Biodiversity and Conservation Study of the St. Norbert Abbey, De Pere, Wisconsin - 2018 Annual Report

Long term biological studies are rare but incredibly valuable for examining natural phenomena. Data collected over many years or decades allows for analyses of trends that would never be apparent in a single season. The research presented here is the completion of the second annual field season of a long term study to analyze biodiversity trends at the St. Norbert Abbey. Using visual searches, live trapping, and trail cameras, the biodiversity and abundance of species were examined. Special emphasis was placed on small mammals, though other groups were observed and documented. The goals of this project are to (1) collect data annually on diversity and abundance measures to allow for examination of variation and long term trends; and (2) further a research partnership and platform capable of providing stakeholders with pertinent biological data to ensure sound conservation and management decisions

Biodiversity and Conservation Study of Chambers Island, Wisconsin - 2017 Annual Report

Long term biological studies are rare but incredibly valuable for examining natural phenomena. Data collected over many years or decades allows for analyses of trends that would never be apparent in a single season. The research presented here is for the completion of the first field season in a long term study analyzing biodiversity trends on Chambers Island. Using visual searches, live trapping, and trail cameras, the biodiversity and abundance of species was examined. Special emphasis was placed on small mammals, though other species were observed and documented. The goals of this project were to (1) provide preliminary diversity and abundance measures to allow for examination of annual variation and long term trends in species diversity and abundance and (2) establish a partnership and research platform able to provide stakeholders with pertinent biological data to ensure sound conservation and management decisions

Biodiversity and Conservation Study of the St. Norbert Abbey, De Pere, Wisconsin - 2017 Annual Report

Long term biological studies are rare but incredibly valuable for examining natural phenomena. Data collected over many years or decades allows for analyses of trends that would never be apparent in a single season. The research presented here is for the completion of the first field season in a long term study analyzing biodiversity trends at the St. Norbert Abbey. Using visual searches, live trapping, and trail cameras, the biodiversity and abundance of species was examined. Special emphasis was placed on small mammals, though other species were observed and documented. The goals of this project were to (1) provide preliminary diversity and abundance measures to allow for examination of annual variation and long term trends in species diversity and abundance and (2) establish a partnership and research platform able to provide stakeholders with pertinent biological data to ensure sound conservation and management decisions

Both Reintroduction and Recolonization Likely Contributed to the Re-establishment of a Fisher Population in East-central Alberta

Recently, Stewart et al. (2017) investigated the origins of contemporary fisher populations in the Cooking Lake Moraine (CLM) of east-central Alberta, Canada, where fishers (Pekania pennanti) from Ontario and Manitoba, Canada were reintroduced in the early 1990s. To address this objective, Stewart et al. (2017) compared microsatellite alleles from extant fisher populations in the CLM to those from Ontario, Manitoba, and other Alberta populations. They reported that the CLM population clustered with adjacent native Alberta populations, consistent with recolonization, but also that 2 of 109 microsatellite alleles in the CLM occurred only in the source populations from Ontario and Manitoba. Rather than allowing for the possibility that these alleles descended from reintroduced fishers, the authors speculated that they represented random mutations among fishers that recolonized the area naturally from nearby populations in Alberta, and concluded that the reintroduction had failed completely. We disagree with this conclusion for 2 reasons. We contend it is more likely that the 2 alleles represent a genetic signature from the individuals released during the reintroduction, rather than being the result of mutations. We further suggest that, irrespective of the genetic legacy of introduced fishers in the recovered population, the presence of reintroduced fishers in the CLM may have helped facilitate natural recolonization of the area by fishers from surrounding areas. In our view, Stewart et al.’s (2017) findings do not demonstrate conclusively that the reintroduction program failed; on the contrary, we argue that their findings indicate that reintroduced fishers likely contributed to the long-term persistence of fishers in the CLM. The uncertainty surrounding this case underscores the importance of genetic monitoring following reintroductions.https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/faculty_staff_works/1032/thumbnail.jp

