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Management boundaries are often delimited by political and social factors, whereas animal movements are affected by ecological and geophysical constraints. Thus, understanding connectivity among distinct management units is of considerable importance, particularly for harvested species, where quotas set in ignorance of connectivity may fail to meet management goals.We constructed an individual‐based model (IBM) to better understand wild turkey movements at large scales, benefiting from multiple data sources that are often available for harvested species.We built an IBM from spring seasonal movements of wild turkey, using data from ringed, radio‐, and GPS‐marked turkeys captured in Maine, USA. Our IBM accommodated variation in individual turkey response to landscape connectivity metrics and identified emergent migratory connectivity dynamics among harvest management regions.We calculated a low degree of connectivity among wildlife management districts (WMD) which, in combination with the substantial number of boundary crossings observed, indicated a more diffuse distribution of turkeys among WMDs.Synthesis and applications: Estimates of turkeys moving between districts provided a clear delineation of where immigration was strongest, identifying which WMDs should be managed as singular population units. This approach has widespread utility for any species or system where harvest management decisions are made at finer spatial scales than the movement dynamics affecting population processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Stress or injury resulting from capture and marking of animals is a potential cause of mortality following release. Multiple methods have been developed to identify sources of postcapture mortality, but these are most often applied following completion of field work to identify an appropriate censor window for other analyses. Aims. Following unacceptable levels of post-capture mortality (13 of 53) in radio-marked individuals in the first year of a larger wild turkey research project in Maine, USA, we assessed post-capture survival as data became available to inform proactive changes to capture protocols, with the goals of improving animal welfare and data quality. Methods. We evaluated potential sources of post-capture mortality related to the capture and marking process, individual characteristics of the turkey, and local weather conditions. We then used results from the preliminary analysis to inform adaptive changes to capture protocols in subsequent years and confirmed the effectiveness of these changes through a final analysis. Key results. We found that greater handling time was positively correlated with increased postcapture survival, possibly in response to releasing turkeys in larger groupsto facilitate regrouping. We also found that transmitter style impacted post-capture survival, such that female turkeys fitted with backpack-style transmitters experienced a survivalrate of 0.787 (0.677–0.861 95%CI), compared with 0.903 (0.538–0.976 95% CI) for those fitted with a necklace transmitter, although adjustments to the fit of backpack transmitters appeared to help mitigate such issues. Conclusions. Following informed adjustments to our capture protocols, we observed a dramatic increase in post-capture survival such that no mortalities were experienced in the first 30 days post capture in the final year of our study (n= 65).Although our estimated censor window wassimilarto otherstudies(~10 days), differencesin effects of external stressors further the need for adaptive capture protocols because local stressors and risks may vary according to climate and ecosystem characteristics such as predator communities and habitat type. Implications.We recommend that when possible, investigators continuously assess their protocols throughout the capture process and adapt accordingly to limit negative repercussions of capture and handling to wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For wide‐ranging species in temperate environments, populations at high‐latitude range limits are subject to more extreme conditions, colder temperatures, and greater snow accumulation compared with their core range. As climate change progresses, these bounding pressures may become more moderate on average, while extreme weather occurs more frequently. Individuals can mitigate temporarily extreme conditions by changing daily activity budgets and exhibiting plasticity in resource selection, both of which facilitate existence at and expansion of high‐latitude range boundaries. However, relatively little work has explored how animals moderate movement and vary resource selection with changing weather, and a general framework for such investigations is lacking. We applied hidden Markov models and step selection functions to GPS data from wintering wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) near their northern range limit to identify how weather influenced transition among discrete movement states, as well as state‐specific resource selection. We found that turkeys were more likely to spend time in a stationary state as wind chill temperatures decreased and snow depth increased. Both stationary and roosting turkeys selected conifer forests and avoided land covers associated with foraging, such as agriculture and residential areas, while shifting their strength of selection for these features during poor weather. In contrast, mobile turkeys showed relatively weak resource selection, with less response in selection coefficients during poor weather. Our findings illustrate that behavioral plasticity in response to weather was context dependent, but movement behaviors most associated with poor weather were also those