Evaluating Elk Summer Resource Selection and Applications to Summer Range Habitat Management

In much of the west, National Forest lands are managed in part to provide and protect elk (Cervus elaphus) habitat needs, and summer elk habitat is managed with consideration to motorized routes. We evaluated the relative importance of nutritional resources, access routes and other landscape attributes on elk summer resource selection at multiple spatial scales.  Resource selection models for 9 different western Montana elk populations, as well are regional models using data from all 9 herds, were compared to determine the applicability of resource selection models for informing habitat management recommendations. We found thatin all populations nutritional resources, best represented using NDVI metrics, were the most important factors associated with elk summer resource selection. Access route disturbances, best represented by the density of all routes (i.e., routes open and closed to motorized use), affected resource selection in all populations, however, the influence of access routes was relatively small as compared to nutritional resources. Regional models of resource selection predicted resource selection across populations better than population-specific models, thus we recommend these types of models be used to inform regional habitat management. Our results suggest that managers should expand the current management paradigm for elk summer habitat to also consider nutritional resources as an important component of elk summer habitat. Time-integrated NDVI, an easily accessible and free data source, may be useful as an assessment tool to identify areas of optimal elk nutrition

Atopic dermatitis, cutaneous steroids and cataracts in children: two case reports

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, pruritic, eczematous skin disease mediated through an immediate (type I) hypersensitivity reaction. Posterior sub-capsular cataracts are a recognised complication of atopic dermatitis in adults; however they are rare in children. The management of atopic dermatitis is based on the exclusion of allergens, the use of emollients, and on topical corticosteroids for disease exacerbations. Cataracts may be due to atopic dermatitis but may also occur secondary to the use of corticosteroids.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe two children with atopic dermatitis, treated with cutaneous corticosteroids, both of whom were diagnosed with bilateral posterior sub-capsular cataracts.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These cases demonstrate that atopic dermatitis and topical corticosteroids may be associated with cataracts in children as well as adults. The cause of cataracts in atopic dermatitis is not known, however, it has been suggested that habitual tapping and rubbing of the face may play a role. Care needs to be taken when prescribing corticosteroids. Inadequate treatment of atopic dermatitis may lead to other ocular complications such as keratitis and permanent visual loss.</p

Pregnancy Rates, Metabolites and Metabolic Hormones in Bighorn Sheep During and After the Breeding Season

Wildlife managers routinely draw blood and harvest serum when bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and other ungulates are captured for management and research purposes.  Serum samples are routinely submitted to state livestock labs that perform a panel of assays to access exposure to a variety of important pathogens that cause disease, providing managers important insights.  Wildlife managers would also benefit from similar procedures that could provide assessments of reproduction, nutrition, and physiological status.  The objectives of this preliminary study were to evaluate pregnancy rates, energy-related metabolites and hormones among herds of Montana and Wyoming bighorn sheep during and after the breeding season in order to assess the general ‘health’ of herds. Metabolites and metabolic hormones are frequently used in domestic animals to evaluate nutrition, reproduction and energy balance, and potentially may provide the same insights in wildlife for managers. A total of 240 bighorn ewes were sampled from 13 herds between December 2014 and March 2015.  Samples were assayed for progesterone (P4) and pregnancy specific protein B (PSPBs) to assess reproductive cycling and pregnancy. Assays were also performed for non-esterified fatty acid, insulin, triiodothyronine and thyroxine which are metabolites and metabolic hormones that indicate nutritional and energy states of animals. We will be presenting the results of this preliminary study and discussing the relationship between pregnancy rates, energy-related metabolites and hormones and how they might be used to inform wildlife management

Developing Physiological Profiles using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Inform Bighorn Sheep Management

This study employs new techniques using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to assess the relative health, physiological condition, and reproductive function of wild bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)  in Montana and Wyoming. Ongoing bighorn studies in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are focused on herd attributes and the population dynamics which are affected by disease, climate, habitat and physiology. Indices of herd health and physiological status are typically obtained through expensive and time consuming lab assays and field measurements. Recently, NMR spectroscopy has been used to revolutionize the assessment of human metabolic health, and we expect that there is similar potential for studies of wildlife populations. Using NMR spectroscopy to assess metabolites associated with disease, nutrition and stress may eliminate the need for many traditional assays and techniques used today. NMR can be used to evaluate a large suite of metabolites associated with a variety of physiological functions from as little as 500 ?L of serum or plasma. Blood samples from 242 sheep from 13 different herds were collected during the winters of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to develop a comprehensive metabolite panel for bighorn sheep. We have used a recently developed statistical program known as MetaboAnalyst™ to begin to analyze and evaluate differences in NMR metabolic profiles among herds and across the fall-winter season when nutritional and physiological stress is expected to be acute. We will be presenting the results of this preliminary study and discussing the potential for application in wildlife management

An Ontological Approach to Inform HMI Designs for Minimizing Driver Distractions with ADAS

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are in-vehicle systems designed to enhance driving safety and efficiency as well as comfort for drivers in the driving process. Recent studies have noticed that when Human Machine Interface (HMI) is not designed properly, an ADAS can cause distraction which would affect its usage and even lead to safety issues. Current understanding of these issues is limited to the context-dependent nature of such systems. This paper reports the development of a holistic conceptualisation of how drivers interact with ADAS and how such interaction could lead to potential distraction. This is done taking an ontological approach to contextualise the potential distraction, driving tasks and user interactions centred on the use of ADAS. Example scenarios are also given to demonstrate how the developed ontology can be used to deduce rules for identifying distraction from ADAS and informing future designs

