T1 mapping from routine 3D T1-weighted inversion recovery sequences in clinical practice: comparison against reference inversion recovery fast field echo T1 scans and feasibility in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Quantitative T1 mapping can be an essential tool for assessing tissue injury in multiple sclerosis (MS). We introduce T1-REQUIRE, a method that converts a single high-resolution anatomical 3D T1-weighted Turbo Field Echo (3DT1TFE) scan into a parametric T1 map that could be used for quantitative assessment of tissue damage. We present the accuracy and feasibility of this method in MS. METHODS: 14 subjects with relapsing-remitting MS and 10 healthy subjects were examined. T1 maps were generated from 3DT1TFE images using T1-REQUIRE, which estimates T1 values using MR signal equations and internal tissue reference T1 values. Estimated T1 of lesions, white, and gray matter regions were compared with reference Inversion-Recovery Fast Field Echo T1 values and analyzed via correlation and Bland-Altman (BA) statistics. RESULTS: 159 T1-weighted (T1W) hypointense MS lesions and 288 gray matter regions were examined. T1 values for MS lesions showed a Pearson's correlation of r = 0.81 (p < 0.000), R2 = 0.65, and Bias = 4.18%. BA statistics showed a mean difference of -53.95 ms and limits of agreement (LOA) of -344.20 and 236.30 ms. Non-lesional normal-appearing white matter had a correlation coefficient of r = 0.82 (p < 0.000), R2 = 0.67, Bias = 8.78%, mean difference of 73.87 ms, and LOA of -55.67 and 203.41 ms. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the feasibility of retroactively derived high-resolution T1 maps from routinely acquired anatomical images, which could be used to quantify tissue pathology in MS. The results of this study will set the stage for testing this method in larger clinical studies for examining MS disease activity and progression.

Exploring a case of incompatibility in a complex regimen containing Plasma-Lyte 148 in the pediatric intensive care.

BACKGROUND: In the local pediatric intensive care unit, precipitation was observed in the intravenous catheter upon co-administration of four drugs together with the buffered electrolyte solution (Plasma-Lyte 148, Baxter). Co-infusion of incompatible combinations represents a safety concern. AIMS: To reproduce the clinical case of precipitation. To further explore and understand the risk of precipitation, different combinations of the components as well as the corresponding electrolyte solution with 5% glucose (Plasma-Lyte 148 with 5% glucose) should be investigated. METHODS: Physical compatibility of fentanyl, ketamine, midazolam, and potassium chloride was tested in combination with the buffered electrolyte solutions. The concentrations and infusion rates representative of children 10-40 kg were used to estimate mixing ratios. Analyses detecting visual particles (Tyndall beam) and sub-visual particles (light obscuration technology) were undertaken. Measured turbidity and pH in mixed samples were compared with unmixed controls. RESULTS: Both midazolam and ketamine showed formation of visual and sub-visual particles upon mixing with Plasma-Lyte 148, respectively. Particle formation was confirmed by increased turbidity and a distinct Tyndall effect. pH in mixed samples mirrored the pH of the buffered electrolyte, suggesting that the solubility limits of midazolam, and in some ratios also ketamine, were exceeded. Midazolam also precipitated in combination with the glucose-containing product that held a lower pH, more favorable for keeping midazolam dissolved. CONCLUSIONS: Replication of the case revealed that both midazolam and ketamine contributed to the precipitation. Midazolam and ketamine were both evaluated as incompatible with the buffered electrolyte solution and midazolam also with the buffered electrolyte-glucose solution and should not be co-administered in the same i.v.-catheter line. Fentanyl and potassium chloride were interpreted as compatible with both buffered electrolytes.

Long-Range Respiratory and Theta Oscillation Networks Depend on Spatial Sensory Context.

