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The spatial availability of social resources is speculated to structure animal movement decisions, but the effects of social resources on animal movements are difficult to identify because social resources are rarely measured. Here, we assessed whether varying availability of a key social resource—access to receptive mates—produces predictable changes in movement decisions among bighorn sheep in Nevada, the United States. We compared the probability that males made long-distance 'foray' movements, a critical driver of connectivity, across three ecoregions with varying temporal duration of a socially mediated factor, breeding season. We used a hidden Markov model to identify foray events and then quantified the effects of social covariates on the probability of foray using a discrete choice model. We found that males engaged in forays at higher rates when the breeding season was short, suggesting that males were most responsive to the social resource when its existence was short lived. During the breeding season, males altered their response to social covariates, relative to the non-breeding season, though patterns varied, and age was associated with increased foray probability. Our results suggest that animals respond to the temporal availability of social resources when making the long-distance movements that drive connectivity. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial–social interface: a theoretical and empirical integration'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial surveys for large ungulates produce count data that often underrepresent the number of animals. Errors in count data can lead to erroneous estimates of abundance if they are not addressed. Our objective was to address imperfect detection probability by developing a framework that produces realistic and defensible estimates of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) abundance. We applied our framework to a population of desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni) in the Great Basin, Nevada, USA. We captured and marked 24 desert bighorn sheep with global positioning system (GPS)‐collars and then conducted helicopter surveys naïve to the locations of collared animals. We developed a Bayesian integrated data model to leverage information from telemetry data, helicopter survey counts, and habitat characteristics to estimate abundance while accounting for availability and perception probability (i.e., detection given availability). Distance to ridgeline, terrain ruggedness, tree cover, and slope influenced perception probability of sheep given they were viewable from the helicopter. There was also annual variation in perception probability (2018: median = 0.64, credible interval [CrI] = 0.37–0.87; 2019: median = 0.81, CrI = 0.49–0.97). The abundance estimates from the integrated data model decreased from 2018 (594; 95% CrI = 537–656) to 2019 (487; 95% CrI = 436–551). In addition, accounting for availability and imperfect perception resulted in greater estimates of abundance compared to traditional directed search methods, which were 340 for 2018 and 320 for 2019. Our modeling framework can be used to generate more defensible population estimates of bighorn sheep and other large mammals that have been surveyed in a similar manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals select habitats based on food, water, space, and cover. Each of those components are essential to the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce in a particular habitat. Selection of resources is linked to reproductive fitness and individuals likely vary in how they select resources relative to their reproductive state: during pregnancy, while provisioning young when nutritional needs of the mother are high, but offspring are vulnerable to predation, or if they lose young to mortality. We investigated the effects of reproductive state on selection of resources by maternal female desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) by comparing selection during the last trimester of gestation, following parturition when females were provisioning dependent young, and if the female lost an offspring. We captured, and recaptured each year, 32 female bighorn sheep at Lone Mountain, Nevada, during 2016–2018. Captured females were fit with GPS collars and those that were pregnant received vaginal implant transmitters. We used a Bayesian approach to estimate differences in selection between females provisioning and not provisioning offspring, as well as the length of time it took for females with offspring to return levels of selection similar to that observed prior to parturition. Females that were not provisioning offspring selected areas with higher risk of predation, but greater nutritional resources than those that were provisioning dependent young. When females were provisioning young immediately following parturition, females selected areas that were safe from predators, but had lower nutritional resources. Females displayed varying rates of return to selection strategies associated with access to nutritional resources as young grew and became more agile and less dependent on mothers. We observed clear and substantial shifts in selection of resources associated with reproductive state, and females exhibited tradeoffs in favor of areas that were safer from predators when provisioning dependent young despite loss of nutritional resources to support lactation. As young grew and became less vulnerable to predators, females returned to levels of selection that provided access to nutritional resources to restore somatic reserves lost during lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family selection is an important procedure to be considered in the early stage of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) breeding. Different approaches are available, but few comparative studies are performed in practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential genetic gain when different selection strategies at early sugarcane breeding stages are considered. Two experiments involving the first and second selection stages of the Sugarcane Breeding Program of RIDESA/UFSCar were performed. In the first stage, three selection methods based on the concept of selection between and within families were applied to predict the highest genetic gain, that is, BLUPi: simultaneously contemplates family and individual information for selection; BLUPis: promotes the dynamic allocation of individuals to be selected in each family; BLUPAUS: identifies high potential families and establishes differentiated selection intensities; additionally, mass and random selection methods were also performed. In the second stage, the selected clones were evaluated to compare the realized genetic gain. In the first stage, BLUPAUS had the highest predicted gain from selection (PGS; 12.7%) in tonnes of Pol per hectare (TPH). The BLUPis was highly correlated with BLUPAUS and was efficient. Moreover, BLUPi proved to be economically impracticable since phenotypic evaluations must be performed at the individual level. Family selection via BLUPAUS was equivalent to mass selection probably due to the low coefficient of genetic variation (CVg≤ 15) among the families. However, the family selection strategy provides extra information for breeders that cannot be ignored; the possibility of studying the combining ability of genotypes for identifying promising parents for future cross combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) can live in extremely harsh environments and subsist on submaintenance diets for much of the year. Under these conditions, energy stored as body fat serves as an essential reserve for supplementing dietary intake to meet metabolic demands of survival and reproduction. We developed equations to predict ingesta-free body fat in bighorn sheep using ultrasonography and condition scores in vivo and carcass measurements postmortem. We then used in vivo equations to investigate the relationships between body fat, pregnancy, overwinter survival, and population growth in free-ranging bighorn sheep in California and Nevada. Among 11 subpopulations that included alpine winter residents and migrants, mean ingesta-free body fat of lactating adult females during autumn ranged between 8.8% and 15.0%; mean body fat for nonlactating females ranged from 16.4% to 20.9%. In adult females, ingesta-free body fat > 7.7% during January (early in the second trimester) corresponded with a > 90% probability of pregnancy and ingesta-free body fat > 13.5% during autumn yielded a probability of overwinter survival > 90%. Mean ingesta-free body fat of lactating females in autumn was positively associated with finite rate of population increase (λ) over the subsequent year in bighorn sheep subpopulations that wintered in alpine landscapes. Bighorn sheep with ingesta-free body fat of 26% in autumn and living in alpine environments possess energy reserves sufficient to meet resting metabolism for 83 days on fat reserves alone. We demonstrated that nutritional condition can be a pervasive mechanism underlying demography in bighorn sheep and characterizes the nutritional value of their occupied ranges. Mountain sheep are capital survivors in addition to being capital breeders, and because they inhabit landscapes with extreme seasonal forage scarcity, they also can be fat reserve obligates. Quantifying nutritional condition is essential for understanding the quality of habitats, how it underpins demography, and the proximity of a population to a nutritional threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term datasets are becoming increasingly important for assessing population- and species-level responses to a changing environment. Programs that record morphological measurements of horns, antlers, and pronghorns were established in the early- to mid-20th century to collect biological information about animals that possess large horns, antlers, or pronghorns, which could be used to assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts for large mammals in North America. The general relevance of record books has been questioned because of the minimum size requirements for inclusion in a record book, which may mask trends when changes in the population occur. We compared trends in size of antlers, horns, and pronghorns through time using records from three records programs with different minimum size requirements to evaluate the influence of entry requirements on temporal trends. We also investigated whether horn, antler, or pronghorn size affected the probability of specimens being submitted to a records program. Only two of 17 categories exhibited less-pronounced trends in the record book with the highest size requirements for entry, and in two categories trends were more pronounced. Although societal interest in submitting eligible specimens increased slightly over time in one of six categories, the probability of voluntary entry was largely random and not affected by year of harvest or size of specimen. In contrast to previous criticisms, trends in record books should not be expected to represent the size of all males within a population. Instead, our evaluation indicates that the records programs we examined can provide a useful resource for assessing long-term changes in phenotypic characteristics of ungulates, but importantly, they represent the respective range of sizes within which each program collects data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of human harvest on evolution of secondary sexual characteristics has implications for sustainable management of wildlife populations. The phenotypic consequences of selectively removing males with large horns or antlers from ungulate populations have been a topic of heightened concern in recent years. Harvest can affect size of horn‐like structures in two ways: (a) shifting age structure toward younger age classes, which can reduce the mean size of horn‐like structures, or (b) selecting against genes that produce large, fast‐growing males. We evaluated effects of age, climatic and forage conditions, and metrics of harvest on horn size and growth of mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis ssp.) in 72 hunt areas across North America from 1981 to 2016. In 50% of hunt areas, changes in mean horn size during the study period were related to changes in age structure of harvested sheep. Environmental conditions explained directional changes in horn growth in 28% of hunt areas, 7% of which did not exhibit change before accounting for effects of the environment. After accounting for age and environment, horn size of mountain sheep was stable or increasing in the majority (~78%) of hunt areas. Age‐specific horn size declined in 44% of hunt areas where harvest was regulated solely by morphological criteria, which supports the notion that harvest practices that are simultaneously selective and intensive might lead to changes in horn growth. Nevertheless, phenotypic consequences are not a foregone conclusion in the face of selective harvest; over half of the hunt areas with highly selective and intensive harvest did not exhibit age‐specific declines in horn size. Our results demonstrate that while harvest regimes are an important consideration, horn growth of harvested male mountain sheep has remained largely stable, indicating that changes in horn growth patterns are an unlikely consequence of harvest across most of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation biologists have increasingly used translocations to mitigate population declines and restore locally extirpated populations. Genetic data can guide the selection of source populations for translocations and help evaluate restoration success. Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are a managed big game species that suffered widespread population extirpations across western North America throughout the early 1900s. Subsequent translocation programs have successfully re‐established many formally extirpated bighorn herds, but most of these programs pre‐date genetically informed management practices. The state of Nevada presents a particularly well‐documented case of decline followed by restoration of extirpated herds. Desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni) populations declined to less than 3,000 individuals restricted to remnant herds in the Mojave Desert and a few locations in the Great Basin Desert. Beginning in 1968, the Nevada Department of Wildlife translocated ~2,000 individuals from remnant populations to restore previously extirpated areas, possibly establishing herds with mixed ancestries. Here, we examined genetic diversity and structure among remnant herds and the genetic consequences of translocation from these herds using a genotyping‐by‐sequencing approach to genotype 17,095 loci in 303 desert bighorn sheep. We found a signal of population genetic structure among remnant Mojave Desert populations, even across geographically proximate mountain ranges. Further, we found evidence of a genetically distinct, potential relict herd from a previously hypothesized Great Basin lineage of desert bighorn sheep. The genetic structure of source herds was clearly reflected in translocated populations. In most cases, herds retained genetic evidence of multiple translocation events and subsequent admixture when founded from multiple remnant source herds. Our results add to a growing literature on how population genomic data can be used to guide and monitor restoration programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangeland livestock provide a great opportunity to capture resilience traits due to the significant amount of the year spent grazing a resource-limited environment where they are exposed to extreme weather, predators, and varied terrain. Capturing the ability of an individual to cope with these stressors has the potential to improve animal welfare and productivity in the face of climate change. These measurements need to occur over the course of time of an animal in such an environment or capture the sum of the ability of the animal to cope with the environment. To do this, measurements of resilience and efficiency will be a useful tool to make continued improvement in rangeland livestock through genetic selection. However, the high-throughput phenotyping typically required to capture resilience traits is challenged by the remote location, limited or no access to power and internet, and limited manpower for data collection. Therefore, such tools need to be self-sustaining, automated, and cost-effective to be able to capture data on a large number of individuals in a rangeland setting. To this end, we have been exploring the use of precision livestock tools to capture sheep performance in a rangeland environment. We are currently working on developing a portable walk-over-weighing system to automatically capture an individual's weight that uses a combination of solar powered portable batteries and an RFID system with the aim to make a compact weighing system that can easily be transported in rough mountainous terrain. This system can be used to capture longitudinal weights in challenging environments, which can be used to develop indicators of resilience, such as the variability in weight over time or changes in weight due to chronic environmental stressors such as a heat wave. Because it is RFID-based, the data can also be used to take stock inventory to track possible predation events or other stock losses. We are also using low-cost commercial-off-the-shelf GPS units to capture animal behavior in these environments. These data can be used to derive a multitude of traits relating to land-use behavior, including water usage and daily distance traveled. The data can also be used to capture social interactions, such as ewe-lamb relationships. While the information content is high for these datatypes, there are also challenges associated with missing or unreliable data. We are currently exploring methods to combat these challenges to provide robust measurements of performance. Through these data, we aim to develop traits that integrate animal performance and behavior to identify animals that are better suited to a rangeland environment. We expect that breeding of such animals will result in a