Advances in arboreal mammal research techniques for tropical rainforest canopy exploration.

Techniques for mammal research in the rainforest canopy  presents a number of challenges; including difficulties accessing and maneuvering within the three-dimensional study area and thereby acquiring an adequate sample size. In addition, rainforest mammals are not evenly distributed in the canopy, resulting in stratification of species within the three dimensional environment (Grelle 2003), and all non-volant mammals are limited to the architecture of the forest.Las técnicas para la investigación de mamíferos en el dosel de la selva tropical presentan una serie de desafíos; incluyendo dificultades para acceder y maniobrar dentro del área de estudio tridimensional y, por lo tanto, adquirir un tamaño de muestra adecuado. Además, los mamíferos de la selva tropical no están distribuidos uniformemente en el dosel, lo que resulta en la estratificación de especies dentro del entorno tridimensional (Grelle 2003), y todos los mamíferos no volátiles están limitados a la arquitectura del bosque

Klinische Symptome und intensivmedizinische Versorgung bei akuten Intoxikationen: Analyse einer Patientenstichprobe der internistischen Intensivtherapiestation der Universitätsmedizin Rostock aus den Jahren 2004 bis 2011 unter Verwendung des Poisoning Severity Scores und des Therapeutic Intervention Scoring Systems

Akute Intoxikationen machen ca. 7% der Fälle auf einer internistischen Intensivstation aus. Häufigste Auslöser sind Arzneimittelüberdosierungen und Alkoholintoxikationen. Der Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) ist ein geeignetes Werkzeug zur Charakterisierung von Intoxikationen im Bereich der Intensivmedizin. Nach dem PSS waren 33,1% der Fälle als leichte, 40,1% der Fälle als mittelschwere und 21,2% der Fälle als schwere Intoxikationen zu klassifizieren. Die Mortalität betrug 1%. Der Schweregrad korreliert mit dem anhand des TISS-28 quantifizierten intensivmedizinischen Therapieaufwand

Efficacy of immediate patient feedback in emergency psychiatry:a randomized controlled trial in a crisis intervention & brief therapy team

Background: This study looks at the effect of immediate session-by-session feedback using short questionnaires for evaluating outcome of and alliance in the therapy. Research data strongly suggests that using this feedback informed treatment improves the outcome of therapy. However, until now, this method of Miller and Duncan has only been examined in clients (generally students) with mild problems and in partner counselling. The question addressed by this study is whether immediate feedback is also effective when applied during crisis intervention and subsequent brief therapy in a psychiatric patient population in emergency situations. It also looks at whether 'feedback- informed treatment' affects the quality of the alliance. Method/Design: To test the hypotheses, all patients seeking help from the Crisis Intervention & Brief Therapy Team over a two-year period will be followed throughout their treatment up to a maximum of six months and a follow-up period of three months after ending the treatment. Patients are randomly assigned to two conditions: treatment without feedback and treatment with immediate feedback for each session. The therapists all operate in both conditions and so they deliver both treatments. An estimated total of 180 patients, aged 18 years and over, will be included in the study. Discussion: The aim of this study is to make clear whether, and to what extent, systematic feedback from the patient in this target group during therapy determines the course and outcomes of therapy. We also look at whether, and to what extent, the quality of the alliance and the motivation of the person delivering treatment with respect to the instruments play a role

A long term inventory of medium and large mammals with camera-traps in Las Tablas Protected Zone, Costa Rica.

