Jaguar Densities across Human-Dominated Landscapes in Colombia: The Contribution of Unprotected Areas to Long Term Conservation

Large carnivores such as jaguars (Panthera onca) are species of conservation concern because they are suffering population declines and are keystone species in their ecosystems. Their large area requirements imply that unprotected and ever-increasing agricultural regions can be important habitats as they allow connectivity and dispersal among core protected areas. Yet information on jaguar densities across unprotected landscapes it is still scarce and crucially needed to assist management and range-wide conservation strategies. Our study provides the first jaguar density estimates of Colombia in agricultural regions which included cattle ranching, the main land use in the country, and oil palm cultivation, an increasing land use across the Neotropics. We used camera trapping across two agricultural landscapes located in the Magdalena River valley and in the Colombian llanos (47–53 stations respectively; >2000 trap nights at both sites) and classic and spatially explicit capture-recapture models with the sex of individuals as a covariate. Density estimates were 2.52±0.46–3.15±1.08 adults/100 km2 in the Magdalena valley, whereas 1.12±0.13–2.19±0.99 adults/100 km2 in the Colombian llanos, depending on analysis used. We suggest that jaguars are able to live across unprotected human-use areas and co-exist with agricultural landscapes including oil-palm plantations if natural areas and riparian habitats persist in the landscape and hunting of both jaguar and prey is limited. In the face of an expanding agriculture across the tropics we recommend land-use planning, adequate incentives, regulations, and good agricultural practices for range-wide jaguar connectivity and survival

Group Work in a Residential Treatment Center: The Use of Information Received From the Counsellors, Group Mothers, Teachers, and Children by the Group Worker to Predetermine the Popularity Ranks That the Children Will Have in Their Treatment Group at the Astor Home, Rhinebeck, New York, 1963–1964

It seems strange that social group work was not introduced earlier into the institutional field. It can only be explained historically by the neglect with which social work as a whole treated institutions. When the basic purpose of institutional life was established as treatment, it became clear that social group work was especially capable of helping with the whole group-living process

Microwave Nondestructive Detection of Corrosion under Thin Paint and Primer in Aluminum Panels

Detection of corrosion, under paint and primer, in various metallic structural components, particularly when used in moist and salty environments is an important practical concern. Moreover, nondestructive testing techniques that do not require paint removal are desired. Near-field microwave nondestructive inspection techniques, employing open-ended rectangular waveguide probes, have shown tremendous potential for detecting and evaluating the presence of corrosion under paint in steel substrates. The objective of this investigation has been to investigate the potential of these techniques for detecting corrosion under paint and primer in aluminum substrates. To accomplish this goal, an electromagnetic formulation, simulating detection of corrosion in layered structure using open-ended rectangular waveguide probes, was used to gain an insight into the functionality of measurement parameters such as the frequency of operation and standoff distance. In conjunction with this simulation, the dielectric properties of paint, primer, real and chemically produced aluminum oxide were measured in a wide range of microwave frequencies (2.6-18 GHz). The results showed that the dielectric properties of paint, primer and aluminum oxide are very similar to each other. Subsequently, the theoretical simulation was conducted in a wide frequency band (8.2-40 GHz). The overall result of the simulation effort was that higher frequencies and standoff distances of a few mm are more optimal for detecting thin corrosion layers under paint. Two specially prepared aluminum panels with induced areas of corrosion and surface pitting were produced as well. Using these panels and several phase sensitive measurement systems, experiments were conducted producing 2-D images of various areas of these panels. Images were produced at different standoff distances and at frequencies of 9, 11.725, 24.1, and 33.5 GHz. The overall results of the experimental investigation were extremely promising when detecting the thin regions of corrosion in these panels. This paper presents the approach and results of this investigation

Argonaute-CLIP delineates versatile, functional RNAi networks in Aedes aegypti, a major vector of human viruses

Argonaute (AGO) proteins bind small RNAs to silence complementary RNA transcripts and are central to RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is critical for regulation of gene expression and antiviral defense in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever viruses. In mosquitoes, AGO1 facilitates miRNA interactions while AGO2 mediates siRNA interactions. We applied AGO-crosslinking immunoprecipitation (AGO-CLIP) for both AGO1 and AGO2 and developed a universal software package for CLIP analysis (CLIPflexR), identifying 230 small RNAs and 5,447 small RNA targets that comprise a comprehensive RNAi network map in mosquitoes. RNAi network maps predicted expression levels of small RNA targets in specific tissues. Additionally, this resource identified unexpected, context-dependent AGO2 target preferences, including endogenous viral elements and 3′UTRs. Finally, in contrast to current thinking, mosquito AGO2 repressed imperfect targets. These findings expand our understanding of small RNA networks and have broad implications for the study of antiviral RNAi

The Feasibility of Telephone-Administered Cognitive Testing in Individuals 1 and 2 Years after Inpatient Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in cognitive impairment, and trajectories of cognitive functioning can vary tremendously over time across survivors. Traditional approaches to measuring cognitive performance require face-to-face administration of a battery of objective neuropsychological tests, which can be time- and labor-intensive. There are numerous clinical and research contexts in which in-person testing is undesirable or unfeasible, including clinical monitoring of older adults or individuals with disability for whom travel is challenging, and epidemiological studies of geographically dispersed participants. A telephone-based method for measuring cognition could conserve resources and improve efficiency. The objective of this study is to examine the feasibility and usefulness of the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT) among individuals who are 1 and 2 years post-moderate-to-severe TBI. A total of 463 individuals participated in the study at Year 1 post-injury, and 386 participated at Year 2. The sample was mostly male (73%) and white (59%), with an average age of (mean ± standard deviation) 47.9 ± 20.9 years, and 73% experienced a duration of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) greater than 7 days. A majority of participants were able to complete the BTACT subtests (61-69% and 56-64% for Years 1 and 2 respectively); score imputation for those unable to complete a test due to severity of cognitive impairment yields complete data for 74-79% of the sample. BTACT subtests showed expected changes between Years 1-2, and summary scores demonstrated expected associations with injury severity, employment status, and cognitive status as measured by the Functional Independence Measure. Results indicate it is feasible, efficient, and useful to measure cognition over the telephone among individuals with moderate-severe TBI