The Effects Of Perceived Predation Risk On The Avian Brain

Predators do not affect prey solely through direct killing. The fear (i.e. the prospect of imminent, violent death) of predators shapes prey ecology– the mere presence of a predator leaves lasting effects. Current models of fear are based on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in humans. The scientific community has identified brain regions involved in mammalian fear processing. The neurobiological effects of predator fear on wild animals are unknown. I exposed wild black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) to auditory playbacks simulating acute and chronic predation risk and quantified the expression of short- and long-term immediate-early genes in brain regions implicated in the avian fear network: the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA), hippocampus (Hp), and caudal nidopallium (NC). The TnA and Hp showed short- and long-term changes in response to predation risk. NC results were ambiguous. I provide new information to be incorporated into the biomedical model of fear and the field of predator-prey ecology

Predator-induced fear causes PTSD-like changes in the brains and behaviour of wild animals

© 2019, The Author(s). Predator-induced fear is both, one of the most common stressors employed in animal model studies of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a major focus of research in ecology. There has been a growing discourse between these disciplines but no direct empirical linkage. We endeavoured to provide this empirical linkage by conducting experiments drawing upon the strengths of both disciplines. Exposure to a natural cue of predator danger (predator vocalizations), had enduring effects of at least 7 days duration involving both, a heightened sensitivity to predator danger (indicative of an enduring memory of fear), and elevated neuronal activation in both the amygdala and hippocampus – in wild birds (black-capped chickadees, Poecile atricapillus), exposed to natural environmental and social experiences in the 7 days following predator exposure. Our results demonstrate enduring effects on the brain and behaviour, meeting the criteria to be considered an animal model of PTSD – in a wild animal, which are of a nature and degree which can be anticipated could affect fecundity and survival in free-living wildlife. We suggest our findings support both the proposition that PTSD is not unnatural, and that long-lasting effects of predator-induced fear, with likely effects on fecundity and survival, are the norm in nature

Structural anatomical investigation of long-term memory deficit in behavioural frontotemporal dementia

Although a growing body of work has shown that behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) could present with severe amnesia in approximately half of cases, memory assessment is currently the clinical standard to distinguish bvFTD from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the concept of "relatively preserved episodic memory" in bvFTD remains the basis of its clinical distinction from AD and a criterion for bvFTD's diagnosis. This view is supported by the idea that bvFTD is not characterized by genuine amnesia and hippocampal degeneration, by contrast to AD. In this multicenter study, we aimed to investigate the neural correlates of memory performance in bvFTD as assessed by the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT). Imaging explorations followed a two-step procedure, first relying on a visual rating of atrophy of 35 bvFTD and 34ADpatients' MRI, contrasted with 29 controls; and then using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in a subset of bvFTD patients. Results showed that 43% of bvFTD patients presented with a genuine amnesia. Data-driven analysis on visual rating data showed that, in bvFTD, memory recall & storage performances were significantly predicted by atrophy in rostral prefrontal and hippocampal/perihippocampal regions, similar to mild AD. VBM results in bvFTD (p(FWE)<0.05) showed similar prefrontal and hippocampal regions in addition to striatal and lateral temporal involvement. Our findingsDistALZ CONICET CONICYT/FONDECYT 1170010 1160940 FONCyT, PICT 2012-0412 2012-1309 CONICYT/FONDAP 15150012 INECO Foundatio

Effects of ‘The Vicious Worm’ educational tool on Taenia solium knowledge retention in Zambian primary school students after one year

