Development-related Changes Research Articles

Comparative transcriptome profiling analysis provides insight into the mechanisms for sugar change in Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) under rain-proof cultivation.

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is a globally popular and economically important fruit that is rich in bioactive compounds with strong anti-cancer effects. Rain-proof cultivation is widely used to cultivate Chinese jujube, as it helps avoid rainfall damage during fruit harvest. Although the sugar content of jujube fruits differs between rain-proof and open-field cultivation, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here, we analyzed the levels of sugar content, sugar accumulation pattern, and transcriptome profiles of jujube fruits at five developmental stages grown under rain-proof and open-field cultivation modes. The sugar content of jujube fruits was significantly higher under rain-proof cultivation than under open-field cultivation, although the sugar composition and sugar accumulation patterns were comparable. Comparative analysis of transcriptomic profiles showed that rain-proof cultivation enhanced the intrinsic metabolic activity of fruit development. Gene expression and correlation analyses suggested that ZjSPS, ZjSS, ZjHXK, and ZjINV regulate the development-related changes in sugar content in jujube fruits grown under rain-proof cultivation. Temperature, humidity, and moisture conditions were key climatic factors affecting sugar accumulation. Our results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating sugar content and sugar accumulation in Chinese jujube fruits grown under rain-proof cultivation, and we provide genetic resources for studying the development mechanism of Chinese jujube fruit.

Assessing risks and opportunities for tropical forests in the face of sustainable development

Understanding how countries’ future development pathways could affect forests can help to avoid negative impacts and instead promote positive ones. Exploring this topic requires knowledge of which areas of the development agenda are likely to show the greatest progress, and how these expected changes relate to the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation that are currently affecting forests, or which may emerge as result of development-related changes. Based on this information, researchers, stakeholders and decisionmakers can engage in discussions to inform further research and interventions. We present an assessment framework that draws upon a range of data types to identify specific components of the development agenda that are likely to be of greatest relevance to forest conservation at the national level. We then assess the potential magnitude and likelihood of imminent changes in these areas over the short- to medium-term. We use this framework to assess 48 tropical countries, providing insights into the areas of sustainable development that are most likely to provide risks, opportunities or enabling conditions for forest conservation across much of the tropics. Our findings suggest that, across much of the tropics, ongoing risks to forests associated with agriculture, transport infrastructure and urban infrastructure could worsen, and that new risks from energy infrastructure could emerge. Opportunities relating to poverty reduction, tourism, and industry, among others, will require care to ensure that associated progress results in positive rather than negative forest impacts. Enabling conditions associated with, inter alia, improved education, inclusive decision-making, and effective governance, still have much room for improvement, and the anticipated likelihood of imminent progress in these areas varies between countries and regions. We discuss the implications of our findings for policymakers and development agencies, and consider potential future applications of our assessment protocol.

The effects of probiotics administration on the gut microbiome in adolescents with anorexia nervosa—A study protocol for a longitudinal, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial

ObjectiveKnowledge on gut–brain interaction might help to develop new therapies for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), as severe starvation‐induced changes of the microbiome (MI) do not normalise with weight gain. We examine the effects of probiotics supplementation on the gut MI in patients with AN.MethodThis is a study protocol for a two‐centre double‐blind randomized‐controlled trial comparing the clinical efficacy of multistrain probiotic administration in addition to treatment‐as‐usual compared to placebo in 60 patients with AN (13–19 years). Moreover, 60 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy controls are included in order to record development‐related changes. Assessments are conducted at baseline, discharge, 6 and 12 months after baseline. Assessments include measures of body mass index, psychopathology (including eating‐disorder‐related psychopathology, depression and anxiety), neuropsychological measures, serum and stool analyses. We hypothesise that probiotic administration will have positive effects on the gut microbiota and the treatment of AN by improvement of weight gain, gastrointestinal complaints and psychopathology, and reduction of inflammatory processes compared to placebo.ConclusionsIf probiotics could help to normalise the MI composition, reduce inflammation and gastrointestinal discomfort and increase body weight, its administration would be a readily applicable additional component of multi‐modal AN treatment.

Does clinically relevant psychopathology in adolescents necessarily require treatment or does it “grow out”?

