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North American grassland birds have widely declined over the past 50 years, largely due to anthropogenic-driven loss of native prairie habitat. In response to these declines, many conservation programs have been implemented to help secure wildlife habitat on private and public lands. The Grasslands Coalition is one such initiative established to advance the conservation of grassland birds in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation conducted annual point count surveys for comparison of grassland bird relative abundance between focal grassland areas and nearby paired (i.e., containing no targeted management) sites. We analyzed 17 years of point count data with a generalized linear mixed model in a Bayesian framework to estimate relative abundance and trends across focal or paired sites for nine bird species of management interest that rely on grasslands: barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica ), brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater ), dickcissel ( Spiza americana ), eastern meadowlark ( Sturnella magna ), grasshopper sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ), Henslow’s sparrow ( A . henslowii ), horned lark ( Eremophila alpestris ), northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus ), and red-winged blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus ). Relative abundance of all species except eastern meadowlarks declined regionally. Relative abundance of barn swallows, brown-headed cowbirds, dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks, Henslow’s sparrows, and northern bobwhites was higher in focal than paired sites, though relative abundance trends were only improved in focal vs. paired areas for dickcissels and Henslow’s sparrows. Relative abundance increased with increasing grassland cover at the local (250-m radius) scale for all species except horned larks and red-winged blackbirds and at the landscape (2,500-m radius) scale for all species except dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks, and northern bobwhites. Our results suggest focal areas contained greater relative abundances of several grassland species of concern, likely due to increased availability of grassland habitat at local and landscape scales. Further efforts to decrease landscape-scale fragmentation and improve habitat quality may be needed to achieve conservation goals.

Popeye domain containing1 (Popdc1), also named Bves, is an evolutionary conserved membrane protein. Despite its high expression level in the heart little is known about its membrane localization and cardiac functions. The study examined the hypothesis that Popdc1 might be associated with the caveolae and play a role in myocardial ischemia tolerance. To address these issues, we analyzed hearts and cardiomyocytes of wild type and Popdc1-null mice. Immunoconfocal microscopy revealed co-localization of Popdc1 with caveolin3 in the sarcolemma, intercalated discs and T-tubules and with costameric vinculin. Popdc1 was co-immunoprecipitated with caveolin3 from cardiomyocytes and from transfected COS7 cells and was co-sedimented with caveolin3 in equilibrium density gradients. Caveolae disruption by methyl-β-cyclodextrin or by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) abolished the cellular co-localization of Popdc1 with caveolin3 and modified their density co-sedimentation. The caveolin3-rich fractions of Popdc1-null hearts redistributed to fractions of lower buoyant density. Electron microscopy showed a statistically significant 70% reduction in caveolae number and a 12% increase in the average diameter of the remaining caveolae in the mutant hearts. In accordance with these changes, Popdc1-null cardiomyocytes displayed impaired [Ca(+2)]i transients, increased vulnerability to oxidative stress and no pharmacologic preconditioning. In addition, induction of I/R injury to Langendorff-perfused hearts indicated a significantly lower functional recovery in the mutant compared with wild type hearts while their infarct size was larger. No improvement in functional recovery was observed in Popdc1-null hearts following ischemic preconditioning. The results indicate that Popdc1 is a caveolae-associated protein important for the preservation of caveolae structural and functional integrity and for heart protection.

The goal of this study was to identify changes in extracellular vesicles (EV) surface proteins specific to traumatic brain injury (TBI), which could be used as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in polytrauma patients. Known serum TBI-specific biomarkers (S100B, NSE, and GFAP), which can predict the severity and outcome of isolated TBI, lose their predictive value in the presence of additional extracranial injuries. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released from cells in response to various stimuli and carry specific cargo/surface molecules that could be used for tracking injury-responding cells. EVs were isolated using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) from the plasma of two groups of patients (with isolated TBI, ISS≥16, AIShead≥4, n=10; and polytraumatized patients without TBI ISS≥16, AIShead=0, n=10) collected in the emergency room and 48 h after trauma. EVs' surface epitope expression was investigated using a neurospecific multiplex flow cytometry assay and compared with healthy controls (n=10). Three enrichments of EV epitopes found to be specific to TBI were validated by western blot. The expression of 10 EV epitopes differed significantly among the patient and control groups, and five of these epitopes (CD13, CD196, MOG, CD133, and MBP) were TBI-specific. The increased expression of CD196, CD13, and MOG-positive EVs was validated by western blot. Our data showed that TBI is characterized by a significant increase of CD13, CD196, MOG, CD133, and MBP-positive EVs in patients' plasma. A high level of MOG-positive EVs negatively correlated with the Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission and could be an indicator of poor neurological status.