Combined immunosuppression and radiotherapy in thyroid eye disease (CIRTED): a multicentre, 2 x 2 factorial, double-blind, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for thyroid eye disease is with systemic corticosteroids. We aimed to establish whether orbital radiotherapy or antiproliferative immunosuppression would confer any additional benefit. METHODS: CIRTED was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design done at six centres in the UK. Adults with active moderate-to-severe thyroid eye disease associated with proptosis or ocular motility restriction were recruited to the trial. Patients all received a 24 week course of oral prednisolone (80 mg per day, reduced to 20 mg per day by 6 weeks, 10 mg per day by 15 weeks, and 5 mg per day by 21 weeks) and were randomly assigned via remote computerised randomisation to receive either radiotherapy or sham radiotherapy and azathioprine or placebo in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Randomisation included minimisation to reduce baseline disparities in potential confounding variables between trial interventions. Patients and data analysts were masked to assignment, whereas trial coordinators (who monitored blood results), pharmacists, and radiographers were not. The radiotherapy dose was 20 Gy administered to the retrobulbar orbit in ten to 12 fractions over 2 to 3 weeks. Azathioprine treatment was provided for 48 weeks at 100–200 mg per day (dispensed as 50 mg tablets), depending on bodyweight (100 mg for <50 kg, 150 mg 50–79 kg, 200 mg for ≥80 kg). The primary outcomes were a binary composite clinical outcome score and an ophthalmopathy index at 48 weeks, and a clinical activity score at 12 weeks. The primary analysis was based on the intention-to-treat allocation and safety was assessed in all participants. This study is registered with ISRCTN, number 22471573. FINDINGS: Between Feb 15, 2006, and Oct 3, 2013, 126 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to groups: 31 patients to radiotherapy plus azathioprine, 31 to sham radiotherapy and azathioprine, 32 to radiotherapy and placebo, and 32 to sham radiotherapy and placebo. Outcome data were available for 103 patients (54 for sham radiotherapy vs 49 for radiotherapy and 53 for placebo vs 50 for azathioprine), of whom 84 completed their allocated treatment of radiotherapy or sham radiotherapy and 57 continued to take azathioprine or placebo up to 48 weeks. There was no interaction betweeen azathioprine and radiotherapy (pinteraction=0·86). The adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) for improvement in the binary clinical composite outcome measure was 2·56 (95% CI 0·98–6·66, p=0·054) for azathioprine and 0·89 (0·36–2·23, p=0·80) for radiotherapy. In a post-hoc analysis of patients who completed their allocated therapy the ORadj for improvement was 6·83 (1·66–28·1, p=0·008) for azathioprine and 1·32 (0·30–4·84, p=0·67) for radiotherapy. The ophthalmopathy index, clinical activity score, and numbers of adverse events (161 with azathioprine and 156 with radiotherapy) did not differ between treatment groups. In both groups, the most common adverse events were mild infections. No patients died during the study. INTERPRETATION: In patients receiving oral prednisolone for 24 weeks, radiotherapy did not have added benefit. We also did not find added benefit for addition of azathioprine in the primary analysis; however, our conclusions are limited by the high number of patients who withdrew from treatment. Results of post-hoc analysis of those who completed the assigned treatment suggest improved clinical outcome at 48 weeks with azathioprine treatment

Modeling broad‐scale patterns of elk summer resource selection in Montana using regional and population‐specific models

Abstract Understanding animal distribution is important for management of populations and their habitats. Across the western United States, elk (Cervus canadensis) provide important ecological, cultural, and economic benefits and the sound management of their habitats is of vital importance. In western Montana, National Forest lands are managed in part to provide and protect elk habitat needs, and summer elk habitat is managed with consideration to motorized routes. We evaluated the relative importance of nutritional resources, access routes, and other landscape attributes on elk summer resource selection at multiple spatial scales, and compared resource selection among nine different southwestern Montana elk populations to determine the applicability of generalized regional models for informing habitat management recommendations. First, we developed nine population‐specific and two regional summer resource selection models. Second, we evaluated the predictive performance of each model within and among elk populations using cross‐validation scores to identify the best model. We found that in all populations nutritional resources, best represented using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) metrics, were the most important factors associated with elk summer resource selection. Access routes affected resource selection in all populations; however, the influence of access routes was relatively modest as compared with nutritional resources. Of the access route covariates we considered, density of all routes (i.e., routes open and closed to motorized use) explained most variation in summer elk resource selection. Validation of population‐specific resource selection models among populations revealed that in many cases model predictions extrapolated to areas outside of the development area had modest to poor predictive performance, especially as distance from the modeled population increased. Thus, caution should be used when extrapolating resource selection models based on a single study population to other populations. Regional models of resource selection predicted resource selection across populations better than population‐specific models, particularly when constructed by pooling data from multiple populations, and we recommend these types of models be used to inform regional habitat management policies. Our results suggest that managers should expand any current management paradigm for elk summer habitat that is focused on limiting access route density to also consider nutritional resources as an important component of elk summer habitat