Correlation of placental thickness with birth weight in singleton pregnancies

Background: The placenta provides the physiologic link between a pregnant woman and the fetus. During pregnancy, the normal placenta increases its thickness at a rate of approximately 1 millimeter per week. The thickness is considered normal throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimester if between 2 and 4 cm. There is a need to identify the fetus failing to reach its growth potential because an early detection of intrauterine growth retardation will be beneficial to obstetric and neonatal care.Methods: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 251 antenatal women from 24-39 weeks gestation were included in the study. After informed written consent, relevant history, examination, abdominal ultrasound was performed noting fetal biometry and placental thickness. The participants were followed until delivery and birth weight noted. Statistical analysis of birth weight (2500 gm) with placental thickness was done.Results: Mean age of the study was 25.88±4.34 years. The mean placental thickness in group A was 3.33±0.92 cm and in group B was 3.38±0.68 cm. Placental thickness showed a positive correlation with fetal weight (r=0.013), however it was not statistically significant. Uncomplicated pregnancy group had mean placental thickness of 3.40±0.70 cm. The difference of mean for placental thickness was statistically significant with respect to medical disorders (p=0.042).Conclusions: Placental thickness does increase with increasing birth weight of the fetus and hence, subnormal or more than normal placental thickness is helpful in signalling important maternal conditions that may be detrimental to the fetus

Total Quality Management of Research Articles in Electrical Engineering

Recently, the quality management of research articles (RA) has cherished an era of remarkable growth and conglomeration. It is because the qualitative approach has become an established and valued approach among varietal areas and contexts. The quality of RA is precisely based on the clarity of the illustration of the aims. Previously, the categorical analysis of RA has been restricted to the format of writing the article following Introduction-Process-Testing-Conclusion (IPTC) or Introduction-Methodology-Result-Discussion (IMRD) standards. But the wholesome strategy of Total Quality Management (TQM) of RA has not been demonstrated from the core in the discipline of Electrical Engineering (EE). The research question, sample, control of staggering variables, research designs, criteria measures, data analysis, ethics, discussions, references are the critical collectibles (CCs) on what matters to the readers of RA. The macrostructures of EE-RA, features of each sector of EE RA, section headlines, extension of description and prominent aspects were analyzed for hundred RA from fifteen journals of EE. These features are compared with respect to all the CCs. This chapter helps to recognize the necessary inputs for TQM implementation with different proactive journals of EE to improve the quality of RA

Genetic affinities of the Jewish populations of India

Due to the lack of written records or inscription, the origin and affiliation of Indian Jewish populations with other world populations remain contentious. Previous genetic studies have found evidence for a minor shared ancestry of Indian Jewish with Middle Eastern (Jewish) populations. However, these studies (relied on limited individuals), haven’t explored the detailed temporal and spatial admixture process of Indian Jewish populations with the local Indian populations. Here, using large sample size with combination of high resolution biparental (autosomal) and uniparental markers (Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA), we reconstructed genetic history of Indian Jewish by investigating the patterns of genetic diversity. Consistent with the previous observations, we detected minor Middle Eastern specific ancestry component among Indian Jewish communities, but virtually negligible in their local neighbouring Indian populations. The temporal test of admixture suggested that the first admixture of migrant Jewish populations from Middle East to South India (Cochin) occurred during fifth century. Overall, we concluded that the Jewish migration and admixture in India left a record in their genomes, which can link them to the ‘Jewish Diaspora’

Consensus statement on the content of clinical reasoning curricula in undergraduate medical education

IntroductionEffective clinical reasoning is required for safe patient care. Students and postgraduate trainees largely learn the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective clinical reasoning implicitly, through experience and apprenticeship. There is a growing consensus that medical schools should teach clinical reasoning in a way that is explicitly integrated into courses throughout each year, adopting a systematic approach consistent with current evidence. However, the clinical reasoning literature is ‘fragmented’ and can be difficult for medical educators to access. The purpose of this paper is to provide practical recommendations that will be of use to all medical schools.MethodsMembers of the UK Clinical Reasoning in Medical Education group (CReME) met to discuss what clinical reasoning-specific teaching should be delivered by medical schools (what to teach). A literature review was conducted to identify what teaching strategies are successful in improving clinical reasoning ability among medical students (how to teach). A consensus statement was then produced based on the agreed ideas and the literature review, discussed by members of the consensus statement group, then edited and agreed by the authors.ResultsThe group identified 30 consensus ideas that were grouped into five domains: (1) clinical reasoning concepts, (2) history and physical examination, (3) choosing and interpreting diagnostic tests, (4) problem identification and management, and (5) shared decision making. The literature review demonstrated a lack of effectiveness for teaching the general thinking processes involved in clinical reasoning, whereas specific teaching strategies aimed at building knowledge and understanding led to improvements. These strategies are synthesised and described.ConclusionWhat is taught, how it is taught, and when it is taught can facilitate clinical reasoning development more effectively through purposeful curriculum design and medical schools should consider implementing a formal clinical reasoning curriculum that is horizontally and vertically integrated throughout the programme

Spotty Liver Disease and Risk Factors

Presentation made at the 2021 Australasian Veterinary Poultry Association (AVPA) Annual Scientific Meeting via Zoom

Biosecurity practices on Australian commercial layer and meat chicken farms: Performance and perceptions of farmers

