2,053 research outputs found
Longevity and mortality in Kennel Club registered dog breeds in the UK in 2014
Abstract Background The domestic dog is one of the most diverse mammalian species, exhibiting wide variations in morphology, behaviour and morbidity across breeds. Therefore, it is not unexpected that breeds should also exhibit variation in mortality and longevity. While shorter longevity per se may not necessarily be a welfare issue, a generally foreshortened lifespan in a breed that is accompanied by a high prevalence of a particular cause of death may reveal potentially serious welfare concerns and highlight scope to improve breed welfare. Survey data gathered directly from owners offer useful insights into canine longevity and mortality that can support the overall evidence base for welfare reforms within breeds. Results Mortality data on 5663 deceased dogs registered with the UK Kennel Club were collected from an owner-based survey. The most commonly reported causes of death were old age (13.8%), unspecified cancer (8.7%) and heart failure (4.9%); with 5.1% of deaths reported as unknown cause. Overall median age at death was 10.33Â years (interquartile range: 7.17â12.83Â years). Breeds varied widely in median longevity overall from the West Highland Terrier (12.71Â years) to the Dobermann Pinscher (7.67Â years). There was also wide variation in the prevalence of some common causes of death among breeds, and in median longevity across the causes of death. Conclusion Substantial variation in the median lifespan and the prominent causes of death exists across breeds. This study has identified some breeds with both a low median lifespan and also a high proportional mortality for one or more specific causes of death that should be considered as both potential welfare concerns as well as opportunities for improvement
Large-scale survey to estimate the prevalence of disorders for 192 Kennel Club registered breeds
Abstract Background Pedigree or purebred dogs are often stated to have high prevalence of disorders which are commonly assumed to be a consequence of inbreeding and selection for exaggerated features. However, few studies empirically report and rank the prevalence of disorders across breeds although such data are of critical importance in the prioritisation of multiple health concerns, and to provide a baseline against which to explore changes over time. This paper reports an owner survey that gathered disorder information on Kennel Club registered pedigree dogs, regardless of whether these disorders received veterinary care. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of disorders among pedigree dogs overall and, where possible, determine any variation among breeds. Results This study included morbidity data on 43,005 live dogs registered with the Kennel Club. Just under two thirds of live dogs had no reported diseases/conditions. The most prevalent diseases/conditions overall were lipoma (4.3%; 95% confidence interval 4.13-4.52%), skin (cutaneous) cyst (3.1%; 2.94-3.27%) and hypersensitivity (allergic) skin disorder (2.7%; 2.52-2.82%). For the most common disorders in the most represented breeds, 90 significant differences between the within breed prevalence and the overall prevalence are reported. Conclusion The results from this study have added vital epidemiological data on disorders in UK dogs. It is anticipated that these results will contribute to the forthcoming Breed Health & Conservation Plans, a Kennel Club initiative aiming to assist in the identification and prioritisation of breeding selection objectives for health and provide advice to breeders/owners regarding steps that may be taken to minimise the risk of the disease/disorders. Future breed-specific studies are recommended to report more precise prevalence estimates within more breeds
Gettering of Pd to implantation-induced nanocavities in Si
The gettering of Pd to nanocavities in Si for implantation doses ranging from 5Ă10ÂčÂł to 1Ă10Âčâ”âcmÂŻÂČ and annealing temperatures ranging from 750 to 1050â°C was investigated using Rutherford backscattering and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. For a given annealing temperature, the gettering efficiency increased as the dose decreased. For a given dose, maximum gettering efficiency was achieved at the intermediate temperatures studied. Competition between silicide formation and nanocavity gettering limited gettering efficiency.The authors thank the Australian Research Council for
their financial support. G.deM.A. acknowledges the Brazilian
agency CNPq ~Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento
CientıŽfico e TecnoloŽgico! for a postdoctoral fellowship
On the validity of the reduced Salpeter equation
We adapt a general method to solve both the full and reduced Salpeter
equations and systematically explore the conditions under which these two
equations give equivalent results in meson dynamics. The effects of constituent
mass, angular momentum state, type of interaction, and the nature of
confinement are all considered in an effort to clearly delineate the range of
validity of the reduced Salpeter approximations. We find that for
the solutions are strikingly similar for all
constituent masses. For zero angular momentum states the full and reduced
Salpeter equations give different results for small quark mass especially with
a large additive constant coordinate space potential. We also show that
corrections to heavy-light energy levels can be accurately
computed with the reduced equation.Comment: Latex (uses epsf macro), 24 pages of text, 12 postscript figures
included. Slightly revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev.
On the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation
We present a systematic algebraic and numerical investigation of the
instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation. Emphasis is placed on confining
interaction kernels of the Lorentz scalar, time component vector, and full
vector types. We explore stability of the solutions and Regge behavior for each
of these interactions, and conclude that only time component vector confinement
leads to normal Regge structure and stable solutions.Comment: Latex (uses epsf macro), 26 pages of text, 12 postscript figures
included
A genome-wide association study identifies a susceptibility locus for biliary atresia on 2p16.1 within the gene EFEMP1
Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare pediatric cholangiopathy characterized by fibrosclerosing obliteration of the extrahepatic bile ducts, leading to cholestasis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventual liver failure. The etiology of BA remains unknown, although environmental, inflammatory, infectious, and genetic risk factors have been proposed. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a European-American cohort of 343 isolated BA patients and 1716 controls to identify genetic loci associated with BA. A second GWAS was performed in an independent European-American cohort of 156 patients with BA and other extrahepatic anomalies and 212 controls to confirm the identified candidate BA-associated SNPs. Meta-analysis revealed three genome-wide significant BA-associated SNPs on 2p16.1 (rs10865291, rs6761893, and rs727878; P < 5 Ă10-8), located within the fifth intron of the EFEMP1 gene, which encodes a secreted extracellular protein implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, cell proliferation, and organogenesis. RNA expression analysis showed an increase in EFEMP1 transcripts from human liver specimens isolated from patients with either BA or other cholestatic diseases when compared to normal control liver samples. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that EFEMP1 is expressed in cholangiocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells in liver specimens from patients with BA and other cholestatic diseases, but it is absent from cholangiocytes in normal control liver samples. Efemp1 transcripts had higher expression in cholangiocytes and portal fibroblasts as compared with other cell types in normal rat liver. The identification of a novel BA-associated locus, and implication of EFEMP1 as a new BA candidate susceptibility gene, could provide new insights to understanding the mechanisms underlying this severe pediatric disorder
Caring for Individuals with Dementia and Cognitive Impairment, Not Dementia: Findings from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106975/1/j.1532-5415.2010.03304.x.pd
Revealing Nuclear Pions Using Electron Scattering
A model for the pionic components of nuclear wave functions is obtained from
light front dynamical calculations of binding energies and densities. The
pionic effects are small enough to be consistent with measured nuclear di-muon
production data and with the nucleon sea. But the pion effects are large enough
to predict substantial nuclear enhancement of the cross section for
longitudinally polarized virtual photons for the kinematics accessible at
Jefferson Laboratory.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
A microscopic semiclassical confining field equation for lattice gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions
We present a semiclassical nonlinear field equation for the confining field
in 2+1--dimensional lattice gauge theory (compact QED). The equation is
derived directly from the underlying microscopic quantum Hamiltonian by means
of truncation. Its nonlinearities express the dynamic creation of magnetic
monopole currents leading to the confinement of the electric field between two
static electric charges. We solve the equation numerically and show that it can
be interpreted as a London relation in a dual superconductor.Comment: 21 pages, epsf postscript figures included, full postscript available
at ftp://ftp.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/pub/cbest/micro.ps.Z or
http://www.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~cbest/pub.htm
Home sampling for sexually transmitted infections and HIV in men who have sex with men: A prospective observational study
To determine uptake of home sampling kit (HSK) for STI/HIV compared to clinic-based testing, whether the availability of HSK would increase STI testing rates amongst HIV infected MSM, and those attending a community-based HIV testing clinic compared to historical control. Prospective observational study in three facilities providing STI/HIV testing services in Brighton, UK was conducted. Adult MSM attending/contacting a GUM clinic requesting an STI screen (group 1), HIV infectedMSM attending routine outpatient clinic (group 2), and MSM attending a community-based rapid HIV testing service (group 3) were eligible. Participants were required to have no symptomatology consistent with STI and known to be immune to hepatitis A and B (group 1). Eligiblemen were offered a HSK to obtain self-collected specimens as an alternative to routine testing. HSK uptake compared to conventional clinicbased STI/HIV testing in group 1, increase in STI testing rates due to availability of HSK compared to historical controls in group 2 and 3, and HSK return rates in all settings were calculated. Among the 128 eligible men in group 1, HSK acceptance was higher (62.5% (95%CI: 53.5-70.9)) compared to GUM clinic-based testing (37.5% (95% CI: 29.1-46.5)), (p = 0.0004). Two thirds of eligibleMSM offered an HSK in all three groups accepted it, but HSK return rates varied (highest in group 1, 77.5%, lowest in group 3, 16%). HSK for HIV testing was acceptable to 81%of men in group 1. Compared to historical controls, availability of HSK increased the proportion ofMSM testing for STIs in group 2 but not in group 3. HSK for STI/ HIV offers an alternative to conventional clinic-based testing for MSM seeking STI screening. It significantly increases STI testing uptake in HIV infected MSM. HSK could be considered as an adjunct to clinic-based services to further improve STI/HIV testing in MSM
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