Newell’s shearwater population modeling for Habitat Conservation Plan and Recovery Planning

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.The Newell’s shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli), an IUCN and ESA listed species, faces terrestrial threats from predation, fallout (attraction to artificial lights) and collision with powerlines. Various indices suggest the population has declined by ~75% in the past two decades. Population modeling is required for Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Recovery Planning to consider the benefits of existing and proposed management actions to the Kauai population. Population scenarios modeled here included a) stable, realistic and optimal growth; b) threats of predation, fallout and powerline collision; and c) management actions of minimizing fallout and powerline mortality, the Save Our Shearwater rescue program, predator control, predator eradication and chick translocation. The growth rate (lambda) produced in our worst case threat scenario for all threats (0.906) fell within the range of annual change suggested by ornithological radar data from 1993- 2010 using only Newell’s shearwater traffic (0.899), and Save Our Shearwater data of Newell’s shearwater fledglings from 1988-2009 (0.905).In our efforts we drew heavily from existing field studies and modeling undertaken by PRBO Conservation Science researchers who produced the EPRI Kauai Endangered Seabird Study (Ainley et al. 1995). Much of these current efforts are owed to PRBO Conservation Science. We thank A. Erichsen and D. Leonard for helpful discussion and D. Ainley, D. Duffy and W. Satterthwaite for valuable reviews of this work

The Power of Partnerships: Eradicating Invasive Mice from Allen Cay, The Bahamas

Developing countries often have urgent national commitments regarding protection of biodiversity, but can be experience- or resource-limited to undertake conservation action. The eradication of invasive alien vertebrates (IAV), requiring a specialized set of skills and experience and sometimes significant capital investments, is a case in point. Building international collaborations to eradicate IAVs from islands is a potential approach to enhance the conservation of threatened species within countries that do not have sufficient capacity or funding. Here, we present a case study, the successful removal of invasive house mice from Allen Cay, Exuma Islands, The Bahamas. The goal of the project was to protect Audubon’s shearwaters and improve breeding habitat for the endemic Allen Cay rock iguana. The project was collaboratively planned and implemented by two previously unassociated organizations, the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and Island Conservation (IC). Both organizations brought unique skillsets to the project: BNT provided compliance and local biological expertise, and IC provided eradication project management. Local capacity to implement future eradication projects was strengthened through BNT’s ownership and management of the project, and a strong partnership now exists to increase the scale and efficacy of future Bahamian island eradication projects to protect threatened species. Efforts to expand and coordinate an international network of practitioners conducting IAV eradications will require an improved understanding of the threats posed by IAVs, access to technical support, exposure to best practices, and the empowerment of local agencies to invest in the protection of biodiversity on islands

Acute kidney injury in the era of the AKI E-Alert

Background and objectivesOur aimwas to use a national electronicAKI alert to define the incidence and outcome of all episodes of community– and hospital–acquired adult AKI. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A prospective national cohort study was undertaken in a population of 3.06 million.Datawere collected betweenMarch of 2015 andAugust of 2015. All patients with adult ($18 years of age) AKI were identified to define the incidence and outcome of all episodes of community- and hospital-acquired AKI in adults. Mortality and renal outcomes were assessed at 90 days. Results There was a total of 31,601 alerts representing 17,689 incident episodes, giving an incidence of AKI of 577 per 100,000 population. Community-acquired AKI accounted for 49.3% of all incident episodes, and 42% occurred in the context of preexisting CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration eGFR); 90-day mortality rate was 25.6%, and 23.7% of episodes progressed to a higher AKI stage than the stage associated with the alert. AKI electronic alert stage and peak AKI stage were associated with mortality, and mortality was significantly higher for hospital-acquired AKI compared with alerts generated in a community setting. Among patients who survived to 90 days after the AKI electronic alert, those who were not hospitalized had a lower rate of renal recovery and a greater likelihood of developing an eGFR,60 ml/min per 1.73m2 for the first time,which may be indicative of development of de novo CKD. Conclusions The reported incidence of AKI is far greater than the previously reported incidence in studies reliant on clinical identification of adult AKI or hospital coding data. Although an electronic alert systemis Information Technology driven and therefore, lacks intelligence and clinical context, these data can be used to identify deficiencies in care, guide the development of appropriate intervention strategies, and provide a baseline against which the effectiveness of these interventions may be measured

Reducing the impacts of leg hold trapping on critically endangered foxes by modified traps and conditioned trap aversion on San Nicolas Island, California, USA

Padded leg-hold live traps were used as the primary removal technique in the successful eradication of feral cats Felis silvestris catus from San Nicolas Island, California, USA. Risk of injury to endemic San Nicolas Island foxes Urocyon littoralis dickeyi, a similarly sized and more abundant non-target species, was mitigated by using a smaller trap size, modifying the trap and trap set to reduce injuries, and utilising a trap monitoring system to reduce time animals spent in traps. Impacts to foxes during the eradication campaign were further reduced by having a mobile veterinary hospital on island to treat injured foxes. Compared to other reported fox trapping efforts, serious injuries were reduced 2-7 times. Trapping efforts exceeded animal welfare standards, with 95% of fox captures resulting in minor or no injuries. Older foxes were more likely to receive serious injury. Fox captures were also reduced through aversive conditioning, with initial capture events providing a negative stimulus to prevent recaptures. Fox capture rates decreased up to six times during seven months of trapping, increasing trap availability for cats, and improving the efficacy of the cat eradication program. No aspect of the first capture event was significantly linked to the chance of recapture

