The restraint and sedation of wild animals has welfare implications, thus animal handling procedures should be well-informed and optimised to adhere to welfare standards. Furthermore, it is important that handling procedures should not cause future trap avoidance. This is of particular pertinence to European badgers (Meles meles), subject to extensive cage-trapping, relating to bovine tuberculosis epidemiology. We examined 4,288 capture/recapture events for 856 individual badgers, occurring between May 1999-September 2011, recording initial observed behaviour and reaction provoked by injection, on a scale ranging from still (0) to distressed/aggressive (3). Eighty-seven percent of adults and 76% of cubs were still (0) when approached initially and 75% of adults and 62% of cubs remained still when injected. Cubs exhibited significantly higher behavioural responses than adults, while female adults scored higher provoked scores than males. Importantly, the initial behaviour of an individual dictated its provoked response. Previous experience of capture was associated with lower subsequent behavioural response scores, while naïve badgers were most prone to score highly. Individuals first caught as cubs scored lower initial responses than those first caught as adults. Lower initial responses occurred in spring and summer and higher responses were associated with lice infestation. Behavioural criteria have potential to inform and optimise welfare in badger capture operations. This contributes to techniques allowing simple, non-invasive assessment of how wild animals in general respond to temporary restraint, where the psychological perception acts as the precursor to physiological stress.

Air-breathing propulsion has the potential to decrease the cost per kilogram for access-to-space, while increasing the flexibility of available low earth orbits. However, to meet the performance requirements, fuel-air mixing inside of scramjet engines and thermal management still need to be improved.

An option to address these issues is to use intrinsically generated vortices from scramjet inlets to enhance fuel-air mixing further downstream, leading to shorter, less internal drag generating, and thus more efficient engines. Previous works have studied this vortex-injection interaction numerically, but validation was impractical due to lack of published experimental data. This paper extends upon these previous works by providing experimental data for a canonical geometry, obtained in the T4 Stalker Tube at Mach 8 flight conditions, and assesses the accuracy of numerical methodologies such as RANS CFD to predict the vortex-injection interaction.

Focus is placed on understanding the ability of the numerical methodology to replicate the most important aspects of the vortex-injection interaction. Results show overall good agreement between the numerical and experimental results, as all major features are captured. However, limitations are encountered, especially due to a localised region of over predicted heat flux.

Much effort has been devoted to improving the efficiency of animal cloning. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of BRG1 contained in Xenopus egg extracts on the development of cloned mouse embryos. The results showed that mouse NIH/3T3 cells were able to express pluripotent genes after treatment with egg extracts, indicating that the egg extracts contained reprogramming factors. After co-injection of Xenopus egg extracts and single mouse cumulus cells into enucleated mouse oocytes, statistically higher pronucleus formation and development rates were observed in the egg Extract− co-injected group compared with those in the no egg extract-injected (NT) group (38–66% vs 18–34%, P<0.001). Removal of BRG1 protein from Xenopus egg extracts was conducted, and the BRG1-depleted extracts were co-injected with single donor cells into recipient oocytes. The results showed that the percentages of pronucleus formation were significantly higher in both BRG1-depleted and BRG1-intact groups than that in the nuclear transfer (NT) group (94, 64% vs 50%, P<0.05). Furthermore, percentages in the BRG1-depleted group were even higher than in the BRG1-intact group (94% vs 64%). More confined expression of Oct4 in the inner cell mass (ICM) was observed in the blastocyst derived from the egg extract-injected groups. However, Nanog expression was more contracted in the ICM of cloned blastocysts in the BRG1-depleted group than in the BGR1-intact group. Based on the present study, BRG1 might not play an essential role in reprogramming, but the factors enhancing pronucleus formation and development of cloned mouse embryos are contained in Xenopus egg extracts.

