Aspects of the ecology of Ixodes ticks and Borelia burgdorferi at Loch Lomond

With increasing concern being expressed with regard to the disease, Lyme borreliosis, throughout the UK but particularly among those working in rural Scotland, this project was set up to explore the ecology of the causative bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi in Scotland. The aim was to identify aspects of the ecology which would be amenable to control, thereby reducing the prevalence of the disease in Scotland. A review of the literature established that the bacteria was transmitted in the UK by the tick vector Ixodes ricinus. Its animal hosts remained unknown but small mammals appeared to be the most likely candidates. Deer and birds were also possible reservoir species. The prevalence of the disease would therefore depend upon the size and behaviour of the vector population and the animal reservoir. Control of either may offer control over the disease. This study explored ways of quantifying tick populations and at factors affecting them. It showed for the first time that repeatedly dragging a blanket over the same piece of ground could lead to absolute measurements of population size. It also showed that ticks were more prevalent among the deep blaeberry bush vaccinia myrtilum than in the grass and leaf litter. Tick distribution was also shown to be patchy throughout the woodland. Host studies revealed large numbers of tick to be present on both birds and small mammals. These were nearly all Ixodes ricinus. Small mammal population sizes were measured using mark and recapture methods and bird population measurements carried out previously were used. The role of birds and mammals as tick hosts was then calculated. It was concluded that birds feed up to 10% and that small mammals feed up to 40% of the larval stage of the tick. Neither groups feed a significant number of older stages. Deer probably feed the majority of the remainder of ticks. However, it is noted that with these figures, small mammals could still be the most important animal reservoirs. Immunofluorescence was carried out on some of the ticks. Results were equivocal but supported findings elsewhere showing that B. burgdorferi is ubiquitous throughout tick infested areas of the UK. Lastly this study demonstrated the importance of ticks as potential parasites and vectors in Scotland and that for the sake of conservationists, farmers and tourists, their ecology needs further investigation

A sensorimotor control framework for understanding emotional communication and regulation

JHGW and CFH are supported by the Northwood Trust. TEVR was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (1088785). RP and MW were supported by the the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Cognition and its Disorders (CE110001021)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Human Affectome

Over the last decades, the interdisciplinary field of the affective sciences has seen proliferation rather than integration of theoretical perspectives. This is due to differences in metaphysical and mechanistic assumptions about human affective phenomena (what they are and how they work) which, shaped by academic motivations and values, have determined the affective constructs and operationalizations. An assumption on the purpose of affective phenomena can be used as a teleological principle to guide the construction of a common set of metaphysical and mechanistic assumptions—a framework for human affective research. In this capstone paper for the special issue “Towards an Integrated Understanding of the Human Affectome”, we gather the tiered purpose of human affective phenomena to synthesize assumptions that account for human affective phenomena collectively. This teleologically-grounded framework offers a principled agenda and launchpad for both organizing existing perspectives and generating new ones. Ultimately, we hope Human Affectome brings us a step closer to not only an integrated understanding of human affective phenomena, but an integrated field for affective research

Exploring the cost-effectiveness of high versus low perioperative fraction of inspired oxygen in the prevention of surgical site infections among abdominal surgery patients in three low- and middle-income countries

Background: This study assessed the potential cost-effectiveness of high (80–100%) vs low (21–35%) fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) at preventing surgical site infections (SSIs) after abdominal surgery in Nigeria, India, and South Africa. Methods: Decision-analytic models were constructed using best available evidence sourced from unbundled data of an ongoing pilot trial assessing the effectiveness of high FiO2, published literature, and a cost survey in Nigeria, India, and South Africa. Effectiveness was measured as percentage of SSIs at 30 days after surgery, a healthcare perspective was adopted, and costs were reported in US dollars ($). Results: High FiO2 may be cost-effective (cheaper and effective). In Nigeria, the average cost for high FiO2 was$216 compared with $222 for low FiO2 leading to a −$6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: −$13 to −$1) difference in costs. In India, the average cost for high FiO2 was $184 compared with$195 for low FiO2 leading to a −$11 (95$15 to −$6) difference in costs. In South Africa, the average cost for high FiO2 was$1164 compared with $1257 for low FiO2 leading to a −$93 (95% CI: −$132 to −$65) difference in costs. The high FiO2 arm had few SSIs, 7.33% compared with 8.38% for low FiO2, leading to a −1.05 (95% CI: −1.14 to −0.90) percentage point reduction in SSIs. Conclusion: High FiO2 could be cost-effective at preventing SSIs in the three countries but further data from large clinical trials are required to confirm this