A Brief History of Extension Predator Control in Missouri

Missouri, like many of its neighbors, has long had to content with complaints of damage caused by predatory wildlife. Unlike some other states, however, in Missouri the control, management, restoration, etc. of all bird, fish and game and other wildlife resources of the state is vested in a Conservation Commission to an exclusive degree. Because of this Constitutional mandate, the Conservation Department in Missouri has been the agency primarily responsible for assisting farmers and ranchers with their various wild animal damage control problems. Poisons and explosive or chemical devices are not legal. This legal prohibition not withstanding, Missouri\u27s relatively dense population of domestic animals and humans makes the use of such predator control techniques extremely hazardous. Today I hope to briefly outline some aspects of our predator damage situation, a look at some of the different programs we have used, and a review of our success with the Extension control program. According to data collected since 1936 (and based on the number of coyotes bountied per 100 square miles in counties offering bounties) our coyote population seems to be increasing on a steady line, except for some comparatively minor fluctuations downward •. The number of damage complaints has remained rather steady throughout the years, while the coyote population has doubled and tripled--perhaps indicating that coyote damage is not directly proportional to coyote numbers. Coyotes are not uncommon in all of Missouri\u27s 114 counties and are present even within the incorporated city limits of Kansas City and St. Louis. Based on bountied animals and damage complaints, we know that our highest density is in the western prairie counties and the northern river-break hills. Damage is relatively light in the Missouri Ozarks and the Mississippi delta country

Summary

During this workshop we have heard from some of the leading animal damage control and livestock management specialists in the Great Plains and adjoining states. It appears that western states personnel will likely be involved in wild animal damage control to a greater extent than before as control activities are passed from federal to the separate state agencies--hopefully, with financial assistance for both implementation and research. There is no widespread agreement on numbers or severity of damage, or on the best damage control techniques to use. What works in one area of the country will not necessarily work in another. Then too, some national publicity and attention have complicated control activities in many areas. More and better surveys of both coyote populations and actual livestock damage are desperately needed so that the animal damage control specialists can handle problems with some degree of perspective and so the public can be shown that predator control activity is necessary and biologically sound. Ranchers and farmers are in a squeeze in some areas--they need help and that help must be both effective in reducing/eliminating losses and be acceptable to the public body. Mechanical/nonmechanical, lethal/nonlethal methods of control have been explained in some detail. Livestock management is important and cannot be ignored. To be of value all these techniques must be balanced against economic factors, public reaction, and practical application considerations

Monocyte-Directed RNAi Targeting CCR2 Improves Infarct Healing in Atherosclerosis-Prone Mice

Background—Exaggerated and prolonged inflammation after myocardial infarction (MI) accelerates left ventricular remodeling. Inflammatory pathways may present a therapeutic target to prevent post-MI heart failure. However, the appropriate magnitude and timing of interventions are largely unknown, in part because noninvasive monitoring tools are lacking. Here, we used nanoparticle-facilitated silencing of CCR2, the chemokine receptor that governs inflammatory Ly-6Chigh monocyte subset traffic, to reduce infarct inflammation in apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE−/−) mice after MI. We used dual-target positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging of transglutaminase factor XIII (FXIII) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity to monitor how monocyte subset–targeted RNAi altered infarct inflammation and healing. Methods and Results—Flow cytometry, gene expression analysis, and histology revealed reduced monocyte numbers and enhanced resolution of inflammation in infarcted hearts of apoE−/− mice that were treated with nanoparticle-encapsulated siRNA. To follow extracellular matrix cross-linking noninvasively, we developed a fluorine-18–labeled positron emission tomography agent (18F-FXIII). Recruitment of MPO-rich inflammatory leukocytes was imaged with a molecular magnetic resonance imaging sensor of MPO activity (MPO-Gd). Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging detected anti-inflammatory effects of intravenous nanoparticle-facilitated siRNA therapy (75% decrease of MPO-Gd signal; P<0.05), whereas 18F-FXIII positron emission tomography reflected unimpeded matrix cross-linking in the infarct. Silencing of CCR2 during the first week after MI improved ejection fraction on day 21 after MI from 29% to 35% (P<0.05). Conclusion—CCR2-targeted RNAi reduced recruitment of Ly-6Chigh monocytes, attenuated infarct inflammation, and curbed post-MI left ventricular remodeling.National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteUnited States. Dept. of Health and Human Services (contract No. HHSN268201000044C)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01-HL096576)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01-HL095629)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant T32-HL094301)Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (HE-6382/1-1

The reversal of anticoagulation in clinical practice

Widespread use of anticoagulant drugs for treatment and ­prevention of thromboembolic events means it is common to encounter patients requiring reversal of anticoagulation for management of bleeding or invasive procedures. While supportive and general measures apply for patients on all agents, recent diversification in the number of licensed agents makes an understanding of drug-specific reversal strategies essential. Recognising effects upon, and limitations of, laboratory measures of coagulation also plays an important role. An understanding of reversal strategies alone is insufficient to competently care for patients who may require anticoagulation reversal. It is also necessary to reduce the need for reversal through correct prescribing and by employing appropriate periprocedural bridging strategies for elective and semi-elective procedures. Finally, consideration of whether and when to reintroduce an anticoagulant drug following reversal is important not only to balance bleeding and thrombotic risks for individual patients but also for timely management of discharge

Improved kinetics of rIX-FP, a recombinant fusion protein linking factor IX with albumin, in cynomolgus monkeys and hemophilia B dogs: Improved kinetics of rIX-FP

Prophylaxis of hemophilia B, at present, requires multiple infusions of human factor IX (FIX) concentrates per week. A FIX molecule with a prolonged half-life has the potential to greatly improve convenience of, and adherence to, prophylaxis

Coagulation factor XIII: a multifunctional transglutaminase with clinical potential in a range of conditions

Coagulation Coagulation factor XIII (FXIII), a plasma transglutaminase, is best known as the final enzyme in the coagulation cascade, where it is responsible for cross-linking of fibrin. However, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that FXIII targets a wide range of additional substrates that have important roles in health and disease. These include antifibrinolytic proteins, with cross-linking of alpha(2)-antiplasmin to fibrin, and potentially fibrinogen, being the principal mechanism(s) whereby plasmin-mediated clot degradation is minimised. FXIII also acts on endothelial cell VEGFR-2 and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin, which ultimately leads to downregulation of the antiangiogenic protein thrombospondin-1, promoting angiogenesis and neovascularisation. Under infectious disease conditions, FXIII cross-links bacterial surface proteins to. fibrinogen, resulting in immobilisation and killing, while during wound healing, FXIII induces-cross-linking of the provisional matrix. The latter process has been shown to influence the interaction of leukocytes with the provisional extracellular matrix and promote wound healing. Through these actions, there are good rationales for evaluating the therapeutic potential of FXIII in diseases in which tissue repair is dys-regulated or perturbed, including systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), invasive bacterial infections, and tissue repair, for instance healing of venous leg ulcers or myocardial injuries. Adequate levels of FXIII are also required in patients undergoing surgery to prevent or treat perioperative bleeding, and its augmentation in patients with/at risk for perioperative bleeding may also have potential clinical benefit. While there are preclinical and/or clinical data to support the use of FXIII in a range of settings, further clinical evaluation in these underexplored applications is warranted

The Secretion of Streptomyces monbaraensis Transglutaminase From Lactococcus lactis and Immobilization on Porous Magnetic Nanoparticles

Microbial transglutaminase (MTG) from Streptomyces mobaraensis is an important enzyme widely applied in food processing for the improvement of protein properties by catalyzing the cross-linking of proteins. In this work we aimed at improving the production and enabling an easy and efficient purification process from culture supernatants. Thus, recombinant vectors, with either a constitutive promoter (Pp5) or an inducible promoter (PnisA), controlling the expression of the MTG gene fused to the signal peptide of Usp45 (SPusp45) were constructed and then expressed in Lactococcus lactis. After purification, 43.5 +/- 0.4 mg/L mature MTG-6His was obtained. It displayed 27.6 +/- 0.5 U/mg enzymatic activity cross-linking soy protein isolate effectively. The purified mature MTG was immobilized with magnetic porous Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which improved its activity up to 29.1 +/- 0.4 U/mg. The immobilized MTG maintained 67.2% of the initial activity after being recycled for 10 times. The high production and secretion of functional S. mobaraensis MTG from L. lactis and the magnetic immobilized MTG-6His onto Fe3O4 nanoparticles reported in this study would have potential industrial applications.This study was granted by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFD0400600 and 2018YFD0400400), Key Scientific and Technological Project of Anhui Province of China (Nos. 17030701014 and 18030701146), Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (1708085QC65), the Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization (SKLTOF20180107), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M651013)