| 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 |
| wildlife population dynamics in human-dominated landscapes under community-based conservation: the example of nakuru wildlife conservancy, kenya. | wildlife conservation is facing numerous and mounting challenges on private and communal lands in africa, including in kenya. we analyze the population dynamics of 44 common wildlife species in relation to rainfall variation in the nakuru wildlife conservancy (nwc), located in the nakuru-naivasha region of kenya, based on ground total counts carried out twice each year from march 1996 to may 2015. rainfall in the region was quasi-periodic with cycle periods dependent on the rainfall component an ... | 2017 | 28103269 |
| 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 |
| gut microbiomes of free-ranging and captive namibian cheetahs: diversity, putative functions, and occurrence of potential pathogens. | although the significance of the gut microbiome for host health is well acknowledged, the impact of host traits and environmental factors on the inter-individual variation of gut microbiomes of wildlife species is not well understood. such information is essential, however, since changes in the composition of these microbial communities beyond the natural range might cause dysbiosis leading to increased susceptibility to infections. we examined the potential influence of sex, age, genetic relate ... | 2017 | 28782134 |
| impact of mimicking natural dispersion on breeding success of captive north american cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus). | this paper examines the effects of transfer away from natal facility and littermate presence on cheetah breeding success in the aza species survival plan (ssp) population. transfer and breeding history data for captive males and females were gathered from seven and four aza ssp breeding facilities, respectively, to identify factors influencing breeding success. the results indicate that transfer history (p = 0.032), age at transfer (p = 0.013), and female littermate presence/absence (p = 0.04) w ... | 2017 | 28901642 |
| pathology and epidemiology of oxalate nephrosis in cheetahs. | to investigate cases of acute oxalate nephrosis without evidence of ethylene glycol exposure, archived data and tissues from cheetahs ( acinonyx jubatus) from north america ( n = 297), southern africa ( n = 257), and france ( n = 40) were evaluated. renal and gastrointestinal tract lesions were characterized in a subset of animals with ( n = 100) and without ( n = 165) oxalate crystals at death. crystals were confirmed as calcium oxalate by raman spectroscopy in 45 of 47 cheetahs tested. crystal ... | 2017 | 28891390 |
| serial millisecond crystallography of membrane and soluble protein microcrystals using synchrotron radiation. | crystal structure determination of biological macromolecules using the novel technique of serial femtosecond crystallography (sfx) is severely limited by the scarcity of x-ray free-electron laser (xfel) sources. however, recent and future upgrades render microfocus beamlines at synchrotron-radiation sources suitable for room-temperature serial crystallography data collection also. owing to the longer exposure times that are needed at synchrotrons, serial data collection is termed serial millisec ... | 2017 | 28875031 |
| conservation genetics of the cheetah: lessons learned and new opportunities. | the dwindling wildlife species of our planet have become a cause célèbre for conservation groups, governments, and concerned citizens throughout the world. the application of powerful new genetic technologies to surviving populations of threatened mammals has revolutionized our ability to recognize hidden perils that afflict them. we have learned new lessons of survival, adaptation, and evolution from viewing the natural history of genomes in hundreds of detailed studies. a single case history o ... | 2017 | 28821181 |
| ketamine-medetomidine and ketamine-medetomidine-midazolam anesthesia in captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus)-comparison of blood pressure and kidney blood flow. | six clinically healthy captive cheetahs ( acinonyx jubatus ) were anesthetized twice using two different drug combinations to investigate if blood pressure and kidney blood flow are affected by medetomidine dosage. protocol km (2.0 mg/kg ketamine and 0.05 mg/kg medetomidine) was compared with protocol kmm (2.0 mg/kg ketamine, 0.02 mg/kg medetomidine, and 0.1 mg/kg midazolam). heart rate (hr), respiratory rate (rr), body temperature, end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (etco2), and anesthetic depth ... | 2017 | 28749272 |
| analysis of zp1 gene reveals differences in zona pellucida composition in carnivores. | the zona pellucida (zp) is an extracellular envelope that surrounds mammalian oocytes. this coat participates in the interaction between gametes, induction of the acrosome reaction, block of polyspermy and protection of the oviductal embryo. previous studies suggested that carnivore zp was formed by three glycoproteins (zp2, zp3 and zp4), with zp1 being a pseudogene. however, a recent study in the cat found that all four proteins were expressed. in the present study, in silico and molecular anal ... | 2017 | 28679462 |