Large mammals are a critical component of tropical ecosystems, especially for the tropics (Terborgh 1988, Cardillo et al. 2005). Nevertheless, is not until recently that with the emergence and widespread use of non-invasive techniques such as camera-traps, that we are getting a large amount ofinformation on medium and large-size mammal assemblages.Los mamíferos grandes son un componente crítico de los ecosistemas tropicales, especialmente para los trópicos (Terborgh 1988, Cardillo et al. 2005). Sin embargo, no es hasta hace poco que con la aparición y el uso generalizado de técnicas no invasivas como las trampas de cámara, estamos obteniendo una gran cantidad de información en ensamblajes de mamíferos de tamaño mediano y grande

HIV-1 protease inhibitor mutations affect the development of HIV-1 resistance to the maturation inhibitor bevirimat

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Maturation inhibitors are an experimental class of antiretrovirals that inhibit Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) particle maturation, the structural rearrangement required to form infectious virus particles. This rearrangement is triggered by the ordered cleavage of the precursor Gag polyproteins into their functional counterparts by the viral enzyme protease. In contrast to protease inhibitors, maturation inhibitors impede particle maturation by targeting the substrate of protease (Gag) instead of the protease enzyme itself. Direct cross-resistance between protease and maturation inhibitors may seem unlikely, but the co-evolution of protease and its substrate, Gag, during protease inhibitor therapy, could potentially affect future maturation inhibitor therapy. Previous studies showed that there might also be an effect of protease inhibitor resistance mutations on the development of maturation inhibitor resistance, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. We used wild-type and protease inhibitor resistant viruses to determine the impact of protease inhibitor resistance mutations on the development of maturation inhibitor resistance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our resistance selection studies demonstrated that the resistance profiles for the maturation inhibitor bevirimat are more diverse for viruses with a mutated protease compared to viruses with a wild-type protease. Viral replication did not appear to be a major factor during emergence of bevirimat resistance. In all <it>in vitro </it>selections, one of four mutations was selected: Gag V362I, A364V, S368N or V370A. The impact of these mutations on maturation inhibitor resistance and viral replication was analyzed in different protease backgrounds. The data suggest that the protease background affects development of HIV-1 resistance to bevirimat and the replication profiles of bevirimat-selected HIV-1. The protease-dependent bevirimat resistance and replication levels can be explained by differences in CA/p2 cleavage processing by the different proteases.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings highlight the complicated interactions between the viral protease and its substrate. By providing a better understanding of these interactions, we aim to help guide the development of second generation maturation inhibitors.</p

Primeiros registros confirmados do cachorro-vinagre (Carnivora: Canidae) para a Costa Rica

The bush dog, Speothos venaticus, is one of the rarest and less known carnivore species, distributed from Panama to Argentina, with most of the information for the species derived from anecdotal records. To date, there are no previously confirmed evidences for its occurrence in Costa Rica. Here we present the first confirmed records of the bush dog for the country and a new elevational record for the species. During extensive camera-trap surveys in Las Tablas Protected Zone, Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica, we detected bush dogs in a primary montane forest at 1,500 m. The low frequency among our survey, and the absence of previous records, despite surveys for over 10 years in the area, reinforce the idea of the cryptic behavior of the species and its natural rareness. The species’ distribution may be underestimated.Keywords: camera-trapping, Central America, species of cryptic behavior, distribution.O cachorro-vinagre, Speothos venaticus, é uma das espécies de carnívoros mais rara e menos conhecida, com distribuição do Panamá a Argentina, sendo a maioria das informações derivada de registros informais. Até o momento, não havia registros confirmados para a Costa Rica. No presente trabalho, apresentam-se os primeiros registros confirmados do cachorro-vinagre para a Costa Rica e um novo registro de ocorrência da espécie em altitude elevada. Durante extensivos levantamentos usando armadilhas-fotográficas na Zona Protegida de Las Tablas, nas Montanhas Talamanca da Costa Rica, detectamos o cachorro-vinagre em uma localidade de floresta montana primária a 1.500 m de elevação. A baixa frequência de detecções em nossa pesquisa e a ausência de registros anteriores, apesar dos levantamentos realizados há mais de 10 anos na área, reforçam a ideia do comportamento enigmático e da raridade natural da espécie. Assim, sua distribuição conhecida pode estar subestimada.Palavras-chave: armadilhas-fotográficas, América Central, espécie de hábitos crípticos, distribuição