The ecology and behaviour of feral ferrets (Mustela furo) in Canterbury farmland, New Zealand.

Ferret (Mustela furo) control programs, especially those attempting to prevent the spread of Mycobacterium bovis (Tb), would greatly benefit from practical knowledge of ferret ecology and behaviour. This study had two main objectives: firstly, to investigate ferret ecology by examining ferret abundance, survival, trapping success, and diet; and, secondly, to investigate ferret behaviour and activity patterns by using an acoustically sensitive transmitter system (ASTS). Abundance and survival estimates of ferrets tagged with passive integrated transponders (PITs), showed a marked seasonal variation, and despite ferrets being controlled on one site, data from both sites showed that lagomorph numbers increased exponentially. A trapping success model (GLIM) showed that factors such as vegetation cover, rabbit sign, and animal tracks positively influenced capture rates. Although GPS technology provided accurate trap location data, trapping success also benefited from understanding the distribution signs of both predators and prey. GPS data further contributed to GIS models of animal movements, home range and site fidelity. As a result, trapping success was found to be affected by periods of low ferret abundance, fluctuations in trappability and possibly excess prey. It was found that, even though cats and ferrets use different hunting strategies, lagomorphs were their staple prey in North Canterbury. Unlike overseas habitats, New Zealand farmland lacks alternative suitable prey and this may explain the narrow diet of both predators. Even with the large increase in lagomorph numbers seen in North Canterbury in the second year of study, the diets of both predators remained the same, suggesting that these predators are unable to regulate lagomorphs once their numbers cross a certain threshold. By using ASTS technology to examine ferret behaviour and activity it was possible to identify a wider range of behaviours than previously documented using conventional radio tracking techniques. Despite using only one ferret, it was not only possible to document the time of an activity period, the length of each behaviour, as well as seasonal changes in activity, but also behaviours rarely recorded by researchers using more conventional techniques. Generally the ferret displayed an ultradian activity pattern, disputing the accepted nocturnal hypothesis. One implication for ferret control programs using baited traps was a documented decrease in eating behaviour during the breeding seasons. Nevertheless, this study provided as many questions as it did answers; however, with technology such as ASTS, further information about the behaviour and ecology of ferrets could advance future ferret control programs

Rome and the Sasanian Empire in the fifth century A.D: a necessary peace

Since Ardashir’s victory over the Parthians in A.D 224 to his successors’ eventual defeat at the hands of the Arabs in 651 the Roman and Sasanian Empires had been bitter and deadly rivals. Throughout Late Antiquity the Roman-Sasanian relationship was dominated by competition; a constant battle for imperial prestige, military supremacy, cultural influence and economic advantage. In the course of their relationship Ctesiphon, the Sasanian capital, was sacked by Roman forces, the Roman emperor Valerian was captured and taken prisoner, Julian the Apostate was killed by Sassanian forces in his infamous campaign of 363, and the great Roman city of Antioch had been captured and razed. Yet in this seemingly never-ending imperial struggle the fifth century stands out as a period of unprecedented peace between the imperial rivals. It is the aim of this thesis to analyse what made the fifth century a unique period of peace. This thesis seeks to expand on current scholarship on the fifth-century Roman-Sasanian relationship, which has focused on the investigation of specific and individual events, by taking a more holistic approach. In this regard, all aspects of the relationship, military conflicts, frontier zones, barbarian threats, religious issues, economic considerations and the development of diplomatic contacts, will be analysed in order to identify what pushed the two empires towards a peace and, more importantly, how this peace was maintained in the face of old hostilities and traditional antagonism. Viewing the Roman-Sasanian relationship as merely one part of the wider late antique world, not as something unique and separate, will also be a key component of this investigation. Central to the aim and approach of this thesis is the use of political realism, a theory for understanding international relations, to reveal the motivations and pressures that both empires faced in this period that pushed them towards peace. In this regard, it will be argued that the Roman and Sasanian overriding desire and goal of ensuring their own safety and security in an anarchic world in the face of the new and dangerous threats posed by the ascendant Huns, Hephthalites and Vandals was the underlying motivation behind the fifth-century peace. It was the threat posed by these groups that forced a shift in Roman-Sasanian relations towards the accommodation that both needed to survive the turbulent fifth century. As such, it was these new threats that stimulated the development of imperial diplomacy in the fifth century that allowed the two empires to mediate their traditional casus belli and maintain peace throughout this period. This diplomatic development allowed them to reach new and innovative diplomatic solutions to their problems in the frontier zones of Arabia and Armenia

Dressing changes in a burns unit for children under the age of five:a qualitative study of mothers’ experiences

This study aimed to investigate the experiences of mothers who had attended their child’s burn dressing changes. Participants were recruited from a burns unit based within a children’s hospital. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with five mothers of children under the age of five who had undergone a series of dressing changes taking place on the burns unit. The interview guide explored parents’ experience of initial and subsequent dressing changes. Participants were prompted to explore their expectations, thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with these experiences. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The analysis identified four themes: ‘needing to fulfil the responsibilities associated with being a mother’; ‘emotional synchrony between mother and child’; ‘being informed and knowing what to expect’; and ‘the importance of establishing rapport with nurses performing dressing changes’. Findings from this research can inform services to help optimise mothers’ experiences of dressing changes in this stage of pediatric burn care

Daily bathing with chlorhexidine-based soap and the prevention of Staphylococcus aureus transmission and infection

OBJECTIVE: Determine if daily bathing with chlorhexidine-based soap decreased methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission and ICU-acquired S. aureus infection among ICU patients. DESIGN: Prospective pre-post-intervention study with control unit SETTING: 1,250 bed tertiary-care teaching hospital PATIENTS: Medical and surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients METHODS: Active surveillance for MRSA colonization was performed in both ICUs. In June 2005, a chlorhexidine bathing protocol was implemented in the surgical ICU. Changes in S. aureus transmission and infection rate before and after implementation were analyzed using time-series methodology. RESULTS: The intervention unit had a 20.68% decrease in MRSA acquisition after institution of the bathing protocol [pre-intervention 12.64 vs. post-intervention 10.03 cases/1000 patient-days-at-risk (95% CI: −5.19 – −0.04, p = 0.046)]. There was no significant change in MRSA acquisition in the control ICU during the study period [10.97 pre-June 2005 vs. 11.33/1000 patient-days at risk post-June 2005 (95% CI −37.40 – 15.19, p = 0.40)]. There was a 20.77% decrease in all S. aureus (including MRSA) acquisition in the intervention ICU from 2002-2007 [19.73 pre-intervention to 15.63 cases per 1000 patient-days at risk post-intervention (95% CI −7.25 – −0.95, p=0.012)]. The incidence of ICU-acquired MRSA infections decreased by 41.37% in the intervention ICU (1.96 pre-intervention vs. 1.15 infections per 1000 patient-days at risk post-intervention; p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Institution of daily chlorhexidine bathing in an ICU resulted in a decrease in the transmission of S. aureus, including MRSA. These data support the use of routine daily chlorhexidine baths to decrease rates of S. aureus transmission and infections

The effectiveness of early lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma (EAGLE) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Neonatal DNA methylation profile in human twins is specified by a complex interplay between intrauterine environmental and genetic factors, subject to tissue-specific influence

Comparison between groups of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins enables an estimation of the relative contribution of genetic and shared and nonshared environmental factors to phenotypic variability. Using DNA methylation profiling of ∼20,000 CpG sites as a phenotype, we have examined discordance levels in three neonatal tissues from 22 MZ and 12 DZ twin pairs. MZ twins exhibit a wide range of within-pair differences at birth, but show discordance levels generally lower than DZ pairs. Within-pair methylation discordance was lowest in CpG islands in all twins and increased as a function of distance from islands. Variance component decomposition analysis of DNA methylation in MZ and DZ pairs revealed a low mean heritability across all tissues, although a wide range of heritabilities was detected for specific genomic CpG sites. The largest component of variation was attributed to the combined effects of nonshared intrauterine environment and stochastic factors. Regression analysis of methylation on birth weight revealed a general association between methylation of genes involved in metabolism and biosynthesis, providing further support for epigenetic change in the previously described link between low birth weight and increasing risk for cardiovascular, metabolic, and other complex diseases. Finally, comparison of our data with that of several older twins revealed little evidence for genome-wide epigenetic drift with increasing age. This is the first study to analyze DNA methylation on a genome scale in twins at birth, further highlighting the importance of the intrauterine environment on shaping the neonatal epigenome

Placenta-specific methylation of the vitamin D 24-hydroxylase gene: implications for feedback autoregulation of active vitamin D levels at the fetomaternal interface

Plasma concentrations of biologically active vitamin D (1,25- (OH)2D) are tightly controlled via feedback regulation of renal 1-hydroxylase (CYP27B1; positive) and 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1; catabolic) enzymes. In pregnancy, this regulation is uncoupled, and 1,25-(OH)2D levels are significantly elevated, suggesting a role in pregnancy progression. Epigenetic regulation of CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 has previously been described in cell and animal models, and despite emerging evidence for a critical role of epigenetics in placentation generally, little is known about the regulation of enzymes modulating vitamin D homeostasis at the fetomaternal interface. In this study, we investigated the methylation status of genes regulating vitamin D bioavailability and activity in the placenta. No methylation of the VDR (vitamin D receptor) and CYP27B1 genes was found in any placental tissues. In contrast, the CYP24A1 gene is methylated in human placenta, purified cytotrophoblasts, and primary and cultured chorionic villus sampling tissue. No methylation was detected in any somatic human tissue tested. Methylation was also evident in marmoset and mouse placental tissue. All three genes were hypermethylated in choriocarcinoma cell lines, highlighting the role of vitaminDderegulation in this cancer. Gene expression analysis confirmed a reduced capacity for CYP24A1 induction with promoter methylation in primary cells and in vitro reporter analysis demonstrated that promoter methylation directly down-regulates basal promoter activity and abolishes vitamin D-mediated feedback activation. This study strongly suggests that epigenetic decoupling of vitamin D feedback catabolism plays an important role in maximizing active vitamin D bioavailability at the fetomaternal interface