Separating British marsh tits Poecile palustris and willow tits P. montana using a new feature trialled in an online survey

Confident separation of Marsh Tits and Willow Tits remains a challenge in Britain due to the similar appearance of the local races of both species. Several criteria are available to assist the identification of birds in the hand, but none is completely diagnostic and most are invalid for young juvenile birds. Due to the continued decline in abundance of both species, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to trial new identification criteria in the field, as very few ringers are catching sufficient numbers of either species. This paper describes the results of an online survey that was used to test a proposed new identification feature for separating the two species, based on differences in the pattern of colour contrast on the greater covert feathers. The online survey was effective in recruiting a sufficient sample of ringers of varying experience, who were asked to identify images of Marsh Tits or Willow Tits based only on features of the greater coverts that were demonstrated using training images. On average, each ringer correctly identified 82% of the 18 images, and each image was correctly identified by an average 84% of the 140 ringers. The pattern of the greater coverts is therefore recommended as an additional, complementary criterion for separating Marsh Tits from Willow Tits. Online surveys are also recommended as an efficient platform for the trialling of identification features among the ringing community

Comparative biometrics of British marsh tits Poecile palustris and willow tits P. montana

Biometrics are commonly used to compare bird species. For Marsh Tits and Willow Tits in Britain there are few biometric data from birds of known age and sex, despite their value for population analyses in estimating the proportion of males and females in samples. Comparing measurements between the two species could also aid identification and the monitoring of these declining species in Britain. We present biometrics for a large sample of Marsh Tits of known age and sex, and new data for Willow Tits, which act as reliable reference material. Overall, adults of both species were larger than first-years and males were larger than females, but not among first-year Willow Tits. Marsh Tits were slightly larger and heavier than Willow Tits, but Willow Tits had proportionately longer tails. Discriminant analyses produced new equations for separating the species based on wing length and the measurement between the shortest and longest tail feathers. Probabilities were generated for estimating Marsh Tit population structure from samples of ringing data, but there was a greater overlap between sexes in Willow Tit measurements. We conclude by discussing issues of measurement accuracy and consistency in the collection and analysis of biometric data

Detection of cannabinoid receptor type 2 in native cells and zebrafish with a highly potent, cell-permeable fluorescent probe.

Despite its essential role in the (patho)physiology of several diseases, CB2R tissue expression profiles and signaling mechanisms are not yet fully understood. We report the development of a highly potent, fluorescent CB2R agonist probe employing structure-based reverse design. It commences with a highly potent, preclinically validated ligand, which is conjugated to a silicon-rhodamine fluorophore, enabling cell permeability. The probe is the first to preserve interspecies affinity and selectivity for both mouse and human CB2R. Extensive cross-validation (FACS, TR-FRET and confocal microscopy) set the stage for CB2R detection in endogenously expressing living cells along with zebrafish larvae. Together, these findings will benefit clinical translatability of CB2R based drugs

The evolution of pyrimethamine resistant dhfr in Plasmodium falciparum of south-eastern Tanzania: comparing selection under SP alone vs SP+artesunate combination

BACKGROUND\ud \ud Sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) resistance is now widespread throughout east and southern Africa and artemisinin compounds in combination with synthetic drugs (ACT) are recommended as replacement treatments by the World Health Organization (WHO). As well as high cure rates, ACT has been shown to slow the development of resistance to the partner drug in areas of low to moderate transmission. This study looked for evidence of protection of the partner drug in a high transmission African context. The evaluation was part of large combination therapy pilot implementation programme in Tanzania, the Interdisciplinary Monitoring Programme for Antimalarial Combination Therapy (IMPACT-TZ) METHODS: The growth of resistant dhfr in a parasite population where SP Monotherapy was the first-line treatment was measured for four years (2002-2006), and compared with the development of resistant dhfr in a neighbouring population where SP + artesunate (SP+AS) was used as the first-line treatment during the same interval. The effect of the differing treatment regimes on the emergence of resistance was addressed in three ways. First, by looking at the rate of increase in frequency of pre-existing mutant dhfr alleles under monotherapy and combination therapy. Second, by examining whether de-novo mutant alleles emerged under either treatment. Finally, by measuring diversity at three dhfr flanking microsatellite loci upstream of the dhfr gene.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud \ud The reduction in SP selection pressure resulting from the adoption of ACT slowed the rate of increase in the frequency of the triple mutant resistant dhfr allele. Comparing between the two populations, the higher levels of genetic diversity in sequence flanking the dhfr triple mutant allele in the population where the ACT regimen had been used indicates the reduction in SP selection pressure arising from combination therapy.\ud \ud CONCLUSION\ud \ud The study demonstrated that, alleles containing two mutations at the dhfr have arisen at least four times independently while those containing triple mutant dhfr arose only once, and were found carrying a single unique Asian-type flanking sequence, which apparently drives the spread of pyrimethamine resistance associated dhfr alleles in east Africa. SP+AS is not recommended for use in areas where SP cure rates are less than 80% but this study reports an observed principle of combination protection from an area where pyrimethamine resistance was already high

Voluntary Cleanups and Redevelopment Potential: Lessons from Baltimore, Maryland

Policy has increasingly shifted towards economic incentives and liability attenuation for promoting cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites, but little is known about the effectiveness of such policies. An example of such legislation is State Voluntary Cleanup Programs (VCPs), which were established in the US in the 1990s and to date have been implemented in almost every state. We examine Baltimore properties that participated in the Maryland VCP from its inception in 1997 to the end of 2006. Specifically, we examine what type of properties tend to participate in these programs, how these properties compare to other eligible but non-participating sites, and what is the redevelopment potential of VCP properties and implications towards open space conversion. We find that most applicants (66%) actually requested a No Further Action Determination directly, rather than proposing cleanup. VCP properties tend to be industrial, located in industrial areas, and away from residential neighborhoods. In more recent years larger industrial properties have increasingly enrolled in the program. The majority of sites are reused as industrial or commercial. In contrast to Alberini (2007), this suggests that pressure for residential development does not drive VCP participation. Based on differences in zoning requirements, the VCP may reduce demand for potentially contaminating activities on pristine land by as much as 1,238 to 6,444 acres, in Baltimore alone

Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine–based combinations for malaria : a randomised blinded trial to compare efficacy, safety and selection of resistance in Malawi

Background: In Malawi, there has been a return of Plasmodium falciparum sensitivity to chloroquine (CQ) since sulfadoxinepyrimethamine (SP) replaced CQ as first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. When used for prophylaxis, Amodiaquine (AQ) was associated with agranulocytosis but is considered safe for treatment and is increasingly being used in Africa. Here we compare the efficacy, safety and selection of resistance using SP or CQ+SP or artesunate (ART)+SP or AQ+SP for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Methodology and Findings: 455 children aged 1–5 years were recruited into a double-blinded randomised trial comparing SP to the three combination therapies. Using intention to treat analysis with missing outcomes treated as successes, and without adjustment to distinguish recrudescence from new infections, the day 28 adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) rate for SP was 25%, inferior to each of the three combination therapies (p,0.001). AQ+SP had an ACPR rate of 97%, higher than CQ+SP (81%) and ART+SP (70%), p,0.001. Nineteen children developed a neutropenia of #0.56103 cells/ml by day 14, more commonly after AQ+SP (p = 0.03). The mutation pfcrt 76T, associated with CQ resistance, was detected in none of the pre-treatment or post-treatment parasites. The prevalence of the pfmdr1 86Y mutation was higher after treatment with AQ+SP than after SP, p = 0.002. Conclusions: The combination AQ+SP was highly efficacious, despite the low efficacy of SP alone; however, we found evidence that AQ may exert selective pressure for resistance associated mutations many weeks after treatment. This study confirms the return of CQ sensitivity in Malawi and importantly, shows no evidence of the re-emergence of pfcrt 76T after treatment with CQ or AQ. Given the safety record of AQ when used as a prophylaxis, our observations of marked falls in neutrophil counts in the AQ+SP group requires further scrutiny