The Distribution, Nesting Habits and Status of Threatened Vulture Species in Protected Areas of Central India

Protected Area (PA) establishment is one of the commoner strategies for wildlife conservation, but the effectiveness of these developments is rarely evaluated in terms of species’ performance. This article assesses the effectiveness of PAs of Central India, using an assessment of threatened vulture species. These species may be considered as keystone species in this region. Relevant parameters considered for assessment comprised: (i) the presence and population density of vultures in PAs compared with those in unprotected forests and agricultural landscapes; (ii) counts of the breeding population, nesting preferences and environmental factors for such variables; and (iii) the impacts of policies designed to combat the effects of the deadly diclofenac drug on vulture populations. Quantitative (total counts of vultures and nests, transect surveys) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews, secondary data surveys) methodologies were used in data collection, to provide an adequate information base. White-rumped, Longbilled, Egyptian and Red-headed vultures (resident) and Cinereous Vulture, Eurasian Griffon and Himalayan Griffon (migratory) were recorded in PAs. The probability of vulture occupancy was significantly higher in PAs (44–51%), than in unprotected forest (17.6–17.8%) and agricultural areas (0.03%). The average vulture density in PAs (0.529 ±0.228 km-2 ) was also much higher than in unprotected forest (0.014±0.012 km-2 ) and agricultural areas. The presence of active, inactive and abandoned nests in PAs revealed favorable habitat conditions for breeding, potential breeding and floater vulture categories. Disturbance factors were insignificant. The statutory ban on diclofenac use had a significant impact on vulture populations within the PAs, but this factor was insignificant in surrounding areas. These findings indicate a positive role of PAs in conservation, with insignificant impacts of the diclofenac ban across different types of landcover. It is concluded that increased promotion of environmental education is important to ensure effective vulture conservation and the success of PAs

Microbial source tracking of human and animal waste pollution of diverse watersheds and of urban drainage systems using molecular methods

The central hypothesis of microbial source tracking (MST) is that there exists a distinguishable relationship between microbes excreted in feces and their particular hosts. These associations could be due to adaptations of microbes to their host’s gut environment and may involve coevolution between microbes and their hosts. In this study, we performed phylogenetic analyses on 16S rRNA gene sequences associated with different host groups to determine if Bacteroides dorei and Enterococcus faecium show co-evolutionary characteristics, thus, host specificity. Bioinformatic analyses were also conducted on E. faecium surface protein gene (espfm) for host specificity. The results of our analyses provide good support for B. dorei human host specificity, and very little support for such specificity in E. faecium.Given these findings, a redesigned primer and probe set was developed for a probe based qPCR assay that specifically targets bacterial sequences from a human-specific B. dorei lineage (HF68-HR183rc) and another targeting the E. faecium espfm gene. The results from comparative assays of HF68-HR183rc against a HF183 protocol obtained from the literature showed similar sensitivity, but an improvement in the specificity of our newly designed protocol. However, assays of rabbit samples showed a high number of positive assays with both the redesigned (58%) and the HF183 (67%) protocol. The newly designed HF68-HR183rc assay could be of considerable use to screen a watershed for human fecal sources of pollution if it is known not to be impacted by rabbits. Assays of the redesigned espfm protocol were not as successful as a quantitative assay, requiring an enrichment process.The HF68-HR183rc qPCR MST protocol was used to help characterize the sources of pollution of sub-watersheds of the temperate environs of Philadelphia/Delaware watershed; watersheds of the tropical island of Puerto Rico; and different types of green infrastructures in Philadelphia and New York.Keywords: microbial source tracking; Bacteroides dorei; Enterococcus faecium; qPCR; molecular (genetic) markers; 16S rRNA gene; bioinformatics; phylogeneticPh.D., Civil Engineering -- Drexel University, 201

Electroskip Auditory Biofeedback in a Patient with Parkinson Disease: A Case Report

