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BACKGROUND Whether initial invasive management in older vs younger adults with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia improves health status or clinical outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to examine the impact of age on health status and clinical outcomes with invasive vs conservative management in the ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial. METHODS One-year angina-specific health status was assessed with the 7-item Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) (score range 0-100; higher scores indicate better health status). Cox proportional hazards models estimated the treatment effect of invasive vs conservative management as a function of age on the composite clinical outcome of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for resuscitated cardiac arrest, unstable angina, or heart failure. RESULTS Among 4,617 participants, 2,239 (48.5%) were aged

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge and opportunity for translational investigators to rapidly develop safe and effective therapeutic interventions. Greater risk of severe disease in COVID-19 patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus, obesity, and heart disease may be attributable to synergistic activation of vascular inflammation pathways associated with both COVID-19 and cardiometabolic disease. This mechanistic link provides a scientific framework for translational studies of drugs developed for treatment of cardiometabolic disease as novel therapeutic interventions to mitigate inflammation and improve outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

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Given the intersection between diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD), pharmacologic agents used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus must show cardiovascular safety. Comorbid conditions, including heart failure and chronic kidney disease, are increasingly prevalent in patients with diabetes; therefore, they also play a large role in drug safety. Although biguanides, sulfonylurea, glitazones, and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors have variable effects on cardiovascular events, sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists have consistently shown safety and reduction in cardiovascular events in patients with established CVD. These medications are becoming essential tools for cardioprotection for patients with diabetes and CVD. They may also have roles in primary prevention and renal protection. This paper will review the cardiovascular impact, adverse effects, and possible mechanisms of action of pharmacologic agents used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes.

No Abstract.

We demonstrated a CMOS imaging system that adapts each pixel's exposure and sampling rate to capture high dynamic range (HDR) videos. The system consist of a custom designed image sensor with pixel-wise exposure configurability and a real-time pixel exposure controller. These parts operate in a closed-loop to sample, detect and optimize each pixel's exposure and sampling rate to minimize local region's underexposure, overexposure and motion blurring. Exposure control is implemented using all-integrated electronics without external optical modulation. This reduces overall system size and power consumption. The image sensor is implemented using a standard 130nm CMOS process while the exposure controller is implemented on a computer. We performed experiments under complex lighting and motion condition to test performance of the system, and demonstrate the benefit of pixel-wise adaptive imaging on the performance of computer vision tasks such as segmentation, motion estimation and object recognition., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures

Small, 1st and 2nd -order, headwater streams and ponds play essential roles in providing natural flood control, trapping sediments and contaminants, retaining nutrients, and maintaining biological diversity, which extend into downstream reaches, lakes and estuaries. However, the large geographic extent and high connectivity of these small water bodies with the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem makes them particularly vulnerable to growing land-use pressures and environmental change. The greatest pressure on the physical processes in these waters has been their extension and modification for agricultural and forestry drainage, resulting in highly modified discharge and temperature regimes that have implications for flood and drought control further downstream. The extensive length of the small stream network exposes rivers to a wide range of inputs, including nutrients, pesticides, heavy metals, sediment and emerging contaminants. Small water bodies have also been affected by invasions of non-native species, which along with the physical and chemical pressures, have affected most groups of organisms with consequent implications for the wider biodiversity within the catchment. Reducing the impacts and restoring the natural ecosystem function of these water bodies requires a three-tiered approach based on: restoration of channel hydromorphological dynamics; restoration and management of the riparian zone; and management of activities in the wider catchment that have both point-source and diffuse impacts. Such activities are expensive and so emphasis must be placed on integrated programmes that provide multiple benefits. Practical options need to be promoted through legislative regulation, financial incentives, markets for resource services and voluntary codes and actions.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the most common cause of death in T2D. Despite improved risk factor control, however, adults with T2D continue to experience substantial excess CVD risk. Until recently, however, improved glycemic control has not been associated with robust macrovascular benefit. The advent of 2 new classes of antihyperglycemic agents, the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, and their respective large cardiovascular outcome trials, has led to a paradigm shift in how cardiologists and heath care practitioners conceptualize T2D treatment. Herein, the authors review the recent trial evidence, the potential mechanisms of action of the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, safety concerns, and their use for the primary prevention of CVD as well as in diabetic patients with impaired renal function and heart failure.

Independent medical research into glioblastoma funded by business people in the legal European cannabis industry. A study of sporting philanthropy that shows personal motivations to bring change to the law and medical research.

The plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) is recognized as an effective defence against biotrophic pathogens, but its role as regulator of beneficial plant symbionts has received little attention. We studied the relationship between the SA hormone and leaf fungal endophytes on herbivore defences in symbiotic grasses. We hypothesize that the SA exposure suppresses the endophyte reducing the fungal‐produced alkaloids. Because of the role that alkaloids play in anti‐herbivore defences, any reduction in their production should make host plants more susceptible to herbivores. Lolium multiflorum plants symbiotic and nonsymbiotic with the endophyte Epichloë occultans were exposed to SA followed by a challenge with the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi. We measured the level of plant resistance to aphids, and the defences conferred by endophytes and host plants. Symbiotic plants had lower concentrations of SA than did the nonsymbiotic counterparts. Consistent with our prediction, the hormonal treatment reduced the concentration of loline alkaloids (i.e., N‐formyllolines and N‐acetylnorlolines) and consequently decreased the endophyte‐conferred resistance against aphids. Our study highlights the importance of the interaction between the plant immune system and endophytes for the stability of the defensive mutualism. Our results indicate that the SA plays a critical role in regulating the endophyte‐conferred resistance against herbivores. Fil: Bastias Campos, Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina Fil: Martinez-Ghersa, Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina Fil: Newman, Jonathan A.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Card, Stuart D.. Grasslands Research Centre; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Mace, Wade J.. Grasslands Research Centre; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Gundel, Pedro Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina

Presentation on the threat analysis of the spotted wing drosophila using ecological modeling.

Biological invasions are occurring frequently and with great impact to agricultural production and other ecosystem services. In response to this, the Australian Weed Risk Assessment (AWRA) was created to assess the potential ‘weediness’ of plants based on answers to questions related to biogeography, undesirable attributes, and biology or ecology. This basic model has been expanded and adapted for use on other taxa, often without adequate validation. Since invasive insect crop pests are a major economic cost to agricultural production, there is interest in using an expanded model for insects. Here, we review traits related to invasiveness of insects based on a systematic review of the literature. We then compare the identified invasive traits of insects with those identified for plants in the AWRA. Using insects as a case study, we illustrate that although there is some overlap in invasive traits, there are many unique traits related to invasion for both insects and plants. For insects, these traits relate largely to social behaviour. This lack of congruence may also be the case for other taxa. To increase predictive power, a taxon-specific risk assessment tool and deliberate verification are required.

Summary Understanding the processes underlying the transition from introduction to naturalization and spread is an important goal of invasion ecology. Release from pests and pathogens in association with capacity for rapid growth is thought to confer an advantage for species in novel regions. We assessed leaf herbivory and leaf-level traits associated with growth strategy in the native and exotic ranges of 13 invasive plant species from 256 populations. Species were native to either the Western Cape region of South Africa, south-western Australia or south-eastern Australia and had been introduced to at least one of the other regions or to New Zealand. We tested for evidence of herbivore release and shifts in leaf traits between native and exotic ranges of the 13 species. Across all species, leaf herbivory, specific leaf area and leaf area were significantly different between native and exotic ranges while there were no significant differences across the 13 species found for leaf mass, assimilation rate, dark respiration or foliar nitrogen. Analysis at the species- and region-level showed that eight out of 13 species had reduced leaf herbivory in at least one exotic region compared to its native range. Six out of 13 species had significantly larger specific leaf area (SLA) in at least one exotic range region and five of those six species experienced reduced leaf herbivory. Increases in SLA were underpinned by increases in leaf area rather than reductions in leaf mass. No species showed differences in the direction of trait shifts from the native range between different exotic regions. This suggests that the driver of selection on these traits in the exotic range is consistent across regions and hence is most likely to be associated with factors linked with introduction to a novel environment, such as release from leaf herbivory, rather than with particular environmental conditions. Synthesis. These results provide evidence that introduction of a plant species into a novel environment commonly results in a reduction in the top-down constraint imposed by herbivores on growth, allowing plants to shift towards a faster growth strategy which may result in an increase in population size and spread and consequently to invasive success.

Bean leaf beetle Cerotoma trifurcata (Förster) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a pest of soybean in the U.S.A. and is becoming a concern in Canada. The projected increase in winter temperatures under climate change could affect overwinter survival, timing of spring emergence and, ultimately, the severity of this pest. We assessed the potential effects of warmer winters in field experiments performed in three consecutive years. Three warming levels were applied: (i) heated approximately 4 °C above ambient; (ii) unheated with snow cover left intact; and (iii) unheated with snow cover removed. Survival and date of emergence were assessed in all years, and beetle lipid content was analyzed in 1 year to determine rates of energy use. Overwinter survival was 6.5–14.5% among years. Winter warming inconsistently affected overwinter survival: increasing survival in one winter, decreasing survival in the warmest winter and having no effect in one winter. Beetles that received supplemental winter warming emerged approximately 2 weeks earlier in spring, and lipid content did not differ among treatment groups. Earlier spring emergence may allow for the production of an additional generation per year of C. trifurcata under future climate change. However, further experiments are required to establish the relationship between overwinter survival and subsequent beetle population growth to determine potential pest status and best management practices under future climate conditions.

Additional file 2. Results of contrasts for photosynthetic rate at 7 weeks.

Comprehensive list of results and addtitional information detailing the statistical benefits of a split-plot design. (DOCX 11238 kb)

Globally, Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are considered to be one of the major threats to native biodiversity, with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) citing their impacts as ‘immense, insidious, and usually irreversible’. It is estimated that 11% of the c. 12,000 alien species in Europe are invasive, causing environmental, economic and social damage; and it is reasonable to expect that the rate of biological invasions into Europe will increase in the coming years. In order to assess the current position regarding IAS in Europe and to determine the issues that were deemed to be most important or critical regarding these damaging species, the international Freshwater Invasives - Networking for Strategy (FINS) conference was convened in Ireland in April 2013. Delegates from throughout Europe and invited speakers from around the world were brought together for the conference. These comprised academics, applied scientists, policy makers, politicians, practitioners and representative stakeholder groups. A horizon scanning and issue prioritization approach was used by in excess of 100 expert delegates in a workshop setting to elucidate the Top 20 IAS issues in Europe. These issues do not focus solely on freshwater habitats and taxa but relate also to marine and terrestrial situations. The Top 20 issues that resulted represent a tool for IAS management and should also be used to support policy makers as they prepare European IAS legislation. © 2014 The Author(s).

