Managing Cougars in North America: Revisions Underway

In 2011, the Jack H. Berryman Institute, in cooperation with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Cougar Working Group, published “Managing Cougars of North America” (available through www.berrymaninstitute.org or Amazon.com). Over 5,000 copies of the book were distributed. Because the science regarding management of cougars has dramatically grown over the last decade, the partners are again collaborating on a revision of the 2011 book. Currently, the chapters are undergoing a peer-review process through Human–Wildlife Interactions. Jonathan A. Jenks, South Dakota State University, is serving as the editor-in-chief for the peer-review process and will be the editor for the revised book. We anticipate the new book will be released by the Berryman Institute Press in late 2020

The role of cancer stem cells in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone malignancy often producing aggressive tumours in adolescents. OS aetiology is poorly understood, however, recent studies suggest OS cancers contain a small population of cancer stem cells (CSC) which initiate tumour growth. The cancer stem cell hypothesis describes cancers as a hierarchical population of heterogeneous cells. It has been proposed that CSC are at the base of this hierarchy and are responsible for the initiation, growth and spread of the tumour and pose a therapeutic challenge due to enhanced chemotherapy resistance. This project had three aims: identifying whether OS cell lines contain subpopulations of putative CSC, identifying if CSC contribute to chemotherapeutic resistance and to elucidate paracrine cell signals controlling OS tumour growth. Eight OS cell lines (143B, Cal72, G292, HOS, MG63, MNNG-HOS, U2OS and SaOS-2) along with the breast cancer cell line MCF7 have been analysed for the presence of sub-population of cells expressing putative CSC markers (aldehyde dehydrogenase and CD117). The intracellular enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and tyrosine kinase receptor CD117 were found to be heterogeneously expressed amongst the cell lines. All cell lines when plated at low density could recapitulate the colony hierarchies based on variation in colony morphology (holoclones, meroclones and paraclones), this was originally observed in carcinoma cell lines and is further putative evidence a CSC hierarchy exists within these cell lines. ALDH expressing cells were found to be confined to the holoclones (in cell lines with ALDH populations comprising less than 10 % of the total population) indicating that putative CSCs reside within this population. All OS cell lines also expressed mesenchymal markers (high vimentin and CD44 expression and low e-cadherin expression) suggesting they are a progenitor of mesenchymal stem cells. The expression of CD117 was found to negatively correlate with cisplatin chemotherapy resistance whereas ALDH inhibition using the specific antagonist diethylaminobenzalde sensitised different cells lines to opposing chemotherapeutics, suggesting a heterogenous response of OS ALDH cells to cytotoxic compounds. All OS cells lines, except 143B and HOS, were found to secrete a paracine growth factor which was capable of significantly enhancing their own growth. U2OS conditioned media was also able to enhance the growth of the breast cancer cell line MCF7 and a fibrosarcoma cell line (HT1080). Analysis of the cytokine expression profile of OS cell lines (HOS, MG63 and U2OS) demonstrated these cells secrete a broad range of cytokines associated with inflammation. The cytokine CCL-2 was identified as the putative OS paracrine growth factor as determined by the response to recombinant CCL-2, receptor antagonism and CCL-2 RNA interference. Genes with altered expression in response to CCL-2 were associated with transcription, suggesting that CCL-2 enhances proliferation through its downstream effect on transcription. Overall this thesis has contributed to the field of oncology by further defining the populations of putative CSC within a panel of OS cell lines. In addition the identification of a novel OS growth factor provides a possible adjuvant therapeutic target, which could aid in the reduction of OS proliferation

Antipredatory Defense of Neonatal Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) by Yearling Male Pronghorn in Southwestern South Dakota

Antipredatory defense of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) neonates (≤1 month old) by adult females (\u3e18 months old) is well documented throughout the geographic range of this species. However, reports of male pronghorn defending neonates against predators are limited to a single study in northwestern Wyoming where occurrences were documented of adult males assisting female pronghorn in defending neonates against coyotes (Canis latrans). To our knowledge, defense of neonatal pronghorn by yearling males (12–18 months old) has not been reported previously for this species. We report occurrences of antipredatory defense of neonatal pronghorn by yearling males in southwestern South Dakot

Dispersal Movements of Subadult Cougars From the Black Hills: The Notions of Range Expansion and Recolonization

Dispersal plays a vital role in cougar (Puma concolor) population ecology, creating genetic viability and maintaining gene flow between populations. The naturally recolonized cougar population in the Black Hills is at the edge of the species’ range in North America and completely surrounded by the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. Our objective was to document dispersal movements and possible range expansion of subadult cougars captured within the Black Hills ecosystem of southwestern South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Twenty-four (n ¼ 14 males, n ¼ 10 females) subadult cougars were captured in the Black Hills. Independence of cougars from females averaged 13.5 months (range ¼ 10–16 months) from parturition; dispersal occurred 1–3 months post independence. Males dispersed (mean ¼ 274.7 km SE 88.3) farther than females (mean ¼ 48.0 km SE 10.9), with females exhibiting 40% philopatry. We documented several (n ¼ 6) long-distance dispersal movements (.250 km) of male cougars and hypothesize that males making long-distance movements were in search of available mates. The long distance cougar dispersal movements documented by our study indicate that range expansion and habitat recolonization are occurring and further suggest proactive efforts to increase public knowledge of cougar ecology in areas where cougars are recolonizing previously occupied range

Formation of a quasicrystalline Pb monolayer on the ten-fold surface of the decagonal Al-Ni-Co quasicrystal

Lead has been deposited on the ten-fold surface of decagonal Al72Ni11Co17 to form an epitaxial quasicrystalline single-element monolayer. The overlayer grows through nucleation of nanometer-sized irregular islands and the coverage saturates at 1 ML. The overlayer is well-ordered quasiperiodically as evidenced by LEED and Fourier transforms of STM images. Annealing the film to 600 K improves the structural quality, but causes the evaporation of some material such that the film develops pores. Electronic structure measurements using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicate that the chemical interaction of the Pb atoms with the substrate is weak.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Water stress causes differential effects on germination indices, total soluble sugar and proline content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes

Different cultivars differ inherently in their response to drought and those cultivars best adapted to growth in arid and semiarid conditions form the most uniform and vigorous stands when grown under water deficits. The seeds of five wheat cultivars (GA-2002, Chakwal-97, Uqab-2000, Chakwal-50 and Wafaq-2001) were subjected to five different levels of osmotic stress; 0 bars (distilled water, control), -2, -4, -6 and -8 bars to assess the effect of osmotic stress on germination percentage, mean germination time, coleoptile length, proline and sugar amounts. The investigations were performed as factorial experiments under complete randomized design (CRD). Germination percentage, mean germination time and coleoptile length were shown to decrease with increasing osmotic stress, whereas a progressive increase in proline and sugar content were observed with increasing osmotic stress. The response of five cultivars examined under various levels of osmotic stress differed dramatically. Chakwal-50 and GA-2002 were amongst best performers, showing high germination rate, longest coleoptile length, highest proline values and sugar contents when compared with other cultivars under stress conditions. These were proven to be the most tolerant cultivars. Performance of  Wafaq-2001 and Uqab-2000 were poor when compared to the other cultivars under limited water stress conditions.Key words: Wheat, Triticum aestivum, water stress, osmotic stress, proline, sugar, seedling, germination

Corn Hybrids: Deer Taste the Difference

As daylight begins to illuminate the countryside, a cold wind rustles through the leaves of the weedy rows of corn that you barely had time to get in the ground this past spring. The corn plants are stunted, the few small ears of corn that did grow are not even enticing to passing blackbirds, and that stud buck captured on your trail-camera months earlier is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, a couple hundred yards across the fence to the south, you hear the unmistakable sound of deer running through corn. Your heart rate involuntarily increases. As the sun continues to rise on that mid-October morning, the better view of the neighboring cornfield only becomes increasingly disheartening: Numerous whitetails are feeding back and forth across some of the rows already stripped by the combine a couple days prior. The corn plants there are twice as tall as those in your food plot that was intended for the deer, and the ears are comparatively huge with kernels exposed from the peeled-back husks. Just as the sun rises, a doe and her fawn exit the timber to the north and wander down a heavily used trail across your property. The trail leads directly into your corn plot, but the deer do not stop to feed. They continue southward across the road to join the other deer. Then, sure enough, that stud of a buck that you had dreamed about all summer appears in the neighboring cornfield, moves about to assess the receptiveness of each doe, then wanders deeper into the cornfield until he is out of sight