Can Public Meetings Accurately Reflect Public Attitudes Toward Wildlife Management?

Abstract: State wildlife agencies often use input obtained through public meetings to develop management policies. Because public meetings can be dominated by single stakeholder groups, these policies may not reflect the attitudes of new wildlife stakeholders. In 2000 the Utah Wildlife Board, after a series of public meetings, adopted a statewide policy for winter-feeding mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). The policy was implemented by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources from 2001 to 2007 in Cache County of northern Utah, USA. In 2007, we surveyed Utah households representing metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, and Cache County residents (n = 1,800) to evaluate whether the winter-feeding policy reflected the attitudes of all wildlife stakeholders. Survey respondents, regardless of residence strata, believed winterfeeding programs were essential for managing mule deer in Utah (χ²₆ = 7.02, P = 0.32). However, most respondents were reluctant to support feeding programs at the expense of habitat restoration projects (χ²₆ = 11.64, P = 0.07). Our results suggest that the winter-feeding policy represented the attitudes of the Utah residents surveyed, though few had participated in its development. Respondents' strong utilitarian attitudes toward wildlife (e.g., strong support for hunting and feeding) influenced those respondents' perceptions of the policy. Given the effects of increased urbanization on utilitarian attitudes toward wildlife in many parts of the United States, coupled with decreasing numbers of traditional wildlife stakeholders, state wildlife agencies should continually reevaluate their public involvement processes to ensure new wildlife stakeholders' attitudes and concerns are represented.     

The RGG domain of Npl3p recruits Sky1p through docking interactions

The SR protein kinase in yeast, Sky1p, phosphorylates yeast SR-like protein, Npl3p, at a single serine residue located at its C terminus. We report here the X-ray crystal structure of Sky1p bound to a substrate peptide and ADP. Surprisingly, an Npl3p-derived substrate peptide occupies a groove 20 A away from the kinase active site. In vitro studies support the substrate-docking role of this groove. Mutagenesis and binding studies reveal that multiple degenerate short peptide motifs located within the RGG domain of Npl3p serve as the substrate docking motifs. However, a single docking motif is sufficient for its stable interaction with the kinase. Methylation of the docking motifs abolishes kinase binding and phosphorylation of Npl3p. Remarkably, removal of the docking groove in the kinase or the docking motifs of the substrate does not reduce the overall catalytic efficiency of the phosphorylation reaction in any significant manner. We suggest that docking interaction between Sky1p and Npl3p is essential for substrate recruitment and binding specificity.     

Hair Sampling Techniques for River Otters

ABSTRACT River otter (Lontra canadensis) populations have been difficult to monitor and information on densities is lacking throughout their range. To obtain DNA-based population estimates of river otters we developed 2 traps to capture hair; a modified body-snare and a modified foot-hold trap. Of 82 traps activated 77 captured hairs (94%). Traps snagged 3–20 guard hairs per capture. Our capture rates of otter hair ranged from one capture per 3.6 trap nights to one capture per 156.6 trap-nights. Our traps provide an effective, noninvasive technique for obtaining hair DNA from individual river otters.     

Organisation of Photosystem I and Photosystem II in red alga Cyanidium caldarium: Encounter of cyanobacterial and higher plant concepts

Structure and organisation of Photosystem I and Photosystem II isolated from red alga Cyanidium caldarium was determined by electron microscopy and single particle image analysis. The overall structure of Photosystem II was found to be similar to that known from cyanobacteria. The location of additional 20 kDa (PsbQ′) extrinsic protein that forms part of the oxygen evolving complex was suggested to be in the vicinity of cytochrome c-550 (PsbV) and the 12 kDa (PsbU) protein. Photosystem I was determined as a monomeric unit consisting of PsaA/B core complex with varying amounts of antenna subunits attached. The number of these subunits was seen to be dependent on the light conditions used during cell cultivation. The role of PsaH and PsaG proteins of Photosystem I in trimerisation and antennae complexes binding is discussed.     

Impacts of nutritional technology on feeds offered to horses: A review of effects of processing on voluntary intake,digesta characteristics and feed utilisation

Advances in feed processing technology applied to diet systems for ruminant livestock have been used extensively in the equine feed industry. The translation of these technologies is an important area of interest for the feed processing industry servicing the various sectors of the equine industry such as feeds for the racing, meat, milk and urine production, as well as supplements for leisure horse use. However, there are few reviews examining impacts of feed processing technologies on the processes controlling voluntary intake or utilisation of processed feeds by horses. In this paper, some of the specific features of feeds and impacts of feed processing on factors controlling meal pattern, frequency and size, and digestive physiology will be addressed. Three main areas are examined in this review, being impacts of feed processing on processes of “information gathering” (sensory and nutritional knowledge) by the horse, eating behaviour of the horse offered processed feeds (notably issues of preference and control of short-term ingestion rate), and implications of constraints of digestive physiology, process and function on voluntary intake and digestibility of processed feeds. The review highlights areas of future research and development for nutritional technology to increase knowledge of interactions between equine physiology and feed processing to enhance efficiency of capture of nutrients and maintain the welfare of horses managed in the housed environment.     

Evaluation of method performance for oxidative stress biomarkers in urine and biological variations in urine of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy

Background

Oxidative stress biomarkers such as superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) play an important role in the pathogenesis or progression of numerous diseases. Data regarding the biological variation and analytical quality specifications (imprecision, bias and total error) for judging the acceptability of method performance for oxidative stress biomarkers in urine are conspicuously lacking in the literature. Such data are important in setting analytical quality specifications, assessing the utility of population reference intervals (index of individuality) and assessing the significance of changes in serial results from an individual (reference change value; RCV).

Materials and methods

20 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 20 patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and 14 healthy individuals as control were involved in this study. Timed first morning urine samples were taken from patients and healthy groups on the zero, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 15th and 30th days. Index of individuality and reference change value were calculated from within-subject and between-subject variations. Methods of oxidative stress biomarkers in human blood were adopted in human urine and markers were measured as spectrophotometrically. Also, analytical quality specifications for evaluation of the method performance were established for oxidative stress biomarkers in urine.

Results

Within-subject variations of oxidative stress biomarkers were significantly higher in patients with DN and T2DM compared to healthy subjects. MDA showed low individuality, and within-subject variances of MDA were larger than between-subject variances in all groups. However, CAT and CuZnSOD showed strong individuality, but within-subject variances of them were smaller than between-subject variances in all groups. RCVs of all analytes in diabetic patients were relatively higher, because of high within-subject variation, resulting in a higher RCV. Also, the described methodology achieves these goals, with analytical CVs of < 3.5% for all analytes. Goals for bias and total error were 6.0-7.9% and 12.5-23.3%, respectively.

Conclusions

RCVs concept for predicting the clinical status in diabetic patients represents an optimization of laboratory reporting and could be a valuable tool for clinical decision. Furthermore, for oxidative stress biomarkers’ measurements in urine, the desirable imprecision goals based on biological variation are obtainable by current methodologies.     

Improved bio-energy yields via sequential ethanol fermentation and biogas digestion of steam exploded oat straw

Using standard laboratory equipment, thermochemically pretreated oat straw was enzymatically saccharified and fermented to ethanol, and after removal of ethanol the remaining material was subjected to biogas digestion. A detailed mass balance calculation shows that, for steam explosion pretreatment, this combined ethanol fermentation and biogas digestion converts 85-87% of the higher heating value (HHV) of holocellulose (cellulose and hemicellulose) in the oat straw into biofuel energy. The energy (HHV) yield of the produced ethanol and methane was 9.5-9.8 MJ/(kg dry oat straw), which is 28-34% higher than direct biogas digestion that yielded 7.3-7.4 MJ/(kg dry oat straw). The rate of biogas formation from the fermentation residues was also higher than from the corresponding pretreated but unfermented oat straw, indicating that the biogas digestion could be terminated after only 24 days. This suggests that the ethanol process acts as an additional pretreatment for the biogas process.     

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for analysis of monoclonal antibody-maytansinoid immunoconjugates

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was developed for detection and quantification of free maytansinoid drug in disulfide-linked conjugates between monoclonal antibodies and the maytansinoid drug DM1 (MAb-DM1). Mobile phases and gradient conditions were optimized for separation of several DM1-related free drug species from MAb-DM1 conjugates. The selectivity, linearity, and reproducibility of the method are reported. Reduction of the disulfide-linked DM1 followed by RP-HPLC allowed estimation of purity of MAb-linked DM1 as well as recovery of L-DM1. The method was also used to estimate drug per MAb ratios, which were consistent with those determined by UV spectroscopy.