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The efficiencies of three vermifuges (household detergent, mustard and formalin) in extracting earthworms were compared in a pasture in western Norway. Relative efficiency of detergent and mustard compared to formalin with respect to number of earthworms extracted, was 79% and 66%, respectively. No significant differences were found among the three treatments in proportion of juveniles, earthworm size, number of earthworms or biovolume of emerging earthworms. Two genera of earthworms were represented in the samples, Allolobophora spp. and Lumbricus spp. Genus composition differed among the three treatments, formalin extracting the highest percentage of Allolobophora spp. and mustard the lowest. The relative efficiency of the three vermifuges differed from what has been found in an earlier comparable study. Both mustard and household detergent are less detrimental to health of vegetation, earthworms and field workers than formalin, and given their relatively high efficiency as vermifuges, they might in many cases be preferable to formalin.

In Ips acuminatus (Gyll.) parthenogenetic females occur together with sexual females and with sexual males upon which they depend for sperm. In a reciprocal-transplant experiment, I studied fecundity differences among parthenogenetic and sexual females from two populations that differ dramatically in the proportion of clonal females. In a second experiment, I studied competition between larvae from different mothers and between females from the two source populations. Fecundity measured by the number of eggs per egg tunnel was influenced by the ambient environment at the sites of the experiment as well as the origin of the female, and was generally higher for clonal than for sexual females at both sites. In experimental groups where larvae competed with larvae from their own population (pure treatments), the number of surviving pupae was significantly lower than in groups where females from the two source populations were mixed. The high fecundity of clonal females makes coexistence of the two types of females difficult to explain. It makes the reproductive advantage associated with clonality in I. acuminatus even higher than the two-fold difference due to asexuality per sé. The significant differences in the number of pupae in mixed vs. pure groups suggest ecological divergence between sexual and clonal females. This would make the mortality of larvae not only density dependent, but also frequency dependent, which could explain the coexistence of sexual and clonal females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red-necked Grebes Podiceps griseigena wintering along the coast of Jseren, southwest Norway, were found to feed either solitarily or in close association with Velvet Scoters Melanitta fusca feeding on bottom prey (mainly echinoderms) dug out from the sandy substrate. By scuba diving at spots where both species were feeding, we found that stirring the sand caused polychaete worms to emerge from the substrate. Bottom samples showed that these worms (on average >1000 per m2) vastly outnumbered other animal taxa living in the substrate and that polychaetes were probably the most likely prey of grebes associated with scoters. Food competition between the two species and/or kleptoparasitism by the grebes were probably not involved (no food-stealing attempts by the grebes toward scoters handling prey brought to the surface, no aggression by scoters toward grebes and no effect of the grebes on the time budget of the scoters). Red-necked Grebes associating with scoters were mainly first-year birds, and the frequency of association decreased from a maximum of nearly 60% of the grebes in November to c. 5% before spring departure in April. Grebes feeding solitarily hunted in a manner resembling divers (Gavia), and they brought fish to the surface significantly more often than grebes feeding with scoters. Solitary grebes spent less time feeding and more time preening and swimming than did grebes associating with scoters. The association appears to be a way naive birds could easily obtain prey. Skills needed to dive for more nutritious but agile fish are probably gradually acquired through the winter as more of the grebes adopt solitary feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: It is widely accepted that the microbiota is critical for human well-being; however, the origin of microbiota in the newborn is not well understood. In this study, we hypothesized that within a maternal-twin dyad (MTD) the meconium microbiome will be similar to the placenta microbiome and the meconium microbiome of within MTD will be similar to one another., Methods: Prospectively, meconium (proxy for fetal gut), placenta and maternal buccal, skin, vaginal, stool samples were collected from a cohort of MTDs at time of delivery hospitalization. We performed gene sequencing using the V4 region of 16S rRNA with rigorous negative controls. Alpha and beta diversity indices were computed to characterize the microbial community of MTD samples. A p value of <.05 was considered significant., Results: From 17 MTD, 87/132 samples were successfully sequenced. The alpha diversity of the microbiome collected from all the body sites were different ( p ≤  .001). The meconium samples when compared to other samples in the MTD microbial community were different ( p  = .009) and the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity was greater than 0.95 for all of the comparisons (beta diversity). The MTD within-twin placenta microbiome samples were also different, confirmed by Bray-Curtis pairwise dissimilarity distance, 0.83., Conclusion: The fetal gut microbiome is different from placenta and maternal buccal, skin, vaginal and stool microbiome. We clearly identified a distinct placenta microbiome. Furthermore, placentas in the same MTD have distinct microbiomes, suggesting that fetal gut and placenta origin is complex and remains unclear.

