland, norway and switzerland. in 2016, 1,352,585 bovine animals were tested in the european union (5% less than in 2015). for the first time, the united kingdom did not report any case of bovine spong ...	2017	32625357
analysis on genetic diversity of reindeer (rangifer tarandus) in the greater khingan mountains using microsatellite markers.	jian-cheng zhai, wei-shi liu, ya-jie yin, yan-ling xia, and he-ping li (2017) the only population of reindeer (rangifer tarandus) in china, herded extensively by the ewenki people, is the most southern population in the world. genetic diversity plays a key role in the survival of endangered reindeer. to systematically understand the genetic variability of reindeer in china, 163 individuals from 8 populations were analyzed using 11 microsatellite loci. a total of 85 alleles were detected and the ...	2017	31966210
high-resolution palynology reveals the land use history of a sami renvall in northern sweden.	the limited availability of historical and archaeological evidence means that much is still unknown about the development of sami reindeer herding in fennoscandia in both the recent and more distant past. to address this problem, high-resolution palynological analyses, 14c and 210pb dating were undertaken on two adjacent (<25 m apart) peat profiles collected at a recently abandoned reindeer gathering pen (renvall) near jokkmokk (~66.6°n, 19.8°e) in the boreal forest of northern sweden. the aim w ...	2017	32025103
[experimental and scientific formulation development of a specialized (sport) product, enriched with probiotic microorganisms].	the aim of the work is to scientifically justify the formulation of a probiotic food product for sports nutrition using a functional food ingredient. as a functional food ingredient, the association of probiotics (lactobacillus and bifidobacteria) immobilized in a gel of biopolymers was studied. the main raw material used was cow's fat-free milk; as components that regulated the protein-carbohydrate composition of a multicomponent product, the whey protein isolate, natural honey and maltodextrin ...	2017	30695624
entheseal changes and pathological lesions in draught reindeer skeletons - four case studies from present-day siberia.	draught use and being ridden often result in typical pathological patterns in animal skeletons. moreover, physical activity patterns may be reflected in bone biomechanical properties and entheseal changes at muscle attachment sites. this paper presents the pathologies and entheseal changes observed in four draught and/or racing reindeer skeletons against information on their life histories and discusses the probability of linking the observed changes to their use. the results of this study are a ...	2016	29539533
dna evidence of bowhead whale exploitation by greenlandic paleo-inuit 4,000 years ago.	the demographic history of greenland is characterized by recurrent migrations and extinctions since the first humans arrived 4,500 years ago. our current understanding of these extinct cultures relies primarily on preserved fossils found in their archaeological deposits, which hold valuable information on past subsistence practices. however, some exploited taxa, though economically important, comprise only a small fraction of these sub-fossil assemblages. here we reconstruct a comprehensive reco ...	2016	27824339
synaptic transmission despite severe hypoxia in hippocampal slices of the deep-diving hooded seal.	brain neurons of the deep-diving hooded seal (cystophora cristata) are known to be inherently hypoxia tolerant. here, we have used in vitro field potential recordings in hippocampal slices to compare effects of severe hypoxia on synaptic transmission in hooded seals vs. non-diving mammals. synaptic responses of mice (mus musculus) to hypoxia were in accordance with previously published data. hippocampal slices of reindeer (rangifer tarandus), an alternative large-mammal non-diving model, behaved ...	2016	27480049
measurements of cesium in arctic beluga and caribou before and after the fukushima accident of 2011.	concern from northern communities following the fukushima daiichi nuclear accident of march 2011 has prompted a reassessment of the safety of their traditional foods with respect to radioactivity levels. to this end, a study was conducted to measure the levels of radionuclides in arctic caribou (rangifer tarandus) and beluga (delphinapterus leucas). the main radionuclide of concern is cesium-137, which is easily transferred through the lichen-caribou food chain. previous studies have been conduc ...	2016	27359098
a new eimeria species (protozoa: eimeriidae) from caribou in ameralik, west greenland.	fecal samples of 11 calves shot in the ameralik area, west greenland, in august-september 2014 were examined for coccidian parasites. the calves belonged to a population of interbreeding indigenous caribou rangifer tarandus groenlandicus and feral semi-domestic norwegian reindeer rangifer tarandus tarandus. two coccidian species were found: eimeria rangiferis and a coccidium that was identified and described as a new species. the latter's sporulated oocyst is spherical or slightly subspherical. ...	2016	26758447
identification of velvet antler by random amplified polymorphism dna combined with non-gel sieving capillary electrophoresis.	mitochondrial dna of velvet antler was amplified with random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) technique and the pcr products were detected with non-gel sieving capillary electrophoresis to establish a rapd-hpce method used for identifying the authenticity of velvet antler or it counterfeits. factors that could affect the pcr amplification and capillary electrophoresis were optimized. under the optimized conditions, namely, 20 mmol l(-1) nah2po4-na2hpo4-2 mmol l(-1) edta buffer solution [0.8% (w/ ...	2016	25103424
