Disturbance and Recovery of Salt Marsh Arthropod Communities following BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Oil spills represent a major environmental threat to coastal wetlands, which provide a variety of critical ecosystem services to humanity. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico is a hub of oil and gas exploration activities that historically have impacted intertidal habitats such as salt marsh. Following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we sampled the terrestrial arthropod community and marine invertebrates found in stands of Spartina alterniflora, the most abundant plant in coastal salt marshes. Sampling occurred in 2010 as oil was washing ashore and a year later in 2011. In 2010, intertidal crabs and terrestrial arthropods (insects and spiders) were suppressed by oil exposure even in seemingly unaffected stands of plants; however, Littoraria snails were unaffected. One year later, crab and arthropods had largely recovered. Our work is the first attempt that we know of assessing vulnerability of the salt marsh arthropod community to oil exposure, and it suggests that arthropods are both quite vulnerable to oil exposure and quite resilient, able to recover from exposure within a year if host plants remain healthy

Habitat Persistence Underlies Intraspecific Variation in the Dispersal Strategies of Planthoppers

Dispersal is considered a vital life history characteristic for insects exploiting temporary habitats, and life history theorists have often hypothesized an inverse relationship between dispersal capability and habitat persistence. Most often, this hypothesis has been tested using interspecific comparisons of dispersal capability and qualitative estimates of habitat persistence. Consequently, most assessments have failed to control for possible phylogenetic nonindependence and they also lack quantitative rigor. We capitalized on existing intraspecific variation on the dispersal capability of Prokelisia planthoppers to examine the relationship between habitat persistence and dispersal, thereby minimizing possible phylogenetic effects. Two congeneric species (Prokelisia marginata and P. dolus) occur in the intertidal marshes of North America, where they feed exclusively on cordgrasses (Spartina). Because these planthoppers exhibit wing dimorphism, flight-capable adults (macropters with fully developed wings). Thus, dispersal capability can be readily estimated by the percentage of macropters in a population. At a regional spatial scale, we found a highly significant negative relationship between dispersal capability (present macroptery) and habitat persistence. In this system, habitat persistence is influenced by a combination of marsh elevation, winter severity, and tidal range, which interact to determine the ability of planthoppers to endure through winter in their primary habitat for development. P. marginata develops primarily in low-marsh habitats during summer, habitats that can be subjected to pronounced winter disturbance due to ice scouring and/or extensive tidal inundation. Levels of winter disturbance of the low marsh are extreme along the Atlantic coast, intermediate along the Pacific, and low along the Gulf. Both the failure of P. marginata populations to remain through winter in the habitat, and the dispersal ability of these populations (92%, 29%, and 17% macroptery, respectively), are correlated with levels of disturbance. Thus, in regions where winter disturbance is high, levels of dispersal are correspondingly high to allow for recolonization of extirpated habitats from overwintering sites on the high marsh. Unlike P. marginata, P. dolus develops primarily in high-marsh habitats, which are much less disturbed on all coasts during winter. Consequently, this species remains year-round in its primary habitat for development, and most populations exhibit relatively low levels of macroptery (\u3c10%). When raised under common garden conditions, many more macropters of both species were produced from Atlantic compared to Gulf populations. Thus the proportion of macropters produced from the populations used in this experiment paralleled the incidence of macroptery measured in the field, providing evidence that the geographic variation in dispersal capability in both species has in part a genetic basis. The results of this study provide strong intraspecific evidence for an inverse relationship between the dispersal capability of insects and the persistence of their habitats

The Reimposition of Capital Punishment in New Jersey: The Role of Prosecutorial Discretion

After Furman v. Georgia held that state statutes that allow for the imposition of the death penalty in an arbitrary and capricious manner violate the Constitution, the states were forced to rewrite their capital punishment statutes. New Jersey adopted a new statute in 1982. Despite the attempt of the New Jersey legislature to comply with the mandate of Furman, application of the statute has resulted in clear and significant discrepancies in the treatment of potentially capital defendants based on the race of the victim, the county of jurisdiction, and the race of the defendant. This article details a large study of all homicide defendants (other than those charged with vehicular manslaughter) where the death occurred after the effective date of the New Jersey statute. To determine whether the imposition of death was unconstitutionally arbitrary, the study examined both legal and extralegal factors that might predict whether the defendant would be sentenced to death. Unlike many previous studies reviewed by the article, which only compared defendants charged with crimes punishable by death, this study looked at the entire pool of potential homicide defendants. By separating case processing into discrete stages, the study shows the enormous role that prosecutorial discretion plays in determining whether a defendant receives a death sentence. While the facts of the case would have allowed the prosecutor to seek the death penalty in 404 cases, only 94 of those cases were brought to capital trial. This system of selecting defendants for capital prosecution has constitutional implications

Plasma proteomic signatures of enteric permeability among hospitalized and community children in Kenya and Pakistan

We aimed to establish if enteric permeability was associated with similar biological processes in children recovering from hospitalization and relatively healthy children in the community. Extreme gradient boosted models predicting the lactulose-rhamnose ratio (LRR), a biomarker of enteric permeability, using 7,500 plasma proteins and 34 fecal biomarkers of enteric infection among 89 hospitalized and 60 community children aged 2–23 months were built. The R2 values were calculated in test sets. The models performed better among community children (R2: 0.27 [min-max: 0.19, 0.53]) than hospitalized children (R2: 0.07 [min-max: 0.03, 0.11]). In the community, LRR was associated with biomarkers of humoral antimicrobial and cellular lipopolysaccharide responses and inversely associated with anti-inflammatory and innate immunological responses. Among hospitalized children, the selected biomarkers had few shared functions. This suggests enteric permeability among community children was associated with a host response to pathogens, but this association was not observed among hospitalized children

Plasma proteomic signatures associated with enteric permeability among hospitalized and community children under two years of age in Kenya and Pakistan

We aimed to establish if enteric permeability was associated with similar biological processes in children recovering from hospitalization and relatively healthy children in the community. Extreme gradient boosted models predicting the lactulose-rhamnose ratio (LRR), a biomarker of enteric permeability, using 7,500 plasma proteins and 34 fecal biomarkers of enteric infection among 89 hospitalized and 60 community children aged 2–23 months were built. The R2 values were calculated in test sets. The models performed better among community children (R2 : 0.27 [min-max: 0.19, 0.53]) than hospitalized children (R2 : 0.07 [min-max: 0.03, 0.11]). In the community, LRR was associated with biomarkers of humoral antimicrobial and cellular lipopolysaccharide responses and inversely associated with anti-inflammatory and innate immunological responses. Among hospitalized children, the selected biomarkers had few shared functions. This suggests enteric permeability among community children was associated with a host response to pathogens, but this association was not observed among hospitalized children

Enteric permeability, systemic inflammation, and post-discharge growth among a cohort of hospitalized children in Kenya and Pakistan

Objectives: To determine whether gut permeability is associated with post-discharge growth and systemic inflammation among hospitalized children in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Children aged 2–23 months being discharged from Civil Hospital Karachi (Pakistan) and Migori County Referral Hospital (Kenya) underwent lactulose-rhamnose ratio (LRR) permeability testing and were compared to age-matched children from their home communities. Linear mixed effect models estimated the associations between LRR among discharged children with change in length-for-age (LAZ) and weight-for-age z score (WAZ) at 45, 90, and 180 days after discharge. Linear regression tested if relationships between LRR, systemic inflammation [C-reative protein (CRP), Cluster of Differentiation 14 (CD14), Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα), Interleukin-6 (IL-6)], and enterocyte damage [Intestinal Fatty-Acid Binding protein (I-FABP)] differed between the hospitalized and community groups. Results: One hundred thirty-seven hospitalized and 84 community participants were included. The hospitalized group had higher log-LRR [0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15–0.71, P = 0.003] than the community children. Adjustment for weight-for-length z score at discharge attenuated this association (0.31, 95% CI: 0.00–0.62, P = 0.049). LRR was not associated with changes in WAZ or LAZ in the post-discharge period. Associations between LRR and CRP (interaction P = 0.036), TNFα (P = 0.017), CD14 (P = 0.078), and IL-6 (P = 0.243) differed between community and hospitalized groups. LRR was associated with TNFα (P = 0.004) and approached significance with CD14 (P = 0.078) and IL-6 (P = 0.062) in community children, but there was no evidence of these associations among hospitalized children. Conclusions: Although increased enteric permeability is more prevalent among children being discharged from hospital compared to children in the community, it does not appear to be an important determinant of systemic inflammation or post-discharge growth among hospitalized children

Minimally invasive postmortem intestinal tissue sampling in malnourished and acutely ill children is feasible and informative

