Density dependence maintains long-term stability despite increased isolation and inbreeding in the Florida Scrub-Jay.

Isolation caused by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation can destabilize populations. Populations relying on the inflow of immigrants can face reduced fitness due to inbreeding depression as fewer new individuals arrive. Empirical studies of the demographic consequences of isolation are critical to understand how populations persist through changing conditions.

Lifetime fitness benefits of breeding site fidelity and low costs of inbreeding permit inbreeding tolerance in an avian cooperative breeder.

Inbreeding, or breeding with close relatives, often decreases individual fitness, but mate choice in many species can increase inbreeding risk. Inbreeding is more likely in species with limited dispersal, such as cooperative breeders where non-parental individuals-often offspring from previous broods-provide parental care and frequently breed close to home. We leverage 32 years of data from a population of Florida Scrub-Jays ( ), an avian cooperative breeder, to investigate whether mate choice, and its lifetime fitness outcomes, affects inbreeding tolerance.

Allele frequency dynamics under sex-biased demography and sex-specific inheritance in a pedigreed jay population.

Sex-biased demography, including sex-biased survival or migration, can alter allele frequency changes across the genome. In particular, we can expect different patterns of genetic variation on autosomes and sex chromosomes due to sex-specific differences in life histories, as well as differences in effective population size, transmission modes, and the strength and mode of selection. Here, we demonstrate the role that sex differences in life history played in shaping short-term evolutionary dynamics across the genome.

Impacts of increasing isolation and environmental variation on Florida Scrub-Jay demography.

Isolation caused by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation can destabilize populations. Populations relying on the inflow of immigrants can face reduced fitness due to inbreeding depression as fewer new individuals arrive. Empirical studies of the demographic consequences of isolation are critical to understand how populations persist through changing conditions.

Hydrogen Bonding in Platinum Indolylphosphine Polyfluorido and Fluorido Complexes.

The reaction of the Pt complexes cis-[Pt(CH )(Ar){Ph P(Ind)} ] (Ind=2-(3-methyl)indolyl, Ar=4-tBuC H (1 a) 4-CH C H (1 b), Ph (1 c), 4-FC H (1 d), 4-ClC H (1 e), 4-CF C H (1 f)) with HF afforded the polyfluorido complexes trans-[Pt(F(HF) )(Ar){Ph P(Ind)} ] 2 a-f, which can be converted into the fluoride derivatives trans-[Pt(F)(Ar){Ph P(Ind)} ] (3 a-f) by treatment with CsF. The compounds 2 a-f and 3 a-f were characterised thoroughly by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The data reveal hydrogen bonding of the fluorido ligand with HF molecules and the indolylphosphine ligand.

Dynamics of reduced genetic diversity in increasingly fragmented populations of Florida scrub jays,.

Understanding the genomic consequences of population decline is important for predicting species' vulnerability to intensifying global change. Empirical information about genomic changes in populations in the early stages of decline, especially for those still experiencing immigration, remains scarce. We used 7834 autosomal SNPs and demographic data for 288 Florida scrub jays (; FSJ) sampled in 2000 and 2008 to compare levels of genetic diversity, inbreeding, relatedness, and lengths of runs of homozygosity (ROH) between two subpopulations within dispersal distance of one another but have experienced contrasting demographic trajectories.

Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse.

The Arabian horse, one of the world's oldest breeds of any domesticated animal, is characterized by natural beauty, graceful movement, athletic endurance, and, as a result of its development in the arid Middle East, the ability to thrive in a hot, dry environment. Here we studied 378 Arabian horses from 12 countries using equine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and whole-genome re-sequencing to examine hypotheses about genomic diversity, population structure, and the relationship of the Arabian to other horse breeds. We identified a high degree of genetic variation and complex ancestry in Arabian horses from the Middle East region.

Medical student mistreatment: understanding 'public humiliation'.

Introduction: Mistreatment in medical school is an enduring problem in medical education. Little is known about the concept of 'public humiliation,' one of the most common forms of mistreatment as identified on the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire. The objective of this study was to further investigate 'public humiliation' and to understand the underpinnings and realities of 'public humiliation' in medical education.

Allele frequency dynamics in a pedigreed natural population.

A central goal of population genetics is to understand how genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow shape allele frequencies through time. However, the actual processes underlying these changes-variation in individual survival, reproductive success, and movement-are often difficult to quantify. Fully understanding these processes requires the population pedigree, the set of relationships among all individuals in the population through time.

Genetic Diversity of Persian Arabian Horses and Their Relationship to Other Native Iranian Horse Breeds.

The principal aims of this study were to explore genetic diversity and genome-wide selection signatures in Persian Arabian horses and to determine genetic relationship of Persian Arabians with other Iranian horse breeds. We evaluated 71 horses from 8 matrilineal strains tracing to 47 mares from the mid to late 19th century, using the equine 670k single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) BeadChip. Mean observed and expected heterozygosity were (0.

Effects of Virtual Reality Simulation on Worker Emergency Evacuation of Neonates.

Objective: This study examined differences in learning outcomes among newborn intensive care unit (NICU) workers who underwent virtual reality simulation (VRS) emergency evacuation training versus those who received web-based clinical updates (CU). Learning outcomes included a) knowledge gained, b) confidence with evacuation, and c) performance in a live evacuation exercise.

Methods: A longitudinal, mixed-method, quasi-experimental design was implemented utilizing a sample of NICU workers randomly assigned to VRS training or CUs.

Genomic Consequences of Population Decline in the Endangered Florida Scrub-Jay.

Understanding the population genetic consequences of declining population size is important for conserving the many species worldwide facing severe decline [1]. Thorough empirical studies on the impacts of population reduction at a genome-wide scale in the wild are scarce because they demand huge field and laboratory investments [1, 2]. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of gene flow in introducing genetic variation to small populations [3], but few have documented both genetic and fitness consequences of decreased immigration through time in a natural population [4-6].

Accuracy of Intraocular Pressure Measurement With the Icare Tonometer in Children.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference between intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements in children with the Icare tonomer (IT) and applanation (AT), pneumatic (PT), or digital tonometers (TT).

Design: A randomized prospective trial of children younger than age 16 attending the pediatric ophthalmology department of Manchester Royal Eye Hospital was conducted.

Methods: Children had IOP measured twice, once with an IT and again with a TT, PT, or AT during the same clinic appointment.

Identifying the determinants of response to MDM2 inhibition.

Previous reports have provided evidence that p53 mutation is a strong negative predictor of response to MDM2 inhibitors. However, this correlation is not absolute, as many p53Mutant cell lines have been reported to respond to MDM2 inhibition, while many p53WT cell lines have been shown not to respond. To better understand the nature of these exceptions, we screened a panel of 260 cell lines and noted similar discrepancies.

Empowering fourth-year medical students: the value of the senior year.

In this issue of Academic Medicine, Wolf et al explore the purposes and value of the senior year of medical school as viewed by graduating students at their institution. Using data from student focus groups and questionnaires, they report that students all found there to be significant value in but identified different purposes for the fourth year. The authors of this commentary believe that study adds to the discussion of fourth-year curriculum reform an important voice that has been lacking-that of students.

Challenges and opportunities in building a sustainable rural primary care workforce in alignment with the Affordable Care Act: the WWAMI program as a case study.

The authors examine the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) on a large medical education program in the Northwest United States that builds the primary care workforce for its largely rural region. The 42-year-old Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) program, hosted by the University of Washington School of Medicine, is one of the nation's most successful models for rural health training. The program has expanded training and retention of primary care health professionals for the region through medical school education, graduate medical education, a physician assistant training program, and support for practicing health professionals.

The scope and variety of combined baccalaureate-MD programs in the United States.

The landscape of combined baccalaureate-MD programs has changed substantially in the last two decades but has not been documented in detail. The authors review the current state of these programs and discuss opportunities for future study of their evolving role and potential impact.In 2011, using a definition of baccalaureate-MD program built on prior research, the authors reviewed Association of American Medical Colleges sources and medical school Web sites to identify and characterize 81 active programs.

Reuniting public health and medicine: the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Public Health Certificate.

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNMSOM) sought to train medical students in public health concepts, knowledge, and skills as a means of improving the health of communities statewide. Faculty members from every UNMSOM department collaborated to create and integrate a public health focus into all years of the medical school curriculum. They identified key competencies and developed new courses that would synchronize students' learning public health subjects with the mainstream medical school content.

Comparison of Enterococcus density estimates in marine beach and bay samples by real-time polymerase chain reaction, membrane filtration and defined substrate testing.

Currently, densities of Enterococcus in marine bathing beach samples are performed using conventional methods which require 24 h to obtain results. Real-time PCR methods are available which can measure results in as little as 3 h. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a more rapid test method for the determination of bacterial contamination in marine bathing beaches to better protect human health.

Early predictors of physicians' practice in medically underserved communities: a 12-year follow-up study of University of New Mexico School of Medicine graduates.

Background: Substantial numbers of people are medically underserved because of rural residence and/or economic circumstances. The mission of many medical schools is service to this group, so the ability to identify applicants likely to serve this population is valuable.

Method: In 2009, the authors asked graduates from their medical school, class of 1997 and forward, if they practiced in a medically underserved community in the past year.

On the choice and number of microarrays for transcriptional regulatory network inference.

Background: Transcriptional regulatory network inference (TRNI) from large compendia of DNA microarrays has become a fundamental approach for discovering transcription factor (TF)-gene interactions at the genome-wide level. In correlation-based TRNI, network edges can in principle be evaluated using standard statistical tests. However, while such tests nominally assume independent microarray experiments, we expect dependency between the experiments in microarray compendia, due to both project-specific factors (e.

Expanding access to hepatitis C virus treatment--Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) project: disruptive innovation in specialty care.

The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Model was developed by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center as a platform to deliver complex specialty medical care to underserved populations through an innovative educational model of team-based interdisciplinary development. Using state-of-the-art telehealth technology, best practice protocols, and case-based learning, ECHO trains and supports primary care providers to develop knowledge and self-efficacy on a variety of diseases. As a result, they can deliver best practice care for complex health conditions in communities where specialty care is unavailable.