bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping prescribed fire severity in south-east Australian eucalypt forests using modelling and satellite imagery: a case study
Authors: Loschiavo John , Cirulis Brett , Zuo Yingxin , Hradsky Bronwyn A. , Di Stefano Julian
Published: June 2017

Accurate fire severity maps are fundamental to the management of flammable landscapes. Severity mapping methods have been developed and tested for wildfire, but need further refinement for prescribed fire. We evaluated the accuracy of two severity mapping methods for a low-intensity, patchy prescribed fire in a south-eastern Australian eucalypt forest: (1) the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from RapidEye satellite imagery, and (2) PHOENIX RapidFire, a fire-spread simulation model. We used each method to generate a fire severity map (four-category: unburnt, low, moderate and severe), and then validated the maps against field-based data. We used error matrices and the Kappa statistic to assess mapping accuracy. Overall, the satellite-based map was more accurate (75%; Kappa±95% confidence interval 0.54±0.06) than the modelled map (67%; Kappa 0.40±0.06). Both methods overestimated the area of unburnt forest; however, the satellite-based map better represented moderately burnt areas. Satellite- and model-based methods both provide viable approaches for mapping prescribed fire severity, but refinements could further improve map accuracy. Appropriate severity mapping methods are essential given the increasing use of prescribed fire as a forest management tool.
The bilingual mental lexicon
Authors: Saidi Ladan Ghazi , Dash Tanya , Ansaldo Ana Inés
Published: June 2017

Several theoretical accounts have been developed to describe the nature of the bilingual mental lexicon. In the last decades, functional magnetic resonance studies have provided some insight into the neural basis of lexical processing in healthy bilinguals and in bilinguals with aphasia. This chapter will discuss the bilingual mental lexicon as a complex knowledge system, which behaves dynamically as a function of various factors, including L1 and L2 proficiency level (exposure and use), psycholinguistic (semantic and phonological) characteristics of words within and across the spoken languages, learning methods, and the environment where learning happens (formal vs. informal), which in turn have an impact on the type of memory processing (implicit vs. explicit) involved in word storage. The bilingual mental lexicon is revealed as even more complex when phonological and semantic similarities and differences within and across languages are taken into account.
Heterologous expression of the Pleurotus ostreatus MnP3 gene by the laccase gene promoter in Lentinula edodes
Authors: Sato Toshitsugu , Irie Toshikazu , Yoshino Fumihiko
Published: June 2017

Lentinula edodes (shiitake), which have a powerful ligninolytic system, is one of the most important edible mushrooms in Asia. In this study, we introduced the manganese peroxidase (MnP, EC 1.11.1.13) gene from Pleurotus ostreatus driven by L. edodes laccase 1 gene promoter into L. edodes for expression. The resulting transformant expressed the recombinant gene and showed a higher level of MnP activity than that of the wild-type strain.
Music, Silence, and the Senses in a Late Fifteenth-Century Book of Hours
Authors: Shephard Tim , Ștefănescu Laura , Sessini Serenella
Published: June 2017

Although it is common in the musicological literature to compare decorated music books with books of hours, studies addressing the musical features of books of hours are rare. This article considers musical features in the decoration of a book of hours made by leading illuminators in Ferrara ca. 1469. Images appearing in books of hours are considered to have had an exemplary and meditative function in relation to devotional practice; therefore, this study asks what the reader was intended to learn from musical images, drawing conclusions about the alignment of the senses and the significance of music in fifteenth-century religious experience.
Actors, Orators, and the Boundaries of Drama in Elizabethan Universities
Authors: Blank Daniel
Published: June 2017

This article discusses the debates over drama that took place in the English universities during the late sixteenth century. It reconsiders the career of the Oxford academic and theologian John Rainolds, whose objections to student performance are usually conflated with attacks upon professional drama. This article argues instead that his opposition arose largely from two related institutional concerns: the equation of drama with rhetorical exercises and the increasing use of spectacle in university plays. The controversy over theatrical performance is thus cast in a new light as an inquiry into the place and purpose of drama within university culture.
Additionality and Forest Conservation Regulation for Residential Development
Authors: Newburn David A. , Ferris Jeffrey S.
Published: June 2017

We analyze the potential effects that a unique forest conservation regulation has on residential development, and assess the additionality in forest cover due to this regulation. We combine panel data on forest cover change from satellite imagery and parcel‐level modeling on residential development, including residential subdivisions occurring before and after the regulation is adopted. Our results suggest that after adoption, there was a 21% increase in forest cover within subdivisions relative to the amount without the regulation. The heterogeneous effects of this regulation suggest that on average, forest cover increased for parcels with lower levels of existing forest cover. However, parcels with the highest levels of forest cover continue to have significant decreases in forest cover, despite the regulation, thereby resulting in fragmentation in regions with the most intact forest cover.
A spectral algorithm for fast de novo layout of uncorrected long nanopore reads
Authors: Recanati Antoine , Brüls Thomas , d’Aspremont Alexandre
Published: June 2017

Motivation

New long read sequencers promise to transform sequencing and genome assembly by producing reads tens of kilobases long. However, their high error rate significantly complicates assembly and requires expensive correction steps to layout the reads using standard assembly engines.

