Canids are definitive hosts of Taenia and Echinococcus species, which infect a variety of mammals as intermediate or accidental hosts including humans. Parasite transmission is based on domestic, semi-domestic and wildlife cycles; however, little is known of the epidemiological significance of wild large definitive hosts such as the wolf. In this study, 179 scats of wolves (Canis lupus italicus...

This study examined the genetic nature and relatedness of Canis latrans (Coyotes) in eastern Massachusetts (i.e., eastern Coyotes). We characterized 67 animals at the mitochondrial DNA control region, and 55 of those at 8 microsatellite loci. Structure analysis and factorial correspondence analysis of the microsatellite genotypes indicated that the eastern Coyotes in Massachusetts clustered wit...

The extinct marsupial thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and placental grey wolf (Canis lupus) are commonly presented as an iconic example of convergence. However, various analyses suggest distinctly different behaviours and specialization towards either relatively small or large prey in the thylacine, bringing the degree of apparent convergence into question. Here we apply a powerful engineer...

The wolf Canis lupus, the most widespread of the four species of large carnivores in Europe, after centuries of population decline and eradication, is now recovering in many countries. Wolves contribute to regulating prey-predator dynamics and interact with human activities, mainly livestock farming and ungulate hunting. Although wolves are protected in most European countries, illegal or incid...

Managing reproduction for Canidae species is a challenge for zoological institutions and wildlife sanctuaries. There are four basic options for contraception: separation of sexes, surgical procedures, immunological and hormonal methods. Animal managers face potential challenges for each option, and advantages and disadvantages should be taken into consideration when making a decision. This pape...

an 11-year-old female patient with autoimmune hepatitis (aih) was referred to our rheumatology clinic due to her current musculoskeletal manifestations. the patient had been diagnosed with aih 3 months previously, based on jaundice and impaired liver function tests, and she had been treated with low-dose prednisolone and azathioprine. she presented with malaise, arthritis, a malar rash on the f...

at present, some clinical presentations and serological parameters such as products of complement activation and elevation of autoantibodies (e.g. dsdna antibodies), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (esr), levels of c-reactive protein (crp), or cytokines such as il-2/il-2 receptor, il-6 and il-10 are used as indirect serological markers with variable degrees of significance. to date, no specific ...

the central immunological disturbance in systemic lupus erythematosus (sle) is autoantibody production. some of these antibodies affecting components of the cell nucleus are the major characteristics of sle. the present study was aimed to assess importance of anticardiolipin (acl) antibody and its association with clinical state in sle patients. a cross sectional study was performed on 100 pati...