| age-associated and deslorelin-induced declines in serum anti-müllerian hormone concentrations in female cheetahs, acinonyx jubatus. | anti-müllerian hormone (amh) is widely used in human medicine to non-invasively estimate the size of the ovarian follicle reserve and to predict the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation in the context of assisted reproductive technologies (e.g., ivf). these applications of amh testing have recently expanded to non-human mammals, with production animals, such as cows, goats and sheep being the primary focus of amh research. however, few investigations have involved exotic species, and in ... | 2017 | 28602789 |
| inferior vena cava collapsibility detects fluid responsiveness among spontaneously breathing critically-ill patients. | measurement of inferior vena cava collapsibility (civc) by point-of-care ultrasound (pocus) has been proposed as a viable, non-invasive means of assessing fluid responsiveness. we aimed to determine the ability of civc to identify patients who will respond to additional intravenous fluid (ivf) administration among spontaneously breathing critically-ill patients. | 2017 | 28525778 |
| the relationship between direct predation and antipredator responses: a test with multiple predators and multiple prey. | most species adjust their behavior to reduce the likelihood of predation. many experiments have shown that antipredator responses carry energetic costs that can affect growth, survival, and reproduction, so that the total cost of predation depends on a trade-off between direct predation and risk effects. despite these patterns, few field studies have examined the relationship between direct predation and the strength of antipredator responses, particularly for complete guilds of predators and pr ... | 2017 | 28475209 |
| dietary behaviour of man-eating lions as revealed by dental microwear textures. | lions (panthera leo) feed on diverse prey species, a range that is broadened by their cooperative hunting. although humans are not typical prey, habitual man-eating by lions is well documented. fathoming the motivations of the tsavo and mfuwe man-eaters (killed in 1898 in kenya and 1991 in zambia, respectively) may be elusive, but we can clarify aspects of their behaviour using dental microwear texture analysis. specifically, we analysed the surface textures of lion teeth to assess whether these ... | 2017 | 28424462 |
| levosimendan for hemodynamic support after cardiac surgery. | acute left ventricular dysfunction is a major complication of cardiac surgery and is associated with increased mortality. meta-analyses of small trials suggest that levosimendan may result in a higher rate of survival among patients undergoing cardiac surgery. | 2017 | 28320259 |
| laser-shocked energetic materials with metal additives: evaluation of chemistry and detonation performance. | a focused, nanosecond-pulsed laser has been used to ablate, atomize, ionize, and excite milligram quantities of metal-doped energetic materials that undergo exothermic reactions in the laser-induced plasma. the subsequent shock wave expansion in the air above the sample has been monitored using high-speed schlieren imaging in a recently developed technique, laser-induced air shock from energetic materials (lasem). the method enables the estimation of detonation velocities based on the measured l ... | 2017 | 28157864 |
| mechanical characterization and comparison of energy storage and return prostheses. | the suitability of finite element analysis (fea) for standardizing the mechanical characterization of energy storage and return (esar) prostheses was investigated. a methodology consisting of both experimental and numerical analysis was proposed and trialed for the vari-flex(®) modular(tm), flex-foot cheetah and cheetah xtreme by össur(®) and a 1e90 sprinter by ottobock(®). gait analysis was conducted to determine suitable orientation angles for non-destructive testing (ndt) of the esar prosthes ... | 2017 | 28111069 |
| when protected areas prove insufficient: cheetah and "protection-reliant" species. | | 2017 | 28069967 |
| simplified large african carnivore density estimators from track indices. | the range, population size and trend of large carnivores are important parameters to assess their status globally and to plan conservation strategies. one can use linear models to assess population size and trends of large carnivores from track-based surveys on suitable substrates. the conventional approach of a linear model with intercept may not intercept at zero, but may fit the data better than linear model through the origin. we assess whether a linear regression through the origin is more ... | 2016 | 28028454 |
| iodine-rich imidazolium iodate and periodate salts: en route to single-based biocidal agents. | two classes of iodine-rich salts that consist of iodine-rich cations and iodate (io3(-)) or periodate (io4(-)) anions were synthesized. the synthesis of analogous i3o8(-) salts was more difficult because of poor solubility and hydrolytic instability. all iodine-rich salts were fully characterized by infrared, (1)h nuclear magnetic resonance, and (13)c nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as elemental analyses. the molecular structures of compounds 15 and 24 were elucidated by x-ray si ... | 2016 | 27989173 |
| cheetah reunion - the challenge of finding your friends again. | animals navigate their environment using a variety of senses and strategies. this multiplicity enables them to respond to different navigational requirements resulting from habitat, scale and purpose. one of the challenges social animals face is how to reunite after periods of separation. we explore a variety of possible mechanisms used to reunite the members of a cheetah coalition dispersed within a large area after prolonged separation. using gps data from three cheetahs reuniting after weeks ... | 2016 | 27926915 |
| influence of pork and pork by-products on macronutrient and energy digestibility and palatability in large exotic felids. | two experiments were conducted to evaluate digestibility and palatability of a new commercial pork-based raw diet for zoo-managed felids. currently 2 protein sources (beef or horse) comprise the majority of commercial raw meat diet formulations for exotic carnivores in zoological institutions. pork-based diets have traditionally not been widely utilized and thus nutrient digestibility of pork has not been adequately evaluated in exotic carnivores. the objectives of this study were 1) to determin ... | 2016 | 27898922 |
| comparison of carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore mammalian genomes with a new leopard assembly. | there are three main dietary groups in mammals: carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. currently, there is limited comparative genomics insight into the evolution of dietary specializations in mammals. due to recent advances in sequencing technologies, we were able to perform in-depth whole genome analyses of representatives of these three dietary groups. | 2016 | 27802837 |
| agreement of bioreactance cardiac output monitoring with thermodilution during hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation in adult swine. | the study tests the hypothesis that noninvasive cardiac output monitoring based upon bioreactance (cheetah medical, portland, or) has acceptable agreement with intermittent bolus thermodilution over a wide range of cardiac output in an adult porcine model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. | 2017 | 27749345 |
| fertility suppression of some wildlife species in southern africa-a review. | generally speaking, southern africa's wildlife populations in small-to-medium-sized protected game reserves (10,000-65,000 ha) reproduce at rapid rates which often lead overpopulation of certain species. most commonly these are large predators such as lions, african wild dogs and cheetahs, and elephants. overpopulation of large predators leads to depletion of prey species, breakouts into neighbouring communities and increased risks for disease transmission. an overabundance of elephants leads to ... | 2016 | 27670936 |
| a randomized controlled trial of levosimendan to reduce mortality in high-risk cardiac surgery patients (cheetah): rationale and design. | patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at risk of perioperative low cardiac output syndrome due to postoperative myocardial dysfunction. myocardial dysfunction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is a potential indication for the use of levosimendan, a calcium sensitizer with 3 beneficial cardiovascular effects (inotropic, vasodilatory, and anti-inflammatory), which appears effective in improving clinically relevant outcomes. | 2016 | 27297851 |
| data processing pipeline for serial femtosecond crystallography at sacla. | a data processing pipeline for serial femtosecond crystallography at sacla was developed, based on cheetah [barty et al. (2014). j. appl. cryst.47, 1118-1131] and crystfel [white et al. (2016). j. appl. cryst.49, 680-689]. the original programs were adapted for data acquisition through the sacla api, thread and inter-node parallelization, and efficient image handling. the pipeline consists of two stages: the first, online stage can analyse all images in real time, with a latency of less than a f ... | 2016 | 27275146 |
| mono- and diiodo-1,2,3-triazoles and their mono nitro derivatives. | 4-iodo-1h-1,2,3-triazole (2) and 4,5-diiodo-1h-1,2,3-triazole (3) were synthesized using an efficient and viable synthetic route. the n-alkylation of 3 resulted in the formation of two tautomers. the n-alkyl-diiodo-triazoles were nitrated with 100% nitric acid to form monoiodo-mononitro-triazoles. the structures of 2-methyl-4,5-diiodo-1,2,3-triazole (5), 1-ethyl-4,5-diiodo-1,2,3-triazole (6), 1-methyl-4-nitro-5-iodo-1,2,3-triazole (8) and 1-ethyl-4-nitro-5-iodo-1,2,3-triazole (10) were confirmed ... | 2016 | 27226283 |
| bionic control of cheetah bounding with a segmented spine. | a cheetah model is built to mimic real cheetah and its mechanical and dimensional parameters are derived from the real cheetah. in particular, two joints in spine and four joints in a leg are used to realize the motion of segmented spine and segmented legs which are the key properties of the cheetah bounding. for actuating and stabilizing the bounding gait of cheetah, we present a bioinspired controller based on the state-machine. the controller mainly mimics the function of the cerebellum to pl ... | 2016 | 27065749 |
| maternal demographics and hemodynamics for the prediction of fetal growth restriction at booking, in pregnancies at high risk for placental insufficiency. | fetal growth restriction (fgr) is associated with poor perinatal outcomes. screening and prevention tools for fgr, such as uterine artery doppler imaging and aspirin, underperform in high-risk groups, compared with general antenatal populations. there is a paucity of sensitive screening tests for the early prediction of fgr in high-risk pregnancies. | 2016 | 26599800 |
| recognition during recall failure: semantic feature matching as a mechanism for recognition of semantic cues when recall fails. | research suggests that a feature-matching process underlies cue familiarity-detection when cued recall with graphemic cues fails. when a test cue (e.g., potchbork) overlaps in graphemic features with multiple unrecalled studied items (e.g., patchwork, pitchfork, pocketbook, pullcork), higher cue familiarity ratings are given during recall failure of all of the targets than when the cue overlaps in graphemic features with only one studied target and that target fails to be recalled (e.g., patchwo ... | 2016 | 26282623 |
| mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators. | the dynamics of predator-prey pursuit appears complex, making the development of a framework explaining predator and prey strategies problematic. we develop a model for terrestrial, cursorial predators to examine how animal mass modulates predator and prey trajectories and affects best strategies for both parties. we incorporated the maximum speed-mass relationship with an explanation of why larger animals should have greater turn radii; the forces needed to turn scale linearly with mass whereas ... | 2015 | 26252515 |
| major upper abdominal surgery alters the calibration of bioreactance cardiac output readings, the nicom, when comparisons are made against suprasternal and esophageal doppler intraoperatively. | minimally invasive continuous cardiac output measurements are recommended for use during anesthesia to guide fluid therapy, but such measurements must trend changes reliably. the nicom cheetah, a bioreactance monitor, is being recommended for intraoperative use. to validate its use, doppler methods, suprasternal uscom and esophageal cardioq, were used in tandem to provide reliable estimates of changing trends in cardiac output. preliminary comparisons showed that upper abdominal surgical interve ... | 2015 | 26218863 |
| a galloping quadruped model using left-right asymmetry in touchdown angles. | among quadrupedal gaits, the galloping gait has specific characteristics in terms of locomotor behavior. in particular, it shows a left-right asymmetry in gait parameters such as touchdown angle and the relative phase of limb movements. in addition, asymmetric gait parameters show a characteristic dependence on locomotion speed. there are two types of galloping gaits in quadruped animals: the transverse gallop, often observed in horses; and the rotary gallop, often observed in dogs and cheetahs. ... | 2015 | 26216144 |
| on leopards, cheetahs, and the cutaneous stigmata of onchocerciasis. | | 2015 | 26153634 |
| [how i explore ... the cheetah-look of the skin under selected light wavelengths]. | the melanotic facial pigmentation of each individual is frequently heterogeneous, even when this condition remains imperceptible under natural ambient light. however, with aging, this aspect may appear to everybody. the melanin heterochromia has various origins including ethnicity, the hormonal impact, the influence of various inflammatory, toxic and drug-induced disorders, as well as the impact of photoaging. the cheetah-look aspect is thus established and well identified under ultraviolet ligh ... | 2015 | 26056707 |
| quadrupedal galloping control for a wide range of speed via vertical impulse scaling. | this paper presents a bio-inspired quadruped controller that allows variable-speed galloping. the controller design is inspired by observations from biological runners. quadrupedal animals increase the vertical impulse that is generated by ground reaction forces at each stride as running speed increases and the duration of each stance phase reduces, whereas the swing phase stays relatively constant. inspired by this observation, the presented controller estimates the required vertical impulse at ... | 2015 | 25806404 |
