Our study aimed to evaluate farmers’ compliance in implementing recommendations of farm-specific cow comfort changes, and the effects of these changes on lying time, stall cleanliness and cow ...cleanliness using a randomized controlled trial carried out on 100 smallholder dairy farms in Kenya, with 62 and 11 farms remaining in the intervention and control groups, respectively.
On the first farm visit, data loggers were attached on lactating cows to determine lying time and questionnaires utilized to collect baseline data. Three days later, stall design and management recommendations were given to the intervention group of farmers orally and in written form. After an average of 39 ± 7 days, data loggers were re-attached, compliance was assessed, and a post-intervention questionnaire was administered to the intervention group on the third visit. Three days subsequent to the first and third visits, data loggers were removed from all cows.
Data were analysed in Stata 14.2® using proportion tests and Kruskal-Wallis rank tests to compare cleanliness scores and lying time, respectively. Interaction effects between treatment groups and visits were assessed using multivariable mixed linear and logistic regression models. While 46 of the 62 intervention farmers (74%) made at least one recommended change to cow comfort, 63% of the 324 overall recommendations were implemented. The odds of a recommendation being implemented were significantly higher when:1) major recommendations were given relative to minor recommendations (OR = 6.28); 2) recommendations were related to floor characteristics (floor softness and flatness) in comparison to recommendations related to stall design (OR = 3.14). The odds of compliance were lower on: 1) farms where the farm-hands received the recommendations compared to farms that had the female principal farmer receive the recommendations (OR = 0.01); 2) farms that had recommended changes related to roof, alley and sharps fixes relative to stall design fixes (OR = 0.13). Post-intervention, stall, udder and upper hind-leg cleanliness scores improved significantly (p < 0.0001, p = 0.021 and p = 0.017, respectively) in the intervention farms but not in the control farms. There was no significant difference in lying times between intervention and control farms, with 0.6 and 0.2 h/day increases being recorded in the intervention and control groups, from the 10.9 and 10.4 h/day at baseline, respectively.
Giving farm-specific cow comfort recommendations to smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya, and providing them with a participatory role in the formulation and implementation of improvement recommendations ensured good acceptance and a high degree of implementation, and led to a subsequent improvement in cow comfort and cleanliness.
Sea lice are a major health hazard for farmed Atlantic salmon in Europe, and their impact is felt globally. Given the breadth of ongoing research in sea lice dispersal and population modelling, and ...focus on research-led adaptive management, we brought experts together to discuss research knowledge gaps. Gaps for salmon lice infection pressure from fish farms were identified and scored by experts in sea lice-aquaculture-environment interactions, at an international workshop in 2021. The contributors included experts based in Scotland, Norway, Ireland, Iceland, Canada, the Faroe Islands, England and Australia, employed by governments, industry, universities and non-government organisations. The workshop focused on knowledge gaps underpinning 5 key stages in salmon lice infection pressure from fish farms: larval production; larval transport and survival; exposure and infestation of new hosts; development and survival of the attached stages; and impact on host populations. A total of 47 research gaps were identified; 5 broad themes emerged with 13 priority research gaps highlighted as important across multiple sectors. The highest-ranking gap called for higher quality and frequency of on-farm lice count data, along with better sharing of information across sectors. We highlight the need for synergistic international collaboration to maximise transferable knowledge. Round table discussions through collaborative workshops provide an important forum for experts to discuss and agree research priorities.
Sustainability of aquaculture, an important component of the blue economy, relies in part on ensuring assessment of environmental impact and interactions relating to sea lice dispersing from open pen ...salmon and trout farms. We review research underpinning the key stages in the sea lice infection process to support modelling of lice on wild salmon in relation to those on farms. The review is split into 5 stages: larval production; larval transport and survival; exposure and infestation of new hosts; development and survival of the attached stages; and impact on host populations. This modular structure allows the existing published data to be reviewed and assessed to identify data gaps in modelling sea lice impacts in a systematic way. Model parameterisation and parameter variation is discussed for each stage, providing an overview of knowledge strength and gaps. We conclude that a combination of literature review, empirical data collection and modelling studies are required on an iterative basis to ensure best practice is applied for sustainable aquaculture. The knowledge gained can then be optimised and applied at regional scales, with the most suitable modelling frameworks applied for the system, given regional limitations.
