Loss and fragmentation of natural habitats caused by human land uses have subdivided several formerly contiguous large carnivore populations into multiple small often isolated subpopulations, which can reduce genetic variation lead to precipitous population declines. Substantial habitat loss from urban development agriculture expansion relegated the Highlands-Glades subpopulation (HGS) Florida, USA, black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) prolonged isolation; increasing is projected cause...

Microglial morphology is used to measure neuroinflammation and pathology. For reliable inference, it critical that microglial accurately quantified results can be easily interpreted compared across studies laboratories. The process through which a key methodological choice little known about how this may bias conclusions. We applied five of the most commonly ImageJ-based methods for quantifying morphological response stimulus identical photomicrographs individual cells isolated from these...

Abstract Plant nitrate (NO3 −) acquisition depends on the combined activities of root high- and low-affinity NO3 − transporters proton gradient generated by plasma membrane H+-ATPase. These processes are coordinated with photosynthesis carbon status plant. Here, we present characterization romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa ‘Conquistador’) plants engineered to overexpress an intragenic gain-of-function allele type I translocating pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase) Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana)....

Animal reintroductions are important tools of wildlife management to restore species their historical range, and they can also create unique opportunities study population dynamics genetics from founder events. We used non-invasive hair sampling in a systematic, closed-population capture-mark-recapture (CMR) design at the Big South Fork (BSF) area Kentucky during 2010 Tennessee 2012 estimate demographic genetic characteristics black bear (Ursus americanus) that resulted reintroduced founding...

Many large carnivores are recolonizing range as a result of improved management and conservation policy, habitat restoration, reintroduction programs. American black bears (Ursus americanus) projected to recolonize portions the United States, but few studies have characterized or provided practical methods for monitoring this process. We used noninvasive hair sampling at 4 proximal study areas along Kentucky–Virginia, USA, border during 2012–2013 estimate demographics population genetics,...

Abstract Recently introduced unmarked spatial capture–recapture (SCR), mark–resight (SMR), and 2‐flank partial identity models (SPIMs) extend the domain of SCR to populations or observation systems that do not always allow for individual be determined with certainty. For example, some species have natural marks can reliably produce identities from photographs, methods samples as is case remote cameras sometimes single‐flank photographs. Unmarked SCR, SMR, SPIM share feature they...

A significant effort in biomedical sciences has been made to examine relationships between sex and the mechanisms underlying various disease states behaviors, including sleep. Here, we investigated biological differences sleep using male female C57BL/6J mice (n = 267). Physiological parameters were recorded for 48-h non-invasive piezoelectric cages determine total sleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) rapid (REM)-like wakefulness (WAKE). We fit hierarchical generalized linear mixed models...

Once abundant in Kentucky, Ursus americanus (American Black Bear) were extirpated from the state by late 19th century because of overharvest and habitat alteration. Regenerating deciduous forests, increased human tolerance, source population growth expansion neighboring states have facilitated Bear recolonization parts southeastern Kentucky since 1980s. As 2012, <500 Bears estimated to occur with most individuals found two successfully reproducing, geographically separate, genetically...

Obtaining reliable population density estimates for pumas (Puma concolor) and other cryptic, wide-ranging large carnivores is challenging. Recent advancements in spatially explicit capture-recapture models have facilitated development of novel survey approaches, such as clustered sampling designs, which can provide estimation expansive areas with reduced effort. We applied to camera-traps detect marked (collared) unmarked pumas, used generalized spatial mark-resight (SMR) estimate puma...

Habitat loss and overexploitation extirpated American black bears (Ursus americanus) from most of the Central Appalachians, USA, by early 20th Century. To attempt to restore southwestern portion this region, 2 reintroductions that used small founder groups (n = 27 55 bears), but different release methods (hard vs. soft), were conducted during 1990s. We collected hair samples 2004–2016 in reintroduced Big South Fork (BSF) Kentucky–Virginia populations (KVP), their respective Great Smoky...

Identifying differential responses between sexes following traumatic brain injury (TBI) can elucidate the mechanisms behind disease pathology. Peripheral and central inflammation in pathophysiology of TBI increase sleep male rodents, but this remains untested females. We hypothesized that diffuse would males more so than Diffuse was induced C57BL/6J mice serial blood samples were collected (baseline, 1, 5, 7 days post-injury [DPI]) to quantify peripheral immune cell populations regulatory...