Results

We present an original and efficient spectral algorithm to layout the uncorrected nanopore reads, and its seamless integration into a straightforward overlap/layout/consensus (OLC) assembly scheme. The method is shown to assemble Oxford Nanopore reads from several bacterial genomes into good quality (∼99% identity to the reference) genome-sized contigs, while yielding more fragmented assemblies from the eukaryotic microbe Sacharomyces cerevisiae.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/antrec/spectrassembler.

Supplementary Information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Qi Zhou: the coming of age in China's stem-cell research and regenerative medicine
Authors: Qiu Jane
Published: June 2017

Between 2011 and 2015, China invested about 3 billion yuan (US$435 million) on stem-cell research and regenerative medicine. This has led to major scientific breakthroughs, solidifying the country's role as a global leader in this field. Last September, China launched another major programm called Stem Cells and Transfer Research — with a similar budget over five years but focusing more on clinical applications. Many see this as a golden opportunity to catalyse significant medical advances, providing relief for patients with conditions such as Parkinson's Disease and macular degeneration. NSR recently talked to Qi Zhou, a leading stem-cell researcher at CAS’s Institute of Zoology in Beijing, about recent research progress, China's challenges and opportunities, how the government is trying to tighten the regulation and why we must move forward cautiously when applying new technologies, such as gene editing and mitochondria replacement therapy, in a clinical setting.
Efficacy of Postoperative Analgesia of Local Ketamine Wound Instillation Following Total Thyroidectomy
Authors: Abd EL-Rahman Ahmad M. , El Sherif Fatma A.
Published: June 2017

Background:

Total thyroidectomy is recommended as a line of management of thyroid cancer in many cases. Our aim was to compare postoperative analgesic effect of local ketamine 1 mg/kg instilled in the wound to that of intramuscular (IM) ketamine and placebo after total thyroidectomy.

Methods:

A total of 90 patients aged 18 to 60 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I to II, with a body weight of 50 to 90 kg, scheduled for total thyroidectomy were enrolled after ethics committee approval in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study and divided randomly into 3 groups to receive treatment after hemostasis. Group (I) received 1 mg/kg ketamine in a total volume of 10 mL normal saline instilled in the wound. Group (II) received 1 mg/kg of IM ketamine. Group (III) received 10 mL of normal saline instilled in the wound. Total amount of morphine consumption, first request of analgesia, and side effects were recorded. Visual analog scale at rest and movement and hemodynamics were assessed immediately, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively.

Results:

Total morphine consumption was reduced and first request of analgesia was delayed in group I compared with that in groups II and III, and in group II compared with that in group III (P=0.000). Visual analog scale at rest and movement were decreased immediately postoperatively in groups I and II in comparison with their values in group III; group II had higher sedation scores.

Conclusions:

Local wound ketamine instillation provided superior postoperative analgesia with lower incidence of side effects in comparison with IM ketamine and placebo following total thyroidectomy.
Opioid-sparing Effects of SoluMatrix Indomethacin in a Phase 3 Study in Patients With Acute Postoperative Pain
Authors: Gharibo Christopher G. , Argoff Charles , Markenson Joseph A. , Webster Lynn R. , Nezzer Jennifer , Solorio Daniel , Lauterio Melanie , Young Clarence
Published: June 2017

Objectives:

To report the opioid-sparing effects of SoluMatrix indomethacin, developed using SoluMatrix Fine Particle Technology, in a phase 3 study in patients with acute pain following bunionectomy.

Methods:

This phase 3, placebo-controlled study randomized 462 patients with moderate-to-severe pain following bunionectomy surgery to receive SoluMatrix indomethacin 40 mg 3 times daily, SoluMatrix indomethacin 40 mg twice daily, SoluMatrix indomethacin 20 mg 3 times daily, celecoxib 400-mg loading dose followed by 200 mg twice daily, or placebo. Patients were permitted to receive opioid-containing rescue medication throughout the study. The proportion of patients who used rescue medication and the amount of rescue medication used on the first (0 to 24 h) and second (>24 to 48 h) days following initial dose of study medication, as well as time to first rescue medication use, were assessed.

Results:

Significantly fewer patients who received SoluMatrix indomethacin 40 or 20 mg 3 times daily used opioid-containing rescue medication on day 1 compared with those receiving placebo (P≤0.034), and fewer patients in all active treatment groups used rescue medication during the second day compared with those in the placebo group (P<0.001). All active treatment groups used significantly fewer rescue medication tablets on days 1 and 2 following randomization compared with placebo (P<0.001). The most common adverse events were nausea, postprocedural edema, and headache.

