Reproductive patterns in king eiders

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009Mammalian predation, avian predation, female body condition and food availability on the breeding ground are likely the main factors influencing nesting success in tundra-nesting waterfowl. These driving factors are mediated by the primary life history characteristics; incubation behavior, female body size, nesting associations, and nest site selection. I created a conceptual model illustrating how these factors are interrelated and how they impact nest success through a variety of pathways to better understand the evolution of a species' nesting strategy and patterns observed in the field. The importance of the driving factors likely varies between sites and with the species nesting strategy. Given the conceptual model, I predicted the difference in life history characteristics and nesting success at two sites that vary in any of the four driving factors. I tested the model and associated predictions using King Eider females (Somateria spectabilis) breeding on Alaska's coastal plain by comparing selective forces influencing nesting strategies at two sites, Teshekpuk and Kuparuk, between 2002 and 2006. King Eiders fit the model with some modifications to the mediating pathways. Site differences were found in many of the reproductive parameters which matched the prediction of more available forage at Kuparuk than at Teshekpuk. No differences in either avian or mammalian predation pressure were evident between sites. Eiders at Kuparuk had higher nest survival and incubation constancy than at Teshekpuk. Body mass and nest selection were similar between sites. Although questions concerning the nesting strategies of King Eider remain, I feel that this was a valid approach to identifying selective forces impacting nesting strategies and applicable to tundra nesting waterfowl in general.1. Introduction -- 2. Incubation behavior of King Eiders on the coastal plain of Northern Alaska -- 3. Characterizing the nutritional strategy of incubating king eiders Somateria spectabilis in Northern Alaska -- 4. Factors influencing nesting success of king eiders on Northern Alaska's coastal plain -- 5. Effects of concealment, seclusion, and nesting associations on nest site selection by King Eiders -- 6. Estimating nest site fidelity in king eiders using microsatellite genotyping; what worked, what didn't and why -- 7. Conclusions

Bird Use of Northern Alaska Oilfield Rehabilitation Sites

Breeding bird response to habitat rehabilitation after anthropogenic disturbance has received little attention in the Arctic. The North Slope of Alaska is an important breeding ground for many populations of migratory birds and has also supported major oilfields since the late 1960s. The most obvious impacts of industrial development to nesting birds are direct habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from the construction of infrastructure, along with increased mechanical noise, vehicle traffic, and other forms of anthropogenic disturbance. In response to state and federal requirements, efforts have been made to rehabilitate abandoned portions of the oilfields. We compared bird use at rehabilitation sites and at nearby paired reference sites. Densities of shorebirds and passerines varied between rehabilitation sites and reference sites, but waterfowl densities did not. Specifically, passerine and shorebird densities were higher at reference sites in the early or mid-season and lower at reference sites in the late season. Additionally, birds on rehabilitation sites were primarily observed foraging and resting, while behavior observed on paired reference sites was more diverse and included courtship displays, nesting, and aggression. Further, rehabilitation sites supported significantly fewer nests and fewer species than recorded at reference sites. Our findings suggest that sites 3 to 10 years post rehabilitation do not provide bird habitat comparable to nearby reference sites and, by extension, do not provide shorebird and passerine habitat comparable to that found prior to development. However, rehabilitation sites appear to provide adequate habitat for waterfowl and are important to shorebirds and passerines as foraging areas. Continued monitoring will be needed to establish the long-term suitability of rehabilitation sites, compared to reference sites, as breeding habitat for birds.Dans l’Arctique, la réponse des oiseaux nicheurs à la remise en valeur de l’habitat après des perturbations d’origine anthropique a été peu étudiée. Le North Slope de l’Alaska est un lieu de reproduction important pour de nombreuses populations d’oiseaux migrateurs. Des champs pétroliers d’envergure y ont également été aménagés depuis la fin des années 1960. Les incidences les plus évidentes du développement industriel sur les oiseaux nicheurs sont la fragmentation et la perte directe d’habitat découlant de la construction d’infrastructures ainsi que l’augmentation du bruit mécanique, de la circulation de véhicules et d’autres formes de perturbations anthropiques. En raison des exigences de l’État et de l’administration fédérale, des efforts ont été déployés pour remettre en valeur les zones abandonnées des champs pétroliers. Nous avons comparé l’utilisation par les oiseaux des lieux remis en valeur à des lieux de référence jumelés des environs. Les densités d’oiseaux de rivage et de passereaux variaient dans les lieux remis en valeur et les lieux de référence, mais ce n’était pas le cas des densités de la sauvagine. Plus précisément, les densités de passereaux et d’oiseaux de rivage étaient plus élevées aux lieux de référence en début ou en milieu de saison, et moins élevées aux lieux de référence en fin de saison. De plus, les oiseaux de lieux remis en valeur ont surtout été vus en train de se nourrir ou de se reposer, tandis qu’aux lieux de référence, leurs comportements étaient plus variés et comprenaient des comportements de parade nuptiale, de nidification et d’agression. Par ailleurs, les lieux remis en valeur abritaient un beaucoup moins grand nombre de nids et moins d’espèces que les lieux de référence. Selon nos constatations, de trois à dix ans après les travaux de remise en valeur, ces lieux ne présentent pas, pour les oiseaux, un habitat comparable aux lieux de référence des environs et, par conséquent, ils ne fournissent pas aux passereaux et aux oiseaux de rivage un habitat comparable à celui qui s’y trouvait avant le développement industriel. Toutefois, les lieux remis en valeur semblent présenter un habitat adéquat pour la sauvagine et revêtent de l’importance comme lieux de ravitaillement pour les oiseaux de rivage et les passereaux. Une surveillance continue s’avère nécessaire afin d’établir la convenance à long terme des lieux remis en valeur, comparativement aux lieux de référence, comme habitat de nidification pour les oiseaux

Implementation of and Early Outcomes From Anal Cancer Screening at a Community-Engaged Health Care Facility Providing Care to Nigerian Men Who Have Sex With Men.

PurposeAnal cancer risk is substantially higher among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) as compared with other reproductive-age adults, but screening is rare across sub-Saharan Africa. We report the use of high-resolution anoscopy (HRA) as a first-line screening tool and the resulting early outcomes among MSM in Abuja, Nigeria.MethodsFrom August 2016 to August 2017, 424 MSM enrolled in an anal cancer screening substudy of TRUST/RV368, a combined HIV prevention and treatment cohort. HRA-directed biopsies were diagnosed by histology, and ablative treatment was offered for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). HRA proficiency was assessed by evaluating the detection of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) over time and the proportion biopsied. Prevalence estimates of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and HSIL with 95% CIs were calculated. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify those at the highest risk of SIL.ResultsMedian age was 25 years (interquartile range [IQR], 22-29), median time since sexual debut was 8 years (IQR, 4-12), and 59% (95% CI, 54.2% to 63.6%) were HIV infected. Rate of detection of any SIL stabilized after 200 screenings, and less than 20% had two or more biopsies. Preliminary prevalence estimates of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and HSIL were 50.0% (95% CI, 44.7% to 55.3%) and 6.3% (95% CI, 4.0% to 9.3%). HIV infection, at least 8 years since anal coital debut, concurrency, and external warts were independently statistically associated with SIL.ConclusionProficiency with HRA increased with experience over time. However, HSIL detection rates were low, potentially affected by obstructed views from internal warts and low biopsy rates, highlighting the need for ongoing evaluation and mentoring to validate this finding. HRA is a feasible first-line screening tool at an MSM-friendly health care facility. Years since anal coital debut and external warts could prioritize screening

Effects of geolocators on hatching success, return rates, breeding movements, and change in body mass in 16 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds

Additional Authors: Bruce Casler; Maureen Christie; Jonathan T. Coleman; Jesse R. Conklin; Willow B. English; H. River Gates; Olivier Gilg; Marie-Andrée Giroux; Ken Gosbell; Chris Hassell; Jim Helmericks; Andrew Johnson; Borgný Katrínardóttir; Kari Koivula; Jean-Francois Lamarre; Johannes Lang; David B. Lank; Nicolas Lecomte; Joe Liebezeit; Vanessa Loverti; Laura McKinnon; Clive Minton; David Mizrahi; Erica Nol; Veli-Matti Pakanen; Johanna Perz; Ron Porter; Jennie Rausch; Jeroen Reneerkens; Nelli Rönkä; Sarah Saalfeld; Nathan Senner; Benoît Sittler; Paul A. Smith; Kristine Sowl; Audrey Taylor; David H. Ward; Stephen YezerinacCitation: Weiser, E.L., R.B. Lanctot, S.C. Brown, J.A. Alves, P.F. Battley, R. Bentzen, J. Bêty, M.A. Bishop, M. Boldenow, L. Bollache, B. Casler, M. Christie, J.T. Coleman, J.R. Conklin, W.B. English, H.R. Gates, O. Gilg, M.-A. Giroux, K. Gosbell, C. Hassell, J. Helmericks, A. Johnson, B. Katrínardóttir, K. Koivula, E. Kwon, J.-F. Lamarre, J. Lang, D.B. Lank, N. Lecomte, J. Liebezeit, V. Loverti, L. McKinnon, C. Minton, D. Mizrahi, E. Nol, V.-M. Pakanen, J. Perz, R. Porter, J. Rausch, J. Reneerkens, N. Rönkä, S. Saalfeld, N. Senner, B. Sittler, P.A. Smith, K. Sowl, A. Taylor, D.H. Ward, S. Yezerinac, and B.K. Sandercock. 2016. Effects of geolocators on hatching success, return rates, breeding movements and change in body mass in 16 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds. Movement Ecology 4: art12. URL: http://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-016-0077-6Background: Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative effects on birds have not been well studied. We tested for effects of geolocators (0.8–2.0 g total, representing 0.1–3.9 % of mean body mass) on 16 species of migratory shorebirds, including five species with 2–4 subspecies each for a total of 23 study taxa. Study species spanned a range of body sizes (26–1091 g) and eight genera, and were tagged at 23 breeding and eight nonbreeding sites. We compared breeding performance and return rates of birds with geolocators to control groups while controlling for potential confounding variables. Result: We detected negative effects of tags for three small-bodied species. Geolocators reduced annual return rates for two of 23 taxa: by 63 % for semipalmated sandpipers and by 43 % for the arcticola subspecies of dunlin. High resighting effort for geolocator birds could have masked additional negative effects. Geolocators were more likely to negatively affect return rates if the total mass of geolocators and color markers was 2.5–5.8 % of body mass than if tags were 0.3–2.3 % of body mass. Carrying a geolocator reduced nest success by 42 % for semipalmated sandpipers and tripled the probability of partial clutch failure in semipalmated and western sandpipers. Geolocators mounted perpendicular to the leg on a flag had stronger negative effects on nest success than geolocators mounted parallel to the leg on a band. However, parallel-band geolocators were more likely to reduce return rates and cause injuries to the leg. No effects of geolocators were found on breeding movements or changes in body mass. Among-site variation in geolocator effect size was high, suggesting that local factors were important. Conclusions: Negative effects of geolocators occurred only for three of the smallest species in our dataset, but were substantial when present. Future studies could mitigate impacts of tags by reducing protruding parts and minimizing use of additional markers. Investigators could maximize recovery of tags by strategically deploying geolocators on males, previously marked individuals, and successful breeders, though targeting subsets of a population could bias the resulting migratory movement data in some species

Conditional Risks of Biochemical Failure and Prostate Cancer-Specific Death in Patients Undergoing External Beam Radiotherapy: A Secondary Analysis of 2 Randomized Clinical Trials

IMPORTANCE: As patients achieve years of survival after treatment for prostate cancer, the risk of biochemical failure (BF) or prostate cancer-specific death (PCSD) may evolve over time, with clinical relevance to both patients and clinicians. OBJECTIVE: To determine conditional BF-free survival, PSCD, and overall survival estimates for patients with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer enrolled in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0126 and RTOG 0415 clinical trials. A secondary objective was to determine whether prognostic factors at diagnosis remain relevant at later points in follow-up. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A pooled secondary analysis of patients treated with external-beam radiotherapy alone and enrolled in the prospective randomized clinical trials RTOG 0126 and RTOG 0415 was performed. Patients included for analysis were enrolled between March 2002 and December 2009 with a median follow-up of 6.9 years. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method at various survivorship time points. Cumulative incidence was used to calculate BF rates using the Phoenix definition, as well as PCSD. Risk factors such as Gleason score, tumor (T) stage, prostate-specific antigen level, and the equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions of prescribed dose were analyzed at different time points using multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling. Data were analyzed from November 2021 to February 2023. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Conditional risks of BF and PCSD after completion of external-beam radiotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 2591 patients (median [IQR] age, 69 [63-73] years) were included in the study with a mean (range) PSA level of 7.1 (4.7-8.9) ng/mL, 1334 patients (51.5%) with a Gleason score 6 disease, and 1706 patients (65.8%) with T1 disease. Rates of BF from time of treatment were 1.63% (95% CI, 1.20%-2.18%) at 1 year, 7.04% (95% CI, 6.09%-8.08%) at 3 years, 12.54% (95% CI, 11.28%-13.88%) at 5 years, and 22.32% (95% CI, 20.46%-24.24%) at 8 years. For patients surviving 1, 3, and 5 years without BF, the rates of BF in the next 5 years were 14.20% (95% CI, 12.80%-15.66%), 17.19% (95% CI, 15.34%-19.14%), and 18.85% (95% CI, 16.21%-21.64%), respectively. At the initial time point, the rate of PCSD in the next 5 years was 0.66% (95% CI, 0.39%-1.04%). For patients who achieved 1, 3, 5, and 8 years of survivorship, the rates of PCSD in the next 5 years were 1.16% (95% CI, 0.77-1.67) at 1 year, 2.42% (95% CI, 1.74%-3.27%) at 3 years, 2.88% (95% CI, 2.01%-3.99%) at 5 years, and 3.49% (95% CI, 0.98%-8.73%) at 8 years. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this secondary analysis of 2 randomized clinical trials of patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer, the conditional risks of BF and death from prostate cancer increased with time for patients with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy alone. These results could inform optimal trial design and may be helpful information for patients evaluated in follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00033631; NCT00331773

