Changes in Land Distribution of Polar Bears in Western Hudson Bay

We examined the capture locations of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) on land in western Hudson Bay over 19 years (1986–2004) to assess temporal trends in the distribution of the population. We found that the distribution of bears of most age and sex groups shifted northward and eastward over the study. The causes of these shifts may be related to an altered population structure, changing environmental conditions, or a combination of both factors. Segregation by age, sex, and reproductive status persisted over time as found in earlier studies, but more females with young were within 5 km of the coast after 2001 than before. The distribution changes were correlated with the timing of sea-ice breakup, which now occurs, on average, about three weeks earlier than it did 30 years ago. While environmental conditions may have influenced polar bear distribution, the reduction in the number of large adult males along the coast may also have affected distribution patterns, allowing adult females to remain closer to the coast in more recent times.Nous avons examiné les lieux de capture d’ours polaires (Ursus maritimus) sur la terre ferme dans l’ouest de la baie d’Hudson pendant 19 ans (de 1986 à 2004) afin d’évaluer les tendances temporelles caractérisant la répartition de la population. Nous avons remarqué que la répartition des ours de la plupart des groupes d’âge et de sexe se déplaçait vers le nord et vers l’est au cours de l’étude. Cela pourrait être attribuable à une structure de population modifiée, à l’évolution des conditions environnementales ou à un ensemble des deux facteurs. La ségrégation en fonction de l’âge, du sexe et de l’état reproducteur a persisté avec le temps, tel que dénoté dans le cadre d’études antérieures, mais plus de femelles avec des jeunes se trouvaient en-dedans de cinq kilomètres de la côte après 2001 qu’avant. Les changements en matière de répartition ont été corrélés au moment de la débâcle de la glace de mer qui maintenant se produit, en moyenne, environ trois semaines plus tôt qu’il y a 30 ans. Bien que les conditions environnementales puissent avoir exercé une influence sur la répartition des ours polaires, la réduction du nombre de gros mâles adultes le long de la côte pourrait également avoir modifié les tendances caractérisant la répartition, permettant ainsi aux femelles adultes de rester plus près de la côte ces dernières années

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) Migration from Maternal Dens in Western Hudson Bay

Migration is a common life history strategy among Arctic vertebrates, yet some of its aspects remain poorly described for some species. In February-March, post-parturient polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in western Hudson Bay, Canada, migrate from maternity den sites on land to the sea ice with three- to four-month-old cubs. We investigated this migration using data from 10 adult females fitted with satellite-linked global positioning system collars tracked in 2011 – 16. Directed movement towards the coast began on average on 1 March (range: 31 January to 23 March) and took a mean of 7.8 days to reach the coast. Bears traveled 18 to 100 km from their dens to the coast (mean = 63 km) at a mean rate of 6.7 km/d. Movements were highly directed, with an approximate northeast orientation, but did not follow the shortest path to the coast. Observed migration patterns were broadly similar to those previously documented, although mean departure date from dens was about four days earlier and mean movement rate was only 40% of that from the late 1990s. Given the sensitivity of polar bears to climate change, the phenology of denning may be a meaningful parameter for long-term monitoring.Parmi les vertébrés de l’Arctique, la migration constitue une stratégie de cycle biologique courante et pourtant, pour certaines espèces, certains des aspects de la migration sont toujours mal décrits. En février et en mars, les ours polaires (Ursus maritimus) de post-parturition de l’ouest de la baie d’Hudson, au Canada, migrent depuis leurs aires terrestres de mise bas vers la glace de mer avec leurs oursons de trois à quatre mois. Nous avons étudié cette migration en nous servant des données relatives à dix femelles adultes dotées de colliers satellitaires avec système de localisation GPS, données recueillies de 2011 à 2016. En moyenne, les déplacements dirigés vers la côte commençaient le 1er mars (étendue : du 31 janvier au23 mars) et pour se rendre jusqu’à la côte, il fallait en moyenne 7,8 jours. De leur aire de mise bas jusqu’à la côte, les ours parcouraient de 18 à 100 km (moyenne = 63 km) au taux moyen de 6,7 km/j. Les déplacements étaient fortement dirigés, avec une orientation approximative du nord-est, sans toutefois emprunter le chemin le plus court menant à la côte. Les modèles de migration observés ressemblaient beaucoup aux modèles déjà documentés, quoique la date de départ moyenne des aires de mise bas s’établissait à environ quatre jours plus tôt et que le taux de déplacement moyen ne correspondait qu’à 40 % du taux de la fin des années 1990. Compte tenu de la sensibilité des ours polaires au changement climatique, la phénologie de l’aire de mise bas pourrait constituer un paramètre significatif pour la surveillance à long terme

