The effect of supplemental iodine on vitamin A in rats and on thyroxine and vitamin A in parturient dairy cows and their calves

Parturient Holstein cows were administered daily doses of supple-mental iodine as EDDI at 1.25, 2.50, and 5.0 mg. I/kg. of body weight and compared with contemporary controls in order to determine the effects iodine supplementation might have on vitamin A and thyroxine levels in the cow and her calf. Iodine was given from early stages of gestation until the cows were about 120 days into the following lactation. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of control and iodine-supplemented cows approximately 30 days prior to, on day of, and 30 days following calving. Plasma samples from calves were taken on day of calving. All plasma was analyzed for vitamin A, thyroxine, and total iodine content. Results of iodine administration on plasma vitamin A or thyroxine concentration of cattle gave no differences between diet groups, while plasma iodine increased with increased iodine administration. The high levels of iodine had no noticeable effects on plasma vitamin A levels in the calves. Higher thyroxine levels were found in calves from control cows, as they were almost twice the levels of the group supplemented with the highest level of iodine. Stage of gestation was found to affect vitamin A, thyroxine, and iodine levels in the cow. Plasma vitamin A and thyroxine values dropped to minimums on day of calving and then increased to almost normal (the value obtained 30 days prior to calving) by 30 days after calving. The plasma iodine level rose to a high on day of calving and then declined to a value close to the pre-calving level in the days following. Rats on a low vitamin A diet were supplemented with 0 and 250, 500, or 1000 ppm of iodine for 9 weeks and then killed. Heavier livers were found in the high iodine group than in controls. Differences in the concentration of liver vitamin A or plasma vitamin A due to the iodine feedings were not statistically significant. Differences in liver vitamin A per gram of tissue approached significance with the control group storing slightly less than the iodine groups. Rat plasma iodine, as in the cow, increased with the increasing levels of iodine fed. It was concluded from these studies that the feeding of excess iodine does not significantly affect vitamin A concentration in the plasmas or livers of rats or in the plasma of cows and their neonatal calves. Also iodine supplementation does not affect plasma thyroxine concentration in mature cattle. Iodine supplementation did significantly lower plasma thyroxine in calves, but it was not much lower than average thyroxine values reported in the literature for the normal calf. The study also confirmed the trends in plasma vitamin A, thyroxine, and iodine levels observed by other researchers during the peri parturient period of bovin

The human aspect of horse care : How the covid-19 pandemic impacted the wellbeing of equestrian industry stakeholders

Funding: This study was funded by Mars Petcare and is part of a PhD studentship funded by the Scottish Funding Council Research Excellence Grant (REG). Authors W.R. and M.N. receive salary support from the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS). P.H. was involved in study design, data interpretation, and manuscript preparation. Acknowledgments: We would like to extend our gratitude to the kind and willing interviewees who took part in this study. We would also like to thank Charlotte Maltin for her assistance with recruitment for this study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Spatial analysis of learning and developmental disorders in upper Cape Cod, Massachusetts using generalized additive models

The spatial variability of three indicators of learning and developmental disability (LDD) was assessed for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Maternal reports of receiving special education services, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and educational attainment were available for a birth cohort from 1969-1983. Using generalized additive models and residential history, maps of the odds of LDD were produced that also controlled for known risk factors. While results were not statistically significant, they suggest that children living in certain parts of Cape Cod were more likely to have a LDD. The spatial variation may be due to variation in the physical and social environment

COVID-19 impacts equine welfare : Policy implications for laminitis and obesity

Funding: This study was funded by Mars Petcare and is part of a PhD studentship funded by the Scottish Funding Council Research Excellence Grant (REG). Authors WR and MN receive salary support from the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS). With the exception of PH (employed by the funding organization), the funding organization did not have any additional role in the conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, formal analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. PH was involved in study design, data interpretation, and manuscript preparation. Acknowledgments We wish to extend our gratitude to the local horse owners, veterinarians, farriers and welfare centre managers who volunteered their time to take part in this research. Our thanks also to Dr Charlotte Maltin for supporting recruitment for the study and to World Horse Welfare for their continued interest in the key welfare issues addressed in the present study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

QLS front-line retention manual: methods for achieving a 94% cohort retention rate in longitudinal research

Permission to include the report granted by Gary O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer, ONTARIO PROBLEM GAMBLING RESEARCH CENTREThis Front-Line Manual, written mainly by and from the perspective of the QLS front-line staff describes how they developed, tested, and put into practice the methodology to achieve their extremely high retention rate. By discussing the underlying rationale for different approaches and tools, as well as providing numerous specific practical examples, this manual will hopefully assist other longitudinal studies in improving retention rates, and thus the strength of the results of those studies.Ye

Quinte longitudinal study of gambling and problem gambling

The Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS) is a prospective study of gambling and problem gambling conducted in the Quinte region of Ontario, Canada from 2006 to 2011. A sample of 4,121 adults, 17 and older, was recruited via random digit telephone dialing with 26% of the sample overselected for higher levels of gambling involvement. The sample was roughly representative of the demographic profile of the Canadian adult population, and the geographic region had very similar gambling opportunities to the rest of Canada. The cohort was assessed annually over 5 years. Assessments were computerized and self-administered and were completed either online at the person’s home or at the QLS office in Belleville. The assessment collected comprehensive information on demographics, gambling behaviour, physical health, mental health, substance use and abuse, stressors, personal values, social functioning, personality, leisure activity, and intelligence. An exceptionally high retention rate of 93.9% after 5 years was achieved

Health, education, and social care provision after diagnosis of childhood visual disability

Aim: To investigate the health, education, and social care provision for children newly diagnosed with visual disability.Method: This was a national prospective study, the British Childhood Visual Impairment and Blindness Study 2 (BCVIS2), ascertaining new diagnoses of visual impairment or severe visual impairment and blindness (SVIBL), or equivalent vi-sion. Data collection was performed by managing clinicians up to 1-year follow-up, and included health and developmental needs, and health, education, and social care provision.Results: BCVIS2 identified 784 children newly diagnosed with visual impairment/SVIBL (313 with visual impairment, 471 with SVIBL). Most children had associated systemic disorders (559 [71%], 167 [54%] with visual impairment, and 392 [84%] with SVIBL). Care from multidisciplinary teams was provided for 549 children (70%). Two-thirds (515) had not received an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). Fewer children with visual impairment had seen a specialist teacher (SVIBL 35%, visual impairment 28%, χ2p < 0.001), or had an EHCP (11% vs 7%, χ2p < 0 . 01).Interpretation: Families need additional support from managing clinicians to access recommended complex interventions such as the use of multidisciplinary teams and educational support. This need is pressing, as the population of children with visual impairment/SVIBL is expected to grow in size and complexity.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Virological failure and development of new resistance mutations according to CD4 count at combination antiretroviral therapy initiation

Objectives: No randomized controlled trials have yet reported an individual patient benefit of initiating combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) at CD4 counts > 350 cells/μL. It is hypothesized that earlier initiation of cART in asymptomatic and otherwise healthy individuals may lead to poorer adherence and subsequently higher rates of resistance development. Methods: In a large cohort of HIV-positive individuals, we investigated the emergence of new resistance mutations upon virological treatment failure according to the CD4 count at the initiation of cART. Results: Of 7918 included individuals, 6514 (82.3%), 996 (12.6%) and 408 (5.2%) started cART with a CD4 count ≤ 350, 351-499 and ≥ 500 cells/μL, respectively. Virological rebound occurred while on cART in 488 (7.5%), 46 (4.6%) and 30 (7.4%) with a baseline CD4 count ≤ 350, 351-499 and ≥ 500 cells/μL, respectively. Only four (13.0%) individuals with a baseline CD4 count > 350 cells/μL in receipt of a resistance test at viral load rebound were found to have developed new resistance mutations. This compared to 107 (41.2%) of those with virological failure who had initiated cART with a CD4 count < 350 cells/μL. Conclusions: We found no evidence of increased rates of resistance development when cART was initiated at CD4 counts above 350 cells/μL. HIV Medicin

BHPR research: qualitative1. Complex reasoning determines patients' perception of outcome following foot surgery in rheumatoid arhtritis

Background: Foot surgery is common in patients with RA but research into surgical outcomes is limited and conceptually flawed as current outcome measures lack face validity: to date no one has asked patients what is important to them. This study aimed to determine which factors are important to patients when evaluating the success of foot surgery in RA Methods: Semi structured interviews of RA patients who had undergone foot surgery were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to explore issues that were important to patients. Results: 11 RA patients (9 ♂, mean age 59, dis dur = 22yrs, mean of 3 yrs post op) with mixed experiences of foot surgery were interviewed. Patients interpreted outcome in respect to a multitude of factors, frequently positive change in one aspect contrasted with negative opinions about another. Overall, four major themes emerged. Function: Functional ability & participation in valued activities were very important to patients. Walking ability was a key concern but patients interpreted levels of activity in light of other aspects of their disease, reflecting on change in functional ability more than overall level. Positive feelings of improved mobility were often moderated by negative self perception ("I mean, I still walk like a waddling duck”). Appearance: Appearance was important to almost all patients but perhaps the most complex theme of all. Physical appearance, foot shape, and footwear were closely interlinked, yet patients saw these as distinct separate concepts. Patients need to legitimize these feelings was clear and they frequently entered into a defensive repertoire ("it's not cosmetic surgery; it's something that's more important than that, you know?”). Clinician opinion: Surgeons' post operative evaluation of the procedure was very influential. The impact of this appraisal continued to affect patients' lasting impression irrespective of how the outcome compared to their initial goals ("when he'd done it ... he said that hasn't worked as good as he'd wanted to ... but the pain has gone”). Pain: Whilst pain was important to almost all patients, it appeared to be less important than the other themes. Pain was predominately raised when it influenced other themes, such as function; many still felt the need to legitimize their foot pain in order for health professionals to take it seriously ("in the end I went to my GP because it had happened a few times and I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who was quite dismissive of it, it was like what are you complaining about”). Conclusions: Patients interpret the outcome of foot surgery using a multitude of interrelated factors, particularly functional ability, appearance and surgeons' appraisal of the procedure. While pain was often noted, this appeared less important than other factors in the overall outcome of the surgery. Future research into foot surgery should incorporate the complexity of how patients determine their outcome Disclosure statement: All authors have declared no conflicts of interes