Investigating risk factors for developing autism, cerebral palsy and down syndrome in a Trinidadian population

Background: Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome are three lifelong, non-curable common developmental disorders that affect approximately 1 in 59, 1 in 323, and 1 in 700 children respectively. This research is to study the effects of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors on the development of Autism, Cerebral Palsy (CP) and Down Syndrome (DS) in a Trinidadian population.Methods: This was a descriptive case-control study comprised 75 subjects, with 25 cases from each of the three disorders investigated, i.e. autism, CP and DS.Results: The highest risk of autism was associated with mothers having high stress levels (p=0.002), high blood pressure (0.042), and low iron levels (p=0.012) during the pregnancy, as well as having a family history of autism (p=0.002) and residing in an air polluted area (p=0.034). The highest risk of cerebral palsy was associated with a child being born preterm (case 24%, control 0; p=0.009), experiencing postnatal complications (case 80%, control 4%, p=0.000), having a birth weight less than 2500 g (p=0.002), having an abnormal appearance at birth (p=0.045), specifically the prevalence of blue baby (case 20%, control 0) and abnormal appearance (case 12%, control 4%), a case father having a low educational level (p=0.002), a case of mother having gestational diabetes during the pregnancy (p=0.037) and having older mothers (p=0.033) and fathers (p=0.033) than the controls. The highest risk of down syndrome was associated with mothers having high stress (p=0.017) and blood pressure (p=0.021) during pregnancy.Conclusions: The findings of our research confirm that autism, CP and DS are multi-factorial developmental disorders. A combination of environmental conditions, genetics, prenatal and postnatal factors are associated with an increased risk of developing autism, cerebral and down syndrome

Can evolutionary theories of dispersal and senescence predict postrelease survival, dispersal, and body condition of a reintroduced threatened mammal?

1. Theories of dispersal and senescence (or aging) predict that dispersal, and ongoing survival and body condition, are influenced by evolutionary drivers, along with intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Such theories are relevant to translocations of animals where high mortality, loss of body condition, and dispersal beyond the area of release are commonly reported. However, these theories have rarely been tested using data from translocations. 2. We explore whether theories of dispersal and senescence, together with biological knowledge and management interventions, can predict rates of postrelease dispersal, survival and change in body condition of a translocated endangered meso-predator, the eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus. 3. Captive-bred quolls (n = 60) from three sanctuaries were translocated to an unfenced, predator-managed reserve (Booderee National Park) over 2 years (2018, 2019). Survival, dispersal and body mass were monitored via GPS/VHF tracking and targeted trapping for 45 days postrelease. 4. We found support for the "social subordinate" hypothesis, with smaller quolls dispersing further. Consistent with theories of senescence and the biology of our species, survival was marginally greater for females, and females regained losses in body mass in both years following release. In contrast, males recovered body condition in the first but not the second release as this coincided with breeding. Quolls that originated from the mainland sanctuary were on average heavier at release and, after accounting for weight, dispersed further. 5. Synthesis and applications. Using theory to test outcomes of wildlife translocations can provide insights into patterns across taxa and under different conditions, enabling useful improvements to future fauna translocations. This allows for better predictions to be made about the likelihood of success from proposed translocations, changes to planning to improve outcomes (e.g., modifying sex ratios, individual selection and release cohort), and improved animal welfare as fewer animals are subjected to trials.The reintroduction program is a partnership between Parks Australia, Rewilding Australia, The Australian National University, Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, WWF-Australia, the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Taronga Conservation Society, and conservation sanctuaries (Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, Devils@Cradle, Aussie Ark). This research is supported by the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Finding food in a novel environment: The diet of a reintroduced endangered meso-predator to mainland Australia, with notes on foraging behaviour.

Translocated captive-bred predators are less skilled at hunting than wild-born predators and more prone to starvation post-release. Foraging in an unfamiliar environment presents many further risks to translocated animals. Knowledge of the diet and foraging behaviour of translocated animals is therefore an important consideration of reintroductions. We investigated the diet of the endangered meso-predator, the eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus. We also opportunistically observed foraging behaviour, enabling us to examine risks associated with foraging. Sixty captive-bred eastern quolls were reintroduced to an unfenced reserve on mainland Australia (where introduced predators are managed) over a two year period (2018, 2019). Quolls were supplementary fed macropod meat but were also able to forage freely. Dietary analysis of scats (n = 56) revealed that quolls ate macropods, small mammals, birds, invertebrates, fish, reptiles and frogs, with some between-year differences in the frequency of different diet categories. We also observed quolls hunting live prey. Quolls utilised supplementary feeding stations, indicating that this may be an important strategy during the establishment phase. Our study demonstrated that, in a novel environment, captive-bred quolls were able to locate food and hunt live prey. However, foraging was not without risks; with the ingestion of toxic substances and foraging in dangerous environments found to be potentially harmful. Knowledge of the diet of reintroduced fauna in natural landscapes is important for understanding foraging behaviour and evaluating habitat suitability for future translocations and management

