An influenza H3N8 virus, carrying mammalian adaptation mutations, was isolated from New England harbor seals in 2011. We sought to assess the risk of its human transmissibility using two complementary approaches. First, we tested the binding of recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) proteins of seal H3N8 and human-adapted H3N2 viruses to respiratory tissues of humans and ferrets. For human tissues, we ...

Seals and commercial fisheries are potential competitors for fish and cephalopods. Research into the diet of British seal species has been based on conventional dietary analyses, but these methods often do not allow assignment of species identity to scat samples. We present a protocol for obtaining DNA from seal scat (faecal) samples which can be used in polymerase chain reactions to amplify bo...

AIM Fish-oil omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are mostly esterified to the sn-2 position of triglycerides, while in seal-oil triglycerides, these are mostly esterified to the sn-1 and -3 positions. We investigated whether fish-oil and seal-oil feeding has a different effect on the regulation of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in BioF1B hamsters. METHODS BioF1B hamsters we...

BACKGROUND The objective of the present study was to compare in a prospective randomized fashion two different management schemes for chest tubes after lobectomy: water seal versus alternate suction (suction overnight and water seal during the day). METHODS Ninety-four patients with air leak on the morning of the first postoperative day were randomly assigned to two groups: group 1 (water sea...

In order to compare the performance of four pleural drainage units (PDU [Emerson Post-Operative Pump, Pleur-Evac, Sentinel Seal, Thora-Klex]), we created an animal model of bronchopleural fistula that simulated the type of air leak seen clinically (mean maximal flow = 5 L/min). The PDU were tested at 0 cm (water seal), -20 cm and -40 cmH2O suction. Compared to water seal, -20 cmH2O suction sign...

In order to reduce the failure probability of rubber sealing rings in reciprocating dynamic seal, a new structure of sealing ring based on bionics was designed. The biomimetic ring has three concave ridges and convex bulges on each side which are very similar to earthworms. Bulges were circularly designed and sealing performances of the biomimetic ring in both static seal and dynamic seal were ...

The reasons for the decline in some Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) stocks in Newfoundland and southern Labrador are not fully understood, but many resource users consider predation by seals in rivers and nearshore waters to be a contributing factor. To address these concerns, local ecological knowledge (LEK) interviews with resource users (n = 57) were conducted at 29 rivers throughout the Provi...

Photo-identification (photo-ID) with camera traps was examined as a non-invasive method for studying and monitoring the endangered Saimaa ringed seal Phoca hispida saimensis. An average of 51 game cameras were set up at shoreline haul-out sites in central Lake Saimaa during the moulting seasons in each of the years from 2010 to 2014. Individuals were identified from their lifelong unique latera...

For seals hunting in dark and murky waters one source of sensory information for locating prey consists of fish-generated water movements, which they can detect using their highly sensitive mystacial vibrissae. As water movements in the wake of fishes can persist for several minutes, hydrodynamic trails of considerable length are generated. It has been demonstrated that seals can use their vibr...

BACKGROUND Fluoride releasing bonding agent were introduced to take care of white spot lesions. However, their clinically handling properties are less than ideal, deterring many practitioners. Reliance orthodontic products (Itacsa, I11) recently released an enamel sealant named Pro Seal to be used with bonding agents. Hu and Featherstone showed Pro Seal significantly decreased enamel deminerali...