Neural oscillations can couple networks of brain regions, especially at lower frequencies. The nasal respiratory rhythm, which elicits robust olfactory bulb oscillations, has been linked to episodic memory, locomotion, and exploration, along with widespread oscillatory coherence. The piriform cortex is implicated in propagating the olfactory-bulb-driven respiratory rhythm, but this has not been tested explicitly in the context of both hippocampal theta and nasal respiratory rhythm during exploratory behaviors. We investigated systemwide interactions during foraging behavior, which engages respiratory and theta rhythms. Local field potentials from the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, dentate gyrus, and CA1 of hippocampus, primary visual cortex, and nasal respiration were recorded simultaneously from male rats. We compared interactions among these areas while rats foraged using either visual or olfactory spatial cues. We found high coherence during foraging compared with home cage activity in two frequency bands that matched slow and fast respiratory rates. Piriform cortex and hippocampus maintained strong coupling at theta frequency during periods of slow respiration, whereas other pairs showed coupling only at the fast respiratory frequency. Directional analysis shows that the modality of spatial cues was matched to larger influences in the network by the respective primary sensory area. Respiratory and theta rhythms also coupled to faster oscillations in primary sensory and hippocampal areas. These data provide the first evidence of widespread interactions among nasal respiration, olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, and hippocampus in awake freely moving rats, and support the piriform cortex as an integrator of respiratory and theta activity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recent studies have shown widespread interactions between the nasally driven respiratory rhythm and neural oscillations in hippocampus and neocortex. With this study, we address how the respiratory rhythm interacts with ongoing slow brain rhythms across olfactory, hippocampal, and visual systems in freely moving rats. Patterns of network connectivity change with behavioral state, with stronger interactions at fast and slow respiratory frequencies during foraging as compared with home cage activity. Routing of interactions between sensory cortices depends on the modality of spatial cues present during foraging. Functional connectivity and cross-frequency coupling analyses suggest strong bidirectional interactions between olfactory and hippocampal systems related to respiration and point to the piriform cortex as a key area for mediating respiratory and theta rhythms.

Subfertility in young male mice mutant for chromatin remodeller CECR2.

Defects in spermatogenesis are an important cause of male infertility. Multiple aspects of spermatogenesis are controlled by chromatin remodellers, including regulating transcription. We previously described mutations in chromatin remodelling gene Cecr2 that resulted in the lethal neural tube defect exencephaly in most mutant mice and subfertility in mice that were non-penetrant for exencephaly. Here, we show that the severity of male subfertility is dependent on age. Cecr2GT/Del males contain two mutant alleles, one of which is hypomorphic and therefore produces a small amount of protein. These males sire the fewest pups just after sexual maturity (88% fewer than Cecr2+/+ at P42-60) but improve with age (49% fewer than Cecr2+/+ at P81-100), although never completely recovering to Cecr2+/+(wild type) levels. When young, they also have defects in testis histology, in vivo fertilization frequency, sperm number and motility, and testis weight that show similar improvement with age. Immunostaining of staged seminiferous tubules showed CECR2 in type A, intermediate and B spermatogonia, and less in preleptotene and leptotene spermatocytes. Histological defects were first apparent in Cecr2GT/Del testes at P24, and RNA-seq analysis revealed 387 differentially expressed genes. This included 66 genes on the X chromosome (almost double the number on any other chromosome), all more highly expressed in Cecr2GT/Del testes. This inappropriate expression of X chromosome genes could be caused by a failure of effective meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. We identify several abnormally expressed genes that may contribute to defects in spermatogenesis at P24. Our results support a role for Cecr2 in juvenile spermatogenesis.

Closing the knowledge-action gap in conservation with open science.

The knowledge-action gap in conservation science and practice occurs when research outputs do not result in actions to protect or restore biodiversity. Among the diverse and complex reasons for this gap, three barriers are fundamental: knowledge is often unavailable to practitioners and challenging to interpret or difficult to use or both. Problems of availability, interpretability, and useability are solvable with open science practices. We considered the benefits and challenges of three open science practices for use by conservation scientists and practitioners. First, open access publishing makes the scientific literature available to all. Second, open materials (detailed methods, data, code, and software) increase the transparency and use of research findings. Third, open education resources allow conservation scientists and practitioners to acquire the skills needed to use research outputs. The long-term adoption of open science practices would help researchers and practitioners achieve conservation goals more quickly and efficiently and reduce inequities in information sharing. However, short-term costs for individual researchers (insufficient institutional incentives to engage in open science and knowledge mobilization) remain a challenge. We caution against a passive approach to sharing that simply involves making information available. We advocate a proactive stance toward transparency, communication, collaboration, and capacity building that involves seeking out and engaging with potential users to maximize the environmental and societal impact of conservation science.

Cierre de la Brecha entre el Conocimiento y la Acción en la Conservación con Ciencia Abierta 21-311 Resumen La brecha entre el conocimiento y la acción en las ciencias de la conservación y en su práctica ocurre cuando los resultados de las investigaciones no derivan en acciones para proteger o restaurar la biodiversidad. Entre las razones complejas y diversas de esta brecha, existen tres barreras que son fundamentales: con frecuencia el conocimiento no está disponible para los practicantes, es difícil de interpretar o difícil de usar, o ambas. Los problemas con la disponibilidad, interpretabilidad y utilidad son solucionables mediante las prácticas de ciencia abierta. Consideramos los beneficios y los obstáculos de tres prácticas de ciencia abierta para su uso por parte de los científicos y practicantes de la conservación. Primero, las publicaciones de acceso abierto hacen que la literatura científica esté disponible para todos. Segundo, los materiales abiertos (métodos detallados, datos, códigos y software) incrementan la transparencia y el uso de los hallazgos de las investigaciones. Tercero, los recursos educativos abiertos permiten que los científicos y practicantes de la conservación adquieran las habilidades necesarias para utilizar los productos de las investigaciones. La adopción a largo plazo de las prácticas de ciencia abierta ayudaría a los investigadores y a los practicantes a lograr los objetivos de conservación mucho más rápido y de manera eficiente y a reducir las desigualdades que existen en la divulgación de información. Sin embargo, los costos a corto plazo para los investigadores individuales (incentivos institucionales insuficientes para participar en la ciencia abierta y en la movilización del conocimiento) todavía son un reto. Advertimos sobre las estrategias pasivas de divulgación que simplemente hacen que la información esté disponible. Abogamos por una postura proactiva hacia la transparencia, la comunicación, la colaboración y la construcción de las capacidades que incluyen la búsqueda de y la interacción con los usuarios potenciales para maximizar el impacto ambiental y social de las ciencias de la conservación.

Phthalate and bisphenol a exposures during pregnancy: Findings from the National Children's Study.

Maternal exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy can result in many adverse offspring health outcomes. Exposure to phthalates and BPA can vary depending on consumption of certain foods, some of which may vary by race/ethnicity. This study relates urine phthalate and BPA concentrations to sociodemographic and diet data. Concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and 11 phthalate metabolites were measured from spot urine at the third trimester visit of a sample of 485 pregnant women from the National Children's Study Vanguard Study Pilot data from seven U.S. cities. At the same time, food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) using the Diet*Calc software were obtained from 313 (65%) participants to assess dietary behavior. Overall, phthalate metabolites were highest among Hispanic women, particularly mBP, miBP, and mECPP, and these disparities were not explained by diet. Participants who did not attend college had higher concentrations of mBP, mBzP, mEP, and miBP, and lower mCOP. These disparities were also not explained by diet. The causes for these disparities should be further studied to reduce potential negative health outcomes associated with phthalate exposure for children of Hispanic or non-college educated women.

A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of the development of turn taking in adult-child vocal interactions.

Fluent conversation requires temporal organization between conversational exchanges. By performing a systematic review and Bayesian multi-level meta-analysis, we map the trajectory of infants' turn-taking abilities over the course of early development (0 to 70 months). We synthesize the evidence from 26 studies (78 estimates from 429 unique infants, of which at least 152 are female) reporting response latencies in infant-adult dyadic interactions. The data were collected between 1975 and 2019, exclusively in North America and Europe. Infants took on average circa 1 s to respond, and the evidence of changes in response over time was inconclusive. Infants' response latencies are related to those of their adult conversational partners: an increase of 1 s in adult response latency (e.g., 400 to 1400 ms) would be related to an increase of over 1 s in infant response latency (from 600 to 1857 ms). These results highlight the dynamic reciprocity involved in the temporal organization of turn-taking. Based on these results, we provide recommendations for future avenues of enquiry: studies should analyze how turn-by-turn exchanges develop on a longitudinal timescale, with rich assessment of infants' linguistic and social development.

