Dynamic Responses of Calving Caribou to Oilfields in Northern Alaska

Past research has suggested that during the calving period, caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Arctic Alaska generally avoid areas within 1 km of oilfield roads with traffic. However, avoidance is not absolute, and caribou may habituate to infrastructure (e.g., buildings, roads, well pads) and human activity. We conducted road-based surveys of caribou in oilfields on Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain during the late calving and post-calving periods of June in 2000–02. We recorded location, composition, and behavior of caribou groups located less than 1 km from active gravel roads and production pads. Caribou groups with calves were on average distributed farther from oilfield infrastructure than were groups without calves, but habituation to oilfield activities, indicated by decreased avoidance, occurred at similar rates for groups with and without calves. During the calving period, sighting rates were greater in areas of low human activity, and calf percentages tended to be greater at night when oilfield activity was reduced. Caribou groups were on average closer to infrastructure during the post-calving periods than during the calving periods in 2000 and 2001, but not in 2002. In 2002, when snow melted early, caribou groups were closer to infrastructure during the calving period than in 2000 and 2001, when snow melted later, emphasizing the importance of examining environmental variables when investigating the dynamic interactions of caribou and oilfields. Overall, caribou appeared to habituate to active oilfield infrastructure after the calving period in 2000, late in the calving period in 2001, and likely before our sampling period in 2002. The timing of annual rehabituation was positively correlated with timing of spring snowmelt. Land and wildlife managers can use information from this study to develop calving period-specific mitigation measures that are more effective and flexible.Selon des recherches antérieures, pendant sa période de vêlage, le caribou (Rangifer tarandus) de l’Alaska arctique évite généralement les régions se trouvant à l’intérieur d’un kilomètre des routes où circulent des véhicules menant aux chantiers pétroliers. Cependant, cet évitement n’est pas absolu, et le caribou peut s’accoutumer aux infrastructures (comme les bâtiments, les routes et les chantiers) et à l’activité humaine. Nous avons effectué le dénombrement des caribous près des routes des champs de pétrole de la plaine côtière arctique de l’Alaska vers la fin de la période de vêlage et après la période de vêlage de juin 2000 à 2002. Nous avons consigné l’emplacement, la composition et le comportement des groupes de caribous se trouvant à moins d’un kilomètre des routes de gravier et des chantiers de production en activité. En moyenne, les caribous qui avaient des petits se tenaient plus loin des infrastructures pétrolières que les groupes de caribous qui n’avaient pas de petits. Cela dit, l’accoutumance aux activités pétrolières, dénotée par un moins grand évitement, survenait à des taux semblables pour les groupes qui avaient des petits et les groupes qui n’en avaient pas. Pendant la période de vêlage, les taux d’observation de caribous étaient plus élevés dans les régions où il y avait peu d’activité humaine, et les pourcentages de petits avaient tendance à être plus élevés la nuit, lorsqu’il y avait peu de va-et-vient aux chantiers. En moyenne, les groupes de caribous s’approchaient plus des infrastructures pendant les périodes suivant le vêlage des années 2000 et 2001, mais pas en 2002. En 2002, quand la neige a fondu plus tôt que d’habitude, les groupes de caribous s’approchaient plus des infrastructures pendant la période de vêlage qu’en 2000 et 2001, lorsque la neige a fondu plus tard. Cela fait ressortir l’importance de tenir compte des variables environnementales lorsque nous faisons des enquêtes sur les interactions dynamiques entre les caribous et les champs de pétrole. Dans l’ensemble, les caribous semblaient s’accoutumer aux infrastructures pétrolières en activité après la période de vêlage en 2000, puis vers la fin de la période de vêlage en 2001, et vraisemblablement avant notre période d’échantillonnage en 2002. Le moment de l’accoutumance annuelle coïncidait positivement avec le moment de la fonte des neiges au printemps. Les gestionnaires des terres et de la faune peuvent se servir de l’information émanant de cette étude pour élaborer des mesures d’atténuation tenant compte de la période de vêlage, mesures qui sont plus efficaces et qui présentent plus de souplesse

Ethnic differences in the incidence of clinically diagnosed influenza: an England population-based cohort study 2008-2018 [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: People of non-White ethnicity have a higher risk of severe outcomes following influenza infection. It is unclear whether this is driven by an increased risk of infection or complications. We therefore aimed to investigate the incidence of clinically diagnosed influenza/influenza-like illness (ILI) by ethnicity in England from 2008-2018. Methods: We used linked primary and secondary healthcare data (from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink [CPRD] GOLD and Aurum databases and Hospital Episodes Statistics Admitted Patient Care [HES APC]). We included patients with recorded ethnicity who were aged 40-64 years and did not have a chronic health condition that would render them eligible for influenza vaccination. ILI infection was identified from diagnostic codes in CPRD and HES APC. We calculated crude annual infection incidence rates by ethnic group. Multivariable Poisson regression models with random effects were used to estimate any ethnic disparities in infection risk. Our main analysis adjusted for age, sex, and influenza year. Results: A total of 3,735,308 adults aged 40-64 years were included in the study; 87.6% White, 5.2% South Asian, 4.2% Black, 1.9% Other, and 1.1% Mixed. We identified 102,316 ILI episodes recorded among 94,623 patients. The rate of ILI was highest in the South Asian (9.6 per 1,000 person-years), Black (8.4 per 1,000 person-years) and Mixed (6.9 per 1,000 person-years) ethnic groups. The ILI rate in the White ethnic group was 5.7 per 1,000 person-years. After adjustment for age sex and influenza year, higher incidence rate ratios (IRR) for ILI were seen for South Asian (1.70, 95% CI 1.66-1.75), Black (1.48, 1.44-1.53) and Mixed (1.22, 1.15-1.30) groups compared to White ethnicity. Conclusions: Our results suggest that influenza infection risk differs between White and non-White groups who are not eligible for routine influenza vaccination

Caribou Distribution During the Post-calving Period in Relation to Infrastructure in the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field, Alaska

There is concern that caribou (Rangifer tarandus) may avoid roads and facilities (i.e. infrastructure) in the Prudhoe Bay oil field (PBOF) in northern Alaska, and that this avoidance can have negative effects on the animals. We quantified the relationship between caribou distribution and PBOF infrastructure during the post-calving period (mid-June to mid-August) with aerial surveys from 1990 to 1995. We conducted four to eight surveys per year with complete coverage of the PBOF. We identified active oil field infrastructure and used a geographic information system (GIS) to construct ten 1 km wide concentric intervals surrounding the infrastructure. We tested whether caribou distribution is related to distance from infrastructure with a chi-squared habitat utilization-availability analysis and log-linear regression. We considered bull, calves, and total caribou of all sex/age classes separately. The habitat utilization-availability analysis indicated there was no consistent trend of attraction to or avoidance of infrastructure. Caribou frequently were more abundant than expected in the intervals close to infrastructure, and this trend was more pronounced for bulls and for total caribou of all sex/age classes than for calves. Log-linear regression (with Poisson error structure) of numbers of caribou and distance from infrastructure were also done, with and without combining data into the 1 km distance intervals. The analysis without intervals revealed no relationship between caribou distribution and distance from oil field infrastructure, or between caribou distribution and Julian date, year, or distance from the Beaufort Sea coast. The log-linear regression with caribou combined into distance intervals showed the density of bulls and total caribou of all sex/age classes declined with distance from infrastructure. Our results indicate that during the post-calving period: 1) caribou distribution is largely unrelated to distance from infrastructure; 2) caribou regularly use habitats in the PBOF; 3) caribou often occur close to infrastructure; and 4) caribou do not appear to avoid oil field infrastructure.On s'inquiète du fait que le caribou (Rangifer tarandus) pourrait éviter les routes et installations (c-à-d. les infrastructures) du champ pétrolifère de Prudhoe Bay dans l'Alaska septentrional et que ce comportement pourrait avoir des répercussions négatives sur les animaux. Des relevés aériens effectués de 1990 à 1995 ont permis de quantifier le rapport entre la distribution du caribou et les infrastructures du champ pétrolifère de Prudhoe Bay au cours de la période suivant immédiatement la mise bas (de mi-juin à mi-août). On a procédé à un nombre de relevés annuels allant de quatre à huit, couvrant toute la superficie du champ. On a identifié les infrastructures du champ pétrolifère qui étaient en activité et utilisé un système d'information géographique (SIG) pour construire dix anneaux concentriques de 1 km de large entourant chaque infrastructure. On a testé l'hypothèse que la distribution du caribou est indépendante de l'éloignement de l'infrastructure grâce au test de chi carré entre l'utilisation et la disponibilité de l'habitat, et à la régression log-linéaire. On a tenu compte séparément de la catégorie des mâles, de celle des veaux et de celle de la population totale, sexe et âge confondus. L'analyse de l'utilisation et de la disponibilité de l'habitat révélait qu'il n'y avait pas de schéma cohérent d'attrait ou d'évitement des infrastructures. Les caribous étaient souvent plus abondants que prévu dans les anneaux proches des infrastructures, et cette tendance était plus prononcée pour les mâles adultes et pour l'ensemble des catégories, sexe et âge confondus, que pour les veaux. On a fait les analyses par régression log-linéaire en regroupant et sans regrouper les données anneaux de 1 km de largeur. L'analyse sans regroupement montrait qu'il n'existe pas de rapport entre la distribution du caribou et l'éloignement des infrastructures du champ pétrolifère, ou entre la distribution du caribou et la date julienne ou même l'éloignement de la côte de la mer de Beaufort. L'analyse log-linéaire avec les caribous regroupés dans des anneaux concentriques montrait que la densité des mâles adultes de l'ensemble de la population, sexe et âge confondus, était plus élevée dans les anneaux jouxtant les infrastructures. Nos résultats indiquent que, durant la période suivant immédiatement la mise bas: (1) la distribution du caribou est dans une large mesure indépendante de l'éloignement des infrastructures; (2) le caribou utilise les habitats au sein du champ pétrolifère de Prudhoe Bay sur une base régulière; (3) le caribou se trouve fréquemment près des infrastructures; et (4) le caribou ne semble pas chercher à éviter les infrastructures du champ pétrolifère

Risk of acute respiratory infection and acute cardiovascular events following acute respiratory infection among adults with increased cardiovascular risk in England between 2008 and 2018: a retrospective, population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: Although acute respiratory infections can lead to cardiovascular complications, the effect of underlying cardiovascular risk on the incidence of acute respiratory infections and cardiovascular complications following acute respiratory infection in individuals without established cardiovascular disease is unknown. We aimed to investigate whether cardiovascular risk is associated with increased risk of acute respiratory infection and acute cardiovascular events after acute respiratory infection using 10 years of linked electronic health record (EHR) data in England. METHODS: In this retrospective, population-based cohort study we used EHRs from primary care providers registered on the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD and Aurum databases in England. Eligible individuals were aged 40-64 years, did not have established cardiovascular disease or a chronic health condition that would make them eligible for influenza vaccination, were registered at a general practice contributing to the CPRD, and had linked Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care data in England from Sept 1, 2008, to Aug 31, 2018. We classified cardiovascular risk on the basis of diagnosed hypertension and overall predicted cardiovascular risk, estimated by use of the QRISK2 risk-prediction tool (comparing a score of ≥10% [increased risk] with a score of <10% [low risk]). Using multivariable Poisson regression models, we calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for systemic acute respiratory infection. Among individuals who had an acute respiratory infection, we used multivariable Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of acute cardiovascular events within 1 year of infection. FINDINGS: We identified 6 075 321 individuals aged 40-64 years with data in the CPRD and linked data in the Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care database between Sept 1, 2008, and Aug 31, 2018. Of these individuals, 4 212 930 (including 526 480 [12·5%] with hypertension and 607 087 [14·4%] with a QRISK2 score of ≥10%) were included in the assessment of the incidence of acute respiratory infection. After adjusting for confounders (age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, body-mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and consultation frequency in the hypertension analysis; and alcohol consumption and consultation frequency in the QRISK2 analysis), the incidence of acute respiratory infection was higher in individuals with hypertension than those without (IRR 1·04 [95% CI 1·03-1·05]) and higher in those with a QRISK2 score of 10% or higher than in those with a QRISK2 score of less than 10% (1·39 [1·37-1·40]). Of the 442 408 individuals who had an acute respiratory infection, 4196 (0·9%) had an acute cardiovascular event within 1 year of infection. After adjustment (for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, body-mass index, alcohol consumption, and smoking status in the hypertension analysis; and for alcohol consumption in the QRISK2 analysis), hypertension (HR 1·98 [95% CI 1·83-2·15]) and a QRISK2 score of 10% or higher (3·65 [3·42-3·89]) were associated with a substantially increased risk of acute cardiovascular events after acute respiratory infection. INTERPRETATION: People with increased cardiovascular risk but without diagnosed cardiovascular disease, measured by diagnosed hypertension or overall predicted cardiovascular risk, could benefit from influenza and pneumococcal vaccine prioritisation to reduce their risk of both acute respiratory infection and cardiovascular complications following an acute respiratory infection. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation and the Wellcome Trust

