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Semi-captive elephants have been extensively used in the tourism sector in Myanmar. However, these elephants have not been provided with the range of habitats they require, resulting in increased Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) within the local community. In addition, there are very limited studies on the assessment of their home ranges, habitat preferences, and preferred food plants. We aimed to address three research questions: (1) What is the size of semi-captive elephants' daily home range? (2) In which habitat types do they prefer to stay? (3) What are their preferred food plants? We fitted GPS devices on the six semi-captive elephants 3–4 times a month in three study sites over seven months. The sample collection of food plants was carried out at each site. The results indicated that the mean average size of the daily home range for semi-captive elephants was 0.90 km2 (95% KDE), with a range of 0.38 to 2.38 km2. We found that the habitat provided for semi-captive elephants was not large enough to be inhabited. The analysis of habitat selection showed that elephants prefer to use secondary forests. The Poaceae family was found to be the main food taxon. We suggest that more areas be provided around elephant camps and that the currently permitted habitats be protected from land use that overlaps with other forestry operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trypanosoma evansi is a widespread hemoprotozoa that causes trypanosomiasis in both livestock and wildlife. One of the susceptible animals is the Sumatran elephant, which is included in the endangered species category. The infection of this parasite often develops into chronic and sub-clinical forms in elephants, therefore it may become unnoticed and hard to diagnose. This study aimed to analyze and evaluate the infection of T. evansi in semi-captive Sumatran elephants in Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia, using various diagnostic tests. The prevalence of T. evansi in a total of 53 Sumatran elephants was estimated using a card agglutination test for trypanosomiasis (CATT) in 2016. A longitudinal study was later conducted in 2019 using Giemsa stained blood smear (GSBS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that 26.4% of samples (14/53) were positively detected by both CATT in 2016 and PCR in 2019, while GSBS was unable to detect the parasites in all samples. Furthermore, four individuals were confirmed to have persistent infections. This study concluded that the ability of CATT and PCR were more convincing over GSBS for the diagnosis of subclinical trypanosomiasis in Sumatran elephants. However, it is recommended to use a combination of CATT as a screening tool and PCR as a confirmatory test for reliable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing inspiration from Geoffrey Whitehall's article titled '"When they fight back": A cinematic archive of animal resistance and world wars', this article seeks to explore the exploitation and resistance of elephants by examining the power dynamics between humans and elephants in Nirmal Ghosh's novella River Storm (2022). This study undertakes an animal standpoint reading to recognize the subjective experiences of elephants, questioning the dominance of humans over them. Furthermore, it employs Foucault's concept of power to challenge the prevailing narrative of absolute control over animals. By highlighting various instances of elephants fighting back, the article aims to subvert the discourse of complete human domination of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porkbush or Elephant bush is a popular succulent garden plant scientifically known as Portulacaria afra Jacq., is often used for bonsai through out the world. This plant is found to be effective in carbon sequestration (binding atmospheric carbon, which is responsible for climate change), in thickest and semi-arid landscape vegetation. It is also used for restoration purposes. In view of the importance of this plant, MS medium was optimized for callus induction from the leaves of the P. afra. The leaves were used as the explants for callus induction on biochemically modified MS media at different hormonal concentrations of MS+0.5 mg/L, MS+1.0 mg/L and MS+1.5 mg/L of 2,4-D and MS+0.1 mg/L, MS+0.25 mg/L and MS+0.5 mg/L of BAP and different Vitamin-Amino acid cocktail concentrations of VACT-1, VACT-2 and VACT-3 along with control media without PGR (VACT-0) and vitamin-amino acid concentrations. The optimum medium for effective callus induction from the leaves of P. afra was found to be MS+1.5 mg/L 2, 4-D, 0.5 mg/L of BAP and VACT-3 (Myo-Inositol-150 mg/L, Pyridoxine HCl-0.15 mg/L, Thiamine HCl-0.5 mg/L and Glycine-3.0 mg/L) with slight modification of micro nutrients under optimal culture conditions. Effective callus induction was seen on the modified MS medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can insects weighing mere grams challenge our current understanding of fluid dynamics in urination, jetting fluids like their larger mammalian counterparts? Current fluid urination models, predominantly formulated for mammals, suggest that jetting is confined to animals over 3 kg, owing to viscous and surface tension constraints at microscales. Our findings defy this paradigm by demonstrating that cicadas--weighing just 2 g--possess the capability for jetting fluids through remarkably small orifices. Using dimensional analysis, we introduce a unifying fluid dynamics scaling framework that accommodates a broad range of taxa, from surface-tension-dominated insects to inertia and gravity-reliant mammals. This study not only refines our understanding of fluid excretion across various species but also highlights its potential relevance in diverse fields such as ecology, evolutionary biology, and biofluid dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welfare is a fundamental aspect of animal management and conservation. In light of growing public awareness and welfare concerns about captive elephants, there is an urgent need for