Sloth bear attacks: regional differences and safety messaging.

Sloth bears behave aggressively toward humans when threatened and are among the most dangerous wildlife in India. Safety messaging for those who live in sloth bear country must be accurate to be effective, and messaging may need to be modified to account for regional differences in human-bear relationships. The timing of sloth bear attacks on the Deccan Plateau of Karnataka, both by season and by time of day, deviated enough from those reported in other areas such that it warranted further investigation. We compared data from eight studies of human-sloth bear conflict from across the Indian subcontinent and explored possibilities as to why differences exist. Seasonally all studies reported that human-sloth bear conflict was highest when human activity in the forest was greatest, though the season of highest human activity varied significantly by region (χ2 = 5921, df = 5, P < 0.001). The time of day that the majority of attacks occurred also varied significantly by region (χ2 = 666, df = 5, P < 0.001), though human activity was relatively consistent. We speculated that the rate of day attacks on the Deccan Plateau was lower due to the reduced probability of encountering a sleeping bear as they are concealed and secure in shallow caves. Additionally, the rate of attacks was significantly higher at night on the Deccan Plateau because people often to work into nighttime. We concluded that slight differences, or different emphasis, to bear safety messaging may be necessary on a regional basis to keep the messaging accurate and effective.

Lifestyle Changes among ACS Survivors in Arabian Gulf Countries (Gulf COAST Registry).

BACKGROUND: We described lifestyle changes one year after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among patients in Arabian Gulf countries. METHODOLOGY: Data of patients admitted to 29 hospitals in 4 countries with the diagnosis of ACS were analysed from Gulf citizens with ACS events (Gulf COAST) registry. A total of 3565 ACS patients recruited in the Gulf COAST registry had a one-year follow up available. There was a significant correlation between return to work and the age of patient (p < .001). At one-year post ACS, the majority were performing their usual activities (93%), but only 39% were exercising. Smoking cessation was successful in 60% of patients and most non-quitters tried or considered quitting (18 and 21% of the total population of smokers, respectively). Sexual activity was reported from 2290 male patients at one-year follow up. The majority reported performing sexual activity (66%) with no fear of sexual intercourse (57%). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At one year after an ACS, the majority of our patients returned to their work, sexual activity and other usual activity. Clearly, improvement is needed when it comes to smoking cessation and exercise.