Introduction: Intra-articular steroid injection (IASI) is commonly used in the emergency department for management of osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms. Hip IASI carries risks, such as avascular necrosis, and there is currently no reliable way to predict long-term response of a patient’s OA to IASI. Ultrasound (US) conveniently assesses for active arthropathy by detecting effusion-synovitis, and x-ray (XR) is useful for visualizing bone-related changes. We investigated the extent that a response to hip IASI could be predicted from baseline OA patient clinical and physical features alongside US and XR imaging features. Methods: 97 consenting patients with symptomatic hip OA presenting for hip IASI were evaluated at baseline (XR and US) and again 8-weeks after IASI (US only). Self-reported pain (WOMAC), hip range of motion (ROM) were measured at baseline and follow up. On US images we quantified joint effusion and synovial thickening, i.e., “effusion-synovitis”, by the bone-capsule distance (BCD) at the apex of the femoral head from outer femoral cortex to outer synovium. On XR, we measured minimum joint space width (cm) and Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) Grade for osteophytes and sclerotic changes. Results: In our 97 patients (43 female) aged 28-87 years (mean 59+/-13 years, K-L grades averaged 2.5+/-1.5, and US BCD averaged 5.9+/-2.0 mm. We performed multiple linear regression using age, sex, BMI, ROM of hip flexion, US BCD, radiographic joint space width and K-L grade against the dependent variable, change in WOMAC pain subscore (R=0.587, P=0.002). We compared the response predicted by this model to the actual change in WOMAC pain. At a threshold value of -20% for minimal clinically important difference, 35/97 patients were responders, and a 2x2 table gave 67% overall model predictive accuracy, 61% sensitivity, and 71% specificity. Likelihood ratio for a positive response (LR+) was 2.13. Conclusion: Combining radiographic information on structural damage, US information on active arthropathy, and demographics correctly predicted about two-thirds of the patients that would benefit from IASI after 8 weeks. A patient with hip OA that met our model criteria was more than twice as likely to respond to IASI. With further model refinement, effective, personalized evidence-based management of symptomatic hip OA is possible using XR and hip US, which could both be performed during an ER visit.

In order to clarify the translocation and metabolism of glyphosate in lead tree, a mixture of glyphosate (0.5 mmol) and 14C-glyphosate was injected into mini tree plants (1.5-cm trunk diameter and 120 cm tall), simulating a grown lead tree in a greenhouse experiment. Within 6 d after treatment (DAT), all leaves on the lead tree plants dropped. Analysis of nonlabeled glyphosate in both xylem and phloem every 15 d showed that glyphosate residues accumulated mainly in phloem, similar to the findings in established lead tree. In this experiment, glyphosate concentration in the phloem of three parts of the trunk, i.e., upper (15 cm above the upper injection hole), middle (between the two injection holes), and lower (15 cm below the lower injection hole) parts, increased rapidly within 45 DAT, and decreased thereafter. Obviously, significant glyphosate metabolism occurred during the latter period. Further 14C radioactivity measurement also exhibited similar time-course changes of glyphosate dissipation, except that a low level of radioactivity in the phloem of the upper part and a high level of radioactivity in the lower part were detected from 45 to 90 DAT, suggesting that more glyphosate metabolites in the phloem of the upper part might have translocated with photosynthetic assimilates and reallocated to the lower part of the mini tree. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis of metabolites derived from 14C-glyphosate also revealed that about 70% of the radioactivity recovered in the phloem of the lower part comprised the unknown metabolites M1 (retention factor [Rf] : 0.83) and M2 (Rf : 0.94), with nearly 28% of the radioactivity from sarcosine (Rf : 0.76), and less than 2% of the radioactivity from aminomethylphosphoric acid (AMPA) (Rf : 0.49) and glyphosate (Rf : 0.36). It is concluded that active metabolism of glyphosate in this 90-d simulation experiment occurred mainly from 45 to 90 DAT, and the primary metabolism was modulated by C-P lyase.

Lead is an engineering material used mainly in the manufacturing of lead-acid batteries for the automotive industry. Lead recovery from exhausted batteries is carried out by the pyrometallurgical route by injecting sulfur the powder reagent through a lance into the lead bath. In this work a mathematical simulation was carried out on the copper drossing process with the software COMSOL 3.4. A kinetic study of the injection process of the lance-kettle system was carried out. The copper concentration profiles were obtained according with the injection rate of the particles. The best conditions for the copper drossing process were an injection rate of 3.31 m/s at 380°C. The modeling results were validated with experimental results obtaining good agreement.

Laryngeal papillomatosis is characterised by multiple papillomata affecting the upper respiratory tract. This condition is difficult to treat due to its recurrent nature. Treatment often involves surgical debulking. A number of non-surgical treatments have been reported. Intralesional cidofovir, a cytosine nucleoside analogue with antiviral activity, has been used in an attempt to manage the condition. We present a novel technique of administering cidofovir in a case of recurrent laryngotracheal papillomata.

