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Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Metabolic Profiling to Distinguish Herds of Bighorn Sheep
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to determine if nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolic profiling has the potential to serve as a management tool for evaluating herds of bighorn (Ovis canadensis) sheep. Two-hundred and forty bighorn sheep serum samples from 13 herds located in Montana and Wyoming were processed for NMR spectra, profiled for small molecule metabolites using Chenomx®, and then analyzed with MetaboAnalyst (v3.0). Fifty-six small molecule metabolites were identified in ungulate serum. To determine if NMR metabolic profiles can distinguish herds that are geographically distinct with access to different nutritional resources, herds collected in December were compared to herds collected in March. Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) indicated a clear, majority separation of metabolic shifts with minor overlaps. Biomarker analysis identified 15 potential biomarkers from the compounds with variables of importance (VIP) scores greater than 1.0. These molecules enabled us to identify ‘significantly’ important metabolic pathways that discriminate herds sampled in December and herds sampled in March. Key biomarkers resulting from the pathway analysis, included: 2-oxoisocaproate, choline, tyrosine, creatinine, and trimethylamine n-oxide. To determine if metabolic profiling can distinguish individual herds within a month, herds in December, January and March were compared to a domestic, Rambouillet ewes (control) sampled during the sample months. PLS-DA of all herds showed clear metabolic shifts and complete separation between each individual herd and the control ewes for each month. Potential biomarkers for herds within a season that were found to be good discriminants for the December herds included: trimethylamine n-oxide and sarcosine; for January herds included: creatinine and asparagine; and, for March herd included, creatinine. Through identification of small molecule metabolites, it is possible to discriminate herds from each other within and between seasons. These biomarkers represent a potential panel of metabolites that may be used for assessing nutritional status, environmental stress, and herd health through the identification of significantly important metabolic pathways related to energy and protein balance
Relationship of Athletic Injuries to Athletic Season
Get PDFIn the world of sport, to be an excellent athlete, one must have the necessary physical attributes, appropriate environment, and personality variables to succeed. However, a critical variable that affects every aspect of athletic ability is athletic injury. Injuries have negative consequences for the athlete’s health, training, and competitive performance. Maintaining an absence of injuries is pivotal for the athletic individual and the team as a whole. This research characterizes the relationship between type and duration of athletic injuries in different sports and months of occurrence during the period 2012-2015. Archival data was collected from the University of Great Falls, Montana State University, and Westminster College. Due to the higher injury rates, the sports of focus were women’s volleyball, women’s softball, women’s basketball, men’s wrestling, and co-ed cheer. This presentation will summarize findings and implications for athletic trainers, coaches, and players
Growing the Relevance of Wildlife Management in Uncertain Times
Get PDFPolitical unrest in the United States requires wildlife managers in Montana to consider the shifting context within which citizens engage wildlife and wildlife agencies. The state and national elections of 2016 gave voice to concerns about losses of trust, safety and security. The public seeks or is bracing for change, arguably and in part for the sake of change, with consequences that have yet to unfold. Historically, the wildlife profession has been seen by some as an obstacle to change. In today’s social environment, the wildlife profession risks censure, with political consequences, if seen as a distraction from overarching public concerns. Conversely, the opportunity exists to redirect its focus on leadership toward a desired future. To lead, the wildlife profession in Montana must connect with the issues of trust, safety and security that seem elemental on the minds of Montanans today. Thus, the wildlife profession would do well to help reinforce the societal underpinnings upon which amenity values can be conserved. For example, now is the time for the wildlife profession in Montana to lead openly in addressing climate change and the advance of invasive species. It could be seen prescribing the innovative use of renewable resources to meet social and economic, as well as environmental needs. The wildlife profession in Montana could set a more obvious and intentional example for workforce diversity and human respect. Montana’s model of habitat conservation could more visibly include a vision toward a future when wildlife and people are better integrated on the landscape
Habitat Selection, Movements, and Survival of Dispersing Juvenile Beavers in Southwest Montana
Get PDFNorth American Beaver (Castor canadensis) colonies provide a variety of benefits to stream systems by capturing and storing water and sediment, expanding riparian habitats, and increasing habitat heterogeneity. Land and wildlife managers are increasingly interested in implementing beaver restoration projects with the goal of improving stream health and landscape water storage capacity. However, most research on habitat selection by beavers does not address habitat requirements when beavers form new colonies in novel areas, as is the objective of most beaver restoration efforts. We radio-marked juvenile beavers in the upper Gallatin and Madison River drainages to investigate dispersal, survival, and settlement site selection with the goal of improving the ability of managers to identify beaver restoration sites with the highest probability of success. Following the first year of data collection, we found the dispersal rate was low (0.16 ± 0.084) and the survival rate was high (0.82 ± 0.082) among our radio-marked beavers. Out of 50 active beaver colonies discovered in the study area in 2016, only 5 were new settlement sites. Newly-settled sites generally had a higher proportion of willow-dominated habitat types than unsettled sites while all other measured habitat variables were similar between settled and unsettled sites. Our observations indicate old beaver structures are frequently used by dispersing beavers when establishing a new colony. We assert that examination of local beaver densities and the spatial distribution of active colonies are essential components of a successful beaver restoration project, and should precede evaluations of habitat quality at potential restoration sites
Targeted Cattle Grazing to Enhance Sage-Grouse Brood-Rearing Habitat
Get PDFOften, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) brood-rearing habitats dominated by dense mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana; >10-25% canopy cover) limit important forbs and arthropods sage-grouse rely on during summer. We investigated whether protein supplementation could concentrate cattle during fall to reduce sagebrush canopy cover and increase the diversity and abundance of forbs and arthropods. We applied targeted cattle grazing within three large, contiguous pastures in the Beaverhead Mountains of southwestern Montana. In each pasture, we selected one 4-ha macroplot of dense sagebrush (>30%). Within each macroplot, we placed low-moisture block protein supplement in four microsites (78.5-m2) and compared cattle response to four untreated control microsites. The following summer we measured herbaceous canopy cover and composition, shrub canopy cover, ground cover, forb and arthropod diversity, and arthropod density for each treated and untreated microsites. Mountain big sagebrush canopy cover was 71% less in treated vs. untreated microsites (11% vs. 38% canopy cover, respectively; P <0.001). Bite count observations indicated that sagebrush cover was reduced by cattle trampling rather than browsing, as sagebrush comprised <1% of cattle diets. Forb diversity was 13% greater in treated microsites (P = 0.094), forb species richness was 16% greater in treated microsites (P = 0.044), and forb composition trended higher in treated microsites (45% of herbaceous composition in treated microsites vs. 32% in untreated microsites; P = 0.106). Lepidoptera density trended 18% greater in treated microsites (P = .133). Our results indicate that protein supplementation during late fall can concentrate cattle to enhance sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat
Carnivore Territoriality: Simulating Economic Selection of Territories
Get PDFWe are developing theoretical models of territorial behavior of carnivores. This work will be useful for predicting the abundance of wolf (Canis lupus) territories in Montana and Idaho. Coupled with a patch occupancy model, it will provide more accurate estimates of abundance of wolves in each state. Ultimately, our work will also provide a better understanding of territorial behavior of a large carnivore. We are simulating the territory selection process for carnivores choosing patches on a landscape based on benefits of prey, where prey distribution ranges from overdispersed to highly clumped. Simulated carnivores will also consider hypothesized costs of patch ownership, including travel, competition, and mortality risk. In each simulation, carnivores will acquire patches for a territory as economically as possible based on these benefits and costs. Simulating various combinations of these hypothesized benefits and costs of patch ownership will provide predictions of territorial behavior. We can then compare these predictions to the territories of real wolves to determine which model is most predictive of actual wolf behavior. Starting with a model for benefits of prey and costs of travel, we found that prey distribution may influence mean size, quality, and fragmentation of simulated territories. Based on these preliminary results, we might expect differences in size or quality of territories in regions with different prey communities. Most importantly, this work provides a foundation from which we will build more complex models of territorial behavior of carnivores
Understanding how Characteristics of the Nest Site Affect Nest Success of Wild Turkeys
Get PDFWild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo) are a highly-desirable game species throughout the United States, but harvest records in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota suggest that this population is declining. We wondered whether vegetation characteristics at the nest site would affect nest fate (success/failure). We monitored 40 nests during summer 2016 to determine nest fate and 27 were successful (?1 egg hatched). At the actual or expected hatch date, we quantified characteristics of the understory vegetation at the nest bowl, namely total cover, shrub cover, woody debris, and the degree of visual obstruction. We compared these characteristics between successful and unsuccessful nests. Successful nests had slightly less woody debris and total cover than unsuccessful nests. We did not detect differences in shrub cover or the degree of visual obstruction. Our results suggest that there may be some optimal amount of total cover and woody debris at the nest bowl that contributes to a higher chance of nest success. We recommend additional research that focuses on how vegetation characteristics found at nest sites compares to what is available. This information in conjunction with our findings could provide guidance for managers regarding vegetation characteristics that may be optimal for nest success. Although these data may help manage turkey populations, nesting represents only one part of the life cycle of a wild turkey. We recommend that managers strive for a mosaic of vegetation characteristics to accommodate the needs of turkey populations throughout their life history
A Comprehensive Safety, Security & Self-Defense Training Program for Library Employees
Get PDFEastern Washington University (EWU) Libraries has implemented a comprehensive, multi layered approach to safety & security training for its employees. Training consists of topics such as safe environment, workplace safety, self-defense, active shooter preparedness and first aid. This article reviews what the EWU Libraries has done for training and the lessons learned from doing it. Readers will come away with ideas on how to build partnerships with first responders and implement training programs that will keep library employees and patrons safe when faced with potentially dangerous situations
Reading the region 2015-2016 Award Books, Award Programs, and the Latest Winning Titles from Around the PNLA Region
Get PDFThis bibliography first existed as a panel program at the Pacific Northwest Library Associ-ation’s Annual Conference in Calgary, AB, in August 2016. Each year at this conference, librarians from around the region perform book talks on their favorite award winners. This helps us all identify the best books that came out in our region in the past year so that we can connect readers with them, build our collections with wonderful content that represents our Pacific Northwest world in all is diversity and beauty, and celebrate the many wonderful writers and award programs we have in the region. Without bibliographies and programs such as this, these awards are not easily identified or tracked, unlike the higher-profile national and international literary prizes that we are more familiar with
Oxidation of D-Glucose and D-Mannose
Get PDFThe study of monosaccharides has been around and researched since the 1800’s. In this experiment, D-glucose will undergo benchtop oxidation using nitric acid and heat to produce gluconic acid and glucaric acid. The same oxidation process will then be done using D-mannose. The resulting aldonic and aldaric acids of each compound will then be compared to determine if stereochemistry effects the ease at which an aldohexose can be oxidized at C-1 and C-6