| comprehensive profiling of retroviral integration sites using target enrichment methods from historical koala samples without an assembled reference genome. | background. retroviral integration into the host germline results in permanent viral colonization of vertebrate genomes. the koala retrovirus (korv) is currently invading the germline of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) and provides a unique opportunity for studying retroviral endogenization. previous analysis of korv integration patterns in modern koalas demonstrate that they share integration sites primarily if they are related, indicating that the process is currently driven by vertical tra ... | 2016 | 27069793 |
| serum antibody response to koala retrovirus antigens varies in free-ranging koalas ( phascolarctos cinereus ) in australia: implications for vaccine design. | little is known about the immune response in the koala ( phascolarctos cinereus ) to its retroviruses. koala retroviruses (korvs) have been linked to neoplasia in wild and captive koalas, but there is no treatment available. we tested the korv-specific serum immunoglobulin g antibody response in nonimmunized and immunized koalas. | 2016 | 27054470 |
| unpacking the mechanisms captured by a correlative species distribution model to improve predictions of climate refugia. | climate refugia are regions that animals can retreat to, persist in and potentially then expand from under changing environmental conditions. most forecasts of climate change refugia for species are based on correlative species distribution models (sdms) using long-term climate averages, projected to future climate scenarios. limitations of such methods include the need to extrapolate into novel environments and uncertainty regarding the extent to which proximate variables included in the model ... | 2016 | 26960136 |
| koala retroviruses: evolution and disease dynamics. | a retroviral etiology for malignant neoplasias in koalas has long been suspected. evidence for retroviral involvement was bolstered in 2000 by the isolation of a koala retrovirus (korv), now termed korv-a. korv-a is an endogenous retrovirus-a retrovirus that infects germ cells-a feature that makes it a permanent resident of the koala genome. korv-a lacks the genetic diversity of an exogenous retrovirus, a quality associated with the ability of a retrovirus to cause neoplasias. in 2013, a second ... | 2015 | 26958909 |
| the koala genome project. | | 2015 | 26807462 |
| wave-function frozen-density embedding: approximate analytical nuclear ground-state gradients. | we report the derivation of approximate analytical nuclear ground-state uncoupled frozen density embedding (fdeu) gradients for the resolution of identity (ri) variant of the second-order approximate coupled cluster singles and doubles (ricc2) as well as density functional theory (dft), and an efficient implementation thereof in the koala program. in order to guarantee a computationally efficient treatment, those gradient terms are neglected which would require the exchange of orbital informatio ... | 2016 | 26804310 |
| surgical implantation of temperature-sensitive transmitters and data-loggers to record body temperature in koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | under predicted climate change scenarios, koala distribution in australia is expected to be adversely affected. recent studies have attempted to identify suitable habitat, based on models of bioclimatic regions, but to more accurately reflect the thermal tolerance and behavioural adaptations of the various regional populations, the koala's response to periods of heat stress will need to be investigated at the individual animal level. | 2016 | 26781067 |
| obstructive sleep apnoea in children with obesity. | the aim of this study was to identify factors that predict risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (osa) in obese children, which could aid in prioritising sleep studies. | 2016 | 26748912 |
| failure to respond to food resource decline has catastrophic consequences for koalas in a high-density population in southern australia. | understanding the ability of koalas to respond to changes in their environment is critical for conservation of the species and their habitat. we monitored the behavioural response of koalas to declining food resources in manna gum (eucalyptus viminalis) woodland at cape otway, victoria, australia, from september 2011 to november 2013. over this period, koala population density increased from 10.1 to 18.4 koalas.ha-1. as a result of the high browsing pressure of this population, manna gum canopy ... | 2016 | 26735846 |
| some pharmacokinetic indices of oral fluconazole administration to koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) infected with cryptococcosis. | three asymptomatic koalas serologically positive for cryptococcosis and two symptomatic koalas were treated with 10 mg/kg fluconazole orally, twice daily for at least 2 weeks. the median plasma cmax and auc0-8 h for asymptomatic animals were 0.9 μg/ml and 4.9 μg/ml·h, respectively; and for symptomatic animals 3.2 μg/ml and 17.3 μg/ml·h, respectively. an additional symptomatic koala was treated with fluconazole (10 mg/kg twice daily) and a subcutaneous amphotericin b infusion twice weekly. after ... | 2016 | 26667113 |
| the causes and prognoses of different types of fractures in wild koalas submitted to wildlife hospitals. | fractures are a major problem in wild koalas of great veterinary and conservation importance as their occurrence in different locations of the body might result in varying healing success. the aim of this study was to determine the fracture types (defined by location of the fracture) occurring in wild koalas, temporal patterns, possible causes and risk factors of fracture types, and the prognosis for successfully releasing kolas with healed fracture types into the wild. data from a total of 2031 ... | 2015 | 26603047 |
| blastkoala and ghostkoala: kegg tools for functional characterization of genome and metagenome sequences. | blastkoala and ghostkoala are automatic annotation servers for genome and metagenome sequences, which perform ko (kegg orthology) assignments to characterize individual gene functions and reconstruct kegg pathways, brite hierarchies and kegg modules to infer high-level functions of the organism or the ecosystem. both servers are made freely available at the kegg web site (http://www.kegg.jp/blastkoala/). in blastkoala, the ko assignment is performed by a modified version of the internally used k ... | 2016 | 26585406 |
| the acoustic structure and information content of female koala vocal signals. | determining the information content of animal vocalisations can give valuable insights into the potential functions of vocal signals. the source-filter theory of vocal production allows researchers to examine the information content of mammal vocalisations by linking variation in acoustic features with variation in relevant physical characteristics of the caller. here i used a source-filter theory approach to classify female koala vocalisations into different call-types, and determine which acou ... | 2015 | 26465340 |
| triage and treatment for traumatised koalas. | | 2015 | 26322345 |
