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biological characteristics and permissiveness to viruses of diploid kidney cells strain from the bat nathusius' pipistrelle (pipistrellus nathusii keyserling & blasius, 1839; chiroptera: microchiroptera: vespertilionidae).bats are an epidemiologically important natural reservoir of viruses of various taxonomic groups, including causative agents of especially dangerous infections of humans and animals. considering the relevance of arbovirus infections, it seems advisable to study the spectrum of the sensitivity of cells derived from bats inhabiting and migrating on the territory of the russian federation to causative agents of vector-borne diseases of animals.the study aimed to obtain a diploid strain of cells fro ...202133683063
novel and diverse non-rabies rhabdoviruses identified in bats with human exposure, south dakota, usa.bats are a host and reservoir for a large number of viruses, many of which are zoonotic. in north america, the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus) is widely distributed and common. big brown bats are a known reservoir for rabies virus, which, combined with their propensity to roost in human structures, necessitates testing for rabies virus following human exposure. the current pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, likely of bat origin, illustrates the need for continue ...202033302422
how frequency hopping suppresses pulse-echo ambiguity in bat biosonar.big brown bats transmit wideband fm biosonar sounds that sweep from 55 to 25 khz (first harmonic, fm1) and from 110 to 50 khz (second harmonic, fm2). fm1 is required to perceive echo delay for target ranging; fm2 contributes only if corresponding fm1 frequencies are present. we show that echoes need only the lowest fm1 broadcast frequencies of 25 to 30 khz for delay perception. if these frequencies are removed, no delay is perceived. bats begin echo processing at the lowest frequencies and accum ...202032632013
transcriptional host-pathogen responses of pseudogymnoascus destructans and three species of bats with white-nose syndrome.understanding how context (e.g., host species, environmental conditions) drives disease susceptibility is an essential goal of disease ecology. we hypothesized that in bat white-nose syndrome (wns), species-specific host-pathogen interactions may partly explain varying disease outcomes among host species. we characterized bat and pathogen transcriptomes in paired samples of lesion-positive and lesion-negative wing tissue from bats infected with pseudogymnoascus destructans in three parallel expe ...202032552222
selection of viral variants during persistent infection of insectivorous bat cells with middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus.coronaviruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars) and middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) are speculated to have originated in bats. the mechanisms by which these viruses are maintained in individuals or populations of reservoir bats remain an enigma. mathematical models have predicted long-term persistent infection with low levels of periodic shedding as a likely route for virus maintenance and spillover from bats. in this study, we tested the hypothesis that bat cells and m ...202032350357
serological survey of lyssaviruses in polish bats in the frame of passive rabies surveillance using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.background: bats are known to host a number of nonpathogenic viruses, as well as highly pathogenic viruses causing fatal diseases like rabies. serological surveys as part of active and passive bat rabies surveillance mainly use seroneutralization assays, demonstrating the presence of lyssavirus-specific antibodies in a variety of european bats, particularly against european bat lyssaviruses type 1 (eblv-1). here, we present the first serological survey in european bats of this kind during which ...202032121200
rabies outbreak in captive big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) used in a white-nose syndrome vaccine trial.an outbreak of rabies occurred in a captive colony of wild-caught big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus). five of 27 bats exhibited signs of rabies virus infection 22-51 d after capture or 18-22 d after contact with the index case. rabid bats showed weight loss, aggression, increased vocalization, hypersalivation, and refusal of food. antigenic typing and virus sequencing confirmed that all five bats were infected with an identical rabies virus variant that circulates in e. fuscus in the us. two bats ...202031295082
neural response selectivity to natural sounds in the bat midbrain.little is known about the neural mechanisms that mediate differential action-selection responses to communication and echolocation calls in bats. for example, in the big brown bat, frequency modulated (fm) food-claiming communication calls closely resemble fm echolocation calls, which guide social and orienting behaviors, respectively. using advanced signal processing methods, we identified fine differences in temporal structure of these natural sounds that appear key to auditory discrimination ...202031918008
north american big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) harbor an exogenous deltaretrovirus.bats are the reservoir for a large number of zoonotic viruses, including members of coronaviridae (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus [sars-cov] and sars-cov-2), paramyxoviridae (hendra and nipah viruses), rhabdoviridae (rabies virus), and filoviridae (ebola virus) as exemplars. many retroviruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus, are similarly zoonotic; however, only infectious exogenous gammaretroviruses have recently been identified in bats. here, viral metagenomic sequencing o ...202032968009
seasonal transfer and quantification of urinary estradiol in the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus).growing evidence shows that sex steroids not only act within the individual whose glands produce them; they can also act on proximate conspecifics. previous studies show that exogenous 17β-estradiol (e2) can be absorbed both nasally and percutaneously, arriving in blood, neural, reproductive, and peripheral tissues. when male bats were injected with radiolabeled e2 (3h-e2) and housed with females during the mating season, radioactivity was reliably measured in the females' tissues. the present s ...202031733210
antifungal potential of the skin microbiota of hibernating big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) infected with the causal agent of white-nose syndrome.little is known about skin microbiota in the context of the disease white-nose syndrome (wns), caused by the fungus pseudogymnoascus destructans (pd), that has caused enormous declines of hibernating north american bats over the past decade. interestingly, some hibernating species, such as the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus), appear resistant to the disease and their skin microbiota could play a role. however, a comprehensive analysis of the skin microbiota of e. fuscus in the context of pd has ...202032793178
do bats use guano and urine stains to find new roosts? tests with three group-living bats.many animals use social cues to find refuges. bats can find roosts using the echolocation and social calls of conspecifics, but they might also use scent cues, a possibility which is less studied. the entrances of bat roosts are often marked by guano and urine, providing possible scent cues. we conducted eight experiments to test whether bats use the scent of guano and urine to find potential roosts. in field experiments, we tested if molossus molossus (velvety free-tailed bats) in panama and ep ...202033047058
