Single amino acids set apparent temperature thresholds for heat-evoked activation of mosquito transient receptor potential channel TRPA1.

Animals detect heat using thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. In insects, these include TRP ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), which in mosquitoes is crucial for noxious heat avoidance and thus is an appealing pest control target. However, the molecular basis for heat-evoked activation has not been fully elucidated, impeding both studies of the molecular evolution of temperature sensitivity and rational design of inhibitors. In TRPA1 and other thermosensitive TRPs, the N-terminal cytoplasmic ankyrin repeat (AR) domain has been suggested to participate in heat-evoked activation, but the lack of a structure containing the full AR domain has hindered our mechanistic understanding of its role. Here, we focused on elucidating the structural basis of apparent temperature threshold determination by taking advantage of two closely related mosquito TRPA1s from Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens pallens with 86.9% protein sequence identity but a 10 °C difference in apparent temperature threshold. We identified two positions in the N-terminal cytoplasmic AR domain of these proteins, E417 (A. aegypti)/Q414 (C. pipiens) and R459 (A. aegypti)/Q456 (C. pipiens), at which a single exchange of amino acid identity was sufficient to change apparent thresholds by 5 to 7 °C. We further found that the role of these positions is conserved in TRPA1 of a third related species, Anopheles stephensi. Our results suggest a structural basis for temperature threshold determination as well as for the evolutionary adaptation of mosquito TRPA1 to the wide range of climates inhabited by mosquitoes.

The Ethics and Welfare Implications of Keeping Western European Hedgehogs (erinaceus Europaeus) in Captivity.

Patient outcomes for hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) casualties are not limited to release versus euthanasia; some hedgehogs have conditions that do not preclude their ability to survive in captivity with human intervention. This research explored the welfare implications and ethical issues of keeping disabled hedgehogs in permanent captivity. Currently, there is very little in the literature and the subject is highly emotive and controversial. A questionnaire was used to assess welfare and these data contrasted with the normal behaviors, environment, and diet of free-living hedgehogs. The most convincing argument for keeping wild animals in captivity is species conservation; however, hedgehogs are not currently listed as endangered. Sixty-six datasets were obtained, representing 194 hedgehogs kept in permanent captivity. Results were mixed, i.e., many respondents providing suitable habitat features (for example, grass and soil 83.3% of respondents, shrubs and/or hedges 69.7% of respondents) observing "positive" behaviors such as foraging for natural foods (69.7% of respondents), and observing appropriate behavioral responses to humans; and some areas for concern, i.e., habitat size (22.7% of respondents reported habitats <10m2), presence of badgers (only 48.5% of respondents reported no badgers in the area), evidence of aggressive behavior (22.7% of respondents had observed non-food-related aggression between hedgehogs) and seven hedgehogs having sustained bite wounds whilst in captivity. The authors are cautious about drawing any definitive conclusions from this research, though it would appear that some of the hedgehogs in the survey had welfare comparable to their free-living counterparts.

Effect of prosthesis number and position on rima glottidis area in equine laryngeal specimens.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of 1 or 2 laryngeal prosthetic sutures on rima glottidis areas in equine laryngeal specimens. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental, randomized design. ANIMALS: Cadaveric equine larynges (n=16). METHODS: Larynges were collected from 10 horses; 2 sutures each were preplaced in the right and left sides of each larynx. A dorsal suture (DS) was placed through the caudal rim of the dorsal midline of the cricoid cartilage, under the cricopharyngeus muscle and through the proximal and rostral aspect of the muscular process. A lateral suture (LS) was placed 1.5 cm lateral to the DS and through the muscular process more distal and caudal to the 1st suture. Larynges were positioned in a customized stand and the rima glottidis photographed after each suture (LS or DS) or suture combination (CS) was tied in random sequence. An additional 6 larynxes were used to determine whether the tension applied to the sutures was repeatable. Sutures were preplaced in both the right and left side of each larynx as described above and each suture and CS was tied and released 3 times in each larynx. Photographs were taken of the rima glottidis after each suture or CS was tied generating 3 replicates for each suture configuration on each side of the 6 larynges. RESULTS: Mean rima glottidis area was not different between DS and LS when tied alone (P=.85); however, mean area after CS (DS+LS) was greater than DS (P<.001) and LS (P<.001) alone. The coefficient of variation for the 6 suture patterns were low (1-7%) and the intraclass correlation coefficient estimates were very high (0.997-0.998) demonstrating excellent repeatability between replicates for each of the 3 suture configurations. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that laryngoplasty using 2 prostheses; 1 placed dorsally in the cricoid and through the rostral and proximal muscular process and 1 placed 1.5 cm lateral to the 1st and more caudal and distal in the muscular process results in a greater cross sectional area of the rima glottidis than either suture used alone. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Seemingly prosthetic sutures contribute independently to each other in determining the contour of the rima glottidis. Use of 2 prosthetic sutures improves crosssectional area of the rima glottidis compared with each suture alone and may improve surgical outcome in laryngoplasty.

Two students' reflections on their training in animal handling at the University of Sydney.

Basic animal-handling skills are essential for any veterinary practitioner to work safely and confidently. This short article offers the reflections of two students who undertook training in basic animal-handling skills at the University of Sydney as part of the Veterinary Science degree program. Several students attending their final-year clinical rotation at the University of Sydney were asked to informally assess their own basic animal-handling skills at the beginning of the course and in their final year. These perceptions were matched to career choices and demonstrated the positive effect of skills training in career choice. As with any skills-based training program, limitations such as time and finances place restrictions on student learning, and there is a continual need to assess and, where possible, make improvements to the program.

Depression and Rural Environment are Associated With Poor Oral Health Among Pregnant Women in Northern Appalachia.

Both oral health problems and depression among pregnant women contribute to maternal-infant health outcomes. Little is known, however, about the potential effects of clinically significant depression on the oral health status of pregnant women. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of clinically significant depression and rural- or urban-dwelling status on oral health outcomes among pregnant women. Pregnant women (N = 685) in rural (i.e., West Virginia) and urban (i.e., Pittsburgh, PA) areas of northern Appalachia were assessed by calibrated examiners regarding gingivitis, oral hygiene, and DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth), completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and provided demographics. Participants were categorized based on clinically significant depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16) and rural/urban domicile. Women with depression and those living in rural areas had worse oral health on all three indices than their non-depressed and urban counterparts. Depression, particularly among women in rural areas, affects certain oral health indices and represents a modifiable target for intervention. Moreover, treatments designed specifically for rural populations may be of particular utility. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant may benefit from regular depression screenings from their dental and medical health care providers.

Oral Health in a Sample of Pregnant Women from Northern Appalachia (2011-2015).

Background. Chronic poor oral health has a high prevalence in Appalachia, a large region in the eastern USA. The Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) has been enrolling pregnant women and their babies since 2011 in the COHRA2 study of genetic, microbial, and environmental factors involved in oral health in Northern Appalachia. Methods. The COHRA2 protocol is presented in detail, including inclusion criteria (healthy, adult, pregnant, US Caucasian, English speaking, and nonimmunocompromised women), recruiting (two sites: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, USA), assessments (demographic, medical, dental, psychosocial/behavioral, and oral microbial samples and DNA), timelines (longitudinal from pregnancy to young childhood), quality control, and retention rates. Results. Preliminary oral health and demographic data are presented in 727 pregnant women, half from the greater Pittsburgh region and half from West Virginia. Despite similar tooth brushing and flossing habits, COHRA2 women in West Virginia have significantly worse oral health than the Pittsburgh sample. Women from Pittsburgh are older and more educated and have less unemployment than the West Virginia sample. Conclusions. We observed different prevalence of oral health and demographic variables between pregnant women from West Virginia (primarily rural) and Pittsburgh (primarily urban). These observations suggest site-specific differences within Northern Appalachia that warrant future studies.