How can we augment the few that remain? Using stable population dynamics to aid reintroduction planning of an iteroparous species

Restoration of depleted populations is an important method in biological conservation. Reintroduction strategies frequently aim to restore stable, increasing, self-sustaining populations. Knowledge of asymptotic system dynamics may provide advantage in selecting reintroduction strategies. We introduce interactive software that is designed to identify strategies for release of females that are immediately aligned with stable population dynamics from species represented by 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-stage life history strategies. The software allows managers to input a matrix of interest, the desired number of breeding females, and the desired management timeline, and calls upon stable population theory to give release strategies that are in concert with both stable population status and the management goals. We demonstrate how the software can aid in assessing various strategies ahead of a hypothetical restoration. For the purpose of demonstration of the tool only, we use published vital rates of an ungulate species, but remark that the selection of species for demonstration is not central to the use of this tool. Adaption of this tool to real-life restorations of any 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-stage iteroparous species may aid in understanding how to minimize undesirable recovery complications that may naturally arise from transient population dynamics. The software is freely available at: https//cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/tools/stapopd

A Decision Tool to Identify Population Management Strategies for Common Ravens and Other Avian Predators

Some avian species have developed the capacity to leverage resource subsidies associated with human manipulated landscapes to increase population densities in habitats with naturally low carrying capacities. Elevated corvid densities and new territory establishment have led to an unsustainable increase in depredation pressure on sympatric native wildlife prey populations as well as in crop damage. Yet, subsidized predator removal programs aimed at reducing densities are likely most effective longer-term when conducted in tandem with subsidy control, habitat management, and robust assessment monitoring programs. We developed decision support software that leverages stage structured Lefkovitch population matrices to compare and identify treatment strategies that reduce subsidized avian predator densities most efficiently, in terms of limiting both cost and take levels. The StallPOPd (Version 4; available at https://doi.org/10.7298/sk2e-0c38.4) software enables managers to enter the area of their management stratum and the demographic properties (vital rates) of target bird population(s) of interest to evaluate strategies to decrease or curtail further population growth. Strategies explicitly include the reduction in fertility (i.e., eggs hatched) and/or the culling of hatchlings, non-breeders and/or breeders, but implicitly comprise reduction in survival or reproduction through subsidy denial. We illustrate the utilities of the software with examples using common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens) in the Mojave Desert of California, USA. Unfortunately, the survival and reproduction effects of each unit of a particular subsidy in that system have remained elusive, though this is the priority of current research. Because the software leverages a life history representation that is known to characterize hundreds of wildlife species in addition to ravens, the work expands the suite of tools available to wildlife managers and agricultural industry specialists to abate bird damage and impacts on sensitive wildlife in habitats with persistent human subsidies

The Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ): a validation study of a multidimensional self-report questionnaire to assess distress, depression, anxiety and somatization

BACKGROUND: The Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) is a self-report questionnaire that has been developed in primary care to distinguish non-specific general distress from depression, anxiety and somatization. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate its criterion and construct validity. METHODS: Data from 10 different primary care studies have been used. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing the 4DSQ scores with clinical diagnoses, the GPs' diagnosis of any psychosocial problem for Distress, standardised psychiatric diagnoses for Depression and Anxiety, and GPs' suspicion of somatization for Somatization. ROC analyses and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations. Construct validity was evaluated by investigating the inter-correlations between the scales, the factorial structure, the associations with other symptom questionnaires, and the associations with stress, personality and social functioning. The factorial structure of the 4DSQ was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The associations with other questionnaires were assessed with Pearson correlations and regression analyses. RESULTS: Regarding criterion validity, the Distress scale was associated with any psychosocial diagnosis (area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.79), the Depression scale was associated with major depression (AUC = 0.83), the Anxiety scale was associated with anxiety disorder (AUC = 0.66), and the Somatization scale was associated with the GPs' suspicion of somatization (AUC = 0.65). Regarding the construct validity, the 4DSQ scales appeared to have considerable inter-correlations (r = 0.35-0.71). However, 30–40% of the variance of each scale was unique for that scale. CFA confirmed the 4-factor structure with a comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.92. The 4DSQ scales correlated with most other questionnaires measuring corresponding constructs. However, the 4DSQ Distress scale appeared to correlate with some other depression scales more than the 4DSQ Depression scale. Measures of stress (i.e. life events, psychosocial problems, and work stress) were mainly associated with Distress, while Distress, in turn, was mainly associated with psychosocial dysfunctioning, including sick leave. CONCLUSION: The 4DSQ seems to be a valid self-report questionnaire to measure distress, depression, anxiety and somatization in primary care patients. The 4DSQ Distress scale appears to measure the most general, most common, expression of psychological problems

