New Test Day Model for the Genetic Evaluation of mastitis in dairy cattle

In this study, genetic parameters of test-day (TD) somatic cell score (SCS) and lactation average (LA)clinical mastitis (CM) were estimated using a random regression model (RRM) that combine two differentdata models. A multitrait RRM (mt-RRM) was then developed for the genetic evaluation of mastitis.Estimates of breeding values (EBVs) from the mt-RRM were compared to corresponding multitrait LAmodel (biv-LAM) and univariate LA models (univ-LAM). A total of 147500 and about 5.6 million recordsfrom 27500 and 1.4 million Finnish Ayrshire cows were used for estimation of genetic parameters andprediction of breeding values, respectively. Heritabilities of CM1 and CM2 traits: (CM1, -7 to 30 andCM2, 31 to 300 DIM) were 0.026 and 0.016, respectively, while for TD SCS they ranged from 0.06 to0.11. During first lactation, the genetic correlations between TD SCS and CM1 and between TD SCS andCM2 varied from 0.40 to 0.77 and from 0.34 to 0.71, respectively. In genetic evaluation of mastitis, modelcomparisons have showed that mt-RRM has high model predictive ability and high standard deviation ofbreeding values. Moreover, it has added advantages of making efficient use of available TD SCSinformation and offers proofs for bulls and cows. Therefore, mt-RRM can be used as best practical modelin the future evaluation of animals for mastitis resistance

Monimuotoisen neuropsykiatrisen perhekuntoutuksen seurantatutkimus : Tutkimusprotokolla

Kansaneläkelaitos (Kela) täydentää sosiaali- ja terveysalan julkisen terveydenhuollon kuntoutuspalvelutarjontaa. Lasten ja nuorten (5–15-vuotiaat) tunne-elämän ja käyttäytymisen häiriöiden kuntoutuspalveluihin Kela kehittää parhaillaan monimuotoista perhekuntoutusta. Vuosien 2010–2018 välisenä aikana käynnissä olevat neuropsykiatrisen perhekuntoutuksen LAKU- ja Etä-LAKU-kuntoutusohjelmat on tarkoitettu perheille, joissa 5–12-vuotiaalla lapsella on todettu neuropsykiatrinen häiriö ja mahdollisesti muita samanaikaisia psykiatrisia häiriöitä. Monimuotoisen perhekuntoutuksen kehittämishankkeiden yleisenä tavoitteena on kehittää kuntoutusmalli, joka voisi soveltua Kelan harkinnanvaraisen kuntoutuksen vakiintuneeksi palveluksi. Kelan kehittämishankkeisiin liittyy aina arviointitutkimus. Monimuotoisen perhekuntoutuksen seurantatutkimuksessa arvioidaan perhelähtöisten kuntoutusohjelmien soveltuvuutta ja vaikutuksia lapsiperheiden psykososiaaliseen hyvinvointiin. Tutkimuksen kohteena on kolme perhelähtöistä hoito- ja kuntoutusohjelmaa: Kelan kehitteillä olevat LAKU- ja Etä-LAKU-kuntoutusohjelmat sekä vertailuaineistona Varsinais-Suomen sairaanhoitopiirin (VSSHP) Turun yliopistollisen keskussairaalan (TYKS) lastenpsykiatrian poliklinikan ostopalveluna hankkima perheterapia. Kyseessä on satunnaistamaton seurantatutkimus. Tutkimusaineisto kerätään ensisijaisesti lomakekyselyjen avulla, ja aineistoa täydennetään esimerkiksi perhekuntoutustoimintaan osallistuvien ammattihenkilöiden fokusryhmähaastatteluilla ja työntekijöille kohdistetuilla kyselyillä. Tutkimustuloksia tullaan raportoimaan kotimaisissa ja kansainvälisissä vertaisarvioiduissa julkaisuissa

Epidemiología i assistència primària

Amb aquest article pretenem presentar, de forma resumida, els elements més rellevants de la sessió dedicada per la Societat a la relació entre l'Epidemiologia i l'Assistència Primària. Hem refusat d'intentar una transcripciò cronològica per tal d'aconseguiruna síntesis més útil. Així després d'una consideració preliminar sobre què és. d'una banda l'Epidemiologiai, de l'altra, L'assistència Primària, passarem a tractar els aspectes de l'organització de la tasca epidemiològica en el context del primer esglaó dels serveis sanitari

Analysis of pancreas tissue in a child positive for islet cell antibodies

Conclusions/interpretation These observations suggest that positivity for ICA alone, even when lasting for more than 1 year, is not associated with inflammatory changes in the islets. However, it is most likely that the pancreatic islets were infected by an enterovirus in this child

Evaluation of a standard provision versus an autonomy promotive exercise referral programme: rationale and study design

Background The National Institute of Clinical Excellence in the UK has recommended that the effectiveness of ongoing exercise referral schemes to promote physical activity should be examined in research trials. Recent empirical evidence in health care and physical activity promotion contexts provides a foundation for testing the utility of a Self Determination Theory (SDT) -based exercise referral consultation. Methods/Design Design: An exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial comparing standard provision exercise on prescription with a Self Determination Theory-based (SDT) exercise on prescription intervention. Participants: 347 people referred to the Birmingham Exercise on Prescription scheme between November 2007 and July 2008. The 13 exercise on prescription sites in Birmingham were randomised to current practice (n=7) or to the SDT-based intervention (n=6). Outcomes measured at 3 and 6-months: Minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week assessed using the 7-day Physical Activity Recall; physical health: blood pressure and weight; health status measured using the Dartmouth CO-OP charts; anxiety and depression measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and vitality measured by the subjective vitality score; motivation and processes of change: perceptions of autonomy support from the advisor, satisfaction of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness via physical activity, and motivational regulations for exercise. Discussion This trial will determine whether an exercise referral programme based on Self Determination Theory increases physical activity and other health outcomes compared to a standard programme and will test the underlying SDT-based process model (perceived autonomy support, need satisfaction, motivation regulations, outcomes) via structural equation modelling. Trial registration The trial is registered as Current Controlled trials ISRCTN07682833

Evidence of disturbed sleep and mood state in well-trained athletes during short-term intensified training with and without a high carbohydrate nutritional intervention

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Sports Sciences on 25th September 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/02640414.2015.1085589.Few studies have investigated the effects of exercise training on sleep physiology in well-trained athletes. We investigated changes in sleep markers, mood state and exercise performance in well-trained cyclists undergoing short-term intensified training and carbohydrate nutritional intervention. Thirteen highly-trained male cyclists (age: 25 ± 6y, (Formula presented.)O2max: 72 ± 5 ml/kg/min) participated in two 9-day periods of intensified training while undergoing a high (HCHO) or moderate (CON) carbohydrate nutritional intervention before, during and after training sessions. Sleep was measured each night via wristwatch actigraphy. Mood state questionnaires were completed daily. Performance was assessed with maximal oxygen uptake ((Formula presented.). Percentage sleep time fell during intensified training (87.9 ± 1.5 to 82.5 ± 2.3%; p < 0.05) despite an increase in time in bed (456 ± 50 to 509 ± 48 min; p = 0.02). Sleep efficiency decreased during intensified training (83.1 ± 5.3 to 77.8 ± 8.6%; p < 0.05). Actual sleep time was significantly higher in CON than HCHO throughout intensified training. Mood disturbance increased during intensified training and was higher in CON than HCHO (p < 0.05). Performance in the (Formula presented.) exercise protocol fell significantly with intensified training. The main findings of this study were that 9-days of intensified training in highly-trained cyclists resulted in significant and progressive declines in sleep quality, mood state and maximal exercise performance

Attachment and Entry of Chlamydia Have Distinct Requirements for Host Protein Disulfide Isomerase

Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular pathogen that causes a wide range of diseases in humans. Attachment and entry are key processes in infectivity and subsequent pathogenesis of Chlamydia, yet the mechanisms governing these interactions are unknown. It was recently shown that a cell line, CHO6, that is resistant to attachment, and thus infectivity, of multiple Chlamydia species has a defect in protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) N–terminal signal sequence processing. Ectopic expression of PDI in CHO6 cells led to restoration of Chlamydia attachment and infectivity; however, the mechanism leading to this recovery was not ascertained. To advance our understanding of the role of PDI in Chlamydia infection, we used RNA interference to establish that cellular PDI is essential for bacterial attachment to cells, making PDI the only host protein identified as necessary for attachment of multiple species of Chlamydia. Genetic complementation and PDI-specific inhibitors were used to determine that cell surface PDI enzymatic activity is required for bacterial entry into cells, but enzymatic function was not required for bacterial attachment. We further determined that it is a PDI-mediated reduction at the cell surface that triggers bacterial uptake. While PDI is necessary for Chlamydia attachment to cells, the bacteria do not appear to utilize plasma membrane–associated PDI as a receptor, suggesting that Chlamydia binds a cell surface protein that requires structural association with PDI. Our findings demonstrate that PDI has two essential and independent roles in the process of chlamydial infectivity: it is structurally required for chlamydial attachment, and the thiol-mediated oxido-reductive function of PDI is necessary for entry

