A multi-zoo investigation of nutrient provision for captive red-crested turacos

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. structural, copper-based feather pigments, and a specialized dietary strategy. Tauraco inhabit tropical woodlands, foraging for predominantly folivorous and/or frugivorous food items. Using a study population of 16 red-crested turacos (T. erythrolophus) at seven zoos in the United Kingdom, the nutrient composition of diets from diet sheets was calculated, using Zootrition v.2.6, Saint Louis Zoo, USA for analyses of important nutrients within each diet, and compared against an example of currently available literature. For all nutrients analyzed, significant differences were noted between amounts presented in each zoo's diet (as fed). Turacos are presented with a wide range of ingredients in diets fed, and all zoos use domestic fruits to a large extent in captive diets. Similarities exist between zoos when comparing amounts of as-fed fiber. Analysis of the calcium to phosphorous ratio for these diets showed there to be no significant difference from the published ratio available. While this is a small-scale study on only a limited number of zoos, it provides useful information on current feeding practice for a commonly-housed species of bird and highlights potential areas of deviation away from standard practice, as well as identifying ways of reducing wastage of food. Data on wild foraging behavior and food selection, or collaboration with tauraco keepers from institutions in the tropics, is recommended as a way of improving feeding regimes and updating feeding practice for this and other Tauraco species

Wing condition does not negatively impact time budget, enclosure usage, or social bonds in a flock of both full-winged and flight-restrained greater flamingos

This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Flamingo_flight_restraint_data_set/22298806 in the final paper.Zoo management techniques for captive birds, such as flight restraint and enclosure type, may affect behavioral performance and are consequently worthy of investigation. Flamingos are amongst the most popular of zoo-housed birds and, as such, research into their captive management and associated behavioral responses are widely applicable to many thousands of individuals. As a highly social species, understanding social bonds and behavior of the individual bird and the flock overall can help inform decisions that support husbandry and population management. In this project, 41 greater flamingos at Bristol Zoo Gardens were observed for 49 days across spring and summer 2013 to assess the following: (i) social associations within the flock, (ii) overall activity patterns, and (iii) distribution of time within specific enclosure zones for both full-winged and flight-restrained birds living in the same enclosure. Results showed that pinioning interacted with age in regard to flamingo time-activity patterns, but wing condition did not significantly influence association patterns, performance of social interactions, or performance of breeding behavior. Social network analysis revealed that associations were nonrandom and flamingos, of either wing condition, displayed different roles within the network. Birds of similar age formed the strongest bonds. Enclosure usage was not even, suggesting that the flamingos favored specific areas of the enclosure during the observation period. This study showed that wing condition does not affect flamingo behavior, social bonds, or space use, and that age and sex have more of an overall influence on what flamingos do, and with whom they chose to do it. Further research should extend this study into other, larger captive flocks to further refine behavioral measures of welfare for these popular zoo birds

A Perturbation Method for Inverse Scattering in Three-Dimensions Based on the Exact Inverse Scattering Equations

The detection and characterization of macroscopic flaws, such as cracks in solids are fundamental goals of nondestructive evaluation. Many inspection methods use scattered electromagnetic or ultrasonic waves. These methods rely explicitly on the development of inverse scattering theory. This theory seeks to determine the geometrical and material properties of flaws from scattering data

Evolutionary selection of alleles in the melanophilin gene that impacts on prostate organ function and cancer risk.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several hundred inherited genetic variants or SNPs that alter the risk of cancer have been identified through genome-wide association studies. In populations of European ancestry, these variants are mostly present at relatively high frequencies. To gain insight into evolutionary origins, we screened a series of genes and SNPs linked to breast or prostate cancer for signatures of historical positive selection. METHODOLOGY: We took advantage of the availability of the 1000 genome data and we performed genomic scans for positive selection in five different Caucasian populations as well as one African reference population. We then used prostate organoid cultures to provide a possible functional explanation for the interplay between the action of evolutionary forces and the disease risk association. RESULTS: Variants in only one gene showed genomic signatures of positive, evolutionary selection within Caucasian populations melanophilin (MLPH). Functional depletion of MLPH in prostate organoids, by CRISPR/Cas9 mutation, impacted lineage commitment of progenitor cells promoting luminal versus basal cell differentiation and on resistance to androgen deprivation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The MLPH variants influencing prostate cancer risk may have been historically selected for their adaptive benefit on skin pigmentation but MLPH is highly expressed in the prostate and the derivative, positively selected, alleles decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Our study suggests a potential functional mechanism via which MLPH and its genetic variants could influence risk of prostate cancer, as a serendipitous consequence of prior evolutionary benefits to another tissue. LAY SUMMARY: We screened a limited series of genomic variants associated with breast and prostate cancer risk for signatures of historical positive selection. Variants within the melanophilin (MLPH) gene fell into this category. Depletion of MLPH in prostate organoid cultures, suggested a potential functional mechanism for impacting on cancer risk, as a serendipitous consequence of prior evolutionary benefits to another tissue

A prospective trial of tacrolimus (FK 506) in clinical heart transplantation: Intermediate-term results

Between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1994, we have treated 122 primary heart recipients with FK 506 (group I) and 121 with cyclosporine (group II). Fifty patients in the cyclosporine (CyA) group received no lympholytic induction (CyA alone) and 71 others received lympholytic induction with either rabbit antithymocyte globulin or OKT3 (CyA+LI). The mean follow-up was longer in the FK 506 group than in the CyA groups (3.2 ± 1.3 vs 2.3 ± 1.8 years; p < 0.01). Patient survival did not differ on the basis of the type of immunosuppression used. At 3 months after transplantation, the freedom from rejection in the FK 506 group was higher than that of the CyA-alone group (47% vs 22%, p < 0.01) but similar to that of the CyA+LI group (47% vs 53%). The linearized rejection rate (episodes/100 patient-days) of the FK 506 group (0.09 episodes) was lower (p < 0.05) than that of the CyA-alone group (0.26) and the CyA+LI group (0.13). The requirement for pulsed steroids to treat rejection was less in common in the FK 506 group than in either CyA group. Eighteen patients in the CyA group had refractory rejections; all resolved with FK 506 rescue. Two patients in the FK 506 group had refractory rejection that resolved with total lymphoid irradiation (n = 1) and methotrexate therapy (n = 1). Patients receiving FK 506 had a lower risk of hypertension and required a lower dose of steroids. Although the mean serum creatinine concentration at 1 year was higher in the FK 506 group, this difference disappeared after 2 years. No patients required discontinuation of FK 506 because of its side effects. Our intermediate-term results indicate that FK 506 compares favorably with CyA as a primary immunosuppressant in heart transplantation

Multi-Timescale Perceptual History Resolves Visual Ambiguity

When visual input is inconclusive, does previous experience aid the visual system in attaining an accurate perceptual interpretation? Prolonged viewing of a visually ambiguous stimulus causes perception to alternate between conflicting interpretations. When viewed intermittently, however, ambiguous stimuli tend to evoke the same percept on many consecutive presentations. This perceptual stabilization has been suggested to reflect persistence of the most recent percept throughout the blank that separates two presentations. Here we show that the memory trace that causes stabilization reflects not just the latest percept, but perception during a much longer period. That is, the choice between competing percepts at stimulus reappearance is determined by an elaborate history of prior perception. Specifically, we demonstrate a seconds-long influence of the latest percept, as well as a more persistent influence based on the relative proportion of dominance during a preceding period of at least one minute. In case short-term perceptual history and long-term perceptual history are opposed (because perception has recently switched after prolonged stabilization), the long-term influence recovers after the effect of the latest percept has worn off, indicating independence between time scales. We accommodate these results by adding two positive adaptation terms, one with a short time constant and one with a long time constant, to a standard model of perceptual switching

One-carbon metabolism in cancer

Cells require one-carbon units for nucleotide synthesis, methylation and reductive metabolism, and these pathways support the high proliferative rate of cancer cells. As such, anti-folates, drugs that target one-carbon metabolism, have long been used in the treatment of cancer. Amino acids, such as serine are a major one-carbon source, and cancer cells are particularly susceptible to deprivation of one-carbon units by serine restriction or inhibition of de novo serine synthesis. Recent work has also begun to decipher the specific pathways and sub-cellular compartments that are important for one-carbon metabolism in cancer cells. In this review we summarise the historical understanding of one-carbon metabolism in cancer, describe the recent findings regarding the generation and usage of one-carbon units and explore possible future therapeutics that could exploit the dependency of cancer cells on one-carbon metabolism