Antibody Kinetics after Three Doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants calls for more data on SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine response. Aims: We aimed to assess the response to a third mRNA vaccine dose against SARS-CoV-2 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Methods: This was a single-center, observational prospective study of IBD patients who received a third mRNA vaccine dose against SARS-CoV-2. Antibody titers were taken post-third-dose at one and three months using the Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2-S enzyme immunoassay. Titers less than 0.8 units/mL were considered negative according to the manufactures. Titers between 0.8 units/mL and 250 units/mL were considered non-neutralizing. Titers greater than 250 units/mL were considered neutralizing. Results: Eighty-three patients were included, all of whom had detectable antibodies at 3 months post-third dose. A total of 89% showed neutralizing and 11% non-neutralizing titers. Participants with non-neutralizing titers were more likely to be on systemic corticosteroids (p = 0.04). Two participants seroconverted from negative to positive, whereas 86% with non-neutralizing titers boosted to neutralizing levels. Only one participant with neutralizing titers after a third dose had a decrease to a non-neutralizing level within 3 months. Conclusions: Our findings support the ongoing recommendations for additional doses in immunocompromised individuals. However, longitudinal studies with a greater-sized patient population are needed.

Development and evaluation of a virtual reality training for emergency treatment of shortness of breath based on frameworks for serious games.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) can offer an innovative approach to providing training in emergency situations, especially in times of COVID-19. There is no risk of infection, and the procedure is scalable and resource-efficient. Nevertheless, the challenges and problems that can arise in the development of VR training are often unclear or underestimated. As an example, we present the evaluation of the feasibility of development of a VR training session for the treatment of dyspnoea. This is based on frameworks for serious games, and provides lessons learned. We evaluate the VR training session with respect to usability, satisfaction, as well as perceived effectiveness and workload of participants. Methods: The VR training was developed using the established framework (Steps 1-4) for serious games of Verschueren et al. and Nicholson's RECIPE elements for meaningful gamification. Primary validation (Step 4) was performed at the University of Bern, Switzerland, in a pilot study without control group, with a convenience sample of medical students (n=16) and established measurement tools. Results: The theoretical frameworks permitted guided development of the VR training session. Validation gave a median System Usability Scale of 80 (IQR 77.5-85); for the User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire, the median score was 27 (IQR 26-28). After the VR training, there was a significant gain in the participants' confidence in treating a dyspnoeic patient (median pre-training 2 (IQR 2-3) vs. post-training 3 (IQR 3-3), p=0.016).Lessons learned include the need for involving medical experts, medical educators and technical experts at an equivalent level during the entire development process. Peer-teaching guidance for VR training was feasible. Conclusion: The proposed frameworks can be valuable tools to guide the development and validation of scientifically founded VR training. The new VR training session is easy and satisfying to use and is effective - and is almost without motion sickness.

[Dizziness - What Next?] / Schwindel ­ wie weiter?

Dizziness - What Next? Abstract. Dizziness is a very common symptom with an extensive differential diagnosis that includes both benign and serious conditions. Acute care physicians must be able to distinguish the majority of patients with self-limiting benign complaints from those with serious conditions. Our structured approach is intended to serve as a guide for acute medicine.

Forest microclimate and composition mediate long-term trends of breeding bird populations.

Climate change is contributing to biodiversity redistributions and species declines. However, cooler microclimate conditions provided by old-growth forest structures compared with surrounding open or younger forests have been hypothesized to provide thermal refugia for species that are sensitive to climate warming and dampen the negative effects of warming on population trends of animals (i.e., the microclimate buffering hypothesis). In addition to thermal refugia, the compositional and structural diversity of old-growth forest vegetation itself may provide resources to species that are less available in forests with simpler structure (i.e., the insurance hypothesis). We used 8 years of breeding bird abundance data from a forested watershed, accompanied with sub-canopy temperature data, and ground- and LiDAR-based vegetation data to test these hypotheses and identify factors influencing bird population changes from 2011 to 2018. After accounting for imperfect detection, we found that for 5 of 20 bird species analyzed, abundance trends tended to be less negative or neutral at sites with cooler microclimates, which supports the microclimate buffering hypothesis. Negative effects of warming on two species were also reduced in locations with greater forest compositional diversity supporting the insurance hypothesis. We provide the first empirical evidence that complex forest structure and vegetation diversity confer microclimatic advantages to some animal populations in the face of climate change. Conservation of old-growth forests, or their characteristics in managed forests, could help slow the negative effects of climate warming on some breeding bird populations via microclimate buffering and possibly insurance effects.

Antibody Response 3 Months After 2-Dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: The response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on immune-modifying therapies requires further investigation because previous studies indicate that patients on immune therapy might have decreased antibody concentrations. METHODS: We present the antireceptor binding domain antibody response over a period of 3 months in 217 patients with IBD who completed standard 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine series. RESULTS: Almost all (98.6%) IBD vaccine recipients had a positive antireceptor binding domain antibody response at least 3 months after vaccination. Decreased antibody titers at 3 months were seen in a subset of patients on antitumor necrosis factor-alpha. Approximately 10% of the participants with high-titer antibodies at 1 month had a decrease to low-positive titers at 3 months, which was mostly observed in those on combination therapy and antitumor necrosis factor-alpha monotherapy. DISCUSSION: Larger longitudinal studies are required to define the response in IBD population and its clinical impact.

Antibody Response Six Months after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are recommended to receive vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), regardless of their immunosuppression status. Immunosuppressive medications represent a mainstay of therapy in moderate to severe IBD; however, their impact on the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response remains unclear. Studies thus far have shown that patients with IBD on various therapies had detectable antibody responses after standard vaccinations.1-5 To date, one study has examined the kinetics of antibody response at 3 months after vaccination in patients with IBD, but data beyond this time point are not yet available.6 The aim of this study was to assess anti-spike antibody response 6 months after completion of standard SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with IBD. Secondarily, we observed antibody kinetics over 6 months in a subset of patients post-vaccination.

Adaptation and Preliminary Testing of an Intervention to Reduce Stigma among Individuals Living with HIV in the Deep South.

HIV-related stigma has been implicated as a contributor to the disproportionate impact of HIV in the US Deep South. However, effective interventions aimed at reducing HIV-related stigma are limited in the region. This study adapted and piloted an HIV-related stigma reduction intervention, the UNITY Workshop, for use among people living with HIV in the Deep South following a modified framework of the ADAPT-ITT model and the five principles of Corrigan's Model of Strategic Stigma Change. The adapted intervention, named the YOUNITY Workshop, was conducted in an experiential, group format and focused on enhancing stigma coping skills. Workshop satisfaction was high, and most participants reported acquiring new skills for coping with HIV-related stigma and HIV status disclosure. Participants also reported benefitting from the social support generated from the workshop and desired additional opportunities to connect with others in the future. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and positive preliminary outcomes of conducting a group-based HIV stigma reduction workshop in the Deep South. Future rigorous testing of the YOUNITY Workshop is planned to better examine health outcomes associated with participation.

When are hypotheses useful in ecology and evolution?

Research hypotheses have been a cornerstone of science since before Galileo. Many have argued that hypotheses (1) encourage discovery of mechanisms, and (2) reduce bias-both features that should increase transferability and reproducibility. However, we are entering a new era of big data and highly predictive models where some argue the hypothesis is outmoded. We hypothesized that hypothesis use has declined in ecology and evolution since the 1990s, given the substantial advancement of tools further facilitating descriptive, correlative research. Alternatively, hypothesis use may have become more frequent due to the strong recommendation by some journals and funding agencies that submissions have hypothesis statements. Using a detailed literature analysis (N = 268 articles), we found prevalence of hypotheses in eco-evo research is very low (6.7%-26%) and static from 1990-2015, a pattern mirrored in an extensive literature search (N = 302,558 articles). Our literature review also indicates that neither grant success nor citation rates were related to the inclusion of hypotheses, which may provide disincentive for hypothesis formulation. Here, we review common justifications for avoiding hypotheses and present new arguments based on benefits to the individual researcher. We argue that stating multiple alternative hypotheses increases research clarity and precision, and is more likely to address the mechanisms for observed patterns in nature. Although hypotheses are not always necessary, we expect their continued and increased use will help our fields move toward greater understanding, reproducibility, prediction, and effective conservation of nature.

Landowners' Socio-Cultural Valuation of Ecosystem Services Provided by Trees in Costa Rican Agricultural Landscapes.

Over one-fourth of the world's land area is dedicated to agriculture, and these lands provide important ecosystem services (ES). Trees are a key component of agricultural ecosystems' ability to provide ES, especially in tropical regions. Agricultural landowners' evaluation of the ES provided by trees influences management decisions, impacting tree cover at large scales. Using a case study approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with four types of agricultural landowners in southern Costa Rica to better understand how they value ES provided by trees. We used a socio-cultural valuation method, which revealed that landowners highly valued regulating and provisioning ES provided by trees and that the number and type of ES identified was influenced by the principle economic activity. Those farmers with larger amounts of forests on their properties more often identified cultural ES. The socio-cultural valuation methods revealed that respondents valued trees as wildlife habitat, coupling supporting and cultural services with both material (e.g., tourism) and non-material benefits (e.g., beauty). Few farmers in the study benefited from payment for ecosystem services programs, but the high value farmers placed on trees indicates there are other opportunities to increase tree cover on farms, such as promotion of live fencing and expanded riparian corridors. Results from this work can help improve conservation outcomes by shifting the focus of ecosystem service valuation to the needs and concerns of small-scale farmers in the development of outreach programs, management plans, and policies aimed at increasing tree cover on private lands in agricultural landscapes.

High Availability of the α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Brains of Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study Using 18F-ASEM PET.

Emerging evidence supports a hypothesized role for the α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. 18F-ASEM (3-(1,4-diazabicyclo[3.2.2]nonan-4-yl)-6-18F-fluorodibenzo[b,d]thiophene 5,5-dioxide) is a radioligand for estimating the availability of α7-nAChR in the brain in vivo with PET. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 14 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal stage to dementia, and 17 cognitively intact, elderly controls completed 18F-ASEM PET. For each participant, binding in each region of interest was estimated using Logan graphical analysis with a metabolite-corrected arterial input function. Results: Higher 18F-ASEM binding was observed in MCI patients than in controls across all regions, supporting higher availability of α7-nAChR in MCI. 18F-ASEM binding was not associated with verbal memory in this small MCI sample. Conclusion: These data support use of 18F-ASEM PET to examine further the relationship between α7-nAChR availability and MCI.