Securing organic animal and plant breeding through a common cross-sector financing strategy

Organic breeding is the basis for a self-determined, independent organic sector. Despite the benefits provided to the organic sector, the number of dedicated breeding initiatives in Europe is very limited. Currently, the financing of organic breeding is insufficient and fragmented. Therefore, there is a need to place financing of organic breeding on a solid and sustainable basis with shared responsibilities along the value chain. We propose for discussion with the organic livestock sector, a financing concept of joint pre-commercial investment of the organic value chain (0.1 -0.2% organic market turnover at point of sale) into organic animal and plant breeding

Patients' adherence to customised diabetic insoles as objectively assessed by a temperature sensor

Background and aims: Customized diabetic insoles reduce the mechanical stress by re-distributing pressure to the plantar tissue. Thus, customized diabetic insoles are an effective means to prevent the reoccurrence of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcerations. However, the efficacy of these insoles is highly dependent on patients’ adherence. By recommendation, patients should wear their customized diabetic insoles as much as possible for the prevention of diabetic foot problems. However, adherence data often rely on self-report since objective parameters are not available. The aim of this study was to objectively assess patients’ adherence with a temperature sensor directly incorporated into their insoles. Materials and methods: In a pilot study, the cut-off value for optimal temperature was determined that differentiates between wearing and not wearing footwear. For this purpose, a ROC analysis was conducted that yielded an area under the curve of .996 (p<.0001). A cut-off value of 25°Celsius was determined that achieved a sensitivity of 95.3%, a specificity of 99.8%, a positive predictive value of 98.7%, and a negative predictive value of 99.2%. In the main study, temperature sensors were incorporated into the specialized diabetic insoles of 26 patients with type-2-diabetes and diabetic foot syndrome (age: 67.5±10.8 yrs.; 35% female; BMI: 30.3± 4.7 kg/m2 ; diabetes duration: 10.4±6.8 yrs.; HbA1c: 7.7±0.6%). Results: On average, data from 133.5 days per patient could be analysed. Patients wore their diabetic footwear (temperature>25°C) on an average (median) of 3.4 hours per day (inter-quartile-range (IQR): 0.5 - 6.9 hours/ per day). On an average (median) of 51% of days, patients did not wear their diabetic footwear (IQR: 16.9 - 81.8%). Conclusion: Wearing time of diabetic insoles and other specialized diabetic footwear can be objectively and validly assessed by temperature sensors. This study offers objective data regarding patients’ adherence to their customized diabetic insoles. Nearly every second day, patients did not wear their insoles at all. Results of this study indicate that the utilization of specialized diabetic footwear is suboptimal in order to prevent re-ulcerations and other diabetes foot problems. Future studies should examine how the adherence of patients with a high risk for foot ulcerations can be enhanced, e.g. by patient education or technological assistance or reminders

Szentendre árvíz elleni védekezésének fejlődése

NemVédelmi- Igazgatás MscBibliogr.: fol. 51-53.Ne

Unterscheiden sich die Schädelformen von behornten und unbehornten Kühen?

173 skulls of Swiss Brown dairy cows (horned=65, disbudded=165) were osteometrically sized. The greatest post-orbital width and the longitudinal height of the foreheads were recorded. The shape of the frontal bone was scaled into three categories: waveform, pointed, and straight. There was no significant influence of age on skull narrowness. More narrow skulls could be observed in dehorned cows than in horned cows. Dehorned cows had more pointed skull shapes, less waveform shapes, and less straight skulls. Whether these anatomic variances affect the wellbeing of cattle and how this alteration is exactly proceeding during growth should be examined in further studies

Using temperature sensors to assess the course of adherence to customised diabetic insoles

Diabetic foot problems are still a leading cause for major amputation. Effective therapy of diabetic foot problems includes the prevention of foot ulcerations via customised diabetic footwear that reduces the mechanical stress by re-distributing pressure to the plantar tissue. Adherence to the customised diabetic footwear is crucial for a preventive effect regarding serious diabetic foot problems. However, adherence data often rely on self-report or cover rather short time spans. The aim of this study was to objectively assess the course of patients’ adherence with a temperature sensor. In addition, possible gender effects on adherence were analysed

The transforming growth factor-β high-producer genotype is associated with response to hepatitis C virus-specific therapy in HIV-positive patients with acute hepatitis C

Background: Coinfection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in HIV-positive patients is an emerging health problem. The factors affecting response to HCV-specific therapy are poorly understood but may involve host genetic factors. HCV NS5A-induced inhibition of transforming growth factor-[beta] signaling has been suggested as a potential mechanism involved in HCV pathogenesis. Transforming growth factor-[beta], a multifunctional cytokine, displays gene polymorphisms (transforming growth factor-[beta] codon 10T/C and codon 25G/C) associated with differential cytokine secretion. Here, we studied whether transforming growth factor-[beta] gene polymorphisms affect treatment response in HCV/HIV coinfection. Methods: Transforming growth factor-[beta] genotypes were determined in 60 HIV-positive patients with acute hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon-[alpha]. Patients were classified into those with a high-producer genotype and others with non-high-producer genotypes. Rates of sustained virological responses were compared between high-producer and non-high-producer patients. As a control, 100 healthy, 201 HIV(+)/HCV(-), and 148 HCV(+)/HIV(-) subjects were studied. Results: Transforming growth factor-[beta] genotype distribution did not differ significantly between the groups. In HIV/HCV coinfection carriers of the transforming growth factor-[beta] high-producer genotype had significantly higher sustained virological response rates than patients with a transforming growth factor-[beta] non-high-producer genotype (75 vs. 41.7%; P = 0.039). In a forward-conditional stepwise regression model, transforming growth factor-[beta] high-producer genotype was confirmed as an independent positive predictor for sustained virological response in interferon-[alpha] therapy (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–13.4; P = 0.009). Conclusion: Response rates to interferon-[alpha] therapy are enhanced in acute HCV-infected HIV-positive patients carrying the transforming growth factor-[beta] ‘high-producer’ genotype. This finding may indicate that a transforming growth factor-[beta] ‘high-producer’ state can partially compensate HCV NS5A-induced inhibition of transforming growth factor-[beta] signaling