The Past, Present, and Future of Equine Science.

A core group of 27 equine nutritionists and physiologists joined together in the late 1960s to formally address and enhance the direction of equine research, creating the Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society. In 2003, that growing society transformed into the Equine Science Society, which now serves as the preeminent, internationally recognized scientific equine organization. In recent years, it has been appreciated that equine science encompasses a wide range of focus areas, including exercise science, nutrition, genetics, reproductive physiology, teaching and extension, production and management, and mix of other specialties, qualified as biosciences.

Longevity of an immunocontraceptive vaccine effect on fecundity in rats.

•Increases in human-wildlife conflicts alongside cultural shifts against lethal control methods are driving the need for alternative wildlife management tools such as fertility control. Contraceptive formulations suitable for oral delivery would permit broader remote application in wildlife species.•This study evaluated the contraceptive effect and immune response to two novel injectable immunocontraceptive formulations targeting the Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH): MAF-IMX294 and MAF-IMX294P conjugates, both identified as having potential as oral contraceptives.

Effect of vaccination with a novel GnRH-based immunocontraceptive on immune responses and fertility in rats.

1. As human-wildlife conflicts increase worldwide, novel methods are required for mitigating these conflicts. Fertility control, based on immunocontraceptives, has emerged as an alternative option to lethal methods for managing wildlife.

The past and future roles of competition and habitat in the range-wide occupancy dynamics of Northern Spotted Owls.

Slow ecological processes challenge conservation. Short-term variability can obscure the importance of slower processes that may ultimately determine the state of a system. Furthermore, management actions with slow responses can be hard to justify.

Evaluating an Alleged Mimic of the Monarch Butterfly: (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Butterflies are Palatable to Avian Predators.

Some taxa have adopted the strategy of mimicry to protect themselves from predation. Butterflies are some of the best representatives used to study mimicry, with the monarch butterfly, (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) a well-known model. We are the first to empirically investigate a proposed mimic of the monarch butterfly: , the Mexican pine white butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).

Fertility control for managing free-roaming feral cattle in Hong Kong.

Human-wildlife conflicts are increasing worldwide. For instance, growing numbers of free-roaming feral cattle in Hong Kong are causing traffic accidents and damaging crops. Public antipathy towards lethal methods to manage wildlife has promoted research into alternative options, such as fertility control.

The 17th Rocky Mountain Virology Association Meeting.

Since 2000, scientists and students from the greater Rocky Mountain region, along with invited speakers, both national and international, have gathered at the Mountain Campus of Colorado State University to discuss their area of study, present recent findings, establish or strengthen collaborations, and mentor the next generation of virologists and prionologists through formal presentations and informal discussions concerning science, grantsmanship and network development. This year, approximately 100 people attended the 17th annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association meeting, that began with a keynote presentation, and featured 29 oral and 35 poster presentations covering RNA and DNA viruses, prions, virus-host interactions and guides to successful mentorship. Since the keynote address focused on the structure and function of Zika and related flaviviruses, a special session was held to discuss RNA control.

Toxic effects of orally ingested oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill on laughing gulls.

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig released, millions of gallons of oil into the environment, subsequently exposing wildlife, including numerous bird species. To determine the effects of MC252 oil to species relevant to the Gulf of Mexico, studies were done examining multiple exposure scenarios and doses. In this study, laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla, LAGU) were offered fish injected with MC252 oil at target doses of 5 or 10mL/kg bw per day.

Picky eaters are rare: DNA-based blood meal analysis of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species from the United States.

Background: Biting midges in the genus Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratopogonidae) have been implicated in the transmission of a number of parasites and highly pathogenic viruses. In North America, the complete transmission cycles of many of these pathogens need further elucidation. One way to increase our knowledge about the evolution and ecology of Culicoides species and the pathogens they transmit is to document the diversity of vertebrate hosts that Culicoides feed upon.

Immunocontraception for managing feral cattle in Hong Kong.

Conflicts between human interests and feral cattle in Hong Kong derive from growing numbers of free-roaming cattle. Public antipathy towards lethal population control led the local authorities to consider fertility control to reduce cattle numbers. This study assessed the potential side effects of the immunocontraceptive GonaCon on individual female cattle and established the effectiveness of GonaCon to induce infertility.

Neospora caninum exposure in overlapping populations of coyotes (Canis latrans) and feral swine (Sus scrofa).

Limited information exists on Neospora caninum transmission dynamics in wildlife. This coccidian parasite, whose presence can lead to substantial economic losses in cattle operations, requires a canid definitive host for reproduction. We examined exposure in a definitive host, coyotes (Canis latrans), and in overlapping populations of feral swine (Sus scrofa) to determine if spatial proximity between a definitive and incidental host influences the likelihood of parasite exposure.

Efficacy of oral and parenteral routes of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination against experimental bovine tuberculosis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus): a feasibility study.

We investigated the efficacy of oral and parenteral Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin Danish strain 1331 (BCG) in its ability to protect white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) against disease caused by M. bovis infection. Twenty-two white-tailed deer were divided into four groups.

Stability of the tranquilizer drug propionylpromazine hydrochloride in formulated products.

An analytical method to evaluate propionylpromazine hydrochloride (PPZHCl) in tranquilizer formulations was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). During analysis of aged quality-control samples, a previously unreported chromatographic response was observed at a shorter retention time than PPZHCl. Further investigation of formulations stored in trap tap devices at temperatures ranging from 5 to 40 degrees C during field trials at four different locations confirmed the degradation of the active ingredient.

Reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatographic determination of chlorophacinone and diphacinone in steam-rolled oat baits and steam-rolled oat/wax baits.

A reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatographic (LC) method was developed for analysis of steam-rolled oat (SRO) baits fortified with either chlorophacinone or diphacinone. Baits were prepared with and without paraffin wax. Chlorophacinone or diphacinone was extracted from wax-free SRO baits with 5 mM tetrabutylammonium phosphate methanolic ion-pairing solution.