Browsers or Grazers? New Insights into Feral Burro Diet Using a Non-Invasive Sampling and Plant DNA Metabarcoding Approach.

Ungulates play a large role in shaping ecosystems and communities by influencing plant composition, structure, and productivity. We investigated the summer diets of feral burros in two ecosystems in which they are found in the United States: a subtropical desert in Arizona and a temperate juniper shrubland in Utah. Between 24 June and 16 July of 2019, we gathered 50 burro fecal samples from each location and used plant DNA metabarcoding to determine the burros' diets. We found that during our sampling period the burros in the Sonoran Desert consumed a higher proportion of woody browse and had a narrower dietary niche breadth and lower degree of diet diversity compared to the burros in the juniper shrubland ecosystem, where the burros consumed higher proportions of graminoids and forbs and had a higher diet diversity index and broader dietary niche breadth. The burros in the Sonoran Desert relied primarily on Prosopis spp. (mesquite) and Poaceae grasses, whereas the burros in the juniper shrubland relied on a wider variety of forb and grass species, likely due to the greater variability in the forage species temporally and spatially available in that temperate ecosystem. We found that feral burros are highly adaptable with respect to diet and appear to be employing a mixed feeding strategy, similar to their ancestor, the African wild ass, to meet their nutritional needs in whichever ecosystem they are found.

Biosorption of cadmium from aqueous solution by combination of microorganisms and chitosan: response surface methodology for optimization of removal conditions.

The food-grade adsorbents of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (108 CFU/mL), Bifidobacterium longum (108 CFU/mL) and chitosan (1%w/v) alone or in combination were used for biosorption of cadmium (Cd) from aqueous solution. Among the tested adsorbents, combination of B. longum and chitosan had the highest efficiency. Therefore, biosorption process with B. longum/chitosan as the most efficient biosorbent was optimized by variables of pH (3-6), temperature (4-37 °C), contact time (5-180 min) and Cd concentrations (0.01-5 mg/L) using RSM. Twenty-seven tests were carried out and the data fitted to the second-order polynomial models. Results revealed that 99.11% of Cd was reduced within 180 min at concentration of 2.5 mg/L, pH 6 and temperature of 20.5 °C that were considered as the optimal conditions for Cd removal. The trend of isotherm was more fitted to the Langmuir model and maximum biosorption capacity was obtained about 3.61 mg/g. The pseudo-second-order fitted the biosorption kinetics for Cd ions. The B. longum/chitosan biosorbent exhibited the high affinity to Cd ion in the presence of coexisting metal ions. It could remove 81.18% of Cd from simulated gastrointestinal tract. Thus, B. longum/chitosan can have good potential as an effective adsorbent for Cd biosorption from aqueous solutions and human body.

Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis.

The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect of body size and digestive system in determining movements of 30 populations of hindgut fermenters (equids) and ruminants across biomes. Selection for intermediate forage biomass was negatively related to body size, regardless of digestive system. Selection for proximity to surface water was stronger for equids relative to ruminants, regardless of body size. To be more generalisable, we suggest that the FMH explicitly incorporate contingencies in body size and digestive system, with small-bodied ruminants selecting more strongly for potential energy intake, and hindgut fermenters selecting more strongly for surface water.

Human dimensions of wildlife conservation in Iran: Assessment of human-wildlife conflict in restoring a wide-ranging endangered species.

Human-wildlife conflicts restrict conservation efforts, especially for wide-ranging animals whose home ranges overlap with human activities. We conducted a study to understand conflicts with, and factors influencing the perceived value of an expanding population of onagers (Equus hemionus onager) in local communities in southern Iran. We asked about locals' perceptions of six potential management strategies intended to lessen human-onager conflict. We found that human-onager conflict was restricted to 45% of respondents within the Bahram-e-Goor Protected Area, all of whom were involved in farming or herding activities. Locals within the protected area were more knowledgeable about onagers and valued onagers more than those living outside the protected area. The perceived value of onagers increased with level of education, total annual income, and perceptions of onager population trends; the perceived value of onagers decreased with the magnitude of conflict between onagers and locals. To tolerate or avoid conflicts with onagers, locals were supportive of monetary compensation and changing from a traditional lifestyle to industrialized farming (for farmers) or livestock production (for herders) with the help of government; locals did not support selling land to the government. Our study is among the first in human-wildlife conflict and local attitudes towards an endangered species and its recovery in Iran. We conclude that current levels of human-onager conflict are relatively low and perceived value of onagers is still relatively high. Therefore, wildlife authorities should consider the development of mitigation strategies with local communities before conflicts intensify.

Health-Related Aspects of Milk Proteins.

Milk is an important component of a balanced diet and contains numerous valuable constituents. Considerable acclaimed health benefits of milk are related to its proteins, not only for their nutritive value but also for their biological properties. Scientific evidence suggests that anticarcinogenic activities, antihypertensive properties, immune system modulation, and other metabolic features of milk, are affiliated with its proteins (intact proteins or its derivatives). In this article, the main health-related aspects of milk proteins, such as anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, anticariogenic, antihypertensive, and hypocholesterolemic effects are reviewed. Collectively, the findings indicate the effectiveness of milk proteins on reduction of risk factors for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and overall improvement of health aspects.

Obesity as an important risk factor for certain types of cancer.

Cancer could be described as the uncontrolled and unrestricted growth of malignant cells in any place of the body. It is a multifactorial disease which either heredity or environmental factors (such as nutrition, physical inactivity, alcohol, obesity, exposure to sun, environmental pollutants, infections) chip in incidence of cancer. In recent years, several researchers have focused on obesity as a potent cancer risk factor. Scientificevidences have suggested that obesity has associated with increased risk for a plenty of different types of cancer. The evidences are the most consistent for endometrial cancer, breast cancer between the postmenopausal women, and renal cell cancer. More contradictoryresults have reported about the colorectal, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Although numerous studies have done according to the obesity and cancer relation or joint, but the molecular mechanisms in which obesity could increase the risks of cancer, have been poorly understood.