Effects of temperature experienced across life stages on morphology and flight behavior of painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui).

Background: With ongoing anthropogenic climate change, there is increasing interest in how organisms are affected by higher temperatures, including how animals respond behaviorally to increasing temperatures. Movement behavior is especially relevant, as the ability of a species to shift its range is implicitly dependent upon movement capacity and motivation. Temperature may influence movement behavior of ectotherms both directly, through an increase in body temperature, and indirectly, through temperature-dependent effects on physiological and morphological traits.

Understanding Organisms Using Ecological Observatory Networks.

Human activities are rapidly changing ecosystems around the world. These changes have widespread implications for the preservation of biodiversity, agricultural productivity, prevalence of zoonotic diseases, and sociopolitical conflict. To understand and improve the predictive capacity for these and other biological phenomena, some scientists are now relying on observatory networks, which are often composed of systems of sensors, teams of field researchers, and databases of abiotic and biotic measurements across multiple temporal and spatial scales.

Assessment of gastrointestinal health in racing Alaskan sled dogs using capsule endoscopy and inflammatory cytokines.

Objectives: Exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome occurs in dogs and people and might compromise athlete performance by increasing intestinal permeability and causing gastrointestinal erosions. Racing sled dogs often receive acid suppressant prophylaxis which decreases the incidence of gastric erosions induced by exercise. The objectives were to quantify intestinal injury by measuring serum pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations before and after exercise and to evaluate gastrointestinal mucosa using video capsule endoscopy after exercise.

Functional consequences of short-term exposure to opioids versus cannabinoids in nonhuman primates.

Opioids provide pain relief but are associated with several adverse effects. Researchers are exploring cannabis-based medicine as an alternative. However, little is known about the tendency for physical dependence on cannabinoids in comparison with that on opioids in primates.

The First Hybrid International Educational Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshop.

Objective: Describe the first hybrid global simulation-based comprehensive cleft care workshop, evaluate impact on participants, and compare experiences based on in-person versus virtual attendance.

Design: Cross-sectional survey-based evaluation.

Setting: International comprehensive cleft care workshop.

Functional roles of neuromedin B and gastrin-releasing peptide in regulating itch and pain in the spinal cord of non-human primates.

Despite accumulating evidence in rodents, the functional role of neuromedin B (NMB) in regulating somatosensory systems in primate spinal cord is unknown. We aimed to compare the expression patterns of NMB and its receptor (NMBR) and the behavioral effects of intrathecal (i.t.

Enhanced antidepressant-like effects of a delta opioid receptor agonist, SNC80, in rats under inflammatory pain.

Depression is a debilitating mental disorder that affects a large population worldwide. Depression and pain comorbidity is well recognized in both clinical and preclinical settings. Research studies suggest delta opioid receptor (DOR) may be involved in modulating pain as well as depression.

Does urbanization ameliorate the effect of endoparasite infection in kangaroo rats?

Urban development can fragment and degrade remnant habitat. Such habitat alterations can have profound impacts on wildlife, including effects on population density, parasite infection status, parasite prevalence, and body condition. We investigated the influence of urbanization on populations of Merriam's kangaroo rat () and their parasites.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal lesions in dogs chronically treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most common pharmaceutical associated with gastroduodenal ulceration and perforation. The prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) injury associated with chronic use of NSAIDs in dogs is unknown.

Objective/hypothesis: To determine the prevalence of GI mucosal erosions in dogs receiving chronic treatment with NSAIDs.

Effects of low-density urbanization on genetic structure in the Song Sparrow.

Urbanization fragments landscapes and can impede the movement of organisms through their environment, which can decrease population connectivity. Reduction in connectivity influences gene flow and allele frequencies, and can lead to a reduction in genetic diversity and the fixation of certain alleles, with potential negative effects for populations. Previous studies have detected effects of urbanization on genetic diversity and structure in terrestrial animals living in landscapes that vary in their degree of urbanization, even over very short distances.

Facilitative effects of environmental enrichment for cocaine relapse prevention are dependent on extinction training context and involve increased TrkB signaling in dorsal hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Cocaine-cue extinction training combined with brief interventions of environmental enrichment (EE) was shown previously to facilitate extinction and attenuate reacquisition of cocaine self-administration in rats. It is unknown whether or not the usefulness of this approach would be undermined if extinction training took place in a novel rather than familiar context. Drawing on previous studies involving pharmacological interventions, we hypothesized that the facilitative effects of EE for cocaine relapse prevention would be independent of the context used for extinction training.

Canine gastrointestinal nematode transmission potential in municipal dog parks in the southeast United States.

Monthly canine parasite prophylactic products prevent not only adult heartworm infection, but also patent infections with specific gastrointestinal parasites. While most monthly products control and treat certain hookworm and roundworm infections, fewer are labeled for whipworm (Trichuris vulpis). Therefore, we hypothesized that fecal samples collected from municipal dog parks will have a greater prevalence of whipworm eggs compared to hookworm and roundworm eggs.

Effect of clinical signs, endocrinopathies, timing of surgery, hyperlipidemia, and hyperbilirubinemia on outcome in dogs with gallbladder mucocele.

Gallbladder mucocele (GBM) is a common extra-hepatic biliary syndrome in dogs with death rates ranging from 7 to 45%. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the association of survival with variables that could be utilized to improve clinical decisions. A total of 1194 dogs with a gross and histopathological diagnosis of GBM were included from 41 veterinary referral hospitals in this retrospective study.

