ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2011) ? The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) just released a dramatic photo of a female jaguar and her two cubs near the Isoso Station of the Santa Cruz-Puerto Suarez Gas Pipeline in Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia. The adult jaguar, nicknamed Kaaiyana, has been seen with her cubs in the area for over a month; though WCS conservationists have confirmed she has been a resident in the vicinity for at least six years.
"Kaaiyana's tolerance of observers is a testimony to the absence of hunters in this area, and her success as a mother means there is plenty of food for her and her cubs to eat," said Dr. John Polisar, Coordinator of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Jaguar Conservation Program.
At more than 13,200 square miles (34,400 square kilometers), Kaa Iya National Park is the largest protected area in Bolivia and safeguards the most expansive and best-conserved dry forest in the world. It is found in a transition zone between Chacoan and Chiquitano dry forest ecosystems and includes unique vegetation and rare wildlife such as giant armadillos, Chacoan titi monkeys, and Chacoan peccaries. The creation of Kaa Iya in 1995 marked the first time in South America that a protected area was established through the initiative of an indigenous group, the Guaran?-Isoce?o people.
WCS has conducted extensive research in the area and estimates that at least 1,000 jaguars live in the Gran Chaco Jaguar Conservation Unit, a 47,000 square-mile (124,000 square kilometer) area spanning southern Bolivia and northern Paraguay. With support from the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, WCS is promoting conservation action across the Gran Chaco.
The construction of the 1,900-mile (3,100 kilometer) Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline that cuts across Kaa Iya National Park and the Isoso indigenous land required developing institutional alliances to minimize environmental impacts. With the participation of private energy companies, which make up Gas TransBoliviano (GTB), as well as the Isoso indigenous organization, and an independent member, the Kaa Iya Foundation was created in 2003 as a mechanism to deliver a match with WCS funds to conduct wildlife research and environmental education in the park, which is funded and managed by the Bolivian government.
Among the research efforts first supported by the foundation were jaguar surveys. Kaayiana was first detected by WCS researcher Dr. Andrew Noss at the Isoso site in 2005 with male jaguars, and again in 2006 with a cub. The Kaa Iya park guards work with GTB personnel to prevent illegal hunting and settlements along the right-of-way to the gas pipeline and ensure the protection of wildlife, including jaguar prey, in the park.
"The photographic histories of jaguars in the area by WCS and the reproductive success of this female are testimony that conservation efforts have been effective," said Julie Kunen, WCS Director of Latin America and Caribbean Programs.
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Sleep disorders common among police officers Public release date: 20-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lori Shanks Ljshanks@partners.org 617-534-1604 JAMA and Archives Journals
CHICAGO A survey of police officers indicated that about 40 percent have a sleep disorder, which was associated with an increased risk of adverse health, safety and performance outcomes, according to a study in the December 21 issue of JAMA.
Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and shift work disorder, affect 50 to 70 million U.S. residents. Most are undiagnosed and remain untreated. "Police officers frequently work extended shifts and long work weeks, which in other occupations are associated with increased risk of errors, unintended injuries, and motor vehicle crashes. According to data through the year 2003, more officers are killed by unintended adverse events than during the commission of felonies. It has been hypothesized that fatigue likely due to reduced duration and quality of sleep and untreated sleep disordersmay play an important role in police officer unintentional injuries and fatalities. To date, the effect of sleep disorders on police officer health, safety, and performance has not been systematically investigated," the authors write.
Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues examined the risk of major sleep disorders and associated adverse outcomes among North American police officers. The study consisted of police officers participating in either an online or an on-site screening (n = 4,957) and monthly follow-up surveys (n = 3,545 officers) between July 2005 and December 2007. A total of 3,693 officers in the United States and Canada participated in the online screening survey, and 1,264 officers from a municipal police department and a state police department participated in the on-site survey. The average age of the officers was 38.5 years, with an average of 12.7 years of police service.
A total of 2,003 of 4,957 participants (40.4 percent) screened positive for at least 1 sleep disorder. Of the total group, 1,666 (33.6 percent) screened positive for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common disorder, followed by 281 (6.5 percent) with moderate to severe insomnia; and 269 (5.4 percent) with shift work disorder (14.5 percent of those who worked the night shift). Positive screening for any sleep disorder was associated with increased risk of self-reported health- and safety-related outcomes: 203 (10.7 percent) of those who tested positive for a sleep disorder reported having depression vs. 37 (4.4 percent) of those who did not screen positive; 399 (34.1 percent) of the positive- screen group reported burnout (emotional exhaustion) vs. 89 (17.9 percent) in the negative-screen group, and 388 (20.0 percent) in the positive-screen group reported falling asleep while driving vs. 66 (7.9 percent) in the negative-screen group. Positive OSA screening was also associated with a diagnosis of diabetes; cardiovascular disease; and high caffeine consumption.
The researchers also found that 28.5 percent of participants had screening scores that indicated that they experienced excessive sleepiness. Of the survey respondents, 45.9 percent reported having nodded off or fallen asleep while driving; 56.9 percent of these reported falling asleep while driving at least 1 to 2 times a month; and 307 (13.5 percent, representing 6.2 percent of the total group) reported falling asleep while driving at least 1 to 2 times a week.
Compared to those who screened negative, participants who screened positive for any sleep disorder were more likely to report making important administrative errors; falling asleep while driving; making errors or committing safety violations due to fatigue; having uncontrolled anger toward a citizen or suspect; incurring citizen complaints; having absenteeism; or falling asleep during meetings.
"In conclusion, a large proportion of police officers in our sample showed a positive sleep disorder screening result, which was associated with adverse health, safety, and performance outcomes. Further research is needed to determine whether sleep disorder prevention, screening, and treatment programs in occupational settings will reduce these risks," the authors write.
(JAMA. 2011;306[23]:2567-2578. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Please Note: For this study, there will be multimedia content available, including the JAMA Report video, embedded and downloadable video, audio files, text, documents, and related links. This content will be available at 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, December 20 at this link.
Editorial: Sleep Disorders, Public Health, and Public Safety
In an accompanying editorial, Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., and Allan I. Pack, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, write that "there is a need for additional research studies evaluating sleep problems in the occupational area, including screening employees for sleep disorders and evaluating different interventions in individuals who are diagnosed with sleep disorders."
"Such studies need to be large enough to allow evaluation of the health effects for the individual as well as the economic implications for the employee and employer and the larger effect on society as a whole. Because police forces are focused on public safety, the study by Rajaratnam et al may represent an impetus for further studies of police forces that could set an example for other occupational groups."
(JAMA. 2011;306[23]:2616-2617. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
To contact corresponding author Charles A. Czeisler, Ph.D., M.D., F.R.C.P., call Lori Shanks at 617-534-1604 or email Ljshanks@partners.org. To contact editorial co-author Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., call Jessica Mikulski at 215-349-8369 or email jessica.mikulski@uphs.upenn.edu.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Sleep disorders common among police officers Public release date: 20-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lori Shanks Ljshanks@partners.org 617-534-1604 JAMA and Archives Journals
CHICAGO A survey of police officers indicated that about 40 percent have a sleep disorder, which was associated with an increased risk of adverse health, safety and performance outcomes, according to a study in the December 21 issue of JAMA.
Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and shift work disorder, affect 50 to 70 million U.S. residents. Most are undiagnosed and remain untreated. "Police officers frequently work extended shifts and long work weeks, which in other occupations are associated with increased risk of errors, unintended injuries, and motor vehicle crashes. According to data through the year 2003, more officers are killed by unintended adverse events than during the commission of felonies. It has been hypothesized that fatigue likely due to reduced duration and quality of sleep and untreated sleep disordersmay play an important role in police officer unintentional injuries and fatalities. To date, the effect of sleep disorders on police officer health, safety, and performance has not been systematically investigated," the authors write.
Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues examined the risk of major sleep disorders and associated adverse outcomes among North American police officers. The study consisted of police officers participating in either an online or an on-site screening (n = 4,957) and monthly follow-up surveys (n = 3,545 officers) between July 2005 and December 2007. A total of 3,693 officers in the United States and Canada participated in the online screening survey, and 1,264 officers from a municipal police department and a state police department participated in the on-site survey. The average age of the officers was 38.5 years, with an average of 12.7 years of police service.
