Environmental management of Antarctic cruise tourism: Does ship presence affect marine mammal acoustic behavior? A multi-year case study on the acoustic occurrence of Ross and leopard seals in relation to the presence of the German research icebreaker Polarstern

Tourism in Antarctica is increasing, with visitors mostly choosing ship cruises often advertised as “Last chance tourism” taking advantage of increasing climate change awareness. While the existing guidelines for tourist operators are designed to protect this fragile region, many aspects of the local fauna, such as animal distribution and behavior, are still largely unknown due to difficulties studying these species. Without supporting data, it is challenging to design effective measures that minimize negative impacts of cruise ships on the Antarctic environment. A potential negative impact is the anthropogenic underwater noise generated by the vessels visiting the areas. Marine mammals rely on sound for many purposes such as foraging, orientation and reproduction. Ship noise can therefore potentially affect critical life phases of these species. Here we present a case study investigating how vessel acoustic presence affects the vocal behavior and timing of acoustic presence of leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx, LS) and Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii, RS). RS are one of the least studied Antarctic species. Both pinniped spe cies are known to mainly produce underwater sounds during the mating season, presumably to attract mating partners in pack-ice areas. The German research icebreaker Polarstern (PS) annually resupplies Neumayer Station III (NS) - the German Antarctic Research Facility. Its arrival at the pier where cargo is unloaded has been noted to coincide with the onset of pinniped vocal activity in this area. Here, we use passive acoustic data that were recorded close to the pier over a 5-year period to investigate and compare how seal vocal behavior and vocal activity relate to the timing of ship arrival, presence and departure. The seals’ behavior over the relatively short analysis period of 5 years was complex due to their natural calling variation within life phases (before, during and after mating season). Thus, interpretation was not always straightforward. The arrival timing of the PS had an effect on RS, which delayed their appearance in 2010 and 2011 coinciding with the anticipated arrival of the ice-breaker. However, once arrived, both species showed no avoidance behavior and calling times remained unchanged despite PS. LS and RS calling activity decreased significantly during PS presence, but tended to recover instantly post PS departure. It is therefore unlikely that the animals left the area completely and decrease in calling may instead be related to masking. However, further research is needed to further explore what caused the decrease in calling. Both LS and RS seemed to use higher frequency call types during PS presence. The seals’ arrival times are also affected by prevailing ice conditions and associated food distribution. LS arrival time differed within the 5 years, whereas the RS arrived slightly earlier each year. The marine soundscape planning approach was applied to explore how ship arrivals can be timed to minimize potential disturbances. Ship quietening techniques and reduced ship speeds can also contribute to reduced underwater noise levels. Lastly, stricter legislative measures are needed to regulate which regions during which periods can be used for tourism

Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) Cell Line-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Contain HERV-W-Encoded Fusogenic Syncytin-1

Non peer reviewe

Abordagens para o desenvolvimento e design de sistemas de serviço: uma análise comparativa dos métodos de design e sua relação com o escopo de serviços

In the last three decades Western countries have experienced a shift in their economic base, traditionally manufacturing and industrial, to an information era predominantly supported by the provision of services. However, this rapid change in the market has not been accompanied by the development of methods and techniques to service design. The few existing approaches emerge primarily from the 90s and among them we highlight “New Service Development”, “Service Engineering”, and “Service Design” (Bullinger et al., 2003; Pezzotta and Cavalieri, 2012; Meiren and Ganz, 2010). This article proposes (i) to determine the content advocated by these approaches in order to contribute to the design exercise, and (ii) to evaluate the contexts for applications of these approaches due to different service types - from the traditional and standardized services to the customized ones which are intensive in contact with the user.Keywords: service systems, service design, service engineering, new service development.Nas últimas três décadas, os países ocidentais vêm experimentando uma mudança na sua base econômica, tradicionalmente manufatureira e industrial, para uma era informacional predominantemente sustentada pela prestação de serviços. No entanto, essa rápida mudança no mercado não foi acompanhada pelo desenvolvimento de métodos e/ou técnicas para o projeto de novos serviços (Tatikonda e Zeithaml, 2002). As poucas abordagens existentes emergem basicamente a partir dos anos 90 e, dentre elas, destacam-se o “Desenvolvimento de Novos Serviços” (New Service Development), a “Engenharia de Serviços” (Service Engineering), e o “Design de Serviços” (Service Design) (Bullinger et al., 2003; Cavalieri e Pezzotta, 2012; Ganz e Meiren, 2010). Propõe-se (i) averiguar o conteúdo defendido por estas abordagens no intuito de contribuir para o exercício projetual, e (ii) analisar os contextos para aplicação dessas abordagens segundo as diferentes características dos serviços – dos mais padronizados aos mais customizados e intensivos em contato com o usuário.Palavras-chave: sistemas de serviço, design de serviços, engenharia de serviços, desenvolvimento de novos serviços

Abordagens para o desenvolvimento e design de sistemas de serviço: uma análise comparativa dos métodos de design e sua relação com o escopo de serviços

In the last three decades Western countries have experienced a shift in their economic base, traditionally manufacturing and industrial, to an information era predominantly supported by the provision of services. However, this rapid change in the market has not been accompanied by the development of methods and techniques to service design. The few existing approaches emerge primarily from the 90s and among them we highlight “New Service Development”, “Service Engineering”, and “Service Design” (Bullinger et al., 2003; Pezzotta and Cavalieri, 2012; Meiren and Ganz, 2010). This article proposes (i) to determine the content advocated by these approaches in order to contribute to the design exercise, and (ii) to evaluate the contexts for applications of these approaches due to different service types - from the traditional and standardized services to the customized ones which are intensive in contact with the user.Keywords: service systems, service design, service engineering, new service development.Nas últimas três décadas, os países ocidentais vêm experimentando uma mudança na sua base econômica, tradicionalmente manufatureira e industrial, para uma era informacional predominantemente sustentada pela prestação de serviços. No entanto, essa rápida mudança no mercado não foi acompanhada pelo desenvolvimento de métodos e/ou técnicas para o projeto de novos serviços (Tatikonda e Zeithaml, 2002). As poucas abordagens existentes emergem basicamente a partir dos anos 90 e, dentre elas, destacam-se o “Desenvolvimento de Novos Serviços” (New Service Development), a “Engenharia de Serviços” (Service Engineering), e o “Design de Serviços” (Service Design) (Bullinger et al., 2003; Cavalieri e Pezzotta, 2012; Ganz e Meiren, 2010). Propõe-se (i) averiguar o conteúdo defendido por estas abordagens no intuito de contribuir para o exercício projetual, e (ii) analisar os contextos para aplicação dessas abordagens segundo as diferentes características dos serviços – dos mais padronizados aos mais customizados e intensivos em contato com o usuário.Palavras-chave: sistemas de serviço, design de serviços, engenharia de serviços, desenvolvimento de novos serviços

Phenotypic characteristics, healthcare use, and treatment in children with night cough compared with children with wheeze.

OBJECTIVES Population-based studies of children with dry night cough alone compared with those who also wheeze are few and inconclusive. We compared how children with dry night cough differ from those who wheeze. METHODS LuftiBus in the school is a population-based study of schoolchildren conducted between 2013 and 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. We divided children into four mutually exclusive groups based on reported dry night cough (henceforth referred as "cough") and wheeze and compared parent-reported symptoms, comorbidities, exposures, FeNO, spirometry, and healthcare use and treatment. RESULTS Among 3457 schoolchildren aged 6-17 years, 294 (9%) reported "cough," 181 (5%) reported "wheeze," 100 (3%) reported "wheeze and cough," and 2882 (83%) were "asymptomatic." Adjusting for confounders in a multinomial regression, children with "cough" reported more frequent colds, rhinitis, and snoring than "asymptomatic" children; children with "wheeze" or "wheeze and cough" more often reported hay fever, eczema, and parental histories of asthma. FeNO and spirometry were similar among "asymptomatic" and children with "cough," while children with "wheeze" or "wheeze and cough" had higher FeNO and evidence of bronchial obstruction. Children with "cough" used healthcare less often than those with "wheeze," and they attended mainly primary care. Twenty-two children (7% of those with "cough") reported a physician diagnosis of asthma and used inhalers. These had similar characteristics as children with wheeze. CONCLUSION Our representative population-based study confirms that children with dry night cough without wheeze clearly differed from those with wheeze. This suggests asthma is unlikely, and they should be investigated for alternative aetiologies, particularly upper airway disease

Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxin ExoU induces a PAF-dependent impairment of alveolar fibrin turnover secondary to enhanced activation of coagulation and increased expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in the course of mice pneumosepsis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>ExoU, a <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>cytotoxin with phospholipase A₂activity, was shown to induce vascular hyperpermeability and thrombus formation in a murine model of pneumosepsis. In this study, we investigated the toxin ability to induce alterations in pulmonary fibrinolysis and the contribution of the platelet activating factor (PAF) in the ExoU-induced overexpression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mice were intratracheally instilled with the ExoU producing PA103 <it>P. aeruginosa </it>or its mutant with deletion of the <it>exoU </it>gene. After 24 h, animal bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) were analyzed and lung sections were submitted to fibrin and PAI-1 immunohistochemical localization. Supernatants from A549 airway epithelial cells and THP-1 macrophage cultures infected with both bacterial strains were also analyzed at 24 h post-infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In PA103-infected mice, but not in control animals or in mice infected with the bacterial mutant, extensive fibrin deposition was detected in lung parenchyma and microvasculature whereas mice BALF exhibited elevated tissue factor-dependent procoagulant activity and PAI-1 concentration. ExoU-triggered PAI-1 overexpression was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. In <it>in vitro </it>assays, PA103-infected A549 cells exhibited overexpression of PAI-1 mRNA. Increased concentration of PAI-1 protein was detected in both A549 and THP-1 culture supernatants. Mice treatment with a PAF antagonist prior to PA103 infection reduced significantly PAI-1 concentrations in mice BALF. Similarly, A549 cell treatment with an antibody against PAF receptor significantly reduced PAI-1 mRNA expression and PAI-1 concentrations in cell supernatants, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ExoU was shown to induce disturbed fibrin turnover, secondary to enhanced procoagulant and antifibrinolytic activity during <it>P. aeruginosa </it>pneumosepsis, by a PAF-dependent mechanism. Besides its possible pathophysiological relevance, <it>in vitro </it>detection of e<it>xoU </it>gene in bacterial clinical isolates warrants investigation as a predictor of outcome of patients with <it>P. aeruginosa </it>pneumonia/sepsis and as a marker to guide treatment strategies.</p

