Summary
Reasons for performing study
Cresty neck is a relatively common morphological defect in Pura Raza Español horses and other Baroque type horse breeds, which adversely affects the breeding ...industry.
Objectives
To establish the within‐breed prevalence, possible associated factors and heritability of cresty neck in Pura Raza Español horses.
Study design
Cross‐sectional analysis of a large worldwide database of Pura Raza Español horses.
Methods
The database included evaluations of 10,929 Pura Raza Español horses from 24 countries. Cresty neck score, on a 9 point scale, girth‐to‐height ratio, height at the withers, length of neck, head–neck junction and neck–body junction were recorded. A Bayesian genetic animal model included the following systematic effects: girth‐to‐height ratio, age, sex, coat colour and geographical area of the stud. Animal and residual effects were included as random effects.
Results
Within this Pura Raza Español population, 8.91% had a cresty neck score ≥5, which is the threshold for penalty or disqualification in the studbook of the breed. The age, sex, coat colour and stud geographical area were significantly associated with cresty neck score. The estimated heritability coefficient for cresty neck score was 0.37 (s.d. = 0.034) and genetic correlation between cresty neck score and other conformational traits ranged from −0.06 (height‐at‐withers) to −0.21 (neck–body junction).
Conclusions
Cresty neck is a prevalent defect in Pura Raza Español horses, associated with age, sex, coat colour and other conformational traits, with a moderate level of heritability. Breeding to select against this condition may therefore be beneficial in this breed.
Temporary deafferentation of the upper limb, with ischemic or anesthetic nerve block, has rapid effects on sensorimotor cortex. Cutaneous anesthesia of the forearm has recently been found to improve ...sensory and motor function of the paretic hand in chronic stroke patients. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of cutaneous forearm anesthesia. Twenty-five healthy right-handed adults participated in this double-blind, randomized study. Participants completed two sessions, with either a topical anesthesia cream (EMLA) or placebo applied to their left forearm in each session. Thresholds for cutaneous sensation and spatial acuity of the left hand were measured before and after the intervention. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure corticomotor excitability and short-interval intracortical inhibition in the left first dorsal interosseous and abductor digiti minimi muscles before and after the intervention. Manual dexterity was assessed with the grooved pegboard task after the intervention in each session. Left-hand dexterity improved to a greater extent after treatment with EMLA than placebo, and this was related to improved spatial acuity at the fingertips. Corticomotor excitability remained stable, and short-interval intracortical inhibition increased after EMLA treatment. We have confirmed and extended previous reports that cutaneous forearm anesthesia results in improved spatial acuity and manual dexterity of the ipsilateral hand. The neurophysiological mechanisms involve an increase in intracortical inhibition, which may improve the precision of voluntary movement. These results lend support to the therapeutic application of EMLA in movement rehabilitation.
Abstract
The cervicovaginal microbiome (CVM) correlates with women’s cervical health, and variations in its composition are associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection outcomes. ...Cervicovaginal microbes have been grouped into five community state types (CSTs) based on microbial community composition and abundance. However, studying the impact of CSTs in health and disease is challenging because the current sequencing technologies have limited confident discrimination between closely related and yet functionally different bacterial species. Circular probe-based RNA sequencing (ciRNAseq) achieves high-resolution microbiome profiling and therefore provides in-depth and unambiguous knowledge about the composition of the CVM. Based on ciRNAseq profiling of a large cohort of cervical smears (
n
= 541), we here define subgroups of CSTs I, III, and IV based on intra-CST differences with respect to abundances of
Lactobacillus acidophilus
(CSTs I-A vs. I-B and CSTs III-A vs. III-B)
, Lactobacillus iners
(CSTs I-A vs. I-B and CSTs III-A vs. III-B), and
Megasphaera genomosp type 1
(CSTs IV-A vs. IV-B). Our results further support the existence of subgroups of CST IV-C that are dominant for non-
Lactobacillus
species and have intermediate microbial diversity. We also show that CST V is associated with uninfected conditions, and CST IV-A associates with hrHPV-induced cervical disease. In conclusion, we characterized new subdivisions of cervicovaginal CSTs, which may further advance our understanding of women’s cervical health and hrHPV-related progression to disease.
To evaluate the efficacy of 1% topical cidofovir cream for the treatment of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) in HIV-infected individuals.
Single-arm, open-label, pilot ...clinical trial.
The study medication was applied intraanally three times per week for 4 weeks. Lesions were assessed with high-resolution anoscopy and biopsy at weeks 12 and 24. The primary endpoint was complete remission (CR) at week 12, defined as clinical and histological remission. We also evaluated partial remission defined as regression to low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.
We included 17 HIV-infected patients with intraanal HSIL. Median (interquartile range) age was 36 years (28-41), median (interquartile range) CD4 cell count was 545 cells/μl (358-630), and viral load was less than 50 copies/ml in 93.7%. Two patients were lost to follow-up, one of them did not apply treatment. At 12 weeks, in the intention-to-treat population, 10 out of 16 patients 62.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 38.2-85.7% had achieved CR. At 24 weeks, seven of the 10 patients (70%; 95% CI, 47-93%) remained in CR, but two out of 10 patients (20%; 95% CI, 0-40%) presented HSIL. One patient did not attend the visit at 24 weeks. Three patients with persistent HSIL at 12 weeks improved at 24 weeks (partial response in one and CR in two). The mean number of human papillomavirus genotypes decreased from 5.2 to 2.7 at 12 weeks (P = 0.002). Local adverse effects were frequent (81%), although there were no discontinuations because of adverse events.
One percent topical cidofovir could be an appropriate alternative therapy in HIV-infected patients with anal HSIL.
gov unique identifier: NCT01946009.
Nanocomposites are synthesized by
in-situ polymerization of conducting polymers: polyaniline (PANI) or poly(N-methylaniline) (PNMANI) inside thermosensitive hydrogels based on ...poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) homopolymer and copolymers with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS). Large swelling capacities (up to 25,000%) are measured for a nanocomposite based on a hydrogel containing only 2% of anionic monomer units. Dynamic swelling experiences show that water intake follows a non-Fickian mechanism. Drug release kinetics and partition coefficients (
K) of model compounds (Methyl Orange, Ruthenium-tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) ion, Dansyl Chloride) and pharmaceuticals (Tryptophan, Propranolol Chloride, Riboflavin) were measured. Log
K values were determined by UV–visible or fluorescence spectroscopy, below and above the phase transition temperature of the materials. Large values of log
K (>3) were measured for tryptophan while the same material shows small log
K (1.5) for riboflavin. Depending on the nanocomposite/solute interactions, the partition increases or decreases upon phase transition. Several nanocomposites studied show potential for application in the separation of solutes or water purification. Additionally, it is possible to synthesize nanocomposites which show different partition coefficients for the same molecule. In that way, a specific pattern could be measured for each molecule allowing its identification.
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Wind turbine blades have been constantly increasing since wind energy becomes a popular renewable energy source to generate electricity. Therefore, the wind sector requires a more efficient and ...representative characterization of vertical wind speed profiles to assess the potential for a wind power plant site. This paper proposes an alternative characterization of vertical wind speed profiles based on Ward's agglomerative clustering algorithm, including both wind speed module and direction data. This approach gives a more accurate incoming wind speed variation around the rotor swept area, and subsequently, provides a more realistic and complete wind speed vector characterization for vertical profiles. Real wind database collected for 2018 in the Forschungsplattformen in Nordund Ostsee (FINO) research platform is used to assess the methodology. A preliminary pre-processing stage is proposed to select the appropriated number of heights and remove missing or incomplete data. Finally, two locations and four heights are selected, and 561588 wind data are characterized. Results and discussion are also included in this paper. The methodology can be applied to other wind database and locations to characterize vertical wind speed profiles and identify the most likely wind data vector patterns.
In this study, new polyurethanes (PUs) were prepared by using inulin and polycaprolactone as polyols. Their structure and morphology were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ...Raman dispersive spectroscopy, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (
H NMR and
C NMR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), whereas their mechanical properties were evaluated by a universal testing machine. Additionally, their water uptake, swelling behavior, and degradation were evaluated to be used as drug delivery carriers. Therefore, an anti-cancer drug was loaded to these PUs with 25% of loading efficiency and its release behavior was studied using different theoretical models to unveil its mechanism. Finally, the ability of the new PUs to be used as a clip marker in breast biopsy was evaluated. The results clearly demonstrate that these PUs are safe and can be used as intelligent drug release matrices for targeted drug delivery and exhibits positive results to be used for clip marker and in general for breast cancer applications.
Summary
Chromosomal abnormalities are a common cause of infertility in horses. However, they are difficult to detect using automated methods. Here, we propose a simple methodology based on single ...nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐array data that allows us to detect the main chromosomal abnormalities in horses in a single procedure. As proof of concept, we were able to detect chromosomal abnormalities in 33 out of 268 individuals, including monosomies, chimerisms, and male and female sex‐reversions, by analyzing the raw signal intensity produced by an SNP array‐based genotyping platform. We also demonstrated that the procedure is not affected by the SNP density of the array employed or by the inbreeding level of the individuals. Finally, the methodology proposed in this study could be performed in an open bioinformatic environment, thus permitting its integration as a flexible screening tool in diagnostic laboratories and genomic breeding programs.
Abstract only Introduction In stroke patients, accurate infarct volume assessment at 24 hours typically requires manual segmentation of lesions that often are not well defined. We aimed to validate ...an automated machine learning algorithm (MethinksFIV) specifically trained to automatically segment and measure subacute infarcts on non‐contrast CT (NCCT) scans. Methods We retrospectively studied stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion prospectively admitted to a comprehensive stroke center. The final infarct volume was segmented on the 24h NCCT manually (man‐FIV) and with the automated method (auto‐FIV). Both measurements were correlated with clinical outcomes. Results We included 346 patients. On 24h‐NCCT median auto‐FIV was lower than man‐FIV (8.6 ml 2.3‐40.7 vs. 16.9 ml 1.1‐70.8, p<0.001). Auto‐FIV and man‐FIV were highly correlated (r=0.8; p<0.001; mean dice coefficient of 0.61). The Auto‐FIV correlated better than man‐FIV with 24h (r=0.54 vs. r=0.51, both p<0.001) and discharge NIHSS (r=0.59 vs r=0.54, both p<0.001). An increase of 1 ml in auto‐FIV was associated with an increase in the odds of higher ordinal mRS at three months (OR=1.01 95%CI 1.01‐1.02, p<0.001). Auto‐FIV was a better predictor of mRS>2 at three months (OR: 1.02 95%CI 1.01‐1.13, p=0.002) than manual segmentation (OR=1.01, 95%CI 1.00‐1.01, p=0.01). In a multivariable analysis, only auto‐FIV remained a significant predictor of mRS>2 at three months (aOR: 1.03 95% CI 1.01‐1.05, p=0.004). Conclusion An automated method to measure subacute infarct volumes in stroke patients is accurate and correlates well with further clinical outcomes. The method appears to outperform manual segmentation and may be used to facilitate infarct characterization in large clinical trials.
During the past decade, most governments have been promoting energy efficiency programs and the integration of renewable energy sources into the majority of energy uses. Among the different sectors, ...the agricultural sector is becoming a more active participant to reduce fossil fuel dependence and improve environmental sustainability. Indeed, agriculture usually combines both a high energy demand and water problems associated with over-exploited aquifers, providing great potential and remarkable opportunities to change the energy mix and maximize the use and integration of natural resources in a rational way. Considering this framework, the present paper describes and compares the solar resource integration and its effects on agricultural pumping purposes in two Mediterranean countries, Spain and Morocco, with significant differences in terms of energy mix, climatic conditions and energy policies. As a novel contribution in this paper, we propose the use of GIS to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of the solar resource through real data of both locations, as well as to study groundwater resources. With this aim, two technical proposals for irrigation purposes are compared in terms of environmental benefits, CO2 emissions and agriculture energy model changes: diesel equipment and photovoltaic system. Results based on solar radiation resource, pumping requirements and aquifer depth are included in the paper.
•An analysis of solar resource is proposed for agricultural pumping purposes.•GIS is used to analyze solar resource variability and underground aquifers.•An extensive comparison is proposed in terms of energy, economic and viability.•Two Mediterranean countries are compared from real data.
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