Massasauga Repatriation on a Restored Wet Prairie

The massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) is a small rattlesnake that occurs from Texas to New York (Schmidt and Davis 1941, Conant and Collins 1991, Szymanski 1998). In Missouri, the Eastern massasauga rattlesnake (EMR; S. c. catenatus), a subspecies of the massasauga, occurs north and east of the Missouri River, is a former candidate for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act (Code of Federal Regulations 64 FR 57534; Szymanski 1998), and is listed as a state endangered species (Missouri Natural Heritage Program 2011). Missouri currently harbors five extant EMR populations (Johnson 2000, Durbian et al., unpublished report, J. Briggler, Missouri Department of Conservation, personal communication). The decline of this subspecies can be attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation, over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes, predation due to habitat fragmentation, inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, and indiscriminant or accidental killing (Szymanski 1988). In Missouri, the EMR utilizes a combination of mesic and xeric bottomland prairie habitats and is typically associated with wetlands (Seigel 1986, Johnson et al. 2000). Over the past century, 87% of the wetland habitat has been lost in Missouri (Dahl 1990); however, current restoration efforts will enable EMRs to repatriate sites that are adjacent to existing populations. Repatriation of restored habitat has been documented for many other species groups including amphibians (Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001) and birds (Gardali et al. 2006), however, we were unable to find evidence in the literature involving snakes. Therefore, our objective was to document repatriation of restored habitat by EMRs on Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (SCNWR) located in northwestern Missouri

Building effective service linkages in primary mental health care: a narrative review part 2

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary care services have not generally been effective in meeting mental health care needs. There is evidence that collaboration between primary care and specialist mental health services can improve clinical and organisational outcomes. It is not clear however what factors enable or hinder effective collaboration. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that enable effective collaboration between specialist mental health services and primary mental health care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A narrative and thematic review of English language papers published between 1998 and 2009. An expert reference group helped formulate strategies for policy makers. Studies of descriptive and qualitative design from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, USA and Canada were included. Data were extracted on factors reported as enablers or barriers to development of service linkages. These were tabulated by theme at clinical and organisational levels and the inter-relationship between themes was explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A thematic analysis of 30 papers found the most frequently cited group of factors was "partnership formation", specifically role clarity between health care workers. Other factor groups supporting clinical partnership formation were staff support, clinician attributes, clinic physical features and evaluation and feedback. At the organisational level a supportive institutional environment of leadership and change management was important. The expert reference group then proposed strategies for collaboration that would be seen as important, acceptable and feasible. Because of the variability of study types we did not exclude on quality and findings are weighted by the number of studies. Variability in local service contexts limits the generalisation of findings.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings provide a framework for health planners to develop effective service linkages in primary mental health care. Our expert reference group proposed five areas of strategy for policy makers that address organisational level support, joint clinical problem solving, local joint care guidelines, staff training and supervision and feedback.</p

Risk factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) death in a population cohort study from the Western Cape province, South Africa

Risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) death in sub-Saharan Africa and the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis on COVID-19 outcomes are unknown. We conducted a population cohort study using linked data from adults attending public-sector health facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa. We used Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, sex, location, and comorbidities, to examine the associations between HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19 death from 1 March to 9 June 2020 among (1) public-sector “active patients” (≥1 visit in the 3 years before March 2020); (2) laboratory-diagnosed COVID-19 cases; and (3) hospitalized COVID-19 cases. We calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for COVID-19, comparing adults living with and without HIV using modeled population estimates.Among 3 460 932 patients (16% living with HIV), 22 308 were diagnosed with COVID-19, of whom 625 died. COVID19 death was associated with male sex, increasing age, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. HIV was associated with COVID-19 mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70–2.70), with similar risks across strata of viral loads and immunosuppression. Current and previous diagnoses of tuberculosis were associated with COVID-19 death (aHR, 2.70 [95% CI, 1.81–4.04] and 1.51 [95% CI, 1.18–1.93], respectively). The SMR for COVID-19 death associated with HIV was 2.39 (95% CI, 1.96–2.86); population attributable fraction 8.5% (95% CI, 6.1–11.1)

Massasauga Repatriation on a Restored Wet Prairie

The massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) is a small rattlesnake that occurs from Texas to New York (Schmidt and Davis 1941, Conant and Collins 1991, Szymanski 1998). In Missouri, the Eastern massasauga rattlesnake (EMR; S. c. catenatus), a subspecies of the massasauga, occurs north and east of the Missouri River, is a former candidate for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act (Code of Federal Regulations 64 FR 57534; Szymanski 1998), and is listed as a state endangered species (Missouri Natural Heritage Program 2011). Missouri currently harbors five extant EMR populations (Johnson 2000, Durbian et al., unpublished report, J. Briggler, Missouri Department of Conservation, personal communication). The decline of this subspecies can be attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation, over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes, predation due to habitat fragmentation, inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, and indiscriminant or accidental killing (Szymanski 1988). In Missouri, the EMR utilizes a combination of mesic and xeric bottomland prairie habitats and is typically associated with wetlands (Seigel 1986, Johnson et al. 2000). Over the past century, 87% of the wetland habitat has been lost in Missouri (Dahl 1990); however, current restoration efforts will enable EMRs to repatriate sites that are adjacent to existing populations. Repatriation of restored habitat has been documented for many other species groups including amphibians (Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001) and birds (Gardali et al. 2006), however, we were unable to find evidence in the literature involving snakes. Therefore, our objective was to document repatriation of restored habitat by EMRs on Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (SCNWR) located in northwestern Missouri