seroprevalence in bats and detection of borrelia burgdorferi in bat ectoparasites.the role of bats in the enzootic cycle of lyme disease and relapsing fever-causing bacteria is a matter of speculation. in canada, borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss) is the genospecies that is responsible for most cases of lyme disease in humans. in this study, we determined if big brown bats, eptesicus fuscus, have been exposed to spirochetes from the genus borrelia. we collected serum from 31 bats and tested them for the presence of anti-borrelia burgdorferi antibodies using a commercial ...202032244986
using deuterium oxide as a non-invasive, non-lethal tool for assessing body composition and water consumption in mammals.body condition scoring systems and body condition indices are common techniques used for assessing the health status or fitness of a species. body condition scoring systems are evaluator dependent and have the potential to be highly subjective. body condition indices can be confounded by foraging, the effects of body weight, as well as statistical and inferential problems. an alternative to body condition scoring systems and body condition indices is using a stable isotope such as deuterium oxid ...202032150166
big brown bats are challenged by acoustically-guided flights through a circular tunnel of hoops.mines and caves provide essential roosting places for bats, but often they are obstructed to prevent entry by humans. to allow bats to access their roosts, metal corrugated culvert pipes are sometimes installed. wildlife surveys indicate, however, that bats may abandon caves having corrugated culvert entrances. culverts may be confusing to bats due to the complex patterns of echoes returned by the regular, ring-like corrugations. we tested the hypothesis that a circular tunnel composed of succes ...202031964933
estimation of spatiotemporal trends in bat abundance from mortality data collected at wind turbines.renewable energy sources, such as wind energy, are essential tools for reducing the causes of climate change, but wind turbines can pose a collision risk for bats. to date, the population-level effects of wind-related mortality have been estimated for only 1 bat species. to estimate temporal trends in bat abundance, we considered wind turbines as opportunistic sampling tools for flying bats (analogous to fishing nets), where catch per unit effort (carcass abundance per monitored turbine) is a pr ...202032424911
binaural response properties and sensitivity to interaural difference of neurons in the auditory cortex of the big brown bat, eptesicus fuscus.this study examines binaural response properties and sensitivity to interaural level difference of single neurons in the primary auditory cortex (ac) of the big brown bat, eptesicus fuscus under earphone stimulation conditions. contralateral sound stimulation always evoked response from all 306 ac neurons recorded but ipsilateral sound stimulation either excited, inhibited or did not affect their responses. high best frequency (bf) neurons typically had high minimum threshold (mt) and low bf neu ...202031785358
safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of intramuscular and oral delivery of era-g333 recombinant rabies virus vaccine to big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus).attenuated strains of rabies virus (rabv) have been used for oral vaccination of wild carnivores in europe and north america. however, some rabv vaccines caused clinical rabies in target animals. to improve the safety of attenuated rabv as an oral vaccine for field use, strategies using selection of escape mutants under monoclonal antibody neutralization pressure and reverse genetics-defined mutations have been used. we tested the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of one rabv construct, era-g ...202031895645
first record of carios kelleyi (acari: ixodida: argasidae) in new jersey, united states and implications for public health.the soft tick carios kelleyi (cooley and kohls), a parasite of bats known to occur in at least 29 of the 48 conterminous u.s. states, is here reported from new jersey for the first time, based on larvae collected from big brown bats, eptesicus fuscus. although thought to be widespread in north america, the ecology of c. kelleyi is not well understood, despite reports of this species feeding on humans and its consequent potential as a disease vector. the association of c. kelleyi with bat species ...202032901802
echolocating bats accumulate information from acoustic snapshots to predict auditory object motion.unlike other predators that use vision as their primary sensory system, bats compute the three-dimensional (3d) position of flying insects from discrete echo snapshots, which raises questions about the strategies they employ to track and intercept erratically moving prey from interrupted sensory information. here, we devised an ethologically inspired behavioral paradigm to directly test the hypothesis that echolocating bats build internal prediction models from dynamic acoustic stimuli to antici ...202033139550
dolphin echo-delay resolution measured with a jittered-echo paradigm.biosonar echo delay resolution was investigated in four bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) using a "jittered" echo paradigm, where dolphins discriminated between electronic echoes with fixed delay and those whose delay alternated (jittered) on successive presentations. the dolphins performed an echo-change detection task and produced a conditioned acoustic response when detecting a change from non-jittering echoes to jittering echoes. jitter delay values ranged from 0 to 20 μs. a passive l ...202032752735
habitat associations of bats in a working rangeland landscape.land-use change has resulted in rangeland loss and degradation globally. these changes include conversion of native grasslands for row-crop agriculture as well as degradation of remaining rangeland due to fragmentation and changing disturbance regimes. understanding how these and other factors influence wildlife use of rangelands is important for conservation and management of wildlife populations. we investigated bat habitat associations in a working rangeland in southeastern north dakota. we u ...201930680140
incomer, a dd36e family of tc1/mariner transposons newly discovered in animals.the tc1/mariner superfamily might represent the most diverse and widely distributed group of dna transposons. several families have been identified; however, exploring the diversity of this superfamily and updating its classification is still ongoing in the life sciences.201931788035
lipolytic activity and the utilization of fatty acids associated with bat sebum by pseudogymnoascus destructans.pseudogymnoascus destructans is the causative agent of a fungal infection of bats known as white-nose syndrome (wns). since its discovery in 2006, it has been responsible for precipitous declines of several species of cave-dwelling north american bats. while numerous advancements in the understanding of the disease processes underlying wns have been made in recent years, there are still many aspects of wns, particularly with respect to pathogen virulence, that remain unknown. in this preliminary ...201931529298
arousal from hibernation and reactivation of eptesicus fuscus gammaherpesvirus (efhv) in big brown bats.many viruses that cause serious and often fatal disease in humans have spilled over from bats. recent evidence suggests that stress may enhance virus shedding by bats increasing the possibility of transmission to other species. to understand the reasons for spillover is therefore important to determine the molecular pathways that link stress to virus reactivation and shedding in bats. we recently isolated and characterized a gammaherpesvirus (eptesicus fuscus herpesvirus, efhv) autochthonous to ...201930554475
