Phenotype management: a new approach to habitat restoration

The goal of habitat restoration is to provide environmental conditions that promote the maintenance and growth of target populations. But rarely is it considered how the allocation of resources influences the diversity of phenotypes in these populations. Here we present a framework for considering how habitat restoration can shape the development and expression of phenotypes. We call this approach phenotype management as it entails restoring the resources in a habitat to manage phenotypic diversity. Phenotype management is achieved by manipulating the spatial and temporal distribution of resources to alter the degree of competition among individuals. Differences in competition, in turn, lead to changes in phenotypic and life history expression that affect population parameters including demography and effective population size (N_e). To illustrate how phenotype management can be applied, we explore how resource distributions shape variation in phenotypes in two imperiled fishes, Pacific salmon and desert pupfish. In both examples, modulating male reproductive phenotypes changes the allocation of reproductive success among population members to subsequently affect N_e. These examples further demonstrate that whether to increase or decrease phenotypic diversity depends on the primary conservation pressures faced by the species.     

Cloning, functional expression, and characterization of cystatin in sesame seed

A cDNA fragment encoding cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor, was obtained from maturing sesame seeds. The clone was constructed in a nonfusion or fusion vector and then overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant cystatins were found in the soluble fraction of cell extract and were demonstrated to be functionally active in a reverse zymographic assay. The corresponding endogenous 22 kDa cystatin of low abundance in mature seeds was purified to homogeneity via a papain-coupling affinity column and confirmed by western blotting with antibodies against the recombinant cystatin. Both endogenous and recombinant cystatin proteins showed effective inhibitory activities against papain with K(i) values of 7.89 x 10(-8) M and 2.77 x 10(-8) M, respectively. Immunodetection indicated that cystatin was specifically expressed in maturing seeds and rapidly degraded in germination. Accordingly, zymographic and inhibition analyses showed that sesame cystatin could not inhibit the de novo synthesized proteases in germinating seeds. It is suggested that sesame cystatin may play a role in the regulation of endogenous cysteine proteases during seed maturation and germination.     

Silvicultural and reserve impacts on potential fire behavior and forest conservation: Twenty-five years of experience from Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests

Most administrators and ecologists agree that reducing the levels of hazardous fuels on forests is essential to restore healthy watersheds and protect adjacent human communities. The current debate over the appropriateness, technique, and timing of treatments utilized to restore vegetation structure and composition is currently on-going at local, state, and national levels. To provide information for these forums, the efficacy of seven traditional silvicultural systems and two types of reserves used in the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests is evaluated in terms of vegetation structure, fuel bed characteristics, modeled fire behavior, and potential wildfire related mortality. The systems include old-growth reserve, young-growth reserve, thinning from below, individual tree selection, overstory removal, and four types of plantations. These are the most commonly used silvicultural systems and reserves on federal, state, and private lands in the western United States. Each silvicultural system or reserve had three replicates and varied in size from 15 to 25 ha; a systematic design of plots was used to collect tree and fuel information. The majority of the traditional silvicultural systems examined in this work (all plantation treatments, overstory removal, individual tree selection) did not effectively reduce potential fire behavior and effects, especially wildfire induced tree mortality at high and extreme fire weather conditions. Overall, thinning from below, and old-growth and young-growth reserves were more effective at reducing predicted tree mortality.     

Honey as a protective agent against lipid oxidation in ground turkey.

Lipid oxidation is a major deteriorative factor in meats. Sources of natural antioxidants that are as effective as commercially available antioxidants are desired. The objective of this research was to investigate honey as an inhibitor of lipid oxidation in ground poultry. The antioxidant content of different varieties of honey was investigated spectrophotometrically and honey's effectiveness in reducing oxidation of ground poultry determined by monitoring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Buckwheat honey had the highest antioxidant content and acacia honey the lowest. Honeys of different floral sources differed in their protection against lipid oxidation. Buckwheat honey (5%, w/w) reduced TBARS approximately 70%, whereas acacia honey reduced TBARS approximately 34% at 3 days of storage at 4 degrees C. In comparison to butylated hydroxytoluene and tocopherol (0.02% of total fat), honey (at 5% of the weight of the meat) was much more effective at preventing oxidation. Honey has great potential as an antioxidant source and may result in greater acceptability of meat products and prevent negative health implications of oxidized meats.     

Effects of feeding diets containing low crude protein and coarse wheat bran as alternatives to zinc oxide in nursery pig diets

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of crude protein (CP) level in diets containing coarse wheat bran (CWB) with or without pharmacological levels of Zn (provided by zinc oxide: ZnO) on growth performance and fecal DM of nursery pigs. In experiment 1, 360 barrows (Line 200 × 400, DNA, Columbus, NE, initially 5.6 kg) were allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments from d 0 to 21 after weaning with 5 pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment. Treatments included a positive control diet (21% CP) with 3,000 mg/kg Zn in phase 1 and 2,000 mg/kg in phase 2; negative control (21% CP) with 110 mg/kg added Zn, and 4 diets containing 4% CWB and 110 mg/kg added Zn formulated to contain 21%, 19.5%, 18%, or 16.5% CP. The 2 control diets and 21% CP CWB diet contained 1.40% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys in phase 1 and 1.35% SID Lys in phase 2, while the 19.5%, 18%, and 16.5% CP diets contained 1.33, 1.25 and 1.20% Lys, respectively, in both phases. Pigs fed the positive control diet containing pharmacological ZnO had increased (P < 0.05) ADG and G:F compared with the negative control and the 21% CP CWB diet. Reducing CP (concurrently with SID Lys) in diets containing CWB decreased ADG and G:F (linear, P = 0.002); however, fecal DM increased (linear, P = 0.005). In experiment 2, two groups of 300 and 350 pigs, initially 7.0 and 6.2 kg, respectively, were used with 5 pigs per pen and 26 pens per treatment. The objective was to determine if adding back essential AA would improve growth performance of pigs fed the low CP diets. All dietary treatments were fed for 13 days, contained 4% CWB, and consisted of: (1) positive control with 2,000 mg/kg of Zn and 21% CP (1.35% SID Lys); (2) no ZnO and 21% CP; and 3 diets with no ZnO formulated to 18% CP and (3) 1.2% SID Lys; (4) 1.35% SID Lys by the addition of feed grade amino acids (AA), and (5) diet 4 with non-essential amino acids (NEAA; Gly and Glu). Pigs fed 21% CP with ZnO had increased (P = 0.001) ADG compared to those fed 18% CP (1.35% SID Lys) with high levels of feed grade amino acids or those fed the reduced SID Lys (1.2%) diet. Overall, G:F was improved (P < 0.001) for pigs fed 21% CP diets and those fed the 18% CP diet with NEAA compared to pigs fed 1.2% SID Lys and pigs fed high levels of feed grade amino acids. Fecal DM was increased for pigs fed the reduced SID Lys diet. In summary, pharmacological levels of Zn improve pig growth performance, but reducing CP (and subsequently SID Lys) decreased nursery pig growth performance.     

Use of gyroscopic sensors for objective evaluation of trimming and shoeing to alter time between heel and toe lift-off at end of the stance phase in horses walking and trotting on a treadmill

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a shoe with an axialcontoured lateral branch would induce greater lateral roll of the forelimb hoof during the time between heel and toe lift-off at end of the stance phase (breakover). Animals-10 adult horses. PROCEDURE: A gyroscopic transducer was placed on the hoof of the right forelimb and connected to a transmitter. Data on hoof angular velocity were collected as each horse walked and trotted on a treadmill before (treatment 1, no trim-no shoe) and after 2 treatments by a farrier (treatment 2, trim-standard shoe; and treatment 3, trim-contoured shoe). Data were converted to hoof angles by mathematical integration. Breakover duration was divided into 4 segments, and hoof angles in 3 planes (pitch, roll, and yaw) were calculated at the end of each segment. Multivariable ANOVA was performed to detect differences among treatments and gaits. RESULTS: Trimming and shoeing with a shoe with contoured lateral branches induced greater mean lateral roll to the hoof of 3.2 degrees and 2.5 degrees during the first half of breakover when trotting, compared with values for no trim-no shoe and trim-standard shoe, respectively. This effect dissipated during the second half of breakover. When horses walked, lateral roll during breakover was not significantly enhanced by use of this shoe. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A shoe with an axial-contoured lateral branch induced greater lateral roll during breakover in trotting horses, but change in orientation of the hoof was small and limited to the first half of breakover.     