‘Mediating Remembrance; Personalization and Celebrity in Television Remembrance’

In the period since the First World War both conflict and remembrance have been experienced at a personal level and through a range of media. This article discusses the growing significance of broadcast remembrance texts focusing upon three recent television texts: The Fallen (BBC 2) (Matthews, 2008), My Boy Jack (ITV) (Kirk, 2007) and My Family at War (BBC 1) (Austin, 2008). It is suggested that personalization, celebrity and domesticity within television remembrance enables mediated remembrance to serve as an interface between the personal, domestic, unofficial and often feminized sides of remembrance and its national and official role. These texts both emphasize and legitimate the private and domestic sides of grief by portraying them within the public sphere. In so doing they engage with many who may feel excluded from traditional remembrance events and elicit an empathy for the bereaved which is removed from any support for conflicts and war

Peran pelatihan hardskill dan softskill program nasional pemberdayaan masyarakat (PNPM) mandiri terhadap keputusan masyrakat berwirausaha (Studi Kasus PNPM Mandiri Kelompok 131 Kecamatan Krian)

Skripsi ini berjudul “Peran Pelatihan Hardskill dan Softskill Program Nasional Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (PNPM) Mandiri terhadap Keputusan Masyarakat Berwirausaha”. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjawab rumusan masalah mengenai peran pelatihan Hardskill dan Softskill PNPM Mandiri terhadap keputusan masyarakat untuk berwirausaha serta peran pelatihan tersebut terhadap peningkatan kesejahteraan masyarakat yang menjadi peserta pelatihan. Penelitian yang dilakukam pada penelitian ini adalah kualitatif, dengan strategi partisipation. Desain penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian yang berjudul peran pelatihan hardskill dan softskill Program Nasional Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (PNPM) Mandiri terhadap keputusan Masyarakat berwirausaha adalah dengan metode penelitian kualitatif deskriptif. Metode penelitian kualitatif digunakan sebagai prosedur penelitian yang menghasilkan data deskriptif, yaitu data yang terkumpul dalam bentuk kata-kata, gambar dan bukan angka. Dalam menganalisis data melalui teknik pengumpulan data, menyajikan data yang terpilih secara keseluruhan, kemudian menarik kesimpulan dari hasil analisis data yang diperoleh. Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh adalah pelatihan hardskill dan softskill PNPM Mandiri mempunyai peran aktif dalam mengambil keputusan peserta untuk berwirausaha, usaha yang di buka oleh oeserta beragam sesuai dengan materi pelatihan yang mereka terima. Pelatihan tersebut juga mempunyai peran aktif meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat yang mengikuti pelatihan dilihat dari pendapatan peserta pelatihan yang meningkat dari sebelumnya. Dari hasil penelitian di atas, diharapkan untuk ke depannya pelatihan lebih sering dilakukan dan menjangkau masyarakat luas sehingga lebih banyak masyarakat yang berwirausaha dan bisa meningkatkan kesejahteraan keluarganya. Selain itu masyarakat diharapkan ikut berperan aktif mengikuti pelatihan kewirausahaan agar wirausaha di Indonesia semakin meningkat

Sequestration of Mutated α1-Antitrypsin into Inclusion Bodies Is a Cell-protective Mechanism to Maintain Endoplasmic Reticulum Function

A variant α1-antitrypsin with E342K mutation has a high tendency to form intracellular polymers, and it is associated with liver disease. In the hepatocytes of individuals carrying the mutation, α1-antitrypsin localizes both to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and to membrane-surrounded inclusion bodies (IBs). It is unclear whether the IBs contribute to cell toxicity or whether they are protective to the cell. We found that in hepatoma cells, mutated α1-antitrypsin exited the ER and accumulated in IBs that were negative for autophagosomal and lysosomal markers, and contained several ER components, but not calnexin. Mutated α1-antitrypsin induced IBs also in neuroendocrine cells, showing that formation of these organelles is not cell type specific. In the presence of IBs, ER function was largely maintained. Increased levels of calnexin, but not of protein disulfide isomerase, inhibited formation of IBs and lead to retention of mutated α1-antitrypsin in the ER. In hepatoma cells, shift of mutated α1-antitrypsin localization to the ER by calnexin overexpression lead to cell shrinkage, ER stress, and impairment of the secretory pathway at the ER level. We conclude that segregation of mutated α1-antitrypsin from the ER to the IBs is a protective cell response to maintain a functional secretory pathway

