Estimating reproductive costs in marine mammal bioenergetic models : a review of current knowledge and data availability

This review was funded by the Office of Naval Research (N000142012392), with support from the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC 19-173).Reproductive costs represent a significant proportion of a mammalian female's energy budget. Estimates of reproductive costs are needed for understanding how alterations to energy budgets, such as those from environmental variation or human activities, impact maternal body condition, vital rates and population dynamics. Such questions are increasingly important for marine mammals, as many populations are faced with rapidly changing and increasingly disturbed environments. Here we review the different energetic costs that marine mammals incur during gestation and lactation and how those costs are typically estimated in bioenergetic models. We compiled data availability on key model parameters for each species across all six marine mammal taxonomic groups (mysticetes, odontocetes, pinnipeds, sirenians, mustelids and ursids). Pinnipeds were the best-represented group regarding data availability, including estimates of milk intake, milk composition, lactation duration, birth mass, body composition at birth and growth. There were still considerable data gaps, particularly for polar species, and good data were only available across all parameters in 45\poor, with some species having little or no data for any parameters, particularly beaked whales. Even for species with moderate data coverage, many parameter estimates were tentative or based on indirect approaches, necessitating reevaluation of these estimates. We discuss mechanisms and factors that affect maternal energy investment or prey requirements during reproduction, such as prey supplementation by offspring, metabolic compensation, environmental conditions and maternal characteristics. Filling the existing data gaps highlighted in this review, particularly for parameters that are influential on bioenergetic model outputs, will help refine reproductive costs estimated from bioenergetic models and better address how and when energy imbalances are likely to affect marine mammal populations.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The Mythology of Game Theory

Non-cooperative game theory is at its heart a theory of cognition, specifically a theory of how decisions are made. Game theory\u27s leverage is that we can design different payoffs, settings, player arrays, action possibilities, and information structures, and that these differences lead to different strategies, outcomes, and equilibria. It is well-known that, in experimental settings, people do not adopt the predicted strategies, outcomes, and equilibria. The standard response to this mismatch of prediction and observation is to add various psychological axioms to the game-theoretic framework. Regardless of the differing specific proposals and results, game theory uniformly makes certain cognitive assumptions that seem rarely to be acknowledged, much less interrogated. Indeed, it is not widely understood that game theory is essentially a cognitive theory. Here, we interrogate those cognitive assumptions. We do more than reject specific predictions from specific games. More broadly, we reject the underlying cognitive model implicitly assumed by game theory

Pre-vaccination prevalence of anogenital and oral human papillomavirus in young HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

The aims of this study were to: 1) determine prevalence of anogenital and oral HPV, 2) determine concordance between HPV at anal, perianal, scrotal/penile, and oral sites; and 3) describe factors associated with anogenital HPV types targeted by the 9-valent vaccine. Data were collected from 2012 to 2015 among men who have sex with men 18-26 years of age enrolled in a vaccine trial (N = 145). Penile/scrotal, perianal, anal, and oral samples were tested for 61 HPV types. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with types in the 9-valent vaccine. Participants' mean age was 23.0 years, 55.2% were African-American, and 26.2% were Hispanic; 93% had anal, 40% penile, and 6% oral HPV. Among those with anogenital infection, 18% had HPV16. Concordance was low between anogenital and oral sites. Factors independently associated with a 9-valent vaccine-type HPV were: race (African-American vs. White, OR=2.67, 95% CI=1.11-6.42), current smoking (yes vs. no, OR=2.37, 95% CI=1.03-5.48), and number of recent receptive anal sex partners (2+ vs. 0, OR=3.47, 95% CI=1.16-10.4). Most MSM were not infected with HPV16 or HPV18, suggesting that they may still benefit from HPV vaccination, but anogenital HPV was very common, highlighting the importance of vaccinating men before sexual initiation. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT01209325

Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Post Patellar Dislocation (PRePPeD)-protocol for an external pilot randomised controlled trial and qualitative study comparing supervised versus self-managed rehabilitation for people after acute patellar dislocation

Background Patellar dislocations mainly affect adolescents and young adults. After this injury, patients are usually referred to physiotherapy for exercise-based rehabilitation. Currently, limited high-quality evidence exists to guide rehabilitation practice and treatment outcomes vary. A full-scale trial comparing different rehabilitation approaches would provide high-quality evidence to inform rehabilitation practice. Whether this full-scale trial is feasible is uncertain: the only previous trial that compared exercise-based programmes in this patient population had high loss to follow-up. This study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a future full-scale trial comparing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of two different rehabilitation approaches for people with an acute patellar dislocation. Methods Two-arm parallel external pilot randomised controlled trial and qualitative study. We aim to recruit at least 50 participants aged ≥ 14 years with an acute first-time or recurrent patellar dislocation from at least three English National Health Service hospitals. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to supervised rehabilitation (four to six, one-to-one, physiotherapy sessions of advice and prescription of tailored progressive home exercise over a maximum of 6 months) or self-managed rehabilitation (one physiotherapy session of self-management advice, exercise, and provision of self-management materials). Pilot objectives are (1) willingness to be randomised, (2) recruitment rate, (3) retention, (4) intervention adherence, and (5) intervention and follow-up method acceptability to participants assessed through one-to-one semi-structured interviews (maximum 20 participants). Follow-up data will be collected 3, 6, and 9 months after randomisation. Quantitative pilot and clinical outcomes will be numerically summarised, with 95% confidence intervals generated for the pilot outcomes using Wilson’s and exact Poisson methods as appropriate. Discussion This study will assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale trial comparing supervised versus self-managed rehabilitation for people after acute first-time or recurrent patellar dislocation. This full-scale trial’s results would provide high-quality evidence to guide rehabilitation provision for patients with this injury. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN14235231. Registered on 09 August 2022

Assessment of innovative solutions for non-load bearing masonry enclosures

This paper presents some of the results of the research project “Masonry Enclosures” developed in the framework of the transnational access (TA) to LNEC’s triaxial shake table within the FP7 project SERIES.In order to ensure that in-plane and out-of-plane damage of masonry infill walls due to seismic actions complies with the performance levels’ requirements, Eurocode 8 imposes the use of reinforced solutions. Nevertheless, it does not provide any design rules or methodologies for such reinforced masonry enclosures. An experimental programme was thus defined for assessing the response of innovative solutions for non-load bearing masonry enclosures using LNEC’s triaxial shake table. Two reinforcement solutions were tested on single leaf clay brick infill walls: (i) horizontal reinforcement in the bedding planes of the masonry units and (ii) reinforced mortar coating. Furthermore, a testing device for masonry infill panels was specifically conceived for this project. A detailed description of the methods used is given and the experimental results are partially presented and interpreted on the basis of the structural response and its evolution with damage.(undefined

Gestão da água e das águas residuais para uma viticultura e enologia sustentáveis no sul de Portugal - Revisão

Assessing sustainability of the wine industry requires improved characterization of its environmental impacts, namely in terms of water use. Therefore, quantification of water inputs and wastewater (WW) outputs is needed to highlight inefficiencies in wine production and related consequences for the environment. Water use and WW generation in irrigated viticulture and oenology remains insufficiently quantified for dry Mediterranean regions (e.g. South Portugal). This paper is focused on wine production under warm and dry climate conditions in the winegrowing region of Alentejo (South Portugal). This region experiences increasingly dry conditions, while the irrigated area keeps expanding, which puts exacerbates the pressure on existing local and regional water resources. Additionally, more erratic variation in climate conditions and the tendency for increasingly extreme climate events (e.g. heat waves) pose more challenges to Alentejo’s wine sector. We conclude that quantitative information on water use and management is not always easy to obtain or access, which hinders improved strategies and/or policies for water use at farm, winery and region-level. Up-to-date statistics and robust metrics can help to better characterize water use and WW flows for Alentejo’s wine region, while optimizing management in vineyards and wineries, in companies and region-wide. The paper is focused on a “Farm-Winery" scenario, which is the most common in South Portugal's wine sectorA avaliação da sustentabilidade da indústria vitivinícola requer uma caracterização detalhada do seu impacto ambiental, nomeadamente ao nível do factor água. A quantificação detalhada dos consumos de água e das águas residuais produzidas (WW) é crucial para identificação de ineficiências na indústria da vinha e do vinho. A utilização da água e a gestão dos efluentes em viticultura regada e na adega permanecem pouco quantificados nas regiões mediterrânicas. O presente trabalho centra-se na produção de vinho em condições de clima quente e seco, tomando como exemplo a região vitivinícola do Alentejo (Sul de Portugal). A região está sujeita a situações de seca mais frequentes e severas, enquanto a área regada continua em expansão, o que pressiona os recursos hídricos locais e regionais. Além disso, as condições climáticas altamente variáveis e a maior tendência para eventos climáticos extremos (e.g. ondas de calor) colocam desafios ao setor vitivinícola no Sul de Portugal. Concluímos que a informação quantitativa relativa ao uso e gestão de água não está sempre facilmente disponível, limitando a otimização de estratégias e/ou políticas para o uso da água ao nível da vinha, da adega e da região. Dados atualizados e indicadores robustos podem ajudar a caracterizar melhor o uso de água e a geração de água residual na região vitivinícola do Alentejo, otimizando a gestão na vinha e na adega, ao nível da empresa e da região. O artigo centra-se num cenário de produtor-engarrafador (“Farm-Winery”), que é o mais comum no setor vitivinícola no Sul de Portugalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A estrutura da auto-avaliação da saúde entre idosos: projeto Bambuí

OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with self-rated health among older adults, considering five dimensions: sociodemographic variables, social support, lifestyle risk factors, health status, and access to/use of healthcare services. METHODS: Of the 1,742 older adults (>;60 years) living in the town of Bambuí (southeastern Brazil), 1,516 (87.0%) participated in the study. Information was obtained by means of standardized interviews and physical and laboratory exams. RESULTS: Self-rated health as good/very good, reasonable, and poor/very poor was reported by 24.7%, 49.2%, and 26.1% of subjects, respectively. The following characteristics showed independent positive associations with worse self-rated health: social ties (dissatisfaction with social network, attendance to clubs and associations), health status (symptoms of depression/anxiety in the last two weeks, sleeplessness in the last 30 days, greater number of prescribed medications used in the last 30 days), and access to/use of healthcare services (complaints when seeking medical care, greater number of medical appointments in the last 12 months, greater number of hospital admissions in the last 12 months). An independent negative association was found with monthly family income (;4 minimum wages). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that self-rated health among older adults is multidimensional in structure, being influenced by socioeconomic conditions, social support, health status (with emphasis on mental health), and access to/use of healthcare services. This structure resembles the definition of health adopted by the World Health Organization (an individual's "physical, mental and social well-being").OBJETIVO: Determinar os fatores associados à auto-avaliação da saúde entre idosos, considerando-se cinco dimensões: sociodemográfica, suporte social, hábitos de vida relacionados à saúde, condições de saúde e acesso e uso de serviços de saúde. MÉTODOS: Dos 1.742 idosos (>;60 anos) residentes na cidade de Bambuí (Minas Gerais), 1.516 (87,0%) participaram do estudo. As informações foram obtidas por meio de entrevistas, exames físicos e laboratoriais. RESULTADOS: A auto-avaliação da saúde como boa/muito boa, razoável e ruim/muito ruim foi relatada, respectivamente, por 24,7%, 49,2% e 26,1% dos participantes. As seguintes características apresentaram associações independentes e positivas com pior percepção da saúde: suporte social (insatisfação com os relacionamentos pessoais e menor freqüência a clubes ou associações), condições de saúde (sintomas depressivos/ansiosos nas últimas duas semanas, queixa de insônia nos últimos 30 dias, maior número de medicamentos prescritos usados nos últimos 30 dias) e acesso/uso de serviços de saúde (queixas quando necessita de serviços médicos, maior número de consultas médicas nos últimos 12 meses e maior número de internações hospitalares no período). Associação negativa e independente foi encontrada para renda domiciliar mensal (;4 salários-mínimos). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados mostraram uma estrutura multidimensional da auto-avaliação da saúde em idosos, compreendendo a situação socioeconômica, suporte social, condições de saúde (destacando-se a saúde mental) e acesso e uso de serviços de saúde

The Bambuí Cohort Study of Aging: methodology and health profile of participants at baseline

The cohort study was initiated in 1997 to investigate the incidence and predictors of health outcomes in an elderly population with low socio-economic level. The eligible population consisted of all 1,742 residents in Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, aged 60 years and over (1,606 participated). During 10 years of follow-up, 641 participants died and 96 were lost, leading to 13,739 person-years of observation. The baseline health profile of participants revealed a double burden of diseases with high prevalence of chronic non-transmissible diseases and widespread Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The most common health condition was hypertension (61.5%), followed by chronic knee or hand symptoms (43.6%), common mental disorders (38.5%), T. cruzi infection (38.1%), and insomnia (36.7%). In general, the baseline prevalence of mental symptoms and cardiovascular diseases or risk factors was comparable to those found in populations in high income countries.O estudo de coorte foi iniciado em 1997 para examinar a incidência e os determinantes de eventos em saúde em uma população idosa com baixo nível socioeconômico. Todos os 1.742 residentes na cidade de Bambuí, Minas Gerais, Brasil, com idade > 60 anos foram elegíveis para o estudo (1.606 participaram). Durante dez anos de seguimento, 641 participantes faleceram e 96 foram perdidos, resultando em 13.739 pessoas-anos de observação. O perfil de saúde dos participantes revelou carga dupla de doenças com alta prevalência de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e da infecção pelo Trypanosoma cruzi. A condição de saúde mais frequente foi hipertensão (61,5%), seguida por dores articulares crônicas (43,6%), sintomas mentais comuns (38,5%), infecção pelo T. cruzi (38,1%) e insônia (36,7%). Em geral, as prevalências de sintomas mentais e de doenças cardiovasculares ou fatores de risco para as mesmas foram comparáveis às observadas entre idosos em países de alta renda

Low Carbon Transition through Renewables Sources – An Overview ofthe Renewable Energy Program in the State of Minas Gerais

The Renewable Energy Program of Minas Gerais is one of the initiatives which aims at the intensification in the use of renewable sources in the state. The present paper applies a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of such instrument to expand the number of renewable energy projects and its contribution to achieve the goals of the energy sector of the Brazilian Nationally Determined Contributions, that is, to increase the use of renewable energy by 45% until 2030. It has been observed that the expansion of the renewable energy sources at regional level has advanced by incentive policies with clearly defined goals and guidelines. However, the analyzed program does not attend to all the requirements and it is possible to conclude that the main state public policy of renewable energy expansion did not accomplish its objectives suggesting that a balanced mix of public policies must be implemented in order to promote an effective energy transition