Understanding conflict among experts working on controversial species: A case study on the Australian dingo

Expert elicitation can be valuable for informing decision-makers on conservation and wildlife management issues. To date, studies eliciting expert opinions have primarily focused on identifying and building consensus on key issues. Nonetheless, there are drawbacks of a strict focus on consensus, and it is important to understand and emphasize dissent, too. This study adopts a dissensus-based Delphi to understand conflict among dingo experts. Twenty-eight experts participated in three rounds of investigation. We highlight disagreement on most of the issues explored. In particular, we find that disagreement is underpinned by what we call “conflict over values” and “conflict over evidence.” We also note the broader role played by distrust in influencing such conflicts. Understanding and recognizing the different elements shaping disagreement is critical for informing and improving decision-making and can also enable critique of dominant paradigms in current practices. We encourage greater reflexivity and open deliberation on these aspects and hope our study will inform similar investigations in other contexts.Valerio Donfrancesco, Benjamin L. Allen, Rob Appleby, Linda Behrendorff, Gabriel Conroy, Mathew S. Crowther, Christopher R. Dickman, Tim Doherty, Bronwyn A. Fancourt, Christopher E. Gordon, Stephen M. Jackson, Chris N. Johnson, Malcolm S. Kennedy, Loukas Koungoulos, Mike Letnic, Luke K.-P. Leung, Kieren J. Mitchell, Bradley Nesbitt, Thomas Newsome, Carlo Pacioni, Justine Phillip, Brad V. Purcell, Euan G. Ritchie, Bradley P. Smith, Danielle Stephens, Jack Tatler, Lily M. van Eeden, Kylie M. Cairn

Movements of the ricefield rat, Rattus argentiventer, near a trap-barrier system in rice crops in West Java, Indonesia

The movements of the ricefield rats (Rattus argentiventer) near a trap-barrier system (TBS) were assessed in lowland flood-irrigated rice crops in West Java, Indonesia, to test the hypothesis that a TBS with a 'trap-crop' modifies the movements of rats within 200 m from the trap-crop. The home range use and locations of rat burrows were assessed using radiotelemetry at two sites, one with a TBS with trap-crop (Treatment site, the crop inside the fence was planted 3 weeks earlier than the surrounding crop) and the other with a TBS without trap-crop (Control site, the crop inside the fence was planted at the same time as the surrounding crop). Each TBS was a 50 x 50 m plastic fence with eight multiple-capture rat traps set at the base. More than 700 rats were caught in the TBS with trap-crop, whereas only 10 rats were caught in the TBS without trap-crop. The home range size of females was significantly smaller at the Treatment site (0.96 ha) than the Control site (2.99 ha), but there was no difference for males. Seventy-eight per cent of rats caught in the TBS and fitted with radiocollars had their daytime burrow locations within 200 m of the TBS. We could not determine if the rats caught in the TBS were residents or transients according to demographic parameters. Our results support the hypothesis that a TBS with a trap-crop protects the surrounding rice crop out to a distance of at least 200 m

High-resolution melt-curve analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-HRM) for the characterisation of pathogenic leptospires: intra-serovar divergence, interserovar convergence, and evidence of attenuation in Leptospira reference collections.

High-resolution melt-curve analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-HRM) is a novel technology that has emerged as a possible method to characterise leptospires to serovar level. RAPD-HRM has recently been used to measure intra-serovar convergence between strains of the same serovar as well as inter-serovar divergence between strains of different serovars. The results indicate that intra-serovar heterogeneity and inter-serovar homogeneity may limit the application of RAPD-HRM in routine diagnostics. They also indicate that genetic attenuation of aged, high-passage-number isolates could undermine the use of RAPD-HRM or any other molecular technology. Such genetic attenuation may account for a general decrease seen in titres of rabbit hyperimmune antibodies over time. Before RAPD-HRM can be further advanced as a routine diagnostic tool, strains more representative of the wild-type serovars of a given region need to be identified. Further, RAPD-HRM analysis of reference strains indicates that the routine renewal of reference collections, with new isolates, may be needed to maintain the genetic integrity of the collections

Criopreservação do sêmen testicular do teleósteo piau-açu Leporimus macrocephalus Testicular sperm cryopreservation of the teleost 'piau-açu' Leporinus macrocephalus

Avaliaram-se metodologias de criopreservação para o sêmen do piau-açu Leporinus macrocephalus (Teleostei, Anostomidae). O volume de sêmen coletado diretamente dos testículos de seis peixes (446,7±165,1g de peso corporal) foi de 0,4±0,2 ml. Testou-se a toxicidade dos crioprotetores dimetilsulfóxido (DMSO), dimetilacetamida, propilenoglicol, etilenoglicol e metanol nas concentrações de 5%, 10% e 15%. DMSO, dimetilacetamida e propilenoglicol foram os menos tóxicos e, por isso, utilizados na criopreservação do sêmen. Para este teste, o sêmen foi diluído 1:8 (v:v) em soluções de cada crioprotetor(8,9%, concentração final) às quais adicionaram-se gema de ovo de galinha (8,9%, concentração final), glicose (5%) e água destilada (75%). A mistura foi então envasada em palhetas de 5ml de capacidade e imediatamente colocada em botijão de vapor de nitrogênio líquido. A taxa de motilidade espermática pós-descongelamento mais alta (40,8<FONT FACE=Symbol>&plusmn;</FONT> 13,6 %) foi obtida com sêmen criopreservado em diluente contendo DMSO e ativado em solução de NaHCO3 119mM. A taxa de fertilização, correspondente a 84,3±9,4% do controle, foi obtida com ovócitos de piau-açu fertilizados com sêmen congelado em solução de DMSO (8%, concentração final).<br>Methods for cryopreservation of 'piau-açu' Leporinus macrocephalus (Teleostei, Anostomidae) sperm were evaluated. Sperm collected directly from the testes of six fish (446.7±165.1g of body weight) yielded 0.4±0.2 ml. The toxicity of the cryoprotectants dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), dimethyl acetamide, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol and methanol, at concentrations of 5%, 10% and 15%, was tested. DMSO, dimethyl acetamide and propylene glycol were the least toxic and were used to freeze the sperm. Sperm was diluted 1:8 (v:v) in solutions made of 8.9% (final concentration) of one of those crioprotectants to which 8.9% (final concentration) of chicken yolk egg, 5% glucose and 75% distilled water were added. The mixture was then poured into 0.5-ml capacity straws and immediately deepened into a cryogenic shipper containing only liquid nitrogen vapor. The highest frozen/thawed sperm motility rate (40.8<FONT FACE=Symbol>&plusmn;</FONT> 13.6 %) was obtained with sperm cryopreserved in the DMSO containing diluent and activated in 119 mM NaHCO3. Piau-açu eggs fertilized with sperm previously cryopreserved in solution containing 8% (final concentration) DMSO yielded a rate of fertilization of 84.3 ± 9.4% of the control

Risk factors for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients receiving taxane- and platinum-based chemotherapy

Brain and Behavior96e0131

Criopreservação do sêmen de curimba (Prochilodus lineatus) mediante adição de diferentes diluidores, ativadores e crioprotetores Cryopreservation of curimba (Prochilodus lineatus) semen after addition of different diluters, activators and cryoprotectants

Amostras de sêmen de cinco espécimes de Prochilodus lineatus (Valencienes, 1847) foram utilizadas para avaliação dos efeitos tóxicos e crioprotetores de seis soluções à base de BTS (Beltsville Thawing Solution®) 4,5% enriquecidas com metanol e DMSO nas concentrações de 10% (A = BTS 4,5% + Metanol 10%; B = BTS 4,5% + DMSO 10%; C = BTS 4,5% + KCl 0,072% + metanol 10%; D = BTS 4,5% + KCl 0,072% + DMSO 10%; E = BTS 4,5% + KI 0,036% + metanol 10%; e F = BTS 4,5% + KI 0,036% + DMSO 10%). Foram avaliadas ainda três soluções ativadoras (água destilada, NaHCO3 60 mM e NaHCO3 119 mM), antes e após o congelamento. Estudaram-se a taxa e a duração da motilidade espermática. Não houve diferença significativa entre as soluções crioprotetoras utilizadas. O sêmen ativado por NaHCO3 60 e 119 mM apresentou as maiores taxas de motilidade espermática. A ativação por NaHCO3 119 mM possibilitou as maiores durações de motilidade no sêmen de P. lineatus.<br>Semen samples of five specimens of Prochilodus lineatus (Valencienes, 1847) were used to test the toxic and cryoprotectants effects of six solutions based on BTS (Beltsville Thawing Solution®) 4.5%: A - BTS 4.5% + Methanol 10%; B - BTS 4.5% + DMSO 10%; C - BTS 4.5% + KCl 0.072% + Methanol 10%; D - BTS 4.5% + KCl 0.072% + DMSO 10%; E - BTS 4.5% + KI 0.036% + Methanol 10% and F - BTS 4.5% + KI 0.036% + DMSO 10%). The effect of other three activator solutions (Distillated Water, NaHCO3 60 mM and NaHCO3 119 mM) on the rate and duration of sperm motility were also evaluated before and after freezing. No significant differences were observed among the cryoprotectant solutions. Sperm motility rates for P. lineatus were higher for semen activated by NaHCO3 60mM and NaHCO3 119mM, which propitiated the highest sperm motility duration