Bushmeat, human impacts and human health in tropical rainforests: The ebola virus case

Viande de brousse, impacts anthropiques et santé humaine dans les forêts tropicales humides : le cas du virus Ebola At a time when more than 5million tonnes of bush meat are harvested annually from tropical forests, and which account for a significant, but unrecorded, share of the gross domestic product of many forest countries, decision makers are encouraged, within conservation and food security policies, to understand the role that wildlife can play in the conservation of ecosystem services. In this article, we present an analysis of the problem, describing the role played by bush meat in human diets, and the health risks linked to the consumption of bush meat, in particular with regard to Ebola disease. The aim is to provide insights on the direction of possible strategies to manage the use of wildlife while meeting the needs of local populations and reducing risks to human health

Interpreting in Sexual and Reproductive Health Consults With Burma Born Refugees Post Settlement: Insights From an Australian Qualitative Study

Interpreters work with health care professionals to overcome language challenges during sexual and reproductive (SRH) health discussions with people from refugee backgrounds. Disclosures of traumatic refugee journeys and sexual assault combined with refugees’ unfamiliarity with Western health concepts and service provision can increase the interpreting challenges. Published literature provides general guidance on working with interpreters in primary care but few studies focus on interpretation in refugee SRH consults. To address this, we explored the challenges faced by providers of refugee services (PRS) during interpreter mediated SRH consultations with Burma born refugees post settlement in Australia. We used qualitative methodology and interviewed 29 PRS involved with migrants from Burma including general practitioners, nurses, interpreters, bilingual social workers, and administrative staff. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis following independent coding by the members of the research team. Key themes were formulated after a consensus discussion. The theme of “interpretation related issues” was identified with six sub-themes including 1) privacy and confidentiality 2) influence of interpreter’s identity 3) gender matching of the interpreter 4) family member vs. professional interpreters 5) telephone vs. face-to-face interpreting 6) setting up the consultation room. When faced with these interpretation related challenges in providing SRH services to people from refugee backgrounds, health care providers combine best practice advice, experience-based knowledge and “mundane creativity” to adapt to the needs of the specific patients. The complexity of interpreted SRH consultations in refugee settings needs to be appreciated in making good judgments when choosing the best way to optimize communication. This paper identifies the critical elements which could be incorporated when making such a judgement. Future research should include the experiences of refugee patients to provide a more comprehensive perspective

Probing the role of chloride in Photosystem II from Thermosynechococcus elongatus by exchanging chloride for iodide

AbstractThe active site for water oxidation in Photosystem II (PSII) goes through five sequential oxidation states (S0 to S4) before O2 is evolved. It consists of a Mn4CaO5 cluster and TyrZ, a redox-active tyrosine residue. Chloride ions have been known for long time to be required for the function of the enzyme. However, X-ray data have shown that they are located about 7Å away from the Mn4CaO5 cluster, a distance that seems too large to be compatible with a direct involvement of chloride in the water splitting chemistry. We have investigated the role of this anion by substituting I− for Cl− in the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus with either Ca2+ or Sr2+ biosynthetically assembled into the Mn4 cluster. The electron transfer steps affected by the exchanges were investigated by time-resolved UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, time-resolved EPR at room temperature and low temperature cw-EPR spectroscopy. In both Ca-PSII and Sr-PSII, the Cl−/I− exchange considerably slowed down the two S3TyrZ•→(S3TyrZ•)′→S0 reactions in which the fast phase, S3TyrZ•→(S3TyrZ•)′, reflects the electrostatically triggered expulsion of one proton from the catalytic center caused by the positive charge near/on TyrZ• and the slow phase corresponds to the S0 and O2 formations and to a second proton release. The t1/2 for S0 formation increased from 1.1ms in Ca/Cl-PSII to ≈6ms in Ca/I-PSII and from 4.8ms in Sr/Cl-PSII to ≈45ms in Sr/I-PSII. In all cases the TyrZ• reduction was the limiting step. The kinetic effects are interpreted by a model in which the Ca2+ binding site and the Cl− binding site, although spatially distant, interact. This interaction is likely mediated by the H-bond and/or water molecules network(s) connecting the Cl− and Ca2+ binding sites by which proton release may be channelled

Residential exposure to motor vehicle emissions and the risk of wheezing among 7-8 year-old schoolchildren: a city-wide cross-sectional study in Nicosia, Cyprus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several studies have reported associations between respiratory outcomes in children and a range of self-reported, administrative or geographical indicators of traffic pollution. First-time investigation into the frequency of asthmatic symptoms among 7-8 year-old Cypriot children in 1999-2000 showed increased prevalence in the capital Nicosia compared to other areas. Geographical differences on an island the size of Cyprus may reflect environmental and/or lifestyle factors. This study investigates the relationship between self-reported symptoms and residential exposure to motor vehicle emissions among Nicosia schoolchildren.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The addresses of children in the metropolitan area of Nicosia who participated in the original survey (N = 1,735) were geo-coded and the level of exposure of each child was assessed using distance- and emission-based indicators (i.e. estimated levels of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emissions due to motor vehicles on main roads around the residence). Odds ratios of wheezing and asthma diagnosis in relation to levels of exposure were estimated in logistic regression models adjusting for person-based factors, co-morbidity and intra-school clustering.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found an increased risk of wheezing at distances less than 50 m from a main road and/or only among those experiencing the highest levels of exposure. The strongest effect estimates were observed when exposure was defined in terms of the cumulative burden at all roads around the residence. Adjusted odds ratios for current wheezing were 2.33 (95% CI 1.27, 4.30) amongst the quartile of participants exposed to the highest levels of PM at all roads 50 m of their residence and 2.14 (95% CI 1.05, 4.35) for NOx, with no effect at intermediate levels of exposure. While the direction of effect was apparent at longer distances, differences were generally not statistically significant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Children experiencing the highest burden of emissions in Nicosia seem to be at a higher risk of reporting asthmatic symptoms. Due to the small number of children residing at close proximity to main roads and lack of evidence of risk at intermediate levels of exposure or longer distances, the observed pattern alone does not explain the generally higher prevalence observed in urban Nicosia compared to other areas.</p