Clinically healthy amphibians in captive collections and at pet fairs: A reservoir of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonnie Woeltjes ◽  
Matthew Rendle ◽  
Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs ◽  
Freddy Haesebrouck ◽  
An Martel ◽  
...  

Abstract Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is the cause of the fungal disease chytridiomycosis, a potentially lethal skin disease of amphibians. Asymptomatically infected amphibians may pose a risk for environmental pathogen pollution. This study therefore assessed the role of healthy, captive amphibians as a reservoir of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Samples were collected from captive amphibians in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France (559 from anurans, 330 from urodelans and 4 from gymnophians) from private owners, zoos, and laboratories. In addition to which, 78 anurans from 19 living collections were sampled during a pet fair in the Netherlands. Nearly 3% of the captive amphibians were infected by B. dendrobatidis, and 13.6% of the collections yielded at least one positive result. At the fair, 7 out of 78 anurans, representing 2 collections were positive. None of the animals that tested positive showed any obvious health problems at the time of sampling. Our results demonstrate the potential of the amphibian pet trade as a vehicle for the spread of B. dendrobatidis.

Author(s):  
Linda MEIJER-WASSENAAR ◽  
Diny VAN EST

How can a supreme audit institution (SAI) use design thinking in auditing? SAIs audit the way taxpayers’ money is collected and spent. Adding design thinking to their activities is not to be taken lightly. SAIs independently check whether public organizations have done the right things in the right way, but the organizations might not be willing to act upon a SAI’s recommendations. Can you imagine the role of design in audits? In this paper we share our experiences of some design approaches in the work of one SAI: the Netherlands Court of Audit (NCA). Design thinking needs to be adapted (Dorst, 2015a) before it can be used by SAIs such as the NCA in order to reflect their independent, autonomous status. To dive deeper into design thinking, Buchanan’s design framework (2015) and different ways of reasoning (Dorst, 2015b) are used to explore how design thinking can be adapted for audits.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-253
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Stefanowicz

This article undertakes to show the way that has led to the statutory decriminalization of euthanasia-related murder and assisted suicide in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It presents the evolution of the views held by Dutch society on the euthanasia related practice, in the consequence of which death on demand has become legal after less than thirty years. Due attention is paid to the role of organs of public authority in these changes, with a particular emphasis put on the role of the Dutch Parliament – the States General. Because of scarcity of space and limited length of the article, the change in the attitudes toward euthanasia, which has taken place in the Netherlands, is presented in a synthetic way – from the first discussions on admissibility of a euthanasia-related murder carried out in the 1970s, through the practice of killing patients at their request, which was against the law at that time, but with years began more and more acceptable, up to the statutory decriminalization of euthanasia by the Dutch Parliament, made with the support of the majority of society.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110187
Author(s):  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
XinQi Dong

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between acculturation and subsequent oral health problems in older Chinese Americans and to further test the moderating role of neighborhood disorder in such a relationship. Methods: The working sample included 2,706 foreign-born community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 60 years or older who participated in the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago at baseline between 2011 and 2013 and the 2-year follow-up between 2013 and 2015. Stepwise Poisson regressions with lagged dependent variable were conducted. Results: Behavioral acculturation was protective against subsequent oral health problems, and the protective role was stronger among individuals reporting lower levels of neighborhood disorder. Residence in Chinatown was associated with an increase in the risk of subsequent oral health problems. Discussion: To reduce oral health symptoms and related burdens, it is important to consider, in practice and policy, the role of acculturation and the neighborhood on subsequent oral health outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Hailfinger ◽  
Klaus Schulze-Osthoff

Abstract Psoriasis is a frequent autoimmune-related skin disease, which involves various cell types such as T cells, keratinocytes and dendritic cells. Genetic variations, such as mutations of CARD14, can promote the development of the disease. CARD14 mutations as well as the stimulation of immune and cytokine receptors activate the paracaspase MALT1, a potent activator of the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1. The disease-promoting role of MALT1 for psoriasis is mediated by both its protease activity as well as its molecular scaffold function. Here, we review the importance of MALT1-mediated signaling and its therapeutic implications in psoriasis.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1460
Author(s):  
Kalliopi Karatzi ◽  
Yannis Manios

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hypertension are major health problems, with an undisputed growth burden in the past decades [...]


Author(s):  
Oriol Ríos-González ◽  
Mimar Ramis-Salas ◽  
Juan Carlos Peña-Axt ◽  
Sandra Racionero-Plaza

Background: Men who develop behaviors connected with the model of hegemonic masculinity present several health problems. Previous research has shown the types of problems that men commonly suffer in this regard such as chronic diseases, dietary disorders, and traffic accidents. To combat and overcome this situation, several campaigns, policies and recommendations have been undertaken, and consequently, their influence has been analyzed. However, there have been few investigations into the role of men’s friendship in the reduction of these physical health problems. The findings presented in this article are focused on this issue, illustrating the impact of male friendship on the shaping of healthy behaviors. Methods: Drawing upon a qualitative-based methodology articulated in a case study of the Men in Dialogue association, located in Spain, the study has followed the premises of the communicative approach, a total of 15 structured online open-ended questionnaires have been performed and analyzed. The median age of the participants is 37.5 years. Results: The findings show how men involved in Men in Dialogue are promoting a kind of masculine friendship that is improving men’s emotional well-being and, consequently, their physical health.


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