winter habitats of bats in texas.few studies have described winter microclimate selection by bats in the southern united states. this is of particular importance as the cold-adapted fungus, pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes the fatal bat disease white-nose syndrome (wns), continues to spread into southern united states. to better understand the suitability of winter bat habitats for the growth of p. destructans in this region, we collected roost temperature and vapor pressure deficit from 97 hibernacula in six ecoregio ...201931393965
interferon regulatory factor 3-mediated signaling limits middle-east respiratory syndrome (mers) coronavirus propagation in cells from an insectivorous bat.insectivorous bats are speculated to be ancestral hosts of middle-east respiratory syndrome (mers) coronavirus (cov). mers-cov causes disease in humans with thirty-five percent fatality, and has evolved proteins that counteract human antiviral responses. since bats experimentally infected with mers-cov do not develop signs of disease, we tested the hypothesis that mers-cov would replicate less efficiently in bat cells than in human cells because of its inability to subvert antiviral responses in ...201930781790
frequency-modulated up-chirps produce larger evoked responses than down-chirps in the big brown bat auditory brainstem.in many mammals, upward-sweeping frequency-modulated (fm) sounds (up-chirps) evoke larger auditory brainstem responses than downward-sweeping sounds (down-chirps). to determine if similar effects occur in fm echolocating bats, auditory evoked responses (aers) in big brown bats in response to up-chirps and down-chirps at different chirp durations and levels were recorded. even though down-chirps are the biologically relevant stimulus for big brown bats, up-chirps typically evoked larger peaks in ...201931590554
rapid increases in bat activity and diversity after wetland construction in an urban ecosystem.wetland construction can mitigate the biodiversity and water quality losses associated with reduced natural wetland coverage. while beneficial effects of wetland construction for bats have been observed in natural and rural settings, the effects of wetland construction on bats in an urban ecosystem are less understood. we used passive acoustic monitoring to measure bat activity levels and diversity at two constructed wetlands and two control sites on the university of north carolina greensboro c ...201931564763
sonar strobe groups and buzzes are produced before powered flight is achieved in the juvenile big brown bat, eptesicus fuscus.laryngeally echolocating bats produce a rapid succession of echolocation calls just before landing. these landing buzzes exhibit an increase in call rate and a decrease in call peak frequency and duration relative to pre-buzz calls, and resemble the terminal buzz phase calls of an aerial hawking bat's echolocation attack sequence. sonar strobe groups (ssgs) are clustered sequences of non-buzz calls whose pulse intervals (pis) are fairly regular and shorter than the pis both before and after the ...201931548288
a smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities.the development and expansion of wind energy is considered a key global threat to bat populations. bat carcasses are being found underneath wind turbines across north and south america, eurasia, africa, and the austro-pacific. however, relatively little is known about the comparative impacts of techniques designed to modify turbine operations in ways that reduce bat fatalities associated with wind energy facilities. this study tests a novel approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment ti ...201930939226
hypsugopoxvirus: a novel poxvirus isolated from hypsugo savii in italy.interest in bat-related viruses has increased considerably during the last decade, leading to the discovery of a rising number of new viruses in several bat species. poxviridae are a large, diverse family of dna viruses that can infect a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. to date, only a few documented detections of poxviruses have been described in bat populations on three different continents (america, africa, and australia). these viruses are phylogenetically dissimilar and have div ...201931248065
echolocating bats perceive natural-size targets as a unitary class using micro-spectral ripples in echoes.echolocating big brown bats emit frequency-modulated (fm) sounds covering ultrasonic frequencies in two harmonic sweeps (fm1 from 50-60 khz sweeping down to 20-25 khz, fm2 from 100-110 khz sweeping down to 45 khz). using a complex interplay of acoustic cues, the bats perceive object distance from echo delay and object shape from echo spectra. typical natural targets-flying insects-return discrete reflections, called glints, from prominent body parts (e.g., head, wings). insect sizes are mostly 0 ...201931021108
effect of sound pressure level on contralateral inhibition underlying duration-tuned neurons in the mammalian inferior colliculus.duration tuning in the mammalian inferior colliculus (ic) is created by the interaction of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. we used extracellular recordings and paired tone stimulation to measure the strength and time course of the contralateral inhibition underlying duration-tuned neurons (dtns) in the ic of the awake bat. the onset time of a short, best duration (bd), excitatory probe tone set to +10 db (re threshold) was varied relative to the onset of a longer-duration, nonexcitato ...201931017836
echolocating bats inspect and discriminate landmark features to guide navigation.landmark-guided navigation is a common behavioral strategy for way-finding, yet prior studies have not examined how animals collect sensory information to discriminate landmark features. we investigated this question in animals that rely on active sensing to guide navigation. four echolocating bats (eptesicus fuscus) were trained to use an acoustic landmark to find and navigate through a net opening for a food reward. in experimental trials, an object serving as a landmark was placed adjacent to ...201930936268
biosonar interpulse intervals and pulse-echo ambiguity in four species of echolocating bats.in complex biosonar scenes, the delay of echoes represents the spatial distribution of objects in depth. to avoid overlap of echo streams from successive broadcasts, individual echolocation sounds should only be emitted after all echoes of previous sounds have returned. however, close proximity of obstacles demands rapid pulse updates for steering to avoid collisions, which often means emitting a new sound before all of the previous echoes have returned. when two echo streams overlap, there is a ...201930877230
echo interval and not echo intensity drives bat flight behavior in structured corridors.to navigate in the natural environment, animals must adapt their locomotion in response to environmental stimuli. the echolocating bat relies on auditory processing of echo returns to represent its surroundings. recent studies have shown that echo flow patterns influence bat navigation, but the acoustic basis for flight path selection remains unknown. to investigate this problem, we released bats in a flight corridor with walls constructed of adjacent individual wooden poles, which returned casc ...201830355612
big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) successfully navigate through clutter after exposure to intense band-limited sound.echolocating big brown bats fly, orient, forage, and roost in cluttered acoustic environments in which aggregate sound pressure levels can be as intense as 100 to 140 db spl, levels that would impair auditory perception in other terrestrial mammals. we showed previously that bats exposed to intense wide-band sound (116 db spl) can navigate successfully through dense acoustic clutter. here, we extend these results by quantifying performance of bats navigating through a cluttered scene after expos ...201830201987
3d hippocampal place field dynamics in free-flying echolocating bats.a large body of laboratory research has investigated the process by which environmental cues are acquired and used for spatial navigation in rodents; however, the key to differentiating between species specializations and general principles lies in comparative research. rodent research has focused on a class of neurons in the hippocampus implicated in the representation of allocentric space - termed place cells - and the process by which these representations form. one class of models of hippoca ...201830190673
adaptive sonar call timing supports target tracking in echolocating bats.echolocating bats dynamically adapt the features of their sonar calls as they approach obstacles and track targets. as insectivorous bats forage, they increase sonar call rate with decreasing prey distance, and often embedded in bat insect approach sequences are clusters of sonar sounds, termed sonar sound groups (ssgs). the bat's production of ssgs has been observed in both field and laboratory conditions, and is hypothesized to sharpen spatiotemporal sonar resolution. when insectivorous bats h ...201829997156
natural echolocation sequences evoke echo-delay selectivity in the auditory midbrain of the fm bat, eptesicus fuscus.echolocating bats must process temporal streams of sonar sounds to represent objects along the range axis. neuronal echo-delay tuning, the putative mechanism of sonar ranging, has been characterized in the inferior colliculus (ic) of the mustached bat, an insectivorous species that produces echolocation calls consisting of constant frequency and frequency modulated (fm) components, but not in species that use fm signals alone. this raises questions about the mechanisms that give rise to echo-del ...201829924708
tuning for rate and duration of frequency-modulated sweeps in the mammalian inferior colliculus.responses of auditory duration-tuned neurons (dtns) are selective for stimulus duration. we used single-unit extracellular recording to investigate how the inferior colliculus (ic) encodes frequency-modulated (fm) sweeps in the big brown bat. it was unclear whether the responses of so-called "fm dtns" encode signal duration, like classic pure-tone dtns, or the fm sweep rate. most fm cells had spiking responses selective for downward fm sweeps. we presented cells with linear fm sweeps whose cente ...201829790835
smart bats click twice.the acoustic representation of the outside world in the midbrain of a bat becomes more precise as it uses double clicks to locate closer objects.201829651985
dynamic representation of 3d auditory space in the midbrain of the free-flying echolocating bat.essential to spatial orientation in the natural environment is a dynamic representation of direction and distance to objects. despite the importance of 3d spatial localization to parse objects in the environment and to guide movement, most neurophysiological investigations of sensory mapping have been limited to studies of restrained subjects, tested with 2d, artificial stimuli. here, we show for the first time that sensory neurons in the midbrain superior colliculus (sc) of the free-flying echo ...201829633711
echolocation and flight behavior of the bat hipposideros armiger terasensis in a structured corridor.in this study, the echolocation and flight behaviors of the taiwanese leaf-nosed bat (hipposideros armiger terasensis), which uses constant-frequency (cf) biosonar signals combined with a frequency-modulated (fm) sweep, are compared with those of the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus), which uses fm signals alone. the cf-fm bat flew through a corridor bounded by vertical poles on either side, and the inter-pole spacing of the walls was manipulated to create different echo flow conditions. the bat' ...201830180698
fireflies thwart bat attack with multisensory warnings.many defended animals prevent attacks by displaying warning signals that are highly conspicuous to their predators. we hypothesized that bioluminescing fireflies, widely known for their vibrant courtship signals, also advertise their noxiousness to echolocating bats. to test this postulate, we pit naïve big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) against chemically defended fireflies (photinus pyralis) to examine whether and how these beetles transmit salient warnings to bats. we demonstrate that these no ...201830140743
spike train similarity space (ssims) method detects effects of obstacle proximity and experience on temporal patterning of bat biosonar.bats emit biosonar pulses in complex temporal patterns that change to accommodate dynamic surroundings. efforts to quantify these patterns have included analyses of inter-pulse intervals, sonar sound groups, and changes in individual signal parameters such as duration or frequency. here, the similarity in temporal structure between trains of biosonar pulses is assessed. the spike train similarity space (ssims) algorithm, originally designed for neural activity pattern analysis, was applied to de ...201829472848
spatial variation of mercury bioaccumulation in bats of canada linked to atmospheric mercury deposition.wildlife are exposed to neurotoxic mercury at locations distant from anthropogenic emission sources because of long-range atmospheric transport of this metal. in this study, mercury bioaccumulation in insectivorous bat species (mammalia: chiroptera) was investigated on a broad geographic scale in canada. fur was analyzed (n=1178) for total mercury from 43 locations spanning 20° latitude and 77° longitude. total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in fur were positively correlated with conce ...201829396333
ddt poisoning of big brown bats, eptesicus fuscus, in hamilton, montana.dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ddt) is an insecticidal organochlorine pesticide with; known potential for neurotoxic effects in wildlife. the united states environmental protection agency (us epa) registration for this pesticide has been cancelled and there are currently no federally active products that contain this ingredient in the u.s. we present a case of a colony of big brown bats (e. fuscus) found dead in the attic roost of an administrative building; in the city of hamilton, montana fr ...201829505918
comparative metabolomics of aging in a long-lived bat: insights into the physiology of extreme longevity.vespertilionid bats (mammalia: order chiroptera) live 3-10 times longer than other mammals of an equivalent body size. at present, nothing is known of how bat fecal metabolic profiles shift with age in any taxa. this study established the feasibility of using a non-invasive, fecal metabolomics approach to examine age-related differences in the fecal metabolome of young and elderly adult big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) as an initial investigation into using metabolomics for age determination. s ...201829715267
early erratic flight response of the lucerne moth to the quiet echolocation calls of distant bats.nocturnal insects have evolved ultrasound-sensitive hearing in response to predation pressures from echolocating insectivorous bats. flying tympanate moths take various evasive actions when they detect bat cries, including turning away, performing a steering/zigzagging flight and ceasing flight. in general, infrequent ultrasonic pulses with low sound intensities that are emitted by distant bats evoke slight turns, whereas frequent and loud ultrasonic pulses of nearby bats evoke erratic or rapid ...201830125318
from individual heterogeneity to population-level overdispersion: quantifying the relative roles of host exposure and parasite establishment in driving aggregated helminth distributions.in most host-parasite systems, variation in parasite burden among hosts drives transmission dynamics. heavily infected individuals introduce disproportionate numbers of infective stages into host populations or surrounding environments, causing sharp increases in frequency of infection. parasite aggregation within host populations may result from variation among hosts in exposure to infective propagules and probability of subsequent establishment of parasites in the host. this is because individ ...201829395101
functional organization and dynamic activity in the superior colliculus of the echolocating bat, eptesicus fuscus.sensory-guided behaviors require the transformation of sensory information into task-specific motor commands. prior research on sensorimotor integration has emphasized visuomotor processes in the context of simplified orienting movements in controlled laboratory tasks rather than an animal's more complete, natural behavioral repertoire. here, we conducted a series of neural recording experiments in the midbrain superior colliculus (sc) of echolocating bats engaged in a sonar target-tracking task ...201829180610
seasonal and sexual variation in metabolism, thermoregulation, and hormones in the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus).in response to seasonal variation in energy availability and thermal environment, physiological and endocrine mechanisms have evolved in temperate zone animals. seasonal changes in hormone activity affect metabolism, body temperature, and reproductive activity. we examined the seasonal regulatory role of hormones on basal metabolic rate (bmr) and regulatory nonshivering thermogenesis (rnst) in 98 female and 17 male adult eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat). we measured bmr, rnst, and plasma levels ...201829155610
isolation, characterization and prevalence of a novel gammaherpesvirus in eptesicus fuscus, the north american big brown bat.little is known about the relationship of gammaherpesviruses with their bat hosts. gammaherpesviruses are of interest because of their long-term infection of lymphoid cells and their potential to cause cancer. here, we report the characterization of a novel bat herpesvirus isolated from a big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus) in canada. the genome of the virus, tentatively named eptesicus fuscus herpesvirus (efhv), is 166,748 base pairs. phylogenetically efhv is a member of gammaherpesvirinae, in whi ...201829407381
separating the effects of water quality and urbanization on temperate insectivorous bats at the landscape scale.many local scale studies have shown that bats respond to water quality degradation or urbanization in a species-specific manner. however, few have separated the effects of urbanization versus water quality degradation on bats, in single city or single watershed case studies. across north carolina, usa, we used the standardized north american bat monitoring program mobile transect protocol to survey bat activity in 2015 and 2016 at 41 sites. we collected statewide water quality and urban land cov ...201829321903
survey of parasitic bacteria in bat bugs, colorado.bat bugs (cimex adjunctus barber) (hemiptera: cimicidae) collected from big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus palisot de beauvoir) in colorado, united states were assessed for the presence of bartonella, brucella, and yersinia spp. using molecular techniques. no evidence of brucella or yersinia infection was found in the 55 specimens collected; however, 4/55 (7.3%) of the specimens were positive for bartonella dna. multi-locus characterization of bartonella dna shows that sequences in bat bugs are ph ...201829329460
need for multiscale planning for conservation of urban bats.for over a century there have been continual efforts to incorporate nature into urban planning. these efforts (i.e., urban reconciliation) aim to manage and create habitats that support biodiversity within cities. given that species select habitat at different spatial scales, understanding the scale at which urban species respond to their environment is critical to the success of urban reconciliation efforts. we assessed species-habitat relationships for common bat species at 50-m, 500-m, and 1 ...201829124788
bat rabies in washington state: temporal-spatial trends and risk factors for zoonotic transmission (2000-2017).rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that can affect all mammals. in the united states, the majority of human rabies cases are caused by bats, which are the only known reservoirs for rabies virus (rabv) in washington state. we sought to characterize bat rabv epidemiology in washington among bats submitted by the public for rabv testing.201830300384
active acoustic interference elicits echolocation changes in heterospecific bats.echolocating bats often forage in the presence of both conspecific and heterospecific individuals, which have the potential to produce acoustic interference. recent studies have shown that at least one bat species, the brazilian free-tailed bat (tadarida brasiliensis), produces specialized social signals that disrupt the sonar of conspecific competitors. we herein discuss the differences between passive and active jamming signals and test whether heterospecific jamming occurs in species overlapp ...201829950451
echolocating bats rely on audiovocal feedback to adapt sonar signal design.many species of bat emit acoustic signals and use information carried by echoes reflecting from nearby objects to navigate and forage. it is widely documented that echolocating bats adjust the features of sonar calls in response to echo feedback; however, it remains unknown whether audiovocal feedback contributes to sonar call design. audiovocal feedback refers to the monitoring of one's own vocalizations during call production and has been intensively studied in nonecholocating animals. audiovo ...201728973851
in vivo efficacy of a cocktail of human monoclonal antibodies (cl184) against diverse north american bat rabies virus variants.following rabies virus (rabv) exposure, a combination of thorough wound washing, multiple-dose vaccine administration and the local infiltration of rabies immune globulin (rig) are essential components of modern post-exposure prophylaxis (pep). although modern cell-culture-based rabies vaccines are increasingly used in many countries, rig is much less available. the prohibitive cost of polyclonal serum rig products has prompted a search for alternatives and design of anti-rabv monoclonal antibod ...201730270905
the effects of epidermal fatty acid profiles, 1-oleoglycerol, and triacylglycerols on the susceptibility of hibernating bats to pseudogymnoascus destructans.white nose syndrome (wns) greatly increases the over-winter mortality of little brown (myotis lucifugus), indiana (m. sodalis), northern (m. septentrionalis), and tricolored (perimyotis subflavus) bats, and is caused by cutaneous infections with pseudogymnoascus destructans (pd). big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) are highly resistant to pd infections. seven different fatty acids (myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic, and, linoleic acids) occur in the wing epidermis of both m. lu ...201729077745
bat wing biometrics: using collagen-elastin bundles in bat wings as a unique individual identifier.the ability to recognize individuals within an animal population is fundamental to conservation and management. identification of individual bats has relied on artificial marking techniques that may negatively affect the survival and alter the behavior of individuals. biometric systems use biological characteristics to identify individuals. the field of animal biometrics has expanded to include recognition of individuals based upon various morphologies and phenotypic variations including pelage ...201729674784
comparative analysis of landscape effects on spatial genetic structure of the big brown bat and one of its cimicid ectoparasites.identification of landscape features that correlate with genetic structure permits understanding of factors that may influence gene flow in a species. comparing effects of the landscape on a parasite and host provides potential insights into parasite-host ecology. we compared fine-scale spatial genetic structure between big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) and their cimicid ectoparasite (cimex adjunctus; class insecta) in the lower great lakes region of the united states, in an area of about 160,00 ...201729075444
protection of bats (eptesicus fuscus) against rabies following topical or oronasal exposure to a recombinant raccoon poxvirus vaccine.rabies is an ancient neglected tropical disease that causes tens of thousands of human deaths and millions of cattle deaths annually. in order to develop a new vaccine for potential use in bats, a reservoir of rabies infection for humans and animals alike, an in silico antigen designer tool was used to create a mosaic glycoprotein (mog) gene using available sequences from the rabies phylogroup i glycoprotein. this sequence, which represents strains more likely to occur in bats, was cloned into r ...201728976983
age-dependent gene expression in the inner ear of big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus).for echolocating bats, hearing is essential for survival. specializations for detecting and processing high frequency sounds are apparent throughout their auditory systems. recent studies on echolocating mammals have reported evidence of parallel evolution in some hearing-related genes in which distantly related groups of echolocating animals (bats and toothed whales), cluster together in gene trees due to apparent amino acid convergence. however, molecular adaptations can occur not only in codi ...201729073148
noise interference with echo delay discrimination in bat biosonar.echolocating big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) were trained in a two-choice task to discriminate differences in the delay of electronic echoes at 1.7 ms delay (30 cm simulated range). difference thresholds (∼45 μs) were comparable to previously published results. at selected above-threshold differences (116 and 232 μs delay), performance was measured in the presence of wideband random noise at increasing amplitudes in 10-db steps to determine the noise level that prevented discrimination. perfor ...201729195421
a persistently infecting coronavirus in hibernating myotis lucifugus, the north american little brown bat.bats are important reservoir hosts for emerging viruses, including coronaviruses that cause diseases in people. although there have been several studies on the pathogenesis of coronaviruses in humans and surrogate animals, there is little information on the interactions of these viruses with their natural bat hosts. we detected a coronavirus in the intestines of 53/174 hibernating little brown bats (myotis lucifugus), as well as in the lungs of some of these individuals. interestingly, the prese ...201728840816
energy conserving thermoregulatory patterns and lower disease severity in a bat resistant to the impacts of white-nose syndrome.the devastating bat fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (wns), does not appear to affect all species equally. to experimentally determine susceptibility differences between species, we exposed hibernating naïve little brown myotis (myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) to the fungus that causes wns, pseudogymnoascus destructans (pd). after hibernating under identical conditions, pd lesions were significantly more prevalent and more severe in little brown myotis. this species di ...201728597237
the phylogeography of myotis bat-associated rabies viruses across canada.as rabies in carnivores is increasingly controlled throughout much of the americas, bats are emerging as a significant source of rabies virus infection of humans and domestic animals. knowledge of the bat species that maintain rabies is a crucial first step in reducing this public health problem. in north america, several bat species are known to be rabies virus reservoirs but the role of bats of the myotis genus has been unclear due to the scarcity of laboratory confirmed cases and the challeng ...201728542160
first report of bats (mammalia: chiroptera) from the gray fossil site (late miocene or early pliocene), tennessee, usa.thousands of vertebrate fossils have been recovered from the gray fossil site, tennessee, dating to the miocene-pliocene boundary. among these are but eight specimens of bats representing two different taxa referable to the family vespertilionidae. comparison of the fossils with neogene and quaternary bats reveals that seven of the eight specimens pertain to a species of eptesicus that cannot be distinguished from recent north american eptesicus fuscus. the remaining specimen, a horizontal ramus ...201728462055
prevalence and distribution of pseudogymnoascus destructans in michigan bats submitted for rabies surveillance.since 2006, bat populations in north america have suffered devastating mortality from an emerging disease known as white-nose syndrome (wns). the causal agent of wns is the fungus pseudogymnoascus destructans. in april 2014, wns was discovered in little brown bats ( myotis lucifugus ) in michigan, and has since been documented in 12 counties. because current surveillance for wns focuses primarily on mine-hibernating species in winter, it is subject geographic, species, and seasonal bias. to inve ...201728318379
speed-dependent modulation of wing muscle recruitment intensity and kinematics in two bat species.animals respond to changes in power requirements during locomotion by modulating the intensity of recruitment of their propulsive musculature, but many questions concerning how muscle recruitment varies with speed across modes of locomotion remain unanswered. we measured average muscle recruitment intensity (aemg) for pectoralis major and biceps brachii at different flight speeds in two relatively distantly related bat species: the aerial insectivore eptesicus fuscus, and the primarily fruit eat ...201728235906
functional role of airflow-sensing hairs on the bat wing.the wing membrane of the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus) is covered by a sparse grid of microscopic hairs. we showed previously that various tactile receptors (e.g., lanceolate endings and merkel cell neurite complexes) are associated with wing-hair follicles. furthermore, we found that depilation of these hairs decreased the maneuverability of bats in flight. in the present study, we investigated whether somatosensory signals arising from the hairs carry information about airflow parameters. n ...201727852729
big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) maintain hearing sensitivity after exposure to intense band-limited noise.thresholds to short-duration narrowband frequency-modulated (fm) sweeps were measured in six big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) in a two-alternative forced choice passive listening task before and after exposure to band-limited noise (lower and upper frequencies between 10 and 50 khz, 1 h, 116-119 db sound pressure level root mean square; sound exposure level 152 db). at recovery time points of 2 and 5 min post-exposure, thresholds varied from -4 to +4 db from pre-exposure threshold estimates. th ...201728372082
