Enhancing wind erosion monitoring and assessment for U.S. rangelands

Wind erosion is a major resource concern for rangeland managers because it can impact soil health, ecosystem structure and function, hydrologic processes, agricultural production, and air quality. Despite its significance, little is known about which landscapes are eroding, by how much, and when. The National Wind Erosion Research Network was established in 2014 to develop tools for monitoring and assessing wind erosion and dust emissions across the United States. The Network, currently consisting of 13 sites, creates opportunities to enhance existing rangeland soil, vegetation, and air quality monitoring programs. Decision-support tools developed by the Network will improve the prediction and management of wind erosion across rangeland ecosystems. © 2017 The Author(s)The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information

Circulating microRNAs in sera correlate with soluble biomarkers of immune activation but do not predict mortality in ART treated individuals with HIV-1 infection: A case control study

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods: A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results: None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR- 145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion: No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection

Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

The concentration of dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems helps to regulate biodiversity, nutrient biogeochemistry, greenhouse gas emissions, and the quality of drinking water. The long-term declines in dissolved oxygen concentrations in coastal and ocean waters have been linked to climate warming and human activity, but little is known about the changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations in lakes. Although the solubility of dissolved oxygen decreases with increasing water temperatures, long-term lake trajectories are difficult to predict. Oxygen losses in warming lakes may be amplified by enhanced decomposition and stronger thermal stratification8,9 or oxygen may increase as a result of enhanced primary production. Here we analyse a combined total of 45,148 dissolved oxygen and temperature profiles and calculate trends for 393 temperate lakes that span 1941 to 2017. We find that a decline in dissolved oxygen is widespread in surface and deep-water habitats. The decline in surface waters is primarily associated with reduced solubility under warmer water temperatures, although dissolved oxygen in surface waters increased in a subset of highly productive warming lakes, probably owing to increasing production of phytoplankton. By contrast, the decline in deep waters is associated with stronger thermal stratification and loss of water clarity, but not with changes in gas solubility. Our results suggest that climate change and declining water clarity have altered the physical and chemical environment of lakes. Declines in dissolved oxygen in freshwater are 2.75 to 9.3 times greater than observed in the world’s oceans and could threaten essential lake ecosystem services

Long-term cellular immunity of vaccines for Zaire Ebola Virus Diseases

Recent Ebola outbreaks underscore the importance of continuous prevention and disease control efforts. Authorized vaccines include Merck’s Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) and Johnson & Johnson’s two-dose combination (Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo). Here, in a five-year follow-up of the PREVAC randomized trial (NCT02876328), we report the results of the immunology ancillary study of the trial. The primary endpoint is to evaluate long-term memory T-cell responses induced by three vaccine regimens: Ad26–MVA, rVSV, and rVSV–booster. Polyfunctional EBOV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses increase after Ad26 priming and are further boosted by MVA, whereas minimal responses are observed in the rVSV groups, declining after one year. In-vitro expansion for eight days show sustained EBOV-specific T-cell responses for up to 60 months post-prime vaccination with both Ad26-MVA and rVSV, with no decline. Cytokine production analysis identify shared biomarkers between the Ad26-MVA and rVSV groups. In secondary endpoint, we observed an elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines at Day 7 in the rVSV group. Finally, we establish a correlation between EBOV-specific T-cell responses and anti-EBOV IgG responses. Our findings can guide booster vaccination recommendations and help identify populations likely to benefit from revaccination

Development and Validation of a Risk Score for Chronic Kidney Disease in HIV Infection Using Prospective Cohort Data from the D:A:D Study

Ristola M. on työryhmien DAD Study Grp ; Royal Free Hosp Clin Cohort ; INSIGHT Study Grp ; SMART Study Grp ; ESPRIT Study Grp jäsen.Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue for HIV-positive individuals, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Development and implementation of a risk score model for CKD would allow comparison of the risks and benefits of adding potentially nephrotoxic antiretrovirals to a treatment regimen and would identify those at greatest risk of CKD. The aims of this study were to develop a simple, externally validated, and widely applicable long-term risk score model for CKD in HIV-positive individuals that can guide decision making in clinical practice. Methods and Findings A total of 17,954 HIV-positive individuals from the Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs (D:A:D) study with >= 3 estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values after 1 January 2004 were included. Baseline was defined as the first eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 after 1 January 2004; individuals with exposure to tenofovir, atazanavir, atazanavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, other boosted protease inhibitors before baseline were excluded. CKD was defined as confirmed (>3 mo apart) eGFR In the D:A:D study, 641 individuals developed CKD during 103,185 person-years of follow-up (PYFU; incidence 6.2/1,000 PYFU, 95% CI 5.7-6.7; median follow-up 6.1 y, range 0.3-9.1 y). Older age, intravenous drug use, hepatitis C coinfection, lower baseline eGFR, female gender, lower CD4 count nadir, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) predicted CKD. The adjusted incidence rate ratios of these nine categorical variables were scaled and summed to create the risk score. The median risk score at baseline was -2 (interquartile range -4 to 2). There was a 1: 393 chance of developing CKD in the next 5 y in the low risk group (risk score = 5, 505 events), respectively. Number needed to harm (NNTH) at 5 y when starting unboosted atazanavir or lopinavir/ritonavir among those with a low risk score was 1,702 (95% CI 1,166-3,367); NNTH was 202 (95% CI 159-278) and 21 (95% CI 19-23), respectively, for those with a medium and high risk score. NNTH was 739 (95% CI 506-1462), 88 (95% CI 69-121), and 9 (95% CI 8-10) for those with a low, medium, and high risk score, respectively, starting tenofovir, atazanavir/ritonavir, or another boosted protease inhibitor. The Royal Free Hospital Clinic Cohort included 2,548 individuals, of whom 94 individuals developed CKD (3.7%) during 18,376 PYFU (median follow-up 7.4 y, range 0.3-12.7 y). Of 2,013 individuals included from the SMART/ESPRIT control arms, 32 individuals developed CKD (1.6%) during 8,452 PYFU (median follow-up 4.1 y, range 0.6-8.1 y). External validation showed that the risk score predicted well in these cohorts. Limitations of this study included limited data on race and no information on proteinuria. Conclusions Both traditional and HIV-related risk factors were predictive of CKD. These factors were used to develop a risk score for CKD in HIV infection, externally validated, that has direct clinical relevance for patients and clinicians to weigh the benefits of certain antiretrovirals against the risk of CKD and to identify those at greatest risk of CKD.Peer reviewe

Jag ville tillrättavisa, inte mötas : En essä om svåra och problematiska möten med vårdnadshavare i förskolan

I denna essä som vi tillsammans har skrivit har vi först och främst utgått från kränkningar och hot i förskolan, kränkningar och hot som kommer från vårdnadshavare. Även hur vi i förskolan arbetar med likabehandling, och vad det kan få för konsekvenser av att utsätta någon för kränkningar och hot, genom exempelvis de lagar vi har att förhålla oss till i den svenska förskolan. Vi har varsin egenupplevd händelse som vi gestaltat och återberättat i text, där den första texten som är skriven av Tonnie Nilsson handlar om hur han blir utsatt för anklagelser som kunde ha varit förödande för honom, vilket är pedofili. Ett svårt och tufft ämne att skriva om, men som har resulterat i en större fördjupning av hur en kan gå tillväga. Den andra berättelsen, som Jenny Pierson har skrivit, handlar om hur vårdnadshavare, utan att blinka, trycker ner andra sexuella läggningar som de anser inte är naturligt, men även kränker pedagogen ifråga kring dennes sätt att undervisa i förskolan. Olika teoretiska begrepp har tagits upp som exempelvis närhetsetik, fenomenologi samt relations begreppet som kantas av anknytningsteorin. Genom dessa olika begrepp så har vi kunnat delvis förankra det viktiga arbetet vi gör i förskolan till det som skedde i våra egenupplevda berättelser, vilket är kränkningar och hot i förskolan. Vi har i de olika avsnitten lagt till hur vi genom föräldraperspektiv kan vrida och vända på situationen så att läsaren kan se den självkritiska delen av vårt reflekterande. Tanken är då att läsaren ska kunna sätta sig in i vårdnadshavarnas situation, utan att de blir dömda utifrån ett rätt eller ett fel. Alla människor kan begå misstag, vi kan missuppfatta eller missuppfattas. Det är en aspekt som är viktig att bära med sig. Det finns trots allt två sidor av myntet.Till sist vill vi tacka våra fantastiska familjer, men även nära vänner och bekanta för all stöttning och peppning under tiden vi har skrivit vår undersökning och uppsats. Utan er hade det inte gått och vi är mycket tacksamma för allt ni gjort. Vi tackar även varandra, för alla skratt, en del tårar och för den vänskap som ännu starkare växt fram under tiden vi har skrivit. In this essay that we have written together, our starting point is from violations and threats occurring in preschool, mainly violations and threats that come from guardians. Also how we in the preschool environment work with equality treatment and the consequences of exposing someone to violations and threats in relation to the laws and regulations that we have to relate to in the Swedish preschool. We each have our own experiences in the events that we have portrayed and retold in text. The first text written by Tonnie Nilsson is about how he is exposed to accusations that could have been devastating for him, which is pedophilia. A difficult and tough topic to write about, but which has resulted in a greater in-depth study of how to proceed. The second story, which Jenny Pierson has written, is about how guardians, without blinking suppress other sexual orientations that they consider not natural, but also offend the educator in question about her way of teaching in preschool.Various theoretical concepts have been raised, such as proximity ethics, phenomenology and the concept of relations, which is bordered by the connection theory. Through these different concepts we have been able to partially anchor the important work we do in preschool to what happened in our own perceived stories, which are violations and threats in preschool.In the various sections, we have added how we can turn the situation around from a parent's perspective so that the reader can see the self-critical part of our reflection. The idea is then that the reader should be able to understand the guardians' situation, without them being judged on the basis of right or wrong. All people can make a mistake, we can misunderstand or be misunderstood. This is an aspect that is important to carry with you. After all, there are two sides to the coin.Finally, we would like to thank our fantastic families, but also close friends and acquaintances for all the support and encouragement during the time we have written our survey and essay. Without you it would not be able to do this and we are very grateful for everything you have done. We also thank each other, for all the laughter, some tears and for the friendship that has grown even stronger during the time we have written and done the stud

