Developing a Monitoring Framework to Estimate Wolf Distribution and Abundance in Southwest Alberta

Gray wolf (Canis lupus) populations are difficult to monitor because wolves can be elusive and occur in low densities.  Traditional radiotelemetry-based monitoring methods have limited application when turnover is high within the wolf population and resources to maintain long-term collaring programs are limited.  We worked collaboratively with Alberta Environmental Sustainable Resource Development between 2012 and 2014 to develop techniques for monitoring gray wolf populations in the absence of radiotelemetry in southwest Alberta.  We surveyed potential rendezvous sites and collected DNA samples from wolf scats for genetic analysis and surveyed hunters for wolf sightings made during the hunting seasons. We fit false-positive occupancy models to annual detection data derived from genetic results and hunter surveys with Program PRESENCE.  We found percent forest cover and human density positively influenced pack occupancy whereas detection probabilities varied by survey method, sampling effort, and sampling season.  The model predicted wolf pack occupancy well and distribution and abundance estimates were consistent with agency predictions.  While developing the monitoring framework, questions arose regarding pack turnover and population growth under widespread human harvest.  Previous studies have focused on population recovery following wolf control actions but little emphasis is put on populations that exist under regular harvest.  We will use genetic data to determine how immigration contributes to wolf population trends under a long-term harvest regime and tie this into pack occupancy through colonization and local extinction probabilities.  This will expand the application of our occupancy model and will further clarify how wolf populations respond to long-term regulated harvest

Wolf Pack Distribution in Relation to Heavy Harvest in Southwest Alberta

Gray wolf (Canis lupus) populations are difficult to monitor because wolves can be elusive and occur in low densities.  Harvest can further complicate wolf monitoring by affecting wolf behavior, altering pack structure, and potentially reducing probability of detection.  Currently, Montana and Idaho use patch occupancy models to monitor wolves at state-wide scales.  These models were originally developed prior to the initiation of wolf harvest and there is growing concern that current occupancy estimates are becoming less reliable as harvest continues.  Our objectives were to determine whether we could estimate wolf distribution for a heavily harvested wolf population and assess how harvest may be affecting that distribution.  We surveyed potential rendezvous sites and collected DNA samples from wolf scats for genetic analysis and surveyed hunters for wolf sightings in southwestern Alberta from 2012 to 2014. We used a Bayesian approach to fit dynamic occupancy models to the encounter histories while accounting for false-positive detections using JAGS and Program R.  We found both habitat and anthropogenic factors influenced wolf occupancy parameters in southwestern Alberta and detection probability varied by survey method.  Our preliminary results suggest wolf pack distribution is fairly consistent but that source-sink dynamics may be occurring in certain regions of the study area.  Despite heavy harvest pressure, southwestern Alberta appears to maintain a stable wolf population, although this is possibly due to immigration from nearby regions

Using Fludarabine to Reduce Exposure to Alkylating Agents in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Receiving Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide, and Antithymocyte Globulin Transplant Conditioning: Results of a Dose De-Escalation Trial

AbstractHigh-dose busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and antithymocyte globulin (BU-CY-ATG) is the most commonly used conditioning regimen in HLA-matched related hematopoietic cell transplantation for children with sickle cell disease. Disease-free survival with this regimen is now approximately 95%; however, it produces significant morbidity. We hypothesized we could create a less toxic regimen by adding fludarabine (FLU) to BU-CY-ATG and reduce the dosages of busulfan and cyclophosphamide. We conducted a multicenter dose de-escalation trial with the objective of decreasing the doses of busulfan and cyclophosphamide by 50% and 55%, respectively. Using day +28 donor-predominant chimerism as a surrogate endpoint for sustained engraftment, we completed the first 2 of 4 planned levels, enrolling 6 patients at each and reducing the total dose of cyclophosphamide from 200 mg/kg to 90 mg/kg. On the third level, which involved a reduction of i.v. busulfan from 12.8 mg/kg to 9.6 mg/kg, the first 2 patients had host-predominant T cell chimerism, which triggered trial-stopping rules. All 14 patients survive disease-free. No patients suffered severe regimen-related toxicity. Our results suggest BU-FLU-CY-ATG using lower dose CY could be a less toxic yet effective regimen. Further evaluation of this regimen in a full-scale clinical trial is warranted

