IDENTIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING GOLDEN EAGLE PRESENCE AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS

Declining populations of plant and animal species is a major concern threatening global biodiversity. If we want to conserve threatened species, we must understand the requirements of the species. Recent data suggests Golden Eagle populations in the Western United States are declining. Future threats from expanded energy development, habitat loss and climate change are also a concern. Apparent declines and perceived threats have caused management agencies to classify the Golden Eagle as a species of concern requiring the creation of conservation plans. Yet, an effective conservation plan is dependent on information that is currently lacking. To address this lack of available information, I studied a population of breeding Golden Eagles in south-central Montana which has increased in the last 50 years. I was interested in determining which factors were responsible for the increase in the population and changes in measures of breeding performance. I used information from the current phase to identify which environmental factors are important for the eagles now and assessed whether the identified factors were responsible for the documented changes since the 1960’s. I found that Golden Eagles in the current phase were selecting areas for nesting territories based on prey habitat and terrain ruggedness. Within their territories, Golden Eagles selected areas conducive to uplift dependent on proximity to prey habitat, on a western aspect and closer to their nest. My results related to measures of breeding performance were unclear. I found prey habitat was likely not limiting the probability of territories being occupied between phases but instead, anthropogenic disturbance was likely limiting the historic population. My results suggest management plans should focus current protection on areas with prey habitat in close proximity to topography eagles can use to exploit uplift. To better understand the current population trends, I suggest expanding monitoring efforts to areas without a large degree of habitat loss in the last 50 years and to unprotected areas. Golden Eagle populations in these locations may be more indicative of the current status of the population range-wide

50-Year Golden Eagle Nesting Trends In South-Central Montana

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) migration counts in the western North America have shown a significant negative trend in recent years. However, the causes of these declines are unknown and it remains unclear if declining migration counts correlate to a declining population or changes in migratory behavior. Long-term research on nesting Golden Eagle populations is lacking and is needed to properly assess the current Golden Eagle population status in many areas. In 1962, intensive monitoring efforts were initiated in a roughly 1200-mi2 study area in south-central Montana. The objectives were, among other things, to determine density and productivity of Golden Eagles. This area was re-surveyed in the mid 1990s to begin looking at long-term population trends. In 2009, we initiated a multi-year effort to investigate potential changes in the nesting trends in the same study area over a half a century. The data collected to date indicate an increase in the nesting density, similar nest success rates, and a decrease in productivity when compared with both the 1960’s and 1990s studies. The longevity of data collected in this study area allows for one of the longestterm comparisons for Golden Eagle nesting density and success in the West and provides invaluable insights into the status of nesting Golden Eagles in this region

Avian Scavengers And Lead Rifle Ammunition: Where We’re At, Challenges, And Solutions

Birds have long been recognized at risk of lead poisoning from ammunition sources, but only in recent years has rifle ammunition been identified as a source of lead toxicity in raptors and other scavenging birds. Several studies have indicated increased lead exposure in eagles but the implications to population dynamics remain unclear. We have monitored blood lead levels of Common Ravens (Corvus corax), Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus luecocehpalus), and Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, since 2004 to investigate effects of spent rifle ammunition on avian scavengers. Data from ravens and Bald Eagles indicated a strong relationship between big-game hunting seasons and elevated blood lead levels. In 2009, we initiated a voluntary non-lead ammunition program in collaboration with Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge. Free, non-lead ammunition was distributed to hunters in the area. Hunter surveys indicated that 24 percent of successful hunters on the Park and Refuge used non-lead ammunition and we detected a 28-percent drop in the mean lead levels of ravens monitored from previous years after the harvest totals were controlled for. We continued the voluntary program in 2010 by selling reduced-priced non-lead ammunition, and there was greater participation in the voluntary non-lead program (33%). Further, we have outfitted 13 Bald Eagles with satellite transmitters to document the potential geographic impact our local hunting season has on the continental eagle population and found that 90 percent of eagles outfitted during the big-game hunting season breed/ summer in central Canada

Reproductive Isolation and Ecological Niche Partition among Larvae of the Morphologically Cryptic Sister Species Chironomus riparius and C. piger

Background One of the central issues in ecology is the question what allows sympatric occurrence of closely related species in the same general area? The non-biting midges Chironomus riparius and C. piger, interbreeding in the laboratory, have been shown to coexist frequently despite of their close relatedness, similar ecology and high morphological similarity. Methodology/Principal Findings In order to investigate factors shaping niche partitioning of these cryptic sister species, we explored the actual degree of reproductive isolation in the field. Congruent results from nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial haplotype analyses indicated complete absence of interspecific gene-flow. Autocorrelation analysis showed a non-random spatial distribution of the two species. Though not dispersal limited at the scale of the study area, the sister species occurred less often than expected at the same site, indicating past or present competition. Correlation and multiple regression analyses suggested the repartition of the available habitat along water chemistry gradients (nitrite, conductivity, CaCO3), ultimately governed by differences in summer precipitation regime. Conclusions We show that these morphologically cryptic sister species partition their niches due to a certain degree of ecological distinctness and total reproductive isolation in the field. The coexistence of these species provides a suitable model system for the investigation of factors shaping the distribution of closely related, cryptic species

Structural, Metabolic, and Functional Brain Abnormalities as a Result of Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse: Evidence from Neuroimaging

Prenatal exposure to alcohol and stimulants negatively affects the developing trajectory of the central nervous system in many ways. Recent advances in neuroimaging methods have allowed researchers to study the structural, metabolic, and functional abnormalities resulting from prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse in living human subjects. Here we review the neuroimaging literature of prenatal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Neuroimaging studies of prenatal alcohol exposure have reported differences in the structure and metabolism of many brain systems, including in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, as well as in the white matter tracts that connect these brain regions. Functional imaging studies have identified significant differences in brain activation related to various cognitive domains as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure. The published literature of prenatal exposure to cocaine and methamphetamine is much smaller, but evidence is beginning to emerge suggesting that exposure to stimulant drugs in utero may be particularly toxic to dopamine-rich basal ganglia regions. Although the interpretation of such findings is somewhat limited by the problem of polysubstance abuse and by the difficulty of obtaining precise exposure histories in retrospective studies, such investigations provide important insights into the effects of drugs of abuse on the structure, function, and metabolism of the developing human brain. These insights may ultimately help clinicians develop better diagnostic tools and devise appropriate therapeutic interventions to improve the condition of children with prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Lawson criterion for ignition exceeded in an inertial fusion experiment

For more than half a century, researchers around the world have been engaged in attempts to achieve fusion ignition as a proof of principle of various fusion concepts. Following the Lawson criterion, an ignited plasma is one where the fusion heating power is high enough to overcome all the physical processes that cool the fusion plasma, creating a positive thermodynamic feedback loop with rapidly increasing temperature. In inertially confined fusion, ignition is a state where the fusion plasma can begin "burn propagation" into surrounding cold fuel, enabling the possibility of high energy gain. While "scientific breakeven" (i.e., unity target gain) has not yet been achieved (here target gain is 0.72, 1.37 MJ of fusion for 1.92 MJ of laser energy), this Letter reports the first controlled fusion experiment, using laser indirect drive, on the National Ignition Facility to produce capsule gain (here 5.8) and reach ignition by nine different formulations of the Lawson criterion