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Image‐based analyses from an online repository on rhino horns asserted that declines in size over time could be the consequence of poaching and hunting.We provide reflections on whether the sample was representative enough to make generalizations, the study adequately accounted for the main sources of horn‐size variation and the statistical methods were adequate to be confident in the results.The sample had a limited representation, most coming from zoo animals. We highlight several sources of variance in horn size that such a sample could not evaluate robustly using linear regressions, both for establishing a proxy for horn size corrected for size of a rhino and assessing trends over time.Nevertheless, horn poaching continues to be the key threat to rhinos. Addressing the underlying drivers of poaching and trafficking are key priorities for responsible public debate, policy making and interventions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade restrictions are often advocated and implemented as measures to protect wild species threatened by overexploitation. However, in some instances, their efficacy has been questioned, notably by governments in the southern African (SADC) region, which tend to favor a sustainable use approach to wildlife management. We conducted a systematic review of published literature guided by the PRISMA process to examine the effectiveness of trade restrictions and directly related control measures in addressing threats to species conservation in the SADC region, with a focus on elephants (Loxodonta sp.), rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis), lions (Panthera leo), and pangolins (Manis sp.). We focused in particular on the direct conservation impact of trade restrictions at species or population level, indirect conservation impact at human behavior or attitude level, and socioeconomic impact on rural livelihoods and well-being and on national economies. Research on these topics was uneven and focused strongly on the effects of trade restrictions and law enforcement on crime-related behavior. Research gaps include socioeconomic impacts of trade restrictions, including effects of international restrictions on local livelihoods and consequent secondary conservation impacts, and evaluations of attempts to disrupt criminal networks. Based on the reviewed impact evidence, the effectiveness of international trade restrictions depends on a range of fully aligned measures in countries of origin, transit, and consumption. For example, our results suggest positive ecological short-term but negative or unknown long-term socioeconomic impacts of domestic restrictions. Based on these findings, key policy requirements include more nuanced approaches to incorporate a range of appropriate measures in range, transit, and consumer countries, that focus on capacity development for early detection and apprehension of incursions inside protected areas; measures for constructive engagement with relevant local communities outside protected areas; and future research to improve understanding of the socioeconomic contribution of wildlife., (© 2024 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)

Background: A better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among Hispanic and Latino populations and in low-resource settings in the United States is needed to inform control efforts and strategies to improve health equity. Puerto Rico has a high poverty rate and other population characteristics associated with increased vulnerability to COVID-19, and there are limited data to date to determine community incidence., Objective: This study describes the protocol and baseline seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in a prospective community-based cohort study (COPA COVID-19 [COCOVID] study) to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and morbidity in Ponce, Puerto Rico., Methods: In June 2020, we implemented the COCOVID study within the Communities Organized to Prevent Arboviruses project platform among residents of 15 communities in Ponce, Puerto Rico, aged 1 year or older. Weekly, participants answered questionnaires on acute symptoms and preventive behaviors and provided anterior nasal swab samples for SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction testing; additional anterior nasal swabs were collected for expedited polymerase chain reaction testing from participants that reported 1 or more COVID-19-like symptoms. At enrollment and every 6 months during follow-up, participants answered more comprehensive questionnaires and provided venous blood samples for multiantigen SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G antibody testing (an indicator of seroprevalence). Weekly follow-up activities concluded in April 2022 and 6-month follow-up visits concluded in August 2022. Primary study outcome measures include SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and seroprevalence, relative risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by participant characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 household attack rate, and COVID-19 illness characteristics and outcomes. In this study, we describe the characteristics of COCOVID participants overall and by SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence status at baseline., Results: We enrolled a total of 1030 participants from 388 households. Relative to the general populations of Ponce and Puerto Rico, our cohort overrepresented middle-income households, employed and middle-aged adults, and older children (P<.001). Almost all participants (1021/1025, 99.61%) identified as Latino/a, 17.07% (175/1025) had annual household incomes less than US $10,000, and 45.66% (463/1014) reported 1 or more chronic medical conditions. Baseline SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was low (16/1030, 1.55%) overall and increased significantly with later study enrollment time (P=.003)., Conclusions: The COCOVID study will provide a valuable opportunity to better estimate the burden of SARS-CoV-2 and associated risk factors in a primarily Hispanic or Latino population, assess the limitations of surveillance, and inform mitigation measures in Puerto Rico and other similar populations., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR1-10.2196/53837., (©Chelsea G Major, Dania M Rodríguez, Liliana Sánchez-González, Vanessa Rodríguez-Estrada, Tatiana Morales-Ortíz, Carolina Torres, Nicole M Pérez-Rodríguez, Nicole A Medina-Lópes, Neal Alexander, David Mabey, Kyle Ryff, Rafael Tosado-Acevedo, Jorge Muñoz-Jordán, Laura E Adams, Vanessa Rivera-Amill, Melissa Rolfes, Gabriela Paz-Bailey. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 19.04.2024.)

