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Adenoviruses have been identified in a wide variety of avian species, and in some species, they have been shown to cause disease and increase mortality. As part of an endeavor to investigate viruses associated with common terns (Sterna hirundo), a novel adenovirus was identified in fecal samples from two common terns on Gull Island, Lake Ontario, Canada. The coding-complete genome sequence of the new adenovirus is 31,094 bp, containing 28 putative genes, and this is the first adenovirus to be associated with terns. The virus was identified in two out of 13 fecal samples from tern chicks, and it was found to be most closely related to duck adenovirus 1, with the DNA polymerase sharing 58% amino acid sequence identity. Phylogenetic analysis based on DNA polymerase protein sequences showed that the new virus forms a distinct sub-branch within the atadenovirus clade and likely represents a new species in this genus.

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth. In addition to their impact on animal and plant health, viruses have important roles in ecosystem dynamics as well as in the evolution of the biosphere. Circular Rep-encoding single-stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses are ubiquitous in nature, many are agriculturally important, and they appear to have multiple origins from prokaryotic plasmids. A subset of CRESS-DNA viruses, the cruciviruses, have homologues of capsid proteins encoded by RNA viruses. The genetic structure of cruciviruses attests to the transfer of capsid genes between disparate groups of viruses. However, the evolutionary history of cruciviruses is still unclear. By collecting and analyzing cruciviral sequence data, we provide a deeper insight into the evolutionary intricacies of cruciviruses. Our results reveal an unexpected diversity of this virus group, with frequent recombination as an important determinant of variability., The discovery of cruciviruses revealed the most explicit example of a common protein homologue between DNA and RNA viruses to date. Cruciviruses are a novel group of circular Rep-encoding single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) (CRESS-DNA) viruses that encode capsid proteins that are most closely related to those encoded by RNA viruses in the family Tombusviridae. The apparent chimeric nature of the two core proteins encoded by crucivirus genomes suggests horizontal gene transfer of capsid genes between DNA and RNA viruses. Here, we identified and characterized 451 new crucivirus genomes and 10 capsid-encoding circular genetic elements through de novo assembly and mining of metagenomic data. These genomes are highly diverse, as demonstrated by sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis of subsets of the protein sequences they encode. Most of the variation is reflected in the replication-associated protein (Rep) sequences, and much of the sequence diversity appears to be due to recombination. Our results suggest that recombination tends to occur more frequently among groups of cruciviruses with relatively similar capsid proteins and that the exchange of Rep protein domains between cruciviruses is rarer than intergenic recombination. Additionally, we suggest members of the stramenopiles/alveolates/Rhizaria supergroup as possible crucivirus hosts. Altogether, we provide a comprehensive and descriptive characterization of cruciviruses.

Diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal pain is a major clinical challenge. Following this need, the first aim of our study was to provide an innovative magnetic resonance technique called T1ρ to quantify possible alterations in elbow pain, a common musculoskeletal pain syndrome that has not a clear etiology. Five patients were recruited presenting chronic elbow pain (>3 months), with an age between 30 and 70 years old. Patients underwent two T1ρ-mapping evaluations, one before and one after the series of Fascial Manipulation® (FM) treatments. After the first MRI evaluation, a Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire was administered to quantify the symptoms and pain intensity. Patients then received three sessions of FM, once a week for 40 min each. A statistically significant difference was found between bound and unbound water concentration before and after FM treatment. Our preliminary data suggest that the application of the manual method seems to decrease the concentration of unbound water inside the deep fascia in the most chronic patients. This could explain the change in viscosity perceived by many practitioners as well as the decrease of symptoms due to the restoration of the normal property of the loose connective tissue. Being able to identify an altered deep fascial area may better guide therapies, contributing to a more nuanced view of the mechanisms of pain.

Diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal pain is a major clinical challenge. Following this need, the first aim of our study was to provide an innovative magnetic resonance technique called T1&rho, to quantify possible alterations in elbow pain, a common musculoskeletal pain syndrome that has not a clear etiology. Five patients were recruited presenting chronic elbow pain (&gt, 3 months), with an age between 30 and 70 years old. Patients underwent two T1&rho, mapping evaluations, one before and one after the series of Fascial Manipulation&reg, (FM) treatments. After the first MRI evaluation, a Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire was administered to quantify the symptoms and pain intensity. Patients then received three sessions of FM, once a week for 40 min each. A statistically significant difference was found between bound and unbound water concentration before and after FM treatment. Our preliminary data suggest that the application of the manual method seems to decrease the concentration of unbound water inside the deep fascia in the most chronic patients. This could explain the change in viscosity perceived by many practitioners as well as the decrease of symptoms due to the restoration of the normal property of the loose connective tissue. Being able to identify an altered deep fascial area may better guide therapies, contributing to a more nuanced view of the mechanisms of pain.

Capsule: Plumage colour of Northern Saw-whet Owls Aegolius acadicus was strongly associated with body condition and may be used to distinguish the highest quality individuals. Relationships between eye colour and body condition were more complex and deserve further study. Aims: We explored the association of colouration with body condition of Northern Saw-whet Owls during their autumnal migration across Pennsylvania, USA from 1999 to 2012. Methods: We used fat and keel scores of female owls to index body condition. Since feathers are laid down during pre-migration moult, we hypothesized that facial white plumage would be more strongly associated with long-term condition (keel scores) whereas eye colour should indicate short-term condition (fat scores). Results: Facial white plumage and eye colour were largely uncorrelated, but were strongly associated with both fat and keel scores. Contrary to our hypothesis, owls with more facial white plumage had both higher fat and keel scores, indicating that facial white was strongly associated with both short- and long-term condition. This appears to be because facial white was highest in individuals most capable of maintaining good condition in both scores (the highest quality owls). Relationships between condition and eye colour were more complex, since owls with highest fat scores but lowest keel scores had lightest eyes, possibly resulting from trade-offs with pigment function and immunocompetence. Our results also demonstrated environmental forcing (cyclic prey availability) of colouration and body condition, although not the relationship between them which remained consistent between years and for different ages. Conclusion: Facial white, but not eye colour, was a robust predictor of short- and long-term body condition, permitting detection of individuals in the best and most consistent condition. Further study of colouration and condition are needed to elucidate the extent of genetic control and environmental factors in feather melanization.

1. Thanks to developments in animal tracking technology, detailed data on the movement tracks of individual animals are now attainable for many species. However, straightforward methods to decompose individual tracks into high-resolution, spatial modes are lacking but are essential to understand what an animal is doing. 2. We developed an analytical approach that combines separately validated methods into a straightforward tool for converting animal GPS tracks into short-range movement modes. Our three-step analytical process comprises: (i) decomposing data into separate movement segments using behavioural change point analysis; (ii) defining candidate movement modes and translating them into nonlinear or linear equations between net squared displacement (NSD) and time and (iii) fitting each candidate equationto NSD segments and determining the best-fitting modes using Concordance Criteria, Akaike's Information Criteria and other fine-scale segment characteristics. We illustrate our approach for three sub-adults, male wild boar Sus scrofatracked at 15-min intervals over 4 months using GPS collars. We defined five candidate movement modes based on previously published studies of short-term movements: encamped, ranging, round trips (complete and partial) and wandering. 3. Our approach successfully classified over 80% of the tracks into these movement modes lasting between 5 and 54 h and covering between 300 m to 20 km. Repeated analyses of GPS data resampled at different rates indicated that one positional fix every 3–4 h was sufficient for >70% classification success. Classified modes were consistent with published observations of wild boar movement, further validating our method. 4. The proposed approach advances the status quo by permitting classification into multiple movement modes (where these are adequately discernable from spatial fixes) facilitating analyses at high temporal and spatial resolutions, and is straightforward, largely objective, and without restrictive assumptions, necessary parameterizations or visual interpretation. Thus, it should capture the complexity and variability of tracked animal movement mode for a variety of taxa across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.