comprehensive, globally coordinated efforts for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) that participate in religious, logging, or tourist activities in range countries where the majority reside, and where welfare issues have been identified but not addressed. This review provides a comparative analysis of available animal assessment tools. Each offers distinct features for assessment that allow institutions to select criteria for specific needs and available resources. Most are applied to general animal welfare assessments, although some are tailored to particular species, including elephants. The tools span diverse formats, from digital to primarily paper-based assessments. Assessments operate at individual and institutional levels and across multiple welfare domains. Methodologies rely on keeper ratings or expert evaluations, incorporate numerical scoring and Likert scales for welfare grading, and encompass inputs including behaviors, health, and physiological indicators. For tourist camp elephants, one challenge is that the tools were developed in zoos, which may or may not have application to non-zoological settings. Digital tools and assessment methodologies such as keeper ratings face logistical challenges when applied across tourist venues. As with any tool, reliability, validity, and repeatability are essential and must address the unique welfare challenges of diverse captive settings. We propose that a holistic, context-specific, evidence-based, and practical tool be developed to ensure high elephant welfare standards in non-zoological facilities throughout Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Zoos are home to a diverse range of species, including those in need of conservation. Given the high costs involved in caring for their residents and satisfying their commitments to educating the public, zoos rely on patronage from visitors. Zoos, therefore, need to understand how visitors think and feel about the well-being of the animals in their collections. If visitors perceive zoos as spaces where animals are unhappy, they will be less likely to visit. This qualitative study documented and assessed visitor experiences of and responses to training activities provided for the resident herd of African elephants at Zoo Tampa, Florida, USA. Surveys were conducted with visitors following their attendance at elephant training and enrichment sessions, and they focused on ascertaining visitor perceptions of elephant emotions, care, and welfare. These surveys revealed that visitors perceived that the elephants involved in the encounters were happy, content, calm, comfortable, engaged, excited, good, playful, and safe (among other emotional descriptors) and that they experienced good welfare. Responses also gave insight into why visitors felt this was the case and identified aspects that visitors did not like or that they felt could be improved. The research provides zoos with insight into the impact that animal–caregiver interactions can have on visitors' perceptions, and it offers a model that could be applied across the sector. Zoos strive to provide excellent welfare for resident animals, including those belonging to endangered species involved in captive breeding programs while addressing visitors' concerns regarding the ethics of captivity. Zoos also rely on income and support from visitors to provide exceptional care for their animal residents. It is essential, therefore, that zoos consider how visitors perceive their animals' well-being, including physical and psychological welfare. This pragmatic, qualitative research explores the aspects of training-focused enrichment activities provided for a resident herd of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) that visitors liked/disliked, and it assesses perceptions of the animals' emotions and welfare. Data were collected via surveys following live encounters at Zoo Tampa, Florida (USA). Reflexive Thematic Analysis generated key themes related to visitors' most/least-liked aspects of the encounters, including proximity, elephant–caregiver relationships (ECRs), educational content, and teaching/learning opportunities for the elephants themselves. Participants in the research perceived the elephants as happy, content, calm, comfortable, engaged, excited, good, playful, and safe (among other emotional descriptors) and as having excellent welfare. Expressions of dislike referred to visitors' inability to have contact with the elephants, such as via touching or feeding. While focused on one case-study zoo and a charismatic species, this study nonetheless provides zoos with insight into the impact that animal–caregiver interactions can have on visitors' perceptions, and it offers a model that could be applied to other species and at other zoological institutions. These visitor experiences and visitor perceptions of animal welfare drive future visitor actions, including support for zoos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephant apple, a fruit with numerous bioactive compounds, is rich in therapeutic qualities. However, its use in processed products is limited due to insufficient postharvest processing methods. To address this issue, an automatic core cutter (ACC) was developed to handle the hard nature of the fruit while cutting. The physical characteristics of the elephant apple were considered for designing and development of the cutter. The cutter is divided into four main sections, including a frame, collecting tray, movable coring unit, and cutting base with five fruit holders. The parts that directly contact the fruit are made of food-grade stainless steel. The efficiency of the cutter was analyzed based on cutting/coring capacity, machine efficiency, loss percentage, and other factors, and was compared to traditional cutting methods (TCM) and a foot-operated core cutter (FOCC). The ACC had an average cutting/coring capacity of 270–300 kg/h, which was significantly higher than TCM's capacity of 12–15 kg/h and comparable to FOCC's capacity of 115–130 kg/h. The ACC offered a higher sepal yield of 85.68 ± 1.80% compared to TCM's yield of 65.76 ± 1.35%, which was equivalent to the yield obtained by FOCC. Therefore, the ACC outperforms TCM in terms of quality, quantity, and stress associated and is superior to FOCC in terms of higher efficiency of machine and labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built environment faces significant challenges in managing energy demands amidst rising temperatures and increasing concerns linked to climate change. Meeting carbon emissions targets and resource management goals necessitates urgent innovation in more energy-efficient cooling solutions. Nature offers a large database of adaptive and efficient thermal solutions that can be harnessed through biomimetic methods in building design and systems. Emerging biomimetic and computational approaches hold promise in facilitating practical application efforts. This paper investigates the translation of morphological features from elephant skin to building facades, optimizing their inherent cooling capabilities through computational design using evolutionary algorithms. Through this exploration, we propose a set of generalized evolutionary principles, offering a foundational framework for the development of textured facade tiles with the aim of mitigating heat gain from solar radiation. This study provides an in-depth analysis of how assembly, texture depth, and orientation impact thermal performance, enabling the design of more effective passive cooling systems through an understanding of the relationship between morphological variations in textured surfaces and environmental performance. Future research may involve studying natural convection dynamics, optimizing capillary networks, evaluating materials for water adhesion and cleaning, assessing impacts on biological growth, and exploring biodiversity integration within textured facade panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is present throughout the natural follicular phase. However, the debate is still not settled on whether LH is needed during ovarian stimulation in IVF. This commentary looks at the evolution of this debate, mentioning three elephants in the room that were ignored by the Pharma industry, professional organizations, and clinicians alike: The different endocrinology between the long agonist and the antagonist protocols. The fixed dose of the two most widely commercially available antagonist preparations, namely cetrorelix and ganirelix. The fact that most research in this area uses population-based criteria, ignoring endocrine parameters. Individual genetics of the LH receptor gene may also serve to individualize LH needs during stimulation; however, the jury is still out regarding this approach. Conclusions: Individual endocrine and genetics parameters may shed meaningful light on the question of LH supplemental during ovarian stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parvorder Rhynchopthirina contains three currently recognised species of lice that parasitize elephants (both African savanna elephant Loxodonta africana and Asian elephant Elephas maximus), desert warthogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) and Red River hogs (Potamochoerus porcus), respectively. The Asian elephant lice and the African savanna elephant lice are currently treated as the same species, Haematomyzus elephantis (Piaget, 1869), based on morphology despite the fact that their hosts diverged 8.4 million years ago. In the current study, we sequenced 23 mitochondrial (mt) genes of African savanna elephant lice collected in South Africa and analysed the sequence divergence between African savanna elephant lice and previously sequenced Asian elephant lice. Sequence comparisons revealed >23% divergence for the 23 mt genes as a whole and ~17% divergence for cox1 gene between African savanna and Asian elephant lice, which were far higher than the divergence expected within a species. Furthermore, the mt gene sequence divergences between these lice are 3.76–4.6 times higher than that between their hosts, the African savanna and Asian elephants, which are expected for the co‐divergence and co‐evolution between lice and their elephant hosts. We conclude that (1) H. elephantis (Piaget, 1869) contains cryptic species and (2) African savanna and Asian elephant lice are different species genetically that may have co‐diverged and co‐evolved with their hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES In this cohort study, we aimed to assess the 1-year clinical outcomes of using the E-vita Open NEO™ hybrid prosthesis for total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk (FET) to repair extensive aortic pathologies. METHODS We reviewed individuals who underwent thoracic aortic surgery between April 2021 and March 2023 from the Gangnam Severance Aortic Registry. Exclusion criteria included ascending aortic replacement, 1 or 2 partial arch replacement, descending aortic replacement and total arch replacement without an FET. Finally, all consecutive patients who underwent total arch replacement and FET with E-vita Open NEO for aortic arch pathologies between April 2021 and March 2023 were included in this cohort study. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on their pathology: acute aortic dissection, chronic aortic dissection and thoracic aortic aneurysm. The primary end point was in-hospital mortality. The secondary end points during the postoperative period comprised stroke, spinal cord injury and redo sternotomy for bleeding. Additionally, the secondary end points during the follow-up period included the 1-year survival rate, 1-year freedom from all aortic procedures and 1-year freedom from unplanned aortic interventions. RESULTS The study included 167 patients in total: 92 patients (55.1%) with acute aortic dissection, 20 patients (12.0%) with chronic aortic dissection and 55 patients (32.9%) with thoracic aortic aneurysm. The in-hospital mortality was 1.8% (n  = 3). Strokes occurred in 1.8% (n  = 3) of the patients, spinal cord injury in 1.8% (n  = 3) and redo sternotomy for bleeding was performed in 3.0% (n  = 5). There were no significant differences between the pathological groups. The median follow-up period (quartile 1–quartile 3) was 198 (37–373) days, with 1-year survival rates of 95.9%. At 1 year, the freedom from all aortic procedures and unplanned aortic interventions were 90.3% and 92.