Bartonella Species in Fleas from Palestinian Territories: Prevalence and Genetic Diversity

Bartonellosis is an infectious bacterial disease. The prevalence and genetic characteristics of Bartonella spp. in fleas of wild and domestic animals from Palestinian territories are described. Flea samples (n=289) were collected from 121 cats, 135 dogs, 26 hyraxes and seven rats from northern (n=165), central (n=113), and southern Palestinian territories (n=11). The prevalent flea species were: Ctenocephalides felis (n=119/289; 41.2%), Ctenocephalides canis (n=159/289; 55%), and Xenopsylla sp. (n=7/289; 2.4%). Targeting the Intergenic Transcribed Spacer (ITS) locus, DNA of Bartonella was detected in 22% (64/289) of all fleas. Fifty percent of the C. felis and 57% of the Xenopsylla sp. contained Bartonella DNA. DNA sequencing showed the presence of Bartonella clarridgeiae (50%), Bartonella henselae (27%), and Bartonella koehlerae (3%) in C. felis. Xenopsylla sp. collected from Rattus rattus rats were infected with Bartonella tribocorum, Bartonella elizabethae, and Bartonella rochalimae. Phylogenetic sequence analysis using the 16S ribosomal RNA gene obtained four genetic clusters, B. henselae and B. koehlerae as subcluster 1, B. clarridgeiae as cluster 2, while the rat Bartonella species (B. tribocorum and B. elizabethae) were an outgroup cluster. These findings showed the important role of cat and rat fleas as vectors of zoonotic Bartonella species in Palestinian territories. It is hoped that this publication will raise awareness among physicians, veterinarians, and other health workers of the high prevalence of Bartonella spp. in fleas in Palestinian territories and the potential risk of these pathogens to humans and animals in this region.This study was a partial fulfillment of MSc degree in the biochemistry and molecular biology program for A. Risheq at Al-Quds University. The study was funded by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague, The Netherlands, project M27- 072NVHU 2009 02 ‘Vector-Borne Pathogens in Israel and the Palestinian Authority’

Expression of type I collagen mRNA in glomeruli of rats with passive Heymann nephritis

Expression of type I collagen mRNA in glomeruli of rats with passive Heymann nephritis. In passive Heymann nephritis (PHN) glomeruli exhibit marked basement membrane expansion around subepithelial immune deposits but they fail to show any change in mRNA levels of type IV collagen, laminin or fibronectin by Northern and slot-blot analysis, or in the amount or distribution of type IV collagen or laminin by immunohistology for up to 12 weeks after disease onset. On the other hand, in situ hybridization (ISH) revealed the appearance of positive cells exhibiting mRNA for the α1 chain of rat type I collagen two to three weeks after the onset of PHN in all glomeruli of all rats. Positive cells persisted for at least eight weeks. In many glomeruli, the location of the clusters of silver grains suggested that they were in visceral epithelial cells. In controls injected with normal sheep IgG, and in early PHN (<11 days after sheep anti-Fx1A), glomeruli were negative but cells in the renal capsule and adventitia of vessels showed strong ISH and served as positive controls. RNAse pre-treatment and the “sense” probe gave appropriately negative results. RNA from PHN glomeruli contained an α1 type I collagen transcript of the same size as that from rat fibroblasts. These results show that the evolution of glomerular basement membrane expansion in rat membranous nephropathy coincides with the induction of a matrix gene that is not normally expressed in glomerular cells. Further, they suggest that the intercalation of ectopically-expressed matrix molecules may contribute to the production of a disorganized basement membrane

On the lease rate, convenience yield and speculative effects in the gold futures market

By examining data on the gold forward offered rate (GOFO) and lease rates over the period 1996- 2009, we conclude that the convenience yield of gold is better approximated by the lease rate than the interest-adjusted spread of Fama & French (1983). Using the latter quantity, we study the relationship between gold leasing and the level of COMEX discretionary inventory and exhibit that lease rates are negatively related to inventories. We also show that Futures prices have increasingly exceeded forward prices over the period, and this effect increases with the speculative pressure and the maturity of the contracts

License prices for financially constrained firms

It is often alleged that high auction prices inhibit service deployment. We investigate this claim under the extreme case of financially constrained bidders. If demand is just slightly elastic, auctions maximize consumer surplus if consumer surplus is a convex function of quantity (a common assumption), or if consumer surplus is concave and the proportion of expenditure spent on deployment is greater than one over the elasticity of demand. The latter condition appears to be true for most of the large telecom auctions in the US and Europe. Thus, even if high auction prices inhibit service deployment, auctions appear to be optimal from the consumers’ point of view

Collusion through Joint R&D: An Empirical Assessment

This paper tests whether upstream R&D cooperation leads to downstream collusion. We consider an oligopolistic setting where firms enter in research joint ventures (RJVs) to lower production costs or coordinate on collusion in the product market. We show that a sufficient condition for identifying collusive behavior is a decline in the market share of RJV-participating firms, which is also necessary and sufficient for a decrease in consumer welfare. Using information from the US National Cooperation Research Act, we estimate a market share equation correcting for the endogeneity of RJV participation and R&D expenditures. We find robust evidence that large networks between direct competitors – created through firms being members in several RJVs at the same time – are conducive to collusive outcomes in the product market which reduce consumer welfare. By contrast, RJVs among non-competitors are efficiency enhancing

How do women at increased, but unexplained, familial risk of breast cancer perceive and manage their risk? A qualitative interview study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The perception of breast cancer risk held by women who have not had breast cancer, and who are at increased, but unexplained, familial risk of breast cancer is poorly described. This study aims to describe risk perception and how it is related to screening behaviour for these women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants were recruited from a population-based sample (the Australian Breast Cancer Family Study - ABCFS). The ABCFS includes women diagnosed with breast cancer and their relatives. For this study, women without breast cancer with at least one first- or second-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50 were eligible unless a <it>BRCA1 </it>or <it>BRCA2 </it>mutation had been identified in their family. Data collection consisted of an audio recorded, semi-structured interview on the topic of breast cancer risk and screening decision-making. Data was analysed thematically.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 24 interviews were conducted, and saturation of the main themes was achieved. Women were classified into one of five groups: don't worry about cancer risk, but do screening; concerned about cancer risk, so do something; concerned about cancer risk, so why don't I do anything?; cancer inevitable; cancer unlikely.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The language and framework women use to describe their risk of breast cancer must be the starting point in attempts to enhance women's understanding of risk and their prevention behaviour.</p

Load carrying capacity of a heterogeneous surface bearing

It has been shown before that liquids can slip at a solid boundary, which prompted the idea that parallel-surfaces bearings can be achieved just by alternating slip and non-slip regions in the direction of fluid flow. The amount of slip at the wall depends on the surface tension at the liquid–solid interface, which in turn depends on the chemical state of the surface and its roughness. In the present study a heterogeneous surface was obtained by coating half of a circular glass disc with a coating repellant to glycerol. A rotating glass disc was placed at a known/calibrated distance and the gap was filled with glycerol. With the mobile surface moving from the direction of slip to non-slip region it can be theoretically shown that a pressure build up can be achieved. The pressure gradient in the two regions is constant, similar to that in a Rayleigh step bearing, with the maximum pressure at the separation line. The heterogeneous disc was placed on a holder supported by a load cell thus the force generated by this pressure increase can be measured accurately. Tests were carried out at different sliding speeds and gaps and the load carried was measured and subsequently compared with theoretical calculations. This allowed the slip coefficient to be evaluated

Do people really want to be nudged towards healthy lifestyles?

This paper assesses Thaler and Sunstein’s claim that policies that nudge individuals towards healthy lifestyles promote the welfare of those individuals, as judged by themselves. I argue that Thaler and Sunstein switch between two different interpretations of that clause. One interpretation gives the clause a wide range of applicability, but drains it of its content as a repudiation of paternalism. The other interpretation makes it more meaningful to say that people want to make the choices they are being nudged towards, but applies to a much narrower range of cases than Thaler and Sunstein have in mind