Understanding and conserving metapopulations of long-distance migrants is challenging since breeding population structure may not be delimited simply by geography, but also by migration or wintering distributions. We present the first study of the relative importance of breeding, migration and wintering distributions for regional metapopulation processes in breeding areas. Using a species for which life-history and demography are extensively studied (common terns Sterna hirundo), we explored population genetics across eastern North America to distinguish between these potential drivers of metapopulation structure, understand recent population declines in inland areas, and direct appropriate conservation efforts. We analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to determine changes in population structure and dispersal over prehistoric, historical and contemporary time at regional, sub-regional and local spatial scales. We found evidence for conservation-relevant, hierarchical metapopulation structure within breeding areas: at (i) local and sub-regional scales resulting from restricted dispersal distances, and (ii) between inland and coastal regions as a result of non-breeding distributions. Crucially, at regional scales (ii), asymmetrical dispersal rates from inland to coastal colonies have increased ten-fold since the 1960s, contributing to recent, largely-enigmatic inland population declines. Migrating inland common terns pass over coastal colonies but the reverse is not true. Thus, asymmetrical dispersal from inland to coastal areas provides the first demonstration that migration routes, not wintering distributions, are drivers of breeding population structure in the absence of physical barriers. Our results illustrate the conservation importance of this determination for long-distance migrants: definitive evidence connecting metapopulation demographics to regional population declines for common terns, previously only speculated at despite > 100 years of banding effort.

Post-natal growth is an important life-history trait and can be a sensitive indicator of ecological stress. For over 50 years, monotonic (never-decreasing) growth has been viewed as the predominant trajectory of post-natal mass change in most animal species, notably among birds. However, prevailing analytical approaches and energetic constraints may limit detection of non-monotonic (or multiphasic), determinate growth patterns, such as mass recession in birds (weight loss prior to fledging, preceded by overshooting adult mass), which is currently believed to be restricted to few taxa. Energetic surplus and shortfall are widespread conditions that can directly influence the degree of mass overshooting and recession. Thus, we hypothesize that in many species, prevailing energetic constraints force mass change away from a fundamental non-monotonic trajectory to instead follow a monotonic curve. We observed highly non-monotonic, mass change trajectories (overshooting adult mass by up to almost 20%) among common tern Sterna hirundo chicks, a well-studied species long-established as growing monotonically. We quantified the prevalence and magnitude of non-monotonic mass change prior to fledging for 313 common tern chicks that successfully fledged from two discrete populations in multiple years. We used a new approach for analysing non-monotonic curves to examine differences in mass change trajectories between populations under contrasting abiotic (freshwater vs. saltwater) and biotic stresses (low rates of food provisioning). Some degree of mass recession occurred in 73% of all study chicks. Overshooting adult mass followed by extensive mass recession was most prevalent at our freshwater colony, being detected among 34-38% of chicks annually. Non-monotonic trajectories were less marked in populations experiencing ecological stress and among lower quality individuals. Chicks that were provisioned at higher rates were more likely to both overshoot adult mass and experience subsequent mass recession. Our results in common terns provide strong support for the hypothesis that non-monotonic trajectories are the fundamental pattern of mass change but are constrained to be monotonic under energetic shortfall. This justifies future tests of the generality of this hypothesis across a broad range of taxa. We also demonstrate a recent analytical tool that prevents routine fitting of monotonic curves without prior investigation of non-monotonic trends.

Although sleep is necessary for maintaining physiological and cognitive function in birds, nocturnal sleep behavior has yet to be documented for terns. Nocturnal sleep behavior and vigilance of incubating Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) were explored at two colonies, Gull Island (Ontario, Canada) for six years, and Little Island (New York, USA) throughout one breeding season, using ∼1-min interval, time-lapse images from infrared trail cameras. Behavioral posture and vigilance (eye[s] open) of visible study birds were recorded from the images to determine if these differed between the two colonies. Terns utilized two sleeping postures, Back Sleep and Front Sleep, nearly identical to those used by gulls. Differences in the proportion of time spent sleeping between the two colonies were surprisingly large. Terns at Gull Island spent 75% less time in Back Sleep (deep-sleep posture, 7% of the night) than those at Little Island, and 64% of night with their eyes open (vs.

