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BackgroundDomoic acid (DA) is a naturally occurring neurotoxin harmful to marine animals and humans. California sea lions exposed to DA in prey during algal blooms along the Pacific coast exhibit significant neurological symptoms, including epilepsy with hippocampal atrophy.ObservationsHere the authors describe a xenotransplantation procedure to deliver interneuron progenitor cells into the damaged hippocampus of an epileptic sea lion with suspected DA toxicosis. The sea lion has had no evidence of seizures after the procedure, and clinical measures of well-being, including weight and feeding habits, have stabilized.LessonsThese preliminary results suggest xenotransplantation has improved the quality of life for this animal and holds tremendous therapeutic promise.

The signature whistle of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a well-studied acoustic signal know for broadcasting identity and maintaining contact with conspecifics. Several studies have investigated the use of this signal surrounding the birth of calves to dolphin social groups, although there appears to be discrepancies between the findings of these studies. We aimed to add to the current literature in an attempt to reconcile some of these inconsistencies through investigation of signature whistle production by a bottlenose dolphin group two months prior to and two months following the birth of a calf to one of the social group members. We found that the production of signature whistles matching the contour belonging to our dolphin mother increased significantly in both the pre- and post-partum period. Heightened production of the mother’s signature whistle type in the first week of our focal calf’s life supports the establishment of a recognition system within this time period. Given that learning processes associated with the sound environment appear to begin shortly after calf birth, we also explored the signature whistle rates of the other social group members in an effort to determine whether any signature whistle production influenced the development of the dolphin calf’s own signature whistle type. We found that the signature whistles of the other social group members were significantly lower than production of the mother’s signature whistle until after the first week post-partum. None of the signature whistle types appeared to influence the signature whistle development of our focal calf within the scope of this study, however, as the calf did not develop a signature whistle in her first two months of life.

Environmental enrichment is critical for maintaining cognitive welfare for animals in human care but is subject to individual preferences.  The interest in a video-based enrichment was assessed for a single killer whale (Orcinus orca) in human care.  The adult female was presented 20 video recordings featuring cetaceans, elephants, or humans with each video presented in two conditions: (1) with sound and (2) without sound.  Four additional presentations in which the television displayed a blank screen served as controls.  All sessions were videotaped and coded for time spent viewing the recordings, behavioral responses, and visual laterality.  The killer whale spent significantly more time at the television when programs were on screen compared to when the television was present but blank.  She was more likely to watch videos accompanied by sound than those presented without sound. Videos were more likely to be viewed monocularly rather than binocularly, with a right eye preference when viewing the videos the first time they were presented.  The highest rates of behavioral responses occurred during videos of cetaceans.  These results demonstrate that one killer whale responded to video recordings of different stimuli, suggesting that video recordings may be used as a form of enrichment for cetaceans and that not all video content and formats are equally interesting.

McCowan and Reiss first reported the “thunk” sound of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) during separations and discipline behavior of mother-calf dyads. This sound has been previously described as a wide-band, low frequency contact call, however the harmonic structure of this sound is more variable than previously described. Based on preliminary observations of the graded structure of thunks within our data set, we investigated the directionality of thunks with energies at higher frequencies. We recorded a bottlenose dolphin mother with her calf during the first 30-days of life, and analyzed thunk production during separation and discipline contexts. Two classifications of the thunk sound were compared to determine calf response and whether location cues were embedded in the higher harmonics of one of the thunk types. The mother oriented towards the calf significantly more during production of both thunk types during separation and discipline contexts. This sound may have potential directional information within the harmonic structure; however, we could not draw that conclusion based on our findings. Therefore, we present data here that indicates a graded structure to the harmonics of thunk sounds.

The population of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is currently a topic of conservation efforts. Understanding the mating behaviors of a species can be utilized in conservation efforts to preserve the species. Little is known about the behavioral repertoire of Pacific walruses, due to their isolated Arctic habitats, with limited studies previously describing observations of walrus mating behaviors. The aim of the present case study was to observe the mating behaviors of a single captive male Pacific walrus to examine overall frequency of specific mating behaviors in both social and solitary contexts. The subjects, one male and two females, were recorded at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom from November 2013 through January 2014. Only behaviors exhibited by the male walrus directly associated with mating were noted. Grabs were the most frequently observed behavior, and holds were not significantly observed which could contribute to the infrequent successful copulation attempts. Pharyngeal sac inflation, a vocal and visual behavior, was not frequently observed in a sexual context but has been observed in mating contexts in the wild. The male walrus used other sexual outlets such as self-gratification and toy use; however, these behaviors occurred significantly less than sexual encounters with females. There appeared to be a mate preference for the female with tusks, as the male interacted significantly more with the tusked female compared to the non-tusked female who was in estrus. Studying mating behavior in controlled settings such as this can be revealing of the capabilities of the species as a whole. Understanding more about how walruses interact in their environment can be used for future management and breeding strategies.

Introduction: Administrators must balance the demands of delivering therapy services with the need to provide staff with educational opportunities promoting evidence-based practice. Increasingly, the use of multifaceted, interactive knowledge translation strategies, such as knowledge brokering, is suggested as an effective way to encourage clinician behavior changes and implement new knowledge. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe administrators' perceptions of the successes and challenges in using a knowledge broker (KB) to promote the use of evidence-based measures of motor function for children with cerebral palsy. Methods: Administrators from 27 pediatric facilities completed a semi-structured telephone interview following 6 months of knowledge brokering within their organizations. Using thematic analysis, interview transcripts were reviewed to identify common themes. Results: Six interview themes were identified: "Efficient and Effective," "Stimulating Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment," "Committed and Respected Knowledge Brokers," "Sharing Beyond," "Organizational Beliefs and Values," and "The Dilemma of Moving Forward". Administrators were positive about the KB experience, acknowledging its efficiency and effectiveness. They commented on the stimulating peer-to-peer and interdisciplinary learning environment that the KB process encouraged. Administrators referred to their organizational beliefs and values when discussing their need to make priorities for limited resources, which influenced their decisions about whether to continue with a KB after the study was completed. Discussion: Although administrators were philosophically supportive of knowledge brokering, they identified funding and resource constraints and the absence of evidence of the effectiveness of knowledge brokering as major barriers to the continuation of a KB role in their facility. (Contains 1 exhibit.)

Abstract Background The use of measurement tools is an essential part of good evidence-based practice; however, physiotherapists (PTs) are not always confident when selecting, administering, and interpreting these tools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a multifaceted knowledge translation intervention, using PTs as knowledge brokers (KBs) to facilitate the use in clinical practice of four evidence-based measurement tools designed to evaluate and understand motor function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The KB model evaluated in this study was designed to overcome many of the barriers to research transfer identified in the literature. Methods A mixed methods before-after study design was used to evaluate the impact of a six-month KB intervention by 25 KBs on 122 practicing PTs' self-reported knowledge and use of the measurement tools in 28 children's rehabilitation organizations in two regions of Canada. The model was that of PT KBs situated in clinical sites supported by a network of KBs and the research team through a broker to the KBs. Modest financial remuneration to the organizations for the KB time (two hours/week for six months), ongoing resource materials, and personal and intranet support was provided to the KBs. Survey data were collected by questionnaire prior to, immediately following the intervention (six months), and at 12 and 18 months. A mixed effects multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the impact of the intervention over time and by region. The impact of organizational factors was also explored. Results PTs' self-reported knowledge of all four measurement tools increased significantly over the six-month intervention, and reported use of three of the four measurement tools also increased. Changes were sustained 12 months later. Organizational culture for research and supervisor expectations were significantly associated with uptake of only one of the four measurement tools. Conclusions KBs positively influenced PTs' self-reported knowledge and self-reported use of the targeted measurement tools. Further research is warranted to investigate whether this is a feasible, cost-effective model that could be used more broadly in a rehabilitation setting to facilitate the uptake of other measurement tools or evidence-based intervention approaches.

The article discusses musical events in British Columbia during the period January-March 2002. The events start off with a ski and potluck ceilidh, Burns celebrations and the revival of weekly dancing and dance classes in January. The February events include the Tuba Boy Concert on February 2, the house concert of Tamarack and Cameron on February 5, and the Ron Hynes house concert on February 7. The March events revolve around the celebration of St. Paddy's Day, including the St. Patrick's Gala Dinner and Dance on March 15.

The article reports on the annual Northern Lights Festival Boreal that was held at the Bell Park in Northern Ontario on July 6-8, 2001. The event featured a wide range of music, story and dance with such performers as Susan Aglukark, the De-Ba-Jeh-Mu-Jig Theatre Group, and Mauricio Montecinos. It also cites the series of house ceilidhs that was held in August 2001.

The article presents an update on folk music activities in the Sudbury Region of Ontario as of June 2001. It mentions various folk events including the Northern Lights Festival Boreal scheduled for July 6-8, 2001, and the Spring Festival in March. The article also provides information on several folk associations in the Sudbury Region such as the Comhaltas, the Scottish country dance group, and the Cape Breton Club.

Several letters to the editor are presented including one on the mention of a website in an article in a previous issue, another on the centennial celebration of the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 2005, and another on the resignation of the magazine's editor.

Photon emissions were measured at ambient temperature (21°C) in complete darkness once per min from cultures of 10(6) cells during the 12 h following removal from 37°C. The energy of emission was about 10(-20) J/s/cell. Of 8 different cell lines, B16-BL6 (mouse melanoma cells) demonstrated the most conspicuous emission profile. Acridine orange and ethidium bromide indicated the membranes were intact with no indication of (trypan blue) cell necrosis. Treatments with EGF and ionomycin produced rapid early (first 3 h) increases in energy emission while glutamine-free, sodium azide and wortmanin-treated cells showed a general diminishment 3 to 9 h later. The results suggested the most probable origin of the photon emission was the plasma cell membrane. Measures from cells synchronized at the M- and S-phase supported this inference.