Neuromuscular effects of G93A-SOD1 expression in zebrafish

Abstract Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder involving the degeneration and loss of motor neurons. The mechanisms of motor neuron loss in ALS are unknown and there are no effective treatments. Defects in the distal axon and at the neuromuscular junction are early events in the disease course, and zebrafish provide a promising in vivo system to examine cellular mechanisms and treatments for these events in ALS pathogenesis. Results We demonstrate that transient genetic manipulation of zebrafish to express G93A-SOD1, a mutation associated with familial ALS, results in early defects in motor neuron outgrowth and axonal branching. This is consistent with previous reports on motor neuron axonal defects associated with familial ALS genes following knockdown or mutant protein overexpression. We also demonstrate that upregulation of growth factor signaling is capable of rescuing these early defects, validating the potential of the model for therapeutic discovery. We generated stable transgenic zebrafish lines expressing G93A-SOD1 to further characterize the consequences of G93A-SOD1 expression on neuromuscular pathology and disease progression. Behavioral monitoring reveals evidence of motor dysfunction and decreased activity in transgenic ALS zebrafish. Examination of neuromuscular and neuronal pathology throughout the disease course reveals a loss of neuromuscular junctions and alterations in motor neuron innervations patterns with disease progression. Finally, motor neuron cell loss is evident later in the disease. Conclusions This sequence of events reflects the stepwise mechanisms of degeneration in ALS, and provides a novel model for mechanistic discovery and therapeutic development for neuromuscular degeneration in ALS.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112892/1/13024_2012_Article_367.pd

Increasing SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among UK pediatric patients on dialysis and kidney transplantation between January 2020 and August 2021

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11 March 2020, as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly across the world. We investigated the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pediatric patients on dialysis or kidney transplantation in the UK.MethodsExcess sera samples were obtained prospectively during outpatient visits or haemodialysis sessions and analysed using a custom immunoassay calibrated with population age-matched healthy controls. Two large pediatric centres contributed samples.ResultsIn total, 520 sera from 145 patients (16 peritoneal dialysis, 16 haemodialysis, 113 transplantation) were analysed cross-sectionally from January 2020 until August 2021. No anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive samples were detected in 2020 when lockdown and enhanced social distancing measures were enacted. Thereafter, the proportion of positive samples increased from 5% (January 2021) to 32% (August 2021) following the emergence of the Alpha variant. Taking all patients, 32/145 (22%) were seropositive, including 8/32 (25%) with prior laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 12/32 (38%) post-vaccination (one of whom was also infected after vaccination). The remaining 13 (41%) seropositive patients had no known stimulus, representing subclinical cases. Antibody binding signals were comparable across patient ages and dialysis versus transplantation and highest against full-length spike protein versus spike subunit-1 and nucleocapsid protein.ConclusionsAnti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was low in 2020 and increased in early 2021. Serological surveillance complements nucleic acid detection and antigen testing to build a greater picture of the epidemiology of COVID-19 and is therefore important to guide public health responses

KidzMed e-learning to upskill student pharmacists to teach pill swallowing to children

Background: Appropriate medication use is essential in ensuring optimal pharmacotherapeutic outcomes. It is mistakenly assumed that adults can swallow solid oral dosage forms (SODFs, e.g. tablets/capsules colloquially referred to as ‘pills’), without difficulty and that children cannot. KidzMed is a ‘pill swallowing’ training programme designed to teach effective SODF use in patients of all ages. It may be utilised by healthcare professionals to assist patients taking SODFs. E-learning was essential for training during COVID pandemic to reduce viral transmission. The aim of this study was to explore UK student pharmacists views of e-learning to support swallowing solid oral dosage forms. Methods: This study used pre- and post-intervention online surveys on Microsoft Forms to evaluate self-directed eLearning about pill swallowing on MPharm programmes at three UK Universities using a 13-item survey. A combination of five-point Likert Scales and free-text items were used. The eLearning was available via the virtual learning environment at the University and embedded within existing curriculum. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to explore responses. Results: In total, 113 of 340 (33%) students completed the survey. Seventy-eight percent (n = 65) reported the eLearning would enable them to teach adults and children to swallow SODFs successfully. Learners either agreed or strongly agreed that they felt comfortable to teach patients (95%, n = 62/113) and parents or carers (94%, n = 60) to swallow medications having completed the e-learning. Student pharmacists generally found eLearning as an acceptable way to reflect on their own experiences of ‘pill’ swallowing and how to support patients to swallow SODFs. Conclusion: The KidzMed eLearning was well received by student pharmacists. Further work is needed to explore whether skills translates into real life application in the clinical settings

