Search

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating inflammatory condition which has a high disease burden. While there is emerging evidence that certain foods and diets could have anti-inflammatory properties and there are published 'anti-inflammatory' diets, there is very little understanding of patient beliefs and perceptions about the impact of diet on symptom management or attitudes to particular dietary interventions. This scoping review aims to summarize the existing literature around the beliefs that patients with rheumatoid arthritis hold regarding the impact of diet on disease activity and joint pain. It also examines the current state of evidence regarding the impact of specific dietary interventions on patient reported and objective parameters of RA disease activity. A search was conducted across seven databases for studies which included reporting on dietary beliefs related to disease management or investigations on the effect of particular diets on disease activity or joint pain. Articles were excluded if they examined extracted compounds or individual dietary supplements. Included studies were synthesized narratively. We retrieved 25,585 papers from which 68 were included in this review: 7 assessed dietary beliefs, 61 explored dietary interventions. The available literature on patient beliefs has been largely limited to quantitative studies with limited qualitative exploration. The Mediterranean, fasting and vegan diets appear to have the most benefit with regards to rheumatoid arthritis outcomes for patients. Research which examines RA patient's beliefs and attitudes about the impact of diet on their RA symptoms and disease is currently lacking., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Predicting energy requirements for older adults is compromised by the underpinning data being extrapolated from younger adults., Objectives: To generate and validate new total energy expenditure (TEE) predictive equations specifically for older adults using readily available measures (age, weight, height) and to generate and test new physical activity level (PAL) values derived from 1) reference method of indirect calorimetry and 2) predictive equations in adults aged ≥65 y., Methods: TEE derived from "gold standard" methods from n = 1657 (n = 1019 females, age range 65-90 y), was used to generate PAL values. PAL ranged 1.28-2.05 for males and 1.26-2.06 for females. Physical activity (PA) coefficients were also estimated and categorized (inactive to very active) from population means. Nonlinear regression was used to develop prediction equations for estimating TEE. Double cross-validation in a randomized, sex-stratified, age-matched 50:50 split, and leave one out cross-validation were performed. Comparisons were made with existing equations., Results: Equations predicting TEE using the Institute of Medicine method are as follows: For males, TEE = -5680.17 - 17.50 × age (years) + PA coefficient × (6.96 × weight [kilograms] + 44.21 × height [centimeters]) + 1.13 × resting metabolic rate (RMR) (kilojoule/day). For females, TEE = -5290.72 - 8.38 × age (years) + PA coefficient × (9.77 × weight [kilograms] + 41.51 × height [centimeters]) + 1.05 × RMR (kilojoule/day), where PA coefficient values range from 1 (inactive) to 1.51 (highly active) in males and 1 to 1.44 in females respectively. Predictive performance for TEE from anthropometric variables and population mean PA was moderate with limits of agreement approximately ±30%. This improved to ±20% if PA was adjusted for activity category (inactive, low active, active, and very active). Where RMR was included as a predictor variable, the performance improved further to ±10% with a median absolute prediction error of approximately 4%., Conclusions: These new TEE prediction equations require only simple anthropometric data and are accurate and reproducible at a group level while performing better than existing equations. Substantial individual variability in PAL in older adults is the major source of variation when applied at an individual level., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To examine the openness to communication in end-of-life care of three major ethno-cultural groups of healthcare providers (HCPs) (in Israel: Israeli Arabs (Arabs), Israeli Jews (Sabras), and Immigrants from the Soviet Union (Russians). An anonymized set of three questionnaires was distributed among 240 physicians and nurses (HCPs) from the three ethno-cultural groups, yielding a response rate of 91% (and 82% when including hospital division). Sabra ethno-cultural group was more open to communicating about and relating to end-of-life with terminally ill patients. While recent exposure to death and external locus of control decreased the effect of ethno-cultural background, the latter remained statistically significant. Gender, age, marital status, and specialty were not found to be influential factors.This research highlights the importance of increasing awareness and responses to the effects of HCPs' culture on end-of-life care as varied cultures and medico-legal requirements come into contact in society., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) occurs in 8%-13% of reproductive-aged women and is associated with reproductive, metabolic, and psychological dysfunction. Overweight and obesity are prevalent and exacerbate the features of PCOS. The aim of this review is to evaluate the extent of evidence examining the physiological factors affecting energy homeostasis, which may impact weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance in PCOS, and identify research gaps and recommendations for future research. Literature searches using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, AMED, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were conducted up to June 22, 2022. Abstracts, non-English-language articles, and reviews were excluded. A total of n = 78 (n = 55 energy intake and n = 23 energy expenditure) primary research papers were included. Papers with multiple outcomes of interest were counted as separate studies. Energy-intake studies (n = 89) focussed on assessing food, nutrient, or supplements stimuli and were grouped into the outcomes of gastrointestinal appetite hormones (n = 43), adipokines (n = 34), subjective appetite (n = 9), functional brain imaging (n = 3), and neuropeptides (n = 0). Energy-expenditure studies (n = 29) were grouped into total energy expenditure (n = 1), resting energy expenditure (n = 15), meal-induced thermogenesis (n = 3), nutrient oxidation (n = 5), and metabolic flexibility (n = 5). Across both energy-intake and -expenditure papers, 60% of the studies compared outcome responses in women with PCOS with a control group. Results were inconsistent, with 57% reporting no differences and 43% reporting altered responses in PCOS compared with controls, including blunted appetite hormone responses, metabolic inflexibility, and reduced energy expenditure. The authors identified that there is inconsistent, yet preliminary, evidence of possible altered physiological factors, which may impact energy balance and weight management. Further work is needed to act on the identified clinical and research gaps to support women with PCOS and health professionals in informing and achieving realistic weight-management goals for women with PCOS. Systematic Review Registration: The protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework on February 16, 2021 (https://osf.io/9jnsm)., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute.)

