Food supplementation: A tool to increase reproductive output? A case study in the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay

The federally threatened Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) has suffered dramatic losses in recent years primarily because of overdevelopment of its unique scrub habitat. Ensuring the survival of this species will require not only measures to reduce habitat loss, but also efforts to increase the numbers of birds in small scattered populations to a point at which they are resilient to extinction from stochastic population fluctuations. Here we evaluate the utility of providing supplementary food during the pre-breeding season as a means of increasing the reproductive output of Florida Scrub-Jays. Data collected from 2000 to 2007 at Archbold Biological Station in south-central Florida indicate a marked effect of supplemental feeding on reproductive output. This increased output appeared to result primarily from larger clutch sizes produced by supplemented female breeders as a result of their advanced laying. Supplementation also increased offspring survival probabilities and the early laying permitted more renesting attempts. Furthermore, annual variation in several reproductive measures was dampened in supplemented birds, suggesting that supplemental feeding may reduce environmental or stochastic effects on reproductive output. Although a number of potential problems may be associated with supplemental feeding (e.g., predator entrainment and increased opportunity for disease transmission), it can serve as a valuable tool for management agencies that wish to rapidly increase local carrying capacity. In addition, food supplementation might benefit translocation efforts both by increasing the number of potential translocation candidates from a donor population and then by supplementing the newly established population to promote rapid growth.     

Inclusion body myositis in spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer).

In 2000, 2 adult captive spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) from the same zoological park were humanely euthanized. Histologically, both frogs had degeneration, atrophy, and necrosis of striated myofibers of the tongue admixed with chronic lymphohistiocytic inflammation. One frog had similar lesions in the skeletal muscles of the body wall. Several degenerate and necrotic myofibers contained single, eosinophilic, intranuclear inclusion bodies. Ultrastructural examination of the inclusions revealed nonenveloped, icosahedral, virus-like particles averaging 20-24 nm in diameter. This is the first reported case of inclusion body myositis in frogs and is believed to be due to parvoviral infection.     

Selecting cotton yield response function to estimate profit-maximizing potassium fertilization rates for cotton production in Tennessee

Recent research has shown that stochastic yield response functions fit data better than deterministic yield response functions; however, little research exists comparing profit-maximizing fertilizer rates for upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) using stochastic and deterministic yield response functions. The objective of this research was to determine the most appropriate yield response functional form from which to determine the profit-maximizing potassium (K) rate for cotton in Tennessee. Data were used from a nine-year K fertilizer experiment in Jackson, Tennessee. Quadratic, quadratic-plus-plateau, linear response plateau, and linear response stochastic plateau response functions were estimated to determine the yield response function that best fit the data. The linear response stochastic plateau function was the most suitable yield response function for the data. The profit-maximizing K rate ranged from 65.2 to 74.3 kg K ha^?1. Misspecification of the yield response function recommended over-application of K fertilizer and decreased the producer's short-term profits.     

Potassium carryover dynamics and optimal application policies in cotton production

Information about soil nutrient carryover dynamics can assist cotton producers with the optimal management of potassium (K) fertilizer. Optimal K management promotes cotton plant health, may decrease input costs, and increases cotton lint yields. A dynamic programming model was developed to determine optimal K application rates and economic returns under different soil information scenarios based on cotton yield response to K fertilizer and fertilizer carryover estimates from a multi-year field trial. A Monte Carlo analysis was conducted to simulate the impact of stochastic input and lint prices and cotton yield on K management over a five-period planning horizon. Results suggest that soil test data could provide important information about K carryover potential, which may lead to more efficient fertilizer use and higher profit margins for cotton producers.     