Atmospheric CO2 is expected to increase to between 550 ppm and 1000 ppm in the next century. CO2-induced changes in plant physiology can have ecosystem-wide implications and may alter plant-plant, plant-herbivore and plant-symbiont interactions. We examined the effects of three concentrations of CO2 (390ppm, 800ppm and 1000ppm) and two concentrations of nitrogen fertilizer (0.004gN/week vs. 0.2gN/week) on the physiological response of Neotyphodium fungal endophyte-infected and uninfected tall fescue plants. We used quantitative PCR to estimate the concentration of endophyte under altered CO2 and N conditions. We found that elevated CO2 increased the concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates and decreased the concentration of plant total amino acids in plants. Fungal-derived alkaloids decreased in response to elevated CO2 and increased in response to nitrogen fertilization. Endophyte concentration (expressed as the number of copies of an endophyte-specific gene per total genomic DNA) increased under elevated CO2 and nitrogen fertilization. The correlation between endophyte concentration and alkaloid production observed at ambient conditions was not observed under elevated CO2. These results suggest that nutrient exchange dynamics important for maintaining the symbiotic relationship between fungal endophytes and their grass hosts may be altered by changes in environmental variables such as CO2 and nitrogen fertilization. GR was supported by a fellowship from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Canada. Funding to support this research was provided by grants from NSERC and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to JN.

Limited dispersal distance, whether associated with vegetative growth or localized reproduction, induces spatial clustering and, in turn, focuses ecological interactions at the neighborhood scale. In particular, most invasive plants are clonal, cluster through vegetative propagation, and compete locally. Dispersal limitation implies that invasive spread occurs as advance of an ecological interface between invader and resident species. Interspecific competition along the interface produces random variation in the extent of invasive growth. Development of these random fluctuations, termed stochastic roughening, will often structure the interface as a self-affine fractal; a series of power-law scaling relationships follows as a result. For a diverse array of local growth processes exhibiting both forward and lateral propagation, the extent of invader advance becomes spatially correlated along the interface, and the width of the interface (the area where invader and resident compete directly) increases as a power function of time. Once roughening equilibrates statistically, interface width and the location of the most advanced invader (the "front-runner") beyond the mean incursion should both increase as a power function of interface length. To test these predictions, we let white clover (Trifolium repens) invade ryegrass (Lolium perenne) experimentally. Spatial correlation developed as anticipated, and both interface width and the front-runner's lead scaled as a power law of length. However, the scaling exponents differed, likely a consequence of clover's growth morphology. The theory of kinetic roughening offers a new framework for understanding causes and consequences of spatial pattern in between-species interaction, and indicates when interface measures at a local scale predict properties of an invasive front at extended spatial scales.

To study sensory processing, stimuli are delivered to the sensory organs of animals and evoked neural activity is recorded downstream. However, noise and uncontrolled modulatory input can interfere with repeatable delivery of sensory stimuli to higher brain regions. Here we show how channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) can be used to deliver continuous, subthreshold, time-varying currents to neurons at any point along the sensory-motor pathway. To do this, we first deduce the frequency response function of ChR2 using a Markov model of channel kinetics. We then confirm ChR2's frequency response characteristics using continuously-varying optical stimulation of neurons that express one of three ChR2 variants. We find that wild-type ChR2 and the E123T/H134R mutant ("CheTA") can pass continuously-varying subthreshold stimuli with frequencies up to ~70 Hz. Additionally, we find that wild-type ChR2 exhibits a strong resonance at ~6-10 Hz. Together, these results indicate that ChR2-derived optogenetic tools are useful for delivering highly repeatable artificial stimuli that mimic in vivo synaptic bombardment.

A review of the Colombian peace process. The article considers the actual extent of debate in a series of meetings and conferences in the UK that were held to analyse the peace process. The argument is put forward that the illegality, and thereby absence, of FARC at these meetings has contributed towards a distortion of events and arguments. Furthermore, it has left the current Colombian administration appearing as a far more inclusive and democratic institution than might be the case. The article welcomes the the interaction of the Colombian government in these UK meetings but suggests that measures are taken: i) to prevent the marginalization of FARC from democratic debate; ii) to limit the potential to breach Human Rights by the Colombian state; and iii) to define the difference between political violence and violent criminality.

