Tools for Assessing Climate Impacts on Fish and Wildlife

Climate change is already affecting many fish and wildlife populations. Managing these populations requires an understanding of the nature, magnitude, and distribution of current and future climate impacts. Scientists and managers have at their disposal a wide array of models for projecting climate impacts that can be used to build such an understanding. Here, we provide a broad overview of the types of models available for forecasting the effects of climate change on key processes that affect fish and wildlife habitat (hydrology, fire, and vegetation), as well as on individual species distributions and populations. We present a framework for how climate-impacts modeling can be used to address management concerns, providing examples of model-based assessments of climate impacts on salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest, fire regimes in the boreal region of Canada, prairies and savannas in the Willamette Valley-Puget Sound Trough-Georgia Basin ecoregion, and marten Martes americana populations in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. We also highlight some key limitations of these models and discuss how such limitations should be managed. We conclude with a general discussion of how these models can be integrated into fish and wildlife management

Systematic review of exercise therapy in the management of post-thrombotic syndrome

Objectives Exercise improves haemodynamic parameters in patients with chronic venous disease. There is a paucity of evidence on its effect in post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The aim of this systematic review is to assess the impact of exercise in PTS. Methods Adhering to PRISMA guidelines and following PROSPERO registration (CRD42021220924), MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE database, and trial registries were searched on 19th May 2022. Results One article met the inclusion criteria and a narrative synthesis was carried out. The included randomised controlled trial reported a between-group mean difference of 4.6 points (p = .027) in the VEINES-QOL score and −2.0 points (p = .14) in the Villalta score, in favour of exercise therapy. The statistical significance threshold was not reached. Conclusion Data on exercise in PTS remains sparse but exercise appears to be a safe intervention. In the context of this literature, a potential future trial and outcome reporting measures are suggested

Systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise therapy for venous leg ulcer healing and recurrence

Objective: National guidelines in the United Kingdom have recommended regular exercise for individuals with venous leg ulceration. However, data on the effects of exercise on ulcer healing and recurrence are sparse. In the present study, we aimed to quantify the evidence for exercise regarding venous ulcer healing with respect to the primary outcomes of the proportion of healed ulcers and rate of ulcer recurrence. The secondary outcomes were improvement in ulcer symptoms, ulcer healing time, quality of life, compliance, and adverse events reported. Methods: The review followed PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines using a registered protocol (CRD42021220925). The MEDLINE and Embase databases and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, European Union Clinical Trials, and International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registries were searched up to April 6, 2022 and included studies comparing exercise therapy and compression vs compression alone. Data for the proportion of healed ulcers were pooled using a fixed effects meta-analysis. Results: After screening 1046 reports, 7 were included, with 121 participants allocated to exercise therapy and 125 to compression alone. All the reports were of randomized controlled trials and had reported ulcer healing at 12 weeks, with a pooled relative risk of ulcer healing of 1.38 for exercise vs compression (95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.71). Only one study had reported on recurrence; thus, data pooling was not performed. No differences between exercise and usual care were demonstrated. Compliance with exercise ranged from 33% to 81%. The included studies demonstrated low enrollment and a high risk of bias. Also, most of the trials had failed to demonstrate any differences in activity completed between the intervention and control arms. Conclusions: A paucity of studies has examined leg ulcer recurrence after exercise programs, with no evidence to show that exercise is beneficial. Furthermore, the quality of evidence supporting exercise as an adjunct to ulcer healing is very low, and the trials demonstrated serious methodologic flaws, chiefly in recording the activity undertaken by the participants in the intervention arm. Future randomized controlled trials should implement activity monitoring and standardize the reporting of key patient, ulcer, and reflux characteristics to enable future meaningful meta-analyses to determine the role of exercise as an adjunct to venous leg ulceration healing

Large ferro–pyro–phototronic effect in 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 thin films integrated on silicon for photodetection

Coupling together the ferroelectric, pyroelectric, and photovoltaic characteristics within a single material is a novel way to improve the performance of photodetectors. In this work, we take advantage of the triple multifunctionality shown by 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT), as demonstrated in an Al/Si/SiOx/BCZT/ITO thin-film device. The Si/SiOx acts as an n-type layer to form a metal–ferroelectric–insulator–semiconductor heterostructure with the BCZT, and with Al and ITO as electrodes. The photo-response of the device, with excitation from a violet laser (405 nm wavelength), is carefully investigated, and it is shown that the photodetector performance is invariant with the chopper frequency owing to the pyro-phototronic effect, which corresponds to the coupling together of the pyroelectric and photovoltaic responses. However, the photodetector performance was significantly better than that of the devices operating based only on the pyro-phototronic effect by a factor of 4, due to the presence of ferroelectricity in the system. Thus, after a poling voltage of −15 V, for a laser power density of 230 mW/cm2 and at a chopper frequency of 400 Hz, optimized responsivity, detectivity, and sensitivity values of 13.1 mA/W, 1.7 × 1010 Jones, and 26.9, respectively, are achieved. Furthermore, ultrafast rise and fall times of 2.4 and 1.5 µs, respectively, are obtained, which are 35,000 and 36,000 times faster rise and fall responses, respectively, than previous reports of devices with the ferro–pyro–phototronic effect. This is understood based on the much faster ferroelectric switching in ferroelectric thin films owing to the predominant 180° domains in a single direction out of plane.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding Contracts UIDB/04650/2020. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 958174 (M-ERA-NET3/0003/2021—NanOx4EStor). The authors would also like to thank engineer José Santos for technical support at the Thin Film Laboratory. J. L. M.-D. and R. L. Z. H. are grateful for EPSRC CAM-IES grant EP/P007767/. R. L. Z. H. also acknowledges support from the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Research Fellowships scheme (No.: RF\201718\1701). J. L. M.-D. acknowledges support from the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies scheme (No.: CIET1819_24) and the ERC grant EROS, EU-H2020-ERC-ADG # 882929

Post-thrombotic Syndrome: Preventative and Risk Reduction Strategies Following Deep Vein Thrombosis

Venous disease is common in the general population, with chronic venous disorders affecting 50–85% of the western population and consuming 2–3% of healthcare funding. It, therefore, represents a significant socioeconomic, physical and psychological burden. Acute deep vein thrombosis, although a well-recognised cause of death through pulmonary embolism, can more commonly lead to post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). This article summarises the pathophysiology and risk factor profile of PTS, and highlights various strategies that may reduce the risk of PTS, and the endovenous management of iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis. The authors summarise the advances in PTS risk reduction strategies and present the latest evidence for discussion

Exercise capacity and cardiac hemodynamic response in female ApoE/LDLR^{-/-} mice : a paradox of preserved V'O_{2max} and exercise capacity despite coronary atherosclerosis

We assessed exercise performance, coronary blood flow and cardiac reserve of female ApoE/LDLR-/- mice with advanced atherosclerosis compared with age-matched, wild-type C57BL6/J mice. Exercise capacity was assessed as whole body maximal oxygen consumption (V'O2max), maximum running velocity (vmax) and maximum distance (DISTmax) during treadmill exercise. Cardiac systolic and diastolic function in basal conditions and in response to dobutamine (mimicking exercise-induced cardiac stress) were assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in vivo. Function of coronary circulation was assessed in isolated perfused hearts. In female ApoE/LDLR-/- mice V'O2max, vmax and DISTmax were not impaired as compared with C57BL6/J mice. Cardiac function at rest and systolic and diastolic cardiac reserve were also preserved in female ApoE/LDLR-/- mice as evidenced by preserved fractional area change and similar fall in systolic and end diastolic area after dobutamine. Moreover, endothelium-dependent responses of coronary circulation induced by bradykinin (Bk) and acetylcholine (ACh) were preserved, while endothelium-independent responses induced by NO-donors were augmented in female ApoE/LDLR-/- mice. Basal COX-2-dependent production of 6-keto-PGF1α was increased. Concluding, we suggest that robust compensatory mechanisms in coronary circulation involving PGI2- and NO-pathways may efficiently counterbalance coronary atherosclerosis-induced impairment in V'O2max and exercise capacity

Cohort Profile : The transition from childhood to adolescence in European children-how I.Family extends the IDEFICS cohort

Non peer reviewe