Discussion:

SoluMatrix indomethacin was associated with opioid-sparing effects in patients with acute postoperative pain.
Comparison of Intra-articular Thoracic Facet Joint Steroid Injection and Thoracic Medial Branch Block for the Management of Thoracic Facet Joint Pain
Authors: Lee Dong Gyu , Ahn Sang Ho , Cho Yun Woo , Do Kyung Hee , Kwak Sang Gyu , Chang Min Cheol
Published: June 2017

Study Design.

A prospective observational study.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to show the effect of intra-articular (IA) thoracic facet joint (TFJ) steroid injection for the management of TFJ pain, and to compare it with the effect of therapeutic thoracic medial branch block (MBB) with a local anesthetic and steroid.

Summary of Background Data.

Several studies have shown the effects of thoracic MBB with local anesthetics with or without steroids and radiofrequency neurotomy in managing TFJ pain, but thus far, the effectiveness of IA TFJ steroid injection has not been studied.

Methods.

Forty patients with TFJ pain were recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups, the IA steroid injection and the MBB group, each with 20 patients. For IA TFJ steroid injection and therapeutic MBB, we injected 0.5 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine, mixed with 10 mg (0.25 mL) of dexamethasone. We assessed the severity of TFJ pain using a numeric rating scale (NRS) before treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment.

Results.

Compared to the pretreatment NRS scores, the NRS scores at 1, 3, and 6 months after each treatment showed a significant decrease in patients in both the groups. Intergroup changes in the NRS scores were not significantly different over time. Six months after the treatment, 65% of the patients in the IA steroid injection group reported successful pain relief (pain relief ≥50%), and 40% of the patients in the MBB group showed successful pain relief.

Conclusion.

In the present study, both IA TFJ steroid injection and therapeutic MBB significantly relieved TFJ pain. Their effects persisted for at least 6 months after the procedure. Thus, we think that both IA TFJ steroid injection and therapeutic thoracic MBB are useful treatment options for managing TFJ pain.

Level of Evidence: 2
Induced De Novo Astigmatism After Hyperopic LASIK Versus Myopic LASIK Surgery in Nonastigmatic Eyes
Authors: Karmona Lily , Mimouni Michael , Vainer Igor , Sela Tzahi , Munzer Gur , Kaiserman Igor
Published: June 2017

Purpose:

To compare the astigmatism induced surgically (SIA) by spherical hyperopic laser in situ keratomileusis (H-LASIK) versus myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (M-LASIK) in nonastigmatic eyes.

Methods:

A retrospective study of patients who underwent LASIK surgery between 2005 and 2014 at the Care-Vision Laser Center, Israel. We calculated the mean absolute SIA and performed risk factor analysis for induced astigmatism. Differences between H-LASIK and M-LASIK were analyzed.

Results:

Eyes of 3877 patients who underwent M-LASIK and of 549 patients who underwent H-LASIK were nonastigmatic preoperatively and received a nonastigmatic treatment. Three months after surgery, hyperopic treatment induced more SIA (0.49 ± 0.48 D) than did myopic treatment (0.36 ± 0.4 D) (P < 0.001). In the H-LASIK group, the risk factors for induced astigmatism of >0.5 D were a higher preoperative refractive error (P = 0.003) and larger optical zone (7 vs. 6 mm). In the M-LASIK group, eyes with SIA >0.5 D tended to have steeper corneas preoperatively (43.8 ± 1.5 vs. 43.6 ± 1.4 D; P = 0.001), a higher spherical equivalent (−3.43 ± 1.53 Vs. −3.07 ± 1.45 P < 0.001), and smaller treatment zones (6 vs. 7 mm). In H-LASIK, the mean induced astigmatic axis was at 74.6 degrees.

Conclusions:

There was a consistent trend toward more SIA in H-LASIK and in higher refractive error correction. In H-LASIK larger optical zones induce more SIA and in M-LASIK smaller ones caused it.
Changes in Neutrophil Count After Antipsychotic Prescription Among a Retrospective Cohort of Patients With Benign Neutropenia
Authors: Campion Paul , Campion Gabriel , Anbarasan Deepti
Published: June 2017

Background

There is a paucity of literature regarding the effect of antipsychotics on absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of patients with benign neutropenia (BN). We evaluated the change in ANC after atypical antipsychotic prescription (excluding clozapine) in a retrospective cohort of 22 patients with BN.

Methods/Procedures

Records of all patients with BN who were prescribed antipsychotics and who had ANC measured before and during antipsychotic treatment were obtained from Bronx VA Medical Center between 2005 and 2015 (inclusive). Twenty-two patients met criteria for inclusion. Individual and group mean ANC were calculated before treatment and during treatment. A paired, two-tailed t test was performed on the group ANC means.

Results

The group mean pretreatment ANC was 1.24 ± 0.220 K/cmm, and the mean ANC during the time of antipsychotic prescription increased to 1.40 ± 0.230 K/cmm, with a P value of 0.0045, t value of 3.18, degrees of freedom equal to 21, and 95% confidence interval of 1.30 to 1.49 K/cmm.

