Patterns of predation and meat-eating by chacma baboons in an Afromontane environment

Meat-eating among non-human primates has been well documented but its prevalence among Afromontane baboons is understudied. In this study we report the predatory and meat-eating behaviours of a habituated group of gray-footed chacma baboons (Papio ursinus griseipes) living in an Afromontane environment in South Africa. We calculated a vertebrate-eating rate of 1 every 78.5 hours, increasing to 58.1 hours when unsuccessful predation attempts were included. A key food source was young antelopes, particularly bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), which were consumed once every 115 observation hours. Similar to other baboon research sites, predations seemed mostly opportunistic, adult males regularly scrounged and monopolised prey, there was no evidence they used an active kill bite, and active sharing was absent. This is the first baboon study to report predation of rock python (Python sebae) eggs and likely scavenging of a leopard (Panthera pardus) kill (bushbuck) cached in a tree. We also describe several scramble kleptoparasitism events, tolerating active defence from antelope parents, and the baboons inhibiting public information about predations. In the latter case, baboons with meat often hid beyond the periphery of the group, reducing the likelihood of scrounging by competitors. This often led to prey carcasses being discarded without being fully exploited and potentially providing resources to scavengers. We also highlight the absence of encounters with numerous species, suggesting the baboons are a key component of several species’ landscapes of fear. Given these findings it seems likely that their ecological role in the Soutpansberg has been undervalued, and such conclusions may also hold for other baboon populations

Entry of Yersinia pestis into the Viable but Nonculturable State in a Low-Temperature Tap Water Microcosm

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has caused several pandemics throughout history and remains endemic in the rodent populations of the western United States. More recently, Y. pestis is one of several bacterial pathogens considered to be a potential agent of bioterrorism. Thus, elucidating potential mechanisms of survival and persistence in the environment would be important in the event of an intentional release of the organism. One such mechanism is entry into the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, as has been demonstrated for several other bacterial pathogens. In this study, we showed that Y. pestis became nonculturable by normal laboratory methods after 21 days in a low-temperature tap water microcosm. We further show evidence that, after the loss of culturability, the cells remained viable by using a variety of criteria, including cellular membrane integrity, uptake and incorporation of radiolabeled amino acids, and protection of genomic DNA from DNase I digestion. Additionally, we identified morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of Y. pestis VBNC cells, such as cell rounding and large periplasmic spaces, by electron microscopy, which are consistent with entry into the VBNC state in other bacteria. Finally, we demonstrated resuscitation of a small number of the non-culturable cells. This study provides compelling evidence that Y. pestis persists in a low-temperature tap water microcosm in a viable state yet is unable to be cultured under normal laboratory conditions, which may prove useful in risk assessment and remediation efforts, particularly in the event of an intentional release of this organism

Exploring the factors that influence engagement with and experiences of integrated care for adults at risk of cardiovascular disease and mild-to-moderate mental health concerns in the UK (OptICS): a systematic review protocol

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of premature death globally. CVD is expensive to treat and therefore carries a significant cost for public healthcare systems and the people in them. Those most likely to develop CVD often report co-occurring mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, in addition to behavioural factors (e.g. physical inactivity) and physical health conditions (e.g. hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes). Due to these inter-connecting issues, healthcare provision for CVD patients necessitates a joined-up care pathway providing holistic, person-centred support. Despite the rapid emergence and growth in attempts to deliver such care, evidence concerning how it is experienced and how to promote engagement is fragmented. This review aims to capture the experiences and factors that influence integrated care engagement, reported by adults with CVD risk factors and mild-to-moderate mental health concerns. This systematic review protocol will be reported according to the updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Proposed database searches will include Emcare, MEDLINE, PsycINFO (via OVID), CINAHL and preprint databases for grey literature. Articles of interest will include adults' experiences of and factors that influence engagement with integrated care in the UK, specifically for support with CVD risk and mild-to-moderate mental health concerns. Any study design reporting qualitative primary data will be included (excluding conference abstracts). Data on study population (actors/targets), what they do (behaviours) care setting (context), care format (time) and participant experiences and perspectives will be extracted. Where appropriate, thematic synthesis of extracted data will be coded to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Action, Actor, Context, Target and Time (AACTT) framework. Findings from this review will provide foundation evidence for a behavioural systems map and recommendations for policymakers, commissioners and those involved or interested in integrated care for people at risk of CVD with mental health concerns. Such evidence can be used to develop future intervention strategies to assist the optimisation of integrated care. PROSPERO (CRD42024554282.This project is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Care (NIHR) Policy Research Unit Behavioural and Social Sciences (project reference NIHR206241). This report presents independent research commissioned by the NIHR. The views and opinions expressed by authors in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Health Service (NHS), the NIHR, Medical Research Council (MRC), Central Commissioning Facility (CCF), the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC), the Policy Research Unit programme, or the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).gold o

