HEMATOLOGY AND BIOCHEMICAL REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR FREE-RANGING PRONGHORN (ANTILOCAPRA AMERICANA) IN WEST TEXAS.

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are considered a keystone species of North American grasslands and an important economic source for many landowners in Texas. Pronghorn restoration projects routinely capture and translocate individuals from surplus populations to restoration areas. The objective of this study was to generate normal hematological and biochemical reference intervals (RI) for free-ranging pronghorn populations in Texas as a health monitoring tool for pronghorn restoration efforts. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture and divided among an EDTA tube, serum separator tube, and a single blood smear on site. Complete blood counts and biochemical profiles were completed at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. In total, 417 individuals (41 males, 376 females) were included in the analysis. RI were determined by robust methods (R Studio) and mixed models' analysis of variance (SPSS 28) to examine differences in blood parameters due to fever, sex, age (adult versus yearling [<1 yr of age]), cell abnormalities, and pathogen exposure reported by the testing laboratory. Sex, age, and pathogen exposure affected mean blood values, but did not warrant development of separate RI by class. Bluetongue virus was identified in 46.8% (195/417) of pronghorns and epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 89.4% (194/217) of pronghorns; 84.8% (184/217) of the pronghorns tested positive for both diseases. This information provides baseline hematology and biochemical parameters to assess the health of free-ranging pronghorn and guide wildlife managers in decision-making for future translocations and restoration objectives.

Reproductive Capabilities of Female Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in Southern Texas.

Free-ranging nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) are an understudied species, both on their native ranges of India, Pakistan, and Nepal and on their introduced ranges in southern Texas. Basic data related to population sizes, survival, reproduction, and recruitment are needed throughout their range to inform management and conservation decisions. We collected nilgai fetuses from 3 ranches in southern Texas, including East Foundation's El Sauz and Santa Rosa ranches, and the Norias Division of the King Ranch® from 2018-2021. We calculated the percentage of individuals that were pregnant in each of the sample years and overall. We determined monthly average, maximum, and minimum fetus length. Of 488 nilgai cows, we found 386 to be pregnant (79%) and 214 to be pregnant with twins (56%). We found nilgai cows as young as 1-year old to have fetuses and therefore to have reached sexual maturity. Sex ratios of fetuses during any sampling year did not differ. We found ample evidence supporting our hypothesis that nilgai are fecund on their introduced range of southern Texas. To prevent nilgai overpopulation and associated problems, harvest management strategies should be implemented, specifically on nilgai cows.

A Novel UHPLC-MS/MS Based Method for Isomeric Separation and Quantitative Determination of Cyanogenic Glycosides in American Elderberry.

LC-MS/MS analyses have been reported as challenging for the reliable separation and quantification of cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs), especially (R)-prunasin and sambunigrin isomers found in American elderberry (Sambucus nigra L. subsp. canadensis (L.) Bolli). Hence, a novel multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated in the present study for simultaneous separation and quantification of five CNGs, including amygdalin, dhurrin, linamarin, (R)-prunasin, and (S)-prunasin (commonly referred to as sambunigrin). Initially, the role of ammonium formate was investigated as an aqueous mobile-phase additive in developing MRM-based UHPLC-MS/MS. Later, chromatographic conditions for the resolved separation of (R)-prunasin and sambunigrin were identified. Validation studies confirmed that the developed method has good linearity and acceptable precision and accuracy. A noticeable matrix effect (mainly signal enhancement) was observed in leaf samples only. This method was used to detect and quantify CNGs, including (R)-prunasin and sambunigrin, in leaf and fruit samples of American elderberry. Among the studied CNGs, only (R)-prunasin was detected in the leaf samples. Interestingly, (S)-prunasin (sambunigrin) was not detected in the samples analyzed, even though it has been previously reported in elderberry species.

Clinging to the top: natal dispersal tracks climate gradient in a trailing-edge population of a migratory songbird.

