Richer than Gold: the fungal biodiversity of Reserva Los Cedros, a threatened Andean cloud forest

BACKGROUND

Globally, many undescribed fungal taxa reside in the hyperdiverse, yet undersampled, tropics. These species are under increasing threat from habitat destruction by expanding extractive industry, in addition to global climate change and other threats. Reserva Los Cedros is a primary cloud forest reserve of ~ 5256 ha, and is among the last unlogged watersheds on the western slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. No major fungal survey has been done there, presenting an opportunity to document fungi in primary forest in an underrepresented habitat and location. Above-ground surveys from 2008 to 2019 resulted in 1760 vouchered collections, cataloged and deposited at QCNE in Ecuador, mostly Agaricales sensu lato and Xylariales. We document diversity using a combination of ITS barcode sequencing and digital photography, and share the information via public repositories (GenBank & iNaturalist).

RESULTS

Preliminary identifications indicate the presence of at least 727 unique fungal species within the Reserve, representing 4 phyla, 17 classes, 40 orders, 101 families, and 229 genera. Two taxa at Los Cedros have recently been recommended to the IUCN Fungal Red List Initiative (Thamnomyces chocöensis Læssøe and "Lactocollybia" aurantiaca Singer), and we add occurrence data for two others already under consideration (Hygrocybe aphylla Læssøe & Boertm. and Lamelloporus americanus Ryvarden).

CONCLUSIONS

Plants and animals are known to exhibit exceptionally high diversity and endemism in the Chocó bioregion, as the fungi do as well. Our collections contribute to understanding this important driver of biodiversity in the Neotropics, as well as illustrating the importance and utility of such data to conservation efforts.

RESUMEN

Antecedentes: A nivel mundial muchos taxones fúngicos no descritos residen en los trópicos hiper diversos aunque continúan submuestreados. Estas especies están cada vez más amenazadas por la destrucción del hábitat debido a la expansión de la industria extractivista además del cambio climático global y otras amenazas. Los Cedros es una reserva de bosque nublado primario de ~ 5256 ha y se encuentra entre las últimas cuencas hidrográficas no explotadas en la vertiente occidental de los Andes ecuatorianos. Nunca antes se ha realizado un estudio de diversidad micológica en el sitio, lo que significa una oportunidad para documentar hongos en el bosque primario, en hábitat y ubicación subrepresentatadas. El presente estudio recopila información entre el 2008 y 2019 muestreando material sobre todos los sustratos, reportando 1760 colecciones catalogadas y depositadas en el Fungario del QCNE de Ecuador, en su mayoría Agaricales sensu lato y Xylariales; además se documenta la diversidad mediante secuenciación de códigos de barras ITS y fotografía digital, la información está disponible en repositorios públicos digitales (GenBank e iNaturalist).

RESULTADOS

La identificación preliminar indica la presencia de al menos 727 especies únicas de hongos dentro de la Reserva, que representan 4 filos, 17 clases, 40 órdenes, 101 familias y 229 géneros. Recientemente dos taxones en Los Cedros se recomendaron a la Iniciativa de Lista Roja de Hongos de la UICN (Thamnomyces chocöensis Læssøe y "Lactocollybia" aurantiaca Singer) y agregamos datos de presencia de otros dos que ya estaban bajo consideración (Hygrocybe aphylla Læssøe & Boertm. y Lamelloporus americanus Ryvarden).

CONCLUSIONES

Se sabe que plantas y animales exhiben una diversidad y endemismo excepcionalmente altos en la bioregión del Chocó y los hongos no son la excepción. Nuestras colecciones contribuyen a comprender este importante promotor de la biodiversidad en el Neotrópico además de ilustrar la importancia y utilidad de dichos datos para los esfuerzos de conservación.

