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Trichomonas gypaetinii was detected in 117 (88%) of 133 Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and in 0/7 Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the USA, with no sex or age prevalence difference. All eagles lacked associated lesions. This study indicated that T. gypaetinii is common and widespread in Bald Eagles, but rarely associated with disease., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2024.)

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are one of the most toxic groups of compounds currently used worldwide for rodent pest control. Toxic baits are often, directly or indirectly, ingested by non-target animals, resulting in secondary poisoning and frequently affecting apex predators. Their presence in many species of raptors is quite common, particularly scavenger species, with some of these acting as sentinels for the presence of these substances in the environment. However, there is less data on the presence of ARs in Bonelli's eagle, one of the most endangered eagle species in Spain and which is experiencing a negative population trend in Europe. This medium-sized eagle feeds predominantly on live species, and rarely consumes carrion. In this study, 17 carcasses of Bonelli's eagles from the Eastern Spain were necropsied. Both first and second generation ARs in their livers were analyzed by HPLC-MS-TOF revealing that all the eagles studied had been exposed to at least 5 ARs, out of a total of 10 ARs analyzed, with 7 being the highest number of ARs detected in a sample. Second generation ARs were the most prevalent, particularly bromadiolone and brodifacoum, with the highest concentrations in 94% of the cases. More than a third of the eagles presented a liver concentration of greater than 200 ng/g ARs, suggesting AR poisoning. The elevated presence of these compounds in Bonelli's eagles could be a new cause of mortality for this species or could explain other causes of death, such as the increased mortality in power lines, and should be taken into account for their conservation. At the same time, the presence of these compounds in the environment also represents a risk to public health, as the most frequent species in the diet of Bonelli's eagle (rabbits and partridges) are also hunted and consumed by hunters and their families., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The heterogeneity of the physical environment determines the cost of transport for animals, shaping their energy landscape. Animals respond to this energy landscape by adjusting their distribution and movement to maximize gains and reduce costs. Much of our knowledge about energy landscape dynamics focuses on factors external to the animal, particularly the spatio-temporal variations of the environment. However, an animal's internal state can significantly impact its ability to perceive and utilize available energy, creating a distinction between the 'fundamental' and the 'realized' energy landscapes. Here, we show that the realized energy landscape varies along the ontogenetic axis. Locomotor and cognitive capabilities of individuals change over time, especially during the early life stages. We investigate the development of the realized energy landscape in the Central European Alpine population of the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos , a large predator that requires negotiating the atmospheric environment to achieve energy-efficient soaring flight. We quantified weekly energy landscapes using environmental features for 55 juvenile golden eagles, demonstrating that energetic costs of traversing the landscape decreased with age. Consequently, the potentially flyable area within the Alpine region increased 2170-fold during their first three years of independence. Our work contributes to a predictive understanding of animal movement by presenting ontogeny as a mechanism shaping the realized energy landscape., Competing Interests: EN, LF, HB, MS, EB, WF, MG, JH, DJ, AR, PS, MT, MW, KS No competing interests declared, (© 2024, Nourani et al.)

In human and veterinary medicine, the treatment of synovial cysts involves medical or surgical approach. When medical treatment is chosen, triamcinolone acetonide is one of the most used drugs. In this case, intracystic triamcinolone was administered for the treatment of a non-infectious elbow synovial cyst in a subadult female Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), unable to fly. The bird was brought to a wildlife rescue center after an aerial fight with a conspecific. After the treatment, no clinically detectable adverse effects were noted and there was no recurrence within two weeks. Given the improvement of the clinical conditions and the recovery of flight ability, the animal was released back into the wild 17 days after administration of the drug.

In this study, mercury (Hg) concentrations were detected in feathers of golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), a bird that typically inhabits alpine and forest areas. The mercury rates in feathers were compared in two groups of eagles: first, estimated home range (breeding, hunting, etc.) was located only in forest and lowland meadow habitats; second, the home range also included alpine habitats-rocks and meadows. Consequently, mercury concentration based on the feather typology were observed and the mercury levels in feathers were also compared among different Slovak Western Carpathian districts. It was found that there was no significant difference between groups classified by elevation level, which we attribute to the fact that eagle hunting territories are broad, so that alpine-dwelling and forest-dwelling eagles do not only reflect the pollution of the environments they typically inhabit. Non-significant differences were found also within different feather types, which means that the type of feather is not crucial for tracking mercury in eagle feathers. As the measurement of feather appears to be a simple and non-invasive method, the detection of non-significant differences in diverse types of golden eagle feathers provides useful knowledge for the future environment monitoring. The average mercury concentration measured in eagle samples was lower than the mercury concentration causing health complications among birds of prey. Our assumption that due to past mining activity in the Spiš region, the highest concentration in this region would be observed was confirmed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Eagle jugular syndrome is an uncommon condition caused by compression of an elongated styloid process onto the internal jugular vein. Its presentation is non-specific but may represent in severe clinical consequences including venous thrombosis and intracranial haemorrhage. Thorough understanding of local anatomy is important in understanding the pathogenesis and establishing the diagnosis. Our case reported here illustrates the use of multimodality imaging, including dynamic Computer tomography manoeuvre, in identifying the site of obstruction and guidance towards successful surgical treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The pollution due to plastic and other anthropogenic particles has steadily increased over the last few decades, presenting a significant threat to the environment and organisms, including avian species. This research aimed to investigate the occurrence of anthropogenic pollutants in the digestive and respiratory systems of four birds of prey: Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), and Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). The results revealed widespread contamination in all species with microplastics (MPs) and cellulosic anthropogenic fibers (AFs), with an average of 7.9 MPs and 9.2 AFs per specimen. Every digestive system contained at least one MP, while 65 % of specimens exhibited MPs in their respiratory systems. This is the work reporting a high incidence of MPs in the respiratory system of birds, clearly indicating inhalation as a pathway for exposure to plastic pollution. The content of MPs and AFs varied significantly when comparing specimens collected from central Madrid with those recovered from other parts of the region, including rural environments, suburban areas, or less populated cities. This result aligns with the assumption that anthropogenic particles disperse from urban centers to surrounding areas. Additionally, the dominant particle shape consisted of small-sized fibers (> 98 %), primarily composed of polyester, polyethylene, acrylic materials, and cellulose fibers exhibiting indicators of industrial treatment. These findings emphasize the necessity for further research on the impact of plastic and other anthropogenic material contamination in avian species, calling for effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Immunotherapy using an immune-checkpoint blockade has significantly improved its therapeutic effects. CM-272, which is a novel epigenetic inhibitor of G9a, induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) for recovering the sensitivity to anti-PD-1 antibodies; however, the efficacy of CM-272 is greatly limited by promoting the transcription activity of HIF-1α to form a hypoxic environment. Here, a Fe 3+ -based nanoscale metal-organic framework (MIL-53) is used to load CM-272 (ultra-high loading rate of 56.4%) for realizing an MIL-53@CM-272 nanoplatform. After entering bladder cancer cells, Fe 3+ not only promotes the decomposition of H 2 O 2 into O 2 for O 2 -compensated sonodynamic therapy but reduces the high level of glutathione in the tumor microenvironment (TME) for enhancing reactive oxygen species, including ferroptosis and apoptosis. MIL-53 carriers can be degraded in response to the TME, accelerating the release of CM-272, which helps achieve the maximum effectiveness in an O 2 -sufficient TME by attenuating drug resistance. Furthermore, MIL-53@CM-272 enhances dendritic cell maturation and synergistically combines it with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibody during the study of immune-related pathways in the transcriptomes of bladder cancer cells using RNA-seq. This study presents the first instance of amalgamating nanomedicine with CM-272, inducing apoptosis, ferroptosis, and ICD to achieve the "one arrow three eagle" effect., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: A neurological examination is essential for determining the localisation of neurological lesions. However, in avian species, quantitative data regarding the practicability and feasibility of neurological tests are very limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish normative data for the neurological examination of clinically healthy birds of different species., Methods: Forty-two domestic and feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica), 42 mute swans (Cygnus olor), 12 common buzzards (Buteo buteo), 24 common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) and six northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) were examined. All birds underwent a predefined neurological examination. Interobserver variations between three examiners were investigated in 11 pigeons and 11 mute swans., Results: All postural reaction tests, except for the drop and flap reaction in mute swans, provoked a consistent response in pigeons and mute swans, whereas postural reaction tests of the legs in raptors were often not performable. Cranial nerve tests and most of the spinal reflexes revealed variable responses in all birds. The gastrocnemius reflex was not provokable in any bird. Interobserver agreement was almost perfect (Gwet's AC1 coefficient ≥0.81) for 16 of 21 parameters in the examination in pigeons and for 14 of 21 in mute swans., Limitations: The inclusion of free-ranging birds, which were not used to handling and for which limited information regarding age, history of previous diseases, etc. was available, may have influenced the results., Conclusion: The normative neurological examination data provided in this study will help improve clinicians' interpretation of neurological examination results in the respective bird species., (© 2024 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.)

