scholarly journals Assessment of physiological status of felids as indicator of their welfare in the wild

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Ekaterina V. Pavlova ◽  
Evgeny A. Ivanov ◽  
Vadim E. Kiriluk ◽  
Vyacheslav V. Rozhnov

One of the main approaches to monitoring the welfare of wild mammal populations in the wild is animal health estimation based on an analysis of their physiological parameters. To assess that for the natural felid populations, we analyzed adrenal activity level, white blood cells (WBC) counts and occurrence of seropositive reactions to different diseases. The first study was conducted in the Southwest Primorye, in natural habitats of Far Eastern leopard. Unevenly cold and snowy winters in 2010 and 2011 provided extreme natural conditions for overwintering mammals across the Russian Far East. Adrenocortical activity of leopards was significantly higher in 2011 (fecal cortisol level was 712.7 ± 92.4  ng g-1) than in 2010 (361.4 ± 80.5 ng g-1). We suggest that abundance and availability of weakened deer and carcasses could facilitate hunting for leopards and help them to avoid starvation. In the second study we used WBC counts as a health index for three felid species: Pallas cat (Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, 2010), Far Eastern leopard (Southwestern Prymorie, 2011), Siberian tiger (Ussuriskii Reserve, 2010-2011). The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (N:L) was used as an indicator of stress and/or disease state. Occurrence of seropositive reactions to 12 different pathogens was analyzed in all the animals after the hematological analysis. Pallas cats had the lowest N:L ratio (1.0 ± 0.1), significantly differing from leopards (42.8 ± 16.0) and tigers (24.5 ± 9.2). The N:L ratio correlated with the occurrence of seropositive reactions but not with the pathogen diversity. Pallas cats had the lowest occurrence of positive reactions to 4 pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii (12.5%), Mycoplasma sp. (12.5%), influenza A (7.1%), and feline leukemia virus (8.3%). Leopards had the highest N:L and occurrence of seropositive reactions only to 2 infections: T. gondii (16.6%) and Candida sp. (100%). On the contrary, tigers had positive responses to 6 pathogens, including canine distemper (7.7%), feline immunodeficiency virus (8.3%) and Aujeszky’s disease (31%), which were not found in other cats. Values of N:L depended also on the time spent to get blood samples. In the big felid species effects of glucocorticoids on the WBC ratio (neutrophilia) were obtained in blood samples from anesthetized animals, taken more than 2 hours after capture. In Pallas cats blood samples were collected within 13 ± 2 min without anesthesia. Thus the high N:L ratio in big felids can be explained by several reasons: stress of capture, immunosuppression and a high diversity of detected infections. The present findings may have important implications for creation of effective conservation strategies of rare felid species in the wild.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-242
Author(s):  
V.A. Yakimova ◽  
A.A. Orekhova

Subject. The article addresses the tax liabilities of taxpayers registered in the subjects of the Far Eastern Federal District, which should be paid to the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation, as well as the factors of the said debt growth. Objectives. Our aim is to assess the level of tax debt of regions of the Russian Far East and identify the correlation between the factors and the amount of tax debt. Methods. The study rests on methods of analysis, generalization, grouping, systematization, and the correlation and regression analysis. Results. We analyzed the level of tax debt for the entire Far Eastern Federal District and by region, identified factors affecting the growth of tax debt therein. The paper assesses the structure of tax debt by type of taxes and activity of debtors. The unveiled factors may help control changes in the size of tax debt in the Russian Far East and develop effective measures to improve the debt collection. Conclusions. The study shows that there is an increase in the tax debt in the regions of the Russian Far East, in the VAT in particular. The factor analysis revealed that the volume of sales of wholesale enterprises, investment in fixed capital, the consumer price index have the largest impact on the amount of tax debt.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (40) ◽  
pp. 4825-4837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Alberto de la Riva ◽  
Francisco Javier López Mendoza ◽  
Guillermin Agüero-Chapin