| adding rotation to translation: percepts and illusions. | this study investigated how the perception of a translating object is affected by rotation. observers were asked to judge the motion and trajectory of objects that rotated around their centroid while linearly translating. the expected percept, consistent with the actual dynamics used to generate the movie sequences, is that of a translating and rotating object, akin to a tumbling rugby ball. observers, however, do not always report this and, under certain circumstances, perceive the object to tr ... | 2014 | 25507316 |
| biologically inspired, sophisticated motions from helically assembled, conducting fibers. | a hierarchically helical organization of carbon nanotubes into macroscopic fibers enables sophistication while controlling three-dimensional electromechanical actuations, e.g., an artificial swing and tail. the actuation generates a stress of more than 260 times that of a typical natural skeletal muscle and an accelerated velocity of more than 10 times that of a cheetah at low electric currents with high reversibility, good stability, and availability to various media. | 2015 | 25446835 |
| adding rotation to translation: percepts and illusions. | this study investigated how the perception of a translating object is affected by rotation. observers were asked to judge the motion and trajectory of objects that rotated around their centroid while linearly translating. the expected percept, consistent with the actual dynamics used to generate the movie sequences, is that of a translating and rotating object, akin to a tumbling rugby ball. observers, however, do not always report this and, under certain circumstances, perceive the object to tr ... | 2014 | 25420332 |
| inter- and intravein differences in cardiac output with cardiac resynchronization pacing using a multipolar lv pacing lead. | quadripolar left ventricular pacing leads permit a variety of pacing configurations from different sites within a coronary vein. there may be advantages to selecting a specific pacing vector. this study examines whether the range of cardiac outputs obtained at cardiac resynchronization therapy (crt) implantation is greater between different poles within a vein, or greater between two different veins. | 2015 | 25414088 |
| severe gastritis with double helicobacter spp. infection associated with barrett's esophagus in a cheetah. | | 2014 | 25365948 |
| stroke volume variation and indexed stroke volume measured using bioreactance predict fluid responsiveness in postoperative children. | postoperative fluid management can be challenging in children after haemorrhagic surgery. the goal of this study was to assess the ability of dynamic cardiovascular variables measured using bioreactance (nicom®, cheetah medical, tel aviv, israel) to predict fluid responsiveness in postoperative children. | 2015 | 25315146 |
| atypical melanosis coli resembling the appearance of cheetah skin. | | 2014 | 25314182 |
| mammalian energetics. flexible energetics of cheetah hunting strategies provide resistance against kleptoparasitism. | population viability is driven by individual survival, which in turn depends on individuals balancing energy budgets. as carnivores may function close to maximum sustained power outputs, decreased food availability or increased activity may render some populations energetically vulnerable. prey theft may compromise energetic budgets of mesopredators, such as cheetahs and wild dogs, which are susceptible to competition from larger carnivores. we show that daily energy expenditure (dee) of cheetah ... | 2014 | 25278609 |
| the reliability and validity of passive leg raise and fluid bolus to assess fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing emergency department patients. | we investigated the reproducibility of passive leg raise (plr) and fluid bolus (bolus) using the non-invasive cardiac output monitor (nicom; cheetah medical, tel aviv, israel) for assessment of fluid responsiveness (fr) in spontaneously breathing emergency department (ed) patients. | 2015 | 25262530 |
| financial costs of large carnivore translocations--accounting for conservation. | human-carnivore conflict continues to present a major conservation challenge around the world. translocation of large carnivores is widely implemented but remains strongly debated, in part because of a lack of cost transparency. we report detailed translocation costs for three large carnivore species in namibia and across different translocation scenarios. we consider the effect of various parameters and factors on costs and translocation success. total translocation cost for 30 individuals in 2 ... | 2014 | 25126849 |
| reproduction and advances in reproductive studies in carnivores. | reproductive mechanisms are extraordinarily diverse among species, even within the same phylogenetic clade. due to this, it has been difficult to directly apply reproductive technologies developed in human and livestock to genetically manage ex situ wildlife, including carnivores. to date, more common, closely related species, e.g., domestic cats, dogs and ferrets have served as valuable models for developing reproductive technologies for managing rare, endangered carnivores. artificial insemina ... | 2014 | 25091912 |
| evaluation of cheetah and leopard spermatozoa developmental capability after interspecific icsi with domestic cat oocytes. | the icsi procedure is potentially of great value for felids, and it has not been extensively studied in these species. the objectives of this work were to determine the best conditions for icsi in the domestic cat (dc) to generate interspecific embryos by injecting cheetah (ch) and leopard (leo) spermatozoa. firstly, dc oocytes were matured with insulin-transferrin-selenium (its) or without it (mm) and cultured using atmospheric (21%) or low (5%) oxygen tension after icsi. the group its-5%o2 sho ... | 2014 | 24966115 |
| comparison of the hemodynamic effects of nitroprusside and remifentanil for controlled hypotension during endoscopic sinus surgery. | controlled hypotension (ch) is a well-established technique to decrease blood loss and improve surgical visibility. although nitroprusside and remifentanil have been safely and effectively used for this purpose, the hemodynamic changes that occur during ch are unclear. this study compared the effects of nitroprusside and remifentanil on hemodynamics using a noninvasive cardiac output monitor (cheetah nicom(®); cheetah medical inc., maidenhead, berkshire, uk) for endoscopic sinus surgery (ess). | 2015 | 24950745 |
| cheetah: software for high-throughput reduction and analysis of serial femtosecond x-ray diffraction data. | the emerging technique of serial x-ray diffraction, in which diffraction data are collected from samples flowing across a pulsed x-ray source at repetition rates of 100 hz or higher, has necessitated the development of new software in order to handle the large data volumes produced. sorting of data according to different criteria and rapid filtering of events to retain only diffraction patterns of interest results in significant reductions in data volume, thereby simplifying subsequent data anal ... | 2014 | 24904246 |
| relationship of climatic conditions to fecal corticosterone levels of captive cheetahs reared in japan. | to assess the stress level of cheetahs reared in japan and to identify the prime components of the climatic conditions that affect their thermal stress, fecal corticosterone was monitored for 8 months from may to the following january. a total of 203 fecal samples were gathered in the morning from seven adult cheetahs that were kept at a zoological garden in wakayama, japan. cheetahs were on exhibit singly or together with a harmonious conspecific during the day, but housed singly at night. alth ... | 2014 | 24841707 |
| noninvasive cardiac output measurement using bioreactance in postoperative pediatric patients. | thoracic bioreactance is a noninvasive and continuous method of cardiac output (co) measurement that is being developed in adult patients. very little information is available on thoracic bioreactance use in children. | 2015 | 24814690 |
| utilization of bioreactance technique as indicator for preload responsiveness during living donor liver donation. | fluid restriction has been used to decrease central venous pressure as a strategy of fluid management during living donor liver donation (ldld). however, potential risks such as hemodynamic instability are also involved during the procedure. monitoring of preload or preload responsiveness is therefore crucial during ldld. the aim of this study was to explore the efficiency of an innovative bioreactance method that introduced the noninvasive cardiac output monitor (nicom, cheetah medical, vancouv ... | 2014 | 24767319 |
| cheetahs and wild dogs show contrasting patterns of suppression by lions. | top predators can dramatically suppress populations of smaller predators, with cascading effects throughout communities, and this pressure is often unquestioningly accepted as a constraint on mesopredator populations. in this study, we reassess whether african lions suppress populations of cheetahs and african wild dogs and examine possible mechanisms for coexistence between these species. using long-term records from serengeti national park, we tested 30 years of population data for evidence of ... | 2014 | 24724917 |
| a prospective comparison of a noninvasive cardiac output monitor versus esophageal doppler monitor for goal-directed fluid therapy in colorectal surgery patients. | goal-directed fluid therapy (gdft) is associated with improved outcomes after surgery. the esophageal doppler monitor (edm) is widely used, but has several limitations. the nicom, a completely noninvasive cardiac output monitor (cheetah medical), may be appropriate for guiding gdft. no prospective studies have compared the nicom and the edm. we hypothesized that the nicom is not significantly different from the edm for monitoring during gdft. | 2014 | 24681660 |
| phylogenetic analysis of faecal microbiota from captive cheetahs reveals underrepresentation of bacteroidetes and bifidobacteriaceae. | imbalanced feeding regimes may initiate gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases in endangered felids kept in captivity such as cheetahs. given the crucial role of the host's intestinal microbiota in feed fermentation and health maintenance, a better understanding of the cheetah's intestinal ecosystem is essential for improvement of current feeding strategies. we determined the phylogenetic diversity of the faecal microbiota of the only two cheetahs housed in an eaza associated zoo in flanders, b ... | 2014 | 24548488 |