Prediction of Streptococcus uberis clinical mastitis risk using Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in dairy herds

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the risk of Streptococcus uberis clinical mastitis at cow level could be predicted from the historical presence of specific strains of S. uberis on dairy farms. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry was used to identify S. uberis isolates potentially capable of contagious transmission. Data were available from 10,652 cows from 52 English and Welsh dairy farms over a 14 month period, and 521 isolates of S. uberis from clinical mastitis cases were available for analysis. As well as the temporal herd history of clinical mastitis associated with particular S. uberis strains, other exposure variables included cow parity, stage of lactation, milk yield, and somatic cell count. Observations were structured longitudinally as repeated weekly measures through the study period for each cow. Data were analyzed in a Bayesian framework using multilevel logistic regression models. Similarity of mass spectral profiles between isolates of S. uberis from consecutive clinical cases of mastitis in herds was used to indicate potential for contagious phenotypic characteristics. Cross validation showed that new isolates with these characteristics could be identified with an accuracy of 90% based on bacterial protein mass spectral characteristics alone. The cow-level risk in any week of these S. uberis clinical mastitis cases increased with the presence of the same specific strains of S. uberis in other cows in the herd during the previous 2 weeks. The final statistical model 29 indicated there would be a 2 to 3 fold increase in the risk of S. uberis clinical mastitis associated with particular strains if these occurred in the herd 1 and 2 weeks previously. The results suggest that specific strains of S. uberis may be involved with contagious transmission, and predictions based on their occurrence could be used as an early warning surveillance system to enhance the control of S. uberis mastitis

Abundance and species diversity hotspots of tracked marine predators across the North American Arctic

Aim: Climate change is altering marine ecosystems worldwide and is most pronounced in the Arctic. Economic development is increasing leading to more disturbances and pressures on Arctic wildlife. Identifying areas that support higher levels of predator abundance and biodiversity is important for the implementation of targeted conservation measures across the Arctic. Location: Primarily Canadian Arctic marine waters but also parts of the United States, Greenland and Russia. Methods: We compiled the largest data set of existing telemetry data for marine predators in the North American Arctic consisting of 1,283 individuals from 21 species. Data were arranged into four species groups: (a) cetaceans and pinnipeds, (b) polar bears Ursus maritimus (c) seabirds, and (d) fishes to address the following objectives: (a) to identify abundance hotspots for each species group in the summer–autumn and winter–spring; (b) to identify species diversity hotspots across all species groups and extent of overlap with exclusive economic zones; and (c) to perform a gap analysis that assesses amount of overlap between species diversity hotspots with existing protected areas. Results: Abundance and species diversity hotpots during summer–autumn and winter–spring were identified in Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Amundsen Gulf, and the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering seas both within and across species groups. Abundance and species diversity hotpots occurred within the continental slope in summer–autumn and offshore in areas of moving pack ice in winter–spring. Gap analysis revealed that the current level of conservation protection that overlaps species diversity hotspots is low covering only 5% (77,498 km 2 ) in summer–autumn and 7% (83,202 km 2 ) in winter–spring. Main conclusions: We identified several areas of potential importance for Arctic marine predators that could provide policymakers with a starting point for conservation measures given the multitude of threats facing the Arctic. These results are relevant to multilevel and multinational governance to protect this vulnerable ecosystem in our rapidly changing world

Revealing the Appetite of the Marine Aquarium Fish Trade: The Volume and Biodiversity of Fish Imported into the United States

