Ectoparasites of the island fox on Santa Cruz Island.

The ectoparasite fauna for island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) on Santa Cruz Island (California, USA) in April (wet season) and September (dry season) 1998 was evaluated. Three taxa of ectoparasites were identified. These were fleas (Pulex irritans), lice (Neotrichodectes mephitidis), and ticks (Ixodes pacificus). Ectoparasite abundances varied seasonally. Typical of insular endemic species, island foxes may be especially vulnerable to the introduction of novel disease organisms and their vectors.

The ecology and macroecology of mammalian home range area.

Although many studies employ allometric relationships to demonstrate possible dependence of various traits on body mass, the relationship between home range size and body mass has been perhaps the most difficult to understand. Early studies demonstrated that carnivorous species had larger home ranges than herbivorous species of similar mass. These studies also argued that scaling relations (e.g., slopes) of the former were steeper than those of the latter and explained this in terms of the distribution of food resources, which are more uniformly distributed for most herbivores than for carnivores. In contrast to these studies, we show that scaling relations of home ranges for carnivorous mammals do not differ significantly from those of herbivorous and omnivorous species and that all three exhibit slopes that are significantly steeper than predicted on the basis of energetic requirements. We also demonstrate that home range size is constrained to fit within a polygonal constraint space bounded by lines representing energetic and/or biophysical limitations, which suggests that the log-linear relationship between home range area and mass may not be the appropriate function to compare against the energetically predicted slopes of 0.75 or 1.0. It remains unclear, however, why the slope of the relationship between home range area and body mass, whether based on raw data or on constraint lines, always exceeds that predicted by the energetic needs hypothesis.

Hematology and serum chemistry of the island fox on Santa Cruz Island.

Serum and hematologic biochemistry values for island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) on Santa Cruz Island (California, USA) in April (wet season) and September (dry season) 1998 were evaluated. Serum chemistry of island foxes generally varied seasonally; 10 (40%) of the 25 serum characteristics were higher in the wet season, and three (12%) of the 25 serum characteristics were higher in the dry season. No hematologic parameters varied between seasons, although some measures varied between sexes. Blood analytes also varied with age; fox pups had higher values than adults for one hematologic and four serum parameters, whereas adult foxes had higher values for five hematologic characteristics. The information on blood chemistry provides baseline data useful in the monitoring of this threatened insular endemic carnivore.

Prevalence of and associated risk factors for shedding Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia cysts within feral pig populations in California.

Populations of feral pigs (Sus scrofa) may serve as an environmental reservoir of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia sp. cysts for source water. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of and associated demographic and environmental risk factors for the shedding of C. parvum oocysts and Giardia sp. cysts. Feral pigs were either live-trapped or dispatched from 10 populations located along the coastal mountains of western California, and fecal samples were obtained for immunofluorescence detection of C. parvum oocysts and Giardia sp. cysts. We found that 12 (5.4%) and 17 (7.6%) of 221 feral pigs were shedding C. parvum oocysts and Giardia sp. cysts, respectively. The pig's sex and body condition and the presence of cattle were not associated with the probability of the shedding of C. parvum oocysts. However, younger pigs (< or = 8 months) and pigs from high-density populations (> 2.0 feral pigs/km2) were significantly more likely to shed oocysts compared to older pigs (> 8 months) and pigs from low-density populations (< or = 1.9 feral pigs/km2). In contrast, none of these demographic and environmental variables were associated with the probability of the shedding of Giardia sp. cysts among feral pigs. These results suggest that given the propensity for feral pigs to focus their activity in riparian areas, feral pigs may serve as a source of protozoal contamination for surface water.

Immobilization and physiological parameters associated with chemical restraint of wild pigs with Telazol and xylazine hydrochloride.

We used a combination of Telazol (3.3 mg/kg) and xylazine hydrochloride (1.6 mg/kg to immobilize 144 wild pigs (Sus scrofa) with blow darts. This drug combination was safe and effective for rapidly immobilizing animals ranging in size from 34 to > 170 kg and avoided difficulties associated with hand injections. For 123 single injection immobilizations, mean (+/- SD) induction times and effective handling periods averaged 5 (+/- 2.5) and 52 (+/- 18) min, respectively, and animals generally recovered for release within 120 min of initial injections. Animals that required two injections to immobilize (n = 21) received lower initial doses of Telazol and xylazine hydrochloride than those immobilized with a single injection because of errors in estimating body sizes; we found that there was a threshold dose required to immobilize wild pigs from 2.8 to 3.3 mg/kg Telazol and 1.4 to 1.6 mg/kg xylazine. Although neither age or sex influenced immobilization parameters, animals in good condition required longer to recover than those in poor condition. However, animals immobilized with two injections recovered as rapidly as those immobilized with a single injection. Heart rates and body temperatures declined slightly during the immobilization period, but respiration rates and blood oxygen saturation levels remained stable. In general, single injection immobilizations were preferable because they minimized problems associated with injecting partially immobilized animals. because it was difficult to accurately estimate the sizes of large wild pigs (> or = 90 kg), and because wild pigs that were partially immobilized were difficult to handle, we recommend increasing the drug doses to 4 mg/kg Telazol and 2 mg/kg xylazine hydrochloride when injecting relatively large animals to assure single injection immobilizations. Although recovery periods may be prolonged, higher doses of Telazol and xylazine should be safe based on data from domestic pigs.

Detectability, philopatry, and the distribution of dispersal distances in vertebrates.

Dispersal is of central importance to population biology, behavioral ecology and conservation. However, because field studies are based on finite study areas, nearly all dispersal distributions for vertebrates currently available are biased, often highly so. The inadequacy of dispersal data obtained directly by traditional methods using population studies of marked individuals is highlighted by comparing the resulting distributions with dispersal estimates obtained by radio-tracking and by using genetic estimates of gene flow.

Techniques for immobilizing and bleeding marmots and woodrats.

Blood samples were obtained in the field by femoral vein puncture in bushy-tailed woodrats (Neotoma cinerea) and yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) that had been injected intramuscularly with ketamine hydrochloride. Dosages ranged from 50 mg/kg for marmots to 30 to 110 mg/kg for woodrats. Sedated animals were handled easily, and a volume of blood sufficient for hematological assays or electrophoresis could be collected.

The library's role in the continuing education of health professionals.

Health sciences librarians have historically viewed disseminating information to health professionals as a major role. Typically, they have provided individualized services and are among the professions that help health professionals further their education after finishing formal education. Another group directly involved in health professional continuing education is continuing education (CE) providers who offer ongoing learning through group activities. These two professions often reached the same audiences in the past, and their different approaches--individual and group--were complementary. Health professionals who needed information immediately or who wished individual learning used the library while those who wanted to hear eminent colleagues tended to use CE meetings or seminars; some did both. The librarians and CE providers rarely interacted, but this is now changing. With the introduction of personal computers, medical librarians have expanded their responsibilities to include formalized classroom instruction. At the same time, CE providers have increased their scope beyond formalized group instruction into individualized education. Librarians and CE providers can either collaborate and share their expertise or they can compete against each other.

Impact of the Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library Service on hospital library development.

A study was designed to evaluate the progress of hospital libraries within Region 7 since the Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library Services (PSRMLS) began in 1969. Library progress was defined as an increase in extent and types of services and resources offered. The study assessed the impact of Regional Medical Library programs on hospital libraries and compared resources and services reported in 1969, 1971, and 1984. The 1984 data were also measured against a set of core library services and resources that should be provided by a full-service hospital library. In addition to assessing the quality of PSRMLS programs and their effect on Region 7 hospital libraries, the study documented extensive growth in staffing, collection size, and services. PSRMLS programs were highly rated by the respondents, who also indicated that participation in PSRMLS programs improved specific library resources and services.

Audiovisual licensing: purchasing is not owning.

Discusses the use of licensing agreements for health sciences audiovisuals. The difference between productions covered by the copyright law vis-a-vis those with licensing agreements is explored and representative examples of agreements are provided. Health sciences producers have turned to licensing agreements for several reasons including the protection of their productions from illegal duplication. Whereas these agreements may protect producers, they also may unintentionally bar legitimate users from viewing programs and may also create additional work for LRCs and libraries.

Getting started with electronic mail.

This paper gives suggestions to librarians on how to get started with electronic mail. It discusses the cost- and time-saving advantages of using electronic mail rather than TWX, United States mail, or telephones for communicating ILL requests and messages. For instance, preliminary cost data show that electronic mail is often half as expensive as TWX and costs no more than a 22 stamp. Key management concerns that must be considered when setting up electronic mail are discussed, including the need for subscribers to agree on one system. Also covered are the types of equipment that can be used with electronic mail, including print terminals.

Integrating library services and continuing education.

This paper presents an innovative integration of library services and continuing education (CE). While print material is an important continuing education information source for physicians, its volume is overwhelming. Librarians have developed the use of a variety of methods, including online data bases such as MEDLINE, to simplify and expedite access to printed information. Combining a library information delivery system with formal continuing education course activities can enhance the educational potential of two popular learning methods.

The Veterans Administration Library Network: VALNET.

Given substantial federal budget cuts and ever-increasing quantities of print and nonprint material, Veterans Administration (VA) Library Services have pooled their resources in a network to improve the scope and efficiency of the services they provide. The VA Library Network, VALNET, composed of 176 libraries, serves health care facilities throughout the continental United States and Puerto Rico. This paper outlines VALNET's organization and the range of individual VA Library Services. It also describes centrally provided services and resource-sharing tools being developed by the VA, as well as significant sharing arrangement among VA Library Services and between the VA and non-VA libraries.