Habitat Selection by Parturient and Post-parturient Adult Female Moose (Alces alces) on the Canadian Prairies

The expansion of moose into the agricultural landscape of Saskatchewan (i.e., farmland moose) has increased human-wildlife conflicts, raising questions about how to best manage them. To support decision making, I initiated a study on farmland moose reproductive success and habitat selection following parturition (i.e., birth of calves). In 2013 and 2014, adult female moose were captured between Saskatoon and Chamberlain, SK and fitted with Global Positioning System collars. Daily movement rates and clustering of locations were used to determine the date and location of parturition for 27 adult female moose from 2013 to 2015. The mean date of parturition was May 21. Moose were surveyed using Very High Frequency radio telemetry in June and September each year to visually determine the presence and number of calves. Of the pregnant females observed during calf surveys with 1 or 2 calves, twinning rates were 67% (n = 6/9) in June 2013 and 46% (n = 5/11) in June 2014. Habitat selection ratios indicated that wetland and riparian habitat, trees and shrubs, and cropland were selected the most strongly by female moose as parturition habitat, while pastures and forages, developed and native grassland habitat were avoided. Female moose selected parturition sites further away from roads. A resource selection function model was developed to quantify habitat selection by 15 female moose with young during the first 20 days post-parturition. During this period, adult female moose with young most strongly selected for wetland and riparian areas (β [95% CI] = 0.716 [0.485, 0.946]) and native grassland (β [95% CI] = 0.457 [0.329, 0.585]) and against oilseeds (β [95% CI] = –0.252 [–0.400, –0.103]). Predictive success of the top-ranked model, estimated from k-fold cross validation, was rs = 0.993 (SE = 0.001). The resource selection function indicates that only 10% of the area within the home ranges of parturient females is considered highly selected habitat with high probability of moose use, while 48% of the area has a low probability of use. These results demonstrate the importance of wetland habitat within cropland to female moose, during and shortly after giving birth

Data Services and the Performing Arts

In the academic world, research is primarily seen through the scientific approach of collecting and interpreting scientific or numeric data, or the humanistic approach of comparing and interpreting texts. However, in the performing arts fields, academics see themselves on a spectrum between scholar and artist. Artistic scholarly research activities are often driven by the same requirements as humanities research. However, as artists, research often takes the form of listening to or watching performances. In this approach, performances and recordings are research data to these academics. How can libraries support this method of research? What are the implications for data curation in libraries? These and other questions will be explored in this article

Facilitators and barriers to the successful implementation of pediatric antibacterial drug trials: Findings from CTTI's survey of investigators.

An urgent need exists to develop new antibacterial drugs for children. We conducted research with investigators of pediatric antibacterial drug trials to identify facilitators and barriers in the conduct of these trials. Seventy-three investigators completed an online survey assessing the importance of 15 facilitators (grouped in 5 topical categories) and the severity of 36 barriers (grouped in 6 topical categories) to implementing pediatric antibacterial drug trials. Analysis focused on the identification of key factors that facilitate the successful implementation of pediatric antibacterial drug trials and the key barriers to implementation. Almost all investigators identified two factors as very important facilitators: having site personnel for enrollment and having adequate funding. Other top factors were related to staffing. Among the barriers, factors related to parent concerns and consent were prominent, particularly obtaining parental consent when there was disagreement between parents, concerns about the number of blood draws, and concerns about the number of invasive procedures. Having overly narrow eligibility criteria was also identified as a major barrier. The survey findings suggest three areas in which to focus efforts to help facilitate ongoing drug development: (1) improving engagement with parents of children who may be eligible to enroll in a pediatric antibacterial drug trial, (2) broadening inclusion criteria to allow more participants to enroll, and (3) ensuring adequate staffing and establishing sustainable financial strategies, such as funding pediatric trial networks. The pediatric antibacterial drug trials enterprise is likely to benefit from focused efforts by all stakeholders to remove barriers and enhance facilitation

Low Resources in a High Stakes Game: Identifying Viable Rural Community Partners

Extension resources are shrinking, yet community leadership needs are great, and, the consequences of neglecting them are dire. It is difficult to respond to all the requests that are made of Extension faculty and even more difficult to decide which of the communities will benefit the most from programming. This article illuminates these issues by examining contributions from related research. First, a link is forged between community capital theory and community survival indicators. Next, 111 signs are provided that identify community viability. Finally, a guide is proposed for use in Extension to help determine where to concentrate scant resources

Perceived barriers to pediatrician and family practitioner participation in pediatric clinical trials: Findings from the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative.

Despite legislation to stimulate pediatric drug development through clinical trials, enrolling children in trials continues to be challenging. Non-investigator (those who have never served as a clinical trial investigator) providers are essential to recruitment of pediatric patients, but little is known regarding the specific barriers that limit pediatric providers from participating in and referring their patients to clinical trials. We conducted an online survey of pediatric providers from a wide variety of practice types across the United States to evaluate their attitudes and awareness of pediatric clinical trials. Using a 4-point Likert scale, providers described their perception of potential barriers to their practice serving as a site for pediatric clinical trials. Of the 136 providers surveyed, 52/136 (38%) had previously referred a pediatric patient to a trial, and only 17/136 (12%) had ever been an investigator for a pediatric trial. Lack of awareness of existing pediatric trials was a major barrier to patient referral by providers, in addition to consideration of trial risks, distance to the site, and time needed to discuss trial participation with parents. Overall, providers perceived greater challenges related to parental concerns and parent or child logistical barriers than study implementation and ethics or regulatory barriers as barriers to their practice serving as a trial site. Providers who had previously been an investigator for a pediatric trial were less likely to be concerned with potential barriers than non-investigators. Understanding the barriers that limit pediatric providers from collaboration or inhibit their participation is key to designing effective interventions to optimize pediatric trial participation

