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This paper details the construction of a weather vane for the measurement of wind direction in field situations. The purpose of its construction was to analyse how wind direction affected the attractiveness of an insect pheromone in a dynamic outdoor environment, where wind could be a significant contributor to odour movement. The apparatus described provides a cheap and easy-to-construct alternative to commercial wind vanes, and was shown to provide accurate and continuous measurement of wind direction.

Background: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is an effective treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have highly active disease, despite the use of standard disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). However, the optimal time for offering AHSCT to patients with 'aggressive' MS is yet to be established. Objectives: The objective was to explore the safety and efficacy of AHSCT as a first-line DMT in patients with 'aggressive' MS. Methods: All patients with 'aggressive' MS who received AHSCT as a first-line DMT in five European and North American centres were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Twenty patients were identified. The median interval between diagnosis and AHSCT was 5 (1–20) months. All had multiple poor prognostic markers with a median pre-transplant Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 5.0 (1.5–9.5). After a median follow-up of 30 (12–118) months, the median EDSS score improved to 2.0 (0–6.5, p < 0.0001). No patient had further relapses. Three had residual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activities in the first 6 months post-transplant, but no further new or enhancing lesions were observed in subsequent scans. Conclusion: AHSCT is safe and effective as a first-line DMT in inducing rapid and sustained remission in patients with 'aggressive' MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Off‐label use of rituximab to treat MS patients in Sweden is high, and the need for long‐term safety data may not be met. Our objectives were to assess the rate of rituximab prescription in patients with multiple sclerosis in Sweden and, in addition, to evaluate the safety of rituximab in a single centre for patients with multiple sclerosis. Material and Methods: Review of the Swedish MS register was performed to study the number of MS patients treated with rituximab during the last 6 years. Investigation also included a retrospective review of medical files in search for possible side effects/adverse events in all adult patients with MS treated with rituximab at Uppsala University Hospital. Results: Presently, in Sweden the rate of rituximab prescriptions in relation to other annually started of disease‐ modifying drugs in MS is 53.5%. Conclusions: The share of MS patients in Sweden who are treated with rituximab is very high, and also rapidly increasing. Taken into account the off‐label use, cases with adverse medical conditions that could possibly be related to rituximab use should be reported thoroughly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The 2014 International League Against Epilepsy clinical definition of epilepsy allows diagnosis after a single unprovoked seizure if the 10‐year recurrence risk exceeds 60%. Multiple sclerosis (MS) carries an increased risk of epilepsy, but the risk after a first seizure is unknown. We aimed to investigate the risk of epilepsy in patients with MS who had suffered a first seizure. Methods: We cross‐referenced data from the Swedish MS register with the national patient register for 15 810 patients with MS and 43 635 controls and included 289 patients with MS and 222 controls with a first diagnosis of seizure or status epilepticus (SE) without prior epilepsy or presumed symptomatic aetiology. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to estimate the risk of epilepsy. Results: The 10‐year risk of epilepsy was 51.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 44.0–58.9] for patients with MS and 41.3% (95% CI, 33.5–49.1) for controls. The risk was 46.1% (95% CI, 35.3–56.9) for patients with relapsing‐remitting MS and 60.7% (95% CI, 46.6–74.8) for patients with secondary progressive MS. For patients with MS with SE, the 10‐year risk of epilepsy was 85.9% (95% CI, 67.9–100). Conclusions: Our data indicate that patients with relapsing‐remitting MS have a similar risk as controls of developing epilepsy after a single seizure. Patients with secondary progressive MS could run a greater risk of subsequent epilepsy, but our data do not indicate a risk that, with certainty, exceeds the threshold specified by the International League Against Epilepsy. Patients with SE have a high risk of epilepsy, possibly motivating diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis ( MS) is associated with inflammatory lesions in the brain and spinal cord. The detection of such inflammatory lesions using magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) is important in the consideration of the diagnosis and differential diagnoses of MS, as well as in the monitoring of disease activity and predicting treatment efficacy. Although there is strong evidence supporting the use of MRI for both the diagnosis and monitoring of disease activity, there is a lack of evidence regarding which MRI protocols to use, the frequency of examinations, and in what clinical situations to consider MRI examination. A national workshop to discuss these issues was held in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2015, which resulted in a Swedish consensus statement regarding the use of MRI in the care of individuals with MS. The aim of this consensus statement is to provide practical advice for the use of MRI in this setting. The recommendations are based on a review of relevant literature and the clinical experience of workshop attendees. It is our hope that these recommendations will benefit individuals with MS and guide healthcare professionals responsible for their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]