| the paradox of euthanizing koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) to save populations from elimination. | koala (phascolarctos cinereus) populations in the wild are in sharp decline in australia due to deforestation, road accidents, dog attacks, and disease from infection with sexually transmitted chlamydia spp. severely diseased koalas that are captured are euthanized for humane reasons because antibiotics are not effective. paradoxically, we propose that euthanizing more koalas could help to increase koala population numbers. we investigated the potential impact of systematically euthanizing disea ... | 2015 | 26280878 |
| chemosensory discrimination of identity and familiarity in koalas. | despite numerous descriptive accounts of scent marking in marsupials, rigorous experimentation is rare, and relatively little evidence exists to show that conspecifics use chemical signals to distinguish between individuals or different social groups. in this study a series of olfactory discrimination tests sought to determine whether: (1) male koala sternal scent gland secretions are individually distinctive; and (2) male koalas can differentiate between the scent of familiar and unfamiliar ind ... | 2015 | 26216198 |
| vaccination of koalas with a prototype chlamydial vaccine is safe, does not increase the incidence of lymphoma-related disease and maybe associated with increased lifespan in captive koalas. | to assess the impact of chlamydia vaccination on survival of captive koalas, and to compare the incidence of lymphomas and neoplasias between vaccinated and unvaccinated koalas. | 2015 | 26207589 |
| the role of bioacoustic signals in koala sexual selection: insights from seasonal patterns of associations revealed with gps-proximity units. | despite being a charismatic and well-known species, the social system of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus--the only extant member of the family phascolarctidae) is poorly known and much of the koala's sociality and mating behaviors remain un-quantified. we evaluated these using proximity logging-gps enabled tracking collars on wild koalas and discuss their implications for the mating system of this species. the frequency and duration of male-female encounters increased during the breeding seaso ... | 2015 | 26154295 |
| daytime sleep duration and the development of childhood overweight: the koala birth cohort study. | reduced nighttime sleep is a risk factor for childhood overweight, but the association between daytime sleep and overweight is unknown. the aim of this study is to evaluate daytime sleep duration as an independent risk factor for childhood overweight. data from the koala birth cohort study on daytime and nighttime sleep at 2 years (n = 2322), and body mass index (bmi) around 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 years were used. multivariable general estimating equation regression analyses were performed to exami ... | 2016 | 26132159 |
| correction: potential 'ecological traps' of restored landscapes: koalas phascolarctos cinereus re-occupy a rehabilitated mine site. | | 2015 | 26056824 |
| plasma prolactin concentrations during lactation, pouch young development and the return to behavioural oestrus in captive koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | plasma prolactin (prl) concentrations in captive koalas during lactation were determined by serial blood sampling. prl concentrations were low (1.3 ± 0.1 ng ml-1; n = 5) during early lactation until pouch young (py) began to emerge from the pouch (around day 130) before significantly (p < 0.05) increasing between day 161 and day 175 (5.3 ± 1.0 ng ml-1). a significant (p < 0.001) peak in prl (7.7 ± 0.6 ng ml-1) coincided with maturing young between day 189 and day 231. all females failed to exhib ... | 2015 | 26020798 |
| picky eating and child weight status development: a longitudinal study. | children's picky eating behaviour has been linked both to being overweight and underweight. however, the role of parenting practices in this relationship has rarely been investigated. the present study aimed to clarify the direction of the association between picky eating and weight status and to examine the moderating role of food parenting practices. | 2016 | 25988483 |
| longitudinal association of neighborhood variables with body mass index in dutch school-age children: the koala birth cohort study. | changes in the neighborhood environment may explain part of the rapid increase in childhood overweight and obesity during the last decades. to date few theory-driven rather than data-driven studies have explored longitudinal associations between multiple neighborhood characteristics and child body weight development. we aimed to assess the relationship between physical, social and perceived safety related characteristics of the neighborhood and body mass index (bmi) development in children durin ... | 2015 | 25965890 |
| variation in koala microbiomes within and between individuals: effect of body region and captivity status. | metagenomic analysis of 16s ribosomal rna has been used to profile microbial communities at high resolution, and to examine their association with host diet or diseases. we examined the oral and gut microbiome composition of two captive koalas to determine whether bacterial communities are unusual in this species, given that their diet consists almost exclusively of eucalyptus leaves. despite a highly specialized diet, koala oral and gut microbiomes were similar in composition to the microbiomes ... | 2015 | 25960327 |
| the use of a synthetic progesterone, levonorgestrel (lng), to control the oestrous cycle in the koala. | this study investigated the efficacy of a synthetic progestogen, levonorgestrel (lng), to control koala ovarian activity for the purposes of oestrous synchronisation. captive koalas were administered either saline control or a 70-mg lng implant on day 2 of oestrus. urogenital cytology, oestrous behaviour and plasma oestradiol-17β and lh concentrations were monitored over a 6-week period. after lng implant removal females were monitored to determine if the return to oestrus was synchronised. lng- ... | 2015 | 25929260 |
| use of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist azaline b to control the oestrous cycle in the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | the present study examined the effectiveness of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (gnrh) antagonist azaline b to suppress plasma lh and 17β-oestradiol concentrations in koalas and its potential application for oestrous synchronisation. in experiment 1, single subcutaneous injections of azaline b successfully blocked the lh response to exogenous mammalian (m) gnrh in a dose-dependent manner; specifically, 0 mg (n = 4) did not suppress the lh response, 1 mg azaline b (n = 6) suppressed the lh re ... | 2015 | 25929179 |
| induction of neutralizing antibodies specific for the envelope proteins of the koala retrovirus by immunization with recombinant proteins or with dna. | the koala retrovirus (korv) is the result of a transspecies transmission of a gammaretrovirus with fatal consequences for the new host. like many retroviruses, korv induces lymphoma, leukemia and an immunodeficiency that is associated with opportunistic infections in the virus-infected animals. we recently reported the induction of neutralizing antibodies by immunization with the recombinant ectodomain of the transmembrane envelope protein p15e of korv. since the neutralization titers of the p15 ... | 2015 | 25925265 |
| genetic diversity of koala retroviral envelopes. | genetic diversity, attributable to the low fidelity of reverse transcription, recombination and mutation, is an important feature of infectious retroviruses. under selective pressure, such as that imposed by superinfection interference, gammaretroviruses commonly adapt their envelope proteins to use alternative receptors to overcome this entry block. the first characterized koala retroviruses korv subgroup a (korv-a) were remarkable in their absence of envelope genetic variability. once it was d ... | 2015 | 25789509 |
| an adam33 polymorphism associates with progression of preschool wheeze into childhood asthma: a prospective case-control study with replication in a birth cohort study. | the influence of asthma candidate genes on the development from wheeze to asthma in young children still needs to be defined. | 2015 | 25768087 |
| immunomics of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | the study of the koala transcriptome has the potential to advance our understanding of its immunome--immunological reaction of a given host to foreign antigens--and to help combat infectious diseases (e.g., chlamydiosis) that impede ongoing conservation efforts. we used illumina sequencing of cdna to characterize genes expressed in two different koala tissues of immunological importance, blood and spleen. we generated nearly 600 million raw sequence reads, and about 285 million of these were sub ... | 2015 | 25761531 |
| mammals from 'down under': a multi-gene species-level phylogeny of marsupial mammals (mammalia, metatheria). | marsupials or metatherians are a group of mammals that are distinct in giving birth to young at early stages of development and in having a prolonged investment in lactation. the group consists of nearly 350 extant species, including kangaroos, koala, possums, and their relatives. marsupials are an old lineage thought to have diverged from early therian mammals some 160 million years ago in the jurassic, and have a remarkable evolutionary and biogeographical history, with extant species restrict ... | 2015 | 25755933 |
| multiple intra-abdominal serosal myxosarcomas in two koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | two adult koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) were presented for necropsy examination without any clinical history. a diffuse, severe gelatinous effusion was found in the abdominal cavity, while numerous 1-3 mm diameter, round, well-demarcated, multifocal to coalescing, raised, firm nodules containing a clear gelatinous fluid were scattered on the surface of the parietal peritoneum, diaphragm, liver, gastrointestinal tract and mesentery. microscopically, the nodular lesions consisted of spindle-shap ... | 2015 | 25728815 |
| accuracy and efficiency of detection dogs: a powerful new tool for koala conservation and management. | accurate data on presence/absence and spatial distribution for fauna species is key to their conservation. collecting such data, however, can be time consuming, laborious and costly, in particular for fauna species characterised by low densities, large home ranges, cryptic or elusive behaviour. for such species, including koalas (phascolarctos cinereus), indicators of species presence can be a useful shortcut: faecal pellets (scats), for instance, are widely used. scat surveys are not without th ... | 2015 | 25666691 |
| computed tomography and magnetic resonance for the advanced imaging of the normal nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | the objective of this study is to describe computed tomography (ct) and magnetic resonance (mr) for the cross-sectional imaging of the normal anatomy of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus), to provide reference figures for gross anatomy with corresponding ct and mr images and to compare the features of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses of the normal koala with that reported in other domestic species. advanced imaging can be used to aid in diagnosis, ... | 2014 | 25632661 |
| lack of antiviral antibody response in koalas infected with koala retroviruses (korv). | many wild koalas are infected with the koala retrovirus, korv, some of which suffer from lymphoma and chlamydial disease. three subgroups, korv-a, korv-b and korv-j, have so far been described. it is well known that other closely related gammaretroviruses can induce tumours and severe immunodeficiencies in their respective hosts and a possible role for korv infection in lymphoma and chlamydial disease in koalas has been suggested. in many wild koalas, korv-a has become endogenised, i.e., it is i ... | 2015 | 25596496 |
| tree-hugging behavior beats the heat. | animals can exploit spatial and temporal variation in microclimates to avoid stressful conditions, behavior that is likely to become increasingly important in a warming world. recent research shows that during hot weather cool tree trunk surfaces can provide an important heat-loss avenue for arboreal mammals and other tree-dwelling animals. | 2017 | 27226989 |
| moderators of the longitudinal relationship between the perceived physical environment and outside play in children: the koala birth cohort study. | promoting unstructured outside play is a promising vehicle to increase children's physical activity (pa). this study investigates if factors of the social environment moderate the relationship between the perceived physical environment and outside play. | 2014 | 25496008 |
| nutritional correlates of koala persistence in a low-density population. | it is widely postulated that nutritional factors drive bottom-up, resource-based patterns in herbivore ecology and distribution. there is, however, much controversy over the roles of different plant constituents and how these influence individual herbivores and herbivore populations. the density of koala (phascolarctos cinereus) populations varies widely and many attribute population trends to variation in the nutritional quality of the eucalypt leaves of their diet, but there is little evidence ... | 2014 | 25470599 |
| sequence variation of koala retrovirus transmembrane protein p15e among koalas from different geographic regions. | the koala retrovirus (korv), which is transitioning from an exogenous to an endogenous form, has been associated with high mortality in koalas. for other retroviruses, the envelope protein p15e has been considered a candidate for vaccine development. we therefore examined proviral sequence variation of korv p15e in a captive queensland and three wild southern australian koalas. we generated 163 sequences with intact open reading frames, which grouped into 39 distinct haplotypes. sixteen distinct ... | 2015 | 25462343 |
