Deciding whether or not eradication of an invasive species has been successful is one of the main dilemmas facing managers of eradication programmes. When the species is no longer being detected, a decision must be made about when to stop the eradication programme and declare success. In practice, this decision is usually based on ad hoc rules, which may be inefficient. Since surveillance undertaken to confirm species absence is imperfect, any declaration of eradication success must consider the risk and the consequences of being wrong. If surveillance is insufficient, then eradication may be falsely declared (a Type I error), whereas continuation of surveillance when eradication has already occurred wastes resources (a Type II error). We review the various methods that have been developed for quantifying these errors and incorporating them into the decision-making process. We conclude with an overview of future developments likely to improve the practice of determining invasive species eradication success.

Advanced imaging techniques are enhancing research capacity focussed on the developmental origins of adult health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, and consequently increasing awareness of future health risks across various subareas of DOHaD research themes. Understanding how these advanced imaging techniques in animal models and human population studies can be both additively and synergistically used alongside traditional techniques in DOHaD-focussed laboratories is therefore of great interest. Global experts in advanced imaging techniques congregated at the advanced imaging workshop at the 2019 DOHaD World Congress in Melbourne, Australia. This review summarizes the presentations of new imaging modalities and novel applications to DOHaD research and discussions had by DOHaD researchers that are currently utilizing advanced imaging techniques including MRI, hyperpolarized MRI, ultrasound, and synchrotron-based techniques to aid their DOHaD research focus.

Objectives: Research has shown that analyzing intrusion errors generated on verbal learning and memory measures is helpful for distinguishing between the memory disorders associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurological disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD). Moreover, preliminary evidence suggests that certain clinical populations may be prone to exhibit different types of intrusion errors. Methods: We examined the prevalence of two new California Verbal Learning Test-3 (CVLT-3) intrusion subtypes – across-trial novel intrusions and across/within trial repeated intrusions – in individuals with AD or HD. We hypothesized that the encoding/storage impairment associated with medial-temporal involvement in AD would result in a greater number of novel intrusions on the delayed recall trials of the CVLT-3, whereas the executive dysfunction associated with subcortical-frontal involvement in HD would result in a greater number of repeated intrusions across trials. Results: The AD group generated significantly more across-trial novel intrusions than across/within trial repeated intrusions on the delayed cued-recall trials, whereas the HD group showed the opposite pattern on the delayed free-recall trials. Conclusions: These new intrusion subtypes, combined with traditional memory analyses (e.g., recall versus recognition performance), promise to enhance our ability to distinguish between the memory disorders associated with primarily medial-temporal versus subcortical-frontal involvement.

Objectives: The third edition of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-3) includes a new index termed List A versus Novel/Unrelated recognition discriminability (RD) on the Yes/No Recognition trial. Whereas the Total RD index incorporates false positive (FP) errors associated with all distractors (including List B and semantically related items), the new List A versus Novel/Unrelated RD index incorporates only FP errors associated with novel, semantically unrelated distractors. Thus, in minimizing levels of source and semantic interference, the List A versus Novel/Unrelated RD index may yield purer assessments of yes/no recognition memory independent of vulnerability to source memory difficulties or semantic confusion, both of which are often seen in individuals with primarily frontal-system dysfunction (e.g., early Huntington’s disease [HD]). Methods: We compared the performance of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and HD in mild and moderate stages of dementia on CVLT-3 indices of Total RD and List A versus Novel/Unrelated RD. Results: Although AD and HD subgroups exhibited deficits on both RD indices relative to healthy comparison groups, those with HD generally outperformed those with AD, and group differences were more robust on List A versus Novel/Unrelated RD than on Total RD. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the clinical utility of the new CVLT-3 List A versus Novel/Unrelated RD index, which (a) maximally assesses yes/no recognition memory independent of source and semantic interference; and (b) provides a greater differentiation between individuals whose memory disorder is primarily at the encoding/storage level (e.g., as in AD) versus at the retrieval level (e.g., as in early HD). (JINS, 2018, 24, 833–841)

Diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis in children on the basis of clinical appearance and throat culture is complicated by high colonisation rates and by the ability of other pathogens to cause clinically similar disease. To characterise the epidemiology of Lancefield Group A, C and G β-haemolytic streptococcus (GAS, GCS and GGS, respectively) in children, we conducted a 2-year prospective study of 307 school children between 7 and 11 years old. GGS and GAS were commonly identified organisms both for silent streptococcal colonisation and symptomatic sore throat, while GCS was uncommonly found. Streptococcal culture positivity at the time of clinical pharyngitis was estimated to reflect true streptococcal pharyngitis in only 26% of instances, with the frequency varying from 54% for children rarely colonised to 1% for children frequently colonised. Numerous GAS emm types were identified, including several types previously associated with severe pharyngitis (e.g. emm types 1, 3 and 28). No severe complications were seen in any child. These data suggest that the clinical diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis is likely to remain difficult and that treatment decisions will remain clouded by uncertainty. There remains a need for organism-specific rapid point-of-care streptococcal diagnostic tests and tests that can distinguish between streptococcal colonisation and disease.

The Enlist™ traits provide 2,4-D resistance in several crops. Though corn is naturally tolerant to 2,4-D, the engineered trait conferred by the aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase-1 (AAD-1) enzyme provides enhanced 2,4-D tolerance and confers resistance to the graminicide herbicide family, the aryloxyphenoxypropionates. The objectives of this research were 2-fold: (1) measure and compare uptake, translocation, and metabolism of 2,4-D in Enlist™ (E, +AAD1) and non–AAD-1 transformed (NT, −AAD1) isogenic corn hybrids; and (2) and investigate the effect of glyphosate and/or the Enlist™ adjuvant system (ADJ) on these factors and corn injury. Uptake of radiolabeled 2,4-D acid applied alone in corn was not altered by the addition of ADJ when tank mixed at 24 h after application (HAA). By contrast, uptake of radiolabeled 2,4-D was significantly lower (69%) compared with 2,4-D plus ADJ (89%) at 24 HAA with a premixed formulation of 2,4-D choline plus glyphosate-dimethylamine (Enlist Duo™ herbicide [EDH]). Translocation of 2,4-D between the two corn hybrids was not different. E corn metabolized more 2,4-D (100% of absorbed) than NT corn (84%), and glyphosate did not alter 2,4-D metabolism. Furthermore, the metabolism of 2,4-D to nonphytotoxic dichlorophenol (DCP) and subsequent DCP-derived metabolites formed in E corn was examined. Injury to E corn is not typically observed in the field; however, injury symptoms were clearly evident in E corn (within 24 HAA) when formulated acetochlor was tank mixed with EDH, which correlated with an increase in 2,4-D uptake during this time period. In summary, the lack of injury in E corn following EDH applied alone may be attributed to a relatively low amount of 2,4-D uptake and the combination of natural and engineered 2,4-D metabolic pathways.

Solanum ptycanthum plants putatively resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors were identified in a Wisconsin Glycine max field in 1999. Three- to four-leaf-stage S. ptycanthum plants in the greenhouse were 150, 120, and 5.9-fold resistant to imazethapyr, imazamox, and primisulfuron, respectively, compared with susceptible plants. In vivo ALS was 170- and less than 20-fold more resistant to imazethapyr and primisulfuron, respectively. These results suggested that the S. ptycanthum accession was highly resistant to imazethapyr and imazamox, and that resistance was associated with insensitive ALS. This is the first confirmed occurrence worldwide of S. ptycanthum resistance to ALS inhibitors.

Weed science has contributed much to agriculture, forestry and natural resource management during its history. However, if it is to remain relevant as a scientific discipline, it is long past time for weed scientists to move beyond a dominating focus on herbicide efficacy testing and address the basic science underlying complex issues in vegetation management at many levels of biological organization currently being solved by others, such as invasion ecologists and molecular biologists. Weed science must not be circumscribed by a narrowly-defined set of tools but rather be seen as an integrating discipline. As a means of assessing current and future research interests and funding trends among weed scientists, the Weed Science Society of America conducted an online survey of its members in summer of 2007. There were 304 respondents out of a membership of 1330 at the time of the survey, a response rate of 23%. The largest group of respondents (41%) reported working on research problems primarily focused on herbicide efficacy and maintenance, funded mainly by private industry sources. Another smaller group of respondents (22%) reported focusing on research topics with a complex systems focus (such as invasion biology, ecosystem restoration, ecological weed management, and the genetics, molecular biology, and physiology of weedy traits), funded primarily by public sources. Increased cooperation between these complementary groups of scientists will be an essential step in making weed science increasingly relevant to the complex vegetation management issues of the 21st century.

