Status and Management of the White-tailed Deer in Iowa, 1954-1962

Data regarding populations, hunting, harvest, and biology of Iowa deer (Odocoileus virginianus) gathered by the State Conservation Commission is presented from four ecologically distinct areas. Following 10 consecutive hunting seasons, deer are more abundant and better distributed than before. Abundance through the state is not consistent with available forest habitat. Separate seasons have been permitted for deer of any sex or age by shotgunners and archers on a statewide basis most years. Harvests during recent years have averaged near 20% of an increasing population. Hunting success for gunners during 3-day seasons has been near 45-50%. Bucks outnumber does in the harvest. Fawns comprise 41.7% of the bag. Only 5.8% of the bag has been of deer aged 4½ years or older. Bucks reach maximum weight after 3½ years of age; does at 3½. Weights and antler development reveal significant differences in size and condition exist among deer from four Areas. Weights and antler size average greater for years 1954-62 than in 1953, the first open season. Deer populations in Northeast Iowa are expected to remain stable. Populations in Northern Iowa are believed controlled by hunting more than in other areas because of less protective cover and terrain in northern regions. Southern Iowa is believed to offer the greatest potential for population expansion

Notes on the Biology of the Jackrabbit in Iowa

White-tailed jackrabbits, Lepus townsendii campanius Hollister, are found throughout Iowa with the exception of a few southeastern counties. Over much of their range they are relatively rare. They appear in greatest abundance on the recently glaciated soils in northern and central counties, and on the Missouri loess soils of the west-central counties. Dry growing seasons seem conducive to hare abundance; populations decline during wet seasons. Jackrabbits provide considerable hunting sport during winter. Their pelts are utilized in felt manufacture and their flesh as a staple food for ranch mink. They are known to eat sprouting corn and soybeans, and occasionally damage shrubs and trees. High populations of 114 and 90 jacks per square mile are recorded here. High populations of near 30 jacks per square mile are more common. Average populations over the more favorable portions of their range seem to fall between 5 and 15 per square mile. Average winter weights of 7.5 and 7.9 pounds for males and females respectively are recorded. These contrast with spring weights of 6.8 and 8.3. Sex ratios are essentially even. Breeding activity begins late in February in most years but may be delayed by deep snow and cold temperatures m March. Two and possibly three or four litters per year are produced per female. Litters average 3.6 young rabbits each, and range from one to five. Corpora lutea average 5.75 per pregnancy and range from three to eight. A considerable loss of ova is suggested by the data

Autumnal Decimation of Mearns Cottontail, Decatur County, Iowa, 1952

In summer and early in autumn hunters frequently see many cottontails along roads. When they start to hunt the animals late in autumn, the pursuers express disappointment often at the fewer rabbits, and inquire for causes of the decimation. To obtain better understanding of reasons for autumnal losses investigation was conducted on a 185-acre tract of farm land, Decatur County, Iowa, from July 28 to December 31, 1952. Particularly the losses and causative agents during September and the three following months will be reported

Iowa Squirrels: Hunting Statistics, Sex and Age Ratios, and the Influence of Mast and Agriculture

Fox and gray squirrels, Sciurus niger rufiventer Geoffroy and S. carolinensis pennsylvanicus Ord, are commonly hunted in Iowa. Average hunting success for 12 years as reported by hunter-cooperators was 0.8 squirrels bagged and 1.8 seen per gun hour. Significant variations in hunting success from one season to another were found. One squirrel was reported crippled for every 14.8 killed. Fox squirrels comprised 87.1% of the total kill; grays, 12.9%. Conservation officer contacts indicated actual hunting success was below that reported by hunter-cooperators. The cooperators were assumed to be hunters with above average skill as compared to average ability of those contacted by conservation officers. Hunters average 6.1 trips per season and spent an average of 2.8 hours per trip. The average size of hunting parties was 1.4. Hunting success varied little through the season. Two-thirds of all hunting effort was expended during the first month each season. Dogs were found detrimental to hunting success. Sex ratios of 119.2 males/100 females for fox and 110.3 males/100 females for gray squirrels were found. Age ratios varied somewhat from year to year. In fox squirrels the 14- year average was 53.9% juveniles; in grays, 49.4% juveniles. A simple method of measuring tree mast yield is described. The data indicate mast yield influences production of squirrels and subsequent hunting success in Iowa, although not as drastically as has been reported in other states. Evidence is presented which indicates the mast influence is mitigated somewhat by intensive agriculture. Squirrels probably rely more on grain food in Iowa than in more heavily wooded states

Vernal Breeding of Cottontails in Iowa

Studies of 399 cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsii) taken during the winter and spring of 1958 through 1961 have established the early portion of the breeding season for the species in Iowa. Males attained breeding condition starting in February. Pregnant females occurred late in February. Most females became pregnant for the first time in March. All females examined after April 1 were pregnant. Differences in commencement of the breeding season from one year to another were noted. A statistically significant difference in average size of first and second embryonic litters was noted. Litters from northern Iowa averaged larger than those from southern Iowa. This difference was statistically significant at the 0.20 level of confidence

How Well has Land-Use Planning Worked Under Different Governance Regimes? A Case Study in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA Metropolitan Area, USA

We examine land use planning outcomes over a 30-year period in the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA (USA) metropolitan area. The four-county study region enables comparisons between three Oregon counties subject to Oregon’s 1973 Land Use Act (Senate Bill 100) and Clark County, WA which implemented land use planning under Washington’s 1990 Growth Management Act. We describe county-level historical land uses from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, including low-density residential and urban development, both outside and inside of current urban growth boundaries. We use difference-in-differences models to test whether differences in the proportions of developed land resulting from implementation of urban growth boundaries are statistically significant and whether they vary between Oregon and Washington. Our results suggest that land use planning and urban growth boundaries now mandated both in Oregon and Washington portions of the study area have had a measurable and statistically significant effect in containing development and conserving forest and agricultural lands in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. Our results also suggest, however, that these effects differ across the four study-area counties, likely owing in part to differences in counties’ initial levels of development, distinctly different land use planning histories, and how restrictive their urban growth boundaries were drawn

Development and validation of the ACE tool: Assessing medical trainees' competency in evidence based medicine

BACKGROUND: While a variety of instruments have been developed to assess knowledge and skills in evidence based medicine (EBM), few assess all aspects of EBM - including knowledge, skills attitudes and behaviour - or have been psychometrically evaluated. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument that evaluates medical trainees’ competency in EBM across knowledge, skills and attitude. METHODS: The ‘Assessing Competency in EBM’ (ACE) tool was developed by the authors, with content and face validity assessed by expert opinion. A cross-sectional sample of 342 medical trainees representing ‘novice’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘advanced’ EBM trainees were recruited to complete the ACE tool. Construct validity, item difficulty, internal reliability and item discrimination were analysed. RESULTS: We recruited 98 EBM-novice, 108 EBM-intermediate and 136 EBM-advanced participants. A statistically significant difference in the total ACE score was observed and corresponded to the level of training: on a 0-15-point test, the mean ACE scores were 8.6 for EBM-novice; 9.5 for EBM-intermediate; and 10.4 for EBM-advanced (p < 0.0001). Individual item discrimination was excellent (Item Discrimination Index ranging from 0.37 to 0.84), with internal reliability consistent across all but three items (Item Total Correlations were all positive ranging from 0.14 to 0.20). CONCLUSION: The 15-item ACE tool is a reliable and valid instrument to assess medical trainees’ competency in EBM. The ACE tool provides a novel assessment that measures user performance across the four main steps of EBM. To provide a complete suite of instruments to assess EBM competency across various patient scenarios, future refinement of the ACE instrument should include further scenarios across harm, diagnosis and prognosis

Gender-dependent differences in plasma matrix metalloproteinase-8 elevated in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health pandemic and greater understanding of underlying pathogenesis is required to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are emerging as key effectors of tissue destruction in TB but have not been comprehensively studied in plasma, nor have gender differences been investigated. We measured the plasma concentrations of MMPs in a carefully characterised, prospectively recruited clinical cohort of 380 individuals. The collagenases, MMP-1 and MMP-8, were elevated in plasma of patients with pulmonary TB relative to healthy controls, and MMP-7 (matrilysin) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B) were also increased. MMP-8 was TB-specific (p<0.001), not being elevated in symptomatic controls (symptoms suspicious of TB but active disease excluded). Plasma MMP-8 concentrations inversely correlated with body mass index. Plasma MMP-8 concentration was 1.51-fold higher in males than females with TB (p<0.05) and this difference was not due to greater disease severity in men. Gender-specific analysis of MMPs demonstrated consistent increase in MMP-1 and -8 in TB, but MMP-8 was a better discriminator for TB in men. Plasma collagenases are elevated in pulmonary TB and differ between men and women. Gender must be considered in investigation of TB immunopathology and development of novel diagnostic markers

Why alternative teenagers self-harm: exploring the link between non-suicidal self-injury, attempted suicide and adolescent identity

Background: The term ‘self-harm’ encompasses both attempted suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Specific adolescent subpopulations such as ethnic or sexual minorities, and more controversially, those who identify as ‘Alternative’ (Goth, Emo) have been proposed as being more likely to self-harm, while other groups such as ‘Jocks’ are linked with protective coping behaviours (for example exercise). NSSI has autonomic (it reduces negative emotions) and social (it communicates distress or facilitates group ‘bonding’) functions. This study explores the links between such aspects of self-harm, primarily NSSI, and youth subculture.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods: An anonymous survey was carried out of 452 15 year old German school students. Measures included: identification with different youth cultures, i.e. Alternative (Goth, Emo, Punk), Nerd (academic) or Jock (athletic); social background, e.g. socioeconomic status; and experience of victimisation. Self-harm (suicide and NSSI) was assessed using Self-harm Behavior Questionnaire and the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM).&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results: An “Alternative” identity was directly (r ≈ 0.3) and a “Jock” identity inversely (r ≈ -0.1) correlated with self-harm. “Alternative” teenagers self-injured more frequently (NSSI 45.5% vs. 18.8%), repeatedly self-injured, and were 4–8 times more likely to attempt suicide (even after adjusting for social background) than their non-Alternative peers. They were also more likely to self-injure for autonomic, communicative and social reasons than other adolescents.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusions: About half of ‘Alternative’ adolescents’ self-injure, primarily to regulate emotions and communicate distress. However, a minority self-injure to reinforce their group identity, i.e. ‘To feel more a part of a group’