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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Wild Bird’S-Eye View Of Influenza Virus A(H1n1), Larry Clark
Wild Bird’S-Eye View Of Influenza Virus A(H1n1), Larry Clark
Larry Clark
Wild bird fecal samples collected and characterized by the USDA as part of a national surveillance effort were sequenced to study the genetic relatedness of avian, swine, and human H1 and N1 subtypes. Our results find that the 2009 H1N1 human outbreak is closely related to swine virus, but falls into different clades in the H1 and N1 trees. Further, there is evidence of multiple viral genetic exchanges between birds and swine. Ongoing research across host species contributes to an understanding of the circulation of influenza viruses.
Capsaicin Effects On Consumption Of Food By Cedar Waxwings And House Finches., Donald Norman, Russell Mason, Larry Clark
Capsaicin Effects On Consumption Of Food By Cedar Waxwings And House Finches., Donald Norman, Russell Mason, Larry Clark
Larry Clark
Capsaicin effects on consumption of food by Cedar Waxwings and House Finches. Capsaicinoids (e.g., N-vanillyl-n-nonamide. norcapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, homocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin; Hoffman 1983) are aromatic am ides and the pungent principles in Capsicum peppers. Although these substances are strong chemical irritants for most mammals (e.g.. Rozin et a!. 1979), the available data suggest that they are inoffensive to some birds. For example. European Starlings (Sturn us vulgaris) and Rock Doves (Columba Iivia) are unresponsive to these compounds, even when con centrations greatly exceed those which mammals avoid (Szolcsanyi et al. 1986; Mason et a!.. in press).
Taxonomic Differences Between Birds And Mammals In Their Responses To Chemical Irritants, Russell Mason, Larry Clark, Pankaj Shah
Taxonomic Differences Between Birds And Mammals In Their Responses To Chemical Irritants, Russell Mason, Larry Clark, Pankaj Shah
Larry Clark
Ninety-five products are registered with the u.s. Environmental Pro tection Agency as bird damage control chemicals, but 38 (40%) are non lethal chemical repellents (Eschen and Schafer, 1986). Of these products, the active ingredients in 27 (71%) are methiocarb (a physiologic repellent that acts through food avoidance learning) or polybutene (a tactile repel lent). In general, chemical repellents are effective either because of aversive sensory effects (irritation), or because of post-ingestional ma laise (sickness). If the former, then chemicals are usually stimulants of trigeminal pain receptors (i.e., undifferentiated free nerve endings) in the nose, mouth, and eyes (Mason and Otis, …
Olfactory Discrimination Of Plant Volatiles By The European Starling, Larry Clark, J Russell Mason
Olfactory Discrimination Of Plant Volatiles By The European Starling, Larry Clark, J Russell Mason
Larry Clark
Passerine species that re-use nest sites often incorporate fresh green vegetation into their nests, a behaviour consistent with the possibility that some birds may use chemical properties of plants to counteract the selective potential of parasites and pathogens. We tested adult starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) for their physiological capacity and behavioural ability to detect and discriminate between volatiles emitted from plant material. Multi-unit electrophysiological recordings from olfactory nerves of adults indicated that strong responses were reliably elicited by volatiles from six plant species. After pairings of plant volatiles with gastro-intestinal malaise, birds exhibited conditioned avoidance in behavioural experiments, and made all …