Antigenic Variation in Virulence Determinants of <i>Streptococcus zooepidemicus</i> and <i>Actinobacillus equuli</i> Involved in Lower Airway Disease of the Horse and Strategies Towards Protective Immunisation

Lower airway disease (LAD) of the training Thoroughbred horse is characterised by poor performance and excess mucus and pus in the trachea. This condition, although often referred to as ‘the virus’, is significantly associated with Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Actinobacillus/Pasteurella species without evidence of viral infection. The degree of antigenic variability in these bacteria was assessed, to judge the number of strains that might be required in future vaccines. Particular attention was paid to the putative virulence determinants of the M-like protein and capsule of S. zooepidemicus and the iron regulated proteins (IRPs), produced only in low available iron concentrations, of Actinobacillus equuli. A range of Actinobacillus/Pasteurella species were isolated from the lower airway of horses, but more than half were accounted for by A.equuli. A. equuli bound and utilised equine holotransferrin for growth. The constitutive proteins of A. equuli were antigenically cross-reactive, but IRPs were more antigenically varied. Vaccines based on interference of IRPs would be likely to need more than one strain of A. equuli. Hot acid extracts of S. zooepidemicus were antigenically cross-reactive, but there was less opsonogenic cross-reactivity in horse blood containing natural antibodies than rabbit antisera to extracts. A vaccine based on M-like protein would be likely to need more than one type of S. zooepidemicus, but no relationship could be found between ribotype / antigenic profile and opsonogenic behaviour, suggesting that M-like protein is not necessarily the principal anti-phagocytic mechanism for these isolates, at least in vitro. S. zooepidemicus produces a hyaluronate capsule thought to be a virulence determinant, which is tightly bound by a protein (HAP). Immunisation with recombinant HAP significantly increased survival time and clearance of bacteria in mice challenged intraperitoneally with S. zooepidemicus. Recombinant HAP may have acted as a surrogate antigen for the capsule. Introduction of bacteria into ponies intratracheally produced a dose response for S. zooepidemicus and A. equuli. However, so much intercurrent infection developed (due to S. zooepidemicus and Bordetella bronchiseptica) it was concluded that conventional ponies would be unsuitable for straightforward studies of vaccine efficacy in response to experimental challenge. Alternative ways forward are discussed

A world of difference: media translations of fantasy worlds

The modern consumer has access to a massively complex entertainment world. Many of the products available reveal a visible movement of popular fantasy worlds between different media. This transmedia process creates a strong link between film, merchandising and games; with all of these mediums borrowing from each other. This borrowing takes various forms, from licensed adaptations to unofficial copying of ideas, settings and characters as well as exploiting the different aesthetics and techniques of different media. Much of the scholarship on transmedia concentrates on storytelling, where a single overarching narrative unfolds over several different media. This thesis will move away from storytelling to consider how culture producers borrow the aesthetics, narratives and fantasy worlds from other sources, including computer games. This borrowing happens because it enables them to use transmedia functionality to gain market share from an already established audience who have a vested interested in, and enthusiasm for, an established world. Most of this borrowing happens around specific genres – especially fantasy, science fiction and horror. These genres are particularly wide-ranging and emphasise the possibilities of worldbuilding, making then good sources for multi-media franchises. This thesis will examine examples from these genres to examine what elements are translated to a new medium, and what is discarded. This examination will help explain how and why different media and settings work in the way that they do

Depression, physical activity and mental health: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of healthcare professionals’ attitudes to exercise referral schemes

Depression is, today more than ever, a profoundly serious public health concern in the UK, impacting upon the lives of individuals from all social backgrounds and strata (Yohannes & Caton, 2010). Moreover, and contrary to the often-held stereotype of a relatively simple disorder of mood, the condition manifests in an additional array of psychological and somatic symptoms such as “…loss of interest and pleasure, loss of appetite, weight loss/gain, sleep disturbance, psychomotor agitation or retardation, energy decrease, sense of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty in concentrating, or thoughts of suicide.” (Legrand & Heuze, 2007, p.348). In recent years a body of research has emerged dedicated to exploring the value and impacts of exercise in assisting individuals suffering from depression (see Callaghan, Khalil, Morres, & Carter, 2011; Carter, Callaghan, Khalil, & Morres, 2012), and Exercise Referral Schemes (ERS) have been developed to provide access to structured programmes of physical activity. Robust evidence indicates that such physical activity can have strong positive impacts upon the rehabilitation process, not least in terms of enhancing happiness with physical appearance and providing venues for social interaction (Daley, MacArthur, & Winter, 2007; Johnson & Taliaferro, 2011). Despite the well-documented success of various ERSs, and the relative affordability thereof when compared to CBT or pharmaceutical options, however, rates of such referral in cases of mild to moderate depression are low (Callaghan, Khalil, Morres, & Carter, 2011). The research reported in this paper stems from a high-definition investigation of the attitudes of a small number of General Practioners in the North West (N=4), utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Pringle, Drummond, McLafferty, & Hendry, 2011; Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) to reveal how such attitudes are embedded in first- and second-hand experience of ERSs, with a view to illuminating why progress toward their wider use remains slow in the locale. References: Callaghan, P., Khalil, E., Morres, I., & Carter, T. (2011). Pragmatic randomised controlled trial of preferred intensity exercise in women living with depression. BMC Public Health, 11, 465-465. Carter, T., Callaghan, P., Khalil, E., & Morres, I. (2012). The effectiveness of a preferred intensity exercise programme on the mental health outcomes of young people with depression: A sequential mixed methods evaluation. BMC Public Health, 12, 187-187. Daley, A. J., MacArthur, C., & Winter, H. (2007). Brief report: The role of exercise in treating postpartum depression: A review of the literature. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, 52, 56-62. Johnson, K. E., & Taliaferro, L. A. (2011). Relationships between physical activity and depressive symptoms among middle and older adolescents: A review of the research literature. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 16(4), 235-251. Legrand, F., & Heuze, J. P. (2007). Antidepressant effects associated with different exercise conditions in participants with depression: A pilot study. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29(3), 348-364. Pringle, J., Drummond, J., McLafferty, E., & Hendry, C. (2011). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: A discussion and critique. Nurse Researcher, 18(3), 20-24. Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. London: Sage. Yohannes, A. M., & Caton, S. (2010). Management of depression in older people with osteoarthritis: A systematic review. Aging & Mental Health, 14(6), 637-651

Inclusive Smartphone Interface Design in Context:co (re) designing the PIS

Context optimises smartphone interfaces for users. Omission of user-context during development causes time-lag for consumer benefit. Working with People with Learning Disability (PWLD) to develop interfaces refined by communication-need will improve User-Experience (UX). In research, a Participant Information sheet (PIS) discloses planned study-activity. This paper explains co-creation of a PIS based on communication-need of PWLD

Damage to the right insula disrupts the perception of affective touch

© 2020 Kirsch et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.Specific, peripheral C-tactile afferents contribute to the perception of tactile pleasure, but the brain areas involved in their processing remain debated. We report the first human lesion study on the perception of C-tactile touch in right hemisphere stroke patients (N = 59), revealing that right posterior and anterior insula lesions reduce tactile, contralateral and ipsilateral pleasantness sensitivity, respectively. These findings corroborate previous imaging studies regarding the role of the posterior insula in the perception of affective touch. However, our findings about the crucial role of the anterior insula for ipsilateral affective touch perception open new avenues of enquiry regarding the cortical organization of this tactile system.Peer reviewe

The Effects of Housing on Health and Health Risks in an Aging Population:A Qualitative Study in Rural Thailand

Copyright © 2014 Ratana Somrongthong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background. Over the last decade, Thailand has experienced an aging population, especially in rural areas. Research finds a strong, positive relationship between good quality housing and health, and this paper assesses the impact and living experience of housing of older people in rural Thailand. Methods. This was a mixed-method study, using data from observations of the physical adequacy of housing, semistructured interviews with key informants, and archival information from health records for 13 households in rural Thailand. Results. There were four main themes, each of which led to health risks for the older people: “lighting and unsafe wires,” “house design and composition,” “maintenance of the house,” and “health care equipment.” The housing was not appropriately designed to accommodate health care equipment or to fully support individual daily activities of older people. Numerous accidents occurred as a direct result of inadequate housing and the majority of houses had insufficient and unsafe lighting, floor surfaces and furniture that created health risks, and toilets or beds that were at an unsuitable height for older people. Conclusion. This paper provides an improved and an important understanding of the housing situation among older people living in rural areas in Thailand

The biology and ecology of Bruchus rufimanus (bean seed beetle)

PhD ThesisThe bean seed beetle, Bruchus rufimanus (Boheman), is an economically important pest of Vicia faba bean crops throughout Europe and has become established as a serious pest in the UK since 1990. Damage reduces the value of the dried V. faba crop and the presence of larvae or unemerged adults in the beans results in crop rejection for all the main quality markets. The life cycle is not completed in fresh harvested broad beans, but immature beans show damage and contain the pest larvae. Affected broad beans crops are rejected, resulting in a total loss to the grower. The main objectives of the research were as follows: to improve knowledge of factors influencing the emergence of insects from their over-winter habitats and factors leading to the termination of diapause; to improve knowledge of conditions that influence oviposition and damage, such as feeding opportunities, temperature, photoperiod and pollen type needed to stimulate oviposition; to improve knowledge of factors influencing the selection of or preference for over-wintering habitats; and to investigate the distribution of the pest throughout the UK. The influences of host plant sowing date, cultivar and density were investigated. The research provided evidence for the influence of temperature on damage caused by B. rufimanus and provided guidance for the distribution of the pest across the UK, allowing growers to plan insecticide applications according to regional pest pressure. It has been possible to link these findings with data supporting improved cultural methods of reducing the impact of the pest, particularly the timing of sowing.Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) and The Perry Foundation for providing financial support for my PhD, and to PGRO for providing me with materials and resources to undertake this stud