Prevalence of liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) in wild Red Deer (Cervus elaphus): coproantigen ELISA is a practicable alternative to faecal egg counting for surveillance in remote populations

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are hosts of liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica); yet, prevalence is rarely quantified in wild populations. Testing fresh samples from remote regions by faecal examination (FE) can be logistically challenging; hence, we appraise frozen storage and the use of a coproantigen ELISA (cELISA) for F. hepatica surveillance. We also present cELISA surveillance data for red deer from the Highlands of Scotland. Diagnoses in faecal samples (207 frozen, 146 fresh) were compared using a cELISA and by FE. For each storage method (frozen or fresh), agreement between the two diagnostics was estimated at individual and population levels, where population prevalence was stratified into cohorts (e.g., by sampling location). To approximate sensitivity and specificity, 65 post-slaughter whole liver examinations were used as a reference. At the individual level, FE and cELISA diagnoses agreed moderately (κfrozen = 0.46; κfresh = 0.51), a likely reflection of their underlying principles. At the population level, FE and cELISA cohort prevalence correlated strongly (Pearson’s R = 0.89, p < 0.0001), reflecting good agreement on relative differences between cohort prevalence. In frozen samples, prevalence by cELISA exceeded FE overall (42.8% vs. 25.8%) and in 9/12 cohorts, alluding to differences in sensitivity; though, in fresh samples, no significant difference was found. In 959 deer tested by cELISA across the Scottish Highlands, infection prevalence ranged from 9.6% to 53% by sampling location. We highlight two key advantages of cELISA over FE: i) the ability to store samples long term (frozen) without apparent loss in diagnostic power; and ii) reduced labour and the ability to process large batches. Further evaluation of cELISA sensitivity in red deer, where a range of fluke burdens can be obtained, is desirable. In the interim, the cELISA is a practicable diagnostic for F. hepatica surveillance in red deer, and its application here has revealed considerable geographic, temporal, sex and age related differences in F. hepatica prevalence in wild Scottish Highland red deer

Origin of resistivity anomaly in p-type leads chalcogenide multiphase compounds

The electrical resistivity curves for binary phase compounds of p-type lead chalcogenide (PbTe)(0.9−x)(PbSe)0.1(PbS)x, (x = 0.15, 0.2, 0.25), which contain PbS-rich secondary phases, show different behaviour on heating and cooling between 500-700 K. This is contrast to single phase compounds which exhibit similar behaviour on heating and cooling. We correlate these anomalies in the electrical resistivities of multiphase compounds to the variation in phase composition at high temperatures. The inhomogeneous distribution of dopants between the matrix and secondary phase is found to be crucial in the electronic transport properties of the multiphase compounds. These results can lead to further advances in designing composite Pb-chalcogenides with high thermoelectric performance

Exercise-based biopsychosocial management of chronic low back pain

Chronic low back pain carries a large global burden of disease. Currently, exercise is recognised as a key treatment for chronic low back pain. However, management of chronic low back pain presents exercise-based practitioners with numerous, confusing, and conflicting treatment options. Broadly, these options can be classified under biomedical or biopsychosocial treatment paradigms. An overarching problem within chronic low back pain literature is the understanding of if practitioners are applying best practice approaches, and if not, how this can be improved. Based on these evident gaps in our understanding of the management of chronic low back pain, this thesis investigated the following: How do exercise-based practitioners currently manage chronic low back pain, and what attitudes and beliefs underpin this management? What does a pragmatic biopsychosocial exercise-based approach to chronic low back pain look like, and what role does exercise play in this intervention? Can education targeted at current gaps in practice by exercise-based practitioners, combined with pragmatic understanding of biopsychosocial exercise prescription, improve clinical decision making? This thesis examined chronic low back pain at the level of the patient and of the practitioner. This thesis found exercise not to be a significant factor in the design of combined exercise and education interventions for chronic low back pain. This finding allows practitioners to move away from systemised approaches to exercise for chronic low back pain and explore prescriptions optimal for the individual patient, rather than optimal for back pain in general. However, this thesis also found practitioners with biomedical beliefs, even when concomitant with biopsychosocial beliefs, are less likely to apply these contemporary approaches. Indeed, targeted education does improve clinical decision-making through a reduction in biomedical beliefs, which increases the care provided to patients. This improvement in clinical decision-making through a reduction in biomedical beliefs, and no change to biopsychosocial, may suggest the relative importance of biomedical beliefs on approaches to chronic low back pain

The Okamoto-Nolen-Schiffer anomaly without rho-omega mixing

We examine the effect of isospin-violating meson-nucleon coupling constants and of $\pi$-$\eta$ mixing on the binding-energy differences of mirror nuclei in a model that possesses no contribution from $\rho$-$\omega$ mixing. The ${}^{3}$He-${}^{3}$H binding-energy difference is computed in a nonrelativistic approach using a realistic wave function. We find the ${}^{3}$He-${}^{3}$H binding-energy difference very sensitive to the short-distance behavior of the nucleon-nucleon potential. We conclude that for the typically hard Bonn form factors such models can not account for the observed binding-energy difference in the three-nucleon system. For the medium-mass region (A=15--41) the binding-energy differences of mirror nuclei are computed using a relativistic mean-field approximation to the Walecka model. We obtain large binding-energy differences---of the order of several hundred keV---arising from the pseudoscalar sector. Two effects are primarily responsible for this new finding: a) the inclusion of isospin breaking in the pion-nucleon coupling constant, and b) the in-medium enhancement of the small components of the bound-state wave functions. We look for off-shell ambiguities in these results and find them to be large.Comment: 19 LaTeX pages and 2 postscript figures. Revisions/additions: Manuscript now includes a treatment of the binding-energy difference in the three-nucleon system as well as a study of possible off-shell ambiguities in the binding-energy differences of (A=15-41) mirror nucle

Business exit and strategic change: Sticking to the knitting or striking a new strategic path?