climate-mediated shifts in neandertal subsistence behaviors at pech de l'azé iv and roc de marsal (dordogne valley, france).	neandertals disappeared from europe just after 40,000 years ago. some hypotheses ascribe this to numerous population crashes associated with glacial cycles in the late pleistocene. the goal of this paper is to test the hypothesis that glacial periods stressed neandertal populations. if cold climates stressed neandertals, their subsistence behaviors may have changed-requiring intensified use of prey through more extensive nutrient extraction from faunal carcasses. to test this, an analysis of nea ...	2016	27343769
a non-destructive method for distinguishing reindeer antler (rangifer tarandus) from red deer antler (cervus elaphus) using x-ray micro-tomography coupled with svm classifiers.	over the last decade, biomedical 3d-imaging tools have gained widespread use in the analysis of prehistoric bone artefacts. while initial attempts to characterise the major categories used in osseous industry (i.e. bone, antler, and dentine/ivory) have been successful, the taxonomic determination of prehistoric artefacts remains to be investigated. the distinction between reindeer and red deer antler can be challenging, particularly in cases of anthropic and/or taphonomic modifications. in addit ...	2016	26901355
phase-dependent climate-predator interactions explain three decades of variation in neonatal caribou survival.	climate can have direct and indirect effects on population dynamics via changes in resource competition or predation risk, but this influence may be modulated by density- or phase-dependent processes. we hypothesized that for ungulates, climatic conditions close to parturition have a greater influence on the predation risk of neonates during population declines, when females are already under nutritional stress triggered by food limitation. we examined the presence of phase-dependent climate-pre ...	2016	26529139
cost-effective control strategies for animal and zoonotic diseases in pastoralist populations.	animal diseases and zoonoses abound among pastoralist livestock, which is composed of cattle, sheep, goats, yak, camels, llamas, reindeer, horses and donkeys. there is endemic and, periodically, epidemic transmission of highly contagious viral and bacterial diseases in africa, asia and latin america. pastoralist livestock is often multiparasitised with endo- and ectoparasites, as well as being affected by vectorborne viral and protozoal diseases. pastoral livestock can be a reservoir of such dis ...	2016	27917989
first insight into the faecal microbiota of the high arctic muskoxen (ovibos moschatus).	the faecal microbiota of muskoxen (n=3) pasturing on ryøya (69° 33' n 18° 43' e), norway, in late september was characterized using high-throughput sequencing of partial 16s rrna gene regions. a total of 16 209 high-quality sequence reads from bacterial domains and 19 462 from archaea were generated. preliminary taxonomic classifications of 806 bacterial operational taxonomic units (otus) resulted in 53.7-59.3 % of the total sequences being without designations beyond the family level. firmicute ...	2016	28348861
[horse, cow and reindeer were converted into arctic domestic animals].	domestic animal production in the arctic region is often thought to be based exclusively on reindeer herding. there are, however, regions in northern europe and siberia having a long tradition in rearing breeds of cattle and horse adapted to the northers conditions also. the development of these arctic animal breeds has been largely founded on old tradition rather than on the programs of breeding organizations. as a result of the selection carried out by nature and man, the domestic animals of a ...	2016	27522831
contaminants in two west greenland caribou populations.	two caribou populations in west greenland were sampled and the kidneys, liver and muscle analyzed for contaminants, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium and zinc. although close in proximity, the two populations are topographically separated by an ice cap, which creates different climates and vegetation types in each region. contaminant levels reflected the differing diets of the two caribou populations. to the south in the wetter lichen-rich region, caribou had ...	2016	26956180
cross-species application of snp chips is not suitable for identifying runs of homozygosity.	cross-species application of single-nucleotide polymorphism (snp) chips is a valid, relatively cost-effective alternative to the high-throughput sequencing methods generally required to obtain a genome-wide sampling of polymorphisms. kharzinova et al. (2015) examined the applicability of snp chips developed in domestic bovids (cattle and sheep) to a semi-wild cervid (reindeer). the ancestors of bovids and cervids diverged between 20 and 30 million years ago (hassanin and douzery 2003; bibi et al ...	2016	26774056
a study of applicability of snp chips developed for bovine and ovine species to whole-genome analysis of reindeer rangifer tarandus.	two sets of commercially available single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) developed for cattle (bovinesnp50 beadchip) and sheep (ovinesnp50 beadchip) have been trialed for whole-genome analysis of 4 female samples of rangifer tarandus inhabiting russia. we found out that 43.0% of bovine and 47.0% of ovine snps could be genotyped, while only 5.3% and 2.03% of them were respectively polymorphic. the scored and the polymorphic snps were identified on each bovine and each ovine chromosome, but their ...	2016	26447215
epidemiology of the lymphatic-dwelling filarioid nematode rumenfilaria andersoni in free-ranging moose (alces alces) and other cervids of north america.	moose (alces alces) are a culturally and economically valued species in minnesota, where the northeast population has decreased by 60 % since 2006. the cause of the decline is currently unclear; however, parasites, predation, and climate change have all been implicated. nematode parasites are important pathogens in north american moose, potentially causing severe disease and mortality. recent spread of rumenfilaria andersoni, a filarioid nematode of moose, has been documented in finnish cervids; ...	2016	27519789