| understanding tourists' preference for mammal species in private protected areas: is there a case for extralimital species for ecotourism? | private protected areas (ppas) often use wildlife-based ecotourism as their primary means of generating business. achieving tourist satisfaction has become a strong driving goal in the management of many ppas, often at the expense of biodiversity. many extralimitral species, those which historically did not occur in an area, are stocked in ppas with the intention of increasing ecotourism attractions. even though the ecological and economic costs of stocking these species are high, the social ben ... | 2014 | 24505426 |
| haptic feedback enhances rhythmic motor control by reducing variability, not improving convergence rate. | stability and performance during rhythmic motor behaviors such as locomotion are critical for survival across taxa: falling down would bode well for neither cheetah nor gazelle. little is known about how haptic feedback, particularly during discrete events such as the heel-strike event during walking, enhances rhythmic behavior. to determine the effect of haptic cues on rhythmic motor performance, we investigated a virtual paddle juggling behavior, analogous to bouncing a table tennis ball on a ... | 2014 | 24371296 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| speed test for wild cheetahs. | | 2013 | 23765470 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| retraction for christiansen and mazák. a primitive late pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage. | | 2012 | 22908293 |
| 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 |
| fleet of foot: nimble robots like this "cheetah" will help the military navigate terrain too rocky for wheels. | | 2012 | 22779272 |
| 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 |
| a defense of the primitive cheetah skull. | | 2011 | 21385697 |
| 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 |
| neurological dysfunction and caudal fossa overcrowding in a young cheetah with hypovitaminosis a. | | 2010 | 21257402 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| theoretical studies on the formation mechanism and explosive performance of nitro-substituted 1,3,5-triazines. | to develop new highly energetic materials, we have considered the design of molecules with high nitrogen content. possible candidates include 1,3,5-triazine derivatives. in this work, we studied potential synthetic routes for melamine using the mp2/6-31+g(d,p)//b3lyp/6-31g(d) level of theory. the mechanisms studied here are stepwise mechanism beginning with the dimerization of cyanamide and one-step termolecular mechanism. the same type of mechanism is also applied to nitro-substituted 1,3,5-tri ... | 2010 | 20652990 |
| carbonyl and oxalyl bridged bis(1,5-diaminotetrazole)-based energetic salts. | high density energetic salts containing nitrogen rich cations and carbonyl- or oxalylbis(diamino-tetrazole) anions, which were obtained from cyanogen azide and hydrazine, were readily synthesized. in every case, a new family of energetic salts 3-14 were characterized by vibrational spectroscopy, multinuclear ((1)h, (13)c, (15)n) nmr, elemental analyses, density, differential scanning calorimetry and impact sensitivity. compound 12 was structured by single crystal x-ray diffraction. the densities ... | 2009 | 19658135 |
| cocrf deformable model: a geometric model driven by collaborative conditional random fields. | we present a hybrid framework for integrating deformable models with learning-based classification, for image segmentation with region ambiguities. we show how a region-based geometric model is coupled with conditional random fields (crf) in a simple graphical model, such that the model evolution is driven by a dynamically updated probability field. we define the model shape with the signed distance function, while we formulate the internal energy with a c(1) continuity constraint, a shape prior ... | 2009 | 19574164 |
| nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics are different among captive exotic felids fed a beef-based raw diet. | nutrient digestibility has not been well characterized in exotic felids. the objective of this experiment was to evaluate differences in nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics in five large exotic captive felid species, including bobcats, jaguars, cheetahs, indochinese tigers, and siberian tigers. all animals were individually housed and adapted to a beef-based raw diet (nebraska brand((r)) special beef feline, north platte, ne) for 16 d. total fecal collections were conducted from day ... | 2008 | 19360610 |
| [ultrasound findings in spontaneous and postoperative anal pain]. | to assess the use of endoanal ultrasounds to identify anal pain etiology in patients with either spontaneous or post-operative pain, and to review the most frequent causes. | 2008 | 19222335 |