In this large study involving asymptomatic adults, computed tomographic (CT) virtual colonoscopy and optical colonoscopy were performed on the same day. The sensitivity and specificity of virtual colonoscopy for the detection of adenomatous polyps 8 mm or larger were both more than 92 percent. Patients reported more discomfort with virtual colonoscopy than with optical colonoscopy but rated it as more convenient and indicated that they would choose virtual colonoscopy for their next screening test. Accurate detection of polyps in asymptomatic adults. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, accounting for nearly 60,000 deaths each year. 1 Most colorectal cancers are believed to arise within benign adenomatous polyps that develop slowly over the course of many years. 2 Evidence-based guidelines recommend the screening of adults who are at average risk for colorectal cancer, 3 since the detection and removal of adenomas have been shown to reduce both the incidence of cancer and cancer-related mortality. 4 – 6 Unfortunately, about half the average-risk population of the United States has not been screened by any method for this largely preventable disease. 7 Virtual . . .

Estimating absolute and relative abundance of wildlife populations is critical to addressing ecological questions and conservation needs, yet obtaining reliable estimates can be challenging because surveys are often limited spatially or temporally. Community science (i.e., citizen science) provides opportunities for semi-structured data collected by the public (e.g., eBird) to improve capacity of relative abundance estimation by complementing structured survey data collected by trained observers (e.g., North American breeding bird survey [BBS]). We developed two state-space models to estimate relative abundance and population trends: one using BBS data and the other jointly analyzing BBS and eBird data. We applied these models to seven bird species with diverse life history characteristics. Joint analysis of eBird and BBS data improved precision of mean and year-specific relative abundance estimates for all species, but the BBS-only model produced more precise trend estimates compared to the joint model for most species. The relative abundance estimates of the joint model were particularly more precise than the BBS-only estimates in areas where species detectability was low resulting from either low BBS survey effort or low abundance. These results suggest that community science data can be a valuable resource for cost-effective improvement in wildlife abundance estimation.

Although southern Poland and western Ukraine are not often thought of in terms of decisive battles in World War I, the impulses that precipitated the battle for Galicia in August 1914-and the unprecedented carnage that resulted-effectively doomed the Austro-Hungarian Empire just six weeks into the war. InFall of the Double Eagle, John R. Schindler explains how Austria-Hungary, despite military weakness and the foreseeable ill consequences, consciously chose war in that fateful summer of 1914. Through close examination of the Austro-Hungarian military, especially its elite general staff, Schindler shows how even a war that Vienna would likely lose appeared preferable to the \"foul peace\" the senior generals loathed. After Serbia outgunned the polyglot empire in a humiliating defeat, and the offensive into Russian Poland ended in the massacre of more than four hundred thousand Austro-Hungarians in just three weeks, the empire never recovered. While Austria-Hungary's ultimate defeat and dissolution were postponed until the autumn of 1918, the late summer of 1914 on the plains and hills of Galicia sealed its fate.

The Popeye domain containing (POPDC) genes encode sarcolemma-localized cAMP effector proteins. Mutations in blood vessel epicardial substance ( BVES ) also known as POPDC1 and POPDC2 have been associated with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and cardiac arrhythmia. Muscle biopsies of affected patients display impaired membrane trafficking of both POPDC isoforms. Biopsy material of patients carrying mutations in BVES were immunostained with POPDC antibodies. The interaction of POPDC proteins was investigated by co-precipitation, proximity ligation, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Site-directed mutagenesis was utilised to map the domains involved in protein–protein interaction. Patients carrying a novel homozygous variant, BVES (c.547G > T, p.V183F) displayed only a skeletal muscle pathology and a mild impairment of membrane trafficking of both POPDC isoforms. In contrast, variants such as BVES p.Q153X or POPDC2 p.W188X were associated with a greater impairment of membrane trafficking. Co-transfection analysis in HEK293 cells revealed that POPDC proteins interact with each other through a helix-helix interface located at the C-terminus of the Popeye domain. Site-directed mutagenesis of an array of ultra-conserved hydrophobic residues demonstrated that some of them are required for membrane trafficking of the POPDC1–POPDC2 complex. Mutations in POPDC proteins that cause an impairment in membrane localization affect POPDC complex formation while mutations which leave protein–protein interaction intact likely affect some other essential function of POPDC proteins.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) may be associated with short- and long-term patient morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the impact of AKI after cardiac arrest on survival and neurological outcome was evaluated. An observational single center study was conducted and consecutively included all out and in hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA/IHCA) patients treated with therapeutic temperature management between 2006 and 2013. Patient morbidity, mortality and neurological outcome according to the widely used Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) were assessed. A good neurological outcome was defined as a CPC of 1–2 versus a poor neurological outcome with a CPC of 3–5. AKI was defined by using the KDIGO Guidelines 2012. 503 patients were observed in total. 29.4% (n = 148) developed AKI during their intensive care unit (ICU) stay. 70.6% (n = 355) did not experience AKI. The mean age at admission was 62 years, of those 72.8% were male and 77% experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). AKI occurred with 41.2% more often in the group with poor neurological outcome compared to 17.1% in the group with good neurological outcome. The median survival for patients after cardiac arrest with AKI was 0.07 years compared to 6.5 years for patients without AKI. Our data suggest that AKI is a major risk factor for a poor neurological outcome and a higher mortality after cardiac arrest. Further important risk factors were age, time to ROSC and high NSE. •AKI is a major risk factor for a poor neurological outcome after cardiac arrest.•AKI predisposes to a higher mortality among those who survived cardiac arrest.•AKI may reflect both, more severe chronic comorbid conditions and the extent of cardiac disease.

Loss and degradation of grasslands in the Great Plains region have resulted in major declines in abundance of grassland bird species. To ensure future viability of grassland bird populations, it is crucial to evaluate specific effects of environmental factors among species to determine drivers of population decline and develop effective conservation strategies. We used threshold models to quantify the effects of land cover and weather changes in \"lesser prairie‐chicken\" and \"greater prairie‐chicken\" (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), and ring‐necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). We demonstrated a novel approach for estimating landscape conditions needed to optimize abundance across multiple species at a variety of spatial scales. Abundance of all four species was highest following wet summers and dry winters. Prairie chicken and ring‐necked pheasant abundance was highest following cool winters, while northern bobwhite abundance was highest following warm winters. Greater prairie chicken and northern bobwhite abundance was also highest following cooler summers. Optimal abundance of each species occurred in landscapes that represented a grassland and cropland mosaic, though prairie chicken abundance was optimized in landscapes with more grassland and less edge habitat than northern bobwhites and ring‐necked pheasants. Because these effects differed among species, managing for an optimal landscape for multiple species may not be the optimal scenario for any one species. We quantified the effects of land cover and weather changes in Galliformes in Kansas. We found evidence of nonlinear, threshold effects of land cover change in abundance of all four focal species, suggesting that the presence of both grassland and cropland is important in the landscape to simultaneously maintain these populations.

Delays in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and, therefore, delays in treatment, may have a detrimental effect on a patient’s long-term well-being. This studyassessed the effects of postponing donepezil treatment for 1 year by comparing patients treated continuously for 3 years with those who received placebo for 1 year followed by open-label donepezil for 2 years. Patients (n = 286) with possible or probable Alzheimer’s disease (according to DSM-IV, NINCDS-ADRDA, and Mini-Mental State Examination criteria; see text) were randomized to receive donepezil (5 mg/day for 4 weeks, 10 mg/day thereafter) or placebo (delayed-start group) for 1 year. Of the 192 completers, 157 began a 2-year, open-label phase of donepezil treatment. Outcome measures were the Gottfries-Bråne-Steen scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Global Deterioration Scale, the Progressive Deterioration Scale, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and safety (adverse events). Mixed regression analysis was used to compare changes between the groups over 3 years on the efficacy measures. There was a trend for patients receiving continuous therapy to have less global deterioration (Gottfries-Bråne-Steen scale) than those who had delayed treatment (p = 0.056). Small but statistically significant differences between the groups were observed for the secondary measures of cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination; p = 0.004) and cognitive and functional abilities (Global Deterioration Scale; p = 0.0231) in favor of continuous donepezil therapy. Over 90% of the patients in both cohorts experienced one treatment-emergent adverse event; most were considered mild or moderate. In conclusion, patients in whom the start of treatment is delayed may demonstrate slightly reduced benefits as compared with those seen in patients starting donepezil therapy early in the course of Alzheimer’s disease. These data support the long-term efficacy and safety of donepezil.