Background: Oxygen is involved in a variety of physiological reactions in aerobic organisms, such as those produced in the electron transport chain, hydroxylation, and oxygenation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are naturally formed as byproducts from these previously reactions involving the O2 molecule; they are made up of superoxide anion (O2−), hydroxyl radical (HO−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO), peroxyl (ROO−), and reactive aldehyde (ROCH). Under certain environmental stress conditions, ROS are accumulated causing cellular damage but also triggering the overexpression of several enzyme classes such as superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalases (CAT) and glutathione peroxidases (GPx), which represent an important intrinsic antioxidant defence line. Liver is a key organ in vertebrates including farm animals and human. The oxidative stress plays an important role in systemic malfunctions including hepatic, renal and immunological, disorders. Methods: This review presents a brief update about the relationship of oxidative stress with hepatic, renal and immunological malfunctions in stressed organisms. Cellular and exogenous hepatoprotective compounds share also the ability to scavenge ROS acting as antioxidants and in many cases as stimulators of immune response in stressed organisms. We present the effect of some hepatoprotectors on the hepatic, renal and immunological function in stressed mice by the jointed evaluation of biological and oxidative stress markers. Conclusion: Hepatoprotective effect of several exogenous compounds is very associated with their antioxidant capacity. This fact is relevant for keeping oxidant/antioxidant balance in the respective organs, but also for maintaining the physiological status of the whole organism.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1220
Author(s):  
Eduard V. Nekrasov ◽  
Vasily I. Svetashev

Young fronds of ferns are consumed as a vegetable in many countries. The aim of this study was to analyze three fern species that are available for sale in the Russian Far East as dietary sources in terms of fatty acids that are important for human physiology: arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) and other valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The content of ARA and EPA was 5.5 and 0.5 mg/g dry weight, respectively, in Pteridium aquilinum, 4.1 and 1.1 in Matteuccia struthiopteris, and 2.2 and 0.8 in Osmundastrum asiaticum. Salted fronds of P. aquilinum contained less these fatty acids than the raw fronds, with a decrease of up to 49% for ARA and 65% for EPA. These losses were less pronounced or even insignificant in dried fronds. Cooked ferns preserved significant portions of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: cooked P. aquilinum contained 4.4 mg/g dry weight ARA and 0.3 mg/g dry weight EPA. The ferns may provide a supplemental dietary source of these valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially for vegetarian diets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve Afonso ◽  
Rong Fu ◽  
Amaël Dupaix ◽  
Anne-Claude Goydadin ◽  
ZhongHua Yu ◽  
...  

AbstractAn increasing number of studies have found that the implementation of feeding sites for wildlife-related tourism can affect animal health, behaviour and reproduction. Feeding sites can favour high densities, home range overlap, greater sedentary behaviour and increased interspecific contacts, all of which might promote parasite transmission. In the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), human interventions via provisioning monkeys at specific feeding sites have led to the sub-structuring of a group into genetically differentiated sub-groups. The fed subgroup is located near human hamlets and interacts with domesticated animals. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated Entamoeba species diversity in a local host assemblage strongly influenced by provisioning for wildlife-related tourism. We identified 13 Entamoeba species or lineages in faeces of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, humans and domesticated animals (including pigs, cattle, and domestic chicken). In Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, Entamoeba prevalence and OTU richness were higher in the fed than in the wild subgroup. Entamoeba polecki was found in monkeys, pigs and humans, suggesting that this parasite might circulates between the wild and domestic components of this local social–ecological system. The highest proportion of faeces positive for Entamoeba in monkeys geographically coincided with the presence of livestock and humans. These elements suggest that feeding sites might indirectly play a role on parasite transmission in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. The implementation of such sites should carefully consider the risk of creating hotspots of disease transmission, which should be prevented by maintaining a buffer zone between monkeys and livestock/humans. Regular screenings for pathogens in fed subgroup are necessary to monitor transmission risk in order to balance the economic development of human communities dependent on wildlife-related tourism, and the conservation of the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.


2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1740) ◽  
pp. 20160508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Benson-Amram ◽  
Geoff Gilfillan ◽  
Karen McComb

Playback experiments have proved to be a useful tool to investigate the extent to which wild animals understand numerical concepts and the factors that play into their decisions to respond to different numbers of vocalizing conspecifics. In particular, playback experiments have broadened our understanding of the cognitive abilities of historically understudied species that are challenging to test in the traditional laboratory, such as members of the Order Carnivora. Additionally, playback experiments allow us to assess the importance of numerical information versus other ecologically important variables when animals are making adaptive decisions in their natural habitats. Here, we begin by reviewing what we know about quantity discrimination in carnivores from studies conducted in captivity. We then review a series of playback experiments conducted with wild social carnivores, including African lions, spotted hyenas and wolves, which demonstrate that these animals can assess the number of conspecifics calling and respond based on numerical advantage. We discuss how the wild studies complement those conducted in captivity and allow us to gain insights into why wild animals may not always respond based solely on differences in quantity. We then consider the key roles that individual discrimination and cross-modal recognition play in the ability of animals to assess the number of conspecifics vocalizing nearby. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in this area, highlighting in particular the need for further work on the cognitive basis of numerical assessment skills and experimental paradigms that can be effective in both captive and wild settings. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The origins of numerical abilities’.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ol'ga Nikolaychuk

