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To provide the poultry industry with effective mitigation strategies, the effects of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) on the reduction of Salmonella Infantis, hilA expression, and chicken skin microbiota were evaluated. Chicken breast skins (4×4 cm; N = 100, n = 10, k = 5) were inoculated with Salmonella (Typhimurium or Infantis) at 4°C (30min) to obtain 10 8 CFU/g attachment. Skins were shaken (30s), with remaining bacteria being considered firmly attached. Treatments were applied as 30s dips in 50 mL: no inocula-no-treatment control (NINTC), no treatment control (NTC), tap water (TW), TW+600 ppm PAA (PAA), or TW+0.5% CPC (CPC). Excess fluid was shaken off (30s). Samples were homogenized in nBPW (1 min). Samples were discarded. Salmonella was enumerated and Log 10 transformed. Reverse transcriptase-qPCR (rt-qPCR) was performed targeting hilA gene and normalized using the 2 -ΔΔCt method. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA in RStudio with means separated by Tukey’s HSD (P≤0.05). Genomic DNA of rinsates was extracted, 16S rRNA gene (V4) was sequenced (MiSeq), and data analyzed in QIIME2 (P≤0.05 and Q≤0.05). CPC and PAA affected Salmonella levels differently with CPC being effective against S . Infantis compared to TW (P<0.05). Treatment with CPC on S . Infantis-infected skin altered the hilA expression compared to TW (P<0.05). When inoculated with S . Typhimurium, there was no difference between the microbiota diversity of skins treated with PAA and CPC; however, when inoculated with S . Infantis, there was a difference in the Shannon’s Entropy and Jaccard Dissimilarity between the two treatments (P<0.05). Using ANCOM at the genus level, Brochothrix was significant (W = 118) among skin inoculated with S . Typhimurium. Among S . Infantis inoculated, Yersiniaceae , Enterobacterales , Lachnospiraceae CHKCI001 , Clostridia vadinBB60 group , Leuconostoc , Campylobacter , and bacteria were significant (408). CPC and PAA-treated skins had lowest relative abundance of the genera. In conclusion, CPC mitigated Salmonella Infantis, altered hilA expression, and influenced the chicken skin microbiota.

Anthropogenic subsidies and disturbance can benefit generalist avian species by providing additional food, nesting, and perching resources. In the sagebrush biome, anthropogenic subsidies have led to increases in the number of common ravens (Corvus corax; hereafter ravens), red‐tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), and Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni), but it is unclear how wildfire disturbance may be affecting these species. We used 6 years of count data (2017–2022) to investigate the effects of anthropogenic subsidies and wildfire on density, occupancy, interspecific density dependence, and interactions of these three sympatric predators in five study areas in eastern Oregon. Estimated mean relative densities for all species varied annually, ranging from 1.00 to 2.05 km−2 for ravens, from 0.46 to 1.09 km−2 for red‐tailed hawks, and from 0.07 to 0.38 km−2 for Swainson's hawks. Mean occupancy probability was 0.78 across all study areas for red‐tailed hawks and varied by study area for ravens and Swainson's hawks, ranging from 0.62 to 0.94 and from 0.70 to 0.97, respectively. N‐mixture and occupancy models indicated that anthropogenic subsidies and recent wildfires (≤10 years) were positively associated with the density and occupancy of ravens and red‐tailed hawks. However, only road density was associated with the occupancy of Swainson's hawks. There were no interspecific density‐dependent effects for ravens and red‐tailed hawks, but Swainson's hawk density decreased as densities of ravens and red‐tailed hawks increased. Multispecies occupancy models indicated that most occupancy probabilities associated with anthropogenic subsidies were independent of allospecific presence. However, occupancy probabilities were influenced by wildfire, indicating negative interactions between Swainson's hawks and ravens but positive interactions between Swainson's and red‐tailed hawks. Our results provide evidence that anthropogenic subsidies create hotspots of generalist predators in sagebrush ecosystems fragmented by wildfire. These increased densities may lead to human–wildlife conflicts, displacement of specialist predator species, and greater risk of predation to prey species of conservation concern.

