26 research outputs found

    The unique resistance and resilience of the Nigerian West African Dwarf goat to gastrointestinal nematode infections

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>West African Dwarf (WAD) goats serve an important role in the rural village economy of West Africa, especially among small-holder livestock owners. They have been shown to be trypanotolerant and to resist infections with <it>Haemonchus contortus </it>more effectively than any other known breed of goat.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this paper we review what is known about the origins of this goat breed, explain its economic importance in rural West Africa and review the current status of our knowledge about its ability to resist parasitic infections.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We suggest that its unique capacity to show both trypanotolerance and resistance to gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections is immunologically based and genetically endowed, and that knowledge of the underlying genes could be exploited to improve the capacity of more productive wool and milk producing, but GI nematode susceptible, breeds of goats to resist infection, without recourse to anthelmintics. Either conventional breeding allowing introgression of resistance alleles into susceptible breeds, or transgenesis could be exploited for this purpose. Appropriate legal protection of the resistance alleles of WAD goats might provide a much needed source of revenue for the countries in West Africa where the WAD goats exist and where currently living standards among rural populations are among the lowest in the world.</p

    Parasite control practices on Swedish horse farms

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    Conclusion: The results show that routines for endoparasite control can be improved in many horse establishments. To increase the knowledge of equine endoparasite control and follow the recommendations for how to reduce the spread of anthelmintic resistance, a closer collaboration between parasitologists and veterinary practitioners is desirable

    Distinct fibroblast lineages determine dermal architecture in skin development and repair

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    This work was funded by the Wellcome Trust (F.M.W., A.C.F.-S.), the Medical Research Council (MRC) (F.M.W., A.C.F.-S.) and the European Union FP7 programme: TUMIC (F.M.W.), HEALING (F.M.W.) and EpigeneSys (A.C.F.-S.). B.M.L. is the recipient of a FEBS long-term fellowship. K.K. is the recipient of a MRC PhD Studentship. The authors acknowledge financial support from the Department of Health via theNational Institute forHealth Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King’s College London (KCL) and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Input from M. Mastrogiannaki, A. Reimer and B. Trappmann is gratefully acknowledged

    Factors associated with dropout from treatment for eating disorders: a comprehensive literature review

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dropout (DO) is common in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs), but the reasons for this phenomenon remain unclear. This study is an extensive review of the literature regarding DO predictors in EDs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All papers in PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library (1980-2009) were considered. Methodological issues and detailed results were analysed for each paper. After selection according to inclusion criteria, 26 studies were reviewed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The dropout rates ranged from 20.2% to 51% (inpatient) and from 29% to 73% (outpatient). Predictors of dropout were inconsistent due to methodological flaws and limited sample sizes. There is no evidence that baseline ED clinical severity, psychiatric comorbidity or treatment issues affect dropout. The most consistent predictor is the binge-purging subtype of anorexia nervosa. Good evidence exists that two psychological traits (high maturity fear and impulsivity) and two personality dimensions (low self-directedness, low cooperativeness) are related to dropout.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Implications for clinical practice and areas for further research are discussed. Particularly, these results highlight the need for a shared definition of dropout in the treatment of eating disorders for both inpatient and outpatient settings. Moreover, the assessment of personality dimensions (impulse control, self-efficacy, maturity fear and others) as liability factors for dropout seems an important issue for creating specific strategies to reduce the dropout phenomenon in eating disorders.</p

    Fate of Prominin-1 Expressing Dermal Papilla Cells during Homeostasis, Wound Healing and Wnt Activation

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    Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The research was also funded/supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centr

    Empirical relationships among oliguria, creatinine, mortality, and renal replacement therapy in the critically ill

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    Purpose: The observation periods and thresholds of serum creatinine and urine output defined in the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria were not empirically derived. By continuously varying creatinine/urine output thresholds as well as the observation period, we sought to investigate the empirical relationships among creatinine, oliguria, in-hospital mortality, and receipt of renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods: Using a high-resolution database (Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II), we extracted data from 17,227 critically ill patients with an in-hospital mortality rate of 10.9 %. The 14,526 patients had urine output measurements. Various combinations of creatinine/urine output thresholds and observation periods were investigated by building multivariate logistic regression models for in-hospital mortality and RRT predictions. For creatinine, both absolute and percentage increases were analyzed. To visualize the dependence of adjusted mortality and RRT rate on creatinine, the urine output, and the observation period, we generated contour plots. Results: Mortality risk was high when absolute creatinine increase was high regardless of the observation period, when percentage creatinine increase was high and the observation period was long, and when oliguria was sustained for a long period of time. Similar contour patterns emerged for RRT. The variability in predictive accuracy was small across different combinations of thresholds and observation periods. Conclusions: The contour plots presented in this article complement the AKIN definition. A multi-center study should confirm the universal validity of the results presented in this articleNational Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (Grant R01 EB001659
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