Regular surveys of waterbird colonies are needed to identify changes in abundance and distribution. Consistent surveys have been maintained in some regions, but one area where updated surveys were needed was southern Manitoba, where Lakes Winnipeg, Winnipegosis and Manitoba had not been jointly surveyed since 1979. In mid-June, 2012, an aerial survey of the region was conducted using digital photography to estimate abundance of six colonial waterbird species that are regular breeders on these lakes. Breeding by at least one of the six species was confirmed at 131 locations. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) was the most abundant breeder (43,388 pairs, 47 colonies), followed by Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis, 41,819 pairs, 67 colonies), American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, 12,680 pairs, 20 colonies), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo, 7,950 pairs, 31 colonies), Herring Gull (L. argentatus, 4,013 pairs, 90 colonies) and Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia, 3,207 pairs, 14...

This paper describes the interspecific fostering of two Ring-billed Gull chicks (Larus delawarensis) following natural adoption by a pair of Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) at Gull Island, Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, in 2011. Naturally-occurring, interspecific adoptions among waterbirds are rare and those between distantly-related species have not been confirmed to produce fledglings. The observation of one Ring-billed Gull chick being raised by Caspian Terns beyond fledging (approximately 46 days of age) appears to be the first record of successful adoption between different taxonomic families of waterbirds. Behavior, provisioning rate, and growth of chicks were recorded to document this adoption. During linear growth, the mass of the adopted Ring-billed Gull chicks were close to, or even exceeding, maximum mass of Ring-billed Gull chicks raised by their natural parents. After this period, however, the adoptive Caspian Tern parents reduced provisioning rates below those reco...

Capsule The first confirmed record of breeding by a one-year-old Common Tern Sterna hirundo is revealed by ringing evidence, despite second-summer plumage characteristics.

Summary 1. Nonlinear, parametric curve-fitting provides a framework for understanding diverse ecological and evolutionary trends (e.g. growth patterns and seasonal cycles). Currently, parametric curve-fitting requires ap rioriassumptions of curve trajectories, restricting their use for exploratory analyses. Furthermore, use of analytical techniques [nonlinear least-squares (NLS) and nonlinear mixedeffects models] for complex parametric curves requires efficient choice of starting parameters. 2. We illustrate the new R package FlexParamCurve that automates curve selection and provides tools to analyse nonmonotonic curve data in NLS and nonlinear mixed-effects models. Examples include empirical and simulated data sets for the growth of seabird chicks. 3. By automating curve selection and parameterization during curve-fitting, FlexParamCurve extends current possibilities for parametric analysis in ecological and evolutionary studies.

There is now abundant evidence that contemporary climatic change has indirectly affected a wide-range of species by changing trophic interactions, competition, epidemiology and habitat. However, direct physiological impacts of changing climates are rarely reported for endothermic species, despite being commonly reported for ectotherms. We review the evidence for changing physiological constraints on endothermic vertebrates at high temperatures, integrating theoretical and empirical perspectives on the morphology, physiology and behavior of marine birds. Potential for increasing heat stress exposure depends on changes in multiple environmental variables, not just air temperature, as well as organism-specific morphology, physiology and behavior. Endotherms breeding at high latitudes are vulnerable to the forecast, extensive temperature changes because of the adaptations they possess to minimize heat loss. Low-latitude species will also be challenged as they currently live close to their thermal limits and will likely suffer future water shortages. Small, highly-active species, particularly aerial foragers, are acutely vulnerable as they are least able to dissipate heat at high temperatures. Overall, direct physiological impacts of climatic change appear underrepresented in the published literature, but available data suggest they have much potential to shape behavior, morphology and distribution of endothermic species. Coincidence between future heat stress events and other energetic constraints on endotherms remains largely unexplored but will be key in determining the physiological impacts of climatic change. Multi-scale, biophysical modeling, informed by experiments that quantify thermoregulatory responses of endotherms to heat stress, is an essential precursor to urgently-needed analyses at the population or species level.

