An explicit immunogenetic model of gastrointestinal nematode infection in sheep

Gastrointestinal nematodes are a global cause of disease and death in humans, wildlife and livestock. Livestock infection has historically been controlled with anthelmintic drugs, but the development of resistance means that alternative controls are needed. The most promising alternatives are vaccination, nutritional supplementation and selective breeding, all of which act by enhancing the immune response. Currently, control planning is hampered by reliance on the faecal egg count (FEC), which suffers from low accuracy and a nonlinear and indirect relationship with infection intensity and host immune responses. We address this gap by using extensive parasitological, immunological and genetic data on the sheep–Teladorsagia circumcincta interaction to create an immunologically explicit model of infection dynamics in a sheep flock that links host genetic variation with variation in the two key immune responses to predict the observed parasitological measures. Using our model, we show that the immune responses are highly heritable and by comparing selective breeding based on low FECs versus high plasma IgA responses, we show that the immune markers are a much improved measure of host resistance. In summary, we have created a model of host–parasite infections that explicitly captures the development of the adaptive immune response and show that by integrating genetic, immunological and parasitological understanding we can identify new immune-based markers for diagnosis and control

A supply chain framework for characterizing indirect vulnerability

Purpose Climate vulnerability assessments are often operationalized by the analysis of indicators defined by the spatial boundaries of the community under study. These, however, sometimes fail to capture interdependency among communities for basic resources. This paper aims to propose a framework for characterizing vulnerability caused by interdependency by adapting a supply chain lens. Design/methodology/approach The paper proposes a definition for “indirect vulnerability” that recognizes the transboundary and teleconnected nature of vulnerability arising from resource networks among cities and communities. A conceptual framework using a supply chain approach is presented for climate hazards in particular. This approach is then demonstrated through a rapid appraisal of the rice, energy and water supply chains and the waste management chains of Metro Manila. Findings The application of the supply chain lens to assessing the indirect vulnerability of Metro Manila brings to fore issues extending beyond the decision-making boundaries of local government units. Addressing these will require vertical government coordination and horizontal inter-sectoral collaboration. Thus, this supply chain-based indirect vulnerability assessment can be complementary to traditional vulnerability assessments in providing a larger systems perspective. Originality/value Innovative tools are needed to make community vulnerability assessments both holistic and tractable. Existing methods in the private sector can be adapted rather than reinventing the wheel. This supply chain framework can be a useful decision support and planning tool across governance levels to comprehensively address vulnerability

A supply chain framework for characterizing indirect vulnerability

Purpose: Climate vulnerability assessments are often operationalized by the analysis of indicators defined by the spatial boundaries of the community under study. These, however, sometimes fail to capture interdependency among communities for basic resources. This paper aims to propose a framework for characterizing vulnerability caused by interdependency by adapting a supply chain lens. Design/methodology/approach: The paper proposes a definition for "indirect vulnerability" that recognizes the transboundary and teleconnected nature of vulnerability arising from resource networks among cities and communities. A conceptual framework using a supply chain approach is presented for climate hazards in particular. This approach is then demonstrated through a rapid appraisal of the rice, energy and water supply chains and the waste management chains of Metro Manila. Findings: The application of the supply chain lens to assessing the indirect vulnerability of Metro Manila brings to fore issues extending beyond the decision-making boundaries of local government units. Addressing these will require vertical government coordination and horizontal inter-sectoral collaboration. Thus, this supply chain-based indirect vulnerability assessment can be complementary to traditional vulnerability assessments in providing a larger systems perspective. Originality/value: Innovative tools are needed to make community vulnerability assessments both holistic and tractable. Existing methods in the private sector can be adapted rather than reinventing the wheel. This supply chain framework can be a useful decision support and planning tool across governance levels to comprehensively address vulnerability.This paper was supported by a grant from the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) University Research Council (URC) for the project #URC-14-0

Implementing an Evidence-Based Intervention for Children in Europe: Evaluating the Full-Transfer Approach

Objectives—This study evaluated implementation outcomes in three European countries of GenerationPMTO, an evidence-based parenting intervention for child and adolescent behavior problems. Method—The implementation approach was full transfer, in which purveyors train a first generation (G1) of practitioners; adopting sites assume oversight, training, certification, and fidelity assessment for subsequent generations (Forgatch & DeGarmo, 2011; Forgatch & Gewirtz, 2017). Three hundred therapists participated in trainings in GenerationPMTO in Iceland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Data are from the implementation’s initiation in each country through 2016, resulting in six generations in Iceland, eight in Denmark, and four in the Netherlands. Therapist fidelity was measured at certification with an observation-based tool, Fidelity of Implementation Rating System (FIMP; Knutson, Forgatch, Rains, & Sigmarsdóttir, 2009). Results—Candidates in all generations achieved fidelity scores at or above the required standard. Certification fidelity scores were evaluated for G1 candidates, who were trained by the purveyor, and subsequent generations trained by the adopting implementation site. In each country, certification fidelity scores declined for G2 candidates compared with G1 and recovered to G1 levels for subsequent generations, partially replicating findings from a previous Norwegian study (Forgatch & DeGarmo, 2011). Recovery to G1 levels of fidelity scores was obtained in Iceland and the Netherlands by G3; in Denmark, the recovery was obtained by G5. The mean percentage of certification in each country was more than 80%; approximately 70% of certified therapists remained active in 2017. Conclusions—Findings support full transfer as an effective implementation approach with longterm sustainability and fidelity.Peer Reviewe

Low-dose aspirin for the prevention of preterm delivery in nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy (ASPIRIN): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth remains a common cause of neonatal mortality, with a disproportionately high burden in low-income and middle-income countries. Meta-analyses of low-dose aspirin to prevent pre-eclampsia suggest that the incidence of preterm birth might also be decreased, particularly if initiated before 16 weeks of gestation. METHODS: ASPIRIN was a randomised, multicountry, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose aspirin (81 mg daily) initiated between 6 weeks and 0 days of pregnancy, and 13 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, in nulliparous women with an ultrasound confirming gestational age and a singleton viable pregnancy. Participants were enrolled at seven community sites in six countries (two sites in India and one site each in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Kenya, Pakistan, and Zambia). Participants were randomly assigned (1:1, stratified by site) to receive aspirin or placebo tablets of identical appearance, via a sequence generated centrally by the data coordinating centre at Research Triangle Institute International (Research Triangle Park, NC, USA). Treatment was masked to research staff, health providers, and patients, and continued until 36 weeks and 7 days of gestation or delivery. The primary outcome of incidence of preterm birth, defined as the number of deliveries before 37 weeks\u27 gestational age, was analysed in randomly assigned women with pregnancy outcomes at or after 20 weeks, according to a modified intention-to-treat (mITT) protocol. Analyses of our binary primary outcome involved a Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test stratified by site, and generalised linear models to obtain relative risk (RR) estimates and associated confidence intervals. Serious adverse events were assessed in all women who received at least one dose of drug or placebo. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02409680, and the Clinical Trial Registry-India, CTRI/2016/05/006970. FINDINGS: From March 23, 2016 to June 30, 2018, 14 361 women were screened for inclusion and 11 976 women aged 14-40 years were randomly assigned to receive low-dose aspirin (5990 women) or placebo (5986 women). 5780 women in the aspirin group and 5764 in the placebo group were evaluable for the primary outcome. Preterm birth before 37 weeks occurred in 668 (11·6%) of the women who took aspirin and 754 (13·1%) of those who took placebo (RR 0·89 [95% CI 0·81 to 0·98], p=0·012). In women taking aspirin, we also observed significant reductions in perinatal mortality (0·86 [0·73-1·00], p=0·048), fetal loss (infant death after 16 weeks\u27 gestation and before 7 days post partum; 0·86 [0·74-1·00], p=0·039), early preterm delivery (\u3c34 \u3eweeks; 0·75 [0·61-0·93], p=0·039), and the incidence of women who delivered before 34 weeks with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (0·38 [0·17-0·85], p=0·015). Other adverse maternal and neonatal events were similar between the two groups. INTERPRETATION: In populations of nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies from low-income and middle-income countries, low-dose aspirin initiated between 6 weeks and 0 days of gestation and 13 weeks and 6 days of gestation resulted in a reduced incidence of preterm delivery before 37 weeks, and reduced perinatal mortality. FUNDING: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

For People and Planet: Teachers’ Evaluation of an Educational Mobile Game and Resource Pack

For People and Planet: An SDG Adventure refers to a freely available Android-based narrative adventure game and teacher resource pack that helps learners see the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their day-to-day lives. In this paper, we describe the results of an evaluation of both the game and the resource pack by eight (8) middle school teachers. After playing the game and reading the resource pack, teachers gave their feedback about what they liked best and least about the materials, how they could use these resources for their classes, and how these resources could be improved further. Overall, teachers’ feedback was positive. They complemented the game’s visuals and sound design and appreciated the game’s contextualization. They affirmed the relevance of the game’s contents to their lessons and the usefulness of the teacher resource pack as it provided them with notes, additional activities, and sample assessments. They gave some useful suggestions such as the need for more visual cues within the game and tutorials for the mini-games, and glossary of terms for the teacher resource pack. The game and resource pack underwent some revision following the feedback of the teachers. Performing the user test was essential to ensuring the quality of the game and the resource pack, and to increase the probability that the game will actually be used in schools

Salve Regina University Act on Climate: Strategic Plan for the University to Reach State Carbon Neutrality Goals

In order to become more sustainable and meet the mandate set by the 2021 Rhode Island Act on Climate law (RI General Law §42-6.2), Salve Regina University must work to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Action to meet these standards begins now and must be continually built upon to ensure that Salve Regina University, as leader in Rhode Island, is always working for a more sustainable future. Throughout the Spring 2022 semester, students of the BIO-140: Humans and Their Environment course instructed by Dr. Jameson Chace have researched ways in which Salve Regina can begin on the path to zero greenhouse gas emissions today. By focusing on change in the areas of energy, transportation, food, financial investments, and sequestration, Salve Regina can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of today for a more sustainable tomorrow. Recommendations are broken into three time periods. Action for today to achieve by 2030 include improving energy efficiency, installing the first electric vehicle (EV) parking/charging stations, increasing carbon sequestration, reducing beef in the campus diet, and assessing the carbon impact of university financial holdings. Actions to be initiated soon and to be achieved by 2040 include shifting away from natural gas heating when system renewals take place, increasing EV parking to meet rising demand, during turnover replace current university vehicles with electric or hybrid, continuing with sequestration efforts on campus, begin phasing out high carbon diet items, and by 2040 the university investment portfolio should be carbon neutral. If carbon neutrality can be reached by 2050 the most challenging aspects of campus life that need to change will require planning now and thoughtful implementation. The class in 2022 envisions a campus in 2050 where solar lights illuminate campus and buildings through the night, all university vehicles and most faculty and staff vehicles are electric and are found charging during the day at solar powered charging stations, dining services in Miley supports community agriculture and includes incentives for meatless and low carbon meal plans, the university has become a leader in low carbon/green market investing demonstrating how careful planning can reap high returns, and carbon sequestration on campus grounds has maximized such that off campus carbon offsets are established with local land trusts to complete the carbon neutrality goals. In doing so no only will the university be recognized as a state-wide leader in climate action, but will also be a global leader in working towards a world that is more harmonious, just, and merciful.https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/bio140_arboretum/1033/thumbnail.jp

A Delphi Survey Study to Formulate Statements on the Treatability of Inherited Metabolic Disorders to Decide on Eligibility for Newborn Screening

The Wilson and Jungner (W&amp;J) and Andermann criteria are meant to help select diseases eligible for population-based screening. With the introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for newborn screening (NBS), more inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) can technically be included, and a revision of the criteria was attempted. This study aimed to formulate statements and investigate whether those statements could elaborate on the criterion of treatability for IMDs to decide on eligibility for NBS. An online Delphi study was started among a panel of Dutch IMD experts (EPs). EPs evaluated, amended, and approved statements on treatability that were subsequently applied to 10 IMDs. After two rounds of Delphi, consensus was reached on 10 statements. Application of these statements selected 5 out of 10 IMDs proposed for this study as eligible for NBS, including 3 IMDs in the current Dutch NBS. The statement: ‘The expected benefit/burden ratio of early treatment is positive and results in a significant health outcome’ contributed most to decision-making. Our Delphi study resulted in 10 statements that can help to decide on eligibility for inclusion in NBS based on treatability, also showing that other criteria could be handled in a comparable way. Validation of the statements is required before these can be applied as guidance to authorities.</p