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There are many outstanding female photographers working today, yet the photographic industry continues to be a male-dominated world. Established in 2011, Firecracker (fire-cracker.org) is an online platform dedicated to supporting female photographers worldwide by showcasing their work in a series of monthly, online gallery features; by organizing events; and by awarding an annual grant to enable a female photographer to fund a project. Building on Firecracker's foundations, this book brings together the work of more than thirty of the most talented contemporary female photographers from around the world. Each profile explores the photographer's creative practice, illustrated by photographs that showcase a key project in her career, and a selection that offers a wider view of her work. The images encompass an eclectic variety of styles, techniques, and locations--from German Alma Haser's futuristic series of portraits that use origami to create 3D sculptures within the frame, to Egyptian Laura El-Tantawy's filmic and intensely personal series on political protest in Cairo. With more than 300 photographs, Firecrackers is a celebration of some of the most inquisitive, stylish, and daring photography being made today.

Upregulation and activation of developmental axon guidance molecules, such as semaphorins and members of the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase family and their ligands, the ephrins, play a role in the inhibition of axonal regeneration following injury to the central nervous system. Previously we have demonstrated in a knockout model that axonal regeneration following spinal cord injury is promoted in the absence of the axon guidance protein EphA4. Antagonism of EphA4 was therefore proposed as a potential therapy to promote recovery from spinal cord injury. To further assess this potential, two soluble recombinant blockers of EphA4, unclustered ephrin-A5-Fc and EphA4-Fc, were examined for their ability to promote axonal regeneration and to improve functional outcome following spinal cord hemisection in wildtype mice. A 2-week administration of either of these blockers following spinal cord injury was sufficient to promote substantial axonal regeneration and functional recovery by 5 weeks following injury. Both inhibitors produced a moderate reduction in astrocytic gliosis, indicating that much of the effect of the blockers may be due to promotion of axon growth. These studies provide definitive evidence that soluble inhibitors of EphA4 function offer considerable therapeutic potential for the treatment of spinal cord injury and may have broader potential for the treatment of other central nervous system injuries.

Wildlife is a global source of endemic and emerging infectious diseases. The control of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle in Britain and Ireland is hindered by persistent infection in wild badgers (Meles meles). Vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been shown to reduce the severity and progression of experimentally induced TB in captive badgers. Analysis of data from a four-year clinical field study, conducted at the social group level, suggested a similar, direct protective effect of BCG in a wild badger population. Here we present new evidence from the same study identifying both a direct beneficial effect of vaccination in individual badgers and an indirect protective effect in unvaccinated cubs. We show that intramuscular injection of BCG reduced by 76% (Odds ratio = 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11-0.52) the risk of free-living vaccinated individuals testing positive to a diagnostic test combination to detect progressive infection. A more sensitive panel of tests for the detection of infection per se identified a reduction of 54% (Odds ratio = 0.46, 95% CI 0.26-0.88) in the risk of a positive result following vaccination. In addition, we show the risk of unvaccinated badger cubs, but not adults, testing positive to an even more sensitive panel of diagnostic tests decreased significantly as the proportion of vaccinated individuals in their social group increased (Odds ratio = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.76; P = 0.03). When more than a third of their social group had been vaccinated, the risk to unvaccinated cubs was reduced by 79% (Odds ratio = 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.81; P = 0.02).

Interventions to manage disease in wild animals are challenging, being characterised by sparse information on the distribution of infection and a limited ability to target infected individuals. In parts of Europe, the persistence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in cattle is linked to reservoirs of infection in wild populations of European badgers (Meles meles). In this study, we describe the development of a method for the safe restraint and blood sampling of badgers in the field without recourse to anaesthesia. The approach utilises a specially designed cage to physically restrain badgers and a protocol for obtaining a blood sample from the metatarsal pad. In field trials, blood samples were successfully obtained on 30 of 33 occasions, and all samples produced a valid trap-side result using a rapid serological test. Same day examination of restrained animals detected no injuries other than the blood sampling incision site, and there was no evidence of a negative effect of restraint on subsequent recapture probability. The approach negates the need for field anaesthesia to obtain a diagnostic sample, thus eliminating the risks of associated adverse effects, reducing costs and time before release back into the wild. These advantages could expand current options for surveillance and disease control interventions in badgers by permitting more efficient trap-side sampling and testing.

Control of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle has proven particularly challenging where reservoirs of infection exist in wildlife populations. In Britain and Ireland, control is hampered by a reservoir of infection in Eurasian badgers (Meles meles). Badger culling has positive and negative effects on bovine TB in cattle and is difficult, costly and controversial. Here we show that Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination of captive badgers reduced the progression, severity and excretion of Mycobacterium bovis infection after experimental challenge. In a clinical field study, BCG vaccination of free-living badgers reduced the incidence of positive serological test results by 73.8 per cent. In common with other species, BCG did not appear to prevent infection of badgers subjected to experimental challenge, but did significantly reduce the overall disease burden. BCG vaccination of badgers could comprise an important component of a comprehensive programme of measures to control bovine TB in cattle.

•Vaccinating badgers against TB is a tool under consideration to reduce the prevalence of bovine TB.•Showing an oral vaccine is safe for badgers and the environment is mandatory for licensing.•A high dose of BCG given orally to badgers was safe with occasional excretion of BCG in the faeces.•BCG was not cultured from tissues and did not transmit to unvaccinated badgers.•The risk of sensitising cattle due to BCG excreted from badgers is expected to prove extremely low. European badgers (Meles meles) are a wildlife reservoir for Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) in parts of England, Wales and Ireland, constituting a potential source of tuberculosis (TB) infection for cattle. Vaccination of badgers against TB is one of the tools available for helping reduce the prevalence of bovine TB in badgers, made possible by the licensing in 2010 of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for intramuscular administration to badgers (BadgerBCG). However, practical limitations associated with administering an injected vaccine to wild animals make an oral, bait-delivered form of the vaccine highly desirable. Evaluation of the safety of oral BCG to badgers and the environment is a mandatory step on the road to licensing an oral vaccine. This study had the following objectives: (a) to determine whether adverse effects followed the oral administration of BCG vaccine to badgers; (b) to measure the quantity and frequency of BCG excreted in the faeces of vaccinated badgers; and (c) to assess whether there was evidence of the vaccine spreading to unvaccinated, ‘sentinel’ badgers sharing the same environment as vaccinated animals. We report here that the oral administration per badger of ≥6.4 × 109 cfu BCG, followed 14 days later by a single oral dose of ≥6.4 × 107 cfu BCG caused no adverse physical effects and did not affect the social behaviour and feeding habits of the vaccinated animals. BCG was cultured from the faeces of two of nine vaccinated animals (372 cfu/g and 996 cfu/g, respectively) approximately 48 h after the higher dose of BCG was administered and by one of the nine vaccinated animal (80 cfu/g) approximately 24 h after receiving the lower dose of BCG. We found no evidence for the transmission of BCG to unvaccinated, sentinel, badgers housed with the vaccinated animals despite the occasional excretion of BCG in faeces.

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most serious animal diseases affecting the cattle industry in the UK. The badger is a well recognised wildlife reservoir of TB and therefore controlling the spread of this disease from badgers to cattle is a key requirement for eradicating the disease in cattle. BadgerBCG, the first TB vaccine for use in badgers, has been shown to reduce the severity of disease in individuals and reduce the shedding of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of TB. Despite limited use, there is much media and public interest in badger vaccination and it is very possible that veterinary surgeons will be asked to provide advice on its use. This article explains the practicalities of the use of BadgerBCG, the role of the veterinary surgeon in prescribing and directing the use of the vaccine, and the role of lay vaccinators and how they can work to vaccinate badgers under the direction of the veterinary surgeon.

Compositionally graduated films of a SrTi1-xFexO3-y (STFO) perovskite electrocatalyst were successfully prepared by High Throughput Physical Vapour Deposition (HT-PVD). X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed a cubic perovskite structure for all values of x as well as an increase in the cubic lattice parameter with increasing x from 0.392 ± 0.001 nm for SrTiO3 to 0.386 ± 0.001 nm for SrFeO3 in accordance with Vegard’s Law. A Raman mode corresponding to an O-stretching vibration was observed which is disallowed by symmetry in the cubic structure and suggests a localised lattice distortion. The films were highly resistive, < 7 x 10-8 S cm-1, at low x but conductivity increased with increasing x before reaching a plateau at 0.041 S cm-1 for x > 0.75.High electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), characterised by over-potentials below 0.2 V, was found for STFO electrode compositions with x > 0.5. The high OER activity was however found to correlate with low electrode stability, consistent with the participation of lattice oxygen in the OER mechanism. This was supported by the observed redox electrochemistry which showed evidence of reversible oxygen intercalation. An optimal electrode composition of SrTi0.5Fe0.5O3-y is recommended as OER activity showed no significant increase for higher Fe content whilst electrode stability decreases. Low electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was observed for all compositions. The ORR did not occur until after surface reduction of the films suggesting that the surface reduction is required for the creation of active surface sites. The STFO perovskite system was also investigated on Fe doped STO (110) surfaces. A series of reconstructed surfaces were prepared and characterised by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) in agreement with the literature. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEISS) confirmed that Fe doping was successful in incorporation of Fe into the perovskite structure. Fe incorporation was observed to improve the ORR electrocatalytic activity of the surface however no OER electrocatalytic activity was observed.

In the UK and Republic of Ireland, the European badger Meles meles is considered a maintenance host for bTB and is involved in transmission of infection to cattle. A badger vaccine delivered in an oral bait is currently under development as part of an ongoing effort to reduce levels of disease in the badger population. An oral vaccine would likely be deployed in close vicinity to badger burrows (setts), such that bait will most likely be taken by the target species. However, a range of nontarget species may also occur close to badger setts, and some may potentially interfere with or consume baits. In this study, we used surveillance cameras to record the presence of nontarget species at 16 badger setts involved in a bait deployment study in southwest England. We recorded significant levels of nontarget species activity close to badger setts. The most commonly observed species were small rodents, which were observed at all setts, and in some cases accounted for >90 % of nontarget species observations. A total of 11 other nontarget species were also observed, indicating that a broad range of species may potentially come into contact with vaccine baits deployed at badger setts. Although the majority of these species were not observed interacting directly with baits, small rodents and squirrels were observed eating baits in a number of instances. In addition, monitoring of bait disappearance at 24 setts indicated that small rodents may take >30 % of bait deployed at some setts. The implications for the deployment of an oral vaccine for badgers are discussed.

Several misconceptions in electrochemistry have been identified in the literature. No concrete suggestions for remediation of these misconceptions have been proposed. A concrete teaching model for electrochemistry is presented here. It addresses many common student misconceptions about current flow by demonstrating what is occurring at the microscopic level in an electrochemical cell. Both the scope and limitations of the model are discussed. The model was piloted on grade 12 school pupils before being tested on university students. A questionnaire consisting of eight items was administered to three classes of chemistry I students at the University of the Witwatersrand prior to their seeing the model. The dangers of multiple choice questions as a means of determining student understanding of chemical concepts were exposed. The model was then demonstrated to two of the classes. Statistical analysis using a 1-tailed Z-test showed that the use of the model led to significant improvements (0.000 < p < 0.002) in the post-test scores of the experimental groups relative to the control group to indicate current flow in the electrolytes and salt bridge at the microscopic level.