'HeART of Stroke (HoS)', a community-based Arts for Health group intervention to support self-confidence and psychological well-being following a stroke: protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility study

Introduction Over 152 000 people in the UK have strokes annually and a third experience residual disability. Low mood also affects a third of stroke survivors; yet psychological support is poor. While Arts for Health interventions have been shown to improve well-being in people with mild-to-moderate depression post-stroke, their role in helping people regain sense of self, well-being and confidence has yet to be evaluated. The main aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of conducting a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an Arts for Health group intervention (‘HeART of Stroke’ (HoS)) for stroke survivors. HoS is a 10-session artist-facilitated group intervention held in the community over 14 weeks. It offers a non-judgemental, supportive environment for people to explore sense of self, potentially enhancing well-being and confidence. Methods and analysis Sixty-four people, up to 2 years post-stroke, recruited via secondary care research staff or community stroke/rehabilitation teams in two UK centres will be randomised to either HoS plus usual care or usual care only. Self-reported outcomes, measured at baseline and approximately 5 months postrandomisation, will include stroke-related, well-being, mood, self-esteem, quality of life and process measures. Analyses will focus on estimating key feasibility parameters (eg, rates of recruitment, retention, intervention attendance). We will develop outcome and resource use data collection methods to inform an effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis in the future trial. Interviews, with a sample of participants, will explore the acceptability of the intervention and study processes, as well as experiences of the HoS group. Ethics and dissemination National Health Service (NHS), Research and Development and University ethical approvals have been obtained. Two peer-reviewed journal publications are planned plus one service user led publication. Findings will be disseminated at key national conferences, local stakeholder events and via institutional websites.This paper presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme (Grant Reference Number PB-PG-0212-27054)

Genetic analysis of post‐epizootic amphibian chytrid strains in Bolivia: Adding a piece to the puzzle

The evolutionary history and dispersal pattern of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), an emergent fungal pathogen responsible for the decline and extinctions of many species of amphibians worldwide, is still not well understood. In South America, the tropical Andes are known as an important site for amphibian diversification, but also for being a place where hosts are at greater risk of chytridiomycosis. In an attempt to understand the history and the geographic pattern of Bd‐associated amphibian declines in Bolivia, we isolated Bd from hosts at two locations that differ in their chronology of Bd prevalence and host survival outcome, the cloud forests of the Amazonian slopes of the Andes and Lake Titicaca in the altiplano. We genotyped Bd from both locations and sequenced the genome from the cloud forest isolate and then compared them to reference sequences of other Bd strains across the world. We found that the Bolivian chytrid isolates were nearly genotypically identical and that they belong to the global panzootic lineage (Bd‐GPL). The Bolivian Bd strain grouped with other tropical New World strains but was closest to those from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Our results extend the presence of Bd‐GPL to the central Andes in South America and report this hypervirulent strain at Lago Titicaca, where Bd has been detected since 1863, without evidence of amphibian declines. These findings suggest a more complex evolutionary history for this pathogen in Bolivia and may point to the existence of an old lineage of Bd that has since been extirpated following the arrival of the panzootic Bd‐GPL or that the timing of Bd‐GPL emergence is earlier than generally acknowledged.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162756/2/tbed13568_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162756/1/tbed13568.pd

Tuning the excited state of water-soluble IrIII-based DNA intercalators that are isostructural with [RuII(NN)2(dppz)] light-switch complexes

The synthesis of two new IrIII complexes which are effectively isostructural with well-established [Ru(NN)2-(dppz)]2+ systems is reported (dppz = dipyridophenazine; NN = 2,2′-bipyridyl, or 1,10-phenanthroline). One of these IrIII complexes is tricationic and has a conventional N6 coordination sphere. The second dicationic complex has a N5C coordination sphere, incorporating a cyclometalated analogue of the dppz ligand. Both complexes show good water solubility. Experimental and computational studies show that the photoexcited states of the two complexes are very different from each other and also differ from their RuII analogues. Both of the complexes bind to duplex DNA with affinities that are two orders of magnitude higher than previously reported Ir(dppz)-based systems and are comparable with RuII(dppz) analogues