| energetic ethylene- and propylene-bridged bis(nitroiminotetrazolate) salts. | high energy density materials with ethylene- and propylene bis(5-nitroiminotetrazolate) as the anions are reported; all salts were fully characterized by ir, and (1)h, (13)c, and (15)n nmr spectroscopy as well as elemental analyses. in addition, the heats of formation (deltah(f)) and the detonation pressures (p) and velocities (d) were calculated.the synthesis and detonation properties of high energy density materials with ethylene- and propylene bis(nitroiminotetrazolate) as the anions are repo ... | 2009 | 19197919 |
| highly dense nitranilates-containing nitrogen-rich cations. | high density energetic salts containing nitrogen-rich cations and the nitranilic anion were readily synthesized in high yield by metathesis reactions of sodium nitranilate 2 and an appropriate halide. all of the new compounds were fully characterized by elemental, spectral (ir, (1)h, (13)c nmr), and thermal (dsc) analyses. the structure of hydrazinium nitranilate (4) was also determined by single-crystal x-ray analysis. the high symmetry and oxygen content of the anion give these salts extensive ... | 2009 | 19072948 |
| captive breeding of cheetahs in south africa--30 years of data from the de wildt cheetah and wildlife centre. | the de wildt cheetah and wildlife centre was established in 1971 and the first cheetah cubs were born in 1975. during the period 1975-2005, 242 litters were born with a total of 785 cubs. mean cub survival from 1 to 12 months and greater than 12 months of age was 71.3 and 66.2%, respectively. the majority of losses (84.9%) occurred during the first month postpartum whereas only 15.1% deaths took place between 1 and 12 months of age. females were first bred at an age of approximately 3 years, rea ... | 2008 | 18638106 |
| are cheetahs on the run from prion-like amyloidosis? | | 2008 | 18487456 |
| some properties of explosive mixtures containing peroxides part i. relative performance and detonation of mixtures with triacetone triperoxide. | this study concerns mixtures of triacetone triperoxide (3,3,6,6,9,9-hexamethyl-1,2,4,5,7,8-hexoxonane, tatp) and ammonium nitrate (an) with added water (w), as the case may be, and dry mixtures of tatp with urea nitrate (un). relative performances (rp) of the mixtures and their individual components, relative to tnt, were determined by means of ballistic mortar. the detonation energies, e0, and detonation velocities, d, were calculated for the mixtures studied by means of the thermodynamic code ... | 2008 | 18023972 |
| earth science: an indian cheetah. | | 2007 | 17943110 |
| family effects on early survival and variance in long-term reproductive success of female cheetahs. | 1. while it is generally accepted that the survival of offspring within families may be correlated, the extent of correlation has been largely untested. furthermore, the impact of such correlation on the estimated variance in females' reproductive success has rarely been quantified. 2. here we use an exceptional data set from a long-term study of individually recognized cheetahs from the serengeti national park in tanzania to formally quantify family effects in carnivores. 3. we show (i) that cu ... | 2007 | 17714269 |
| relating long-term studies to conservation practice: the case of the serengeti cheetah project. | although detailed, long-term scientific studies provide potentially crucial information for conservation, they are rare. moreover, there is often a disjunction between scientists and managers that can affect whether scientific results are applied to help solve conservation problems. long-term studies can promote increased communication between scientists and managers and hence offer an opportunity for constructive engagement between the two groups. we examined direct and indirect impacts of a 30 ... | 2007 | 17531039 |
| electrophysiological correlates of perceptual reversals for three different types of multistable images. | electrophysiological recordings were made in 21 observers to investigate whether differences in signature components (p1, n1, selection negativity [sn]) would be revealed during perceptual reversals of three different multistable figures. using a lattice of necker cubes as a stimulus, j. kornmeier and m. bach (2004, 2005) reported differences in p1 amplitudes as well a broad reversal-related negativity occurring 200-400 ms poststimulus. the current study investigated whether these event-related ... | 2007 | 17461674 |
| making sense of memory. | the current work explores how people make recognition and belief judgments in the presence of obvious repetition primes. in two experiments, subjects received a 200-ms prime ("cheetah"), either before or after reading a trivia question ("what is the fastest animal?") but always before being presented with the target answer ("cheetah"). results showed that repetition priming decreased "old" claims (recognition--experiment 1), while it increased truth claims (belief--experiment 2). furthermore, re ... | 2005 | 16248499 |