Support services for students and faculty

Distance learning is hardly a recent phenomenon. The recent growth of distance-education courses and programs, particularly those offered online, has been dramatic. Students enrolled in distance-education courses deserve the same quality and type of services that students taking courses on campus receive. The same is true of faculty teaching distance courses. Developing strong support services for both groups is an evolutionary process. This article discusses support services for both students and faculty involved in the rapidly expanding online distance-education landscape. Models for providing support to students and faculty are described, the development of these services is explained, and examples of support services are provided.     

Role of social structure in establishment of an invasive large mammal after translocation

Background

Data on the movement behavior of translocated wild pigs is needed to develop appropriate response strategies for containing and eliminating new source populations following translocation events. We conducted experimental trials to compare the home range establishment and space-use metrics, including the number of days and distance traveled before becoming range residents, for wild pigs translocated with their social group and individually.

Results

We found wild pigs translocated with their social group made less extensive movements away from the release location and established a stable home range ~5 days faster than those translocated individually. We also examined how habitat quality impacted the home range sizes of translocated wild pigs and found wild pigs maintained larger ranges in areas with higher proportion of low-quality habitat.

Conclusion

Collectively, our findings suggest translocations of invasive wild pigs have a greater probability of establishing a viable population near the release site when habitat quality is high and when released with members of their social unit compared to individuals moved independent of their social group or to low-quality habitat. However, all wild pigs translocated in our study made extensive movements from their release location, highlighting the potential for single translocation events of either individuals or groups to have far-reaching consequences within a much broader landscape beyond the location where they are released. These results highlight the challenges associated with containing populations in areas where illegal introduction of wild pigs occurs, and the need for rapid response once releases are identified. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Characterization of Pilot Scale Processed Canadian Organic Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) Juice Pressing Residues and Phenolic-Enriched Extractives

This work examined the processing yields, physico-chemical characteristics, and bioactive properties of Canadian organic cranberry and blueberry pomace and phenolic-enriched extractives. The ethanol extracts from each berry contained three to four times the soluble solids and sugar contents compared to the pomace. The lipid content of organic cranberry pomace (4.44%), cranberry ethanol extractives (3.86%), and blueberry ethanol extractives (4.44%) were significantly lower than the lipid content of the organic blueberry pomace (5.42%). The organic blueberry pomace showed higher protein content (8.41%) than organic cranberry pomace (5.76%); however, both organic cranberry and blueberry ethanol extracts showed similarly low protein contents. Significant differences were observed in the mineral and elemental contents of both pomaces and their extractives. Total phenolics, tartaric esters, flavonols, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activities were increased by two to three times in both organic cranberry and blueberry ethanol extracts compared to their respective pomaces. The major anthocyanins detected in organic blueberry pomace and ethanol extracts were peonidin 3-glucoside, malvidin 3-galactoside, malvidin 3-glucoside, and cyanidin 3-arabinoside. Peonidin 3-galactoside, cyanidin 3-galactoside, cyanidin 3-arabinoside, and peonidin 3-arabinside were the major anthocyanins in the organic cranberry and ethanol extacts. Results indicated that cranberry and blueberry pomace could be used to develop bioactives with antioxidant activity for potential health benefit and/or bioenergy production.     

Characterization of the antioxidant activity of sugars and polyhydric alcohols in fish oil emulsions