Radiotherapy fractionation for the palliation of uncomplicated painful bone metastases – an evidence-based practice guideline

BACKGROUND: This practice guideline was developed to provide recommendations to clinicians in Ontario on the preferred standard radiotherapy fractionation schedule for the treatment of painful bone metastases. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed and published elsewhere. The Supportive Care Guidelines Group, a multidisciplinary guideline development panel, formulated clinical recommendations based on their interpretation of the evidence. In addition to evidence from clinical trials, the panel also considered patient convenience and ease of administration of palliative radiotherapy. External review of the draft report by Ontario practitioners was obtained through a mailed survey, and final approval was obtained from the Practice Guidelines Coordinating Committee. RESULTS: Meta-analysis did not detect a significant difference in complete or overall pain relief between single treatment and multifraction palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases. Fifty-nine Ontario practitioners responded to the mailed survey (return rate 62%). Forty-two percent also returned written comments. Eighty-three percent of respondents agreed with the interpretation of the evidence and 75% agreed that the report should be approved as a practice guideline. Minor revisions were made based on feedback from the external reviewers and the Practice Guidelines Coordinating Committee. The Practice Guidelines Coordinating Committee approved the final practice guideline report. CONCLUSION: For adult patients with single or multiple radiographically confirmed bone metastases of any histology corresponding to painful areas in previously non-irradiated areas without pathologic fractures or spinal cord/cauda equine compression, we conclude that: • Where the treatment objective is pain relief, a single 8 Gy treatment, prescribed to the appropriate target volume, is recommended as the standard dose-fractionation schedule for the treatment of symptomatic and uncomplicated bone metastases. Several factors frequently considered in clinical practice when applying this evidence such as the effect of primary histology, anatomical site of treatment, risk of pathological fracture, soft tissue disease and cord compression, use of antiemetics, and the role of retreatment are discussed as qualifying statements. Our systematic review and meta-analysis provided high quality evidence for the key recommendation in this clinical practice guideline. Qualifying statements addressing factors that should be considered when applying this recommendation in clinical practice facilitate its clinical application. The rigorous development and approval process result in a final document that is strongly endorsed by practitioners as a practice guideline

Unexpected diversity in socially synchronized rhythms of shorebirds

The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the rhythmicity of the environment. Such behavioural rhythms are well studied in isolated individuals under laboratory conditions, but free-living individuals have to temporally synchronize their activities with those of others, including potential mates, competitors, prey and predators. Individuals can temporally segregate their daily activities (for example, prey avoiding predators, subordinates avoiding dominants) or synchronize their activities (for example, group foraging, communal defence, pairs reproducing or caring for offspring). The behavioural rhythms that emerge from such social synchronization and the underlying evolutionary and ecological drivers that shape them remain poorly understood. Here we investigate these rhythms in the context of biparental care, a particularly sensitive phase of social synchronization where pair members potentially compromise their individual rhythms. Using data from 729 nests of 91 populations of 32 biparentally incubating shorebird species, where parents synchronize to achieve continuous coverage of developing eggs, we report remarkable within-and between-species diversity in incubation rhythms. Between species, the median length of one parent's incubation bout varied from 1-19 h, whereas period length-the time in which a parent's probability to incubate cycles once between its highest and lowest value-varied from 6-43 h. The length of incubation bouts was unrelated to variables reflecting energetic demands, but species relying on crypsis (the ability to avoid detection by other animals) had longer incubation bouts than those that are readily visible or who actively protect their nest against predators. Rhythms entrainable to the 24-h light-dark cycle were less prevalent at high latitudes and absent in 18 species. Our results indicate that even under similar environmental conditions and despite 24-h environmental cues, social synchronization can generate far more diverse behavioural rhythms than expected from studies of individuals in captivity. The risk of predation, not the risk of starvation, may be a key factor underlying the diversity in these rhythms.</p

Germline variation at 8q24 and prostate cancer risk in men of European ancestry

Chromosome 8q24 is a susceptibility locus for multiple cancers, including prostate cancer. Here we combine genetic data across the 8q24 susceptibility region from 71,535 prostate cancer cases and 52,935 controls of European ancestry to define the overall contribution of germline variation at 8q24 to prostate cancer risk. We identify 12 independent risk signals for prostate cancer (p < 4.28 × 10−15), including three risk variants that have yet to be reported. From a polygenic risk score (PRS) model, derived to assess the cumulative effect of risk variants at 8q24, men in the top 1% of the PRS have a 4-fold (95%CI = 3.62–4.40) greater risk compared to the population average. These 12 variants account for ~25% of what can be currently explained of the familial risk of prostate cancer by known genetic risk factors. These findings highlight the overwhelming contribution of germline variation at 8q24 on prostate cancer risk which has implications for population risk stratification

Fine-mapping of prostate cancer susceptibility loci in a large meta-analysis identifies candidate causal variants

Prostate cancer is a polygenic disease with a large heritable component. A number of common, low-penetrance prostate cancer risk loci have been identified through GWAS. Here we apply the Bayesian multivariate variable selection algorithm JAM to fine-map 84 prostate cancer susceptibility loci, using summary data from a large European ancestry meta-analysis. We observe evidence for multiple independent signals at 12 regions and 99 risk signals overall. Only 15 original GWAS tag SNPs remain among the catalogue of candidate variants identified; the remainder are replaced by more likely candidates. Biological annotation of our credible set of variants indicates significant enrichment within promoter and enhancer elements, and transcription factor-binding sites, including AR, ERG and FOXA1. In 40 regions at least one variant is colocalised with an eQTL in prostate cancer tissue. The refined set of candidate variants substantially increase the proportion of familial relative risk explained by these known susceptibility regions, which highlights the importance of fine-mapping studies and has implications for clinical risk profiling. © 2018 The Author(s).Prostate cancer is a polygenic disease with a large heritable component. A number of common, low-penetrance prostate cancer risk loci have been identified through GWAS. Here we apply the Bayesian multivariate variable selection algorithm JAM to fine-map 84 prostate cancer susceptibility loci, using summary data from a large European ancestry meta-analysis. We observe evidence for multiple independent signals at 12 regions and 99 risk signals overall. Only 15 original GWAS tag SNPs remain among the catalogue of candidate variants identified; the remainder are replaced by more likely candidates. Biological annotation of our credible set of variants indicates significant enrichment within promoter and enhancer elements, and transcription factor-binding sites, including AR, ERG and FOXA1. In 40 regions at least one variant is colocalised with an eQTL in prostate cancer tissue. The refined set of candidate variants substantially increase the proportion of familial relative risk explained by these known susceptibility regions, which highlights the importance of fine-mapping studies and has implications for clinical risk profiling. © 2018 The Author(s).Peer reviewe

Unexpected diversity in socially synchronized rhythms of shorebirds

The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the rhythmicity of the environment1, 2, 3, 4. Such behavioural rhythms are well studied in isolated individuals under laboratory conditions1, 5, but free-living individuals have to temporally synchronize their activities with those of others, including potential mates, competitors, prey and predators6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Individuals can temporally segregate their daily activities (for example, prey avoiding predators, subordinates avoiding dominants) or synchronize their activities (for example, group foraging, communal defence, pairs reproducing or caring for offspring)6, 7, 8, 9, 11. The behavioural rhythms that emerge from such social synchronization and the underlying evolutionary and ecological drivers that shape them remain poorly understood5, 6, 7, 9. Here we investigate these rhythms in the context of biparental care, a particularly sensitive phase of social synchronization12 where pair members potentially compromise their individual rhythms. Using data from 729 nests of 91 populations of 32 biparentally incubating shorebird species, where parents synchronize to achieve continuous coverage of developing eggs, we report remarkable within- and between-species diversity in incubation rhythms. Between species, the median length of one parent’s incubation bout varied from 1–19 h, whereas period length—the time in which a parent’s probability to incubate cycles once between its highest and lowest value—varied from 6–43 h. The length of incubation bouts was unrelated to variables reflecting energetic demands, but species relying on crypsis (the ability to avoid detection by other animals) had longer incubation bouts than those that are readily visible or who actively protect their nest against predators. Rhythms entrainable to the 24-h light–dark cycle were less prevalent at high latitudes and absent in 18 species. Our results indicate that even under similar environmental conditions and despite 24-h environmental cues, social synchronization can generate far more diverse behavioural rhythms than expected from studies of individuals in captivity5, 6, 7, 9. The risk of predation, not the risk of starvation, may be a key factor underlying the diversity in these rhythms