Use of video capsule endoscopy to identify gastrointestinal lesions in dogs with microcytosis or gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Background: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is a noninvasive imaging modality that can identify mucosal lesions not detected with traditional endoscopy or abdominal sonography. In people, VCE is used in diagnostic and management protocols of various gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, particularly in GI bleeding of obscure origin or unexplained iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

Objective: To evaluate the utility of VCE in the identification of mucosal lesions in dogs with evidence of GI hemorrhage.

A Tale of Two Valleys: Disparity in Sin Nombre Virus Antibody Reactivity Between Neighboring Mojave Desert Communities.

Introduction: Hantaviruses are a group of globally distributed rodent-associated viruses, some of which are responsible for human morbidity and mortality. Sin Nombre orthohantavirus, a particularly virulent species of hantavirus associated with Peromyscus spp. mice, is actively monitored by the Department of Public Health in California (CDPH).

Simulated climate change increases larval mortality, alters phenology, and affects flight morphology of a dragonfly.

For organisms with complex life cycles, climate change can have both direct effects and indirect effects that are mediated through plastic responses to temperature and that carry over beyond the developmental environment. We examined multiple responses to environmental warming in a dragonfly, a species whose life history bridges aquatic and terrestrial environments. We tested larval survival under warming and whether warmer conditions can create carry-over effects between life history stages.

The evolution of bequeathal in stable habitats.

Adults sometimes disperse, while philopatric offspring inherit the natal site, a pattern known as . Despite a decades-old empirical literature, little theoretical work has explored when natural selection may favor bequeathal. We present a simple mathematical model of the evolution of bequeathal in a stable environment, under both global and local dispersal.

Three-Dimensional High-Throughput Cell Encapsulation Platform to Study Changes in Cell-Matrix Interactions.

In their native extracellular microenvironment, cells respond to a complex array of biochemical and mechanical cues that can vary in both time and space. High-throughput methods that allow characterization of cell-laden matrices are valuable tools to screen through many combinations of variables, ultimately helping to evolve and test hypotheses related to cell-ECM signaling. Here, we developed a platform for high-throughput encapsulation of cells in peptide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels.

Transcriptional profiles of valvular interstitial cells cultured on tissue culture polystyrene, on 2D hydrogels, or within 3D hydrogels.

Valvular interstitial cells (VICs) actively maintain and repair heart valve tissue; however, persistent activation of VICs to a myofibroblast phenotype can lead to aortic stenosis (Chen and Simmons, 2011) [1]. To better understand and quantify how microenvironmental cues influence VIC phenotype, we compared expression profiles of VICs cultured on/in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) gels to those cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), as well as fresh isolates. Here, we present both the raw and processed microarray data from these culture conditions.

Microarray analyses to quantify advantages of 2D and 3D hydrogel culture systems in maintaining the native valvular interstitial cell phenotype.

Valvular interstitial cells (VICs) actively maintain and repair heart valve tissue; however, persistent activation of VICs to a myofibroblast phenotype can lead to aortic stenosis. To better understand and quantify how microenvironmental cues influence VIC phenotype and myofibroblast activation, we compared expression profiles of VICs cultured on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) gels to those cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), as well as fresh isolates. In general, VICs cultured in hydrogel matrices had lower levels of activation (<10%), similar to levels seen in healthy valve tissue, while VICs cultured on TCPS were ∼75% activated myofibroblasts.

Effects of experimental warming on survival, phenology and morphology of an aquatic insect (Odonata).

1. Organisms can respond to changing climatic conditions in multiple ways including changes in phenology, body size or morphology, and range shifts. Understanding how developmental temperatures affect insect life-history timing and morphology is crucial because body size and morphology affect multiple aspects of life history, including dispersal ability, while phenology can shape population performance and community interactions.

Dynamic stiffening of poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels to direct valvular interstitial cell phenotype in a three-dimensional environment.

Valvular interstitial cells (VICs) are active regulators of valve homeostasis and disease, responsible for secreting and remodeling the valve tissue matrix. As a result of VIC activity, the valve modulus can substantially change during development, injury and repair, and disease progression. While two-dimensional biomaterial substrates have been used to study mechanosensing and its influence on VIC phenotype, less is known about how these cells respond to matrix modulus in a three-dimensional environment.

Photoresponsive elastic properties of azobenzene-containing poly(ethylene-glycol)-based hydrogels.

The elastic modulus of the extracellular matrix is a dynamic property that changes during various biological processes, such as disease progression or wound healing. Most cell culture platforms, however, have traditionally exhibited static properties, making it necessary to replate cells to study the effects of different elastic moduli on cell phenotype. Recently, much progress has been made in the development of substrates with mechanisms for either increasing or decreasing stiffness in situ, but there are fewer examples of substrates that can both stiffen and soften, which may be important for simulating the effects of repeated ECM injury and resolution.

Differential larval responses of two ecologically similar insects (Odonata) to temperature and resource variation.

How species respond to shifting environmental conditions is a central question in ecology, especially because ecosystems are experiencing rapidly changing climatic conditions. However, predicting the responses of species interactions and community composition to changing conditions is often difficult. We examined the effects of rearing temperature and resource level on larval survival of two ecologically similar dragonflies, and Within high and low (26 and 21°C) temperatures, we crossed species and resource level and reared larvae individually.

Effects of natural and anthropogenic change on habitat use and movement of endangered salt marsh harvest mice.

The northern salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris halicoetes) is an endangered species endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary. Using a conservation behavior perspective, we examined how salt marsh harvest mice cope with both natural (daily tidal fluctuations) and anthropogenic (modification of tidal regime) changes in natural tidal wetlands and human-created diked wetlands, and investigated the role of behavioral flexibility in utilizing a human-created environment in the Suisun Marsh. We used radio telemetry to determine refuge use at high tide, space use, and movement rates to investigate possible differences in movement behavior in tidal versus diked wetlands.