Age, Sex and Family Composition of Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) Coveys in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

The Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a popular game bird in Arizona and New Mexico, USA, but hunting seasons remain closed in Texas, USA. Estimates of age structure parameters and sex ratios in game birds are essential information for predicting population trajectories and developing sustainable harvest and conservation strategies. Montezuma quail form coveys during the winter as a behavioral strategy for improved survival. In this regard, we harvested 1–4 individuals from 112 Montezuma quail coveys in Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas from 2009 through 2020 to estimate sex and age composition (juvenile vs. adults) of coveys. We also estimated size for all coveys from which we harvested birds. Mean covey size (± standard error) was 9.7 ± 0.7 individuals (range = 6–12), 9.1 ± 0.5 (range = 2–20), and 5.7 ± 0.7 (range = 2–12) for Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, respectively although covey size decreased through the winter. The proportion of females among harvested birds was 0.33 ± 0.11, 0.40 ± 0.04, and 0.36 ± 0.33 for Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, respectively. The proportion of juveniles among harvested birds was 0.83 ± 0.09, 0.71 ± 0.04, and 0.52 ± 0.10 for Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, respectively. Coveys seem to contain more than one family group (paired birds with current progeny). We estimated that at least 6.2 ± 3.0% and 15.4 ± 10.0% of coveys were mixed families for New Mexico and Texas, respectively, as we harvested more than 2 adult males from the same covey. We did not collect same-sex adults from the same covey in Arizona. Our estimates set apart West Texas in lower average covey size and proportion of juveniles from Arizona and New Mexico at the northern edge of the species’ distribution and may reflect a different population dynamic in the region. However, our estimates must be taken with caution as behavioral response differences between sexes and age categories may differ and may not accurately reflect the actual sex, age, and family composition of Montezuma quail coveys. In addition, results may be confounded by variability in environmental factors over our extended sampling period

Population Density Estimates of the Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) in West Texas

In Texas, USA, populations of Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) can be found scattered across mountain ranges in the Trans-Pecos region, including the Davis and Guadalupe, and farther east into the Edwards Plateau region. Abundance and distribution information to assist land managers in the enhancement of Montezuma quail populations is scarce due to the species’ secretive behavior and unknown abundance. We aimed to provide population density indices to fill this information gap by using a search path technique. We searched for quail in the winter of 2018–2019 in West Texas at 6 study sites: 5 private ranches and Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area (EMWMA). We chose survey locations based on previous quail sightings and our perception that an area contained suitable Montezuma quail habitat. We searched small watersheds using at least 2 dogs while walking along contours. The average search path length was 1.82 km (range = 0.80–4.30). We produced a hexagonal grid with a cell size of 1 ha such that no pair of coveys can be encountered on the same cell. The area associated to each search was the sum of the areas of all hexagonal cells intersected by the search path. For density index, we directly used the definition of density (birds encountered divided by area searched). Mean covey density was 1.51 ± 2.53 (± standard error) coveys/km2 (range = 0.50–4.17), although abundance data were overdispersed. The highest density estimate was for EMWMA. Mean covey size was 6.55 ± 0.61 birds/covey. These data yielded an estimate of 10.07 ± 17.45 birds/km2. As we did not account for imperfect detection, our quail density estimates are lower bounds of actual density. These quail density estimates are lower than estimates for Arizona, USA but higher than density estimates reported for the Edwards Plateau and central Mexico. A prevailing concern regarding the harvest of the Montezuma quail among some wildlife professionals and the public in Texas is the perception that Montezuma quail are scarce. Therefore, our density estimates suggest that abundance of Montezuma quail in West Texas may not be as low as perceived and that Montezuma quail populations may be appropriate for an open hunt season

Winter Diet of Montezuma Quail in Arizona and New Mexico

Investigating the diet composition of Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is fundamental for unveiling how food resources limit the species’ population size and may provide relevant tools for their harvest and habitat management. The objective of this research was to determine the composition and geographic variation of the winter diet of the Montezuma quail in Arizona and New Mexico, USA, from quail crops harvested during the hunting seasons of 2008–2017. In addition, we used beta regression analyses to determine the effect of environmental factors and ecological variables (annual mean precipitation, annual mean temperature, landscape diversity, diet diversity, time of hunt, longitude, latitude, and elevation) on Montezuma quail diet composition. We found that acorns (Quercus spp.) and sedge rhizomes (Cyperus fendlerianus) are the most frequent food items of Montezuma quail in Arizona and New Mexico, respectively, followed by tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius), woodsorrel tubers (Oxalis spp.) and insects in both states. Individual crop wet mass is positively associated with time of day during winter. Geographic variation in Montezuma quail diet composition in Arizona and New Mexico was associated with mean annual precipitation for acorns and with geographic variation in mean annual temperature for rhizomes and tubers of sedge (Cyperus spp.). Geographic variation of other food items was not associated with those environmental factors. These functional relationships between the species’ diet and environmental factors suggest that Montezuma quail preference towards these two principal food items is subject to climatic control. Therefore, warmer and drier environments in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico may affect the species’ distribution through changes in food availability

Composition of the Montezuma Quail’s Diet in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

The Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a popular game bird and an indicator species of oak-pine savannas in the northern part of its range. In Arizona and New Mexico, USA, robust populations allow for a hunting season from mid-November through mid-February. However, there is no open hunting season for this quail in Texas, USA. Data on the Montezuma quail’s diet can provide new information and improve management of the species. Our objective was to analyze the diet composition of the Montezuma quail in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Specimens were collected by hunters in Arizona and New Mexico during 2016–2020 seasons and by researchers during 2018–2020 winter and spring seasons in Texas. We estimated the diet composition by macrohistological analysis of the collected quail crops. We found a high variety of food items: 178 items or morphospecies in crops (n = 175), from which 110 and 66 items were of plant and animal origin, respectively, and 2 unidentified items. We found an average (± standard error) of 5.89 ± 0.42 items/crop (range = 0–22) in Arizona (n = 107) samples, 4.15 ± 0.99 items/crop (range = 1–13) in New Mexico (n = 13), and 4.38 ± 0.40 items/crop (range = 1–12) in Texas (n = 55). Winter diet of Montezuma quail in Arizona was mainly represented by bulbs of Oxalis spp. (35.22% of dry weight), bulbs and rhizomes of Cyperus spp. (30.92%), acorns (Quercus spp.; 7.17%), and tepari beans (Phaseolus acutifolius; 6.50%). Winter diet in New Mexico consisted mainly of bulbs of Cyperus spp. (64.13%), beans of Macroptilium spp. (15.82%), and Panicum hallii grains (10.11%). In Texas, winter diet consisted mostly of rhizomes and bulbs of Cyperus spp. (28.17%), Rhynchosia senna beans (22.49%), P. hallii grains (19.54%), Allium wild onions (8.58%), and Cylindropuntia imbricata seeds (4.16%). The Montezuma quail’s spring diet in Texas consisted mainly of rhizomes and bulbs of Cyperus spp. (61.64%) and bulbs of Oxalis spp. (19.46%). The Montezuma quail diet changes in composition and proportion according to the site and season, but bulbs and rhizomes of Cyperus spp. are the predominant food items in all 3 states. This work provides novel information about the winter and spring diet of Montezuma quail in Texas. Information about Montezuma quail diet at several temporal and geographic scales will prove to be highly relevant to implement better management and conservation strategies in the northern edge of the species’ range

Variability and Genetic Structure of the Montezuma Quail Cyrtonyx montezumae in the Northern Limit of its Distribution

A species’ geographic distribution of genetic variability is influenced by different factors including size of geographic distribution, dispersal capability, mating system, and migration. For instance, a low migration rate among populations may cause a decrease in genetic variation. Such is the case of the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), a popular game bird with a limited flight capacity that prevents long-distance dispersal. In the northern limit of the species’ distribution in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, the species inhabits oak forests that are separated from one another by deserts. Consequently, Montezuma quail populations are distributed in patches or islands. Knowledge of the species’ genetic structure is likely to help inform habitat management decisions. The objective of this study was to determine patterns of genetic variation in populations of the Montezuma quail using 9 microsatellite DNA loci. We genotyped 119 individuals harvested from 4 populations: Arizona (AZ), western New Mexico (WNM), eastern New Mexico (ENM), and west Texas (WTX). Montezuma quail populations had low observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.22 ± 0.04) and a low number of alleles per locus (A = 2.41 ± 0.27) compared to other quail species. A global population genetic differentiation index (RST) of 0.045 suggests a weak genetic structure. Max(RST) occurred among pairwise comparisons AZ-WTX, AZ-ENM, and WNM-WTX. A Bayesian allocation analysis indicates that individuals were separated into 3 groups (K = 3), placing the populations of Arizona and Texas in distinct groups apart from the 2 populations of New Mexico, which are in the same group. Despite this differentiation, the Bayesian allocation analysis suggests admixture among populations, which may be an indicator of migration between them, especially between the populations in New Mexico and Arizona. An isolation-by-distance analysis indicates that there is a strong correlation (R2 = 0.84) and suggestive evidence (P = 0.08) of non-independence between geographical and genetic distances, though Montezuma quail populations in the southwestern United States may not be isolated. Climate change projections indicate an increase in aridity conditions in this region, especially in temperate ecosystems where the species occurs. In this scenario, corridors between the populations may disappear, thus causing their complete isolation

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia