Users’ perception of the OH-EpiCap evaluation tool based on its application to nine national antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a One Health (OH) challenge. To achieve or maintain an effective and efficient AMR surveillance system, it is crucial to evaluate its performance in meeting the proposed objectives, while complying with resource restrictions. The OH-EpiCap tool was created to evaluate the degree of compliance of hazard surveillance activities with essential OH concepts across the following dimensions: organization, operational activities, and impact of the surveillance system. We present feedback on the application of the OH-EpiCap tool from a user's perspective, based on the use of the tool to evaluate nine national AMR surveillance systems, each with different contexts and objectives. Methods: The OH-EpiCap was assessed using the updated CoEvalAMR methodology. This methodology allows the evaluation of the content themes and functional aspects of the tool and captures the user's subjective experiences via a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) approach. Results and discussion: The results of the evaluation of the OH-EpiCap are presented and discussed. The OH-EpiCap is an easy-to-use tool, which can facilitate a fast macro-overview of the application of the OH concept to AMR surveillance. When used by specialists in the matter, an evaluation using OH-EpiCap can serve as a basis for the discussion of possible adaptations of AMR surveillance activities or targeting areas that may be further investigated using other evaluation tools.This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research through the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR). The Portuguese case study was supported by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 773830: One Health European Joint Programme (MATRIX project).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Users’ perception of the OH-EpiCap evaluation tool based on its application to nine national antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems

IntroductionAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a One Health (OH) challenge. To achieve or maintain an effective and efficient AMR surveillance system, it is crucial to evaluate its performance in meeting the proposed objectives, while complying with resource restrictions. The OH-EpiCap tool was created to evaluate the degree of compliance of hazard surveillance activities with essential OH concepts across the following dimensions: organization, operational activities, and impact of the surveillance system. We present feedback on the application of the OH-EpiCap tool from a user’s perspective, based on the use of the tool to evaluate nine national AMR surveillance systems, each with different contexts and objectives.MethodsThe OH-EpiCap was assessed using the updated CoEvalAMR methodology. This methodology allows the evaluation of the content themes and functional aspects of the tool and captures the user’s subjective experiences via a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) approach.Results and DiscussionThe results of the evaluation of the OH-EpiCap are presented and discussed. The OH-EpiCap is an easy-to-use tool, which can facilitate a fast macro-overview of the application of the OH concept to AMR surveillance. When used by specialists in the matter, an evaluation using OH-EpiCap can serve as a basis for the discussion of possible adaptations of AMR surveillance activities or targeting areas that may be further investigated using other evaluation tools

Identifying the unidentified fauna enhances insights into hominin subsistence strategies during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition

Understanding Palaeolithic hominin subsistence strategies requires the comprehensive taxonomic identification of faunal remains. The high fragmentation of Late Pleistocene faunal assemblages often prevents proper taxonomic identification based on bone morphology. It has been assumed that the morphologically unidentifiable component of the faunal assemblage would reflect the taxonomic abundances of the morphologically identified portion. In this study, we analyse three faunal datasets covering the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria) and Les Cottés and La Ferrassie (France) with the application of collagen type I peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS). Our results emphasise that the fragmented component of Palaeolithic bone assemblages can differ significantly from the morphologically identifiable component. We obtain contrasting identification rates between taxa resulting in an overrepresentation of morphologically identified reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and an underrepresentation of aurochs/bison (Bos/Bison) and horse/European ass (Equus) at Les Cottés and La Ferrassie. Together with an increase in the relative diversity of the faunal composition, these results have implications for the interpretation of subsistence strategies during a period of possible interaction between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in Europe. Furthermore, shifts in faunal community composition and in carnivore activity suggest a change in the interaction between humans and carnivores across the MUPT and indicate a possible difference in site use between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. The combined use of traditional and biomolecular methods allows (zoo)archaeologists to tackle some of the methodological limits commonly faced during the morphological assessment of Palaeolithic bone assemblages

Dynamique des peuplements forestiers tropicaux hétérogènes : variabilité inter et intraspécifique de la croissance des arbres et trajectoires de développement en forêt dense humide sempervirente, dans les Ghâts occidentaux de l'Inde

Through the analysis of data provided from the annual monitoring of the radial growth of more than 3500 trees between 1990 and 2008 and from additional measurements of trees dimensions (total height and crown dimensions), we investigate the forest dynamics and the growth of trees in a wet evergreen forest of the Western Ghats of India (Uppangala Permanent Sample Plot). The estimation of demographic parameters (mortality and recruitment rates) combined with the analysis of growth addressed with various approaches (fitting of mean and potential radial growth, analysis of radial growth time-series, and fitting of allometric relationships), permit to describe the growth strategies of the main species according to their position at the adult stage in the canopy (understorey, low-canopy, canopy, or emergent species). The five dominant species show significant differences concerning demographic parameters, mean and potential radial growth, differential allocation of biomass among tree parts, morphological plasticity and both supra-annual and seasonal rhythms of radial growth. Besides, the analyses show a high intraspecific variability in radial growth, differential allocation of biomass between the different parts of a tree, and rhythms of radial growth. The results open new prospects for modelling the dynamics of forest tree communities, especially for a simulation-based exploration of how growth strategies contribute to species coexistence.Une analyse de la dynamique forestière et de la croissance des arbres d'une forêt sempervirente des Ghâts occidentaux de l'Inde (dispositif d'étude permanent d'Uppangala) est réalisée, à partir des données de suivis annuels de croissance radiale effectués entre 1990 et 2008 sur plus de 3500 arbres, et de mesures dendrométriques complémentaires (hauteur totale et dimensions de couronne) réalisées ponctuellement. Associée à l'analyse des paramètres démographiques (mortalité et recrutement), l'analyse de la croissance, abordée sous différents aspects (ajustement des croissances radiales moyenne et potentielle, analyse de séries longitudinales de croissance radiale, ajustement d'allométries), permet de caractériser les stratégies de croissance des espèces en fonction de la strate occupée par l'arbre adulte (sous-bois, sous-canopée, canopée, strate émergente). Les cinq espèces principales étudiées présentent des différences significatives aussi bien en termes de démographie que de croissance radiale moyenne et potentielle ; d'allocation préférentielle de la biomasse entre les différentes parties de l'arbre ; de « plasticité » morphologique et de rythmes supra-annuels (et saisonniers) de croissance radiale. D'autre part, les analyses mettent en évidence une forte variabilité intra-spécifique de la croissance radiale, de l'allocation préférentielle de la biomasse entre les différentes parties de l'arbre et des rythmes de croissance. Les résultats obtenus ouvrent des perspectives en modélisation de la dynamique des communautés forestières, pour l'exploration par simulations du rôle des stratégies de croissance dans la coexistence des espèces en peuplement forestier hétérogène

Intra-specific variability of allometric relationships between tree outer dimensions in four species of a tropical monsoon forest in the Western Ghats of India

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Mortality and recruitment in a lowland tropical rain forest of French Guiana: effects of soil type and species guild

A-07-11International audienceA variety of processes have been identified as playing a key role in maintenance of hyper-rich tropical forest, among which ecological sorting caused by niche partitioning challenges stochastic dispersal processes. However, demographic responses to spatio-temporal resource variation that could result in biased species distributions are still little studied. In this paper we investigate from two censuses, c. 15 y apart, of a 12-ha permanent forest sample in French Guiana, how tree recruitment and mortality rates vary among hydrological soil types known to affect species habitat preferences and among ecological guilds related to species light requirement. The results indicate that both recruitment and mortality vary significantly with respect to these factors. While the mean instantaneous mortality and recruitment rates are estimated to 0.98 and 0.81%, respectively, pioneer species, canopy trees and hydromorphic bottomland soils depart significantly from these values. In particular, the pioneers, regenerating either from the soil seed bank or from post-opening seed rain, show faster dynamics than other species. These two guilds harbour probabilities of mortality elevated by a factor of 1.9 and 3.2, respectively, and probabilities of recruitment elevated by a factor of 4.9 and 3.1, respectively. Conversely, canopy trees show slower dynamics, with probabilities of mortality and recruitment lowered by a mean factor of about 0.5 with respect to other species. We also observe that trees growing in hydromorphic bottomlands prove to have significantly higher mortality and recruitment probabilities, by a factor of about 2 with respect to those growing in terra firme

Capturing systematically users' experience of evaluation tools for integrated AMU and AMR surveillance

International audienceTackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a goal for many countries. Integrated surveillance of antimicrobial use (AMU) and resistance is a prerequisite for effective risk mitigation. Regular evaluation of any surveillance is needed to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency. The question is how to evaluate specifically integrated surveillance for AMU and AMR. In an international network called CoEvalAMR, we have developed guidelines for selection of the most appropriate tools for such an evaluation. Moreover, we have assessed different evaluation tools as examples using a country case format and a methodology with a focus on the user's experience. This paper describes the updated methodology, which consists of a brief introduction to the case and to the tool separately. Moreover, there are 12 functional aspects and nine content themes which should be scored using a 4-tiered scale. Additionally, four Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) questions should be addressed. Results are illustrated using radar diagrams. An example of application of the updated methodology is given using the ECoSur evaluation tool. No tool can cover all evaluation aspects comprehensively in a user-friendly manner, so the choice of tool must be based upon the specific evaluation purpose. Moreover, adequate resources, time and training are needed to obtain useful outputs from the evaluation. Our updated methodology can be used by tool users to share their experience with available tools, and hereby assist other users in identifying the most suited tool for their evaluation purpose. Additionally, tool developers can get valuable information for further improvements of their tool