Carnivore Translocations and Conservation: Insights from Population Models and Field Data for Fishers (Martes pennanti)

Translocations are frequently used to restore extirpated carnivore populations. Understanding the factors that influence translocation success is important because carnivore translocations can be time consuming, expensive, and controversial. Using population viability software, we modeled reintroductions of the fisher, a candidate for endangered or threatened status in the Pacific states of the US. Our model predicts that the most important factor influencing successful re-establishment of a fisher population is the number of adult females reintroduced (provided some males are also released). Data from 38 translocations of fishers in North America, including 30 reintroductions, 5 augmentations and 3 introductions, show that the number of females released was, indeed, a good predictor of success but that the number of males released, geographic region and proximity of the source population to the release site were also important predictors. The contradiction between model and data regarding males may relate to the assumption in the model that all males are equally good breeders. We hypothesize that many males may need to be released to insure a sufficient number of good breeders are included, probably large males. Seventy-seven percent of reintroductions with known outcomes (success or failure) succeeded; all 5 augmentations succeeded; but none of the 3 introductions succeeded. Reintroductions were instrumental in reestablishing fisher populations within their historical range and expanding the range from its most-contracted state (43% of the historical range) to its current state (68% of the historical range). To increase the likelihood of translocation success, we recommend that managers: 1) release as many fishers as possible, 2) release more females than males (55–60% females) when possible, 3) release as many adults as possible, especially large males, 4) release fishers from a nearby source population, 5) conduct a formal feasibility assessment, and 6) develop a comprehensive implementation plan that includes an active monitoring program

The effectiveness of motivational interviewing in managing overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) has been suggested as a useful tool in the management 37 of overweight and obesity, but training staff and increased delivery time adds cost to the intervention, and its independent effectiveness is unclear. Purpose: To assess whether the independent contribution of MI, as part of a behavioral weight management program (BWMP), is effective in improving weight control and psychological well41 being. Data Sources: Six electronic databases and two trial registries were searched from 7 February 2020 through 24 September 2021. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials in adults or adolescents aiming to support weight loss or maintenance with programs including MI, compared to similar interventions without MI, or to no/minimal interventions. Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Weight, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and other aspects of psychological well-being, were extracted. Data Synthesis: Pooled mean differences or standardized mean differences were obtained from random and fixed effects meta-analyses depending on the number of studies being pooled. Subgroup analyses explored differences in effectiveness. Results: Forty-six studies reporting on 11,077 participants, predominantly with obesity, were included. At 6 months follow-up, BWMPs using MI were more effective than no/minimal 55 intervention (-0.88kg; 95%CI -1.27 to -0.48; I2=0%), but they were not statistically significantly more 56 effective than lower-intensity (-0.88kg; 95%CI -2.39 to 0.62; I2=55.8) or similar-intensity BWMPs (- 57 1.36kg; 95%CI -2.80 to 0.07; I2=18.8%). At one year, data were too sparse to pool for comparators of 58 no/minimal intervention, and MI did not produce statistically significantly greater weight change 4 compared to lower or similar-intensity 59 BWMPs without MI (-1.16kg; 95%CI -2.49 to 0.17; I2=88.7%, 60 and -0.18kg; 95%CI -2.40 to 2.04; I2=72.7% respectively). At 18 months follow-up, MI did not produce 61 statistically significant benefit in any of the comparator categories, with -0.69kg (95%CI -1.54 to 0.17; 62 I2=0.0%) compared to minimal no/minimal intervention, -0.57kg (95%CI -1.20 to 0.06; I2=62.9%) compared to lower-intensity, and -0.36kg (95%CI -1.06 to 0.34; I2=66.4%) compared to similar64 intensity programs, but analyses were limited by sparsity of data. There was no evidence of subgroup differences based on study, participant or intervention characteristics, though limited by sparse data. Too few studies assessed effects on psychological well-being to pool, but data did not suggest that MI changed these outcomes. Limitations: There was high statistical heterogeneity between the studies, which was largely unexplained even after sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Categorization by comparator and follow up resulted in pooling few studies. Conclusions: There is no evidence that MI adds to the effectiveness of BWMPs or improves weight loss in people being treated for weight-related non-communicable diseases. Given the intensive training required for its delivery, this evidence suggests MI may not be a worthwhile addition to BWMPs