[...]although the primary audience for the rules we provide are new graduate students, we note that the principles we raise are broadly applicable to researchers in a wide range of disciplines. [...]it is still important to have a thorough understanding of the background literature and the research question(s) that motivated data collection. [...]rather than assuming that such an “inherited” study lacks room for improvement, we recommend that students critically examine the choices made in data collection, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and independently assess whether the resulting data are sufficient to address the research question(s) being examined. Units in the treatment group are subjected to an experimental manipulation, whereas those in the control group are not, and the average response across experimental units in the 2 groups is then compared. Because other factors are held constant, differences detected in the treatment group relative to the control group can be attributed to the experimental manipulation. [...]the reasonable scope of inference for a research project is typically constrained by the realities of data collection. [...]defining the scope of inference for a study involves thinking carefully about the chosen sampling approach, potential sources of bias, and acknowledging how they limit the generalizability of a study.

Numeric relational reasoning is a foundational mathematical idea for young children and is predictive of future success in mathematics. However, no readily available assessments exist that fully assess relational reasoning in young children. RTI International developed a Relational Reasoning subtask for potential inclusion on the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA). Numeric relational reasoning items were developed to focus on equivalence, decomposition, and multiplicative thinking, and both symbolic and visual item formats were utilized. The items developed for the EGMA Relational Reasoning subtask were pilot tested with 1486 students in Grades 2–3. This paper details the characteristics of the Relational Reasoning items developed and validity evidence that was collected to support an assumption about technical adequacy and reliability on an interpretation-use argument.

The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is native to North America and has increased in abundance, especially throughout western North America, during the last century. Human subsidies have facilitated raven dispersal into less suitable habitats and enabled these populations to maintain higher annual survival and reproduction. Concomitantly, overabundant raven populations are impacting other native at-risk species such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and potentially the Gunnison sage-grouse (C. minimus). Using Breeding Bird Survey data from 1995–2014, we evaluated raven count data to quantitatively describe changes in abundance and expansion into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems, specifically sage-grouse habitat. We focused our analyses on the 7 sage-grouse management zones (MZs) delineated across 11 western U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. We assessed the effects of land cover and anthropogenic disturbance on instantaneous growth rate (r) or carrying capacity (K) of ravens. Abundance of ravens in western and southeastern MZs was greater than northeastern MZs within the greater sage-grouse range. While raven abundance was lower in MZ I and II (Alberta, Canada; Dakotas, Montana, and northwestern Colorado, USA; Saskatchewan, Canada; and Wyoming, USA), raven expansion and percent increase were equivalent or greater than all other MZs. High abundance in MZ VII indicated Gunnison sage-grouse have been exposed to increased raven populations for several decades. Areas with greater electric power transmission line density had higher r; higher K was positively related to proportion of urban land cover within 25 km and burned area within 3 km and negatively related to greater distance from landfills and proportion of forest land cover within 15 km. Ravens have capitalized on human subsidies to increase abundance and expand into sagebrush ecosystems that did not historically support high raven populations. As such, managers are now faced with a new dilemma of reducing populations of a native species to benefit other native sagebrush obligate species.

Traditional trapping techniques for common ravens (Corvus corax; raven) require significant effort, often produce low capture rates, and cannot be used in some situations. We designed a 3-m noose pole to secure ravens from nocturnal roost locations while using a strobe spotlight to temporarily disorient them. We collected measures of trapping efficiency and contrasted them with padded leghold traps also used in the study. We effectively implemented our noose pole method in July and August of 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Baker and Cow Lakes sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Priority Areas of Conservation in eastern Oregon, USA, which yielded trapping efficiency of 0.48 trap-hours/raven (37 total captured ravens). Our trapping efficiency using leghold traps during the same summer months was 76.42 trap-hours/raven (3 total captured ravens). Our new trapping method constitutes an inexpensive and simple way to safely trap ravens at accessible communal roosts and merits further refinement to increase utility and capitalize on the vulnerability of ravens to capture at night.

Traditional trapping techniques for common ravens (Corvus corax; raven) require significant effort, often produce low capture rates, and cannot be used in some situations. We designed a 3-m noose pole to secure ravens from nocturnal roost locations while using a strobe spotlight to temporarily disorient them. We collected measures of trapping efficiency and contrasted them with padded leghold traps also used in the study. We effectively implemented our noose pole method in July and August of 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the Baker and Cow Lakes sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Priority Areas of Conservation in eastern Oregon, USA, which yielded trapping efficiency of 0.48 trap-hours/raven (37 total captured ravens). Our trapping efficiency using leghold traps during the same summer months was 76.42 trap-hours/raven (3 total captured ravens). Our new trapping method constitutes an inexpensive and simple way to safely trap ravens at accessible communal roosts and merits further refinement to increase utility and capitalize on the vulnerability of ravens to capture at night.