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Abstract Camera traps (CTs) have been increasingly used for wildlife monitoring worldwide. In the tropics, most CT inventories target wildlife‐friendly sites, and CTs are commonly placed towards wildlife trails. However, it has been argued that this placement strategy potentially provides biased results in comparison to more systematic or randomized approaches. Here, we investigated the impact of CT placement on the remotely sensed mammal diversity in a tropical forest in Gabon by comparing pairs of systematically placed and wildlife‐trail‐oriented CTs. Our survey protocol consisted of 15–17 sampling points arranged on a 2 km2 grid and left for one month in the field. This protocol was replicated sequentially in four areas. Each sampling point comprised a CT pair: the ‘systematic CT’, installed at the theoretical point and systematically oriented towards the most uncluttered view; and the ‘trail CT’, placed within a 20‐m radius and facing a wildlife trail. For the vast majority of species, the detection probabilities were comparable between placements. Species average capture rates were slightly higher for trail‐based CTs, though this trend was not significant for any species. Therefore, the species richness and composition of the overall community, such as the spatial distribution patterns (from evenly spread to site‐restricted) of individual species, were similarly depicted by both placements. Opting for a systematic orientation ensures that pathways used preferentially by some species—and avoided by others—will be sampled proportionally to their density in the forest undergrowth. However, trail‐based placement is routinely used, already producing standardised data within large‐scale monitoring programmes. Here, both placements provided a comparable picture of the mammal community, though it might not be necessarily true in depauperate areas. Both types of CT data can nevertheless be combined in multi‐site analyses, since methods now allow accounting for differences in study design and detection bias in original CT data.

(1) Regular wildlife abundance surveys are a key conservation tool. Manned aircraft flying transects often remain the best alternative for counting large ungulates. Drones have cheaper and safer logistics, however their range is generally too short for large-scale application of the traditional method. Our paper investigates an innovative rosette flight plan for wildlife census, and evaluates relevance of this sampling protocol by comparing its statistical performance with transects, based on numerical simulations. (2) The UAS flight plan consisted in two rosettes of 6 triangular “petals” spread across the survey area, for a theoretical sampling rate of 2.95%, as opposed to a 20.04% classic sampling protocol with systematic transects. We tested the logistics of our survey design in Garamba National Park. We then modeled theoretical population distributions for both antelopes and buffaloes. We calculated animal densities in the simulated footprints of the theoretical rosette and transect flight plans. We also tested aggregating results for 2, 3 and 4 repetitions of the same rosette flight plan to increase the sampling rate. (3) Simulation results showed that the coefficient of variation associated with density estimates decreases with the number of repetitions of the rosette flight plan, and aggregating four repetitions is enough to give antelope densities with acceptable accuracy and precision while staying at a lower sampling rate. Buffalo densities displayed much higher variability and it shows the significant impact of gregariousness on density estimate accuracy and precision. (4) The method was found to be inappropriate for highly aggregative species but efficient for species that disperse widely and more randomly in their environment. Logistics required to perform a full survey in the field remain time- and resources-intensive. Therefore, we recommend it for remote parks facing difficulties to organize manned aerial counts. Lower costs and developments such as solar UASs offer interesting future perspectives.

The duiker community in Central African rainforests includes a diversity of species that can coexist in the same area. The study of their activity patterns is needed to better understand habitat use or association between the species. Using camera traps, we studied the temporal activity patterns, and quantified for the first time the temporal overlap and spatial co-occurrence between species. Our results show that: (i) Two species are strongly diurnal: Cephalophus leucogaster, and Philantomba congica, (ii) two species are mostly diurnal: C.callipygus and C. nigrifrons, (iii) one species is strongly nocturnal: C.castaneus, (iv) and one species is mostly nocturnal: C.silvicultor. Analyses of temporal activities (for five species) identified four species pairs that highly overlapped (Δ^≥ 0.80), and six pairs that weakly overlapped (Δ^ between 0.06 and 0.35). Finally, co-occurrence tests reveal a truly random co-occurrence (plt > 0.05 and pgt > 0.05) for six species pairs, and a positive co-occurrence (pgt < 0.05) for four pairs. Positive co-occurrences are particularly noted for pairs formed by C.callipygus with the other species (except C. nigrifrons). These results are essential for a better understanding of the coexistence of duikers and the ecology of poorly known species (C. leucogaster and C. nigrifrons), and provide clarification on the activity patterns of C. silvicultor which was subject to controversy. Camera traps proved then to be a powerful tool for studying the activity patterns of free-ranging duiker populations.

