The Traditional Japanese Medicine (Kampo) Boiogito has a Dual Benefit in Cardiorenal Syndrome : A Pilot Observational Study（和漢医薬（漢方薬）防已黄耆湯は心腎症候群の両面への効果を有する：試験的観察研究）

信州大学(Shinshu university)博士（医学）雑誌に発表。雑誌に発表。SHINSHU MEDICAL JOURNAL. 62(2):89-97 (2014); doi:10.11441/shinshumedj.62.89.ThesisGAUTAM　MILAN. The Traditional Japanese Medicine (Kampo) Boiogito has a Dual Benefit in Cardiorenal Syndrome : A Pilot Observational Study（和漢医薬（漢方薬）防已黄耆湯は心腎症候群の両面への効果を有する：試験的観察研究）. 信州大学, 2014, 博士論文.doctoral thesi

NepBERTa : Nepali Language Model Trained in a Large Corpus

We would like to thank Google’s TPU Research Cloud program for providing us with free and unlimited usage of TPU v3-128 for 90 days. It would not have been possible without the continuous support and response of the TRC team.Publisher PD

Epidemiology of ovine paratuberculosis in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, New Zealand

The overall goal of this PhD project was to better understand the general epidemiology of ovine paratuberculosis (PTb) and the specific molecular characteristics of the causing organism Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in New Zealand. To begin with, current control measures for clinical PTb in New Zealand’s major pastoral livestock species (dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, deer) were reviewed. Infection with Map is common in all these species and control is voluntary for all livestock industries. Control measures aim to reduce the incidence rate of clinical PTb rather than to eradicate Map infection. Dairy and deer industries have developed resources describing best-practice management options that assist farmers and veterinarians to advise their clients about specific control plans. There is no national control programme for sheep and beef cattle. However, unlike for cattle and deer, the use of a commercial vaccine is licensed for sheep. Evidence in this thesis suggests that vaccination may be a cost effective option for flocks that experience a high incidence of clinical disease. For deer, there is a national abattoir surveillance programme that aims to alert farmers of unusually high rates of PTb-like lesions in deer at slaughter. Evaluations of the biological and economic effectiveness of voluntary control still remains to be undertaken for all industries. Work in this thesis estimated the on-farm economic cost of clinical PTb in sheep (ovine Johne’s disease, OJD) in New Zealand. It was based on data about the incidence of clinical PTb and overall mortality from 20 OJD-affected farms. The benefit-cost ratio of vaccination was estimated. Farms were categorized as either fine-wool breed (Merino, Half-bred, Corriedale) or other breeds and calculations were stratified for these two farm categories. The estimated mortality due to OJD was 2.7 times as high in fine-wool as in other breeds with large variation between farms. A stochastic simulation for a hypothetical flock with 2,000 breeding ewes resulted in an average annual cost of OJD-mortality of NZ $13,100 in fine-wool and NZ$4,300 in other breeds. Vaccinating replacement lambs against OJD would be cost-effective in most flocks when the pre-vaccination annual OJD ewe mortality was >1%. Accurate on-farm observation of OJD to establish incidence would help farmers to make better decisions about vaccination. Frozen-stored faecal and serum samples of individual sheep with no signs of clinical disease from 45 commercial flocks from a 2013 study that determined pooled faecal culture (PFC) status were used to determine faecal Map shedding and antibody in serum. A total of 878 faecal samples were tested with direct faecal real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine Map shedding prevalence and abundance in individual animals. In addition, the qPCR results were compared with Map antibody ELISA results from 837 corresponding sera to correlate the observed shedding prevalence with sero-prevalence. Overall, 13.1% of faecal samples and 5.8% of serum samples tested positive. The median intra-flock prevalence (IFP) of Map shedding in the qPCR positive flocks was 13.5% with a range of 5–95%. The median IFP of Map ELISA antibody positive flocks was 10% with a range of 5–20%. ELISA results and the DNA concentration in qPCR positive samples were positively correlated. Nevertheless, ELISA was a poor predictor of individual shedding. A more robust assessment of the shedding status of flocks can be achieved by using a combination of qPCR and ELISA of individual animals rather than a single PFC of 20 randomly selected sheep per flock, as was used in the 2013 survey. Type S1 Map isolates from New Zealand and the Australian Telford strain were char- acterized based on single nucleotide variant (SNV) analysis of whole genome sequence data (WGS). A Type S1 genome was completely sequenced and closed for using as a reference for the SNV analysis. Besides defining the genetic relationship between Map isolates from New Zealand, Australia and Europe several phenotypic variables used as surrogates for the severity of PTb in individual hosts were investigated. The New Zealand and Australian isolates formed a closely related group. They were distinctly different from the Type S isolates from countries in Europe. Within New Zealand, Map genotypes and region of sheep farm locations were significantly associated (p <0.05). There were no significant associations between genotype and surrogates for severity, observed in the animals which the genotypes were isolated from, such as histopathological scores of intestinal lesions, host serology or the gross-pathological diagnosis by veterinarians at necropsy. These results suggested that the phenotypic variation of PTb may depend on factors other than Map-genotype in Type S strain. Further studies are required to sub-stantiate a hypothesis about varying virulence factors of the Map genome in New Zealand sheep. In summary, PTb control in New Zealand is voluntary in all major ruminant livestock industries including sheep. In clinically affected commercial sheep farms, estimated mortality due to OJD was 2.7 times as high in fine-wool as in other breeds, but large variations were observed between farms. PTb vaccination in commercial sheep flocks may be cost effective if annual incidence of OJD attributable ewe mortality is >1%. In non-clinical commercial flocks, the median IFP of Map shedding and Map ELISA antibody positive prevalence was 13.5% and 10% respectively. Approximately 1% ewes in qPCR positive flocks were supershedders. Based on analysis of WGS data, Type S Map genotypes from New Zealand sheep were similar across the country and not affected by the type of breed or disease outcome in hosts

