Detection of subclinical mastitis in camels (Camelus dromedarius) using somatic cell count, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and lactate dehydrogenase activity

Clinical and subclinical mastitis (SCM), mostly related to intramammary infection (IMI), is prevalent in pastoralist camel herds. An IMI has implications for public and animal health as well as for household economy. As bacterial culturing is expensive, time consuming and impractical in a pastoralist setting, other early detection methods for SCM in camels need to be investigated. Somatic cell count (SCC) is the standard for detecting SCM in cattle. The udder health indicators of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity are useful as diagnostic markers in cow, sheep and goat milk; they could be of potential use in camel milk production. The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of SCM in camels, and specifically to assess SCC, and NAGase- and LDH activity in camel milk. In addition, potential associations between SCM (defined by a California Mastitis Test (CMT) score >= 3 and no signs of clinical mastitis) and SCC, NAGase- and LDH activity were investigated.In total, 40 healthy camels without clinical mastitis were sampled in four herds in Kenya. Quarter milk samples were collected aseptically and screened using CMT. SCC was analysed using a direct cell counter (DCC, DeLaval), and NAGase and LDH activity was analysed using kinetic fluorometric measures.In total, 116 milk samples were tested with CMT and analysed for SCC. Of these, 88 were analysed further for NAGase and LDH. The median SCC was 151,000 cells/mL (IQR: 49,500-709,000 cells/mL), and median NAGase and LDH were 18.5 U/l (IQR:14.8-24.0 U/l) and 12.0 U/l (IQR: 8.5-16.2 U/l) respectively. All inflammatory markers (SCC, NAGase, LDH) were significantly associated with SCM (P < 0.001). In conclusion, SCC, NAGase and LDH are potential inflammatory indicators in camel milk that can be used for detection of udder quarters with SCM

Noninvasive photoacoustic sentinel lymph node mapping using Au nanocages as a lymph node tracer in a rat model

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has been widely performed and become the standard procedure for axillary staging in breast cancer patients. In current SLNB, identification of SLNs is prerequisite, and blue dye and/or radioactive colloids are clinically used for mapping. However, these methods are still intraoperative, and especially radioactive colloids based method is ionizing. As a result, SLNB is generally associated with ill side effects. In this study, we have proposed near-infrared Au nanocages as a new tracer for noninvasive and nonionizing photoacoustic (PA) SLN mapping in a rat model as a step toward clinical applications. Au nanocages have great features: biocompatibility, easy surface modification for biomarker, a tunable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) which allows for peak absorption to be optimized for the laser being used, and capsule-type drug delivery. Au nanocage-enhanced photoacoustic imaging has the potential to be adjunctive to current invasive SLNB for preoperative axillary staging in breast cancer patients

Near-Infrared Gold Nanocages as a New Class of Tracers for Photoacoustic Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping on a Rat Model

This work demonstrated the use of Au nanocages as a new class of lymph node tracers for noninvasive photoacoustic (PA) imaging of a sentinel lymph node (SLN). Current SLN mapping methods based on blue dye and/or nanometer-sized radioactive colloid injection are intraoperative due to the need for visual detection of the blue dye and low spatial resolution of Geiger counters in detecting radioactive colloids. Compared to the current methods, PA mapping based on Au nanocages shows a number of attractive features: noninvasiveness, strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region (for deep penetration), and the accumulation of Au nanocages with a higher concentration than the initial solution for the injection. In an animal model, these features allowed us to identify SLNs containing Au nanocages as deep as 33 mm below the skin surface with good contrast. Most importantly, compared to methylene blue Au nanocages can be easily bioconjugated with antibodies for targeting specific receptors, potentially eliminating the need for invasive axillary staging procedures in addition to providing noninvasive SLN mapping

Near-Infrared Gold Nanocages as a New Class of Tracers for Photoacoustic Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping on a Rat Model

This work demonstrated the use of Au nanocages as a new class of lymph node tracers for noninvasive photoacoustic (PA) imaging of a sentinel lymph node (SLN). Current SLN mapping methods based on blue dye and/or nanometer-sized radioactive colloid injection are intraoperative due to the need for visual detection of the blue dye and low spatial resolution of Geiger counters in detecting radioactive colloids. Compared to the current methods, PA mapping based on Au nanocages shows a number of attractive features: noninvasiveness, strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region (for deep penetration), and the accumulation of Au nanocages with a higher concentration than the initial solution for the injection. In an animal model, these features allowed us to identify SLNs containing Au nanocages as deep as 33 mm below the skin surface with good contrast. Most importantly, compared to methylene blue Au nanocages can be easily bioconjugated with antibodies for targeting specific receptors, potentially eliminating the need for invasive axillary staging procedures in addition to providing noninvasive SLN mapping