A phase II trial of murine monoclonal antibody 17-1A and interferon-γ: clinical and immunological data

A group of 15 patients with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma received a combination of interferon γ (0.1 mg/m2, days 1–15) and the murine monoclonal antibody 17-1A (400 mg, days 5, 7, 9 and 12). The treatment was tolerated with minimal toxicity. Of the 14 evaluable patients, 13 developed human antibody to murine 17-1A, with 11 patients demonstrating antibody to the variable region of 17-1A (anti-idiotype). Antibody to the variable region was inhibited by 17-1A but not by mouse immunoglobulin. Sera from patients with substantial anti-idiotype reactivity were capable of inhibiting the binding of murine 17-1A to antigen expressing LS174-T cells thus indicating the presence of antibody directed against the 17-1A combining site (mirror-image anti-idiotype). The median survival of the whole group was 56 weeks and there was no correlation between clinical response/survival and the development of anti-idiotype antibody

Effects of a group-based weight management programme on anxiety and depression: A randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Funder: national institute for health researchFunder: nihr oxford biomedical research centreOBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the impact of a group-based weight management programme on symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with self-help in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). METHOD: People with overweight (Body Mass Index [BMI]≥28kg/m2) were randomly allocated self-help (n = 211) or a group-based weight management programme for 12 weeks (n = 528) or 52 weeks (n = 528) between 18/10/2012 and 10/02/2014. Symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, at baseline, 3, 12 and 24 months. Linear regression modelling examined changes in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale between trial arms. RESULTS: At 3 months, there was a -0.6 point difference (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.1, -0.1) in depression score and -0.1 difference (95% CI, -0.7, 0.4) in anxiety score between group-based weight management programme and self-help. At subsequent time points there was no consistent evidence of a difference in depression or anxiety scores between trial arms. There was no evidence that depression or anxiety worsened at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of harm to depression or anxiety symptoms as a result of attending a group-based weight loss programme. There was a transient reduction in symptoms of depression, but not anxiety, compared to self-help. This effect equates to less than 1 point out of 21 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and is not clinically significant

Current Perspective and Advancements of Alginate-Based Transplantation Technologies

Versatile yet biocompatible bio-materials are in high demand in nearly every industry, with biological and biomedical engineering relying heavily on common biomaterials like alginate polymers. Alginate is a very common substance found in various marine plants which can easily be extracted and purified through cheap nonhazardous methods. A key characteristic of alginate polymers includes easily manipulatable physical properties due to its inert but functional chemical composition. Factors including its functional versatility, long-term polymer stability and biocompatibility have caused alginate-based technologies to draw major attention from both the scientific and industrial communities alike. While also used in food industry manufacturing and standard dental procedures, this chapter will focus on a discussion of the both clinical and nonclinical use of alginate-based technologies in transplantation for regenerative cell and drug delivery systems. In addition, we overview the immune system response prompted following implantation of alginate hydrogels. Consequences of immune cell reactivity to foreign materials, such as inflammation and the foreign body response (FBR), are also analyzed and current and future strategies for potential circumvention of severe immune responses toward alginate-based devices are reviewed and suggested

<i>EPS8</i> Inhibition Increases Cisplatin Sensitivity in Lung Cancer Cells

Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic, is associated with ototoxicity, renal toxicity and neurotoxicity, thus identifying means to increase the therapeutic index of cisplatin may allow for improved outcomes. A SNP (rs4343077) within EPS8, discovered through a genome wide association study of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), provided impetus to further study this gene. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the role of EPS8 in cellular susceptibility to cisplatin in cancerous and non-cancerous cells. We used EPS8 RNA interference to determine the effect of decreased EPS8 expression on LCL and A549 lung cancer cell sensitivity to cisplatin. EPS8 knockdown in LCLs resulted in a 7.9% increase in cisplatin-induced survival (P = 1.98×10−7) and an 8.7% decrease in apoptosis (P = 0.004) compared to control. In contrast, reduced EPS8 expression in lung cancer cells resulted in a 20.6% decrease in cisplatin-induced survival (P = 5.08×10−5). We then investigated an EPS8 inhibitor, mithramycin A, as a potential agent to increase the therapeutic index of cisplatin. Mithramycin A decreased EPS8 expression in LCLs resulting in decreased cellular sensitivity to cisplatin as evidenced by lower caspase 3/7 activation following cisplatin treatment (42.7%±6.8% relative to control P = 0.0002). In 5 non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines, mithramycin A also resulted in decreased EPS8 expression. Adding mithramycin to 4 NSCLC cell lines and a bladder cancer cell line, resulted in increased sensitivity to cisplatin that was significantly more pronounced in tumor cell lines than in LCL lines (pEPS8, such as mithramycin A, could improve cisplatin treatment by increasing sensitivity of tumor relative to normal cells.</p

Blurred Definitions and Imprecise Indicators: Rethinking Social Assistance for Children’s Work

This chapter argues that the design and delivery of social assistance does not take adequate account of the nuanced role of work in children’s lives and that current interventions are therefore ill-equipped to tackle children’s harmful work. This argument is developed against a background of increasing evidence that social assistance has the potential to reduce children’s engagement with work but limited understanding of its impact on children’s engagement with harmful work. The chapter reviews a set of evaluations of social assistance schemes, and shows that few studies look beyond prevalence or intensity of work. This results in a substantial knowledge gap about the extent to which, and how, social assistance may reduce harm through work. An alternative way of understanding benefits and harms of children’s work is proposed