BACKGROUND: Intestinal disorders such as environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and important contributors to childhood undernutrition and mortality. Autopsies are rarely performed in LMICs but minimally invasive tissue sampling is increasingly deployed as a more feasible and acceptable procedure, although protocols have been devoid of intestinal sampling to date. We sought to determine (1) the feasibility of postmortem intestinal sampling, (2) whether autolysis precludes enteric biopsies\u27 utility, and (3) histopathologic features among children who died during hospitalization with acute illness or undernutrition. METHODS: Transabdominal needle and endoscopic forceps upper and lower intestinal sampling were conducted among children aged 1 week to 59 months who died while hospitalized in Blantyre, Malawi. Autolysis ratings were determined for each hematoxylin and eosin slide, and upper and lower intestinal scoring systems were adapted to assess histopathologic features and their severity. RESULTS: Endoscopic and transabdominal sampling procedures were attempted in 28 and 14 cases, respectively, with \u3e90% success obtaining targeted tissue. Varying degrees of autolysis were present in all samples and precluded histopathologic scoring of 6% of 122 biopsies. Greater autolysis in duodenal samples was seen with longer postmortem interval (Beta = 0.06, 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.11). Histopathologic features identified included duodenal Paneth and goblet cell depletion. Acute inflammation was absent but chronic inflammation was prevalent in both upper and lower enteric samples. Severe chronic rectal inflammation was identified in children as young as 5.5 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive postmortem intestinal sampling is feasible and identifies histopathology that can inform mortality contributors

Minimally invasive postmortem intestinal tissue sampling in malnourished and acutely ill children is feasible and informative

BACKGROUND: Intestinal disorders such as environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and important contributors to childhood undernutrition and mortality. Autopsies are rarely performed in LMICs but minimally invasive tissue sampling is increasingly deployed as a more feasible and acceptable procedure, although protocols have been devoid of intestinal sampling to date. We sought to determine (1) the feasibility of postmortem intestinal sampling, (2) whether autolysis precludes enteric biopsies\u27 utility, and (3) histopathologic features among children who died during hospitalization with acute illness or undernutrition. METHODS: Transabdominal needle and endoscopic forceps upper and lower intestinal sampling were conducted among children aged 1 week to 59 months who died while hospitalized in Blantyre, Malawi. Autolysis ratings were determined for each hematoxylin and eosin slide, and upper and lower intestinal scoring systems were adapted to assess histopathologic features and their severity. RESULTS: Endoscopic and transabdominal sampling procedures were attempted in 28 and 14 cases, respectively, with \u3e90% success obtaining targeted tissue. Varying degrees of autolysis were present in all samples and precluded histopathologic scoring of 6% of 122 biopsies. Greater autolysis in duodenal samples was seen with longer postmortem interval (Beta = 0.06, 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.11). Histopathologic features identified included duodenal Paneth and goblet cell depletion. Acute inflammation was absent but chronic inflammation was prevalent in both upper and lower enteric samples. Severe chronic rectal inflammation was identified in children as young as 5.5 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive postmortem intestinal sampling is feasible and identifies histopathology that can inform mortality contributors

Policy challenges for the pediatric rheumatology workforce: Part III. the international situation

Survival dominates current pediatric global health priorities. Diseases of poverty largely contribute to overall mortality in children under 5 years of age. Infectious diseases and injuries account for 75% of cause-specific mortality among children ages 5-14 years. Twenty percent of the world's population lives in extreme poverty (income below US $1.25/day). Within this population, essential services and basic needs are not met, including clean water, sanitation, adequate nutrition, shelter, access to health care, medicines and education. In this context, musculoskeletal disease comprises 0.1% of all-cause mortality in children ages 5-14 years. Worldwide morbidity from musculoskeletal disease remains generally unknown in the pediatric age group. This epidemiologic data is not routinely surveyed by international agencies, including the World Health Organization. The prevalence of pediatric rheumatic diseases based on data from developed nations is in the range of 2,500 - 3,000 cases per million children. Developing countries' needs for musculoskeletal morbidity are undergoing an epidemiologic shift to chronic conditions, as leading causes of pediatric mortality are slowly quelled

iPrevent

Curso de Especial InterésLa siguiente propuesta, contiene la información necesaria para poder asesorar y brindar una mejor atención a los procesos que son inherentes a la sexualidad del ser humano. El diseño de la creación de una aplicación llamada iPrevent, usada en aparatos tecnológicos como los móviles con sistema Android y Apple. Esta aplicación está encaminada a presentar y a exponer los distintos métodos anticonceptivos que se encuentran en el mercado, así mismo brindar un marco de conocimiento de cada uno, para facilitar la toma de decisiones de los adolescentes; de esta manera teniendo una correlación con la salud pública y mitigar los embarazos no deseados y posibles interrupciones voluntarias del embarazo (IVE) y uso de Métodos Anticonceptivos de emergencia en esta población.101 p.1. Resumen 2. Justificación 3. Marco teórico 4. Objetivos 5. Metodología 6. Estudio de mercadeo 7. Resultados 8. Discusión 9. Conclusiones y recomendaciones 10. Referencias 11. ApéndicesPregradoPsicólog