INTRODUCTION:The common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius L. is a vulnerable species that requires efficient methods to monitor its populations for conservation purposes. Rapid evolution of civil drones provides new opportunities but survey protocols still need development. This study aims to determine the optimal flight parameters for accurate population estimates. A second objective is to evaluate the effects of three environmental factors: wind speed, sun reflection and cloud cover. METHOD:We estimated the population of two main hippo schools (Dungu and Wilibadi II) located in Garamba National Park in Democratic republic of Congo. Eight observers reviewed 252 photos taken over the Dungu school, representing a total of 2016 experimental units. A detection rate and a level of certainty were associated with each experimental unit, and five parameters were related to each count: flight height, three environmental parameters (sun reflection on water surface, cloud cover, and wind speed), and observers' experience. RESULTS:Flight height reduced the observers' confidence in their detection ability, rather than the detection itself. For accurate counts of large groups an average height of 150 m was shown to be a good compromise between animal detection without zooming in and the area covered in one frame. Wind speed had little influence on the counts, but it affected the performance of the UAS. Sun reflection reduced the detection rate of hippos and increased level of certainty, while cloud cover reduced detection rates slightly. Therefore, we recommend flying when the sun is still low on the horizon and when there is little cloud, or when cloud cover is light and even. This last point reinforces our recommendation for flights early in the day. The counts also showed large differences between groups of inexperienced and experienced observers. Experienced observers achieved better detection rates and were generally more confident in their detection. Experienced observers detected 86.5% of the hippos on average (confidence interval = ±0.76%). When applied to data from the second site, the detection was 84.3% (confidence interval = ±1.84%). Two correction factors were then calculated, as the inverse of the detection rate, based on the estimated number of hippos present during one flight (Factor 1) or in the general population respectively (Factor 2). Factor 2 especially was consistent with previous studies using traditional aerial counts (1.22 vs 1.25). Factor 2 was found to be appropriate for use by experienced observers. These results confirm the use of correction factor 2 for hippo surveys, regardless of the study site, as it accounts for hippo behavior. Optimum counting and cost efficiency were achieved with two trained observers counting 7 pictures. CONCLUSION:This study is a promising approach for routine surveys of the hippopotamus which is a species usually ignored in wildlife counts. Drone technology is expected to improve rapidly; therefore UAS could become a very useful and affordable survey tool for other species requiring specific monitoring.

Lifestyle (diet and exercise) interventions across the cancer care continuum among younger cancer survivors (<60 years of age) demonstrate utility in improving physical function, and other cancer relevant health outcomes. However, the impact of lifestyle interventions on physical function in older (≥60 years) cancer survivors is not entirely clear. This scoping review aims to map and characterize the existing literature on the effect of diet and exercise interventions on physical function in older cancer survivors. Conducted to the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and reported to the PRISMA guidelines, the literature search was performed on multiple databases through March 2024. A total of 19,901 articles were identified for screening with 49 articles published between 2006 and 2024 selected for full-text review. Of these, 36 studies included an exercise intervention, two focused on diet intervention, while 11 studies included both diet and exercise intervention. These 49 studies included various cancer types, cancer stages, and timepoints across the cancer care continuum. Most studies described physical function as their primary outcome and demonstrated maintenance or improvement in physical function. We identified several gaps in the current evidence including lack of (adequately powered) trials focused only on older cancer survivors, and trials focused on dietary interventions alone or dietary interventions combined with exercise interventions within this population vulnerable for nutritional inadequacies and declining physical function. Considering the growing population of older cancer survivors, this represents an important area for further research., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Abstract: Exercise preconditioning has been shown to protect against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiac dysfunction when hearts are maintained under resting conditions. However, it is unclear whether this exercise-induced protective effect is maintained when the heart is challenged with the β 1 -adrenergic receptor agonist dobutamine (DOB), which mimics acute exercise stress. Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to sedentary (SED) or voluntary wheel running (WR) groups for 10 weeks. At week 11, rats were treated with either 15 mg/kg DOX or saline. Five days later, ex vivo cardiac function was assessed using an isolated working heart model at baseline, during the infusion of 7.5 μg·kg -1 ·min -1 DOB, and during recovery. DOB infusion significantly increased left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), maximal (dP/dt max ) and minimal (dP/dt min ) rate of left ventricular pressure development, and heart rate in all groups ( P < 0.05). SED + DOX also showed a lower baseline and recovery LVDP than WR + DOX (83 ± 12 vs. 109 ± 6 mm Hg baseline, 76 ± 11 vs. 100 ± 10 mm Hg recovery, P < 0.05). WR + DOX showed higher dP/dt max and lower dP/dt min when compared with SED + DOX during DOB infusion (7311 ± 1481 vs. 5167 ± 1436 mm Hg/s and -4059 ± 1114 vs.