Comparison between dopaminergic agents and physical exercise as treatment for periodic limb movements in patients with spinal cord injury

Study design: Randomized controlled trial of physical exercise and dopaminergic agonist in persons with spinal cord injury and periodic leg movement (PLM).Objective: the objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of physical exercise and of a dopaminergic agonist in reducing the frequency of PLM.Setting: Centro de Estudos em Psicobiologia e Exercicio. Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.Methods: A total of 13 volunteers (mean age: 31.6 +/- 8.3 years) received L-DOPA ( 200 mg) and benserazide ( 50 mg) 1 h before sleeping time for 30 days and were then submitted to a physical exercise program on a manual bicycle ergometer for 45 days ( 3 times a week).Results: Both L-DOPA administration (35.11 - 19.87 PLM/h, P<0.03) and physical exercise (35.11 - 18.53 PLM/h, P<0.012) significantly reduced PLM; however, no significant difference was observed between the two types of treatment.Conclusions: the two types of treatment were found to be effective in the reduction of PLM; however, physical exercise is indicated as the first treatment approach, while dopaminergic agonists or other drugs should only be recommended for patients who do not respond to this type of treatment.UNIFESP, Dept Psychobiol, BR-04020060 São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Dept Psychobiol, BR-04020060 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Low back pain and widespread pain predict sickness absence among industrial workers

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the aluminium industry is high, and there is a considerable work-related fraction. More knowledge about the predictors of sickness absence from MSD in this industry will be valuable in determining strategies for prevention. The aim of this study was to analyse the relative impact of body parts, psychosocial and individual factors as predictors for short- and long-term sickness absence from MSD among industrial workers. METHODS: A follow-up study was conducted among all the workers at eight aluminium plants in Norway. A questionnaire was completed by 5654 workers at baseline in 1998. A total of 3320 of these participated in the follow-up study in 2000. Cox regression analysis was applied to investigate the relative impact of MSD in various parts of the body and of psychosocial and individual factors reported in 1998 on short-term and long-term sickness absence from MSD reported in 2000. RESULTS: MSD accounted for 45% of all working days lost the year prior to follow-up in 2000. Blue-collar workers had significantly higher risk than white-collar workers for both short- and long-term sickness absence from MSD (long-term sickness absence: RR = 3.04, 95% CI 2.08–4.45). Widespread and low back pain in 1998 significantly predicted both short- and long-term sickness absence in 2000. In addition, shoulder pain predicted long-term sickness absence. Low social support predicted short-term sickness absence (RR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.11–1.49). CONCLUSIONS: Reducing sickness absence from MSD among industrial workers requires focusing on the working conditions of blue-collar workers and risk factors for low back pain and widespread pain. Increasing social support in the work environment may have effects in reducing short-term sickness absence from MSD

Interfacility Helicopter Ambulance Transport of Neurosurgical Patients: Observations, Utilization, and Outcomes from a Quaternary Level Care Hospital

The clinical benefit of helicopter transport over ground transportation for interfacility transport is unproven. We sought to determine actual practice patterns, utilization, and outcomes of patients undergoing interfacility transport for neurosurgical conditions.We retrospectively examined all interfacility helicopter transfers to a single trauma center during 2008. We restricted our analysis to those transfers leading either to admission to the neurosurgical service or to formal consultation upon arrival. Major exclusion criteria included transport from the scene, death during transport, and transport to any area of the hospital other than the emergency department. The primary outcome was time interval to invasive intervention. Secondary outcomes were estimated ground transportation times from the referring hospital, admitting disposition, and discharge disposition. Of 526 candidate interfacility helicopter transfers to our emergency department in 2008, we identified 167 meeting study criteria. Seventy-five (45%) of these patients underwent neurosurgical intervention. The median time to neurosurgical intervention ranged from 1.0 to 117.8 hours, varying depending on the diagnosis. For 101 (60%) of the patients, estimated driving time from the referring institution was less than one hour. Four patients (2%) expired in the emergency department, and 34 patients (20%) were admitted to a non-ICU setting. Six patients were discharged home within 24 hours. For those admitted, in-hospital mortality was 28%.Many patients undergoing interfacility transfer for neurosurgical evaluation are inappropriately triaged to helicopter transport, as evidenced by actual times to intervention at the accepting institution and estimated ground transportation times from the referring institution. In a time when there is growing interest in health care cost containment, practitioners must exercise discretion in the selection of patients for air ambulance transport--particularly when it may not bear influence on clinical outcome. Neurosurgical evaluation via telemedicine may be one strategy for improving air transport triage