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the treatment effect of psychodynamic therapy for adolescents in comparison to normative developmental progression in two groups without treatment: healthy adolescents and adolescents with juvenile diabetes. Research Design and Methods: In a 3-wave longitudinal study, n = 531 adolescents (n = 303 treated adolescents, n = 119 healthy, n = 109 with diabetes) and their parents filled out psychopathology questionnaires (Youth Self-Report [YSR] and Child Behaviour Checklist [CBCL]). Growth curve modeling (GCM) was used to examine within-person change in psychopathology while controlling for stable between-person differences. Results: GCM analyses revealed significant within-person reductions in patients’ YSR and CBCL (d = 1.02–1.99) at the end of treatment. When accounted for the control groups’ developmental progression (d = .14–.94), patients’ within-person change remained significantly higher (d = .48-.82). In all three groups, parents rated the severity of psychopathology significantly lower, and within-person change significantly higher than the adolescents him/herself. Conclusions: Psychodynamic therapy led to a significant symptom reduction in treated adolescents and was superior to development-related symptom changes occurring in the two control groups. Hence, clinically relevant symptoms in adolescents do not “grow out”, but require psychotherapeutic treatment. Differences between adolescents and their parents in the evaluation of symptom severity and change require attention in psychotherapy treatment and research.

The Psychometric Properties of the Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer Task in an Online Adult Sample

Decision-making is governed not only by the expected value of an action but also by the valence of its expected outcome (Guitart-Masip et al., 2014). Such Pavlovian biases are implicated in anxiety and addiction. Previous research has suggested that a popular measure of Pavlovian bias, the Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) task, has poor psychometric properties (e.g., low test-retest reliability), calling into question the task’s utility for studying individual differences. However, this work studied adolescents over 18 months, raising the possibility that these results reflected development-related changes in the sample.

Changes in blood circulation and the central nervous system functions in 4–10 year children with visual impairment

Introduction. Visual impairment is the most common disturbances during the child development in preschool and primary school age. Such children need care with the health-improving technology based on scientific knowledge about the characteristics of their psychophysiological functions. The aim of the study is to identify development-related changes in blood circulation and central nervous system functions in 4-10 year healthy children and cases with visual impairments. Materials and methods. A total of 380 children were examined by electrocardiography, electroencephalography, registration of neurodynamic processes, analysis of the tactile function, and self-assessment of anxiety. Results. In subjects with visual impairment, an increase in age-related heterochronism in the development of psychophysiological functions was revealed. The accuracy indices of time intervals and tactile sensitivity of the skin of the fingers were higher, and the indices of physical development, kinematometry, and mobility of nervous processes in many age groups are lower than in healthy ones. Such adaptive changes were accompanied by an increase in functional stress. So, for example, in preschool children from 4 to 6 years, when analyzing the structure of the heart rhythm, an increase in the values of the stress index was noted (from 148.08 ± 3.32 to 220.08 ± 3.62 c.u.; p < 0.05). Conclusion. Judging by the high values of activity indices of the central mechanisms of heart rhythm regulation, anxiety, and the nature of bioelectric changes on the EEG, the “price” of age-related adaptation in children with sensory impairments rises. It contributes to the development of disadaptation. The conclusion is made about the need to develop effective means of psychophysical correction of children with visual impairments, taking into account the nature of age-related changes.

Characteristics of Speech-Evoked Envelope Following Responses in Infancy.

Envelope following responses (EFRs) may be a useful tool for evaluating the audibility of speech sounds in infants. The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of speech-evoked EFRs in infants with normal hearing, relative to adults, and identify age-dependent changes in EFR characteristics during infancy. In 42 infants and 21 young adults, EFRs were elicited by the first (F1) and the second and higher formants (F2+) of the vowels /u/, /a/, and /i/, dominant in low and mid frequencies, respectively, and by amplitude-modulated fricatives /s/ and /∫/, dominant in high frequencies. In a subset of 20 infants, the in-ear stimulus level was adjusted to match that of an average adult ear (65 dB sound pressure level [SPL]). We found that (a) adult–infant differences in EFR amplitude, signal-to-noise ratio, and intertrial phase coherence were larger and spread across the frequency range when in-ear stimulus level was adjusted in infants, (b) adult–infant differences in EFR characteristics were the largest for low-frequency stimuli, (c) infants demonstrated adult-like phase coherence when they received a higher (i.e., unadjusted) stimulus level, and (d) EFR phase coherence and signal-to-noise ratio changed with age in the first year of life for a few F2+ vowel stimuli in a level-specific manner. Together, our findings reveal that development-related changes in EFRs during infancy likely vary by stimulus frequency, with low-frequency stimuli demonstrating the largest adult–infant differences. Consistent with previous research, our findings emphasize the significant role of stimulus level calibration methods while investigating developmental trends in EFRs.