Conclusions

There was a statistically significant increase in ANC among our cohort during the time of antipsychotic prescription. All BN patients who were prescribed antipsychotics maintained a stable neutrophil count, with none of the 22 patients with BN in this study developing agranulocytosis during treatment. Although this study is limited by a low patient count as well as other demographic factors, these findings provide initial evidence regarding the safety of prescribing atypical antipsychotics to BN patients. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and assess for effects of individual medications.
Role of Human Papillomavirus in Vulvar Cancer
Authors: Rakislova Natalia , Saco Adela , Sierra Adriana , del Pino Marta , Ordi Jaume
Published: June 2017

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is involved in one of the at least 2 pathways leading to vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). Inactivation of p53 and retinoblastoma by the viral products E6 and E7 is involved in malignant transformation. The percentage of HPV-positive VSCCs ranges from 18% to 75%, depending on the geographical area. HPV-associated tumors affect relatively young women and arise from high-grade intraepithelial lesions, identical to other HPV-associated premalignant lesions of the anogenital tract. HPV-independent tumors tend to affect older women and usually arise in a background of inflammatory skin disorders and a subtle variant of in situ lesion called differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. HPV-positive tumors tend to be of basaloid or warty types, whereas HPV-independent tumors tend to be of keratinizing type, but there is frequent overlap between histologic types. There is no conclusive evidence yet on the best strategy in terms of determining HPV attribution. HPV DNA detection is generally considered the gold standard although there is some concern about misclassification when using this technique alone. p16 immunostaining has shown to be an excellent surrogate marker of HPV infection. Positive results for both techniques are considered the best evidence for HPV-association. The prognostic role of HPV in VSCC is still contradictory, but increasing evidence suggests that HPV-associated tumors are less aggressive. Currently, there are no differences in treatment between HPV-associated and HPV-independent VSCC, but novel immunological strategies based on anti-HPV antigens are being evaluated in clinical trials.
Delirium Upon Presentation to the Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Augenstein Julie A. , Klein Eileen J. , Traube Chani
Published: June 2017

The following cases describe children who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a constellation of symptoms consistent with delirium. In each case, there was no identified inciting cause (eg, fever, medications) other than the presence of influenza. All children had variable workups, with 2 children undergoing extensive neurologic evaluation and testing. Clinical recognition of delirium in the pediatric acute care setting can be challenging, but heightened awareness by ED and primary care physicians may lead to earlier diagnosis, prevent unwarranted investigations, and decrease hospitalization. Children with influenza may be at increased risk of developing delirium. A prospective study to assess the prevalence of delirium in pediatric patients presenting to the ED with influenza is warranted.
Risk Factors Associated With Emergency Department Return Visits Following Trauma System Discharge
Authors: Ruttan Timothy , Lawson Karla A. , Piper Karen , Wilkinson Matthew
Published: June 2017

Objectives

Little evidence exists in the pediatric trauma literature regarding what factors are associated with re-presentation to the hospital for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of trauma system activations at a pediatric trauma center from June 30, 2007, through June 30, 2013, who were subsequently discharged from the ED or after a brief inpatient stay. Returns within 30 days were reviewed. χ2, Student t test, and univariate logistical regression were used to compare predictive factors for those returning and not.

Results

One thousand eight hundred sixty-three patient encounters were included in the cohort. Seventy-two patients (3.9%) had at least 1 return visit that was related to the original trauma activation. Age, sex, language, race/ethnicity, ED length of stay, arrival mode, level of trauma activation, and transfer from an outside hospital did not vary significantly between the groups. Patients with public insurance were almost 2 times more likely to return compared with those with private insurance (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–3.35). Income by zip code was associated with the risk of a return visit, with patients in neighborhoods at less than the 50th percentile income twice as likely to return to the ED (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–3.54).

Conclusions

Patients with public insurance and those from low-income neighborhoods were significantly more likely to return to the ED after trauma system activation. These data can be used to target interventions to decrease returns in high-risk trauma patients.
One Health for a changing world: new perspectives from Africa
Authors: Cunningham Andrew A. , Scoones Ian , Wood James L. N.
Published: June 2017

The concept of One Health, which aims to drive improvements in human, animal and ecological health through an holistic approach, has been gaining increasing support and attention in recent years. While this concept has much appeal, there are few examples where it has been successfully put into practice. This Special Issue explores the challenges in African contexts, with papers looking at the complex interactions between ecosystems, diseases and poverty dynamics; at underlying social and political dimensions; at the potentials for integrative modelling; and at the changes in policy and practice required to realise a One Health approach. This introductory paper offers an overview of the 11 papers, coming from diverse disciplinary perspectives, that each explore how a One Health approach can work in a world of social, economic and environmental change.
Local disease–ecosystem–livelihood dynamics: reflections from comparative case studies in Africa
Authors: Leach Melissa , Bett Bernard , Said M. , Bukachi Salome , Sang Rosemary , Anderson Neil , Machila Noreen , Kuleszo Joanna , Schaten Kathryn , Dzingirai Vupenyu , Mangwanya Lindiwe , Ntiamoa-Baidu Yaa , Lawson Elaine , Amponsah-Mensah Kofi , Moses Lina M. , Wilkinson Annie , Grant Donald S. , Koninga James
Published: June 2017

