Early antibody responses to lipid antigens in red deer infected with Mycobacterium bovis.

The Problem: Early and rapid diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis remains an issue of great interest.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of synthetic lipid antigens for diagnosis of tuberculosis in red deer (Cervus elaphus). The proposition: Synthetic mycolic acid derivatives, identical to components of mycobacterial cells, bind to antibodies to lipids produced in active human tuberculosis.

Demonstration of stable, long-term operation of a nanosecond pulsed DPSSL at 10 J, 100 Hz.

We report on stable, long-term operation of a diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) amplifying 15 ns pulses at 1029.5 nm wavelength to 10 J energy at 100 Hz pulse rate, corresponding to 1 kW average power, with 25.4% optical-to-optical efficiency.

An ELISA Using Synthetic Mycolic Acid-Based Antigens with DIVA Potential for Diagnosing Johne's Disease in Cattle.

The Problem: Ante-mortem diagnosis of Johne's disease, caused by subsp. (MAP), is normally achieved through faecal culture, PCR, or serological tests, but agreement as to which samples are positive for Johne's disease is often poor and sensitivities are low, particularly in early-stage infections. The potential solution: Mycobacterial cells contain very complex characteristic mixtures of mycolic acid derivatives that elicit antibodies during infection; this has been used to detect infections in humans.

Improved stability second harmonic conversion of a diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser at the 0.5 kW level.

We report on efficient and stable, type-I phase-matched second harmonic conversion of a nanosecond high-energy, diode-pumped, Yb:YAG laser. With a frequency-doubling crystal in an enclosed, temperature controller with optical windows, 0.5% energy stability was achieved for approximately half an hour.

Generation of Joule-level green bursts of nanosecond pulses from a DPSSL amplifier.

A new approach to generation of a burst of high-energy green pulses by placing a high-energy multi-slab Yb:YAG DPSSL amplifier and SHG crystal inside a regenerative cavity is presented. In a proof-of-concept test, stable generation of a burst of six green (515 nm) pulses, each 10 ns in duration and separated by 29.4 ns (34 MHz), with 2.

Good citizens, perfect patients, and family reputation: Stigma and prolonged isolation in people with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Vietnam.

Stigma and isolation are common in people with tuberculosis (TB). Social isolation contributes to reduced health outcomes and TB treatment adherence. Stigma and the drivers of isolation in people with Drug-Resistant (DR)-TB may include modifiable advice and practices of family and Health Care Workers (HCW).

Statin therapy is not warranted for a person with high LDL-cholesterol on a low-carbohydrate diet.

Purpose Of Review: Although there is an extensive literature on the efficacy of the low carbohydrate diet (LCD) for weight loss and in the management of type 2 diabetes, concerns have been raised that the LCD may increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by increasing the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). We have assessed the value of LDL-C as a CVD risk factor, as well as effects of the LCD on other CVD risk factors. We have also reviewed findings that provide guidance as to whether statin therapy would be beneficial for individuals with high LDL-C on an LCD.

A novel brain-penetrant oral UGT8 inhibitor decreases in vivo galactosphingolipid biosynthesis in murine Krabbe disease.

Krabbe disease is a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disease due to impaired lysosomal β-galactosylceramidase (GALC) activity and formation of neurotoxic β-galactosylsphingosine ('psychosine'). We investigated substrate reduction therapy with a novel brain-penetrant inhibitor of galactosylceramide biosynthesis, RA 5557, in twitcher mice that lack GALC activity and model Krabbe disease. This thienopyridine derivative selectively inhibits uridine diphosphate-galactose glycosyltransferase 8 (UGT8), the final step in the generation of galactosylceramides which are precursors of sulphatide and, in the pathological lysosome, the immediate source of psychosine.

150 J DPSSL operating at 1.5 kW level.

We report on obtaining output energy of 146 J in 10 ns long pulses at 10 Hz repetition rate from Bivoj, a multi-Joule multi-slab cryogenic gas-cooled diode pumped solid state laser, by overcoming its damage threshold bottleneck. This is a 40% energy and power increase of the laser system in comparison to our previous publication and to the most powerful multi-Joule high power laser system.

Route of administration affects the efficacy of moxidectin against Ostertagiinae nematodes in farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus).

The influence of route of administration on the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics has been a subject of interest due to its potential to influence the development of anthelmintic resistance. For most parasite species studied so far, oral administration results in the highest concentrations of drug in the parasites and the highest efficacy against resistant genotypes. However, a recent study in cattle measured the highest levels of ivermectin in the abomasal Ostertagia ostertagi following subcutaneous injection, but it was not possible to correlate these elevated levels with efficacy.

Second and third harmonic conversion of a kilowatt average power, 100-J-level diode pumped Yb:YAG laser in large aperture LBO.

We report on the successful demonstration of second and third harmonic conversion of a high pulse energy, high average power 1030 nm diode pumped Yb-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) nanosecond pulsed laser in a large aperture lithium triborate (LBO) crystal. We demonstrated generation of 59.7 J at 10 Hz (597 W) at 515 nm (second harmonic) and of 65.

Responsible innovation: Its role in an era of technological and regulatory transformation.

In the development of innovative technology products, companies of all sizes are being encouraged to innovate responsibly and regulators are encouraged to adapt their regulatory systems to be smarter, more proportionate and adaptive to the needs of innovative technologies. The British Standards Institution Responsible Innovation (RI) Guide (Publicly Available Specification [PAS] 440) is an industry-wide standard relevant to both these policy trends. It supports companies by providing a framework to demonstrate the balance between the potential benefits and harms and, if necessary, to take action to maximise the benefits and/or minimise the harms.

Public trust and global biobank networks.

Background: Biobanks provide an important foundation for genomic and personalised medicine. In order to enhance their scientific power and scope, they are increasingly becoming part of national or international networks. Public trust is essential in fostering public engagement, encouraging donation to, and facilitating public funding for biobanks.

Stable high-energy, high-repetition-rate, frequency doubling in a large aperture temperature-controlled LBO at 515 nm.

We report on frequency doubling of high-energy, high-repetition-rate ns pulses from a cryogenically gas cooled, multi-slab Yb:YAG laser system, using a type-I phase-matched lithium triborate (LBO) crystal. Pulse energy of 4.3 J was extracted at 515 nm for a fundamental input of 5.

In situ S-isotope compositions of sulfate and sulfide from the 3.2 Ga Moodies Group, South Africa: A record of oxidative sulfur cycling.

Sulfate minerals are rare in the Archean rock record and largely restricted to the occurrence of barite (BaSO ). The origin of this barite remains controversially debated. The mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes in these and other Archean sedimentary rocks suggests that photolysis of volcanic aerosols in an oxygen-poor atmosphere played an important role in their formation.

Using hospital auxiliary worker and 24-h TB services as potential tools to overcome in-hospital TB delays: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: In-hospital logistic management barriers (LMB) are considered to be important risk factors for delays in TB diagnosis and treatment initiation (TB-dt), which perpetuates TB transmission and the development of TB morbidity and mortality. We assessed the contribution of hospital auxiliary workers (HAWs) and 24-h TB laboratory services using Xpert (24h-Xpert) on the delays in TB-dt and TB mortality at Beira Central Hospital, Mozambique.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used.

National TB program shortages as potential factor for poor-quality TB care cascade: Healthcare workers' perspective from Beira, Mozambique.

Background: Mozambique is one of the countries with the deadly implementation gaps in the tuberculosis (TB) care and services delivery. In-hospital delays in TB diagnosis and treatment, transmission and mortality still persist, in part, due to poor-quality of TB care cascade.

Objective: We aimed to assess, from the healthcare workers' (HCW) perspective, factors associated with poor-quality TB care cascade and explore local sustainable suggestions to improve in-hospital TB management.

Levofloxacin versus placebo for the treatment of latent tuberculosis among contacts of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (the VQUIN MDR trial): a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) plays a substantial role in the prevention of drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB). However, clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of preventive therapy for presumed multidrug-resistant (MDR) LTBI are lacking. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of the antibiotic levofloxacin in preventing the development of active TB among latently infected contacts of index patients with MDR-TB.

Community-wide Screening for Tuberculosis in a High-Prevalence Setting.

Background: The World Health Organization has set ambitious targets for the global elimination of tuberculosis. However, these targets will not be achieved at the current rate of progress.

Methods: We performed a cluster-randomized, controlled trial in Ca Mau Province, Vietnam, to evaluate the effectiveness of active community-wide screening, as compared with standard passive case detection alone, for reducing the prevalence of tuberculosis.

The technological imperative in tuberculosis care and prevention in Vietnam.

A monocausal bacteriological understanding of infectious disease orients tuberculosis control efforts towards antimicrobial interventions. A bias towards technological solutions can leave multistranded public health and social interventions largely neglected. In the context of globalising biomedical approaches to infectious disease control, this ethnography-inspired review article reflects upon the implementation of rapid diagnostic technology in low- and middle-income countries.

Climate control on banded iron formations linked to orbital eccentricity.

Astronomical forcing associated with Earth's orbital and inclination parameters ("Milankovitch" forcing) exerts a major control on climate as recorded in the sedimentary rock record, but its influence in deep time is largely unknown. Banded iron formations, iron-rich marine sediments older than 1.8 billion years, offer unique insight into the early Earth's environment.