Polyols have been incorporated into fish oil emulsions as a means for the inhibition of lipid oxidation and suppression of fishy flavor. However, the role of sugars and polyhydric alcohols as antioxidants has not been clearly established. Selected polyols were evaluated for their performance as antioxidants and modifiers of oxidation pathways in a model system. Oil/water (O/W) emulsions were prepared with freshly steam-deodorized menhaden oil. A layer of emulsion in aluminum pans held at 5 degrees C was exposed to 2550 lx fluorescent lights for 24 h before peroxide values and volatile flavor compounds were analyzed by GC headspace entrainment procedure. Antioxidant activity was confirmed for fructose, sucrose, raffinose, sorbitol, or mannitol when incorporated at 16% of the aqueous phase into model fish oil-in-water emulsions. Peroxide values were suppressed 10-18% in treated samples compared to control samples. Viscosity data did not exclude possible contributions from a restricted oxygen diffusion mechanism in the antioxidant activity, but revealed that emulsion viscosity did not govern fish oil oxidation rates. Combining polyols with phenolic antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, BHT, or TBHQ) frequently diminished the antioxidant activity compared to that for individual phenolic antioxidants, which was interpreted as indicating that the H-donating activity of phenolic antioxidants was hindered by the H-bonding activity of polyols. A viscosity-based inhibition of the retroaldol conversion of (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal to (Z)-4-heptenal with a high fructose concentration (67%) was attributed to a restriction of molecular mobility of reactants, but the conversion was only slightly inhibited by the concentration of fructose (16%) used in experimental emulsions. The data supported a hypothesis that either or both free radical scavenging and transition state metal chelation activities were provided by polyols in fish oil emulsions. Also, polyols retarded the water-requiring retroaldol decomposition of (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal to (Z)-4-heptenal in the model systems and the reaction may be involved in some suppression of fishy flavors in emulsions.     

Effects of increased ambient temperature and supplemental altrenogest before pregnancy establishment in gilts

Heat stress (HS) mitigation strategies are critically needed to combat the substantial economic effects on animal agriculture. The manifestations of seasonal infertility include delayed puberty onset, reduced conception rates, decreased litter size, and increased wean to estrus interval. To assess the effects of HS during early gestation and evaluate the benefit of supplemental altrenogest (ALT) as a mitigation strategy, 30 crossbred postpubertal gilts (157 ± 11 kg body weight) were subjected to estrous synchronization via 14 d oral administration of ALT. Artificial insemination during estrus was performed, and gilts were then placed into one of four treatment groups: HS (35 ± 1 °C for 12 h/31.60 ± 1 °C for 12 h) with (HSALT, n = 7) or without (HSCON, n = 7) 15 mg/d ALT supplementation or thermal neutral (TN; 20 ± 1 °C) conditions with (TNALT, n = 8) or without (TNCON, n = 8) 15 mg/d ALT supplementation until 12 d post-estrus (dpe). Administrating ALT occurred at 0600 hours from 3 to 12 dpe, and rectal temperatures (T_R) and respiration rates (RR) were recorded. Blood was collected via jugular venipuncture on 0, 4, 8, and 12 dpe. Gilts were euthanized humanely at 12 dpe followed by the collection of ovarian tissue, and uterine flushing for conceptus collection. In HS compared with TN gilts, RR and T_R were increased (P < 0.01) but unaffected by ALT supplementation. Feed intake was reduced (P < 0.01) by HS but unaltered by the ALT treatment. Corpora lutea (CL) weight was reduced (P < 0.01) in HSCON gilts when compared with TNCON and HSALT gilts despite progesterone concentrations in serum and luteal tissue not being affected by treatment (P ≥ 0.10). CL diameter was reduced (P ≤ 0.05) in HSALT gilts compared with other treatments. Interleukin-1β (IL1B) uterine flush concentration was not affected (P > 0.20) by environment or ALT supplementation, although moderate (P = 0.06) interaction between environment and ALT existed, as IL1B concentration in TNALT was increased (P = 0.03) compared with TNCON gilts. While environment did not affect conceptus development (P = 0.90), ALT supplementation advanced conceptus elongation (P < 0.01). Collectively, these data demonstrate that HS may affect luteal development before pregnancy establishment, and ALT increases conceptus elongation by 12 dpe.     

Organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite: remnants of the protosolar disk

Coordinated transmission electron microscopy and isotopic measurements of organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite shows that they have elevated ratios of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 (1.2 to 2 times terrestrial) and of deuterium to hydrogen (2.5 to 9 times terrestrial). These isotopic anomalies are indicative of mass fractionation during chemical reactions at extremely low temperatures (10 to 20 kelvin), characteristic of cold molecular clouds and the outer protosolar disk. The globules probably originated as organic ice coatings on preexisting grains that were photochemically processed into refractory organic matter. The globules resemble cometary carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON) particles, suggesting that such grains were important constituents of the solar system starting materials.     