biomonitoring of selected persistent organic pollutants (pcdd/fs, pcbs and pbdes) in finnish and russian terrestrial and aquatic animal species.	the finnish and russian animal species (semi-domesticated reindeer, finnish wild moose, baltic grey seal and baltic herring) samples were biomonitored in terrestrial and aquatic environments for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (pcdd/fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (pbdes).	2016	27752440
fatty acid composition of birds and game hunted by the eastern james bay cree people of québec.	indigenous peoples have traditionally relied on foods hunted and gathered from their immediate environment. the eastern james bay cree people consume wild game and birds, and these are believed to provide health as well as cultural benefits.	2016	27495903
cadmium and other elements in tissues from four ungulate species from the mackenzie mountain region of the northwest territories, canada.	tissue samples from four ungulate species from the south mackenzie mountain region of the northwest territories (nt), canada, were analysed for stable and radioactive elements and (15)n and (13)c stable isotopes. elevated cd concentrations in moose (alces americanus) kidney have been observed in the region and are a health care concern for consumers of traditional foods. this study examined the factors associated with, and potential renal effects from, the accumulation of cadmium, and interactio ...	2016	27240258
alternative prey use affects helminth parasite infections in grey wolves.	predators affect prey populations not only through direct predation, but also by acting as definitive hosts for their parasites and completing parasite life cycles. understanding the affects of parasitism on prey population dynamics requires knowing how their predators' parasite community is affected by diet and prey availability. ungulates, such as moose (alces americanus) and white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus), are often important prey for wolves (canis lupus), but wolves also consume ...	2016	27155132
parasites, stress and reindeer: infection with abomasal nematodes is not associated with elevated glucocorticoid levels in hair or faeces.	stress hormones (glucocorticoids), incorporated into hair/fur and faeces, have been proposed as biomarkers of overall health in wildlife. although such biomarkers may be helpful for wildlife conservation and management, their use has rarely been validated. there is a paucity of studies examining the variation of stress hormones in mammals and how they relate to other health measures, such as parasitism. parasites are ubiquitous in wildlife and can influence the fitness of individual animals and ...	2016	27957334
anti-brucella antibodies in moose (alces alces gigas), muskoxen (ovibos moschatus), and plains bison (bison bison bison) in alaska, usa.	we used an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ielisa) and the rose bengal test (rbt) to test for anti-brucella antibodies in moose (alces alces gigas), muskoxen (ovibos moschatus), and plains bison (bison bison bison) from various game management units (gmus) in alaska, us, sampled from 1982 to 2010. a portion of the sera had previously been tested with the standard plate test (spt), the buffered brucella antigen (bba) card test, and the card test (card). no antibody-positive plains bis ...	2016	26540335
traditional living habits of the taz tundra population: a paleoparasitological study.	an excavation of the vesakoyakha ii-iv and nyamboyto i burial grounds was conducted during the 2014 field season, and soil samples from intact burials dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, respectively, were analyzed to determine interactions between parasites and host/vectors. considering the discovery of diphyllobothrium sp. and taenia sp. eggs in soil samples from the pelvic region, diphyllobothriasis was the most frequent helminthic infection among the taz nenets. the nyamboyto nenets mai ...	2016	27853118
bacterial genomics reveal the complex epidemiology of an emerging pathogen in arctic and boreal ungulates.	northern ecosystems are currently experiencing unprecedented ecological change, largely driven by a rapidly changing climate. pathogen range expansion, and emergence and altered patterns of infectious disease, are increasingly reported in wildlife at high latitudes. understanding the causes and consequences of shifting pathogen diversity and host-pathogen interactions in these ecosystems is important for wildlife conservation, and for indigenous populations that depend on wildlife. among the key ...	2016	27872617
hepatitis e virus seroprevalence in free-ranging deer in canada.	hepatitis e virus infection (hev) is an important public health concern not only in traditional endemic areas, but also in some industrialized countries where both domesticated and wild animals have been recognized as potential zoonotic reservoirs implicated in hev transmission. while the prevalence of infection in the deer population in europe and asia has been thoroughly investigated, it remains largely undetermined in north america. we assessed the presence of hev in three different species o ...	2016	26752436
horizontal transmission of chronic wasting disease in reindeer.	we challenged reindeer by the intracranial route with the agent of chronic wasting disease sourced from white-tailed deer, mule deer, or elk and tested for horizontal transmission to naive reindeer. reindeer were susceptible to chronic wasting disease regardless of source species. horizontal transmission occurred through direct contact or indirectly through the environment.	2016	27869594
early and non-invasive detection of chronic wasting disease prions in elk feces by real-time quaking induced conversion.	chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a fatal prion disease of wild and captive cervids in north america. prions are infectious agents composed of a misfolded version of a host-encoded protein, termed prpsc. infected cervids excrete and secrete prions, contributing to lateral transmission. geographical distribution is expanding and case numbers in wild cervids are increasing. recently, the first european cases of cwd have been reported in a wild reindeer and two moose from norway. therefore, methods ...	2016	27829062
first case of chronic wasting disease in europe in a norwegian free-ranging reindeer.	chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a fatal contagious prion disease in cervids that is enzootic in some areas in north america. the disease has been found in deer, elk and moose in the usa and canada, and in south korea following the importation of infected animals. here we report the first case of cwd in europe, in a norwegian free-ranging reindeer in southern norway. the origin of the disease is unknown. until now a low number of cervids, and among them a few reindeer, have been tested for cwd i ...	2016	27641251
caribou consumption in northern canadian communities.	chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (tse) found in both farmed and wild deer, elk, and moose in the united states and canada. surveillance efforts in north america identified the geographical distribution of the disease and mechanisms underlying distribution, although the possibility of transmission to other cervids, including caribou, and noncervids, including humans, is not well understood. because of the documented importance of caribou (rangifer tarandu ...	2016	27556568
potential role of soil properties in the spread of cwd in western canada.	chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a horizontally transmissible prion disease of free ranging deer, elk and moose. recent experimental transmission studies indicate caribou are also susceptible to the disease. cwd is present in southeast alberta and southern saskatchewan. this cwd-endemic region is expanding, threatening manitoba and areas of northern alberta and saskatchewan, home to caribou. soil can serve as a stable reservoir for infectious prion proteins; prions bound to soil particles remain ...	2016	24618673
systemic besnoitiosis in a juvenile roe deer (capreolus capreolus).	herein, we report the first incidence of systemic besnoitiosis in a male juvenile roe deer capreolus capreolus. the animal was found dead in an area where bovine besnoitiosis is endemic and showed cachexia and multiple skin erosions in the metacarpal and metatarsal areas. moreover, round and elevated white structures suggestive of besnoitia spp. tissue cysts were also present. twenty-eight tissue samples from different anatomical locations were collected for microscopic lesion and parasite detec ...	2016	27225441
phantoms of the forest: legacy risk effects of a regionally extinct large carnivore.	the increased abundance of large carnivores in europe is a conservation success, but the impact on the behavior and population dynamics of prey species is generally unknown. in europe, the recolonization of large carnivores often occurs in areas where humans have greatly modified the landscape through forestry or agriculture. currently, we poorly understand the effects of recolonizing large carnivores on extant prey species in anthropogenic landscapes. here, we investigated if ungulate prey spec ...	2016	26865966
high diversity of planctomycetes in soils of two lichen-dominated sub-arctic ecosystems of northwestern siberia.	a wide variety of terrestrial ecosystems in tundra have a ground vegetation cover composed of reindeer lichens (genera cladonia and cetraria). the microbial communities of two lichen-dominated ecosystems typical of the sub-arctic zone of northwestern siberia, that is a forested tundra soil and a shallow acidic peatland, were examined in our study. as revealed by molecular analyses, soil and peat layers just beneath the lichen cover were abundantly colonized by bacteria from the phylum planctomyc ...	2016	28066382
conservation. to save caribou, alberta wants to fence them in.		2016	27463649
complete mitochondrial genome sequence of aoluguya reindeer (rangifer tarandus).	the complete mitochondria genome of the reindeer, rangifer tarandus, was determined by accurate polymerase chain reaction. the entire genome is 16,357 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rrna genes, 22 trna genes and a d-loop region, all of which are arranged in a typical vertebrate manner. the overall base composition of the reindeer's mitochondrial genome is 33.7% of a, 23.1% of c, 30.1% of t and 13.2%of g. a termination associated sequence and several conserved central sequen ...	2016	25469816
'you shall not pass!': quantifying barrier permeability and proximity avoidance by animals.	impediments to animal movement are ubiquitous and vary widely in both scale and permeability. it is essential to understand how impediments alter ecological dynamics via their influence on animal behavioural strategies governing space use and, for anthropogenic features such as roads and fences, how to mitigate these effects to effectively manage species and landscapes. here, we focused primarily on barriers to movement, which we define as features that cannot be circumnavigated but may be cross ...	2016	25056207
tracking neighbours promotes the coexistence of large carnivores.	the study of competition and coexistence among similar interacting species has long been considered a cornerstone in evolutionary and community ecology. however, understanding coexistence remains a challenge. using two similar and sympatric competing large carnivores, eurasian lynx and wolverines, we tested the hypotheses that tracking among heterospecifics and reactive responses to potential risk decreases the probability of an agonistic encounter when predators access shared food resources, th ...	2016	26979573
evaluating random search strategies in three mammals from distinct feeding guilds.	searching allows animals to find food, mates, shelter and other resources essential for survival and reproduction and is thus among the most important activities performed by animals. theory predicts that animals will use random search strategies in highly variable and unpredictable environments. two prominent models have been suggested for animals searching in sparse and heterogeneous environments: (i) the lévy walk and (ii) the composite correlated random walk (ccrw) and its associated area-re ...	2016	27354185
[the first case of hypoderma tarandi-associated human myiasis in greenland].	we present the first case of human myiasis in greenland caused by the warble fly hypoderma tarandi. noticing a persisting, migrating, stinging facial sensation, a female patient eventually extirpated a larva from her upper eyelid, and the larva was confirmed to species level using dna-based methods. a high prevalence of h. tarandi in reindeer, the main reservoir host, and increasing populations of musk ox may imply an increased risk of zoonotic transmission. although diagnosis is challenging, ra ...	2016	26750192
how many routes lead to migration? comparison of methods to assess and characterize migratory movements.	decreasing rate of migration in several species as a consequence of climate change and anthropic pressure, together with increasing evidence of space-use strategies intermediate between residency and complete migration, are very strong motivations to evaluate migration occurrence and features in animal populations. the main goal of this paper was to perform a relative comparison between methods for identifying and characterizing migration at the individual and population level on the basis of an ...	2016	26412564
colonizing the high arctic: mitochondrial dna reveals common origin of eurasian archipelagic reindeer (rangifer tarandus).	in light of current debates on global climate change it has become important to know more on how large, roaming species have responded to environmental change in the past. using the highly variable mitochondrial control region, we revisit theories of rangifer colonization and propose that the high arctic archipelagos of svalbard, franz josef land, and novaia zemlia were colonized by reindeer from the eurasian mainland after the last glacial maximum. comparing mtdna control region sequences from ...	2016	27880778
the complex admixture history and recent southern origins of siberian populations.	although siberia was inhabited by modern humans at an early stage, there is still debate over whether it remained habitable during the extreme cold of the last glacial maximum or whether it was subsequently repopulated by peoples with recent shared ancestry. previous studies of the genetic history of siberian populations were hampered by the extensive admixture that appears to have taken place among these populations, because commonly used methods assume a tree-like population history and at mos ...	2016	26993256
the recommendations of icrp publication 111 in the light of the icrp dialogue initiative in fukushima.	publication 111, published by the international commission on radiological protection (icrp) in 2009, provided the first recommendations for dealing with the long-term recovery phase after a nuclear accident. its focus is on the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a nuclear accident, drawing on the experience of the belarus population, cumbrian sheep farmers in the uk, and sami reindeer herders in norway affected by the fallout from chernobyl. the icrp dialogue init ...	2016	28952350
fencing large predator-free and competitor-free landscapes for the recovery of woodland caribou in western alberta: an ineffective conservation option.	n/a.	2016	28036042
dispelling the nice or naughty myth: retrospective observational study of santa claus.	to determine which factors influence whether santa claus will visit children in hospital on christmas day.	2016	27974338
what's counted as a reindeer herder? gender and the adaptive capacity of sami reindeer herding communities in sweden.	researchers of adaptive capacity and sustainable livelihoods have frequently used social, cultural, human, economic and institutional capitals to better understand how rural and resource-dependent communities address environmental, social and economic stresses. yet few studies have considered how men and women contribute differently to these capitals to support community resilience overall. our research sought to understand the differential contributions of sami men and women to the adaptive cap ...	2016	27878539
year-end reindeer dreams.	updated several times a week with posts by a wide variety of authors, ajn's blog off the charts allows us to provide more timely-and often more personal-perspectives on professional, policy, and clinical issues. best of the blog will be a regular column to bring ajn readers recent posts that we think deserve a wider audience. to read more, please visit: www.ajnoffthecharts.com.	2016	27875449
sea ice, rain-on-snow and tundra reindeer nomadism in arctic russia.	sea ice loss is accelerating in the barents and kara seas (bks). assessing potential linkages between sea ice retreat/thinning and the region's ancient and unique social-ecological systems is a pressing task. tundra nomadism remains a vitally important livelihood for indigenous nenets and their large reindeer herds. warming summer air temperatures have been linked to more frequent and sustained summer high-pressure systems over west siberia, russia, but not to sea ice retreat. at the same time, ...	2016	27852939
the influence of weather conditions during gestation on life histories in a wild arctic ungulate.	the internal predictive adaptive response (internal par) hypothesis predicts that individuals born in poor conditions should start to reproduce earlier if they are likely to have reduced performance in later life. however, whether this is the case remains unexplored in wild populations. here, we use longitudinal data from a long-term study of svalbard reindeer to examine age-related changes in adult female life-history responses to environmental conditions experienced in utero as indexed by rain ...	2016	27798304