This paper describes the level of adoption of biosecurity practices performed on Australian commercial chicken meat and layer farms and farmer-perceived importance of these practices. On-farm interviews were conducted on 25 free range layer farms, nine cage layer farms, nine barn layer farms, six free range meat chicken farms and 15 barn meat chicken farms in the Sydney basin bioregion and South East Queensland. There was a high level of treatment of drinking water across all farm types; town water was the most common source. In general, meat chicken farms had a higher level of adoption of biosecurity practices than layer farms. Cage layer farms had the shortest median distance between sheds (7.75m) and between sheds and waterbodies (30m). Equipment sharing between sheds was performed on 43% of free range meat chicken farms compared to 92% of free range layer farms. There was little disinfection of this shared equipment across all farm types. Footbaths and visitor recording books were used by the majority of farms for all farm types except cage layer farms (25%). Wild birds in sheds were most commonly reported in free range meat chicken farms (73%). Dogs and cats were kept across all farm types, from 56% of barn layer farms to 89% of cage layer farms, and they had access to the sheds in the majority (67%) of cage layer farms and on the range in some free range layer farms (44%). Most biosecurity practices were rated on average as ‘very important’ by farmers. A logistic regression analysis revealed that for most biosecurity practices, performing a practice was significantly associated with higher perceived farmer importance of that biosecurity practice. These findings help identify farm types and certain biosecurity practices with low adoption levels. This information can aid decision-making on efforts used to improve adoption levels.This research was conducted within the Poultry Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) (http:// www.chicken.org.au/page.php?id=26) that provided the majority of funding with support from the CRC and Woolworths Limited (https://www. woolworths.com.au/). The first author, ABS, is also a recipient of a Post-graduate Scholarship and stipend from the Poultry CRC

Comparisons of management practices and farm design on Australian commercial layer and meat chicken farms: Cage, barn and free range

There are few published studies describing the unique management practices, farm design and housing characteristics of commercial meat chicken and layer farms in Australia. In particular, there has been a large expansion of free range poultry production in Australia in recent years, but limited information about this enterprise exists. This study aimed to describe features of Australian commercial chicken farms, with particular interest in free range farms, by conducting on-farm interviews of 25 free range layer farms, nine cage layer farms, nine barn layer farms, six free range meat chicken farms and 15 barn meat chicken farms in the Sydney basin bioregion and South East Queensland. Comparisons between the different enterprises (cage, barn and free range) were explored, including stocking densities, depopulation procedures, environmental control methods and sources of information for farmers. Additional information collected for free range farms include range size, range characteristics and range access. The median number of chickens per shed was greatest in free range meat chicken farms (31,058), followed by barn meat chicken (20,817), free range layer (10,713), barn layer (9,300) and cage layer farms (9,000). Sheds had cooling pads and tunnel ventilation in just over half of both barn and free range meat chicken farms (53%, n = 8) and was least common in free range layer farms (16%, n = 4). Range access in free range meat chicken farms was from sunrise to dark in the majority (93%, n = 14) of free range meat chicken farms. Over half of free range layer farms (56%, n = 14) granted range access at a set time each morning; most commonly between 9:00 to 10.00am (86%, n = 12), and chickens were placed back inside sheds when it was dusk.This study was supported by Poultry Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), http://www. poultrycrc.com.au/about-us/. The Poultry CRC provided the majority of funding for this project included post-doc activities and a stipend for the PhD student. This study was also supported by Woolworths Limited, https://www.woolworths com.au/. Woolworths provided extra financial support for this project when needed. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscri

Low- and high-pathogenic avian influenza H5 and H7 spread risk assessment within and between Australian commercial chicken farms

This study quantified and compared the probability of avian influenza (AI) spread within and between Australian commercial chicken farms via specified spread pathways using scenario tree mathematical modeling. Input values for the models were sourced from scientific literature, expert opinion, and a farm survey conducted during 2015 and 2016 on Australian commercial chicken farms located in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. Outputs from the models indicate that the probability of no establishment of infection in a shed is the most likely end-point after exposure and infection of low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in one chicken for all farm types (non-free range meat chicken, free range meat chicken, cage layer, barn layer, and free range layer farms). If LPAI infection is established in a shed, LPAI is more likely to spread to other sheds and beyond the index farm due to a relatively low probability of detection and reporting during LPAI infection compared to high-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection. Among farm types, the median probability for HPAI spread between sheds and between farms is higher for layer farms (0.0019, 0.0016, and 0.0031 for cage, barn, and free range layer, respectively) than meat chicken farms (0.00025 and 0.00043 for barn and free range meat chicken, respectively) due to a higher probability of mutation in layer birds, which relates to their longer production cycle. The pathway of LPAI spread between sheds with the highest average median probability was spread via equipment (0.015; 5–95%, 0.0058–0.036) and for HPAI spread between farms, the pathway with the highest average median probability was spread via egg trays (3.70 × 10−5; 5–95%, 1.47 × 10−6–0.00034). As the spread model did not explicitly consider volume and frequency of the spread pathways, these results provide a comparison of spread probabilities per pathway. These findings highlight the importance of performing biosecurity practices to limit spread of the AI virus. The models can be updated as new information on the mechanisms of the AI virus and on the volume and frequency of movements shed-to-shed and of movements between commercial chicken farms becomes available.This study was funded by the Poultry Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) (Sub-project number 1.5.7) and by Woolworths Limited