PURPOSE: Trailing-edge populations at the low-latitude, receding edge of a shifting range face high extinction risk from climate change unless they are able to track optimal environmental conditions through dispersal. METHODS: We fit dispersal models to the locations of 3165 individually-marked black-throated blue warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) in the southern Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, USA from 2002 to 2023. Black-throated blue warbler breeding abundance in this population has remained relatively stable at colder and wetter areas at higher elevations but has declined at warmer and drier areas at lower elevations. RESULTS: Median dispersal distance of young warblers was 917 m (range 23-3200 m), and dispersal tended to be directed away from warm and dry locations. In contrast, adults exhibited strong site fidelity between breeding seasons and rarely dispersed more than 100 m (range 10-1300 m). Consequently, adult dispersal kernels were much more compact and symmetric than natal dispersal kernels, suggesting adult dispersal is unlikely a driving force of declines in this population. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that directional natal dispersal may mitigate fitness costs for trailing-edge populations by allowing individuals to track changing climate and avoid warming conditions at warm-edge range boundaries.

Predictors of psychosocial adaptation in children with CHD.

Survival of CHD has significantly improved, but children with CHD remain susceptible to neurodevelopmental and psychosocial impairments. Our goal was to investigate the association between socio-demographic factors and psychosocial adaptation for future intervention. A retrospective cross-sectional study of an independent children's hospital's records was conducted. Psychosocial adaptation was measured by the Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory Psychosocial Impact score (range 0-50, higher score indicates greater psychosocial adaptation). Bivariate and regression analyses were performed to estimate relationships between Psychosocial Impact score and socio-demographic variables including Child Opportunity Index, family support, financial support, academic support, and extracurricular activities. A total of 159 patients were included. Compared to patients in high opportunity neighbourhoods, patients in low opportunity neighbourhoods had a 9.27 (95% confidence interval [-17.15, -1.40], p = 0.021) point lower Psychosocial Impact score, whereas patients in moderate opportunity neighbourhoods had a 15.30 (95% confidence interval [-25.38, -5.22], p = 0.003) point lower Psychosocial Impact score. Compared to patients with adequate family support, those with limited support had a 6.23 point (95% confidence interval [-11.82, -0.643], p = 0.029) lower Psychosocial Impact score. Patients in moderate opportunity neighbourhoods had a higher Psychosocial Impact score by 11.80 (95% confidence interval [1.68, 21.91], p = 0.022) when they also had adequate family support compared to those with limited family support. Our findings indicate that among children with CHD, psychosocial adaptation is significantly impacted by neighbourhood resources and family support structures. These findings identify possible modifiable and protective factors to improve psychosocial adaptation in this vulnerable population.

Patterns of psychotropic medication prescribing and potential drug-hormone interactions among transgender and gender-diverse adults within 2 years of hormone therapy.

BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people have a high prevalence of psychotropic medication use, yet knowledge about the patient-level psychotropic medication burden is limited. TGD patients may take hormone therapy to meet their gender expression goals. Potential drug-hormone interactions exist between psychotropic medications and hormone therapy, requiring increased knowledge about psychotropic medication use for TGD adults undergoing hormone therapy. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the extent of psychotropic medication polypharmacy in a cohort of TGD adults within 2 years of starting hormone therapy. We also characterized potential drug-hormone interactions and the association with psychotropic polypharmacy. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients with ≥1 transgender health-related visit (2007-2017) in the University of Washington Medical System (Seattle, WA). Eligible patients had ≥1 psychotropic medication including antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and sedative-hypnotics ordered within 2 years of starting hormone therapy (testosterone or estradiol with or without spironolactone, progesterone, finasteride, or dutasteride). We defined psychotropic polypharmacy as ≥2 psychotropic medication orders with overlapping treatment durations for at least 90 days and characterized potential drug-hormone interactions (Lexicomp, Hudson, OH). We descriptively summarized patients with and without polypharmacy (frequencies and percentages) and compared drug-hormone interactions using chi-square or Fishers exact tests (P < 0.05 considered significant). RESULTS: A total of 184 patients had ≥1 psychotropic medication order within 2 years of hormone therapy; 68 patients (37.0%) had psychotropic polypharmacy. The most frequent type of psychotropic polypharmacy was antidepressant+sedative-hypnotic (18 of 68, 26.5%). More patients had a potential drug-hormone interaction among those with psychotropic polypharmacy (23 of 68, 33.8%) versus those without (8 of 116, 6.9%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among TGD patients on psychotropic medications within 2 years of hormone therapy, one-third had psychotropic polypharmacy. Most polypharmacy types appeared to align with mental health treatment guidelines. The number of patients with a potential drug-hormone interaction was significantly higher among those with polypharmacy. Prospective studies are needed to characterize drug-hormone interactions.

Attribution of individual methane and carbon dioxide emission sources using EMIT observations from space.

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions are the two primary anthropogenic climate-forcing agents and an important source of uncertainty in the global carbon budget. Uncertainties are further magnified when emissions occur at fine spatial scales (<1 km), making attribution challenging. We present the first observations from NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer showing quantification and attribution of fine-scale methane (0.3 to 73 tonnes CH4 hour-1) and carbon dioxide sources (1571 to 3511 tonnes CO2 hour-1) spanning the oil and gas, waste, and energy sectors. For selected countries observed during the first 30 days of EMIT operations, methane emissions varied at a regional scale, with the largest total emissions observed for Turkmenistan (731 ± 148 tonnes CH4 hour-1). These results highlight the contributions of current and planned point source imagers in closing global carbon budgets.

Evaluation of roost culling as a management strategy for reducing invasive rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) populations.

Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are one of the most widespread invasive avian species worldwide. This species was introduced to the island of Kaua'i, Hawai'i, USA, in the 1960s. The rapidly increasing population has caused substantial economic losses in the agricultural and tourism industries. We evaluated the efficacy of a roost culling program conducted by an independent contractor from March 2020 to March 2021. We estimated island-wide minimum abundance was 10,512 parakeets in January 2020 and 7,372 in April 2021. Over 30 nights of culling at four roost sites, approximately 6,030 parakeets were removed via air rifles with 4,415 (73%) confirmed via carcasses retrieval. An estimated average of 45 parakeets were removed per hour of shooter effort. The proportion of adult females removed in 2020 was 1.9 × greater when culled outside of the estimated nesting season. Of the four roosts where culling occurred, the parakeets fully abandoned three and partially abandoned one site. Of the three fully abandoned roosts, an estimated average of 29.6% of birds were culled prior to roost abandonment. The roost culling effort was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when tourist numbers and foot traffic were greatly reduced. It is unknown how public perception of roost culling in public areas may impact future efforts. Findings suggest roost culling can be utilized for management of nonnative rose-ringed parakeet populations when roost size is small enough and staff size large enough to cull entire roosts in no greater than two consecutive nights (e.g., if two shooters are available for three hours per night, roost culling should only be attempted on a roost with ≤ 540 rose-ringed parakeets). Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10530-022-02984-3.

Post-exercise skimmed milk, but not a sucrose beverage decreases energy intake at the next meal compared to a placebo beverage in active males.

This study compared the appetite and energy intake effects of three post-exercise beverages at a subsequent post-exercise meal. On three occasions, ten active males: (mean ± sd) age 21.3 ± 1.2 y, V˙ O2peak 58 ± 5 mL/kg/min) performed 30-min cycling at ∼60% V˙ O2peak and five 4-min intervals at 85% V˙ O2peak. Post-exercise, placebo (PLA: 57 kJ), skimmed milk (MILK: 1002 kJ) or sucrose (CHO: 1000 kJ) beverages (615 mL) were consumed. Sixty min post-beverage, subjects consumed an ad-libitum pasta lunch in a 30 min eating period. Subjective appetite and plasma acylated ghrelin and plasma glucose were determined pre-exercise, post-exercise and pre-meal, with sensory characteristics of beverages rated. Ad-libitum energy intake in MILK (6746 ± 2035) kJ) was lower than CHO (7762 ± 1921) kJ) (P = 0.038; dz = 0.98; large effect) and tended to be lower than PLA (7672 (2005) kJ) (P = 0.078; dz = 0.76; medium effect). Including energy consumed in beverages, energy intake was greater in CHO than PLA (P = 0.010; dz = 1.24; large effect) or MILK (P = 0.026; dz = 0.98; large effect), with PLA and MILK not different (P = 0.960; dz = 0.02; trial effect). Plasma ghrelin, plasma glucose and appetite were not different between trials. MILK was perceived thicker than CHO (P = 0.020; dz = 1.11; large effect) and creamier than PLA (P = 0.026; dz = 1.06; large effect). These results suggest that when energy balance is important for an exerciser, post-exercise skimmed milk ingestion reduces energy intake compared to a sucrose beverage and might therefore help facilitate recovery/adaptation without affecting energy balance.

High Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at One of Three Captive Cervid Facilities in Texas.

Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) across the United States are increasingly recognized for infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Through a cross-sectional study of 80 deer at three captive cervid facilities in central and southern Texas, we provide evidence of 34 of 36 (94.4%) white-tailed deer at a single captive cervid facility seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by neutralization assay (PRNT90), with endpoint titers as high as 1,280. In contrast, all tested white-tailed deer and axis deer (Axis axis) at two other captive cervid facilities were seronegative, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in respiratory swabs from deer at any of the three facilities. These data support transmission among captive deer that cannot be explained by human contact for each infected animal, as only a subset of the seropositive does had direct human contact. The facility seroprevalence was more than double of that reported from wild deer, suggesting that the confined environment may facilitate transmission. Further exploration of captive cervids and other managed animals for their role in the epizootiology of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding impacts on animal health and the potential for spillback transmission to humans or other animal taxa. IMPORTANCE As SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverage of the human population increases and variants of concern continue to emerge, identification of the epidemiologic importance of animal virus reservoirs is critical. We found that nearly all (94.4%) of the captive white-tailed deer at a cervid facility in central Texas had neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. This seroprevalence is over double than that which has been reported from free-ranging deer from other regions of the United States. Horizontal transmission among deer may be facilitated in confinement. Tracking new infections among wild and confined deer is critical for understanding the importance of animal reservoirs for both veterinary and human health.

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Study of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on International Lung Cancer Clinical Trials.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the effects of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on lung cancer trials, we surveyed investigators and collected aggregate enrollment data for lung cancer trials across the world before and during the pandemic. METHODS: A Data Collection Survey collected aggregate monthly enrollment numbers from 294 global lung cancer trials for 2019 to 2020. A 64-question Action Survey evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials and identified mitigation strategies implemented. RESULTS: Clinical trial enrollment declined from 2019 to 2020 by 14% globally. Most reductions in enrollment occurred in April to June where we found significant decreases in individual site enrollment (p = 0.0309). Enrollment was not significantly different in October 2019 to December of 2019 versus 2020 (p = 0.25). The most frequent challenges identified by the Action Survey (N = 172) were fewer eligible patients (63%), decrease in protocol compliance (56%), and suspension of trials (54%). Patient-specific challenges included access to trial site (49%), ability to travel (54%), and willingness to visit the site (59%). The most frequent mitigation strategies included modified monitoring requirements (47%), telehealth visits (45%), modified required visits (25%), mail-order medications (25%), and laboratory (27%) and radiology (21%) tests at nonstudy facilities. Sites that felt the most effective mitigation strategies were telehealth visits (85%), remote patient-reported symptom collection (85%), off-site procedures (85%), and remote consenting (89%). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for lung cancer clinical trials conduct and enrollment. Mitigation strategies were used and, although the pandemic worsened, trial enrollment improved. A more flexible approach may improve enrollment and access to clinical trials, even beyond the pandemic.

High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at one of three captive cervid facilities in Texas

Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) across the United States are increasingly recognized as involved in SARS-CoV-2 transmission cycles. Through a cross-sectional study of 80 deer at three captive cervid facilities in central and southern Texas, we provide evidence of 34 of 36 (94.4%) white-tailed deer at a single captive cervid facility seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by neutralization assay (PRNT90), with endpoint titers as high as 1280. In contrast, all tested white-tailed deer and axis deer (Axis axis) at two other captive cervid facilities were seronegative, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in respiratory swabs from deer at any of the three facilities. These data support transmission among captive deer that cannot be explained by human contact for each infected animal, as only a subset of the seropositive does had direct human contact. The facility seroprevalence was more than double of that reported from wild deer, suggesting that the confined environment may facilitate transmission. Further exploration of captive cervids and other managed animals for their role in the epizootiology of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding impacts on animal health and the potential for spillback transmission to humans or other animal taxa. ImportanceAs SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverge of the human population increases and variants of concern continue to emerge, identification of the epidemiologic importance of animal virus reservoirs is critical. We found that nearly all (94.4%) of the captive white-tailed deer at a cervid facility in central Texas had neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. This seroprevalence is over double than that which has been reported from free-ranging deer from other regions of the US. Horizontal transmission among deer may be facilitated in confinement. Tracking new infections among wild and confined deer is critical for understanding the importance of animal reservoirs for both veterinary and human health.

