No evidence for social immunity in co-founding queen associations.

Ant queens often associate to found new colonies, yet the benefits of this behaviour remain unclear. A major hypothesis is that queens founding in groups are protected by social immunity and can better resist disease than solitary queens, due to mutual grooming, sharing of antimicrobials, or higher genetic diversity among their workers. We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the number of queens in incipient colonies of Lasius niger and measuring their resistance to the fungal entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum. We found no evidence for social immunity in associations of founding queens. First, co-founding queens engaged in self-grooming, but performed very little allo-grooming or trophallaxis. Second, co-founding queens did not exhibit higher pathogen resistance than solitary queens, and their respective workers did not differ in disease resistance. Finally, queens founding in groups increased their investment in a component of individual immunity, as expected if they do not benefit from social immunity but respond to a higher risk of disease. Overall, our results provide no evidence that joint colony founding by L. niger queens increases their ability to resist fungal pathogens

Identification of plastic constitutive parameters at large deformations from three dimensional displacement fields

The aim of this paper is to provide a general procedure to extract the constitutive parameters of a plasticity model starting from displacement measurements and using the Virtual Fields Method. This is a classical inverse problem which has been already investigated in the literature, however several new features are developed here. First of all the procedure applies to a general three-dimensional displacement field which leads to large plastic deformations, no assumptions are made such as plane stress or plane strain although only pressure-independent plasticity is considered. Moreover the equilibrium equation is written in terms of the deviatoric stress tensor that can be directly computed from the strain field without iterations. Thanks to this, the identification routine is much faster compared to other inverse methods such as finite element updating. The proposed method can be a valid tool to study complex phenomena which involve severe plastic deformation and where the state of stress is completely triaxial, e.g. strain localization or necking occurrence. The procedure has been validated using a three dimensional displacement field obtained from a simulated experiment. The main potentialities as well as a first sensitivity study on the influence of measurement errors are illustrated

Comparing face-to-face with online training for occupational therapists in advising on fitness for work: Protocol for the CREATE study

© The Author(s) 2020. Introduction: Occupational therapists play a key role in advising on fitness for work; however, there is a concern that they lack knowledge and confidence in using the Allied Health Professions health and work report (formerly the Allied Health Professions advisory fitness for work report), developed in the United Kingdom. Comparing a reusable learning object with face-to-face training for occupational therapists in advising on fitness for work (CREATE) compares face-to-face training with online training for occupational therapists in completing the Allied Health Professions health and work report. Method: A mixed methods study. Phase 1, occupational therapists will co-design an online training resource. A standardised face-to-face group-based training session will also be developed based on the same content. Phase 2, a feasibility study will be conducted. Thirty occupational therapists will either attend face-to-face group training or access the online resource. Data on self-reported knowledge and confidence in using the Allied Health Professions health and work report will be collected at baseline, 1 week and 8 weeks post-training. Feedback on the training will be collected by interview and, for the online resource, using an online tool. Results: Quantitative results will be predominantly analysed descriptively. If appropriate, between-group responses will be compared using the Mann–Whitney test. Qualitative findings will be analysed thematically. Conclusion: CREATE will have made a significant contribution to the debate around appropriate training methods in advising on fitness for work

Assistive devices, hip precautions, environmental modifications and training to prevent dislocation and improve function after hip arthroplasty (Review)

