Article
Veterinary Sciences
M. J. Evans, A. Gibson, H. Fielding, P. Ohal, P. Pandey, A. Kumar, S. K. Singh, I Airikkala-Otter, B. Abela-Ridder, L. Gamble, I Handel, B. M. D. C. Bronsvoort, R. J. Mellanby, S. Mazeri
Summary: The study reveals high rates of loss among neutered dogs in the free-roaming dog population in India, and a modest decline in overall population size over a three-year period. These findings have significant implications for planning rabies vaccination campaigns and population management programs, as well as highlighting the need for further research into the demographics of free-roaming, unowned dogs in India.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nina Gerber, Yannick Auclair, Barbara Konig, Anna K. Lindholm
Summary: Maternal investment in mammalian offspring affects their body mass, but it is also influenced by environmental factors such as population density and temperature. The study found that increasing body mass in offspring led to shorter longevity, delayed first reproduction in heavier pups raised in warmer temperatures, and increased lifetime reproductive success for heavier pups in high-density environments.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Andrea M. Harvey, Ngaio J. Beausoleil, Daniel Ramp, David J. Mellor
Summary: The welfare of animals is determined by their mental experiences, which are linked to their physical and functional states. The Five Domains Model is used to assess welfare by measuring indicators in the physical/functional domains and inferring their affective consequences. It is important to scientifically validate these indicators and establish the relationship between physical/functional states and mental experiences.
Article
Biology
Raman Akinyanju Lawal, Uma P. Arora, Beth L. Dumont
Summary: The study leveraged 154 whole-genome sequences from various wild house mouse populations to examine the geographic organization of functional variation and identify signals of positive selection. They found a significant proportion of unique variations in single populations, including many predicted functional alleles, and strong signals of positive selection at genes associated with human diseases. Additionally, they uncovered multiple signals of selection at genes involved in dietary adaptations, suggesting the role of adaptation in shaping genetic variation in wild mouse populations.
Article
Ecology
Andrew P. Morgan, Jonathan J. Hughes, John P. Didion, Wesley J. Jolley, Karl J. Campbell, David W. Threadgill, Francois Bonhomme, Jeremy B. Searle, Fernando Pardo-Manuel De Villena
Summary: House mice, as animals with a commensal relationship with humans, have spread globally and are important model organisms in biomedical research. An analysis of ancestry, population structure, and inbreeding in wild mice revealed that major ancestry components in North America, Australia, etc. are of northern European origin, and inbreeding is prevalent in commensal populations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lauren M. Smith, Rupert J. Quinnell, Conor Goold, Alexandru M. Munteanu, Sabine Hartmann, Lisa M. Collins
Summary: Free-roaming dogs pose challenges to public health, wildlife conservation, and livestock production, and may also suffer from poor health and welfare. Effective and cost-efficient strategies are needed to manage the dog population. A system dynamics model is proposed to incorporate the interaction between dog subpopulations, with methods that control fertility and promote responsible ownership showing potential in reducing free-roaming dog numbers over longer periods while improving welfare.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lauren Margaret Smith, Conor Goold, Rupert J. Quinnell, Alexandru M. Munteanu, Sabine Hartmann, Paolo Dalla Villa, Lisa M. Collins
Summary: This study quantified the size, dynamics, and health status of free-roaming dog populations in two cities in Europe. The findings provide important data for effective dog population management and infectious disease modeling.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Elly Hiby, Tuntikorn Rungpatana, Alicja Izydorczyk, Craig Rooney, Mike Harfoot, Robert Christley
Summary: In Greater Bangkok, free-roaming dogs are tolerated by some citizens, but also raise concerns about dog welfare, nuisance behaviors and the risk of rabies transmission. A 5-year Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) intervention was conducted to control the population of these dogs and prevent rabies. The evaluation of this intervention found a reduction in dog density, dog rabies cases, and improvement in dog-human relationships. However, the presence of other sources of free-roaming dogs, mainly abandoned or lost owned dogs, means that additional interventions targeting these dogs are necessary for effective dog population management.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael A. Lyons, Rumaan Malhotra, Cody W. Thompson
Summary: Free-roaming domestic dogs pose significant threats to wildlife and public health. A study estimated the dog population and identified the prevalence of zoonotic parasites in Tulum, Mexico, highlighting the importance of understanding free-roaming dog ecology and educating the public.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Claudia Fontsere, Peter Frandsen, Jessica Hernandez-Rodriguez, Jonas Niemann, Camilla Hjorth Scharff-Olsen, Dominique Vallet, Pascaline Le Gouar, Nelly Menard, Arcadi Navarro, Hans R. Siegismund, Christina Hvilsom, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Martin Kuhlwilm, David Hughes, Tomas Marques-Bonet
Summary: This study investigated the genetic impact of an Ebola outbreak on the western lowland gorilla population, finding no changes in genetic diversity or microbial community composition between survivors and non-survivors. Although limited by low power, the study identified six nominally significant missense mutations in four genes that may be linked to increased survival chances.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Andrea M. Harvey, John M. Morton, David J. Mellor, Vibeke Russell, Rosalie S. Chapple, Daniel Ramp
Summary: This study successfully used remote camera traps to detect and identify individual free-roaming wild horses, evaluating a wide range of welfare indicators. Results from still images and videos showed that various welfare indicators can be reliably assessed, providing a new methodology for assessing wild animal welfare.
