Burbot (Lota lota) are an apex piscivore that were illegally introduced to the Green River drainage, Wyoming, raising concerns for the conservation and management of fishes throughout the basin. However, relatively little is known about the diet of non-native burbot. The objectives of this research were to characterize diet composition of burbot and identify differences in diet composition as a function of sampling gear. Diet composition was characterized using frequency of occurrence, percent by number, and percent by weight to identify the importance of each prey type to burbot. Diet composition was compared across gears to identify the relationship between gear and diet. Fishes were present in the stomach contents of nearly all burbot sampled and composed 62–100 percent of the stomach contents of burbot greater than 300 mm. Prey diversity was greatest in diets of burbot sampled with small-mesh hoop nets. Results from the current study provide important information on the diet of non-native burbot and highlight the potential influence of gear on diet studies.
γ-amino-3-hydroxy-5methylisoxazole-4-proprionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs) are protein complexes involved in excitatory neurotransmission. AMPARs are tetrameric structures consisting of the pairings of GluA1, GluA2, GluA3, and GluA4 subunits. Dctn2 and Dync1li1 were found to interact with GluA2 in an immunoprecipitation screen that was performed on postnatal day 14 rat brains. DNC-2 and DLI-1 were identified as the C. elegans homologs of Dctn2 and Dync1li1, respectively, and are components of motor proteins that transport cargo throughout the cell. The goal of this project was to determine whether knocking down DNC-2 and DLI-1 by RNAi affects AMPA Receptor-mediated behaviors, including mechanosensation and chemosensation, in C. elegans.
Increasing our understanding of the effects motor vehicles have on elk populations is vital to their management and past research has consistently shown that elk avoid roads and traffic. However, the fine-scale impact of traffic volume is rarely quantified and the environmental context experienced by elk at the time of disturbance is systematically ignored in these studies. We use an experimental design where roads are opened or closed to motorized traffic at specific times of year, and where motorized traffic has been quantified. We provide an environmental context to the study of the impacts of road closure on elk counts by accounting for climatic and vegetation changes over the course of the study. We specifically quantify the impact of road access, vegetation green-up, and snow dynamics on Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) counts along the main road in the Gros Ventre River drainage, WY, before and after two gates were sequentially opened to the public during the spring and early summer of 2010–2014. Elk counts increased with snow depth along the main road, and counts decreased as snow receded and vegetation greened over a 5-year period (p < 0.001). An increase in vehicle traffic resulted in a significant decline in elk counts (p < 0.001), which decreased at a rate of 1.42% for each unit increase in vehicle traffic. Our results indicate that gate closures in the Gros Ventre River Drainage decreased vehicle-related anthropogenic disturbance for elk, and that environmental variables affect elk counts and distribution further. Wildlife managers should consider both motorized vehicle traffic and the environmental context elk experience when managing road access in elk habitat.
Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) populations were surveyed on a number of tributaries and other water bodies in south eastern Montana along the Yellowstone River in 2016 and 2017. While records exist from incidental observations, systematic surveys for snapping turtles have not previously been conducted in Montana. Little is known about their population density and specific habitat requirements in northern parts of their range. Anthropogenic changes in land use and hydrology may affect nesting sites and hibernacula and thus snapping turtle vital rates, while also impeding metapopulation connectivity or recolonization after localized extinctions. Eighty two snapping turtles (including nine recaptures) were recorded primarily in small creeks, ponds and lakes. Only one snapping turtle was captured on the Yellowstone River though many were found in small tributaries. When analyzed separately capture success rates were significantly different amongst five creeks (p < .05) with a higher proportion of males in all populations (p < .05). Afteridentifying several creeks with larger numbers of snapping turtles present we fitted turtles over 8 kg with radio transmitters, beginning June 2017. Movements of radio-tagged individuals were recorded at least monthly to determine average distances moved. Maximum river miles moved per turtle were averaged (females = 0.83 miles and males = 1.21 miles). Low numbers of females could indicate higher female mortality related to risks during nesting such as crossing roads. Snapping turtle abundance was highest in creeks dominated by cattle grazing or agricultural uses. Creeks with lower abundance were dominated by urbanization and higher density of road crossings, potentially leading to increased mortality and lower hatchling success rates.
