Is folate supplementation indicated for patients with CAD?

There is insufficient evidence to advocate the routine use of folate supplementation for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). High levels of serum homocysteine have been associated in several studies with an increased risk for CAD (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, associated in case-control studies). Folate supplementation decreases the level of serum homocysteine (SOR: A, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials). This indirect evidence suggests that folate supplementation may be of benefit in slowing the progress of arteriosclerosis

Does quinine reduce leg cramps for young athletes?

Very little evidence exists regarding the use of quinine for cramps in young adult athletes. Quinine may be an effective treatment for heat cramps in athletes (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, 1 case series involving 2 patients). Quinine is better established as an effective treatment for nocturnal leg cramps in the general adult population (SOR: A, 1 meta-analysis and 2 randomized controlled trials)

Identifying wildlife reservoirs of neglected taeniid tapeworms : non-invasive diagnosis of endemic Taenia serialis infection in a wild primate population

Despite the global distribution and public health consequences of Taenia tapeworms, the life cycles of taeniids infecting wildlife hosts remain largely undescribed. The larval stage of Taenia serialis commonly parasitizes rodents and lagomorphs, but has been reported in a wide range of hosts that includes geladas (Theropithecus gelada), primates endemic to Ethiopia. Geladas exhibit protuberant larval cysts indicative of advanced T. serialis infection that are associated with high mortality. However, non-protuberant larvae can develop in deep tissue or the abdominal cavity, leading to underestimates of prevalence based solely on observable cysts. We adapted a non-invasive monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect circulating Taenia spp. antigen in dried gelada urine. Analysis revealed that this assay was highly accurate in detecting Taenia antigen, with 98.4% specificity, 98.5% sensitivity, and an area under the curve of 0.99. We used this assay to investigate the prevalence of T. serialis infection in a wild gelada population, finding that infection is substantially more widespread than the occurrence of visible T. serialis cysts (16.4% tested positive at least once, while only 6% of the same population exhibited cysts). We examined whether age or sex predicted T. serialis infection as indicated by external cysts and antigen presence. Contrary to the female-bias observed in many Taenia-host systems, we found no significant sex bias in either cyst presence or antigen presence. Age, on the other hand, predicted cyst presence (older individuals were more likely to show cysts) but not antigen presence. We interpret this finding to indicate that T. serialis may infect individuals early in life but only result in visible disease later in life. This is the first application of an antigen ELISA to the study of larval Taenia infection in wildlife, opening the doors to the identification and description of infection dynamics in reservoir populations

Ecology eclipses phylogeny as a major driver of nematode parasite community structure in a graminivorous primate

Understanding how ecology and phylogeny shape parasite communities can inform parasite control and wildlife conservation initiatives while contributing to the study of host species evolution.We tested the relative strengths of phylogeny and ecology in driving parasite community structure in a host whose ecology diverges significantly from that of its closest phylogenetic relatives.We characterized the gastrointestinal (GI) parasite community of wild geladas Theropithecus gelada, primates that are closely related to baboons but specialized to graminovory in the Ethiopian Highlands.Geladas exhibited very constrained GI parasite communities: only two genera (Oesophagostomum and Trichostrongylus) were identified across 305 samples. This is far below the diversity reported for baboons (Papio spp.) and at the low end of the range of domestic grazers (e.g. Bos taurus, Ovis aries) inhabiting the same region and ecological niche.Using deep amplicon sequencing, we identified 15 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) within the two genera, seven of which matched to Oesophagostomum sp., seven to Trichostrongylus sp., and one to T. vitrinus.Population was an important predictor of ASV richness. Geladas in the most ecologically disturbed area of the national park exhibited approximately four times higher ASV richness than geladas at a less disturbed location within the park.In this system, ecology was a stronger predictor of parasite community structure than was phylogeny, with geladas sharing more elements of their parasite communities with other grazers in the same area than with closely related sister taxa.A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162742/3/fec13603_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162742/2/fec13603.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162742/1/fec13603-sup-0001-Summary.pd

Deconstructing sociality: the types of social connections that predict longevity in a group-living primate

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Royal Society via the DOI in this record.Many species use social interactions to cope with challenges in their environment and a growing number of studies show that individuals which are well-connected to their group have higher fitness than socially isolated individuals. However, there are many ways to be 'well-connected' and it is unclear which aspects of sociality drive fitness benefits. Being well-connected can be conceptualized in four main ways: individuals can be socially integrated by engaging in a high rate of social behaviour or having many partners; they can have strong and stable connections to favoured partners; they can indirectly connect to the broader group structure; or directly engage in a high rate of beneficial behaviours, such as grooming. In this study, we use survival models and long-term data in adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to compare the fitness outcomes of multiple measures of social connectedness. Females that maintained strong connections to favoured partners had the highest relative survival probability, as did females well-integrated owing to forming many weak connections. We found no survival benefits to being structurally well-connected or engaging in high rates of grooming. Being well-connected to favoured partners could provide fitness benefits by, for example, increasing the efficacy of coordinated or mutualistic behaviours.Leverhulme TrustNational Institutes of HealthNational Center for Research Resource

Influencia de Variables Meteorológicas en la Contaminación por NOx

This work shows to the results of a study of the existing relation between different meteorological variables and the measured concentration of NOx in downtown of Rosario.The meteorological variables were temperature, wind, atmospheric pressure, pluvial precipitation and ambient air humidity.The results show that the nitrogen oxide concentrations are fallen as the different meteorological variables increase their absolute values, being of negative sign all the obtained coefficients of correlation for each one of the variables.One concludes that when the atmospheric temperature average increases, the concentration is smaller. For majors precipitations, minors are expected concentrations. For high wind speed, smaller concentrations are. For the pressure, the theory does not establish anything, but it is understood that the days of low pressure indicate precipitation possibilities, thus the obtained results are consistent because when increasing the pressure are no precipitations. For the humidity a relation could not be established.Este trabajo muestra los resultados de un estudio de la relación existente entre distintas variables meteorológicas y la concentración de NOx medidas en el microcentro de la Ciudad de Rosario.Las variables meteorológicas elegidas fueron, temperatura, viento, presión atmosférica, precipitación pluvial y humedad del aire ambiente.Los resultados muestran que las concentraciones de óxidos de nitrógeno disminuyen a medida que las variables meteorológicas aumentan sus valores absolutos, siendo de signo negativo todos los coeficientes de correlación obtenidos para cada una de las variables.Se concluye que cuando la temperatura promedio atmosférica aumenta, la concentración es menor. Para mayores precipitaciones, se esperan menores concentraciones. Para la velocidad del viento cuanto más alta, menores concentraciones. Para la presión, la teoría no establece nada, pero se entiende que días de baja presión indican posibilidades de precipitaciones, por lo cual los resultados obtenidos son consistentes porque a mayor presión no hay precipitaciones.Para la humedad no se pudo establecer una relación

The effect of periodontal therapy on lymphocyte blastogenesis to plaque associated microorganisms

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66105/1/j.1600-0765.1983.tb00340.x.pd