Stealing of provisioned food items by adult conspecifics (intraspecific kleptoparasitism or piracy) is common among birds, can reduce breeding success and may be one disadvantage of colonial breeding. Theft by chicks from neighbouring broods has rarely been quantified but may have similar reproductive consequences and the factors that influence it require further study. We took advantage of unusually diverse weather during the critical early stages of growth to elucidate the factors driving kleptoparasitic behavior of Common Tern Sterna hirundo chicks. Kleptoparasitism was restricted to misty days when large chicks were fed much smaller fish than on other days, inducing them to steal from neighbouring broods with young chicks. Our study indicates that kleptoparasitism by chicks could be a way to overcome shortfalls in parental provisioning, and may be a net cost of colonial breeding. Our results both provide evidence of a potential mechanism behind food-stealing by chicks and suggest hypotheses for future testing.

In July 2014, we observed premature feather loss (PFL) among non-sibling, common tern Sterna hirundo chicks between 2 and 4 weeks of age at Gull Island in northern Lake Ontario, Canada. Rarely observed in wild birds, to our knowledge PFL has not been recorded in terns since 1974, despite the banding of tens of thousands of tern chicks across North America since then. The prevalence (5% of chicks) and extent of feather loss was more extreme than in previous reports but was not accompanied by other aberrant developmental or physical deformities. Complete feather loss from all body areas (wing, tail, head and body) occurred over a period of a few days but all affected chicks appeared vigorous and quickly began to grow replacement feathers. All but one (recovered dead and submitted for post-mortem) most likely fledged 10-20 days after normal fledging age. Secondary covert feather samples were collected from PFL chicks (n=6; including shed feathers and re-growing live feathers) and normal individuals (n=8; plucked live feathers) and were analyzed for corticosterone concentrations. There was striking temporal association between the onset of PFL and persistent strong southwesterly winds that caused extensive mixing of near-shore surface water with cool, deep lake waters. We found no evidence of feather dystrophy, concurrent developmental abnormalities or nutritional shortfall among affected chicks. Thus, the PFL we observed among common terns in 2014 was largely of unknown origin but may have been caused by unidentified pathogens or toxins welling up from these deep waters along the shoreline. PFL was not observed among common terns at Gull Island in 2015, although we did observe similar feather loss in a herring gull Larus argentatus chick in that year. Comparison with sporadic records of PFL in other seabirds suggests that PFL may be a rare, but non-specific response to a range of potential stressors. Its reemergence in penguins, and now gulls and terns, may indicate widespread environmental changes that could lead to health risks for birds and other wildlife.

Heart rate is a useful physiological index for studies of stress, locomotion, and activity patterns. Measuring heart rates of birds without the need to handle individuals is desirable when trapping is problematic or may cause unwanted disturbance. Heart-rate recorders housed in dummy eggs offer an effective solution, but the usefulness of previously described devices is limited by their size, complex construction, and reliance on analog media. We constructed egg-based, heart-rate monitors through simple modifications of inexpensive, commercially available MP3 players and Bluetooth headsets. We compared the merits of each device during tests in the laboratory, an aviary, and the field in 2008. Field testing was undertaken at Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, where we recorded heart rates of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo), Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia), and Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis). Birds incubated dummy eggs normally, with no differences in behavior (all P > 0.05) when incubating either wired (MP3 players) or wireless (Bluetooth) devices. MP3 devices were more reliable in the field. Bluetooth devices often lost pairing with laptop computers (33% of files analyzed contained no signal), produced files with more obscuring noise, and only two could be deployed simultaneously with a single computer; there was no limit on how many MP3 devices could be deployed simultaneously. Common Terns, the smallest of our three focal species, had significantly higher (P < 0.001) mean heart rates (268.6 ± 9.3 beats per min (bpm)) than either Ring-billed Gulls (198.0 ± 7.1 bpm) or Caspian Terns (204.2 ± 8.0 bpm). Heart rates of all three species were consistent with those reported or predicted from previous studies. The MP3 devices we describe provide investigators with a simple, inexpensive, and minimally invasive way to digitally record heart rates of birds of almost any size.