A total of 2,003 of 4,957 participants (40.4 percent) screened positive for at least 1 sleep disorder. Of the total group, 1,666 (33.6 percent) screened positive for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common disorder, followed by 281 (6.5 percent) with moderate to severe insomnia; and 269 (5.4 percent) with shift work disorder (14.5 percent of those who worked the night shift). Positive screening for any sleep disorder was associated with increased risk of self-reported health- and safety-related outcomes: 203 (10.7 percent) of those who tested positive for a sleep disorder reported having depression vs. 37 (4.4 percent) of those who did not screen positive; 399 (34.1 percent) of the positive- screen group reported burnout (emotional exhaustion) vs. 89 (17.9 percent) in the negative-screen group, and 388 (20.0 percent) in the positive-screen group reported falling asleep while driving vs. 66 (7.9 percent) in the negative-screen group. Positive OSA screening was also associated with a diagnosis of diabetes; cardiovascular disease; and high caffeine consumption.
The researchers also found that 28.5 percent of participants had screening scores that indicated that they experienced excessive sleepiness. Of the survey respondents, 45.9 percent reported having nodded off or fallen asleep while driving; 56.9 percent of these reported falling asleep while driving at least 1 to 2 times a month; and 307 (13.5 percent, representing 6.2 percent of the total group) reported falling asleep while driving at least 1 to 2 times a week.
Compared to those who screened negative, participants who screened positive for any sleep disorder were more likely to report making important administrative errors; falling asleep while driving; making errors or committing safety violations due to fatigue; having uncontrolled anger toward a citizen or suspect; incurring citizen complaints; having absenteeism; or falling asleep during meetings.
"In conclusion, a large proportion of police officers in our sample showed a positive sleep disorder screening result, which was associated with adverse health, safety, and performance outcomes. Further research is needed to determine whether sleep disorder prevention, screening, and treatment programs in occupational settings will reduce these risks," the authors write.
(JAMA. 2011;306[23]:2567-2578. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Please Note: For this study, there will be multimedia content available, including the JAMA Report video, embedded and downloadable video, audio files, text, documents, and related links. This content will be available at 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, December 20 at this link.
Editorial: Sleep Disorders, Public Health, and Public Safety
In an accompanying editorial, Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., and Allan I. Pack, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, write that "there is a need for additional research studies evaluating sleep problems in the occupational area, including screening employees for sleep disorders and evaluating different interventions in individuals who are diagnosed with sleep disorders."
"Such studies need to be large enough to allow evaluation of the health effects for the individual as well as the economic implications for the employee and employer and the larger effect on society as a whole. Because police forces are focused on public safety, the study by Rajaratnam et al may represent an impetus for further studies of police forces that could set an example for other occupational groups."
(JAMA. 2011;306[23]:2616-2617. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
To contact corresponding author Charles A. Czeisler, Ph.D., M.D., F.R.C.P., call Lori Shanks at 617-534-1604 or email Ljshanks@partners.org. To contact editorial co-author Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., call Jessica Mikulski at 215-349-8369 or email jessica.mikulski@uphs.upenn.edu.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
FRIDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- HIV-infected drug users are 74 percent more likely to have an overdose than those without HIV, a new evidence review finds.
Behavioral and biological factors may be among the reasons for this increased risk, according to the Rhode Island Hospital researchers. Drug overdose is a frequent cause of non-AIDS death among people with HIV.
The link between HIV infection and drug use is well documented, but the association between HIV and overdose has received less attention and was the focus of this study, which involved a review of 24 previous studies.
"Over the past 30 years, we have made impressive strides in caring for and prolonging the lives of people with HIV. Our study found that premature death by overdose is an issue that affects people with HIV disproportionately," study leader Traci Green, a researcher with Rhode Island Hospital and the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research, said in a hospital news release.
"It is not entirely clear why the risk is greater, and few studies have endeavored to figure out why this might be happening," she added.
Biological factors may include clinical status, weakened immune systems, opportunistic infections and poorer physical health among HIV-infected drug users. Some research has suggested that hepatitis C infection and other conditions that affect metabolic ability may also increase the risk of overdose, according to the release.
Behavioral factors -- such as high-risk lifestyles and an increased rate of psychiatric conditions -- may also contribute to the higher risk of overdose among HIV-infected drug users, Green said.
Other possible factors could include homelessness and poverty, and poor access to medications and therapy used to treat opioid dependence, she suggested. Many HIV patients take opioid painkiller drugs as part of their treatment, while others use illegal opioids.
The study appears online in advance of print in the journal AIDS.
"Bringing overdose awareness and prevention into the HIV care setting is critical to reducing overdose deaths," Green said.
