The harmonization of animal protection during transport in the European Union : analysis of the sanctioning systems in Italy, Romania and Spain

In the last sixty years, countries in Europe developed a common legal framework for the protection of so-called "farmed" Animals: on farms, during transport and at the time of their killing. This document describes the most relevant aspects of the sanctioning systems implementing the legislation on the protection of Animals during transport in three countries: Italy, Spain and Romania. These nations were chosen in connection with the author's collaboration with the German non-governmental organization, Animals' Angels. The association has been investigating animal transports at the international level since 1998, with particular attention to these three countries. The article draws on findings collected from the organization's field experience as well as perspectives that have emerged over time during the analysis of the various countries. This document aims to lay out the positive and the negative points of each penalty system, as a basis for a wider analysis, and to formulate proposals for a better and uniform application of a dissuasive sanctioning system in Europe. The fact that penalties are left to the competence of the member states, which are culturally different and have different legal systems, has led to an alarmingly irregular implementation. From another perspective, with protection being put in second place, this leads to competitive distortion in the territory of the European Union. The article examines efforts made by European institutions and member states to improve the harmonisation of the application of Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005. It also offers practical inputs that can be used in future negotiations of the existing laws on animal transport.En los últimos sesenta años, los países europeos desarrollaron un marco legal común para la protección de los animales "de granja": en las granjas, durante el transporte y en el momento de su matanza. Este documento pretende describir los aspectos más relevantes de los sistemas de sanción que aplican la legislación sobre la protección de los animales durante el transporte en tres países: Italia, España y Rumanía. La razón por la que elegí estas naciones reside en mi colaboración con la organización no gubernamental alemana Animals' Angels. Esta asociación lleva investigando los transportes de animales desde 1998, a nivel internacional, con especial atención a estos tres países. Me gustaría utilizar algunos de los hallazgos recogidos de nuestra experiencia directa en el campo y las opiniones consolidadas durante el análisis de los distintos países. El presente documento tiene por objeto extrapolar lo positivo y lo negativo de cada sistema de sanciones, como punto de partida para un análisis más amplio, a fin de formular propuestas para una aplicación mejor y más uniforme de un sistema de sanciones disuasivas en Europa. El hecho de que las sanciones se dejen a la competencia de los Estados miembros, que son culturalmente diferentes y tienen sistemas jurídicos distintos, da lugar a una preocupante falta de homogeneidad en la aplicación en la actualidad. Desde otra perspectiva, en relación a la necesidad de protección, esto lleva a una distorsión de la competencia en el territorio de la Unión Europea. Examinaré los esfuerzos realizados por las instituciones europeas y los Estados Miembros, para mejorar la armonización de la aplicación del Reglamento (CE) Nº 1/2005. Además, tengo la intención de ofrecer algunas aportaciones prácticas que espero sean tomadas en serio en caso de futuras negociaciones de las actuales leyes sobre transporte de animales

Opioid-Independent and Opioid-Mediated Modes of Pain Modulation.

Pain is regulated endogenously through both opioid and non-opioid mechanisms. We hypothesized that two novel pain modulation tasks, one drawing on context/expectations and one using voluntary reappraisal, would show differing levels of opioid dependence. Specifically, we expected that naloxone would block context-related analgesia, whereas mental imagery-based pain reappraisal would be opioid-independent.A double-blind, placebo-controlled intravenous naloxone versus saline crossover design was used. Twenty healthy volunteers completed the two modulation tasks with acute heat stimuli calibrated to induce moderate pain. In the mental imagery task, participants imagined either a "pleasant" or a "comparison" scenario during painful heat. In the relative relief task, moderate heat stimuli coincided with visual cues eliciting relief from the expectation of intense pain, and were compared with moderate heat stimuli delivered under the expectation of non-painful warmth. Both "pleasant imagery" and "relative relief" conditions significantly improved ratings of pain intensity and pleasantness during saline treatment. Indeed, the target stimuli in both tasks, which had been calibrated to induce moderate pain, were rated as mildly pleasant. Furthermore, consistently with the main hypothesis, blocking endogenous opioid signaling with naloxone did not significantly affect imagery-induced regulation of pain intensity or pleasantness. In contrast, the relative relief-induced pain regulation (i.e., context/expectation) was blocked by naloxone. We conclude that endogenous opioid signaling is necessary for expectation-related relative relief analgesia, but not for pain reappraisal through mental imagery. These results support mental imagery as a powerful and clinically relevant strategy for regulating pain affect also in patients where endogenous opioid mechanisms might be compromised.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurotransmitter systems in the human brain can be probed through antagonist drugs. Studies using the opioid antagonist naloxone have demonstrated that the brain relies on both opioid and non-opioid mechanisms to downregulate pain. This holds clinical relevance given altered endogenous opioid processes in many chronic pain conditions. The present study used a double-blinded, placebo-controlled naloxone blockage of endogenous opioids in healthy humans to show differential opioid involvement in two pain modulation tasks. Context/expectation-driven (relative relief-related) analgesia was blocked by naloxone. In contrast, pain reappraisal through mental imagery was intact despite opioid receptor blockade, suggesting opioid independence. These results support mental imagery as a powerful, clinically relevant strategy for regulating pain as it does not rely on a functioning opioidergic system

