Comparative and Functional Genomic Analysis of <i>Streptococcus Equi</i> and <i>Streptococcus Zooepidemicus</i> : Identifying Novel Vaccine Targets

Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) is a host-restricted pathogen of horses and the aetiological agent of strangles. Available evidence suggests that S. equi evolved from Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), a versatile bacterium that is often isolated from the equine respiratory tract, but can cause opportunistic disease in horses and other animals. A comparison of the genomes of S. equi 4047 and S. zooepidemicus H70 and the screening of diverse S. equi and S. zooepidemicus strains uncovered the genetic events that have shaped the evolution of S. equi, and led to its emergence as a niche-adapted pathogen. This analysis provides evidence of functional loss, changes in the organisation and sequence of genes, and pathogenic specialisation through the acquisition of prophage encoding a phospholipase A2 toxin, and 4 superantigens, and an integrative conjugative element carrying a novel siderophore-like nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) system. The NRPS shares similarity with the yersiniabactin system found in the high pathogenicity island of Yersinia pestis and is the first of its kind to be identified in streptococci. As this genetic feature is absent from the S. zooepidemicus population, its gain is considered to have been a key event in the emergence of S. equi. Further work determined a role for the NRPS in iron acquisition, and through its heterologous reconstitution in Escherichia coli and/or the analysis of allelic replacement mutants in S. equi, identified biosynthetic genes, transporters involved in efflux and import of the NRPS product(s), salicylate as a substrate for the NRPS and its regulation by a novel iron-dependent IdeR-like repressor, using various in vitro growth assays, including sensitivity to streptonigrin and 55Fe accumulation. Possible vaccine targets were identified in both subspecies and existing diagnostic tools were improved, which included the development of a quantitative PCR test for the detection of S. equi

Evolution of a Theory: How Measurement Has Shaped Ayres Sensory Integration

The body of scientific inquiry developed by A. Jean Ayres is deeply rooted in systematic and methodical measurement, and her work marked the first effort by an occupational therapist to build a theory for clinical application with an evidence-based approach

Understanding Ayres\u27 Sensory Integration

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants rely on knowledge and skills to guide their intervention planning as they help clients who are experiencing difficulties with engaging in occupation. Sensory integration theory, with its rich history grounded in the science of human growth and development, offers occupational therapy practitioners specific intervention strategies to remediate the underlying sensory issues that affect functional performance. This article articulates the core principles of sensory integration as originally developed by Dr. A. Jean Ayres, explains the rationale for developing a trademark specifically linked to these core principles, and identifies the impact that this trademark can have on practice

The Baby Box Scheme in Scotland : A Study of Public Attitudes and Social Value

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are very grateful to NHS Grampian Endowments Fund for supporting our study and to focus group participants for sharing their experiences generously and candidly. This study was supported by NHS Grampian Endowments Fund (project number RG15059‐10: 18/06: Title: Baby Boxes and Parental Capabilities: Developing a Measure of Social Benefit).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

COVID-19: The environmental implications of shedding SARS-CoV-2 in human faeces

First paragraph: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is having significant public health repercussions, with a global response to limit the predicted mortality associated with this outbreak. The virus, ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2’ (SARS-CoV-2), is a respiratory virus disseminated though droplets from coughs and sneezes from an infected person or from fomites (Hellewell et al., 2020). Therefore, many countries have put ‘social distancing’ measures in place to reduce person-to-person spread of the disease. However, recently it has been confirmed that infectious virions can also be present in human faeces (Ling et al., 2020), and there are reports that viral RNA can be persistently shed in faeces for a maximum of 33 days after the patient has tested negative for respiratory viral RNA (Wu et al 2020). Although it remains unclear whether SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted via the faecal-oral route (Xu et al., 2020), viral shedding from the digestive system can last longer than shedding from the respiratory tract. As such, faecal-oral transmission may be an important, but as yet unquantified, pathway for increased exposure during the current outbreak (Wu et al., 2020). Therefore, safely managing faecal wastes from infected, recovering and recovered patients poses a significant nosocomial challenge. For example, during the SARS outbreak of 2002–2003, the closely related SARS-CoV-1 was detected in sewage discharged by two hospitals (Wang et al., 2005), which emphasises the care needed when handling such faecal wastes. However, these challenges are not limited to hospital wastes, as it has been predicted that most of the population will experience only mild symptoms of COVID 19 and convalesce at home, whilst others, including children, can carry the virus asymptomatically, and are still capable of shedding the virus in their faeces (Kam et al., 2020, Tang et al., 2020). This means that the virus could soon become widespread throughout wastewater systems (Naddeo and Liu, 2020). Whilst a lack of testing for the majority of the population makes it difficult to predict the spatially-distributed volume of potentially infectious faeces delivered through the sewerage infrastructure to wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), wastewater surveillance may be a useful tool to indicate where the virus is circulating in the human population (Lodder and de Roda Husman, 2020). However, whilst knowingly infected individuals can take steps to increase their level of hygiene, asymptomatic carriers do not change their behaviour, and can anonymously spread enteric pathogens within the community (Quilliam et al., 2013)

Impact of a Training Programme on Police Attitudes Towards Victims of Rape: a Randomised Controlled Trial

Funder: University of Cambridge Abstract Research Question Does an in-service training programme designed to address the attitudes of student officers, uniformed response officers and specialist rape crime investigators towards victims of rape change their perspective on adult victims, both male and female, who report rape offences? Data Police officers from four separate policing roles completed questionnaires designed to measure their attitudes towards victims of rape. The questions were already validated and used four specific subscales: ‘Asked for it’, ‘Didn’t mean to’, ‘It wasn’t really rape’ and ‘S/he lied’. Two questionnaires, one focused on male victims and one on females, were administered at different points in time. Methods This randomised controlled trial used a block design, randomly assigning eligible police officers to treatment and control conditions within each of four groups. Participants were grouped as rape detectives (N = 40), uniformed response officers in urban areas (N = 50); uniformed response officers in rural areas (N = 50) and student officers (N = 53). Officers in the treatment condition undertook a bespoke training programme, based on an online College of Policing e-learning programme, enhanced with audio and video content, discussion groups and short online webinar sessions delivered by a psychologist specialising in sexual offending. Both groups were surveyed before and after the treatment group was trained. Findings The training programme resulted in positive attitude changes towards male and female rape victims when responses are combined across all four police groups (but not within all groups separately) compared with the attitudes of those who did not undertake the training. Effects were found for both levels of rape myth acceptance and assessment of victim credibility. The effect was largest for the subscales ‘S/he lied’ and ‘it wasn’t really rape’. Training had more effect on attitudes towards female victims than towards males and more effect on uniformed response officers than on other categories of officers. Conclusion The use of this mixed online webinar and in-person discussion group training delivery was effective in changing attitudes towards rape victims on issues relating to the treatment of people who report being raped. </jats:sec

Bushcraft Education as Radical Pedagogy

Bushcraft emerged from indigenous knowledge with a skill-base used for military, commercial and recreational purposes. We identify it as embodied contextual learning, for and with the environment, arising from a deep inter-subjective relationship with the natural world. This focus suggests a ‘conscientization’ developing a critical awareness, transformative of society’s relationship with ecosystems and providing autonomous, individual learning. Bushcraft education has gained in popularity in recent years and we seek to problematise and define its educational identity as it appears rarely in mainstream or outdoor education. Accordingly, we suggest that bushcraft education shares some of the aims of radical education, signalled by the transformative purpose in which radical pedagogies are positioned, normally situated outside mainstream formal education. We conclude that bushcraft education may have global significance as radical pedagogy, progressing deeper understandings of the relationship between self and nature, and in transdisciplinary thinking supporting our response to current environmental crises

Does Liver Transplantation in the Rat Cause a Regenerative Response

This study was conducted to determine the pattern of early regenerative response to orthotopic intact liver transplantation in the rat and to investigate whether the response differed in grafts with or without revascularisation of the arterial bed

Impact of a Training Programme on Police Attitudes Towards Victims of Rape: a Randomised Controlled Trial

Funder: University of Cambridge Abstract Research Question Does an in-service training programme designed to address the attitudes of student officers, uniformed response officers and specialist rape crime investigators towards victims of rape change their perspective on adult victims, both male and female, who report rape offences? Data Police officers from four separate policing roles completed questionnaires designed to measure their attitudes towards victims of rape. The questions were already validated and used four specific subscales: ‘Asked for it’, ‘Didn’t mean to’, ‘It wasn’t really rape’ and ‘S/he lied’. Two questionnaires, one focused on male victims and one on females, were administered at different points in time. Methods This randomised controlled trial used a block design, randomly assigning eligible police officers to treatment and control conditions within each of four groups. Participants were grouped as rape detectives (N = 40), uniformed response officers in urban areas (N = 50); uniformed response officers in rural areas (N = 50) and student officers (N = 53). Officers in the treatment condition undertook a bespoke training programme, based on an online College of Policing e-learning programme, enhanced with audio and video content, discussion groups and short online webinar sessions delivered by a psychologist specialising in sexual offending. Both groups were surveyed before and after the treatment group was trained. Findings The training programme resulted in positive attitude changes towards male and female rape victims when responses are combined across all four police groups (but not within all groups separately) compared with the attitudes of those who did not undertake the training. Effects were found for both levels of rape myth acceptance and assessment of victim credibility. The effect was largest for the subscales ‘S/he lied’ and ‘it wasn’t really rape’. Training had more effect on attitudes towards female victims than towards males and more effect on uniformed response officers than on other categories of officers. Conclusion The use of this mixed online webinar and in-person discussion group training delivery was effective in changing attitudes towards rape victims on issues relating to the treatment of people who report being raped. </jats:sec