Background: Taenia solium is a neglected zoonotic parasite endemic throughout many low-income countries worldwide, including Zambia, where it causes human and pig diseases with high health and socioeconomic burdens. Lack of knowledge is a recognized risk factor, and consequently targeted health educational programs can decrease parasite transmission and disease occurrence in endemic areas. Preliminary assessment of the computer-based education program The Vicious Worm' in rural areas of eastern Zambia indicated that it was effective at increasing knowledge of T. solium in primary school students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of The Vicious Worm' on knowledge retention by re-assessing the same primary school students one year after the initial education workshops. Methodology/Principal findings: Follow-up questionnaires were administered in the original three primary schools in eastern Zambia in 2017, 12 months after the original workshops. In total, 86 pupils participated in the follow-up sessions, representing 87% of the initial workshop respondents. Knowledge of T. solium at follow-up' was significantly higher than at the initial pre' questionnaire administered during the Vicious Worm workshop that took place one year earlier. While some specifics of the parasite's life cycle were not completely understood, the key messages for disease prevention, such as the importance of hand washing and properly cooking pork, remained well understood by the students, even one year later. Conclusions/Significance: Results of this study indicate that The Vicious Worm' may be an effective tool for both short- and long-term T. solium education of rural primary school students in Zambia. Inclusion of educational workshops using The Vicious Worm' could be recommended for integrated cysticercosis control/elimination programs in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly if the content is simplified to focus on the key messages for prevention of disease transmission. Author summary The zoonotic parasite Taenia solium, commonly known as the pork tapeworm, causes substantial public health and economic losses worldwide. It is commonly found in low-income countries where pigs are raised in areas of poor sanitation, including Zambia. The links between the parasite and its different disease forms in humans and pigs are not very well known, and ignorance of the parasite is a known risk factor for infection. Health education can significantly increase knowledge and awareness of the parasite and can inspire behavioral change that reduces disease transmission. The Vicious Worm' is a computer-based program designed to provide T. solium education in a fun and interactive way. We conducted educational workshops in three primary schools in rural areas of eastern Zambia, and preliminary assessment indicated that the Vicious Worm' educational content significantly improved students' knowledge of T. solium. We also conducted follow-up studies in the same students one year later, and discovered that the students' knowledge was still significantly higher than at baseline. We conclude that The Vicious Worm' may be a useful educational component to enable targeting of school students, and would recommend its inclusion in integrated T. solium control programs in future

Commercial Immunoglobulin Products Contain Neutralizing Antibodies Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Protein

BACKGROUND: Patients with antibody deficiency respond poorly to COVID-19 vaccination and are at risk of severe or prolonged infection. They are given long-term immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IRT) prepared from healthy donor plasma to confer passive immunity against infection. Following widespread COVID-19 vaccination alongside natural exposure, we hypothesised that immunoglobulin preparations will now contain neutralising SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies which confer protection against COVID-19 disease and may help to treat chronic infection. METHODS: We evaluated anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody in a cohort of patients before and after immunoglobulin infusion. Neutralising capacity of patient samples and immunoglobulin products was assessed using in vitro pseudo-virus and live-virus neutralisation assays, the latter investigating multiple batches against current circulating omicron variants. We describe the clinical course of nine patients started on IRT during treatment of COVID-19. RESULTS: In 35 individuals with antibody deficiency established on IRT, median anti-spike antibody titre increased from 2123 to 10600 U/ml post-infusion, with corresponding increase in pseudo-virus neutralisation titres to levels comparable to healthy donors. Testing immunoglobulin products directly in the live-virus assay confirmed neutralisation, including of BQ1.1 and XBB variants, but with variation between immunoglobulin products and batches.Initiation of IRT alongside Remdesivir in patients with antibody deficiency and prolonged COVID-19 infection (median 189 days, maximum over 900 days with an ancestral viral strain) resulted in clearance of SARS-CoV-2 virus at a median of 20 days. CONCLUSIONS: Immunoglobulin preparations now contain neutralising anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies which are transmitted to patients and help to treat COVID-19 in individuals with failure of humoral immunity

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24:Catalytic receptors

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24 is the sixth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of approximately 1800 drug targets, and nearly 6000 interactions with about 3900 ligands. There is an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes almost 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.16180. Catalytic receptors are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2023, and supersedes data presented in the 2021/22, 2019/20, 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature and Standards Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate.</p

The Importance of Conserving Biodiversity Outside of Protected Areas in Mediterranean Ecosystems

