Treatment of cattle with ivermectin and its effect on dung degradation and larval abundance in a tropical savanna setting.

When ingested as part of a blood meal, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin kills mosquitoes, making it a candidate for mass drug administration (MDA) in humans and livestock to reduce malaria transmission. When administered to livestock, most ivermectin is excreted unmetabolized in the dung within 5 days post administration. Presence of ivermectin, has been shown to adversely affect dung colonizers and dung degradation in temperate settings; however, those findings may not apply to, tropical environment, where ivermectin MDA against malaria would occur.

Scalable camera traps for measuring the attractiveness of sugar baits for controlling malaria and dengue vectors.

Background: Attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) are promising new interventions that can complement existing vector control tools. However, reproducible and quantitative information on the level of attractiveness of ATSBs under field conditions is needed. Therefore, we customized camera traps for close-up imaging.

Dosing overground robotic gait training after spinal cord injury: a randomized clinical trial protocol.

Background: Robotic exoskeletons have changed rehabilitation care available to people after spinal cord injury (SCI). Yet, the current evidence base is insufficient to identify the optimal dose and neurophysiological mechanism of robotic exoskeleton gait training (RGT) as an effective rehabilitation approach. This study will (1) examine whether the frequency of RGT after motor incomplete SCI impacts function and health outcomes, (2) analyze the neuroplastic effects of RGT dose, and (3) evaluate the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of delivering RGT.

A pH-Responsive Hydrogel for the Oral Delivery of Ursolic Acid: A Pentacyclic Triterpenoid Phytochemical.

In this study, poly(HEMA-PEGxMEM-IA) hydrogels were prepared by radical copolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGxMEM), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and itaconic acid (IA). The reaction was carried out in ethanolic solution using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinking agent and 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (HCPK) as a photo-initiator. The poly(HEMA-PEGxMEM-IA) hydrogels (HGx) were evaluated as a delivery system for ursolic acid (UA), a phytochemical extracted from the plant "flor de arena".

Smart seat cushion feasibility pilot study: automated interface pressure modulation of individuals with spinal cord Injury.

This study investigates the functionality and feasibility of a novel smart seat cushion system designed for wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries. The cushion, equipped with air cells that serve as both sensors and actuators, was tested on 24 participants for its real-time pressure mapping, automated pressure redistribution, and pressure offloading functions. A commercial pressure mat was concurrently used to validate the cushion's pressure modulation functions.

Rehabilitation and return-to-sport after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction: Exploring physical therapists' approaches in Argentina.

Objectives: To investigate the current clinical practice regarding pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation and return to sport (RTS) criteria following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Design: Cross-sectional design. Online survey.

Preparation and Characterization of FeO/Poly(HEMA-co-IA) Magnetic Hydrogels for Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution.

In the present study, FeO/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-itaconic acid) magnetic hydrogels (MHGs) were prepared by in situ synthesis of FeO magnetic particles in hydrogels (HGs). The resulting magnetic hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N adsorption-desorption. The effect of FeO on the swelling behavior and adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dye of the prepared hydrogel was studied.

Effects of vegetation densities on the performance of attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) for malaria vector control: a semi-field study.

Background: Attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) control sugar-feeding mosquitoes with oral toxicants, and may effectively complement core malaria interventions, such as insecticide-treated nets even where pyrethroid-resistance is widespread. The technology is particularly efficacious in arid and semi-arid areas. However, their performance remains poorly-understood in tropical areas with year-round malaria transmission, and where the abundant vegetation constitutes competitive sugar sources for mosquitoes.

The ability of and to penetrate LLINs and its effect on their mortality.

Variation in mosquito body size and the ability to penetrate long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) remains unknown. This study evaluated the ability of  and to penetrate commercially available treated and untreated bednets and how this behaviour affects mosquito mortality. Three types of LLINs; DawaPlus 2.

Assessing temperature-based adaptation limits to climate change of temperate perennial fruit crops.

Temperate perennial fruit and nut trees play varying roles in world food diversity-providing edible oils and micronutrient, energy, and protein dense foods. In addition, perennials reuse significant amounts of biomass each year providing a unique resilience. But they also have a unique sensitivity to seasonal temperatures, requiring a period of dormancy for successful growing season production.

Hip Arthroscopy and Core Decompression for Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head Using a Specific Aiming Guide: A Step-by-Step Surgical Technique.

Avascular necrosis of the femoral (AVN) head is a disabling disease that affects function, mobility, and quality of life in the young adult. Its pathology involves blood circulation disruption of the femoral head and subchondral infarction. This leads to cartilage thinning, femoral head depression, and cartilage breakage, which results in hip osteoarthritis.

Impact of pharmacokinetics to reduce bleeding in a cohort of patients with severe hemophilia A in a personalized comprehensive management program.

In recent decades, hemophilia A treatment has been focused on body weight, without taking pharmacokinetic parameters into account. Previous research has shown that the individual pharmacokinetic response is more effective in predicting the required dose of clotting factor. We want to evaluate the impact on reducing the frequency of bleeding in patients treated with recombinant factor VIII, based on a personalized comprehensive management program.

Planetary boundaries and Veterinary Services.

National Veterinary Services (NVS) play a crucial role in animal health, production and welfare. They are also intimately involved with safeguarding global health security and the health of the planet. Climate change is just one of the nine planetary boundaries (PBs), i.

Emergence of behavioural avoidance strategies of malaria vectors in areas of high LLIN coverage in Tanzania.

Despite significant reductions in malaria transmission across Africa since 2000, progress is stalling. This has been attributed to the development of insecticide resistance and behavioural adaptations in malaria vectors. Whilst insecticide resistance has been widely investigated, there is poorer understanding of the emergence, dynamics and impact of mosquito behavioural adaptations.

A Pilot Study of Facial Nerve Stimulation on Cerebral Artery Vasospasm in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients.

Background: The objective of this pilot study was to assess the safety and efficacy of VitalFlow stimulation in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients with vasospasm for the purpose of guiding the design of larger, controlled studies in vasospasm patients, a largely untreated condition [1].

Methods: Six patients with angiographic vasospasm developing post-aSAH were treated with VitalFlow stimulation. Digital subtraction angiograms were obtained at the time of diagnosis (baseline) and then 30 minutes post-stimulation.

Behavioural and Electrophysiological Responses of Female Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes to Volatiles from a Mango Bait.

Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSB) are used in a "lure-and-kill" approach for management of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, but the active chemicals were previously unknown. Here we collected volatiles from a mango, Mangifera indica, juice bait which is used in ATSBs in Tanzania and tested mosquito responses. In a Y-tube olfactometer, female mosquitoes were attracted to the mango volatiles collected 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h after preparing the bait but volatiles collected at 96-120 h were no longer attractive.

Novel penguin Avian avulaviruses 17, 18 and 19 are widely distributed in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Three novel Avian avulavirus species were discovered and isolated during 2017 from Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at Kopaitic island in the Northwestern region of the Antarctic Peninsula. The viruses were officially named as Avian avulavirus 17 (AAV17), Avian avulavirus 18 (AAV18) and Avian avulavirus 19 (AAV19), collectively referred to as penguin avulaviruses (PAVs). To determine whether these viruses are capable of infecting the three species of Pygoscelis spp.

Mosquito electrocuting traps for directly measuring biting rates and host-preferences of Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus outdoors.

Background: Mosquito biting rates and host preferences are crucial determinants of human exposure to vector-borne diseases and the impact of vector control measures. The human landing catch (HLC) is a gold standard method for measuring human exposure to bites, but presents risks to participants by requiring some exposure to mosquito vectors. Mosquito electrocuting traps (METs) represent an exposure-free alternative to HLCs for measuring human exposure to malaria vectors.

Field evaluation of the BG-Malaria trap for monitoring malaria vectors in rural Tanzanian villages.

BG-Malaria (BGM) trap is a simple adaptation of the widely-used BG-Sentinel trap (BGS). It is proven to be highly effective for trapping the Brazilian malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi, in field conditions, and the African vector, Anopheles arabiensis, under controlled semi-field environments, but has not been field-tested in Africa. Here, we validated the BGM for field sampling of malaria vectors in south-eastern Tanzania.

Soil water content effects on net ecosystem CO exchange and actual evapotranspiration in a Mediterranean semiarid savanna of Central Chile.

Biosphere-atmosphere water and carbon fluxes depend on ecosystem structure, and their magnitudes and seasonal behavior are driven by environmental and biological factors. We studied the seasonal behavior of net ecosystem CO exchange (NEE), Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), Ecosystem Respiration (RE), and actual evapotranspiration (ETa) obtained by eddy covariance measurements during two years in a Mediterranean Acacia savanna ecosystem (Acacia caven) in Central Chile. The annual carbon balance was -53 g C m in 2011 and -111 g C m in 2012, showing that the ecosystem acts as a net sink of CO, notwithstanding water limitations on photosynthesis observed in this particularly dry period.

Semi-field assessment of the BG-Malaria trap for monitoring the African malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis.

Odour-baited technologies are increasingly considered for effective monitoring of mosquito populations and for the evaluation of vector control interventions. The BG-Malaria trap (BGM), which is an upside-down variant of the widely used BG-Sentinel trap (BGS), has been demonstrated to be effective to sample the Brazilian malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi. We evaluated the BGM as an improved method for sampling the African malaria vectors, Anopheles arabiensis.

Productivity and phenological responses of natural vegetation to present and future inter-annual climate variability across semi-arid river basins in Chile.

Time series of vegetation indices and remotely sensed phenological data offer insights about the patterns in vegetation dynamics. Both are useful sources of information for analyzing and monitoring ecosystem responses to environmental variations caused by natural and anthropogenic drivers. In the semi-arid region of Chile, climate variability and recent severe droughts in addition to land-use changes pose threats to the stability of local ecosystems.

Farmers' Options to Address Water Scarcity in a Changing Climate: Case Studies from two Basins in Mediterranean Chile.

Irrigated agriculture in Mediterranean areas faces tremendous challenges because of its exposure to hydroclimatic variability, increasing competition for water from different sectors, and the possibility of a climatic change. In this context, efficient management of water resources emerges as a critical issue. This requires the adoption of technological innovations, investment in infrastructure, adequate institutional arrangements, and informed decision makers.