Wood structure and function change with maturity: Age of the vascular cambium is associated with xylem changes in current-year growth.

Xylem vessel structure changes as trees grow and mature. Age- and development-related changes in xylem structure are likely related to changes in hydraulic function. We examined whether hydraulic function, including hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to water-stress-induced xylem embolism, changed over the course of cambial development in the stems of 17 tree species. We compared current-year growth of young (1-4years), intermediate (2-7years), and older (3-10years) stems occurring in series along branches. Diffuse and ring porous species were examined, but nearly all species produced only diffuse porous xylem in the distal branches that were examined irrespective of their mature xylem porosity type. Vessel diameter and length increased with cambial age. Xylem became both more conductive and more cavitation resistant with cambial age. Ring porous species had longer and wider vessels and xylem that had higher conductivity and was more vulnerable to cavitation; however, these differences between porosity types were not present in young stem samples. Understanding plant hydraulic function and architecture requires the sampling of multiple-aged tissues because plants may vary considerably in their xylem structural and functional traits throughout the plant body, even over relatively short distances and closely aged tissues.

Retinal-input-induced epigenetic dynamics in the developing mouse dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

DNA methylation plays important roles in the regulation of nervous system development and in cellular responses to environmental stimuli such as light-derived signals. Despite great efforts in understanding the maturation and refinement of visual circuits, we lack a clear understanding of how changes in DNA methylation correlate with visual activity in the developing subcortical visual system, such as in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), the main retino-recipient region in the dorsal thalamus. Here, we explored epigenetic dynamics underlying dLGN development at ages before and after eye opening in wild-type mice and mutant mice in which retinal ganglion cells fail to form. We observed that development-related epigenetic changes tend to co-localize together on functional genomic regions critical for regulating gene expression, while retinal-input-induced epigenetic changes are enriched on repetitive elements. Enhancers identified in neurons are prone to methylation dynamics during development, and activity-induced enhancers are associated with retinal-input-induced epigenetic changes. Intriguingly, the binding motifs of activity-dependent transcription factors, including EGR1 and members of MEF2 family, are enriched in the genomic regions with epigenetic aberrations in dLGN tissues of mutant mice lacking retinal inputs. Overall, our study sheds new light on the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying the role of retinal inputs on the development of mouse dLGN.

Economic development and residential water consumption in Chile

AbstractA better understanding of the relative importance of factors related to climate change and to changes associated with economic growth would serve to inform water policy and to focus scarce public resources on anticipated problems arising from distinct sources of changes in water demand. This article investigates the determinants of residential water consumption in Chile, a developing country that has seen noteworthy changes in incomes, household size, poverty rates and levels of urbanization, and which is projected to experience significant climatic but varied changes, depending on the region of the country. Panel data for 1998-2010 at the municipal level is used to analyze the sensitivity of residential water demand to climate and development-related factors. In the case of Chile, the effect on water consumption of these development-related changes is estimated to be several times that of the changes associated with climate projections for 50 to 80 years in the future.

Epigenome comparisons reveal linkage between gene expression and postnatal remodeling of chromatin domain topology.

Substantial evidence has accumulated linking epigenome change to alterations in stem cell function during postnatal development and aging. Yet much remains to be learned about causal relationships, and large gaps remain in our understanding of epigenome-transcriptome interactions. Here we investigate structural features of large histone H3K27me3-enriched regions in human stem cell-like monocytes and their dendritic cell derivatives, where the H3K27me3 modification is considered to demarcate Polycomb (PcG) domains. Both differentiation- and postnatal development-related change are explored, initially by confirming expected reciprocal relationships between transcript abundance and span of PcG domains overlapping transcribed regions. PcG-associated postnatal transcriptome change specific to the stem cell-like monocytes is found to be incompletely explained by conventional measures of PcG region structure. To address this, we introduce algorithms that quantify local nucleosome-scale conservation of PcG-region topology. It is shown that topology-based comparisons can reveal broad statistical linkage between postnatal gene down-regulation and epigenome remodeling; further, such comparisons provide access to a previously unexplored dimension of epigenome architecture.

Ovarian expression and localization of clathrin (Cltc) components in cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki: Evidence for Cltc involvement in endocytosis of vitellogenin during oocyte growth

To evaluate potential involvement of clathrin in endocytosis of vitellogenin (Vtg) by teleost oocytes, cDNAs encoding clathrin heavy chain (cltc) were cloned from ovaries of cutthroat trout. Quantitative PCR revealed three types of cltc (cltc-a1, cltc-a2, cltc-b) to be expressed in 10 different tissues including the ovary. The cltc-a1 alone exhibited a significant decrease in ovarian expression during vitellogenesis; this was correlated with a corresponding decrease in transcripts encoding the major Vtg receptor (Vtgr). No development-related changes in ovarian cltc-a2 or cltc-b transcript levels were observed. In situ hybridization revealed a strong ctlc signal in pre-vitellogenic oocytes, but not in vitellogenic oocytes. Western blotting using a rabbit antiserum (a-Cltc) raised against a recombinant Cltc preparation detected a polypeptide band with an apparent mass of ~170kDa in vitellogenic ovary extracts. Immunohistochemistry using a-Cltc revealed Cltc to be uniformly distributed throughout the ooplasm of perinucleolus stage oocytes, translocated to the periphery of lipid droplet stage oocytes, and localized to the oolemma during vitellogenesis. These patterns of cltc/Cltc distribution and abundance during oogenesis, which are identical to those previously reported for vtgr/Vtgr in this species, constitute the first empirical evidence that cltc-a1/Cltc-a1 is involved in Vtg endocytosis via the Vtgr in teleost fish.

Changes in the Relation Between Competence Beliefs and Achievement in Math Across Elementary School Years.

Math competence beliefs and achievement are important outcomes of school-based learning. Previous studies yielded inconsistent results on whether skill development, self-enhancement, or reciprocal effects account for the interplay among them. A development-related change in the direction of their relation in the early school years might explain the inconsistency. To test this, 542 German elementary school students (M=7.95years, SD=0.58) were repeatedly investigated over 24months from Grade 2 to Grade 4. Math competence beliefs declined and had a growing influence on subsequent math grades. This suggests changes in the dominant direction of the relation from a skill development to a reciprocal effects model during elementary school. Findings are discussed with regard to their theoretical and practical implications.

Development-related changes in the expression of the ovarian Kiss1 and Kiss1r genes and their sensitivity to human chorionic gonadotropin in prepubertal female rats.

Kisspeptin, which is encoded by the Kiss1 gene, and its receptor, the G protein-coupled receptor 54 (Kiss1r), play important roles in the regulation of reproductive functions in mammals. Several studies have shown that the Kiss1 and Kiss1r genes are expressed in the rat, primate, and human ovaries, and that the ovarian kisspeptin system plays a pivotal role in ovulation at the proestrous stage in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate development-related changes in the expression of ovarian Kiss1 and Kiss1r genes and in kisspeptin levels, and to identify the regulatory factors for these genes during the prepubertal period. The serum kisspeptin level was also measured to examine whether ovarian kisspeptin affects serum kisspeptin levels. Variations in the ovarian Kiss1 and Kiss1r mRNA levels were observed during the prepubertal period in female rats, with levels peaking around postnatal days 20 and 15, respectively. Nevertheless, the ovarian kisspeptin content per total protein level was stably maintained. Serum kisspeptin levels at postnatal days 30 and 35 were higher than those at earlier postnatal days. The pattern of the ovarian Kiss1 mRNA levels was similar to that of the serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, and the ovarian Kiss1 mRNA level increased after injection with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on postnatal day 20, but not on postnatal days 10 and 30. These data indicate that ovarian Kiss1 and Kiss1r mRNA levels are increased on postnatal days 20 and 15, respectively, and that changes in the serum LH level and the ovarian sensitivity to LH may be involved in the alteration of ovarian Kiss1 mRNA levels.