| high-density self-contained microfluidic koala kits for use by everyone. | cell-based assays are essential tools used by research labs in a wide range of fields, including cell biology, toxicology, and natural product discovery labs. however, in some situations, the need for cell-based assays does not justify the costs of maintaining cell culture facilities and retaining skilled staff. the kit-on-a-lid assay (koala) technology enables accessible low-cost and prepackageable microfluidic platforms that can be operated with minimal infrastructure or training. here, we dem ... | 2015 | 25424385 |
| distribution models for koalas in south australia using citizen science-collected data. | the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) occurs in the eucalypt forests of eastern and southern australia and is currently threatened by habitat fragmentation, climate change, sexually transmitted diseases, and low genetic variability throughout most of its range. using data collected during the great koala count (a 1-day citizen science project in the state of south australia), we developed generalized linear mixed-effects models to predict habitat suitability across south australia accounting for po ... | 2014 | 25360252 |
| proliferation of endogenous retroviruses in the early stages of a host germ line invasion. | endogenous retroviruses (ervs) comprise 8% of the human genome and are common in all vertebrate genomes. the only retrovirus known to be currently transitioning from exogenous to endogenous form is the koala retrovirus (korv), making koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) ideal for examining the early stages of retroviral endogenization. to distinguish endogenous from exogenous korv proviruses, we isolated koala genomic regions flanking korv integration sites. in three wild southern australian koalas, ... | 2015 | 25261407 |
| moderators of the relationship between physical activity enjoyment and physical activity in children. | physical activity (pa) enjoyment may be an important determinant of long-term habitual, self-sustained pa behavior in children. the objective of the current study was to contribute toward a better understanding of how children's pa enjoyment is associated with pa behavior by examining the influence of age, gender, bmi, and impulsivity as theoretically hypothesized moderators of this relationship. | 2015 | 25243808 |
| molecular analysis of the koala reproductive hormones and their receptors: gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (gnrh), follicle-stimulating hormone β and luteinising hormone β with localisation of gnrh. | during evolution, reproductive hormones and their receptors in the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis have been altered by genetic mechanisms. to understand how the neuroendocrine control of reproduction evolved in mammals, it is important to examine marsupials, the closest group to placental mammals. we hypothesised that at least some of the hormones and receptors found in placental mammals would be present in koala, a marsupial. we examined the expression of koala mrna for the reproductive molecules ... | 2014 | 25200132 |
| vaccination of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) with a recombinant chlamydial major outer membrane protein adjuvanted with poly i:c, a host defense peptide and polyphosphazine, elicits strong and long lasting cellular and humoral immune responses. | chlamydial infections are wide spread in koalas across their range and a solution to this debilitating disease has been sought for over a decade. antibiotics are the currently accepted therapeutic measure, but are not an effective treatment due to the asymptomatic nature of some infections and a low efficacy rate. thus, a vaccine would be an ideal way to address this infectious disease threat in the wild. previous vaccine trials have used a three-dose regimen; however this is very difficult to a ... | 2014 | 25196393 |
| the koala (phascolarctos cinereus): a case study in the development of reproductive technology in a marsupial. | the successful development and application of an assisted breeding program in any animal relies primarily on a thorough understanding of the fundamental reproductive biology (anatomy, physiology and behaviour) of the species in question. surely, the ultimate goal and greatest hallmark of such a program is the efficacious establishment of a series of reliable techniques that facilitate the reproductive and genetic management of fragmented populations, both in captivity and in the wild. such an ac ... | 2014 | 25091911 |
| development of 14 microsatellite markers in the queensland koala (phascolarctos cinereus adustus) using next generation sequencing technology. | we report the development of 14 new microsatellite markers in the queensland koala (phascolarctos cinereus adustus). ten unrelated queensland koala individuals from the san diego zoo, usa, were genotyped. the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 7, with an average of 5.14 alleles per locus. across all loci, the average observed and expected heterozygosity values were both 0.69. these polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful for genetic studies relevant to the conservation of the ko ... | 2014 | 25067980 |
| identification of mhcii variants associated with chlamydial disease in the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | chlamydiosis, the most common infectious disease in koalas, can cause chronic urogenital tract fibrosis and infertility. high titres of serum immunoglobulin g against 10 kda and 60 kda chlamydial heat-shock proteins (c-hsp10 and c-hsp60) are associated with fibrous occlusion of the koala uterus and uterine tube. murine and human studies have identified associations between specific major histocompatibility complex class ii (mhcii) alleles or genotypes, and higher c-hsp 60 antibody levels or chla ... | 2014 | 25024912 |
| dental onlay bridge-like prosthesis in three koalas (phascolarctos cinereus): the use of premise trimodal composite to prevent interproximal eucalyptus spp. retention and infection. | three koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) presented with moderate to severe interproximal space accumulation with eucalyptus spp. at the san diego zoo. premise trimodal composite was used to create dental onlay bridge-like prostheses to eliminate open, enlarged interproximal spaces. the prostheses prevented further leaf material accumulation within the interproximal spaces and consequently reduced periodontal disease. aesthetically, the prosthesis replicates normal tooth coloration and appearance an ... | 2014 | 25000719 |
| perceived efficacy of analgesic drug regimens used for koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) in australia. | recent publications report that some therapeutic drugs used in koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) have poor oral absorption and are rapidly eliminated. therefore, information on both the analgesic drug dosage regimens used to treat koalas in australia and koala caretakers' perceptions of the efficacy of these drugs to control pain was collected for the purpose of identifying the most popular analgesics to prioritize future analgesic pharmacokinetic studies for this species. a one-page, double-sided ... | 2014 | 25000697 |
| maternal but not fetal fads gene variants modify the association between maternal long-chain pufa intake in pregnancy and birth weight. | several studies have shown a positive association between maternal fish intake in pregnancy and pregnancy duration and child birth weight (bw), probably due to fish n-3 (ω-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (lc-pufas). n-3 lc-pufas can also be synthesized endogenously, and their synthesis depends on single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in the fatty acid desaturase (fads) gene encoding for fads. we assessed the associations of maternal docosahexaenoic acid (dha) intake in pregnancy with ... | 2014 | 24991040 |
| koala: a program for the processing and decomposition of transient spectra. | extracting meaningful kinetic traces from time-resolved absorption spectra is a non-trivial task, particularly for solution phase spectra where solvent interactions can substantially broaden and shift the transition frequencies. typically, each spectrum is composed of signal from a number of molecular species (e.g., excited states, intermediate complexes, product species) with overlapping spectral features. additionally, the profiles of these spectral features may evolve in time (i.e., signal no ... | 2014 | 24985828 |
| tree-hugging koalas demonstrate a novel thermoregulatory mechanism for arboreal mammals. | how climate impacts organisms depends not only on their physiology, but also whether they can buffer themselves against climate variability via their behaviour. one of the way species can withstand hot temperatures is by seeking out cool microclimates, but only if their habitat provides such refugia. here, we describe a novel thermoregulatory strategy in an arboreal mammal, the koala phascolarctos cinereus. during hot weather, koalas enhanced conductive heat loss by seeking out and resting again ... | 2014 | 24899683 |
| a 5-year chlamydia vaccination programme could reverse disease-related koala population decline: predictions from a mathematical model using field data. | many koala populations around australia are in serious decline, with a substantial component of this decline in some southeast queensland populations attributed to the impact of chlamydia. a chlamydia vaccine for koalas is in development and has shown promise in early trials. this study contributes to implementation preparedness by simulating vaccination strategies designed to reverse population decline and by identifying which age and sex category it would be most effective to target. | 2014 | 24877768 |
| plasma biochemistry and urinalysis variables of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) with and without oxalate nephrosis. | oxalate nephrosis is a highly prevalent disease in the mount lofty ranges koala population in south australia, but associated clinicopathologic findings remain undescribed. | 2014 | 24773087 |
| anterior chamber collapse syndrome in a koala. | anterior chamber collapse syndrome has been recognised in various species and is associated with early-life ocular disease or trauma. it is important to differentiate this acquired condition from a congenital malformation. | 2014 | 24766050 |
| validation of ultrasonography in detecting structural disease of the urogenital tract of the koala, phascolarctos cinereus. | a retrospective review of case records of ultrasonography and necropsy outcomes of 62 koalas was used to investigate the accuracy of ultrasonography in assessing koala urogenital tract structural disease at the port macquarie koala hospital. the results showed high concordance, supporting ultrasonography as an effective tool for evaluating structural disease of the koala urogenital tract, most commonly seen with chlamydiosis. the study also illustrates the advances benefiting animal welfare that ... | 2014 | 24766049 |
| hybridization capture reveals evolution and conservation across the entire koala retrovirus genome. | the koala retrovirus (korv) is the only retrovirus known to be in the midst of invading the germ line of its host species. hybridization capture and next generation sequencing were used on modern and museum dna samples of koala (phascolarctos cinereus) to examine ca. 130 years of evolution across the full korv genome. overall, the entire proviral genome appeared to be conserved across time in sequence, protein structure and transcriptional binding sites. a total of 138 polymorphisms were detecte ... | 2014 | 24752422 |
| food parenting practices and child dietary behavior. prospective relations and the moderating role of general parenting. | research on parenting practices has focused on individual behaviors while largely failing to consider the context of their use, i.e., general parenting. we examined the extent to which food parenting practices predict children's dietary behavior (classified as unhealthy: snacking, sugar-sweetened beverage; and healthy: water and fruit intake). furthermore, we tested the moderating role of general parenting on this relationship. within the koala birth cohort study, in the netherlands, questionnai ... | 2014 | 24727101 |
| characterizing asthma from a drop of blood using neutrophil chemotaxis. | asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. asthma management would benefit from additional tools that establish biomarkers to identify phenotypes of asthma. we present a microfluidic solution that discriminates asthma from allergic rhinitis based on a patient's neutrophil chemotactic function. the handheld diagnostic device sorts neutrophils from whole blood within 5 min, and generates a gradient of chemoattractant in the microchannels by placi ... | 2014 | 24711384 |
| impediments to the success of management actions for species recovery. | finding cost-effective management strategies to recover species declining due to multiple threats is challenging, especially when there are limited resources. recent studies offer insights into how costs and threats can influence the best choice of management actions. however, when implementing management actions in the real-world, a range of impediments to management success often exist that can be driven by social, technological and land-use factors. these impediments may limit the extent to w ... | 2014 | 24699170 |
| parental perception of child's weight status and subsequent bmiz change: the koala birth cohort study. | parents often fail to correctly perceive their children's weight status, but no studies have examined the association between parental weight status perception and longitudinal bmiz change (bmi standardized to a reference population) at various ages. we investigated whether parents are able to accurately perceive their child's weight status at age 5. we also investigated predictors of accurate weight status perception. finally, we investigated the predictive value of accurate weight status perce ... | 2014 | 24678601 |
| a few large roads or many small ones? how to accommodate growth in vehicle numbers to minimise impacts on wildlife. | roads and vehicular traffic are among the most pervasive of threats to biodiversity because they fragmenting habitat, increasing mortality and opening up new areas for the exploitation of natural resources. however, the number of vehicles on roads is increasing rapidly and this is likely to continue into the future, putting increased pressure on wildlife populations. consequently, a major challenge is the planning of road networks to accommodate increased numbers of vehicles, while minimising im ... | 2014 | 24646891 |
| fat-soluble vitamin and mineral comparisons between zoo-based and free-ranging koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | as part of a health investigation on koalas at san diego zoo, serum samples were analyzed from 18 free-ranging and 22 zoo-based koalas, phascolarctos cinereus. serum concentrations of calcium, chloride, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, zinc, and vitamins a, e, and 25(oh)d3 were quantified. calcium, chloride, molybdenum, selenium, and vitamin e concentrations were significantly higher in zoo-based koalas than in free-ranging koalas, ... | 2013 | 24450073 |
| electroretinography in the normal koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | to perform electroretinography on normal anesthetized koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | 2015 | 24329986 |
| koalas use a novel vocal organ to produce unusually low-pitched mating calls. | during the breeding season, male koalas produce 'bellow' vocalisations that are characterised by a continuous series of inhalation and exhalation sections, and an extremely low fundamental frequency (the main acoustic correlate of perceived pitch) [1]. remarkably, the fundamental frequency (f0) of bellow inhalation sections averages 27.1 hz (range: 9.8-61.5 hz [1]), which is 20 times lower than would be expected for an animal weighing 8 kg [2] and more typical of an animal the size of an elephan ... | 2013 | 24309276 |
| potential 'ecological traps' of restored landscapes: koalas phascolarctos cinereus re-occupy a rehabilitated mine site. | with progressively increasing anthropogenic habitat disturbances, restoration of impacted landscapes is becoming a critical element of biodiversity conservation. evaluation of success in restoration ecology rarely includes faunal components, usually only encompassing abiotic and floral components of the ecosystems. even when fauna is explicitly included, it is usually only species presence/absence criteria that are considered. if restoration is to have a positive outcome, however, populations in ... | 2013 | 24282544 |
| physiological stress in koala populations near the arid edge of their distribution. | recent research has shown that the ecology of stress has hitherto been neglected, but it is in fact an important influence on the distribution and numbers of wild vertebrates. environmental changes have the potential to cause physiological stress that can affect population dynamics. detailed information on the influence of environmental variables on glucocorticoid levels (a measure of stress) at the trailing edge of a species' distribution can highlight stressors that potentially threaten specie ... | 2013 | 24265749 |
| nighttime fears of preschool children: a potential disposition marker for anxiety? | to examine if children who suffer from significant nighttime fears (nf) experience higher degree of general fears and behavioral problems and to explore whether effortful control mediates nf association with internalizing problems. | 2014 | 24262125 |
| feeding rates of a mammalian browser confirm the predictions of a 'foodscape' model of its habitat. | adequate nutrition is a fundamental requirement for the maintenance and growth of populations, but complex interactions between nutrients and plant toxins make it difficult to link variation in plant quality to the ecology of wild herbivores. we asked whether a 'foodscape' model of habitat that uses near-infrared spectroscopy to describe the palatability of individual trees in the landscape, predicted the foraging decisions of a mammalian browser, the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). specifically ... | 2014 | 24253506 |
| heterogeneity of koala retrovirus isolates. | koala retrovirus (korv) is a gammaretrovirus which may induce immune suppression, leukemia and lymphoma in koalas. currently three korv subgroups (a, b, and j) have been reported. our phylogenetic analysis suggests that korv-b and korv-j should be classified as the same subgroup. in long terminal repeat (ltr), a korv-b isolate has four 17 bp tandem repeats named direct repeat (dr)-1, while a korv-j isolate (strain oj-4) has three 37 bp tandem repeats named dr-2. we also found that the promoter a ... | 2014 | 24239536 |
| activity patterns of free-ranging koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) revealed by accelerometry. | an understanding of koala activity patterns is important for measuring the behavioral response of this species to environmental change, but to date has been limited by the logistical challenges of traditional field methodologies. we addressed this knowledge gap by using tri-axial accelerometer data loggers attached to vhf radio collars to examine activity patterns of adult male and female koalas in a high-density population at cape otway, victoria, australia. data were obtained from 27 adult koa ... | 2013 | 24224050 |
| evaluation of enrofloxacin use in koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) via population pharmacokinetics and monte carlo simulation. | clinically normal koalas (n = 6) received a single dose of intravenous enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg). serial plasma samples were collected over 24 h, and enrofloxacin concentrations were determined via high-performance liquid chromatography. population pharmacokinetic modeling was performed in s-adapt. the probability of target attainment (pta) was predicted via monte carlo simulations (mcs) using relevant target values (30-300) based on the unbound area under the curve over 24 h divided by the minimu ... | 2014 | 24219009 |
| investigation of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) hindgut microbiome via 16s pyrosequencing. | as a dietary source, the foliage of eucalyptus spp. is low in available protein and carbohydrate while containing polyphenolic compounds that interfere with enzymatic digestion. to overcome this, the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) has evolved a range of anatomical and physiological adaptations to assist with digestion and absorption of nutrients from this food source. microbial fermentation of partially digested eucalyptus leaves is thought to be critical in this process, however, little is know ... | 2013 | 24095569 |
| limited representation of drinking-water contaminants in pregnancy-birth cohorts. | water contamination and noise have been consistently the least assessed environmental/lifestyle exposures in pregnancy-birth cohorts (pbc). water quality surveillance data collected during the past decade within urban drinking-water distribution systems call for re-evaluation of water and health issues in the developed world. the objectives of this scientific commentary were to (i) highlight the extent of appraisal of water contamination in exposure assessment studies of pbc, worldwide, and (ii) ... | 2014 | 24013514 |
| computed tomographic anatomy of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and tympanic cavity of the koala. | to use cross-sectional imaging (helical computed tomography (ct)) combined with conventional anatomical dissection to define the normal anatomy of the nasal cavity and bony cavitations of the koala skull. | 2013 | 23980827 |
| free-ranging male koalas use size-related variation in formant frequencies to assess rival males. | although the use of formant frequencies in nonhuman animal vocal communication systems has received considerable recent interest, only a few studies have examined the importance of these acoustic cues to body size during intra-sexual competition between males. here we used playback experiments to present free-ranging male koalas with re-synthesised bellow vocalisations in which the formants were shifted to simulate either a large or a small adult male. we found that male looking responses did no ... | 2013 | 23922967 |
| transient early wheeze and lung function in early childhood associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease genes. | it has been hypothesized that a disturbed early lung development underlies the susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). little is known about whether subjects genetically predisposed to copd show their first symptoms or reduced lung function in childhood. | 2014 | 23886569 |
| relationship between physical activity and the development of body mass index in children. | studies estimating the contribution of physical activity (pa) to the development of body mass index (bmi) in critical periods of childhood are warranted. therefore, we have prospectively investigated this relationship in boys and girls of the koala birth cohort study, the netherlands, in the period around adiposity rebound (i.e., 4-9 yr old). | 2014 | 23846163 |
| the effect of acth upon faecal glucocorticoid excretion in the koala. | environmental changes result in physiological responses of organisms, which can adversely affect population dynamics and reduce resistance to disease. these changes are expressed in chronic levels of stress. the measurement of glucocorticoid (gc) concentrations in faeces is a non-invasive method for monitoring stress in wildlife. the metabolism and excretion of steroids differ significantly between species and, as a consequence, non-invasive methods must be physiologically validated for each spe ... | 2013 | 23838520 |
| identification of a novel subgroup of koala retrovirus from koalas in japanese zoos. | we identified a new subgroup of koala retrovirus (korv), named korv-j, which utilizes thiamine transport protein 1 as a receptor instead of the pit-1 receptor used by korv (korv-a). by subgroup-specific pcr, korv-j and korv-a were detected in 67.5 and 100% of koalas originating from koalas from northern australia, respectively. altogether, our results indicate that the invasion of the koala population by korv-j may have occurred more recently than invasion by korv-a. | 2013 | 23824806 |
| serum vitamin d levels in free-ranging koalas (phascolarctos cinereus). | due to climatic conditions in northern america and europe, koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) are often housed indoors. koala joeys raised in these environments are susceptible to the development of metabolic bone disease due to a lack of exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation to themselves and their dam. as an initial step toward describing vitamin d sufficiency and adequately measuring responses to supplementation, vitamin d values were calculated by using serum collected from 20 free-ranging ko ... | 2013 | 23805571 |
| metabolic bone disease in juvenile koalas (phascolartcos cinereus). | due to climate restrictions in parts of north america and europe, koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) are housed indoors. koala young (joeys) raised indoors are susceptible to the development of metabolic bone disease (mbd) due to a lack of exposure to natural ultraviolet light to themselves and their female parents (dams). in this retrospective study, radiographs from 27 koala joeys born at four zoos in north america and two zoos in europe were evaluated for signs of mbd. eight of the joeys were ra ... | 2013 | 23805544 |
| an exogenous retrovirus isolated from koalas with malignant neoplasias in a us zoo. | leukemia and lymphoma account for more than 60% of deaths in captive koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) in northeastern australia. although the endogenizing gammaretrovirus koala endogenous retrovirus (korv) was isolated from these koalas, korv has not been definitively associated with leukemogenesis. we performed korv screening in koalas from the san diego zoo, maintained for more than 45 y with very limited outbreeding, and the los angeles zoo, maintained by continuously assimilating captive-born ... | 2013 | 23798387 |
| molecular characterisation and expression analysis of interferon gamma in response to natural chlamydia infection in the koala, phascolarctos cinereus. | interferon gamma (ifnγ) is a key th1 cytokine, with a principal role in the immune response against intracellular organisms such as chlamydia. along with being responsible for significant morbidity in human populations, chlamydia is also responsible for wide spread infection and disease in many animal hosts, with reports that many australian koala subpopulations are endemically infected. an understanding of the role played by ifnγ in koala chlamydial diseases is important for the establishment o ... | 2013 | 23792018 |
| using multilevel models to identify drivers of landscape-genetic structure among management areas. | landscape genetics offers a powerful approach to understanding species' dispersal patterns. however, a central obstacle is to account for ecological processes operating at multiple spatial scales, while keeping research outcomes applicable to conservation management. we address this challenge by applying a novel multilevel regression approach to model landscape drivers of genetic structure at both the resolution of individuals and at a spatial resolution relevant to management (i.e. local govern ... | 2013 | 23730800 |
| genetic variation in fads genes and plasma cholesterol levels in 2-year-old infants: koala birth cohort study. | single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in genes involved in fatty acid metabolism (fads1 fads2 gene cluster) are associated with plasma lipid levels. we aimed to investigate whether these associations are already present early in life and compare the relative contribution of fads snps vs traditional (non-genetic) factors as determinants of plasma lipid levels. | 2013 | 23667444 |
| identification of cellular factors required for the budding of koala retrovirus. | koala retrovirus (korv) is a unique gammaretrovirus that is currently endogenizing into its host and considered to be associated with leukemia, lymphoma and immunosuppression in koalas (phascolactos cinereus). in this study, it was demonstrated that wwp2 or wwp2-like e3 ubiquitin ligases possessing the ww domain closely related to wwp2 and vps4a/b are involved in korv budding. these data suggest that korv gag recruits the cellular endosomal sorting complex required for transport machinery throug ... | 2013 | 23651516 |
