Molecular epidemiology of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 on Ontario swine farms

This study was conducted to investigate the diversity in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), plasmid profiling, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of 81 S. Typhimurium and S. Typhimurium var Copenhagen DT 104 strains recovered from pig and environmental fecal samples on swine farms in Ontario. No resistance was observed to amoxiclllin and clavulanic acid, apramycin, carbadox, cephalothin, ceftnaxone, ceftiofur, cefoxitin, cipronoxacin, nalidixic acid, trimethoprim, and tobramycin. However, the isolates exhibited resistance against 4 to 10 antimicrobials with most frequent resistance to sulfonamides (Su), ampicillin (A), streptomycin (S), spectinomycm (Sp), chloramphenicol (C), tetracycline (T), and norfemcol (F)

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to innate immune response against Salmonella in nursery pigs

The objective of this study was to investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in innate immune response genes with Salmonella shedding in nursery pigs. One hundred and sixty eight pigs on seven farrow-to- finish farms and one farrow-feeder operation were included in the study. On each farm, 21 pigs were selected from seven sows at weaning. Fecal samples were collected from selected pigs and cultured for Salmonella, and the isolates were serotyped. DNA was extracted from liver samples and used to genotype pigs for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 21 different innate immune response genes. In total, 15 (9.3%) pigs tested positive for Salmonella; the isolates from six pigs from four different litters on one farm were serotyped as Salmonella Infantis and from nine pigs from six different litters on another farm as Salmonella Worthington. SNP analysis showed an association of Salmonella shedding with a SNP in the genes encoding mannan-binding lectin (MBL)-associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) and Toll-like receptor-1 (TLR-1) (P \u3c 0.05). These findings suggest that Salmonella shedding in pigs is controlled by genetic elements and these genetic variants could possibly be used to breed pigs that are more resistant to Salmonella colonization and Salmonella shedding

Using multinomial logistic regression method to investigate the farm-level antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella in swine

The objective of this study was to investigate the farm-level risk factors associated with antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. on Ontario swine farms. Fecal samples were collected on 80 swine farms and tested for Salmonella and antimicrobial resistance. The farms were classified into three groups including Salmonella-negative farms (Group 1), Salmonella-positive farms without antimicrobial resistance (Group 2), and Salmonella-positive farms with antimicrobial resistance (Group 3). No risk factor was associated with the Group 2 classification

A longitudinal study ofthe Salmonella status on Ontario swine farms within the time period 2001-2006

In order to describe the fann-level of Salmonella status, I 13 Ontario swine fanns were tested annually for Salmonella I to 5 times within the time period 2001-2006. During 422 visits, 6844 fecal samples were collected and cultured for Salmonella. Salmonella was recovered from 437 (6.4%) of the fecal samples and 69 (61%) of the fanns had at least one positive sample over the entire period of the study. Salmonella was not recovered on II fanns of the 54 fanns visited five times, nor from 7 of the 17 fanns visited four times. On 7 fanns Salmonella was not recovered over the frrst 4 visits but were cultured on the fifth visit. The isolates belonged to 30 different serovars and serogroup B and C I were the most common serogroups

Violent Recidivism: A Long-Time Follow-Up Study of Mentally Disordered Offenders

Background: In this prospective study, mentally disordered perpetrators of severe violent and/or sexual crimes were followed through official registers for 59 (range 8 to 73) months. The relapse rate in criminality was assessed, compared between offenders sentenced to prison versus forensic psychiatric care, and the predictive ability of various risk factors (criminological, clinical, and of structured assessment instruments) was investigated. Method: One hundred perpetrators were consecutively assessed between 1998 and 2001 by a clinical battery of established instruments covering DSM-IV diagnoses, psychosocial background factors, and structured assessment instruments (HCR-20, PCL-R, and life-time aggression (LHA)). Follow-up data was collected from official registers for: (i) recidivistic crimes, (ii) crimes during ongoing sanction. Results: Twenty subjects relapsed in violent criminality during ongoing sanctions (n = 6) or after discharge/parole (n = 14). Individuals in forensic psychiatric care spent significantly more time at liberty after discharge compared to those in prison, but showed significantly fewer relapses. Criminological (age at first conviction), and clinical (conduct disorder and substance abuse/dependence) risk factors, as well as scores on structured assessment instruments, were moderately associated with violent recidivism. Logistic regression analyses showed that the predictive ability of criminological risk factors versus clinical risk factors combined with scores from assessment instruments was comparable, with each set of variables managing to correctly classify about 80% of all individuals, but the only predictors that remained significant in multiple models were criminological (age at first conviction, and a history of substance abuse among primary relatives). Conclusions: Only one in five relapsed into serious criminality, with significantly more relapses among subjects sentenced to prison as compared to forensic psychiatric care. Criminological risk factors tended to be the best predictors of violent relapses, while few synergies were seen when the risk factors were combined. Overall, the predictive validity of common risk factors for violent criminality was rather weak

