Effect of fenbendazole on shedding and embryonation of Ascaris suum eggs in naturally infected gestating sows

Objectives To determine the time to cessation of Ascaris suum egg shedding, the percent of animals that stop shedding, and to estimate the reduction in environmental burden from eggs shed in naturally infected female breeding swine after different treatment levels of fenbendazole to better determine timing of anthelmintic use prior to movement into a farrowing environment. To determine the ovicidal activity of different fenbendazole levels on Ascaris suum eggs shed from naturally infected commercial breeding female swine. Materials and methods Study 1 - Egg shedding Five experiments across three commercial sow farms known to be infected with A suum were conducted. Breeding gilts and sows were identified with natural A suum infections and allocated to one of 4 treatments: CNT = untreated controls, TX1 = 545.5 mg fenbendazole for one day, TX2 = 545.5 mg fenbendazole daily, for 3 consecutive days (1636.5 mg total), and TX3 = 1636.5 mg fenbendazole for one day (TX3 only in experiment 5). Fecal samples were collected on various days and evaluated using the modified Wisconsin sugar flotation technique, with at least 1 EPG considered a positive sample. Time-to-negative was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with Log-Rank test and censoring of animals that reached the end of the study period still shedding. Percent negative at the end of the experiment was evaluated by Chi-square analysis using Fisher\u27s exact test. Environmental burden (BURD), a calculation of eggs observed versus eggs expected, was evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey\u27s studentized test. Study 2 - Embryonation Three experiments were conducted on a commercial breeding farm infected with A suum. Breeding gilts and sows were identified with natural A suum infections and allocated to one of 4 treatments: CNT = untreated controls, TX1 = 545.5 mg fenbendazole for one day, TX2 = 545.5 mg fenbendazole daily, for 3 consecutive days (1636.5 mg total), and TX3 = 1636.5 mg fenbendazole for one day (TX3 only in experiment 3). Eggs were isolated from fecal samples at various days post-treatment (dpt) by experiment and incubated in 0.1 N H2SO4 at room temperature for 60 days. Embryonation rates (ER) for each animal were determined by counting the number of eggs with fully developed larvae out of 100 eggs counted. Results Study 1 - Egg shedding Mean time-to-negative shedding ranged from 9.3 to 13.1 for TX1, 8.9 to 13.1 days and 9.8 for TX3 with 0 to 10 percent censored, while CNT ranged from 13.4 to 28.2 with 70 to 100 percent censored. For all fenbendazole treatment groups, 90 to 100 percent of sows were negative by the end of the study, compared to 0 to 28.6 percent for CNT. Mean BURD range was 7.0 to 60.9 for TX1, 13.9 to 60.8 for TX2, 29.3 for TX3 and 60.4 to 219.0 for CNT. All fenbendazole treatment values were different from CNT (P\u3c0.05) but not from each other for time-to-negative, percent negative and BURD. Study 2 - Embryonation ER of A suum eggs shed from CNT animals ranged from 90.3 to 99.3 percent across all experiments and sampling days. ER were significantly (P\u3c0.0001, ANOVA) reduced to 29.3 and 30.5 percent for TX1 and TX2 in A suum eggs shed at 8 dpt, and 26.6 percent for TX3 in eggs shed at 6 dpt. Differences in ER between treatments was only seen in eggs shed at 4 dpt; TX1=75.4, TX2=70.9, and TX3=47.0. In addition, many of the A suum eggs shed from treated animals had atypical character, such as abnormal cell division, granular appearance and irregular shapes. Implications * Fenbendazole is an effective anthelmintic for the treatment of Ascaris suum in naturally infected breeding gilts and sows. * When using fenbendazole for the control of A suum transmission from dams to offspring, treatment should begin approximately 14 days prior to movement into clean farrowing facilities. * Fenbendazole was effective at all treatment levels used in decreasing the number of A suum eggs shed into the environment. * Fenbendazole is ovicidal against A suum in eggs shed from naturally infected breeding gilts and sows. * Use of fenbendazole provides additional epidemiological benefits in control of A suum through reduced effective environmental contamination due to the reduced number of eggs shed and those that develop to an infectious larvae

Development and Examination of Mobile Sensor Systems and Software Applications for Use in Estimation of Forage Dry Matter Biomass and Crude Protein

The use of field-based sensors can generate large amounts of data rapidly for phenomic modeling and management decisions; however some challenges may be encountered. AgriLogger software developed to rapidly acquire data for predictive model construction and implementation. AgriLogger features include user controls for data acquisition rate and a single output file for multiple sensors. Temporal and spatial data parsing was achieved from position and time stamps. Non-destructive biomass estimation of vegetation has been performed via remote sensing. This study examined several types of ground-based mobile sensing strategies for forage biomass estimation in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Forage quality analysis has historically been performed on physically collected samples through laboratory methods. Developing a sensor system which can collect data and provide estimates for crude protein (CP) in a more timely manner will allow near real time decision making by mangers. To evaluate the feasibility of such a system bermudagrass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and wheat were examined. AgriLogger reduced the post-processing time by a factor of 10 and data acquisition time by a factor of 60 as compared to commercially available alternatives which could be used for sensor data acquisition on vegetation. Predictive models were constructed via partial least squares regression and modeled estimates were compared to the physically measured biomass and CP. Differences between methods were minimal (average percent error of 11.2% for difference between predicted values versus machine and quadrat harvested biomass values (1.64 and 4.91 t ha-1, respectively). The predicted CP regressed with those measured in a laboratory using NIRS produced an R2 of 0.75 for a hyperspectral model. Wheat model prediction of crude protein bore n R2 of 0.65 and tall fescue R2=0.83. These data suggest that using mobile sensor-based biomass and CP estimation models could be an effective alternative to the traditional clipping and laboratory methods for rapid, accurate in-field estimation.Plant & Soil Science

Towards greater transparency and coherence in funding for sustainable marine fisheries and healthy oceans

This final manuscript in the special issue on “Funding for ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries” is the result of a dialogue aimed at connecting lead authors of the special issue manuscripts with relevant policymakers and practitioners. The dialogue took place over the course of a two-day workshop in December 2018, and this “coda” manuscript seeks to distil thinking around a series of key recurring topics raised throughout the workshop. These topics are collected into three broad categories, or “needs”: 1) a need for transparency, 2) a need for coherence, and 3) a need for improved monitoring of project impacts. While the special issue sought to collect new research into the latest trends and developments in the rapidly evolving world of funding for ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries, the insights collected during the workshop have helped to highlight remaining knowledge gaps. Therefore, each of the three “needs” identified within this manuscript is followed by a series of questions that the workshop participants identified as warranting further attention as part of a future research agenda. The crosscutting nature of many of the issues raised as well as the rapid pace of change that characterizes this funding landscape both pointed to a broader need for continued dialogue and study that reaches across the communities of research, policy and practice.S

Integrating team science into interdisciplinary graduate education: an exploration of the SESYNC Graduate Pursuit

Complex socio-environmental challenges require interdisciplinary, team-based research capacity. Graduate students are fundamental to building such capacity, yet formal opportunities for graduate students to develop these capacities and skills are uncommon. This paper presents an assessment of the Graduate Pursuit (GP) program, a formal interdisciplinary team science graduate research and training program administered by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the program’s first cohort revealed that participants became significantly more comfortable with interdisciplinary research and team science approaches, increased their capacity to work across disciplines, and were enabled to produce tangible research outcomes. Qualitative analysis of four themes—(1) discipline, specialization, and shared purpose, (2) interpersonal skills and personality, (3) communication and teamwork, and (4) perceived costs and benefits—encompass participants’ positive and negative experiences and support findings from past assessments. The findings also identify challenges and benefits related to individual personality traits and team personality orientation, the importance of perceiving a sense of autonomy and independence, and the benefit of graduate training programs independent of the university and graduate program environment

Photonic quantum technologies

The first quantum technology, which harnesses uniquely quantum mechanical effects for its core operation, has arrived in the form of commercially available quantum key distribution systems that achieve enhanced security by encoding information in photons such that information gained by an eavesdropper can be detected. Anticipated future quantum technologies include large-scale secure networks, enhanced measurement and lithography, and quantum information processors, promising exponentially greater computation power for particular tasks. Photonics is destined for a central role in such technologies owing to the need for high-speed transmission and the outstanding low-noise properties of photons. These technologies may use single photons or quantum states of bright laser beams, or both, and will undoubtably apply and drive state-of-the-art developments in photonics

Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools

Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are native to southeastern Asia, however, there is an established invasive population inhabiting much of southern Florida throughout the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Pythons have severely impacted native species and ecosystems in Florida and represent one of the most intractable invasive-species management issues across the globe. The difficulty stems from a unique combination of inaccessible habitat and the cryptic and resilient nature of pythons that thrive in the subtropical environment of southern Florida, rendering them extremely challenging to detect. Here we provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of the science relevant to managing invasive Burmese pythons. We describe existing control tools and review challenges to productive research, identifying key knowledge gaps that would improve future research and decision making for python control. (119 pp

Qualitative data sharing and re-use for socio-environmental systems research: A synthesis of opportunities, challenges, resources and approaches

Researchers in many disciplines, both social and natural sciences, have a long history of collecting and analyzing qualitative data to answer questions that have many dimensions, to interpret other research findings, and to characterize processes that are not easily quantified. Qualitative data is increasingly being used in socio-environmental systems research and related interdisciplinary efforts to address complex sustainability challenges. There are many scientific, descriptive and material benefits to be gained from sharing and re-using qualitative data, some of which reflect the broader push toward open science, and some of which are unique to qualitative research traditions. However, although open data availability is increasingly becoming an expectation in many fields and methodological approaches that work on socio-environmental topics, there remain many challenges associated the sharing and re-use of qualitative data in particular. This white paper discusses opportunities, challenges, resources and approaches for qualitative data sharing and re-use for socio-environmental research. The content and findings of the paper are a synthesis and extension of discussions that began during a workshop funded by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) and held at the Center Feb. 28-March 2, 2017. The structure of the paper reflects the starting point for the workshop, which focused on opportunities, challenges and resources for qualitative data sharing, and presents as well the workshop outputs focused on developing a novel approach to qualitative data sharing considerations and creating recommendations for how a variety of actors can further support and facilitate qualitative data sharing and re-use. The white paper is organized into five sections to address the following objectives: (1) Define qualitative data and discuss the benefits of sharing it along with its role in socio-environmental synthesis; (2) Review the practical, epistemological, and ethical challenges regarding sharing such data; (3) Identify the landscape of resources available for sharing qualitative data including repositories and communities of practice (4) Develop a novel framework for identifying levels of processing and access to qualitative data; and (5) Suggest roles and responsibilities for key actors in the research ecosystem that can improve the longevity and use of qualitative data in the future.This work was supported by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) under funding received from the National Science Foundation DBI-1052875