Veterinary services during the COVID pandemic: less stressful for cats and their carers?

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic saw major changes to small animal veterinary practice, many of which may have had an impact on stress in cats presented to the clinic. The aim of this study was to examine the nature of feline outpatient visits before and during the pandemic, and examine signs of stress noted in cats before, during and after these visits. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to gather data on cat owner experiences of visits to the veterinary clinic. Data were gathered on the owner’s most recent experience of a consultation, with consultations occurring in February 2020 or earlier coded as a standard consultation, and consultations occurring in March 2020 or later coded as COVID-19 consultations. RESULTS: A total of 371 responses were received, with 210 coded as standard consultations and 161 coded as COVID-19 consultations. Consultation type varied significantly between standard and COVID-19 consultations (P <0.001), with emergency consultations more frequent and preventive healthcare consultations less frequent during the COVID-19 pandemic. The area in which the owner and their cat waited also varied significantly between standard and COVID-19 consultations (P <0.001), with standard consultations more likely to involve time in a waiting room while COVID-19 consultations were often called straight in or waited outside the practice. Most owners notedbehaviours associated with stress in their cats, regardless of consultation type, although trying to hide or escape were noted more frequently for cats seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings suggest that outpatient visits to the veterinary clinic were stressful for cats both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some measures taken during the pandemic, for example less use of waiting rooms, could be used alongside existing cat friendly measures to help to reduce stress in feline patients

A systematic review of tools designed for teacher proxy-report of children’s physical literacy or constituting elements

Abstract Background Physical literacy (PL) in childhood is essential for a healthy active lifestyle, with teachers playing a critical role in guiding its development. Teachers can assist children to acquire the skills, confidence, and creativity required to perform diverse movements and physical activities. However, to detect and directly intervene on the aspects of children’s PL that are suboptimal, teachers require valid and reliable measures. This systematic review critically evaluates the psychometric properties of teacher proxy-report instruments for assessing one or more of the 30 elements within the four domains (physical, psychological, cognitive, social) of the Australian Physical Literacy Framework (APLF), in children aged 5–12 years. Secondary aims were to: examine alignment of each measure (and relevant items) with the APLF and provide recommendations for teachers in assessing PL. Methods Seven electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, Education Source, Global Health, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) were systematically searched originally in October 2019, with an updated search in April 2021. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed English language publications that sampled a population of children with mean age between 5 and 12 years and focused on developing and evaluating at least one psychometric property of a teacher proxy-report instrument for assessing one or more of the 30 APLF elements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidance was followed for the conduct and reporting of this review. The methodological quality of included studies and quality of psychometric properties of identified tools were evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidance. Alignment of each measure (and relevant items) with the APLF domains and 30 elements was appraised. Results Database searches generated 61,412 citations; reduced to 41 studies that evaluated the psychometric properties of 24 teacher proxy-report tools. Six tools were classified as single domain measures (i.e. assessing a single domain of the APLF), eleven as dual-domain measures, and seven as tri-domain measures. No single tool captured all four domains and 30 elements of the APLF. Tools contained items that aligned with all physical, psychological, and social elements; however, four cognitive elements were not addressed by any measure. No tool was assessed for all nine psychometric properties outlined by COSMIN. Included studies reported a median of 3 out of nine psychometric properties. Most reported psychometric properties were construct validity (n = 32; 78% of studies), structural validity (n = 26; 63% of studies), and internal consistency (n = 25; 61% of studies). There was underreporting of content validity, cross-cultural validity, measurement error, and responsiveness. Psychometric data across tools were mostly indeterminate for construct validity, structural validity, and internal consistency. Conclusions There is limited evidence to fully support the use of a specific teacher proxy-report tool in practice. Further psychometric testing and detailed reporting of methodological aspects in future validity and reliability studies is needed. Tools have been designed to assess some elements of the framework. However, no comprehensive teacher proxy-report tool exists to assess all 30 elements of the APLF, demonstrating the need for a new tool. It is our recommendation that such tools be developed and psychometrically tested. Trial registration This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, with registration number CRD42019130936

What keeps FLAME lit? Comparing two modes of implementation of a physical education-based intervention to improve motor competence among Irish adolescents

Background: Adequate levels of motor competence (MC) have been associated with multiple health outcomes. Despite the preponderance of effective MC interventions, globally, levels of MC in children and adolescents are low. There is a gap in understanding what leads to effective implementation of MC interventions into routine practice, to benefit the wider population. Purpose: This study aims to compare implementation outcomes of two versions of Project FLAME: one group of teachers implementing Project FLAME as per the original efficacy trial (‘Original FLAME’), a second group of teachers implementing Project FLAME incorporating three additional implementation strategies (‘Modified FLAME’). Methods: A mixed method, two-group pre-and-post design, lasting six weeks during the period of September to November 2021. Three implementation evaluation outcomes were assessed: (i) PE teacher’s self-efficacy in delivering Project FLAME; (ii) Fidelity and adaptation to the project protocol; and (iii) Teachers’ and students’ responsiveness to the project. Data were collected at student and teacher levels using online survey and interviews. Nine PE teachers and their classes from eight schools consented to participate. Descriptives were reported for quantitative online survey data, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results: The final analytical sample included data from 9 teachers and 127 students pre- and post-study. Irrespective of implementation group, teachers with low levels of self-efficacy at the baseline improved after the six-week intervention. Teachers’ fidelity to the use of pedagogical external cues and error identification were high in both groups, with more adaptations made in the Modified FLAME group. Students’ satisfaction towards the intervention was high in both groups, with the use of pedagogical external cues reported as highly preferable. Conclusion: Findings provide evidence on the ‘non-negotiable’ features of Project FLAME that have the potential to be implemented for a longer-term in Physical Education settings (e.g. external teaching cues). The documented implementation of Project FLAME provide knowledge on what adaptations may be needed to translate an effective MC intervention into real-world practice. The study reaffirms that documenting the implementation (especially fidelity and adaptation) of MC interventions is beneficial.</p

Investigation on the Synthesis, Application and Structural Features of Heteroaryl 1,2-Diketones

A set of unsymmetrical heteroaryl 1,2-diketones were synthesized by a heteroarylation/oxidation sequence with up to 65% isolated yields. Palladium catalyst XPhos Pd G4 and SeO2 were the key reagents used in this methodology, and microwave irradiation was utilized to facilitate an efficient and ecofriendly process. The application of heteroaryl 1,2-diketones is demonstrated through the synthesis of an unsymmetrical 2-phenyl-3-(pyridin-3-yl)quinoxaline (5a) from 1-phenyl-2-(pyridin-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione (4a). The lowest energy conformations of 4a and 5a were located using Density Functional Theory (DFT) at the M06-2X/def2-TZVP level of theory. Two lowest energy conformations of 4a differ with respect to the position of the N atom in the pyridyl ring and 0.27 kcal/mol energy difference between them corresponds to 60.4 and 39.6% at 50 °C in toluene. Four lowest energy conformations for 5a have the energy differences of 0.01, 0.03 and 0.07 kcal/mol that corresponds to 26.0, 25.7, 24.9 and 23.4%, respectively. A comparison of 4a and 5a to the less hindered analogs (oxalyl chloride and oxalic acid) is used to investigate the structural features and bonding using Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis

Evaluating the Quality of Research into a Single Prognostic Biomarker: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 83 Studies of C-Reactive Protein in Stable Coronary Artery Disease

Background Systematic evaluations of the quality of research on a single prognostic biomarker are rare. We sought to evaluate the quality of prognostic research evidence for the association of C-reactive protein (CRP) with fatal and nonfatal events among patients with stable coronary disease. Methods and Findings We searched MEDLINE (1966 to 2009) and EMBASE (1980 to 2009) and selected prospective studies of patients with stable coronary disease, reporting a relative risk for the association of CRP with death and nonfatal cardiovascular events. We included 83 studies, reporting 61,684 patients and 6,485 outcome events. No study reported a prespecified statistical analysis protocol; only two studies reported the time elapsed (in months or years) between initial presentation of symptomatic coronary disease and inclusion in the study. Studies reported a median of seven items (of 17) from the REMARK reporting guidelines, with no evidence of change over time. The pooled relative risk for the top versus bottom third of CRP distribution was 1.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.78–2.17), with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 79.5). Only 13 studies adjusted for conventional risk factors (age, sex, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol) and these had a relative risk of 1.65 (95% CI 1.39–1.96), I2 = 33.7. Studies reported ten different ways of comparing CRP values, with weaker relative risks for those based on continuous measures. Adjusting for publication bias (for which there was strong evidence, Egger's p<0.001) using a validated method reduced the relative risk to 1.19 (95% CI 1.13–1.25). Only two studies reported a measure of discrimination (c-statistic). In 20 studies the detection rate for subsequent events could be calculated and was 31% for a 10% false positive rate, and the calculated pooled c-statistic was 0.61 (0.57–0.66). Conclusion Multiple types of reporting bias, and publication bias, make the magnitude of any independent association between CRP and prognosis among patients with stable coronary disease sufficiently uncertain that no clinical practice recommendations can be made. Publication of prespecified statistical analytic protocols and prospective registration of studies, among other measures, might help improve the quality of prognostic biomarker research

Enrollee Characteristics in an Intensive Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program: The Relationship of Race and Sex to Demographic Factors and Tobacco Use Patterns

Intensive tobacco treatment programs offer many advantages relative to other treatment options, particularly for more complex patients, e.g., highly nicotine dependent, or those with medical and psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Efforts to better understand those who choose to enroll in these programs, particularly regarding the characteristics they possess known to mediate outcomes, are important considerations in tailoring available services. In this study, we examined how participants differed on key descriptive and tobacco use variables within race (i.e., African-American, Caucasian) and sex subgroups. Baseline characteristics from a large group of consecutive program enrollees were examined across targeted subgroups. Strong racial effects and some sex effects were noted for marital status, education, employment and health insurance status, alcohol consumption, presence of medical and psychiatric disorders, as well as participant tobacco use patterns and tobacco use rates of family, friends and coworkers. The differences in participant tobacco use measures across race and sex factors remained significant after adjusting for the confounding effects of all other covariates. These findings have implications for characterizing key patient subgroups who present at tobacco treatment clinics. Such information may contribute to options for tailoring treatment regimens

Homoeologous gene silencing in tissue cultured wheat callus

Abstract Background In contrast to diploids, most polyploid plant species, which include the hexaploid bread wheat, possess an additional layer of epigenetic complexity. Several studies have demonstrated that polyploids are affected by homoeologous gene silencing, a process in which sub-genomic genomic copies are selectively transcriptionally inactivated. This form of silencing can be tissue specific and may be linked to developmental or stress responses. Results Evidence was sought as to whether the frequency of homoeologous silencing in in vitro cultured wheat callus differ from that in differentiated organs, given that disorganized cells are associated with a globally lower level of DNA methylation. Using a reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) platform to detect the pattern of expression of 20 homoeologous sets of single-copy genes known to be affected by this form of silencing in the root and/or leaf, we observed no silencing in any of the wheat callus tissue tested. Conclusion Our results suggest that much of the homoeologous silencing observed in differentiated tissues is probably under epigenetic control, rather than being linked to genomic instability arising from allopolyploidization. This study reinforces the notion of plasticity in the wheat epi-genome.</p

The microRNA-29 family in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis

MicroRNAs have been shown to function in cartilage development and homeostasis, as well as in progression of osteoarthritis. The objective of the current study was to identify microRNAs involved in the onset or early progression of osteoarthritis and characterise their function in chondrocytes. MicroRNA expression in mouse knee joints post-DMM surgery was measured over 7 days. Expression of miR-29b-3p was increased at day 1 and regulated in the opposite direction to its potential targets. In a mouse model of cartilage injury and in end-stage human OA cartilage, the miR-29 family were also regulated. SOX9 repressed expression of miR-29a-3p and miR-29b-3p via the 29a/b1 promoter. TGFβ1 decreased expression of miR-29a, b and c (3p) in primary chondrocytes, whilst IL-1β increased (but LPS decreased) their expression. The miR-29 family negatively regulated Smad, NFκB and canonical WNT signalling pathways. Expression profiles revealed regulation of new WNT-related genes. Amongst these, FZD3, FZD5, DVL3, FRAT2, CK2A2 were validated as direct targets of the miR-29 family. These data identify the miR-29 family as microRNAs acting across development and progression of OA. They are regulated by factors which are important in OA and impact on relevant signalling pathways

Disparities in the analysis of morphological disparity

Analyses of morphological disparity have been used to characterize and investigate the evolution of variation in the anatomy, function and ecology of organisms since the 1980s. While a diversity of methods have been employed, it is unclear whether they provide equivalent insights. Here, we review the most commonly used approaches for characterizing and analysing morphological disparity, all of which have associated limitations that, if ignored, can lead to misinterpretation. We propose best practice guidelines for disparity analyses, while noting that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. The available tools should always be used in the context of a specific biological question that will determine data and method selection at every stage of the analysis