Wildlife conservation strategies focused on one season or population segment may fail to adequately protect populations, especially when a species' habitat preferences vary among seasons, age-classes, geographic regions, or other factors. Conservation of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is an example of such a complex scenario, in which the distribution, habitat use, and migratory strategies of this species of conservation concern vary by age-class, reproductive status, region, and season. Nonetheless, research aimed at mapping priority use areas to inform management of golden eagles in western North America has typically focused on territory-holding adults during the breeding period, largely to the exclusion of other seasons and life-history groups. To support population-wide conservation planning across the full annual cycle for golden eagles, we developed a distribution model for individuals in a season not typically evaluated-winter-and in an area of the interior western U.S. that is a high priority for conservation of the species. We used a large GPS-telemetry dataset and library of environmental variables to develop a machine-learning model to predict spatial variation in the relative intensity of use by golden eagles during winter in Wyoming, USA, and surrounding ecoregions. Based on a rigorous series of evaluations including cross-validation, withheld and independent data, our winter-season model accurately predicted spatial variation in intensity of use by multiple age- and life-history groups of eagles not associated with nesting territories (i.e., all age classes of long-distance migrants, and resident non-adults and adult "floaters", and movements of adult territory holders and their offspring outside their breeding territories). Important predictors in the model were wind and uplift (40.2% contribution), vegetation and landcover (27.9%), topography (14%), climate and weather (9.4%), and ecoregion (8.7%). Predicted areas of high-use winter habitat had relatively low spatial overlap with nesting habitat, suggesting a conservation strategy targeting high-use areas for one season would capture as much as half and as little as one quarter of high-use areas for the other season. The majority of predicted high-use habitat (top 10% quantile) occurred on private lands (55%); lands managed by states and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had a lower amount (33%), but higher concentration of high-use habitat than expected for their area (1.5-1.6x). These results will enable those involved in conservation and management of golden eagles in our study region to incorporate spatial prioritization of wintering habitat into their existing regulatory processes, land-use planning tasks, and conservation actions., Competing Interests: We have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Author, Dave LaPlante, owns Natural Resource Geospatial. Author, Jessi Brown, owns Sparrowhawk Data Science. Author, Mike Lockhart, owns Wildlands Bio-Consulting. Author, Dale Stahlecker, is a partner in Eagle Environmental, Inc. None of these companies funded the study or influenced the decision to publish. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. None of our interests alter our adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

This report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a benign renal cyst in an adult, female golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) presented for unilateral leg lameness. A cyst at the cranial division of the left kidney was diagnosed by computed tomography and was suspected of compressing the lumbosacral nerve plexus, resulting in limb lameness. The renal cyst was incompletely excised because the cyst wall was closely adhered to the kidney parenchyma and local blood supply. Fluid analysis and surgical biopsy of the cyst and left kidney confirmed the diagnosis of a benign renal cyst. No evidence of an infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic etiology was noted. Postoperatively, the eagle's lameness resolved and the bird was ultimately released following recovery. During treatment for the renal cyst, the eagle was concurrently found to have increased serum titers on elementary body agglutination for Chlamydia psittaci and a positive titer for Aspergillus species antibody testing. The bird was administered doxycycline, azithromycin, and voriconazole for treatment of these potential pathogens prior to release. Unfortunately, the eagle was found dead 86 days postrelease due to an unknown cause. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a golden eagle with a benign solitary renal cyst causing unilateral lameness secondary to nerve compression that was resolved with surgical excision.

The goal of this study is to provide a taphonomic analysis of bone fragments found in harpy eagle nests in the Brazilian Amazonia, utilizing the largest sample of prey remains collected to date. Harpy eagle kill samples were collected from nine nests, between June 2016 and December 2020 in Mato Grosso, Brazil. We identified the specimens, calculated the number of identified specimens (NISP) and minimum number of individuals (MNI). These metrics were used to estimate bone survivability and fragmentation. A total of 1661 specimens (NISP) were collected, representing a minimum number of 234 individuals (MNI). We identified at least nine species of primates, which represent 63.8% of the individuals in the kill sample. Harpy eagles preyed mostly on the medium-sized capuchin and bearded saki monkeys (28.2% of the MNI), and two-toed sloths (17.7% of the MNI). The large woolly monkeys also represented a significant portion of the sample (11.5% of the MNI). Three distinct patterns of bone survivability were found, one characterizing two-toed sloths, another characterizing medium-sized monkeys, and a third typical of woolly monkeys. We conclude that harpy eagle predation leaves an identifiable signature on the prey with a bone survivability pattern specific to each taxon. The intertaxon variations observed in the taphonomic signatures of harpy eagle kills should be taken into account when evaluating the potential influence of these raptors as accumulators of bone material in both paleontological and neontological assemblages., (© 2023 The Authors. American Journal of Primatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Like humans, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are well known for their vertebrate and invertebrate hunting, but they rarely scavenge. In contrast, while hunting and meat consumption became increasingly important during the evolution of the genus Homo, scavenging meat and marrow from carcasses of large mammals was also likely to be an important component of their subsistence strategies. Here, we describe a confrontational scavenging interaction between an adult male chimpanzee from the Issa Valley and a crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus), which resulted in the chimpanzee capturing and consuming the carcass of a juvenile bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). We describe the interaction and contextualize this with previous scavenging observations from chimpanzees., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japan Monkey Centre.)

The composition of the gut microbiome varies due to dietary habits. We investigated influences of diet on the composition of the gut microbiome using the feces of 11 avian species, which consumed grain-, fish- and meat-based diets. We analyzed gut microbiome diversity and composition by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S ribosomal RNA. The grain-diet group had higher gut microbiome diversity than the meat- and fish-diet group. The ratio of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla was higher in the grain-diet group than in the meat- and fish-diet groups. The grain-diet group had a higher ratio of Veillonellaceae than the meat-diet group and a higher ratio of Eubacteriaceae than the fish-diet habit group. To clarify the influence of diet within the same species, white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla, n=6) were divided into two groups, and given only deer meat or fish for approximately one month. The composition of the gut microbiome of individuals in both groups were analyzed by NGS. There were indications of fluctuation in the levels of some bacteria (Lactobacillus, Coriobacteriales, etc.) in each diet group. Moreover, one individual for each group which switched each diet in last week changed to each feature of composition of bacterial flora. The above results show that the composition of the gut microbiome differ depending on diet, even within the same species.

