Factors Affecting Helminth Abundances in Synanthropic Rodents of an Urban Environment

Background:Current levels of urbanization cause changes in the ecology of hosts, the pathogens, or both, promoting the proliferation of zoonotic diseases. Rodents are a good biological model for the development of pathogen transmission models because it presence is often related to a none-adequate environmental management.Objective:The main goal of this paper was to study the changes in the abundance of helminth populations in synanthropic rodents of an urban landscape.Methods:A total of 92 R. norvegicus and 65 M. musculus were captured in the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and were screened for parasites. The variations in helminth abundances were studied at host population scale to determine the factors, such as the type of environment, meteorological conditions and demographic parameters of the hosts, which have an effect on helminth infection rates.Results:Parasites with intermediate hosts or free living larval stages in their life cycle were the most affected. It was found how rodents? use of the habitats in the different urban environments has an effect on the helminth infection levels. Besides, the importance of season on helminth abundance was determined, suggesting that climatic conditions are crucial for parasite survival and transmission.Conclusion:This information is relevant because it not only allows us to deepen the ecological dynamics of parasites in urban rodents, but also shows that environmental conditions are determinants for the persistence of helminth populations in a city.Fil: Hancke, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Suarez, Olga Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Big shifts: lessons from the 1980s for the labour market after Covid-19

The economy-wide restructuring that set in after the crisis of the 1970s harbours some important lessons for the imminent post-Covid world, Bob Hancké argues. Many industrial sectors that provided working class families with stable incomes disappeared, taking the life chances of those left behind with them. But that did not happen everywhere and understanding the origins and consequences of the different adjustment paths can help avoid a second generation of losers from economic restructuring

Goodhart’s law and the dark side of herd immunity

Herd immunity is often held up as a solution to the COVID-19 crisis. Bob Hancké (LSE) argues that it is a dangerous solution, and morally rejectable – in large part because it is a special instance of Goodhart’s law, undermining the very goal it purports to achieve. Herd immunity is not only technically flawed, as many medical experts argue, but also epistemologically wrong in the case of COVID-19

The UK and the EU: another two-level game

The prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU look increasingly bleak following talks between EU leaders on 15 October. Bob Hancké attempts to make sense of the negotiations

The effect of sodium valproate in Cushing's disease, Nelson's syndrome and Addison's disease

We investigated the effect of sodium valproate on plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations in different pathological states of ACTH hypersecretion. Five patients with pituitary dependent Cushing's syndrome, two patients with Nelson's syndrome and five patients with Addison's disease were studied. Neither a single dose nor long term administration of sodium valproate resulted in a significant decrease of plasma ACTH levels in patients with Cushing's disease and Nelson's syndrome. Furthermore, the response of ACTH and cortisol to stimulation with lysine-vasopressin was unaffected during acute and chronic treatment. Patients with Addison's disease showed a slight attenuation of the ACTH response to lysine-vasopressin as compared to placebo but the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion: sodium valproate does not appear to be effective in controlling ACTH hypersecretion in pituitary dependent Cushing's syndrome

Eenvoudige (Nie-spesifieke) UIserasie van die Kolon

The formation of a simple (non-specific) ulcer of the colon by rupture of an inflammatory haematoma of the wall is described. The cause of the underlying inflammation is obscure. Five new cases are described presenting variously as acute appendicitis, massive haemorrhage, or low intestinal obstruction.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 915 (1974)

God’s Missional People: Reflecting God’s Love in the Midst of Suffering and Affliction

The title of this article reflects a deep and personal conviction founded on the belief that a major solution to lessen the suffering of people living in poverty and in the midst of pandemics such as AIDS, lies within the body of Christ. The focus therefore is on God’s people being called to participate in God’s mission in God’s world. Reflecting on those people, his church, in which he is incarnating himself through his Holy Spirit in an extraordinary and empowering way in order for them to reflect his love on the highways and byways of life – to transform the lives and circumstances of people in order for him to receive glory and honour. The title of this article clearly indicates a fundamental characteristic of God’s people – they are being sent to participate in his mission (missio Dei)

Nonhypnotic low-dose etomidate for rapid correction of hypercortisolaemia in cushing's syndrome

We determined the adrenostatic potential of low-dose nonhypnotic etomidate in six patients with Cushing's syndrome (ectopic Cushing's syndrome,n=2; Cushing's disease,n=3; bilateral adrenal adenoma,n=1). Etomidate was given as a continuous infusion for 32 h in a dose of 2.5 mg/h (n=5) or 0.3 mg/kg/h (n=3), respectively. Saline was given during a control period. The responsiveness to exogenous ACTH was studied during placebo and 7 and 31 h after commencing etomidate by administration of 250 µg 1–24 ACTH i.v. Etomidate (2.5 mg/h) led to a consistent decrease in serum cortisol in all patients from a mean of 39.4±13.3 to 21.1±5.7 µg/dl after 7 h (P<0.05 compared with placebo). After 24 h cortisol was reduced further to a mean steady state concentration of 12.3±5.7 µg/dl (P<0.05). At the end of the infusion period the cortisol increase in response to ACTH was reduced but not abolished. In contrast, a dose of 0.3 mg/kg/h etomidate induced unresponsiveness of serum cortisol to exogenous ACTH within 7 h. However, sedation was observed in two out of three patients at this dose, while during etomidate in a dose of 2.5 mg/h no side effects were seen. We conclude that low-dose non-hypnotic etomidate reduces serum cortisol to within the normal range in patients with Cushing's syndrome. The possibility to dissociate the adrenostatic effect of etomidate from its hypnotic action, the absence of side effects, and the i.v. route suggest that etomidate in a dose of 0.04–0.05 mg/kg/h may become the drug of choice for rapid initial control of hypercortisolism

The Need for a Better Understanding of the Transmission of Cryptosporidium in Urban Areas

Cryptosporidium is an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects the small intestine causing damage to the intestinal epithelium and disrupts absorption and barrier function, leading to mild-to-severe diarrhea [1]. Cryptosporidium has a worldwide distribution infecting humans and animals but in low and middle income countries, cryptosporidiosis is much more prevalent [2]. However, the burden of this parasitosis is underrated. According to Khalil et al (2018), Cryptosporidium infection was the fifth leading cause of diarrheal mortality in children younger than 5 years in 2016 and the estimation of the burden of Cryptosporidium is 2.5 times higher than previously reported by accounting childhood health beyond acute illness by decreasing growth. In addition, the co-infection of Cryptosporidium with other intestinal pathogens and respiratory cryptosporidiosis are other neglected topics [3]. There is currently no vaccine available, and the only approved treatment, the drug nitazoxanide, is not highly effective in immunocompromised individuals [4].Fil: Hancke, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Suarez, Olga Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentin