Is Sensitivity to Anticoagulant Rodenticides Affected by Repeated Exposure in Hawks?

A seminal question in wildlife toxicology is whether exposure to an environmental contaminant, in particular a secondgeneration anticoagulant rodenticide, can evoke subtle long lasting effects on body condition, physiological function and survival. Many reports indicate that non-target predators often carry residues of several rodenticides, which is indicative of multiple exposures. An often-cited study in laboratory rats demonstrated that exposure to the second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide brodifacoum prolongs blood clotting time for a few days, but weeks later when rats were re-exposed to the first-generation anticoagulant rodenticide warfarin, coagulopathy was more pronounced in brodifacoum-treated rats than naïve rats exposed to warfarin. To further investigate this phenomenon, American kestrels were fed environmentally realistic doses of chlorophacinone or brodifacoum for a week, and following a week-long recovery period, birds were then challenged with a low-level dietary dose of chlorophacinone. In the present study, neither hematocrit nor clotting time (prothrombin time, Russell’s viper venom time) were differentially affected in sequentially exposed kestrels compared to naïve birds fed low-level dietary dose of chlorophacinone. While the present findings do not reveal lasting effects of anticoagulant exposure on blood clotting ability, findings in laboratory rats and other species have demonstrated such effects on blood clotting, and even other molecular pathways associated with immune function and xenobiotic metabolism. Additional studies using an environmentally realistic route of exposure and dose are underway to further test this hypothesis

Sozialwissenschaftliche Evaluierung des Behindertengleichstellungsrechts

Das vorliegende Forschungsvorhaben hatte die Evaluierung der Umsetzung und insbesondere der Wirkungen des im Jahr 2005 beschlossenen österreichischen Behindertengleichstellungspaketes (BGBl. I Nr. 82/2005) zum Ziel. Weiters werden in der Studie die verfassungsrechtliche Anerkennung der Gebärdensprache (Art. 8 Abs. 3 B-VG, eingeführt durch BGBl. I Nr. 81/2005) und das Bundes-Behindertengleichstellungs-Begleitgesetz (BGBl. I Nr. 90/2006), mit dem benachteiligende Bestimmungen in Berufsgesetzen beseitigt wurden, berücksichtigt. Die Studie insgesamt wurde von folgender Fragestellung geleitet: „Welche Wirkungen haben die gesetzlichen Bestimmungen im Behindertengleichstellungspaket auf die davon betroffenen Menschen, Organisationen und Unternehmen?“ Methodisch wurden 45 qualitative Leitfadeninterviews mit VertreterInnen unterschiedlicher Unternehmen, Institutionen und Organisationen, die entweder direkt von den gesetzlichen Änderungen betroffen sind oder gut über die Wirkungen urteilen können, geführt. Weiters wurden 687 SchlichtungswerberInnen und 220 SchlichtungspartnerInnen mittels eines quantitativen Erhebungsinstruments zu Aspekten und Wirkungen der Schlichtungsverfahren befragt Aus den Ergebnissen der vorliegenden Evaluierung lassen sich konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen ableiten, die in den jeweiligen Kapiteln näher erläutert sind

Spatial variability shapes microbial communities of permafrost soils and their reaction to warming

Climate change threatens the Earth’s biggest terrestrial organic carbon reservoir: permafrost soils. With climate warming, frozen soil organic matter may thaw and become available for microbial decomposition and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. Permafrost soils are extremely heterogenous within the soil profile and between landforms. This heterogeneity in environmental conditions, carbon content and soil organic matter composition, potentially leads to different microbial communities with different responses to warming. The aim of the present study is to (1) elucidate these differences in microbial community compositions and (2) investigate how these communities react to warming. We performed short-term warming experiments with permafrost soil organic matter from northwestern Canada. We compared two sites characterized by different glacial histories (Laurentide Ice Sheet cover during LGM and without glaciation), three landscape types (low-center, flat-center, high-center polygons) and four different soil horizons (organic topsoil layer, mineral topsoil layer, cryoturbated soil layer, and the upper permanently frozen soil layer). We incubated aliquots of all soil samples at 4 °C and at 14 °C for 8 weeks and analyzed microbial community compositions (amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and ITS1 region) before and after the incubation, comparing them to microbial growth, microbial respiration, microbial biomass and soil organic matter composition. We found distinct bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities for soils of different glaciation history, polygon types and for different soil layers. Communities of low-center polygons differ from high-center and flat-center polygons in bacterial, archaeal and fungal community compositions, while communities of organic soil layers are significantly different from all other horizons. Interestingly, permanently frozen soil layers differ from all other horizons in bacterial and archaeal, but not fungal community composition. The 8-week incubations led to minor shifts in bacterial and archaeal community composition between initial soils and those subjected to 14 °C warming. We also found a strong warming effect on the community compositions in some of the extreme habitats: microbial community compositions of (i) the upper permanently frozen layer and of (ii) low-center polygons differ significantly for incubations at 4 °C and 14 °C. Yet, the lack of a community change in horizons of the active layer suggests that microbes are adapted to fluctuating temperatures due to seasonal thaw events. Our results suggest that warming responses of permafrost soil organic matter, if not frozen or water-saturated, may be predictable by current models. Process changes induced by short-term warming can be rather attributed to changes in microbial physiology than community composition. This work is part of the EU H2020 project “Nunataryuk”