chirosurveillance: the use of native bats to detect invasive agricultural pests.invasive insect pests cost the agricultural industry billions of dollars annually in crop losses. timely detection of pests is critical for management efficiency. innovative pest detection strategies, such as environmental dna (edna) techniques, combined with efficient predators, maximize sampling resolution across space and time and may improve surveillance. we tested the hypothesis that temperate insectivorous bats can be important sentinels of agricultural insect pest surveillance. specifical ...201728355216
hung out to dry? intraspecific variation in water loss in a hibernating bat.hibernation is a period of water deficit for some small mammals, and humidity strongly influences hibernation patterns. dry conditions reduce length of torpor bouts, stimulate arousals, and decrease overwinter survival. to mitigate these effects, many small mammals hibernate in near saturated (100% rh) conditions. however, big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) hibernate in a wider variety of conditions and tolerate lower humidity than most other bats. to assess arid tolerance in this species, we com ...201728213638
frequency tuning of synaptic inhibition underlying duration-tuned neurons in the mammalian inferior colliculus.inhibition plays an important role in creating the temporal response properties of duration-tuned neurons (dtns) in the mammalian inferior colliculus (ic). neurophysiological and computational studies indicate that duration selectivity in the ic is created through the convergence of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs offset in time. we used paired-tone stimulation and extracellular recording to measure the frequency tuning of the inhibition acting on dtns in the ic of the big brown bat (e ...201728100657
progesterone transfer among cohabitating female big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus).experiments using female mice and bats have demonstrated that tritium-labeled 17β-estradiol ((3)h-e2) can be absorbed via cutaneous and intranasal routes and distributed to reproductive and neural tissues. radioactivity has also been measured in tissues of untreated females after 48h cohabitation with (3)h-e2 injected males. the present study was designed to quantify steroid transfer among female bats. radioactive quantification via liquid scintillation counting revealed absorption of tritium-la ...201728185935
big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) reveal diverse strategies for sonar target tracking in clutter.bats actively adjust the acoustic features of their sonar calls to control echo information specific to a given task and environment. a previous study investigated how bats adapted their echolocation behavior when tracking a moving target in the presence of a stationary distracter at different distances and angular offsets. the use of only one distracter, however, left open the possibility that a bat could reduce the interference of the distracter by turning its head. here, bats tracked a moving ...201627914429
echolocation behavior in big brown bats is not impaired after intense broadband noise exposures.echolocating bats emit trains of intense ultrasonic biosonar pulses and listen to weaker echoes returning from objects in their environment. identification and categorization of echoes are crucial for orientation and prey capture. bats are social animals and often fly in groups in which they are exposed to their own emissions and to those from other bats, as well as to echoes from multiple surrounding objects. sound pressure levels in these noisy conditions can exceed 110 db, with no obvious del ...201627510961
seasonal variations in auditory processing in the inferior colliculus of eptesicus fuscus.eptesicus fuscus is typical of temperate zone bats in that both sexes undergo marked seasonal changes in behavior, endocrine status, and reproductive status. acoustic communication plays a key role in many seasonal behaviors. for example, males emit specialized vocalizations during mating in the fall, and females use different specialized vocalizations to communicate with infants in late spring. bats of both sexes use echolocation for foraging during times of activity, but engage in little sound ...201627473507
overwintering of rabies virus in silver haired bats (lasionycteris noctivagans).silver-haired bats, (lasionycteris noctivagans) are semi-colonial, migratory tree bats that have infrequent contact with humans. despite the species rarity, the l. noctivagans rabies variant is the most commonly reported rabies virus variant (rabv) in domestically acquired human rabies cases in the us. unlike big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) and little brown bats (myotis lucifugus), l. noctivagans are not considered true hibernators. it is unknown if rabv can overwinter in hibernating l. noctiv ...201627195489
two distinct representations of social vocalizations in the basolateral amygdala.acoustic communication signals carry information related to the types of social interactions by means of their "acoustic context," the sequencing and temporal emission pattern of vocalizations. here we describe responses to natural vocal sequences in adult big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus). we first assessed how vocal sequences modify the internal affective state of a listener (via heart rate). the heart rate of listening bats was differentially modulated by vocal sequences, showing significantl ...201626538612
sub-lethal effects of chlorpyrifos on big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus).we determined dose-response curves for sublethal effects of the organophosphorus (op) insecticide, chlorpyrifos, on bats. big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus, n = 64) were given a single dose of chlorpyrifos (nominal concentrations) of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 60 µg/g body weight and examined at 12 or 24 h after dosing. a second experiment dosed 32 bats with 0 or 60 µg/g body weight and examined 1, 3, 7, or 14 days after dosing. skin temperature and behavioral changes were recorded, and brain a ...201627491870
echolocating big brown bats, eptesicus fuscus, modulate pulse intervals to overcome range ambiguity in cluttered surroundings.big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) emit trains of brief, wideband frequency-modulated (fm) echolocation sounds and use echoes of these sounds to orient, find insects, and guide flight through vegetation. they are observed to emit sounds that alternate between short and long inter-pulse intervals (ipis), forming sonar sound groups. the occurrence of these strobe groups has been linked to flight in cluttered acoustic environments, but how exactly bats use sonar sound groups to orient and navigate i ...201627445723
identification of secreted and membrane-bound bat immunoglobulin using a microchiropteran-specific mouse monoclonal antibody.bat immunity has received increasing attention because some bat species are being decimated by the fungal disease, white nose syndrome, while other species are potential reservoirs of zoonotic viruses. identifying specific immune processes requires new specific tools and reagents. in this study, we describe a new mouse monoclonal antibody (mab) reactive with eptesicus fuscus immunoglobulins. the epitope recognized by mab bt1-4f10 was localized to immunoglobulin light (lambda) chains; hence, the ...201627377583