Achieving the "triple aim" for inborn errors of metabolism: a review of challenges to outcomes research and presentation of a new practice-based evidence framework

Across all areas of health care, decision makers are in pursuit of what Berwick and colleagues have called the “triple aim”: improving patient experiences with care, improving health outcomes, and managing health system impacts. This is challenging in a rare disease context, as exemplified by inborn errors of metabolism. There is a need for evaluative outcomes research to support effective and appropriate care for inborn errors of metabolism. We suggest that such research should consider interventions at both the level of the health system (e.g., early detection through newborn screening, programs to provide access to treatments) and the level of individual patient care (e.g., orphan drugs, medical foods). We have developed a practice- based evidence framework to guide outcomes research for inborn errors of metabolism. Focusing on outcomes across the triple aim, this framework integrates three priority themes: tailoring care in the context of clinical heterogeneity; a shift from “urgent care” to “opportunity for improvement”; and the need to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of emerging and established therapies. Guided by the framework, a new Canadian research network has been established to generate knowledge that will inform the design and delivery of health services for patients with inborn errors of metabolism and other rare diseases.This work was supported by a CIHR Emerging Team Grant (“Emerging team in rare diseases: acheiving the ‘triple aim’ for inborn errors of metabolism,” B.K. Potter, P. Chakraborty, and colleagues, 2012– 2017, grant no. TR3–119195). Current investigators and collaborators in the Canadian Inherited Metabolic Diseases Research Network are: B.K. Potter, P. Chakraborty, J. Kronick, D. Coyle, K. Wilson, M. Brownell, R. Casey, A. Chan, S. Dyack, L. Dodds, A. Feigenbaum, D. Fell, M. Geraghty, C. Greenberg, S. Grosse, A. Guttmann, A. Khan, J. Little, B. Maranda, J. MacKenzie, A. Mhanni, F. Miller, G. Mitchell, J. Mitchell, M. Nakhla, M. Potter, C. Prasad, K. Siriwardena, K.N. Speechley, S. Stocker, L. Turner, H. Vallance, and B.J. Wilson. Members of our external advisory board are D. Bidulka, T. Caulfield, J.T.R. Clarke, C. Doiron, K. El Emam, J. Evans, A. Kemper, W. McCormack, and A. Stephenson Julian. J. Little is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Human Genome Epidemiology. K. Wilson is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Public Health Policy

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Davenport living snow fence demonstration Fifteen-year survival and growth update

This Washington State University publication discusses the Davenport Living Snow Fence, a dryland Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) demonstration project planted in 2003, and provides data on tree growth and survival rates during its first 15 years. The primary purpose of this planting was to demonstrate implementation. A secondary purpose was to examine tree growth, row variability, and survival. This demonstration was not intended to measure snow catchment effectiveness, although this could be accomplished in subsequent years. Empirical observations for snow catchment, impact of reducing snow drifting onto the state highway during periods of adverse winter weather, and wildlife uses of the Davenport Living Snow Fence are included

NYClosedCounterPOPd V2 Web Interactive: Software to investigate the population scale impacts of lead in New York State from 1990-2018

This software is shared under a MIT License. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.The NYClosedCounterPOPdV2 software is an interactive application used to explore the differences in population dynamics in the presence and absence of lead (Pb) in bald eagles in New York State between 1990 and 2018 under conditions closed to dispersal. Comparisons include a factual Pb scenario (“Actual”), a counter factual scenario where Pb poisoning cases did not exist (“Pb-reduced”), and counter factual scenario where Pb exposure cases did not exist (“Pb-free”). All data was collected by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and these data collapse via an algorithm into several comparative population scale properties, including the life tables, annual abundances (January – December), bi-annual abundances (January – June and July – December), bi-annual hatchling abundances, bi-annual immature and non-breeder adult abundances, bi-annual breeder abundances, abundances during the breeding periods (January – June), abundances during the non-breeding periods (July – December), migration and dispersal values, lambda values, survival rates, stable stage distributions, reproductive values, elasticities, cumulative growth rates, stochastic growth rates, transient growth rates, reactivity, maximum amplifications, and maximum attenuations (Caswell 2001). The summarized data appears for immediate use in this packet. The raw data may be obtained by contacting the Wildlife Health Unit at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation [[email protected] or (518) 478-2203].This study was funded in part by the Morris Animal Foundation under Grant # D18ZO-103 and in part by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This software has not been reviewed nor endorsed by the Foundation nor the Department, and the views expressed in this software do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders, their officers, directors, affiliates, or agents

NYDensiPOPd Web Interactive Version 2: Software to investigate the population scale impacts of lead in New York State from 1990-2018

This software is shared under a MIT License. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.We assessed the population scale impacts of lead (Pb) toxicosis in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in New York State, USA from 1990-2018 under high- and low-density scenarios. The NYDensiPOPd V2 repeats the comparison of Pb and non-Pb in DensiPOPd (https://doi.org/10.7298/6yb8-5c25), but with a geographic area specific to New York State. The comparisons include the early (low-density; 1990-2006) and later (high-density; 2002-2018) windows of population recovery. The summarized time series data appear in this packet. The raw data may be obtained by contacting the Wildlife Health Unit at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation [[email protected] or (518) 478-2203].This study was funded in part by the Morris Animal Foundation under Grant # D18ZO-103 and in part by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This software has not been reviewed nor endorsed by the Foundation nor the Department, and the views expressed in this software do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders, their officers, directors, affiliates, or agents

NYClosedDensiPOPd Web Interactive Version 2: Software to investigate the population scale impacts of lead in New York State from 1990-2018

This software is shared under a MIT License. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.We assessed the population scale impacts of lead (Pb) toxicosis in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in New York State, USA from 1990-2018 under high- and low-density scenarios when populations are hypothetically closed to dispersals. The NYClosedDensiPOPd V2 repeats the comparison of Pb and non-Pb in ClosedDensiPOPd (https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/69542.2), but with a geographic area specific to New York State. The comparisons include the early (low-density; 1990-2006) and later (high-density; 2002-2018) windows of population recovery. The summarized time series data appear in this packet. The raw data may be obtained by contacting the Wildlife Health Unit at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation [[email protected] or (518) 478-2203].This study was funded in part by the Morris Animal Foundation under Grant # D18ZO-103 and in part by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This software has not been reviewed nor endorsed by the Foundation nor the Department, and the views expressed in this software do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders, their officers, directors, affiliates, or agents

NYPlastiPOPdV2 Web Interactive: Software to investigate the population scale impacts of lead in New York State from 1990-2018

This software is shared under a MIT License. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.We assessed the population scale impacts of lead (Pb) toxicosis in free-ranging bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in New York State, USA from 1990-2018. The NYPlastiPOPdV2 repeats the comparison in PlastiPOPd (https://doi.org/10.7298/7rxf-ee77) for a region specific to New York State. Statistical medians used for comparison arise from the NYCounterPOPdV2 software (https://doi.org/10.7298/rsse-e634.2), which are themselves generated using data collected between 1990 and 2018 by the Wildlife Health Unit of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.This study was funded in part by the Morris Animal Foundation under Grant # D18ZO-103 and in part by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This software has not been reviewed nor endorsed by the Foundation nor the Department, and the views expressed in this software do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders, their officers, directors, affiliates, or agents