Innovative solutions to novel drug development in mental health

There are many new advances in neuroscience and mental health which should lead to a greater understanding of the neurobiological dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders and new developments for early, effective treatments. To do this, a biomarker approach combining genetic, neuroimaging, cognitive and other biological measures is needed. The aim of this article is to highlight novel approaches for pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment development. This article suggests approaches that can be taken in the future including novel mechanisms with preliminary clinical validation to provide a toolbox for mechanistic studies and also examples of translation and back-translation. The review also emphasizes the need for clinician-scientists to be trained in a novel way in order to equip them with the conceptual and experimental techniques required, and emphasizes the need for private-public partnership and pre-competitive knowledge exchange. This should lead the way for important new holistic treatment developments to improve cognition, functional outcome and well-being of people with neuropsychiatric disorders

A checklist of the vascular plants of the lowland savannas of Belize, Central America

www.mapress.com/phytotaxa

Variety of Methodological Approach in Economics

It has been argued by some that the distinction between orthodox economics and heterodox economics does not fit the growing variety in economic theory, unified by a common methodological approach. On the other hand, it remains a central characteristic of heterodox economics that it does not share this methodological approach, but rather represents a range of alternative methodological approaches. The paper explores the evidence, and arguments, for variety in economics at different levels, and a range of issues which arise. This requires in turn a discussion of the meaning of variety in economics at the different levels of reality, methodology, method and theory. It is concluded that there is scope for more, rather than less, variety in economic methodologies, as well as within methodologies. Further, if variety is not to take the form of “anything goes”, then critical discussion by economists of different approaches to economics, and of variety itself, is required

History of clinical transplantation

How transplantation came to be a clinical discipline can be pieced together by perusing two volumes of reminiscences collected by Paul I. Terasaki in 1991-1992 from many of the persons who were directly involved. One volume was devoted to the discovery of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), with particular reference to the human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) that are widely used today for tissue matching.1 The other focused on milestones in the development of clinical transplantation.2 All the contributions described in both volumes can be traced back in one way or other to the demonstration in the mid-1940s by Peter Brian Medawar that the rejection of allografts is an immunological phenomenon.3,4 © 2008 Springer New York

Translating big data to better treatment in bipolar disorder - a manifesto for coordinated action

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a major healthcare and socio-economic challenge. Despite its substantial burden on society, the research activity in BD is much smaller than its economic impact appears to demand. There is a consensus that the accurate identification of the underlying pathophysiology for BD is fundamental to realize major health benefits through better treatment and preventive regimens. However, to achieve these goals requires coordinated action and innovative approaches to boost the discovery of the neurobiological underpinnings of BD, and rapid translation of research findings into development and testing of better and more specific treatments. To this end, we here propose that only a large-scale coordinated action can be successful in integrating international big-data approaches with real-world clinical interventions. This could be achieved through the creation of a Global Bipolar Disorder Foundation, which could bring government, industry and philanthropy together in common cause. A global initiative for BD research would come at a highly opportune time given the seminal advances promised for our understanding of the genetic and brain basis of the disease and the obvious areas of unmet clinical need. Such an endeavour would embrace the principles of open science and see the strong involvement of user groups and integration of dissemi

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease