The lack of males due to illegal trapping is causing polygyny in the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata

We present breeding data from the southernmost populations of the globally “Endangered” Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata in Argentina, confirming the presence of current breeding populations in the region. We monitored a family group in a nesting territory composed of one male and three females throughout the breeding season 2017–2018. We found a low nest success and productivity, probably associated with the lower contribution of the male, since it was attending three reproductive females simultaneously. We attribute this uncommon case of polygyny to the lack of males in the area caused by the high intensity of male trapping for illegal trade.Fil: Segura, Luciano Noel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Ornitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Perelló, Milton. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides; ArgentinaFil: Gress, Néstor H.. No especifíca;Fil: Ontiveros, Rafael. No especifíca

Co-ordination and management of chronic conditions in Europe:the role of primary care.

Healthcare systems in Europe struggle with inadequate co-ordination of care for people with chronic conditions. Moreover, there is a considerable evidence gap in the treatment of chronic conditions, lack of self-management, variation in quality of care, lack of preventive care, increasing costs for chronic care, and inefficient use of resources. In order to overcome these problems, several approaches to improve the management and co-ordination of chronic conditions have been developed in European healthcare systems. These approaches endeavour to improve self-management support for patients, develop clinical information systems and change the organisation of health care. Changes in the delivery system design and the development of decision support systems are less common. Almost as a rule, the link between healthcare services and community resources and policies is missing. Most importantly, the integration between the six components of the chronic care model remains an important challenge for the future. We find that the position of primary care in healthcare systems is an important factor for the development and implementation of new approaches to manage and coordinate chronic conditions. Our analysis supports the notion that countries with a strong primary care system tend to develop more comprehensive models to manage and co-ordinate chronic conditions

"Last-Mile" preparation for a potential disaster

Extreme natural events, like e.g. tsunamis or earthquakes, regularly lead to catastrophes with dramatic consequences. In recent years natural disasters caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, destruction of infrastructure, disruption of economic activity and loss of billions of dollars worth of property and thus revealed considerable deficits hindering their effective management: Needs for stakeholders, decision-makers as well as for persons concerned include systematic risk identification and evaluation, a way to assess countermeasures, awareness raising and decision support systems to be employed before, during and after crisis situations. The overall goal of this study focuses on interdisciplinary integration of various scientific disciplines to contribute to a tsunami early warning information system. In comparison to most studies our focus is on high-end geometric and thematic analysis to meet the requirements of small-scale, heterogeneous and complex coastal urban systems. Data, methods and results from engineering, remote sensing and social sciences are interlinked and provide comprehensive information for disaster risk assessment, management and reduction. In detail, we combine inundation modeling, urban morphology analysis, population assessment, socio-economic analysis of the population and evacuation modeling. The interdisciplinary results eventually lead to recommendations for mitigation strategies in the fields of spatial planning or coping capacity

Cardiomyopathy Secondary to Thyroid and Parathyroid Dysfunction: Case Report and Literature Review

Heart failure due to metabolic derangements is not common in clinical practice. However, outcome is usually positive given that the precipitating factor is recognized and treatment is initiated in a timely fashion. We report an unusual case of reduced left ventricular systolic function as a result of hypocalcemia and long standing untreated primary hypothyroidism in a patient without structural heart disease. Delay in seeking appropriate medical attention for both disorders has culminated in cardiac dysfunction that was favorably altered with correction of underlying etiologies. Therefore, early recognition and expedient management of hypocalcemia and hypothyroidism can result in an imminent improvement of cardiac function

Managing China's energy sector: between the market and the state

As China has now become the largest energy consumer in the world, its energy sector has understandably huge domestic and global implications. In this Special Issue, which is an interdisciplinary one, comprising a set of eight in-depth empirical studies by leading international experts in the field, we set out to examine the management of the transformation of China's conventional and renewable energy sectors, with special attention to state–business relations and their link to the market

The lack of males due to illegal trapping is causing polygyny in the globally endangered Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata

We present breeding data from the southernmost populations of the globally “Endangered” Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata in Argentina, confirming the presence of current breeding populations in the region. We monitored a family group in a nesting territory composed of one male and three females throughout the breeding season 2017–2018. We found a low nest success and productivity, probably associated with the lower contribution of the male, since it was attending three reproductive females simultaneously. We attribute this uncommon case of polygyny to the lack of males in the area caused by the high intensity of male trapping for illegal trade.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

AAPM medical physics practice guideline 10.a.: Scope of practice for clinical medical physics.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education, and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States. The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for the purpose of revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner. Each medical physics practice guideline (MPPG) represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiation requires specific training, skills, and techniques as described in each document. As the review of the previous version of AAPM Professional Policy (PP)-17 (Scope of Practice) progressed, the writing group focused on one of the main goals: to have this document accepted by regulatory and accrediting bodies. After much discussion, it was decided that this goal would be better served through a MPPG. To further advance this goal, the text was updated to reflect the rationale and processes by which the activities in the scope of practice were identified and categorized. Lastly, the AAPM Professional Council believes that this document has benefitted from public comment which is part of the MPPG process but not the AAPM Professional Policy approval process. The following terms are used in the AAPM's MPPGs: Must and Must Not: Used to indicate that adherence to the recommendation is considered necessary to conform to this practice guideline. Should and Should Not: Used to indicate a prudent practice to which exceptions may occasionally be made in appropriate circumstances