Primate malarias: Diversity, distribution and insights for zoonotic Plasmodium

Protozoans within the genus Plasmodium are well-known as the causative agents of malaria in humans. Numerous Plasmodium species parasites also infect a wide range of non-human primate hosts in tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide. Studying this diversity can provide critical insight into our understanding of human malarias, as several human malaria species are a result of host switches from non-human primates. Current spillover of a monkey malaria, Plasmodium knowlesi, in Southeast Asia highlights the permeability of species barriers in Plasmodium. Also recently, surveys of apes in Africa uncovered a previously undescribed diversity of Plasmodium in chimpanzees and gorillas. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis to quantify the global distribution, host range, and diversity of known non-human primate malaria species. We used published records of Plasmodium parasites found in non-human primates to estimate the total diversity of non-human primate malarias globally. We estimate that at least three undescribed primate malaria species exist in sampled primates, and many more likely exist in unstudied species. The diversity of malaria parasites is especially uncertain in regions of low sampling such as Madagascar, and taxonomic groups such as African Old World Monkeys and gibbons. Presence–absence data of malaria across primates enables us to highlight the close association of forested regions and non-human primate malarias. This distribution potentially reflects a long coevolution of primates, forest-adapted mosquitoes, and malaria parasites. The diversity and distribution of primate malaria are an essential prerequisite to understanding the mechanisms and circumstances that allow Plasmodium to jump species barriers, both in the evolution of malaria parasites and current cases of spillover into humans

How Leading International Dairy Companies Adjusted to Changes in World Markets

This Discussion Paper focuses on strategic adjustments made by leading international dairy firms in response to world market developments in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Firms whose strategies were analyzed include Fonterra, Nestle, selected other Western European companies (including the Kerry Group and Parmalat), Kraft Foods, Dairy Farmers of America, and Land O'Lakes. In part, the paper describes dairy industry success stories that have implications for a broader group of dairy companies. It also shows how even successful dairy firms have pursued strategies that expose the companies to significant risks. Strategic alliances entered into by the companies received emphasis in the study.International Dairy Companies, Business Strategies, Agribusiness, Demand and Price Analysis, Financial Economics, Industrial Organization, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Risk and Uncertainty,

From missions to systems : generating transparently distributable programs for sensor-oriented systems

Early Wireless Sensor Networks aimed simply to collect as much data as possible for as long as possible. While this remains true in selected cases, the majority of future sensor network applications will demand much more intelligent use of their resources as networks increase in scale and support multiple applications and users. Specifically, we argue that a computational model is needed in which the ways that data flows through networks, and the ways in which decisions are made based on that data, is transparently distributable and relocatable as requirements evolve. In this paper we present an approach to achieving this using high-level mission specifications from which we can automatically derive transparently distributable programs.Postprin

History and complexity in tick-host dynamics: discrepancies between 'real' and 'visible' tick populations

Background: Numerical responses of ticks to changes in densities of their hosts can be complex and apparently unpredictable. Manipulations even of deterministic models can produce counter-intuitive results, including tick populations that either rise or fall under increasing host densities, depending on initial conditions. Methods: In this paper I use an established simulation model to demonstrate a wide range of numerical responses to different scenarios of host changes, and to examine the basic mechanisms that drive them. Results: The rate and direction of change of host densities affects the extent to which questing tick numbers reflect those of their hosts. Numerical responses differ profoundly between dynamic tick-host systems and those allowed to reach equilibrium. Conclusions: The key to understanding tick-host dynamics is to understand the difference between ‘real' and ‘visible' tick populations. An appreciation of the implications of this difference - and of the conditions that influence it - will benefit the effective interpretation of field data

epyc : computational experiment management in Python

epyc is a Python module for designing, executing, storing, and analysing the results of large sets of (possibly long-running) computational experiments, as are often found when writing simulations of complex networks and other domains. It allows the same experimental code to be run on single machines, multicore machines, and computational clusters without modification, and automatically manages the execution of an experiment for different parameter values and for multiple repetitions.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Validating a novel web-based method to capture disease progression outcomes in multiple sclerosis

The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the current ‘gold standard’ for monitoring disease severity in multiple sclerosis (MS). The EDSS is a physician-based assessment. A patient-related surrogate for the EDSS may be useful in remotely capturing information. Eighty-one patients (EDSS range 0–8) having EDSS as part of clinical trials were recruited. All patients carried out the web-based survey with minimal assistance. Full EDSS scores were available for 78 patients. The EDSS scores were compared to those generated by the online survey using analysis of variance, matched pair test, Pearson’s coefficient, weighted kappa coefficient, and the intra-class correlation coefficient. The internet-based EDSS scores showed good correlation with the physician-measured assessment (Pearson’s coefficient = 0.85). Weighted kappa for full agreement was 0.647. Full agreement was observed in 20 patient

Priming and the Reliability of Subjective Well-being Measures

Economists and behavioural scientists are beginning to make extensive use of measures of subjective well-being, and such data are potentially of value to policy-makers. A particularly famous difficulty is that of “priming”: if the order or nature of survey questions changes people’s likely replies then we have grounds to be concerned about the reliability of well-being data and inferences from them. This study tests for priming effects from important life events. It presents evidence from a laboratory experiment which indicates that subjective well-being measures are in general robust to such concerns.happiness ; life satisfaction ; subjective well-being ; priming, surveys JEL Codes: D03 ; C83 ; C91