-3158 ± 1176 mm Hg/s, respectively). SED + DOX dP/dt max was significantly lower during baseline and during recovery when compared with all other groups ( P < 0.05). These data suggest that exercise preconditioning preserved cardiac function after DOX exposure even when the heart is challenged with DOB, and it appeared to preserve the heart's ability to recover from this functional challenge., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Muscle mass is important for metastatic prostate cancer survival and quality of life (QoL). The backbone of treatment for men with metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with an androgen signaling inhibitor. ADT is an effective cancer treatment, but it facilitates significant declines in muscle mass and adverse health outcomes important to mCSPC survivors, such as fatigue, and reductions in physical function, independence, insulin sensitivity, and QoL. In non-metastatic CSPC survivors, resistance training (RT) preserves muscle mass and improves these related health outcomes, but the biggest barrier to RT in CSPC survivors of all stages is fatigue. Creatine monohydrate supplementation coupled with RT (Cr + RT) may address this barrier since creatine plays a critical role in energy metabolism. Cr + RT in cancer-free older adults and other clinical populations improves muscle mass and related health outcomes. Evidence also suggests that creatine supplementation can complement cancer treatment. Thus, Cr + RT is a strategy that addresses gaps in survivorship needs of people with mCSPC. The purpose of this parallel, double-blind randomized controlled trial is to test the effects of 52-weeks of Cr + RT compared with placebo (PLA) and RT (PLA + RT) on muscle mass, other related health outcomes, and markers of cancer progression., Methods: We will carry out this trial with our team's established, effective, home-based, telehealth RT program in 200 mCSPC survivors receiving ADT, and evaluate outcomes at baseline, 24-, and 52-weeks. RT will occur twice weekly with elastic resistance bands, and an established creatine supplementation protocol will be used for supplementation delivery. Our approach addresses a major facilitator to RT in mCSPC survivors, a home-based RT program, while utilizing a supervised model for safety., Discussion: Findings will improve delivery of comprehensive survivorship care by providing a multicomponent, patient-centered lifestyle strategy to preserve muscle mass, improve health outcomes, and complement cancer treatment (NCT06112990)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Ultrasound is considered to be an ignition source according to international standards, setting a threshold value of 1mW/mm(2) [1] which is based on theoretical estimations but which lacks experimental verification. Therefore, it is assumed that this threshold includes a large safety margin. At the same time, ultrasound is used in a variety of industrial applications where it can come into contact with explosive atmospheres. However, until now, no explosion accidents have been reported in connection with ultrasound, so it has been unclear if the current threshold value is reasonable. Within this paper, it is shown that focused ultrasound coupled into a liquid can in fact ignite explosive atmospheres if a specific target positioned at a liquid's surface converts the acoustic energy into a hot spot. Based on ignition tests, conditions could be derived that are necessary for an ultrasonically triggered explosion. These conditions show that the current threshold value can be significantly augmented., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Literature on prognosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA) in Chinese is scarce. The short-term prognosis of TIA and the predictive value of the ABCD(2) score in Hong Kong Chinese patients attending the emergency department (ED) were studied to provide reference for TIA patient management in our ED., Methods: A cohort of TIA patients admitted through the ED to 13 acute public hospitals in 2006 was recruited through the centralized electronic database by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA). All inpatients were e-coded by the HA according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD9). Electronic records and hard copies were studied up to 90 days after a TIA. The stroke risk of a separate TIA cohort diagnosed by the ED was compared., Results: In the 1,000 recruited patients, the stroke risk after a TIA at days 2, 7, 30, and 90 was 0.2, 1.4, 2.9, and 4.4%, respectively. Antiplatelet agents were prescribed in 89%, warfarin in 6.9%, statin in 28.6%, antihypertensives in 39.3%, and antidiabetics in 11.9% of patients after hospitalization. Before the index TIA, the prescribed medications were 27.6, 3.7, 11.3, 27.1, and 9.7%, respectively. The accuracy of the ABCD(2) score in predicting stroke risk was 0.607 at 7 days, 0.607 at 30 days, and 0.574 at 90 days. At 30 days, the p for trend across ABCD(2) score levels was 0.038 (OR for every score point = 1.36, p = 0.040). Diabetes mellitus, previous stroke and carotid bruit were associated with stroke within 90 days (p = 0.038, 0.045, 0.030, respectively). A total of 45.4% of CTs of the brain showed lacunar infarcts or small vessel disease. There was an increased stroke risk at 90 days in patients with old or new infarcts on CT or MRI. Patients with carotid stenosis ≥70% had an increased stroke risk within 30 (OR = 6.335, p = 0.013) and 90 days (OR = 3.623, p = 0.050). Stroke risks at days 2, 7, 30, and 90 in the 289 TIA patients diagnosed by the ED were 0.35, 2.4, 5.2, and 6.2%, respectively., Conclusion: The short-term stroke risk in Hong Kong Chinese TIA patients is low. The administered nonurgent treatment cannot solely explain the favorable outcome, the lower risk can be due to the different pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke between Caucasians and Chinese. The predictive value of the ABCD(2) score is low in our population.