Do shark declines create fear‐released systems?

We illustrate the theoretical plausibility that fishery removal of sharks can indirectly alter predation pressure on different fish species via the behavioural responses of mesoconsumers released from predator intimidation. Our dynamic state variable model of foraging decisions by harbour seals, a mesopredator, predicted indirect effects of the removal of Pacific sleeper sharks on two species consumed by seals, Pacific herring and walleye pollock, as mediated by seal behaviour. Herring, a fatty fish, form near-surface aggregations that often are ephemeral and widely dispersed. Pollock are found in the deeper strata preferred by sharks and have lower energy density than herring, but also are larger and their more continuous distribution potentially makes them the more predictable resource for seals. During simulations, predation risk from sharks produced an asymmetric trophic cascade mediated by the seal's underutilisation of deeper, riskier strata. Risk management by seals reduced mortality on pollock, which required riskier access in deep strata, while increasing mortality on herring, which could be accessed with less risk in shallow strata. This effect, however, attenuated if herring were scarcer and seal energy state was poor. During shark removal scenarios, seals shifted to deeper strata, increasing pollock consumption and substantially decreasing use of herring; the proportional change was greatest if seals were in good energy state. Prior studies have addressed how shark declines might affect community structure through density responses by species consumed by sharks; earlier models incorporating antipredator behaviour of the mesopredator (i.e. Ecosim/Ecospace) allow for activity reduction but not for the spatial shifts that altered the asymmetric trophic cascade in our simulations. Our results suggest that shark declines might have stronger ecological consequences than previously recognised if we account for spatial and diet shifts by mesoconsumers released from shark intimidation

DRG-targeted helper-dependent adenoviruses mediate selective gene delivery for therapeutic rescue of sensory neuronopathies in mice

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron dysfunction occurs in a variety of sensory neuronopathies for which there are currently no satisfactory treatments. Here we describe the development of a strategy to target therapeutic genes to DRG neurons for the treatment of these disorders. We genetically modified an adenovirus (Ad) to generate a helper virus (HV) that was detargeted for native adenoviral tropism and contained DRG homing peptides in the adenoviral capsid fiber protein; we used this HV to generate DRG-targeted helper-dependent Ad (HDAd). In mice, intrathecal injection of this HDAd produced a 100-fold higher transduction of DRG neurons and a markedly attenuated inflammatory response compared with unmodified HDAd. We also injected HDAd encoding the β subunit of β-hexosaminidase (Hexb) into Hexb-deficient mice, a model of the neuronopathy Sandhoff disease. Delivery of the DRG-targeted HDAd reinstated neuron-specific Hexb production, reversed gangliosidosis, and ameliorated peripheral sensory dysfunction. The development of DRG neuron–targeted HDAd with proven efficacy in a preclinical model may have implications for the treatment of sensory neuronopathies of diverse etiologies

The History of Social Work Education for Black People 1900-1930

The nature and extent of the contributions of Black people to social work education during the early twentieth century is the focus of this paper. The scope of this investigation includes: the identification of prominent Black social work educators; analysis of the curricula and the Atlanta School of Social Work and the Bishop Turtle School; and a description of the four basic approaches to social work training for Black people during this development phase of the social work profession

Predicted Limnology of the Proposed Ridges Basin Reservoir

A limnological evaluation was conducted for the offstream Ridges Basin Reservoir proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation in southwest Colorado. The study required the determination of existing water quality in the source river and use of the information to predict the algal standing crop, hypolimnetic oxygen deficity, Secchi disk transparency, and retention of metals in the proposed reservoir. A water quality study was conducted between May 1977 and August 1978. Samplse were collected from the Animas River, which will provide the inflow to the proposed reservoir, and from the La Plata River, which will receive discharge from the reservoir. Samples were analyzed for 49 water quality constituents. The data were used to evaluate the quality of water in both rivers with respect to the proposed Colorado Water Quatiy Standards for raw ater supply, agricultural use, and the protection of the aquatic biota. A phophorus loading model was evaluated and used to predict the summer standing crop of chlorophyl

Modeling human understanding of complex intentional action with a Bayesian nonparametric subgoal model