This article explores the implications for human health of local interactions between disease, ecosystems and livelihoods. Five interdisciplinary case studies addressed zoonotic diseases in African settings: Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Kenya, human African trypanosomiasis in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Lassa fever in Sierra Leone and henipaviruses in Ghana. Each explored how ecological changes and human–ecosystem interactions affect pathogen dynamics and hence the likelihood of zoonotic spillover and transmission, and how socially differentiated peoples’ interactions with ecosystems and animals affect their exposure to disease. Cross-case analysis highlights how these dynamics vary by ecosystem type, across a range from humid forest to semi-arid savannah; the significance of interacting temporal and spatial scales; and the importance of mosaic and patch dynamics. Ecosystem interactions and services central to different people's livelihoods and well-being include pastoralism and agro-pastoralism, commercial and subsistence crop farming, hunting, collecting food, fuelwood and medicines, and cultural practices. There are synergies, but also tensions and trade-offs, between ecosystem changes that benefit livelihoods and affect disease. Understanding these can inform ‘One Health’ approaches towards managing ecosystems in ways that reduce disease risks and burdens.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
Integrative modelling for One Health: pattern, process and participation
Authors: Scoones I. , Jones K. , Lo Iacono G. , Redding D. W. , Wilkinson A. , Wood J. L. N.
Published: June 2017

This paper argues for an integrative modelling approach for understanding zoonoses disease dynamics, combining process, pattern and participatory models. Each type of modelling provides important insights, but all are limited. Combining these in a ‘3P’ approach offers the opportunity for a productive conversation between modelling efforts, contributing to a ‘One Health’ agenda. The aim is not to come up with a composite model, but seek synergies between perspectives, encouraging cross-disciplinary interactions. We illustrate our argument with cases from Africa, and in particular from our work on Ebola virus and Lassa fever virus. Combining process-based compartmental models with macroecological data offers a spatial perspective on potential disease impacts. However, without insights from the ground, the ‘black box’ of transmission dynamics, so crucial to model assumptions, may not be fully understood. We show how participatory modelling and ethnographic research of Ebola and Lassa fever can reveal social roles, unsafe practices, mobility and movement and temporal changes in livelihoods. Together with longer-term dynamics of change in societies and ecologies, all can be important in explaining disease transmission, and provide important complementary insights to other modelling efforts. An integrative modelling approach therefore can offer help to improve disease control efforts and public health responses.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
Views from many worlds: unsettling categories in interdisciplinary research on endemic zoonotic diseases
Authors: MacGregor Hayley , Waldman Linda
Published: June 2017

Interdisciplinary research on zoonotic disease has tended to focus on ‘risk’ of disease transmission as a conceptual common denominator. With reference to endemic zoonoses at the livestock–human interface, we argue for considering a broader sweep of disciplinary insights from anthropology and other social sciences in interdisciplinary dialogue, in particular cross-cultural perspectives on human–animal engagement. We consider diverse worldviews where human–animal encounters are perceived of in terms of the kinds of social relations they generate, and the notion of culture is extended to the ‘natural’ world. This has implications for how animals are valued, treated and prioritized. Thinking differently with and about animals and about species' boundaries could enable ways of addressing zoonotic diseases which have closer integration with people's own cultural norms. If we can bring this kind of knowledge into One Health debates, we find ourselves with a multiplicity of worldviews, where bounded categories such as human:animal and nature:culture cannot be assumed. This might in turn influence our scientific ways of seeing our own disciplinary cultures, and generate novel ways of understanding zoonoses and constructing solutions.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
Facility-based surveillance for emerging infectious diseases; diagnostic practices in rural West African hospital settings: observations from Ghana
Authors: Jephcott Freya L. , Wood James L. N. , Cunningham Andrew A.
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to better understand the effectiveness of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) facility-based surveillance in detecting newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in rural West African settings. A six-month ethnographic study was undertaken in 2012 in the Techiman Municipality of the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana, aimed at documenting the trajectories of febrile illness cases of unknown origin occurring within four rural communities. Particular attention was paid to where these trajectories involved the use of formal healthcare facilities and the diagnostic practices that occurred there. Seventy-six participants were enrolled in the study, and 24 complete episodes of illness were documented. While participants routinely used hospital treatment when confronted with enduring or severe illness, the diagnostic process within clinical settings meant that an unusual diagnosis, such as an EID, was unlikely to be considered. Facility-based surveillance is unlikely to be effective in detecting EIDs due to a combination of clinical care practices and the time constraints associated with individual episodes of illness, particularly in the resource-limited settings of rural West Africa, where febrile illness due to malaria is common and specific diagnostic assays are largely unavailable. The success of the ‘One Health' approach to EIDs in West Africa is predicated on characterization of accurately diagnosed disease burdens. To this end, we must address inefficiencies in the dominant approaches to EID surveillance and the weaknesses of health systems in the region generally.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being'.
The paradox of obligate sex: the roles of sexual conflict and mate scarcity in transitions to facultative and obligate asexuality
Authors: Burke Nathan W , Bonduriansky Russell
Published: June 2017

Recent theory suggests that male coercion could contribute to the maintenance of obligate sex. However, it is unclear how sexually antagonistic coevolution might interact with mate scarcity to influence the probability of invasions of obligately sexual populations by mutants capable of parthenogenetic reproduction. Furthermore, if invasion does occur, it is unclear which factors promote or prevent the complete loss of sex. Using individual-based models, we show that male coercion cannot prevent the invasion of a mutant allele that gives virgin females the ability to reproduce parthenogenetically because mutants always benefit by producing at least some offspring asexually prior to mating. Indeed, the likelihood of invasion generally increases as sexual conflict intensifies, and the effects of sexual conflict and mate scarcity can interact in complex ways to promote invasion. Nonetheless, we find that coercion prevents the complete loss of sex unless linkage disequilibrium can build up between the mutant allele and alleles for effective female resistance. Our findings clarify how costs and limitations of female resistance can promote the maintenance of sexual reproduction, turning sex into an evolutionary trap. At the same time, our results highlight the need to explain why facultative reproductive strategies so rarely evolve in nature.
The Contagion Effects of the Feminist Initiative in Sweden: Agenda‐setting, Niche Parties and Mainstream Parties
Authors: Cowell‐Meyers Kimberly
Published: June 2017

As new parties have emerged in Europe on the left and the right, they have placed pressure on mainstream parties to adjust their issue positions and engage with new issues. This research note asks whether women's parties have the same effect. Analysing election manifestos of the mainstream parties in Sweden from 1991 to 2014, this article considers the extent to which the Swedish Feminist Initiative (F!) has influenced the attention parties pay to women's issues. The data indicate that a profound discursive change has occurred among these parties in Sweden around gender and women's roles in society, resulting in near consensus that gender inequality is a problem necessitating government action. There is gradual evolution for most of the period under study but a marked departure from past trends in 2014, coinciding with the emergence of F! as a contender for EU and parliamentary seats. Consistent with contagion theory, the concerns of women acquired urgency as F! grew more competitive. News coverage and public comment by political parties suggests that F! has had disproportionate influence, given its electoral support, on the issue agenda of the mainstream parties, pressuring them to ‘take up’ the issues of this niche party and engaging them in a competitive struggle to address women's issues in politics. The results indicate that we should look more closely at women's parties as a tactical choice of social movements to enhance women's representation and encourage public discourse about gender and power.
The early modern origins of contemporary European tax outcomes
Authors: D'ARCY MICHELLE , NISTOTSKAYA MARINA
Published: June 2017

What explains variation in tax outcomes between European states? Previous studies emphasise the role played by political institutions, but focus mostly on the input side of politics – how access to power and policy making is structured – and the institutions of relatively recent times. It is argued in this article that output‐side institutions related to the implementation of political decisions also matter and have deep institutional origins. As the classic literature has argued, the early modern period from 1450 to 1800 was formative for the development of fiscal capacity, but European states diverged in the stock of capacity they acquired. This article tests whether these differences still affect contemporary tax outcomes using a novel measure of fiscal capacity, based on the age, extent and quality of state‐administered cadastral records. The empirical analysis shows that, on average, countries with higher early modern fiscal capacity have higher tax revenue today, compared to countries with lower early modern fiscal capacity. This association is robust to different model specifications and alternative measurements. The findings have important policy implications as they indicate how deeply the current fiscal problems of the continent are entrenched, but also point to what needs to be prioritised within ongoing tax reforms.
Neutralization of Lipopolysaccharide by Heat Shock Protein in Pediococcus pentosaceus AK‐23
Authors: Asami Kyoko , Kondo Ayaka , Suda Yoshihito , Shimoyamada Makoto , Kanauchi Makoto
Published: June 2017

About 1000 species of bacteria are present in the human intestine. Some Gram‐negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella spp. among intestinal bacteria have lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which might induce inflammation of human intestines. Actually, LPS, especially its lipid A constituent, is toxic. Small amounts of LPS in bacteria cause inflammation of mucosa and other tissues in humans. Such bacteria may be regulated by beneficial lactic acid bacteria to maintain human health. Many lactic acid bacteria show cancer prevention activity and anti‐inflammatory activity in intestines. Recently, Pediococcus pentosaceus AK‐23 was isolated from fermentative vegetable pickles for neutralization of LPS. For this study, a protein for LPS neutralization was purified partly from P. pentosaceus AK‐23. For this study, a protein for LPS neutralization was purified partly from P. pentosaceus AK‐23, by ultrafiltration using a 300 kDa membrane and a 100 kDa membrane after cell wall digestion by lysozyme. Gel running blue native electrophoresis revealed the existence of a 217 kDa protein. The band of the protein having the ability to bind LPS on the gel was analyzed for amino acid homology. As the result, it is revealed as part of a subunit of heat shock protein (HSP). Furthermore, it displayed LPS binding or hydrophobic motifs. The protein neutralized LPS to release fatty acid as myristic acid and glucose from polysaccharide. These findings suggest that HSP in P. pentosaceus AK‐23 neutralizes LPS to decompose it compising fatty acid and polysaccharide.
The roles of the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway at immunologically privileged sites
Authors: Wang Li‐Ling , Li Zhi‐Hui , Hu Xiao‐Hui , Muyayalo Kahinho P. , Zhang Yong‐Hong , Liao Ai‐Hua
Published: June 2017

The PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway plays a vital role in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, promoting the development and function of regulatory T cells, and maintaining the quiescence of autoreactive T cells. Abnormalities in this inhibitory pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of some disorders such as tumours, autoimmune diseases, pregnancy complications, and transplantation rejection. Immune privilege represents a special immunological condition, where foreign antigens can be tolerated and do not elicit an immune response. The anterior chamber of the eye, central nervous system, testis, pregnant uterus, and hair follicles are all regarded as immune‐privileged sites in humans. Numerous studies show that the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway contributes to the maintenance of the immune‐privileged microenvironment. In this review, we will mainly focus on the roles of the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway in the anterior chamber of the eye, brain and testis, as well as further investigations in testis.
The regulations and role of circadian clock and melatonin in uterine receptivity and pregnancy—An immunological perspective
Authors: Man Gene Chi Wai , Zhang Tao , Chen Xiaoyan , Wang Jianzhang , Wu Fangrong , Liu Yingyu , Wang Chi Chiu , Cheong Ying , Li Tin Chiu
Published: June 2017

During normal pregnancy, the mechanism by which the fetus escapes immunological rejection by the maternal womb remains elusive. Given the biological complexities, the immunological mechanism is unlikely to be simply an allograft response in acceptance or rejection of the early pregnancy. Circadian clock responsible for the mammalian circadian rhythm is an endogenously generated rhythm associated with almost all physiological processes including reproduction. There is now growing evidence to suggest that the circadian clocks are intricately linked to the immune system and pregnancy. When perturbed, the role of immune cells can be affected on maintaining the enriched vascular system needed for placentation. This alteration can be triggered by the irregular production of maternal and placental melatonin. Hence, the role of circadian rhythm modulators such as melatonin offers intriguing opportunities for therapy. In this review, we evaluate the complex interaction between the circadian clock and melatonin within the immune system and their roles in the circadian regulation and maintenance of normal pregnancy.
Immunological function of vitamin D during human pregnancy
Authors: Ji Jin‐Lu , Muyayalo Kahinho P. , Zhang Yong‐Hong , Hu Xiao‐Hui , Liao Ai‐Hua
Published: June 2017

The well‐established classic role of vitamin D is implicated in the regulation of the balance between calcium and phosphorus. Furthermore, vitamin D is also involved in many non‐classic physiological processes, mainly including the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and immune function, participation in the inflammatory response and maintenance of genome stability function. During pregnancy, vitamin D receptor and its metabolic enzymes are expressed at the placenta and decidua, indicating the potential role in the mechanism of immunomodulation at the maternal‐fetal interface. The insufficiency or deficiency of vitamin D may affect the mother directly and is related to specific pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and recurrent miscarriage. This article reviews the effects of vitamin D on immune regulation during pregnancy.
Detection of dendritic cells and related cytokines in follicular fluid of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Zhang Tao , Tian Fuying , Huo Ran , Tang Aifa , Zeng Yong , Duan Yong‐Gang
Published: June 2017

Problem

The presence of dendritic cells (DCs) and associated cytokines in follicular fluid (FF) from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains unknown.

Methods of study

FF was collected from PCOS patients and patients with severe male factor infertility (control) at the day of transvaginal oocyte retrieval. Phenotypes of DC were detected by flow cytometry, and TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐10, and IL‐23 were assessed by ELISA.

Results

A significant decrease in the percentage of DC was found in patients with PCOS (16.22±5.5%) compared with control (21.27±5.5%, P<.01). E2 on the day of hCG administration was correlated positively with the mean fluorescence intensity of HLA‐DR (r=.75, P<.01) and reversely correlated with the concentration of TNF‐α in FF (r=−.69, P<.01). The level of TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐10 increased significantly but IL‐23 decreased in FF from patients with PCOS.

