Claiming Space and Struggling for Recognition Partispace Working Paper Two

Aiming at contributing to a better understanding of the current developments, paradoxes and ways to deal with youth political participation in Europe, the main research question of the PARTISPACE project is: How and where do 15- to 30 year-old young people participate differently across social milieus and youth cultural scenes and across eight European cities (framed by different national welfare, education and youth policies)? In relation to this research question, this report was intended to analyse case studies which explore participation practices in formal, non-formal and informal contexts and reconstruct practices, meanings, relationship and dynamics of different forms of youth participation in a comparative perspective and local constellations of youth participation. In so doing, the report has outlined a mosaic of the different practices, activities, styles and spaces wherein young people situate their participation in the eight countries involved in the PARTISPACE project

Co-producing a Research Agenda for Sustainable Palm Oil

The rise of palm oil as the world’s most consumed vegetable oil has coincided with exponential growth in palm oil research activity. Bibliometric analysis of research outputs reveals a distinct imbalance in the type of research being undertaken, notably a disproportionate focus on biofuel and engineering topics. Recognizing the expansion of oil palm agriculture across the tropics and the increasing awareness of environmental, social, and economic impacts, we seek to reorientate the existing research agenda toward one that addresses the most fundamental and urgent questions defined by the palm oil stakeholder community. Following consultation with 659 stakeholders from 38 countries, including palm oil growers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and researchers, the highest priority research questions were identified within 13 themes. The resulting 279 questions, including 26 ranked as top priority, reveal a diversity of environmental and social research challenges facing the industry, ranging from the ecological and ecosystem impacts of production, to the livelihoods of plantation workers and smallholder communities. Analysis of the knowledge type produced from these questions underscores a clear need for fundamental science programmes, and studies that involve the consultation of non-academic stakeholders to develop “transformative” solutions to the oil palm sector. Stakeholders were most aligned in their choice of priority questions across the themes of policy and certification related themes, and differed the most in environmental feedback, technology and smallholder related themes. Our recommendations include improved regional academic leadership and coordination, greater engagement with private and public stakeholders in Africa, and Central and South America, and enhanced collaborative efforts with researchers in the major consuming countries of India and China.The online survey and focus groups were funded by the Geran Kursi Endowmen MPOB-UKM Malaysia, and the Royal Geographical Society UK. The residential workshop was supported from by British Council and Academy Science Malaysia via the UK Newton Ungku-Omar Fund. ZD, JB, and MS are supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NE/K016407/1; http://lombok.nerc-hmtf.info/)

Polycystic kidney disease in the pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis)

Polcystic kidney disease (PKD) was diagnosed at necropsy in a captive aged female pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), which presented with numerous cysts in both kidneys, liver, duodenum and one single in the pancreas. There were no premonitory clinical signs of a nephropathy observed prior to its death. Similar findings were made in the male partner animal half a year later. Both animals had been wild-caught. A literature review showed that another seven cases of PKD have been reported in pygmy hippopotamuses, and an additional screening of records available from the international studbook for the species revealed yet another six cases. In all cases, aged females were affected, and in several instances, affected animals were related to each other. These patterns suggested familiar transmission, similar to PKD in humans and other animals. The disease, and especially the presumptive bias in diagnosis towards females – the male animal of this report was to our knowledge the first case of PKD reported in a male pygmy hippopotamus -, warrant further investigation. The status of the kidneys with respect to PKD should be assessed (including histology) in every deceased pygmy hippopotamus

Innate immune responses of calves during transient infection with a noncytopathic strain of bovine viral diarrhea virus

In this study, six immunocompetent calves were experimentally infected with a noncytopathic strain of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and the effects of the viral infection on parameters of the innate immune response of the host were analyzed. Clinical and virological data were compared with the temporal activation of the alpha/beta interferon-regulated Mx gene in white blood cells (WBC) and skin as well as the upregulation of the acute-phase serum proteins haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA). The viral strain used did provoke transient health impairment, namely, fever and leukopenia that were associated with viremia, viral shedding with nasal secretions, and antiviral seroconversion. Complete recovery was observed within 3 weeks. Elevated levels of SAA and Hp were apparent from days 4 to 13 and 8 to 11, respectively. In WBC, the levels of Mx mRNA and Mx protein were elevated from days 2 to 15. In the context of this study with BVDV, the level of Mx protein expression in WBC provided the most telling diagnostic window to monitor the host's ongoing innate immune response

Ovine herpesvirus 2 structural proteins in epithelial cells and M-cells of the appendix in rabbits with malignant catarrhal fever

Sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), caused by Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), is a usually fatal disease of various ruminants and swine. A system for propagation of OvHV-2 in vitro has not yet been identified, although persistently infected cells have been derived from diseased animals and used to establish an animal model in rabbits. OvHV-2 structural proteins have not been detected in diseased animals and the pathogenesis of OvHV-2 infection is poorly understood. Recently, the genomic sequence of OvHV-2 has been determined, which allowed to predict the amino acid sequences of putative OvHV-2 structural proteins. Based on those predictions, we have generated antisera against two putative structural proteins (ORF43 and ORF63) of OvHV-2 in order to detect sites of active virus replication in experimentally OvHV-2-infected rabbits with signs of MCF. Although histological lesions typical of MCF were detected in multiple tissues, those sera detected viral capsid and tegument antigens exclusively in the appendix but not in other tissues of rabbits with MCF. More specifically, those viral proteins were detected in epithelial cells as well as in M-cells. However, in situ hybridization revealed that ORF63 mRNA was present in epithelial cells of infected rabbits but not in M-cells. Our data suggest that active OvHV-2 replication takes place in certain tissues of animals with MCF and that M-cells may play a role in the athogenesis of MCF