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Targeting IL-17A using Secukinumab, a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1)/κ against IL-17A is a therapeutic option for immune-mediated disorders such as psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis. The US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency have approved it for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis. Recently it has also been approved for use in children with severe plaque psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis, and enthesitis-related arthritis. This review focuses on the role of Secukinumab in the management of children and adolescents with enthesitis-related arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. We discuss the salient findings of pivotal RCTs and other studies supporting the use of Secukinumab in adults and children, in particular, focusing on its safety and efficacy. Secukinumab is a therapeutic target for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and spondyloarthropathies in both adults and children. No major safety signals are observed with its use in short-term follow-up. Thus far, Secukinumab has not been found to significantly increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected surgical practice around the world. While several abdominal emergencies can be managed effectively and safely using minimally invasive surgery (MIS), the safety of using MIS amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been debated. MIS, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery, is considered an aerosol-generating procedure and some recent research demonstrated possible spread of the virus through aerosol. This review assessed the available evidence on the safety of MIS in the COVID-19 era, explored the possible precautions to be taken when using MIS to prevent exposure of the operating team to infection, and highlighted the recommendations of several surgical societies in this regard. Electronic databases, Google Scholar, and pre-print archives were searched for evidence on airborne transmission of COVID-19 and the safety of MIS amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations of recognized surgical societies were also searched. The available evidence was summarized in a narrative manner. Limited data on the possibility of airborne transmission of COVID-19 were found. The studies that reported on the presence of the SARS-COV-2 in the air samples of patients with COVID-19 had conflicting results. Several precautions to minimize the presumed risk of exposure of the operation room staff to COVID-19 were devised. According to the available evidence and recommendations of different surgical societies, MIS may be used in the treatment of acute abdominal emergency. However, considerable caution should be taken to avoid the presumed risk of aerosolization of the virus particles during the procedure, which may expose the operating staff to the risk of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Journal rankings are increasingly being used as proxies for assessing the quality and worth of individual faculty and their contribution to institutional performance. Problematic within this agenda is the historical mapping and projection of current journal rankings. Individual papers are being assessed against criteria far removed - temporally - from when decisions were made regarding where to publish. Drawing upon three examples of publishing in educational administration journals, this paper explores how the assessment of paper quality is dislocated from the scholarly labour that generates those outputs in the first place. Different ranking systems and often lengthy submission to publication processes mean that the worth of individual papers can dramatically shift independent of any actual engagement with the content of the paper. The value of an individual’s track record can fluctuate quickly and any intervention to alter the situation takes time to come into effect. This paper does not suggest replacing one ranking system with another, or even remove research assessment. Rather, it offers a means of problematising the application of journal rankings by calling into question their timelessness. In doing, it provides the intellectual resources to make strange the status quo and open the prospect of alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Australian universities have prioritised improving discipline performance on the national research assessment – Excellence for Research in Australia. However,a culture of secrecypervadesExcellence in Research for Australia(ERA). There are no specified criteria for the assignment of ratings on a 5-point scale ranging from ‘well above world standard’ (5) to ‘well below world standard’ (1). No rationale is provided to institutions for their discipline ratings and university staff on the ERA panels sign confidentiality agreements. However, what is available to universities are the research strategies that each university documents to improve its ERA performance in its Mission-based Compact, a government funding agreement. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the similarities and differences in the research strategies that universities with different performance profiles employ. Following an analysis of the strategies, substantial commonality was identified in strategy use. However, what was different was how universities employed these strategies and the associated contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the last couple of years, European environmental risk assessment (ERA) regulations have undergone significant changes. The new 1107/2009 directive which came into effect in 2011 has triggered an on-going debate on defining specific protection goals for ERA. During this period, we conducted a study on policy change among the most influential ERA stakeholders from Europe. We interviewed 43, purposively sampled, participants from the European safety authorities, plant protection product industry and academia. Transcribed interviews underwent thematic analysis conducted separately by two coders. As we followed the advocacy coalition framework, our findings focus on stakeholders’ processes, interrelations and values behind the ERA policy change. The main challenges emerging from our analysis turned out to be the slow uptake of scientific developments into ERA and very broadly defined protection goals. The use of safety factors and cut-off criteria left risk assessors with many uncertainties. With ERA in its current form it turned out to be impossible to determine whether the current scheme is over- or under-protective. Still, the study shows that the problem of over- or under-protectiveness lies deep in the perception of stakeholders and depends greatly on their priorities. Academics strive for better ecological relevance as a priority. They have concerns that ERA is oversimplified. Regulators worry that ERA relies too much on risk mitigation and is possibly not protective enough, but at the same time, the majority believes that the assessment is well established and straightforward to follow. Industry representatives would like to see ERA based more on probabilistic risk assessment. Recent changes, according to risk assessment and management practitioners have led to an inevitable increase in complexity, which is not perceived as a positive thing, and does not necessarily translate into better risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Around the world, governments and the higher education sector are being asked to become more accountable for the money they spend on research funding. Research quality measurement exercises, such as the Excellence in Research for Australia initiative, use a number of agreed indicators to measure, analyse and report on various institution and discipline-based research outputs. This emphasis on the outputs of research as opposed to its longer term outcomes is having an effect on internal university policy and processes which can often operate negatively on individual staff career development and promotion. This article reports on a project aimed at more clearly articulating and defining the idea of research impact for academics by preparing a promotion application. Phase one of the project was an extensive international literature review and this article sets out the findings from this review, considers the difficulties for articulating and evidences impact at the individual level and makes some suggestions for how academic staff and units might begin to deal with the idea of research impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Included in the 2nd tier of a site specific risk assessment that is being carried out in an abandoned uranium mine (Cunha Baixa uranium mine, Central Portugal), fatty acids biomarkers and sterols were analyzed to assess the impact of soil contamination with metals and radionuclides in the structure of the microbial community in seven sampling sites located at different distances from the mine. Surface soil samples were collected in those sampling sites in the four different seasons of the year. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on fatty acid biomarkers and sterols. Subsequently PCA scores obtained for both components were used to test the effect of sites and seasons, on soil samples collected in the Cunha Baixa uranium mine, through bi-factorial ANOVAs. Through PCA analysis, two distinct groups were set apart along the first two components. One group included sites at a great distance from the mine which were negatively correlated with higher contents of iC15:0 and iC17:0, both indicators of Gram-positive bacteria, as well as with ergosterol, cholestanol and cholesterol. The second group, in turn, was composed of the sampling sites most impacted by ore exploration, in situ leaching of poor ore, and spread of sludge from the effluent treatment pond. These sites were positively correlated with higher levels of iC16:0 (Gram-positive bacteria indicator), cyC17:0 (generally common in gram negative bacteria) and C18:0 and C17:0 biomarkers of non-specific bacteria. The profile of fatty acids obtained in the sampling sites revealed variable predominance of groups of bacteria which are a clear indication of differences in the soil microbial communities that are directly related to the environmental conditions prevailing in the uranium mine area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit a lower pregnancy rate, which may be related to decreased estrogen receptor (ER) expression or endometrial receptivity. We measured expression of ERαα, ERββ and the novel G protein-coupled ER (GPR30) in endometrium during window of implantation (WOI) in PCOS patients. Fifteen Chinese women with PCOS were compared to 15 normal subjects. Serial trans-vaginal ultrasonic scanner (TVUS) examinations detected follicular development, and endometrial thickness and pattern were assessed via TVUS on the day of ovulation. GPR30 expression was detected in the cytoplasm of endometrial epithelial cells, and was significantly lower in the PCOS group ( p < 0.05). ERαα and ERββ expression was lower in the PCOS group, and was detected mainly in the nucleus of endometrial epithelial cells. There was no significant difference in endometrium thickness ( p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in the ultrasonic pattern ( p < 0.05). Endometrial expression of GPR30, ERαα and ERββ was decreased during WOI in PCOS patients, and was accompanied by poor endometrial receptivity, low pregnancy rate and higher spontaneous abortions. We propose that restored receptor expression might improve endometrial receptivity and help lower infertility associated with PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced responses are commonly used for system identification, but only initial condition responses may be available when a system has no controllable inputs or forced responses cannot be practically measured. It is therefore meaningful to analyse whether initial condition responses can be used to estimate the system matrix. In this work, the identifiability of the nth order (n > 1) linear time-invariant systems from initial condition responses is analysed. Systems with only one measurable state (OMS systems) and those with n measurable states (NMS systems) are considered. Analysis indicates that one initial condition response is not sufficient to uniquely determine the system matrix of an OMS system and n initial condition responses are necessary. The identifiability of an OMS system with data from n independent initial condition responses is equivalent to that of an NMS system with only one initial condition response. Explicit formulations and a non-iterative algorithm are developed for both OMS and NMS systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ivermectin is a worldwide used antiparasitic compound acting against both endo- and ecto parasites of livestock. Ivermectin can reach the environment through the direct emission of dung from livestock on pasture and via manure application on agricultural lands. Due to its very high acute toxicity to many invertebrates, especially to D. magna, the excretion profile of ivermectin in dung after application is essential for assessing its potential effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this article is to characterize the excretion profile, comparing plasma and dung levels, after a single subcutaneous dose to cattle, to be used in environmental risk assessment. The cumulative curve of excreted ivermectin was used to calculate the PEC dung in manure to be used as fertilizer. The potential hazard for dung fauna, aquatic and soil organism is presented through the combination of toxicity and excretion levels. Three hazard levels, offering the relevant information to veterinarians prescribing the drug, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the exposure of organisms to contaminants is a key component of Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs). Effective estimates of exposure consider not only the total concentrations of contaminants in an organism's surroundings but also the availability of the contaminants to organisms. Contaminant availability can be inferred from mechanistic models and verified by measurements of contaminant concentrations in organisms. We evaluated the widespread lake-dwelling insect Chaoborus as a potential biomonitor for use in exposure assessments for three metals: cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). We show that larvae of this midge maintain constant their concentrations of the essential metals Cu and Zn and thus cannot be used to monitor them. In contrast, larval Cd concentrations varied widely both among lakes and in a given lake over time. We were able to relate these variations in biomonitor Cd to changes in lakewater Cd and pH using the Free Ion Activity Model (FIAM). Our results suggest that Chaoborus larvae could be used as an effective tool for estimating the Cd exposure of organisms in lakes for the purposes of ERAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaching is at a crossroads as it moves into its second decade as an emergent profession. In some ways, its future will depend in part on its search for a past. As such, this paper offers an historical framework based on Peterson's (1991, 2004) work on the evolving relationship between science and practice in psychology across three eras - the preprofessional, the scientist-practitioner, and the professional - and a fourth era, the postprofessional (Drake, 2005), which began in 1990 with the identification of systemic evidence as an explicit basis for practice. Lessons to be learned from these eras by coaches are identified while recognizing that coaching is, in many ways, an unprecedented phenomenon that requires new levels of thinking. The second half of the paper lays out the possibility that a fifth era is dawning - the era of the artisan - in which coaches are seen as master craftspeople skilled in an applied art. The role of evidence in a new era is explored as part of a larger goal of helping coaches and coaching evolve and, in doing so, find their way home to their deepest calling and contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of receptors is a key element of ecological risk and natural resource damage assessments. The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus; GHO) has advantages as a tertiary terrestrial receptor and integrated measure of exposure to chemical residues in a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach that includes elucidation of contaminant exposure by measured (tissue-based) and predicted (dietary) methodologies, and population-level measures of potential adverse effects (i.e., productivity, abundance). Methods described herein exploited attributes of GHO behavior, including its propensity to nest in artificial nesting platforms. This approach allowed better control of experimental conditions, minimized uncertainty in assessment endpoints, and maximized data utility for testing hypotheses. During 5 years, 54 GHO nests (14 active territories) along 38 km of river floodplain were monitored at the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site (Kalamazoo/Allegan Counties, Michigan). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and otho-, para-substituted isomers of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), including DDD/DDE (Σ DDTs), were measured in 24 eggs and 16 samples of nestling blood plasma. Dietary PCB exposure was predicted by determining site-specific dietary composition and sampling and quantifying PCB concentrations in 171 prey items collected within active GHO territories. The convergence of exposure and effects assessments improved confidence in resulting predictions of minimal risk to resident GHO populations (Hazard Quotients ≤1.5). Repeated GHO use of nesting platforms minimized temporal and spatial variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article articulates a subcultural basis to the evolving popularity for different illicit drugs primarily based on empirical research in the United States, especially among inner-city populations. From this perspective, drug use emerges from a dialectic between drug subcultures with individual identity development. The prevailing culture and subcultures affect drugs' popularity by imparting significance to their use. Innovations, historical events, and individual choices can cause subcultures to emerge and change over time. This subcultural view provides insight into the widespread use of licit drug, the dynamics of drug eras (or epidemics), the formation of drug generations, and the apparent “gateway” phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay uses vignettes of six resource management organizations to explore institutional change in land conservation organizations. The emergence of the Progressive Era model of rational, centralized government is portrayed here both as reflective of the imperialisturgings of the early 1900s, and as less hegemonic than typically presented. Federal organizations such as the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management are clearly responsive to durable emphases on local control. More recently evolved, avowedly private, local organizations are, moreover, less clearly local and private than they first appear. The presently evolving institutional frame seems more complex than the one now eroding, and will require no less vigilance. And, even as we fail to note adequately the imperialism inherent in the Progressive-Era institutions we have taken for granted for so long, we ought to consider the underwriting assumptions and implications for equity in emerging institutional arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1993 the Hong Kong Government implemented a methodology for capital cost estimating using risk analysis (ERA) in its estimating for the planning of public works projects. ERA is a simple approach and is used to estimate and calculate an amount of money to allow for uncertainties associated with a project. This calculated amount of money replaces the pre-1993 contingency allowance, which was merely a percentage addition on top of the base estimate of a project. A team approach is adopted to identify, classify and cost the uncertainties associated with a project. The sum of the 'average risk allowance' for the identified risk events thus becomes the 'contingency'. A study of the effect of ERA was carried out to compare the variability and consistency of the contingency estimates between non-ERA and ERA projects. This paper presents preliminary results of a survey which compares a total of 72 non-ERA and 19 ERA projects. The result shows a significant difference in variation and consistency between these groups. It indicates initial success in using the ERA method for public works projects to reduce unnecessary and exaggerated allowance for risk. Further improvement and refinement of the ERA method is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]