The purpose of this case study was to observe the effects of a rehabilitation program with an audio-biofeedback technology device called Electroskip in a patient with Parkinson disease. The patient was a 61-year-old man with moderate Parkinson disease (Hoehn and Yahr Parkinson’s scale stage III) and dementia who had progressive episodes of freezing of gait. The patient also had a history of recent falls. The patient completed a 6-week rehabilitation program focused on functional tasks, balance and gait training while using Electroskip technology, which is a wireless, wearable device that sends a discrete real-time generative audio-biofeedback signal when the user steps on either the heel or toe force sensors positioned under the innersoles. The outcome measures included the Timed Up and Go test, the modified Gait Abnormality Rating Scale, the modified Parkinson’s Activity Scale, and the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire. The patient completed 17 of the 18 scheduled training sessions and all testing sessions; no adverse events occurred during the rehabilitation program and high satisfaction levels were reported by the patient and family after completion of the 6-week rehabilitation program. Clinically significant improvements were seen in all measures at 6 weeks. The results of this report suggest that a rehabilitation program focused on functional tasks, balance, and gait training using the Electroskip technology may be beneficial for improving gait and balance in a patient with moderate Parkinson disease. Future work is needed to determine the effectiveness of Electroskip technology by means of randomized controlled trials

Mueller Matrix Parameters for Radio Telescopes and their Observational Determination

Modern digital crosscorrelators permit the simultaneous measurement of all four Stokes parameters. However, the results must be calibrated to correct for the polarization transfer function of the receiving system. The transfer function for any device can be expressed by its Mueller matrix. We express the matrix elements in terms of fundamental system parameters that describe the voltage transfer functions (known as the Jones matrix) of the various system devices in physical terms and thus provide a means for comparing with engineering calculations and investigating the effects of design changes. We describe how to determine these parameters with astronomical observations. We illustrate the method by applying it to some of the receivers at the Arecibo Observatory.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures; accepted for PAS

Independent evaluation of a simple clinical prediction rule to identify right ventricular dysfunction in patients with shortness of breath

BACKGROUND: Many patients have unexplained persistent dyspnea after negative computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA). We hypothesized that many of these patients have isolated right ventricular (RV) dysfunction from treatable causes. We previously derived a clinical decision rule (CDR) for predicting RV dysfunction consisting of persistent dyspnea and normal CTPA, finding that 53% of CDR-positive patients had isolated RV dysfunction. Our goal is to validate this previously derived CDR by measuring the prevalence of RV dysfunction and outcomes in dyspneic emergency department patients. METHODS: A secondary analysis of a prospective observational multicenter study that enrolled patients presenting with suspected PE was performed. We included patients with persistent dyspnea, a nonsignificant CTPA, and formal echo performed. Right ventricular dysfunction was defined as RV hypokinesis and/or dilation with or without moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation. RESULTS: A total of 7940 patients were enrolled. Two thousand six hundred sixteen patients were analyzed after excluding patients without persistent dyspnea and those with a significant finding on CTPA. One hundred ninety eight patients had echocardiography performed as standard care. Of those, 19% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14%-25%) and 33% (95% CI, 25%-42%) exhibited RV dysfunction and isolated RV dysfunction, respectively. Patients with isolated RV dysfunction or overload were more likely than those without RV dysfunction to have a return visit to the emergency department within 45 days for the same complaint (39% vs 18%; 95% CI of the difference, 4%-38%). CONCLUSION: This simple clinical prediction rule predicted a 33% prevalence of isolated RV dysfunction or overload. Patients with isolated RV dysfunction had higher recidivism rates and a trend toward worse outcomes

