Identification and differentiation of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica using a simple PCR-restriction enzyme method

Accurate morphological differentiation between the liver fluke species Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica is difficult. We evaluated PCR-restriction enzyme profiles of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) that could aid in their identification. Fifty F. hepatica and 30 F. gigantica specimens were collected from different hosts in three provinces of Iran. For DNA extraction, we crushed fragments of the worms between two glass slides as a new method to break down the cells. DNA from the crushed materials was then extracted with a conventional phenol-chloroform method and with the newly developed technique, commercial FTA cards. A primer pair was selected to amplify a 463-bp region of the ITS1 sequence. After sequencing 14 samples and in silico analysis, cutting sites of all known enzymes were predicted and TasI was selected as the enzyme that yielded the most informative profile. Crushing produced enough DNA for PCR amplification with both the phenol-chloroform and commercial FTA card method. The DNA extracted from all samples was successfully amplified and yielded a single sharp band of the expected size. Digestion of PCR products with TasI allowed us to distinguish the two species. In all samples, molecular identification was consistent with morphological identification. Our PCR-restriction enzyme profile is a simple, rapid and reliable method for differentiating F. hepatica and F. gigantica, and can be used for diagnostic and epidemiological purposes. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A nationwide, population‐based study on specialized care for acute heart failure throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic

Aims - The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the delivery of care for patients with heart failure (HF), leading to fewer HF hospitalizations and increased mortality. However, nationwide data on quality of care and long-term outcomes across the pandemic are scarce.Methods and results - We used data from the National Heart Failure Audit (NHFA) linked to national records for hospitalization and deaths. We compared pre-COVID (2018–2019), COVID (2020), and late/post-COVID (2021–2022) periods. Data for 227 250 patients admitted to hospital with HF were analysed and grouped according to the admission year and the presence of HF with (HFrEF) or without reduced ejection fraction (non-HFrEF). The median age at admission was 81 years (interquartile range 72–88), 55% were men (n = 125 975), 87% were of white ethnicity (n = 102 805), and 51% had HFrEF (n = 116 990). In-hospital management and specialized cardiology care were maintained throughout the pandemic with an increasing percentage of patients discharged on disease-modifying medications over time (p &lt; 0.001). Long-term outcomes improved over time (hazard ratio [HR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90–0.95, p &lt; 0.001), mainly driven by a reduction in cardiovascular death. Receiving specialized cardiology care was associated with better long-term outcomes both for those who had HFrEF (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.77–0.82, p &lt; 0.001) and for those who had non-HFrEF (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.85–0.90, p &lt; 0.001).Conclusions - Despite the disruption of healthcare systems, the clinical characteristics of patients admitted with HF were similar and the overall standard of care was maintained throughout the pandemic. Long-term survival of patients hospitalized with HF continued to improve after COVID-19, especially for HFrEF.<br/

Vaccinations, cardiovascular drugs, hospitalisation and mortality in COVID-19 and Long COVID.

OBJECTIVE: To identify highest-risk subgroups for COVID-19 and Long COVID(LC), particularly in contexts of influenza and cardiovascular disease(CVD). METHODS: Using national, linked electronic health records for England(NHS England Secure Data Environment via CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT Consortium), we studied individuals(of all ages) with COVID-19 and LC (2020-2023). We compared all-cause hospitalisation and mortality by prior CVD, high CV risk, vaccination status(COVID-19/influenza), and CVD drugs, investigating impact of vaccination and CVD prevention using population preventable fractions. RESULTS: Hospitalisation and mortality were 15.3% and 2.0% among 17,373,850 individuals with COVID-19(LC rate 1.3%), and 16.8% and 1.4% among 301,115 with LC. Adjusted risk of mortality and hospitalisation were reduced with COVID-19 vaccination≥2 doses(COVID-19:HR 0.36 and 0.69; LC:0.44 and 0.90). With influenza vaccination, mortality was reduced, but not hospitalisation(COVID-19:0.86 and 1.01, and LC:0.72 and 1.05). Mortality and hospitalisation were reduced by CVD prevention in those with CVD, e.g. anticoagulants- COVID:19:0.69 and 0.92; LC:0.59 and 0.88; lipid lowering- COVID-19:0.69 and 0.86; LC:0.68 and 0.90. COVID-19 vaccination averted 245044 of 321383 and 7586 of 8738 preventable deaths after COVID-19 and LC, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Prior CVD and high CV risk are associated with increased hospitalisation and mortality in COVID-19 and LC. Targeted COVID-19 vaccination and CVD prevention are priority interventions. FUNDING: NIHR. HDR UK

Geolocation with respect to persona privacy for the Allergy Diary app - a MASK study

Background: Collecting data on the localization of users is a key issue for the MASK (Mobile Airways Sentinel network: the Allergy Diary) App. Data anonymization is a method of sanitization for privacy. The European Commission's Article 29 Working Party stated that geolocation information is personal data. To assess geolocation using the MASK method and to compare two anonymization methods in the MASK database to find an optimal privacy method. Methods: Geolocation was studied for all people who used the Allergy Diary App from December 2015 to November 2017 and who reported medical outcomes. Two different anonymization methods have been evaluated: Noise addition (randomization) and k-anonymity (generalization). Results: Ninety-three thousand one hundred and sixteen days of VAS were collected from 8535 users and 54,500 (58. 5%) were geolocalized, corresponding to 5428 users. Noise addition was found to be less accurate than k-anonymity using MASK data to protect the users' life privacy. Discussion: k-anonymity is an acceptable method for the anonymization of MASK data and results can be used for other databases.Peer reviewe