The monograph presents the search for solutions to the problems of the Far Eastern region. The proximity of China and the remoteness from the center of Russia make us look for effective measures to overcome the problems of settling the Far East in the context of sustainable economic development of modern Russia. The paper analyzes the problems of the Far East: in industry, agriculture, forestry, energy problems, environmental problems, and provides recommendations for their solution. Considerable attention is paid to migration problems. The experience of China is studied through the prism of bilateral cooperation with Russia. It is intended for students, masters, postgraduates, researchers dealing with issues of macroeconomic regulation and forecasting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-339
Author(s):  
Nguyen Giang ◽  
Nguyen Hien ◽  
Huynh Loan ◽  
Phan Phuc ◽  
Nguyen Dai ◽  
...  

Serum profile is generally considered as comprehensive data which directly reflected animal health and their potential resistance to environmental, nutritional and pathological stress. The present study aimed to provide physiological reference values for selected biochemical parameters in Noi chickens, a famous Vietnamese native breed, at 56 days old. The collected blood samples of 355 Noi birds (164 males and 191 females) were used to evaluate biochemical serum profile. Glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, and uric acid in the serum were measured. The variation in these values arising from different sexes was also investigated. The results indicated that there were no differences (P>0.05) in the assessed indices between male and female Noi chickens. In overall for the whole group, these values were obtained as 250.86 mg/dL, 7.34 g/dL, 3.40 g/dL, 3.94 g/dL, 1.75, 148.54 mg/dL, 190.86 mg/dL, 0.44 mg/dL, and 1.44 mg/dL, respectively. The relationship among the biochemical parameters showed relatively low coefficients (r=0.79 in maximum). The females obtained higher correlation coefficients between levels of total protein and glucose (r=0.42) as well as between total protein and globulin (r=0.79), compared to the males. It was concluded that the male and female chickens performed similar values of serum indices. The contribution of this study might expand the knowledge on the biochemical profile and improved breeding strategies of Vietnamese indigenous Noi chickens.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 902-916
Author(s):  
Yury D. Shmidt ◽  
Natalya V. Ivashina

The present paper analyses migration policy measures implemented in the Russian Far East, namely, State Programme to Assist the Voluntary Resettlement of Compatriots Living Abroad to the Russian Federation, the Far-Eastern Hectare Programme, establishment of Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and territories with a special regime of economic activity. The synthetic control method was applied to quantitatively assess how the adopted measures affect the migration outflow from regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. According to this method and relevant statistics, constituent entities of the Far Eastern Federal District were compared with control regions of the Siberian Federal District, where these policy tools have not been introduced. Comparable areas had similar socio-economic development trends and migration flows in the period preceding the implementation of the state programmes. To analyse the impact of migration policy changes in 2011–2018, the difference between outflow values of the Far Eastern and synthetic control regions was calculated. The results showed that the average estimated values are negative and significantly different from zero. This indicates a positive effect of new migration mitigation measures on reducing the outflow from the Russian Far East. Future research will separately assess the effectiveness of each migration policy tool implemented in the Far Eastern Federal District.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 366-374
Author(s):  
Han-Sol Lee

This study aims to measure the effectiveness of Russia’s Turn to the East Policy, addressed by the federal government in 2012, on the economic development of the underdeveloped Far Eastern regions, in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows data. To do so, this paper analyzed the results of the representative policy mechanisms - designed to promote the Far Eastern investments - of the Turn to the East Policy, comprised of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEC), Advanced Special Economic Zones (ASEZs), and Vladivostok Free Ports (VFPs), based on the secondary data from the governmental organizations. From the study, in spite of the previous contentions on those policy mechanisms amongst policymakers, we elucidate the incremental growing FDI - majorly contributed by the East Asian countries: China, Japan, and South Korea - propensity in the Far East. The three Eastern Asian countries promote investments in the Russian Far East for different eco-political purposes. And it further analyzed that for Russia, despite the remarkable magnitude of Chinese and Japanese FDI compared to South Korea, South Korea is still the most attractive partner, in terms of lack of threats: The Chinese expansionism, and the Kuril Island dispute with Japan.


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