Infant Feeding Varies Across Eating Behavior and Feeding Modalities in Mothers With Low Income

OBJECTIVE: To examine if eating behaviors in mothers with low income relate to attitudes toward infant feeding and whether associations differed between breastfeeding and formula-feeding mothers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Forty postpartum women (aged ≥ 18 years, body mass index ≥ 25 and \u3c 40 kg/m2) in the Louisiana Women, Infants, and Children program participated in a telehealth postpartum intervention for health and weight loss. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Maternal eating behaviors and infant feeding styles, assessed 6-8 weeks after birth (baseline) using validated questionnaires. ANALYSIS: Significance was detected using independent t tests, chi-square tests for independence, or linear models (P \u3c 0.05). RESULTS: Most mothers formula-fed (n = 27, 68%). In formula-feeding mothers, maternal disinhibition and perceived hunger were positively associated with restrictive infant feeding (β = 0.41, P \u3c0.001 and β = 0.41, P = 0.001, respectively). These relationships were significantly higher (Δ = -0.85, P = 0.006 and Δ = -0.59, P = 0.003, respectively) than among breastfeeding mothers. Comparatively, pressuring/overfeeding was lower in formula-feeding mothers than among breastfeeding mothers with dietary restraint (Δ slopes: 1.06, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In this cohort of mothers with low income, maternal eating behavior was associated with infant feeding styles only when feeding modality was considered. Mothers may benefit from education on how their eating behaviors can influence their infants and children

Maternal mindful eating as a target for improving metabolic outcomes in pregnant women with obesity.

BackgroundMaternal diet and eating behaviors have the potential to influence the metabolic milieu in pregnancies complicated by obesity, with implications for the developmental programming of offspring obesity. Emerging evidence suggests that mindfulness during eating may influence metabolic health in non-pregnant populations, but its effects in the context of pregnancy is less well understood. This study explored the individual and combined effects of mindful eating and diet quality on metabolic outcomes among pregnant women with obesity.MethodsIn 46 pregnant women (body mas index >30 kg/m2) enrolled in the MomEE observational study, mindful eating (Mindful Eating Questionnaire, MEQ) and energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (DII, from 7 days of food photography) was assessed at two time points and the mean pregnancy values computed. Rate of gestational weight gain (GWG) and fat mass gain per week were determined from measured weight and body composition using a three-compartment method, respectively, at each assessment. Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and ghrelin concentrations were determined from fasting blood samples in late gestation (35-37 weeks). Linear regression was used to examine the association of the MEQ and its subscales (where higher values indicate more mindful eating) with metabolic outcomes, adjusting for covariates: maternal age, pregravid body mass index, race, parity, DII. The effects of the MEQ*DII interaction was also tested.ResultsTotal MEQ scores were not associated with rate of weight or fat mass gain, although greater distracted eating behavior was associated with greater adiposity gain (weight and fat mass). Mindful eating was inversely associated with insulin resistance, although this was attenuated to non-significance after additional adjustment for GWG. Total MEQ and the external eating subscale was significantly inversely associated with fasted ghrelin, such that less tendency to eat under the influence of external cues was associated with lower ghrelin concentrations. After false discovery rate adjustment for multiple testing, only the association of the total MEQ and external eating subscale with ghrelin levels trended towards significance. The DII was not associated with MEQ scores or outcome variables, nor did it moderate the effect of MEQ on any of the outcomes.ConclusionThis study generates early evidence to suggest that mindful eating holds potential as a tool to improve metabolic health outcomes in pregnant women with obesity, although further research is required on this topic. Prenatal lifestyle interventions should consider including mindfulness during eating to determine its efficacy for reducing adverse pregnancy and offspring health outcomes associated with maternal obesity