Although the incidence of and mortality following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is decreasing, time-trends in anatomical location of STEMI and associated short-term prognosis have not been examined in a population-based community study. We determined 22-year trends in age- and race-adjusted, gender-specific incidence rates and 28-day case fatality of hospitalized STEMI by anatomic infarct location among a stratified random sample of 35-74 year old residents of four communities in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. STEMI infarct location was assessed by 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) from the hospital record, and was coded as anterior, inferior, lateral and multi-location STEMI using the Minnesota Code. Between 1987 and 2008, a total of 4,845 patients had an incident STEMI; 37.2% were inferior STEMI; 32.8% were anterior; 16.8% occurred in multiple infarct locations and 13.2% were lateral STEMI. For inferior, anterior and lateral STEMI in both men and women, significant declines were observed in the age-adjusted annual incidence rate and the associated 28-day case fatality. In contrast, for STEMI in multiple infarct locations, neither the annual incidence rate nor the 28-day case fatality changed over time. The age- and race-adjusted annual incidence rate and associated 28-day case fatality of STEMI in anterior, inferior and lateral infarct locations declined over 22 years of surveillance; however, no decline was observed for STEMI in multiple infarct locations. In conclusion, our findings suggest there is room for improvement in the care of patients with multi-location STEMI.

This thesis examined the manner in which West Indies cricket became a catalyzing force for West Indians in moving towards political independence from Britain during the period 1950-1962. West Indians took a game that was used as a means of social control during the colonial era, and refashioned that game into a political weapon to exact sporting and especially political revenge on their colonial masters. Analyses (CDA, narrative analysis, examination of calypsos and cartoons) of the historic cricket tour to England in 1950, the decolonization movement, and the appointment of Frank Worrell as the first black captain of the team, among other significant indicators and events, revealed recurring narratives that linked the success of West Indies cricket to a readiness for political independence from Britain. These narratives reflected a feeling that “the time was now” for West Indians to forge a political identity for themselves separate from the subservient pupil of the British master. Politicians utilized rhetorical strategies that appealed to feelings of racial unity to fuel their push for political independence. Taken together, the overriding narrative revealed by this analysis applied to selected newspaper articles and political speeches, could be encapsulated in the epithet, “massa day done”. The discourse emanating from the success of West Indies cricket set West Indians on a course toward political autonomy from Britain.

To understand sensory processing in neuronal populations, it is necessary to deliver stimuli to the sensory organs of animals and record evoked population activity downstream. However, the pathways from sensory input to synaptic currents in cells that are several synapses removed from sensory organs are complex. Intrinsic noise and uncontrolled modulatory input from other brain regions can interfere with the delivery of well-defined stimuli. Here we investigate the ability of channelrhodopsins to deliver precise time-varying currents to neurons at any point along the sensory-motor pathway. To do this, we first deduce the amplitude response function of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) using a three state Markov model of channel kinetics. With biophysically realistic parameters, this function supports a relatively broad signal passband and contains a resonance. We confirm the validity of our predicted amplitude response function using time-varying optical stimulation of excitatory neurons that express either wild type ChR2 or the ChR2(H134R) mutant. Together, our results indicate that ChR2-derived optogenetic tools are useful for delivering repeatable, time-varying currents to genetically-specified populations over a physiologically-relevant frequency band., 17 pages, 2 figures

BACKGROUND Although higher visit-to-visit variability (VVV) of blood pressure (BP) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, the physiological basis for VVV of BP is incompletely understood. METHODS We examined the associations of aortic distensibility (assessed by magnetic resonance imaging) and artery elasticity indices (determined by radial artery pulse contour analysis) with VVV of BP in 2,640 and 4,560 participants, respectively, from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Arterial measures were obtained at exam 1. BP readings were taken at exam 1 and at 3 follow-up visits at 18-month intervals (exams 2, 3, and 4). VVV was defined as the SD about each participant’s mean systolic BP (SBP) across visits. RESULTS The mean SDs of SBP were inversely associated with aortic distensibility: 7.7, 9.9, 10.9, and 13.2mm Hg for quartiles 4, 3, 2, and 1 of aortic distensibility, respectively (P trend < 0.001). This association remained significant after adjustment for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, mean SBP, and antihypertensive medication use (P trend < 0.01). In a fully adjusted model, lower quartiles of large artery and small artery elasticity (LAE and SAE) indices were also associated with higher mean SD of SBP (P trend = 0.02 for LAE; P trend < 0.001 for SAE). CONCLUSIONS In this multiethnic cohort, functional alterations of central and peripheral arteries were associated with greater long-term VVV of SBP.

Visit-to-visit variability (VVV) of clinic systolic blood pressure (SBP) has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Given the need for obtaining blood pressure (BP) at multiple visits to calculate VVV, substituting BP variability from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) may be a practical alternative. We assessed the correlation between VVV of BP and BP variability from ABPM using data from 146 untreated, mostly normotensive participants (mean age 47.9 years) in a substudy of the ongoing Masked Hypertension Study. VVV of SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was estimated by the standard deviation (SDvvv) and average real variability (ARVvvv) from 6 study visits over a median of 216 days. ABPM data were used to calculate the day-night SD (SDdn) and the ARV of SBP and DBP over 24 hours (ARV24). For SBP, the mean SDvvv and SDdn were 6.3 (SD=2.5) and 8.8 (SD=1.8) mmHg, respectively, and mean ARVvvv and ARV24 were 7.2 (SD=3.2) and 8.4 (SD=2.1) mmHg, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficient between SDvvv and SDdn of SBP was rs=0.25 and between ARVvvv and ARV24 was rs=0.17. Participants in the highest quartile of SDdn of SBP were 1.66 (95% CI: 0.93 – 2.75) times more likely to be in the highest quartile of SDvvv of SBP. The observed-to-expected ratio between the highest quartiles of ARVvvv and ARV24 of SBP was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.41 – 1.69). The correlations for SDvvv and SDdn and ARVvvv and ARV24 of DBP were minimal. These data suggest VVV and 24-hour variability are weakly correlated and not interchangeable.