Be nimble with threat mitigation: Lessons learnt from the reintroduction of an endangered species

Reintroductions are increasingly being used to restore species and ecosystems. However, chances of successful establishment are often low. Key to improving success is careful consideration of threats, threat mitigation, monitoring and subsequent improvement to management. We demonstrate this planning, implementation and review process using the reintroduction of an endangered mesopredator, the eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus, in the first attempt to re-establish it in the wild on mainland Australia. In March 2018, 20 captive-bred quolls (10 male, 10 female) were released into Booderee National Park and monitored via telemetry, camera and cage trapping. There were many unknowns and, despite thorough consideration of threats, there were surprising outcomes. Within 3 months, 80% of animals had died; half due to predation, an expected threat. Other threats were unexpected yet, due to good monitoring and responsive management, were quickly detected and effective mitigation implemented. These learnings have been incorporated into revised translocation procedures. One year later, four founder quolls remained and had successfully bred. We highlight lessons applicable to other reintroductions. These are, the importance of: 1) conducting a thorough review of threats and implementing appropriate mitigation; 2) targeted monitoring and responsive management; 3) effective communication, education and engagement with the local community and stakeholders; and 4) ensuring learnings are disseminated and incorporated into future translocation plans. Threat assessment is an important step in identifying potential reasons for failure. However, actual threats can be realized only via experimentation and monitoring. Applying this knowledge to future reintroduction attempts can increase their chance of success.This research is supported by the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hu

SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawian blood donors: an analysis of seroprevalence and variant dynamics between January 2020 and July 2021

Background: By August 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has been less severe in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere. In Malawi, there have been three subsequent epidemic waves. We therefore aimed to describe the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi. Methods: We measured the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies amongst randomly selected blood transfusion donor sera in Malawi from January 2020 to July 2021 using a cross-sectional study design. In a subset, we also assessed in vitro neutralisation against the original variant (D614G WT) and the Beta variant. Results: A total of 5085 samples were selected from the blood donor database, of which 4075 (80.1%) were aged 20–49 years. Of the total, 1401 were seropositive. After adjustment for assay characteristics and applying population weights, seropositivity reached peaks in October 2020 (18.5%) and May 2021 (64.9%) reflecting the first two epidemic waves. Unlike the first wave, both urban and rural areas had high seropositivity in the second wave, Balaka (rural, 66.2%, April 2021), Blantyre (urban, 75.6%, May 2021), Lilongwe (urban, 78.0%, May 2021), and Mzuzu (urban, 74.6%, April 2021). Blantyre and Mzuzu also show indications of the start of a third pandemic wave with seroprevalence picking up again in July 2021 (Blantyre, 81.7%; Mzuzu, 71.0%). More first wave sera showed in vitro neutralisation activity against the original variant (78% [7/9]) than the beta variant (22% [2/9]), while more second wave sera showed neutralisation activity against the beta variant (75% [12/16]) than the original variant (63% [10/16]). Conclusion: The findings confirm extensive SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi over two epidemic waves with likely poor cross-protection to reinfection from the first on the second wave. The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure will therefore need to be taken into account in the formulation of the COVID-19 vaccination policy in Malawi and across the region. Future studies should use an adequate sample size for the assessment of neutralisation activity across a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest to estimate community immunity

Driving Organizational Change From the Bedside: The AACN Clinical Scene Investigator Academy.

BACKGROUND: Staff nurses are pivotal in leading change related to quality improvement efforts, although many lack skills to steer change from the bedside. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) staff nurse leadership program, Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy, teaches and empowers staff nurses in leadership skills and change concepts to translate evidence into practice affecting patient outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To describe the curriculum of the AACN CSI Academy that provides staff nurses with the leadership skills required to create unit-based change projects that positively impact patient/family outcomes. METHODS: The curriculum of the Academy included leadership topics, communication, change concepts, quality improvement methods, project management, and data management and analysis. Each team of participants collected project data to show improvements in patient care. The program evaluation used many data sources to assess the program effectiveness, relating to the professional growth of the participant nurses. The participants assessed project patient outcomes, sustainability, and spread. RESULTS: The first cohort of CSI participants included 164 direct care nurses from 42 hospitals in 6 cities. They rated the Academy highly in the program evaluation, and they reported that the Academy contributed to their professional development. The individual hospital quality improvement projects resulted in positive patient and estimated fiscal outcomes that were generally sustained 1 year after the program. CONCLUSION: With the skills, tools, and support obtained from participation in the CSI Academy, staff nurses can make substantial contributions to their organizations in clinical and possibly fiscal outcomes