Risk of birds colliding with wind turbines, especially protected species like bald eagle and golden eagle in the U.S., is a fundamental wildlife challenge the wind industry faces when developing and operating projects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires wind energy facilities that obtain eagle take permits document permit compliance through fatality monitoring. If trained Operations and Maintenance (O&M) staff can reliably detect and report carcasses during their normal routines, and their detection probability can be estimated, then their 'incidental detections' could contribute substantially towards demonstrating permit compliance. Our primary objective was to quantify incidental detection of eagle carcasses by O&M staff under a variety of landscape contexts and environmental conditions throughout a single year. We used the incidental detection probabilities, along with raptor carcass persistence data and area adjustments, to calculate overall probability of incidental detection (i.e., incidental g). We used feathered decoys as eagle-carcass surrogates for monthly detection trials at 6 study sites throughout the U.S. We evaluated the primary drivers of incidental detection using logit regression models including season, viewshed complexity, and a derived variable called the "density quartile" as covariates. We used an Evidence of Absence-based approach to estimate the overall probability of incidental detection. The incidental detection probabilities ranged from 0.28 to 0.78 (mean = 0.48). Detection probabilities decreased as viewshed complexity increased and as distance from the turbine increased. The resulting overall probability of incidental detection ranged from 0.07 to 0.47 (mean = 0.31). The primary drivers of variability in incidental g were detection probability and the area adjustment. Results of our research show that O&M staff were effective at detecting trial carcasses incidentally. Incorporating incidental detection in eagle fatality monitoring efforts is a reliable means of improving estimates of a facility's direct impacts on eagles., Competing Interests: I (EH) have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: funding for the research was provided by the Renewable Energy Wildlife Research Fund. REWRF members reviewed the manuscript, approved the use of their existing data, and participated in the decision to publish. All authors work for Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., an environmental consulting firm. There are no patents, products in development, or marketed products to declare. The above disclosures do not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors., (Copyright: © 2023 Hallingstad et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is threatened with extinction throughout its distribution in the neotropical forests. In the Atlantic Forest, deforestation has reduced the number of suitable habitats, with only a few remnant forest fragments hosting active nests; currently, the only known nests in this region are in the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor (CAFEC), in Brazil. Little is known about Harpy Eagle diets in this region, despite this information being essential for developing effective conservation strategies. We classified the composition, frequency, richness, ecological attributes, and conservation status of the species that make up the Harpy Eagle's diet in its last refuges in the CAFEC. Between 2017 and 2021, we collected and analyzed 152 prey remains and 285 camera trap photographs from seven active nests. We identified at least 16 mammal species (96.7%), one parrot and other bird remains (3.3%). The Harpy Eagle's diet consisted mainly of medium-sized arboreal, folivorous, frugivorous, and diurnal mammals. Five prey species are currently threatened with extinction at global, six at national and seven at regional levels. The majority of the diet consists of Sapajus robustus, which is threatened, and Bradypus variegatus, which is not threatened. In addition to the effects of habitat loss and hunting, the Harpy Eagle may also suffer from the decline in the populations of their prey in the Atlantic Forest., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Cyanobacteria are infamous producers of toxins. While the toxic potential of planktonic cyanobacterial blooms is well documented, the ecosystem level effects of toxigenic benthic and epiphytic cyanobacteria are an understudied threat. The freshwater epiphytic cyanobacterium Aetokthonos hydrillicola has recently been shown to produce the "eagle killer" neurotoxin aetokthonotoxin (AETX) causing the fatal neurological disease vacuolar myelinopathy. The disease affects a wide array of wildlife in the southeastern United States, most notably waterfowl and birds of prey, including the bald eagle. In an assay for cytotoxicity, we found the crude extract of the cyanobacterium to be much more potent than pure AETX, prompting further investigation. Here, we describe the isolation and structure elucidation of the aetokthonostatins (AESTs), linear peptides belonging to the dolastatin compound family, featuring a unique modification of the C-terminal phenylalanine-derived moiety. Using immunofluorescence microscopy and molecular modeling, we confirmed that AEST potently impacts microtubule dynamics and can bind to tubulin in a similar matter as dolastatin 10. We also show that AEST inhibits reproduction of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . Bioinformatic analysis revealed the AEST biosynthetic gene cluster encoding a nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase accompanied by a unique tailoring machinery. The biosynthetic activity of a specific N-terminal methyltransferase was confirmed by in vitro biochemical studies, establishing a mechanistic link between the gene cluster and its product.

Accipitriform raptors are significant indicators of biodiversity and environmental health. Currently, most of the studies on avian haemosporidian parasites are on passerine birds, and data on raptors is constricted, with similarities both around the world and in Turkey. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium spp. in raptors by microscopy and nested PCR technique. The study material consisted of 47 accipitriform raptors (Buteo buteo: 14, Buteo rufinus: 7, Clanga pomarina: 8, Circaetus gallicus: 12, Milvus migrans: 6). The prevalence of haemosporidian infection was 12.8% (6/47, 1 from Buteo buteo, 4 from Clanga pomarina, 1 from Milvus migrans) microscopically and 14.9% (7/47) molecularly. One Circaetus gallicus, microscopically found to be negative, probably due to low parasitemia, was molecularly found to be positive. All PCR-positive amplicons were bidirectionally sequenced, and the identification of lineages of the isolates and phylogenetic analysis were performed using the MalAvi and GenBank databases. The study revealed H-MILANS02 lineage in Buteo buteo, H-MILANS02 and P-CIAE1 lineages in Clanga pomarina, P-GRW06 lineage in Circaetus gallicus, and P-RTSR1 lineage in Milvus migrans, respectively. While this study removes the uncertainty regarding the reporting of the H-MILANS02 lineage in Turkey, it is also the first report to reveal 3 different Plasmodium spp. CytB lineages in raptors. Moreover, the fact that the P-GRW06 lineage (Plasmodium elongatum) detected in passerine birds was detected in a raptor, Circaetus gallicus, draws attention to the need for further investigations on host-parasite interaction and gives clues about the host-shifting ability of this parasite., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Temporal and spatial trends of 15 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were determined in white-tailed sea eagle (WTSE) eggs ( Haliaeetus albicilla ) from two inland and two coastal regions of Sweden between 1969 and 2021. PFAS concentrations generally increased from ∼1969 to ∼1990s-2010 (depending on target and site) and thereafter plateaued or declined, with perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) declining faster than most perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs). The net result was a shift in the PFAS profile from PFOS-dominant in 1969-2010 to an increased prevalence of PFCAs over the last decade. Further, during the entire period higher PFAS concentrations were generally observed in coastal populations, possibly due to differences in diet and/or proximity to more densely populated areas. Fluorine mass balance determination in pooled samples from three of the regions (2019-2021) indicated that target PFAS accounted for the vast majority ( i.e. 81-100%) of extractable organic fluorine (EOF). Nevertheless, high resolution mass-spectrometry-based suspect screening identified 55 suspects (31 at a confidence level [CL] of 1-3 and 24 at a CL of 4-5), of which 43 were substances not included in the targeted analysis. Semi-quantification of CL ≤ 2 suspects increased the identified EOF to >90% in coastal samples. In addition to showing the impact of PFAS regulation and phase-out initiatives, this study demonstrates that most extractable organofluorine in WTSE eggs is made up of known (legacy) PFAS, albeit with low levels of novel substances.

Lead (Pb) toxicity, through ingestion of lead ammunition in carcasses, is a threat to scavenging birds worldwide, but has received little attention in Australia. We analyzed lead exposure in the wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), the largest raptor species found in mainland Australia and a facultative scavenger. Eagle carcasses were collected opportunistically throughout south-eastern mainland Australia between 1996 and 2022. Lead concentrations were measured in bone samples from 62 animals via portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Lead was detected (concentration >1 ppm) in 84% (n = 52) of the bone samples. The mean lead concentration of birds in which lead was detected was 9.10 ppm (±SE 1.66). Bone lead concentrations were elevated (10-20 ppm) in 12.9% of samples, and severe (>20 ppm) in 4.8% of samples. These proportions are moderately higher than equivalent data for the same species from the island of Tasmania, and are comparable to data from threatened eagle species from other continents. Lead exposure at these levels is likely to have negative impacts on wedge-tailed eagles at the level of the individual and perhaps at a population level. Our results suggest that studies of lead exposure in other Australian avian scavenger species are warranted., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This paper explores the process from museumization to decolonization through an examination of a Haida eagle mask currently on display in the Exploring Medicine gallery at the Science Museum in London. While elements of this discussion are well developed in some disciplines, such as Indigenous studies, anthropology and museum and heritage studies, this paper approaches the topic through the history of science, where decolonization and global perspectives are still gaining momentum. The aim therefore is to offer some opening perspectives and methods on how historians of science can use the ideas and approaches relating to decolonization in other fields, and apply them constructively to the history of science, particularly in museum settings. Decolonization is a complicated process and the focus of this paper is squarely on the preliminary steps of its implementation. To understand this process fully, the paper will recontextualize the Indigenous history of the Haida eagle mask at the Science Museum through a careful reconstruction of its provenance record. Through this process it will expose the politics of erasure and hidden voices in museum collections.

Bald eagles often scavenge hunting remains embedded with lead bullet fragments, which debilitate and kill many eagles. Measuring blood lead concentrations (BLC) in free-flying bald eagles and those received by rehabilitators allows researchers to both actively and opportunistically monitor exposure. From 2012 to 2022, we captured 62 free-flying bald eagles and measured their BLC following the big-game hunting season in Montana, USA, which occurs from late October through late November. Between 2011 and 2022, we also measured the BLC of 165 bald eagles received by Montana's four raptor rehabilitation centers. Most of the free-flying bald eagles (89 %) had BLC above background (≥10 μg/dL), and BLC of juveniles tended to be lower as winter progressed (ρ = -0.482, P = 0.017). Bald eagles received by rehabilitators had an almost identical prevalence of BLC above background (90 %) over that same timeframe (n = 48). However, those eagles in rehabilitation were more likely to have BLC exceeding the clinical threshold (≥ 60 μg/dL), which we observed only from November through May. Between June and October, 45 % of bald eagles in rehabilitation had sub-clinical BLC (10-59 μg/dL), suggesting that many eagles may live with BLC chronically above background concentrations. Hunters may help lower BLC in bald eagles by switching to lead-free bullets. Those mitigation efforts could be evaluated through a continued monitoring of BLC in both free-flying bald eagles and those received by rehabilitators., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Michael McTee is the author of Wilted Wings: A Hunter's Fight for Eagles. All remaining authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Electrophoresis can be used to aid in the diagnosis of different diseases in avian species. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is an automated method that is proposed to be superior to the dye methods used in agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE). However, reference intervals (RIs) for CZE in avian species and comparison studies between electrophoretic methods are lacking., Objectives: The goals of the current study were to compare AGE and CZE methods and determine reference intervals for CZE using plasma from bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)., Methods: Heparinized plasma samples from 44 bald eagles (mean age 18.7 years) under managed care were examined by AGE and CZE. Method comparison analyses were completed, as well as the generation of preliminary RIs using the CZE method and ASVCP guidelines., Results: Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots demonstrate that these methods are not equivalent. All fractions were significantly correlated between the methods except for alpha 1 globulin. Inter-assay and intra-assay CVs for CZE were lower or comparable to AGE and ranged from 2.4% to 15.4%, and 0.8% to 8.3%, respectively. CZE resolved more fractions than AGE with two fractions observed in the beta and gamma region vs one for AGE in each region., Conclusions: CZE provided improved resolution and reproducibility for the quantitation of protein fractions in the bald eagle. Although most fraction results correlated with AGE, these methods were judged as not equivalent, necessitating method-specific Rls. Reference intervals generated from a limited number of mostly aged individuals under managed care should be considered preliminary; additional studies will aid in the production of more robust intervals., (© 2023 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.)

