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Climate-driven disturbances threaten the sustainability of coastal communities in the Great Lakes Basin. Because such disturbances are unpredictable, their magnitude, number and intensity are changing, and they occur at varying temporal and spatial scales. Consequently, communities struggle to respond in effective ways. The expected intensification of climate-driven disturbances will require that community capacity and governance structures match the spatial and temporal scales of these disturbances, as the most sustainable social and economic systems will be those that can respond at similar frequencies to key natural system drivers. The Climate Governance Variability in the Great Lakes Research Coordination Network (CGVG-RCN) was recently established to address questions about the relationship between climate-driven disturbances and community response. The objective of this short communication is to introduce the ideas behind the CGVG-RCN, outline its goals, and facilitate engagements and collaboration with social and natural scientists interested in social-ecological systems in the Great Lakes Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several different contouring instructional programs are available to radiation oncologists and trainees, very little is known about which methods and resources benefit learners most, and whether some learners may need alternate forms of instruction. This study aimed to determine the factors that were predictors of learners' success in anatomy, radiology, and contouring education. Participants in the online and face-to-face Anatomy and Radiology Contouring (ARC) Bootcamp completed pre- and postintervention evaluations that assessed anatomy/radiology knowledge, contouring skills, self-confidence, and spatial ability. Baseline factors were assessed as predictors of outcomes across multiple educational domains. One hundred and eighty (face-to-face: n = 40; online: n = 140) participants enrolled in the ARC Bootcamp, and 57 (face-to-face: n = 30; online: n = 27) participants completed both evaluations. Of the participants enrolled, 37% were female, and most were radiation oncology residents (62%). In the anatomy/radiology knowledge testing, all quartiles (based on baseline performance) improved numerically; however, the largest improvements occurred in learners with the lowest baseline scores (P <.001). At the end of the Bootcamp, learners with lower-performing scores did not reach the level of learners with the highest baseline scores (Bonferroni-corrected P <.001). Regarding the contouring assessment, improvements were only evident for the participants with lower-performing baseline scores (P <.05). Spatial anatomy skills, as measured by the spatial anatomy task, were correlated to contouring ability. Overall, the greatest improvements were seen for learners in postgraduate year 1 to 3, those with no previous rotation experience in a given discipline, and those who attended from other programs (ie, medical physics residents and medical students). The ARC Bootcamp improved all levels of performers' anatomy and radiology knowledge but only lower-performers' contouring ability. The course alone does not help lower-performing learners reach the abilities of higher-performers. The ARC Bootcamp tends to be most beneficial for participants with less radiation oncology experience. Curriculum modifications can be made to help support ARC Bootcamp participants with lower performing scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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U.S. Hispanic adolescents are at risk for negative health outcomes due to risk-taking behaviors involving sex, drugs, and alcohol. Mother-daughter communication can reduce these risk-taking behaviors and reinforce parents' expectations. The purpose of this study was to explore mothers' descriptions of their communication about risk-taking behaviors with their early adolescent Hispanic daughters. This qualitative descriptive study involved focus groups with 21 Hispanic mothers of 7th grade (12–14 years old) girls. Conventional content analysis was conducted to identify the strategies they used during these conversations. Strategies mothers used included warning, focusing on negative consequences, creating opportunities to express maternal expectations, and stressing the importance of positive influences. Communication was also influenced by daughters' physical development and social media. The mothers were concerned about their daughters' exposure to risk-taking behaviors but were unsure about how to talk to their daughters about how to avoid them, particularly regarding topics related to sex. Our study results have implications on how to facilitate parent-child conversations about risk-taking behaviors and to equip mothers and parents to teach their children how to avoid engaging in these behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is a public health problem that disproportionately affects bisexual youth more than heterosexual, lesbian/gay, and other sexual minority youth. Teen dating violence (TDV) consists of physically, emotionally, and/or psychologically aggressive behavior in adolescent relationships and has been linked to increased suicidality among sexual minority youth. Although biological sex differences in suicide and TDV have been noted, limited research currently exists regarding the importance of these differences in bisexual youth. This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design to investigate the relationship between