Identification of chemosensory receptor genes in Manduca sexta and knockdown by RNA interference

Insects detect environmental chemicals via a large and rapidly evolving family of chemosensory receptor proteins. Although our understanding of the molecular genetic basis for Drosophila chemoreception has increased enormously in the last decade, similar understanding in other insects remains limited. The tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, has long been an important model for insect chemosensation, particularly from ecological, behavioral, and physiological standpoints. It is also a major agricultural pest on solanaceous crops. However, little sequence information and lack of genetic tools has prevented molecular genetic analysis in this species. The ability to connect molecular genetic mechanisms, including potential lineage-specific changes in chemosensory genes, to ecologically relevant behaviors and specializations in M. sexta would be greatly beneficial. Here, we sequenced transcriptomes from adult and larval chemosensory tissues and identified chemosensory genes based on sequence homology. We also used dsRNA feeding as a method to induce RNA interference in larval chemosensory tissues. We report identification of new chemosensory receptor genes including 17 novel odorant receptors and one novel gustatory receptor. Further, we demonstrate that systemic RNA interference can be used in larval olfactory neurons to reduce expression of chemosensory receptor transcripts. Together, our results further the development of M. sexta as a model for functional analysis of insect chemosensation

The Learner Care Dashboard: An Innovation in Student Support

Decades of research suggests that supportive faculty communication improves student retention and progression; however, most communication interventions occurred at on-site universities and were implemented briefly in one or several courses. In this article, we describe the outcomes of a consistent, personalized student outreach program implemented in every course and for students’ entire tenure at a fully online university. In 2019, Western Governors University launched a student support program called Learner-Centered Faculty (LCF)—a paradigm that focuses on just-in-time, personalized, student-centered faculty support at scale. We evaluated the impact of LCF on student retention and course completion rates and found that LCF-based intervention improved retention and course completion generally and was particularly beneficial for certain groups of students. In the future, we will examine the mechanisms underlying LCF’s success

Twenty Years of Country-of-Origin Food Labeling Research: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Food Marketing Systems

Recent legislation by the United States and European Union governments now mandates the provision of country-of-origin (COO) information at the point of purchase for a variety of meats, fruits, vegetables, and other assorted food products. To better understand the significance of these regulatory changes, two decades of existing COO food labeling research are synthesized, reviewed, and discussed. The implications for two primary sets of actors within aggregate marketing systems, consumers and practitioners, are then discussed from a macromarketing perspective. Based on the reviewed literature, the authors conclude that little generalizable knowledge about COO food labeling effects exists, and further identify a lack of sufficient theoretical application and development as a primary reason. Consequently, the exact impact of mandatory (and voluntary) COO labeling initiatives for consumers and practitioners still remains unclear and highly debatable. Thus, as these initiatives continue to make country-of-origin labeling more commonplace around the world, it is crucial that additional theory-driven research be conducted, especially from a macromarketing perspective, to foster more generalizable knowledge about the complex role of COO information in aggregate food marketing systems