Flock size and structure influence reproductive success in four species of flamingo in 540 captive populations worldwide

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: Anonymized data files for each species, and associated metadata, are available from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7504076. In line with the FAIR data principles, the data are made available under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).As global wildlife populations continue to decline, the health and sustainability of ex situ populations in zoos and aquariums have become increasingly important. However, the majority of managed ex situ populations are not meeting sustainability criteria and are not viable in the long term. Historically, ex situ flamingo (Phoenicopteriformes) populations have shown low rates of reproductive success and improvements are needed for long-term viability. Both flock size and environmental suitability have previously been shown to be important determinants of ex situ flamingo reproductive success in a limited number of sites in some species. Here we combined current and historic globally shared zoological records for four of the six extant species of flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor, Phoenicopterus chilensis, Phoenicopterus roseus, and Phoenicopterus ruber) to analyze how flock size, structure, and climatic variables have influenced reproductive success in ex situ flamingo populations at 540 zoological institutions from 1990 to 2019. Flock size had a strong nonlinear relationship with reproductive success for all species, with flock sizes of 41–100 birds necessary to achieve ca. 50% probability of reproduction. Additionally, an even sex ratio and the introduction of new individuals to a flock both increased ex situ reproductive success in some cases, while climatic variables played a limited role. We demonstrate the conservation management potential from globally shared zoological data and provide species-specific management recommendations to increase the reproductive success of global ex situ flamingo populations: minimum flock sizes should be increased, and we encourage greater collaboration between individual institutions and regional associations in exchanging birds between flocks.Irish Research CouncilInternational Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biolog

In-vivo kinetics of inhaled 5-Aminolevulinic acid-Induced Protoporphyrin IX fluorescence in bronchial tissue

BACKGROUND: In the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer photosensitizer-enhanced fluorescence bronchoscopy with inhaled 5-aminolevolinic acid (5-ALA) increases sensitivity when compared to white-light bronchoscopy. This investigation was to evaluate the in vivo tissue pharmacokinetics of inhaled 5-ALA within the bronchial mucosa in order to define the time optimum for its application prior to bronchoscopy. METHODS: Patients with known or suspected bronchial carcinoma were randomized to receive 200 mg 5-ALA via inhalation 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 hours before flexible fluorescence bronchoscopy was performed. Macroscopically suspicious areas as well as areas with visually detected porphyrin fluorescence and normal control sites were measured spectroscopically. Biopsies for histopathology were obtained from suspicious areas as well as from adjacent normal areas. RESULTS: Fluorescence bronchoscopy performed in 19 patients reveals a sensitivity for malignant and premalignant changes (moderate dysplasia) which is almost twice as high as that of white-light bronchoscopy, whereas specificity is reduced. This is due to false-positive inflammatory lesions which also frequently show increased porphyrin fluorescence. Malignant and premalignant alterations produced fluorescence values that are up to 5 times higher than those of normal tissue. According to the pharmacokinetics of porphyrin fluorescence measured by spectroscopy, the optimum time range for 5-ALA application is 80–270 min prior to fluorescence bronchoscopy, with an optimum at 160 min. CONCLUSION: According to our results we propose inhalation of 5-ALA 160 min prior to fluorescence bronchoscopy, suggesting that this time difference provides the best tumor/normal tissue fluorescence ratio

Microstructural Evolution in Thin Films of Electronic Materials

Contains reports on eight research projects and a list of publications.National Science FoundationU.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific ResearchJoint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-89-C-0001IBM CorporationHitachi CorporationSemiconductor Research CorporationNational Institutes of Healt

Temperature differences are associated with malignancy on lung lesions: a clinical study

BACKGROUND: Although new endoscopic techniques can enhance the ability to detect a suspicious lung lesion, the primary diagnosis still depends on subjective visual assessment. We evaluated whether thermal heterogeneity of solid tumors, in bronchial epithelium, constitutes an additional marker for the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions. METHODS: A new method, developed in our institute, is introduced in order to detect temperature in human pulmonary epithelium, in vivo. This method is based on a thermography catheter, which passes the biopsy channel of the fiber optic bronchoscope. We calculated the temperature differences (ΔT) between the lesion and a normal bronchial epithelium area on 22 lesions of 20 subjects, 50 – 65 years old. RESULTS: Eleven lesions were benign and 11 were malignant, according to the biopsy histology followed the thermography procedure. We found significant differences of ÄT between patients with benign and malignant tumor (0.71 ± 0.6 vs. 1.23 ± 0.4°C, p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that 1-Celsius degree differences between normal tissue and suspicious lesion six-fold the probability of malignancy (odds ratio = 6.18, 95% CI 0.89 – 42.7). Also, ΔT values greater than 1.05°C, constitutes a crucial point for the discrimination of malignancy, in bronchial epithelium, with sensitivity (64%) and specificity (91%). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the calculated ΔT between normal tissue and a neoplastic area could be a useful criterion for the diagnosis of malignancy in tumors of lung lesions

Microstructural Evolution in Thin Films of Electronic Materials

Contains reports on ten research projects.Joint Services Electronics Program Contract DAAL03-89-C-0001National Science FoundationU.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research Contract AFOSR 85-0154Semiconductor Research CorporationAT&TInternational Business Machines CorporationNational Institutes of Healt

Type I Gaucher disease with exophthalmos and pulmonary arteriovenous malformation

BACKGROUND: Gaucher disease type I, the non-neuropathic type, usually presents in adulthood with hepatosplenomegaly. We report here an adult with type I Gaucher disease presented with unusual and severe clinical manifestations. CASE PRESENTATION: Hepatosplenomegaly, bone crisis and fractures occurred at early childhood, and splenectomy was performed at the age of 5. Exophthalmos with increase in retrobulbar space was noted when the patient was 30. Cerezyme infusion started at the age of 32; but unfortunately, pulmonary arteriovenous malformation with dyspnea and hypoxemia was found two years later. Gene analysis revealed V375L/L444P mutations in the β-glucocerebrosidase gene. CONCLUSION: Although both eye and lung diseases have been associated with Gaucher disease, this is the first reported demonstration of exophthalmos and pulmonary arteriovenous malformation in the same patient. This case may therefore present an extremely severe and unusual form of type I Gaucher disease

Incidental detection of an occult oral malignancy with autofluorescence imaging: a case report

BACKGROUND: Autofluorescence imaging is used widely for diagnostic evaluation of various epithelial malignancies. Cancerous lesions display loss of autofluorescence due to malignant changes in epithelium and subepithelial stroma. Carcinoma of unknown primary site presents with lymph node or distant metastasis, for which the site of primary tumour is not detectable. We describe here the use of autofluorescence imaging for detecting a clinically innocuous appearing occult malignancy of the palate which upon pathological examination was consistent with a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. CASE DESCRIPTION: A submucosal nodule was noted on the right posterior hard palate of a 59-year-old white female during clinical examination. Examination of this lesion using a multispectral oral cancer screening device revealed loss of autofluorescence at 405 nm illumination. An excisional biopsy of this nodule, confirmed the presence of a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Four years ago, this patient was diagnosed with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the right mid-jugular lymph node of unknown primary. She was treated with external beam irradiation and remained disease free until current presentation. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the important role played by autofluorescence tissue imaging in diagnosing a metastatic palatal tumour that appeared clinically innocuous and otherwise would not have been biopsied

Normal kidney size and its influencing factors - a 64-slice MDCT study of 1.040 asymptomatic patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Normal ultrasound values for pole-to-pole kidney length (LPP) are well established for children, but very little is known about normal kidney size and its influencing factors in adults. The objectives of this study were thus to establish normal CT values for kidney dimensions from a group of unselected patients, identify potential influencing factors, and to estimate their significance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In multiphase thin-slice MDCTs of 2.068 kidneys in 1.040 adults, the kidney length pole to pole (LPP), parenchymal (PW) and cortical width (CW), position and rotation status of the kidneys, number of renal arteries, pyelon width and possible influencing factors that can be visualized, were recorded from a volume data set. For length measurements, axes were adjusted individually in double oblique planes using a 3D-software. Analyses of distribution, T-tests, ANOVA, correlation and multivariate regression analyses were performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>LPP was 108.5 ± 12.2 mm for the right, and 111.3 ± 12.6 mm for the left kidney (p < 0.0001 each). PW on the right side was 15.4 ± 2.8 mm, slightly less than 15.9 ± 2.7 mm on the left side (p < 0.0001), the CW was the same (6.6 ± 1.9 mm). The most significant independent predictors for LPP, CW, and PW were body size, BMI, age, and gender (p < 0.001 each). In men, the LPP increases up to the fifth decade of life (p < 0.01). It is also influenced by the position of the kidneys, stenoses and number of renal arteries (SRA/NRA), infarctions suffered, parapelvic cysts, and absence of the contralateral kidney; CW is influenced by age, position, parapelvic cysts, NRA and SRA, and the PW is influenced in addition by rotation status (p < 0.05 each). Depending on the most important factors, gender-specific normal values were indicated for these dimensions, the length and width in cross section, width of the renal pelvis, and parenchyma-renal pyelon ratio.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Due to the complex influences on kidney size, assessment should be made individually. The most important influencing factors are BMI, height, gender, age, position of the kidneys, stenoses and number of renal arteries.</p

Medically Biodegradable Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Microspheres