"Health care providers who treat HIV-infected patients with a history of substance abuse or who are taking opioid medications should consider counseling patients on how to reduce their risk of overdose. They may also consider prescribing naloxone (Narcan) to patients, or offering a referral to MAT (medication-assisted therapy) to reduce the risk of overdose," she advised.
Naloxone is a prescription medication that reverses an opioid overdose and has no abuse potential.
More information
The New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center has more about recreational drugs and HIV.
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of December 12, 2011:
>>record breaking sales this
holiday season
may be giving way to record breaking returns. some of the people who rushed to the stores as early as thanksgiving for big discounts are returning the gifts to get the cash back because they need it. according to the
national retail federation
, returns cost stores
10 cents
for every dollar earn and that is an increase from last year. a retail writer for the associated press. i heard holiday hangover, buyer's remorse. when we look at the video, people were grabbing things that maybe they didn't need or want, but got caught up in the madness.
>>right. they got caught up in the 60% and when they brought the merchandise back to their house, they realized they didn't need it and it was denting their
bank account
.
>>that's incredible. we had several conversations and i believe it was one of the gut checks on the show. we said people talk about
hard times
, but they're running out with a wii or nintendo in their hands. i don't want to stand in the way of anyone's happiness, but these are tough
economic times
.
>>what's happening is three things. people are getting too caught up with the bargains out there. they are realizing they spent too much. number two, stores were lenient with the returns. they started becoming lenient two years ago. number three, i talked to a number of shoppers and they all say you know what, i'm buying and i
bring it home
, but i keep looking for the better deal and i will return it.
>>absolutely. there some stores right now on their second round of discounts, especially places that sell clothing where they reduce the prices and they are on the second round. if you bought it, you should get your money back.
>>i talked to lots of shoppers who said they return something to get a cheaper brand or something different because it's cheaper. you really see this reluctance to spend.
>>absolutely. thank you very much. we will see what happens after this holiday stuff dies
WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration and at least one of its allies say they are pleased that Russia has decided to support U.N. Security Council action aimed at halting violence in Syria but won't support Russia's proposed resolution unless changes are made.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday that Russia's surprise introduction of a Security Council resolution on Syria was an "important step" and a sign of growing unity on the importance of opposing Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime's brutal crackdown on reformers.
"It's clear from the steps that Russia took that more and more of the international community is coming together as one to say to Syria and to the Assad regime that we can no longer tolerate the kind of killings that are going on, the kind of abuse of human rights that have gone on in Syria and that Assad needs to step down," Panetta told a news conference in Ankara, Turkey.
In Washington, the State Department called the Russian move "good news" but said the U.S. wouldn't vote for the resolution unless it distinguishes the actions of peaceful protesters from those of the government. In Paris, the French Foreign Ministry echoed that stance.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters that "the Russians have recognized that the U.N. Security Council can't be silent any longer and that we've got to use that organization to make clear that the violence needs to end."
But she stressed the administration has concerns about the draft. "We wouldn't be prepared to accept it as written, particularly because it appears to create a sense of parity between these peaceful protesters and the action of the regime, which has been extremely brutal and violent," she said.
The French Foreign Ministry said France was "ready to work with all its partners" on Syria "but underlines that the Russian text as it now stands has parts that are not acceptable."
"In particular, it's unacceptable to put on a par the repression of the Syrian regime and the resistance of the Syrian people. Every day thousands of people demonstrate peacefully and are victims of a bloody repression," it said.
The United Nations estimates that 5,000 people have been killed in violence since protests against the Assad regime started nine months ago.
Despite the severity of the situation, Russia, along with China, had opposed U.N. Security Council action on Syria.
But on Thursday, Russia surprised council members by introducing a draft resolution that "demands that all parties in Syria immediately stop any violence irrespective of where it comes from." The draft, however, does not mention sanctions, something that Western nations have been pushing.
Nuland said the U.S. wants to work with Russia, as well as with the Arab League, which has condemned the violence, to ensure that all concerns are addressed.
Despite the reservations, Nuland said the Russian move "begins a new process in New York that we very much welcome."
___
Baldor reported from Ankara. Jamey Keaten contributed to this report from Paris.
There was a time, probably around the same time Rock of Ages is set, when almost every woman in America would have glady thrown themselves at Tom Cruise. And that's exactly what happens in the recently-released Rock of Ages trailer. Watch it below!
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Public release date: 20-Dec-2011
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