Primary prevention of acute cardiovascular events by influenza vaccination: an observational study

AIMS: Previous studies show a reduced incidence of first myocardial infarction and stroke 1–3 months after influenza vaccination, but it is unclear how underlying cardiovascular risk impacts the association. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study used linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink, Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care and Office for National Statistics mortality data from England between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2019. From the data, individuals aged 40–84 years with a first acute cardiovascular event and influenza vaccination occurring within 12 months of each September were selected. Using a self-controlled case series analysis, season-adjusted cardiovascular risk stratified incidence ratios (IRs) for cardiovascular events after vaccination compared with baseline time before and >120 days after vaccination were generated. 193 900 individuals with a first acute cardiovascular event and influenza vaccine were included. 105 539 had hypertension and 172 050 had a QRISK2 score ≥10%. In main analysis, acute cardiovascular event risk was reduced in the 15–28 days after vaccination [IR 0.72 (95% CI 0.70–0.74)] and, while the effect size tapered, remained reduced to 91–120 days after vaccination [0.83 (0.81–0.88)]. Reduced cardiovascular events were seen after vaccination among individuals of all age groups and with raised and low cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza vaccine may offer cardiovascular benefit among individuals at varying cardiovascular risk. Further studies are needed to characterize the populations who could derive the most cardiovascular benefits from vaccination

Western Diet-Fed, Aortic-Banded Ossabaw Swine: A Preclinical Model of Cardio-Metabolic Heart Failure.

The development of new treatments for heart failure lack animal models that encompass the increasingly heterogeneous disease profile of this patient population. This report provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that Western Diet-fed, aortic-banded Ossabaw swine display an integrated physiological, morphological, and genetic phenotype evocative of cardio-metabolic heart failure. This new preclinical animal model displays a distinctive constellation of findings that are conceivably useful to extending the understanding of how pre-existing cardio-metabolic syndrome can contribute to developing HF

A neurogenetic model for the study of schizophrenia spectrum disorders: The International 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Brain Behavior Consortium

Rare copy number variants contribute significantly to the risk for schizophrenia, with the 22q11.2 locus consistently implicated. Individuals with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) have an estimated 25-fold increased risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, compared to individuals in the general population. The International 22q11DS Brain Behavior Consortium is examining this highly informative neurogenetic syndrome phenotypically and genomically. Here we detail the procedures of the effort to characterize the neuropsychiatric and neurobehavioral phenotypes associated with 22q11DS, focusing on schizophrenia and subthreshold expression of psychosis. The genomic approach includes a combination of whole genome sequencing and genome-wide microarray technologies, allowing the investigation of all possible DNA variation and gene pathways influencing the schizophrenia-relevant phenotypic expression. A phenotypically rich data set provides a psychiatrically well-characterized sample of unprecedented size (n=1,616) that informs the neurobehavioral developmental course of 22q11DS. This combined set of phenotypic and genomic data will enable hypothesis testing to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Imprints of dark energy on cosmic structure formation: II) Non-Universality of the halo mass function

The universality of the halo mass function is investigated in the context of dark energy cosmologies. This widely used approximation assumes that the mass function can be expressed as a function of the matter density omega_m and the rms linear density fluctuation sigma only, with no explicit dependence on the properties of dark energy or redshift. In order to test this hypothesis we run a series of 15 high-resolution N-body simulations for different cosmological models. These consists of three LCDM cosmologies best fitting WMAP-1, 3 and 5 years data, and three toy-models characterized by a Ratra-Peebles quintessence potential with different slopes and amounts of dark energy density. These toy models have very different evolutionary histories at the background and linear level, but share the same sigma8 value. For each of these models we measure the mass function from catalogues of halos identified in the simulations using the Friend-of-Friend (FoF) algorithm. We find redshift dependent deviations from a universal behaviour, well above numerical uncertainties and of non-stochastic origin, which are correlated with the linear growth factor of the investigated cosmologies. Using the spherical collapse as guidance, we show that such deviations are caused by the cosmology dependence of the non-linear collapse and virialization process. For practical applications, we provide a fitting formula of the mass function accurate to 5 percents over the all range of investigated cosmologies. We also derive an empirical relation between the FoF linking parameter and the virial overdensity which can account for most of the deviations from an exact universal behavior. Overall these results suggest that the halo mass function contains unique cosmological information since it carries a fossil record of the past cosmic evolution.Comment: 21 pages, 19 figures, 5 tables, published in MNRAS. Paper I: arXiv:0903.549