heading for the hills? evaluating spatial distribution of woodland caribou in response to a growing anthropogenic disturbance footprint.	anthropogenic landscape change (i.e., disturbance) is recognized as an important factor in the decline and extirpation of wildlife populations. understanding and monitoring the relationship between wildlife distribution and disturbance is necessary for effective conservation planning. many studies consider disturbance as a covariate explaining wildlife behavior. however, we propose that there are several advantages to considering the spatial relationship between disturbance and wildlife directly ...	2016	27777724
build habitats, not fences, for caribou.		2016	27708095
loss of connectivity among island-dwelling peary caribou following sea ice decline.	global warming threatens to reduce population connectivity for terrestrial wildlife through significant and rapid changes to sea ice. using genetic fingerprinting, we contrasted extant connectivity in island-dwelling peary caribou in northern canada with continental-migratory caribou. we next examined if sea-ice contractions in the last decades modulated population connectivity and explored the possible impact of future climate change on long-term connectivity among island caribou. we found a st ...	2016	27651531
behavioral timing without clockwork: photoperiod-dependent trade-off between predation hazard and energy balance in an arctic ungulate.	occurrence of 24-h rhythms in species apparently lacking functional molecular clockwork indicates that strong circadian mechanisms are not essential prerequisites of robust timing, and that rhythmical patterns may arise instead as passive responses to periodically changing environmental stimuli. thus, in a new synthesis of grazing in a ruminant (mindy), crepuscular peaks of activity emerge from interactions between internal and external stimuli that influence motivation to feed, and the influenc ...	2016	27634928
toward the restoration of caribou habitat: understanding factors associated with human motorized use of legacy seismic lines.	populations of boreal and southern mountain caribou in alberta, canada, are declining, and the ultimate cause of their decline is believed to be anthropogenic disturbance. linear features are pervasive across the landscape, and of particular importance, seismic lines established in the 1900s (legacy seismic lines) are slow to regenerate. off-highway vehicles are widely used on these seismic lines and can hamper vegetative re-growth because of ongoing physical damage, compaction, and active clear ...	2016	27590308
merging and comparing three mitochondrial markers for phylogenetic studies of eurasian reindeer (rangifer tarandus).	phylogenetic analyses provide information that can be useful in the conservation of genetic variation by identifying intraspecific genetic structure. reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships requires the use of markers with the appropriate amount of variation relative to the timeframe and purpose of the study. here, genetic structure and clustering are inferred from comparative analyses of three widely used mitochondrial markers, the cr, cytb and the coi region, merged and separately, using ...	2016	27386080
long-term trends and role of climate in the population dynamics of eurasian reindeer.	temperature is increasing in arctic and sub-arctic regions at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. the frequency and nature of precipitation events are also predicted to change in the future. these changes in climate are expected, together with increasing human pressures, to have significant impacts on arctic and sub-arctic species and ecosystems. due to the key role that reindeer play in those ecosystems, it is essential to understand how climate will affect the region's most importan ...	2016	27362499
mobility at the scale of meters.	when archeologists discuss mobility, we are most often referring to a phenomenon that operates on the scale of kilometers, but much of human mobility, at least if measured in terms of frequency of movement, occurs at much smaller scales, ranging from centimeters to tens of meters. here we refer to the movements we make within the confines of our homes or places of employment. with respect to nomadic peoples, movements at this scale would include movements within campsites. understanding mobility ...	2016	27312186
maintaining animal assemblages through single-species management: the case of threatened caribou in boreal forest.	with the intensification of human activities, preserving animal populations is a contemporary challenge of critical importance. in this context, the umbrella species concept is appealing because preserving a single species should result in the protection of multiple co-occurring species. practitioners, though, face the task of having to find suitable umbrellas to develop single-species management guidelines. in north america, boreal forests must be managed to facilitate the recovery of the threa ...	2016	27209799
rumen and cecum microbiomes in reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) are changed in response to a lichen diet and may affect enteric methane emissions.	reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) are large holarctic herbivores whose heterogeneous diet has led to the development of a unique gastrointestinal microbiota, essential for the digestion of arctic flora, which may include a large proportion of lichens during winter. lichens are rich in plant secondary metabolites, which may affect members of the gut microbial consortium, such as the methane-producing methanogenic archaea. little is known about the effect of lichen consumption on the rumen and ...	2016	27159387