Causal relevance of blood lipid fractions in the development of carotid atherosclerosis: Mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a subclinical measure of atherosclerosis, is associated with risk of coronary heart disease events. Statins reduce progression of CIMT and coronary heart disease risk in proportion to the reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, interventions targeting triglycerides (TGs) or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have produced inconsistent effects on CIMT and coronary heart disease risk, making it uncertain whether such agents are ineffective for coronary heart disease prevention or whether CIMT is an inadequate marker of HDL-C or TG-mediated effects. We aimed to determine the causal association among the 3 major blood lipid fractions and common CIMT using mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Genetic scores specific for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C, and TGs were derived based on single nucleotide polymorphisms from a gene-centric array in ≈5000 individuals (Cardiochip scores) and from a genome-wide association meta-analysis in >100 000 individuals (Global Lipids Genetic Consortium scores). These were used as instruments in a mendelian randomization analysis in 2 prospective cohort studies. A genetically predicted 1 mmol/L higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was associated with a higher common CIMT by 0.03 mm (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.04) and 0.04 mm (95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.06) based on the Cardiochip and Global Lipids Genetic Consortium scores, respectively. HDL-C and TGs were not causally associated with CIMT. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm a causal relationship between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and CIMT but not with HDL-C and TGs. At present, the suitability of CIMT as a surrogate marker in trials of cardiovascular therapies targeting HDL-C and TGs is questionable and requires further study

‘Just like talking to someone about like shit in your life and stuff, and they help you’: hopes and expectations for therapy among depressed adolescents

Objective: To explore hopes and expectations for therapy among a clinical population of depressed adolescents. Method: As part of a randomised clinical trial, 77 adolescents aged 11 to 17, with moderate to severe depression, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The interviews were analysed qualitatively, using Framework Analysis. Results: The findings are reported around five themes: “The difficulty of imagining what will happen in therapy”, "the 'talking cure'"; “the therapist as doctor”, “therapy as a relationship” and “regaining the old self or developing new capacities”. Conclusions: Differing expectations are likely to have implications for the way young people engage with treatment, and failure to identify these expectations may lead to a risk of treatment breakdown

Past and estimated future impact of invasive alien mammals on insular threatened vertebrate populations

Invasive mammals on islands pose severe, ongoing threats to global biodiversity. However, the severity of threats from different mammals, and the role of interacting biotic and abiotic factors in driving extinctions, remain poorly understood at a global scale. Here we model global extirpation patterns for island populations of threatened and extinct vertebrates. Extirpations are driven by interacting factors including invasive rats, cats, pigs, mustelids and mongooses, native species taxonomic class and volancy, island size, precipitation and human presence. We show that controlling or eradicating the relevant invasive mammals could prevent 41–75% of predicted future extirpations. The magnitude of benefits varies across species and environments; for example, managing invasive mammals on small, dry islands could halve the extirpation risk for highly threatened birds and mammals, while doing so on large, wet islands may have little benefit. Our results provide quantitative estimates of conservation benefits and, when combined with costs in a return-on-investment framework, can guide efficient conservation strategies

The endorsement of cognitive distortions: comparing child pornography offenders and contact sex offenders

This study examined the endorsement of cognitive distortions in child pornography offenders (CPOs), using an established assessment tool, the Abel and Becker Cognition Scale. The scale was expanded to include cognitions specific to child pornography offending, extracted from Howitt and Sheldon’s Children and Sexual Activities Inventory (C&SA). Three samples of CPOs, child sex offenders and offenders with both offence types responded to the cognition items. An exploratory Principal Component Analysis suggested six main components of the scale. CPOs were significantly less likely to endorse these statements in general, and this was more pronounced on items that project blame onto the child or other people, describe a need for power and consider children as sexually active. The statements extracted from C&SA did not differentiate between the groups. These findings are discussed under consideration of the relationship between cognitive distortions and contact sex offending, and in reference to the general criticism concerning the definition and appropriate measurement of cognitive distortion

Correction to: The Edinburgh Consensus: preparing for the advent of disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

Since the publication of this article [1], it has come to the attention of the authors that information for one of the authors was not included in the competing interests section. Craig Richie has declared potential competing interests with the following companies; Janssen, Eisai, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics, Boeringher Ingleheim, Novartis, AC Immune, Ixico, Aridhia, Amgen, Berry Consultants, Lundbeck, Sanofi, Quintiles (IQVIA) and Takeda. The full competing interests section for this article can be found below

High spatial resolution imaging of methane and other trace gases with the airborne Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES)

Currently large uncertainties exist associated with the attribution and quantification of fugitive emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases such as methane across large regions and key economic sectors. In this study, data from the airborne Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) have been used to develop robust and reliable techniques for the detection and wide-area mapping of emission plumes of methane and other atmospheric trace gas species over challenging and diverse environmental conditions with high spatial resolution that permits direct attribution to sources. HyTES is a pushbroom imaging spectrometer with high spectral resolution (256 bands from 7.5 to 12 µm), wide swath (1–2 km), and high spatial resolution (∼ 2 m at 1 km altitude) that incorporates new thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing technologies. In this study we introduce a hybrid clutter matched filter (CMF) and plume dilation algorithm applied to HyTES observations to efficiently detect and characterize the spatial structures of individual plumes of CH_4, H_2S, NH_3, NO_2, and SO_2 emitters. The sensitivity and field of regard of HyTES allows rapid and frequent airborne surveys of large areas including facilities not readily accessible from the surface. The HyTES CMF algorithm produces plume intensity images of methane and other gases from strong emission sources. The combination of high spatial resolution and multi-species imaging capability provides source attribution in complex environments. The CMF-based detection of strong emission sources over large areas is a fast and powerful tool needed to focus on more computationally intensive retrieval algorithms to quantify emissions with error estimates, and is useful for expediting mitigation efforts and addressing critical science questions