Prevalence of and risk factors for FIV and FeLV infection in two shelters in the United Kingdom (2011-2012)

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections in cats presented to two RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) animal rehoming centres and to identify risk factors for infection. All cats presented at each centre between August 2011 and August 2012 were subjected to a patient-side test for FeLV/FIV on entry. Kittens under three months and cats euthanased within a short time of presentation were excluded from the study. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to separately determine risk factors for FeLV and FIV infections. At shelter A, the prevalence of FIV infection was 11.4 per cent (54/474) and FeLV infection was 3 per cent (14/473), with two FIV/FeLV coinfections identified. At shelter B, the prevalence of FIV infection was 3 per cent (4/135) and FeLV infection was 0 per cent (0/135). Cats at shelter A were significantly more likely than those at shelter B to test positive for FIV (p=0.0024) and FeLV (p=0.048). Male cats were more likely to be infected with FIV (odds ratio 27.1, p=0.001), and thin body condition and musculoskeletal disease were associated with risk of FeLV. Overall, FIV-positive and FeLV-positive cats were significantly older (median ages 5.1 and 4.75 years, respectively) than the uninfected populations (median ages 3.4 and 3.5 years, respectively). This study shows that the prevalence of these diseases varies between shelter populations. Local knowledge combined with the risk factors identified may be useful in focusing resources for population testing strategies

Patient and parent perspectives on transition from paediatric to adult healthcare in rheumatic diseases: an interview study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the experiences, priorities, and needs of patients with rheumatic disease and their parents during transition from paediatric to adult healthcare. SETTING: Face-to-face and telephone semistructured interviews were conducted from December 2018 to September 2019 recruited from five hospital centres in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen young people and 16 parents were interviewed. Young people were included if they were English speaking, aged 14-25 years, diagnosed with an inflammatory rheumatic disease (eg, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, panniculitis, familial Mediterranean fever) before 18 years of age. Young people were not included if they were diagnosed in the adult setting. RESULTS: We identified four themes with respective subthemes: avoid repeat of past disruption (maintain disease stability, preserve adjusted personal goals, protect social inclusion); encounter a daunting adult environment (serious and sombre mood, discredited and isolated identity, fear of a rigid system); establish therapeutic alliances with adult rheumatology providers (relinquish a trusting relationship, seek person-focused care, redefine personal-professional boundaries, reassurance of alternative medical supports, transferred trust to adult doctor) and negotiate patient autonomy (confidence in formerly gained independence, alleviate burden on patients, mediate parental anxiety). CONCLUSIONS: During transition, patients want to maintain disease stability, develop a relationship with their adult provider centralised on personal goals and access support networks. Strategies to comprehensively communicate information between providers, support self-management, and negotiate individualised goals for independence during transition planning may improve satisfaction, and health and treatment outcomes

The Impossible Trinity: Inflation Targeting, Exchange Rate Management and Open Capital Accounts in Emerging Economies

This paper contributes to the debate on macroeconomic management and capital account regulations in developing and emerging countries (DECs). It argues that the recommendation by neoclassical economists and international financial institutions (IFIs) to combine an inflation targeting regime with exchange rate management, whilst maintaining open capital accounts, is both impossible and potentially counterproductive. This, it shows with extensive semi-structured interviews with currency traders in Brazil and London, is due to the peculiar way such a regime shapes central bank interventions in the money and foreign exchange markets and the destabilising way these interventions interact with financial market expectations. The interview results also demonstrate that the guidelines issued by IFIs actually undermine, rather than aid, DEC central banks’ initial attempt to manage excessive exchange rate movements. These results support the long-standing argument by heterodox economists and critical international political economists that DECs need to make the exchange rate an explicit instrument and goal of their macroeconomic policy and complement it with comprehensive capital account regulations to reduce the destabilising impact of international capital flows. The interview results also give some concrete suggestions on how to do so

Effects of transportation, transport medium and re-housing on Xenopus laevis (Daudin)

Understanding the immediate and longer-term effects of transportation and re-housing in a laboratory species is crucial in order to refine the transfer process, enable the optimal introduction of new animals to a novel environment and to provide a sufficient acclimatisation period before usage. Whilst consideration of animal welfare in most model vertebrate species has received attention, little quantitative evidence exists for the optimal care of the common laboratory amphibian Xenopus laevis. Techniques for the non-invasive welfare assessment of amphibians are also limited and here a non-invasive physiological assay was developed to investigate the impacts of transportation, transport medium and re-housing on X. laevis. First the impacts of transportation and transport medium (water, damp sponge or damp sphagnum moss) were investigated. Transportation caused an increase in waterborne corticosterone regardless of transport medium. Frogs transported in damp sphagnum moss also had a greater decrease in body mass in comparison to frogs not transported, suggesting that this is the least suitable transport medium for X. laevis. Next the prolonged impacts of transportation and re-housing were investigated. Frogs were transported between research facilities with different housing protocols. Samples were collected prior to and immediately following transportation, as well as 1 day, 7 days and 35 days after re-housing. Water-borne corticosterone increased following transportation and remained high for at least 7 days, decreasing to baseline levels by 35 days. Body mass decreased following transportation and remained lower than baseline levels across the entire 35 day observation period. These findings suggest the process of transportation and re-housing is stressful in this species. Together these findings have important relevance for both improving animal welfare and ensuring optimal and efficient scientific research

Intra-operative gallbladder scoring predicts conversion of laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy: a WSES prospective collaborative study

Abstract Introduction Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the gold-standard approach for cholecystectomy, has surprisingly variable outcomes and conversion rates. Only recently has operative grading been reported to define disease severity and few have been validated. This multicentre, multinational study assessed an operative scoring system to assess its ability to predict the need for conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy. Methods A prospective, web-based, ethically approved study was established by WSES with a 10-point gallbladder operative scoring system; enrolling patients undergoing elective or emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 2016 and December 2017. Gallbladder surgery was considered easy if the G10 score < 2, moderate (2 ≦ 4), difficult (5 ≦ 7) and extreme (8 ≦ 10). Demographics about the patients, surgeons and operative procedures, use of cholangiography and conversion rates were recorded. Results Five hundred four patients, mean age 53.5 (range 18–89), were enrolled by 55 surgeons in 16 countries. Surgery was performed by consultants in 70% and was elective in (56%) with a mean operative time of 78.7 min (range 15-400). The mean G10 score was 3.21, with 22% deemed to have difficult or extreme surgical gallbladders, and 71/504 patients were converted. The G10 score was 2.98 in those completed laparoscopically and 4.65 in the 71/504 (14%) converted. (p <  0.0001; AUC 0.772 (CI 0.719–0.825). The optimal cut-off point of 0.067 (score of 3) was identified in G10 vs conversion to open cholecystectomy. Conversion occurred in 33% of patients with G10 scores of ≥ 5. The four variables statistically predictive of conversion were GB appearance—completely buried GB, impacted stone, bile or pus outside GB and fistula. Conclusion The G10 operative scores provide simple grading of operative cholecystectomy and are predictive of the need to convert to open cholecystectomy. Broader adaptation and validation may provide a benchmark to understand and improve care and afford more standardisation in global comparisons of care for cholecystectomy

Techniques of EMG signal analysis: detection, processing, classification and applications

Electromyography (EMG) signals can be used for clinical/biomedical applications, Evolvable Hardware Chip (EHW) development, and modern human computer interaction. EMG signals acquired from muscles require advanced methods for detection, decomposition, processing, and classification. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the various methodologies and algorithms for EMG signal analysis to provide efficient and effective ways of understanding the signal and its nature. We further point up some of the hardware implementations using EMG focusing on applications related to prosthetic hand control, grasp recognition, and human computer interaction. A comparison study is also given to show performance of various EMG signal analysis methods. This paper provides researchers a good understanding of EMG signal and its analysis procedures. This knowledge will help them develop more powerful, flexible, and efficient applications

Measurement of t(t)over-bar normalised multi-differential cross sections in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV, and simultaneous determination of the strong coupling strength, top quark pole mass, and parton distribution functions

Peer reviewe

An embedding technique to determine ττ backgrounds in proton-proton collision data

An embedding technique is presented to estimate standard model tau tau backgrounds from data with minimal simulation input. In the data, the muons are removed from reconstructed mu mu events and replaced with simulated tau leptons with the same kinematic properties. In this way, a set of hybrid events is obtained that does not rely on simulation except for the decay of the tau leptons. The challenges in describing the underlying event or the production of associated jets in the simulation are avoided. The technique described in this paper was developed for CMS. Its validation and the inherent uncertainties are also discussed. The demonstration of the performance of the technique is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS in 2017 at root s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb(-1).Peer reviewe