Data-driven Planning for the Conservation of Grassland Birds in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region

The Central Hardwoods Joint Venture held two workshops in 2006 to delineate bobwhite focus areas across the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region (BCR) for targeting on-the-ground conservation efforts. From 2008 – 2012, we conducted randomized sets of point counts within counties containing bobwhite focal areas to assess the efficacy of that method for monitoring grassland birds within focal areas, and to assess relationships of conservation practices with bird species occupancy and abundance. We collected data on nine species of Partners in Flight priority species, including northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Land cover types within a 200-m buffer of each point were derived from year National Agricultural Statistics Service data, and information related to the location of conservation practices deemed beneficial to grassland birds was attained from the National Resources Conservation Service. We fit occupancy and abundance models for each species using Akaike’s Information Criterion adjusted for small sample sizes. We then used the model covariates to map predicted abundances of three species, northern bobwhite, eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), and Henslow’s sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) across the BCR. The spatial patterns of predicted abundance varied among species, suggesting that focus areas should be somewhat species-specific. We will use data collected around the nests of each species at Ft. Campbell, a military base straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border where grassland management has occurred at relatively large scales over more than two decades, to assess the with-in patch structure preferred by each species to develop grazing practices that will result in the desired structure for the species suite

B Cell Response and Hemagglutinin Stalk-Reactive Antibody Production in Different Age Cohorts following 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus Vaccination

The 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza virus carried a swine-origin hemagglutinin (HA) that was closely related to the HAs of pre-1947 H1N1 viruses but highly divergent from the HAs of recently circulating H1N1 strains. Consequently, prior ex- posure to pH1N1-like viruses was mostly limited to individuals over the age of about 60 years. We related age and associated dif- ferences in immune history to the B cell response to an inactivated monovalent pH1N1 vaccine given intramuscularly to subjects in three age cohorts: 18 to 32 years, 60 to 69 years, and \u3e70 years. The day 0 pH1N1-specific hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and microneutralization (MN) titers were generally higher in the older cohorts, consistent with greater prevaccination exposure to pH1N1-like viruses. Most subjects in each cohort responded well to vaccination, with early formation of circulating virus- specific antibody (Ab)-secreting cells and \u3e4-fold increases in HAI and MN titers. However, the response was strongest in the 18- to 32-year cohort. Circulating levels of HA stalk-reactive Abs were increased after vaccination, especially in the 18- to 32-year cohort, raising the possibility of elevated levels of cross-reactive neutralizing Abs. In the young cohort, an increase in MN activ- ity against the seasonal influenza virus A/Brisbane/59/07 after vaccination was generally associated with an increase in the anti- Brisbane/59/07 HAI titer, suggesting an effect mediated primarily by HA head-reactive rather than stalk-reactive Abs. Our find- ings support recent proposals that immunization with a relatively novel HA favors the induction of Abs against conserved epitopes. They also emphasize the need to clarify how the level of circulating stalk-reactive Abs relates to resistance to influenza

Recovering lost ground: Effects of soil burn intensity on nutrients and ectomycorrhiza communities of ponderosa pine seedlings

Fuel accumulation and climate shifts are predicted to increase the frequency of high-severity fires in pon-derosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests of central Oregon. The combustion of fuels containing large downedwood can result in intense soil heating, alteration of soil properties, and mortality of microbes. Previousstudies show ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) improve ponderosa seedling establishment after fire but didnot compare EMF communities at different levels of soil burn intensity in a field setting. For this study,soil burn intensity effects on nutrients and EMF communities were compared at Pringle FallsExperimental Forest, La Pine, Oregon. Twelve replicate sites were used, each with three treatments: highintensity soil burn from large downed wood combustion (HB), low intensity soil burn (LB), and unburnedcontrol (UB). Temperatures lethal to fungi were detected at 0-cm, 5-cm, and 10-cm depths in HB soils and0-cm depth in LB soils. Ponderosa pine seedlings planted post-burn were harvested after four months forEMF root tip analysis. We found: (a) greater differences in soil properties and nutrients in HB soils com-pared to LB and UB soils; (b) no differences in EMF richness and diversity among treatments; (c) weakdifferences in community composition based on relative abundance between UB and either burn treat-ments; and (d) EMF composition in HB and LB treatments correlated with soil carbon and organic mattercontents. These results support the hypothesis that the combustion of large downed wood can alter thesoil environment directly beneath it. However, an EMF community similar to LB soils recolonized HB soilswithin one growing season. Community results from both burn treatments suggest an increase in patchyspatial distribution of EMF. We hypothesize that quick initiation of EMF recolonization is possibledepending on the size of high intensity burn patches, proximity of low and unburned soil, and survivalof nearby hosts. The importance of incorporating mixed fire effects in fuel management practices willhelp to provide EMF refugia for ponderosa pine forest regeneration

Does It Matter Who Writes Medical News Stories?

David Henry and colleagues review Australian news stories over a five-year period to assess whether quality is associated with who wrote the story: a specialist health journalist or a non-specialist

Accelerating BRPF1b hit identification with BioPhysical and Active Learning Screening (BioPALS)

We report the development of BioPhysical and Active Learning Screening (BioPALS); a rapid and versatile hit identification protocol combining AI‐powered virtual screening with a GCI‐driven biophysical confirmation workflow. Its application to the BRPF1b bromodomain afforded a range of novel micromolar binders with favorable ADMET parameters. In addition to the excellent in silico/in vitro confirmation rate demonstrated with BRPF1b, binding kinetics are determined, and binding topologies predicted for all hits. BioPALS is a lean, data‐rich, and standardized approach to hit identification applicable to wide range of biological targets

Causes and Timing of Mortality and Morbidity Among Late Presenters Starting Antiretroviral Therapy in the REALITY Trial.

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, 20%-25% of people starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) have severe immunosuppression; approximately 10% die within 3 months. In the Reduction of EArly mortaLITY (REALITY) randomized trial, a broad enhanced anti-infection prophylaxis bundle reduced mortality vs cotrimoxazole. We investigate the contribution and timing of different causes of mortality/morbidity. METHODS: Participants started ART with a CD4 count .3); and reduced nonfatal/fatal tuberculosis and cryptococcosis (P .2). CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced prophylaxis reduced mortality from cryptococcosis and unknown causes and nonfatal tuberculosis and cryptococcosis. High early incidence of fatal/nonfatal events highlights the need for starting enhanced-prophylaxis with ART in advanced disease. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ISRCTN43622374

A high-resolution map of human evolutionary constraint using 29 mammals.

The comparison of related genomes has emerged as a powerful lens for genome interpretation. Here we report the sequencing and comparative analysis of 29 eutherian genomes. We confirm that at least 5.5% of the human genome has undergone purifying selection, and locate constrained elements covering ∼4.2% of the genome. We use evolutionary signatures and comparisons with experimental data sets to suggest candidate functions for ∼60% of constrained bases. These elements reveal a small number of new coding exons, candidate stop codon readthrough events and over 10,000 regions of overlapping synonymous constraint within protein-coding exons. We find 220 candidate RNA structural families, and nearly a million elements overlapping potential promoter, enhancer and insulator regions. We report specific amino acid residues that have undergone positive selection, 280,000 non-coding elements exapted from mobile elements and more than 1,000 primate- and human-accelerated elements. Overlap with disease-associated variants indicates that our findings will be relevant for studies of human biology, health and disease

Psycho-educational interventions for adults with severe or difficult asthma: a systematic review.

types: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; ReviewThis is the author's version of the work that was accepted for publication in the Journal of Asthma. The final version can be accessed via the DOI in this record.Research highlights psychosocial factors associated with adverse asthma events. This systematic review therefore examined whether psycho-educational interventions improve health and self-management outcomes in adults with severe or difficult asthma. Seventeen controlled studies were included. Characteristics and content of interventions varied even within broad types. Study quality was generally poor and several studies were small. Any positive effects observed from qualitative and quantitative syntheses were mainly short term and, in planned subgroup analyses (involving < 5 trials), effects on hospitalizations, quality of life, and psychological morbidity in patients with severe asthma did not extend to those in whom multiple factors complicate management.UK NHS Health Technology Assessment Programm

A qualitative evaluation of the impact of a palliative care course on preregistration nursing students' practice in Cameroon

Background Current evidence suggests that palliative care education can improve preregistration nursing students’ competencies in palliative care. However, it is not known whether these competencies are translated into students’ practice in the care of patients who are approaching the end of life. This paper seeks to contribute to the palliative care evidence base by examining how nursing students in receipt of education report transfer of learning to practice, and what the barriers and facilitators may be, in a resource-poor country. Methods We utilised focus groups and individual critical incident interviews to explore nursing students’ palliative care learning transfer. Three focus groups, consisting of 23 participants and 10 individual critical incident interviews were conducted with preregistration nursing student who had attended a palliative care course in Cameroon and had experience caring for a patient approaching the end of life. Data was analysed thematically, using the framework approach. Results The results suggest that nursing students in receipt of palliative care education can transfer their learning to practice. Students reported recognizing patients with palliative care needs, providing patients with physical, psychosocial and spiritual support and communicating patient information to the wider care team. They did however perceive some barriers to this transfer which were either related to themselves, qualified nurses, the practice setting or family caregivers and patients. Conclusion The findings from this study suggest that nursing student in receipt of palliative care education can use their learning in practice to provide care to patients and their families approaching the end of life. Nevertheless, these findings need to be treated with some caution given the self-reported nature of the data. Demonstrating the link between preregistration palliative care education and patient care is vital to ensuring that newly acquired knowledge and skills are translated and embedded into clinical practice. This study also has implications for advocating for palliative care policies and adequately preparing clinical placement sites for students’ learning and transfer of learning

Effects of an Alpha-4 Integrin Inhibitor on Restenosis in a New Porcine Model Combining Endothelial Denudation and Stent Placement

Restenosis remains the main complication of balloon angioplasty and/or stent implantation. Preclinical testing of new pharmacologic agents preventing restenosis largely rely on porcine models, where restenosis is assessed after endothelial abrasion of the arterial wall or stent implantation. We combined endothelial cell denudation and implantation of stents to develop a new clinically relevant porcine model of restenosis, and used this model to determine the effects of an α4 integrin inhibitor, ELN 457946, on restenosis. Balloon-angioplasty endothelial cell denudation and subsequent implantation of bare metal stents in the left anterior descending coronary, iliac, and left common carotid arteries was performed in domestic pigs, treated with vehicle or ELN 457946, once weekly via subcutaneous injections, for four weeks. After 1 month, histopathology and morphometric analyses of the arteries showed complete healing and robust, consistent restenotic response in stented arteries. Treatment with ELN 457946 resulted in a reduction in the neointimal response, with decreases in area percent stenosis between 12% in coronary arteries and 30% in peripheral vessels. This is the first description of a successful pig model combining endothelial cell denudation and bare metal stent implantation. This new double injury model may prove particularly useful to assess pharmacological effects of drug candidates on restenosis, in coronary and/or peripheral arteries. Furthermore, the ELN 457946 α4 integrin inhibitor, administered subcutaneously, reduced inflammation and restenosis in stented coronary and peripheral arteries in pigs, therefore representing a promising systemic therapeutic approach in reducing restenosis in patients undergoing angioplasty and/or stent implantation