Genetic variation in genes regulating skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue remodelling associated with weight loss in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death globally. COPD patients with cachexia or weight loss have increased risk of death independent of body mass index (BMI) and lung function. We tested the hypothesis genetic variation is associated with weight loss in COPD using a genome- wide association study approach.MethodsParticipants with COPD (N = 4308) from three studies (COPDGene, ECLIPSE, and SPIROMICS) were analysed. Discovery analyses were performed in COPDGene with replication in SPIROMICS and ECLIPSE. In COPDGene, weight loss was defined as self- reported unintentional weight loss > 5% in the past year or low BMI (BMI < 20 kg/m2). In ECLIPSE and SPIROMICS, weight loss was calculated using available longitudinal visits. Stratified analyses were performed among African American (AA) and Non- Hispanic White (NHW) participants with COPD. Single variant and gene- based analyses were performed adjusting for confounders. Fine mapping was performed using a Bayesian approach integrating genetic association results with linkage disequilibrium and functional annotation. Significant gene networks were identified by integrating genetic regions associated with weight loss with skeletal muscle protein- protein interaction (PPI) data.ResultsAt the single variant level, only the rs35368512 variant, intergenic to GRXCR1 and LINC02383, was associated with weight loss (odds ratio = 3.6, 95% confidence interval = 2.3- 5.6, P = 3.2 à  10- 8) among AA COPD participants in COPDGene. At the gene level in COPDGene, EFNA2 and BAIAP2 were significantly associated with weight loss in AA and NHW COPD participants, respectively. The EFNA2 association replicated among AA from SPIROMICS (P = 0.0014), whereas the BAIAP2 association replicated in NHW from ECLIPSE (P = 0.025). The EFNA2 gene encodes the membrane- bound protein ephrin- A2 involved in the regulation of developmental processes and adult tissue homeostasis such as skeletal muscle. The BAIAP2 gene encodes the insulin- responsive protein of mass 53 kD (IRSp53), a negative regulator of myogenic differentiation. Integration of the gene- based findings participants with PPI data revealed networks of genes involved in pathways such as Rho and synapse signalling.ConclusionsThe EFNA2 and BAIAP2 genes were significantly associated with weight loss in COPD participants. Collectively, the integrative network analyses indicated genetic variation associated with weight loss in COPD may influence skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue remodelling.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/171220/1/jcsm12782_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/171220/2/jcsm12782.pd

Genetic variation in genes regulating skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue remodelling associated with weight loss in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death globally. COPD patients with cachexia or weight loss have increased risk of death independent of body mass index (BMI) and lung function. We tested the hypothesis genetic variation is associated with weight loss in COPD using a genome-wide association study approach.MethodsParticipants with COPD (N&nbsp;=&nbsp;4308) from three studies (COPDGene, ECLIPSE, and SPIROMICS) were analysed. Discovery analyses were performed in COPDGene with replication in SPIROMICS and ECLIPSE. In COPDGene, weight loss was defined as self-reported unintentional weight loss&nbsp;&gt;&nbsp;5% in the past year or low BMI (BMI&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;20&nbsp;kg/m2 ). In ECLIPSE and SPIROMICS, weight loss was calculated using available longitudinal visits. Stratified analyses were performed among African American (AA) and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants with COPD. Single variant and gene-based analyses were performed adjusting for confounders. Fine mapping was performed using a Bayesian approach integrating genetic association results with linkage disequilibrium and functional annotation. Significant gene networks were identified by integrating genetic regions associated with weight loss with skeletal muscle protein-protein interaction (PPI) data.ResultsAt the single variant level, only the rs35368512 variant, intergenic to GRXCR1 and LINC02383, was associated with weight loss (odds ratio&nbsp;=&nbsp;3.6, 95% confidence interval&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.3-5.6, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;3.2&nbsp;×&nbsp;10-8 ) among AA COPD participants in COPDGene. At the gene level in COPDGene, EFNA2 and BAIAP2 were significantly associated with weight loss in AA and NHW COPD participants, respectively. The EFNA2 association replicated among AA from SPIROMICS (P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.0014), whereas the BAIAP2 association replicated in NHW from ECLIPSE (P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.025). The EFNA2 gene encodes the membrane-bound protein ephrin-A2 involved in the regulation of developmental processes and adult tissue homeostasis such as skeletal muscle. The BAIAP2 gene encodes the insulin-responsive protein of mass 53&nbsp;kD (IRSp53), a negative regulator of myogenic differentiation. Integration of the gene-based findings participants with PPI data revealed networks of genes involved in pathways such as Rho and synapse signalling.ConclusionsThe EFNA2 and BAIAP2 genes were significantly associated with weight loss in COPD participants. Collectively, the integrative network analyses indicated genetic variation associated with weight loss in COPD may influence skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue remodelling