Metagenomics is the rapidly advancing field that studies genetic material extracted directly from environmental samples. Recent advances in computational and sequencing methodologies now give an array of options to biologists who seek to analyze their samples; however, these new technologies are often run independently with little comparison of the results obtained between methods on the same sample. Prior to this study, field work by local biology instructors in conjunction with the labs of Drs. Marisa Pedulla and Alysia Cox made use of two such techniques to analyze the DNA of a locally-obtained soil sample. One technique, “shotgun,” or metagenomic sequencing, sequenced all of the DNA molecules in the sample; the second technique, “diversity” sequencing, only sequenced the molecules amplified from a single gene, the 16S ribosomal subunit rRNA gene, of the prokaryotic DNA in the sample. Because the 16S gene is highly recognizable and species-specific, the latter method also provided a count of the occurrences of each prokaryotic species. Due to this feature, the use of the 16S diversity sequencing approach is commonly utilized for studies aiming to understand prokaryotic species representation in samples. When metagenomics DNA sequences are known, represented species and their number of occurrences in a sample may also be derived computationally by comparison to procured databases of known sequences of organisms. This exploratory study compared the commercially obtained results of bacteria proportions in our sample by the diversity method, along with two experimental computational methods using these sequences compared to the public databases. Our hypothesis was that metagenomics data would provide the most accurate portrayal of bacteria in the sample at the phylum taxon. Results found significant disparities in results between each method, with implications in microbiome studies of the environment and human gut.
Gallatin is the fastest growing county in Montana, hence land with high groundwater, including property within the floodplain, is under increasing pressure for development. Homes and businesses without access to municipal wastewater service are required to have a permitted on-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS) that can remove solids, nutrients and pathogens from waste before releasing the effluent into the environment. Failing OWTS can create public health risks. While drain fields for septic systems can be adapted to high groundwater by installing them in a “sand mound,” limited literature indicates sand mounds cannot withstand flood events. The project goal is to determine whether sand mound systems or other OWTS have been proven to withstand flooding and hence would be appropriate technology for floodplain installation. Online and database literature searches were conducted regarding local health department regulations and policies regarding OWTS. Phone calls were also made to various health departments in the western part of the United States. There are articles from the EPA, the University of Wisconsin – Madison and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection stating that sand mounds should not be placed in floodplains. There are some OWTS that have potential to safely work within the floodplain, which are being investigated further. A failing or inadequate system can cause a variety of environmental and public health risks. Gallatin County is quickly growing, and it is imperative that the septic systems in floodplains will not adversely affect public health because of flood events.
An evaluation of the scientific article “Estimating Herbaceous Biomass of Grassland Vegetation Using the Reference Unit Method” by Boyda, et al. 2015 (Prairie Naturalist) is relevant because authors state that herbaceous biomass can be accurately and precisely estimated throughout the entire Buffalo Gap National Grasslands (BGNG) and beyond with the Reference Unit Method. The authors failed to provide easy to follow methods, a complete data set with all results, a study site map while only providing partial data and analyses for prairie dog colonies or areas adjacent to prairie dog colonies. The authors did not provide an improvement in protocol and methodology of the weight estimated method (double sampling-estimating and clipping) described by Pechanec and Pickford (1937) and its application on rangelands to estimate above ground biomass for many ecological types. Evaluations were very limited to few plant species: western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), purple three-awn (Aristida purpurea), needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata), and green needle grass (Nassella viridula). Other comparisons were groups of plants with unidentified species and may produce questionable results with different species mixes when applied to other grasslands or locations on the BGNG. The protocols developed with double sampling (clipping with oven dry weights and corrected to visual estimates) is still the standard with no improvement by Boyda et al. (2015). The article by Boyda et al (2015) may provide erroneous results with application of the Reference Unit Method and is not recommended for estimating herbaceous biomass. Key words: estimating biomass, double sampling, grasslands, plant biomass.
