VAHW training : a facilitation manual to train village animal health workers working with the livestock vaccine value chain focused on gendered intersectional transformative approaches - Nepal

Many recognize there are multiple factors that prevent women from vaccinating their animals, most often related to gender and other intersectional issues (such as class, caste/ethnicity, disability, age, etc.). We believe that using a gendered intersectional approach to working with women livestock owners, all levels of animal health workers, and trainers will be transformative in opening up the spaces to allow for fuller participation of women in the livestock vaccine value chain. This training manual contains activities for each day of a six-day training program. The program is designed for village animal health workers and the overall objective is to enhance these workers’ capacities in using inclusive approaches in their work with community members, especially women and others from marginalized communities.Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)Global Affairs Canada (GAC

One day GITA training in animal health : a facilitation manual focused on integrating gendered intersectional transformative approach (GITA) in animal health to train the staff of the Livestock service divisions and goat cooperatives in Nepal

Nepalese version available in IDRC Digital Library : One day GITA training in animal health : a facilitation manual focused on integrating gendered intersectional transformative approach (GITA) in animal health to train the staff of the Livestock service divisions and goat cooperatives in Nepal [Nepalese version]Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)Global Affairs Canada (GAC

CAHW training : a facilitation manual to train community animal health workers working with the livestock vaccine value chain focused on gendered intersectional transformative approaches - Uganda

Many recognize there are multiple factors that prevent women from vaccinating their animals, most often related to gender and other intersectional issues (such as class, caste/ethnicity, disability, age, etc.). We believe that using a gendered intersectional approach to working with women livestock owners, all levels of animal health workers, and trainers will be transformative in opening up the spaces to allow for fuller participation of women in the livestock vaccine value chain. This training manual contains activities for each day of a six-day training program. The program is designed for village animal health workers and the overall objective is to enhance these workers’ capacities in using inclusive approaches in their work with community members, especially women and others from marginalized communities.Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)Global Affairs Canada (GAC

Resource manual 06 - animal health and GITA : training, facilitating and communicating with communities and households for animal health workers and trainers working with the livestock vaccine value chain in Karamoja Sub Region, Uganda

This manual is part of a series of resource manuals to be used by those who work with animal health workers to become change agents in communities that increase the use of livestock vaccines through using a gendered intersectional transformative approach (GITA).Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)Global Affairs Canada (GAC

Resource manual 06 - animal health and GITA : training, facilitating and communicating with communities and households for animal health workers and trainers working with the livestock vaccine value chain in Nepal

This manual is part of a series of resource manuals to be used by those who work with animal health workers to become change agents in communities that increase the use of livestock vaccines through using a gendered intersectional transformative approach (GITA).Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)Global Affairs Canada (GAC

Moderate-intensity exercise alters markers of alternative activation in circulating monocytes in females: a putative role for PPARγ

Monocytes may be primed towards differentiation into classically activated M1 macrophages or alternatively activated M2 macrophages. M1 macrophages greatly contribute to the inflammation which promotes insulin resistance, whereas M2 macrophages resolve inflammation. We have previously shown that exercise increases M2 marker expression in mixed mononuclear cells, possibly via activation of the nuclear transcription factor PPARγ. However, these effects have not been demonstrated specifically within monocytes. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether moderate-intensity exercise elicited similar effects on monocytic M1/M2 marker expression and PPARγ activity to those reported previously in mononuclear cells, so as to further elucidate the mechanisms by which exercise may alter inflammatory status and, accordingly, prevent insulin resistance

TPOAb and thyroid function are not associated with breast cancer outcome: evidence from a large-scale study using data from the Taxotere as Adjuvant Chemotherapy Trial (TACT, CRUK01/001)

Background: Small-scale studies correlated the presence of thyroid autoimmunity with both improved or worsened breast cancer outcome. Objectives: We aimed to clarify this association in a large cohort using the phase III, randomized, controlled Taxotere as Adjuvant Chemotherapy Trial (TACT, CRUK01/001). Methods: TACT women >18 years old with node-positive or high-risk node-negative early breast cancer (pT1–3a, pN0–1, M0), with stored plasma (n = 1,974), taken 15.5 (median; IQR 7.0–24.0) months after breast surgery were studied. Patients had also received chemotherapy (100%), radiotherapy (1,745/1,974; 88.4%), hormonal therapy (1,378/ 1,974; 69.8%), or trastuzumab (48/1,974; 2.4%). History of thyroid diseases and/or related treatments was not available. The prognostic significance of autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb; positive ≥6 kIU/L), free-thyroxine and thyrotropin (combined: euthyroid, hypothyroid, hyperthyroid) was evaluated for disease-free survival (DFS), overall-survival (OS), and time-to-recurrence (TTR), with Cox regression models in univariate and multivariable analyses. The extended median follow-up was 97.5 months. Results: No difference in DFS was found by TPOAb status (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.78–1.19; p = 0.75) and/or thyroid function (unadjusted HR [hypothyroid vs. euthyroid]: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.79–1.68; p = 0.46; unadjusted HR [hyperthyroid vs. euthyroid]: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.82–1.61; p = 0.44). Similar results were obtained for OS, TTR, multivariable analyses, when TPOAb titre by tertiles was considered, and in a subgroup of 123 patients with plasma collected before adjuvant treatments. Conclusions: No evidence for a prognostic role of TPOAb and/or thyroid function in moderate-to-high-risk early breast cancer was found in the largest and longest observational study to date

Renewable energy in remote communities

This article is the result of a competitively tendered University-funded project, this brings together two major Government Policy areas: sustainable communities and use of carbon fuels, and is aimed at influencing the policy debate on the difficulties of linking remote communities to renewable energy production because of poor distribution networks. Linkage with the Sustainable Communities agenda is an essential ingredient, as the proposal is that the renewable energy technologies will be installed and maintained by the communities themselves

Role of hyaluronan in human adipogenesis : evidence from in-vitro and in-vivo studies

Hyaluronan (HA), an extra-cellular matrix glycosaminoglycan, may play a role in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation to fat but results using murine models and cell lines are conflicting. Our previous data, illustrating decreased HA production during human adipogenesis, suggested an inhibitory role. We have investigated the role of HA in adipogenesis and fat accumulation using human primary subcutaneous preadipocyte/fibroblasts (PFs, n = 12) and subjects of varying body mass index (BMI). The impact of HA on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression was analysed following siRNA knockdown or HA synthase (HAS)1 and HAS2 overexpression. PFs were cultured in complete or adipogenic medium (ADM) with/without 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU = HA synthesis inhibitor). Adipogenesis was evaluated using oil red O (ORO), counting adipogenic foci, and measurement of a terminal differentiation marker. Modulating HA production by HAS2 knockdown or overexpression increased (16%, p < 0.04) or decreased (30%, p = 0.01) PPARγ transcripts respectively. The inhibition of HA by 4-MU significantly enhanced ADM-induced adipogenesis with 1.52 ± 0.18- (ORO), 4.09 ± 0.63- (foci) and 2.6 ± 0.21-(marker)-fold increases compared with the controls, also increased PPARγ protein expression (40%, (p < 0.04)). In human subjects, circulating HA correlated negatively with BMI and triglycerides (r = −0.396 (p = 0.002), r = −0.269 (p = 0.038), respectively), confirming an inhibitory role of HA in human adipogenesis. Thus, enhancing HA action may provide a therapeutic target in obesity