Postnatal development of franciscana's (Pontoporia blainvillei) biosonar relevant structures with potential implications for function, life history, and bycatch

AbstractFranciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) are the most endangered species of the western South Atlantic Ocean. The major cause of their vulnerability is incidental bycatch in fishery gill nets. Ontogenetic changes of biosonar relevant structures in Pontoporia were analyzed in five specimens (one female neonate, two male neonates and two male adults) using digital imaging technology (MRI, CT) and macroscopic dissections to compare structures involved in sound production and reception. These data were compared to an ontogenetic series of 69 macerated skulls of Pontoporia in order to elucidate the correlation between soft tissue structures and bones of the epicranial complex and to describe the development‐related changes in the mandible. Postnatal developmental shape changes of the posterior part of the right vestibular air sac followed bone formation and the melon with its right branch elongated, paralleling the flatter facial depression of adults. Minor postnatal developmental modifications were verified in the tympano‐periotic complex but a shape change of the mandible was visible by a ventral deviation of the posterior part of the mandible in adults. These results reveal postnatal changes in allometry and shape of biosonar relevant structures that may be one of the causes that increase bycatch of neonate and young Pontoporia individuals.

Adolescent Neurocognitive Development, Self-Regulation, and School-Based Drug Use Prevention

Adolescence is marked by several key development-related changes, including neurocognitive changes. Cognitive abilities associated with self-regulation are not fully developed until late adolescence or early adulthood whereas tendencies to take risks and seek thrilling and novel experience seem to increase significantly throughout this phase, resulting in a discrepancy between increased susceptibility to poor regulation and lower ability to exercise self-control. Increased vulnerability to drug use initiation, maintenance, and dependence during adolescence may be explained based on this imbalance in the self-regulation system. In this paper, we highlight the relevance of schools as a setting for delivering adolescent drug use prevention programs that are based on recent findings from neuroscience concerning adolescent brain development. We discuss evidence from school-based as well as laboratory research that suggests that suitable training may improve adolescents' executive brain functions that underlie self-regulation abilities and, as a result, help prevent drug use and abuse. We note that considerable further research is needed in order (1) to determine that self-regulation training has effects at the neurocognitive level and (2) to effectively incorporate self-regulation training based on neuropsychological models into school-based programming.

Developmental expression patterns of kainate receptors in the mouse spinal cord

Kainate receptors, a subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors, perform important functions in the spinal cord. This study aimed to examine the expression pattern of various kainate receptor subunits in the spinal cord over different stages of development. The regional distribution and levels of Grik1-5 mRNAs, which encode kainate receptor subunits, were examined in the spinal cord of embryonic, perinatal, and adult mice using in-situ hybridization and real-time PCR. At different developmental stages, the expression of Grik1-5 genes showed different regional distributions in the spinal cord. At E16.5, Grik2 and Grik3 were mainly expressed in the dorsal horns whereas Grik5 was expressed in the entire spinal cord. At P0 and P7, Grik2 expression accumulated at laminae II-IV, whereas Grik1 accumulated at the superficial laminae of the dorsal horns. At P30 and P60, the expression of Grik1-5 was concentrated in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horns. Development-related changes were observed in the expression pattern of Grik1-5. Grik5 was expressed in the entire spinal cord up to the perinatal period, whereas from P7 to adult stages, Grik5 expression was almost exclusively restricted to the dorsal horns. Similar observations were present with Grik1, Grik2, and Grik3. Consistently, quantitative determination of the expression levels of Grik1-5 was in accordance with the in-situ hybridization results. This age-related dynamic expression of kainate receptors may act as one driving force for the development of the anatomofunctional pattern and the maturation of the somatosensory circuitry in the spinal cord.