The Influence of Audible Alarm Loudness and Type on Clinical Multitasking.

In high-consequence industries such as health care, auditory alarms are an important aspect of an informatics system that monitors patients and alerts providers attending to multiple concurrent tasks. Alarms levels are unnecessarily high and alarm signals are uninformative. In a laboratory-based task setting, we studied 25 anesthesiology residents' responses to auditory alarms in a multitasking paradigm comprised of three tasks: patient monitoring, speech perception/intelligibility, and visual vigilance. These tasks were in the presence of background noise plus/minus music, which served as an attention-diverting stimulus. Alarms signified clinical decompensation and were either conventional alarms or a novel informative auditory icon alarm. Both alarms were presented at four different levels. Task performance (accuracy and response times) were analyzed using logistic and linear mixed-effects regression. Salient findings were 1), the icon alarm had similar performance to the conventional alarm at a +2 dB signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) (accuracy: OR 1.21 (95% CI 0.88, 1.67), response time: 0.04 s at 2 dB (95% CI: -0.16, 0.24), which is a much lower level than current clinical environments; 2) the icon alarm was associated with 27% greater odds (95% CI: 18%, 37%) of correctly addressing the vigilance task, regardless of alarm SNR, suggesting crossmodal/multisensory multitasking benefits; and 3) compared to the conventional alarm, the icon alarm was associated with an absolute improvement in speech perception of 4% in the presence of an attention-diverting auditory stimulus (p = 0.031). These findings suggest that auditory icons can provide multitasking benefits in cognitively demanding clinical environments.

Improving Training Motivation and Transfer in Hospitals: Extension of a Conceptual Model.

Health-care professionals undergo numerous training programs each year in order to fulfill licensure requirements and organizational obligations. However, evidence suggests that a substantial amount of what is taught during training is never learned or transferred back to routine work. A major contributor to this issue is low training motivation. Prior conceptual models on training transfer in the organizational sciences literature consider this deficit, yet do not account for the unique conditions of the hospital setting. This chapter seeks to close this gap by adapting conceptual models of training transfer to this setting that are grounded in organizational science. Based on theory and supplemented by semistructured key informant interviews (i.e., organizational leaders and program directors), we introduce an applied model of training motivation to facilitate training transfer in the hospital setting. In this model, training needs analysis is positioned as a key antecedent to ensure support for training, relevant content, and perceived utility of training. We posit that these factors, along with training design and logistics, enhance training motivation in hospital environments. Further, we suggest that training motivation subsequently impacts learning and transfer, with elements of the work environment also serving as moderators of the learning-transfer relationship. Factors such as external support for training content (e.g., from accrediting bodies) and allocation of time for training are emphasized as facilitators. The proposed model suggests there are factors unique to the hospital work setting that impact training motivation and transfer that should be considered when developing and implementing training initiatives in this setting.

CDK1 is up-regulated by temozolomide in an NF-κB dependent manner in glioblastoma.

The alkylating agent, temozolomide (TMZ), is the most commonly used chemotherapeutic for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). The anti-glioma effect of TMZ involves a complex response that includes G2-M cell cycle arrest and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) activation. While CDK1 phosphorylation is a well-described consequence of TMZ treatment, we find that TMZ also robustly induces CDK1 expression. Analysis of this pathway demonstrates that CDK1 is regulated by NF-κB via a putative κB-site in its proximal promoter. CDK1 was induced in a manner dependent on mature p50 and the atypical inhibitor κB protein, BCL-3. Treatment with TMZ induced binding of NF-κB to the κB-site as assessed by gel shift analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Examination of a CDK1 promoter-reporter demonstrated the functional relevance of the κB-site and underlined the requirement of p50 and BCL-3 for activation. Targeted knockdown of CDK1 or chemical inhibition with the selective CDK1 inhibitor, RO-3306, potentiated the cytotoxic effect of TMZ. These results identify CDK1 as an NF-κB target gene regulated by p50 and BCL-3 and suggest that targeting CDK1 may be a strategy to improve the efficacy of TMZ against GBM.

EFFECT OF PRESCRIBED FIRE ON THE VIABILITY OF BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS EGGS.