Minimizing the evidence-practice gap – a prospective cohort study incorporating balance training into pulmonary rehabilitation for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: We have recently demonstrated the efficacy of balance training in addition to Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) at improving measures of balance associated with an increased risk of falls in individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Few knowledge translation (KT) projects have been conducted in rehabilitation settings. The goal of this study was to translate lessons learnt from efficacy studies of balance training into a sustainable clinical service. Methods: Health care professionals (HCPs) responsible for delivering PR were given an hour of instruction on the principles and practical application of balance training and the researchers offered advice regarding; prescription, progression and practical demonstrations during the first week. Balance training was incorporated three times a week into conventional PR programs. Following the program, HCPs participated in a focus group exploring their experiences of delivering balance training alongside PR. Service users completed satisfaction surveys as well as standardized measures of balance control. At six month follow-up, the sustainability of balance training was explored. Results: HCPs considered the training to be effective at improving balance and the support provided by the researchers was viewed as helpful. HCPs identified a number of strategies to facilitate balance training within PR, including; training twice a week, incorporating an interval training program for everyone enrolled in PR, providing visual aids to training and promoting independence by; providing a set program, considering the environment and initiating a home-based exercise program early. Nineteen service users completed the balance training [ten male mean (SD) age 73 (6) y]. Sixteen patients (84 %) enjoyed balance training and reported that it helped them with everyday activities and 18 (95 %) indicated their wish to continue with it. Scores on balance measures improved following PR that included balance training (all p < 0.05). At six month follow-up balance training is being routinely assessed and delivered as part of standardised PR. Conclusions: Implementing balance training into PR programs, with support and training for HCPs, is feasible, effective and sustainable. Trail registration Clinical Trials ID: NCT02080442 (05/03/2014) Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12890-015-0067-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests

Tropical forests store 40-50 per cent of terrestrial vegetation carbon(1). However, spatial variations in aboveground live tree biomass carbon (AGC) stocks remain poorly understood, in particular in tropical montane forests(2). Owing to climatic and soil changes with increasing elevation(3), AGC stocks are lower in tropical montane forests compared with lowland forests(2). Here we assemble and analyse a dataset of structurally intact old-growth forests (AfriMont) spanning 44 montane sites in 12 African countries. We find that montane sites in the AfriMont plot network have a mean AGC stock of 149.4 megagrams of carbon per hectare (95% confidence interval 137.1-164.2), which is comparable to lowland forests in the African Tropical Rainforest Observation Network(4) and about 70 per cent and 32 per cent higher than averages from plot networks in montane(2,5,6) and lowland(7) forests in the Neotropics, respectively. Notably, our results are two-thirds higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for these forests in Africa(8). We find that the low stem density and high abundance of large trees of African lowland forests(4) is mirrored in the montane forests sampled. This carbon store is endangered: we estimate that 0.8 million hectares of old-growth African montane forest have been lost since 2000. We provide country-specific montane forest AGC stock estimates modelled from our plot network to help to guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse(9,10) and carbon-rich ecosystems. The aboveground carbon stock of a montane African forest network is comparable to that of a lowland African forest network and two-thirds higher than default values for these montane forests.Peer reviewe

Phytotoxins produced by pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae

Typescript (photocopy).Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industrie

Validating and Calibrating the Nintendo Wii Balance Board to Derive Reliable Center of Pressure Measures

The Nintendo Wii balance board (WBB) has generated significant interest in its application as a postural control measurement device in both the clinical and (basic, clinical, and rehabilitation) research domains. Although the WBB has been proposed as an alternative to the “gold standard” laboratory-grade force plate, additional research is necessary before the WBB can be considered a valid and reliable center of pressure (CoP) measurement device. In this study, we used the WBB and a laboratory-grade AMTI force plate (AFP) to simultaneously measure the CoP displacement of a controlled dynamic load, which has not been done before. A one-dimensional inverted pendulum was displaced at several different displacement angles and load heights to simulate a variety of postural sway amplitudes and frequencies (&lt;1 Hz). Twelve WBBs were tested to address the issue of inter-device variability. There was a significant effect of sway amplitude, frequency, and direction on the WBB’s CoP measurement error, with an increase in error as both sway amplitude and frequency increased and a significantly greater error in the mediolateral (ML) (compared to the anteroposterior (AP)) sway direction. There was no difference in error across the 12 WBB’s, supporting low inter-device variability. A linear calibration procedure was then implemented to correct the WBB’s CoP signals and reduce measurement error. There was a significant effect of calibration on the WBB’s CoP signal accuracy, with a significant reduction in CoP measurement error (quantified by root-mean-squared error) from 2–6 mm (before calibration) to 0.5–2 mm (after calibration). WBB-based CoP signal calibration also significantly reduced the percent error in derived (time-domain) CoP sway measures, from −10.5% (before calibration) to −0.05% (after calibration) (percent errors averaged across all sway measures and in both sway directions). In this study, we characterized the WBB’s CoP measurement error under controlled, dynamic conditions and implemented a linear calibration procedure for WBB CoP signals that is recommended to reduce CoP measurement error and provide more reliable estimates of time-domain CoP measures. Despite our promising results, additional work is necessary to understand how our findings translate to the clinical and rehabilitation research domains. Once the WBB’s CoP measurement error is fully characterized in human postural sway (which differs from our simulated postural sway in both amplitude and frequency content), it may be used to measure CoP displacement in situations where lower accuracy and precision is acceptable

Day-to-Day Variability of Postural Sway and Its Association With Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Increased variability in motor function has been observed during the initial stages of cognitive decline. However, the natural variability of postural control, as well as its association with cognitive status and decline, remains unknown. The objective of this pilot study was to characterize the day-to-day variability in postural sway in non-demented older adults. We hypothesized that older adults with a lower cognitive status would have higher day-to-day variability in postural sway.Materials and Methods: A Nintendo Wii balance board (WBB) was used to quantify postural sway in the home twice daily for 30 days in 20 non-demented, community-dwelling older adults: once under a single-task condition and once under a dual-task condition (using a daily word search task administered via a Nook tablet). Mean sway distance, velocity, area, centroidal frequency and frequency dispersion were derived from the center of pressure data acquired from the WBB.Results: Linear relationships were observed between the day-to-day variability in postural sway and cognitive status (indexed by cognitive global z-scores). More variability in time-domain postural sway (sway distance and area) and less variability in frequency-domain postural sway (centroidal sway frequency) were associated with a lower cognitive status under both the single- and dual-task conditions. Additionally, lower cognitive performance rates on the daily word search task were related to a lower cognitive status.Discussion: This small pilot study conducted on a short time scale motivates large-scale implementations over more extended time periods. Tracking longitudinal changes in postural sway may further our understanding of early-stage postural decline and its association with cognitive decline and, in turn, may aid in the early detection of dementia during preclinical stages when the utility of disease-modifying therapies would be greatest

Development of sublethal thresholds and toxicity reference values to examine the risk of brodifacoum to raptors

Presentado al Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe 26th Annual Meeting, celebrado en Nantes (Francia) del 22 al 26 de mayo de 2016.On a global scale, brodifacoum continues to be one of the most widely used anticoagulant rodenticides for control of vertebrate pest species. Its toxicity and risk to non-target raptorial and scavenging birds is well-documented. While numerous exposure and toxicity studies have been conducted in owls (Stringiformes), its toxicity in other raptors (Falconiformes) in controlled exposure studies is less-well described. American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were provided daily access to two 25 g meatballs (Nebraska Bird of Prey diet) containing vehicle (control) or brodifacoum at nominal concentrations of 0.3, 1 or 3 ppm wet weight for 7 days (N=5 birds/group). These nominal brodifacoum concentrations were analytically verified (90.3-101.0% recovery), and are similar or less than carcass and liver concentrations (i.e., ~ 3 µg/g and ~18 µg/g, respectively) found in target rodents following eradication operations. Uneaten food scraps were collected daily, kestrels were observed twice each day, and weighed and examined at various intervals. After 7 days of exposure, a jugular blood sample was drawn into a syringe containing sodium citrate. Hematocrit was determined and plasma was frozen for clotting time assays. Birds were euthanized, necropsied and various tissues were fixed in phosphate-buffered formalin for histopathological evaluation. Neither food consumption nor body weight differed significantly among groups. Overt signs of intoxication (bruises on featherless tract, evidence of bleeding) and some microscopic hemorrhages were apparent at dietary concentrations of 1 and 3 ppm. In comparison to controls, hematocrit was reduced (P< 0.05) by ingestion of 1 and 3 ppm brodifacoum, with some birds being classified as anemic (hematocrit < 30). Prothrombin time and Russell’s viper venom time were both prolonged (P< 0.05) in all groups receiving brodifacoum. Using data on daily brodifacoum consumption and classification of an exposed kestrel as being anemic, toxicity reference values (TRVs) were generated. The dietary-based TRV at which 50% of exposed kestrels exhibited anemia was estimated to be 246 µg brodifacoum consumed/kg kestrel body weight-day and 2.62 mg brodifacoum consumed/kg kestrel body weight-week. These TRVs are below environmental concentrations that might be encountered by free-ranging raptors consuming rodent following an eradication effort, and quantitatively document the hazard of brodifacoum to non-target birds of prey.Peer Reviewe