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Because of their low metabolic costs, ectothermic predators can specialise on prey resources that are available for only a brief period each year. Endemic pit-vipers (Gloydius shedaoensis ) on a small island in north-eastern China offer an extreme example of this phenomenon, with adult snakes feeding only on seasonally migrating birds that are available for a few weeks in spring and autumn. We surgically implanted radiotransmitters in 16 pit-vipers, and located the snakes at weekly intervals for the next 12 months to record activity, movements, home ranges, habitat use, body temperatures and associated environmental temperatures. The snakes were extremely sedentary, with daily displacements averaging <2 m and home ranges <0.3 ha. The snakes maintained diurnal body temperatures around 25°C throughout the active season. Diurnal activity was reduced in summer, when birds were unavailable. Males and females were similar in most aspects of their ecology, except that females were often found in trees in autumn (feeding) while males were more often on the ground at this time (probably mate-searching). Males also tended to shelter under vegetation rather than under rocks. The low vagility, relatively low body temperatures and summer inactivity of these snakes may reduce energy expenditure, and thus facilitate survival in a habitat where food is available only in brief periods several months apart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: This study presents fungi and their characteristics identified from burn patients at a major Chinese burn centre. Methods: All burns patients admitted to our Burn Research Institute from 2003 to 2006 inclusive were included in this study. Once fungal infection was suspected clinically, samples including wound tissue, blood, urine, stool and sputum were harvested for the culture of yeast. The sensitivities of the identified yeast were determined and the positive samples and cases were analysed. Results: Out of a total of 3909 cases, 467 patients were clinically suspected of fungal infection, of which 1970 samples were taken for yeast culture. A total of 38 samples and 36 patients tested positive. The three most positive samples were urine, blood and catheter. Candida tropicalis was identified as the most common yeast type (42.1%), followed by Candida albicans (31.6%), Candida famata (T. Famata) (10.5%) and Candida glabrata (T. Glabrata) (7.9%). Except for C. galbrata, most of the yeast strains found in the study were sensitive to the routine antimycotic agents. There were eight deaths in the 36 positive patients. As much as 83.3% of the positive cases suffered burns of more than 50% total body surface area (TBSA) and half of the positive cases were greater than 80% TBSA. A total of 78.95% of the positive samples were taken from patients after 2 weeks post-burn injury. Conclusion: A profile of the fungi isolated from burn patients in a major Chinese burn centre is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Fluid resuscitation is one of the critical treatments for the major burn patient in the early phases after injury. We evaluated the practice of fluid resuscitation for severely burned patients with the Third Military Medical University (TMMU) protocol, which is most widely used in many regions of China. Methods: Patients with major burns (>30% total body surface area (TBSA)) presenting to Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, between January 2005 and October 2007, were included in this study. Fluid resuscitation was initiated by the TMMU protocol. Results: A total of 71 patients were (46 adults and 25 children) included in this study. All patients survived the first 48h after injury smoothly and none developed abdominal compartment syndrome or other recognised complications associated with fluid resuscitation. The average quantity of fluid infused was 3.3–61.33% more than that calculated based on the TMMU protocol in both adult and paediatric groups. The average urine output during the first 24h after injury was about 1.2ml per kg body weight per hour in the two groups, but reached 1.2ml and 1.7ml during the second 24h in adult and pediatric groups, respectively. Conclusion: This study indicates that the TMMU protocol for fluid resuscitation is a feasible option for burn patients. Individualised resuscitation – guided by the physiological response to fluid administration – is still important as in other protocols. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Ontogenetic shifts in habitat use are widespread, especially in ectothermic taxa in which juveniles may be an order of magnitude smaller than large adult conspecifics. The factors that generate such habitat shifts are generally obscure, but we studied an unusual system that allowed us to compare consequences of habitat selection between adults and juveniles. Pit-vipers (Gloydius shedaoensis ) on a small island in north-eastern China feed almost entirely on seasonally migrating birds. During the spring bird-migration period, individual snakes consistently re-used either arboreal or terrestrial ambush sites. Snakes in trees were smaller (and more philopatric) than snakes on the ground. This ontogenetic shift in habitat use may reflect the difficulty of capturing birds on the ground, especially by small snakes. In laboratory trials, large (adult) pit-vipers struck faster, further and more accurately than did small (juvenile) snakes. In experiments with free-ranging snakes, the proportion of strikes hitting the bird was lower for juveniles than for adults, and lower for terrestrial snakes than for arboreal snakes. Additionally, adult snakes generally seized the bird by the head whereas juveniles frequently struck the body or wings (and thus, obtained a less secure grip). Arboreal ambush sites may facilitate prey capture not only because they give access to smaller birds but also because they render the bird's location more predictable and, hence, enable the snake to position itself optimally prior to the prey's arrival. Because juvenile pit-vipers are less capable strikers, and are small relative to available prey items, they may benefit from the greater ease of prey capture from branches. Thus, the ontogenetic shift in habitat selection within this species may be because of ontogenetic shifts in the vipers’ ability to capture and ingest large, mobile prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]