[EN] Hydrogenated amorphous silicon colloids of low surface area (<5 m(2)/g) are shown to exhibit complete in-vitro biodegradation into orthosilicic acid within 10-15 days at 37 degrees C. When converted into polycrystalline silicon colloids, by high temperature annealing in an inert atmosphere, microparticle solubility is dramatically reduced. The data suggests that amorphous silicon does not require nanoscale porosification for full in-vivo biodegradability. This has significant implications for using a-Si:H coatings for medical implants in general, and orthopedic implants in particular. The high sphericity and biodegradability of submicron particles may also confer advantages with regards to contrast agents for medical imaging.This work has been partially supported by the Spanish CICyT projects, FIS2009-07812, Consolider CSD2007-046, MAT2009-010350 and PROMETEO/2010/043.Shabir, Q.; Pokale, A.; Loni, A.; Johnson, DR.; Canham, L.; Fenollosa Esteve, R.; Tymczenko, MK.... (2011). Medically Biodegradable Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Microspheres. Silicon. 3(4):173-176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-011-9097-4S17317634Salonen J, Kaukonen AM, Hirvonen J, Lehto VP (2008) J Pharmaceutics 97:632–53Anglin EJ, Cheng L, Freeman WR, Sailor MJ (2008) Adv Drug Deliv Rev 60:1266–77O’Farrell N, Houlton A, Horrocks BR (2006) Int J Nanomedicine 1:451–72Canham LT (1995) Adv Mater 7:1037, PCT patent WO 97/06101,1999Park JH, Gui L, Malzahn G, Ruoslahti E, Bhatia SN, Sailor MJ (2009) Nature Mater 8:331–6Cullis AG, Canham LT, Calcott PDJ (1997) J Appl Phys 82:909–66Canham LT, Reeves CR (1996) Mat Res Soc Symp 414:189–90Edell DJ, Toi VV, McNeil VM, Clark LD (1992) IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 39:635–43Fenollosa R, Meseguer F, Tymczenko M (2008) Adv Mater 20:95Fenollosa R, Meseguer F, Tymczenko M, Spanish Patent P200701681, 2007Pell LE, Schricker AD, Mikulec FV, Korgel BA (2004) Langmuir 20:6546Xifré-Perez E, Fenollosa R, Meseguer F (2011) Opt Express 19:3455–63Fenollosa R, Ramiro-Manzano F, Tymczenko M, Meseguer F (2010) J Mater Chem 20:5210Xifré-Pérez E, Domenech JD, Fenollosa R, Muñoz P, Capmany J, Meseguer F (2011) Opt Express 19–4:3185–92Rodriguez I, Fenollosa R, Meseguer F, Cosmetics & Toiletries 2010;42–49Ramiro-Manzano F, Fenollosa R, Xifré-Pérez E, Garín M, Meseguer F (2011) Adv Mater 23:3022–3025. doi: 10.1002/adma.201100986Iler RK (1979) Chemistry of silica: solubility, polymerization, colloid & surface properties & biochemistry. Wiley, New YorkTanaka K, Maruyama E, Shimado T, Okamoto H (1999) Amorphous silicon. Wiley, New York, NYPatterson AL (1939) Phys Rev 56:978–82Canham LT, Reeves CL, King DO, Branfield PJ, Gabb JG, Ward MC (1996) Adv Mater 8:850–2Iler RK In: Chemistry of silica: solubility, polymerization, colloid & surface properties &Biochemistry. Wiley, New York, NYFinnie KS, Waller DJ, Perret FL, Krause-Heuer AM, Lin HQ, Hanna JV, Barbe CJ (2009) J Sol-Gel Technol 49:12–8Zhao D, Huo Q, Feng J, Chmelka BF, Stucky GD (1998) J Am Chem Soc 120:6024–36Fan D, Akkaraju GR, Couch EF, Canham LT, Coffer JL (2010) Nanoscale 1:354–61Tasciotti E, Godin B, Martinez JO, Chiappini C, Bhavane R, Liu X, Ferrari M (2011) Mol Imaging 10:56–

Physicians' use of the 5As in counseling obese patients: is the quality of counseling associated with patients' motivation and intention to lose weight?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Physicians are encouraged to counsel obese patients to lose weight, but studies measuring the quality of physicians' counseling are rare. We sought to describe the quality of physicians' obesity counseling and to determine associations between the quality of counseling and obese patients' motivation and intentions to lose weight, key predictors of behavior change.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted post-visit surveys with obese patients to assess physician's use of 5As counseling techniques and the overall patient-centeredness of the physician.. Patients also reported on their motivation to lose weight and their intentions to eat healthier and exercise. One-way ANOVAs were used to describe mean differences in number of counseling practices across levels of self-rated intention and motivation. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between number of 5As counseling practices used and patient intention and motivation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>137 patients of 23 physicians were included in the analysis. While 85% of the patients were counseled about obesity, physicians used only a mean of 5.3 (SD = 4.6) of 18 possible 5As counseling practices. Patients with higher levels of motivation and intentions reported receiving more 5As counseling techniques than those with lower levels. Each additional counseling practice was associated with higher odds of being motivated to lose weight (OR 1.31, CI 1.11-1.55), intending to eat better (OR 1.23, CI 1.06-1.44), and intending to exercise regularly (OR 1.14, CI 1.00-1.31). Patient centeredness of the physician was also positively associated with intentions to eat better (OR 2.96, CI 1.03-8.47) and exercise (OR 26.07, CI 3.70-83.93).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Quality of physician counseling (as measured using the 5As counseling framework and patient-centeredness scales) was associated with motivation to lose weight and intentions to change behavior. Future studies should determine whether higher quality obesity counseling leads to improved behavioral and weight outcomes.</p