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The 1-year clinical outcomes of total arch replacement with FET using the E-vita Open NEO were favourable. Long-term follow-up is required to evaluate the durability of the FET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates meteorological drought in sub‐Saharan Africa within the context of elephant conservation. Prolonged drought significantly impacts elephants, leading to increased mortality rates and heightened human–elephant conflicts. We assess both the anticipated 21st century changes in impact‐relevant meteorological drought metrics and the efficacy of existing forecasting systems in predicting such droughts on seasonal time scales. The climate change element of our study uses the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) ensemble to evaluate projected change in 3‐month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI3). We then carry out a quantitative assessment of seasonal forecast skill, utilizing 110 years of precipitation hindcasts generated by the European Centre for Medium Range Forecasting (ECMWF) system. Our findings indicate that persistent drought is projected to become more frequent over the 21st century in southern Africa, where the majority of elephants reside. Analysis of seasonal hindcasts indicates that, while the forecasts have greater skill than climatology, they remain highly uncertain. Previous work suggests that it may be possible to reduce this uncertainty by contextualizing forecasts within specific climate regimes. However, even with improved forecast skill, effective action hinges on the alignment of forecasts with the practical needs of conservation practitioners. Over the next decades, a co‐production approach will be critical for leveraging seasonal forecasts for climate change adaptation within the conservation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been considerable interest in the classification of flows among existing applications in SDN, such as traffic engineering, service quality, and network management. Particularly, the classification methods used for elephant flow detection play an essential role. With elephant flow detection, the high bandwidth provided by data centers is used effectively, and traffic routing can be performed on the network without delay. The most important goals in elephant flow classification are to detect elephant flows in the shortest possible time and with high accuracy. This study aims to lead further studies by analyzing different classifiers for elephant flow detection, which is the preliminary step of elephant flow routing in SDN. For this purpose, a new framework is proposed for elephant flow detection. The framework is tested with six different classifiers; most have not been used in the literature before in elephant flow detection on SDN. The proposed framework's first step is to convert UNI1 and UNI2 datasets containing actual network data into flowing datasets using the Flowrecorder tool. The OTSU thresholding method is used for ground-truth labeling. Then, feature extraction is made for the six different classifiers. In the proposed framework, 11 various features are extracted for each flow. In addition, the most suitable parameters for each classifier are determined by the grid search method. The success of classification techniques is calculated using accuracy, precision, recall, F-score, and running time measures. When the results are examined, the proposed framework obtained pretty successful results in SVM and decision tree methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeding by Critically Endangered forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis in rural plantations is a conservation issue in Gabon, but studies characterizing drivers of spatiotemporal patterns of human–elephant interactions remain sparse, hindering mitigation. In this study, we use GPS tracking data from two elephants to characterize temporal patterns of village visitation, and surveys of 101 local farmers across seven villages to determine local patterns of crop planting and harvesting and of human–elephant interactions. Local farmers' perceptions of elephant visitations and empirical data on such visits were positively correlated with local crop availability. However, considering the two elephants separately revealed that the correlations were driven by just one individual, with the second elephant showing weak links between crop availability and visitation, highlighting the challenges in reliably predicting human–wildlife interactions. The most popular local perceptions of the drivers of elephant visitation were the presence of crops (53% of responses) and logging (39%). The most popular proposed interventions were letting the government find a solution (32%), killing problem elephants (30%) and providing compensation for lost crops (22%). We discuss the potential feasibility and efficacy of the proposed solutions in the context of human–elephant interactions. Future research efforts should focus on collaring elephants in zones with high potential for negative human–elephant interaction and expanding perception surveys to villages with contrasting ecological contexts (e.g. with and without logging in their surrounding forests), as these could influence local perceptions of conflicts and conservation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying suitable habitats and conserving corridors are crucial to the long-term conservation of large and conflict-prone animals. Being a flagship species, survival of Asian elephants is threatened by human-induced mortality and habitat modification. We aimed to assess the habitat suitability and connectivity of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 habitat in the state of Odisha in eastern India. We followed the ensemble of spatial prediction models using species presence data and five environmental variables. We used least-cost path and circuit theory approaches to identify the spatial connectivity between core habitats for Asian elephants. The results revealed that normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; variable importance 42%) and terrain ruggedness (19%) are the most influential variables for predicting habitat suitability of species within the study area. Our habitat suitability map estimated 14.6% of Odisha's geographical area (c. 22,442 km²) as highly suitable and 13.3% (c. 20,464 km²) as moderate highly suitable. We identified 58 potential linkages to maintain the habitat connectivity across study area. Furthermore, we identified pinch points, bottlenecks, and high centrality links between core habitats. Our study offers management implications for long-term landscape conservation for Asian elephants in Odisha and highlights priority zones that can help maintain spatial links between elephant habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Human-elephant conflict (HEC)", the alarming issue, in present day context has attracted the attention of environmentalists and policy makers. The rising conflict between human beings and wild elephants is common in Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) and its adjoining area in West Bengal State, India, making the area volatile. People's attitudes towards elephant conservation activity are very crucial to get rid of HEC, because people's proximity with wild elephants' habitat can trigger the occurrence of HEC. The aim of this study is to conduct an in-depth investigation about the association of people's attitudes towards HEC with their locational, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics in BTR and its adjoining area by using Pearson's bivariate chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis. BTR is one of the constituent parts of Eastern Doors Elephant Reserve (EDER). We interviewed 500 respondents to understand their perceptions to HEC and investigated their locational, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics including location of village, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, caste, poverty level, education level, primary occupation, secondary occupation, household type, and source of firewood. The results indicate that respondents who are living in enclave forest villages (EFVs), peripheral forest villages (PFVs), corridor village (CVs), or forest and corridor villages (FCVs), mainly males, at the age of 18-48 years old, engaged with agriculture occupation, and living in kancha and mixed houses, have more likelihood to witness HEC. Besides, respondents who are illiterate or at primary education level are more likely to regard elephant as a main problematic animal around their villages and refuse to participate in elephant conservation activity. For the sake of a sustainable environment for both human beings and wildlife, people's attitudes towards elephants must be friendly in a more prudent way, so that the two communities can live in harmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambiguity is often recognized as an intrinsic aspect of addressing complex sustainability challenges. Nevertheless, in the practice of transdisciplinary sustainability research, ambiguity is often an 'elephant in the room' to be either side-stepped or reduced rather than explicitly mobilized in pursuit of solutions. These responses threaten the salience and legitimacy of sustainability science by masking the pluralism of real-world sustainability challenges and how research renders certain frames visible and invisible. Critical systems thinking (CST) emerged from the efforts of operational researchers to address theoretical and practical aspects of ambiguity. By adapting key concepts, frameworks, and lessons from CST literature and case studies, this paper aims to establish (1) an expansive conceptualization of ambiguity and (2) recommendations for operationalizing ambiguity as a valuable means of addressing sustainability challenges. We conceptualize ambiguity as an emergent feature of the simultaneous and interacting boundary processes associated with being, knowing, and intervening in complex systems, and propose Reflexive Boundary Critique (RBC) as a novel framework to help navigate these boundary processes. Our characterization of ambiguity acknowledges the boundary of a researcher's subjective orientation and its influence on how ambiguity is exposed and mediated in research (being), characterizes knowledge as produced through the process of making boundary judgments, generating a partial, contextual, and provisional frame (knowing), and situates a researcher as part of the complexity they seek to understand, rendering any boundary process as a form of intervention that reinforces or marginalizes certain frames and, in turn, influences action (intervening). Our recommendations for sustainability scientists to operationalize ambiguity include (1) nurturing the reflexive capacities of transdisciplinary researchers to navigate persistent ambiguity (e.g., using our proposed framework of RBC), and (2) grappling with the potential for and consequences of theoretical incommensurability and discordant pluralism. Our findings can help sustainability scientists give shape to and embrace ambiguity as a fundamental part of rigorous sustainability science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020 and 2021, the world witnessed policies that caused enormous net damage to most countries. We demonstrate the usefulness of the new WELLBY currency in gauging the costs and benefits of COVID policies and review the contributions of Australian economists to the scholarly and public debates about these policies. Our analysis documents the value of what was destroyed, the weak resistance mounted by the Australian economics profession during this period, and the role played by many Australian economists as apologists for what we view as Australia's most catastrophic peacetime economic policy failure. We close with ideas for working towards a better future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1993 