Updated statewide abundance estimates for the Florida manatee

Knowing how many manatees live in Florida is critical for conservation and management of this threatened species. Martin and others flew aerial surveys in 2011–2012 and estimated abundance in those years using advanced techniques that incorporated multiple data sources. We flew additional aerial surveys in 2015–2016 to count manatees and again applied advanced statistical techniques to estimate their abundance. We also made several methodological advances over the earlier work, including accounting for how sea state (water surface conditions) and synchronous surfacing behavior affect the availability of manatees to be detected and incorporating all parts of Florida in the area of inference. We estimate that the number of manatees in Florida in 2015–2016 was 8,810 (95% Bayesian credible interval 7,520–10,280), of which 4,810 (3,820–6,010) were on the west coast of Florida and 4,000 (3,240–4,910) were on the east coast. These estimates and associated uncertainty, in addition to being of immediate value to wildlife managers, are essential new data for incorporation into integrated population models and population viability analyses

Distribution of \u3ci\u3eBaylisascaris procyonis\u3c/i\u3e in Raccoons (\u3ci\u3eProcyon lotor\u3c/i\u3e) in Florida, USA

Baylisascaris procyonis, or raccoon roundworm, is an intestinal nematode parasite of raccoons (Procyon lotor) that is important to public and wildlife health. Historically, the parasite was uncommon in the southeastern US; however, the range of B. procyonis has expanded to include Florida, US. From 2010 to 2016, we opportunistically sampled 1,030 raccoons statewide. The overall prevalence was 3.7% (95% confidence interval=2.5–4.8%) of sampled individuals, and infection intensity ranged from 1 to 48 (mean±standard deviation 9.9±4.0). We found raccoon roundworm in 9/56 (16%) counties sampled, and the percent positive ranged from 1.1% to 13.3% of specimens collected per county. Including previously published data, B. procyonis was detected in 11 Florida counties. We used logistic regression to estimate the contribution of raccoon demographic variables and the presence of the endoparasite Macracanthorhynchus ingens to B. procyonis detection in Florida. Following the model selection process we found housing density, M. ingens presence, and urbanicity to be predictive of raccoon roundworm presence. We also found substantial among-county variation. Raccoon sex and age were not useful predictors. Public health officials, wildlife rehabilitators, wildlife managers, and others should consider any Florida raccoon to be potentially infected with B. procyonis, particularly in areas where housing density is high

The Image Quality and Radiation Dose of 100-kVp versus 120-kVp ECG-Gated 16-Slice CT Coronary Angiography

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the feasibility of performing 100-kVp electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated coronary CT angiography, as compared to 120-kVp ECG-gated coronary CT angiography. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated one hundred eighty five gencler- and body mass index-matched 16-slice coronary CT sets of data, which were obtained using either 100 kVp and 620 effective mAs or 120 kVp and 500 effective mAs. The density measurements (image noise, vessel density, signal-to-noise ratio [SNR] and contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR]) and the estimated radiation dose were calculated. As a preference test, two image readers were independently asked to choose one image from each pair of images. The results of both protocols were compared using the paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: The 100-kVp images showed significantly more noise and a significantly higher vessel density than did the 120-kVp images. There were no significant differences in the SNR and CNR. The estimated reduction of the radiation dose for the 100-kVp protocol was 24%; 7.8 +/- 0.4 mSV for 1 00-kVp and 10.1 +/- 1.0 mSV for 120-kVp (p < 0.001). The readers preferred the 1 00-kVp images for reading (reader 1, p = 0.01; reader 2, p = 0.06), with their preferences being stronger when the subject`s body mass index was less than 25. Conclusion: Reducing the tube kilovoltage from 120 to 100 kVp allows a significant reduction of the radiation dose without a significant change in the SNR and the CNR.Stolzmann P, 2008, RADIOLOGY, V249, P71, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2483072032Earls JP, 2008, RADIOLOGY, V246, P742, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2463070989Stolzmann P, 2008, EUR RADIOL, V18, P592, DOI 10.1007/s00330-007-0786-8Schoenhagen P, 2008, EUR HEART J, V29, P153, DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehm614Heyer CM, 2007, RADIOLOGY, V245, P577, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2452061919Paul JF, 2007, EUR RADIOL, V17, P2028, DOI 10.1007/s00330-007-0584-3McCollough CH, 2007, RADIOLOGY, V243, P775, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2433061165Schueller-Weidekamm C, 2006, RADIOLOGY, V241, P899, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2413040128Hsieh J, 2006, MED PHYS, V33, P4236, DOI 10.1118/1.2361078d`Agostino AG, 2006, EUR RADIOL, V16, P2137, DOI 10.1007/s00330-006-0218-1Hohl C, 2006, EUR RADIOL, V16, P1841, DOI 10.1007/s00330-005-0124-yJohnson TRC, 2006, EUR RADIOL, V16, P1409, DOI 10.1007/s00330-006-0298-yAbada HT, 2006, AM J ROENTGENOL, V186, pS387, DOI 10.2214/AJR.05.0216Hausleiter J, 2006, CIRCULATION, V113, P1305, DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.602490NAKAYAMA Y, 2006, AM J ROENTGENOL, V187, pW490Ghersin E, 2006, AM J ROENTGENOL, V186, P177, DOI 10.2214/AJR.04.1232Haberl R, 2005, AM HEART J, V149, P1112, DOI 10.1016/j.ahj.2005.02.048Wintersperger B, 2005, EUR RADIOL, V15, P334, DOI 10.1007/s00330-004-2575-ySigal-Cinqualbre AB, 2004, RADIOLOGY, V231, P169, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2311030191Kalra MK, 2004, RADIOLOGY, V230, P619, DOI 10.1148/radiol.2303021726Jung B, 2003, EUR RADIOL, V13, P2560, DOI 10.1007/s00330-003-2111-5Jakobs TF, 2002, EUR RADIOL, V12, P1081, DOI 10.1007/s00330-001-1278-xHuda W, 2000, RADIOLOGY, V217, P430Kalender WA, 1999, EUR RADIOL, V9, P3231

Selective ROCK2 inhibition in focal cerebral ischemia

Objective: Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) is a key regulator of numerous processes in multiple cell types relevant in stroke pathophysiology. ROCK inhibitors have improved outcome in experimental models of acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. However, the relevant ROCK isoform (ROCK1 or ROCK2) in acute stroke is not known. Methods: We characterized the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile, and tested the efficacy and safety of a novel selective ROCK2 inhibitor KD025 (formerly SLx-2119) in focal cerebral ischemia models in mice. Results: KD025 dose-dependently reduced infarct volume after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. The therapeutic window was at least 3 h from stroke onset, and the efficacy was sustained for at least 4 weeks. KD025 was at least as efficacious in aged, diabetic or female mice, as in normal adult males. Concurrent treatment with atorvastatin was safe, but not additive or synergistic. KD025 was also safe in a permanent ischemia model, albeit with diminished efficacy. As one mechanism of protection, KD025 improved cortical perfusion in a distal middle cerebral artery occlusion model, implicating enhanced collateral flow. Unlike isoform-nonselective ROCK inhibitors, KD025 did not cause significant hypotension, a dose-limiting side effect in acute ischemic stroke. Interpretation Altogether, these data show that KD025 is efficacious and safe in acute focal cerebral ischemia in mice, implicating ROCK2 as the relevant isoform in acute ischemic stroke. Data suggest that selective ROCK2 inhibition has a favorable safety profile to facilitate clinical translation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to convey his appreciation to his supervisory committee

Arroyo) for their support and guidance. Special thanks go to Dr. Crane who gave the author the opportunity to work on the autonomous vehicle project and continually provided important insight and advice. This work would not have been possible without the support of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Thanks go to Al Neese and the rest of his staff. The author’s work presented in this dissertation focuses on only part of the tasks required for autonomous navigation. Other project members have addressed the remaining tasks. Therefore, thanks go to those who have worked on the autonomous navigation project, both past and present, at the Center for Intelligent Machines and Robotics. Individual thanks go to the project manager, David Armstrong, for his invaluable input, and to office mate David Novick, for his unending programming advice. Finally, special thanks go to the author’s wife, Jennifer Lisa Wit, who provided continuous encouragement and inspiration needed to finish this dissertation. ii

Robust estimates of environmental effects on population vital rates:an integrated capture–recapture model of seasonal brook trout growth, survival and movement in a stream network

Modelling the effects of environmental change on populations is a key challenge for ecologists, particularly as the pace of change increases. Currently, modelling efforts are limited by difficulties in establishing robust relationships between environmental drivers and population responses.We developed an integrated capture–recapture state-space model to estimate the effects of two key environmental drivers (stream flow and temperature) on demographic rates (body growth, movement and survival) using a long-term (11 years), high-resolution (individually tagged, sampled seasonally) data set of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from four sites in a stream network. Our integrated model provides an effective context within which to estimate environmental driver effects because it takes full advantage of data by estimating (latent) state values for missing observations, because it propagates uncertainty among model components and because it accounts for the major demographic rates and interactions that contribute to annual survival.We found that stream flow and temperature had strong effects on brook trout demography. Some effects, such as reduction in survival associated with low stream flow and high temperature during the summer season, were consistent across sites and age classes, suggesting that they may serve as robust indicators of vulnerability to environmental change. Other survival effects varied across ages, sites and seasons, indicating that flow and temperature may not be the primary drivers of survival in those cases. Flow and temperature also affected body growth rates; these responses were consistent across sites but differed dramatically between age classes and seasons. Finally, we found that tributary and mainstem sites responded differently to variation in flow and temperature.Annual survival (combination of survival and body growth across seasons) was insensitive to body growth and was most sensitive to flow (positive) and temperature (negative) in the summer and fall.These observations, combined with our ability to estimate the occurrence, magnitude and direction of fish movement between these habitat types, indicated that heterogeneity in response may provide a mechanism providing potential resilience to environmental change. Given that the challenges we faced in our study are likely to be common to many intensive data sets, the integrated modelling approach could be generally applicable and useful

A nonparametric probabilistic approach for quantifying uncertainties in low-dimensional and high-dimensional nonlinear models

International audienceA nonparametric probabilistic approach for modeling uncertainties in projection-based, nonlinear, reduced-order models is presented. When experimental data is available, this approach can also quantify uncertainties in the associated high-dimensional models. The main underlying idea is twofold. First, to substitute the deterministic Reduced-Order Basis (ROB) with a stochastic counterpart. Second, to construct the probability measure of the Stochastic Reduced-Order Basis (SROB) on a subset of a compact Stiefel manifold in order to preserve some important properties of a ROB. The stochastic modeling is performed so that the probability distribution of the constructed SROB depends on a small number of hyperparameters. These are determined by solving a reduced-order statistical inverse problem. The mathematical properties of this novel approach for quantifying model uncertainties are analyzed through theoretical developments and numerical simulations. Its potential is demonstrated through several example problems from computational structural dynamics