HIV Testing and Care in Canadian Aboriginal Youth: A community based mixed methods study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HIV infection is a serious concern in the Canadian Aboriginal population, particularly among youth; however, there is limited attention to this issue in research literature. The purpose of this national study was to explore HIV testing and care decisions of Canadian Aboriginal youth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A community-based mixed-method design incorporating the Aboriginal research principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP) was used. Data were collected through surveys (n = 413) and qualitative interviews (n = 28). Eleven community-based organizations including urban Aboriginal AIDS service organizations and health and friendship centres in seven provinces and one territory assisted with the recruitment of youth (15 to 30 years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Average age of survey participants was 21.5 years (median = 21.0 years) and qualitative interview participants was 24.4 years (median = 24.0). Fifty-one percent of the survey respondents (210 of 413 youth) and 25 of 28 interview participants had been tested for HIV. The most common reason to seek testing was having sex without a condom (43.6%) or pregnancy (35.4%) while common reasons for not testing were the perception of being low HIV risk (45.3%) or not having had sex with an infected person (34.5%). Among interviewees, a contributing reason for not testing was feeling invulnerable. Most surveyed youth tested in the community in which they lived (86.5%) and 34.1% visited a physician for the test. The majority of surveyed youth (60.0%) had tested once or twice in the previous 2 years, however, about one-quarter had tested more than twice. Among the 26 surveyed youth who reported that they were HIV-positive, 6 (23.1%) had AIDS at the time of diagnosis. Delays in care-seeking after diagnosis varied from a few months to seven years from time of test.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is encouraging that many youth who had tested for HIV did so based on a realistic self-assessment of HIV risk behaviours; however, for others, a feeling of invulnerability was a barrier to testing. For those who tested positive, there was often a delay in accessing health services.</p

The utility of the Historical Clinical Risk -20 Scale as a predictor of outcomes in decisions to transfer patients from high to lower levels of security-A UK perspective

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ) approaches to violence risk assessment are increasingly being adopted into clinical practice in international forensic settings. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive validity of the Historical Clinical Risk -20 (HCR-20) violence risk assessment scale for outcome following transfers from high to medium security in a United Kingdom setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The sample was predominately male and mentally ill and the majority of cases were detained under the criminal section of the Mental Health Act (1986). The HCR-20 was rated based on detailed case file information on 72 cases transferred from high to medium security. Outcomes were examined, independent of risk score, and cases were classed as "success or failure" based on established criteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean length of follow up was 6 years. The total HCR-20 score was a robust predictor of failure at lower levels of security and return to high security. The Clinical and Risk management items contributed most to predictive accuracy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although the HCR-20 was designed as a violence risk prediction tool our findings suggest it has potential utility in decisions to transfer patients from high to lower levels of security.</p

An animal model to evaluate the function and regulation of the adaptively evolving stress protein SEP53 in oesophageal bile damage responses

Squamous epithelium in mammals has evolved an atypical stress response involving down-regulation of the classic HSP70 protein and induction of sets of proteins including one named SEP53. This atypical stress response might be due to the unusual environmental pressures placed on squamous tissue. In fact, SEP53 plays a role as an anti-apoptotic factor in response to DNA damage induced by deoxycholic acid stresses implicated in oesophageal reflux disease. SEP53 also has a genetic signature characteristic of an adaptively and rapidly evolving gene, and this observation has been used to imply a role for SEP53 in immunity. Physiological models of squamous tissue are required to further define the regulation and function of SEP53. We examined whether porcine squamous epithelium would be a good model to study SEP53, since this animal suffers from a bile-reflux disease in squamous oesophageal tissue. We have (1) cloned and sequenced the porcine SEP53 locus from porcine bacterial artificial chromosome genomic DNA, (2) confirmed the strikingly divergent nature of the C-terminal portion of the SEP53 gene amongst mammals, (3) discovered that a function of the conserved N-terminal domain of the gene is to maintain cytoplasmic localisation, and (4) examined SEP53 expression in normal and diseased porcine pars oesophagea. SEP53 expression in porcine tissue was relatively confined to gastric squamous epithelium, consistent with its expression in normal human squamous epithelium. Immunohistochemical staining for SEP53 protein in normal and damaged pars oesophagea demonstrated significant stabilisation of SEP53 protein in the injured tissue. These results suggest that porcine squamous epithelium would be a robust physiological model to examine the evolution and function of the SEP53 stress pathway in modulating stress-induced responses in squamous tissue