positive impact on productivity, a reduced impact on the ecosystem, and lower mortality rates, thereby improving the sustainability of livestock production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of an individual to cope with stressors in their environment is going to be paramount in the face of climate change. Rangeland livestock experience harsh conditions including heat and/or cold stress, water and feed restrictions and risk of predation. In extensive management systems, the ability to capture the capacity to cope with stressors of an individual in its environment is encumbered by remote locations with difficult terrain and no access to power or the internet. GPS collars can provide insights into individual land-use behavior, e.g., their impact on the environment or ability to cope with stressors, and social interactions, e.g., mothering ability. GPS collars (n = 112) developed at the University of Idaho were deployed on 57 ewes and 55 lambs (45 ewe-lamb pairs) in an extensive rangeland environment at the Great Basin Research and Extension Center in Eureka, NV. The collars recorded location data every 10 minutes from July 27th to August 18, 2022. Coordinate fixes were successfully recorded 67.11 ± 27.12% of the time and resulted in a kept record occurring every 60 ± 202 minutes. Of the ewe-lamb pair devices, 43 pairs contributed 801 ± 703 paired records (i.e., records that occurred within 5 minutes of each other). GPS coordinate locations, and their respective capture times, allow for the analysis of distance traveled, water usage, dispersion, and ewe-lamb distance. Distance traveled was analyzed on a daily basis with a weighted median distance imputed for all travel times that lasted more than 900 seconds. Dispersion was defined as the distance of an individual from the centroid of the flock in meters, and was transformed to a Z-score based on the position of individuals with GPS coordinates captured within 10 minutes of the measurement of the individual. Ewelamb pair distances were cube root transformed. Twin status, dam line, age, and day were fitted as fixed classes to estimate the repeatability of records for mature ewes. Repeatability estimates of daily distance traveled, daily water usage, and daily dispersion were 0.22 ± 0.05, 0.30 ± 0.06 and 0.10 ± 0.03, respectively. Daily ewe-lamb distances had a repeatability estimate of 0.45 ± 0.08. Day of recording was significant for daily distance traveled (P-value = 2.72×10-4) and water usage (P-value = 1.06×10-3). No other effects were significant in any of the models. In conclusion, PLF tools are an enabling technology that allow for passive data capture in remote locations. Our findings suggest that GPS collars can elucidate a variety of land use and social behavior traits that could serve as meaningful criteria for selection in extensive livestock production settings. Selection on these indicators of resilience may increase livestock productivity and welfare by increasing heat stress tolerance via the analysis of novel behavioral traits seen on extensive rangelands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial pneumonia is a threat to bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations. Bighorn sheep in the East HumboldtMountain Range (EHR), Nevada, USA, experienced a pneumonia epizootic in 2009-2010. Testing of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) that were captured or found dead on this range during and after the epizootic detected bacteria commonly associated with bighorn sheep pneumonia dieoffs. Additionally, in years subsequent to the bighorn sheep epizootic, the mountain goat population had low kid:adult ratios, a common outcome for bighorn sheep populations that have experienced a pneumonia epizootic. We hypothesized that pneumonia was present and negatively affecting mountain goat kids in the EHR. From June-August 2013-2015, we attempted to observe mountain goat kids with marked adult females in the EHR at least once per week to document signs of respiratory disease; identify associations between respiratory disease, activity levels, and subsequent disappearance (i.e., death); and estimate weekly survival. Each time we observed a kid with amarked adult female, we recorded any signs of respiratory disease and collected behavior data that we fit to a 3-state discrete hidden Markov model (HMM) to predict a kid's state (active vs. sedentary) and its probability of disappearing. We first observed clinical signs of respiratory disease in kids in late July-early August each summer. We observed 8 of 31 kids with marked adult females with signs of respiratory disease on 13 occasions. On 11 of these occasions, the HMM predicted that kids were in the sedentary state, which was associated with increased probability of subsequent death. We estimated overall probability of kid survival from June-August to be 0.19 (95% CI=0.08-0.38), which was lower than has been reported in other mountain goat populations. We concluded that respiratory disease was present in the mountain goat kids in the EHR and negatively affected their activity levels and survival. Our results raise concerns about potential effects of pneumonia to mountain goat populations and the potential for disease transmission between mountain goats and bighorn sheep where the species are sympatric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Infectious disease contributed to historical declines and extirpations of bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis) in North America and continues to impede population restoration and management. Reports of pneumonia outbreaks in free-ranging bighorn sheep following contact with domestic sheep have been validated by the results of 13 captive commingling experiments. However, ecological and etiological complexities still hinder our understanding and control of respiratory disease in wild sheep. In this paper, we review the literature and summarize recent data to present an overview of the biology and management of pneumonia in bighorn sheep. Many factors contribute to this population-limiting disease, but a bacterium ( Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae) host-specific to Caprinae and commonly carried by healthy domestic sheep and goats, appears to be a primary agent necessary for initiating epizootics. All-age epizootics are usually associated with significant population declines, but mortality rates vary widely and factors influencing disease severity are not well understood. Once introduced, M. ovipneumoniae can persist in bighorn sheep populations for decades. Carrier females may transmit the pathogen to their susceptible lambs, triggering fatal pneumonia outbreaks in nursery groups, which limit recruitment and slow or prevent population recovery. The demographic costs of disease persistence can be equal to or greater than the impacts of the initial epizootic. Strain typing suggests that spillover of M. ovipneumoniae into bighorn sheep populations from domestic small ruminants is ongoing and that consequences of spillover are amplified by movements of infected bighorn sheep across populations. Therefore, current disease management strategies focus on reducing risk of spillover from reservoir populations of domestic sheep and goats and on limiting transmission among bighorn sheep. A variety of techniques are employed to prevent contacts that could lead to transmission, including limiting the numbers and distribution of both wild and domestic species. No vaccine or antibiotic treatment has controlled infection in domestic or wild sheep and to date, management actions have been unsuccessful at reducing morbidity, mortality, or disease spread once a bighorn sheep population has been exposed. More effective strategies are needed to prevent pathogen introduction, induce disease fadeout in persistently infected populations, and promote population resilience across the diverse landscapes bighorn sheep inhabit. A comprehensive examination of disease dynamics across populations could help elucidate how disease sometimes fades out naturally and whether population resilience can be increased in the face of infection. Cross-jurisdictional adaptive management experiments and transdisciplinary collaboration, including partnerships with members of the domestic sheep and goat community, are needed to speed progress toward sustainable solutions to protect and restore bighorn sheep populations. © 2017 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statement should read: The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author. The statement in the "Availability of data and materials" section originally read: We will make our data publicly available upon publication. B Correction to: b B I Movement Ecology (2023) 11:20 i b https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-023-00378-1 Following publication of the original article [[1]], the authors reported incorrect information in the "Availability of data and materials" section. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT Maintenance of movement corridors is a fundamental component of the conservation of biological diversity, and is especially critical for terrestrial species that migrate extended distances. Highways and interstate freeways fragment corridors and often result in increased mortality of terrestrial migrants from collisions with vehicles. Wildlife crossing structures are an important tool in multiple ecosystems to allow safe passage for wildlife across roadways. Indeed, crossing structures have been used extensively in Europe and with increasing frequency in North America to reconnect fragmented habitats for numerous species. Few projects, however, have documented responses to >1 structure type simultaneously that are close to one another. We used mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus), a widespread species across diverse bioregions in western North America, to test hypotheses about efficacy of 2 different types of crossing structures for ungulates. We documented behavioral responses and use of overpasses and underpasses by mule deer. Our metrics to evaluate success included passage rates and the number of animals that crossed each structure. Crossing structures were used by mule deer immediately following construction and although all of the crossing structures were used, we observed greater passage rates at overpasses than underpasses. Wildlife crossing structures reduced habitat fragmentation and enhanced connectivity by allowing safe passage across US 93. More importantly, those structures succeeded in removing a large number of mule deer from the roadway making US 93 safer for wildlife and motorists. © 2016 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection was detected in 2009- 2010 while investigating a pneumonia die-off in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis, canadensis), and sympatric mountain goats (Oreamnos americanum) in adjacent mountain ranges in Elko County, Nevada. Seroprevalence to BVDV-1 was 81% (N = 32) in the bighorns and 100% (N = 3) in the mountain goats. Serosurveillance from 2011 to 2015 of surviving bighorns and mountain goats as well as sympatric mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), indicated a prevalence of 72% (N = 45), 45% (N = 51), and 51% (N D 342) respectively. All species had antibody titers to BVDV1 and BVDV2. BVDV1 was isolated in cell culture from three bighorn sheep and a mountain goat kid. BVDV2 was isolated from two mule deer. Six deer (N = 96) sampled in 2013 were positive for BVDV by antigen-capture ELISA on a single ear notch. Wild ungulates and cattle concurrently graze public and private lands in these two mountain ranges, thus providing potential for interspecies viral transmission. Like cattle, mule deer, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep can be infected with BVDV and can develop clinical disease including immunosuppression. Winter migration patterns that increase densities and species interaction during the first and second trimester of gestation may contribute to the long term maintenance of the virus in these wild ungulates. More studies are needed to determine the population level impacts of BVDV infection on these three