Evaluating Red Wolf Scat to Deter Coyote Access to Urban Pastureland

Depredation of domestic livestock by wildlife is a leading source of human–wildlife conflict, often requiring intervention at the local level. Historically, these interventions have resulted in the use of lethal methods to remove the offending animal. In response to increased public opposition to lethal control methods, wildlife managers have sought to identify effective nonlethal biological options to mitigate wildlife depredations. In 2018, we tested the concept of a biological deterrent using red wolf (Canis rufus) scat that had historically been spread along fence lines to prevent depredation of lambs (Ovis aries) and kid goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine 32-ha Teaching Animal Unit (TAU), North Carolina, USA. To conduct the study, we deployed paired camera traps at 3 locations where we had previously observed coyotes (C. latrans) accessing the TAU. The study was conducted over a 94-day period alternating between no scat and freshly collected scat that was placed every 3 days from adult male red wolves. The study period overlapped lambing and kidding season. In addition to coyotes, the camera traps routinely detected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and raccoons (Procyon lotor). The red wolf scat we placed at the access point did not deter any of the mesocarnivores from entering the pasture

Building Collaborative Learning Opportunities between Future Veterinary and Design Professionals

Positive inter-professional collaborations and interactions facilitate the effectiveness of veterinarians working on professional teams addressing a wide range of societal challenges. The need for these interactions extend far beyond the different medical professions, which is the limit of many discussions of inter-professional relations for veterinary medicine. Methods of problem solving differ across professions, and clinical veterinary problem solving is quite distinct from the approaches of non-medical professions. These distinctions are particularly obvious when looking at the approaches of design professionals. Yet, most veterinarians work in collaboration with architects and landscape architects at some time in their careers, with varying degrees of success. This case study describes a collaboration between a College of Veterinary Medicine and a College of Design in which a course was offered across both colleges that allowed students to build a real life design to suit the needs of a veterinary medical college considering how to best utilize space for animals, animal and human interaction and the holistic development of healthy spaces for humans. Results of the collaboration indicated that despite initial struggles, students from very different disciplinary backgrounds were able to effectively work in teams, problem solve, communicate and exchange ideas, learn to appreciate their peer counterparts, and produce a high-quality design that may ultimately be adopted by the university

Metabolomic Investigations of American Oysters Using 1H-NMR Spectroscopy

The Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a useful, robust model marine organism for tissue metabolism studies. Its relatively few organs are easily delineated and there is sufficient understanding of their functions based on classical assays to support interpretation of advanced spectroscopic approaches. Here we apply high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)-based metabolomic analysis to C. virginica to investigate the differences in the metabolic profile of different organ groups, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to non-invasively identify the well separated organs. Metabolites were identified in perchloric acid extracts of three portions of the oyster containing: (1) adductor muscle, (2) stomach and digestive gland, and (3) mantle and gills. Osmolytes dominated the metabolome in all three organ blocks with decreasing concentration as follows: betaine > taurine > proline > glycine > ß-alanine > hypotaurine. Mitochondrial metabolism appeared most pronounced in the adductor muscle with elevated levels of carnitine facilitating ß-oxidation, and ATP, and phosphoarginine synthesis, while glycogen was elevated in the mantle/gills and stomach/digestive gland. A biochemical schematic is presented that relates metabolites to biochemical pathways correlated with physiological organ functions. This study identifies metabolites and corresponding 1H NMR peak assignments for future NMR-based metabolomic studies in oysters

Managing hybridization of a recovering endangered species: The red wolf \u3ci\u3eCanis rufus\u3c/i\u3e as a case study

Hybridization presents a unique challenge for conservation biologists and managers. While hybridization is an important evolutionary process, hybridization is also a threat formany native species. The endangered species recovery effort for the red wolf Canis rufus is a classic system for understanding and addressing the challenges of hybridization. From 1987‒1993, 63 red wolves were released from captivity in eastern North Carolina, USA, to establish a free-ranging, non-essential experimental population. By 1999, managers recognized hybridization with invasive coyotes Canis latrans was the single greatest threat to successful recovery, and an adaptive management plan was adopted with innovative approaches for managing the threat of hybridization. Here we review the application and results of the adaptive management efforts from 1993 to 2013 by comparing: (1) the numbers of wolves, coyotes, and hybrids captured, (2) the numbers of territorial social groups with presumed breeding capabilities, (3) the number of red wolf and hybrid litters documented each year and (4) the degree of coyote introgression into the wild red wolf gene pool. We documented substantial increases in the number of known red wolves and red wolf social groups from 1987–2004 followed by a plateau and slight decline by 2013.The number of red wolf litters exceeded hybrid litters each year and the proportion of hybrid litters per year averaged 21%. The genetic composition of the wild red wolf population is estimated to include \u3c 4% coyote ancestry from recent introgression since reintroduction. We conclude that the adaptive management plan was effective at reducing the introgression of coyote genes into the red wolf population, but population recovery of red wolves will require continuation of the current management plan, or alternative approaches, for the foreseeable future. More broadly, we discuss the lessons learned from red wolf adaptive management that could assist other endangered species recovery efforts facing the challenge of minimizing hybridizatio

Applications of Chemical Shift Imaging to Marine Sciences

The successful applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in medicine are mostly due to the non-invasive and non-destructive nature of MRI techniques. Longitudinal studies of humans and animals are easily accomplished, taking advantage of the fact that MRI does not use harmful radiation that would be needed for plain film radiographic, computerized tomography (CT) or positron emission (PET) scans. Routine anatomic and functional studies using the strong signal from the most abundant magnetic nucleus, the proton, can also provide metabolic information when combined with in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). MRS can be performed using either protons or hetero-nuclei (meaning any magnetic nuclei other than protons or 1H) including carbon (13C) or phosphorus (31P). In vivo MR spectra can be obtained from single region of interest (ROI or voxel) or multiple ROIs simultaneously using the technique typically called chemical shift imaging (CSI). Here we report applications of CSI to marine samples and describe a technique to study in vivo glycine metabolism in oysters using 13C MRS 12 h after immersion in a sea water chamber dosed with [2-13C]-glycine. This is the first report of 13C CSI in a marine organism

A novel extraction method for the preparation of heparinized chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) and horse (Equus caballus) whole blood for 1H-NMR metabolomics using Drabkin’s reagent

Despite the ease of collection, heparinized whole blood (HWB) is underutilized in 1H-NMR-based metabolomics particularly because of the lack of sample homogeneity.  Drabkin’s reagent (DR), an aqueous solution of potassium ferricyanide, potassium cyanide, and sodium bicarbonate, causes hemolysis and has been used for quantification of hemoglobin.  The objectives of this study were to determine if the use of DR with HWB for metabolomics samples would result in consistent hemolysis, while being invisible to 1H-NMR and quenching metabolic activity.  HWB from a chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) and a horse (Equus caballus) was used.  All HWB samples were mixed 1:10 volume:volume HWB:DR.  Spectrophotometric evaluation of incubated DR treated samples revealed little change in absorbance after approximately 10-15 min incubation at room temperature (20-21 °C); all following samples were incubated for 10 min, except where noted.  Samples subjected to five repeated extractions with DR showed a decrease in absorbance of  >95% after the first extraction; all subsequent samples were extracted with a single aliquot of DR.  Lyophilized DR rehydrated with a 100% deuterium oxide solution was invisible to 1H-NMR.  Standard (10 min incubation, 20 min centrifugal filtration) and delayed (120 min incubation, 20 min centrifugal filtration) samples were prepared for both species and did not appear considerably different upon visual inspection with the exception of minor differences in the major peaks of the metabolites 3-methylhistidine and betaine in the chicken samples.  Comparison of standard and delayed samples via two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests found no significant differences with either species (chicken p = 1, horse p = 0.9887).  Use of DR resulted in consistent, complete hemolysis, while being invisible to 1H-NMR and quenching metabolic activity for at least 140 min at room temperature.  This protocol should be considered when HWB is the only sample type available and/or if the investigator is interested in questions specific to erythrocyte metabolism

CARDIORESPIRATORY EFFECTS OF MEDETOMIDINE BUTORPHANOL, MEDETOMIDINE–BUTORPHANOL–DIAZEPAM, AND MEDETOMIDINE–BUTORPHANOL–KETAMINE IN CAPTIVE RED WOLVES (CANIS RUFUS)

Safe, effective, and reversible immobilization protocols are essential for the management of free-ranging red wolves (Canis rufus). Combinations using an a2-adrenoceptor agonist and ketamine have been shown to be effective for immobilization but are not reversible and can produce severe hypertension and prolonged or rough recoveries. To minimize hypertension and provide reversibility, 24 red wolves were immobilized using three medetomidine–butorphanol (MB) combinations without the use of ketamine in the initial injection. All wolves were administered medetomidine (0.04 mg/kg i.m.) and butorphanol (0.4 mg/kg i.m.). Seven wolves received no other immobilization agents (MB wolves), nine received diazepam (0.2 mg/kg i.v.) at the time they were instrumented (MBD wolves), and eight received ketamine (1 mg/kg i.v.) 30 min after instrumentation (MBK30 wolves). Physiologic parameters were monitored during immobilization. The heart rate was similar among the three groups for the first 30 min, and marked bradycardia was noted in one wolf from each group. Hypertension was observed initially in all three groups but was resolved within 10–30 min. The MBK30 wolves had significant elevations in heart rate and transient hypertension after intravenous ketamine administration. Most wolves had mild to moderate metabolic acidemia. Immobilizing drugs were antagonized in all wolves with atipamezole (0.2 mg/kg i.m.) and naloxone (0.02 mg/kg i.m.). The medetomidinebutorphanol- diazepam wolves were also given flumazenil (0.04 mg/kg i.v.). All wolves were standing within 12 min and were fully recovered within 17 min. Medetomamine-butorphanol and MBD combinations provided effective and reversible immobilization of red wolves without the sustained hypertension associated with the use of a2-adrenoceptor agonist–ketamine combinations. Delaying the administration of ketamine reduced its hypertensive effects

Aggregata dobelli N. Sp. and Aggregata millerorum N. Sp. (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae) from Two Species of Octopus (Mollusca: Octopodidae) from the Eastern North Pacific Ocean

Gamogony and sporogony of two new species of Aggregata (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae) commonly were observed during histopathological examination of the digestive tracts of octopuses from the National Aquarium in Baltimore. North Pacific giant octopus, Octopus dofleini martini Pickford 1964, from British Columbia and Washington state were infected with Aggregata dobelli n. sp. Sporocysts were smooth-surfaced, dark-staining, subspherical to subovoid, typically 18–31 μm long by 15–27 μm wide, and contained 9–22 sporozoites, 18–23 μm long. California two-spotted octopus, Octopus bimaculoides Pickford and McConnaughey 1949, from California were infected with Aggregata millerorum n. sp. Sporocysts were smooth-surfaced, dark-staining, and subspherical to subovoid, 12–20 μm long by 11–17 μm wide, and contained 8–10 sporozoites, 18–31 μm long. Both species infected the noncuticularized spiral caecum and intestine; A. millerorum n. sp. also infected the cuticularized esophagus and crop. Both parasites were present in the submucosa, muscularis, and serosa. Our observations of Aggregata infections in cuticularized regions of the gut and in the muscularis and serosa appear to be novel. Associated pathologic features included hypertrophy of invaded cells, edema, inflammation, and ulceration