Functional trait ecology has the potential to provide generalizable and mechanistic predictions of ecosystem function from data of species distributions and traits. The traits that are selected ...should both respond to environmental factors and influence ecosystem functioning. Invertebrate mouthpart traits fulfill these criteria, but are seldom collected, lack standardized measurement protocols, and have infrequently been investigated in response to environmental factors. We surveyed isopod species that consume plant detritus, and tree communities in 58 plots across primary and secondary forests in Singapore. We measured body dimensions (body size traits), pereopod and antennae lengths (locomotory traits), dimensions of mandible structures (morphological mouthpart traits), and mechanical advantages generated by mandible shape (mechanical mouthpart traits) for six isopod species found in these plots and investigated if these traits respond to changes in tree community composition, tree diversity, and forest structure. Morphological mouthpart traits responded to a tree compositional gradient reflecting forest recovery degree. Mouthpart features associated with greater consumption of litter (broader but less serrated/rugose lacinia mobilis an important cutting and chewing structure on the mandible) were most prevalent in abandoned plantation and young secondary forests containing disturbance-associated tree species. Feeding strategies associated with fungi grazing (narrower and more serrated/rugose lacinia mobilis) were most prevalent in late secondary forests containing later successional tree species. Since morphological mouthpart traits likely also predict consumption and excretion rates of isopods, these traits advance our understanding of environment–trait–ecosystem functioning relationships across contrasting tropical forest plots that vary in composition, disturbance history, and post-disturbance recovery.
BACKGROUND
Using the Recipient and Donor Epidemiology Study‐III (REDS‐III) recipient and donor databases, we performed a retrospective analysis of platelet use in 12 US hospitals that were ...participants in REDS‐III.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
Data were electronically extracted from participating transfusion service and blood center computer systems and from medical records of the 12 REDS‐III hospitals. All platelet transfusions from 2013 to 2016 given to patients aged 18 years and older were included in the analysis.
RESULTS
There were 28,843 inpatients and 2987 outpatients who were transfused with 163,719 platelet products (103,371 apheresis, 60,348 whole blood derived); 93.5% of platelets were leukoreduced and 72.5% were irradiated. Forty‐six percent were transfused to patients with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th/10th Revision (ICD‐9/10) diagnosis of leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or lymphoma. The general ward and the intensive care unit (ICU) were the most common issue locations. Only 54% of platelet transfusions were ABO identical; and 60.6% of platelet transfusions given to Rh‐negative patients were Rh positive. The most common pretransfusion platelet count range for inpatients was 20,000 to 50,000/μL, for outpatients it was 10,000 to 20,000/μL. Among ICU patients, 35% of platelet transfusion episodes had a platelet count of greater than 50,000/μL; this was only 8% for general ward and 2% for outpatients. The median posttransfusion increment, not corrected for platelet dose and/or patient size, ranged from 12,000 to 20,000/μL for inpatients, and from 17,000 to 27,000/μL for outpatients.
CONCLUSIONS
These data from one of the largest reviews of platelet transfusion practice to date provide guidance for where to focus future clinical research studies and platelet blood management programs.
The 1 m2 quadrat is a standard field survey tool in ecology. Traditionally, a researcher places a square frame on the ground and manually records data about organisms (typically plants) within that ...quadrat. Collecting data through this method can require a great deal of time on‐site. For some studies, it would be more efficient to collect data as images in the field, and then extract desired data from the images later. Equipment currently available for precise aerial imaging of plants is most applicable to large‐scale settings (e.g. entire fields) or controlled environments (e.g. greenhouses or growth chambers). There is a lack of technology suited to 1 × 1 m quadrat surveys of natural communities.
To satisfy this need, we developed a portable, low‐cost platform (‘Robotany’) that automatically takes a set of data samples to precisely cover a 1 m2 field plot. The current design is optimized for taking aerial photographs of short herbaceous plants in mowed or grazed habitats, at a spatial resolution of 24 non‐overlapping photographs per 1 m2, using a digital single‐lens reflex (DSLR) camera with the lens 55 cm above the ground. Novel attachment and actuation methods allow for fast, convenient assembly and disassembly, and the waterproof frame can be disinfected with ethanol.
The device was reliable and precise in its initial two summers of field testing (ca. 200 plots imaged). These images were of sufficient resolution to identify common plant taxa, and to collect information on plant size, flowering status, and damage by foliar pathogens and herbivores. The apparatus was robust to frequent disassembly, transport and reassembly.
The on‐site time and labour of quadrat‐based field surveys can be greatly reduced with this device. For some applications, images may replace on‐site (manual) data collection from quadrats. For other applications, the images may complement on‐site data collection, as a digital back‐up and source of additional data (e.g. high‐resolution spatial mapping of plant species or traits, or types of ground cover). The Robotany is modular and can be adapted to different research needs, including replacement of the camera with a different type of sampler.
Winstein CJ, Rose DK, Tan SM, Lewthwaite R, Chui HC, Azen SP. A randomized controlled comparison of upper-extremity rehabilitation strategies in acute stroke: a pilot study of immediate and long-term ...outcomes. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:620–8.
To evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of 2 upper-extremity rehabilitation approaches for stroke compared with standard care in participants stratified by stroke severity.
Nonblinded, randomized controlled trial (baseline, postintervention, 9mo) design.
Inpatient rehabilitation hospital and outpatient clinic.
Sixty-four patients with recent stroke admitted for inpatient rehabilitation were randomized within severity strata (Orpington Prognostic Scale) into 1 of 3 intervention groups. Forty-four patients completed the 9-month follow-up.
Standard care (SC), functional task practice (FT), and strength training (ST). The FT and ST groups received 20 additional hours of upper-extremity therapy beyond standard care distributed over a 4- to 6-week period.
Performance measures of impairment (Fugl-Meyer Assessment), strength (isometric torque), and function (Functional Test of the Hemiparetic Upper Extremity FTHUE).
Compared with SC participants, those in the FT and ST groups had significantly greater increases in Fugl-Meyer motor scores (
P=.04) and isometric torque (
P=.02) posttreatment. Treatment benefit was primarily in the less severe participants, where improvement in FT and ST group Fugl-Meyer motor scores more than doubled that of the SC group. Similar results were found for the FTHEU and isometric torque. During the long term, at 9 months, the less severe FT group continued to make gains in isometric muscle torque, significantly exceeding those of the ST group (
P<.05).
Task specificity and stroke severity are important factors for rehabilitation of arm use in acute stroke. Twenty hours of upper extremity-specific therapy over 4 to 6 weeks significantly affected functional outcomes. The immediate benefits of a functional task approach were similar to those of a resistance-strength approach, however, the former was more beneficial in the long-term.
We studied 110 children (59 boys and 51 girls, who were 10 yr of age at enrollment and 15 yr of age at follow-up) who had moved from communities participating in a 10-yr prospective study of ...respiratory health (The Children's Health Study CHS) to determine whether changes in air quality caused by relocation were associated with changes in annual lung function growth rates. The subjects were given health questionnaires and underwent spirometry in their homes across six western states, according to a protocol identical to evaluations performed annually on the CHS cohort in school. Changes in annual average exposure to particulate matter with a mean diameter of 10 microm (PM(10)) were associated with differences in annual lung function growth rates for FEV(1), maximal midexpiratory flow, and peak expiratory flow rate. As a group, subjects who had moved to areas of lower PM(10) showed increased growth in lung function and subjects who moved to communities with a higher PM(10) showed decreased growth in lung function. A stronger trend was found for subjects who had migrated at least 3 yr before the follow-up visit than for those who had moved in the previous 1 to 2 yr. We conclude that changes in air pollution exposure during adolescent growth years have a measurable and potentially important effect on lung function growth and performance.