Giant foxtail putatively resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors has been reported widely in the upper Midwest, typically in fields with a history of ALS inhibitor use in continuous corn or corn–soybean rotation. However, it is not known whether these giant foxtail populations vary in their response to ALS inhibitors. Therefore, our objectives were to confirm and quantify resistance of giant foxtail accessions from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois to imidazolinone and sulfonylurea herbicides; to determine the mechanism of resistance; and to determine the mechanism of resistance inheritance. Dose–response experiments using three- to four-leaf stage giant foxtail plants in the greenhouse confirmed cross-resistance of the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois accessions to imazethapyr and nicosulfuron. Based on ED50 values (the effective dose that reduced shoot dry biomass by 50% compared to the nontreated plants), the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois accessions were 16-, 17-, and 15-fold resistant to imazethapyr, respectively, and 21-, 19-, and 9-fold resistant to nicosulfuron, respectively, compared to susceptible accessions. In contrast, all accessions were susceptible and responded similarly to fluazifop-P. Based on an in vivo ALS assay, the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois accessions were > 750-, > 320-, and > 670-fold resistant to imazethapyr, respectively, and 1,900-, > 1,900-, and 80-fold resistant to nicosulfuron, respectively, compared to susceptible accessions. To determine the inheritance of resistance traits, hybrid F1 families were generated from crosses between ALS inhibitor–susceptible and -resistant plants from Minnesota. Three distinct plant phenotypes—resistant (R), intermediate (I), and susceptible (S)—were identified in the F2 generation following exposure to imazethapyr. In repeated experiments, these phenotypes segregated in a 1:2:1 (R:I:S) ratio, indicative of a trait associated with a single, nuclear, semidominant allele.

In this study, we used an online survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to environmental cleaning and other infection prevention strategies among environmental services workers (ESWs) at 5 hospitals. Our findings suggest that ESWs could benefit from additional education and feedback as well as new strategies to address workflow challenges.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1492–1495

The study of the Bom Santo Cave (central Portugal), a Neolithic cemetery, indicates a complex social, palaeoeconomic, and population scenario. With isotope, aDNA, and provenance analyses of raw materials coupled with stylistic variability of material culture items and palaeogeographical data, light is shed on the territory and social organization of a population dated to 3800–3400 cal BC, i.e. the Middle Neolithic. Results indicate an itinerant farming, segmentary society, where exogamic practices were the norm. Its lifeway may be that of the earliest megalithic builders of the region, but further research is needed to correctly evaluate the degree of this community's participation in such a phenomenon.

How can neuropsychiatric disorders and syndromes be underdiagnosed and inadequately treated in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus? Depression in particular is among the most prevalent diagnoses and there is a solid foundation of data from controlled clinical studies that has begun to examine the efficacy of various antidepressants in HIV-infected persons. This article summarizes essential findings pertaining to the use of psychotropic medications to treat depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders in the context of immunodeficiency. This includes discussion of clinically significant treatment considerations (eg, efficacy, side effects, drug-drug interactions) derived from the existing literature. Taken together, there is compelling evidence that psychopharmacologic intervention can improve the quality of life of mentally ill HIV-infected individuals.

Can psychological factors, such as depression, affect human immunodeficiency virus progession? HIV infection is viewed as a chronic illness in which those infected often confront a number of emotional challenges and physical health and disease-related issues. Over the past 20 years, there has been increasing evidence that depression and other mood-related disturbances are commonly observed among HIV-positive individuals. There is also mounting data showing that depressive symptoms might further impact upon specific elements of immune system functioning and influence quality of life and health status. This paper will highlight studies examining the prevalence of depression during HIV infection and review some of the evidence examining the impact of depressive symptoms on immune function and HIV disease progression.

This article is an executive summary of a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Surveillance Definition Working Group, entitled “Developing a new, national approach to surveillance for ventilator-associated events” and published in Critical Care Medicine. The full report provides a comprehensive description of the Working Group process and outcome.

In September 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened a Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Surveillance Definition Working Group to organize a formal process for leaders and experts of key stakeholder organizations to discuss the challenges of VAP surveillance definitions and to propose new approaches to VAP surveillance in adult patients (Table 1).