Conclusion

The decrease of DC and disturbance of associated cytokines in FF from PCOS patients indicates a disorder of immunological microenvironment of the ovarian follicle, which might be involved in the dysfunction of folliculogenesis.
An analysis of the delivery of anaesthetic training sessions in the United Kingdom
Authors: Green A. , Tatham K. C. , Yentis S. M. , Wilson J. , Cox M.
Published: June 2017

We analysed data from the electronic rota system CLWRota, covering 2,689,962 anaesthetic sessions between 01/01/2014 and 31/12/2015, in 91 UK Trusts, in order to investigate trainees’ supervision. There were 8209 trainee attachments analysed, during which 618,695 sessions were undertaken by trainees. The number of supervised sessions per week that trainees worked varied considerably (median (IQR [range]) 2.6 (1.6–3.6 [0–10]) for all grades combined), with senior trainees more likely than junior trainees to be supervised for fewer than the three sessions per week mandated by the Royal College of Anaesthetists. The number of supervised sessions was unrelated to Trusts’ size, suggesting that trainees in smaller hospitals receive the same level of supervision as in larger teaching hospitals. Analysis of a dataset of this size should be a good reflection of the delivery of anaesthesia training in the UK.
Circulation and diagnostics of Puumala virus in Norway: nephropatia epidemica incidence and rodent population dynamics
Authors: Milhano Natacha , Korslund Lars , Evander Magnus , Ahlm Clas , Vainio Kirsti , Dudman Susanne G. , Andreassen Åshild
Published: June 2017

Hantaviruses pose a public health concern worldwide causing haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Puumala virus (PUUV) is the most prevalent hantavirus in Central and Northern Europe, and causes a mild form of HFRS, also known as nephropathia epidemica (NE). In nature, the main host of PUUV is the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), and transmission to humans occurs through inhalation of aerosols from rodent excreta. Nephropathia epidemica is particularly prevalent in Nordic countries, however, few studies of PUUV have been performed in Norway. The aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of PUUV in Norway and compare with bank vole population dynamics, and also to complement the current diagnostic methodology of NE in Norway. Our results showed a significant seasonal and geographical variation of NE, and a general parallel peak trend between bank vole population densities and human NE incidence. A real‐time and a nested PCR were successfully established as an invaluable diagnostic tool, with detection and sequencing of PUUV in a human serum sample for the first time in Norway. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of the obtained human sample with previous Norwegian bank vole isolates.
Modeling tau pathology in human stem cell derived neurons
Authors: Wray Selina
Published: June 2017

Tau pathology is a defining characteristic of multiple neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) with tau pathology. There is strong evidence from genetics and experimental models to support a central role for tau dysfunction in neuronal death, suggesting tau is a promising therapeutic target for AD and FTD. However, the development of tau pathology can precede symptom onset by several years, so understanding the earliest molecular events in tauopathy is a priority area of research. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from patients with genetic causes of tauopathy provide an opportunity to derive limitless numbers of human neurons with physiologically appropriate expression levels of mutated genes for in vitro studies into disease mechanisms. This review discusses the progress made to date using this approach and highlights some of the challenges and unanswered questions this technology has the potential to address.
Blockade of the 5‐HT transporter contributes to the behavioural, neuronal and molecular effects of cocaine
Authors: Simmler Linda D , Anacker Allison M J , Levin Michael H , Vaswani Nina M , Gresch Paul J , Nackenoff Alex G , Anastasio Noelle C , Stutz Sonja J , Cunningham Kathryn A , Wang Jing , Zhang Bing , Henry L Keith , Stewart Adele , Veenstra‐VanderWeele Jeremy , Blakely Randy D
Published: June 2017

Background and Purpose

The psychostimulant cocaine induces complex molecular, cellular and behavioural responses as a consequence of inhibiting presynaptic dopamine, noradrenaline and 5‐HT transporters. To elucidate 5‐HT transporter (SERT)‐specific contributions to cocaine action, we evaluated cocaine effects in the SERT Met172 knock‐in mouse, which expresses a SERT coding substitution that eliminates high‐affinity cocaine recognition.

Experimental Approach

We measured the effects of SERT Met172 on cocaine antagonism of 5‐HT re‐uptake using ex vivo synaptosome preparations and in vivo microdialysis. We assessed SERT dependence of cocaine actions behaviourally through acute and chronic locomotor activation, sensitization, conditioned place preference (CPP) and oral cocaine consumption. We used c‐Fos, quantitative RT‐PCR and RNA sequencing methods for insights into cellular and molecular networks supporting SERT‐dependent cocaine actions.

Key Results

SERT Met172 mice demonstrated functional insensitivity for cocaine at SERT. Although they displayed wild‐type levels of acute cocaine‐induced hyperactivity or chronic sensitization, the pattern of acute motor activation was different, with a bias toward thigmotaxis. CPP was increased, and a time‐dependent elevation in oral cocaine consumption was observed. SERT Met172 mice displayed relatively higher levels of neuronal activation in the hippocampus, piriform cortex and prelimbic cortex (PrL), accompanied by region‐dependent changes in immediate early gene expression. Distinct SERT‐dependent gene expression networks triggered by acute and chronic cocaine administration were identified, including PrL Akt and nucleus accumbens ERK1/2 signalling.

Conclusion and Implications

Our studies reveal distinct SERT contributions to cocaine action, reinforcing the possibility of targeting specific aspects of cocaine addiction by modulation of 5‐HT signalling.