Background: To describe sociodemographic factors associated with head and neck cancer (HNC) survival among patients with distant metastatic disease., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed national data for 2889 adult patients with metastatic HNC (2007-2015). We used Fine and Gray competing risks proportional hazard models, stratified by oropharyngeal cancer status, controlled for sociodemographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and insurance status), and accounted for multiple testing., Results: Median survival time was 11 months (15 months for patients married/partnered; 13 months for patients with non-Medicaid insurance; P < .01). Among patients with oropharyngeal cancer, being married/partnered was associated with lower mortality hazard (sdHR divorced/separated = 1.37, 97.5% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07, 1.75; and sdHR never married = 1.43, 97.5% CI = 1.14, 1.80), as was having non-Medicaid insurance (sdHR uninsured = 1.44, 97.5% CI = 1.02, 2.04)., Conclusions: Health insurance and marital status are sociodemographic factors associated with survival among HNC patients with distant metastatic disease, especially in oropharyngeal cases., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Previous studies of pediatric residents have identified educational gaps in caring for children with medical complexity. Training opportunities in complex care vary across residency programs. Defining core curricular topics in complex care is a priority in medical education., Objective: To identify core topics to include in a standard complex care curriculum for pediatric residents., Methods: An initial topic list was generated through literature review and proceedings of national meetings. Expert panelists were identified based on experience in complex care and residency education. A modified Delphi method was used to determine group consensus by asking participants to rate the importance of complex care curricular topics for pediatric residents. Consensus was defined as >70% of experts identifying a topic as essential. There was a predetermined maximum of 3 iterative, electronic survey rounds, with feedback provided to participants between each round., Results: Sixteen experts participated. Response rate was 100% for all rounds. Experts were from the United States (44%) and Canada (56%); most were affiliated with an academic medical center (96%) involved in both inpatient and outpatient care (69%). Eleven topics were identified as essential across 3 rounds: feeding difficulties, pain/irritability, transition, feeding tube management, difficult discussions, team management/care coordination, dysmotility, aspiration, safety/emergency planning, neuromuscular/skeletal issues, and advocacy. Essential topics were organized according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health., Conclusions: Eleven curricular priorities in complex care were identified across multiple domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework, serving as a guide for standardized curriculum development for future pediatricians., (Copyright © 2020 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Peer observation and feedback (POF) is the direct observation of an activity performed by a colleague followed by feedback with the goal of improved performance and professional development. Although well described in the education literature, the use of POF as a tool for development beyond teaching skills has not been explored. We aimed to characterize the practice of POF among pediatric hospitalists to explore the perceived benefits and barriers and to identify preferences regarding POF., Methods: We developed a 14-item cross-sectional survey regarding divisional expectations, personal practice, perceived benefits and barriers, and preferences related to POF. We refined the survey based on expert feedback, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing, distributing the final survey to pediatric hospitalists at 12 institutions across the United States., Results: Of 357 eligible participants, 198 (56%) responded, with 115 (58%) practicing in a freestanding children's hospital. Although 61% had participated in POF, less than one half (42%) reported divisional POF expectation. The most common perceived benefits of POF were identifying areas for improvement (94%) and learning about colleagues' teaching and clinical styles (94%). The greatest perceived barriers were time (51%) and discomfort with receiving feedback from peers (38%), although participation within a POF program reduced perceived barriers. Most (76%) desired formal POF programs focused on improving teaching skills (85%), clinical management (83%), and family-centered rounds (82%)., Conclusions: Although the majority of faculty desired POF, developing a supportive environment and feasible program is challenging. This study provides considerations for improving and designing POF programs., (Copyright © 2019 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We aimed at determining the relationship of the gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids with obesity and fat partitioning and at testing potential differences in the ability of gut microbiota to ferment equal amounts of carbohydrates (CHO) between lean and obese youth., Research Design and Methods: We analyzed the gut microbiota of 84 youth in whom body fat distribution was measured by fast-magnetic resonance imaging, de novo lipogenesis (DNL) quantitated using deuterated water, and the capability of gut flora to ferment CHO was assessed by 13 C-fructose treatment in vitro., Results: A significant association was found between the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, and the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria with body mass index, visceral and SC fat (all P < .05). Plasma acetate, propionate, and butyrate were associated with body mass index and visceral and SC fat (all P < .05) and with hepatic DNL (P = .01, P = .09, P = .04, respectively). Moreover, the rate of CHO fermentation from the gut flora was higher in obese than in lean subjects (P = .018)., Conclusions: These data demonstrate that obese youth show a different gut flora composition than lean and that short chain fatty acids are associated with body fat partitioning and DNL. Also, the gut microbiota of obese youth have a higher capability than the gut flora of lean to oxidize CHO.

Women of reproductive age who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation were surveyed to determine timing and pattern of menstruation, sexual activity, contraception, and incidence of pregnancy and gynecological disorders. Eighty two female recipients of liver transplantation at the University of Michigan between August 1985 and January 1992 were surveyed about menstrual function and gynecological and obstetrical histories before and after transplantation. Additional information was retrieved from medical records regarding their liver disease and details of pregnancies and gynecological care. In the year before transplantation, 27 women (42%) reported regular menstrual cycles, 18 (28%) irregular and unpredictable bleeding, and 19 (30%) amenorrhea. After transplantation, 30 women (48%) experienced regular menses, 16 (26%) irregular bleeding, and 16 (26%) amenorrhea. In women less than 46 years old, 27 (53%) had regular menses before and after transplant. Most women with acute liver disease had regular periods before (82%) and after transplant (73%). A total of 95% of women under the age of 46 had return of menstrual bleeding within the first year after transplantation. Of these women 49% had normal liver function tests at the time of survey, 33% mildly abnormal, and 18% severely abnormal. Liver function was not correlated with menstrual patterns. A total of 72% of women were sexually active after transplantation. Of 24 women under age 46 who had not undergone sterilization or hysterectomy, six women conceived seven pregnancies. Seven women reported abnormal cervical cytology results after transplantation. Six underwent colposcopy and 4 required some form of destructive therapy for cervical dysplasia. In women with liver disease, menstrual patterns may change after orthotopic liver transplantation. This is more common in women with chronic liver disease than in those with acute liver disease. There was no correlation between liver function and menstrual regularity after transplant. Return to sexual activity can be expected and pregnancies are not rare in a population of young women after liver transplantation. Regular cervical cytology is critical due to a recognized increase in cervical neoplasia in immunocompromised patients.