STAT6 Variants Associate With Relapse of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Patients Receiving Long-term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Based on histologic features, variants in STAT6 are associated with a poor initial response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We investigated whether these genetic variants are associated with a poor long-term response in children with EoE who initially responded to PPI therapy. METHODS: We performed a prospective longitudinal cohort study of children ages 2 to 16 years who met the diagnostic criteria for EoE (≥15 eosinophils/high-power field [eos/hpf]), responded to 8 weeks of treatment with 2 mg/kg/d PPI (<15 eos/hpf), and whose dose then was reduced to 1 mg/kg/d PPI (maintenance therapy) for 1 year, at which point biopsy specimens were collected by endoscopy. Genomic DNA was isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy tissue and was genotyped for variants of STAT6. Remission of inflammation was assessed at eos/hpf thresholds of <15 and ≤5. RESULTS: Among 73 patients who received 1 mg/kg/d PPI maintenance therapy for 1 year, 13 patients (18%) had 6 to 14 eos/hpf, 36 patients (49%) had 5 or fewer eos/hpf, and 24 patients (33%) relapsed to EoE (≥15 eos/hpf). Carriage of any of 3 STAT6 variants in linkage disequilibrium (r2 ≥0.8; rs324011, rs167769, or rs12368672) was associated with a 2.3- to 2.8-fold increase in the odds of EoE relapse, and with a 2.8- to 4.1-fold increase in the odds of having 6 to 14 eos/hpf. For rs324011, the odds ratio [95% CI] for relapse was 2.77 [1.11, 6.92]; P = .029, and the odds ratio [95% CI] for having 6 to 14 eos/hpf was 3.06 [1.27, 7.36]; P = .012. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric EoE patients who initially respond to PPI therapy and carry STAT6 variants rs324011, rs167769, or rs12368672 are at increased risk of relapse after 1 year of PPI maintenance therapy.

Early impact of moderate preterm birth on the structure, function and gene expression of conduit arteries.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? What is the immediate impact of moderate preterm birth on the structure and function of major conduit arteries using a pre-clinical sheep model? What is the main finding and its importance? Postnatal changes in conduit arteries, including a significant decrease in collagen within the thoracic aortic wall (predominately males), narrowed carotid arteries, reduced aortic systolic blood flow, and upregulation of the mRNA expression of cell adhesion and inflammatory markers at 2 days of age in preterm lambs compared to controls, may increase the risk of cardiovascular impairment in later life. ABSTRACT: The aim of this work was to compare the structure and function of the conduit arteries of moderately preterm and term-born lambs and to determine whether vascular injury-associated genes were upregulated. Time-mated ewes were induced to deliver either preterm (132 ± 1 days of gestation; n = 11 females and n = 10 males) or at term (147 ± 1 days of gestation; n = 10 females and n = 5 males). Two days after birth, ultrasound imaging of the proximal ascending aorta, main, right and left pulmonary arteries, and right and left common carotid arteries was conducted in anaesthetized lambs. Lambs were then killed and segments of the thoracic aorta and left common carotid artery were either snap frozen for real-time PCR analyses or immersion-fixed for histological quantification of collagen, smooth muscle and elastin within the medial layer. Overall there were few differences in vascular structure between moderately preterm and term lambs. However, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of collagen within the thoracic aortic wall (predominantly in males), narrowing of the common carotid arteries and a reduction in peak aortic systolic blood flow in preterm lambs. In addition, there was increased mRNA expression of the cell adhesion marker P-selectin in the thoracic aortic wall and the pro-inflammatory marker IL-1ß in the left common carotid artery in preterm lambs, suggestive of postnatal vascular injury. Early postnatal differences in the function and structure of conduit arteries and evidence of vascular injury in moderately preterm offspring may place them at greater risk of cardiovascular impairment later in life.

Gravin is a transitory effector of polo-like kinase 1 during cell division.

The mitogenic and second-messenger signals that promote cell proliferation often proceed through multienzyme complexes. The kinase-anchoring protein Gravin integrates cAMP and calcium/phospholipid signals at the plasma membrane by sequestering protein kinases A and C with G protein-coupled receptors. In this report we define a role for Gravin as a temporal organizer of phosphorylation-dependent protein-protein interactions during mitosis. Mass spectrometry, molecular, and cellular approaches show that CDK1/Cyclin B1 phosphorylates Gravin on threonine 766 to prime the recruitment of the polo-like kinase Plk1 at defined phases of mitosis. Fluorescent live-cell imaging reveals that cells depleted of Gravin exhibit mitotic defects that include protracted prometaphase and misalignment of chromosomes. Moreover, a Gravin T766A phosphosite mutant that is unable to interact with Plk1 negatively impacts cell proliferation. In situ detection of phospho-T766 Gravin in biopsy sections of human glioblastomas suggests that this phosphorylation event might identify malignant neoplasms.

"Consulted to death": Personal stress as a major barrier to environmental co-management.

Co-management is widely seen as a way of improving environmental governance and empowering communities. When successful, co-management enhances the validity and legitimacy of decision-making, while providing stakeholders with influence over processes and outcomes that directly impact them. However, our research with participants in co-management across several cases leads us to argue that many of the individuals who contribute to co-management are subject to significant personal stress arising from both the logistical and social/emotional demands of participation in these processes. We argue that the literature on co-management has touched on this only indirectly, and that personal stress is a major challenge for participants that ought to be integrated into research agendas and addressed by policy-makers. In this article, we review the contours of the personal stress issue as it has appeared in our observations of co-management events and interviews with participants. While these findings are partial and preliminary, we argue that personal stress has theoretical and practical significance to the broader literature and process design. We conclude the article with recommendations for participants, researchers and policy-makers about how to consider and respond to problems of personal stress.

Phenotypic Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Using Nanoparticle-Mediated Ranking.

The analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) provides a means to collect information about the evolving properties of a tumor during cancer progression and treatment. For patients with metastatic prostate cancer, noninvasive serial measurements of bloodborne cells may provide a means to tailor therapeutic decisions based on an individual patient's response. Here, we used a high-sensitivity profiling approach to monitor CTCs in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) undergoing treatment with abiraterone and enzalutamide, two drugs used to treat advanced prostate cancer. The capture and profiling approach uses antibody-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles to sort cells according to protein expression levels. CTCs are tagged with magnetic nanoparticles conjugated to an antibody specific for the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and sorted into four zones of a microfluidic device based on EpCAM expression levels. Our approach was compared to the FDA-cleared CellSearch method, and we demonstrate significantly higher capture efficiency of low-EpCAM cells compared to the commercial method. The nanoparticle-based approach detected CTCs from 86% of patients at baseline, compared to CellSearch which only detected CTCs from 60% of patients. Patients were stratified as prostate specific antigen (PSA) progressive versus responsive based on clinically acceptable definitions, and it was observed that patients with a limited response to therapy had elevated levels of androgen receptor variant 7 (ARV7) and the mesenchymal marker, N-cadherin, expressed on their CTCs. In addition, these CTCs exhibited lower EpCAM expression. The results highlight features of CTCs associated with disease progression on abiraterone or enzalutamide, including mesenchymal phenotypes and increased expression levels of ARV7. The use of a high-sensitivity method to capture and profile CTCs provides more informative data concerning the phenotypic properties of these cells as patients undergo treatment relative to an FDA-cleared method.

Collaboration and engagement produce more actionable science: quantitatively analyzing uptake of fish tracking studies.