Most human behaviors consist of multiple parts, steps, or subtasks. These structures guide our action planning and execution, but when we observe others, the latent structure of their actions is typically unobservable, and must be inferred in order to learn new skills by demonstration, or to assist others in completing their tasks. For example, an assistant who has learned the subgoal structure of a colleague's task can more rapidly recognize and support their actions as they unfold. Here we model how humans infer subgoals from observations of complex action sequences using a nonparametric Bayesian model, which assumes that observed actions are generated by approximately rational planning over unknown subgoal sequences. We test this model with a behavioral experiment in which humans observed different series of goal-directed actions, and inferred both the number and composition of the subgoal sequences associated with each goal. The Bayesian model predicts human subgoal inferences with high accuracy, and significantly better than several alternative models and straightforward heuristics. Motivated by this result, we simulate how learning and inference of subgoals can improve performance in an artificial user assistance task. The Bayesian model learns the correct subgoals from fewer observations, and better assists users by more rapidly and accurately inferring the goal of their actions than alternative approaches

Does the Australian Health Star Rating system encourage added sugar reformulation? Trends in sweetener use in Australia

Dietary risk factors, including excess added sugar intake, are leading contributors to Australia’s burden of disease. An objective of the Australian Health Star Rating (HSR) system is to encourage the reformulation of packaged foods. Manufacturers may improve a product’s HSR by replacing added sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS). Concerns have been raised regarding the potential substitution effects of ultra-processed foods containing NNS for whole foods, and the long-term impact this may have on population health. The aim of this study was to determine whether the implementation of the HSR system has impacted the use of added sugars and NNS in the food supply. Four product categories were used: products with no added sweetener, products containing added sugar only, products containing NNS only, and products containing a combination of added sugar and NNS. Of 6477 newly released products analyzed displaying a HSR in Australia between 2014–2020, 63% contained added sugars. The proportion of new products sweetened with added sugars increased over time, while NNS use did not, despite a higher average and median HSR for products sweetened with NNS. These findings suggest that at the current time, the HSR system may not discourage the use of added sugars in new products or incentivize the reformulation of added sugar with NNS. As the health risks of NNS are questioned, increased reformulation of products with NNS to reduce the presence of added sugar in the food supply may not address broader health concerns. Instead, supporting the promotion of whole foods and drinks should be prioritized, as well as policy actions that reduce the proliferation and availability of UPFs

Historical development of and paradigm shifts in public health nutrition

There is a bi-directional relationship between public health nutrition (PHN) and the environmental sustainability (ES) of food systems. Dietary guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for healthy eating. There is significant variation towards the integration of ES considerations in these policies. An understanding of how and why this variation occurs is neede

Disproportionality as a Framework to Target Pollution Reduction from Urban Landscapes

New federal water quality regulations regarding impaired waters and urban stormwater alongside a growing need to reverse eutrophication of urban lakes are creating demand to decrease nutrient export from urban landscapes, particularly lawns. We propose that Nowak’s disproportionality framework could be used to target specific households likely to generate disproportionate levels of nutrient export. The biophysical dimension would be based on landscape vulnerability (slope; soil type; proximity to lakes); the social dimension would target “inappropriate” lawn management behaviors leading to high nutrient export on these vulnerable landscapes. Understanding of lawn nutrient cycling (biophysical dimension) and homeowner beliefs and attitudes (social dimension) would be used to develop targeted, specific messages for homeowners with inappropriate management practices. A lawn management program developed with this disproportionality framework would probably be very effective, highly economical and fair, targeting only homeowners who are creating a disproportionate impact

The influence of acetaminophen on sprint interval treadmill running: a randomized crossover trial

Although considerable research concerning the efficacy of analgesics in sport exists, there is a paucity of data concerning effects of acute acetaminophen (ACT) ingestion on sprint interval running exercise. This investigation concerned the effect of acute ACT ingestion on eight 30 s maximal treadmill sprints on a non-motorized treadmill, interspersed with two minutes rest in males (n=8, age 26±3 years, height 174±7 cm, mass 71±8 kg) in a placebo-controlled, randomized crossover design. A time x condition repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) determined ACT ingestion did not influence mean power output, peak power output, peak vertical ground reaction force, peak oxygen uptake, or total distance completed (p>.05). Perceived pain was reduced by 8-15% during the final three sprints following ACT ingestion (p<.05). Data presented here suggest ACT may reduce exercise-induced pain during the latter stages of sprint interval treadmill running, without influencing performance