caribou, water, and ice - fine-scale movements of a migratory arctic ungulate in the context of climate change.	freshwater lakes and rivers of the northern hemisphere have been freezing increasingly later and thawing increasingly earlier during the last century. with reduced temporal periods during which ice conditions are favourable for locomotion, freshwater bodies could become impediments to the inter-patch movements, dispersion, or migration of terrestrial animals that use ice-covered lakes and rivers to move across their range. studying the fine-scale responses of individuals to broad-scale changes i ...	2016	27099756
modeling caribou movements: seasonal ranges and migration routes of the central arctic herd.	migration is an important component of the life history of many animals, but persistence of large-scale terrestrial migrations is being challenged by environmental changes that fragment habitats and create obstacles to animal movements. in northern alaska, the central arctic herd (cah) of barren-ground caribou (rangifer tarandus granti) is known to migrate over large distances, but the herd's seasonal distributions and migratory movements are not well documented. from 2003-2007, we used gps radi ...	2016	27045587
demographic buffering of life histories? implications of the choice of measurement scale.	life-history theory predicts that the vital rates that influence population growth the most should be buffered against environmental fluctuations due to selection for reduced variation. however, it remains unclear whether populations actually are influenced by such "demographic buffering," because variation in vital rates can be compared on different measurement scales, and there has been little attempt to investigate whether the choice of scale influences the chance of detecting demographic buf ...	2016	27008773
the eastern migratory caribou: the role of genetic introgression in ecotype evolution.	understanding the evolutionary history of contemporary animal groups is essential for conservation and management of endangered species like caribou (rangifer tarandus). in central canada, the ranges of two caribou subspecies (barren-ground/woodland caribou) and two woodland caribou ecotypes (boreal/eastern migratory) overlap. our objectives were to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the eastern migratory ecotype and to assess the potential role of introgression in ecotype evolution. struct ...	2016	26998320
thiafentanil-azaperone-xylazine and carfentanil-xylazine immobilizations of free-ranging caribou (rangifer tarandus granti) in alaska, usa.	carfentanil-xylazine (cx) has been the primary drug combination used for immobilizing free-ranging ungulates in alaska, us since 1986. we investigated the efficacy of a potential new drug of choice, thiafentanil (investigational new animal drug a-3080). captive trials indicated that thiafentanil-azaperone-medetomidine could provide good levels of immobilization. however, field trials conducted in october 2013 on free-ranging caribou ( rangifer tarandus granti) calves showed the combination too p ...	2016	26967141
parasitism of ground beetles (coleoptera: carabidae) by a new species of hairworm (nematomorpha: gordiida) in arctic canada.	the host-parasite associations between ground beetles (coleoptera: carabidae) and hairworms (nematomorpha: gordiida) collected from the arctic (an understudied and ecologically important region) is described. carabids and their parasites were collected from 12 sites spanning the 3 northernmost ecoclimatic zones of canada (north boreal, subarctic, and high arctic) using standardized methods. the beetles and hairworms were identified using traditional morphological approaches. seven beetle species ...	2016	26959639
new insights into the microbiota of the svalbard reindeer rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus.	svalbard reindeer (rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) is a non-migratory subspecies of reindeer inhabiting the high-arctic archipelago of svalbard. in contrast to other rangifer tarandus subspecies, svalbard reindeer graze exclusively on natural sources of food and have no chance of ingestion of any crops. we report the use of a non-invasive method for analysis of fecal microbiome by means of sequencing the 16s rdna extracted from the fecal microbiota of r. tarandus platyrhynchus from a small, iso ...	2016	26941714
"generality of mis-fit"? the real-life difficulty of matching scales in an interconnected world.	a clear understanding of processes at multiple scales and levels is of special significance when conceiving strategies for human-environment interactions. however, understanding and application of the scale concept often differ between administrative-political and ecological disciplines. these mirror major differences in potential solutions whether and how scales can, at all, be made congruent. as a result, opportunities of seeking "goodness-of-fit" between different concepts of governance shoul ...	2016	26939924
hermey wants to be a dentist.	i hope you had a festive and enjoyable holiday season. the american dental association tried to liven up the holidays with a public service campaign to remind us all to be careful when we are indulging in our sugary snacks. they enlisted the services of hermey the elffrom the rudolf the red-nosed reindeer cartoon.	2016	26939414
modeling interdependent animal movement in continuous time.	this article presents a new approach to modeling group animal movement in continuous time. the movement of a group of animals is modeled as a multivariate ornstein uhlenbeck diffusion process in a high-dimensional space. each individual of the group is attracted to a leading point which is generally unobserved, and the movement of the leading point is also an ornstein uhlenbeck process attracted to an unknown attractor. the ornstein uhlenbeck bridge is applied to reconstruct the location of the ...	2016	26812666