Purpose: Influenza infections have substantial impact on healthcare institutions. While vaccination is the most effective preventive measure against influenza infection, vaccination coverage in healthcare workers is low. The study investigates the impact of an intensified influenza vaccination campaign in a maximum-care hospital on influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21., Methods: Building on findings from our previously published review Schumacher et al. (Infection 49(3): 387, 2021), an intensified influenza vaccination campaign comprising a mobile vaccination team providing on-site vaccination and vaccination at a recurring central vaccination site in addition to promotional measures was performed and analysed regarding vaccination coverage. A survey querying vaccination motivation was performed. Campaign strategies and vaccination coverage of influenza seasons between 2017/18 and 2019/20 were analysed., Results: The influenza vaccination campaign 2020/21 led to a significant 2.4-fold increase yielding an overall vaccination coverage of 40% among healthcare workers. A significant increase in vaccination coverage was observed across all professional fields; especially among nurses, a 2.7-fold increase, reaching a vaccination coverage of 48%, was observed. The COVID-19 pandemic positively influenced vaccination decision in 72% of first time ever or first time in over ten years influenza vaccinees. Vaccination coverage during prior vaccination campaigns focusing on educational measures did not exceed 17%., Conclusion: A mobile vaccination team providing on-site vaccination and vaccinations at a central vaccination site in addition to promotional measures can be implemented to increase influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers. Our concept can inform influenza and other vaccination campaigns for healthcare workers., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Mutations in the complement factor I ( CFI ) gene have previously been identified as causes of recurrent CNS inflammation. We present a case of a 26-year-old man with 18 episodes of recurrent meningitis, who had a variant in CFI (c.859G>A,p.Gly287Arg) not previously associated with neurologic manifestations. He achieved remission with canakinumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeted at interleukin-1 beta., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

As of January 20, 2022, > 247,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,600 deaths were reported in Puerto Rico (PR). We interviewed participants aged ≥ 14 years in the Communities Organized to Prevent Arboviruses (COPA) study, a community-based cohort in PR, about COVID-19 vaccine intention from November 12, 2020, to June 25, 2021. We used univariate and adjusted analyses to identify participant characteristics associated with vaccine intention. Among 1,542 respondents, the median age was 37 years (interquartile range 23-45) and 914 (59%) were female. Most participants (83%) reported a willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The most common reason for vaccine hesitancy was concern about the safety or side effects (64%). Willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was associated with a later interview date, higher household income, previous COVID-19 diagnosis among household members, COVID-19 risk perception, influenza vaccine uptake, dengue vaccine intention, and general positive perceptions of vaccines. While parents with minors (< 21 years old) were less likely to report vaccine intention for themselves than participants without minor children, we observed similar characteristics associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate their children. Overall, COVID-19 vaccine intention was high among COPA participants. It is important that public health messaging in PR addresses COVID-19 vaccine safety and possible side effects.

Male breast cancer (mBC) is associated with a high prevalence of pathogenic variants (PVs) in the BRCA2 gene; however, data regarding other BC predisposition genes are limited. In this retrospective multicenter study, we investigated the prevalence of PVs in BRCA1/2 and 23 non-BRCA1/2 genes using a sample of 614 patients with mBC, recruited through the centers of the German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. A high proportion of patients with mBC carried PVs in BRCA2 (23.0%, 142/614) and BRCA1 (4.6%, 28/614). The prevalence of BRCA1/2 PVs was 11.0% in patients with mBC without a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Patients with BRCA1/2 PVs did not show an earlier disease onset than those without. The predominant clinical presentation of tumor phenotypes was estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, progesterone receptor (PR)-positive, and HER2-negative (77.7%); further, 10.2% of the tumors were triple-positive, and 1.2% were triple-negative. No association was found between ER/PR/HER2 status and BRCA1/2 PV occurrence. Comparing the prevalence of protein-truncating variants (PTVs) between patients with mBC and control data (ExAC, n = 27,173) revealed significant associations of PTVs in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 with mBC (BRCA1: OR = 17.04, 95% CI = 10.54−26.82, p < 10−5; BRCA2: OR = 77.71, 95% CI = 58.71−102.33, p < 10−5). A case-control investigation of 23 non-BRCA1/2 genes in 340 BRCA1/2-negative patients and ExAC controls revealed significant associations of PTVs in CHEK2, PALB2, and ATM with mBC (CHEK2: OR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.59−7.71, p = 0.002; PALB2: OR = 14.77, 95% CI = 5.02−36.02, p < 10−5; ATM: OR = 3.36, 95% CI = 0.89−8.96, p = 0.04). Overall, our findings support the benefit of multi-gene panel testing in patients with mBC irrespective of their family history, age at disease onset, and tumor phenotype.