biological sex, TDV, and suicide risk among bisexual youth in grades 9–12. This study used structural equation modeling to conduct a secondary analysis of pooled 2015 and 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data that examined whether TDV mediated the relationship between biological sex and suicide risk among bisexual youth. Results indicated that TDV did not mediate the relationship between biological sex and suicide risk among bisexual youth. Biological sex was a significant predictor of suicide risk with male youth reporting lower suicide risk than female youth, when controlling for dating history, TDV, age, and race. TDV predicted suicide risk, with youth reporting TDV having higher suicide risk, when controlling for dating history, biological sex, age, and race. In addition, black and Hispanic youth reported lower suicide risk compared to white youth. There is a dire need for research that addresses issues of TDV and suicide among bisexual youth. Understanding factors influencing suicide risk following TDV experiences among bisexual youth will inform interventions to mitigate negative mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A higher proportion of fresh litter residues increased soil microbial biomass. • Local environmental gradients shaped the phenotypic soil microbial response. • Salvage-logging impacted soil microbes more than fire or harvest alone. The boreal forest is currently facing multiple disturbances, which are increasing in extent, frequency and severity. Of particular concern in the western boreal forest of Canada are wildfires and harvesting, which, in the short-term, may impact the forest floor, a storehouse of organic matter and site of highest soil microbial activity. However, how these disturbances may individually and cumulatively affect soil properties during ecosystem recovery is not well documented. Here we compared the separate and compound (salvage-logging) effects of wildfire and harvesting in the mixedwood boreal forest of northern Alberta. Ten years following disturbance, carbon chemical composition of the harvested forest floors was comparable to the control plots as was indicated by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. We report a legacy effect of fire in recovering forest floors, with the continued presence of black carbon. Further, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA), both wildfire and salvage-logging disturbance resulted in distinct microbial composition from the control and harvest treatments. A shift in organic matter composition indicative of fresh plant inputs was determined to be a key driver of community differences. Despite the presence of black carbon, and shallower depth, the fire-disturbed forest floor harbored the greatest microbial biomass. However, this greater microbial biomass was not present following salvage-logging of the fire disturbed stands. Instead, the salvage-logged stands had the shallowest forest floor, low microbial biomass, and differed the most from the control forest floors based on PLFA results. Taken together, these results indicate that, ten years after disturbance, the compound disturbance of salvage-logging had a greater impact on the recovery of forest floor microbial communities than harvest or wildfire alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about climate change among the U.S. population increasingly mirror those of the scientific community. Yet, beliefs and levels of concern vary across different regions of the country. Because geographic locations are being affected by climate change in distinct ways, citizens in more vulnerable locations will likely express greater concern about climate change than individuals whose localities are less likely to have been noticeably affected to date. Using data from a survey of residents in the Grand Traverse Bay region of Michigan and the “Six Americas of Global Warming” audience segmentation tool developed by Maibach el al. (2011), we found that residents in the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed, a coastal region predicted to be especially vulnerable to climate change, express a greater degree of concern about climate change than do residents of the U.S. more generally. Also, using ordinal regression, we found participation in outdoor recreation, as well as demographic variables including gender, education, income and age are predictors of concern about climate change as measured by placement in a Six Americas segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary teams are called upon to research and resolve problems associated with socio-ecological systems, which are notoriously wicked. We propose that the formation of these teams is itself a wicked problem. We support this claim by identifying in transdisciplinary team formation characteristics from Rittel and Weber's (1973) list of wicked problem attributes. We recommend a set of strategies for managing the wickedness of team formation, drawn from our experience in forming teams to conduct research on socio-ecological systems and the team formation literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks collected in 2011 were screened for the presence of filarial nematode genetic material, and positive samples were sequenced for analysis. Monanema -like filarial nematode DNA was recently discovered in Amblyomma americanum in northern Virginia, marking the first time genetic material from this parasite has been discovered in ticks in the state. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this material was directly related to a previously discovered filarial nematode in A. americanum populations in Maryland as well as recently identified parasites in Ixodes scapularis from southern Connecticut. Further study is warranted to visually confirm the presence of these nematodes, characterize their distribution, and determine if these ticks are intermediate hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired soil quality due to compaction and organic matter removal following forest harvesting and mechanical site preparation is of concern, especially on calcareous soils which are believed to be particularly sensitive to disturbance. This study set out to determine the effects of organic matter removal and compaction on soil quality and seedling productivity on calcareous soils of a localized disturbance landscape (2.25 m 2 ). Here we report ten year post-establishment results of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var . latifolia Engelm.) seedlings across four sites in southern British Columbia, Canada with eight treatment levels incorporating different quantities of organic matter removal and soil compaction. Pine seedlings suffered high rates of mortality when planted in deposits across all sites while Douglas-fir seedling mortality was high when planted in compacted undisturbed treatments at two sites and in deposits on the remaining sites. Douglas-fir volume was greatest on the deposit treatment regardless of site but grew significantly better on the non-calcareous site. Pine seedlings outgrew Douglas-fir seedlings and, after ten years, seedlings were largest on a mildly calcareous site. Seedling growth was generally found to be negatively affected by calcareous soils and compaction; however, the specificity of results, in terms of species and site interaction and changing response as the seedlings aged, reinforced the importance of treatment effects on soil quality and forest productivity across the entire length of a stand rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (the Compact) was created to protect future water supplies and aquatic ecosystems in the Great Lakes. The Compact requires the eight Great Lakes state to regulate, among other things, large withdrawals of groundwater and surface water so that they do not negatively affect stream flows and ecosystems within the Great Lakes Basin. Thus, the Compact raises the possibility of increased restrictions on groundwater withdrawals in many locations throughout the Great Lakes region. However, restricting withdrawals is likely to encounter opposition from water users when such restrictions are viewed as an infringement on existing water use rights and/or as negatively impacting local economic development. Such conflicts could hinder effective implementation of state and regional water policy. This paper explores the application of a market-based environmental management tool called “Conservation Credit Offsets Trading (CCOT)” that could facilitate allocation of groundwater withdrawals, and develops a framework for guiding the implementation of CCOT within the context of a groundwater permitting system. Using a watershed in southwestern Michigan, this study demonstrates how bio-physical information and input from various local stakeholders were combined to aid groundwater policy designed to achieve the objective of no net (adverse) impact on stream ecosystems. By allowing flexibility through trading of conservation credit offsets, this groundwater policy tool appears to be more politically acceptable than traditional, less flexible, regulations. The results and discussion provide useful lessons learned with relevance to other areas in the Great Lakes Basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of, and clinical-epidemiological and demographic predictive factors for, birth transition success of late preterm infants. A retrospective, case-control chart review was used to compare the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful birth transition of late-preterm infants delivered in a large tertiary-care center. Categorical and numeric variables related to maternal, birth, and physiologic constructs were analyzed. Four predictor variables were associated with birth transition failure: labor (OR = .42, P = .014), 5-minute Apgar score (OR = 1.79, P = .003), gender (OR = .47, P =.043) and respiratory rate (OR = 2.08, P < .001). The overall classification rate for the model was 70.3%. Transition success and failure were accurately assigned at a rate of 66.7% and 74%, respectively. The primary implication of this research is that the absence of labor, male gender, low Apgar scoring, and tachypnea (>60) were identified as a risk factors for transition failure of late preterm infants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick) is a broadly distributed tick that transmits multiple pathogens of humans and domestic animals. ‘Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii’ is a spotted-fever group rickettsial species that is potentially associated with human disease. In 2008 and 2009, we assayed over 500 unfed adult ticks from 19 Maryland populations for the presence of ‘Candidatus R. amblyommii’. Infection frequencies ranged from 33% to 100%, with an average infection rate of 60% in 2008 and 69% in 2009. Infection frequencies did not differ statistically between sexes. To develop a system in which to study ‘Candidatus R. amblyommii’ in the laboratory, we used a cell line developed from Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes (Sua5B) to isolate and culture ‘Candidatus R. amblyommii’ from field-collected A. americanum ticks from 2 localities in Maryland. After