on the decline of ground lichen forests in the swedish boreal landscape: implications for reindeer husbandry and sustainable forest management.	lichens are a bottleneck resource for circumpolar populations of reindeer, and as such, for reindeer husbandry as an indigenous sami land-use tradition in northern sweden. this study uses ground lichen data and forest information collected within the swedish national forest inventory since 1953, on the scale of northern sweden. we found a 71 % decline in the area of lichen-abundant forests over the last 60 years. a decline was observed in all regions and age classes and especially coincided with ...	2016	26754169
local and regional variability in snow conditions in northern finland: a reindeer herding perspective.	weather station measurements were used to force the snowpack snow model and combined with reindeer herders' experiences to study the local and regional variations in snow conditions in a finnish reindeer herding area for the 1981-2010 period. winter conditions varied significantly between the four selected herding districts and between open and forest environments within the districts. the highest snow depths and densities, the thicknesses of ground ice, and the lengths of snow cover period were ...	2016	26754168
socio-ecological implications of modifying rotation lengths in forestry.	the rotation length is a key component of even-aged forest management systems. using fennoscandian forestry as a case, we review the socio-ecological implications of modifying rotation lengths relative to current practice by evaluating effects on a range of ecosystem services and on biodiversity conservation. the effects of shortening rotations on provisioning services are expected to be mostly negative to neutral (e.g. production of wood, bilberries, reindeer forage), while those of extending r ...	2016	26744047
quantifying the implications of different land users' priorities in the management of boreal multiple-use forests.	in the management of natural resources, conflicting interests and objectives among different stakeholders often need to be considered. here, we examine how two contrasting management scenarios of boreal forests in northern sweden differ in their consequences on forest structural composition and the economic gains at harvest. management strategies prioritize either (i) forest characteristics that promote grazing resources for reindeer herded by the indigenous sámi, or (ii) timber production as pr ...	2016	26645074
spatial modeling of data with excessive zeros applied to reindeer pellet-group counts.	we analyze a real data set pertaining to reindeer fecal pellet-group counts obtained from a survey conducted in a forest area in northern sweden. in the data set, over 70% of counts are zeros, and there is high spatial correlation. we use conditionally autoregressive random effects for modeling of spatial correlation in a poisson generalized linear mixed model (glmm), quasi-poisson hierarchical generalized linear model (hglm), zero-inflated poisson (zip), and hurdle models. the quasi-poisson hgl ...	2016	28725382
predicting the continuum between corridors and barriers to animal movements using step selection functions and randomized shortest paths.	the loss, fragmentation and degradation of habitat everywhere on earth prompts increasing attention to identifying landscape features that support animal movement (corridors) or impedes it (barriers). most algorithms used to predict corridors assume that animals move through preferred habitat either optimally (e.g. least cost path) or as random walkers (e.g. current models), but neither extreme is realistic. we propose that corridors and barriers are two sides of the same coin and that animals e ...	2016	25950737
transfer factors and effective half-lives of (134)cs and (137)cs in different environmental sample types obtained from northern finland: case fukushima accident.	the fukushima npp accident caused a small but detectable cesium fallout in northern finland, of the order of 1 bq/m(2). this fallout transferred further to soil, water, flora and fauna. by using modern hpge detector systems traces of (134)cs from the fukushima fallout were observed in various samples of biota. in northern finland different types of environmental samples such as reindeer meat, berries, fish, lichens and wolf were collected during 2011-2013. the observed (134)cs concentrations var ...	2015	25935505
climate change and arctic parasites.	climate is changing rapidly in the arctic. this has important implications for parasites of arctic ungulates, and hence for the welfare of arctic peoples who depend on caribou, reindeer, and muskoxen for food, income, and a focus for cultural activities. in this opinion article we briefly review recent work on the development of predictive models for the impacts of climate change on helminth parasites and other pathogens of arctic wildlife, in the hope that such models may eventually allow proac ...	2015	25900882
importance of open marine waters to the enrichment of total mercury and monomethylmercury in lichens in the canadian high arctic.	caribou, which rely on lichens as forage, are a dietary source of monomethylmercury (mmhg) to many of canada's arctic aboriginal people. however, little is understood about the sources of mmhg to lichens in the high arctic. we quantified mmhg, total mercury (thg) and other chemical parameters (e.g., marine and crustal elements, δ(13)c, δ(15)n, organic carbon, calcium carbonate) in lichen and soil samples collected along transects extending from the coast on bathurst and devon islands, nunavut, t ...	2015	25876438
reindeer ewenki's fading culture.		2015	25722402
polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (pbdes) in environmental samples from ny-ålesund and london island, svalbard, the arctic.	polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (pbdes) were determined in environmental samples collected from ny-ålesund and london island, svalbard, the arctic. total pcb concentrations (∑25pcbs) varied from 0.57 to 2.52 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw) in soil, 0.30 to 1.16 ng g(-1) dw in plants and 0.56 to 0.98 ng g(-1) dw in reindeer dung. the non-aroclor congener of cb-11 was predominant in most samples compared to other congeners, accounting for 16.0±9.8% to the ∑25pcbs. the ...	2015	25697952