With the advent of antimicrobial molecules in the mid nineteenth century countless people were saved from life threatening infections. With decades of use, antimicrobials put enormous selective pressure on targeted pathogens resulting in resistances forming in many common microbes. These resistant strains of pathogens result in over two million illnesses, 23,000 deaths every year, and billions of dollars in medical expenses. This represents a need to research new molecules that have antimicrobial properties to combat the rise of resistance and prevent undue suffering to those afflicted. A small molecule is under investigation now that displays promising antimicrobial properties in preliminary studies against Candida species and many pathogenic gram-positive bacteria. The gram-positive bacteria that are inhibited by this small molecule at include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium difficile. Research is currently focused on S. aureus and C. difficile with disk assays performed on both and plate assays performed on S. aureus to narrow down the minimum inhibitory concentration. C. difficile has a zone of inhibition of 9mm, while S. aureus has zone of inhibition at 10mm. The plate assay for S. aureus has shown a minimum inhibitory concentration to be between 150-100 uM of the small molecule, though further studies are needed. Plans are being made to find the mechanism of action of the small molecule by using mutant strains of S. aureus.
Titanium and its alloys are commonly used in the biomedical industry for their superior strength, corrosion resistance, machineability, fatigue resistance, elastic moduli, and biocompatibility; however, endosseous implants struggle with osteointegration due to poor adhesion between the implant and the receiver’s bone. It is known that by synthesizing a bone-like apatite surface coating, integration of the implant with surrounding bone is not only quicker, promoting shorter recovery times, but also reduces interface stress concentrators creating a more robust implant. This study focused on synthesizing an apatite coating via the sodium titanate method on the titanium alloy SP-700 which is a contender to be used as an implant material having a similar elastic modulus to bone. The synthesized coatings, which formed after treatment in simulated body fluid solution were characterized for topography and elemental composition using SEM/EDS analyses. The results of this study show that it is possible to synthesis thin apatite layers on the surface of SP-700 with a topography conducive to improving bone growth onto the surface of the implant.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a commonly employed modality for rehabilitation and is growing in utilization due to its physiological effect in muscular activation. Recent comparative studies have examined utilizing stimulation versus isometric exercise and differences between genders on the effects of administering NMES after physical activity for recuperative purposes, but very little information exists regarding the effects of pre-stimulation to specific muscle groups for strength enhancement. This study aimed to answer this question by pre-stimulating the quadriceps femoris muscle prior to resistance training to determine if there is greater improvement in overall strength performance of the lower body. Fifteen healthy, recreationally and/or competitively active college students (male and female, ages 21 + 3 years, weight 152.8 + 42.2 lbs, height 66.1 + 6 inches) with at least 2 years of resistance training experience performed a 8-week strength training program targeting the quadriceps femoris muscle and its synergists (gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, soleus, gastrocnemius) for three nonconsecutive days each week. Individuals were randomly selected for placement in either the experimental (n=7) or control group (n=8). The experimental group received pulsed NMES prior to the workout for 15 minutes. Training volume for each participant was collected weekly to measure participants’ progress, and 1-repetition maximums were collected before and after the workout program to quantitatively determine any impact on strength from pulsed NMES. A Mann-Whitney U-test was used to statistically compare the improvements in strength performance between groups. The results indicated that pre-stimulation of the quadriceps muscle before exercise will result in enhanced strength performance. This study shows that administering NMES prior to resistance training is an efficient method of pre-activating muscle fibers, conditioning the muscle to tolerate longer and more forceful contractions during exercise, and allow for greater improvement in strength to be achieved more quickly.