Impact of weather variables and season on sporulation of Phytophthora pluvialis and Phytophthora kernoviae

Phytophthora pluvialis and Phytophthora kernoviae are the causal agents of important needle diseases on Pinus radiata in New Zealand. Little is known about the epidemiology of the diseases, making the development of control strategies challenging. To investigate the seasonality and climatic drivers of sporulation, inoculum traps, consisting of pine fascicles floating on water in plastic containers, were exchanged fortnightly at five sites in P. radiata plantations between February 2012 and December 2014. Sections of needle baits were plated onto selective media and growth of Phytophthora pluvialis and P. kernoviae recorded. To explore the generalizability of these data, they were compared to detection data for both pathogens from the New Zealand Forest Health Database (NZFHDB). Further, equivalent analyses on infection of Rhododendron ponticum by P. kernoviae in Cornwall, UK allowed the comparison of the epidemiology of P. kernoviae across different host systems and environments. In New Zealand, inoculum of P. pluvialis and P. kernoviae was detected between January–December and March–November, respectively. Inoculum of both species peaked in abundance in late winter. The probability of detecting P. pluvialis and P. kernoviae was greater at lower temperatures, while the probability of detecting P. pluvialis also increased during periods of wet weather. Similar patterns were observed in NZFHDB data. However, the seasonal pattern of infection by P. kernoviae in the UK was the opposite of that seen for sporulation in New Zealand. Phytophthora kernoviae was likely limited by warmer and drier summers in New Zealand, but by colder winter weather in the UK. These results emphasize the importance of considering both environmental drivers and thresholds in improving our understanding of pathogen epidemiology.     

Isolation of Mycoplasma salivarium from swine

Mycoplasma salivarium, a common human oropharyngeal mycoplasma, was isolated from nasal and pharyngeal secretions of 14 of 284 swine in a barrier-maintained, disease-free herd. M. salivarium was recovered from one boar 6 times over a 26-month period and one time only from 13 other swine. Human isolates of M. salivarium were compared with the swine isolates by DNA-DNA hybridization and SDS-PAGE of the cell proteins and the strains were shown to be closely related. One of eight of the swine from which M. salivarium was isolated had complement-fixing antibodies and another culture-positive animal had metabolic-inhibiting antibodies to M. salivarium. Overt disease was not associated with the organism. These results support previous findings that mycoplasmas closely related to M. salivarium may be isolated from the nasopharynges of swine and they further indicate that the organism can establish persistently in swine without evidence of overt disease.     

Wheat grain quality under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations in a semi-arid cropping system

We investigated wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain quality under Free Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) of 550 ± 10% CO₂ μmol mol⁻¹. In each of two full growing seasons (2008 and 2009), two times of sowing were compared, with late sowing designed to mimic high temperature during grain filling. Grain samples were subjected to a range of physical, nutritional and rheological quality assessments. Elevated CO₂ increased thousand grain weight (8%) and grain diameter (5%). Flour protein concentration was reduced by 11% at e[CO₂], with the highest reduction being observed at the late time of sowing in 2009, (15%). Most of the grain mineral concentrations decreased under e[CO₂] - Ca (11%), Mg (7%), P (11%) and S (7%), Fe (10%), Zn (17%), Na (19%), while total uptake of these nutrients per unit ground area increased. Rheological properties of the flour were altered by e[CO₂] and bread volume reduced by 7%. Phytate concentration in grains tended to decrease (17%) at e[CO₂] while grain fructan concentration remained unchanged. The data suggest that rising atmospheric [CO₂] will reduce the nutritional and rheological quality of wheat grain, but at high temperature, e[CO₂] effects may be moderated. Reduced phytate concentrations at e[CO₂] may improve bioavailability of Fe and Zn in wheat grain.