in which resource selection was most plastic. Given our results, the potential for wild turkey range expansion will partly be determined by the availability of habitat that allows them to withstand periodic inclement weather. Combining hidden Markov models with step selection functions is broadly applicable for evaluating plasticity in animal behavior and dynamic resource selection in response to changing weather. We studied turkeys at northern range limits, but this approach is applicable for any system expected to experience significant changes in the coming decade, and may be particularly relevant to populations existing at range peripheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundance estimation is a critical component of conservation planning, particularly for exploited species where managers set regulations to restrict harvest based on current population size. An increasingly common approach for abundance estimation is through integrated population modeling (IPM), which uses multiple data sources in a joint likelihood to estimate abundance and additional demographic parameters. Lincoln estimators are one commonly used IPM component for harvested species, which combine information on the rate and total number of individuals harvested within an integrated band‐recovery framework to estimate abundance at large scales. A major assumption of the Lincoln estimator is that banding and recoveries are representative of the whole population, which may be violated if major sources of spatial heterogeneity in survival or harvest rates are not incorporated into the model. We developed an approach to account for spatial variation in harvest rates using a spatial predictive process, which we incorporated into a Lincoln estimator IPM. We simulated data under different configurations of sample sizes, harvest rates, and sources of spatial heterogeneity in harvest rate to assess potential model bias in parameter estimates. We then applied the model to data collected from a field study of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo) to estimate local and statewide abundance in Maine, USA. We found that the band recovery model that incorporated a spatial predictive process consistently provided estimates of adult and juvenile abundance with low bias across a variety of spatial configurations of harvest rate and sampling intensities. When applied to data collected on wild turkeys, a model that did not incorporate spatial heterogeneity underestimated the harvest rate in some subregions. Consistent with simulation results, this led to overestimation of both local and statewide abundance. Our work demonstrates that a spatial predictive process is a viable mechanism to account for spatial variation in harvest rates and limit bias in abundance estimates. This approach could be extended to large‐scale band recovery data sets and has applicability for the estimation of population parameters in other ecological models as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing populations of Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) may result in increased disease transmission among wildlife and spillover to poultry. Lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) is an avian retrovirus that is widespread in Wild Turkeys of eastern North America, and infections may influence mortality and parasite co-infections. We aimed to identify individual and spatial risk factors of LPDV in Maine's Wild Turkeys. We also surveyed for co-infections between LPDV and reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and Salmonella pullorum to estimate trends in prevalence and examine covariance with LPDV. From 2017 to 2020, we sampled tissues from hunter-harvested (n=72) and live-captured (n=627) Wild Turkeys, in spring and winter, respectively, for molecular detection of LPDV and REV. In a subset of captured individuals (n=235), we estimated seroprevalence of the bacteria M. gallisepticum and S. pullorum using a plate agglutination test. Infection rates for LPDV and REV were 59% and 16% respectively, with a co-infection rate of 10%. Seroprevalence for M. gallisepticum and S. pullorum were 74% and 3.4%, with LPDV co-infection rates of 51% and 2.6%, respectively. Infection with LPDV and seroprevalence of M. gallisepticum and S. pullorum decreased, whereas REV infection increased, between 2018 and 2020. Females (64%), adults (72%), and individuals sampled in spring (76%) had higher risks of LPDV infection than males (47%), juveniles (39%), and individuals sampled in winter (57%). Furthermore, LPDV infection increased with percent forested cover (β=0.014±0.007) and decreased with percent agriculture cover for juveniles (β=–0.061±0.018) sampled in winter. These data enhance our understanding of individual and spatial predictors of LPDV infection in Wild Turkeys and aid in assessing the associated risk to Wild Turkey populations and poultry operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly implicated in foodborne illness but has also become increasingly recognized as a source of serious non-gastrointestinal infections, including sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia. Non-gastrointestinal B. cereus infections have been identified in children, especially in neonates; however, there are no previously described cases of fetal demise associated with B. cereus placental infection. We present a case of acute chorioamnionitis-related intrauterine fetal demise of twin A at 17 weeks gestation, noted two days after selective termination of twin B. Histological examination revealed numerous gram-positive bacilli in placental tissue, as well as fetal vasculature, in the setting of severe acute necrotizing chorioamnionitis and subchorionitis, intervillous abscesses, acute villitis, and peripheral acute funisitis. Cultures of maternal blood and placental tissue both yielded growth of B. cereus. This case underscores the importance of B. cereus as a human pathogen, and specifically demonstrates its potential as an agent of severe intraamniotic and placental infection with poor outcomes for the fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention Through Community Engagement is an initiative that engages stakeholders across multiple sectors to promote the Live-5-2-1-0 message (5 vegetables and fruits, 2 hours at most of recreational screen time, 1 hour of physical activity, 0 sugar-sweetened beverages each day) and implement action to support healthy behaviors. As part of this initiative, an intervention using the Live 5-2- 1-0 Toolkit for family physicians (FPs) was piloted in two communities. This study aimed to identify barriers and aids to toolkit implementation, and to determine whether the toolkit improves physicians' capacity to promote healthy childhood behaviors. Methods: FPs completed preintervention and postintervention surveys and participated in semistructured interviews after implementation of the Live 5-2-1-0 Toolkit intervention. Implementation occurred sequentially in two communities and involved a total of 21 FPs in six primary care clinics. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data, and content analysis was used for qualitative data. Results: Of the 21 participating FPs, 14 completed the preintervention and the postintervention surveys (67%) and 7 completed the preintervention survey only (33%). FPs reported increased knowledge of medical evaluation of pediatric patients with obesity (from 14% preintervention to 36% postintervention), behavioral goal setting (from 36% to 93%), and motivational interviewing (from 57% to 79%). FPs' perceived efficacy in addressing the subject of weight improved (from 43% preintervention to 93% postintervention). Increases were also observed in routinely addressing nutrition (from 43% preintervention to 79% postintervention), physical activity (from 50% to 79%), screen time (from 14% to 64%), and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (from 29% to 71%). As a result of toolkit implementation, 71% of FPs felt their patients were more aware of long-term complications related to lifestyle, 64% felt patients were more willing to set behavioral goals with providers, and 50% felt patients were more able to selfmanage issues related to lifestyle. The predominant barrier to implementation was lack of staff/clinic capacity to measure BMI; the most noted aid to implementation was access to ready-to-use Live 5-2-1-0 resources. Conclusions: The Live 5-2-1-0 Toolkit facilitated health promotion to pediatric patients in the primary care setting. Increasing routine BMI measurement in primary care remains challenging due to clinical capacity issues. Results of this pilot study will be used to refine the toolkit prior to wider dissemination across British Columbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term Machinekin denotes a sub-group of a larger Internet subculture known as Otherkin: while recognizing they have a human body and mind, these people nevertheless identify as being other-than-human. Machinekin therefore identify as a machine of some sort. In attempting to study this subculture, qualitative psychological research methods are used, combined with digital ethnography. Postmodern theories of identity formation, such as narrative identity, and especially McAdams's seven features of the life-story, are implemented in order to interpret how Neve, a Machinekin, came to understand his non-human identity, as well as the role religion has played in his identity configuration. Additionally, the function of religion as it applies to finding meaning in conflicting circumstances is also considered. Neve's experiences can be seen as an example of how religion and identity are interrelated, with the story showing what key events led Neve to look to religion for answers to difficult questions that arose in his early years. The interpretation of these events eventually led to an understanding of Neve's lived experiences, and to a sense of purpose for his life. It also demonstrates how Machinekin challenge attitudes surrounding identity and the boundaries of what constitutes a "person". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been linked to a variety of human cancers. As the landscape of HPV-related neoplasia continues to expand, uncommon and rare HPV genotypes have also started to emerge. Host-virus interplay is recognized as a key driver in HPV carcinogenesis, with host immune status, virus genetic variants and coinfection highly influencing the dynamics of malignant transformation. Immunosuppression and tissue tropism are also known to influence HPV pathogenesis. Methods: Herein, we present a case of a patient who, in the setting of HIV positivity, developed anal squamous cell carcinoma associated with HPV69 and later developed squamous cell carcinoma in the lungs, clinically presumed to be metastatic disease, associated with HPV73. Consensus PCR screening for HPV was performed by real-time PCR amplification of the L1 gene region, amplification of the E6 regions with High-Resolution Melting Curve Analysis followed by Sanger sequencing confirmation and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Sanger sequencing of the consensus PCR amplification product determined that the anal tissue sample was positive for HPV 69, and the lung tissue sample was positive for HPV 73. Conclusions: This case underscores the importance of recognizing the emerging role of these rare "possibly carcinogenic" HPV types in human carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]