to 1994, 64 free-ranging elephants (Loxodonta africana) succumbed to encephalomyocarditis in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, of which 83% were adult bulls. Mastomys rodents were implicated as the reservoir host of the Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) based on serology and RT-PCR. However, in the absence of sequence-confirmation of both the virus and the rodent host, definitive links between the elephant outbreak strains and rodent reservoir could not be established. In this study, we generate the first reference genome sequences for three historical EMCVs isolated from two Mastomys rodents and one Mastomys-associated mite, Laelaps muricola, in Gauteng Province, South Africa, in 1961. In addition, near-complete genome sequences were generated for two elephant outbreak virus strains, for which data were previously limited to the P1 and 3D genome regions. The consensus sequence of each virus was determined using a PCR-Sanger sequencing approach. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the three near-identical (99.95–99.97%) Mastomys-associated viruses to be sister to the two near-identical (99.85%) elephant outbreak strains, differing from each other at 6.4% of sites across the ~7400-nucleotide region characterised. This study demonstrates a link between Mastomys-associated viruses and the historical elephant outbreak strains and implicates Mastomys as reservoirs of EMCV in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is one of the important megafaunas in protected areas of the Terai (lowland) region of Nepal. They often encounter humans and their livelihood-supporting activities in the proximity of forest boundary within the protected area. The human-elephant conflict has been one of the major issues in the human settlement close to the protected area, which has caused economic losses and poised a threat to human lives every year. The issue has obstructed sustainable management initiatives within the protected areas. The objective of the study is to analyze the cause of the human-elephant conflict in the Buffer Zone of Bardiya National Park and to assess people's perception of this megafauna. The structured questionnaire survey was done in three municipalities within the Buffer Zone of Bardiya National Park. Besides, key informants' interview was done to supplement the questionnaire survey. The result shows that 93% of the respondents have been a victim of elephant attacks in the past three years. Last year, on average, each household lost approximately NRs 9690 (USD 1 = NRs 132.72) worth of stored harvest due to the elephant attack. Most of the attack occurs during the season between July to September, followed by the season between October to December. It also indicates that the preference of elephants for crops is the primary cause of elephant attacks/raids in the study area. The second important cause of the elephant attack is insufficient food base which is followed by the expansion of agricultural fields towards the forest. Ninety percent of respondents react to the elephant attack by chasing them (using fire or noise). Fifty-one percent of respondents accept the human-elephant coexistence because of their biological and economic values. However, 40% of them reject the coexistence because of the threat posed by the elephant upon the local people and their livelihood. Human-elephant conflict hinders the management campaign and therefore has to be resolved through collaboration of the protected area, the local people and the administrative stakeholders. It is suggested that more study has to be made to acknowledge the pattern of residing as well as migrating elephants around forest boundaries and adjacent settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis in Asian elephants usually shows involvement of lungs and associated lymph nodes. Grossly, the affected lobes of lungs reveal circumscribed lesions of varying sizes with central areas of caseation and necrosis. This report documents histomorphological features of pulmonary tuberculosis in six Asian elephants. The important cell types present were lymphocytes, foamy macrophages, epithelioid macrophages and Langhan's type of giant cells. In addition, caseation necrosis, fibrotic capsule, and mineralisation (calcification) were also observed. Characteristic features of tuberculoid granulomas observed in the six cases showed similarities with other species. The six cases showed varying proportions of the seven defined features but all features were present together only in one case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and its core principles, such as least privilege, network segmentation, continuous monitoring, and the prohibition of lateral movement. It highlights the importance of developing and maintaining dynamic risk-based policies for resource access and the need for identity management and key management in implementing ZTA. The article emphasizes that ZTA cannot be implemented effectively without considering the broader environment and factors such as policies, user identities, and encryption keys. [Extracted from the article]

The article titled "Deter, Disrupt, or Deceive: Assessing Cyber Conflict as an Intelligence Contest" is a book review of a publication edited by Robert Chesney and Max Smeets. The book explores the concept of cyber conflict as an intelligence contest and examines the policies of state and nonstate actors in this realm. The review highlights the different perspectives presented in the book, including the United States' focus on intelligence collection, China's defense of its ideology through cyber operations, Russia's continuation of information warfare, and the UK's emphasis on protection. The review also discusses the role of nonstate actors and the challenges of attributing cyber actions to governments. Overall, the review suggests that the book provides interesting insights for those involved in cyber or intelligence operations, but acknowledges the need for further examination of the challenges in the US cyber model and the operational effects of cyber. [Extracted from the article]

This study evaluated the proximate and mineral composition of various parts of Balanites aegyptiaca, Mitragyna inermis, Cassia sieberiena, Kigelia africana, Detarium microcarpum, Terminalia laxiflora, Ficus platyphylla and Climber plant (Liana) as feeds of elephants in the savannah ecological zone of Ghana. The proximate composition was carried out using the methods of the Association of official analytical chemists (AOAC) and the mineral profiles were determined by atomic absorption and flame photometric methods. The highest content of Crude Protein, Crude Fibre, Ash, Moisture and Nitrogen free extract were 12.0% ± 0.01, 15.3% ± 0.01, 14.6% ± 0.0, 7.5% ± 0.01, 76.6% ± 0.01 for Ficus platyphylla, Tamarindus indica, Balanites aegyptiaca and Detarium microcarpum, respectively. The mineral profiling also found appreciable levels of Ca, Mg, P, K, Na, Zn, Cu, Fe, Se and Mn at concentrations (mg/kg) of 4.6 ± 0.00, 0.4 ± 0.01, 0.4 ± 0.01, 5.1 ± 0.01, 0.11 ± 0.01, 1.07 ± 0.008, 0.25 ± 0.005, 0.063 ± 0.0005, 37.48 ± 0.001 for Ficus platyphylla bark, Liana, Terminalia laxiflora bark and leaves, Mitragyna inermis bark, Terminalia laxiflora leaves and Mitragyna inermis leaves, respectively. Presentation of the presence of these important nutrients would be a guide to zoo managers and wildlife practitioners on the best quality of feeds to select for wild elephants.

Rampant environmental changes and forest destruction push elephants, both Asian and African, to explore human spaces to fulfil their dietary and ecological requirements and, consequently in shared spaces many 'novel' elephant behaviors come into the limelight. Elephant calf burial is reported in African literature but remains absent from the Asian context. We report calf burials by Asian Elephants in the eastern Himalayan floodplains of the northern Bengal landscape. The study area consists of fragmented forests, tea estates, agricultural lands, and military establishments. Tea estates form the majority of elephant corridors, and we explain the burial strategy of elephants in the irrigation drains of tea estates. We present five case reports of calf burials by elephants. We aimed to understand the perimortem strategy and postmortem behavior of the Asian Elephants. The major findings reflect that the carcasses were carried by trunks and legs for a distance before being buried in a 'legs-upright-position'. We further investigated the underlying reason for calf deaths through postmortem examinations. Direct human intervention was not recorded in any of the five deaths. Through opportunistic observation, digital photography, fieldnotes, and postmortem examination reports, we suggest that the carcasses were buried in an abnormal recumbent style irrespective of the reason for the calf's death. Through long-term observation, we further report that the elephants in this region clearly avoid the paths where carcasses were buried. We discuss and connect the literature of two distinct elephant species and also compare thanatological studies of other sentient nonhuman species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international travel ban instituted by the Thai government in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected how tourist camp elephants were managed, with reductions in exercise opportunities, longer chaining hours, and diminished food provisioning. This study was conducted to determine how those changes affected health and welfare biomarkers in individual elephants over the 2 years of the countrywide lockdown (April 2020-April 2022). Blood and fecal samples were collected from 58 elephants at six camps (monthly in Year 1, quarterly in Year 2) and analyzed for stress biomarkers -- fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM), serum oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)], and stress leukograms. Overall, fGCM concentrations increased within the first few months and remained higher than pre-COVID levels, as did the H/L ratio, a measure affected by cortisol. Serum 8-OHdG, an indicator of DNA oxidative damage, also increased over time, while monocytosis and lymphopenia further suggested alterations in immune function as a result of stress. By contrast, another marker of oxidative stress, serum MDA, declined, possibly in response to reduced roughage and supplement intake. A notable finding was a seasonal pattern of fGCM that was significantly different from previous studies. Whereas higher fGCM during the rainy season were observed in this study, previously, concentrations were highest during the winter, high tourist season. Thus, ironically, both the presence and absence of tourists have been associated with increased fGCM concentrations, albeit for different reasons. Camp management factors negatively affecting stress outcomes included shorter chain lengths, longer chain hours, lack of exercise, and reduced roughage and supplements. Overall, it was clear that camps struggled to maintain adequate care for elephants during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of tourist income and need for contingency plans to cope with potential future disruptions to tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel strategy based on a hybrid algorithm of Elephant Herding Optimization Big Bang–Big Crunch is provided to address the English character recognition problem with interference from external noise. A model used to recognize handwritten Hindi (Devanagari) characters is called Hindi OCR (optical character recognition). Despite the fact that only a few nature-inspired algorithms are used for OCR, none are used for the characters seen in natural scenes due to the difficulties presented by the various fonts, lighting, orientation, and texture variations. Also, Hindi's curved and complicated architecture makes it challenging to separate and analyze the text or character. Better feature databases are created using the proposed Hybrid EHO–B3C model to facilitate categorization. Two standard datasets of English characters, Char74k and ICDAR03, are used to assess the performance of the novel Hybrid EHO–B3C on natural scene characters. The proposed model is also evaluated on the Devanagari handwritten character dataset, which is a dataset consisting of characters from the Hindi language. Results show 83% results on Char74k and 86.4% on ICDAR, comparable to most available techniques. We have also examined our algorithm for face recognition by examining it on five different datasets, namely MUCT, Faces94, Extended Yale B, Georgia Tech, and Grimace, and attained high recognition results, even though the data sets differ in size, image size, brightness and ethnicity of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately and efficiently predicting elephant flows (elephants) is crucial for optimizing network performance and resource utilization. Current prediction approaches for software-defined networks (SDNs) typically rely on complete traffic and statistics moving from switches to controllers. This leads to an extra control channel bandwidth occupation and network delay. To address this issue, this paper proposes a prediction strategy based on incomplete traffic that is sampled by the timeouts for the installation or reactivation of flow entries. The strategy involves assigning a very short hard timeout ( T i n i t i a l ) to flow entries and then increasing it at a rate of r until flows are identified as elephants or out of their lifespans. Predicted elephants are switched to an idle timeout of 5 s. Logistic regression is used to model elephants based on a complete dataset. Bayesian optimization is then used to tune the trained model T i n i t i a l and r over the incomplete dataset. The process of feature selection, model learning, and optimization is explained. An extensive evaluation shows that the proposed approach can achieve over 90% generalization accuracy over 7 different datasets, including campus, backbone, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Elephants can be correctly predicted for about half of their lifetime. The proposed approach can significantly reduce the controller–switch interaction in campus and IoT networks, although packet completion approaches may need to be applied in networks with a short mean packet inter-arrival time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bluetongue Virus (BTV) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) are Orbiviruses primarily transmitted by their biological vector, Culicoides spp. Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). These viruses can infect a diverse range of vertebrate hosts, leading to disease outbreaks in domestic and wild ruminants worldwide. This study, conducted at the Belo Horizonte Municipal Parks and Zoobotany Foundation (FPMZB-BH), Minas Gerais, Brazil, focused on Orbivirus and its vectors. Collections of Culicoides spp. were carried out at the FPMZB-BH from 9 December 2021 to 18 November 2022. A higher prevalence of these insects was observed during the summer months, especially in February. Factors such as elevated temperatures, high humidity, fecal accumulation, and proximity to large animals, like camels and elephants, were associated with increased Culicoides capture. Among the identified Culicoides spp. species, Culicoides insignis Lutz, 1913, constituted 75%, and Culicoides pusillus Lutz, 1913, 6% of the collected midges, both described as competent vectors for Orbivirus transmission. Additionally, a previously unreported species in Minas Gerais, Culicoides debilipalpis Lutz, 1913, was identified, also suspected of being a transmitter of these Orbiviruses. The feeding preferences of some Culicoides species were analyzed, revealing that C. insignis feeds on deer, Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and European fallow deer (Dama dama). Different Culicoides spp. were also identified feeding on humans, raising concerns about the potential transmission of arboviruses at the site. In parallel, 72 serum samples from 14 susceptible species, including various Cervids, collected between 2012 and 2022 from the FPMZB-BH serum bank, underwent Agar Gel Immunodiffusion (AGID) testing for BTV and EHDV. The results showed 75% seropositivity for BTV and 19% for EHDV. Post-testing analysis revealed variations in antibody presence against BTV in a tapir and a fallow deer and against EHDV in a gemsbok across different years. These studies confirm the presence of BTV and EHDV vectors, along with potential virus circulation in the zoo. Consequently, implementing control measures is essential to prevent susceptible species from becoming infected and developing clinical diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs), of which eleven (sub)species are currently distinguished, infect either Asian (Elephas maximus) or African elephants (Loxodonta species). While all adult elephants are latently infected with at least one EEHV (sub)species, young elephants, specifically those with low to non-detectable EEHV-specific antibody levels, may develop fatal hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) upon infection. However, animals with high antibody levels against EEHV(1A) gB, an immunodominant antigen recognized by antibodies elicited against multiple (sub)species, may also occasionally succumb to EEHV-HD. To better define which animals are at risk of EEHV-HD, gB and gH/gL ELISAs were developed for each of the Asian elephant EEHV subspecies and assessed using 396 sera from 164 Asian elephants from European zoos. Antibody levels measured against gB of different (sub)species correlated strongly with one another, suggesting high cross-reactivity. Antibody levels against gH/gL of different subspecies were far less correlated and allowed differentiation between these (sub)species. Importantly, while high gB-specific antibody levels were detected in the sera of several EEHV-HD fatalities, all fatalities (n = 23) had low antibody levels against gH/gL of the subspecies causing disease. Overall, our data indicate that (sub)species-specific gH/gL ELISAs can be used to identify animals at risk of EEHV-HD when infected with a particular EEHV (sub)species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]