Few translational studies have examined how age-at-injury affects the glial response to traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesized that rats injured at post-natal day (PND) 17 would exhibit a greater response, persist into early adulthood, compared PND35. PND17 and PND35 (n = 75) received mild moderate midline fluid percussion or sham surgery. In three cortical regions [peri-injury, primary somatosensory barrel field (S1BF), perirhinal], we investigated relative (PND17 PND35), time...

The Highlands–Glades subpopulation (HGS) of Florida, USA, black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) is small, genetically depauperate, and resides primarily within the endangered Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem, which has lost >85% native habitat to land development. Habitat loss can reduce availability critical natural foods cause increase reliance on anthropogenic (i.e., human-sourced); lands supporting HGS are expected lose >50% remaining Florida bear in coming decades. We used scat analysis...

Chronic neurological impairments can manifest from repetitive traumatic brain injury (rTBI), particularly when subsequent injuries occur before the initial completely heals. Herein, we apply post-traumatic sleep as a physiological biomarker of vulnerability, hypothesizing that second TBI during worsens and histological outcomes compared to one or after subsides. Mice received sham diffuse by midline fluid percussion injury; brain-injured mice rTBIs at 3- 9-h intervals. Over 40 h post-injury,...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which may exacerbate neuroinflammation post-injury. Few translational studies have examined BBB dysfunction and subsequent post-TBI in juveniles. We hypothesized that positively predicts microglial activation vulnerability to associated are dependent on age at injury. Post-natal day (PND)17 PND35 rats (n = 56) received midline fluid percussion or sham surgery, immunoglobulin-G (IgG) stain was quantified as a marker of...

Abstract Accurate estimation of population parameters for imperiled wildlife is crucial effective conservation decision‐making. Population density commonly used monitoring species across space and time, spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models can produce unbiased estimates. However, many are restricted to fragmented remnant habitats in landscapes severely modified by humans, which alter animal use ways that violate typical SCR model assumptions, possibly cryptically biasing estimates...

Abstract Louisiana black bears ( Ursus americanus luteolus ) occur in semi‐isolated fragments of bottomland hardwood forest the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and were listed as threatened under United States Endangered Species Act 1992. A population viability analysis based on radio‐telemetry capture‐mark‐recapture (CMR) data collected from 2002 to 2012 revealed that probability persisting at least 1 subpopulation was &gt;0.999, which prompted Fish Wildlife Service remove bear species...

The microglial response to a pathological microenvironment is hallmarked by change in cellular morphology. Following stimulus, microglia become reactive and simultaneously divide create daughter cells. Although wide array of morphologies has been observed, the exact functions these distinct are unknown, as morphology reactivity status dividing microglia. In this study, we used kainic acid trigger activation cell division. cortical injection, proliferation were examined at 3 days...

Abstract Concerns over red wolf ( Canis rufus ) extinction caused by hybridization with coyotes C. latrans led to the capture and removal of remnant wild wolves from southwestern Louisiana southeastern Texas, United States, during 1970s. Here we show that despite decades unmitigated hybridization, declaration endangered as functionally extinct in wild, mitochondrial or nuclear DNA ancestry persists ∼55% contemporary canids sampled Louisiana. Surprisingly, one individual had 78–100% ancestry,...

Range-wide status assessments of wildlife are critical to effective species conservation and management. Reliability these is contingent on having accurate precise demographic estimates for local populations, but large carnivores, such often biased, imprecise, or unavailable. Despite being the most widely distributed carnivore in Americas, little known about range-wide population puma (Puma concolor). Population density frequently primary metric used management decision-making policy;...

Microglia play a critical role in the neuroimmune response, but little is known about of microglia sleep following an inflammatory trigger. Nevertheless, decades research have been predicated on assumption that trigger increases through microglial activation. We hypothesized mice (n = 30) with depleted using PLX5622 (PLX) would less administration lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation. Brains were collected and morphology was assessed quantitative skeletal analyses physiological...

To investigate microglial mechanisms in central and peripheral inflammation after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI), we inhibited the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) with PLX5622 (PLX). We hypothesized that microglia depletion would attenuate acutely no effect on inflammation. After randomization, male mice (n = 105) were fed PLX or control diets (21 days) then received midline fluid percussion sham injury. Brain blood collected at 1, 3, 7 days post-injury (DPI). Immune...

Luminal acidification is important for the maturation of secretory granules, yet little known regarding regulation pH within them. A pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was targeted to granules in RIN1046-38 insulinoma cells by using a construct which EGFP gene preceded nucleotide sequence human growth hormone. Stimulatory levels glucose doubled secretion from cell cultures, and potentiators glucose-induced insulin enhanced release. Thus this useful population measurements...