No abstract

Button-quail (Turnicidae) are a greatly understudied family of birds; their cryptic habits make studying them in the wild challenging. They are known to be quite vocal which could assist with detectability, and so it follows that survey results will be more reliable as knowledge about button-quail vocal repertoire increases. Until recently, there were no published vocal recordings of the Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus, and descriptions and accounts of this species’ vocalisations were limited. We recorded vocalisations of Chestnut-backed Button-quail at six locations across the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Three broad vocalisation types were identified: advertising ooms, drumming, and contact calls. We present descriptions and visual representations of these vocalisations, and draw comparisons with previously published accounts of this species, and other Australian button-quail.

Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, clinicians have been challenged with a wide spectrum of disease severity. One of the serious complications associated with the virus is multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). It is characterised by inflammation leading to organ damage, in the setting of positive SARS-CoV-2 infection. MIS-C is thought to be a postviral reaction where most children are negative on PCR testing but are positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently defined the same phenomenon occurring in adults as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) and emphasised on the use of antibody testing in this population. Here we describe an adult woman with an exposure to SARS-CoV-2 who presented with unexplained organ failure and shock. Positive antibody testing was the only clue to the diagnosis of MIS-A. We stress the importance of SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection in order to identify these cases.

Habitat loss is driving the extirpation of fauna across Earth. Many species are now absent from vast areas where they once occurred in inhabited continents, yet we do not have a good understanding of the extent to which different species have been extirpated, nor the degree to which range contractions and habitat loss has contributed to this local extirpation. Here, for the first time, we use a combination of scientific literature, historical sources, spatial data, and expert elicitation to map the past extent of potential habitats, and changes thereto, of 72 of Australia’s most imperilled terrestrial birds. By comparing the area of potential habitat within the past and current ranges of these taxa, we quantify the extent over which each of Australia’s threatened terrestrial birds have likely been extirpated and assess the amount and configuration of potential habitat that remains. Our results show that since 1750 (before European colonization), at least one extant taxon of threatened bird has disappeared from over 530 million hectares (69%) of Australia, through both range contractions and loss of potentially suitable habitat (noting these are not mutually exclusive phenomena). Ten taxa (14%) have likely been extirpated from >99% of their past potential habitat. For 56 taxa (78%), remaining habitat within their current potential habitats has become fragmented. This research paints a sobering picture of the extent of local extirpation of threatened birds from much of Australia over a 250-year time period. By mapping and quantifying this loss, these findings will help refine scientific understanding about the impact of habitat removal and other pervasive threats that are driving this observed extirpation.

Myalgia and mild elevation in muscle enzymes are common side effects of statin therapy. While these symptoms are generally self-limited, in rare cases, statin use is associated with an immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy caused by development of autoantibodies against HMG-CoA reductase. The primary presenting symptom of this condition is progressive symmetric proximal weakness that does not abate or worsens even after cessation of statin therapy and is associated with markedly elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels. To date, no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to identify the most effective treatment for statin-associated autoimmune myopathy. Treatment recommendations involve a combination of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs. This single-center case series highlights the clinicopathologic features diagnostic for statin-associated autoimmune myopathy as well as treatment challenges for the patient population. The series highlights a range of potential presentations, from mildly symptomatic despite highly elevated CK, to severe muscle weakness including dysphagia. Multiple patients required several immunosuppressant medications as well as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to achieve disease control. In this case series, marked improvement was noted in several diabetic patients with IVIG.

The Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus is widely distributed in monsoonal tropical woodland but previously known only from the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Here we provide the first verified record in Queensland. We observed at least eight birds during October and November 2020 at Westmoreland Station, which is located in far north-western Queensland. These observations represent a significant (~215 km) easterly range extension and are the first confirmed records of this species for Queensland. Chestnut-backed Button-quail had gone undetected in Queensland likely owing to the difficulty in locating and identifying button-quail generally and the low number of birdwatchers in the region. A potential record made by W.R. McLennan in 1910 may represent a previously unreported record of this species in Queensland. Here we describe our observations in 2020 and the habitat where the species was recorded.

IntroductionCost burden in health professions education is rising. To bridge the gap between growing tuition and stagnating wages, student loans are increasingly obtained to cover educational costs. The spiraling after-effects are a source of acute concern, raising alarms across institutions and occupations. There is little dissemination to date of feasible data collection strategies and outcomes beyond 1 year post-graduation. Research is needed in evaluating the impacts of healthcare educational debt on career and personal choices following transition to practice.Materials and MethodsThis study utilized a cross-sectional, mixed methods design. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program graduates 5 years following degree completion completed a quantitative online survey, with topics including debt-to-income ratio, educational debt repayment strategies, impact on personal factors, non-education debt, and perceived value of their health professions education. Subsequent phone interviews were conducted by student researchers to gain insights into alumni perceptions of the impacts of educational debt on personal and professional decision-making. Data analysis involved descriptive and correlational quantitative statistics and open and axial coding of interview constructs.ResultsThe mixed methods format was successful in obtaining desired depth of response data. Quantitative findings demonstrated primary factors impacted by educational debt as savings, housing, leisure, discretionary spending, and family planning. Qualitative findings revealed impacts on themes of “personal factors” (81%), “professional factors” (62.5%), and “psychological factors” (56%) 5 years after graduation. Most negatively impacted were housing decisions, hours worked, initial job selection, and ability to save for the future, contributing to decreased mental health wellbeing with anxiety, frustration, and guilt. The majority (75%) of respondents perceived a high degree of value during and following their DPT education, though many expressed discordance between expectations and realities of practice.DiscussionFindings demonstrate that impacts of health professional educational debt in professional, personal, and psychological factors continue 5 years following degree completion, regardless of debt load. Successful implementation of this pilot methodology indicates potential for use of such extended data collection strategies. Further research is needed at the programs, profession, and/or interprofessional level to garner depth of understanding to guide interventions designed to mitigate or prevent these long-term repercussions.

Button-quail Turnix spp. forage in a unique manner, leaving behind circular scratched depressions in the substrate known as platelets. These platelets offer an indirect method of surveying an otherwise cryptic and shy group of birds. Painted Button-quail T. varius are well known for creating platelets throughout most of their distribution. However, following 8 years of surveys from 1992 to 2000 in North Queensland, Nielsen (2000, p. 25) failed to locate any platelets and questioned whether Painted Button-quail in North Queensland may have “lost the art of forming platelets?”. During surveys in North Queensland between 2017 and 2022, we found extensive evidence at multiple locations of Painted Button-quail creating platelets that were consistent in size, shape, and placement with descriptions from elsewhere throughout the species’ distribution. A marked seasonal difference in occurrence and density of platelets was detected. Platelets were scarce from January to April, which coincides with the wet season, and increased in abundance throughout the dry season, with a peak at the end of the dry season (September–December). Platelets may represent a viable method for detecting Painted Button-quail in North Queensland, particularly during the dry season.