Advantages and disadvantages of encouraging consumerist notions of healthcare at two minor injury units: results of a multiple embedded case study.

Over the past four decades, UK Governments have moved towards an increasingly pro-market model of health-care provision. Under this system patients are not only encouraged, but expected, to take increasing responsibility for health-care decision-making and the risks that it might entail. This article investigate how and why patients make choices about their health-care and how service providers help facilitate this. Between October 2014 and May 2015, the researcher was embedded as an emergency nurse practitioner at two minor injury units in order to undertake direct and participant observation. During this time, 40 patients, 17 service providers and 1 senior manager also consented to semi-structured interview. The findings suggest that patients should continue to be encouraged to make decisions about their health-care, but only if they feel confident to do so. The challenge for service providers is to recognise when this is/not appropriate and tailor interaction accordingly

Elaborate plumage patterning in a Cretaceous bird

Integumentary patterns and colors can differentiate species, sexes, and life changes and can inform on habitat and ecology. However, they are rarely preserved in the fossil record. Here, we report on an extremely well-preserved specimen of the Cretaceous bird Confuciusornis with unprecedented complexity, including small spots on the wings, crest, and throat. Morphological and chemical evidence suggest that these patterns are produced by melanin, but unusual preservation prevents assignment of specific colors. Based on comparisons with extant birds, these patterns were likely used for camouflage, although other functions including sexual signaling cannot be ruled out. Our data show that even more elaborate plumage patterns than the spangles in Anchiornis and stripes in Sinosauropteryx were present at a relatively early stage of avian evolution, showing the significance of coloration and patterning to feather evolution

Development and evaluation of a diagnostic cytokine-release assay for Mycobacterium suricattae infection in meerkats (Suricata suricatta)

CITATION: Clarke, C., et al. 2017. Development and evaluation of a diagnostic cytokine-release assay for mycobacterium suricattae infection in meerkats (Suricata suricatta). BMC Veterinary Research, 13:2, doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0927-x.The original publication is available at http://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.comBackground: Sensitive diagnostic tools are necessary for the detection of Mycobacterium suricattae infection in meerkats (Suricata suricatta) in order to more clearly understand the epidemiology of tuberculosis and the ecological consequences of the disease in this species. We therefore aimed to develop a cytokine release assay to measure antigen-specific cell-mediated immune responses of meerkats. Results: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were evaluated for the detection of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and IFN-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in meerkat plasma. An IP-10 ELISA was selected to measure the release of this cytokine in whole blood in response to Bovigam® PC-HP Stimulating Antigen, a commercial peptide pool of M. bovis antigens. Using this protocol, captive meerkats with no known M. suricattae exposure (n = 10) were tested and results were used to define a diagnostic cut off value (mean plus 2 standard deviations). This IP-10 release assay (IPRA) was then evaluated in free-living meerkats with known M. suricattae exposure, categorized as having either a low, moderate or high risk of infection with this pathogen. In each category, respectively, 24.7%, 27.3% and 82.4% of animals tested IPRA-positive. The odds of an animal testing positive was 14.0 times greater for animals with a high risk of M. suricattae infection compared to animals with a low risk. Conclusion: These results support the use of this assay as a measure of M. suricattae exposure in meerkat populations. Ongoing longitudinal studies aim to evaluate the value of the IPRA as a diagnostic test of M. suricattae infection in individual animals.http://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-016-0927-xPublisher's versio

Safety Climate in Organizations

Safety climate is a collective construct derived from individuals' shared perceptions of the various ways that safety is valued in the workplace. Research over the past 35 years shows that safety climate is an important predictor of safety behavior and safety outcomes such as accidents and injury. We first review the conceptual foundations of safety climate and explore how the construct can be applied to different levels of analysis. We then review ways that safety climate influences individual processes of sense making, motivation, and work behavior. Next, we explore the impact of safety climate on organization-level outcomes related to both safety and productivity. We conclude with suggestions for future research and practice to support the overall safety of people and organizations

It's all in the details: methods in breast development and cancer

The inaugural European Network for Breast Development and Cancer (ENBDC) meeting on 'Methods in Mammary Gland Development and Cancer' was held in Weggis, Switzerland last April. The goal was to discuss the details of techniques used to study mammary gland biology and tumourigenesis. Highlights of this meeting included the use of four-colour fluorescence for protein co-localisation in tissue microarrays, genome analysis at single cell resolution, technical issues in the isolation of normal and tumour stem cells, and the use of mouse models and mammary gland transplantations to elucidate gene function in mammary development and to study drug resistance in breast cancer

Redox Chemistry and the Role of Trapped Molecular O₂in Li-Rich Disordered Rocksalt Oxyfluoride Cathodes

In the search for high energy density cathodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, the disordered rocksalt oxyfluorides are receiving significant attention due to their high capacity and lower voltage hysteresis compared with ordered Li-rich layered compounds. However, a deep understanding of these phenomena and their redox chemistry remains incomplete. Using the archetypal oxyfluoride, Li2MnO2F, we show that the oxygen redox process in such materials involves the formation of molecular O2 trapped in the bulk structure of the charged cathode, which is reduced on discharge. The molecular O2 is trapped rigidly within vacancy clusters and exhibits minimal mobility unlike free gaseous O2, making it more characteristic of a solid-like environment. The Mn redox process occurs between octahedral Mn3+ and Mn4+ with no evidence of tetrahedral Mn5+ or Mn7+. We furthermore derive the relationship between local coordination environment and redox potential; this gives rise to the observed overlap in Mn and O redox couples and reveals that the onset potential of oxide ion oxidation is determined by the degree of ionicity around oxygen, which extends models based on linear Li-O-Li configurations. This study advances our fundamental understanding of redox mechanisms in disordered rocksalt oxyfluorides, highlighting their promise as high capacity cathodes

Redox Chemistry and the Role of Trapped Molecular O₂in Li-Rich Disordered Rocksalt Oxyfluoride Cathodes

In the search for high energy density cathodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, the disordered rocksalt oxyfluorides are receiving significant attention due to their high capacity and lower voltage hysteresis compared with ordered Li-rich layered compounds. However, a deep understanding of these phenomena and their redox chemistry remains incomplete. Using the archetypal oxyfluoride, Li2MnO2F, we show that the oxygen redox process in such materials involves the formation of molecular O2 trapped in the bulk structure of the charged cathode, which is reduced on discharge. The molecular O2 is trapped rigidly within vacancy clusters and exhibits minimal mobility unlike free gaseous O2, making it more characteristic of a solid-like environment. The Mn redox process occurs between octahedral Mn3+ and Mn4+ with no evidence of tetrahedral Mn5+ or Mn7+. We furthermore derive the relationship between local coordination environment and redox potential; this gives rise to the observed overlap in Mn and O redox couples and reveals that the onset potential of oxide ion oxidation is determined by the degree of ionicity around oxygen, which extends models based on linear Li-O-Li configurations. This study advances our fundamental understanding of redox mechanisms in disordered rocksalt oxyfluorides, highlighting their promise as high capacity cathodes.</p

The MIF antagonist ISO-1 attenuates corticosteroid-insensitive inflammation and airways hyperresponsiveness in an ozone-induced model of COPD

Copyright © 2016 Russell et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory cytokine associated with acute and chronic inflammatory disorders and corticosteroid insensitivity. Its expression in the airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a relatively steroid insensitive inflammatory disease is unclear, however. Methods. Sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages and serum were obtained from nonsmokers, smokers and COPD patients. To mimic oxidative stress-induced COPD, mice were exposed to ozone for six-weeks and treated with ISO-1, a MIF inhibitor, and/or dexamethasone before each exposure. BAL fluid and lung tissue were collected after the final exposure. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and lung function were measured using whole body plethysmography. HIF-1α binding to the Mif promoter was determined by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assays. Results. MIF levels in sputum and BAL macrophages from COPD patients were higher than those from non-smokers, with healthy smokers having intermediate levels. MIF expression correlated with that of HIF-1α in all patients groups and in ozone-exposed mice. BAL cell counts, cytokine mRNA and protein expression in lungs and BAL, including MIF, were elevated in ozone-exposed mice and had increased AHR. Dexamethasone had no effect on these parameters in the mouse but ISO-1 attenuated cell recruitment, cytokine release and AHR. Conclusion MIF and HIF-1α levels are elevated in COPD BAL macrophages and inhibition of MIF function blocks corticosteroid-insensitive lung inflammation and AHR. Inhibition of MIF may provide a novel anti-inflammatory approach in COPD

Characterization of Shewanella oneidensis MtrC: a cell-surface decaheme cytochrome involved in respiratory electron transport to extracellular electron acceptors

MtrC is a decaheme c-type cytochrome associated with the outer cell membrane of Fe(III)-respiring species of the Shewanella genus. It is proposed to play a role in anaerobic respiration by mediating electron transfer to extracellular mineral oxides that can serve as terminal electron acceptors. The present work presents the first spectropotentiometric and voltammetric characterization of MtrC, using protein purified from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Potentiometric titrations, monitored by UV–vis absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, reveal that the hemes within MtrC titrate over a broad potential range spanning between approximately +100 and approximately -500 mV (vs. the standard hydrogen electrode). Across this potential window the UV–vis absorption spectra are characteristic of low-spin c-type hemes and the EPR spectra reveal broad, complex features that suggest the presence of magnetically spin-coupled low-spin c-hemes. Non-catalytic protein film voltammetry of MtrC demonstrates reversible electrochemistry over a potential window similar to that disclosed spectroscopically. The voltammetry also allows definition of kinetic properties of MtrC in direct electron exchange with a solid electrode surface and during reduction of a model Fe(III) substrate. Taken together, the data provide quantitative information on the potential domain in which MtrC can operate

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis polygenic risk scores are associated with cardiovascular phenotypes in early adulthood: a phenome-wide association study

This is the final version. Available on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: The informed consent obtained from ALSPAC participants does not allow the data to be made freely available through any third party maintained public repository. However, data used for this submission can be made available on request to the ALSPAC Executive. The ALSPAC data management plan describes in detail the policy regarding data sharing, which is through a system of managed open access. Full instructions for applying for data access can be found here: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/access/. The ALSPAC study website contains details of all the data that are available (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/our-data/). A version of the R script used in this analysis is available at https://github.com/sc3170/JIA-polygenic-risk-and-cardiovascular-phenotypes.BACKGROUND: There is growing concern about the long-term cardiovascular health of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). In this study we assessed the association between JIA polygenic risk and cardiovascular phenotypes (cardiovascular risk factors, early atherosclerosis/arteriosclerosis markers, and cardiac structure and function measures) early in life. METHODS: JIA polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were constructed for 2,815 participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, using the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) weights from the most recent JIA genome wide association study. The association between JIA PRSs and cardiovascular phenotypes at age 24 years was assessed using linear and logistic regression. For outcomes with strong evidence of association, further analysis was undertaken to examine how early in life (from age seven onwards) these associations manifest. RESULTS: The JIA PRS was associated with diastolic blood pressure (β 0.062, 95% CI 0.026 to 0.099, P = 0.001), insulin (β 0.050, 95% CI 0.011 to 0.090, P = 0.013), insulin resistance index (HOMA2_IR, β 0.054, 95% CI 0.014 to 0.095, P = 0.009), log hsCRP (β 0.053, 95% CI 0.011 to 0.095, P = 0.014), waist circumference (β 0.041, 95% CI 0.007 to 0.075, P = 0.017), fat mass index (β 0.049, 95% CI 0.016 to 0.083, P = 0.004) and body mass index (β 0.046, 95% CI 0.011 to 0.081, P = 0.010). For anthropometric measures and diastolic blood pressure, there was suggestive evidence of association with JIA PRS from age seven years. The findings were consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic liability to JIA is associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, supporting the hypothesis of increased cardiovascular risk in JIA. Our findings suggest that cardiovascular risk is a core feature of JIA, rather than secondary to the disease activity/treatment, and that cardiovascular risk counselling should form part of patient care