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorines (OCs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), is associated with adverse health effects in wildlife. Many POPs have been banned and consequently their environmental concentrations have declined. To assess both temporal trends of POPs and their detrimental impacts, raptors are extensively used as biomonitors due to their high food web position and high contaminant levels. White-tailed eagles (WTEs; Haliaeetus albicilla) in the Baltic ecosystem represent a sentinel species of environmental pollution, as they have suffered population declines due to reproductive failure caused by severe exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) during the 1960s through 1980s. However, there is a lack of long-term studies that cover a wide range of environmental contaminants and their effects at the individual level. In this study, we used 135 pooled samples of shed body feathers collected in 1968-2012 from breeding WTE pairs in Sweden. Feathers constitute a temporal archive for substances incorporated into the feather during growth, including corticosterone, which is the primary avian glucocorticoid and a stress-associated hormone. Here, we analysed the WTE feather pools to investigate annual variations in feather corticosterone (fCORT), POPs (OCs and PBDEs), and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (SIs; dietary proxies). We examined whether the expected fluctuations in POPs affected fCORT (8-94 pg. mm -1 ) in the WTE pairs. Despite clear temporal declining trends in POP concentrations (p < 0.01), we found no significant associations between fCORT and POPs or SIs (p > 0.05 in all cases). Our results do not support fCORT as a relevant biomarker of contaminant-mediated effects in WTEs despite studying a highly contaminated population. However, although not detecting a relationship between fCORT, POP contamination and diet, fCORT represents a non-destructive and retrospective assessment of long-term stress physiology in wild raptors otherwise not readily available., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mercury (Hg) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analysed in body feathers from nestlings of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) (WTE; n = 13) and Northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) (NG; n = 8) and in red blood cells (RBC) from NG (n = 11) from Norway. According to linear mixed model, species factor was significant in explaining the Hg concentration in feathers (LMM; p < 0.001, estimate (WTE) = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.26, 3.76), with concentrations higher in WTE (3.01 ± 1.34 µg g -1 dry weight) than in NG (0.51 ± 0.34 µg g -1 dry weight). This difference and the isotopic patterns for each species, likely reflect their diet, as WTE predominantly feed on a marine and higher trophic-chain diet compared to the terrestrial NG. In addition, Hg concentrations in RBCs of NG nestlings were positively correlated with feather Hg concentrations (Rho = 0.77, p = 0.03), supporting the potential usefulness of nestling body feathers to biomonitor and estimate Hg exposure. Hg levels in both species were generally below the commonly applied toxicity threshold of 5 µg g -1 in feathers, although exceeded in two WTE (6.08 and 5.19 µg g -1 dry weight)., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Limited data are available regarding cardiac diseases in birds of prey despite their prevalence in these avian species. Literature regarding valvular lesions in birds of prey is scarce and includes single reports of left atrioventricular valvular endocarditis in an adult, free-ranging, male bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) and aortic valvular endocarditis in an adult, free-ranging, female red-tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, signalment, gross necropsy findings, and histologic lesions of valvular lesions in eagles. In this retrospective study, necropsy reports for 24 free-ranging and captive eagles were evaluated over a 15-year period (July 3, 2006-February 28, 2021). Six (25%; 95% confidence interval: 8.9-58.9) birds, 5 bald eagles and 1 golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ), met the inclusion criteria. Five (83.3%) of the 6 birds had valvular degeneration, 2 (33.3%) had endocarditis, and Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from 1 (16.7%) of the endocarditis cases. The 6 eagles with valvular lesions were all captive adults. Four of the birds were female (66.7%), and the aortic and left atrioventricular valves were equally affected. Acute or chronic cerebral infarcts were present in all 6 birds. Valvular cardiac disease should be considered as a differential diagnosis in eagles exhibiting respiratory distress, neurologic signs, syncope, or in cases of sudden death.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) susceptibility in both planktonic cells and biofilm of 32 Gram-negative (Gn) and 6 Gram-positive (Gp) isolates by minimal inhibitory concentration (2-256 μg/mL for Gn and 2-32 μg/mL for Gp), minimal bactericidal concentration (4-256 μg/mL for Gn and 2-32 μg/mL for Gp) in planktonic cells, and minimal biofilm elimination concentration (128 ≥ 16,384 μg/mL in Gn and 32 ≥ 16,384 μg/mL in Gp) in biofilm environment. Our study showed that Gn isolates have higher minimal concentrations than Gp and bacteria in biofilms are more tolerant than planktonic ones. No correlation between MBC or MBEC and biofilm formation was statistically confirmed. The Eagle effect, previously described for antimicrobials and antifungals, was evidenced in this work for CHG, an antiseptic. Besides that, the phenomenon was described in 23/38 isolates (60.5%), raising minimal concentration up to ≥ 16,384 μg/mL. Our study showed that clinical isolates have a high ability to form biofilm allowing them to tolerate CHG concentrations as high as the ones used in clinical practice. Therefore, attention should be given to the occurrence of this phenomenon to avoid false susceptibility results., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A two-week-old white-tailed eagle presented with an inability to stand and flex its limbs. Despite hatching naturally and owing to lack of parental attention, the bird was raised indoors by zookeepers with no access to sunlight. Palpation and radiographic examination of the bilateral tibiotarsus and femur bone revealed pronounced deformation and curvature, and bilateral decreased bone densities, respectively. The reduced calcium concentration in the blood was treated with calcium gluconate injections and calcium-supplemented feeds. Chopped mouse tails were fed directly, and whole pink-skinned nude mice were fed weekly. The zookeeper also gently massaged the bird and dressed it with a bandage. Sunlight exposure was provided daily. Saliva containing chicken feed was obtained from the mother. The bird could stand properly after four weeks of treatment, and the blood calcium concentration was restored to normal levels.

Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) is an endangered raptor species in Europe, and trichomonosis is one of the menaces affecting chicks at nest. In this paper, we attempt to describe the oral microbiome of Bonelli's eagle nestlings and evaluate the influence of several factors, such as captivity breeding, Trichomonas gallinae infection, and the presence of lesions at the oropharynx. The core oral microbiome of Bonelli's eagle is composed of Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria as the most abundant phyla, and Megamonas and Bacteroides as the most abundant genera. None of the factors analysed showed a significant influence on alfa diversity, but beta diversity was affected for some of them. Captivity breeding exerted a high influence on the composition of the oral microbiome, with significant differences in the four most abundant phyla, with a relative increase of Proteobacteria and a decrease of the other three phyla in comparison with chicks bred at nest. Some genera were more abundant in captivity bred chicks, such as Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Corynebacterium, Clostridium and Staphylococcus, while Bacteroides, Oceanivirga, Peptostreptococcus, Gemella, Veillonella, Mycoplasma, Suttonella, Alloscardovia, Varibaculum and Campylobacter were more abundant in nest raised chicks. T. gallinae infection slightly influenced the composition of the microbiome, but chicks displaying trichomonosis lesions had a higher relative abundance of Bacteroides and Gemella, being the last one an opportunistic pathogen of abscess complications in humans. Raptor's microbiomes are scarcely studied. This is the first study on the factors that influence the oral microbiome of Bonelli's eagle., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Early-life conditions can have long-term fitness consequences. However, it is still unclear what optimal rearing conditions are, especially for long-lived carnivores. A more diverse diet ('balanced diet') might optimize nutrient availability and allow young to make experiences with a larger diversity of prey, whereas a narrow diet breadth ('specialized diet') might result in overall higher energy net gain. A diet that is dominated by a specific prey type (i.e. fish, 'prey type hypothesis') might be beneficial or detrimental, depending for example, on its toxicity or contaminant load. Generalist predators such as the white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla provide an interesting possibility to examine the relationship between early life diet and long-term offspring survival. In the Åland Islands, an archipelago in the Baltic Sea, white-tailed eagles live in various coastal habitats and feed on highly variable proportions of birds and fish. We use data from 21,116 prey individuals that were collected from 120 territories during the annual surveys, to examine how early-life diet is associated with apparent annual survival of 574 ringed and molecular-sexed eaglets. We supplement this analysis by assessing the relationships between diet, reproductive performance and nestling physical condition, to consider whether they are confounding with possible long-term associations. We find that early-life diet is associated with long-term fitness: Nestlings that are fed a diverse diet are in lower physical condition but have higher survival rates. Eagles that are fed more fish as nestlings have lower survival as breeding-age adults, but territories associated with fish-rich diets have higher breeding success. Our results show that young carnivores benefit from a high diversity of prey in their natal territory, either through a nutritional or learning benefit, explaining the higher survival rates. The strong relationship between early-life diet and adult survival suggests that early life shapes adult foraging decisions and that eating fish is associated with high costs. This could be due to high levels of contaminants or high competition for fish-rich territories. Long-lasting consequences of early-life diet are likely not only limited to individual-level consequences but have the potential to drive eco-evolutionary dynamics in this population., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2023 British Ecological Society.)

Three sexually mature goshawks reared in captivity and imprinted on humans to express reproductive behavior according to the cooperative method were studied for three consecutive breeding seasons to assess the quality of their sperm. The following parameters were analyzed: ejaculate volume and sperm concentration, motility, viability, and morphology. Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and motility fluctuated along the reproductive season, revealing the greatest quality of the reproductive material at full springtime ( i.e ., April). Motility of the sperm collected in March strongly reduced with age, contrary to samples collected in April or May. Sperm viability was not influenced by either age or month of collection within each season. Ultrastructural investigations provided information on normal sperm morphology for the first time in this species. The morphological categories of sperm defects in fresh semen, present at low percentages, are also described. Functional analyses (perivitelline membrane assay and artificial inseminations) confirmed the good quality of the semen obtained using the cooperative method. The reported data provide the basis for further studies aimed at developing protocols to improve the outcome of artificial insemination and semen cryopreservation in the goshawk as well as other bird of prey species., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 Fausto et al.)

Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy has shown promise as a treatment option for a variety of lipophilic toxins. Two birds presented for suspected ingestion of a toxic substance. A blue-and-gold macaw ( Ara ararauna ) presented after chewing a block of bromethalin rodenticide without overt clinical signs at the time of presentation. Additionally, a free-ranging bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) was found weak and depressed near a municipal landfill after presumptive ingestion of pentobarbital. Both birds were treated with ILE therapy for potential intoxication without any adverse events. The macaw was clinically normal after 3 days of hospitalization and at a 1-week reevaluation. The eagle was transferred to a rehabilitation center after markedly improved mentation and strength and was released 7 days later. Clinicians should consider ILE therapy for the treatment of lipophilic toxicities; however, monitoring is recommended for persistent lipemia and other adverse effects that have been reported in the veterinary literature.

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), being apex predators and facultative scavengers, can bioaccumulate different environmental contaminants, including toxic elements that may adversely affect their health. We analyzed the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and other metals and metalloids, including arsenic (As), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), uranium (U), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) in liver samples taken from three golden eagles and 36 white-tailed eagles that were found dead across Poland to verify their exposure. We also used a systematic review to summarize the available literature data on Cd, Pb, and other studied elements in the liver of both eagle species. Analyses of trace elements in the liver samples of the Polish eagles revealed interspecific differences in Cd, Cu, and Mn and differences in Co, Mn, Tl, and Zn among study regions. All elements tested except Pb were below the suggested thresholds linked with adverse health effects in birds. The hepatic Pb found in almost half of all the tested individuals suggests environmental exposure to this toxic element. One of the tested white-tailed eagles had hepatic Pb above the threshold of sublethal poisoning. Although our results seem optimistic, as previous Polish studies showed a higher prevalence of birds with hepatic Pb exceeding the toxicity threshold, they indicate that exposure to this toxic metal could still pose an additional threat to the health of Polish eagles., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides have been extensively monitored in birds, particularly from higher trophic guilds such as raptors. While monitoring of raptors has been ongoing for decades, patterns from monitoring activities have never been summarised on a global scale. In this study, we undertake a review to better describe the monitoring of two widespread organochlorine pesticides monitored globally in raptors, DDT and dieldrin. We provide a historical retrospective on the monitoring effort of a global environmental issue. Sampling was heavily biased geographically to the global north, with more than 90 % of studies conducted in this socio-geographic region, most from Europe and North America. Although monitoring occurred from at least 114 species, most samples came from relatively few species, with three species (Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus, and Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus) comprising 50 % of samples. The types of raptors sampled have changed over time, with avian and mammal specialists dominating samples until the 1970s, but more diverse dietary guilds monitored in later decades, and greater proportions of samples coming from generalist species. The three most sampled tissues (egg, liver, and plasma) comprised 84 % of all samples. Eggs were the earliest tissue examined and the only tissue sampled in all decades. The geographical bias in monitoring effort and relatively narrow species focus, suggests that patterns in these pesticides are unlikely to be fully representative of all global environments occupied by raptors. While DDT has been banned throughout most of the global north, it remains in use in the global south, yet monitoring effort in the south, does not match that of the north. While monitoring remains prevalent in the global north, contemporary monitoring is limited in the global south with less than 10 % of raptors sampled in Asia, Africa, and South America, over the last 3 decades., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We examined the clinical signs and necropsy findings of a mountain hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis) that died during rehabilitation. The bird was rescued and treated for open fracture of the right forearm. During rehabilitation, the bird could not stand up or fly. Part of the right secondary and left and right primary feathers were removed during rehabilitation; additional fracture was found in the right tibiotarsus and treated. However, the bird died 92 days after rescue and necropsy was performed. Severe hepatic lipidosis and capture myopathy were confirmed by histopathological examinations. These lesions may be associated with the cause of death of this animal. Accumulation of information is expected to contribute to the improvement of effective rehabilitation techniques for raptors.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a culturally and ecologically vital species in North America that embodies conservation success but continues to face threats that include emerging pathogens. The introduction of A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage highly pathogenic (HP) clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV) in North America in late 2021 resulted in high rates of mortality among bald eagles. Here we show an alarming rate of bald eagle nest failure and mortality attributed to HP IAV. We documented fatal, systemic HP IAV infection in breeding adult and nestling bald eagles along the southeastern U.S. coast. Concurrently, annual bald eagle nest surveys in Georgia and Florida revealed a precipitous drop in success in coastal counties compared with previous years, portending negative impacts on population recruitment. As an apex predator and efficient scavenger, it is likely that bald eagles become infected through consumption of infected waterfowl. These results and similar reports of raptor mortality in Europe, Asia, and Africa, indicate a clear threat to raptor health. The possible long-term persistence of HP H5N1 IAV in North America poses an impending threat to bald eagle populations not only related to direct mortality but also decreased recruitment and warrants continued efforts to understand these potential impacts., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Video surveillance cameras installed on birds' nests are a cost-effective tool to study many aspects of ecology and behaviour that would otherwise be practically impossible to obtain. However, although most studies report neutral effects of cameras on birds, very few studies analyse in detail the potential negative effects of their use, particularly on raptors. Here, using a long-term database of a population of Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) collected from 2000 to 2022, I show how the inappropriate use of video surveillance cameras could result in negative effects on the reproduction of a threatened species through a before-and-after control-impact study design. Pairs under video surveillance showed lower productivity, lower breeding success and unusual delayed laying dates. The installation of cameras close to the laying date, coinciding with the mating phase of individuals, most of them subadult inexperienced birds; in combination to the reiteration of visits to the nests once the cameras were installed to check the system, particularly during the incubation period and early stages of breeding; and the installation of cameras in a particular area subject to constant human disturbance, might explain these results. Potential management actions to mitigate the effect of the installation of video cameras on birds' behaviour should include the need to plan the intervention dates, testing the systems beforehand under controlled conditions and adequate post-installation monitoring to avoid unnecessary disturbance to animals. Finally, I urge the scientific community to report the potential negative effects observed in their studies, especially if the target species are threatened with extinction., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) based non-target screening (NTS) is a powerful approach for the simultaneous determination of multiple environmental contaminant classes in complex biota samples. In this study, trophic biomagnification factor (TMF) directed NTS was performed to find and (tentatively) identify known, emerging, and new chemical contaminants that are persistent and biomagnify in Baltic Sea biota. The investigated food web included seven species: one filter feeder (blue mussel, Mytilus edulis), two fish (eelpout, Zoarces viviparous; herring, Clupea harengus), two marine mammals (harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena; grey seal, Halichoerus grypus) and two birds (guillemot, Uria aalge; white-tailed sea eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla). The NTS procedure included extraction with organic solvent mixtures, two-step high-resolution gel permeation chromatography clean-up, Florisil® fractionation, gas chromatography (GC) HRMS analysis in electron ionization (EI) and electron capture negative ion chemical ionization (ECNI) modes, and NTS data processing. The latter was performed differently for the EI and ECNI data: the EI data were treated using a flexible and highly automated TMF-directed NTS workflow, whereas the ECNI data were treated with a simpler and less automated workflow that specifically screened for brominated compounds. The two workflows collectively revealed biomagnification (statistically significant TMF values) of >250 tentatively identified compounds, including legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as PCBs and PCB-related compounds, DDT and its metabolites, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and halogenated natural products (HNPs). Among the tentatively identified CECs, nine have not previously been reported in environmental biota samples. These included four polymer additives (used as antioxidants, rubber additives or plasticizers) and two cosmetic product additives (ethyl myristate and isopropyl palmitate). The CECs should be prioritized for future structure verification and quantification using reference standards., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Due to increasing requirements on water resources and a lower recharge rate, the farming seasons are a vital season for the management of groundwater and surface water resource management. This condition necessitates the use of combined water distribution to meet the full water requirements. Analysis of existing surface water resources and related restrictions, this research suggested an algorithm for aquifer stabilization and fulfilling optimum water requirements. To manage the optimum withdrawals and the subsequent drop, this technique first employed the MODFLOW model for simulating the water levels. Next, an improved feed-forward neural network (IFFNN) was combined with an optimization method to create a machine learning (ML) framework. During the last phase, the findings of the optimized connectives approach as well as the relevant fields technologies to determine using improved bald eagle search with least square SVM(IBES-LSSVM) method that predicted the level of water deficit for every period, especially during farming seasons. This approach is based on an improved bald eagle search (IBES) optimization technique for finding the best settings for a least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM). The findings revealed that between 2005 and 2020, the year with the biggest water deficit was 2018 when only roughly 64 percent of water need was satisfied by groundwater (69 percent) and surface water (64 percent) (33 percent). The water depth may have risen by around 0.7 m during the study period if the optimum model had been used. The outcome of this research will help the management forecast future water shortages and make smarter water strategic choices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A reduction in adult survival in long-living species may compromise population growth rates. The spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) is a long-lived reptile that is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), whose breeding habitats overlap that of tortoises, may predate them by dropping them onto rocks and breaking their carapaces. In SE Spain, the number of golden eagles has increased in the last decades and the abundance of their main prey (i.e., rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus) has decreased. Our aims were to 1) describe the role of tortoises in golden eagles' diet, and 2) estimate the predation impact of golden eagles on tortoises in eagles' territories and in the regional tortoise population. We collected regurgitated pellets and prey remains under eagle nests and roosts, and obtained information on tortoise abundance and population structure and rabbit abundance. We found that tortoises were an alternative prey to rabbits, so that eagles shifted to the former where the latter were scarce. The average predation rate on tortoises was very low at the two studied scales. However, eagles showed a marked selection for adult female tortoises, which led the tortoise sex ratio to be biased towards males in those eagle territories with higher tortoise predation. Whether this may compromise the spur-thighed tortoise long-term population viability locally deserves further attention., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Several species of reptiles and mammals have components in their sera that can neutralize toxic components present in snake venoms. In this manuscript, we studied the neutralizing capacity of Chaco eagle's (Buteogallus coronatus) serum. This South American bird of prey eats snakes as a regular part of its diet and has anatomical features that protect from snakes' bites. The neutralizing potency of the Chaco eagle's serum was tested on lethal, hemorrhagic, procoagulant, and phospholipase activities of the venom of "yarará grande" (Bothrops alternatus) and on phospholipase activity of "yarará ñata" (Bothrops ammodytoides) venom; both snakes are known to be the prey of Chaco eagle. Sera of crested caracara (Caracara plancus-a scavenger, omnivorous pan-American bird of prey), secretary bird (Saggitarius serpentarius-an omnivorous bird of prey from Africa that can include venomous snakes in its diet), common hen (Gallus gallus), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), horse (Equus caballus), and dog (Canis lupus familiaris) were also tested to compare the inhibitory capacity of neutralization. To test isologous and xenologous neutralization, sera from Bothrops alternatus and white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris), respectively, were used due to their known inhibitory activity on Bothrops venoms. As a control for the neutralization activity, antibothropic antivenom was used. Chaco eagle's serum neutralized hemorrhagic and phospholipasic activity and slightly neutralized the coagulation and the lethal activity of Bothrops spp. venom. The neutralizing capacity was present in the non-immunoglobulin fraction of the serum, which showed components of acidic characteristics and lower molecular weight than IgY, in correspondence with the characteristics of PLA 2 s and SVMPs inhibitors described in sera from some snakes and mammals. These studies showed that Chaco eagle's serum neutralizes all toxic activities tested at a higher level than sera from animal species in which inhibitors of snake venoms have not been described (p < 0.05), while it is lower or similar in neutralizing capacity to white-eared opossum and B. alternatus sera., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aquila Optimizer (AO) and African Vultures Optimization Algorithm (AVOA) are two newly developed meta-heuristic algorithms that simulate several intelligent hunting behaviors of Aquila and African vulture in nature, respectively. AO has powerful global exploration capability, whereas its local exploitation phase is not stable enough. On the other hand, AVOA possesses promising exploitation capability but insufficient exploration mechanisms. Based on the characteristics of both algorithms, in this paper, we propose an improved hybrid AO and AVOA optimizer called IHAOAVOA to overcome the deficiencies in the single algorithm and provide higher-quality solutions for solving global optimization problems. First, the exploration phase of AO and the exploitation phase of AVOA are combined to retain the valuable search competence of each. Then, a new composite opposition-based learning (COBL) is designed to increase the population diversity and help the hybrid algorithm escape from the local optima. In addition, to more effectively guide the search process and balance the exploration and exploitation, the fitness-distance balance (FDB) selection strategy is introduced to modify the core position update formula. The performance of the proposed IHAOAVOA is comprehensively investigated and analyzed by comparing against the basic AO, AVOA, and six state-of-the-art algorithms on 23 classical benchmark functions and the IEEE CEC2019 test suite. Experimental results demonstrate that IHAOAVOA achieves superior solution accuracy, convergence speed, and local optima avoidance than other comparison methods on most test functions. Furthermore, the practicality of IHAOAVOA is highlighted by solving five engineering design problems. Our findings reveal that the proposed technique is also highly competitive and promising when addressing real-world optimization tasks. The source code of the IHAOAVOA is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.24433/CO.2373662.v1.