Environmental and grazing management drivers of soil condition

Domestic livestock grazing is one of the dominant forms of land use globally. However, there are variable findings concerning the impacts of different grazing regimes on soil condition. We quantified the impacts of contrasting livestock grazing regimes on soil properties within nationally endangered temperate box-gum woodlands in south-eastern Australia. We sampled total soil nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and bulk density at 65 woodland sites with a history of either continuous, strategic or rotational livestock grazing, as well as livestock grazing exclusion. We evaluated the influence of both historical and current management practices upon soil properties in the context of broad-scale soil forming factors such as climate, geology and topography. We found evidence of a strong relationship between total soil phosphorus and nitrogen, while phosphorus also was influenced by site-scale native tree cover. Total soil phosphorus and nitrogen were related to the combined effects of pasture type and long-term fertilizer history (>10 years prior to sampling). No significant differences in soil nutrients or bulk density were detected between different grazing treatments, likely due to the importance of total grazing pressure (i.e. from all exotic and native herbivores) and the level of environmental variation between sites. However, total soil phosphorus was significantly higher in soils sampled in the season following a grazing event, irrespective of grazing intensity or duration. Total soil nitrogen and carbon exhibited a similar pattern. This is likely a result of multiple processes such as direct input of organic matter to the soil and stimulation of soil microbial communities. These findings have important implications for the strategic management of woodland understorey vegetation as soil nutrients have been identified as important drivers of native plant diversity.This work was supported by the Australian Government Environmental Stewardship Programme, the National Environmental Research Program (NERP), an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project (Grant number: LP100100467), the Ian Potter Foundation, the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, the Calvert-Jones Foundation, and an ARC Laureate Fellowship (Grant number: FL120100108) awarded to David Lindenmayer

The ‘Goldilocks Zone’ of predation:the level of fox control needed to select predator resistance in a reintroduced mammal in Australia

A large component of the anthropogenic biodiversity crisis is the loss of animal species. In response, there has been significant investment in reintroductions of species to their historical ranges. Predation by native and exotic predators, however, remains a barrier to success. Over the past 200 years, Australia has seen the highest rate of mammal extinction on earth, with mammals within a critical weight range (CWR: 35 g–5.5 kg) most affected due to predation by exotic predators. Populations of some threatened species now exist only in Tasmania, offshore islands, or predator-proof sanctuaries. The next critical step is to return native populations outside of predator-free areas, ‘beyond-the-fence’, on the continental mainland. Given our current inability to completely remove exotic predators from mainland ecosystems, how can we achieve successful mammal reintroductions? A potential solution is to drive adaptation of reintroduced animals towards predator-resistance by exposing them to low levels of predation. We propose the concept of a ‘Goldilocks Zone’—the ‘just right’ levels of predation needed to drive selection for predator-resistant native species, while ensuring population viability. We experimentally reintroduced a mammal, the eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi), to mainland Australia, 100 years after its local extinction. Using an intense baiting regime, we reduced the population density of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the main factor behind the eastern bettong’s extirpation from the continent. Reducing bait take to 15% of previous levels allowed differential survival among bettongs; some surviving under 100 days and others over 450 (~ 4 times longer than some similar trials with related species). Surviving individuals were generally larger at release than those that died earlier, implying selection for larger bettongs. Our results suggest that reducing predation could establish a Goldilocks Zone that could drive selection for bettongs with predator-resistant traits. Our work contributes to a growing body of literature that explores a shift towards harnessing evolutionary principles to combat the challenges posed by animal management and conservation.This project was supported by the ACT Government, the Australian National University, The Mulligans Flat—Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment and the ACT Woodlands and Wetlands Trust. The research also received funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub to support WB and ME. EB was funded by The Woodlands and Wetlands Trust. ME was partly funded by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (P19084