Fertility Control Options for Management of Free-roaming Horse Populations

The management of free-roaming horses (Equus ferus) and burros (E. asinus) in the United States has been referred to as a “wicked problem” because, although there are population control options, societal values will ultimately determine what is acceptable and what is not. In the United States, free-roaming equids are managed by different types of organizations and agencies, and the landscapes that these animals inhabit vary widely in terms of access, size, topography, climate, natural resources, flora, and fauna. This landscape diversity, coupled with contemporary socioeconomic and political environments, means that adaptive management practices are needed to regulate these free-roaming populations. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) currently manages free-roaming equids on 177 herd management areas in the United States by applying fertility control measures in situ and/or removing horses, which are either adopted by private individuals or sent to long-term holding facilities. The BLM off-range population currently includes \u3e50,000 animals and costs approximately $50 million USD per year to maintain; on-range equid numbers were estimated in March 2022 to be approximately 82,384. On-range populations can grow at 15–20% annually, and current estimates far exceed the designated appropriate management level of 26,715. To reduce population recruitment, managers need better information about effective, long-lasting or permanent fertility control measures. Because mares breed only once a year, fertility control studies take years to complete. Some contraceptive approaches have been studied for decades, and results from various trials can collectively inform future research directions and actions. Employing 1 or more fertility control tools in concert with removals offers the best potential for success. Active, iterative, cooperative, and thoughtful management practices can protect free-roaming horses while simultaneously protecting the habitat. Herein, we review contraceptive vaccines, intrauterine devices, and surgical sterilization options for controlling fertility of free-roaming horses. This review provides managers with a “fertility control toolbox” and guides future research

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence and visceral fat in obese adolescents

Background. Visceral adiposity is the major risk factor for paediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Aims. Determine the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease according to the visceral fat quartile. Subjects. 181 obese adolescents including 113 girls (16.58 +/- 1.56 years) and 68 boys (16.87 +/- 1.62 years) were evaluated. Methods. the inclusion criteria were obesity and post-pubertal stage of Tanner. Visceral fat of obese adolescents was distributed in quartiles after ultrasound nonalcoholic fatty liver disease diagnosis. Results. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence was 45.30%. It was observed that 62.07% and 76.47% of girls and boys with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were found in the 4th quartile. in a multivariate logistic analysis it was observed that only visceral fat remained statistically significant, every I cm increase in visceral fat was associated with a 1.97 fold (95% CI 1.06-3.66) in boys and 2.08 fold (95% CI 1.38-3.13) in girls increased risk to develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Indeed it was verified a positive correlation between visceral fat, body mass index, insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index and steatosis degree. Conclusions. Our findings suggested that the expansion of visceral fat was a determinant factor to increase nonalcoholic fatty liver disease prevalence and the visceral fat measured by ultrasound might be a good predictor to identify risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese adolescents. It was confirmed by a stronger correlation between visceral fat and body mass index. (c) 2007 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Post Grad Program Nutr, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Dept Diagnost Imaging, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Dept Psychobiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Dept Hlth Sci, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Post Grad Program Nutr, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Dept Diagnost Imaging, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Dept Psychobiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Paulista Med Sch, UNIFESP EPM, Dept Hlth Sci, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc