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Background: Little is known about the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) outcomes. Objective: The objective is to determine the impact of neighborhood disadvantage on time from symptom onset to diagnosis and annualized relapse rate (ARR). Methods: Neighborhood disadvantage were captured with the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a validated measure of neighborhood-level disadvantage. Negative binomial regression models assessed the impact of ADI on diagnostic delay (⩾3 months between symptom onset and diagnosis) and ARR. Results: A total of 158 NMOSD patients were identified, a majority of whom were White (56.3%) and female (89.9%) with a mean age of 46 years at diagnosis. The ADI did not significantly affect odds of diagnostic delay (odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, p = 0.26). In univariable models, the ADI was not significantly associated with ARR (OR = 1.004, p = 0.29), but non-White race (OR = 1.541, p = 0.02) and time on immunosuppressive therapies (ISTs; OR = 0.994, p = 0.03) were. White patients used IST for an average of 81% of the follow-up period, compared to an average of 65% for non-White patients (p < 0.01). Conclusion: No significant relationship between neighborhood-level disadvantage and diagnostic delay or ARR in NMOSD patients was observed. Non-White patients had a higher ARR, which may be related to less IST use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive species are ranked as one of the leading drivers of global biodiversity loss. To mitigate their impact, we must understand the future risks caused by invasive species, particularly to flora of conservation concern. Here we used species distribution modelling (SDM) to project the current and future (RCP45 and RCP85 2050) distributions of four deer species and 13 plant species of conservation concern for the island of Ireland, quantifying changes in distributions and overlap. Large areas of suitable habitat for the deer species were predicted with high accuracy across all counties, with future climate scenarios identifying an expansion in sika deer distributions and a decrease in muntjac and fallow deer distributions. Red deer declined under the moderate climate change scenario but increased under the worst-case projection. Future projections predicted the (local) extinction of six (out of 13) endangered and vulnerable plant species. An expansion in distributions was observed for four plant species; however, these areas had large overlap with the future predictions of deer, placing further pressures on these plant species. These findings suggest that targeted conservation and management measures are required to alleviate the pressures on 'at-risk' plant species due to grazing from native and non-native deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to address diversity, students at the University of California established a task force in 1991 to promote German among students from underrepresented groups. This report outlines the major objectives and achievements of the task force in its first year. (four references) (Author/LB)