Retention of native-like structure in an acyclic counterpart of a β-sheet antibiotic

AbstractAn acyclic derivative of the cyclic peptide antibiotic, ramoplanin, has been prepared. In aqueous solution, two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy indicates that the acyclic form adopts a threshold population of conformers in which at least part of the β-sheet characteristic of the intact ramoplanin persists. Thus, despite losing the entropic benefit which the macrocycle must lend to β-sheet formation, the polypeptide chain of the acyclic ramoplanin appears to display an innate tendency to adopt a native-like conformation

Avian Community Changes in Relationto Different Forest Fire Conditions in Central Idaho

Wildfire is an important driver of forest bird communities in western North America. To fully understand wildfire effects, more studies comparing species-specific responses across space, time, and a range of burn severities are needed. We analyzed point count data (n = 809 point × year survey occasions; 2002–2010) from central Idaho to examine forest bird community responses to fire. Using community occupancy models, we analyzed changes in point occupancy before and after prescribed burning and wildfire, and along a post-wildfire burn-severity gradient. Occupancy patterns were largely consistent with those expected from species life histories. Cavity nesters and aerial insectivores (mountain bluebird [Sialia currucoides; n = 37 survey occasions detected], house wren [Troglodytes aedon; n = 15], Olive-sided Flycatcher [Contopus cooperi; n = 15]) responded positively to fire consistent with increases in nesting substrate and foraging opportunities expected for these species. Shrub-nesting species (lazuli bunting [Passerina amoena; n = 75], Black-headed Grosbeak [Pheucticus melanocephalus; n = 29]) exhibited lagged positive responses with the expected lag in shrub development after wildfire. In contrast, canopy-nesting foliage gleaners and pine-seed consumers (Clark’s nutcracker [Nucifraga Columbiana; n = 50], Townsend’s warbler [Setophaga townsendi; n = 133]) responded negatively to wildfire. More species responded positively than negatively to fire, and responses to high-severity wildfire were stronger than to prescribed burning. Consequently, species richness increased by approximately 3 species from low- to high-severity burned points and pre- to post-wildfire years. Our results suggest high-severity wildfires generate important habitat for many species, contributing positively to avian diversity

Landscape Heterogeneity at White-Headed Woodpecker Nest Sites in West-Central Idaho

The white-headed woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus) is a regional endemic species of dry conifer forests in the Inland Pacific Northwest, where forest restoration activities are increasingly common. Recent efforts to mitigate severe fire effects and restore ecological function in these forests have prompted land managers to consider the implications of forest management actions on a range of resources, including wildlife. Identifying the associations of sensitive wildlife species with the structure and distribution of resources across landscapes is necessary for scientifically-sound management decisions. We examined the heterogeneity and proportion of open- and closed- canopy forest patches surrounding white-headed woodpecker nest sites during 2012 and 2013. We used logistic regression to compare differences between nest (n = 34) and non-nest (n = 184) sites. We found a stronger positive relationship with low canopy closure within 1-ha of nest sites compared with non-nest sites (nests: x? = 0.49, SD = 0.43; non-nests: x? = 0.06, SD = 0.16; P < 0.001). We also measured a stronger positive relationship with the edge density between low and moderate canopy patches within a 1-km radius of nest sites compared with non-nest sites (nests: x? = 30.0 meters/ha, SD = 14.6; non-nests: x? = 18.4 m/ha, SD = 14.9; P < 0.001). Our results are consistent with studies of nesting white-headed woodpeckers in Oregon. These data will help further validate and refine habitat suitability models across their northern range and contribute towards effective management decisions that will benefit the white-headed woodpecker

Home-Range Size of White-Headed Woodpeckers in W est- Central Idaho

The white-headed woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus) is a species of management concern in dry-conifer forests of the Inland Northwest, where forest restoration and fuels reduction treatments are increasingly common.  This species may be vulnerable to forest management treatments because it occupies a limited distribution and has narrow habitat requirements.  Forest treatments could negatively affect this species if foraging and nesting resources are removed or could benefit the species through creation of more heterogeneity across the landscape.  Studies of other woodpecker species have identified resource availability and habitat composition as a key influence on the variation of home range size within a population.  We examined home range size of white-headed woodpeckers in a landscape historically managed for timber harvest and is currently receiving extensive forest restoration treatments.  In our first field season, we obtained relocations on 7 radio-tagged woodpeckers (5 males and 2 females, all from different breeding pairs), from late nesting through fledgling periods (late June to early September).  We obtained direct foraging observations at the radio locations.  Estimated home range sizes were quite variable(24 - 180 ha), based on the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method.  We will also estimate home range sizes using the fixed-kernel method.  Identifying habitat spatial attributes that account for variation in home range size will contribute towards effective management decisions for the persistence of white-headed woodpecker populations

