The Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on Milkweed Growth and its Implications for Western Monarchs

Western monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) populations in the Pacific Northwest have decreased by approximately 99% in recent decades due in part to the destruction of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) habitat. Milkweeds are one of the only plant genera upon which monarchs will lay eggs and the larvae will feed, so milkweed habitat restoration is critical for the future survival and rehabilitation of western monarch butterfly populations. This research aimed to investigate the effect of the root symbiont arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) on growth for two species of milkweed native to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. In showy milkweed (A. speciosa), four of the five growth parameters were significantly affected (two increased and two decreased), while in narrow-leaf milkweed (A. fascicularis) only one was affected (decreased). Our results suggest further testing of different milkweed species, as well as different AMF species, would be valuable in evaluating AMF’s relationship with milkweeds to help restore habitat for the highly imperiled western monarch

The Effect of Residual Roundup on Showy Milkweed Growth and Cardenolide Production

Western monarch butterfly populations have sharply declined over the last three decades largely due to destruction of their habitat and larval food source, milkweed (Asclepias spp.). In order to aid reestablishment of milkweed habitat in support of Western monarch populations, the effects of soil pollutants and additives on the plant’s growth and toxin production should be examined. We evaluated five growth parameters and cardenolide concentration of showy milkweed (A. speciosa) exposed to various soil treatments of Roundup and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in controlled greenhouse conditions. Our results suggest that residual Roundup in soil does not affect cardenolide concentrations in showy milkweed but may interact with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus symbionts to affect growth. More research is needed in order to understand the relationship between Roundup and mycorrhizal symbionts, but our results suggest that Roundup pollutants remaining in soil will not adversely affect milkweed restoration efforts in support of the imperiled Western monarch butterfly

The Effect of Species Diversity and Shade on Milkweed Growth and Cardenolide Concentration

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) rely upon milkweed plants for survival, as it is the only plant upon which female monarchs oviposit and it is the sole food supply for monarch larvae. Additionally, cardenolide, a defense toxin within milkweed tissue, is sequestered by monarchs, making them unpalatable to most predators. Eastern and Western monarch populations in the United States are in sharp decline, in part due to the growing scarcity of milkweed, and reestablishing milkweed habitat is crucial to the monarch’s long-term survival. This study aimed to study the effects of plant species diversity and shade on the growth and cardenolide content of two species of milkweed common in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Milkweed plants were grown outdoors over three summers at the University of Portland, under varying levels of plant species diversity and shade. Four growth measurements and cardenolide concentration were analyzed. Species diversity affected several growth measurements but not cardenolide concentration. Medium shade conditions resulted in increases in three growth measurements and cardenolide concentration compared to low and high shade conditions. The results suggest PNW milkweed can grow under more diverse conditions than previously known, which may be useful information for reestablishment of milkweed habitat supporting the highly imperiled Western monarch population

Gaps in Patient Education on Safe Handling and Disposal of Oral Chemotherapy Drugs: A Pilot Prospective Cohort Survey Study

Background Oral anticancer chemotherapy (OC) has been misperceived as being safer than intravenous chemotherapy, leading to its increased risk of improper handling and disposal. This survey study assessed the knowledge, practices and attitudes of pharmacists and patients regarding OC handling and disposal, gaps in knowledge and barriers to patient education. Methods Surveys were developed based on literature review and pilot study validation results. Patients completed a 33-item paper or electronic survey whereas pharmacists completed a 38-item electronic survey. Descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test computed using the R Project were used for analyses. Results Pharmacist group (16/25, 62.5%) and patient group (14/29, 48.3%) believed that the oral route is safer than IV. Average overall correct response rates for pharmacist and patient groups were 78.3% and 61.9%, respectively. Significant gaps in knowledge between groups were observed in three sections (p \u3c 0.05). Common barriers to providing patient education were insufficient training (70.8%) and insufficient time (50%). Conclusion Pharmacist and patient knowledge, awareness and practices of OC safe handling and disposal are suboptimal. Areas of knowledge gaps and barriers to patient education were identified. Enhanced supports are needed to empower pharmacists to assume an active role in patient education on safe handling and disposal of OC

The Induction of Autoimmune Arthritis and Sex differences in Mice Impact the Lung Inflammatory Response to Repetitive Inhalant Organic Dust Extract Exposures

Asthma, chronic bronchitis and COPD are common adverse respiratory health effects among persons exposed to agriculture organic dust work environments. Occupational inhalant exposures have been increasingly associated with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease development, particularly among males. Agriculture workers have increased risk of RA and generalized bone disease. Chronic lung disease is associated with production of characteristic autoantibodies associated with RA (e.g.anti-citrullinated antibodies), even in absence of RA disease. The mechanistic link between pulmonary inflammation and arthritis (and vice versa) remains poorly understood. Animal models are lacking.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/emet_posters/1004/thumbnail.jp