Decay of Correlations in a Topological Glass

In this paper we continue the study of a topological glassy system. The state space of the model is given by all triangulations of a sphere with $N$ nodes, half of which are red and half are blue. Red nodes want to have 5 neighbors while blue ones want 7. Energies of nodes with other numbers of neighbors are supposed to be positive. The dynamics is that of flipping the diagonal between two adjacent triangles, with a temperature dependent probability. We consider the system at very low temperatures. We concentrate on several new aspects of this model: Starting from a detailed description of the stationary state, we conclude that pairs of defects (nodes with the "wrong" degree) move with very high mobility along 1-dimensional paths. As they wander around, they encounter single defects, which they then move "sideways" with a geometrically defined probability. This induces a diffusive motion of the single defects. If they meet, they annihilate, lowering the energy of the system. We both estimate the decay of energy to equilibrium, as well as the correlations. In particular, we find a decay like $t^{-0.4}$

Trees of Nuclei and Bounds on the Number of Triangulations of the 3-Ball

Based on the work of Durhuus-Jónsson and Benedetti-Ziegler, we revisit the question of the number of triangulations of the 3-ball. We introduce a notion of nucleus (a triangulation of the 3-ball without internal nodes, and with each internal face having at most 1 external edge). We show that every triangulation can be built from trees of nuclei. This leads to a new reformulation of this question: We show that if the number of rooted nuclei with t tetrahedra has a bound of the form C t , then the number of rooted triangulations with t tetrahedra is bounded by $${C_*^t}$$ C ∗ t

Quantitative Analysis of the Fate of Gold Nanocages In Vitro and In Vivo after Uptake by U87-MG Tumor Cells

Not always equal: When a mother cell that contains Au nanocages divides, the nanoparticles are unequally distributed between the two daughter cells. This unequal distribution of nanoparticles as well as their clearance from the cells (see picture) is quantitatively analyzed both in vitro and in vivo using two-photon microscopy and photoacoustic microscopy, respectively

Do practices such as dowry and bride prices relate to violence among migrants in OECD countries? : a mixed methods systematic review protocol

This systematic review aims to make a significant contribution to knowledge on dowry and bride price practices in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, with a focus on Sudan, Zimbabwe and India. While, existing research evidences the ongoing prevalence of dowry and bride price among some migrant communities, there remains substantial gaps in research. The protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. It highlights the scope and methodology for the systematic review to be conducted. Studies will be included if they: (i) were conducted in English; (ii) if they were published between December 1993 and December 2019 because this is the period the dowry-related violence was included into the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (iii) used qualitative, quantitative methods or mixed methods; were peer reviewed or grey literature; and (iv) covered analysed dowry and bride price practices and its impact among migrant communities in the OECD countries. Data extraction will be informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute Review for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses. The quality of evidence of the studies included will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool for qualitative and quantitative studies, the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) tool for grey literature and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) tool for mixed methods studies. Kappa statistics agreement will be used as an additional step to ensure quality ratings are fair and valid. The findings will be summarised into themes and narrated

In vivo evaluation of adipose-derived stromal cells delivered with a nanofiber scaffold for tendon-to-bone repair

Rotator cuff tears are common and cause a great deal of lost productivity, pain, and disability. Tears are typically repaired by suturing the tendon back to its bony attachment. Unfortunately, the structural (e.g., aligned collagen) and compositional (e.g., a gradient in mineral) elements that produce a robust attachment in the healthy tissue are not regenerated during healing, and the repair is prone to failure. Two features of the failed healing response are deposition of poorly aligned scar tissue and loss of bone at the repair site. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to improve tendon-to-bone healing by promoting aligned collagen deposition and increased bone formation using a biomimetic scaffold seeded with pluripotent cells. An aligned nanofibrous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold with a gradient in mineral content was seeded with adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) and implanted at the repair site of a rat rotator cuff model. In one group, cells were transduced with the osteogenic factor bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2). The healing response was examined in four groups (suture only, acellular scaffold, cellular scaffold, and cellular BMP2 scaffold) using histologic, bone morphology, and biomechanical outcomes at 14, 28, and 56 days. Histologically, the healing interface was dominated by a fibrovascular scar response in all groups. The acellular scaffold group showed a delayed healing response compared to the other groups. When examining bone morphology parameters, bone loss was evident in the cellular BMP2 group compared to other groups at 28 days. When examining repair-site mechanical properties, strength and modulus were decreased in the cellular BMP2 groups compared to other groups at 28 and 56 days. These results indicated that tendon-to-bone healing in this animal model was dominated by scar formation, preventing any positive effects of the implanted biomimetic scaffold. Furthermore, cells transduced with the osteogenic factor BMP2 led to impaired healing, suggesting that this growth factor should not be used in the tendon-to-bone repair setting