Article
Ecology
David N. Manahan, Michael W. Nachman
Summary: This study used exome sequences and RNA-Seq data to identify candidate genes for local adaptation through alternative splicing in wild house mice. The researchers identified a small set of alternatively spliced transcripts that may be involved in environmental adaptation, and many of these genes are associated with body size. There was no overlap between these genes and genes previously identified by changes in mRNA abundance, suggesting that alternative splicing and changes in mRNA abundance may provide separate molecular mechanisms of adaptation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Noga Zilkha, Silvia Gabriela Chuartzman, Yizhak Sofer, Yefim Pen, Meghan Cum, Avi Mayo, Uri Alon, Tali Kimchi
Summary: In this study, the role of pheromone signals in social hierarchies and individual personalities of wild house mice was investigated. The research shows that wild mice form dominance hierarchies with sex-specific strategies. Genetic disabling of VNO-mediated pheromone detection generated opposite behavioral effects in males and females. Additionally, rank-associated personalities were abolished in mutant mice despite stable hierarchies. These findings suggest that group organization is governed by pheromone-mediated sex-specific neural circuits.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Idit Gunther, Hadas Hawlena, Lior Azriel, Dan Gibor, Olaf Berke, Eyal Klement
Summary: This article examines the effectiveness of trap-neuter-return/release (TNR) in controlling the population of domestic cats and suggests a management approach that emphasizes high intensity, continuity, and geographic contiguity. The study finds that TNR has some effectiveness in reducing the cat population, but the rebound increase in reproduction and longevity of cats limits the population reduction. To enhance management effectiveness and mitigate compensatory effects, the article recommends integrating TNR with complementary methods.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jorn Theuerkauf, Sophie Rouys, Henri Bloc, Gavin R. Hunt, Ralph Kuehn, Roman Gula
Summary: This study assessed the impact of invasive mammalian species on the kagu bird and proposed specific conservation actions. Through 20 years of intensive research, it was found that invasive mammalian species in the wild did not pose a threat to the kagu bird, and only free-roaming domestic dogs caused significant predation and population fluctuations.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Julian C. Evans, Anna K. Lindholm, Barbara Koenig
Summary: Whether animals breed in the group they are born in influences the formation of extended family groups. The presence of older relatives, including mothers, determines whether females stay in the group. Breeding in the natal group has both costs and benefits, depending on factors such as group size and presence of older relatives. Studying the consequences of breeding in the natal versus another group provides insights into the decision-making process and trade-offs in family group structure.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Victor Ibanez, Samuel Gunz, Svenja Erne, Eric J. Rawdon, Garyfalia Ampanozi, Sabine Franckenberg, Till Sieberth, Raffael Affolter, Lars C. Ebert, Akos Dobay
Summary: A custom-made convolutional neural network RiFNet was developed to detect rib fractures in postmortem computed tomography, achieving an average F-1 score of 0.91 +/- 0.04. Transfer learning techniques with noncommercial off-the-shelf architectures did not perform as well as RiFNet in classifying rib fractures on postmortem computed tomography.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Esther H. D. Carlitz, Anna K. Lindholm, Wei Gao, Clemens Kirschbaum, Barbara Konig
Summary: Reproductive competition exists in both males and females. A study on free-living house mice revealed that males had more frequent wounds and higher hair corticosterone levels compared to females. Occurrence of wounds in males was related to breeding activity in the population, while individual reproductive success did not predict wounds. Higher hair corticosterone levels in males might indicate metabolic costs of fighting over reproduction. Females had lower hair corticosterone levels and high levels did not impede pregnancy. Occasional wounds in females indicated reproductive competition driven by instability in the social environment. Corticosterone levels increased with age in both sexes, but there was no evidence that aggression suppressed reproductive physiology.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Biology
Reka K. Kelemen, Marwan Elkrewi, Anna K. Lindholm, Beatriz Vicoso
Summary: The t-haplotype of mice is a classical model for autosomal transmission distortion. This study provides an overview of the gene content of the t-haplotype, showing that many genes have reduced expression of the t-allele and some genes have increased expression of their t-copy. The t-allele genes also have a higher non-synonymous substitution rate and have acquired genes from other chromosomes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lennart Winkler, Anna K. Lindholm
Summary: The meiotic driver t haplotype causes lasting damage to the motility of both + and t developing sperm in mice, leading to a lower success rate in competition with +/+ sperm.
