Factors influencing the outcome of ligating the uterine artery and vein in a guinea pig model of intrauterine growth retardation

ln a retrospeetive study the outcome of uterine artery or uterine arteiy and vein ligation in 235 pregnant guinea pigs was reported. The aim of the study was to reduce the number ofanimals used in studies of IUGR, by identifying factors influencing the outcome of uterine artery ligation that could easily be changed. Differences1n outcome by ligation technique, day of ligation and maternal weight on day of ligation were analyzed Ligating only the artery gave better resultsin bilateral pregnaneies and animals with bilateral pregnancies had IUGR fetuses more often than unilaterall

Xylose-positive staphylococci as a cause of respiratory disease in immunosuppressed rats

A severe outbreak of respiratory disease was diagnosed during a long—term toxicity study of Cyclosporine A in Sprague Dawley rats. Only rats closed orally with cyclosporine A fell ill, whereas no control animals contracted the disease. The causative agent was found to be Staphylococcus xylosus, a normal inhabitant the the respiratory tract of rats. Under normal conditions this organism is not pathogenic. In the case of immunocompromised animals, however, Staphylococcus xylosus was able to cause disease. The severity of the outbreak could be explained by insufficient hygienic procedures when closing the animals with a common stomach tube

Experimental model for CAPD studies in the rabbit

An animal model suitable for bioeompatibility studies of peritoneal dialysis solutions is presented. It permits fluid exchanges to be performed 3 times a day for at least 28 days. thus simulating Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) in humans.The surgical procedure is lenient, without omentectomy and nephrectomy. A closed, subcutaneous placed eatheter-system permits the animals to thrive well and move freely between dialysis-fluid exchanges. A Y-shaped dialysis equipment whichprevents air- and over-infusion was developed and is presented.The surgical procedure and the implanted catheter caused only minor histological changes of the peritoneum. No catheter-tunnel infections were observed.Our findings suggest that a slight peritoneal irritation is caused by the C:\PD-solutions, as non-infected, dialysed animals had a slightly higher body-temperature than controls and as the LD content of the dialysate was high probably indicatingcell-lysis.Though peritonitis was not avoided this experimental model using rabbits was found suitable for long term CAPD studies

A qualitative exploration of workarounds related to the implementation of national electronic health records in early adopter mental health hospitals

AIMS: To investigate the perceptions and reported practices of mental health hospital staff using national hospital electronic health records (EHRs) in order to inform future implementations, particularly in acute mental health settings. METHODS: Thematic analysis of interviews with a wide range of clinical, information technology (IT), managerial and other staff at two early adopter mental health National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in London, UK, implementing national EHRs. RESULTS: We analysed 33 interviews. We first sought out examples of workarounds, such as delayed data entry, entering data in wrong places and individuals using the EHR while logged in as a colleague, then identified possible reasons for the reported workarounds. Our analysis identified four main categories of factors contributing to workarounds (i.e., operational, cultural, organisational and technical). Operational factors included poor system integration with existing workflows and the system not meeting users' perceived needs. Cultural factors involved users' competence with IT and resistance to change. Organisational factors referred to insufficient organisational resources and training, while technical factors included inadequate local technical infrastructure. Many of these factors, such as integrating the EHR system with day-to-day operational processes, staff training and adequate local IT infrastructure, were likely to apply to system implementations in various settings, but we also identified factors that related particularly to implementing EHRs in mental health hospitals, for example: EHR system incompatibility with IT systems used by mental health-related sectors, notably social services; the EHR system lacking specific, mental health functionalities and options; and clinicians feeling unable to use computers while attending to distressed psychiatric patients. CONCLUSIONS: A better conceptual model of reasons for workarounds should help with designing, and supporting the implementation and adoption of, EHRs for use in hospital mental health settings

Efficacy of a Single Parenteral Treatment with Ivermectin against Otodectes cynotis Infestation of Cats

A single subcutaneous treatment with ivermectin, against Otodectes cynotis did markedly reduce the number of infested cats but did not eliminate the parasites in all animals. If subcutaneous injections are to be used in cat breeding colonies more than one treatment is recommended

Live bacterial vaccines – a review and identification of potential hazards

Abstract The use of live bacteria to induce an immune response to itself or to a carried vaccine component is an attractive vaccine strategy. Advantages of live bacterial vaccines include their mimicry of a natural infection, intrinsic adjuvant properties and their possibility to be administered orally. Derivatives of pathogenic and non-pathogenic food related bacteria are currently being evaluated as live vaccines. However, pathogenic bacteria demands for attenuation to weaken its virulence. The use of bacteria as vaccine delivery vehicles implies construction of recombinant strains that contain the gene cassette encoding the antigen. With the increased knowledge of mucosal immunity and the availability of genetic tools for heterologous gene expression the concept of live vaccine vehicles gains renewed interest. However, administration of live bacterial vaccines poses some risks. In addition, vaccination using recombinant bacteria results in the release of live recombinant organisms into nature. This places these vaccines in the debate on application of genetically modified organisms. In this review we give an overview of live bacterial vaccines on the market and describe the development of new live vaccines with a focus on attenuated bacteria and food-related lactic acid bacteria. Furthermore, we outline the safety concerns and identify the hazards associated with live bacterial vaccines and try to give some suggestions of what to consider during their development.</p

Modeling the growth of <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> in soft blue-white cheese

The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model simulating growth over time of the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes in a soft blue-white cheese. The physicochemical properties in a matrix such as cheese are essential controlling factors influencing the growth of L. monocytogenes. We developed a predictive tertiary model of the bacterial growth of L. monocytogenes as a function of temperature, pH, NaCl, and lactic acid. We measured the variations over time of the physicochemical properties in the cheese. Our predictive model was developed based on broth data produced in previous studies. New growth data sets were produced to independently calibrate and validate the developed model. A characteristic of this tertiary model is that it handles dynamic growth conditions described in time series of temperature, pH, NaCl, and lactic acid. Supplying the model with realistic production and retail conditions showed that the number of L. monocytogenes cells increases 3 to 3.5 log within the shelf life of the cheese

Ultradeep Pyrosequencing Detects Complex Patterns of CD8+ T-Lymphocyte Escape in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques▿ †

Human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV/SIV) exhibit enormous sequence heterogeneity within each infected host. Here, we use ultradeep pyrosequencing to create a comprehensive picture of CD8+ T-lymphocyte (CD8-TL) escape in SIV-infected macaques, revealing a previously undetected complex pattern of viral variants. This increased sensitivity enabled the detection of acute CD8-TL escape as early as 17 days postinfection, representing the earliest published example of CD8-TL escape in intrarectally infected macaques. These data demonstrate that pyrosequencing can be used to study the evolution of CD8-TL escape during immunodeficiency virus infection with an unprecedented degree of sensitivity

Patient information needs: pre- and post-consultation

This paper presents findings from a study of information seeking behaviour by National Health Service patients which explored motivational triggers for infor- mation needs. Previous research has highlighted the importance of contextual elements in users' changing information needs. This paper highlights how those needs may centre on specific events: in particular, a patient's consultation with their doctor. Patients initiate information seeking to assess whether they need clinical intervention, in preparation for the patient–doctor consultation and to verify the diagnosis or treatment stemming from that consultation. The study has revealed that having confidence in health practitioners is one key motiva- tion for information seeking. Another is a desire to use health service resources judiciously, efficiently and effectively