Achieving Sustainable Mobility. The Discontinuation of the Socio-Technical Regime of Automobility

So far, research on sustainable transitions has predominantly focussed on the management of innovation processes and mostly neglected that political decision-making has also to consider the discontinuation of the established socio-technical regime. We will present a case study on the automobility regime as an example of discontinuation governance “in the making”. Analysing policies and actor constellations on local, national, and supranational levels, we try to figure out strategies and measures that have been applied to (politically) challenge the automobility regime. Additionally, we propose combining three analytical models in order to grasp these developments, namely the multi-level perspective (MLP), the multi-level governance (MLG) and actor-centred approaches

EFFECTS OF LEG DOMINANCE ON THE SINGLE LEG HOP FUNCTIONAL TEST IN NON-INJURED ADULTS

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of leg dominance on the single leg hop (SLH) functional test used in ACL rehabilitation. Twenty-two subjects performed four manipulative, and two standing balance tests to determine leg dominance; and three trials of a standing broad jump and the single leg hop test on both lower limbs. Ground reaction forces were measure using two force platforms (AMTI) and the distance jumped were recorded. T-tests for dependent measure (SPSS) were used to determine difference between dominant and non-dominant limb. Subjects were able to significantly jump farther, produce more vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces when using the dominant leg, except when they jumped from both legs. Clinicians should take in consideration the effects of leg dominance on the single leg hop test results

EFFECTS OF LEG DOMINANCE ON THE SINGLE LEG HOP FUNCTIONAL TEST IN NON-INJURED ADULTS

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of leg dominance on the single leg hop (SLH) functional test used in ACL rehabilitation. Twenty-two subjects performed four manipulative, and two standing balance tests to determine leg dominance; and three trials of a standing broad jump and the single leg hop test on both lower limbs. Ground reaction forces were measure using two force platforms (AMTI) and the distance jumped were recorded. T-tests for dependent measure (SPSS) were used to determine difference between dominant and non-dominant limb. Subjects were able to significantly jump farther, produce more vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces when using the dominant leg, except when they jumped from both legs. Clinicians should take in consideration the effects of leg dominance on the single leg hop test results

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEG DOMINANCE TESTS AND TYPE OF TASK

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between common leg dominance tests and the type of tasks performed. Twenty-two subjects performed 4 manipulative and 2 standing balance tests. Leg preference was determined for each of the tests. Kendal tau correlations were used to establish the relationships between the tests. Significant correlations were found between the manipulative types of tests whereas the majority of the subjects used the right leg as the preferred leg. There were significant correlations between the two balance tests but little or no correlation between the balance and manipulative tests. This finding was the result of more than 50% of the subjects switching the preferred leg during the balance tests. Leg preference maybe an adaptation that depends on the nature of the tests required to perform

Governance of Discontinuation – Neue Perspektiven auf die Energiewende und nachhaltige Mobilität

Bisher steht bei Studien zum Wandel sozio-technischer Systeme zumeist die Governance von Innovationen im Vordergrund. Unbeachtet bleibt häufig, dass die Lösung gesellschaftlicher Probleme nicht allein in der Entwicklung von neuen, sondern auch in der Abschaffung von etablierten sozio-technischen Systemen bestehen kann. Geleitet von der zentralen Annahme, dass sich sozio-technische Systeme nicht ausschließlich durch die Entwicklung innovativer, durchsetzungsfähiger Alternativen beenden lassen, schlagen wir folgenden Perspektivwechsel vor: Zur Untersuchung des sozio-technischen Wandels muss der Blick auch auf die gezielte Beendigung bestehender Systeme und Strukturen gelenkt werden

Reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assay for rapid detection of canine associated rabies virus in Africa

Rabies is a neglected disease mostly affecting the developing world. Accurate and reliable diagnostic and surveillance data forms the foundation for the formulation and monitoring of control strategies. Although various sensitive and specific tests are available for detection of rabies virus, implementation of these tests in low-resource settings are challenging and remains limited. In this study, we describe the developed of a reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assay for the detection of rabies virus. The analytical sensitivity of this assay was determined to be 562 RNA copies and was performed in 20 minutes. The diagnostic sensitivity of the RT-RPA was 100% for detection of rabies virus in field samples. In conclusion, the RT-RPA assay allowed for very quick and sensitive detection of rabies virus and could be adapted for use in low-source settings.Supporting information: S1 Table. Details of rabies virus sequences used for primer and probe design for the RT-RPA assay.S2 Table. Evaluation of the mismatches between the RT-RPA primer and probe set binding regions to rabies-related lyssaviruses.The South African Research Chair initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation of South Africa and the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation.http://www.plosone.orgpm2020BiochemistryGeneticsMedical VirologyMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Development of a Pan-Filoviridae SYBR green qPCR assay for biosurveillance studies in bats

DATA AVAILABILITY: The data are contained within the article or supplementary materials.SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS : TABLE S1: Publically available sequences used for primer design; SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S1: Synthetic constructs sequences, TABLE S2: SYBR Green qPCR results for field samples.Recent studies have indicated that bats are hosts to diverse filoviruses. Currently, no panfilovirus molecular assays are available that have been evaluated for the detection of all mammalian filoviruses. In this study, a two-step pan-filovirus SYBR Green real-time PCR assay targeting the nucleoprotein gene was developed for filovirus surveillance in bats. Synthetic constructs were designed as representatives of nine filovirus species and used to evaluate the assay. This assay detected all synthetic constructs included with an analytical sensitivity of 3–31.7 copies/reaction and was evaluated against the field collected samples. The assay’s performance was similar to a previously published probe based assay for detecting Ebola- and Marburgvirus. The developed pan-filovirus SYBR Green assay will allow for more affordable and sensitive detection of mammalian filoviruses in bat samples.National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/virusesMedical Virolog

A case study of rabies diagnosis from formalin-fixed brain material

Rabies is caused by several Lyssavirus species, a group of negative sense RNA viruses. Although rabies is preventable, it is often neglected particularly in developing countries in the face of many competing public and veterinary health priorities. Epidemiological information based on laboratory-based surveillance data is critical to adequately strategise control and prevention plans. In this regard the fluorescent antibody test for rabies virus antigen in brain tissues is still considered the basic requirement for laboratory confirmation of animal cases. Occasionally brain tissues from suspected rabid animals are still submitted in formalin, although this has been discouraged for a number of years. Immunohistochemical testing or a modified fluorescent antibody technique can be performed on such samples. However, this method is cumbersome and cannot distinguish between different Lyssavirus species. Owing to RNA degradation in formalin-fixed tissues, conventional RT-PCR methodologies have also been proven to be unreliable. This report is concerned with a rabies case in a domestic dog from an area in South Africa where rabies is not common. Typing of the virus involved was therefore important, but the only available sample was submitted as a formalin-fixed specimen. A real-time RT-PCR method was therefore applied and it was possible to confirmrabies and obtain phylogenetic information that indicated a close relationship between this virus and the canid rabies virus variants from another province (KwaZulu-Natal) in South Africa.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_savet.htmlnf201

Utility of forensic detection of rabies virus in decomposed exhumed dog carcasses

This report describes four suspected rabies cases in domestic dogs that were involved in human exposures. In all these cases, the animals were buried for substantial times before rabies testing was performed. Animal rabies is endemic in South Africa and domestic dogs are the main vector for transmission to humans. Diagnosis of rabies in humans is complicated, and diagnosis in the animal vector can provide circumstantial evidence to support clinical diagnosis of rabies in humans. The gold standard diagnostic method, fluorescent antibody test (FAT), only delivers reliable results when performed on fresh brain material and therefore decomposed samples are rarely submitted for diagnostic testing. Severely decomposed brain material was tested for the presence of rabies virus genomic material using a quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (q-real-time RT-PCR) assay when conventional molecular methods were unsuccessful. This may be a useful tool in the investigation of cases where the opportunity to sample the suspected animals post mortem was forfeited and which would not be possible with conventional testing methodologies because of the decomposition of the material.The National Research Foundation (NRF) (South Africa) grant number UID 66187 and 78566.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201

Utility of forensic detection of rabies virus in decomposed exhumed dog carcasses

This report describes four suspected rabies cases in domestic dogs that were involved in human exposures. In all these cases, the animals were buried for substantial times before rabies testing was performed. Animal rabies is endemic in South Africa and domestic dogs are the main vector for transmission to humans. Diagnosis of rabies in humans is complicated, and diagnosis in the animal vector can provide circumstantial evidence to support clinical diagnosis of rabies in humans. The gold standard diagnostic method, fluorescent antibody test (FAT), only delivers reliable results when performed on fresh brain material and therefore decomposed samples are rarely submitted for diagnostic testing. Severely decomposed brain material was tested for the presence of rabies virus genomic material using a quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (q-real-time RT-PCR) assay when conventional molecular methods were unsuccessful. This may be a useful tool in the investigation of cases where the opportunity to sample the suspected animals post mortem was forfeited and which would not be possible with conventional testing methodologies because of the decomposition of the material.The National Research Foundation (NRF) (South Africa) grant number UID 66187 and 78566.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201