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of business exit for initiating strategic change in divesting parent firms. In contrast to prior literature that mainly investigates the impact of different antecedents on the likelihood of business exit in general, this study additionally tests the influence of these antecedents on the choice between two exit types with a cross-industry sample of divesting firms listed in the German CDAX over the time period 1999-2004. A divestiture involving strategic change is a strategic business exit; otherwise it is denoted as status quo-preserving. The findings reveal that a relatively highly dissipated focus does not automatically enhance the likelihood of business exit in general and status quo-preserving business exit in particular. CEO turnover and pressures exerted by institutional investors predict neither strategic nor status quo-preserving business exit. Low firm performance does not nurture the likelihood of business exit per se but especially promotes status quo-preserving business exit

Visual Disamenity in the Queensland Wet Tropics: Estimating the Economic Impacts of Overhead Transmission Lines

This paperexamines procedures and findings in estimation of the 'visual disamenity cost' associated with installation of high-voltage overhead power lines in the Wet Tropics of Queensland. The study was performed within a short timeframe and small budget, hence the need to design a relatively simple and cost-effective approach, yet one which would yield acceptable information on environmental values. An extensive literature review and advice from a number of resource economists indicated that there was little information from previous studies to support benefit transfer methodology. It was found possible to estimate disamenity costs to ecotourism operation (using a simplified travel cost approach), agricultural operations (based on compensation payments) and residential property values (through a simplified hedonic price approach). A planned contingent valuation of the intrusive effect of the transmission lines through rainforest areas did not proceed, due at least in part to the political sensitivity of this issue

The Effect of Bubble Bottle Humidifiers on Absolute Humidity When Using Low Flowrates in Neonates in Critical Care Settings: A Bench Study

Background: Humidification to the neonate is a critical part of quality care. However, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of non-heated nasal cannula humidifiers at flowrates less than 2 LPM. This bench study evaluated the amount of absolute humidity potentially delivered to the neonate at five commonly-used low flowrates in the neonatal patient population. Methods: A Salter Labs 1601-7 infant cannula was connected to a Hudson RCI AquaPak 340 ml humidifier; an inline CEM DT-321 hygrometer assessed the humidity at the distal end of the cannula. The following flowrates were selected: 1, ½, ¼, ⅛, and 1/16 LPM. Each flowrate ran continuously for 24 hours with a humidifier inline. Before each test was run, the temperature and relative humidity were measured with the hygrometer and recorded, at the following locations: 1) ambient, 2) at the end of the cannula prior to humidifier being connected, and 3) at the end of the cannula after the humidifier was connected. After each test was completed, the ambient relative humidity and temperature were recorded at each location; the absolute humidity was calculated from the results. The humidifiers were each weighed before and after each test with an AND EJ-610 scale and results recorded in order to determine the total amount of water displaced from the bottle over 24-hours. Each trial was repeated twice, at each flow rate. Results: As the flowrate decreased the weight loss from the humidifier decreased. The absolute humidity prior to the connection of the humidifier and after the connection to the humidifier changed very little, regardless of the flow rate, averaging between -1 mg/L and 1 mg/L. Conclusion: Insensible water loss can vary widely in infants and neonates, but is estimated to average between 15 ml/kg/day and 170 ml/kg/day. Based on the results of this study, there is minimal increase in absolute humidity delivered to the neonate at the low flowrates relative to expected insensible water loss. The cost and infection risk associated with running a humidifier is likely unnecessary, due to the lack of absolute humidity delivered to the neonate

A high-resolution map of human evolutionary constraint using 29 mammals.

The comparison of related genomes has emerged as a powerful lens for genome interpretation. Here we report the sequencing and comparative analysis of 29 eutherian genomes. We confirm that at least 5.5% of the human genome has undergone purifying selection, and locate constrained elements covering ∼4.2% of the genome. We use evolutionary signatures and comparisons with experimental data sets to suggest candidate functions for ∼60% of constrained bases. These elements reveal a small number of new coding exons, candidate stop codon readthrough events and over 10,000 regions of overlapping synonymous constraint within protein-coding exons. We find 220 candidate RNA structural families, and nearly a million elements overlapping potential promoter, enhancer and insulator regions. We report specific amino acid residues that have undergone positive selection, 280,000 non-coding elements exapted from mobile elements and more than 1,000 primate- and human-accelerated elements. Overlap with disease-associated variants indicates that our findings will be relevant for studies of human biology, health and disease