Aquatic telemetry technology generates new knowledge about the underwater world that can inform decision-making processes and thus can improve conservation and natural resource management. Still, there is lack of evidence on how telemetry-derived knowledge can or has informed management, and what factors facilitate or deter its use. We present one of the first quantitative studies related to the science-action gap and evaluate factors that influence the uptake of fish telemetry findings into policies and practices, as well as social acceptance of these findings. We globally surveyed 212 fish telemetry researchers regarding the knowledge uptake of an applied fish telemetry research project of their choice. Respondents' personal and professional attributes, as well as the attributes of their chosen projects, were analyzed using machine learning algorithms to identify important factors that influenced the uptake (i.e., use, trust, and/or acceptance) of their findings. Researchers with extensive collaborations and who spent more time engaging in public outreach experienced greater uptake of their findings. Respondents with greater telemetry experience and commitment (e.g., more telemetry publications, higher proportion of research on fish telemetry) tended to achieve more social acceptance of their findings. Projects led by researchers who were highly involved and familiar with the fisheries management processes, and those where greater effort was devoted to research dissemination, also tended to experience greater uptake. Last, the levels of complexity and controversy of the issue addressed by the research project had a positive influence on the uptake of findings. The empirical results of this study support recent messages in the science practitioner literature for greater collaboration, knowledge co-production with partners, and public engagement to enable the transfer of knowledge and the use of evidence in decision-making and policies. Scientific organizations should consider shifting reward incentives to promote engagement and collaboration with non-scientific actors, and perhaps even rethinking hiring practices to consider personal and professional characteristics or attitudes such as altruism and networking skills given the influence of these factors in our model. Last, networks composed of both research and practice potentially have a key role in brokering and facilitating knowledge exchange and actions.

Moderate preterm birth affects right ventricular structure and function and pulmonary artery blood flow in adult sheep.

KEY POINTS: Preterm birth occurs when the heart muscle is immature and ill-prepared for the changes in heart and lung function at birth. MRI imaging studies show differences in the growth and function of the heart of young adults born preterm, with the effects more pronounced in the right ventricle. The findings of this study, conducted in sheep, showed that following moderate preterm birth the right ventricular wall was thinner in adulthood, with a reduction in the number and size of the heart muscle cells; in addition, there was impaired blood flow in the main artery leading from the right ventricle to the lungs. The findings indicate that being born only a few weeks early adversely affects the cellular structure of the right ventricle and blood flow to the lungs in adulthood. The reduced number of heart muscle cells has the potential to deleteriously affect right ventricular growth potential and function. ABSTRACT: Preterm birth prematurely exposes the immature heart to the haemodynamic transition at birth, which has the potential to induce abnormal cardiac remodelling. Magnetic resonance imaging studies in young adults born preterm have shown abnormalities in the gross structure of the ventricles (particularly the right ventricle; RV), but the cellular basis of these alterations is unknown. The aim of this study, conducted in sheep, was to determine the effect of moderate preterm birth on RV cellular structure and function in early adulthood. Male singleton lambs were delivered moderately preterm (132 ± 1 days; n = 7) or at term (147 ± 1 days; n = 7). At 14.5 months of age, intra-arterial blood pressure and heart rate were measured. Pulmonary artery diameter and peak systolic blood flow were determined using ultrasound imaging, and RV stroke volume and output calculated. Cardiomyocyte number, size, nuclearity and levels of cardiac fibrosis were subsequently assessed in perfusion-fixed hearts using image analysis and stereological methods. Blood pressure (systolic, diastolic and mean), heart rate, levels of myocardial fibrosis and RV stroke volume and output were not different between groups. There was, however, a significant reduction in RV wall thickness in preterm sheep, and this was accompanied by a significant reduction in peak systolic blood flow in the pulmonary artery and in RV cardiomyocyte number. Cellular changes in the RV wall and reduced pulmonary artery blood flow following preterm birth have the potential to adversely affect cardiac and respiratory haemodynamics, especially when the cardiovascular system is physiologically or pathologically challenged.