infection, Sua5B cells were infected for more than 40 passages. Infection was confirmed by Rickettsia-specific PCR, gene sequencing, and Rickettsia-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). These data show that ‘Candidatus R. amblyommii’ is widespread in Maryland A. americanum populations and that Sua5B cells are a useful tool for culturing Rickettsia infections from wild ticks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In contrast to adolescents attending traditional universities, adolescents attending community colleges represent a large but relatively unstudied population with respect to stress and mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors increase and decrease stress in a sample of adolescent community college students (N = 166). Findings from a self-administered questionnaire indicated that students had moderate levels of stress and resilience. Contrary to predictions, males demonstrated statistically significant higher levels of stress than females, but as expected, resilience had a significant negative effect on stress (p < .05). Practice and research implications are discussed for nurses in pediatric settings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Background & aims: Metabolic effects of dietary fat quality in people with type 2 diabetes are not well-understood. The study objective was to evaluate effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and safflower (SAF) oils on glycemia, blood lipids, and inflammation. The hypothesis we tested is that dietary oils improve glycemia, lipids, and inflammatory markers in a time-dependent way that follows accumulation of linoleic acid and CLA isomers in serum of subjects supplemented with dietary oils. Methods: Fifty-five post-menopausal, obese women with type 2 diabetes enrolled, and 35 completed this randomized, double-masked crossover study. Treatments were 8 g daily of CLA and SAF for 16 weeks each. We used a multiple testing procedure with pre-determined steps analysis to determine the earliest time that a significant effect was detected. Results: CLA did not alter measured metabolic parameters. SAF decreased HbA1c (−0.64 ± 0.18%, p = 0.0007) and C-reactive protein (−13.6 ± 8.2 mg/L, p = 0.0472), increased QUICKI (0.0077 ± 0.0035, p = 0.0146) with a minimum time to effect observed 16 weeks after treatment. SAF increased HDL cholesterol (0.12 ± 0.05 mmol/L, p = 0.0228) with the minimum time to detect an effect of SAF at 12 weeks. The minimum time to detect an increase of c9t11-CLA, t10c12-CLA, and linoleic acid in serum of women supplemented CLA or SAF, respectively, was four weeks. Conclusions: We conclude that 8 g of SAF daily improved glycemia, inflammation, and blood lipids, indicating that small changes in dietary fat quality may augment diabetes treatments to improve risk factors for diabetes-related complications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tigecycline is a new glycylcycline that has recently been revealed to be very effective in vitro against a variety of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria including multi-drug resistant microorganisms. Using a standardized microdilution susceptibility testing method, we determined the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and the minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of tigecycline, in parallel with doxycycline, tetracycline, and other antibiotic agents relevant for Lyme borreliosis treatment such as ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. The activity of all agents against 16 different Borrelia isolates belonging to all borrelial genospecies known to be pathogenic for humans was investigated and analyzed under standardized conditions. The overall rank order of MIC90s was tigecycline (≤0.016mg/L) > ceftriaxone (0.03mg/L) > cefotaxime (≤0.125mg/L) > doxycycline (0.25mg/L) > tetracycline (0.25mg/L). The rank order of MBC90s was tigecycline (0.5mg/L) > ceftriaxone (2mg/L) > tetracycline (16mg/L) > doxycycline (16mg/L) > cefotaxime (>16mg/L). High in vitro activity of the new glycylcycline against Borrelia was further substantiated by time-kill experiments performed with B. afzelii isolate EB1. Parallel testing of tigecycline and ceftriaxone demonstrated a bacteriostatic effect for 0.016mg/L of tigecycline and for 0.03mg/L for ceftriaxone after 72 h of incubation. Moreover, tigecycline was bactericidal at a concentration of 0.25mg/L showing a >3log10 unit reduction of the initial inoculum, whereas for ceftriaxone a concentration of 2mg/L was needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Vegetation control yielded significantly better growth for the two tree species. • Organic matter (forest floor) removal negatively affected Douglas-fir growth. • Compaction significantly affected Douglas-fir survival and may affect future growth. • Amelioration currently not significantly different, but some grew better. • Vegetation competition was more of a problem on treatments that mixed soil. Understanding the relationship between soil disturbance and tree growth is key to sustainable forest management. We report fifteen-year tree growth results of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca [Beissn.] Franco) and western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl. ex D.Don) growth following clearcut harvesting and installation of three replicates of the international Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) trial protocols. Additional amelioration plots were also established on each replicate site to study rehabilitation of the most severe disturbance, treatment of Armillaria root disease, and enhancement of soil organic matter. Stark differences were found among the various treatments and species. Vegetation control resulted in significantly better growth for both tree species across the core LTSP treatments and amelioration treatments. On the core LTSP treatments, organic matter removal had a significant negative effect on Douglas-fir growth. Amelioration treatments resulted in similar survival and similar or better volume growth than the core LTSP treatments, with the exception of poor volume growth after compaction rehabilitation with no organic matter returned into the soil. Compaction significantly influenced Douglas-fir survival and was often higher on moderate compaction plots. On some sites there was decreased survival and growth associated with heavy compaction that will likely influence longer-term outcomes with a more variable and changing climate. Overall, results to date on the core LTSP treatments, amelioration treatments, and adjacent miniplots reported elsewhere suggest that forest floor removal causes negative growth and, combined with severe compaction, caused both negative growth and poor survival. In the Interior Northwest it is still prudent to minimize soil disturbance and leave organic matter onsite unless there is site specific evidence to the contrary. Additional work is required to reap the full, long-term benefit of the installations. Recommendations are provided highlighting the critical work that should be completed in the near future before biological evidence is lost to decay, including suggestions for further data analysis and extension, the need to continue LTSP core, amelioration and miniplot measurements to demonstrate and calibrate sustainable forest resource management. Our data suggest considering changes to current soil disturbance policy and forest operations based on the current results regarding forest floor displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Erythema migrans (EM) develops at the site of the tick bite in 77–90% of Lyme borreliosis (LB) patients and is therefore a common manifestation of early disease. Clinical treatment failures have been reported in early LB cases for almost every suitable antimicrobial agent. The exact risk of resistance to antibiotic treatment in patients with EM, however, is not known and there are few published cases of culture-proven treatment failure. Moreover, currently available diagnostic techniques cannot reliably discriminate between possible reinfection, true endogenous relapse and co-infection with other tick-borne pathogens. These drawbacks together with the phenomenon of resistance to therapy in individual patients undoubtedly contribute to the inconsistencies surrounding the optimal treatment regimens for LB and are often misinterpreted and misused to support prolonged antibiotic treatment regimens. The question for the underlying mechanisms of possible antimicrobial resistance in Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato remains unresolved but a better understanding of such genetic or phenotypic mechanisms would be helpful for the treatment of LB and other spirochetal diseases. Investigations on this issue, at best, should start with borrelial isolates cultured from patients before the start of antibiotic therapy and again after the conclusion of treatment. This task, however, remains challenging insofar, as culture is rarely successful under routine laboratory conditions after antimicrobial therapy. Here, we review recent clinical and experimental data on treatment resistance in EM patients suggesting that, although rare, borrelial persistence does occur at the site of the infectious lesion after antibiotic treatment. Borrelial persistence, however, is unlikely to result from acquired resistance against antimicrobial agents that were used for initial specific chemotherapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This longitudinal study of 253 ever-depressed former Soviet immigrants (1) examined the life circumstances, demographic characteristics, and immigration demands of individuals whose depression lifted, or who remained or became depressed over a 2-year period; and (2) investigated whether immigration demands, local relatives, age at immigration, gender, education, employment, and marital status differed among the three groups. Depression was determined based on depression scores at baseline and at 2-year follow-up. Forty-three percent of the sample remained depressed, 26% became depressed, and 30% had their depression lift over the course of 2 years. The three groups did not differ with regard to demographic characteristics or loss of employment or a negative change in marital status over the 2-year study period. They did differ with respect to the presence of local family and immigration demands (P < .05). Those who remained depressed were less likely to have family in the area and had the highest immigration demand score at both time points. However, the effect for presence of local family was not significant when immigration demands were included in the analysis (P = .32). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures revealed that the group whose depression lifted experienced the greatest change in immigration demand scores over the 2-year study period. Our findings argue that clinicians should not expect immigrants' depression to always decrease over time and should assess depression by asking about immigration demands, even if depression was not present during an earlier clinical encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]