Predicting recovery at home after Ambulatory Surgery

The correct implementation of Ambulatory Surgery must be accompanied by an accurate monitoring of the patient post-discharge state. We fit different statistical models to predict the first hours postoperative status of a discharged patient. We will also be able to predict, for any discharged patient, the probability of needing a closer follow-up, or of having a normal progress at home

Sheep Updates 2006 - part 4

This session covers seven papers from different authors: MANAGEMENT 1. Wool and meat traits in Merino flocks in different regions, K.G. Geenty, A.A. Swan, A.J. Smith, J.L. Smith, Sheep CRC and CSIRO Livestock Industries, Armidale 2. Fat score or Condition score? - It all depends on what you want to do! Chris Oldham, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 3. Sheep worm control - the latest for Western Australia, RG Woodgate, RA Love, E Dobbe, HM Hoult, J Pearson, S Hill, A van Burgel and RB Besier, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia PASTURES 4. Rethinking pasture production - STEPS to greater productivity with perennials, R. Warburton, Farmer, Mobrup, WA, L. Mathwin, Farmer Kojonup WA, D. Rogers, E. Crossley, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 5. Sheep Returnes from Saltland Pastures, Allan Herbert, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 6. Pasture legumes and grasses from saline land, Phil Nichols, Tony Albertsen, Darryl McClements, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, & Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity MERINO INNOVATION DAY 7. Towards \u27clean, green and ethical\u27 sheep production, Graeme Martin, Penny Hawken, Carolina Viñoles, Beth Paganoni and Dominique Blache, School of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australi

HIV-1 recombinants with multiple parental strains in low-prevalence, remote regions of Cameroon: Evolutionary relics?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The HIV pandemic disseminated globally from Central West Africa, beginning in the second half of the twentieth century. To elucidate the virologic origins of the pandemic, a cross-sectional study was conducted of the genetic diversity of HIV-1 strains in villagers in 14 remote locations in Cameroon and in hospitalized and STI patients. DNA extracted from PBMC was PCR amplified from HIV(+) subjects. Partial <it>pol </it>amplicons (N = 164) and nearly full virus genomes (N = 78) were sequenced. Among the 3956 rural villagers studied, the prevalence of HIV infection was 4.9%; among the hospitalized and clinic patients, it was 8.6%.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Virus genotypes fell into two distinctive groups. A majority of the genotyped strains (109/164) were the circulating recombinant form (CRF) known to be endemic in West Africa and Central West Africa, CRF02_AG. The second most common genetic form (9/164) was the recently described CRF22_01A1, and the rest were a collection of 4 different subtypes (A2, D, F2, G) and 6 different CRFs (-01, -11, -13, -18, -25, -37). Remarkably, 10.4% of HIV-1 genomes detected (17/164) were heretofore undescribed unique recombinant forms (URF) present in only a single person. Nearly full genome sequencing was completed for 78 of the viruses of interest. HIV genetic diversity was commonplace in rural villages: 12 villages each had at least one newly detected URF, and 9 villages had two or more.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results show that while CRF02_AG dominated the HIV strains in the rural villages, the remainder of the viruses had tremendous genetic diversity. Between the trans-species transmission of SIV_cpzand the dispersal of pandemic HIV-1, there was a time when we hypothesize that nascent HIV-1 was spreading, but only to a limited extent, recombining with other local HIV-1, creating a large variety of recombinants. When one of those recombinants began to spread widely (i.e. became epidemic), it was recognized as a subtype. We hypothesize that the viruses in these remote Cameroon villages may represent that pre-epidemic stage of viral evolution.</p

Characterization of the Emerging HIV Type 1 and HCV Epidemics among Injecting Drug Users in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

This study aimed to determine HIV, HCV, and syphilis prevalence and correlates, and to characterize the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. A cross-sectional study assessing risk factors for HIV and HCV through an interview administered survey was conducted. A total of 491 active adult IDUs were recruited from May to November 2004 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. HIV-1 antibody status was determined with rapid testing and confirmed with ELISA. HCV antibody testing was conducted using a BIOELISA HCV kit. HIV-1 subtyping was done on a subset with full-length sequencing. Correlates of HIV and HCV infection were assessed using logistic regression. Overall prevalence of HIV was 12.1%, HCV was 61.3%, and syphilis was 15.7%. In a multivariate logistic regression model controlling for gender and ethnicity, daily injection of narcotics [odds ratio (OR) OR 3.22] and Tajik nationality (OR 7.06) were significantly associated with HIV status. Tajik nationality (OR 1.91), history of arrest (OR 2.37), living/working outside Tajikistan in the past 10 years (OR 2.43), and daily injection of narcotics (OR 3.26) were significantly associated with HCV infection whereas being female (OR 0.53) and always using a sterile needle (OR 0.47) were inversely associated with HCV infection. Among 20 HIV-1-positive IDU with specimens available for typing, 10 were subtype A, 9 were CRF02_AG, and one was an A-CRF02_AG recombinant. Epidemics of HIV-1, HCV, and drug use are underway in Dushanbe. The molecular epidemiology is distinctive, with West African variants accounting for roughly 50% of prevalent infections. Targeted prevention programs offering both needle exchange programs and opiate substitution therapies are urgently called for to prevent the further spread of HIV and HCV in Tajikistan

Regulation of folliculogenesis and the determination of ovulation rate in ruminants

The paper presents an update of our 1993 model of ovarian follicular development in ruminants, based on knowledge gained from the past 15 years of research. The model addresses the sequence of events from follicular formation in fetal life, through the successive waves of follicular growth and atresia, culminating with the emergence of ovulatory follicles during reproductive cycles. The original concept of five developmental classes of follicles, defined primarily by their responses to gonadotrophins, is retained: primordial, committed, gonadotrophin-responsive, gonadotrophin-dependent and ovulatory follicles. The updated model has more extensive integration of the morphological, molecular and cellular events during folliculogenesis with systemic events in the whole animal. It also incorporates knowledge on factors that influence oocyte quality and the critical roles of the oocyte in regulating follicular development and ovulation rate. The original hypothetical mechanisms determining ovulation rate are retained but with some refinements; the enhanced viability of gonadotrophin-dependent follicles and increases in the number of gonadotrophin-responsive follicles by increases in the throughput of follicles to this stage of growth. Finally, we reexamine how these two mechanisms, which are thought not to be mutually exclusive, appear to account for most of the known genetic and environmental effects on ovulation rate.R. J. Scaramuzzi, D. T. Baird, B. K. Campbell, M.-A. Driancourt, J. Dupont, J. E. Fortune, R. B. Gilchrist, G. B. Martin, K. P. McNatty, A. S. McNeilly, P. Monget, D. Monniaux, C. Viñoles and R. Web