The prevalence of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. was determined for ringed and bearded seals harvested for food in the Nunavik region in northern Quebec, Canada. Flow cytometric results demonstrated that G. duodenalis was present in the intestinal contents of 80% of the ringed seals and 75% of the bearded seals tested, while Cryptosporidium spp. were present in 9% of the ringed sea...

Leptospirosis was identified in six northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) that were stranded in 1995 along the coast of California (USA). Histologic lesions in all seals included tubulointerstitial nephritis with tubular degeneration and necrosis. Infection was confirmed through identification of spirochetes using an immunohistochemical stain for Leptospira sp. antigens. One affecte...

Little is known about the foraging behavior of top predators in the deep mesopelagic ocean. Elephant seals dive to the deep biota-poor oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) (>800 m depth) despite high diving costs in terms of energy and time, but how they successfully forage in the OMZ remains largely unknown. Assessment of their feeding rate is the key to understanding their foraging behavior, but this ha...

For threatened and endangered species, translocations have been widely used to mitigate multiple sources of mortality that threaten population recovery. Although numerous Hawaiian monk seals Neomonachus schauinslandi have been translocated for a variety of purposes, few monk seal translocations have addressed the problem of prey limitation. To assess the efficacy of using translocations to miti...

this paper focuses on studying, introducing and comparing seals from the settlement areas and cemeteries in the north of central plateau of iran. these seals were discovered in the previous and present excavations and surveys over the region. based on the obtained results, the ratio of similarity and difference between the two groups of seals (from the settlement areas and the cemeteries) is qu...

ABSTRACT. In order to promote web sales, companies conducting electronic commerce are constantly seeking viable and efficient ways to increase web traffic. One approach is to build consumers’ trust, and ultimately to increase web sales. Many business-to-consumer online merchants follow this approach and display trust-promoting seals on their websites. However, whether these seals really fulfill...

Tamper-indicating devices, also called security seals, are widely used to detect tampering or unauthorized entry. We studied 94 different security seals, both passive and electronic, developed either commercially or by the United States Government. Most of these seals are in wide-spread use, including for critical applications. We learned how to defeat all 94 seals using rapid, inexpensive, low...

For proper management and conservation of the Kuril harbor seal (Phoca vitulina stejnegeri) through disease control, serological analysis was performed for influenza A virus infection in free-ranging seals in Hokkaido, Japan. Serum samples were collected from seals at Nosappu (231 seals), Akkeshi (16) and Erimo (75), between 1998 and 2005, and were analyzed by ELISA. Antibodies to the influenza...

In this paper, we discuss the presence of symmetries in images engraved on ancient seals, in particular on stamp seals. Mainly used to secure the containers from tampering and for owner's identification, these objects appeared during the 5th millennium BC in Mesopotamia. Usually the seals were engraved with simple images, suitable to communicate an immediate information. Rotational symmetries a...

This article describes the design of a new test rig for measuring the friction force in pneumatic components and seals. The test rig was designed in order to measure both the overall friction force in a pneumatic cylinder or a valve as a whole, and the single contribution to friction force caused by the sliding seals. To this end, special fixtures and devices were designed and manufactured in o...