species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Association of Tissue Banks (EATB) donor case workshop is a forum held within the program of the EATB annual congress. The workshop offers an opportunity to discuss and evaluate approaches taken to challenging situations regarding donor selection, it promotes consensus development in deciding tissue donor acceptability when donor health issues are not addressed in standards and regulations, and serves to strengthen the professional tissue banking networks across Europe and beyond. This report reflects some of the discussion at the workshop during the annual congress in Vienna in 2012. The cases presented dealt with problems encountered by tissue bank facilities concerning idiopathic thrombocytopenia and auto-immune disorders, hemodilution and blood sample identification, premalignant and malignant lesions, and Huntington’s disease. The discussions during the workshop demonstrate that the implications on the safety of tissue transplantation of various tissue donor illnesses, physical findings and behaviours, and the preventive measures taken by tissue facilities, may not always be agreed by tissue facility medical directors and other professionals. Moreover, they reveal that operating procedures, regulations and standards cannot comprehensively cover all tissue donor findings, medical histories and circumstances surrounding the cause of death. For many of the issues raised, there is a need for scientific research to provide a better evidence base for future deliberations about the suitability and eligibility of tissue allograft donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) provides whole genome profiling for hundreds to thousands of polymorphic markers in a single assay using a high-throughput microarray platform. The presented work aimed to establish DArT genotyping for the genetically challenging genome of sugarcane. Due to the genome complexity of this sugar-producing crop of high economic importance, an application of DArT genotyping to this species required extensive testing and optimization. As the method of genome complexity reduction determines the efficiency of polymorphism identification in DArT, various approaches and several methods were tested, in order to establish the most optimal. The sugarcane DArT markers generated with these established methods identified high genetic differentiation of sugarcane ancestral species from modern cultivars, in agreement with the data available for other types of molecular markers for this crop. The majority of sugarcane DArT markers segregated in a Mendelian fashion and were readily incorporated into the framework genetic map. As the DArT markers are sequence-ready genomic clones, we sequenced 384 clones and found that one-third of sequenced markers came from the transcribed portion of the sugarcane genome. The presented results further validate the potential of DArT technology in providing cost-effective genetic profiles for plants, irrespective of their genome complexity, for effective applications in molecular-assisted breeding, diversity analysis or genetic identity testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increased emphasis being placed on raw sugar quality in international sugar markets. Color intensity of raw sugar is one quality parameter of importance, with high color levels increasing refining costs and hence lowering sugar value. The quality of raw sugar is compromised by colored solutes or precursors of colored compounds. We examined genetic effects on color levels in juice from sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) in three field experiments, two of which also included different N fertilizer rate treatments. The relative impact on amino N in juice, an important precursor of colored compounds, was also examined. A key finding was consistently large variation among varieties (approximately threefold differences) for color and color-to-impurity ratio levels. These effects were highly repeatable across different environments and N rates, with genotype ⊗ environment and genotype x N rate interaction variance being not significant or less than 15% of genotype main effects in all experiments. Relatively small genetic effects were detected for amino N levels and these were less repeatable across environments than for color. Thus, selection for low color levels will be effective in sugarcane breeding programs. A relative color index is proposed to compare genotypes for propensity to produce color in raw sugar, considering the effects of both color and amino N in juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the changes imposed on the National Health Service (NHS) in Great Britain. Employment of change management for health service managers; Organizational change from management to leadership; Factors in successful change; Forces against the change in the NHS.

There have been many management science models proposed for optimizing various operational aspects of municipal water systems. However, our practical experience indicates that water managers view such modeling attempts with skepticism. Too much effort has been spent on developing elegant, complex models, instead of focusing on providing water managers with systems that support their total information needs. This paper presents the design and development of the Water Resource Management System (WREMS). The main distinction of the WREMS system is that the optimization model used to offer operational guidance is imbedded within an inventory data management information system, the ‘hook’ that interests the city water managers in trusting and, ultimately, using the system. The optimization model incorporated within WREMS is a customized network simplex implementation of a minimum cost network flow problem, designed to assist in making daily decisions such as which wells to produce and how to manage water levels in reservoirs. Details of the linkages between the data management and optimization components of the system are highlighted, illustrating how IS and MS/OR can be synergistically coupled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]