Has Culling Been Properly Assessed as a Valid and Justified Control Intervention Measure for Zoonotic Diseases?

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The Nuclear Weapons Latency Value of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the Islamic Republic of Iran

The historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was implemented on January 16, 2016 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the E3/EU+3. The JCPOA hopes to ensure that the nuclear program in Iran will exist solely for peaceful purposes. This agreement will end long-lasting and crippling sanctions enforced on Iran in exchange for inflexible reductions to the Iranian centrifuge enrichment program and assurances of the absence of efforts to develop, build, or acquire a nuclear weapon. Given Iran’s past actions of nuclear hedging and pushing the boundaries of agreements, policymakers would benefit from a reliable method to judge the effectiveness of this agreement and how it should influence future policy. One method that can help inform policy decisions is with estimates of a state’s Nuclear Weapon Latency. Nuclear Weapons Latency is defined as the time needed for a non-nuclear weapon state to develop a conventionally deliverable nuclear weapon. Iran’s Nuclear Weapon Latency was quantified with and without the JCPOA using the Nuclear Weapons Latency Computational Tool developed by D. Sweeney and W. Charlton at Texas A&M University. This MATLAB-based software focuses on the use of time-dependent proliferation pathway modeling using Petri Nets. The proliferation pathways used in this analysis include mining, milling, conversion, enrichment (gas centrifuge and atomic vapor laser isotope separation), reactor repair or construction, fuel fabrication, plutonium production, PUREX reprocessing, development of delivery systems, and weapon systems. A reference time was developed for each transition within the pathway using the reported capacity or production of a facility when known or using the Pakistani nuclear program as a historic model if the characteristics for the Iranian facility are not known. The Petri Nets simulation provides an estimate of the distribution of likely time durations of a nuclear program until the first deliverable weapon is produced. The simulation can be analyzed to test for sensitivities due to the pathways and input parameters. This testing could be valuable in the development of policy and the identification of the key technologies that could most impact Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Latency. The analysis performed here shows that the large reduction in the stockpile of nuclear material and enrichment capability caused a sizable increase in the Iranian Nuclear Weapons Latency

Validation of the WHOQOL-Bref: psychometric properties and normative data for the Norwegian general population

Background: The World Health Organization’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref ) is a frequently used instrument to assess the quality of life in both healthy and ill populations. Inquiries of the psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-Bref report that the validity and reliability is generally satisfactory. However, some studies fail to support a four-factor dimensionality; others report poor reliability of the social and environmental domain; and there may be some challenges of supporting construct validity across age. This paper evaluates the psychometric properties of the Norwegian WHOQOL-Bref and extends previous research by testing for measurement invariance across age, gender and education level. In addition, we provide updated normative data for the Norwegian population. Methods: We selected a random sample of the Norwegian population (n=654) aged 18–75 years. Participants flled out the WHOQOL-Bref, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and various sociodemographic variables. Results: We found an acceptable convergent and discriminate validity and internal consistency of the physical, psychological and environmental domains, but a marginal reliability was found for the social domain. The factor loadings were invariant across gender, education and age. Some items had low factor loadings and explained variance, and the model ft for the age group 60–75 years were less satisfactory. Conclusions: The original four-factor dimensionality of the WHOQOL-Bref displayed a better ft to the data compared to the one-factor solution and is recommended for use in the Norwegian population. The WHOQOL-Bref is suitable to use across gender, education and age, but for assessment in the oldest age group, the WHOQOL-Old module could be a good supplementary, but further studies are needed.publishedVersio

A Biodistribution and Toxicity Study of Cobalt Dichloride–NAcetyl Cysteine (C4) as an Implantable MRI Marker for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Purpose—C4, a cobalt dichloride–N-acetyl cysteine complex, is being developed as a positivesignal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker to localize implanted radioactive seeds in prostate brachytherapy. We evaluated the toxicity and biodistribution of C4 in rats with the goal of simulating systemic effects of potential leakage from C4 MRI markers within the prostate. Methods—9 μl doses (equivalent to leakage from 120 markers in a human) of control (0.9% sodium chloride), 1% (proposed for clinical use) and 10% C4 solution were injected into the prostates of male Sprague-Dawley rats via laparotomy. Organ toxicity and cobalt disposition in plasma, tissues, feces and urine were evaluated. Results—No C4-related morbidity or mortality was observed in the biodistribution arm (60 rats). Biodistribution was measurable following 10% C4 injection: cobalt was cleared rapidly from periprostatic tissue; mean concentrations in prostate were 163 μg/g and 268 μg/g at 5 and 30 minutes but were undetectable by 60 minutes. Expected dual renal-hepatic elimination was observed with % injected dose recovered in tissues of 39.0 ±5.6% (liver) \u3e 11.8 ±6.5% (prostate) \u3e 5.3 ±0.9% (kidney) with low plasma concentrations detected up to 1 hr (1.40 μg/ml at 5–60 minutes). Excretion in urine was 13.1 ±4.6 % with 3.1 ±0.54 % recovered in feces by 24 hours. In the toxicity arm, three animals died in the control group and 1 each in the 1% and 10% groups from surgical or anesthesia-related complications; all others survived to scheduled termination at 14 days. No C4-related adverse clinical signs or organ toxicity was observed. Conclusion—C4-related toxicity was not observed at exposures at least 10-fold that proposed for human use. This data demonstrating lack of systemic toxicity with dual routes of elimination in the event of in-situ rupture suggests C4 warrants further investigation as an MRI marker for prostate brachytherapy

Reactive Oxygen Species Generation in Human Cells by a Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent

The novel positive-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker C4 consists of an aqueous solution of cobalt chloride (CoCl 2 ) complexed with the chelator N-acetylcysteine (NAC). We evaluated whether the presence of C4 or its components would produce reactive oxygen species (ROS, including hydroxyl, peroxyl, or other reactive oxygen species) in cultured cells. Human cancer or normal cells were incubated with 1% (w/v) CoCl 2 ·6H 2 O or 2% NAC or a combination of both (1% CoCl 2 ·6H 2 O: 2% NAC in an aqueous solution, abbreviated as Co: NAC) in the presence or absence of H 2 O 2 . Intracellular ROS levels were measured and quantified by change in relative fluorescence units. Student\u27s t-tests were used. In all cell lines exposed to 1000 μM H 2 O 2 , the Co: NAC led to ≥94.7% suppression of ROS at 5 minutes and completely suppressed ROS at 60 and 90 minutes; NAC suppressed ROS by ≥76.6% at 5 minutes and by ≥94.5% at 90 minutes; and CoCl 2 ·6H 2 O suppressed ROS by ≥37.2% at 30 minutes and by ≥48.6% at 90 minutes. These results demonstrate that neither Co: NAC nor its components generated ROS; rather, they suppressed ROS production in cultured cells, suggesting that C4 would not enhance ROS production in clinical use

Toxicity Evaluation of a Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Marker CoCl2-N-Acetylcysteine in Rats

C4 (cobalt dichloride-N-acetylcysteine [1% CoCl 2 :2% NAC]) is a novel magnetic resonance imaging contrast marker that facilitates visualization of implanted radioactive seeds in cancer brachytherapy. We evaluated the toxicity of C4. Rats were assigned to control (0% CoCl 2 :NAC), low-dose (0.1% CoCl 2 :2% NAC), reference-dose (C4), and high-dose (10% CoCl 2 :2% NAC) groups. Agent was injected into the left quadriceps femoris muscle of the rats. Endpoints were organ and body weights, hematology, and serum chemistry and histopathologic changes of tissues at 48 hours and 28 and 63 days after dosing. Student\u27s t tests were used. No abnormalities in clinical signs, terminal body and organ weights, or hematologic and serum chemistry were noted, and no gross or histopathologic lesions of systemic tissue toxicity were found in any treatment group at any time point studied. At the site of injection, concentration-dependent acute responses were observed in all treatment groups at 48 hours after dosing and were recovered by 28 days. No myofiber degeneration or necrosis was observed at 28 or 63 days in any group. In conclusion, a single intramuscular dose of C4 produced no acute or chronic systemic toxicity or inflammation in rats, suggesting that C4 may be toxicologically safe for clinical use in cancer brachytherapy

Awareness concerning optimal pig production management and animal welfare among smallholder farmers in Tanzania

The aim of this study was to assess smallholder farmer awareness in terms of good pig management and to identify serious management issues that should be readily changeable despite resources being limited in a rural setting. Methodology was a combination of questionnaire and observational surveys performed at pig-keeping households practising either confinement or a free-range system. Households were identified using the snowball method. A total of 120 pig-keeping households were included, of which 32 practised free-range systems and 88 confined their pigs. The observational survey included management practices and welfare assessment based on one pig from each of the 120 households. The results indicated that farmers were not aware of the basic requirements of pigs regardless of the production system practised. Water was often neglected and provided less frequently among those practising free-range. Pigs kept free-range also received treatment less frequently compared to those kept confined. Pigs were generally kept in poor conditions with risk of injury and without shelter from wind, rain, cold, heat, and sun. Welfare issues exist within both production systems, but issues within the confinement system could be easily eliminated with proper management. More knowledge on basic pig husbandry is required in the region and is essential for improving production. Educating farmers on the basic requirements for water and feed, alone, could vastly improve smallholder pig production. Education on pig management should therefore be a cornerstone in any research activity involving smallholder farmers in rural areas.http://www.ufaw.org.ukam2017Veterinary Tropical Disease

Rapid climate changes during the Lateglacial and the early Holocene as seen from plant community dynamics in the Polar Urals, Russia

A detailed, well-dated record of pollen and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) for the period 15 000–9500 cal a bp describes changes at Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye in the Polar Ural Mountains, located far east of the classical Lateglacial sites in western Europe. Arctic tundra rapidly changed to lusher vegetation, possibly including both dwarf (Betula nana) and tree birch (B. pubescens), dated in our record to take place 14 565 cal a bp, coincident with the onset of the Bølling in western Europe; this was paralleled by increased summer temperatures. A striking feature is an early decline in Betula pollen and sedaDNA reads 300 years before the onset of the Younger Dryas (YD) in western Europe. Given the solid site chronology, this could indicate that the YD cooling started in Siberia and propagated westwards, or that the vegetation reacted to the inter-Allerød cooling at 13 100 cal a bp and did not recover during the late Allerød. During the YD, increases in steppe taxa such as Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae suggest drier conditions. At the onset of the Holocene, the vegetation around the lake reacted fast to the warmer conditions, as seen in the increase of arboreal taxa, especially Betula, and a decrease in herbs such as Artemisia and Cyperaceae.publishedVersio