A case-control study was conducted in Linxian, Henan Province in China to explore potential risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection unassociated with injection drug use. One hundred and ninety-two persons (41·7% male, 95·8% aged >60 years) were recruited from an earlier cohort. Of these, 48 were HCV positive and 144 HCV negative. Residence in a plain region and 3–10 injections in a health setting per year were significantly associated with HCV in both univariate and multivariate analysis (P<0·01). In rural China, the geographic distribution of HCV infection was heterogeneous and associated with injections in a health setting, a pattern which differed from the epidemics in injection drug users in urban cities.

Dribbling (sialorrhoea) affects about 10 per cent of patients with chronic neurological disease. The variety of treatments currently available is unsatisfactory. This study was a clinical trial of the efficacy of ultrasound-guided, intraglandular injection of botulinum toxin A for dribbling, performed within the otorhinolaryngology department of the National University of Malaysia. Both pairs of parotid and submandibular glands received 25 U each of botulinum toxin A.

Twenty patients were enrolled in the study. The median age was 15 years. All 20 patients (or their carers) reported a distinct improvement in symptoms after injection. Using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, there were significant reductions in dribbling rating score, dribbling frequency score, dribbling severity score, dribbling visual analogue score and towel changes score, comparing pre- and post-injection states (p<0.001). There were no complications or adverse effects during or after the injection procedure.

Intraglandular, major salivary gland injection of botulinum toxin A is an effective treatment to reduce dribbling. Ultrasound guidance enhances the accuracy of this procedure and minimises the risk of complication.

Injectable medications are commonplace but injection phobia can have a detri-mental impact on the utilization of health care by patients with subsequent adverse clinical outcomes. This systematic review aimed to identify the various psychological treatments for injection phobia and to assess their effectiveness. A systematic literature search was conducted using Cochrane, PsycINFO, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and AMED databases. Studies with five or more cases that investigated psychological treatment outcomes were selected and assessed in terms of methodological quality, type of intervention and outcomes. Eighty-four publications were identified by the search. Only three studies fulfilled the selection criteria and all used cognitive-behavioural techniques, including exposure to the feared object through a traditional graded hierarchy. Methodology differed but all had optimistic outcomes. Psychological treatments for injection fear or phobia exist, but the overall quality of evidence for treatment effectiveness is poor and outcome measures need consensus and further development.

Dans un premier temps, les phénomènes à l'origine des contraintes résiduelles en injection de thermoplastique sont décrits, avec les spécificités liées aux polymères renforcés de fibres. Le refroidissement hétérogène associé à une variation de comportement mécanique conduit aux contraintes d'origine thermique, auxquelles il faut ajouter les contraintes dues à la pression dans la phase fluide figée par la solidification. Les fibres de renfort introduisent une hétérogénéité et une anisotropie de comportement mécanique et de retrait. Dans un deuxième temps, une méthode de mesure des contraintes résiduelles basée sur l'enlèvement de couches et la mesure des moments de flexion est présentée. Elle permet la mesure des contraintes résiduelles pour des matériaux anisotropes comme les thermoplastiques renforcés de fibres. En général, on obtient des contraintes de traction en cœur, et de compression en peau. L'effet du fraisage pour enlever les couches est évalué. La pression et le temps de maintien, la température de régulation du moule, le taux de fibres influencent les profils de contraintes.

Le moulage par injection de poudres métalliques consiste à injecter des mélanges polymères/poudres métalliques. Durant l'écoulement de ces mélanges dans les moules, il peut se produire des effets de ségrégation de phases, conduisant à des défauts de formes, de propriétés physiques et mécaniques lors des étapes ultérieures du procédé. Un pilote expérimental de moulage par injection métallique, précédemment mis au point au laboratoire, est utilisé pour réaliser des composants moulés permettant d'analyser les différentes étapes du procédé. Une méthode expérimentale est développée pour déterminer la répartition de densité sur divers types de composants moulés. Une modélisation de ces phénomènes à partir de la théorie des mélanges pour les écoulements bi-phasiques est proposée. La simulation numérique des écoulements de polymères chargés en poudres solides a été développée. Enfin des exemples de simulation de remplissage, avec analyse prédictive des zones de ségrégation, sont donnés et des comparaisons calculs-expériences montrent le degré de validité de l'approche proposée.