Geolocation with respect to persona privacy for the Allergy Diary app - a MASK study

Background: Collecting data on the localization of users is a key issue for the MASK (Mobile Airways Sentinel network: the Allergy Diary) App. Data anonymization is a method of sanitization for privacy. The European Commission's Article 29 Working Party stated that geolocation information is personal data.To assess geolocation using the MASK method and to compare two anonymization methods in the MASK database to find an optimal privacy method.Methods: Geolocation was studied for all people who used the Allergy Diary App from December 2015 to November 2017 and who reported medical outcomes. Two different anonymization methods have been evaluated: Noise addition (randomization) and k-anonymity (generalization).Results: Ninety-three thousand one hundred and sixteen days of VAS were collected from 8535 users and 54,500 (58. 5%) were geolocalized, corresponding to 5428 users. Noise addition was found to be less accurate than k-anonymity using MASK data to protect the users' life privacy.Discussion: k-anonymity is an acceptable method for the anonymization of MASK data and results can be used for other databases

Method-dependent variation of yield stress in a thickened gold tailings explained using a structure based viscosity model

Mine tailings may be sufficiently dewatered prior to deposition such that they exhibit a yield stress and therefore they will form gently sloped deposits, which result in a number of advantages from an engineering perspective. Predicting the slope and the shape of these deposits at the field scale remains challenging, and is probably the key technical unknown holding back more general adoption of thickened tailings disposal in the mining industry. Methods for estimating the slope are very sensitive to rheological data, in particular the yield stress. This paper presents data from rheometry on a gold tailings that presents yield stress values in the range of 18–125 Pa. A rheometer with a vane fixture was used in a number of techniques, including controlled increments in strain rate to generate a flow curve, stress relaxation, stress growth and creep techniques. A controlled stress technique was used to simulate the stress history that the material would experience in the field as the tailings slow to a rest. The measured yield stress varied substantially (18–125 Pa) depending on the measurement method. This result is explained using a structure based viscosity model, modified from work created by others working on clays. Ageing and shear rate appear to be significant factors that influence the rheology, though the mechanism for ageing may be partly due to gravity driven particle settling, as opposed to or in addition to the buildup of a network structure

2013 Colloquium of the Canadian Geotechnical Society: Geotechnical and geoenvironmental behaviour of high-density tailings

The breaching of containment of conventionally deposited mine tailings impoundments, and the consequent release of tailings flows with long run-outs, unfortunately remains not uncommon and often has devastating ecological and economic consequences, occasionally including the loss of human life. Rather than the breaching of containment itself, which can result from a number of causes (poor control of the phreatic surface, unrecognized dam foundation issues), the contributing factor to the severe consequences of dam breach is the very low density and strength and / or susceptibility of the tailings to liquefy or soften under loading, combined with the driving weight of the ponded water, which allows for significant run-outs (in some cases 10â s of kilometres) to occur. Hence the motivation for alternative technologies that dewater tailings before deposition to the point where reliance on containment is minimized or eliminated. In this paper, these technologies are referred to as High Density tailings, which includes any technology that at least produces non-segregating tailings that will form a sloped stack when deposited, including thickened, paste, and filtered tailings. The paper explores a number of issues related to high density tailings, including shear behaviour, dewatering behaviour, acid generation, and surface deposition rheology. The paper concludes with some discussion on what are the limitations on this technology holding back its wider adoption, and how these limitations might be overcome.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Effects of the percentage of terminal flowering on postharvest fruit quality in mango (Mangifera indica) 'Calypso'™

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the percentage of flowering terminals, crop load and postharvest fruit quality in the mango cultivar 'Calypso'™ (B74) grown at Dimbulah in North Queensland. The percentage of flowering terminals was manipulated experimentally by removing flowers at anthesis to give eight treatments in which trees had 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 70 or 80% of their terminals with flowers. Fruit were sampled at harvest, ripened at 23°C and, at eating ripe, were assessed for fruit number and yields per tree and fruit quality parameters including: fruit size (length, width and depth), fruit weight, background skin colour, blush colour, flesh colour, total soluble solids (TSS), dry matter and internal physiological disorders (jelly-seed, soft nose). The 5% crop load treatment (removing 95% of inflorescences from terminals) significantly reduced the average fruit yield per tree. Average fruit weights were highest in trees with 5 and 10% of terminals flowering, followed by trees with 20% of terminals flowering. There was no difference in average fruit weight between trees with 30, 40, 60, 70 or 80% of terminals flowering. Average fruit length increased significantly in trees with 5, 10 and 20% of terminals flowering compared with those with larger numbers of flowering terminals, with the longest in the 5% treatment. Fruit length was similar in treatments with 30% or more terminals flowering. Similar trends were observed for fruit width, with the widest (89.35 mm) and deepest (80.53 mm) fruit found in the 5% treatment. Although the comparative results between treatments confirmed that the highest values of fruit TSS, dry matter and percentage of blush colour occurred in fruit from trees with only 5% of terminals flowering, observations did not differ significantly among treatments