Aim Determining the mechanisms underlying climatic limitation of species distributions is essential for understanding responses to current climatic change. Disentangling direct (e.g. physiological) and indirect (e.g. trophic) effects of climate on distributions through occurrence-based modelling is problematic because most species use the same area for both shelter and food acquisition. By focusing on marine birds that breed on land but feed at sea, we exploit a rare opportunity to dissociate direct from indirect climatic effects on endothermic species. Location Coastal Europe. Methods We developed climate-response surfaces (CRS) for 13 seabird species in coastal Europe, linking terrestrial climatic variables considered important for heat transfer with presence/absence data across each species’ entire European breeding range. Agreement between modelled and actual distribution was assessed for jackknifed samples using area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic plots. Higher AUC values indicated closer correspondence between observed breeding distribution and terrestrial climate. We assessed the influence of several ecological factors on model performance across species.

Many ecological studies use stress hormones to assess the condition, health or disturbance levels of wild organisms. Common blood sampling protocols for this research involve trapping individuals and taking blood within three minutes to obtain a “baseline” for analysis of stress hormones (“conventional method”). In some situations it may be difficult to get an accurate measure of baseline values; therefore, alternative sampling techniques may be preferable. We compared corticosterone levels in samples taken via a newly developed, minimally invasive blood sampling technique with corticosterone levels in blood taken via the conventional method. We collected samples from incubating adult common terns Sterna hirundo via blood sucking bugs (Heteroptera, Triatominae) contained in “dummy eggs” (“bug method”) and compared measured corticosterone concentrations to concentrations in blood taken from the same birds using the conventional method. We found no significant differences in mean or variance of baseline corticosterone levels between samples collected via the different methods. This suggests that the bug method offers a viable alternative for hormone sampling.

Birds such as great skuas Catharacta skua adapted for successful breeding at high latitudes may experience problems of heat dissipation in mild climates. Great skuas spend time bathing at freshwater sites close to breeding territories and here, we examine impacts of heat stress on bathing, foraging and nest attendance of adults during three breeding seasons with marked variation in the availability of prey (1-group sandeels Ammodytes marinus). Adults exhibited diurnal variation in bathing activity that matched heat-stress conditions. Moreover more birds bathed on days of higher average heat stress, suggesting that bathing plays a role in thermoregulation. Bathing numbers were lower in years of poor food availability, when adult attendance at territories was low, probably because lower attendance reduced the opportunity for parents to bathe without leaving chicks unattended. Chicks are normally guarded by female parents and fed by males but under conditions of low food availability territorial attendance of breeding pairs was particularly low on days of high heat stress, with chicks regularly left unattended at air temperatures exceeding 14 degrees C. Unattended chicks are at risk of being killed by neighbouring conspecifics and survival of chicks to fledging was low in the two years of low sandeel stocks. Our study indicates that for great skuas, indirect effects of climate change on prey stocks and direct effects on heat stress experienced by adults may be additive

Capsule Kleptoparasitic activities of older chicks from earlier nests did not contribute to late reproductive declines. Aims To determine whether intraspecific interactions, such as kleptoparasitism and aggression, were experienced more frequently by birds breeding late in the season as a result of exposure to breeders at a more advanced stage. If so, to investigate whether this was the cause of the observed seasonal decline in reproductive parameters observed at Bird Island, where nesting density is high and interactions are more probable. Methods Plots were fenced within the colony, exploiting natural variability in distribution of early and peak breeders to create two treatments: plots with only late-laying terns and those with a mixture of early-, peak- and late-layers. Hatching success, productivity and the growth and survival of chicks were measured for all late-laying pairs. Intraspecific interactions, adult attendance and provisioning of chicks were recorded during 9600 minutes of nest observation...