Background: During the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic cumulative United States COVID-19 deaths per capita were higher than all other large, high-income nations, but with substantial variation across the country., Objective: The aim was to detail the public health response during the pandemic in Eagle County, Colorado., Research Design and Measures: Observational study using pre-COVID-19 county public health metrics. Pandemic actions were recorded from a narrative summary of daily phone consultations by a county-wide taskforce and interviews. Outcomes obtained from local, state, and nationally reported databases., Methods: Eagle County began with a life expectancy of 85.9, low all-cause age-adjusted death rates equal for both White and Latinx populations, a high household median income, and other prepandemic advantages. It also launched an innovative, independent county-wide taskforce lead by experienced mid-level managers. The taskforce implemented rapid communication of decision consequences, made immediate course corrections without traditional organizational approvals or contradictory political pressures., Results: Eagle County was first in Colorado to obtain Personal Protective Equipment and to establish a drive-through testing facility. The COVID-19 case fatality rate was 0.34%. The sole intensive care unit never reached maximum capacity. By March 2022, Eagle County had administered at least 1 vaccine dose to 100% of the population and 83% were fully vaccinated., Conclusions: It is not possible to directly attribute superior outcomes to either the baseline characteristics of Eagle County or its innovative taskforce design and deployment. Rather this report highlights the potential impact that improving the baseline health status of US citizens and permitting novel problem-solving approaches by local public health officials might have for the next pandemic., Competing Interests: S.K. was, and C.L. is an employee respectively of Vail Health. W.A.K. declares no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The Australian Pleistocene fossil record of the Accipitridae (hawks, eagles and Old World vultures) is sparse and poorly known. Only two extinct confirmed accipitrid species have been described for this time period; both have received little investigation since their description. One is Taphaetus lacertosus de Vis, 1905, described from a distal humerus and a quadrate from north-eastern South Australia. While this species was verified as an accipitrid in subsequent studies, its more precise taxonomic affinities have remained conjectural. In this study, a new analysis incorporating newly referred material and phylogenetic analyses using a wide range of accipitriforms reveals that the lectotype humerus of T. lacertosus is an Old World vulture in the subfamily Aegypiinae. The associated quadrate, one of two original syntypes from which de Vis named this species, is of an indeterminate species of ardeid. We erect the novel genus Cryptogyps, to accommodate the species lacertosus, as it cannot be placed in Taphaetus de Vis, 1891, because the type species of this genus, Uroaetus brachialis de Vis, 1889, was transferred back to the genus Uroaetus, a synonym of Aquila Brisson, by de Vis in 1905. Further, U. brachialis is now considered a synonym of Aquila audax (Latham, 1801). Moreover, Taphaetus de Vis, 1891 is a senior homonym of Taphaetus de Vis, 1905, type species Taphaetus lacertosus de Vis, 1905, making the 1905 version of the genus unavailable. Newly referred fossils from Wellington Caves (NSW) and the Nullarbor Plains (WA) reveal this taxon had a wide geographical range across Pleistocene Australia. The referred tarsometatarsus lacks hyper-developed trochleae, indicating that Cryptogyps lacertosus (de Vis, 1905) comb. nov., was probably a scavenger like other aegypiines. Identification of Cryptogyps lacertosus as an aegypiine significantly expands the palaeogeographical range of the Old World vultures, hitherto unknown in Australia. The avian guild of large, obligate scavenging birds of prey, is currently absent in the modern Australian biota, but its former presence is not surprising given the megafauna-rich communities of the Pleistocene.