Feasibility, user experiences, and preliminary effect of Conversation Cards for Adolescents© on collaborative goal-setting and behavior change: protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Adolescents and providers can benefit from practical tools targeting lifestyle modification for obesity prevention and management. We created Conversation Cards for Adolescents© (CCAs), a patient-centered communication and behavior change tool for adolescents and providers to use in clinical practice. The purpose of our study is to (i) assess the feasibility of CCAs in a real-world, practice setting to inform full-scale trial procedures, (ii) assess user experiences of CCAs, and (iii) determine the preliminary effect of CCAs on changing behavioral and affective-cognitive outcomes among adolescents. Methods Starting in early 2019, this prospective study is a nested mixed-methods, theory-driven, and pragmatic pilot randomized controlled trial with a goal to enroll 50 adolescents (13–17 years old) and 9 physicians practicing at the Northeast Community Health Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Adolescents will collaboratively set one S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goal with their physician to implement over a 3-week period; however, only those randomized to the experimental group will use CCAs to inform their goal. Outcome assessments at baseline and follow-up (3 weeks post-baseline) will include behavioral, affective-cognitive, and process-related outcomes. Discussion In examining the feasibility, user experiences, and preliminary effect of CCAs, our study will add contributions to the obesity literature on lifestyle modifications among adolescents in a real-world, practice setting as well as inform the scalability of our approach for a full-scale effectiveness randomized controlled trial on behavior change. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03821896

Quality of life in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A Análise da qualidade de vida de pacientes com a doença de Charcot-Marie-Tooth tipo 1A

<p id="para1">We assessed the functional impairment in Charcot-Marie-Tooth resulting from 17p11.2-p12 duplication (CMT1A) patients using the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), which is a quality of life questionnaire. Twenty-five patients of both genders aged &#8805;10 years with a positive molecular diagnosis of CMT1A were selected. Age- and gender-matched Control Group (without family history of neuropathy), and the sociodemographic and professional conditions similar to the patients' group were selected to compare the SF-36 results between them. The results showed that the majority quality of life impairments in CMT1A patients occurred in the social and emotional domains. Functional capacity also tended to be significantly affected; other indicators of physical impairment were preserved. In conclusion, social and emotional aspects are mostly neglected in the assistance provided to CMT1A Brazilian patients, and they should be better understood in order to offer global health assistance with adequate quality of life as a result.</p><br><p id="para2">Avaliou-se o comprometimento funcional de pacientes com Charcot-Marie-Tooth provenientes da duplica&#231;&#227;o 17p11.2-p12 (CMT1A), utilizando o SF-36, que &#233; um question&#225;rio para medir a qualidade de vida. Vinte e cinco pacientes de ambos os sexos com idades &#8805;10 anos e diagn&#243;stico molecular de CMT1A foram selecionados. Idade, sexo, condi&#231;&#245;es sociodemogr&#225;ficas e profissionais foram pareados com o Grupo Controle (sem hist&#243;rico familiar de neuropatia). Os resultados mostraram que o maior impacto da CMT1A na qualidade de vida ocorreu nos dom&#237;nios social e emocional dos pacientes avaliados. A capacidade funcional tamb&#233;m tende a ser significativamente afetada, enquanto outros indicadores de defici&#234;ncia f&#237;sica foram preservados. Por fim, os aspectos sociais e emocionais dos pacientes acometidos por CMT1A costumam ser negligenciados na assist&#234;ncia m&#233;dica prestada aos pacientes brasileiros, e devem ser melhor compreendidos a fim de oferecer uma assist&#234;ncia global &#224; sa&#250;de, resultando em adequada qualidade de vida.</p