Using the gut microbiota as a novel tool for examining colobine primate GI health

Primates of the Colobinae subfamily are highly folivorous. They possess a sacculated foregut and are believed to rely on a specialized gut microbiota to extract sufficient energy from their hard-to-digest diet. Although many colobines are endangered and would benefit from captive breeding programs, maintaining healthy captive populations of colobines can be difficult since they commonly suffer from morbidity and mortality due to gastrointestinal (GI) distress of unknown cause. While there is speculation that this GI distress may be associated with a dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, no study has directly examined the role of the gut microbiota in colobine GI health. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to examine the gut microbiota of three genera of colobines housed at the San Diego Zoo: doucs (Pygathrix) (N=7), colobus monkeys (Colobus) (N=4), and langurs (Trachypithecus) (N=5). Our data indicated that GI-healthy doucs, langurs, and colobus monkeys possess a distinct gut microbiota. In addition, GI-unhealthy doucs exhibited a different gut microbiota compared to GI-healthy individuals, including reduced relative abundances of anti-inflammatory Akkermansia. Finally, by comparing samples from wild and captive Asian colobines, we found that captive colobines generally exhibited higher relative abundances of potential pathogens such as Desulfovibrio and Methanobrevibacter compared to wild colobines, implying an increased risk of gut microbial dysbiosis. Together, these results suggest an association between the gut microbiota and GI illness of unknown cause in doucs. Further studies are necessary to corroborate these findings and determine cause-and-effect relationships. Additionally, we found minimal variation in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota along the colobine GI tract, suggesting that fecal samples may be sufficient for describing the colobine gut microbiota. If these findings can be validated in wild individuals, it will facilitate the rapid expansion of colobine gut microbiome research

A protocol for a randomised clinical trial of the effect of providing feedback on inhaler technique and adherence from an electronic device in patients with poorly controlled severe asthma.

INTRODUCTION: In clinical practice, it is difficult to distinguish between patients with refractory asthma from those with poorly controlled asthma, where symptoms persist due to poor adherence, inadequate inhaler technique or comorbid diseases. We designed an audio recording device which, when attached to an inhaler, objectively identifies the time and technique of inhaler use, thereby assessing both aspects of adherence. This study will test the hypothesis that feedback on these two aspects of adherence when passed on to patients improves adherence and helps clinicians distinguish refractory from difficult-to-control asthma. METHODS: This is a single, blind, prospective, randomised, clinical trial performed at 5 research centres. Patients with partially controlled or uncontrolled severe asthma who have also had at least one severe asthma exacerbation in the prior year are eligible to participate. The effect of two types of nurse-delivered education interventions to promote adherence and inhaler technique will be assessed. The active group will receive feedback on their inhaler technique and adherence from the new device over a 3-month period. The control group will also receive training in inhaler technique and strategies to promote adherence, but no feedback from the device. The primary outcome is the difference in actual adherence, a measure that incorporates time and technique of inhaler use between groups at the end of the third month. Secondary outcomes include the number of patients who remain refractory despite good adherence, and differences in the components of adherence after the intervention. Data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat and a per-protocol basis. The sample size is 220 subjects (110 in each group), and loss to follow-up is estimated at 10% which will allow results to show a 10% difference (0.8 power) in adherence between group means with a type I error probability of 0.05. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01529697; Pre-results

The Thermal Infrared Sensor on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), a joint NASA and USGS mission, is scheduled for launch in December, 2012. The LDCM instrument payload will consist of the Operational Land Imager (OLI), provided by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation (BATC} under contract to NASA and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This paper outlines the design of the TIRS instrument and gives an example of its application to monitoring water consumption by measuring evapotranspiration