KONTROL AF SPOLORM I ØKOLOGISKE SVIN. Resultater fra PAROL projektet: Parasitter i økologiske produktionsdyr: innovative løsninger til nye udfordringer

Spolorm er meget almindelige i danske økologiske svin og kan reducere tilvækst, foderudnyttelse og effekt af vacciner hos smittede grise samt være årsag til kassering/værditab af levere. Spolorm smitter via hårdføre æg og projektet har kortlagt smittemønstre i 5 besætninger og undersøgt hvor smittepresset er størst og hvordan vi bedst kan spredningen i danske økologiske (og frilands-) besætninger

Importance of Fatty Acid Compositions in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

Objective: Importance of fatty acid components and imbalances has emerged in coronary heart disease. In this study, we analyzed fatty acids and ankle-brachial index (ABI) in a Japanese cohort. Methods: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was diagnosed in 101 patients by ABI <= 0.90 and/or by angiography. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors and components of serum fatty acids were examined in all patients (mean age 73.2 +/- 0.9 years; 81 males), and compared with those in 373 age- and sex-matched control subjects with no evidence of PAD. Results: The presence of PAD (mean ABI: 0.71 +/- 0.02) was independently associated with low levels of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85-0.96; P = 0.002), eicosapentaenoic acid: arachidonic acid (EPA: AA) ratio (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.17-0.86; P = 0.021), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96-0.98; P<0.0001), and with a high hemoglobin A1c level (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.06-1.69; P = 0.013). Individuals with lower levels of GLA (<= 7.95 mu g/mL) and a lower EPA: AA ratio (<= 0.55) had the lowest ABI (0.96 +/- 0.02, N = 90), while the highest ABI (1.12 +/- 0.01, N = 78) was observed in individuals with higher values of both GLA and EPA: AA ratio (P<0.0001). Conclusion: A low level of GLA and a low EPA: AA ratio are independently associated with the presence of PAD. Specific fatty acid abnormalities and imbalances could lead to new strategies for risk stratification and prevention in PAD patients.ArticlePLOS ONE. 9(9):e107003 (2014)journal articl

The Traditional Japanese Medicine (Kampo) Boiogito has a Dual Benefit in Cardiorenal Syndrome: A Pilot Observational Study

Article信州医学雑誌 62(2):89-97(2014)journal articl

Biodiesel production from camelina oil: Present status and future perspectives

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an oilseed crop with favorable potentials for biodiesel production, such as the high plant yield, high oil content in the seed, high net energy ratio, and low oil production cost. This review paper deals with the present state and perspectives of biodiesel production from camelina oil. First, important issues of camelina seed pretreatment and biodiesel production are reviewed. Emphasis is given to different biodiesel technologies that have been used so far worldwide, the economic assessment of the camelina oil biodiesel (COB) production, the camelina-based biorefineries for the integrated biodiesel production, the COB life cycle analysis, and impact human health and ecosystem. Finally, the perspectives of COB production from the techno-economic and especially genetic engineering points of view are discussed

Spolorm – forekomst og kontrol

Spolorm er hyppigt forekommende i danske økologiske svinebesætninger pga. æggenes meget tykke skal, som hjælper æggene til at overleve mange år i jorden

Biodiesel production from camelina oil: Present status and future perspectives

Camelina sativa(L.) Crantz is an oilseed crop with favorable potentials for bio-diesel production, such as the high plant yield, high oil content in the seed, high net energy ratio, and low oil production cost. This review paper deals with the present state and perspectives of biodiesel production from camelina oil. First, important issues of camelina seed pretreatment and biodiesel production are reviewed. Emphasis is given to different biodiesel technologies that have been used so far worldwide, the economic assessment of the camelina oil biodiesel (COB) production, the camelina- based biorefineries for the integrated biodiesel production, the COB life cycle analysis, and impact human health and ecosystem. Finally, the perspectives of COB production from the techno- economic and especially genetic engineering points of view are discussed

Health System Capacity and Access Barriers to Diagnosis and Treatment of CVD and Diabetes in Nepal

Background: Universal access to essential medicines and routine diagnostics is required to combat the growing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Evaluating health systems and various access dimensions – availability, affordability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality – is crucial yet rarely performed, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: To evaluate health system capacity and barriers in accessing diagnostics and essential medicines for CVD and diabetes in Nepal. Methods: We conducted a WHO/HAI nationally-representative survey in 45 health-facilities (public sector: 11; private sector: 34) in Nepal to collect availability and price data for 21 essential medicines for treating CVD and diabetes, during May–July 2017. Data for 13 routine diagnostics were obtained in 12 health facilities. Medicines were considered unaffordable if the lowest paid worker spends >1 day’s wage to purchase a monthly supply. To evaluate accessibility, we conducted facility exit interviews among 636 CVD patients. Accessibility (e.g., private-public health facility mix, travel to hospital/pharmacy) and acceptability (i.e. Nepal’s adoption of WHO Essential Medicine List, and patient medication adherence) were summarized using descriptive statistics, and we conducted a systematic review of relevant literature. We did not evaluate medicine quality. Results: We found that mean availability of generic medicines is low (<50%) in both public and private sectors, and less than one-third medicines met WHO’s availability target (80%). Mean (SD) availability of diagnostics was 73.1% (26.8%). Essential medicines appear locally unaffordable. On average, the lowest-paid worker would spend 1.03 (public sector) and 1.26 (private sector) days’ wages to purchase a monthly medicine supply. For a person undergoing CVD secondary-prevention interventions in the private sector, the associated expenditure would be 7.5–11.2% of monthly household income. Exit interviews suggest that a long/expensive commute to health facilities and poor medicine affordability constrain access. Conclusions: This study highlights critical gaps in Nepal’s health system capacity to offer basic health services to CVD and diabetes patients, owing to low availability and poor affordability and accessibility. Research and policy initiatives are needed to ensure uninterrupted supply of affordable essential medicines and diagnostics