The trochlear pre-ossification center: a normal developmental stage and potential pitfall on MR images

The hypertrophic changes that occur in the cartilage of an epiphysis prior to the onset of ossification are known as the pre-ossification center. Awareness of the appearance of the pre-ossification center on MR images is important to avoid confusing normal developmental changes with pathology. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of the trochlear pre-ossification center on MR imaging and examine age and gender differences. We retrospectively analyzed MR images from 61 children. The trochleas were categorized into three types on the basis of signal intensity (SI). Trochlear types were compared to age and gender. There was no significant difference between the ages of boys and girls. Type 1 trochleas showed homogeneous SI on all pulse sequences. Type 2 trochleas demonstrated a focus of high SI in the epiphyseal cartilage on fat-suppressed water-sensitive sequences, with high or intermediate SI on gradient-echo images (pre-ossification center). Type 3 trochleas showed low SI on fat-suppressed water-sensitive sequences and gradient-echo images. Thirty-seven trochleas were described as type 1, sixteen as type 2 and eight as type 3. ANOVAs confirmed a statistically significant difference in the age of children with type 3 trochleas and those with types 1 and 2 (P < 0.001). Spearman rank correlations determined a positive relationship between trochlear type and age of the children (r = 0.53). Development-related changes in the trochlea follow a predictable pattern. The signal characteristics of the pre-ossification center likely reflect normal chondrocyte hypertrophy and an increase in free water in the matrix.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Sports-Related Musculoskeletal Injury in Children: Current Techniques and Clinical Applications

a t a s p t l During the past 2 decades, there has been a substantial increase in the number of children and adolescents inolved in organized sports. The trend toward year-round raining and earlier involvement of children in highly cometitive sports before skeletal maturity increases the risk and everity of injury.1 Approximately 4.3 million recreational nd sports injuries occur each year in school-aged children in he United States,2 with approximately 3.5 million sportrelated injuries requiring medical treatment in children under the age of 15 years.3 Although some data suggest that oys are nearly twice as likely to suffer from athletic injuries, here has been a substantial increase in the number of girls nvolved in sports, and this has greatly increased the number f injuries they suffer, particularly in the knee. For boys, the ighest rates of injury per 1000 hours of exposure have been eported with ice hockey, rugby, and soccer, and for girls, ith soccer, basketball, and gymnastics.1 Specific injury patterns at each stage of development are determined by the sequential changes of the growing skeleton from childhood to adolescence along with the sportspecific mechanism of injury. Athletic injuries can be acute or may result from long standing overuse. Injuries from overuse may be confused with normal development-related changes in the skeleton. In pediatric patients, most injuries occur at the chondro-osseous junction, as this transition is the weakest link in the growing skeleton. During adolescence, rapid growth results in wider weaker physes, and increase in muscle strength outpaces the strength of bone and cartilage.4 This redisposes to avulsions at the insertions of muscles in the pophyses. Physeal injuries usually occur at the junction of etaphyseal bone and physeal cartilage at the zone of proviional calcification.5 This article will review the pathophysilogy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics, nd best imaging alternatives for the assessment and diagno-

Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsonii conservation and new rangeland management policies in the western Chang Tang Nature Reserve, Tibet: is fencing creating an impasse?

The north-west Tibetan Plateau in China is currently undergoing development-related changes in land use that illustrate a significant mismatch between national/international conservation objectives and national livestock and other rangeland development goals for the region. Areas designated as nature reserves are being subjected to the same livestock development policies as elsewhere on the Plateau, including interventions that are detrimental to the supposedly protected wildlife populations. Unintended effects of some livestock development activities, such as the fencing of winter grazing areas and resultant enhancement of illegal hunting, have been little considered in overall development actions inside the nature reserves. We address these issues within the 300,000 km2 Chang Tang Nature Reserve, covering much of the north-west Plateau, and concentrate on Gertse County in the western part of the Reserve. There are still tens of thousands of Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsonii, Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata, kiang Equus kiang and other species in the north-west Chang Tang, and long-distance antelope calving migrations are still relatively intact. However, increasing human and livestock populations, new rangeland management initiatives, effects of mining activity and continued hunting have the potential to counter conservation initiatives even in the most critical areas for wildlife in the region. Within the nature reserves livestock carrying capacity determinations that allow for wildlife needs and recognize the variable climate are essential. Livestock fencing amenable to wildlife movement, a ban on fencing in areas critical to wildlife, and other actions that mitigate negative effects on wildlife are needed in nature reserves where antelope and other species are still abundant.