Using Fludarabine to Reduce Exposure to Alkylating Agents in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Receiving Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide, and Antithymocyte Globulin Transplant Conditioning: Results of a Dose De-Escalation Trial

AbstractHigh-dose busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and antithymocyte globulin (BU-CY-ATG) is the most commonly used conditioning regimen in HLA-matched related hematopoietic cell transplantation for children with sickle cell disease. Disease-free survival with this regimen is now approximately 95%; however, it produces significant morbidity. We hypothesized we could create a less toxic regimen by adding fludarabine (FLU) to BU-CY-ATG and reduce the dosages of busulfan and cyclophosphamide. We conducted a multicenter dose de-escalation trial with the objective of decreasing the doses of busulfan and cyclophosphamide by 50% and 55%, respectively. Using day +28 donor-predominant chimerism as a surrogate endpoint for sustained engraftment, we completed the first 2 of 4 planned levels, enrolling 6 patients at each and reducing the total dose of cyclophosphamide from 200 mg/kg to 90 mg/kg. On the third level, which involved a reduction of i.v. busulfan from 12.8 mg/kg to 9.6 mg/kg, the first 2 patients had host-predominant T cell chimerism, which triggered trial-stopping rules. All 14 patients survive disease-free. No patients suffered severe regimen-related toxicity. Our results suggest BU-FLU-CY-ATG using lower dose CY could be a less toxic yet effective regimen. Further evaluation of this regimen in a full-scale clinical trial is warranted

Oxygen-isotope fractionation during the freezing of seawater

第2回極域科学シンポジウム　共通セッション「大気-海洋-雪氷-固体地球の相互作用」 11月15日（火） 統計数理研究所 3階リフレッシュフロ

The Characterization of Twenty Sequenced Human Genomes

We present the analysis of twenty human genomes to evaluate the prospects for identifying rare functional variants that contribute to a phenotype of interest. We sequenced at high coverage ten “case” genomes from individuals with severe hemophilia A and ten “control” genomes. We summarize the number of genetic variants emerging from a study of this magnitude, and provide a proof of concept for the identification of rare and highly-penetrant functional variants by confirming that the cause of hemophilia A is easily recognizable in this data set. We also show that the number of novel single nucleotide variants (SNVs) discovered per genome seems to stabilize at about 144,000 new variants per genome, after the first 15 individuals have been sequenced. Finally, we find that, on average, each genome carries 165 homozygous protein-truncating or stop loss variants in genes representing a diverse set of pathways

Reading and Ownership

First paragraph: ‘It is as easy to make sweeping statements about reading tastes as to indict a nation, and as pointless.’ This jocular remark by a librarian made in the Times in 1952 sums up the dangers and difficulties of writing the history of reading. As a field of study in the humanities it is still in its infancy and encompasses a range of different methodologies and theoretical approaches. Historians of reading are not solely interested in what people read, but also turn their attention to the why, where and how of the reading experience. Reading can be solitary, silent, secret, surreptitious; it can be oral, educative, enforced, or assertive of a collective identity. For what purposes are individuals reading? How do they actually use books and other textual material? What are the physical environments and spaces of reading? What social, educational, technological, commercial, legal, or ideological contexts underpin reading practices? Finding answers to these questions is compounded by the difficulty of locating and interpreting evidence. As Mary Hammond points out, ‘most reading acts in history remain unrecorded, unmarked or forgotten’. Available sources are wide but inchoate: diaries, letters and autobiographies; personal and oral testimonies; marginalia; and records of societies and reading groups all lend themselves more to the case-study approach than the historical survey. Statistics offer analysable data but have the effect of producing identikits rather than actual human beings. The twenty-first century affords further possibilities, and challenges, with its traces of digital reader activity, but the map is ever-changing