| influence of alternative lifestyles on self-reported body weight and health characteristics in women. | alternative lifestyles are often associated with distinct practices with respect to nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and usage of complementary medicine. evidence concerning effects of these lifestyle-related practices on health status is still fragmentary. | 2014 | 23639916 |
| non-invasive evaluation of physiological stress in an iconic australian marsupial: the koala (phascolarctos cinereus). | koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) are the only extant representatives of australia's unique marsupial family phascolarctidae and were listed as nationally vulnerable in 2012. causes of mortality are diverse, although the disease chlamydiosis, dog attacks, collisions with cars, and loss of habitat represent the principal reasons for the continued species decline. koala breeding facilities in queensland and new south wales, australia have been established for conservation and tourism. non-invasive m ... | 2013 | 23583768 |
| reliable genotyping of the koala (phascolarctos cinereus) using dna isolated from a single faecal pellet. | the koala, an australian icon, has been added to the threatened species list. rationale for the listing includes proposed declines in population size, threats to populations (e.g. disease) and loss and fragmentation of habitat. there is now an urgent need to obtain accurate data to assess the status of koala populations in australia, to ensure the long-term viability of this species. advances in genetic techniques have enabled dna analysis to study and inform the management of wild populations; ... | 2013 | 23582171 |
| the distribution and abundance of an island population of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) in the far north of their geographic range. | koalas are an iconic species of charismatic megafauna, of substantial social and conservation significance. they are widely distributed, often at low densities, and individuals can be difficult to detect, making population surveys challenging and costly. consequently, koala population estimates have been limited and the results inconsistent. the aims of this study were to estimate the distribution, relative abundance and population size of the koalas on magnetic island, far north queensland. pop ... | 2013 | 23527258 |
| season- and age-related reproductive changes based on fecal androgen concentrations in male koalas, phascolarctos cinereus. | the purposes of the present study were to clarify age- and season- related androgen patterns, and to compare the reproductive physiology between japanese captive koala populations and australian populations. to measure fecal androgens, feces were collected from male koalas (4.2 to 13.8 years of age) kept in japanese zoos. fecal androgens were extracted with methanol from the lyophilized samples and determined by enzyme immunoassay using 4-androstene-3,17-dione antibody. fecal androgen concentrat ... | 2013 | 23502854 |
| [using the koala database to ensure quality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rehabilitation]. | rehabilitation is a cornerstone in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. koala is a web-based database where information about patients' rehabilitation sessions in hospital or in municipalities can be registered. a retrospective study of the effect of rehabilitation in 63 patients at frederiksberg hospital showed results in accordance with earlier studies. the database could be improved by including more co-morbidities and pharmacological treatment. not all hospitals or municip ... | 2013 | 23480882 |
| the koala hold from down under: another choice in breastfeeding position. | while there are no set rules about breastfeeding positions, australian lactation practice has traditionally recommended some established ones. one position that can provide an alternative is the "koala hold." this hold mimics that of the koala such that the baby is straddled on the mother's knee, skin to skin, in the upright position. this article describes the techniques of the koala hold and identifies the advantages and considerations for the use of this position. | 2013 | 23468044 |
| construction and characterization of an infectious molecular clone of koala retrovirus. | koala retrovirus (korv) is a gammaretrovirus that is currently endogenizing into koalas. studies on korv infection have been hampered by the lack of a replication-competent molecular clone. in this study, we constructed an infectious molecular clone, termed plasmid pkorv522, of a korv isolate (strain aki) from a koala reared in a japanese zoo. the virus korv522, derived from pkorv522, grew efficiently in human embryonic kidney (hek293t) cells, attaining 10(6) focus-forming units/ml. several muta ... | 2013 | 23427161 |
| pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) after intravenous, subcutaneous and oral administration. | the pharmacokinetic profile of meloxicam in clinically healthy koalas (n = 15) was investigated. single doses of meloxicam were administered intravenously (i.v.) (0.4 mg/kg; n = 5), subcutaneously (s.c.) (0.2 mg/kg; n = 1) or orally (0.2 mg/kg; n = 3), and multiple doses were administered to two groups of koalas via the oral or s.c. routes (n = 3 for both routes) with a loading dose of 0.2 mg/kg for day 1 followed by 0.1 mg/kg s.i.d for a further 3 days. plasma meloxicam concentrations were quan ... | 2013 | 23406022 |
| quantitation of meloxicam in the plasma of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) by improved high performance liquid chromatography. | an improved method to determine meloxicam (mel) concentrations in koala plasma using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photo diode array detector was developed and validated. a plasma sample clean-up step was carried out with hydrophilic- lipophilic copolymer solid phase extraction cartridges. mel was separated from an endogenous interference using an isocratic mobile phase [acetonitrile and 50 mm potassium phosphate buffer (ph 2.15), 45 : 55 (v : v)] on a nov ... | 2013 | 23388431 |
| maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood overweight and fat distribution: the koala birth cohort study. | what is already known about this subject there is an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and higher body mass index (bmi) and overweight in childhood. what this study adds the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood overweight develops with age, starting with a lower birth weight, followed by weight catch-up in the first year after birth, finally leading to overweight at school age. children of mothers who had smoked during pregnancy had a higher ris ... | 2014 | 23362054 |
| a retrospective study of admission trends of koalas to a rehabilitation facility over 30 years. | to identify threats to the survival of koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) in coastal new south wales, australia, we compared 3,781 admission records of koalas, admitted between 1 january 1975 and 31 december 2004 to a koala rehabilitation facility on the midnorthern coast of new south wales, against local wild population demographics, with the use of multinomial logistic regression and chi-square analyses. trauma, the most frequent reason for admission, affected young and male animals more frequent ... | 2013 | 23307368 |