Ensemble Habitat Suitability Modeling to Guide Conservation of Black-Backed Woodpeckers

Conservation of black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), a burned-forest specialist, is challenged by the unpredictable availability of suitable habitat. Habitat models calibrated with data from previous wildfires can be used to predict habitat suitability in newly fire-affected areas. Predictive accuracy of habitat models depends on how well statistical relationships reflect actual ecological relationships. We predicted habitat suitability for Black-backed Woodpecker at Montana post-wildfire forests (? 6 years postfire) east of the continental divide using models calibrated with nest location data from wildlfire locations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. We developed 6 habitat models, including one partitioned Mahalanobis model, two Maxent models, and 3 weighted logistic regression models with combinations of seven environmental variables describing burn severity, topography, and pre-fire canopy cover. We converted continuous habitat suitability indices (HSIs) into binary predictions (suitable or unsuitable) and combined predictions using and ensemble approach; we compiled the number of models (0–6) predicting locations (30×30-m pixels) as suitable. Habitat models represented different hypotheses regarding true ecological relationships, making inferences from ensemble predictions robust to uncertainties in the form of these relationships. Thirty-five percent of the area burned by eastside Montana wildfires was predicted suitable by either all seven habitat models or none of them (i.e. complete agreement among models). We recommend conservation of areas (e.g., exclusion of post-fire salvage logging) that were consistently predicted suitable by most models, e.g., 32 percent of burned areas predicted suitable by ? 5 models. Additionally, we recommend surveying areas where models disagree to help validate and refine models

A GIS Tool for Applying Habitat Suitability Models to Inform Management (Poster)

Habitat suitability models are used to guide habitat management for species of conservation concern. Models quantify relationships between known species locations and environmental attributes, which are used to identify and map areas most likely to support species of concern. Managers can then restrict human activities with negative impacts on habitat suitability in these areas. Application of habitat suitability models, however, typically requires technical expertise not available to most land managers. We developed a prototype GIS tool that facilitates application of habitat suitability models to guide management of habitat for woodpecker species of conservation concern. The tool operates within an ArcGIS environment, which is readily available to most managers, and will be capable of generating habitat suitability maps for several species of concern (i.e., Black-backed Woodpecker [Picoides arcticus], Three-toed Woodpecker [P. dorsalis], Lewis’s Woodpecker [Melanerpes lewis], and White-headed Woodpeckers [P. albolvartus]). The tool also automates much of the model application process, reducing requisite technical expertise, and making habitat suitability models widely available. The tool will be accompanied by a manual describing implementation and interpretation of resulting habitat suitability maps. The tool will be especially helpful for informing management of post-disturbance forests (i.e. after wildfire and beetle infestations) to identify suitable habitat for disturbance specialists (e.g., Black-backed, Three-toed, and Lewis’s Woodpeckers).  Identification of suitable habitat is necessary to effectively develop management plans that incorporate the needs of habitat specialists in post-disturbance landscapes. Our prototype is currently being tested by U.S. Forest Service biologists

Avian Relationships with Wildfire at Two Dry Forest Locations with Different Historical Fire Regimes

Wildfire is a key factor influencing bird communities in western North American forests. We need to understand species and community responses to wildfire and how responses vary regionally to effectively manage for biodiversity in dry conifer forests. We compared avian relationships with wildfire burn severity between two locations of Arizona and Idaho. We predicted different responses to wildfire corresponding with regional differences in historical fire regime. We conducted point-count surveys for 3 years following wildfire (Arizona: 1997–1999; Idaho: 2008–2010) and used multispecies hierarchical models to analyze relationships of bird occupancy with burn severity. Consistent with our prediction for mixed-severity fire regimes characterizing the Idaho location, we observed proportionately more positive species occupancy relationships and, consequently, a positive species richness relationship with burn severity in Idaho. We also observed the opposite pattern in Arizona, which was congruent with our prediction for the low-severity fire regime characterizing that location. Cavity nesters and aerial insectivores occupied more severely burned sites following wildfire, corresponding with predicted increases in nesting substrate and foraging opportunities for these species. In contrast, canopy-nesting foliage gleaners and pine-seed consumers exhibited negative relationships with burn severity. Congruence with species life histories and with patterns reported in the literature suggests generality of observed patterns. We therefore suggest that optimal management strategies for maintaining avian diversity could differ regionally. Specifically, intensive fuels management may be ecologically less appropriate for promoting biodiversity in areas such as the Idaho location where mixed-severity wildfires and dense forest stands were historically more common

Comparing plasma and faecal measures of steroid hormones in Adelie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae

Physiological measurements of both stress and sex hormones are often used to estimate the consequences of natural or human-induced change in ecological studies of various animals. Different methods of hormone measurement exist, potentially explaining variation in results across studies; methods should be cross-validated to ensure that they correlate. We directly compared faecal and plasma hormone measurements for the first time in a wild free-living species, the Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae). Blood and faecal samples were simultaneously collected from individual penguins for comparison and assayed for testosterone and corticosterone (or their metabolites). Sex differences and variability within each measure, and correlation of values across measures were compared. For both hormones, plasma samples showed greater variation than faecal samples. Males had higher mean corticosterone concentrations than females, but the difference was only statistically significant in faecal samples. Plasma testosterone, but not faecal testosterone, was significantly higher in males than females. Correlation between sample types was poor overall, and weaker in females than in males, perhaps because measures from plasma represent hormones that are both free and bound to globulins, whereas measures from faeces represent only the free portion. Faecal samples also represent a cumulative measure of hormones over time, as opposed to a plasma ‘snapshot’ concentration. Our data indicate that faecal sampling appears more suitable for assessing baseline hormone concentrations, whilst plasma sampling may best define immediate responses to environmental events. Consequently, future studies should ensure that they select the most appropriate matrix and method of hormone measurement to answer their research questions

Real‐time biofeedback integrated into neuromuscular training reduces high‐risk knee biomechanics and increases functional brain connectivity: A preliminary longitudinal investigation

Prospective evidence indicates that functional biomechanics and brain connectivity may predispose an athlete to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, revealing novel neural linkages for targeted neuromuscular training interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a real‐time biofeedback system for altering knee biomechanics and brain functional connectivity. Seventeen healthy, young, physically active female athletes completed 6 weeks of augmented neuromuscular training (aNMT) utilizing real‐time, interactive visual biofeedback and 13 served as untrained controls. A drop vertical jump and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging were separately completed at pre‐ and posttest time points to assess sensorimotor adaptation. The aNMT group had a significant reduction in peak knee abduction moment (pKAM) compared to controls (p = .03, d = 0.71). The aNMT group also exhibited a significant increase in functional connectivity between the right supplementary motor area and the left thalamus (p = .0473 after false discovery rate correction). Greater percent change in pKAM was also related to increased connectivity between the right cerebellum and right thalamus for the aNMT group (p = .0292 after false discovery rate correction, r2 = .62). No significant changes were observed for the controls (ps > .05). Our data provide preliminary evidence of potential neural mechanisms for aNMT‐induced motor adaptations that reduce injury risk. Future research is warranted to understand the role of neuromuscular training alone and how each component of aNMT influences biomechanics and functional connectivity.Emergent evidence indicates that the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is, in part, due to central nervous system alterations that could be targeted using neural mechanistic sensorimotor‐based treatments. Young female athletes completed 6 weeks of neuromuscular training while interacting with a real‐time, visual biofeedback stimulus. Our training was designed to reduce the risk of by (a) promoting injury‐resistant movement and (b) strengthening brain functional connectivity. Our data not only indicated that athletes’ biomechanics and brain connectivity were improved following training, but the observed biomechanical improvements were related to distinct, strengthened connectivity within regions important for sensorimotor control. This study supports the use of real‐time biofeedback systems to reduce the risk of ACL injury by leveraging neuroplasticity.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154933/1/psyp13545_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154933/2/psyp13545.pd

Measuring “waiting” impulsivity in substance addictions and binge eating disorder in a novel analogue of rodent serial reaction time task

Background Premature responding is a form of motor impulsivity that preclinical evidence has shown to predict compulsive drug seeking but has not yet been studied in humans. We developed a novel translation of the task, based on the rodent 5-choice serial reaction time task, testing premature responding in disorders of drug and natural food rewards. Methods Abstinent alcohol- (n = 30) and methamphetamine-dependent (n = 23) subjects, recreational cannabis users (n = 30), and obese subjects with (n = 30) and without (n = 30) binge eating disorder (BED) were compared with matched healthy volunteers and tested on the premature responding task. Results Compared with healthy volunteers, alcohol- and methamphetamine-dependent subjects and cannabis users showed greater premature responding with no differences observed in obese subjects with or without BED. Current smokers exhibited greater premature responding versus ex-smokers and nonsmokers. Alcohol-dependent subjects also had lower motivation for explicit monetary incentives. A Motivation Index correlated negatively with alcohol use and binge eating severity. Conclusions Premature responding on a novel translation of a serial reaction time task was more evident in substance use disorders but not in obese subjects with or without BED. Lower motivation for monetary incentives linked alcohol use and binge eating severity. Our findings add to understanding the relationship between drug and natural food rewards