Preservation of Pancreatic β-Cell Function and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes by Pharmacological Treatment of Insulin Resistance
in High-Risk Hispanic Women
Thomas A. Buchanan 1 2 3 ,
Anny H. Xiang 3 ...4 ,
Ruth K. Peters 3 4 ,
Siri L. Kjos 2 3 ,
Aura Marroquin 1 ,
Jose Goico 1 ,
Cesar Ochoa 1 ,
Sylvia Tan 4 ,
Kathleen Berkowitz 2 ,
Howard N. Hodis 1 3 4 and
Stanley P. Azen 3 4
1 Department of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
3 Diabetes Research Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
4 Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes frequently results from progressive failure of pancreatic β-cell function in the presence of chronic insulin
resistance. We tested whether chronic amelioration of insulin resistance would preserve pancreatic β-cell function and delay
or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk Hispanic women. Women with previous gestational diabetes were randomized
to placebo ( n = 133) or the insulin-sensitizing drug troglitazone (400 mg/day; n = 133) administered in double-blind fashion. Fasting plasma glucose was measured every 3 months, and oral glucose tolerance
tests (OGTTs) were performed annually to detect diabetes. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTTs) were performed at baseline
and 3 months later to identify early metabolic changes associated with any protection from diabetes. Women who did not develop
diabetes during the trial returned for OGTTs and IVGTTs 8 months after study medications were stopped. During a median follow-up
of 30 months on blinded medication, average annual diabetes incidence rates in the 236 women who returned for at least one
follow-up visit were 12.1 and 5.4% in women assigned to placebo and troglitazone, respectively ( P < 0.01). Protection from diabetes in the troglitazone group 1 ) was closely related to the degree of reduction in endogenous insulin requirements 3 months after randomization, 2 ) persisted 8 months after study medications were stopped, and 3 ) was associated with preservation of β-cell compensation for insulin resistance. Treatment with troglitazone delayed or prevented
the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk Hispanic women. The protective effect was associated with the preservation of pancreatic
β-cell function and appeared to be mediated by a reduction in the secretory demands placed on β-cells by chronic insulin resistance.
Footnotes
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Thomas A. Buchanan, Room 6602 GNH, 1200 N. State St., Los Angeles, CA, 90033.
E-mail: buchanan{at}usc.edu .
Received for publication 18 March 2002 and accepted in revised form 5 June 2002.
K.B. is currently affiliated with the School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California.
AIRg, acute insulin response to intravenous glucose; DI, disposition index; GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus; HR, hazard
ratio; IVGTT, intravenous glucose tolerance test; K g , glucose disappearance rate; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test; S I , insulin sensitivity; TRIPOD, Troglitazone in Prevention of Diabetes.
DIABETES
The objectives of this study were to investigate the possibility of using a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) for basic chairside cephalometric analysis and to compare PACS with ...hand-tracing and on-screen digitization using a commercial program (Dolphin Imaging Plus™ Version 10.0). One hundred digital lateral cephalometric radiographs were selected and analysed using the Eastman analysis. Angular and linear measurements were recorded and a single operator traced each radiograph twice, using each of the following methods: PACS, hand-tracing, and Dolphin™ Imaging. The British Standards Institution Coefficient of Repeatability was used to investigate repeatability within each method and the Bland and Altman method to investigate systematic and random errors between methods.
The PACS was more repeatable than Dolphin™ for measuring the angle between the upper incisors and the maxillary plane but was less repeatable than hand-tracing for measuring percentage lower anterior face height (LAFH). There were statistically significant systematic differences between PACS, hand-tracing, and Dolphin™ for measurement of lower incisor inclination. However, all three methods agreed, on average, and differences between methods were all within clinically acceptable limits.
PACS was found to be clinically acceptable to be used chairside, without the need for hand-tracing or involvement of any orthodontic software. This offers the freedom to analyse digital cephalograms within a clinical area at the same appointment as when the digital radiograph is taken.
Abstract Estimates of the proportions of the population who are at high risk of influenza complications because of prior health status or who are likely to have decreased vaccination response because ...of immunocompromising conditions would enhance public health planning and model-based projections. We estimate these proportions and how they vary by population subgroups using national data systems for 2006–2008. The proportion of individuals at increased risk of influenza complications because of health conditions varied 10-fold by age (4.2% of children <2 years to 47% of individuals >64 years). Age-specific prevalence differed substantially by gender, by racial/ethnic groups (with African Americans highest in all age groups) and by income. Individuals living in families with less than 200% of federal poverty level (FPL) were significantly more likely to have at least one of these health conditions, compared to individuals with 400% FPL or more (3-fold greater among <2 and 30% greater among >64 years). Among children, there were significantly elevated proportions in all regions compared to the West. The estimated prevalence of immunocompromising conditions ranged from 0.02% in young children to 6.14% older adults. However, national data on race/ethnicity and income are not available for most immunocompromising conditions, nor is it possible to fully identify the degree of overlap between persons with high-risk health conditions and with immunocompromising conditions. Modifications to current national data collection systems would enhance the value of these data for public health programs and influenza modeling.
Our objective was to analyze a prospective population-based registry including five sites in four low- and middle-income countries to observe characteristics associated with vaginal birth after ...cesarean versus repeat cesarean birth, as well as maternal and newborn outcomes associated with the mode of birth among women with a history of prior cesarean.
Maternal and perinatal outcomes among vaginal birth after cesarean section will be similar to those among recurrent cesarean birth.
A prospective population-based study, including home and facility births among women enrolled from 2017 to 2020, was performed in communities in Guatemala, India (Belagavi and Nagpur), Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Women were enrolled during pregnancy, and delivery outcome data were collected within 42 days after birth.
We analyzed 8267 women with a history of prior cesarean birth; 1389 (16.8%) experienced vaginal birth after cesarean, and 6878 (83.2%) delivered by a repeat cesarean birth. Having a repeat cesarean birth was negatively associated with a need for curettage (ARR 0.12 0.06, 0.25) but was positively associated with having a blood transfusion (ARR 3.74 2.48, 5.63). Having a repeat cesarean birth was negatively associated with stillbirth (ARR 0.24 0.15, 0.49) and, breast-feeding within an hour of birth (ARR 0.39 0.30, 0.50), but positively associated with use of antibiotics (ARR 1.51 1.20, 1.91).
In select South Asian and Latin American low- and middle-income sites, women with a history of prior cesarean birth were 5 times more likely to deliver by cesarean birth in the hospital setting. Those who delivered vaginally had less complicated pregnancy and labor courses compared to those who delivered by repeat cesarean birth, but they had an increased risk of stillbirth. More large scale studies are needed in Low Income Country settings to give stronger recommendations.
NCT01073475, Registered February 21, 2010, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01073475 .
T. vaginalis infection (trichomoniasis) is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S. It is associated with increased HIV risk and adverse pregnancy outcomes. ...Trichomoniasis surveillance data do not exist for either national or local populations. The Monitoring STIs Survey Program (MSSP) collected survey data and specimens which were tested using nucleic acid amplification tests to monitor trichomoniasis and other STIs in 2006-09 among a probability sample of young adults (N = 2,936) in Baltimore, Maryland--an urban area with high rates of reported STIs. The estimated prevalence of trichomoniasis was 7.5% (95% CI 6.3, 9.1) in the overall population and 16.1% (95% CI 13.0, 19.8) among Black women. The overwhelming majority of infected men (98.5%) and women (73.3%) were asymptomatic. Infections were more common in both women (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.6, 8.2) and men (OR = 9.0, 95% CI 1.8, 44.3) with concurrent chlamydial infection. Trichomoniasis did not vary significantly by age for either men or women. Women with two or more partners in the past year and women with a history of personal or partner incarceration were more likely to have an infection. Overall, these results suggest that routine T vaginalis screening in populations at elevated risk of infection should be considered.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