The effect of sex and prematurity on the cardiovascular baroreflex response in sheep.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Late preterm infants are often assumed to escape long-term morbidities known to impact earlier preterm offspring. Is this true for the cardiovascular system? What is the main finding and its importance? We show that late preterm birth is a risk factor for cardiovascular dysfunction in early adulthood and is influenced by sex. Early signs of cardiovascular dysfunction might predispose to heart disease in adulthood. Very preterm infants have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the effects of a late preterm birth on future cardiovascular function are not known. We hypothesized that after a late preterm birth, the well-described impairments in heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity would persist into adulthood. To test this hypothesis, sheep born preterm (0.9 gestation; nine male and seven female) or term (11 male and six female) underwent surgery at 14 months of age for insertion of femoral arterial and venous catheters and a femoral flow probe. After recovery, heart rate variability was assessed, followed by a baroreflex challenge (using the vasoactive agents phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside) in conscious adult lambs. Our data demonstrate decreased low-frequency normalised units (LFnu) and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio in female but not male ex-preterm sheep at rest. When challenged, mature male ex-preterm sheep have an increased blood pressure response but dampened heart rate baroreflex response. We show that even a late preterm birth leads to cardiovascular dysfunction in adulthood. These early signs of cardiovascular dysfunction might underpin the later hypertension and increased risk of heart disease observed in adults born preterm. These findings are particularly important because late preterm infants are often assumed to escape the long-term morbidities known to impact on very preterm and extremely preterm offspring.

Implementation of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System for Symptom Distress Screening at a Community Cancer Center: A Pilot Program.

BACKGROUND: Distress screening is mandated by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer; however, there is limited literature on its impact in actual practice. We examined the impact of a pilot distress screening program on access to psychosocial care. METHODS: Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) screening was routinely conducted at our community-based medical oncology program. Patients who screened positive for severe distress were sent to a social worker for triage and referred to the appropriate services if indicated. We compared the proportion of patients who had ESAS completed, the proportion of patients who screened positive, and the number of patients who had social work assessment and palliative care consultation over the preimplementation (September 2015), training (October/November 2015), and postimplementation (December 2015) periods. RESULTS: A total of 379, 328, and 465 cancer patients were included in the preimplementation, training, and postimplementation periods, respectively. The proportion of patients who completed ESAS increased over time (83% vs. 91% vs. 96%). Among the patients who had completed ESAS, between 11% and 13% were positive for severe distress, which remained stable over the three periods. We observed a significant increase in social work referrals for psychosocial assessment (21% vs. 71% vs. 79%). There was also a trend towards an increased number of palliative care referrals (12% vs. 20% vs. 28%). CONCLUSION: Our community-based cancer center implemented distress screening rapidly in a resource-limited setting, with a notable increase in symptom documentation and psychosocial referral. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer mandates distress screening; however, there is limited literature on how this process should be implemented and its impact on clinical practice. We used the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System for routine symptom distress screening in a community-based medical oncology program that provides care for an underserved population. Comparing before and after program implementation, we found an increase in the number of documentations of symptom burden and an increase in psychosocial referrals. Findings from this study may inform the implementation of routine symptom distress screening in cancer patients.

Acoustic telemetry and fisheries management.

This paper reviews the use of acoustic telemetry as a tool for addressing issues in fisheries management, and serves as the lead to the special Feature Issue of Ecological Applications titled Acoustic Telemetry and Fisheries Management. Specifically, we provide an overview of the ways in which acoustic telemetry can be used to inform issues central to the ecology, conservation, and management of exploited and/or imperiled fish species. Despite great strides in this area in recent years, there are comparatively few examples where data have been applied directly to influence fisheries management and policy. We review the literature on this issue, identify the strengths and weaknesses of work done to date, and highlight knowledge gaps and difficulties in applying empirical fish telemetry studies to fisheries policy and practice. We then highlight the key areas of management and policy addressed, as well as the challenges that needed to be overcome to do this. We conclude with a set of recommendations about how researchers can, in consultation with stock assessment scientists and managers, formulate testable scientific questions to address and design future studies to generate data that can be used in a meaningful way by fisheries management and conservation practitioners. We also urge the involvement of relevant stakeholders (managers, fishers, conservation societies, etc.) early on in the process (i.e., in the co-creation of research projects), so that all priority questions and issues can be addressed effectively.

A roadmap for knowledge exchange and mobilization research in conservation and natural resource management.

Scholars across all disciplines have long been interested in how knowledge moves within and beyond their community of peers. Rapid environmental changes and calls for sustainable management practices mean the best knowledge possible is needed to inform decisions, policies, and practices to protect biodiversity and sustainably manage vulnerable natural resources. Although the conservation literature on knowledge exchange (KE) and knowledge mobilization (KM) has grown in recent years, much of it is based on context-specific case studies. This presents a challenge for learning cumulative lessons from KE and KM research and thus effectively using knowledge in conservation and natural resources management. Although continued research on the gap between knowledge and action is valuable, overarching conceptual frameworks are now needed to enable summaries and comparisons across diverse KE-KM research. We propose a knowledge-action framework that provides a conceptual roadmap for future research and practice in KE/KM with the aim of synthesizing lessons learned from contextual case studies and guiding the development and testing of hypotheses in this domain. Our knowledge-action framework has 3 elements that occur at multiple levels and scales: knowledge production (e.g., academia and government), knowledge mediation (e.g., knowledge networks, actors, relational dimension, and contextual dimension), and knowledge-based action (e.g., instrumental, symbolic, and conceptual). The framework integrates concepts from the sociology of science in particular, and serves as a guide to further comprehensive understanding of knowledge exchange and mobilization in conservation and sustainable natural resource management.

How do potential knowledge users evaluate new claims about a contested resource? Problems of power and politics in knowledge exchange and mobilization.

This article examines how potential users of scientific and local/traditional/experiential knowledge evaluate new claims to knowing, using 67 interviews with government employees and non-governmental stakeholders involved in co-managing salmon fisheries in Canada's Fraser River. Research has consistently shown that there are major obstacles to moving new knowledge into policy, management, and public domains. New concepts such as Knowledge Exchange (KE) and Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) are being used to investigate these obstacles, but the processes by which potential users evaluate (sometimes competing) knowledge claims remain poorly understood. We use concepts from the sociology of science and find that potential users evaluate new knowledge claims based on three broad criteria: (1) the perceived merits of the claim, (2) perceptions of the character and motivation of the claimant, and (3) considerations of the social and political context of the claim. However, government employees and stakeholders have different interpretations of these criteria, leading to different knowledge preferences and normative expectations of scientists and other claimants. We draw both theoretical and practical lessons from these findings. With respect to theory, we argue that the sociology of science provides valuable insights into the political dimensions of knowledge and should be explicitly incorporated into KE/KMb research. With respect to practice, our findings underline the need for scientists and other claimants to make conscious decisions about whose expectations they hope to meet in their communications and engagement activities.

To manage inland fisheries is to manage at the social-ecological watershed scale.

Approaches to managing inland fisheries vary between systems and regions but are often based on large-scale marine fisheries principles and thus limited and outdated. Rarely do they adopt holistic approaches that consider the complex interplay among humans, fish, and the environment. We argue that there is an urgent need for a shift in inland fisheries management towards holistic and transdisciplinary approaches that embrace the principles of social-ecological systems at the watershed scale. The interconnectedness of inland fisheries with their associated watershed (biotic, abiotic, and humans) make them extremely complex and challenging to manage and protect. For this reason, the watershed is a logical management unit. To assist management at this scale, we propose a framework that integrates disparate concepts and management paradigms to facilitate inland fisheries management and sustainability. We contend that inland fisheries need to be managed as social-ecological watershed system (SEWS). The framework supports watershed-scale and transboundary governance to manage inland fisheries, and transdisciplinary projects and teams to ensure relevant and applicable monitoring and research. We discuss concepts of social-ecological feedback and interactions of multiple stressors and factors within/between the social-ecological systems. Moreover, we emphasize that management, monitoring, and research on inland fisheries at the watershed scale are needed to ensure long-term sustainable and resilient fisheries.