Living alone is associated with adverse outcomes after acute coronary syndromes (ACS). One potential mediator of the relation between partner status and outcomes after ACS is physical activity. To evaluate the association of partner status with physical activity after ACS, data from 107 participants enrolled in the Prescription Use, Lifestyle, and Stress Evaluation (PULSE) study, a prospective observational study of post-ACS patients, were analyzed. Accelerometers were used to measure physical activity after hospital discharge. The primary outcome measure was a maximum 10 hours of daytime activity 1 month after discharge. One month after discharge from ACS hospitalizations, participants without a partner or spouse exhibited 24.4% lower daytime activity than those with a partner or spouse (p = 0.003). After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, Charlson co-morbidity index, and traditional psychosocial and clinical cardiovascular correlates of post-ACS physical activity, partner status remained an independent predictor of post-ACS physical activity (20.5% lower daytime activity among those without a partner or spouse, p = 0.008). In conclusion, in this study of accelerometer-measured physical activity after an ACS hospitalization, those without a partner or spouse exhibit significantly less physical activity than those with a partner or spouse 1 month after discharge from the hospital. Low physical activity may be an important mediator of the prognosis associated with partner status after ACS.

IMPORTANCE: Controversy remains about whether depression can be successfully managed after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and the costs and benefits of doing so. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of providing post-ACS depression care on depressive symptoms and health care costs. DESIGN: Multicenter randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Patients were recruited from 2 private and 5 academic ambulatory centers across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 150 patients with elevated depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] score ≥10) 2 to 6 months after an ACS, recruited between March 18, 2010, and January 9, 2012. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to 6 months of centralized depression care (patient preference for problem-solving treatment given via telephone or the Internet, pharmacotherapy, both, or neither), stepped every 6 to 8 weeks (active treatment group; n = 73), or to locally determined depression care after physician notification about the patient's depressive symptoms (usual care group; n = 77). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in depressive symptoms during 6 months and total health care costs. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms decreased significantly more in the active treatment group than in the usual care group (differential change between groups, -3.5 BDI points; 95% CI, -6.1 to -0.7; P = .01). Although mental health care estimated costs were higher for active treatment than for usual care, overall health care estimated costs were not significantly different (difference adjusting for confounding, -$325; 95% CI, -$2639 to $1989; P = .78). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with post-ACS depression, active treatment had a substantial beneficial effect on depressive symptoms. This kind of depression care is feasible, effective, and may be cost-neutral within 6 months; therefore, it should be tested in a large phase 3 pragmatic trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01032018.

We conducted the most extensive meta-analysis of plant and animal responses to elevated CO2 to date. We analysed > 5000 data points extracted from 270 papers published between 1979 and 2009. We examined the changes in 19 animal response variables to the main effect of elevated CO2. We found strong evidence for significant variation among arthropod orders and feeding guilds, including interactions in the direction of response. We also examined the main effects of elevated CO2 on: six plant growth and allocation responses, seven primary metabolite responses, eight secondary metabolite responses, and four physical defence responses. We examined these response variable changes under two-way and three-way interactions between CO2 and: soil nitrogen, ambient temperature, drought, light availability, photosynthetic pathway, reproductive system, plant growth rate, plant growth form, tissue type, and nitrogen fixation. In general we found smaller effect sizes for many response variables than have been previously reported. We also found that many of the oft-reported main effects of CO2 obscure the presence of significant two- and three-way interactions, which may help better explain the relationships between the response variables and elevated CO2. OMAFRA and NSERC

This report contains the result of a research project on four invasive aquatic macrophytes, Cabomba caroliniana (Fanwort), Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating pennywort) , Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrott’s feather) and Ludwigia grandiflora (Water primrose). The collaborative project was intended to generate a prototype decision support system for optimising control measures for these species, considered to be the four most troublesome invasive alien aquatic weeds at present in the UK and NL. A further reason for selecting these species is that they are widely sold in the horticultural trade and are therefore the number of invaded sites is likely to increase in the short term., Scientific report of the Euphresco funded project 'Decision Support Systems for ControL of Alien Invasive Macrophytes' (DeCLAIM)

Accumulating evidence suggests that increased visit-to-visit variability (VVV) of blood pressure is associated with stroke. No study has examined the association between VVV of blood pressure and stroke in postmenopausal women, and scarce data exist as to whether this relation is independent of the temporal trend of blood pressure. We examined the association of VVV of blood pressure with stroke in 58228 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative. Duplicate blood pressure readings, which were averaged, were taken at baseline and at each annual visit. VVV was defined as the SD for the participant's mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) across visits (SD) and about the participant's regression line with SBP regressed across visits (SDreg). Over a median follow-up of 5.4 years, 997 strokes occurred. In an adjusted model including mean SBP over time, the hazard ratios (95% CI) of stroke for higher quartiles of SD of SBP compared with the lowest quartile (referent) were 1.39 (1.03–1.89) for quartile 2, 1.52 (1.13–2.03) for quartile 3, and 1.72 (1.28–2.32) for quartile 4 (P trend

1. Cool-season grasses can be simultaneously infected by foliar fungal endophytes and colonised by mycorrhizal fungi, the integrated functions of which are strong predictors of plant fitness within grassland ecosystems. Evidence has been presented previously that infection of grass species with foliar endophytes can negatively affect mycorrhizal colonisation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mycorrhizal colonisation in turn adversely affects Neotyphodium endophyte concentrations and that the competitive interaction between the two endosymbionts is affected by resource supply. 2. Specifically, we report how competition between Glomus (G. mosseae– GM, G. intraradices– GI) mycorrhizal fungi and N. lolii (common strain (CS) and AR1) foliar endophytic strains is affected by P supply and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content in two Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) cultivars: a high sugar grass, berDart, and a conventional (control) grass, Fennema. 3. The presence of Glomus mycorrhizae reduced the concentrations of endophytes and alkaloids in leaf blades and pseudostems. The reduction depended on P supply, ryegrass cultivar (notably WSC content) and endophyte strain. Conversely, foliar endophyte infection reduced mycorrhizal colonisation rates and concentrations in the roots of the control cultivar Fennema, although not in the high sugar cultivar, AberDart. 4. Neither GM nor N. lolii infection had an effect per se on the yield of root or blade compared with mycorrhiza-free (M-) and endophyte-free (E-) plants, respectively; though, yield of roots and blades was reduced by GI infection and at low P. 5. Competitive interactions between ecologically widespread foliar endophytes (valuable for plant protection) and mycorrhizal endosymbionts (valuable for P acquisition) as seen in this study are of critical importance especially in areas of high pest prevalence and low P availability. Our work stresses the need for elucidating the physiological/metabolic basis for such interactions between endosymbionts to understand how these processes contribute to plant performance and fitness in grassland ecosystems.

This paper proves that convex Brunnian links exist for every dimension $n \geq 3$ by constructing explicit examples. These examples are three-component links which are higher-dimensional generalizations of the Borromean rings., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

1 The pea leafminer Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) is an invasive species in North America and a serious economic pest on a wide variety of crops. We developed a bioclimatic envelope model (BEM) for this species and examined the envelope's potential location in North America under various future climates. * 2 We compared the future bioclimatic envelopes for L. huidobrensis using either simple scenarios comprising uniform changes in temperature/precipitation or climate projections from general circulation models (GCMs). Our simple scenarios were: (i) an increase of 0.1°C per degree in latitude with a 20% increase in summer precipitation and a 20% decrease in winter precipitation and (ii) an overall increase of 3°C everywhere, also with the same changes in precipitation. For GCM-modelled climate change, we used the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis GCM (CGCM2) and the Hadley Centre climate model (HadCM3), each in combination with two scenarios from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (A2 and B2). 3 The BEM results using the simple scenarios were more similar to each other than to the results obtained using GCM projections. The results were also qualitatively different (i.e. spatially different and divergent) depending on which GCM-scenario combination was used. 4 This modelling exercise illustrates that: (i) results using first approximation simple climate change scenarios can give predictions very different from those that use GCM-modelled climate projections (comprising a result that has worrying implications for empirical impact research) and that (ii) different GCM-models using the same scenario can give very different results (implying strong model dependency in projected biological impacts).

Increasing atmospheric CO2 is hypothesized to alter plant physiology and metabolism, which may have important implications for species interactions. In this chapter, we review published studies on the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on plant-derived allelochemicals and the possible effects of CO2-mediated changes on higher trophic levels such as herbivores, parasitoids, and predators. We provide a critical assessment of conventional ecological theories used to predict phytochemical responses to CO2 and we make some suggestions as to how this field may be expanded and improved.

1 Plants can host microbial communities whose integrated functions are often responsible for their success. Understanding mechanisms regulating such functions is thus a major goal in ecology. 2 Fungal endophytes of grasses, particularly of the genus Neotyphodium, have been reported to reduce colonization of their host plant by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. However, it is unclear which mechanism(s) may explain the effects produced by the endophyte and whether these effects are present in nature. 3 We used Schedonorus phoenix (syn. Lolium arundinaceum) plants that were endophyte-free or infected with one of two strains of Neotyphodium coenophialum known to produce different putative allelochemicals to test the hypotheses that (i) allelopathic effects of the endophyte reduce AM fungal spore germination; and (ii) the allelochemical compound(s) are leached into the soil even after the death of S. phoenix, where they reduce AM fungal colonization of other plants. 4 In a first experiment, aqueous extracts from the shoots of S. phoenix were applied onto spores of the AM fungus Glomus intraradices to test germination effects. Both endophyte strains reduced spore germination by approximately 10% relative to endophyte-free controls. 5 In a second experiment, we placed dried shoot material (‘thatch’) on the soil surface of pots containing Bromus inermis, which were either inoculated with G. intraradices or not. We watered the plants through the thatch, relying upon leaching to translocate potential allelochemicals to the soil. AM fungal colonization of B. inermis was significantly reduced when thatch was infected with the common strain, but not with AR542, compared to the endophyte-free thatch. Furthermore, the arbuscule : vesicle ratio was 11-fold smaller when thatch was infected with the common strain compared to endophyte-free thatch, suggesting that G. intraradices was stressed by the presence of common strain-leachate. 6 We observed situations whereby two ecologically widespread plant-microbe symbioses interact. Potential mechanisms may include allelopathic effects, although other factors are also possible, and leaching is a mode of entry of putative endophyte-induced AM fungal inhibitors in soil. Understanding these processes is important as they affect AM fungal communities which contribute to plant success and, consequentially, grassland ecosystem dynamics.

Climate change may dramatically affect the distribution and abundance of organisms. With the world's population size expected to increase significantly during the next 100 years, we need to know how climate change might impact our food production systems. In particular, we need estimates of how future climate might alter the distribution of agricultural pests. We used the climate projections from two general circulation models (GCMs) of global climate, the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis GCM (CGCM2) and the Hadley Centre model (HadCM3), for the A2 and B2 scenarios from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios in conjunction with a previously published bioclimatic envelope model (BEM) to predict the potential changes in distribution and abundance of the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii, in North America. The BEM in conjunction with either GCM predicted that C. nasturtii would spread from its current initial invasion in southern Ontario and northwestern New York State into the Canadian prairies, northern Canada, and midwestern United States, but the magnitude of risk depended strongly on the GCM and the scenario used. When the CGCM2 projections were used, the BEM predicted an extensive shift in the location of the midges' climatic envelope through most of Ontario, Quebec, and the maritime and prairie provinces by the 2080s. In the United States, C. nasturtii was predicted to spread to all the Great Lake states, into midwestern states as far south as Colorado, and west into Washington State. When the HadCM3 was applied, southern Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Washington State were not as favourable for C. nasturtii by the 2080s. Indeed, when used with the HadCM3 climate projections, the BEM predicted the virtual disappearance of 'very favourable' regions for C. nasturtii. The CGCM2 projections generally caused the BEM to predict a small increase in the mean number of midge generations throughout the course of the century, whereas, the HadCM3 projections resulted in roughly the same mean number of generations but decreased variance. Predictions of the likely potential of C. nasturtii spatial spread are thus strongly dependent on the source of climate projections. This study illustrates the importance of using multiple GCMs in combination with multiple scenarios when studying the potential for spatial spread of an organism in response to climate change. OMAFRA; NSERC

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the relation between hostility and incident ischemic heart disease (IHD) and to determine whether observed hostility is superior to patient-reported hostility for the prediction of IHD in a large, prospective observational study.BackgroundSome studies have found that hostile patients have an increased risk of incident IHD. However, no studies have compared methods of hostility assessment or considered important psychosocial and cardiovascular risk factors as confounders. Furthermore, it is unknown whether all expressions of hostility carry equal risk or whether certain manifestations are more cardiotoxic.MethodsWe assessed the independent relationship between baseline observed hostility and 10-year incident IHD in 1,749 adults of the population-based Canadian Nova Scotia Health Survey.ResultsThere were 149 (8.5%) incident IHD events (140 nonfatal, 9 fatal) during the 15,295 person-years of observation (9.74 events/1,000 person-years). Participants with any observed hostility had a greater risk of incident IHD than those without (p = 0.02); no such relation was found for patient-reported hostility. Those with any observed hostility had a significantly greater risk of incident IHD (hazard ratio: 2.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 4.08, p = 0.04), after adjusting for cardiovascular (age, sex, Framingham Risk Score) and psychosocial (depression, positive affect, patient-reported hostility, and anger) risk factors.ConclusionsThe presence of any observed hostility at baseline was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of incident IHD over 10 years of follow-up. Compared with patient-reported measures, observed hostility is a superior predictor of IHD.

Background: Increased delay to hospital presentation with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with poor outcomes. While demographic factors associated with this delay have been well described, scarce data are available on the role of modifiable factors, such as psychosocial disorders, on pre-hospital delay. Patients with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often avoid stressful situations and may delay presenting for care when they experience cardiac symptoms. It is unknown, however, whether PTSD symptoms negatively impact the time to presentation during an ACS. Methods: We assessed the relationship between PTSD symptoms and pre-hospital delay in 241 adults with an ACS in the ongoing Prescription Use, Lifestyle, Stress Evaluation (PULSE) study. Results: Overall, 66% of patients were male; 40% were Hispanic or Latino. The mean age was 61.9±11.6 years old. PTSD symptoms were present in 17.8% of patients. Pre-hospital delay was longer for patients with PTSD symptoms compared to those without [geometric mean: 25.8 hours (95% CI 13.8 – 44.8) vs. 10.7 hours (95% CI 8.3 – 13.8)]; P = 0.005. After multivariable adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, depression, left ventricular ejection fraction and history of myocardial infarction, the mean pre-hospital delay was 173% (95% CI: 36% –450%) longer for patients with versus without PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: Among patients presenting with an ACS, PTSD symptoms were independently associated with longer pre-hospital delays. Future studies of pre-hospital delay should examine the mechanisms underlying this association.

Background Family planning (FP) is an essential health service and an important part of comprehensive HIV care. However, there is limited information about the contraceptive needs of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, which in turn has hampered efforts to expand and integrate FP services into existing HIV programs. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey to determine FP prevalence and predictors among HIV-positive women and men attending 18 public antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics in Lusaka, Zambia. Trained peer counselors administered the 10-question survey to those seeking care for five days at each of the target sites. Results From February to April 2014, we surveyed 7,046 HIV-infected patients receiving routine HIV services. Use of modern contraception was reported by 69 % of female ART patients and 79 % of male ART patients. However, highly effective contraceptive use and dual method use were low among women (38 and 25 %, respectively) and men (19 and 14 %, respectively). HIV disclosure status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.91, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 3.32–7.24 for women, AOR = 3.58, 95 % CI = 2.39–5.38 for men) and sexual activity in the last 6 months (AOR = 5.80, 95 % CI = 4.51–7.47 for women, AOR = 6.24, 95 % CI = 3.51–11.08 for men) were associated with modern contraceptive use in multivariable regression. Most respondents said they would access FP services if made available within ART clinic. Conclusions While FP-ART integration may be a promising strategy for increasing FP service uptake, such services must focus on assessing sexual activity and advocating for dual method use to increase effective contraceptive use and prevent unintended pregnancies.

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the relation between hostility and incident ischemic heart disease (IHD) and to determine whether observed hostility is superior to patient-reported hostility for the prediction of IHD in a large, prospective observational study. Background Some studies have found that hostile patients have an increased risk of incident IHD. However, no studies have compared methods of hostility assessment or considered important psychosocial and cardiovascular risk factors as confounders. Furthermore, it is unknown whether all expressions of hostility carry equal risk or whether certain manifestations are more cardiotoxic. Methods We assessed the independent relationship between baseline observed hostility and 10-year incident IHD in 1,749 adults of the population-based Canadian Nova Scotia Health Survey. Results There were 149 (8.5%) incident IHD events (140 nonfatal, 9 fatal) during the 15,295 person-years of observation (9.74 events/1,000 person-years). Participants with any observed hostility had a greater risk of incident IHD than those without (p = 0.02); no such relation was found for patient-reported hostility. Those with any observed hostility had a significantly greater risk of incident IHD (hazard ratio: 2.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 4.08, p = 0.04), after adjusting for cardiovascular (age, sex, Framingham Risk Score) and psychosocial (depression, positive affect, patient-reported hostility, and anger) risk factors. Conclusions The presence of any observed hostility at baseline was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of incident IHD over 10 years of follow-up. Compared with patient-reported measures, observed hostility is a superior predictor of IHD.

Rising global populations are causing persistent strain on agricultural systems. One sustainable alternative involves using plant species containing endophytes that can improve plant performance. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a perennial grass known to host endophytes, but the functions of its endophytes are ambiguous. I hypothesized that endophytes present within a plant influences plant growth, therefore I investigated plant growth-promoting endophytes isolated from big bluestem. I isolated 68 bacterial and 17 yeast strains from seeds of 24 big bluestem plants grown in a low-input system. I performed DNA-based taxonomic identification, screened the strains for beneficial properties, selected the best-performing endophytes, and experimentally inoculated them into big bluestem and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Bacterial endophyte inoculation slightly increased big bluestem plant height, but no other benefits were observed. Future studies can explore if endophyte benefits to the plant host may be more likely if the plant is experiencing abiotic or biotic stressors. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)

Co-evolution between the soil microbial community and plants has led to some microorganisms becoming incorporated within plant tissues, known as endophytes. Seed-borne endophytes are unique, as this point of the life-cycle represents the beginning of a life-long relationship between symbiotic partners. In this Thesis, I investigate whether fungal endophytes belonging to one host species can be transferred for the benefit of another host species in the same family. More than 400 fungal endophyte strains were isolated from seeds harvested from 24 Andropogon gerardii plants grown in a low-resource system. Beneficial properties were screened for 110 morphotypes to select candidates for further characterization and greenhouse growth experiments in Panicum virgatum. It was found that individual endophytes can influence the biomass of a plant, and additionally, proteome analysis revealed a variety of proteins that may provide pathways for endophyte-plant interactions. Overall, an understanding of endophytic symbioses may provide insight to their complex adaptability with plants. OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs); the University of Guelph.

Early field studies working with tall fescue have demonstrated that endophyte infected tall fescue can reduce species richness and become dominant in natural communities, however some studies have observed that endophyte infected grasses under nutrient limited conditions are not successful at invading natural communities and endophyte advantages are not always prominent. My research is aimed at answering two questions: (a) how does the plant community alter when exposed to Schedonorus pratensis over time (b) how does nutrient availability affect the symbiosis between S. pratensis and E. uncinata. Plant communities were sampled in unmanaged plots, the plots were either E+ S. pratensis plots, E- S. pratensis plots or unseeded control plots.. My research suggests that S. pratensis abundance is decreasing with time. Species abundances and measures of community richness, Simpson’s diversity and evenness fluctuated with year Fertilizer did not have a significant effect on endophyte concentration. Due to the experimental site being nutrient poor when S. pratensis plots were established it may be that S. pratensis cannot overcome years of exposure to nutrient low conditions or it is possible that meadow fescue and its fungal endophyte are not behaving mutualistically together.