Mindfulness based interventions in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt; Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a stressful condition; depression, anxiety, pain and fatigue are all common problems. Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) mitigate stress and prevent relapse in depression and are increasingly being used in healthcare. However, there are currently no systematic reviews of MBIs in people with MS. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MBIs in people with MS.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Methods&lt;/b&gt; Systematic searches were carried out in seven major databases, using both subject headings and key words. Papers were screened, data extracted, quality appraised, and analysed by two reviewers independently, using predefined criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Perceived stress was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include mental health, physical health, quality of life, and health service utilisation. Statistical meta-analysis was not possible. Disagreements were adjudicated by a third party reviewer.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt; Three studies (n = 183 participants) were included in the final analysis. The studies were undertaken in Wales (n = 16, randomised controlled trial - (RCT)), Switzerland (n = 150, RCT), and the United States (n = 17, controlled trial). 146 (80%) participants were female; mean age (SD) was 48.6 (9.4) years. Relapsing remitting MS was the main diagnostic category (n = 123, 67%); 43 (26%) had secondary progressive disease; and the remainder were unspecified. MBIs lasted 6–8 weeks; attrition rates were variable (5-43%); all employed pre- post- measures; two had longer follow up; one at 3, and one at 6 months. Socio-economic status of participants was not made explicit; health service utilisation and costs were not reported. No study reported on perceived stress. All studies reported quality of life (QOL), mental health (anxiety and depression), physical (fatigue, standing balance, pain), and psychosocial measures. Statistically significant beneficial effects relating to QOL, mental health, and selected physical health measures were sustained at 3- and 6- month follow up.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusion&lt;/b&gt; From the limited data available, MBIs may benefit some MS patients in terms of QOL, mental health, and some physical health measures. Further studies are needed to clarify how MBIs might best serve the MS population.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt

Prospective Study Delivering Simultaneous Integrated High-dose Tumor Boost (≤70 Gy) With Image Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Radical Treatment of Localized Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

PurposeImage guided adaptive radiation therapy offers individualized solutions to improve target coverage and reduce normal tissue irradiation, allowing the opportunity to increase the radiation tumor dose and spare normal bladder tissue.Methods and MaterialsA library of 3 intensity modulated radiation therapy plans were created (small, medium, and large) from planning computed tomography (CT) scans performed at 30 and 60 minutes; treating the whole bladder to 52 Gy and the tumor to 70 Gy in 32 fractions. A “plan of the day” approach was used for treatment delivery. A post-treatment cone beam CT (CBCT) scan was acquired weekly to assess intrafraction filling and coverage.ResultsA total of 18 patients completed treatment to 70 Gy. The plan and treatment for 1 patient was to 68 Gy. Also, 1 patient's plan was to 70 Gy but the patient was treated to a total dose of 65.6 Gy because dose-limiting toxicity occurred before dose escalation. A total of 734 CBCT scans were evaluated. Small, medium, and large plans were used in 36%, 48%, and 16% of cases, respectively. The mean ± standard deviation rate of intrafraction filling at the start of treatment (ie, week 1) was 4.0 ± 4.8 mL/min (range 0.1-19.4) and at end of radiation therapy (ie, week 5 or 6) was 1.1 ± 1.6 mL/min (range 0.01-7.5; P=.002). The mean D98 (dose received by 98% volume) of the tumor boost and bladder as assessed on the post-treatment CBCT scan was 97.07% ± 2.10% (range 89.0%-104%) and 99.97% ± 2.62% (range 96.4%-112.0%). At a median follow-up period of 19 months (range 4-33), no muscle-invasive recurrences had developed. Two patients experienced late toxicity (both grade 3 cystitis) at 5.3 months (now resolved) and 18 months after radiation therapy.ConclusionsImage guided adaptive radiation therapy using intensity modulated radiation therapy to deliver a simultaneous integrated tumor boost to 70 Gy is feasible, with acceptable toxicity, and will be evaluated in a randomized trial