Chronic Wasting Disease In Cervids: Prevalence, Impact And Management Strategies

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects members of the cervidae family. The infectious agent is a misfolded isoform (PrPSC) of the host prion protein (PrPC). The replication of PrPSC initiates a cascade of developmental changes that spread from cell to cell, individual to individual, and that for some TSEs, has crossed the species barrier. CWD can be transmitted horizontally and vertically, and it is the only TSE that affects free-ranging wildlife. While other TSEs are under control and even declining, infection rates of CWD continue to grow and the disease distribution continues to expand in North America and around the world. Since the first reported case in 1967, CWD has spread infecting captive and free-ranging cervids in 26 states in the US, 3 Canadian provinces, 3 European countries and has been found in captive cervids in South Korea. CWD causes considerable ecologic, economic and sociologic impact, as this is a 100% fatal highly contagious infectious disease, with no treatment or cure available. Because some TSEs have crossed the species barrier, the zoonotic potential of CWD is a concern for human health and continues to be investigated. Here we review the characteristics of the CWD prion protein, mechanisms of transmission and the role of genetics. We discuss the characteristics that contribute to prevalence and distribution. We also discuss the impact of CWD and review the management strategies that have been used to prevent and control the spread of CWD.https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/faculty_staff_works/1033/thumbnail.jp

Prion protein gene sequence and chronic wasting disease susceptibility in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

The sequence of the prion protein gene (PRNP) affects susceptibility to spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases in many species. In white-tailed deer, both coding and non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms have been identified in this gene that correlate to chronic wasting disease (CWD) susceptibility. Previous studies examined individual nucleotide or amino acid mutations; here we examine all nucleotide polymorphisms and their combined effects on CWD. A 626 bp region of PRNP was examined from 703 free-ranging white-tailed deer. Deer were sampled between 2002 and 2010 by hunter harvest or government culling in Illinois and Wisconsin. Fourteen variable nucleotide positions were identified (4 new and 10 previously reported). We identified 68 diplotypes comprised of 24 predicted haplotypes, with the most common diplotype occurring in 123 individuals. Diplotypes that were found exclusively among positive or negative animals were rare, each occurring in less than 1% of the deer studied. Only one haplotype (C, odds ratio 0.240) and 2 diplotypes (AC and BC, odds ratios of 0.161 and 0.108 respectively) has significant associations with CWD resistance. Each contains mutations (one synonymous nucleotide 555C/T and one nonsynonymous nucleotide 286G/A) at positions reported to be significantly associated with reduced CWD susceptibility. Results suggest that deer populations with higher frequencies of haplotype C or diplotypes AC and BC might have a reduced risk for CWD infection – while populations with lower frequencies may have higher risk for infection. Understanding the genetic basis of CWD has improved our ability to assess herd susceptibility and direct management efforts within CWD infected areas.https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/faculty_staff_works/1029/thumbnail.jp

The Elephants of Gash-Barka, Eritrea: Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genetic Patterns

Eritrea has one of the northernmost populations of African elephants. Only about 100 elephants persist in the Gash-Barka administrative zone. Elephants in Eritrea have become completely isolated, with no gene flow from other elephant populations. The conservation of Eritrean elephants would benefit from an understanding of their genetic affinities to elephants elsewhere on the continent and the degree to which genetic variation persists in the population. Using dung samples from Eritrean elephants, we examined 18 species-diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms in 3 nuclear genes, sequences of mitochondrial HVR1 and ND5, and genotyped 11 microsatellite loci. The sampled Eritrean elephants carried nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers establishing them as savanna elephants, with closer genetic affinity to Eastern than to North Central savanna elephant populations, and contrary to speculation by some scholars that forest elephants were found in Eritrea. Mitochondrial DNA diversity was relatively low, with 2 haplotypes unique to Eritrea predominating. Microsatellite genotypes could only be determined for a small number of elephants but suggested that the population suffers from low genetic diversity. Conservation efforts should aim to protect Eritrean elephants and their habitat in the short run, with restoration of habitat connectivity and genetic diversity as long-term goals.https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/faculty_staff_works/1030/thumbnail.jp

Near Infrared Spectra and Intrinsic Luminosities of Candidate Type II Quasars at 2 < z < 3.4