Age is a key component of fitness, affecting survival and reproductive capacities. Where it is not possible to study known individuals from birth, morphometrics (predominantly patterns of plumage development for birds) are most often used to estimate age. Although criteria for age estimations exist for many species, the degree to which these criteria improve the precision of estimates remains to be tested, restricting their widespread acceptance. We develop a photographic tool for estimating ages of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks and test it using 100 human observers of varying prior experience across four breeding colonies (three North American sites and one European site) and under controlled laboratory conditions. We followed the design approach of other morphometric tools, expanding it to create a user-friendly guide (divided into six age groupings). The majority (86%) of observers improved in chick-aging accuracy when using the tool by an average of 20.1% (±1.4 SE) and correctly estimated 60.3% (±1.4) of chick ages. This was similar to the intrinsic aging ability of our best field observer (63.3%). Observers with limited experience showed the greatest increases in chick-aging accuracy over experienced observers who likely had established a method for estimating chick ages prior to using the tool. Even the best observers only correctly estimated ages of chicks 62.9% (±2.8) of the time in the field and 84.0% (±2.9) of the time in the lab when using the tool and typically underestimated ages. This indicates that developmental variation between individual chicks can prevent completely reliable age estimates and corroborates the few existing data that suggest that morphometric criteria fail to achieve robust levels of accuracy and may introduce error into studies that rely on them. We conclude that novel approaches for estimating age, not only morphometric criteria, must be pursued.

The Regional Trauma Network was launched in 1996 to provide trauma training opportunities for Army surgeons in the Southeast Regional Medical Command. Training directors at eight civilian level I trauma centers agreed to allow military surgeons to function at the fellowship level of responsibility for up to 30 days at a time. In the first year, 7 surgeons participated in rotations at five different centers and 13 surgeons attended nationally recognized trauma symposia. The response from participating civilian and military participants has been overwhelmingly positive as confidence and enthusiasm for treating seriously injured patients are refreshed. Significant lessons were learned in providing good clinical training experiences, administering a regional program, and measuring the costs and benefits of additional readiness training. Although the data collection processes were devised to capture both the actual and the opportunity costs of training at civilian centers, more participants are needed before a conclusive analysis can be made. A joint services effort on a regional basis and support throughout the chain of command are key to strengthening the surgical readiness training program.

From January 1988 to May 1990, 60 patients underwent 68 total hip arthroplasties at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center. The authors excluded 11 patients (11 hips) in whom infection developed, who were lost to followup, or who had incomplete records, leaving 49 patients (57 hips) as the study population. The 35 uncemented and 22 cemented femoral stems were evaluated with technetium bone scans at 1 week, 6 months, 1 year, and 2.5 years after surgery. Patients with uncemented femoral stems had markedly more thigh pain and more radiopharmaceutical uptake around the stem tip at 2.5 years followup than did patients with cemented femoral stems. In addition, patients with thigh pain had more uptake around the stem tip and a higher incidence of bone hypertrophy around the stem tip than did those without thigh pain, suggesting stress transfer as a cause of thigh pain.