Abstract Objectives Epidural analgesia is recommended for the provision of analgesia following major abdominal surgery. Continuous local anaesthetic wound infiltration may be an effective ...alternative. A prospective randomized trial was undertaken to compare these two methods following open liver resection. The primary outcome was length of time required to fulfil criteria for discharge from hospital. Methods Patients undergoing open liver resection were randomized to receive either epidural (EP group) or local anaesthetic wound infiltration plus patient-controlled opiate analgesia (WI group) for the first 2 days postoperatively. All other care followed a standardized enhanced recovery protocol. Time to fulfil discharge criteria, pain scores, physical activity measurements and complications were recorded. Results Between August 2009 and July 2010, 65 patients were randomized to EP ( n = 32) or WI ( n = 33). The mean time required to fulfil discharge criteria was 4.5 days (range: 2.5–63.5 days) in the WI group and 6.0 days (range: 3.0–42.5 days) in the EP group ( P = 0.044). During the first 48 h following surgery, pain scores were significantly lower in the EP group both at rest and on movement. Resting pain scores within both groups were rated as mild (range: 0–3). There was no significant difference between the groups in time to first mobilization or overall complication rate (48.5% in the WI group vs. 58.1% in the EP group; P = 0.443). Conclusions Local anaesthetic wound infiltration combined with patient-controlled opiate analgesia reduces the length of time required to fulfil criteria for discharge from hospital compared with epidural analgesia following open liver resection. Epidural analgesia provides superior analgesia, but does not confer benefits in terms of faster mobilization or recovery.
This article summarizes the consensus reached at the Summit on Color in Medical Imaging held at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 8–9, 2013, co-sponsored by the FDA and ICC (International ...Color Consortium). The purpose of the meeting was to gather information on how color is currently handled by medical imaging systems to identify areas where there is a need for improvement, to define objective requirements, and to facilitate consensus development of best practices. Participants were asked to identify areas of concern and unmet needs. This summary documents the topics that were discussed at the meeting and recommendations that were made by the participants. Key areas identified where improvements in color would provide immediate tangible benefits were those of digital microscopy, telemedicine, medical photography (particularly ophthalmic and dental photography), and display calibration. Work in these and other related areas has been started within several professional groups, including the creation of the ICC Medical Imaging Working Group.
Opportunistic pathogens of the genus
reign as the leading cause of mycotic disease and are associated with mortality rates greater than 40%, even with antifungal intervention. This is in part due to ...the limited arsenal of antifungals available to treat systemic fungal infections. Azoles have been the most widely deployed class of antifungal drug for decades and function by targeting the biosynthesis of ergosterol, a key component of the fungal cell membrane. However, their utility is compromised by their fungistatic nature, which favors the development of resistance. Combination therapy has the potential to confer enhanced efficacy as well as mitigate the evolution of resistance. Previously, we described the generation of structurally diverse macrocyclic peptides with a 1,3,4-oxadiazole and an endocyclic amine grafted within the peptide backbone. Importantly, this noncanonical backbone displayed high membrane permeability, an important attribute for compounds that need to permeate across the fungal cell wall and membrane in order to reach their intracellular target. Here, we explored the bioactivity of this novel chemical scaffold on its own and in combination with the azole fluconazole. Although few of the oxadiazole-containing macrocyclic peptides displayed activity against
on their own, many increased the efficacy of fluconazole, resulting in a synergistic combination that was independent of efflux inhibition. Interestingly, these molecules also enhanced azole activity against several non-
species, including the azole-resistant pathogens
and
This work characterizes a novel chemical scaffold that possesses azole-potentiating activity against clinically important
species.
Fungal infections, such as those caused by pathogenic
species, pose a serious threat to human health. Treating these infections relies heavily on the use of azole antifungals; however, resistance to these drugs develops readily, demanding novel therapeutic strategies. This study characterized the antifungal activity of a series of molecules that possess unique chemical attributes and the ability to traverse cellular membranes. We observed that many of the compounds increased the activity of the azole fluconazole against
, without blocking the action of drug efflux pumps. These molecules also increased the efficacy of azoles against other
species, including the emerging azole-resistant pathogen
Thus, we describe a novel chemical scaffold with broad-spectrum bioactivity against clinically important fungal pathogens.
A method to accurately measure the position and orientation of an acetabular cup implant from postoperative X-rays has been designed and validated. The method uses 2-D-3-D registration to align both ...the prosthesis and the preoperative computed tomography (CT) volume to the X-ray image. This allows the position of the implant to be calculated with respect to a CT-based surgical plan. Experiments have been carried out using ten sets of patient data. A conventional plain-film measurement technique was also investigated. A gold standard implant position and orientation was calculated using postoperative CT. Results show our method to be significantly more accurate than the plain-film method for calculating cup anteversion. Cup orientation and position could be measured to within a mean absolute error of 1.4 mm or degrees.
Objective
To test the hypothesis that obesity is associated with impaired cognitive outcomes in the pre‐school years.
Methods
Associations were examined between weight status at age 3‐5 years and ...cognitive performance at age 5 years. Cognitive outcome measures were tests of pattern construction (visuospatial skills), naming vocabulary (expressive language skills), and picture similarity (reasoning skills). The sample was the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 12,349 participants).
Results
Boys with obesity at 3 years had significantly lower performance in pattern construction at age 5 years compared to those of a healthy weight, even after controlling for confounders (β = −0.029, P = 0.03). Controlling for confounders, boys who developed obesity between the ages of 3 and 5 years had lower scores in pattern construction (β = −0.03, P = 0.03). “Growing out” of obesity had a positive association with picture similarity performance in girls (β = 0.03, P = 0.04).
Conclusions
Obesity in the pre‐school years was associated with poorer outcomes for some cognitive measures in this study. Stronger relationships between obesity and cognition or educational attainment may emerge later in childhood.
This paper presents an investigation into the properties of a stochastic process whereby the value of a fund grows arithmetically and decays geometrically over discrete time periods. While this ...general structure is applicable to many situations, it is particularly prevalent in many casino games. This investigation was motivated by a request for support by a casino operator. Statistical models were developed to identify optimal decisions relating to the casino game concerning setting the initial jackpot, the probability of winning each prize, and the size of the prizes. It is demonstrated that all moments of the process converge asymptotically and the limiting distribution is not Normal. Closed form expressions are provided for the first moment as well as investigate the quality of approximating the distribution with an Edgeworth Expansion. The case that motivated this initial investigation is presented and discussed.
ABSTRACT Opportunistic pathogens of the genus Candida reign as the leading cause of mycotic disease and are associated with mortality rates greater than 40%, even with antifungal intervention. This ...is in part due to the limited arsenal of antifungals available to treat systemic fungal infections. Azoles have been the most widely deployed class of antifungal drug for decades and function by targeting the biosynthesis of ergosterol, a key component of the fungal cell membrane. However, their utility is compromised by their fungistatic nature, which favors the development of resistance. Combination therapy has the potential to confer enhanced efficacy as well as mitigate the evolution of resistance. Previously, we described the generation of structurally diverse macrocyclic peptides with a 1,3,4-oxadiazole and an endocyclic amine grafted within the peptide backbone. Importantly, this noncanonical backbone displayed high membrane permeability, an important attribute for compounds that need to permeate across the fungal cell wall and membrane in order to reach their intracellular target. Here, we explored the bioactivity of this novel chemical scaffold on its own and in combination with the azole fluconazole. Although few of the oxadiazole-containing macrocyclic peptides displayed activity against Candida albicans on their own, many increased the efficacy of fluconazole, resulting in a synergistic combination that was independent of efflux inhibition. Interestingly, these molecules also enhanced azole activity against several non-albicans Candida species, including the azole-resistant pathogens Candida glabrata and Candida auris. This work characterizes a novel chemical scaffold that possesses azole-potentiating activity against clinically important Candida species. IMPORTANCE Fungal infections, such as those caused by pathogenic Candida species, pose a serious threat to human health. Treating these infections relies heavily on the use of azole antifungals; however, resistance to these drugs develops readily, demanding novel therapeutic strategies. This study characterized the antifungal activity of a series of molecules that possess unique chemical attributes and the ability to traverse cellular membranes. We observed that many of the compounds increased the activity of the azole fluconazole against Candida albicans, without blocking the action of drug efflux pumps. These molecules also increased the efficacy of azoles against other Candida species, including the emerging azole-resistant pathogen Candida auris. Thus, we describe a novel chemical scaffold with broad-spectrum bioactivity against clinically important fungal pathogens.
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