We present JHK near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of 25 candidate Type II quasars selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, using Triplespec on the Apache Point Observatory 3.5m telescope, FIRE at the Magellan/Baade 6.5m telescope, and GNIRS on Gemini. At redshifts of 2 < z < 3.4, our NIR spectra probe the rest-frame optical region of these targets, which were initially selected to have strong lines of CIV and Ly alpha, with FWHM<2000 km/s from the SDSS pipeline. We use the [OIII]5007 line shape as a model for the narrow line region emission, and find that \halpha\ consistently requires a broad component with FWHMs ranging from 1000 to 7500 km/s. Interestingly, the CIV lines also require broad bases, but with considerably narrower widths of 1000 to 4500 km/s. Estimating the extinction using the Balmer decrement and also the relationship in lower-z quasars between rest equivalent width and luminosity in the [OIII] line, we find typical A_V values of 0-2 mag, which naturally explain the attenuated CIV lines relative to Halpha. We propose that our targets are moderately obscured quasars. We also describe one unusual object with three distinct velocity peaks in its [OIII] spectrum.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 18 pages, 14 figure

Pharmacological characterizations of the 'legal high' fluorolintane and isomers

1,2-Diarylethylamines represent a class of molecules that have shown potential in pain, epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease and depression. Examples include lefetamine, remacemide, and lanicemine. Recently, several 1,2-diarylethylamines including the dissociatives diphenidine, methoxphenidine and ephenidine as well as the opioid MT-45, have appeared as ‘research chemicals’ or ‘legal highs’. Due to their rapid emergence little is known about their pharmacology. One of these, 1-[1-(2-fluorophenyl)-2-phenylethyl]pyrrolidine (fluorolintane, 2-F-DPPy), is available for purchase with purported dissociative effects meant to mimic phencyclidine (PCP) and ketamine. To better understand this emerging class, pharmacological investigations were undertaken for the first time on fluorolintane and its five aryl-fluorine-substituted isomers. In vitro binding studies revealed high N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor affinity (Ki = 87.92 nM) and off-target affinities at several sites including norepinephrine (NET), serotonin (SERT) and dopamine (DAT) transporters, and sigma receptors. High affinities for DAT were observed, which were typically greater than NMDA receptor affinities. Additional functional and behavioral experiments show fluorolintane inhibited NMDA receptor-induced field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in rat hippocampal slices and inhibited long-term potentiation induced by theta-burst stimulation in rat hippocampal slices with potencies consistent with its NMDA receptor antagonism. Finally fluorolintane significantly inhibited prepulse inhibition in rats, a measure of sensorimotor gating, with a median effective dose (ED50) of 13.3 mg/kg. These findings are consistent with anecdotal reports of dissociative effects of fluorolintane in humans

Candidate Type II Quasars at 2 < z < 4.3 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III

At low redshifts, dust-obscured quasars often have strong yet narrow permitted lines in the rest-frame optical and ultraviolet, excited by the central active nucleus, earning the designation Type II quasars. We present a sample of 145 candidate Type II quasars at redshifts between 2 and 4.3, encompassing the epoch at which quasar activity peaked in the universe. These objects, selected from the quasar sample of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III, are characterized by weak continuum in the rest-frame ultraviolet (typical continuum magnitude of i \approx 22) and strong lines of CIV and Ly \alpha, with Full Width at Half Maximum less than 2000 kms-1. The continuum magnitudes correspond to an absolute magnitude of -23 or brighter at redshift 3, too bright to be due exclusively to the host galaxies of these objects. Roughly one third of the objects are detected in the shorter-wavelength bands of the WISE survey; the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these objects appear to be intermediate between classic Type I and Type II quasars seen at lower redshift. Five objects are detected at rest frame 6\mu m by Spitzer, implying bolometric luminosities of several times 10^46 erg s-1. We have obtained polarization measurements for two objects; they are roughly 3% polarized. We suggest that these objects are luminous quasars, with modest dust extinction (A_V ~ 0.5 mag), whose ultraviolet continuum also includes a substantial scattering contribution. Alternatively, the line of sight to the central engines of these objects may be partially obscured by optically thick material.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures, 10 tables, 4 machine readable tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA