Energy Content of Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Diet of Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) in Southeastern New Mexico

Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) are common insects that are important food items for many kinds of wildlife, including many species of upland game birds such as scaled quail (Callipepla squamata). We analyzed the energy content of grasshoppers obtained from the crops of scaled quail collected from plainsmesa sand-scrub in Lea and Eddy counties, New Mexico. Grasshoppers were removed from crops and dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture and standardize masses. Grasshoppers were then pulverized and analyzed for gross caloric value (i.e., energy content) in an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy content of grasshoppers from New Mexico averaged 19.2 J/kg (4.6 kcal/g) and was comparable to that of other, plant-based food items previously reported from the diet of scaled quail

Energy Content of Acorns of Shinnery Oak (Quercus havardii) in the Diet of Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) in Southeastern New Mexico

Shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) is a deciduous, low-growing shrubby tree that is a dominant plant in large areas of grassland in western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and eastern New Mexico. Acorns of the plant are important food items for many wildlife species, including scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), and endangered lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). We analyzed the energy content of acorns of shinnery oak obtained from the crops of scaled quail collected from plains-mesa sand-scrub in Lea and Eddy counties, New Mexico. Acorns were removed from crops and dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture and standardize masses. Acorns were then analyzed for gross caloric value (i.e., energy content) in an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy content of acorns of shinnery oak from New Mexico averaged 15.8 J/kg (3.8 kcal/g— standard deviation, 0.5 J/kg [0.1 kcal/g]) and was lower than that of most other food items previously reported from the diet of scaled quail and other upland game birds from southeastern New Mexico

Discovery, fine-mapping, and conditional analyses of genetic variants associated with C-reactive protein in multiethnic populations using the Metabochip in the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) study

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a circulating biomarker indicative of systemic inflammation. We aimed to evaluate genetic associations with CRP levels among non-European-ancestry populations through discovery, fine-mapping and conditional analyses. A total of 30 503 non-European-ancestry participants from 6 studies participating in the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology study had serum high-sensitivity CRP measurements and ~200 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped on the Metabochip. We evaluated the association between each SNP and log-transformed CRP levels using multivariate linear regression, with additive genetic models adjusted for age, sex, the first four principal components of genetic ancestry, and study-specific factors. Differential linkage disequilibrium patterns between race/ ethnicity groups were used to fine-map regions associated with CRP levels. Conditional analyses evaluated for multiple independent signals within genetic regions. One hundred and sixty-three unique variants in 12 loci in overall or race/ ethnicity-stratified Metabochip-wide scans reached a Bonferroni-corrected P-value<2.5E-7. Three loci have no (HACL1, OLFML2B) or only limited (PLA2G6) previous associations with CRP levels. Six loci had different top hits in race/ethnicityspecific versus overall analyses. Fine-mapping refined the signal in six loci, particularly in HNF1A. Conditional analyses provided evidence for secondary signals in LEPR, IL1RN and HNF1A, and for multiple independent signals in CRP and APOE. We identified novel variants and loci associated with CRP levels, generalized known CRP associations to a multiethnic study population, refined association signals at several loci and found evidence for multiple independent signals at several well-known loci. This study demonstrates the benefit of conducting inclusive genetic association studies in large multiethnic populations

Report of biological investigations at the Los Medanos Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) area of New Mexico during FY 1978

The US Department of Energy is considering the construction of a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Eddy County, NM. This location is approximately 40 km east of Carlsbad, NM. Biological studies during FY 1978 were concentrated within a 5-mi radius of drill hole ERDA 9. Additional study areas have been established at other sites in the vicinity, e.g., the Gnome site, the salt lakes and several stations along the Pecos River southward from Carlsbad, NM, to the dam at Red Bluff Reservoir in Texas. The precise locations of all study areas are presented and their biology discussed