effects of inertial power and inertial force on bat wings.the inertial power and inertial force of wings are important factors in evaluating the flight performance of native bats. based on measurement data of wing size and motions of eptesicus fuscus, we present a new computational bat wing model with divided fragments of skeletons and membrane. the motions of the model were verified by comparing the joint and tip trajectories with native bats. the influences of flap, sweep, elbow, wrist and digits motions, the effects of different bones and membrane o ...201627268977
target shape perception and clutter rejection use the same mechanism in bat sonar.big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) emit frequency-modulated (fm) biosonar sounds containing two or more harmonic sweeps. echoes from frontally located targets arrive with first and second harmonics intact, leading to focused delay images. echoes from offside or distant objects arrive with the second harmonic relatively weaker (lowpass-filtered), leading to defocused images, which prevents their clutter interference effects (bates et al. j exp biol 214:394-401, 2011). realistic targets contain sev ...201627041334
broadband noise exposure does not affect hearing sensitivity in big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus).in many vertebrates, exposure to intense sounds under certain stimulus conditions can induce temporary threshold shifts that reduce hearing sensitivity. susceptibility to these hearing losses may reflect the relatively quiet environments in which most of these species have evolved. echolocating big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) live in extremely intense acoustic environments in which they navigate and forage successfully, both alone and in company with other bats. we hypothesized that bats may h ...201627030779
gene structure and evolution of transthyretin in the order chiroptera.bats are mammals in the order chiroptera. although many extensive morphologic and molecular genetics analyses have been attempted, phylogenetic relationships of bats has not been completely resolved. the paraphyly of microbats is of particular controversy that needs to be confirmed. in this study, we attempted to use the nucleotide sequence of transthyretin (ttr) intron 1 to resolve the relationship among bats. to explore its utility, the complete sequences of ttr gene and intron 1 region of bat ...201626681450
big brown bats (eptesicus fuscus) emit intense search calls and fly in stereotyped flight paths as they forage in the wild.the big brown bat, eptesicus fuscus, uses echolocation for orientation and foraging, and scans its surroundings by aiming its sonar beam at obstacles and prey. all call parameters are highly adaptable and determine the bat's acoustic field of view and hence its perception of the echo scene. the intensity (source level) and directionality of the emitted calls directly contribute to the bat's acoustic field of view; however, the source level and directionality of the big brown bat's sonar signals ...201626596537
relationships between host body condition and immunocompetence, not host sex, best predict parasite burden in a bat-helminth system.sex-biased parasitism highlights potentially divergent approaches to parasite resistance resulting in differing energetic trade-offs for males and females; however, trade-offs between immunity and self-maintenance could also depend on host body condition. we investigated these relationships in the big brown bat, eptesicus fuscus, to determine if host sex or body condition better predicted parasite resistance, if testosterone levels predicted male parasite burdens, and if immune parameters could ...201626898834
generation and characterization of eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) kidney cell lines immortalized using the myotis polyomavirus large t-antigen.it is speculated that bats are important reservoir hosts for numerous viruses, with 27 viral families reportedly detected in bats. majority of these viruses have not been isolated and there is little information regarding their biology in bats. establishing a well-characterized bat cell line supporting the replication of bat-borne viruses would facilitate the analysis of virus-host interactions in an in vitro model. currently, few bat cell lines have been developed and only tb1-lu, derived from ...201627639955
environment, host, and fungal traits predict continental-scale white-nose syndrome in bats.white-nose syndrome is a fungal disease killing bats in eastern north america, but disease is not seen in european bats and is less severe in some north american species. we show that how bats use energy during hibernation and fungal growth rates under different environmental conditions can explain how some bats are able to survive winter with infection and others are not. our study shows how simple but nonlinear interactions between fungal growth and bat energetics result in decreased survival ...201627152322
claudin gene expression patterns do not associate with interspecific differences in paracellular nutrient absorption.bats exhibit higher paracellular absorption of glucose-sized molecules than non-flying mammals, a phenomenon that may be driven by higher permeability of the intestinal tight junctions. the various claudins, occludin, and other proteins making up the tight junctions are thought to determine their permeability properties. here we show that absorption of the paracellular probe l-arabinose is higher in a bat (eptesicus fuscus) than in a vole (microtus pennsylvanicus) or a hedgehog (atelerix albiven ...201626393434
broad and temperature independent replication potential of filoviruses on cells derived from old and new world bat species.filoviruses are strongly associated with several species of bats as their natural reservoirs. in this study, we determined the replication potential of all filovirus species: marburg marburgvirus, taï forest ebolavirus, reston ebolavirus, sudan ebolavirus, zaire ebolavirus, and bundibugyo ebolavirus. filovirus replication was supported by all cell lines derived from 6 old and new world bat species: the hammer-headed fruit bat, buettikofer's epauletted fruit bat, the egyptian fruit bat, the jamai ...201627354372
molecular detection of pseudogymnoascus destructans (ascomycota: pseudeurotiaceae) and unidentified fungal dermatitides on big brown bats ( eptesicus fuscus ) overwintering inside buildings in canada.big brown bats ( eptesicus fuscus ) overwintering outside the underground environment are not believed to play a role in the epidemiology of the disease white-nose syndrome (wns), caused by the fungus pseudogymnoascus destructans (pd). using quantitative real-time pcr (qpcr), we provide molecular evidence for pd on four big brown bats overwintering in heated buildings in new brunswick, canada. two of the affected individuals also had very mild, focal, pustular, fungal dermatitis identified micro ...201627458830
detection of pseudogymnoascus destructans on free-flying male bats captured during summer in the southeastern usa.pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causal agent of white-nose syndrome (wns), is commonly found on bats captured both inside and outside caves during hibernation, a time when bats are most vulnerable to infection. it has not been documented in the southeast us on bats captured outside caves or on the landscape in summer. we collected 136 skin swabs from 10 species of bats captured at 20 sites on the tennessee side of great smoky mountains national park, 12 may-16 august 2015. three swabs were fou ...201627434413
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