Successful immunization against a parasitic nematode by vaccination with recombinant proteins

AbstractInfection of humans and livestock with parasitic nematodes can have devastating effects on health and production, affecting food security in both developed and developing regions. Despite decades of research, the development of recombinant sub-unit vaccines against these pathogens has been largely unsuccessful. We have developed a strategy to identify protective antigens from Teladorsagia circumcincta, the major pathogen causing parasitic gastroenteritis in small ruminants in temperate regions, by studying IgA responses directed at proteins specific to post-infective larvae. Antigens were also selected on the basis of their potential immunomodulatory role at the host/parasite interface. Recombinant versions of eight molecules identified by immunoproteomics, homology with vaccine candidates in other nematodes and/or with potential immunoregulatory activities, were therefore administered to sheep in a single vaccine formulation. The vaccine was administered three times with Quil A adjuvant and the animals subsequently subjected to a repeated challenge infection designed to mimic field conditions. Levels of protection in the vaccinates were compared to those obtained in sheep administered with Quil A alone. The trial was performed on two occasions. In both trials, vaccinates had significantly lower mean fecal worm egg counts (FWECs) over the sampling period, with a mean reduction in egg output of 70% (Trial 1) and 58% (Trial 2). During the period of peak worm egg shedding, vaccinates shed 92% and 73% fewer eggs than did controls in Trials 1 and 2, respectively. At post mortem, vaccinates had 75% (Trial 1) and 56% (Trial 2) lower adult nematode burdens than the controls. These levels of protection are the highest observed in any system using a nematode recombinant sub-unit vaccine in the definitive ruminant host and indicate that control of parasitic helminths via vaccination with recombinant subunit vaccine cocktails is indeed an alternative option in the face of multi-drug resistance

Environmental footprint analysis of an urban community and its surrounding bioregion

Environmental or ecological' footprints have been widely used as partial indicators of sustainability; specifically of resource consumption and waste absorption transformed in terms of the biologically productive land area required by a population. The environmental footprint of the Unitary Authority of Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) in the South West of England (UK) has been estimated in terms of global hectares (gha) required per capita. BANES has a population of about 184 870 and covers an area of 35 200 ha, of which two-thirds are on green belt' land. The UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath is the principal settlement, but there are also a number of smaller urban communities scattered among its surrounding area (hinterland' or bioregion'). The overall footprint for BANES was estimated to be 3.77 gha per capita (gha/cap), which is well above its biocapacity of 0.67 gha/cap and Earthshare' of 1.80 gha/cap. Direct energy use was found to exhibit the largest footprint component (a 31% share), followed by materials and waste (30%), food and drink (25%), transport (10%) and built land (4%), whereas the water footprint was negligibly small (1/40%) by comparison. Such data provide a baseline for assessing the Council's planning strategies for future development.</p

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRUCTURED ENCOUNTER-GROUP EXPERIENCE AND REPORTED SELF-CONCEPT IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract not availabl

Mapping Active Peatland on Upland Mires Using Remote Sensed Data on Dartmoor, UK: A Methodological Analysis

Investigation of suitable techniques for mapping of peatlands on Dartmoor using remote sensed data has highlighted the variation between and within peatlands which makes their classification challenging. This study found the benefits of using both Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data to identify peatlands, in particular the active sections. LIDAR data provided topographic analysis to pinpoint possible areas of peatland at a landscape scale for further small scale investigation using CASI data. Different techniques were found to be most suitable dependant on whether the site is a valley mire or blanket bog. Soft classification techniques were not used in this study due to their complex nature and the fine spatial resolution of the CASI data limiting the possible number of mixed pixels. Visual analysis was most effective with band ratios for the valley mire while an unsupervised classification of the Near Infra-Red waveband was most effective for blanket bog. This research illustrates the possible methods which could be utilised in a conceptual model for mapping the extent of peatlands at a landscape scale

Environmental (in)justice and 'expert knowledge': the discursive construction of dioxins, 2,4,5-T and human health in New Zealand, 1940 to 2007

This thesis examines the discourses of human health and synthetic chemicals that emerged in New Zealand, focusing specifically on the 1970s dioxin controversy. Dioxins were highly toxic contaminants in the herbicide 2,4,5-T, one of the country’s most widely used agricultural chemicals from 1948 to 1987. The theoretical framework of the thesis is grounded in poststructural notions about power/knowledge and ideas from sociology and science studies that highlight the inevitable uncertainties that surround human exposure to chemicals. Archival material from the Agricultural Chemicals Board and the Department of Health, chemical industry publications and a range of other textual materials were analysed using a discourse methodology that focused on intertextuality. To better understand the discursive construction of dioxins in New Zealand, the role of the chemical industry, government and opposition groups in constructing, resisting and politicising dioxins is described. The thesis reconceptualizes environmental (in)justices as not exclusively local, but as boundless, discursive and socio-historic in character. It also reflects on how resolving contemporary dioxin injustices in New Zealand, themselves the result of historical exposures, are problematically still being approached primarily through a reductionist approach to health and chemicals