Familial Dysautonomia (FD) is a devastating neurodegenerative childhood disease characterized by a diminished number of autonomic neurons. FD children suffer from a multitude of autonomic symptoms including cardiovascular instability, gastrointestinal incoordination, and respiratory dysfunction. FD patients also exhibit an abnormal autonomic stress response, show poor growth velocity, and have difficulty gaining and maintaining weight. Treatment with growth hormone (GH) has been shown to increase growth velocity in FD patients. FD results from a mutation in the IKBKAP gene and diminished levels of the corresponding protein IKAP, a scaffolding protein that assembles a multi-subunit complex called Elongator. Elongator functions in the modification of tRNAs that mediate translation of AA- and AG-ending codons including lysine, glutamine, and glutamic acid. In the absence of Elongator, small AG biased genes are upregulated and large AA-biased genes are downregulated. IKAP is expressed throughout the autonomic nervous system and historically FD has been considered a strictly neurological disease. Here we show that IKAP is robustly expressed in the pituitary gland, indicating a strong dependence on Elongator. We hypothesize that compromised growth in FD may actually result from dysfunction of somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary, a non-neuronal cell type. To test this hypothesis, we generated a conditional knockout (CKO) mouse where Ikbkap is selectively ablated in anterior pituitary somatotrophs. These CKO mice exhibit decreased growth compared to control littermates. Surprisingly, quantitative immunohistochemistry indicates that GH1 levels may actually be increased in the CKO pituitary. CaBP7, a calcium binding protein that negatively regulates vesicle trafficking, is also found at elevated levels in the CKO, likely because of its strong AG-bias. In combination, these results suggest that upregulation of CaBP7 may inhibit GH1 exocytosis from pituitary cells, decreasing the amount of circulating GH1 and compromising growth in FD patients.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate and determine the feasibility of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) diet composition of rumen versus fecal contents during winter months in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Sixty-two deer were shot over five winters (December – May). Major plant composition was approximately the same; however, juniper, pine, lichen, and Astragalus species showed significant differences between fecal and rumen comparisons. Spearman rank order correlation indicated ranks were in good agreement (r = 0.82, P = 0.01). Average Kulczynki’s similarity was 75 percent overall and is considered very good for major forage species. Significant differences were observed for shrubs and lichen when considering all forage species.. Overall, fecal analyses for major forage species will provide excellent information and help managers make more informed decisions with regard to habitat resources for deer. Key words: diet composition, methods, microhistological, forage, plants
Ticks pose an emerging threat of infectious pathogen transmission in the United States in part due to expanding suitable habitat ranges in the wake of climate change. Active and passive tick surveillance can inform maps of tick distributions to warn the public of their risk of exposure to ticks. In Colorado, widespread active surveillance programs have difficulty due to the state's diverse terrain. However, combining multiple citizen science techniques can create a more accurate representation of tick distribution than any passive surveillance dataset alone. Our study uses county-level tick distribution data from Northern Arizona University, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, and veterinary surveillance in addition to literature data to assess the distribution of the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni, and the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. We found that D. andersoni for the most part inhabits counties at higher elevations than D. variabilis in Colorado.
Large and wide-ranging carnivores typically display genetic connectivity across their distributional range. American black bears (Ursus americanus) are vagile carnivores and habitat generalists. However, they are strongly associated with forested habitats; consequently, habitat patchiness and fragmentation have the potential to drive connectivity and the resultant structure between black bear subpopulations. Our analysis of genetic structure of black bears in the southern Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Colorado (n = 296) revealed two discrete populations: bears in northern Wyoming were distinct (FST = 0.217) from bears in southern Wyoming and Colorado, despite higher densities of anthropogenic development within Colorado. The differentiation we observed indicates that bears in Wyoming originated from two different clades with structure driven by the pattern of contiguous forest, rather than the simple distance between populations. We posit that forested habitat and competitive interactions with brown bears reinforced patterns of genetic structure resulting from historic colonization. Our work suggests that forested habitat is an important force structuring populations in the southern Rocky Mountains, even for populations of highly vagile carnivores.