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most common orthopaedic operations performed worldwide. Painful osteoarthritis of the hip is the primary indication for THA. Following THA, people have conventionally been provided with equipment, such as raised toilet seats and chairs, and educated to avoid activities that could cause the hip joint to be in a position of flexion over 90 degrees, or adduction or rotation past the midline. These aspects of occupational therapy have been advocated to reduce the risks of prosthesis dislocation. However, the appropriateness of these recommendations has been questioned. Objectives: To assess the effects of provision of assistive devices, education on hip precautions, environmental modifications and training in activities of daily living (ADL) and extended ADL (EADL) for people undergoing THA. Search methods: We searched MEDLINE (1946 to April 2016), EMBASE (1947 to April 2016), the Cochrane Library including CENTRAL (Issue 4 of 12, 2016), Database of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Economic Evaluations Database (EED), CINAHL, PEDro and CIRRIE from inception to April 2016. In addition we checked Controlled Clinical Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, the National Institutes of Health Trial Registry, theWorld Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) and the OpenGrey database from inception to April 2016. Selection criteria: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs and cluster-RCTs that evaluated the effectiveness of the provision of assistive devices, education on hip precautions, environmental modifications, or training in ADL and EADL for people undergoing THA. The main outcomes of interest were pain, function, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), global assessment of treatment success, reoperation rate, hip dislocation and adverse events. Data collection and analysis: We used standard methodological procedures recognised by Cochrane. We conducted a systematic literature search using several databases and contacted corresponding authors, appraised the evidence using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, analysed the data using a narrative analysis approach (as it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis due to heterogeneity in interventions), and interpreted all outcomes using the GRADE approach. Main results: We included three trials with a total of 492 participants who had received 530 THA. The evidence presented with a high risk of performance, detection and reporting bias. One study (81 participants) compared outcomes for participants randomised to the provision of hip precautions, equipment and functional restrictions versus no provision of hip precautions, equipment or functional restrictions. Due to the quality of evidence being very low, we are uncertain if the provision of hip precautions, equipment and functional restrictions improved function measured using the Harris Hip Score at 12 month follow-up, or health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measured by the Short Form-12 at four week follow-up, compared to not providing this. There were no incidences of hip dislocation or adverse events in either group during the initial 12 postoperative months. The study did not measure pain score, global assessment of treatment success or total adverse events. One study (265 participants; 303THAs) evaluated the provision of hip precautions with versus without the prescription of postoperative equipment and restrictions to functional activities. Due to the quality of evidence being very low, we are uncertain if perceived satisfaction in the rate of recovery differed in people who were not prescribed postoperative equipment and restrictions (135/151 satisfied) compared to those prescribed equipment and restrictions (113/152) (risk ratio (RR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75 to 0.93; 265 participants, one trial; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 7). Due to the low quality evidence, we are uncertain if the incidence of hip dislocation differed between participants provided with hip precautions with (1/152) compared to without providing equipment or restrictions post-THA (0/151) (RR 2.98, 95% CI 0.12 to 72.59). The study did not measure pain, function, HRQOL, re-operation rates or total adverse events. One study (146 participants) investigated the provision of an enhanced postoperative education and rehabilitation service on hospital discharge to promote functional ADL versus a conventional rehabilitation intervention in the community. This study was of very low quality evidence. We were uncertain if the provision of enhanced postoperative education and rehabilitation improved function at six months follow-up, when assessed using the Objective and Subjective Functional Capability Index (146 participants, one trial; P > 0.05; no numerical results provided) compared to conventional rehabilitation. The study did not measure pain score, HRQOL, global assessment of treatment success, hip dislocation, re-operation rate or total adverse events. Authors’ conclusions: Very low quality evidence is available from single trials, thus we are uncertain if hip precautions with or without the addition of equipment and functional restrictions are effective in preventing dislocation and improving outcomes after THA. There is also insufficient evidence to support or refute the adoption of a postoperative community rehabilitation programme consisting of functional reintegration and education compared to conventional rehabilitation strategies based on functional outcomes. Further high-quality trials are warranted to assess the outcomes of different occupational therapy interventions both in the short and longer-term for those who undergo THA. An assessment of the impact of such interventions on pain and restriction on personal ADL, EADL and instrumental ADL is needed, and also of functional integration-type interventions rather than just hip precautions,equipment and restrictions

Strain-Transcendent Immune Response to Recombinant Var2CSA DBL5-ε Domain Block P. falciparum Adhesion to Placenta-Derived BeWo Cells under Flow Conditions

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) is a serious consequence of the adhesion to the placental receptor chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (PE) expressing the large cysteine-rich multi-domain protein var2CSA. Women become resistant to PAM, and develop strain-transcending immunity against CSA-binding parasites. The identification of var2CSA regions that could elicit broadly neutralizing and adhesion-blocking antibodies is a key step for the design of prophylactic vaccine strategies. METHODOLOGY: Escherichia coli expressed var2CSA DBL domains were refolded and purified prior to immunization of mice and a goat. Protein-G-purified antibodies were tested for their ability to block FCR3(CSA)-infected erythrocytes binding to placental (BeWo) and monkey brain endothelial (ScC2) cell lines using a flow cytoadhesion inhibition assay mimicking closely the physiological conditions present in the placenta at shear stress of 0.05 Pa. DBL5-ε, DBL6-ε and DBL5-6-ε induced cross-reactive antibodies using Alum and Freund as adjuvants, which blocked cytoadhesion at values ranging between 40 to 96% at 0.5 mg IgG per ml. Importantly, antibodies raised against recombinant DBL5-ε from 3 distinct parasites genotypes (HB3, Dd2 and 7G8) showed strain-transcending inhibition ranging from 38 to 64% for the heterologuous FCR3(CSA). CONCLUSIONS: Using single and double DBL domains from var2CSA and Alum as adjuvant, we identified recombinant subunits inducing an immune response in experimental animals which is able to block efficiently parasite adhesion in a flow cytoadhesion assay that mimics closely the erythrocyte flow in the placenta. These subunits show promising features for inclusion into a vaccine aiming to protect against PAM

Analyse protéomique des glioblastones: Quel est le meilleur contrôle?

National audienc

Longitudinal and age trends of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors: The Family Heart Study

BACKGROUND: We report longitudinal changes in the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in 2,458 participants from 480 families in the Family Heart Study. Participants were examined between 1994–96 (FHS-T1) and 2002–03 (FHS-T2), about 7.4 years apart. Additionally, the impact of medication on estimates of MetS prevalence, and associations of MetS with prevalent coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) were studied. METHODS: Three definitions for MetS prevalence were considered. One represented the original (o) National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) MetS criteria. Two others considered the confounding of medications effects, respectively (m) lipid medications constituted a categorical diagnostic criterion for lipids variables, and (c) lipids and blood pressure variables were corrected with average clinical trials medications effects. Logistic regression of MetS on CHD and T2D, as well as the trend analysis of MetS by age, were performed. RESULTS: MetS increased from 17.1% in FHS-T1(o) to 28.8% in FHS-T2(o); from 19.7% in FHS-T1(m) to 42.5% in FHS-T2(m); and from 18.4% in FHS-T1(c) to 33.6% in FHS-T2(c). While we observed adverse changes in all risk factors, the greatest increase was for waist circumference (25%). The percentages of MetS were about 2 to almost 3 times higher in ages 50 years and older than in younger ages. The odds of having prevalent CHD were about 2.5 times higher in the subjects classified with MetS than without. CONCLUSION: MetS percentages increased noticeably longitudinally and cross-sectionally with older age. These conclusions were reached with and without considering medication use, but correcting risk factors for medications use affects the MetS prevalence estimates. As found in other studies, MetS was associated with increased odds for prevalent CHD

Improving occupational therapists’ confidence in completing the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report: Results from the CREATE feasibility study

Introduction: There is a concern that occupational therapists lack confidence in advising on fitness to work. The aim of this study was to compare two training methods of improving occupational therapists’ confidence in completing the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report (AHP H&WR). Method: A mixed-methods study was conducted. Occupational therapists were recruited to face-to-face (n = 14) or online (n = 18) training. Data were collected via questionnaires at baseline, one week and eight weeks post-training, and using semi-structured telephone interviews. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively; interviews were analysed thematically. Results: It was possible to recruit and retain participants to the study. Occupational therapists from both groups reported that the training improved their confidence in completing the AHP H&WR. However, the majority did not have the opportunity to complete an AHP H&WR in practice during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Similar results for both training methods shows promise for further development and testing. There is therefore potential to conduct a definitive study in this area

Antibodies to a Full-Length VAR2CSA Immunogen Are Broadly Strain-Transcendent but Do Not Cross-Inhibit Different Placental-Type Parasite Isolates

The high molecular weight, multidomain VAR2CSA protein mediating adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in the placenta is the leading candidate for a pregnancy malaria vaccine. However, it has been difficult so far to generate strong and consistent adhesion blocking antibody responses against most single-domain VAR2CSA immunogens. Recent advances in expression of the full-length recombinant protein showed it binds with much greater specificity and affinity to chondroitin sulphate A (CSA) than individual VAR2CSA domains. This raises the possibility that a specific CSA binding pocket(s) is formed in the full length antigen and could be an important target for vaccine development. In this study, we compared the immunogenicity of a full-length VAR2CSA recombinant protein containing all six Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains to that of a three-domain construct (DBL4-6) in mice and rabbits. Animals immunized with either immunogen acquired antibodies reacting with several VAR2CSA individual domains by ELISA, but antibody responses against the highly conserved DBL4 domain were weaker in animals immunized with full-length DBL1-6 recombinant protein compared to DBL4-6 recombinant protein. Both immunogens induced cross-reactive antibodies to several heterologous CSA-binding parasite lines expressing different VAR2CSA orthologues. However, antibodies that inhibited adhesion of parasites to CSA were only elicited in rabbits immunized with full-length immunogen and inhibition was restricted to the homologous CSA-binding parasite. These findings demonstrate that partial and full-length VAR2CSA immunogens induce cross-reactive antibodies, but inhibitory antibody responses to full-length immunogen were highly allele-specific and variable between animal species