CHROMOSOME RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jan-Niklas Runge, Hanna Kokko, Anna K. Lindholm
Summary: Meiotic drivers, such as the t haplotype in house mice, can manipulate meiosis to increase the dispersal propensity of carriers. This study builds individual-based models to investigate the factors that contribute to the difference in dispersal between t-carriers and wildtype mice. The results show that the increase in dispersal is driven by the deleterious traits of the t haplotype, such as poor fitness in polyandrous matings and lethal homozygosity or male sterility. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that an increase in driver-carrier dispersal can evolve across a range of values in driver strength and disadvantages.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Manuela Ferrari, Anna K. Lindholm, Arpat Ozgul, Madan K. Oli, Barbara Konig
Summary: Optimal reproductive strategies are influenced by both intrinsic state and extrinsic environment, and conditional breeding tactics can maximize fitness. Through an 8-year study of house mice, it was found that communal breeding reduced average population fitness, but showed an increase over time. The expression of this tactic was conditionally dependent on population density and female body mass.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan-Niklas Runge, Barbara Konig, Anna K. Lindholm, Andres Bendesky
Summary: Genealogical relationships are important for genetic studies, but inferring correct pedigrees can be challenging even with genome-wide information. Inbreeding and genotyping errors are major factors that make pedigree inference difficult, especially in populations with high inbreeding or genotyping errors. This study introduces a new method called spore for inferring parent-offspring relationships in inbred pedigrees. Compared to existing methods, spore is superior at detecting parent-offspring relationships, particularly in the presence of inbreeding or genotyping errors.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Michael Scholz, Stefan Lakaemper, Kristina Keller, Akos Dobay, Andrea Eva Steuer, Hans-Peter Landolt, Thomas Kraemer
Summary: This study aims to identify the impact of insufficient sleep on metabolism and search for biomarkers of sleepiness. By observing changes in metabolic profiles and behavioral outcomes under different sleep-wake schedules, this is the first trial to comprehensively investigate the combination of metabolic profiles and performance monitoring. The findings of this study will have significant value for various related disciplines.
Review
Medicine, Legal
Raffael Golomingi, Akos Dobay, Sabine Franckenberg, Lars Ebert, Till Sieberth
Summary: Forensic investigations require various specialists with extensive knowledge and expertise. Augmented reality (AR) can be utilized to support investigators in tasks at the scene and throughout the investigation process. This article presents the current applications of AR in forensics, the technological basics, advantages, and future developments in the field.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Norio Zimmermann, Till Sieberth, Akos Dobay
Summary: In forensic medical investigations, automatic segmentation and classification of physical injuries documented with photographs could improve assessment and accelerate reporting. This pilot study trained and compared preexisting deep learning architectures for image segmentation and wound classification. The best models achieved a mean pixel accuracy of 69.4% and mean intersection over union (IoU) of 48.6% on the test set, although they struggled with distinguishing background from wounded areas. Despite difficulties with undefined wound boundaries, the best trained models reliably distinguished among seven common wounds encountered in forensic medical investigations.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Victor Ibanez, Dario Jucker, Lars C. Ebert, Sabine Franckenberg, Akos Dobay
Summary: This study trained a deep learning model to distinguish different types of fractures in volumetric postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) images. The model achieved the best performance at high levels of hierarchical taxonomy and had higher accuracy in predicting non-fracture cases and non-displaced fractures, but lower accuracy in predicting displaced fractures.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
L. C. Ebert, A. Dobay, S. Franckenberg, M. J. Thali, S. Decker, J. Ford
Summary: This article introduces the relevant segmentation techniques used on forensic medical data, including the meaning of image segmentation, software packages, data requirements, and various application areas where segmentation techniques have proven to be useful.
