Wildlife Health Surveillance on the National Bison Range – Monitoring for M. Paratuberculosis in Bison

The wildlife health surveillance program on the National Bison Range was designed to assess the presence and prevalence of diseases in wildlife populations. Annual sampling and disease testing has been conducted at the range for decades. Starting in 2000, a statistically derived disease detection model for bison was designed and implemented to enhance detection of several diseases, including M. paratuberculosis. This disease, commonly known as Johne’s disease, is a bacterial intestinal disease that causes diarrhea, severe weight loss, and eventual death in bison and cattle. Targeting analysis of both populations as a whole and the status of individual animals, the program includes; (1) year-round direct observations aimed at detecting acute injuries, chronic conditions, mortalities, and emerging disease, and (2) regular diagnostic laboratory testing for a suite of diseases of particular concern and to evaluate exposure to several viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases common in the cattle industry. Information from direct observation is documented and shared with staff experienced in dealing with injuries, mortalities, and necropsies. Diagnostic analysis depends on routine coordination with our wildlife health office in Bozeman, Montana, by providing guidance concerning disease or other life-threatening conditions, and annual summary analysis of data. This is a long term adaptive process that includes periodically assessing local and regional wildlife threats, updating protocols according to sample results and providing management with necessary information to maintain healthy wildlife populations within a fenced boundary

Hospital trainees' worries, perceived sufficiency of information and reported psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has been unsurpassed in clinical severity or infectivity since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic and continues to impact the world. During the A/H1N1 pandemic, healthcare workers presented concerns regarding their own and their families' health, as well as high levels of psychological distress. We aim to assess hospital trainees' concerns, perceived sufficiency of information, behaviour and reported psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Single 39-point questionnaire. SETTING: A large NHS foundation trust in London. PARTICIPANTS: 204 hospital trainee doctors. RESULTS: 204 trainees participated, of whom 91.7% (n=187) looked after COVID-19 patients. 91.6% (n=164) were worried about COVID-19; the most frequent concern was that of family and friends dying from COVID-19 (74.6%, n=126). 22.2% (n=36) reported being infected with COVID-19. 6.8% (n=11) of trainees considered avoiding going to work. Perceived sufficiency of information about COVID-19 was moderately high. 25.9% (n=42) reported social distancing at work compared with 94.4% (n=152) outside work. 98.2% (n=159) reported using PPE and 24.7% (n=40) were confident the provided PPE protected them. 41.9% (n=67) reported their psychological health had been adversely affected. 95.6% (n=153) supported provision of psychological support services and 62.5% (n=100) stated they would consider using them. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of hospital trainees expressed worries about COVID-19, above all with regards to the wellbeing of their loved ones over their own. Confidence in sufficiency of provided information was high and in utilised infection control measures low. A larger proportion of trainees reported psychological as compared with physical health concerns, with a smaller proportion confirming having been infected with COVID-19 although most perceived their risk of infection as high. Seeking solutions to support hospital trainees in their duties and their wellbeing with their input would help to empower them and improve their health and morale while working during pandemics

Training negative connectivity patterns between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala through fMRI-based neurofeedback to target adolescent socially-avoidant behaviour

Social anxiety is prevalent in adolescence. Given its role in maintaining fears, reducing social avoidance through cognitive reappraisal may help attenuate social anxiety. We used fMRI-based neurofeedback (NF) to increase 'adaptive' patterns of negative connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the amygdala to change reappraisal ability, and alter social avoidance and approach behaviours in adolescents. Twenty-seven female participants aged 13-17 years with varying social anxiety levels completed a fMRI-based NF training task where they practiced cognitive reappraisal strategies, whilst receiving real-time feedback of DLPFC-amygdala connectivity. All participants completed measures of cognitive reappraisal and social approach-avoidance behaviour before and after NF training. Avoidance of happy faces was associated with greater social anxiety pre-training. Participants who were unable to acquire a more negative pattern of connectivity through NF training displayed significantly greater avoidance of happy faces at post-training compared to pre-training. These 'maladaptive' participants also reported significant decreases in re-appraisal ability from pre to post-training. In contrast, those who were able to acquire a more 'adaptive' connectivity pattern did not show these changes in social avoidance and re-appraisal. Future research could consider using strategies to improve the capacity of NF training to boost youth social-approach behaviour

Associations between attentional bias and interpretation bias and change in school concerns and anxiety symptoms during the transition from primary to secondary school

The transition from primary to secondary school is often associated with a period of heightened anxiety and worry. For most children, any feelings of anxiety subside relatively quickly but for a small minority, emotional difficulties can continue into the first year of secondary school and beyond. This study recruited 109 children and measured their anxiety symptoms and school concerns toward the end of primary school and again at the end of their first term of secondary school. We investigated for the first time whether pre-transition measures of attentional and interpretation bias, and the magnitude of change in attentional bias toward and away from threat stimuli were associated with pre- and post-transition measures of anxiety and school concerns, and the change in these measures over time. Over 50% of the current sample exceeded clinical levels of anxiety at pre-transition. However, anxiety symptoms and school concerns had significantly reduced by post-transition. Higher levels of pre-transition anxiety or school concerns, and a greater magnitude of change in attentional bias towards threat stimuli predicted a larger reduction in anxiety symptoms and school concerns across the transition period. A greater interpretation bias toward threat was associated with higher pre-transition anxiety symptoms and school concerns but not post-transition scores, or the change in these scores. While many children experience heightened anxiety prior to school transition, this appears to be largely temporary and self-resolves. Nonetheless, the current findings highlight the importance of monitoring children’s anxiety and concerns, and related cognitive processes during this important transition period

Moderate hypoxia induces metabolic divergence in circulating monocytes and tissue resident macrophages from Berkeley sickle cell anemia mice

IntroductionHuman and murine sickle cell disease (SCD) associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by hemolysis, nitric oxide depletion, inflammation, and thrombosis. Further, hemoglobin (Hb), heme, and iron accumulation are consistently observed in pulmonary adventitial macrophages at autopsy and in hypoxia driven rodent models of SCD, which show distribution of ferric and ferrous Hb as well as HO-1 and ferritin heavy chain. The anatomic localization of these macrophages is consistent with areas of significant vascular remodeling. However, their contributions toward progressive disease may include unique, but also common mechanisms, that overlap with idiopathic and other forms of pulmonary hypertension. These processes likely extend to the vasculature of other organs that are consistently impaired in advanced SCD.MethodsTo date, limited information is available on the metabolism of macrophages or monocytes isolated from lung, spleen, and peripheral blood in humans or murine models of SCD.ResultsHere we hypothesize that metabolism of macrophages and monocytes isolated from this triad of tissue differs between Berkley SCD mice exposed for ten weeks to moderate hypobaric hypoxia (simulated 8,000 ft, 15.4% O2) or normoxia (Denver altitude, 5000 ft) with normoxia exposed wild type mice evaluated as controls.DiscussionThis study represents an initial set of data that describes the metabolism in monocytes and macrophages isolated from moderately hypoxic SCD mice peripheral lung, spleen, and blood mononuclear cells

The effects of verbal information and approach-avoidance training on children's fear-related responses.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study examined the effects of verbal information and approach-avoidance training on fear-related cognitive and behavioural responses about novel animals. METHODS One hundred and sixty children (7-11 years) were randomly allocated to receive: a) positive verbal information about one novel animal and threat information about a second novel animal (verbal information condition); b) approach-avoidance training in which they repeatedly pushed away (avoid) or pulled closer (approach) pictures of the animals (approach-avoidance training), c) a combined condition in which verbal information was given prior to approach-avoidance training (verbal information + approach-avoidance training) and d) a combined condition in which approach-avoidance training was given prior to verbal information (approach-avoidance training + verbal information). RESULTS Threat and positive information significantly increased and decreased fear beliefs and avoidance behaviour respectively. Approach-avoidance training was successful in training the desired behavioural responses but had limited effects on fear-related responses. Verbal information and both combined conditions resulted in significantly larger effects than approach-avoidance training. We found no evidence for an additive effect of these pathways. LIMITATIONS This study used a non-clinical sample and focused on novel animals rather than animals about which children already had experience or established fears. The study also compared positive information/approach with threat information/avoid training, limiting specific conclusions regarding the independent effects of these conditions. CONCLUSIONS The present study finds little evidence in support of a possible causal role for behavioural response training in the aetiology of childhood fear. However, the provision of verbal information appears to be an important pathway involved in the aetiology of childhood fear

Energy Reallocation to Breeding Performance through Improved Nest Building in Laboratory Mice.

Mice are housed at temperatures (20-26°C) that increase their basal metabolic rates and impose high energy demands to maintain core temperatures. Therefore, energy must be reallocated from other biological processes to increase heat production to offset heat loss. Supplying laboratory mice with nesting material may provide sufficient insulation to reduce heat loss and improve both feed conversion and breeding performance. Naïve C57BL/6, BALB/c, and CD-1breeding pairs were provided with bedding alone, or bedding supplemented with either 8g of Enviro-Dri, 8g of Nestlets, for 6 months. Mice provided with either nesting material built more dome-like nests than controls. Nesting material improved feed efficiency per pup weaned as well as pup weaning weight. The breeding index (pups weaned/dam/week) was higher when either nesting material was provided. Thus, the sparing of energy for thermoregulation of mice given additional nesting material may have been responsible for the improved breeding and growth of offspring

Fosmidomycin Uptake into Plasmodium and Babesia-Infected Erythrocytes Is Facilitated by Parasite-Induced New Permeability Pathways

., a mouse malaria parasite. and related parasites. Our data provide further evidence that parasite-induced new permeability pathways may be exploited as routes for drug delivery

Facilitators and barriers to implementing electronic referral and/or consultation systems: a qualitative study of 16 health organizations

BACKGROUND: Access to specialty care remains a challenge for primary care providers and patients. Implementation of electronic referral and/or consultation (eCR) systems provides an opportunity for innovations in the delivery of specialty care. We conducted key informant interviews to identify drivers, facilitators, barriers and evaluation metrics of diverse eCR systems to inform widespread implementation of this model of specialty care delivery. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with leaders of 16 diverse health care delivery organizations between January 2013 and April 2014. A limited snowball sampling approach was used for recruitment. Content analysis was used to examine key informant interview transcripts. RESULTS: Electronic referral systems, which provide referral management and triage by specialists, were developed to enhance tracking and operational efficiency. Electronic consultation systems, which encourage bi-directional communication between primary care and specialist providers facilitating longitudinal virtual co-management, were developed to improve access to specialty expertise. Integrated eCR systems leverage both functionalities to enhance the delivery of coordinated, specialty care at the population level. Elements of successful eCR system implementation included executive and clinician leadership, established funding models for specialist clinician reimbursement, and a commitment to optimizing clinician workflows. CONCLUSIONS: eCR systems have great potential to streamline access to and enhance the coordination of specialty care delivery. While different eCR models help solve different organizational challenges, all require institutional investments for successful implementation, such as funding for program management, leadership and clinician incentives. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-015-1233-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users