Locoregional and systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

The management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains challenging due to late presentation and the presence of accompanying liver dysfunction. As such, most patients are not eligible for curative resection and liver transplant. Management in this scenario depends on a number of factors including hepatic function, tumor burden, patency of hepatic vasculature and patients' functional status. Based on these, patients can be offered catheter based intra-arterial therapy for intermediate stage disease and in more advanced disease, sorafenib. Given recent data, regorafenib is now an option following failure of sorafenib. Catheter directed intra-arterial therapy takes advantage of tumor hypervascularity and the unique dual blood supply of the liver, as hepatic tumors receive arterial perfusion via the hepatic artery while the rest of the liver is supplied by the portal vein. This allows selective embolization and delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the tumor. Compared to best supportive care, intra-arterial therapy offers a survival benefit in intermediate stage HCC and is the recommended approach for treatment. None of the catheter based approaches; including bland embolization, conventional trans-arterial chemoembolization (cTACE), drug eluting bead trans-arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) or trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) offers a clear advantage over the other, although DEB-TACE may be characterized by less systemic toxicity. All of these approaches are contraindicated in patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT). On the other hand, intra-arterial, radio embolization, with Yttrium-90 (Y90) can be offered to patients with PVT. The place of this modality in management of HCC is still being investigated. The role of sorafenib in advanced HCC is not in doubt, as until recently, it was the only systemic therapy approved for the management in this setting. This is despite multiple trials evaluating other agents. The addition of sorafenib to catheter-based therapy in intermediate stage disease has also failed to show any benefit. The modest survival benefit with sorafenib and the failure of other targeted agents suggest that it is important to look beyond inhibition of angiogenesis in advanced HCC. Identification of key drivers and mediators of HCC remains paramount for successful drug development. In line with this, it is refreshing that the excitement that has followed developments in cancer immunotherapy is finding its way to HCC with early trials of anti-PD1 monoclonal antibodies showing sufficient activity that phase III trials are now ongoing for Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab in advanced HCC. Future drug development efforts will focus on defining the feasibility of combining different treatment approaches targeting multiple important modulators of HCC

Optical vortex trap for resonant confinement of metal nanoparticles

The confinement and controlled movement of metal nanoparticles and nanorods is an emergent area within optical micromanipulation. In this letter we experimentally realise a novel trapping geometry near the plasmon resonance using an annular light field possessing a helical phasefront that confines the nanoparticle to the vortex core (dark) region. We interpret our data with a theoretical framework based upon the Maxwell stress tensor formulation to elucidate the total forces upon nanometric particles near the particle plasmon resonance. Rotation of the particle due to orbital angular momentum transfer is observed. This geometry may have several advantages for advanced manipulation of metal nanoparticles

Evaluating the Efficacy of Training Programs for Community Health Workers in Rural Uganda

Background: The Ministry of Health and Omnimed, a non-profit U.S.-based organization that works with international communities to provide basic health education, have partnered to provide health training to community health workers (henceforth referred to as village health workers or VHWs) in rural villages in Uganda. The training is provided via an intensive five-day long session that introduces a wide variety of themes in basic health education taught by experts in the respective fields. The participants are selected by the local government based on their age, reliability, level of education and availability. On the first day, the participants are given a pre-test that evaluates their level of knowledge about the subjects that will be taught during the training session, and are given the same questions as a post-test on the last day of training. This is done to evaluate how much information the participants learned about basic health during the training. The participants are followed after this training by quarterly meetings, focus groups and further, more specific, training sessions. We analyzed data from the pre- and post-tests to evaluate the amount of information learned through the training sessions and we also evaluated feedback from the focus groups to determine how trainees thought the program was affecting their community and to analyze the challenges facing the VHWs. Objectives: The objective of this project was two-fold: 1) to evaluate the amount of information about basic health retained by VHWs who participated in a week-long training session; and 2) to follow-up with VHWs to see what changes they noticed in their communities and determine what challenges they face in disseminating health information in their villages. Methods: The study sample consisted of 110 participants who were asked to complete the pre- and post-tests. The pre- and post-training test consisted of 49 multiple choice questions, written in Luganda, with a total possible score of 105. The pre-test was distributed to the participants on the first day of the training session. Participants were administered post-tests on the last day of the training session. The questions and the delivery of the exams were the same at both points in time. The grading of the tests was as follows: each correct answer received one point, incorrect answers received no points, and questions with more than one answer received no points. We compared the percentage of correct answers of the pre- and post-tests to determine any changes in knowledge as a result of the training session. A total of 99 trainees were recruited to participate in focus groups. Focus groups were conducted three and six months after the original training session and involved five to ten VHWs per session. Questionnaires were distributed to the groups and questions were read aloud with discussion about each topic. We asked the VHWs: 1) Have you noticed healthy changes in your community?; 2) What changes have you noticed; 3) How does the community view a VHW?; and 4) What support could you use as a VHW? Results: The VHWs selected from the communities were aged 25-40, were more likely to be female than male, and generally had a non-health related occupation. One hundred and two participants completed both the pre- and post-tests. The average difference between test scores at the two points in time was an improvement of 20.25 points, or 19.3%. The range of differences between the scores was -5 to +61. Given that the VHWs were not previously educated about basic health, this was viewed a marginal improvement. However, the data from the focus groups indicates that the VHWs were enacting changes in their community. The participants in the focus group were also aged 25-40 and 43 were males and 56 were females. The focus groups demonstrated that 86% of the VHWs noticed positive changes in the community; including the creation of latrines (34%), more drying racks (16%), more hand-washing (11%), increased usage of boiled water (9%) and the newfound creation and usage of “tippy-taps” (8%). When asked if the community viewed the VHWs as a positive asset, 81% answered yes. Lastly, when queried as to what support VHWs could use to facilitate their work, the majority answered some type of transport (51%); while other popular answers were gumboots and raingear, more training, cell phones or a stipend to compensate them for their work. Conclusion: The increased mean score of the post-tests indicates that the VHWs did learn basic health information during the training session. However, the improvement in score was not as notable as one would expect given the intense nature of the trainings and the baseline level of knowledge being somewhat low. The data from the focus groups, however, indicated that VHWs are creating positive change in their communities. This could mean that the simple act of appointing one person to educate their community imbues in them a responsibility to spread the knowledge that they do possess; however basic it may be. It also could indicate that the VHWs learned more at the training sessions than the test scores reveal. This could be due to a multitude of factors, including difficulty with reading, the advanced nature of the test questions, difficulty with multiple choice questions, or difficulty applying knowledge to the test, especially considering that most of the VHWs were adults many years out of school. In light of this information, one could consider a different method of evaluation, and more focus on the follow-up to assess what the VHWs are actually able to do in their communities. Moving forward, it would be ideal to evaluate the villages themselves via a system of door-to-door surveys that ask the villagers about changes they have or have not made and if they have seen any improvement in their health. This information will provide further evidence as to whether VHWs are an ideal model in the field of health education

Alkenones as a promising green alternative for waxes in cosmetics and personal care products

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Cosmetics 5 (2018): 34, doi:10.3390/cosmetics5020034.The move toward green, sustainable, natural products has been growing in the cosmetic and personal care industry. Ingredients derived from marine organisms and algae are present in many cosmetic products. In this study, a new green ingredient, a wax (i.e., long-chain alkenones) derived from Isochyrsis sp., was evaluated as an alternative for cosmetic waxes. First, the melting point was determined (71.1–77.4 °C), then the alkenones’ thickening capability in five emollients was evaluated and compared to microcrystalline wax and ozokerite. Alkenones were compatible with three emollients and thickened the emollients similarly to the other waxes. Then, lipsticks and lip balms were formulated with and without alkenones. All products remained stable at room temperature for 10 weeks. Lipstick formulated with alkenones was the most resistant to high temperature. Finally, alkenones were compared to three cosmetic thickening waxes in creams. Viscosity, rheology, and stability of the creams were evaluated. All creams had a gel-like behavior. Both viscosity and storage modulus increased in the same order: cream with alkenones < cetyl alcohol < stearic acid < glyceryl monostearate. Overall, alkenones’ performance was comparable to the other three waxes. Alkenones can thus offer a potential green choice as a new cosmetic structuring agent.This research was funded by the Washington Research Foundation and a private donor from friends of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, grant number N-126478