Publication and characteristics of qualitative research in School Psychology journals between 2006 and 2021

To understand the evolution and current status of qualitative research in School Psychology, we reviewed 4,346 articles published across seven school psychology journals between 2006 and 2021. The bibliometric analysis indicates that publication of qualitative research has increased over the years, but remains small (3%) when seen against the total volume of journal publications. Less than 5% of articles in all but one journal were qualitative. The most commonly explored topic was diversity, equity, and social justice accounting for 23% of the qualitative articles. In total, 55% of the studies were conducted in the United States. Although many studies did not specify participants' race and gender, the most commonly reported research participants were K-12 students, female, White, and from the United States. We discuss these findings and provide recommendations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Deliberate practice of consultation communication skills: A randomized controlled trial

Consultation is a key competency area for school psychologists, though much is unknown about how school psychologists develop the competency to consult. Deliberate practice (DP) is a promising approach to enhance use of communication skills, thereby supporting consultation competence. DP training included multiple opportunities for video-recorded consultation practice in response to a consultee's request for assistance, self-reflection on skill application, and corrective supervisory feedback. In this randomized controlled trial, 109 school psychology graduate students across 45 training programs received either consultation training as usual delivered through their first consultation course (control group; n = 61) or a supplemental DP training intervention in addition to their first consultation course (treatment group; n = 48). Students who completed the DP training significantly increased their use of communication skills during a simulated practice opportunity, while the control group participants did not. Students in the DP condition also reported significantly greater self-efficacy than students in the control group, although students in both groups reported significantly greater self-efficacy over time. DP participants also reported high levels of training satisfaction. Implications of these findings for the design and delivery of consultation training and supervision are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The NEALS primary lateral sclerosis registry

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive upper motor neuron dysfunction. Because PLS patients represent only 1 to 4% of patients with adult motor neuron diseases, there is limited information about the disease's natural history. The objective of this study was to establish a large multicenter retrospective longitudinal registry of PLS patients seen at Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) sites to better characterize the natural progression of PLS. Methods: Clinical characteristics, electrophysiological findings, laboratory values, disease-related symptoms, and medications for symptom management were collected from PLS patients seen between 2000 and 2015. Results: The NEALS registry included data from 250 PLS patients. Median follow-up time was 3 years. The mean rate of functional decline measured by ALSFRS-R total score was -1.6 points/year (SE:0.24, n = 124); the mean annual decline in vital capacity was -3%/year (SE:0.55, n = 126). During the observational period, 18 patients died, 17 patients had a feeding tube placed and 7 required permanent assistive ventilation. Conclusions: The NEALS PLS Registry represents the largest available aggregation of longitudinal clinical data from PLS patients and provides a description of expected natural disease progression. Data from the registry will be available to the PLS community and can be leveraged to plan future clinical trials in this rare disease.

Cross-university dialogues to support multicultural school consultation training

There is a growing need for school psychologists to build multicultural knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions to serve increasingly diverse student, teacher, and caregiver populations in schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the process and outcomes of a cross-university dialogue (CUD) activity for 88 school psychologist trainees enrolled in consultation courses, across three school psychology training programs, over three years. The CUD involved partnering with a peer or peers from another training program, individually and then collaboratively completing a case study activity, and writing a guided reflection exercise. It was intended to support trainees' development of multicultural school consultation (MSC) competency and their application of a MSC framework. Constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods, including several features to enhance trustworthiness, guided the investigation. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) trainees established increased self-awareness and professional identity, (b) trainees made sense of multiple perspectives during CUD interactions, (c) trainees learned from their partners and considered future relevance of MSC, and (d) trainees' learning reflected cross-cutting ecological perspectives, influencing the CUD interaction and learning process at multiple levels. A grounded theory based on the data is described, and implications are drawn for the training and development of MSC competence.

Tales of a department: how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital, Department of Neurology-part I: the surge

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way healthcare systems operate around the world. The major hurdles faced have been availability of personal protective equipment, intensive care unit beds, ventilators, treatments and medical personnel. Detroit, Michigan has been an epidemic ‘hotspot’ in the USA with Wayne County among the hardest hit counties in the nation. The Department of Neurology at Henry Ford Hospital, in the heart of Detroit, has responded effectively to the pandemic by altering many aspects of its operations. The rapid engagement of the department and enhanced utilisation of teleneurology were two of the pivotal elements in the successful response to the pandemic. In this review, we describe the transformation our department has undergone, as it relates to its infrastructure redesigning, coverage restructuring, redeployment strategies, medical education adaptations and novel research initiatives.

Coding communication in consultation: Accurate, reliable, and efficient analysis

Given the importance of consultation in school psychology practice, more research is needed to examine the types of interpersonal communication through which consultation is effective. This study revisited Erchul and Schulte (1990), which investigated the amount of transcription and coding of consultation sessions required for reliable and accurate estimates of particular consultation communication variables. Using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, this study examined tone, interrogatives, clout, affect, and use of the 1st-person plural pronoun within the instructional consultation, assessment, and teaming process. Results partially aligned with Erchul and Schulte in that tone, interrogatives, and clout could be reliably and accurately assessed by analyzing 1 complete consultation session or segments of 2 sessions. Affect and pronoun use could not be reliably and accurately measured by sampling segments of consultation sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Idiopathic spinal cord herniation: an imaging diagnosis with a significant delay

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Idiopathic spinal cord herniation (ISCH) is an underrecognized entity that is often underappreciated by the neurosurgery and neuroradiologic communities. This leads to delayed diagnosis, multiple imaging studies, other diagnostic tests, inappropriate surgeries, and repeat office visits.

PURPOSE

To evaluate common associations between ISCH and patient demographics/clinical presentation and to analyze the potential for delayed diagnosis.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Patient sample included those diagnosed with ISCH on imaging at our institution from June 20, 2005 to December 3, 2012.

OUTCOME MEASURES

These were based on the patient improvement/stability/decline based on the patients' most recent clinic/office visit when compared with initial presentation.

METHODS

A retrospective search of radiology reports was performed using Illuminate software from June 20, 2005 to December 3, 2012, using the search term "idiopathic spinal cord herniation." Clinical data were reviewed including patient's age, sex, presenting clinical symptoms, number and type of imaging studies performed as part of the workup, other diagnostic tests, pain procedures, surgeries, and time between original presentation and diagnosis of ISCH on imaging.

RESULTS

A total of 55 patients had the search term "idiopathic spinal cord herniation" included in their radiology report, of which 37 patients were found to meet the imaging and clinical diagnosis of ISCH. The median time from presentation to imaging diagnosis was 20 months in patients younger than 60 years and 5 months in those 60 years or older (p=.02). Of the 37 patients evaluated, 27 (73%) had no change in symptoms, 5 patients (14%) experienced worsening of symptoms, and 5 (14%) experienced symptom improvement from original presentation to most recent office visit. Among all patients evaluated, three underwent repair of the ventral dural defect in ISCH, resulting in clinical improvement. There was a median of nine outpatient office visits, three magnetic resonance images (MRIs), and one electromyography (EMG) per patient presenting with ISCH. The most frequent complaints were neck/upper back pain in 70%, upper/lower extremity numbness/paresthesias/weakness in 49%, hyperreflexia in 22%, and burning chest pain in 22%.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged time to diagnosis and subsequent treatment of ISCH protracts patient symptoms and is associated with redundant diagnostic tests and patient visits. Earlier use of MRI in younger patients (younger than 60 years) may be warranted in those with a clinical presentation suggestive of Brown-Sequard symptomatology. Increasing recognition of ISCH in imaging and surgical communities would lead to improved patient care.

Subcutaneous IGF-1 is not beneficial in 2-year ALS trial

BACKGROUND

Previous human clinical trials of insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-1) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been inconsistent. This phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to address whether IGF-1 benefited patients with ALS.

METHODS

A total of 330 patients from 20 medical centers were randomized to receive 0.05 mg/kg body weight of human recombinant IGF-1 given subcutaneously twice daily or placebo for 2 years. The primary outcome measure was change in their manual muscle testing score. Secondary outcome measures included tracheostomy-free survival and rate of change in the revised ALS functional rating scale. Intention to treat analysis was used.

RESULTS

There was no difference between treatment groups in the primary or secondary outcome measures after the 2-year treatment period.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin-like growth factor type I does not provide benefit for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Angle-resolving time-of-flight electron spectrometer for near-threshold precision measurements of differential cross sections of electron-impact excitation of atoms and molecules

This article presents a new type of low-energy crossed-beam electron spectrometer for measuring angular differential cross sections of electron-impact excitation of atomic and molecular targets. Designed for investigations at energies close to excitation thresholds, the spectrometer combines a pulsed electron beam with the time-of-flight technique to distinguish between scattering channels. A large-area, position-sensitive detector is used to offset the low average scattering rate resulting from the pulsing duty cycle, without sacrificing angular resolution. A total energy resolution better than 150 meV (full width at half maximum) at scattered energies of 0.5-3 eV is achieved by monochromating the electron beam prior to pulsing it. The results of a precision measurement of the differential cross section for electron-impact excitation of helium, at an energy of 22 eV, are used to assess the sensitivity and resolution of the spectrometer.