The rate of decline in regulated persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations in Baltic Sea biota has leveled off in recent years, with new contaminants frequently being discovered. There is, therefore, a need for comprehensive approaches to study occurrence and temporal trends of a wide range of environmental contaminants, including legacy POPs, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and new contaminants. In the current work, non-target screening (NTS) workflows were developed and used for, to the best of our knowledge, the first time-trend directed NTS of biota using gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS). To maximize contaminant coverage, both electron ionization (EI) and electron capture negative ion chemical ionization (ECNI) were used. The EI data were treated using highly automated workflows to find, prioritize, and tentatively identify contaminants with statistically significant temporal trends. The ECNI data were manually processed and reviewed prior to time-trend analysis. Altogether, more than 300 tentatively identified contaminants were found to have significant temporal trends in samples of Baltic guillemot, harbor porpoise, or white-tailed sea eagle. Significant decreases were found for many regulated chemicals, as could be expected, such as PCBs, polychlorinated terphenyls, chlorobenzenes, toxaphenes, DDT, other organochlorine pesticides, and tri- and tetra- bromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs). The rate of decline of legacy POPs agreed well with data reported from targeted analyses. Significant increases were observed for small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heptaBDEs, CECs, and terpenes and related compounds. The CECs included, among others, one plasticizer tributyl acetylcitrate (ATBC), two antioxidants 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)phenol and 2,6-bis(tert-butyl)-4-(4-morpholinyl-methyl)phenol, and two compounds used in polymer production, trimethyl isocyanurate and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, which had not previously been reported in biota. Their increased concentrations in biota indicate increased use and release. The increase in ATBC may be linked to increased use of it as a substitute for di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which has been phased out over the last decade., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Knowledge of the uptake and fate of mercury (Hg) compounds in biota is important in understanding the global cycling of Hg and its transfer pathways through food chains. In this study, we analysed total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in 117 livers of Scottish birds of prey that were found across Scotland and submitted for post-mortem examination through the Raptor Health Scotland project between 2009 and 2019. Statistical comparisons focussed on six species (barn owl, Tyto alba; Eurasian common buzzard, Buteo buteo; golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos; hen harrier, Circus cyaneus; Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus; and tawny owl, Strix aluco) and showed that golden eagles had a statistically lower fraction of MeHg compared to other raptor species. Further investigation using stable carbon and stable nitrogen isotope ratio measurements carried out for the golden eagles (n = 15) indicated that the increased presence of inorganic mercury (iHg) correlated with a marine influence on the primarily terrestrial diet. Additional bioimaging (n = 1) with laser ablation - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry indicated the co-location of Hg and selenium (Se) within the liver tissue and transmission electron microscopy showed evidence of nanoparticles within the range of 10-20 nm. Further analysis using single particle - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (n = 4) confirmed the presence of Hg nanoparticles. Together, the evidence suggests the presence of mercury selenide (HgSe) nanoparticles in the liver of some golden eagles that, to our knowledge, has never been directly observed in terrestrial birds of prey. This study points to two alternative hypotheses: these golden eagles may be efficient at breaking down MeHg and form HgSe nanoparticles as a detoxification mechanism (as previously observed in cetaceans), or some golden eagles with elevated iHg may have accumulated these nanoparticles by foraging on stranded cetaceans or seabirds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the highest incidence and mortality cancers in the world. An effective survival prediction model can improve the quality of patients' survival. In this study, ten indicators related to the survival of patients with ESCC are founded using genetic algorithm feature selection. The prognostic index (PI) for ESCC is established using the binary logistic regression. PI is divided into four stages, and each stage can reasonably reflect the survival status of different patients. By plotting the ROC curve, the critical threshold of patients' age could be found, and patients are divided into the high-age groups and the low-age groups. PI and ten survival-related indicators are used as independent variables, based on the bald eagle search (BES) and least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM), and a survival prediction model for patients with ESCC is established. The results show that five-year survival rates of patients are well predicted by the bald eagle search-least-squares support vector machine (BES-LSSVM). BES-LSSVM has higher prediction accuracy than the existing particle swarm optimization-least-squares support vector machine (PSO-LSSVM), grasshopper optimization algorithm-least-squares support vector machine (GOA-LSSVM), differential evolution-least-squares support vector machine (DE-LSSVM), sparrow search algorithm-least-squares support vector machine (SSA-LSSVM), bald eagle search-back propagation neural network (BES-BPNN), and bald eagle search-extreme learning machine (BES-ELM)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this study., (Copyright © 2022 Yanfeng Wang et al.)

In this study, we evaluated the suitability of body feathers, preen oil and plasma for estimation of organohalogen compound (OHC) exposure in northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis nestlings (n = 37; 14 nests). In addition, body feathers received further examination concerning their potential to provide an integrated assessment of (1) OHC exposure, (2) its dietary sources (carbon sources and trophic position) and (3) adrenal gland response (corticosterone). While tetrabromobisphenol A was not detected in any sample, the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in body feathers (median: 23, 19, 1.6 and 3.5 ng g -1 respectively), plasma (median: 7.5, 6.2, 0.50 and 1.0 ng g -1 ww, respectively) and preen oil (median: 750, 600, 18 and 9.57 ng g -1 ww, respectively) suggests analytical suitability for biomonitoring of major OHCs in the three matrices. Furthermore, strong and significant associations (0.20 ≤ R 2 ≤ 0.98; all P < 0.05) among the OHC concentrations in all three tissues showed that body feathers and preen oil reliably reflect circulating plasma OHC levels. Of the dietary proxies, δ 13 C (carbon source) was the most suitable predictor for variation in feather OHCs concentrations, while no significant relationships between body feather OHCs and δ 15 N (trophic position) were found. Finally, body feather corticosterone concentrations were not related to variation in OHC concentrations. This is the first study to evaluate feathers of a terrestrial bird of prey as an integrated non-destructive tool to jointly assess nestling ecophysiology and ecotoxicology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)