SUMMARY Domestic pigeons are spectacularly diverse and exhibit variation in more traits than any other bird species [1]. In The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin repeatedly calls attention to the striking variation among domestic pigeon breeds – generated by thousands of years of artificial selection on a single species by human breeders – as a model for the process of natural divergence among wild populations and species [2]. Darwin proposed a morphology-based classification of domestic pigeon breeds [3], but the relationships among major groups of breeds and their geographic origins remain poorly understood [4, 5]. We used a large, geographically diverse sample of 361 individuals from 70 domestic pigeon breeds and two free-living populations to determine genetic relationships within this species. We found unexpected relationships among phenotypically divergent breeds that imply convergent evolution of derived traits in several breed groups. Our findings also illuminate the geographic origins of breed groups in India and the Middle East, and suggest that racing breeds have made substantial contributions to feral pigeon populations.

BackgroundGlobal childhood mortality rates remain high. Millennium Development Goal 4 focused efforts on reducing rates by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. In Ethiopia, child mortality rates dropped 71 % from 1990 to 2015, however it is estimated that 184,000 Ethiopian children die each year. There is limited information about pediatric hospital admissions in Ethiopia. Our aims were to examine the temporal relationship of mortality to admission, describe the demographics, and identify cause mortality of children admitted to the Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH).MethodsA four-year retrospective review of pediatric admissions was conducted at the pediatric emergency room and pediatric hospital ward at ZMH in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Admission entries from 2011–2014 of children age 29 days-14 years were reviewed. Age, gender, admission date, disease classification, discharge status and date were obtained. Patient gender was compared using Chi-square analysis. A descriptive analysis was used for age and cause mortality.ResultsA total of 6866 patient entries were reviewed. The proportion of admissions younger than age 5 was 0.747 (95 % CI 0.736-0.757). Overall mortality was 0.042 (95 % CI, 0.037-0.047). The proportion of recorded deaths occurring within 2 days of admission was 0.437 (95 % CI 0.380-0.494). The proportion of male admissions was significantly higher than female admissions in all age groups (male 0.575, p < 0.0001, 95 % CI 0.562-0.586). The main causes of mortality were pneumonia (0.253, 95 % CI, 0.203-0.303), severe acute malnutrition (0.222, 95 % CI 0.174-0.27), HIV/AIDS-related complications (0.056, 95 % CI 0.029-0.083), spina bifida (0.049, 95 % CI 0.024-0.074), and hydrocephalus (0.045, 95 % CI 0.021-0.069).ConclusionsOur study revealed a lower mortality rate than previously reported in Ethiopia. Despite this, 44 % of pediatric hospital mortality occurred early during hospitalization, higher than reported at other Ethiopian hospitals. This adds further evidence that systematic efforts should be dedicated to improve pediatric emergency care. Admissions included 58 % male patients, similar to other reports in Ethiopia implying that this may be a nation-wide phenomenon. The observed disparity may be due to societal factors regarding care-seeking behaviors or male predilection for respiratory illness warranting further investigation. Cause mortality patterns were similar to reports in analogous settings.

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BackgroundSurvey research, indispensable for assessing subjective outcomes in anesthesiology, can nonetheless be challenging to undertake and interpret.ObjectiveTo present a user-friendly guide for the appraisal of survey-derived evidence, and to apply it to published survey research in the anesthesia literature.MethodsSynthesizing published expert guidance regarding methodology and reporting, we discuss five essential criteria (with subcomponents) for evaluating survey research: (1) relevance of survey outcome to research objective, (2) trustworthiness of the instrument (testing/validation, availability), (3) collecting information well (sampling, administration), (4) representativeness (response rate), and (5) guidance towards interpretation of survey findings (generalizability, interpretation of numerical outcomes). These criteria were subsequently applied by two independent assessors to original research articles reporting survey findings, published in the five highest impact general anesthesia journals (‘Anaesthesia’, ‘Anesthesia & Analgesia’, ‘Anesthesiology’, ‘British Journal of Anaesthesia’ and ‘European Journal of Anaesthesiology’) between July 01, 2016, and December 31, 2017, which were identified using a prespecified PubMed search strategy.ResultsAmong 1107 original articles published, we identified 97 reporting survey research either employing novel survey instruments (58%), established surveys (30%), or sets of single-item scores (12%). The extent to which reader-oriented benchmarks were achieved varied by component and between survey types. Results were particularly mixed for validation (mentioned for 41% of novel and 86% of established surveys) and discussion of generalizability (59% of novel survey reports, 45% of established surveys, and 17% of sets of single-item scores).ConclusionSurvey research is not uncommon in anesthesiology, frequently employs novel survey instruments, and demonstrates mixed results in terms of transparency and interpretability. We provide readers with a practical framework for critical interpretation of survey-derived outcomes.

Background: Global childhood mortality rates remain high. Millennium Development Goal 4 focused efforts on reducing rates by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. In Ethiopia, child mortality rates dropped 71 % from 1990 to 2015, however it is estimated that 184,000 Ethiopian children die each year. There is limited information about pediatric hospital admissions in Ethiopia. Our aims were to examine the temporal relationship of mortality to admission, describe the demographics, and identify cause mortality of children admitted to the Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH). Methods: A four-year retrospective review of pediatric admissions was conducted at the pediatric emergency room and pediatric hospital ward at ZMH in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Admission entries from 2011-2014 of children age 29 days-14 years were reviewed. Age, gender, admission date, disease classification, discharge status and date were obtained. Patient gender was compared using Chi-square analysis. A descriptive analysis was used for age and cause mortality. Conclusions: Our study revealed a lower mortality rate than previously reported in Ethiopia. Despite this, 44 % of pediatric hospital mortality occurred early during hospitalization, higher than reported at other Ethiopian hospitals. This adds further evidence that systematic efforts should be dedicated to improve pediatric emergency care. Admissions included 58 % male patients, similar to other reports in Ethiopia implying that this may be a nation-wide phenomenon. The observed disparity may be due to societal factors regarding care-seeking behaviors or male predilection for respiratory illness warranting further investigation. Cause mortality patterns were similar to reports in analogous settings.