In July 2014, we observed premature feather loss (PFL) among non-sibling, common ternSterna hirundochicks between two and four weeks of age at Gull Island in northern Lake Ontario, Canada. Rarely observed in wild birds, to our knowledge PFL has not been recorded in terns since 1974, despite the subsequent banding of hundreds of thousands of tern chicks across North America alone. The prevalence, 5% of chicks (9/167), and extent of feather loss we report is more extreme than in previous reports for common terns but was not accompanied by other aberrant developmental or physical deformities. Complete feather loss from all body areas (wing, tail, head and body) occurred over a period of a few days but all affected chicks appeared vigorous and quickly began to grow replacement feathers. All but one chick (recovered dead and submitted for post-mortem) most likely fledged 10–20 days after normal fledging age. We found no evidence of feather dystrophy or concurrent developmental abnormalities unusual among affected chicks. Thus, the PFL we observed among common terns in 2014 was largely of unknown origin. There was striking temporal association between the onset of PFL and persistent strong southwesterly winds that caused extensive mixing of near-shore surface water with cool, deep lake waters. One hypothesis is that PFL may have been caused by unidentified pathogens or toxins welling up from these deep waters along the shoreline but current data are insufficient to test this. PFL was not observed among common terns at Gull Island in 2015, although we did observe similar feather loss in a herring gullLarus argentatuschick in that year. Comparison with sporadic records of PFL in other seabirds suggests that PFL may be a rare, but non-specific, response to a range of potential stressors. PFL is now known for gulls, penguins and terns.

Ecogeographical rules provide potential to describe how organisms are morphologically constrained to climatic conditions. Allen's rule (relatively shorter appendages in colder environments) remains largely unsupported and there remains much controversy whether reduced surface area of appendages provides energetic savings sufficient to make this morphological trend truly adaptive. By showing for the first time that Allen's rule holds for closely related endothermic species, we provide persuasive support of the adaptive significance of this trend for multiple species. Our results indicate that reduction of thermoregulatory cost during the coldest part of the breeding season is the most likely mechanism driving Allen's rule for these species. Because for 54% of seabird species examined, rise in seasonal maximum temperature over 100 years will exceed that for minimum temperatures, an evolutionary mismatch will arise between selection for limb length reduction and ability to accommodate heat stress.

The evaluation of a painful hip prosthesis for suspected loosening frequently requires a multi-modality approach. Radionuclide arthroscintigraphy is a valuable adjunct to contrast arthrography, demonstrating greater sensitivity than contrast arthrography in detecting loosening of the femoral component of the prosthesis. Despite its reliability in the evaluation of cemented hip prostheses, the value of arthroscintigraphy in patients with uncemented or porous-coated prostheses is undetermined. The case of a false-positive radionuclide arthroscintigram in a patient with an uncemented prosthesis is reported. The literature is briefly examined, and the potential implications regarding interpretation of arthroscintigraphy in patients with porous-coated prostheses are discussed.

Severe stomatitis is a common problem encountered during either radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Most therapeutic regimens are empirical, with no scientific basis. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of various topical solutions in the treatment of radiation- or chemotherapy-induced stomatitis. Eighteen patients were entered into a prospective double-blinded study to test several topical solutions: (1) viscous lidocaine with 1% cocaine; (2) dyclonine hydrochloride 1.0% (Dyclone); (3) kaolin-pectin solution, diphenhydramine plus saline (KBS); and (4) a placebo solution. Degree of pain relief, duration of relief, side effects, and palatability were evaluated. The results showed that Dyclone provided the most pain relief. Dyclone and viscous lidocaine with 1% cocaine provided the longest pain relief, which averaged 50 minutes This study provides objective data and defines useful guidelines for treatment of stomatitis.

Intrapleural instillation of tetracycline (TCN) has been shown to be effective in preventing the recurrence of malignant pleural effusions. Although the precise mechanism of action is unknown, it has been postulated that the pH of the TCN solution may be an important factor. Thirty patients with malignant pleural effusions were randomized in a double-blind trial to receive intrapleural administration of either 500 mg of tetracycline in solution (pH = 2.8) or a solution of similar pH and appearance. All patients had chest tube drainage of their effusion. There were 24/30 patients evaluable. There were 9/13 patients in the TCN group and 1/9 patients in the control group who had no reaccumulation of fluid (P less than 0.05). These results would suggest that the efficacy of TCN as a sclerosing agent is not related to its acidic pH and that intrapleural TCN is more effective than chest tube drainage alone for control of malignant effusions.