Surgical treatment of dorsal hemivertebrae associated with kyphosis by spinal segmental stabilisation, with or without decompression.

This retrospective case series examined the effectiveness of spinal segmental stabilisation, with or without decompression, in nine dogs with neurological deficits associated with dorsal hemivertebrae. Data on signalment, preoperative neurological status, imaging findings, surgical techniques and outcome were evaluated. All cases occurred in young or adult, small-breed dogs with neurological signs ranging from progressive moderate pelvic limb ataxia to non-ambulatory paraparesis. Six dogs also showed urinary and faecal incontinence. In each dog, one or more dorsal thoracic hemivertebra(e) were detected by radiography and MRI. In all dogs, hemivertebra(e) were associated with kyphosis and reduced vertebral canal diameter. All dogs were surgically managed with spinal segmental stabilisation, using Steinmann pins and orthopaedic wires and/or sutures attached to the spinous processes. Three dogs also underwent additional decompressive surgery. Post-operative follow-up ranged from 1.5 to 5.5 years. Immediate or delayed post-operative complications occurred in three dogs, including implant migration or loosening. Eight dogs showed long-term gait improvement, with resolution of incontinence if previously present. At 2-6 years post-surgery, four dogs were neurologically normal, three had mild residual ataxia, one had moderate ambulatory paraparesis, and one dog relapsed 3.5 years after surgery, resulting in severe paraparesis. Spinal segmental stabilisation techniques, with or without decompression, can result in satisfactory outcomes in small dogs with hemivertebrae and mild to moderate neurological signs. Further adaptations might be required to avoid implant loosening and allow continued growth in immature dogs

Fish Oil Supplementation During Late Pregnancy Does Not Influence Plasma Lipids or Lipoprotein Levels in Young Adult Offspring

Nutritional influences on cardiovascular disease operate throughout life. Studies in both experimental animals and humans have suggested that changes in the peri- and early post-natal nutrition can affect the development of the various components of the metabolic syndrome in adult life. This has lead to the hypothesis that n-3 fatty acid supplementation in pregnancy may have a beneficial effect on lipid profile in the offspring. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with n-3 fatty acids during the third trimester of pregnancy on lipids and lipoproteins in the 19-year-old offspring. The study was based on the follow-up of a randomized controlled trial from 1990 where 533 pregnant women were randomized to fish oil (n = 266), olive oil (n = 136) or no oil (n = 131). In 2009, the offspring were invited to a physical examination including blood sampling. A total of 243 of the offspring participated. Lipid values did not differ between the fish oil and olive oil groups. The relative adjusted difference (95% confidence intervals) in lipid concentrations was −3% (−11; 7) for LDL cholesterol, 3% (−3; 10) for HDL cholesterol, −1% (−6; 5) for total cholesterol,−4% (−16; 10) for TAG concentrations, 2%(−2; 7) for apolipoprotein A1, −1% (−9; 7) for apolipoprotein B and 3% (−7; 15) in relative abundance of small dense LDL. In conclusion, there was no effect of fish oil supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy on offspring plasma lipids and lipoproteins in adolescence

Aquatic community response to volcanic eruptions on the Ecuadorian Andean flank: evidence from the palaeoecological record

Aquatic ecosystems in the tropical Andes are under increasing pressure from human modification of the landscape (deforestation and dams) and climatic change (increase of extreme events and 1.5 °C on average temperatures are projected for AD 2100). However, the resilience of these ecosystems to perturbations is poorly understood. Here we use a multi-proxy palaeoecological approach to assess the response of aquatic ecosystems to a major mechanism for natural disturbance, volcanic ash deposition. Specifically, we present data from two Neotropical lakes located on the eastern Andean flank of Ecuador. Laguna Pindo (1°27.132′S–78°04.847′W) is a tectonically formed closed basin surrounded by a dense mid-elevation forest, whereas Laguna Baños (0°19.328′S–78°09.175′W) is a glacially formed lake with an inflow and outflow in high Andean Páramo grasslands. In each lake we examined the dynamics of chironomids and other aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms to explore the effect of thick (> 5 cm) volcanic deposits on the aquatic communities in these two systems with different catchment features. In both lakes past volcanic ash deposition was evident from four large tephras dated to c.850 cal year BP (Pindo), and 4600, 3600 and 1500 cal year BP (Baños). Examination of the chironomid and aquatic assemblages before and after the ash depositions revealed no shift in composition at Pindo, but a major change at Baños occurred after the last event around 1500 cal year BP. Chironomids at Baños changed from an assemblage dominated by Pseudochironomus and Polypedilum nubifer-type to Cricotopus/Paratrichocladius type-II, and such a dominance lasted for approximately 380 years. We suggest that, despite potential changes in the water chemistry, the major effect on the chironomid community resulted from the thickness of the tephra being deposited, which acted to shallow the water body beyond a depth threshold. Changes in the aquatic flora and fauna at the base of the trophic chain can promote cascade effects that may deteriorate the ecosystem, especially when already influenced by human activities, such as deforestation and dams, which is frequent in the high Andes

Ethnic Variation in Inflammatory Profile in Tuberculosis

PMCID: PMC3701709This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Computer vision and machine learning for robust phenotyping in genome-wide studies

Traditional evaluation of crop biotic and abiotic stresses are time-consuming and labor-intensive limiting the ability to dissect the genetic basis of quantitative traits. A machine learning (ML)-enabled image-phenotyping pipeline for the genetic studies of abiotic stress iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) of soybean is reported. IDC classification and severity for an association panel of 461 diverse plant-introduction accessions was evaluated using an end-to-end phenotyping workflow. The workflow consisted of a multi-stage procedure including: (1) optimized protocols for consistent image capture across plant canopies, (2) canopy identification and registration from cluttered backgrounds, (3) extraction of domain expert informed features from the processed images to accurately represent IDC expression, and (4) supervised ML-based classifiers that linked the automatically extracted features with expert-rating equivalent IDC scores. ML-generated phenotypic data were subsequently utilized for the genome-wide association study and genomic prediction. The results illustrate the reliability and advantage of ML-enabled image-phenotyping pipeline by identifying previously reported locus and a novel locus harboring a gene homolog involved in iron acquisition. This study demonstrates a promising path for integrating the phenotyping pipeline into genomic prediction, and provides a systematic framework enabling robust and quicker phenotyping through ground-based systems

Sleep, Sedentary Time and Physical Activity Levels in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordData Availability Statement: Data are not publicly available due to CGPR regulations and to protect individual privacy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.The aim of this study was to compare the use of generic and cystic fibrosis (CF)-specific cut-points to assess movement behaviours in children and adolescents with CF. Physical activity (PA) was assessed for seven consecutive days using a non-dominant wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X in 71 children and adolescents (36 girls; 13.5 ± 2.9 years) with mild CF. CF-specific and generic Euclidean norm minus one (ENMO) cut-points were used to determine sedentary time (SED), sleep, light physical activity (LPA), moderate physical activity and vigorous physical activity. The effect of using a CF-specific or generic cut-point on the relationship between PA intensities and lung function was determined. Movement behaviours differed significantly according to the cut-point used, with the CF-specific cut-points resulting in less time asleep (-31.4 min; p < 0.01) and in LPA (-195.1 min; p < 0.001), and more SED and moderate-to-vigorous PA (159.3 and 67.1 min, respectively; both p < 0.0001) than the generic thresholds. Lung function was significantly associated with LPA according to the CF-specific cut-points (r = 0.52; p = 0.04). Thresholds developed for healthy populations misclassified PA levels, sleep and SED in children and adolescents with CF. This discrepancy affected the relationship between lung function and PA, which was only apparent when using the CF-specific cut-points. Promoting LPA seems a promising strategy to enhance lung function in children and adolescents with CF.Cystic Fibrosis Trust U

Socio-Demographic Determinants of Condom Use Among Sexually Active Young Adults in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

AIM: To investigate patterns, levels and socio-demographic determinants of condom use and consistency of use among young adults aged 15-24 years.BACKGROUND: Condoms are known to prevent HIV infection. However, HIV prevalence and incidence remain high.METHODS: This study was conducted in the Africa Centre Demographic Surveillance Area (ACDSA) in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Analysis focused on resident young adults aged 15-24 years in 2005. In univariable and multivariable analyses, determinants of condom use and consistency of use among 15-24 year olds were estimated using data collected in 2005. 'Ever' condom use was defined as the proportion who reported having used a condom; consistent use among those ever using as "always" using condoms with most recent partner in the last year.RESULTS: 3,914 participants aged 15-24 years reported ever having sex, of whom 52% reported condom use. Adjusting for age, sex, number of partners, residence of partner, partner age difference, type of partner and socio-economic status (SES), having an older partner decreased likelihood (aOR=0.69, p<0.01), while belonging to a household in a higher SES increased likelihood of ever using condoms (aOR=1.82, p<0.01). Being female (aOR=0.61 p<0.01) and having a regular partner (aOR=0.65 p<0.01) were independently associated with low consistent condom use.CONCLUSIONS: In this rural South African setting, condom use remains low, especially among females and with an older partner, situations commonly associated with increased HIV acquisition. Targeted supportive interventions to increase condom use need to be developed if HIV prevention programmes are to be successful

Spatial heterogeneity of habitat suitability for Rift Valley fever occurrence in Tanzania: an ecological niche modelling approach

Despite the long history of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Tanzania, extent of its suitable habitat in the country remains unclear. In this study we investigated potential effects of temperature, precipitation, elevation, soil type, livestock density, rainfall pattern, proximity to wild animals, protected areas and forest on the habitat suitability for RVF occurrence in Tanzania. Presence-only records of 193 RVF outbreak locations from 1930 to 2007 together with potential predictor variables were used to model and map the suitable habitats for RVF occurrence using ecological niche modelling. Ground-truthing of the model outputs was conducted by comparing the levels of RVF virus specific antibodies in cattle, sheep and goats sampled from locations in Tanzania that presented different predicted habitat suitability values. Habitat suitability values for RVF occurrence were higher in the northern and central-eastern regions of Tanzania than the rest of the regions in the country. Soil type and precipitation of the wettest quarter contributed equally to habitat suitability (32.4% each), followed by livestock density (25.9%) and rainfall pattern (9.3%). Ground-truthing of model outputs revealed that the odds of an animal being seropositive for RVFV when sampled from areas predicted to be most suitable for RVF occurrence were twice the odds of an animal sampled from areas least suitable for RVF occurrence (95% CI: 1.43, 2.76, p < 0.001). The regions in the northern and central-eastern Tanzania were more suitable for RVF occurrence than the rest of the regions in the country. The modelled suitable habitat is characterised by impermeable soils, moderate precipitation in the wettest quarter, high livestock density and a bimodal rainfall pattern. The findings of this study should provide guidance for the design of appropriate RVF surveillance, prevention and control strategies which target areas with these characteristics

Nutrient stress alters the glycosylation status of LGR5 resulting in reduced protein stability and membrane localisation in colorectal tumour cells: implications for targeting cancer stem cells

BACKGROUND LGR5 is an important marker of intestinal stem cells and performs its vital functions at the cell membrane. Despite the importance of LGR5 to both normal and cancer stem cell biology, it is not known how microenvironmental stress affects the expression and subcellular distribution of the protein. METHODS Nutrient stress was induced through glucose starvation. Glycosylation status was assessed using endoglycosidase or tunicamycin treatment. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy were used to assess subcellular distribution of LGR5. RESULTS Glucose deprivation altered the glycosylation status of LGR5 resulting in reduced protein stability and cell surface expression. Furthermore, inhibiting LGR5 glycosylation resulted in depleted surface expression and reduced localisation in the cis-Golgi network. CONCLUSIONS Nutrient stress within a tumour microenvironment has the capacity to alter LGR5 protein stability and membrane localisation through modulation of LGR5 glycosylation status. As LGR5 surface localisation is required for enhanced Wnt signalling, this is the first report to show a mechanism by which the microenvironment could affect LGR5 function