109 research outputs found
Biomechanical studies in an ovine model of non-accidental head injury
No full textAbstract not availableR.W.G. Anderson, B. Sandoz, J.K. Dutschke, J.W. Finnie, R.J. Turner, P.C. Blumbergs, J. Manavis, R. Vin
Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Aryanne Finnie
No full textAryanne Finnie was an EPSRC/MRC OPTIMA CDT PhD student studying optical medical imaging alongside an integrated Masters in healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in December 2021.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1]. Layla was supported by the EPSRC/MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Optical Medical Imaging (OPTIMA).Author contributions to contentAryanne Finnie was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare.</p
Neurological diseases of ruminant livestock in Australia. IV: viral infections
No full textMost viral infections that affect the central nervous system of ruminants are exotic to Australia. As such, this review focuses on viruses of importance in Australian ruminants, including Akabane virus and the ruminant pestiviruses, bovine viral diarrhoea virus and border disease virus, as well as bluetongue virus. Each virus is discussed in terms of pathogenesis, clinical signs and diagnosis.A.E. Kessell, J.W. Finnie and P.A. Windsorhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00817.x/abstrac
Neuroaxonal dystrophy in Australian merino lambs
No full textNeuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) is a morphological abnormality in man and animals that is characterized by the occurrence of numerous axonal swellings (spheroids) in the nervous system. NAD has been described in Suffolk lambs in the USA, Merino lambs in Australia and several breeds of sheep in New Zealand. This paper describes the clinicopathological changes of only the second occurrence of NAD reported in Merino lambs. There were some features (myelin loss, gliosis and visual impairment) in these Australian cases that have not been reported previously in ovine NAD. Application of immunohistochemical markers of axonal transport suggested that disruption of this transport mechanism contributed to spheroid development.A.E. Kessell, J.W. Finnie, P.C. Blumbergs, J. Manavis and I.V. Jerret
In vivo biomechanical response of ovine heads to shaken baby syndrome events
No full textThe aim of the present project was to correlate head accelerations with observable brain injuries. The first step of this paper is to provide the accelerations that occurred during shaking events, using in vivo ovine models.B. Sandoz, J. Dutshke, Q. Liu, J. Manavis, J.W. Finnie, R. Vink and R.W.G. Anderso
Red neurons in ovine polioencephalomalacia (cerebrocortical necrosis) are strongly amyloid precursor protein immunopositive
No full textThe signature pathological feature of the pseudolaminar cerebrocortical necrosis found in polioencephalomalacia (PEM) of ruminants is the development of red (eosinophilic) neurons. These neurons are generally considered to be irredeemably injured but we have shown, for the first time, in ovine PEM cases, that most strongly express amyloid precursor protein (APP), which has a neuroprotective role in the brain. By contrast, neurons in unaffected cerebral cortices from control sheep were APP immunonegative. This finding suggests that, rather than being inevitably destined to die, some of these APP immunoreactive cortical neurons may survive and regain structural and functional integrity.John W. Finnie, Ian V. Jerrett, Jim Manavi
Characterization of an 'amyloid only' transgenic (B6C3-Tg(APPswe,PSEN1dE9)85Dbo/Mmjax) mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
No full textAvailable online 18 April 2017Abstract not availableG. S. Finnie, R. Gunnarsson, J. Manavis, P. C. Blumbergs, K. A. Mander, S. Edwards, C. Van den Heuvel and J. W. Finni
A Rosenthal fiber encephalomyelopathy resembling Alexander's Disease in 3 sheep
No full textWe report an encephalomyelopathy in three 18-month-old Merino sheep with features of adult-onset Alexander’s disease (AD), a human primary astrocytic disorder. The signature histologic finding was the presence of numerous hypereosinophilic, intra-astrocytic inclusions (Rosenthal fibers), mainly in perivascular, subpial, and subependymal sites, especially in the caudal brain stem and spinal cord. Although AD usually results from mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene, no such mutation was detected in these sheep. However, the annual clinical presentation of this disorder in a few sheep in the affected flock is suggestive of a familial pattern of occurrence.A.E. Kessell, J.W. Finnie, J. Manavis, G.D. Cheetham and P.C. Blumberg
Did flaws in the application of resource accounting and budgeting distort the Strategic Review of Water Charges in Scotland?
No full textIn August 2001, the Water Commissioner was tasked by the Scottish Executive to carry out a strategic review of water charges covering the years 2002-06. Based on revenue calculations made by the Water Commissioner in his review, Scottish Water issued its water charges for 2003-04. Since then there have been repeated arguments and complaints, particularly from businesses, that the prices charged are too high and are crippling business. For example, Peter Jones, writing in the Economist 29th May 2003, cited the example of the BP refinery at Grangemouth, where the annual water bill is now £12.7 million, as against £7 million for a similar establishment in England. This article examines the impact which the then newly introduced system of expenditure control based on Resource Accounting and Budgeting, (RAB), had on the Strategic Review. We conclude that there appear to have been mistakes in the application of the RAB system at the time of the Strategic Review, which mean that the review took an unduly pessimistic view of the water industry’s financial position. This implies that the charges set as a result of the review were potentially too high by a significant amount. There is a requirement to re-open key aspects of the arithmetic of the Strategic Review: in particular, on how the Scottish Executive set the original RAB limits and how these were then translated into the Commissioner's advice. The structure of the paper is as follows. Section 2 briefly sets the background. The main content of the paper is in section 3, where we examine how the Water Commissioner used the information given by the Scottish Executive with regard to RAB to determine how much Scottish Water could borrow, and we compare this with the figures the Scottish Executive itself produced for net borrowing. There is clear evidence of inconsistency between the Commissioner and the Scottish Executive, with the Commissioner producing in his calculations a much more pessimistic view than the Scottish Executive of the amount of net borrowing consistent with a given RAB control limit. The implications of this for the charging decisions taking during the review are potentially profound and may amount to more than £100 million per annum. We cannot establish categorically, on the basis of the available evidence, how this inconsistency arose: but it appears to relate either to revised estimates of depreciation which the Commissioner calculated during his review, or more probably, to the possibility that there is a mistake in the terms of the letter from the Scottish Executive commissioning the review of charges which has meant that a substantial element of investment has effectively been double counted. Section 4 identifies, and discusses briefly, a number of other issues which are relevant to the determination of water charges. The section concludes with the recommendations that (a) the arithmetic on the setting of existing charges should be re-opened, and (b), that there should be a more wide ranging review of charging policy
Neuroaxonal dystrophy in Merino-Border Leicester x Polled Dorset lambs
No full textArticle first published online: 13 AUG 2014Case report: The clinicopathological features of neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) in 2 lambs are described. Of 40 Merino-Border Leicester × Polled Dorset lambs on a property in north-eastern Victoria, 4 presented with marked ataxia and listlessness, and 2 affected animals (2 days and 2 weeks of age, respectively) of both sexes were necropsied. Numerous axonal swellings (spheroids) were found in the central nervous system, particularly in brainstem nuclei and spinal cord grey matter, and there was severe spinal cord demyelination. Conclusions: This is the first report of NAD in such crossbred lambs; the affected animals were much younger than in previously described cases of ovine NAD and myelin loss was of much greater magnitude than previously reported.JW Finnie, IV Jerrett, J Manavis and J Cav
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