Baylisascaris procyonis is a zoonotic parasite that can cause serious health issues in their intermediate hosts. Eggs of the parasite are shed in the feces of raccoons (Procyon lotor), the definitive host, and can remain viable in the environment for years. Temperatures at 49 C are the LD50 for B. procyonis eggs. Our objective was to determine the effect of prescribed fire as a lethal control technique for B. procyonis eggs. Aliquots of 1,000 viable B. procyonis eggs were placed on the soil surface and at a depth of 2 cm within 10×10 m grass plots consisting of approximately 2,000 kg/ha and 4,000 kg/ha fuel loads. In addition, aliquots of 1,000 viable B. procyonis eggs were placed at 0, 0.7, 1.2, and 1.8 m from the fire's edge and within a 1 m2 circle of bare ground on the leading edge, center of circle, and trailing edge of the fire of similar plots. Prescribed fire killed B. procyonis eggs on the soil surface up to 0.7 m from the fire's edge at fuel loads of 4,000 kg/ha but was ineffective at depths of 2 cm. Fuel loads of 2,000 kg/ha killed only 50% of B. procyonis eggs on the soil surface at the fire's edge but was not effective killing eggs at greater distances or at soil depths. Prescribed fire can be used to reduce the quantity of B. procyonis eggs on the soil surface within an environment but will not be effective in eradicating the parasite eggs.

Sex effects in pyelonephritis.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are generally considered a disease of women. However, UTIs affect females throughout the lifespan, and certain male populations (including infants and elderly men) are also susceptible. Epidemiologically, pyelonephritis is more common in women but carries increased morbidity when it does occur in men. Among children, high-grade vesicoureteral reflux is a primary risk factor for upper-tract UTI in both sexes. However, among young infants with UTI, girls are outnumbered by boys; risk factors include posterior urethral valves and lack of circumcision. Recent advances in mouse models of UTI reveal sex differences in innate responses to UTI, which vary somewhat depending on the system used. Moreover, male mice and androgenized female mice suffer worse outcomes in experimental pyelonephritis; evidence suggests that androgen exposure may suppress innate control of infection in the urinary tract, but additional androgen effects, as well as non-hormonal sex effects, may yet be specified. Among other intriguing directions, recent experiments raise the hypothesis that the postnatal testosterone surge that occurs in male infants may represent an additional factor driving the higher incidence of UTI in males under 6 months of age. Ongoing work in contemporary models will further illuminate sex- and sex-hormone-specific effects on UTI pathogenesis and immune responses.

Analysis of microhabitat characteristics at roost sites of Cerulean Warblers.

Little information exists on songbird roosting habits and the types of habitats that songbirds select. To better understand a species' habitat requirements, all aspects of its biology should be studied. The Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea, Wilson) is a Nearctic-Neotropical migrant that is a species of conservation concern across its range. It is one of the fastest declining species of wood-warbler (Parulidae) in North America. Since 2007, a breeding population of Cerulean Warblers has been monitored in southern Indiana, as part of the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment. The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment is a 100 yr project that studies the effects of different forest management practices on plant and animal communities. During the 2017 breeding season, 10 male Cerulean Warblers were tracked to roost locations. Roost sites selected by male Cerulean Warbler were characterized with less basal area, higher canopy cover, greater grapevine (Vitis spp., L.) presence, less shrubs, steeper slopes, and less white oak (Quercus alba, L.) abundance. With this new knowledge we can incorporate additional features of habitat in the formulation of a management plan for this declining species.

p50 mono-ubiquitination and interaction with BARD1 regulates cell cycle progression and maintains genome stability.

p50, the mature product of NFKB1, is constitutively produced from its precursor, p105. Here, we identify BARD1 as a p50-interacting factor. p50 directly associates with the BARD1 BRCT domains via a C-terminal phospho-serine motif. This interaction is induced by ATR and results in mono-ubiquitination of p50 by the BARD1/BRCA1 complex. During the cell cycle, p50 is mono-ubiquitinated in S phase and loss of this post-translational modification increases S phase progression and chromosomal breakage. Genome-wide studies reveal a substantial decrease in p50 chromatin enrichment in S phase and Cycln E is identified as a factor regulated by p50 during the G1 to S transition. Functionally, interaction with BARD1 promotes p50 protein stability and consistent with this, in human cancer specimens, low nuclear BARD1 protein strongly correlates with low nuclear p50. These data indicate that p50 mono-ubiquitination by BARD1/BRCA1 during the cell cycle regulates S phase progression to maintain genome integrity.