Using 3D animations to teach intracellular signal transduction mechanisms: taking the arrows out of cells

Traditional methods of teaching intracellular biological processes and pathways use figures or flowcharts with the names of molecules linked with arrows. Many veterinary students, presented with such material, simply memorize the names or chemical structures of the molecules and are then likely to forget the material once the examination is completed. To address this problem, the authors designed, created, and field-tested new teaching media that incorporate realistic three-dimensional (3D) animations depicting the dynamic changes that occur in intracellular molecules during cellular activation. Testing found that veterinary students taught using traditional teaching media (e.g., lectures, handouts, textbooks) are proficient in memorizing the names and order of intracellular molecules but unable to appreciate the interactions between these elements or their spatial relationships within cells. In contrast, more than 90% of veterinary students taught using 3D animations not only recall the facts about the intracellular elements but also develop accurate mental images of the interactions among these molecules and their spatial relationships. These findings strongly suggest that the comprehension of complex biological processes by veterinary students can be enhanced by the use of dynamic 3D depictions of these processes in the classroom.     

Effect of hay type on cecal and fecal microbiome and fermentation parameters in horses

The effect of hay type on the microbiome of the equine gastrointestinal tract is relatively unexplored. Our objective was to characterize the cecal and fecal microbiome of mature horses consuming alfalfa or Smooth Bromegrass (brome) hay. Six cecally cannulated horses were used in a split-plot design run as a crossover in two periods. The whole plot treatment was ad libitum access to brome or alfalfa hay fed over two 21-d acclimation periods with subplots of sampling location (cecum and rectum) and sampling hour. Each acclimation period was followed by a 24-h collection period where cecal and fecal samples were collected every 3 h for analysis of pH and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Fecal and cecal samples were pooled and sent to a commercial lab (MR DNA, Shallowater, TX) for the amplification of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq. The main effects of hay on VFA, pH, and taxonomic abundances were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 with fixed effects of hay, hour, location, period, and all possible interactions and random effect of horse. Alpha and beta diversities were analyzed using the R Dame package. Horses fed alfalfa had greater fecal than cecal pH (P ≤ 0.05), whereas horses fed brome had greater cecal than fecal pH (P ≤ 0.05). Regardless of hay type, total VFA concentrations were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in the cecum than in feces, and alfalfa resulted in greater (P ≤ 0.05) VFA concentrations than brome in both sampling locations. Alpha diversity was greater (P ≤ 0.05) in fecal compared with cecal samples. Microbial community structure within each sampling location and hay type differed from one another (P ≤ 0.05). Bacteroidetes were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in the cecum compared with the rectum, regardless of hay type. Firmicutes and Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in the feces compared with cecal samples of alfalfa-fed horses. In all, fermentation parameters and bacterial abundances were impacted by hay type and sampling location in the hindgut.     

Expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in naturally occurring squamous cell carcinomas in horses

OBJECTIVE: To assess expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 in naturally occurring squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and the analogous normal tissues in horses. SAMPLE POPULATION: Tissue samples collected from 3 conjunctival, 2 vulvar, 4 preputial, and 5 penile SCCs during surgical excision in 14 horses and from corresponding body regions (conjunctiva [n = 5 horses], vulva [2], prepuce [3], and penis [3]) in 5 horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to neoplasia. PROCEDURES: Tissue samples were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C until analysis. Protein was extracted from the frozen tissues, and western blot analyses were performed. Nonneoplastic and abnormal tissues from each body region were run on the same blot, and blots were run in triplicate. Molecular-weight markers and COX-1 and 2 ovine standards (positive control samples) were run concurrently on the gels; negative control samples were not used. RESULTS: All tissues, including the nonneoplastic and SCC tissues, expressed both COX-1 and -2 proteins. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that the expression of COX proteins in both nonneoplastic and SCC-affected tissues in horses is markedly different from that in other species. The reason for the potential benefit of COX-2 inhibitors in horses and other species is unknown. Further research needs to be performed to evaluate the efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors as cancer treatments in horses. Investigation of the mechanisms of tumor development in horses should be performed to increase understanding of this disease and ascertain how the mechanisms differ from those in other animals.