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Association between mink coronavirus (MCoV), Campylobacter spp., and diarrhea in farmed mink (Neogale vison)
No full textDiarrhea outbreaks significantly affect the health and growth of farmed mink, posing economic and welfare challenges. While various pathogens have been linked to mink diarrhea, the causes during the weaning period remain unclear. Sporadic associations of mink coronavirus (MCoV), Campylobacter, and gastrointestinal disease in mink have been suggested. This study investigates the occurrence and levels of MCoV and Campylobacter in fecal samples from Danish farm mink (Neogale vison) and their potential association with post-weaning anorexia diarrhea syndrome (PADS), growth-period diarrhea (GPD), or pre-weaning diarrhea (PWD). The focus of the study is on PADS, studied through two case-control setups where case farms had known problems with PADS and control farms without such problems. Animals were also diagnosed based on necropsy pathological findings. Seventeen MCoV genomes were determined from five Danish farms. This data facilitated the development of an MCoV RT-qPCR and was applied across three study groups. Results showed high prevalence of both MCoV and Campylobacter spp. in all groups. No link was found between MCoV presence or levels and PADS diagnosis on the individual level; however, farm-level analysis revealed that MCoV was 2.35 times more likely (95% CI 1.027; 5.056) on PADS case farms than controls. Mink with PWD exhibited higher MCoV levels compared to GPD cases, suggesting a role at this developmental stage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed diverse and farm-specific MCoV strains, with sequences from healthy controls forming a distinct subclade, hinting at strain-specific pathogenicity. Campylobacter spp. presence was not significantly associated with PADS, but higher levels were observed in mink with PADS versus those without (not tested for PWD). These findings highlight the importance of surveillance and rigorous hygiene practices on mink farms to address risks from MCoV and Campylobacter spp., calling for further research to clarify their roles in PADS and overall mink health.</p
Empirical Legal Studies in EU Law
No full textEmpirical Legal Studies has arrived in EU law. The past decade has seen the publication of pathbreaking quantitative and qualitative studies, the creation of relevant thematic networks, and the realisation of large-scale empirical research projects. This volume explores the new movement. It features contributions penned by legal and political science scholars working or interested in the field. It is part handbook, for which scholars – experts and novices alike – can reach to get an overview of the state of the art. It is part manifesto, showcasing the need for and potential of this fast-growing area of academic inquiry. Finally, it is a critical reflection, assessing the challenges and limitations of Empirical Legal Studies in the EU context, as well as its interaction with adjacent disciplinary and interdisciplinary endeavours. The book captures the significant contribution which empirical legal research has made to the study of EU law, while facilitating an exchange about the way forward.<br/
The comet assay as a tool in human biomonitoring exposure to volatile organic compounds – A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textExposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, styrene, toluene and formaldehyde is associated with genotoxicity and increased risk of cancer. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we have assessed the effects of VOCs exposure on levels of DNA strand breaks in leukocytes, measured by the comet assay, in human biomonitoring studies. The literature search led to 57 studies included in the review. Of these, 50 studies met the criteria to be used in the meta-analysis. Using standardized mean difference and 95 % confidence interval (CI), the meta-analyses show increased levels of DNA strand breaks in subjects exposed to benzene (1.59, 95 % CI: 0.94, 2.24), styrene (0.87, 95 % CI: 0.23, 1.51), formaldehyde (0.39, 95 % CI: −0.15, 0.92) and other organic solvents (2.14, 95 % CI: 1.48, 2.81). Results originate mainly from studies on workers, with only a few studies on environmental benzene exposure. Subgroup analysis indicates that all studies combined from middle-income countries have a higher effect size (1.81, 95 % CI: 1.26, 2.36, n = 28) than studies from high-income countries (0.87, 95 % CI: 0.49, 1.24, n = 22). This difference between middle- and high-income countries may be due to differences in exposure levels or exposure assessment. However, this might not be the only reason, as sensitivity analysis indicates that effect sizes are at risk of comet assay measurement bias, as 78 % (39 out of 50 studies) and 60 % (30 studies) have not reported the use of assay controls and blinded analysis of samples, respectively. Relatively few studies have a high risk of bias due to an inadequate comet assay procedure description (14 %, 7 studies) and exposure misclassification (16 %, 8 studies). Limitations of the study were the differences in protocols, comet descriptors, exposure assessment and control for confounding factors among the studies. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis shows that exposure to VOCs – benzene, styrene, formaldehyde and others – is associated with increased levels of DNA strand breaks in human leukocytes.Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, styrene, toluene and formaldehyde is associated with genotoxicity and increased risk of cancer. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we have assessed the effects of VOCs exposure on levels of DNA strand breaks in leukocytes, measured by the comet assay, in human biomonitoring studies. The literature search led to 57 studies included in the review. Of these, 50 studies met the criteria to be used in the meta-analysis. Using standardized mean difference and 95 % confidence interval (CI), the meta-analyses show increased levels of DNA strand breaks in subjects exposed to benzene (1.59, 95 % CI: 0.94, 2.24), styrene (0.87, 95 % CI: 0.23, 1.51), formaldehyde (0.39, 95 % CI: −0.15, 0.92) and other organic solvents (2.14, 95 % CI: 1.48, 2.81). Results originate mainly from studies on workers, with only a few studies on environmental benzene exposure. Subgroup analysis indicates that all studies combined from middle-income countries have a higher effect size (1.81, 95 % CI: 1.26, 2.36, n = 28) than studies from high-income countries (0.87, 95 % CI: 0.49, 1.24, n = 22). This difference between middle- and high-income countries may be due to differences in exposure levels or exposure assessment. However, this might not be the only reason, as sensitivity analysis indicates that effect sizes are at risk of comet assay measurement bias, as 78 % (39 out of 50 studies) and 60 % (30 studies) have not reported the use of assay controls and blinded analysis of samples, respectively. Relatively few studies have a high risk of bias due to an inadequate comet assay procedure description (14 %, 7 studies) and exposure misclassification (16 %, 8 studies). Limitations of the study were the differences in protocols, comet descriptors, exposure assessment and control for confounding factors among the studies. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis shows that exposure to VOCs – benzene, styrene, formaldehyde and others – is associated with increased levels of DNA strand breaks in human leukocytes.</p
Expert perspectives on exposure-response functions for urban health policy:Lessons from a UBDPolicy workshop
No full textPolicy-makers require robust, quantitative evidence in order to better align urban and transport planning practices with public health goals. Epidemiologically derived exposure-response functions can quantify the association between urban health determinants and human health outcomes. They are therefore a crucial input in quantitative health risk assessments, providing to policy-makers actionable evidence on how healthier, more sustainable cities may be achieved.The Urban Burden of Disease Policy (UBDPolicy) project convened a two-day workshop to discuss recent developments, ongoing challenges, and future directions for exposure-response functions and their application to quantitative health risk assessment. The workshop discussions centred around air pollution, transport noise, non-optimal temperature, greenspace and physical activity as primary pathways through which urban and transport planning impact human health. Based on this workshop, we provide an expert-guided perspective on how to enhance both our conceptual understanding of exposure-response functions and their practical application in urban health risk assessment. We also identify pathway-specific as well as cross-cutting (e.g., quantifying multiple exposures, need for population sub-group evidence) research needs relevant to environmental health more broadly. We propose several future research directions as an agenda for advancing urban environmental health.Policy-makers require robust, quantitative evidence in order to better align urban and transport planning practices with public health goals. Epidemiologically derived exposure-response functions can quantify the association between urban health determinants and human health outcomes. They are therefore a crucial input in quantitative health risk assessments, providing to policy-makers actionable evidence on how healthier, more sustainable cities may be achieved. The Urban Burden of Disease Policy (UBDPolicy) project convened a two-day workshop to discuss recent developments, ongoing challenges, and future directions for exposure-response functions and their application to quantitative health risk assessment. The workshop discussions centred around air pollution, transport noise, non-optimal temperature, greenspace and physical activity as primary pathways through which urban and transport planning impact human health. Based on this workshop, we provide an expert-guided perspective on how to enhance both our conceptual understanding of exposure-response functions and their practical application in urban health risk assessment. We also identify pathway-specific as well as cross-cutting (e.g., quantifying multiple exposures, need for population sub-group evidence) research needs relevant to environmental health more broadly. We propose several future research directions as an agenda for advancing urban environmental health.</p
Impact of avatar features and presence on treatment outcomes in virtual reality-assisted therapy for auditory hallucinations
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Long-distance quantum communication using concatenated ring graph codes
No full textTo realize long-distance quantum communication, it is crucial to design quantum repeater architectures that can deal with transmission losses and operational errors. Code concatenation of photonic graph codes is a promising way to achieve this; however, existing concatenated codes that can correct both transmission losses and operational errors are extremely hardware demanding. We propose a one-way quantum repeater architecture based on concatenated ring graph codes and linear optical Bell-state measurements. We construct a scheme to generate the concatenated ring graph codes using quantum emitters, where the number of matter qubits scales linearly with concatenation depth. Furthermore, we devise a measurement strategy at each repeater station with a simple experimental setup where photons are measured in the order that they are created and show that entanglement swapping is fault tolerant to both transmission losses and operational errors. This allows for long-distance quantum communication (>10(4) km) at a kHz rate even in the presence of single-qubit error rates is an element of > 10(-3)
Design and characterization of antibiotic-free lyotropic liquid crystalline coatings based on binary docosahexaenoic acid monoglyceride/glycerol monooleate systems for combating orthopedic implant-associated infections
No full textThere is a growing interest in innovative strategies for effectively preventing implant-associated bacterial infections. Here, we report on a simple-by-design approach for production of antibacterial coatings from docosahexaenoic acid monoacylglycerol (MAG-DHA) and glycerol monooleate (GMO). In addition to its amphiphilic nature, MAG-DHA is a safe precursor of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and has different beneficial health effects, including antibacterial activities. Using binary combinations of MAG-DHA and GMO, we describe the structural features and the antibacterial activities of antibiotic-free non-lamellar liquid crystalline (LLC) coatings. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) were employed to gain insight into the structural features of the fully hydrated coatings and the hydration-induced dynamic self-assembly of MAG-DHA and GMO on model implants. In a lipid composition-dependent manner, SAXS results revealed hydration-induced formation of different inverse LLC self-assemblies, including hexagonal (H2) and bicontinuous cubic (Q2) phases. Further, GISAXS analysis showed that lipid composition and employed relative humidity level play important roles in controlling the out-of-equilibrium self-assembly properties. Moreover, the coatings containing MAG-DHA displayed unique inherent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. This study describes the first antibiotic-free coatings with nanostructural architectures and inherent antibacterial activities for orthopedic implants
Calculated Absorption Cross Sections and Photolysis Rates of Hydroperoxyaldehydes
No full textHydroperoxyaldehydes are a class of compounds frequently formed in the atmosphere from oxidation of emitted volatile organic compounds. One recently detected example is hydroperoxymethyl thioformate (HPMTF), which is formed in large quantities from the widely emitted dimethyl sulfide. Understanding the atmospheric fate of HPMTF, including the contribution of photolysis, is crucial for quantifying its impacts on important atmospheric outcomes such as sulfate production. We have used a nuclear ensemble approach to calculate the electronic absorption cross section of three test molecules, HPMTF, and selected hydroperoxyaldehydes. We use the calculated absorption spectra to estimate the atmospheric photolysis rates of the hydroperoxyaldehydes. We implement the calculated absorption cross section of HPMTF into a global atmospheric model and find that photolysis is only a minor loss path for HPMTF. We show that photolysis rates obtained using structure-activity relationship approaches based on the functional groups of molecules are unreliable, because these approaches ignore effects from heteroatoms. For hydroperoxyaldehydes with oxygen or nitrogen in the alpha-position to the carbonyl group, we find that photolysis is insignificant, due to strong heteroatom effects
Reduced Basis Method for Driven-Dissipative Quantum Systems
No full textReduced basis methods provide an efficient way of mapping out phase diagrams of strongly correlated many-body quantum systems. The method relies on using the exact solutions at select parameter values to construct a low-dimensional basis from which observables can be efficiently and reliably computed throughout the parameter space. Here, we show that this method can be generalized to driven-dissipative Markovian systems, allowing efficient calculations of observables in the transient and steady states. A subsequent distillation of the reduced basis vectors according to their explained variances allows for an unbiased exploration of the most pronounced parameter dependencies indicative of phase boundaries in the thermodynamic limit