Invasive Vegetation Affects Amphibian Skin Microbiota and Body Condition

Invasive plants are major drivers of habitat modification and the scale of their impact is increasing globally as anthropogenic activities facilitate their spread. In California, an invasive plant genus of great concern is Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus leaves can alter soil chemistry and negatively affect underground macro- and microbial communities. Amphibians serve as excellent models to evaluate the effect of Eucalyptus invasion on ground-dwelling species as they predate on soil arthropods and incorporate soil microbes into their microbiotas. The skin microbiota is particularly important to amphibian health, suggesting that invasive plant species could ultimately affect amphibian populations. To investigate the potential for invasive vegetation to induce changes in microbial communities, we sampled microbial communities in the soil and on the skin of local amphibians. Specifically, we compared Batrachoseps attenuatus skin microbiomes in both Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae) and native Quercus agriflolia (Fagaceae) dominated forests in the San Francisco Bay Area. We determined whether changes in microbial diversity and composition in both soil and Batrachoseps attenuatus skin were associated with dominant vegetation type. To evaluate animal health across vegetation types, we compared Batrachoseps attenuatus body condition and the presence/absence of the amphibian skin pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. We found that Eucalyptus invasion had no measurable effect on soil microbial community diversity and a relatively small effect (compared to the effect of site identity) on community structure in the microhabitats sampled. In contrast, our results show that Batrachoseps attenuatus skin microbiota diversity was greater in Quercus dominated habitats. One amplicon sequence variant identified in the family Chlamydiaceae was observed in higher relative abundance among salamanders sampled in Eucalyptus dominated habitats. We also observed that Batrachoseps attenuatus body condition was higher in Quercus dominated habitats. Incidence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis across all individuals was very low (only one Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis positive individual). The effect on body condition demonstrates that although Eucalyptus may not always decrease amphibian abundance or diversity, it can potentially have cryptic negative effects. Our findings prompt further work to determine the mechanisms that lead to changes in the health and microbiome of native species post-plant invasion

The Vehicle, June 1960, Vol. 2 no. 3

Vol. 2, No. 3 To the ReaderRobert Mills Frenchpage 2 Blue-Nosed RobinThomas McPeakpage 3 Forest EtudeJames M. Jenkinsonpage 7 Chant For The MenJerry Whitepage 8 It\u27s OK Now, Chief J.B. Youngpage 9 Magic WordsKathleen Ferreepage 11 SpurnedRay Hoopspage 12 Danger!A. Seerpage 13 GenecideGeorge Fosterpage 14 To a Stern ParentC.E.S.page 14 ReservationNeil O. Parkerpage 14 The Worm and IRichard Blairpage 15 One Way -- Non-TransferableRobert Mills Frenchpage 15 NorthlightEDSpage 16https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1007/thumbnail.jp

Extinction times in the subcritical stochastic SIS logistic epidemic

Many real epidemics of an infectious disease are not straightforwardly super- or sub-critical, and the understanding of epidemic models that exhibit such complexity has been identified as a priority for theoretical work. We provide insights into the near-critical regime by considering the stochastic SIS logistic epidemic, a well-known birth-and-death chain used to model the spread of an epidemic within a population of a given size $N$. We study the behaviour of the process as the population size $N$ tends to infinity. Our results cover the entire subcritical regime, including the "barely subcritical" regime, where the recovery rate exceeds the infection rate by an amount that tends to 0 as $N \to \infty$ but more slowly than $N^{-1/2}$. We derive precise asymptotics for the distribution of the extinction time and the total number of cases throughout the subcritical regime, give a detailed description of the course of the epidemic, and compare to numerical results for a range of parameter values. We hypothesise that features of the course of the epidemic will be seen in a wide class of other epidemic models, and we use real data to provide some tentative and preliminary support for this theory.Comment: Revised; 34 pages; 6 figure

The Vehicle, April 1960, Vol. 2 no. 2

Vol. 2, No. 2 Table of Contents A White Man\u27s BurdenRobert Mills Frenchpage 2 RealistA.B. Carterpage 4 The Two MatchesLouise A. Kemperpage 5 Thought Upon Looking at a Modern Painting Titled Grass Thomas McPeakpage 7 BewareDennis Lewispage 7 WavesJean Nightingalepage 7 The SpectatorKathleen Ferreepage 8 Animal RugAl Brookspage 8 Success Comes to CulturevilleJ.B. Youngpage 9 On Giving Up Religion in DespairThe Skepticpage 11 The DecisionGeorge Fosterpage 12 Wisdom ConfoundedJames D. Rannepage 15 Smalltown: 5 A.M.James M. Jenkinsonpage 15 Man of MettleC.E.S.page 16https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1005/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, April 1960, Vol. 2 no. 2

Vol. 2, No. 2 Table of Contents A White Man\u27s BurdenRobert Mills Frenchpage 2 RealistA.B. Carterpage 4 The Two MatchesLouise A. Kemperpage 5 Thought Upon Looking at a Modern Painting Titled Grass Thomas McPeakpage 7 BewareDennis Lewispage 7 WavesJean Nightingalepage 7 The SpectatorKathleen Ferreepage 8 Animal RugAl Brookspage 8 Success Comes to CulturevilleJ.B. Youngpage 9 On Giving Up Religion in DespairThe Skepticpage 11 The DecisionGeorge Fosterpage 12 Wisdom ConfoundedJames D. Rannepage 15 Smalltown: 5 A.M.James M. Jenkinsonpage 15 Man of MettleC.E.S.page 16https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1005/thumbnail.jp