To the Editor: Until 1999, influenza B virus was considered to infect humans only. However, more recent data proved that harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) also can be infected (1). Since the identification of seals as a novel host, antibodies against human influenza B viruses have been detected in some additional otarid and phocid species in a few relatively smal...

CRITTERCAMS were deployed on 42 Hawaiian monk seals at French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii, to assess the degree to which interaction with large predatory fish may play a role in their foraging success. Sharks, jacks, and large-bodied snappers were seen near the actively foraging seals approximately 17% of the time. Present at all but the greatest depths (>100 m), the predatory fish were most frequen...

Signaling theory provides the framework to address three main research questions: (1) How accurately do consumers notice and recollect TPA seals on retail Web sites? (2) How familiar are consumers with major TPA seals? and (3) How accurately do consumers understand the assurances represented by the TPA seals? Results of this study of three major TPA seals (TRUSTe, BBBOnLine Reliability, and Ver...

Harbour seals and grey seals from Faxaflói (Western Iceland) were analyzed for contamination with organochlorines (HCB, PCBs, p,p'-DDT,p,p'-DDE, chlordanes and the enantiomers of alpha-HCH). Although the values strongly varied, both harbour seals and grey seals on averaged showed comparable levels of PCBs, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE and alpha-HCH, as well as chlordanes (sigma CD). Differences were meas...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly being used as a conservation tool for highly mobile marine vertebrates and the focus is typically on protecting breeding areas where individuals are aggregated seasonally. Yet movements during the non-breeding season can overlap with threats that may be equally as important to population dynamics. Thus understanding habitat use and movements of spe...

Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabit Arctic regions that are facing both rapid climate change and increasing industrialization. While little is known about their sensory capabilities, available knowledge suggests that spotted seals and other ice seals use sound to obtain information from the surrounding environment. To quantitatively assess their auditory capabilities, the hearing of two young ...

This article presents a variable-order derivative (VOD) time fractional model for describing heat transfer in the rotor or stator non-contacting mechanical face seals. Most theoretical studies so far have been based on classical equation of transfer. Recently, constant-order (COD) models also used. The VOD considered here is able to provide adequate information phenomena occurring seals, especi...

The fluid leakage channel found in contact mechanical seals belongs to the microchannel category. Thus, upon further inspection, influence of surface wettability and other factors neglected previous studies becomes obvious. porous model considering presented this paper was based on Cassie slip theory. variations length velocity under various conditions were studied relationship between apparent...

In the spring and summer 2014, an outbreak of seal influenza A(H10N7) virus infection occurred among harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) off the coasts of Sweden and Denmark. This virus subsequently spread to harbor seals off the coasts of Germany and the Netherlands. While thousands of seals were reported dead in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, only a limited number of seals were found dead in the Neth...

Brucella pinnipedialis was first isolated from true seals in 1994 and from eared seals in 2008. Although few pathological findings have been associated with infection in true seals, reproductive pathology including abortions, and the isolation of the zoonotic strain type 27 have been documented in eared seals. In this study, a Brucella enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the Rose Beng...