A healthy mistrust: how worldview relates to attitudes about breast cancer screening in a cross-sectional survey of low-income women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Perceived racial discrimination is one factor which may discourage ethnic minorities from using healthcare. However, existing research only partially explains why some persons do accept health promotion messages and use preventive care, while others do not. This analysis explores 1) the psychosocial characteristics of those, within disadvantaged groups, who identify their previous experiences as racially discriminatory, 2) the extent to which perceived racism is associated with broader perspectives on societal racism and powerlessness, and 3) how these views relate to disadvantaged groups' expectation of mistreatment in healthcare, feelings of mistrust, and motivation to use care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using survey data from 576 African-American women, we explored the prevalence and predictors of beliefs and experiences related to social disengagement, racial discrimination, desired and actual racial concordance with medical providers, and fear of medical research. We then used both sociodemographic characteristics, and experiences and attitudes about disadvantage, to model respondents' scores on an index of personal motivation to receive breast cancer screening, measuring screening knowledge, rejection of fatalistic explanatory models of cancer, and belief in early detection, and in collaborative models of patient-provider responsibility.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Age was associated with lower motivation to screen, as were depressive symptoms, anomie, and fear of medical research. Motivation was low among those more comfortable with African-American providers, regardless of current provider race. However, greater awareness of societal racism positively predicted motivation, as did talking to others when experiencing discrimination. Talking was most useful for women with depressive symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Supporting the Durkheimian concepts of both anomic and altruistic suicide, both disengagement (depression, anomie, vulnerability to victimization, and discomfort with non-Black physicians) as well as over-acceptance (low awareness of discrimination in society) predict poor health maintenance attitudes in disadvantaged women. Women who recognize their connection to other African-American women, and who talk about negative experiences, appear most motivated to protect their health.</p

Quantifying sources of variability in infancy research using the infant-directed-speech preference

Psychological scientists have become increasingly concerned with issues related to methodology and replicability, and infancy researchers in particular face specific challenges related to replicability: For example, high-powered studies are difficult to conduct, testing conditions vary across labs, and different labs have access to different infant populations. Addressing these concerns, we report on a large-scale, multisite study aimed at (a) assessing the overall replicability of a single theoretically important phenomenon and (b) examining methodological, cultural, and developmental moderators. We focus on infants’ preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS). Stimuli of mothers speaking to their infants and to an adult in North American English were created using seminaturalistic laboratory-based audio recordings. Infants’ relative preference for IDS and ADS was assessed across 67 laboratories in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia using the three common methods for measuring infants’ discrimination (head-turn preference, central fixation, and eye tracking). The overall meta-analytic effect size (Cohen’s d) was 0.35, 95% confidence interval = [0.29, 0.42], which was reliably above zero but smaller than the meta-analytic mean computed from previous literature (0.67). The IDS preference was significantly stronger in older children, in those children for whom the stimuli matched their native language and dialect, and in data from labs using the head-turn preference procedure. Together, these findings replicate the IDS preference but suggest that its magnitude is modulated by development, native-language experience, and testing procedure. (This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 798658.

A qualitative study of dietary discussions as an emerging task for cancer clinicians

Objectives: Improvements in cancer detection and treatment create a need for care that prioritizes acute treatment and ongoing needs. There have been calls to include health promotion in cancer care, but little empirical consideration of the work involved in such an expansion of services. In this article, we adopt a constructionist position to explore clinicians’ perspectives on capacity for health promotion, specifically dietary counseling. Methods: Our data result from 33 semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of cancer care teams. All interviewees were affiliated with one of two contrasting medical systems located in Baltimore, MD, USA. Interviews focused on professional roles and responsibilities around health promotion for cancer survivors. We employed both purposive and snowball sampling. We conducted a thematic analysis informed by the sociology of professions literature of discussions of dietary change by provider type. Results: We discuss four emergent themes that relate to the work of providing dietary counseling: (1) prioritization of behavior change in survivorship care, (2) evidence base for dietary messaging, (3) available time and clinical priorities and (4) clinical expertise. Interviewees generally expressed support for the importance of diet for healthy cancer survivorship. However, while there was broad support for dietary change and health promotion, we found little evidence of an emerging consensus on how this work should be accomplished, nor an indication of any occupational group expanding their professional remit to prioritize health promotion tasks. Conclusions: Health promotion is the key to any efficient and effective model of cancer care. Careful attention to the impact of the task on key patient outcomes as well as system capacity for the provision of dietary counseling and its fit with a specific professional remit will be critical for successful integration of health promotion into routine cancer care