Opportunities and challenges for modelling epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics in a multihost, multiparasite system: Zoonotic hybrid schistosomiasis in West Africa

Multihost multiparasite systems are evolutionarily and ecologically dynamic, which presents substantial trans‐disciplinary challenges for elucidating their epidemiology and designing appropriate control. Evidence for hybridizations and introgressions between parasite species is gathering, in part in line with improvements in molecular diagnostics and genome sequencing. One major system where this is becoming apparent is within the Genus Schistosoma, where schistosomiasis represents a disease of considerable medical and veterinary importance, the greatest burden of which occurs in sub‐Saharan Africa. Interspecific hybridizations and introgressions bring an increased level of complexity over and above that already inherent within multihost, multiparasite systems, also representing an additional source of genetic variation that can drive evolution. This has the potential for profound implications for the control of parasitic diseases, including, but not exclusive to, widening host range, increased transmission potential and altered responses to drug therapy. Here, we present the challenging case example of haematobium group Schistosoma spp. hybrids in West Africa, a system involving multiple interacting parasites and multiple definitive hosts, in a region where zoonotic reservoirs of schistosomiasis were not previously considered to be of importance. We consider how existing mathematical model frameworks for schistosome transmission could be expanded and adapted to zoonotic hybrid systems, exploring how such model frameworks can utilize molecular and epidemiological data, as well as the complexities and challenges this presents. We also highlight the opportunities and value such mathematical models could bring to this and a range of similar multihost, multi and cross‐hybridizing parasites systems in our changing world

Altered Behaviour: The Performative Nature of Manufacture Chainsaw Choreographies + Bandsaw Manoeuvres

This paper explores the ventures of the Robotic Fabrications AA Visiting School. Cultivating and implementing radical and innovative modes of architectural fabrication, we borrow from neighbouring creative fields such as choreography, performance and martial arts - efficient code being infected with an exciting spatial complexity and positing an artistic engagement within the world of physical production

Gum Arabic promotes oxidation and ester hydrolysis

We studied the interactions between gum Arabic and select catecholic compounds like caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and catechol. We observed that GA is capable of promoting the auto-oxidation of the above-mentioned compounds into darkly colored pigments without the addition of redox-sensitive cations. Gum Arabic appeared to be unique among polysaccharide-based materials as many other types of polysaccharides promote the oxidation of the above-mentioned compounds only in the presence of redox cations like Fe2+ or Cu2+. RP-HPLC and SEC chromatographic techniques were employed to monitor the reactions and to observe the formation of high molecular mass, pigmented materials from gum Arabic and all three catecholic compounds. FT-IR spectroscopic analysis revealed that, despite their darkly colored appearances, the gum Arabic/pigment materials synthesized contain mostly gum Arabic and very little pigment. As chlorogenic acid is an ester of caffeic acid, we studied the capacity of gum Arabic to promote ester hydrolysis using acetylsalicylic acid as the model compound. We observed that gum Arabic did promote the hydrolysis of acetylsalicylic acid into salicylic acid. However, in all our experiments involving the pigment formation between gum Arabic and chlorogenic acid, we did not observe any evidence that chlorogenic acid was hydrolyzed leading to the release of caffeic acid during these reactions. In addition, we observed that heat treatment of gum Arabic did not affect its pro-oxidizing capability, but it did negatively affect its capability to hydrolyze salicylic acid. Thus, these two types of chemical reactivity present in the gum Arabic material may be associated with different components of the gum Arabic material

Design and Implementation of an Open Source Indexing Solution for a Large Set of Radiological Reports and Images

This paper hopes to share the insights we experienced during designing, building, and running an indexing solution for a large set of radiological reports and images in a production environment for more than 3 years. Several technical challenges were encountered and solved in the course of this project. One hundred four million words in 1.8 million radiological reports from 1989 to the present were indexed and became instantaneously searchable in a user-friendly fashion; the median query duration is only 31 ms. Currently, our highly tuned index holds 332,088 unique words in four languages. The indexing system is feature-rich and language-independent and allows for making complex queries. For research and training purposes it certainly is a valuable and convenient addition to our radiology informatics toolbox. Extended use of open-source technology dramatically reduced both implementation time and cost. All software we developed related to the indexing project has been made available to the open-source community covered by an unrestricted Berkeley Software Distribution-style license

Stilling basin optimization for a combined inlet-outlet sluice in the framework of the Sigmaplan

Within the framework of the so-called Actualised Sigmaplan, i.e. the masterplan to create a sustainable Schelde estuary, flood control areas (FCA) are setup in well-chosen polders along the tidal part of the river Scheldeand its tributaries. In some of these FCAs a semi-diurnal, controlled reduced tide (CRT) is introduced, by means of simple inlet and outlet sluices. Nowadays, it is preferred to combine in- let and outlet sluices in one single structure, in which the inlet culverts are situated on top of the outlet culverts. At inflow, energy is dissipated by means of a vertical drop and a stilling basin. In this paper, results are presented of a physical model study (scale 1:8) aiming at the optimization of the inlet configuration, i.e. the stilling basin, starting from the desktop design of the in- and outlet construction for FCACRT Bergenmeersen