The aquarium trade and other wildlife consumers are at a crossroads forced by threats from global climate change and other anthropogenic stressors that have weakened coastal ecosystems. While the wildlife trade may put additional stress on coral reefs, it brings income into impoverished parts of the world and may stimulate interest in marine conservation. To better understand the influence of the trade, we must first be able to quantify coral reef fauna moving through it. Herein, we discuss the lack of a data system for monitoring the wildlife aquarium trade and analyze problems that arise when trying to monitor the trade using a system not specifically designed for this purpose. To do this, we examined an entire year of import records of marine tropical fish entering the United States in detail, and discuss the relationship between trade volume, biodiversity and introduction of non-native marine fishes. Our analyses showed that biodiversity levels are higher than previous estimates. Additionally, more than half of government importation forms have numerical or other reporting discrepancies resulting in the overestimation of trade volumes by 27%. While some commonly imported species have been introduced into the coastal waters of the USA (as expected), we also found that some uncommon species in the trade have also been introduced. This is the first study of aquarium trade imports to compare commercial invoices to government forms and provides a means to, routinely and in real time, examine the biodiversity of the trade in coral reef wildlife species

Seed amplification and neurodegeneration marker trajectories in individuals at risk of prion disease

Human prion diseases are remarkable for long incubation times followed typically by rapid clinical decline. Seed amplification assays and neurodegeneration biofluid biomarkers are remarkably useful in the clinical phase, but their potential to predict clinical onset in healthy people remains unclear. This is relevant not only to the design of preventive strategies in those at-risk of prion diseases, but more broadly, because prion-like mechanisms are thought to underpin many neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report the accrual of a longitudinal biofluid resource in patients, controls and healthy people at risk of prion diseases, to which ultrasensitive techniques such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), and single molecule array (Simoa) digital immunoassays were applied for preclinical biomarker discovery. We studied 648 CSF and plasma samples, including 16 people who had samples taken when healthy but later developed inherited prion disease (IPD) ("converters"; range from 9.9 prior to, and 7.4 years after onset). Symptomatic IPD CSF samples were screened by RT-QuIC assay variations, before testing the entire collection of at-risk samples using the most sensitive assay. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL), tau and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) levels were measured in plasma and CSF. Second generation (IQ-CSF) RT-QuIC proved 100% sensitive and specific for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), iatrogenic (iCJD) and familial CJD phenotypes, and subsequently detected seeding activity in four presymptomatic CSF samples from three E200K carriers; one converted in under two months while two remain asymptomatic after at least three years' follow-up. A bespoke HuPrP P102L RT-QuIC showed partial sensitivity for P102L disease. No compatible RT-QuIC assay was discovered for classical 6-OPRI, A117V and D178N, and these at-risk samples tested negative with bank vole RT-QuIC. Plasma GFAP and NfL, and CSF NfL levels emerged as proximity markers of neurodegeneration in the typically slow IPDs (e.g. P102L), with significant differences in mean values segregating healthy control from IPD carriers (within 2 years to onset) and symptomatic IPD cohorts; plasma GFAP appears to change before NfL, and before clinical conversion. In conclusion, we show distinct biomarker trajectories in fast and slow IPDs. Specifically, we identify several years of presymptomatic seeding positivity in E200K, a new proximity marker (plasma GFAP) and sequential neurodegenerative marker evolution (plasma GFAP followed by NfL) in slow IPDs. We suggest a new preclinical staging system featuring clinical, seeding and neurodegeneration aspects, for validation with larger prion at-risk cohorts, and with potential application to other neurodegenerative proteopathies

Do airway metallic stents for benign lesions confer too costly a benefit?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of self-expanding metallic stents (SEMAS) in the treatment benign airway obstruction is controversial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To evaluate the safety and efficacy of SEMAS for this indication, we conducted a 10-year retrospective review at our tertiary medical centre.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using flexible bronchoscopy, 82 SEMAS (67% Ultraflex, 33% Wallstent) were placed in 35 patients with inoperable lesions, many with significant medical comorbidities (88%). 68% of stents were tracheal, and 83% of patients showed immediate symptomatic improvement. Reversible complications developed in 9% of patients within 24 hrs of stent placement. Late complications (>24 hrs) occurred in 77% of patients, of which 37% were clinically significant or required an interventional procedure. These were mainly due to stent migration (12.2%), fracture (19.5%), or obstructive granulomas (24.4%). The overall granuloma rate of 57% was higher at tracheal sites (59%) than bronchial ones (34%), but not significantly different between Ultraflex and Wallstents. Nevertheless, Wallstents were associated with higher rates of bleeding (5% vs. 30%, p = 0.005) and migration (7% vs. 26%, p = 0.026). Of 10 SEMAS removed using flexible bronchoscopy, only one was associated with incomplete removal of fractured stent wire. Median survival was 3.6 ± 2.7 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Ill patients with inoperable lesions may be considered for treatment with SEMAS.</p