Phenotypic characteristics, healthcare use, and treatment in children with night cough compared with children with wheeze

Objectives: Population‐based studies of children with dry night cough alone compared with those who also wheeze are few and inconclusive. We compared how children with dry night cough differ from those who wheeze. Methods: LuftiBus in the school is a population‐based study of schoolchildren conducted between 2013 and 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. We divided children into four mutually exclusive groups based on reported dry night cough (henceforth referred as “cough”) and wheeze and compared parent‐reported symptoms, comorbidities, exposures, FeNO, spirometry, and healthcare use and treatment. Results: Among 3457 schoolchildren aged 6–17 years, 294 (9%) reported “cough,” 181 (5%) reported “wheeze,” 100 (3%) reported “wheeze and cough,” and 2882 (83%) were “asymptomatic.” Adjusting for confounders in a multinomial regression, children with “cough” reported more frequent colds, rhinitis, and snoring than “asymptomatic” children; children with “wheeze” or “wheeze and cough” more often reported hay fever, eczema, and parental histories of asthma. FeNO and spirometry were similar among “asymptomatic” and children with “cough,” while children with “wheeze” or “wheeze and cough” had higher FeNO and evidence of bronchial obstruction. Children with “cough” used healthcare less often than those with “wheeze,” and they attended mainly primary care. Twenty‐two children (7% of those with “cough”) reported a physician diagnosis of asthma and used inhalers. These had similar characteristics as children with wheeze. Conclusion: Our representative population‐based study confirms that children with dry night cough without wheeze clearly differed from those with wheeze. This suggests asthma is unlikely, and they should be investigated for alternative aetiologies, particularly upper airway disease

Prevalence of childhood cough in epidemiological studies depends on the question used: findings from two population-based studies.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies use different questions to assess recurrent cough in children. In two independent population-based studies, we assessed how prevalence estimates of cough vary depending on the questions parents are asked about their child's cough and how answers to the different questions overlap. METHODS We analysed cross-sectional data from two population-based studies on respiratory health: LuftiBus in the School (LUIS), conducted in 2013-2016 among 6- to 17-year-school children in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, and the 1998 Leicester Respiratory Cohort (LRC) study, UK where we used data from 6- to 8-year-old children from the 2003 follow-up survey. Both studies used parental questionnaires that included the same three questions on the child's cough, namely cough without a cold, dry cough at night and coughing more than others. We assessed how the prevalence of cough varied depending on the question and how answers to the different questions on cough overlapped. We also assessed how results were influenced by age, sex, presence of wheeze and parental education. RESULTS We included 3457 children aged 6-17 years from LUIS and 2100 children aged 6-8 years from LRC. All respiratory outcomes - cough, wheeze and physician-diagnosed asthma - were reported twice as often in the LRC as in LUIS. We found large differences in the prevalence of parent-reported cough between the three cough questions. In LUIS, 880 (25%) parents reported cough without a cold, 394 (11%) dry night cough, and 159 (5%) reported that their child coughed more than other children. In the LRC, these numbers were 1003 (48%), 527 (25%) and 227 (11%). There was only partial overlap of answers, with 89 (3%) answering yes to all questions in LUIS and 168 (8%) in LRC. Prevalence of all types of cough and overlap between the cough questions was higher in children with current wheeze. CONCLUSION In both population-based studies prevalence estimates of cough depended strongly on the question used to assess cough with only partial overlap of responses to different questions. Epidemiological studies on cough can only be compared if they used exactly the same questions for cough

Febre Amarela: orientações de enfermagem à saúde dos viajantes em unidades básicas de saúde.

Estudo qualitativo, exploratório-descritivo, com objetivo de investigar as práticas de enfermagem para a orientação à saúde dos viajantes, tendo-se coletado dados junto a profissionais de enfermagem que atuam no setor de imunização de três Unidades Básicas de Saúde em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, utilizando-se a técnica de entrevista semiestruturada. Da análise de conteúdo emergiram cinco categorias: perfil de atendimento, orientação à saúde, encaminhamentos para troca do Cartão Nacional de Vacinação pelo Certificado Internacional de Vacinação, fonte de informações e material informativo. Os resultados sinalizam o início de uma organização das práticas de enfermagem voltadas para a saúde dos viajantes, indo além do enfoque na febre amarela. Falhas nas orientações para aquisição do Certificado Internacional de Vacinação ainda ocorrem e faltam materiais informativos. Apontase a necessidade de ampliar as discussões sobre a saúde dos viajantes para uma revisão das estratégias de organização desse cuidado e encaminhamentos para a construção de uma política específica