A case of hypospadias in a dog

: This clinical case report described a three-month-old mongrel dog that had the urethral orifice opening 3 cm from the tip of the penis and lacked a completely formed preputial sheath. It was presented to the clinic with an exposed penile shaft that was dry. The dog had urinary incontinence that was not of neurological origin. It also had unilateral agenesis of the right testicle. The preputial sheath was successfully reconstructed. Urinary incontinence stopped soon after surgery, suggesting that it had been probably due to an ascending urethritis. A large preputial opening was left because of the location of the urethral opening.     

Ectopic ureterocele in a cat

A 9-month-old, castrated male domestic shorthair cat with urinary incontinence was referred for surgical correction of an ectopic ureter. Excretory urography revealed hydronephrosis of the right kidney, right hydroureter, and ureterocele. A partial ureterocelectomy and neoureterocystostomy were performed. This report describes the surgical modification of the ureterocele and ectopic ureter to correct ipsilateral hydronephrosis, hydroureter, and urinary incontinence.     

Outcomes of cellophane banding for congenital portosystemic shunts in 106 dogs and 5 cats

OBJECTIVE : To report outcomes after cellophane banding of single congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs and cats. STUDY DESIGN : Retrospective study of sequential cases. ANIMALS : One hundred and six dogs and five cats. METHODS : Medical records were reviewed for breed, sex, age at surgery, shunt anatomy, results of pre- and postoperative biochemical analysis, development of postligation neurologic dysfunction, portal hypertension or other serious complications, and the owners' perception of their animal's response to surgery. RESULTS : Ninety-five dogs and all 5 cats had extrahepatic shunts. Eleven dogs had intrahepatic shunts. Six dogs (5.5%) died as a result of surgery from portal hypertension (2 dogs), postligation neurologic dysfunction (2), splenic hemorrhage (1) and suspected narcotic overdose (1). Serious complications were more common in dogs with intrahepatic shunts than those with extrahepatic shunts (P=.002). Postligation neurologic dysfunction necessitated treatment in 10 dogs and 1 cat; 8 dogs and the cat survived. Clinical signs attributed to portosystemic shunting resolved or were substantially attenuated in all survivors. Postoperative serum bile acid concentrations or results of ammonia tolerance testing were available for 88 animals; 74 (84%) were normal and 14 (16%) were abnormal. Multiple acquired shunts were documented in two animals. CONCLUSIONS : Cellophane banding is a safe and effective alternative to other methods of attenuation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE : Slow occlusion of portosystemic shunts using a variety of methods is being evaluated world wide. Cellophane banding is a relatively simple procedure with comparable safety and efficacy to previously reported techniques.     

Mechanical performance of a screw-type veterinary suture anchor subjected to single load to failure and cyclic loads

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the mechanical performance of a veterinary bone anchor under static and cyclic loads. STUDY DESIGN: Mechanical testing study. ANIMALS: Cadaveric canine humeri. METHODS: Humeri (6 pairs) were collected from skeletally mature dogs (mean [+/-SD] age, 17.2+/-2.1 months; weight, 20.8+/-1.5 kg). Bone anchors were inserted in the proximal metaphysis using nylon, and were longitudinally extracted. For the opposite humerus, anchors were subjected to longitudinal cyclic load (50% of the load at failure of their pair) for 1200 cycles then longitudinally loaded to failure. Anchors were then installed in a similar and adjacent area of these 2(nd) humeri with nylon and cyclically tested perpendicular to the axis of anchor insertion (100% of the longitudinal holding power of their pair) for 1200 cycles, then perpendicularly loaded to failure. Paired t-tests were used to compare holding power before and after longitudinal cyclic testing. RESULTS: Longitudinal holding power of the screw-type anchor in the proximal humerus was 385+/-30 N. Anchor pullout was the only mode of failure. Anchors in the paired humeri did not fail after 1200 cycles of 50% longitudinal loading, and post-cycle holding strength was not different (335+/-87 N; P=.32). Perpendicularly loaded anchors did not fail after 1200 cycles of 100% of opposite longitudinal holding strength, and had post-cycle perpendicular holding strengths of 514+/-72 N. Suture breakage was the mode of failure. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Bone anchor holding strength is dependent on orientation of suture load. Screw-type bone anchor holding strength was not affected by longitudinal cyclic loading, and holding strengths of approximately 385 N can be expected in metaphyseal bone of large-breed mature dogs. Perpendicularly loaded anchors have higher failure loads, and holding strength of approximately 514 N can be expected in metaphyseal bone of the proximal humerus.