Mediterranean-type ecosystems constitute one of the rarest terrestrial biomes and yet they are extraordinarily biodiverse. Home to over 250 million people, the five regions where these ecosystems are found have climate and coastal conditions that make them highly desirable human habitats. The current conservation landscape does not reflect the mediterranean biome's rarity and its importance for plant endemism. Habitat conversion will clearly outpace expansion of formal protected-area networks, and conservationists must augment this traditional strategy with new approaches to sustain the mediterranean biota. Using regional scale datasets, we determine the area of land in each of the five regions that is protected, converted (e.g., to urban or industrial), impacted (e.g., intensive, cultivated agriculture), or lands that we consider to have conservation potential. The latter are natural and semi-natural lands that are unprotected (e.g., private range lands) but sustain numerous native species and associated habitats. Chile has the greatest proportion of its land (75%) in this category and California-Mexico the least (48%). To illustrate the potential for achieving mediterranean biodiversity conservation on these lands, we use species-area curves generated from ecoregion scale data on native plant species richness and vertebrate species richness. For example, if biodiversity could be sustained on even 25% of existing unprotected, natural and semi-natural lands, we estimate that the habitat of more than 6,000 species could be represented. This analysis suggests that if unprotected natural and semi-natural lands are managed in a manner that allows for persistence of native species, we can realize significant additional biodiversity gains. Lasting biodiversity protection at the scale needed requires unprecedented collaboration among stakeholders to promote conservation both inside and outside of traditional protected areas, including on lands where people live and work

A systematic autopsy survey of human infant bridging veins

In the first years of life, subdural haemorrhage (SDH) within the cranial cavity can occur through accidental and non-accidental mechanisms as well as from birth-related injury. This type of bleeding is the most common finding in victims of abusive head trauma (AHT). Historically, the most frequent cause of SDHs in infancy is suggested to be traumatic damage to bridging veins traversing from the brain to the dural membrane. However, several alternative hypotheses have been suggested for the cause and origin of subdural bleeding. It has also been suggested by some that bridging veins are too large to rupture through the forces associated with AHT. To date, there have been no systematic anatomical studies on infant bridging veins. During 43 neonatal, infant and young child post-mortem examinations, we have mapped the locations and numbers of bridging veins onto a 3D model of the surface of a representative infant brain. We have also recorded the in situ diameter of 79 bridging veins from two neonatal, one infant and two young children at post-mortem examination. Large numbers of veins, both distant from and directly entering the dural venous sinuses, were discovered travelling between the brain and dural membrane, with the mean number of veins per brain being 54.1 and the largest number recorded as 94. The mean diameter of the bridging veins was 0.93 mm, with measurements ranging from 0.05 to 3.07 mm. These data demonstrate that some veins are extremely small and subjectively, and they appear to be delicate. Characterisation of infant bridging veins will contribute to the current understanding of potential vascular sources of subdural bleeding and could also be used to further develop computational models of infant head injury

OPtimising Treatment for MIld Systolic hypertension in the Elderly (OPTiMISE): protocol for a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial

Introduction: Recent evidence suggests that larger blood pressure reductions and multiple antihypertensive drugs may be harmful in older people, particularly frail individuals with polypharmacy and multi-morbidity. However, there is a lack of evidence to support de-prescribing of antihypertensives, which limits the practice of medication reduction in routine clinical care. The aim of this trial is to examine whether antihypertensive medication reduction is possible in older patients without significant changes in blood pressure control at follow-up. Methods and analysis: This trial will use a Primary Care based, open label, randomised controlled trial design. A total of 540 participants will be recruited, aged ≥80 years, with systolic blood pressure <150 mmHg and receiving ≥2 antihypertensive medications. Participants will have no compelling indication for medication continuation and will be considered to potentially benefit from medication reduction due to existing polypharmacy, co-morbidity and frailty. Following a baseline appointment, individuals will be randomised to a strategy of medication reduction (intervention) with optional self-monitoring or usual care (control). Those in the intervention group will have one antihypertensive medication stopped. The primary outcome will be to determine if a reduction in medication can achieve a proportion of participants with clinically safe blood pressure levels at 12 week follow-up (defined as a systolic blood pressure <150mmHg) which is non-inferior (within 10%) to that achieved by the usual care group. Qualitative interviews will be used to understand the barriers and facilitators to medication reduction. The study will use economic modelling to predict the long term effects of any observed changes in blood pressure and quality-of-life. Ethics and dissemination: The protocol and written information has been approved by a Research Ethics Committee, medicines regulatory authority (MHRA), and national and local health research authorities. All research outputs will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences