Comparative demography of commercially important species of coral grouper,Plectropomus leopardus and P. laevis,from Australia's great barrier reef and Coral Sea marine parks

Understanding the spatial and environmental variation in demographic processes of fisheries target species, such as coral grouper (Genus: Plectropomus), is important for establishing effective management and conservation strategies. Herein we compare the demography of Plectropomus leopardus and P. laevis between Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP), which has been subject to sustained and extensive fishing pressure, and the oceanic atolls of Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP), where there is very limited fishing for reef fishes. Coral grouper length-at-age data from contemporary and historical otolith collections across 9.4 degrees of latitude showed little difference in lifetime growth between GBRMP and CSMP regions. Plectropomus laevis populations in GBRMP reefs had significantly higher rates of total mortality than populations in the CSMP. Mean maximum lengths and mean maximum ages of P. laevis were also smaller in the GBRMP than in the CSMP, even when considering populations sampled within GBRMP no-take marine reserves (NTMRs). Plectropomus leopardus, individuals were on average smaller on fished reefs than NTMRs in the GBRMP, but all other aspects of demography were broadly similar between regions despite the negligible levels of fishing pressure in the CSMP. Similarities between regions in growth profiles and length-at-age comparisons of P. laevis and P. leopardus suggest that the environmental differences between the CSMP and the GBRMP may not have significant impacts on lifetime growth. Our results show that fishing may have influenced the demography of coral grouper on the GBR, particularly for the slower growing and longer lived species, P. laevis.     

Raccoon Pelt Price and Trapper Harvest Relationships Are Temporally Inconsistent

Trapping data have a long and rich history of use in monitoring furbearer populations in North America but understanding the influences of variation in trapper harvest is important. Many factors besides abundance can cause variation in trapper harvest, including socioeconomics, weather, and motivation. The relationships between these extrinsic factors and trapper harvest may change temporally, which may obscure the causal understanding of variation in trapper harvest. We tested for changes in the relationships between pelt price and trapper numbers, and pelt price and harvest per trapper for raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Illinois, USA, from 1976–2018 while controlling for other socioeconomic (gasoline price, unemployment) and weather (temp, snow depth) factors. The annual raccoon harvest showed no clear trend, whereas the number of raccoon trappers declined markedly from approximately 1976–1990 in conjunction with pelt prices, after which the number of trappers remained relatively stable and were not significantly affected by pelt price. In contrast, harvest per trapper increased markedly during the 1990s and showed a significant negative relationship with pelt price pre-1990 but a positive relationship post-1990. We propose that declines in pelt prices resulted in a loss of less experienced or economically incentivized trappers, whereas contemporary trappers may continue trapping primarily for non-economic reasons. Our study highlights the potential for using non-linear relationships between trapper harvest data and socioeconomic covariates to help understand the influences of temporal variation in trapper harvest data. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

Gopher Tortoise Demographic Responses to a Novel Disturbance Regime

The long-term viability of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations is jeopardized by increased urbanization and habitat degradation owing to fire suppression. Because the species' remaining natural habitats in the southeastern United States exist within a mosaic of anthropogenic land uses, it is important to understand demographic responses to contrasting land uses and habitat management regimes. We examined differences in demographic parameters among fire-suppressed sandhill, restored sandhill, and former sandhill (i.e., ruderal) land use-land cover (LULC) types at Archbold Biological Station in south-central Florida, USA. Using Program MARK, we estimated population size, and sex-specific and LULC-specific survivorship based on 6 years of mark-recapture data. We also analyzed individual growth trajectories and clutch sizes to determine whether growth rates or reproductive output differed among LULC types. Tortoises in an open, ruderal field occurred at a higher density (7.79/ha) than in adjacent restored (1.43/ha) or fire-suppressed (0.40/ha) sandhill. Despite this higher density, both adult survivorship and body size were significantly higher in the ruderal field. Furthermore, the larger female body size in the ruderal field likely contributed to increased annual survivorship and slightly larger average clutch sizes. We did not detect offsetting negative demographic effects; in particular, we did not find significant biological or statistical differences in body condition, asymptotic body size, or growth rate among the 3 LULC types. Our results suggest that anthropogenic, grass-dominated land-cover types may be important components of the habitat mosaic currently available to this at-risk species. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

Thermal comfort of sows in free-range system in Brazilian Savanna

The aim of this work was to evaluate the thermal comfort of sows in a free-range system in the Brazilian Savanna, based on behavior observation, availability of shading resources, meteorological and physiological variables. The sows were analyzed in the gestation sector at Água Limpa Farm from University of Brasília; the sows were housed in paddocks of 1000 m² each containing artificial and natural shading structures, where air temperature (T_air, °C), wind speed, relative humidity (R_H, %) and black globe temperatures (T_G, °C) were collected for the environment characterization in 20-min-intervals. From the black globe temperature, the Mean Radiant Temperature (T_MR, °C) and the Radiant Heat Load (R_HL, W m⁻²) were calculated in the sun and under the shade structures. The total short-wave irradiance was calculated through the sum of direct, diffuse and reflected radiations. For the behavioral evaluation, an ethogram was elaborated, taking in consideration where the animals were in the paddocks, body posture, and the activity performed. The physiological variables such as respiratory rate (breaths.min⁻¹), surface and rectal temperatures (°C) were measured during the experiment. The data was statistically analyzed through analysis of variance and frequency analysis. There was a difference at 11a.m., 2 and 3p.m., with values above 40 °C under the shade and above 70 °C in the sun for the T_MR. The preferential choice was for natural shading by the sows, due to the lower T_MR and R_HL throughout the day and resting activity had been predominated. The rectal temperature did not differ between the animals and the days evaluated, respiratory rate varied according to air temperature, and surface temperature only among the evaluated animals. It was concluded that even when there is a greater radiation incidence and meteorological variables above the condition of comfort for sows, they did not express any abnormal behavior that could indicate discomfort.     

Simulation of behavioral profiles in the plus-maze: A Classification and Regression Tree approach

This article introduces a simulation model of rat behavior in the elevated plus-maze, designed through a Decision trees approach using Classification and Regression algorithms. Starting from the analysis of the behavior performed by a sample of 18 Sprague-Dawley male rats, probabilistic rules describing behavioral patterns of the animals were extracted, and were used as the basis of the model computations. The model adequacy was tested by contrasting a simulated sample against an independent sample of real animals. Statistical tests showed that the simulated sample exhibits similar behaviors to those displayed by the real animals, both in terms of the number of entries to open and close arms as well as in terms of the time spent by the animals in those arms. However, the performance of the model in parameters related to the behavioral patterns was partially satisfactory. Given that previous attempts in the literature have neither include this kind of patterns nor the time as a crucial model parameter, the present model offers a suitable alternative for the computational simulation of this paradigm. Compared with antecedent models, the present simulation produced similar or better results in all the considered parameters. Beyond the goal of establish an appropriate simulational model, extracted rules also reveal important regularities associated to the rat behavior previously ignored by other models, i.e. that specific rat behaviors in the elevated plus-maze are time dependent. These and other important considerations to improve the model performance are discussed.     

Biology and fertility life table of the greenbug,Schizaphis graminum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on the resistant winter wheat cultivar (Pishgam) in Iran

The greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) has been known as a major pest of small grains, particularly wheat, worldwide. In this study, the effect of new wheat cultivar (Pishgam) for cold regions on biological characteristics of greenbug was investigated in a greenhouse at 25 ± 2 °C, 55 ± 10% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (L:D). The raw data were analysed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table. The intrinsic rate of increase (r), the finite rate of increase (λ), the net reproduction rate (R₀) and the mean generation time (T) of greenbug were 0.313 ± 0.0019, 1.36 ± 0.0027 females/female/day, 83.33 ± 0.331 females/female and 14.11 ± 0.09 days, respectively. The life expectancy of a nymph is 43.57 days. The maximum reproductive value of females is on the 16th day which coincides with the total pre-reproduction period counted from birth. Hence, the present results may provide helpful information for comprehensive IPM programme of greenbug on this variety in cold regions of Iran. Result revealed that nymphal survival rate of the aphid was 100% on studied cultivar like that on sensitive host plant cultivar.     

Comparative systems biology between human and animal models based on next-generation sequencing methods

Animal models provide myriad benefits to both experimental and clinical research. Unfortunately, in many situations, they fall short of expected results or provide contradictory results. In part, this can be the result of traditional molecular biological approaches that are relatively inefficient in elucidating underlying molecular mechanism. To improve the efficacy of animal models, a technological breakthrough is required. The growing availability and application of the high-throughput methods make systematic comparisons between human and animal models easier to perform. In the present study, we introduce the concept of the comparative systems biology, which we define as "comparisons of biological systems in different states or species used to achieve an integrated understanding of life forms with all their characteristic complexity of interactions at multiple levels". Furthermore, we discuss the applications of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq technologies to comparative systems biology between human and animal models and assess the potential applications for this approach in the future studies.     

Bio-processing of agro-byproducts to animal feed

Agricultural and food-industry residues constitute a major proportion (almost 30%) of worldwide agricultural production. These wastes mainly comprise lignocellulosic materials, fruit and vegetable wastes, sugar-industry wastes as well as animal and fisheries refuse and byproducts. Agro-residues are rich in many bioactive and nutraceutical compounds, such as polyphenolics, carotenoids and dietary fiber among others. Agro residues are a major valuable biomass and present potential solutions to problems of animal nutrition and the worldwide supply of protein and calories, if appropriate technologies can be used for their valorization by nutrient enrichment. Technologies available for protein enrichment of these wastes include solid substrate fermentation, ensiling, and high solid or slurry processes. Technologies to be developed for the reprocessing of these wastes need to take account of the peculiarities of individual wastes and the environment in which they are generated, reprocessed, and used. In particular, such technologies need to deliver products that are safe, not just for animal feed use, but also from the perspective of human feeding. This review focuses on the major current applications of solid-state fermentation in relation to the feed sector.     

The Measles Virus Nucleocapsid Protein Tail Domain Is Dispensable for Viral Polymerase Recruitment and Activity

Paramyxovirus genomes are ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes consisting of nucleoprotein (N)-encapsidated viral RNA. Measles virus (MeV) N features an amino-terminal RNA-binding core and a 125-residue tail domain, of which only the last 75 residues are considered fully mobile on the nucleocapsid surface. A molecular recognition element (MoRE) domain mediates binding of the viral phosphoprotein (P). This P N-tail interaction is considered instrumental for recruiting the polymerase complex to the template. We have engineered MeV N variants with tail truncations progressively eliminating the MoRE domain and upstream tail sections. Confirming previous reports, RNPs with N truncations lacking the carboxyl-terminal 43-residues harboring the MoRE domain cannot serve as polymerase template. Remarkably, further removal of all tail residues predicted to be surface-exposed significantly restores RNP bioactivity. Insertion of structurally dominant tags into the central N-tail section reduces bioactivity, but the negative regulatory effect of exposed N-tail stems is sequence-independent. Bioactive nucleocapsids lacking exposed N-tail sections are unable to sustain virus replication, because of weakened interaction of the advancing polymerase complex with the template. Deletion of the N-MoRE-binding domain in P abrogates polymerase recruitment to standard nucleocapsids, but polymerase activity is partially restored when N-tail truncated RNPs serve as template. Revising central elements of the current replication model, these data reveal that MeV polymerase is capable of productively docking directly to the nucleocapsid core. Dispensable for polymerase recruitment, N-MoRE binding to P-tail stabilizes the advancing polymerase-RNP complex and may rearrange unstructured central tail sections to facilitate polymerase access to the template.