The Yellowstone River and its tributaries provide an important case study in the changes in magnitude and timing of discharge. As part of a review of water demands on the river and potential effects on fish and other aquatic biota, we assessed long term trends (1898-2007) and more recent changes (1970-2007) in the hydrographs of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries using data from 18 USGS Hydro-Climatic Data Network Stations. We evaluated seven variables used to characterize the discharge: 1) annual discharge, 2) magnitude of discharge, 3) absolute annual minimum discharge, 4) monthly discharge, 5) date when half of annual volume passed station, 6) date when maximum daily mean occurred, and 7) date when discharge returned to baseflow. Declines in volume and magnitude of annual and seasonal discharges are present in the basin, more so in areas where there are no water storage facilities. Timing of flow events are occurring earlier in the year throughout the basin, leaving less water in the summer and fall when water demands are the greatest. The appearances of significant trends have increased over the period 1970-2007, and it is expected that they will continue without serious changes in the basin. Lessened flows and altered timing stands to greatly affect all users of water in the basin, as is occurring in the rest of western North America. Effects on the native biota inhabiting the river can also be expected.
An unauthorized introduction of walleye in Canyon Ferry Reservoir (CFR) challenges fisheries managers as the population pioneers new habitat upstream in the Missouri River. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) confirmed walleye in the river upstream of CFR in 2007. Angler tag returns suggested walleye were abundant in the river. It was unknown if these were adfluvial walleye originating in CFR, or a discrete fluvial population. Understanding seasonal movements and ecology of walleye in the river will allow managers to effectively monitor and manage these fish. The objectives of this study were to monitor radio and anchor-tagged walleye movements to quantify movements and determine if two distinct populations exist, establish spatial and temporal densities within the river, and calculate exploitation rates of walleye by anglers in the river. Overall, most radio-tagged walleye relocated in the river, 88 percent river and 100 percent CFR implanted fish, exhibited seasonal adfluvial movements suggesting, similar to other studies, that two distinct walleye populations are not present. Adfluvial walleye were concentrated in the lower 6.4 km of the river during the annual ascending hydrograph, maintained maximum upstream extent throughout the summer, and out-migrated into CFR by late fall. Radio-tagged walleye only used the river between 17 March and 27 November. We estimated walleye exploitation rates were 21 percent for CFR-tagged walleye and 13 percent for river-tagged walleye. Exploitation rates for anchor-tagged walleye in this study reflect CFR exploitation rates (18% from 20102014) just prior to this study. These results suggest that adfluvial Missouri River walleye are seasonally abundant and exploited at similar rates as lacustrine CFR walleye, but no changes to current river walleye management strategies are recommended. In addition, routine walleye population monitoring surveys and a creel survey are warranted as the adfluvial CFR walleye population continues to adapt, expand, and establish.
