Predation of wildlife by domestic cats was studied in Israel. Analysis of stomach contents and data provided by observers revealed that many domestic cats enriched the diet provided by their owners with many species of wild animals, including 12 mammals, 26 birds, 18 reptiles, and one amphibian, and scavenged from garbage. The proportion of manufactured cat food and garbage dump food in the diet of urban cats decreased from 70% of stomach volume among those living in rural settlements to 44% among cats living in open areas, with the rest of the stomach contents consisting of wild animals. Of the wild animals hunted by cats, the most common category was mammals (75% of the stomach volume), followed by amphibians (10%), birds (9%), and reptiles (6%). Most cats do not wander more than 200 m away from either a food source or cover. Female cats living in (southern) desert settlements do not leave the inhabited area and have very small home ranges, while those living in the Mediterranean region (central and northern) wander outside under the cover of trees and bushes and have significantly larger home ranges. The mean distance traveled daily by females from their center of activity was 51.3 m and 103.4 m for the southern and northern populations, respectively. Males were studied only in the Mediterranean region, and their travel distances were greater than those of females. Although our results of predation are mainly qualitative, this study supports those done elsewhere in the world where the cat was shown to be a generalist predator whose potential impact on some species, especially endangered ones, may be considerable.

Rodent burrows are often assumed to be environments wherein the air has a high concentration of CO 2 . Although high burrow [CO 2 ] has been recorded, many studies report burrow [CO 2 ] that differs only slightly from atmospheric concentrations. Here, we advocate that one of the reasons for these differences is the penetration into burrows of air gusts (eddies), which originate in the turbulent boundary layer and prevent build-up of CO 2 . We have characterized the means by which burrows of Sundevall's jird, which are representative of the burrows of many rodent species with more than one entrance, are ventilated. Our results demonstrate that, even at low wind speeds, the random penetration of eddies into a burrow through its openings is sufficient to keep the burrow [CO 2 ] low enough to be physiologically inconsequential, even in its deep and remote parts.

Asthma is the most common reason for referral to the emergency department in childhood. In severe attacks, supplemental O2 is given when oxygen saturation level is <90%. Described herein is the case of a child with persistent low oxygen saturation as measured on pulse oximetry (S(p)O2) after full clinical recovery from an asthma attack. Simultaneously, P(a)O2 was normal. A diagnosis of abnormal hemoglobin with decreased oxygen affinity (hemoglobin Seattle) was made on hemoglobin electrophoresis and genetic analysis. To ascertain when supplemental oxygen was needed, an oxygen dissociation curve was plotted using the tonometer technique, and it was found that an S(p)O2 of 70% is parallel to a P(a)O2 of 60 mmHg. Plotting an oxygen dissociation curve is a simple reproducible method to determine when supplemental oxygen is required for a child with a hemoglobinopathy.

No abstract