An ecological vegetation model was developed in sedimentary soils on the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming to classify seral stages within an Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis) type. Two key plant species based on canopy cover (%), Idaho fescue and rosy pussytoes (Antennaria rosea), provide the required information for the model to classify seral stages and monitor vegetation trends. Three seral stages were quantitatively identified by multivariate statistical analyses for classification and had an overall accuracy of 98 percent. All three seral stages were significantly different from each other (P < 0.05). These seral stages provide managers three quantitative options to evaluate alternatives and meet management objectives. Application of this model within the Idaho Fescue ecological type is simple to apply, repeatable, accurate, and cost effective for field applications and management.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a wide spectrum pathophysiological disorder characterized by insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. Diets rich in saturated fat are known to evoke insulin resistance, ER stress, and de novo lipogenesis and thereby contribute to the pathogenic mechanisms involved in NAFLD. Palmitic acid (palmitate) is the most abundant saturated fatty acid in the diet and palmitate-enriched diets are known to cause NAFLD in a multitude of rodent models of NAFLD. Palmitate-enriched diets are known to induce steatosis by inducing the expression of genes involved in de novo lipogenesis. However, the signaling mechanisms and the downstream molecular mediators involved have not been elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of palmitate-induced ER stress and subsequent induction of C/EBP Homologous Protein (CHOP) expression in the modulation of expression and transcriptional activities of Liver X Receptor alpha (LXRα) and Sterol Response Element Binding Protein 1c (SREBP1c), two indispensable transcription factors and master regulators of genes involved in de novo lipogenesis. We demonstrate, in exogenous palmitate-treated HepG2 cells and in the livers of palmitate-enriched diet-fed mice, that palmitate evokes ER stress leading to the induction of CHOP expression. We further show that CHOP mediates the up-regulation in expression levels and transcriptional activities of LXRα and SREBP1c. Our study identifies a unique ER stress-CHOP-LXRα/SREBP1c signaling pathway that mediates palmitate-induced up-regulation of lipogenic gene expression in the liver that may play a critical role in the etiopathogenesis of NAFLD.
Identifying patterns of direct contacts among individual animals is important to understanding infectious disease transmission. Social behavior can be influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic variables and can be explored at 3 levels: social network structure, dyad structure, and contact structure. We investigated drivers of contact structure using GPS locations of 87 male and female bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in and around Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Focusing on contacts between sheep moving separately, we examined relationships between contact locations and movement variables, land cover, distances to various resources, and variables known to influence survival using a resource selection function. Used and available points were defined as simultaneous locations within 25 m (the contact-used) and 13 km (largest step length- available) of another collared bighorn sheep, thus results of this analysis describe the strengths of these variables relative to habitat use. Data were analyzed separately according to dyad type (male-male, female-female, malefemale). Most contacts occurred in March for male-male and female-female dyads and in November, December, and January for male-female dyads. For male-male dyads, contacts occurred more than expected given habitat use in conifer land cover and locations farther from perennial water sources, high NDVI, little canopy cover, and low and high solar radiation index. For female-female dyads, contacts occurred less than expected given habitat use in grass and barren land cover and locations with intermediate terrain ruggedness, high NDVI, and low and high snow water equivalent. For male-female dyads, contacts occurred most during the night, least during the day, and at locations with intermediate elevation and farther from escape terrain. Together, these results suggest that more specific conditions apply to contact locations than general locations and that we can predict locations where contacts are most likely to occur, which may be useful for disease management.
Carbon Tetrachloride is a carcinogenic pollutant that has contaminated groundwater beneath former grain storage and industrial sites, such as the Department of Energy’s Hanford site. Current remediation of these sites involve removal and subsequent treatment, which requires handling of the hazardous material as it is transferred to another location for final destruction. Professor Thomas Lewis has previously described the use of a small molecule (pyridine-2,6-dithiocarboxylic acid [PDTC]), that when complexed with copper has been shown to lead to complete dechlorination of pollutant carbon tetrachloride within atmospheric samples. The process results in conversion to non-toxic end-products (mostly CO2) and complete removal of the problematic carbon-chlorine bonds. Synthetic chemistry can be employed to develop a series of PDTC derivatives that could increase water solubility and allow for on-site destruction of carbon tetrachloride. The current methods described in literature for the synthesis of proligand PDTC uses or produces large quantities of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. A modified procedure for large-scale production of PDTC, with minimal hydrogen sulfide production, was successfully developed. However, this method will not be able to be utilized for synthesizing derivatives of PDTC, which defines the need for a novel approach to the development of proligand derivatives. An elegant approach using a dilithiated addition into carbonyl sulfide is currently under investigation to produce PDTC and several derivatives that could be functionalized for use in environmental remediation of carbon tetrachloride.