Background: The aging process alters the resting metabolic rate (RMR), but it still accounts for 50%-70% of the total energy needs. The rising proportion of older adults, especially those over 80 y of age, underpins the need for a simple, rapid method to estimate the energy needs of older adults., Objectives: This research aimed to generate and validate new RMR equations specifically for older adults and to report their performance and accuracy., Methods: Data were sourced to form an international dataset of adults aged ≥65 y (n = 1686, 38.5% male) where RMR was measured using the reference method of indirect calorimetry. Multiple regression was used to predict RMR from age (y), sex, weight (kg), and height (cm). Double cross-validation in a randomized, sex-stratified, age-matched 50:50 split and leave one out cross-validation were performed. The newly generated prediction equations were compared with the existing commonly used equations., Results: The new prediction equation for males and females aged ≥65 y had an overall improved performance, albeit marginally, when compared with the existing equations. It is described as follows: RMR (kJ/d) = 31.524 × W (kg) + 25.851 × H (cm) - 24.432 × Age (y) + 486.268 × Sex (M = 1, F = 0) + 530.557. Equations stratified by age (65-79.9 y and >80 y) and sex are also provided. The newly created equation estimates RMR within a population mean prediction bias of ∼50 kJ/d (∼1%) for those aged ≥65 y. Accuracy was reduced in adults aged ≥80 y (∼100 kJ/d, ∼2%) but was still within the clinically acceptable range for both males and females. Limits of agreement indicated a poorer performance at an individual level with 1.96-SD limits of approximately ±25%., Conclusions: The new equations, using simple measures of weight, height, and age, improved the accuracy in the prediction of RMR in populations in clinical practice. However, no equation performs optimally at the individual level., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Malnutrition is an international healthcare concern associated with poor patient outcomes, increased length of stay, and healthcare costs. Although malnutrition includes both under and overnutrition, there is a large body of evidence that describes the impacts of undernutrition with limited data on overnutrition in hospitalized patients. Obesity itself is a modifiable risk factor associated with hospital-associated complications. However, there is limited reporting of the prevalence of obesity in hospitals. This one-day cross-sectional study ( n = 513) captures the prevalence of both under and overnutrition in a hospitalized population and explores dietetic care provided compared to the Nutrition Care Process Model for hospitalized patients who have obesity. The main findings were: (1) the largest proportion of patients were in the overweight and obese classifications (57.3%, n = 294/513); 5.3% of these patients had severe obesity (class III); (2) patients who were overweight and obese had lower malnutrition risk profiles as well as the prevalence of malnutrition; (3) 24.1% of patients who had obesity ( n = 34/141) were receiving dietetic intervention; (4) 70.6% ( n = 24/34) did not have a nutrition diagnosis that followed the Nutrition Care Process Model. Study results provide valuable clinical insight into the prevalence of overnutrition and opportunities to improve nutrition care for this vulnerable patient group.

The study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (EIGS) biomarkers, and assess the association of pre-exercise short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration with these biomarkers in response to prolonged strenuous exercise. Thirty-four participants completed 2 h of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on two separate occasions with at least 5-days washout. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-exercise, and analysed for biomarkers associated with EIGS [i.e., cortisol, intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP), sCD14, lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), leukocyte counts, in-vitro neutrophil function, and systemic inflammatory cytokine profile]. Fecal samples were collected pre-exercise on both occasions. In plasma and fecal samples, bacterial DNA concentration was determined by fluorometer quantification, microbial taxonomy by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, and SCFA concentration by gas-chromatography. In response to exercise, 2 h of HIIT modestly perturbed biomarkers indicative of EIGS, including inducing bacteremia (i.e., quantity and diversity). Reliability analysis using comparative tests, Cohen's d , two-tailed correlation, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of resting biomarkers presented good-to-excellent for IL-1ra ( r = 0.710, ICC = 0.92), IL-10 ( r = 0.665, ICC = 0.73), cortisol ( r = 0.870, ICC = 0.87), and LBP ( r = 0.813, ICC = 0.76); moderate for total ( r = 0.839, ICC = 0.44) and per cell ( r = 0.749, ICC = 0.54) bacterially-stimulated elastase release, IL-1β ( r = 0.625, ICC = 0.64), TNF-α ( r = 0.523, ICC = 0.56), I-FABP ( r = 0.411, ICC = 0.21), and sCD14 ( r = 0.409, ICC = 0.38), plus fecal bacterial α-diversity; and poor for leukocyte ( r = 0.327, ICC = 0.33) and neutrophil ( r = 0.352, ICC = 0.32) counts. In addition, a medium negative correlation was observed between plasma butyrate and I-FABP ( r = -0.390). The current data suggest a suite of biomarkers should be used to determine the incidence and severity of EIGS. Moreover, determination of plasma and/or fecal SCFA may provide some insight into the mechanistic aspects of EIGS instigation and magnitude in response to exercise., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Young, Russo, Gill, Muir, Henry, Davidson and Costa.)

The study aimed to investigate the impact of laboratory-controlled exertional and exertional-heat stress on concentrations of plasma endogenous endotoxin core antibody (EndoCAb). Forty-four (males n= 26 and females n= 18) endurance trained ( V̇ O 2max 56.8min/kg/min) participants completed either: P1-2h high intensity interval running in 23°C ambient temperature (T amb ), P2-2h running at 60% V̇ O 2max in 35°C T amb , or P3-3h running at 60% V̇ O 2max in 23°C T amb . Blood samples were collected pre- and post-exercise to determine plasma IgM, IgA, and IgG concentrations. Overall resting pre-exercise levels for plasma Ig were 173MMU/ml, 37AMU/ml, and 79GMU/ml, respectively. Plasma IgM concentration did not substantially change pre- to post-exercise in all protocols, and the magnitude of pre- to post-exercise change for IgM was not different between protocols (p=0.135). Plasma IgA and IgG increased pre- to post-exercise in P2 only (p=0.017 and p=0.016, respectively), but remained within normative range (35-250MU/ml). P2 resulted in greater disturbances to plasma IgA (p=0.058) and IgG (p=0.037), compared with P1 and P3. No substantial differences in pre-exercise and exercise-associated change was observed for EndoCAb between biological sexes. Exertional and exertional-heat stress resulted in modest disturbances to systemic EndoCAb responses, suggesting EndoCAb biomarkers presents a low sensitivity response to controlled-laboratory experimental designs within exercise gastroenterology., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Introduction/aims: In response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions int 2020, our face-to-face (F2F) multidisciplinary neuromuscular clinic (NMC) transitioned to widespread use of telehealth (TH). This study aimed to (1) understand parent/guardian, child, and clinician perceptions of TH; (2) examine TH-related changes in clinical activity; and (3) use these findings to inform a future model of care for the NMC., Methods: A clinical audit was undertaken to examine clinical activity throughout 2018-2020. Online surveys were distributed to clinicians and parents of children attending the NMC via TH in 2020. A working group of clinicians created a checklist to guide a future hybrid model of TH and F2F care., Results: Total clinical activity in 2020 was maintained from previous years; 62.8% of all appointments occurred via TH, and 82.3% of patients attended NMC by TH at least once. Ninety-nine parents (30.6% response rate), 52 children, and 17 clinicians (77% response rate) responded to the survey. All groups reported better interaction when F2F compared to TH. Eighty percent of parents identified advantages of TH and reported lower levels of stress. A lack of "hands-on" physical assessment was identified by parents and clinicians as a TH limitation. Most families (68.1% of parents; 58.8% of children) and all clinicians indicated a preference for a mix of TH and F2F NMC appointments in the future., Discussion: This study has informed a checklist to guide future TH use in a new hybrid model of care. Further investigation is required to assess health impacts of TH use in pediatric neuromuscular care., (© 2022 The Authors. Muscle & Nerve published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Contemporary energy expenditure data are crucial to inform and guide nutrition policy in older adults to optimize nutrition and health., Objective: The aim was to determine the optimal method of estimating total energy expenditure (TEE) in adults (aged ≥65 y) through 1) establishing which published predictive equations have the closest agreement between measured resting metabolic rate (RMR) and predicted RMR and 2) utilizing the RMR equations with the best agreement to predict TEE against the reference method of doubly labeled water (DLW)., Methods: A database consisting of international participant-level TEE data from DLW studies was developed to enable comparison with energy requirements estimated by 17 commonly used predictive equations. This database included 31 studies comprising 988 participant-level RMR data and 1488 participant-level TEE data. Mean physical activity level (PAL) was determined for men (PAL = 1.69, n = 320) and women (PAL = 1.66, n = 668). Bland-Altman plots assessed agreement of measured RMR and TEE with predicted RMR and TEE in adults aged ≥65 y, and subgroups of 65-79 y and ≥80 y. Linear regression assessed proportional bias., Results: The Ikeda, Livingston, and Mifflin equations most closely agreed with measured RMR and TEE in all adults aged ≥65 y and in the 65-79 y and ≥80 y subgroups. In adults aged ≥65 y, the Ikeda and Livingston equations overestimated TEE by a mean ± SD of 175 ± 1362 kJ/d and 86 ± 1344 kJ/d, respectively. The Mifflin equation underestimated TEE by a mean ± SD of 24 ± 1401 kJ/d. Proportional bias was present as energy expenditure increased., Conclusions: The Ikeda, Livingston, or Mifflin equations are recommended for estimating energy requirements of older adults. Future research should focus on developing predictive equations to meet the requirements of the older population with consideration given to body composition and functional measures., (Copyright © American Society for Nutrition 2019.)

Conservation policy and practice can sometimes run counter to their mutual aims of ensuring species survival. In Kenya, where threatened predators such as lion deplete endangered prey such as Grevy's zebra, conservation practitioners seek to ensure species success through exclusive strategies of protection, population increase and preservation. We found strong selection for the endangered Grevy's zebra by both lion and hyena on two small fenced conservancies in Kenya. Despite abundant diversity of available prey, Grevy's zebra were selected disproportionately more than their availability, while other highly available species such as buffalo were avoided. Lions were therefore not alone in presenting a credible threat to Grevy's zebra survival. Conservation practitioners must consider interlinked characteristics of prey selection, resource availability and quality, the interplay between carnivore guild members and landscape scale population trends performance in wildlife management decisions., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2019 Davidson et al.)

We introduce a new approach to temporally resolve ultrafast micron-scale processes via the use of a multi-channel optical probe. We demonstrate that this technique enables highly precise time-resolved, two-dimensional spatial imaging of intense laser pulse propagation dynamics, plasma formation and laser beam filamentation within a single pulse over four distinct time frames. The design, development and optimization of the optical probe system is presented, as are representative experimental results from the first implementation of the multi-channel probe with a high-power laser pulse interaction with a helium gas jet target.

Wildlife fencing has become more prevalent throughout Africa, although it has come with a price of increased habitat fragmentation and loss of habitat connectivity. In an effort to increase connectivity, managers of fenced conservancies can place strategic gaps along the fences to allow wildlife access to outside habitat, permitting exploration, dispersal and seasonal migration. Wildlife can become accustomed to certain movement pathways and can show fidelity to these routes over many years, even at the path level. Our study site has three dedicated wildlife crossings (fence-gaps) in its 142 km perimeter fence, and we continuously monitor these fence-gaps with camera-traps. We monitored one fence-gap before and after a 1.49 km fence section was completely removed and 6.8 km was reconfigured to leave only a two-strand electric fence meant to exclude elephant and giraffe, all other species being able to cross under the exclusionary fence. The removal and reconfiguration of the fence effectively rendered this fence-gap (which was left in place structurally) as a "ghost" fence-gap, as wildlife now had many options along the 8.29 km shared border to cross into the neighboring habitat. Although we documented some decline in the number of crossing events at the ghost-gap, surprisingly, 19 months after the total removal of the fence, we continued to document the usage of this crossing location by wildlife including by species that had not been previously detected at this location. We discuss potential drivers of this persistent and counterintuitive behavior as well as management implications., Competing Interests: Dr. Zeke Davidson was employed by Marwell Wildlife and was an Visiting Researcher at Southampton University. Timothy Kaaria and Mary Mwololo were employed by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in the Conservation Research Department.

Equid herpesviruses types 1 (EHV-1) and 9 (EHV-9) are unusual among herpesviruses in that they lack strong host specificity, and the full extent of their host range remains unclear. The virus establishes latency for long periods and can be reactivated and shed, resulting in clinical disease in susceptible species. A sensitive and specific peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed to study the seroprevalence of both viruses in a broad range of species among both wild and captive populations. We used this assay to study the seroprevalences of EHV-1 and EHV-9 in a natural population of the highly endangered Grévy's zebra ( Equus grevyi) in Kenya, sampled during a 4-yr period (2012-15). The results were compared with those obtained from captive Grévy's zebras from a previous study. The wild population had a significantly higher seroprevalence of EHV-9 compared with the captive population, suggesting that captivity might reduce exposure to this serotype. In contrast, the seroprevalences of EHV-1 between captive and wild groups was not significantly different. The seroprevalence of EHV-9 was not significantly higher than EHV-1 in zebras within the wild Kenyan population.

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of research on spirituality and religiosity in the intensive care setting that has been published since the 2004-2005 American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Support of Family in the Patient-Centered Intensive Care Unit with an emphasis on its application beyond palliative and end-of-life care., Materials and Methods: ACCM 2004-2005 guidelines emphasized the importance of spiritual and religious support in the form of four specific recommendations: [1] assessment and incorporation of spiritual needs in ICU care plan; [2] spiritual care training for doctors and nurses; [3] physician review of interdisciplinary spiritual need assessments; and [4] honoring the requests of patients to pray with them. We reviewed 26 studies published from 2006 to 2016 and identified whether studies strengthened the grade of these recommendations. We further categorized findings of these studies to understand the roles of spirituality and religiosity in surrogate perceptions and decision-making and patient and family experience., Conclusions: Spiritual care has an essential role in the treatment of critically ill patients and families. Current literature offers few insights to support clinicians in navigating this often-challenging aspect of patient care and more research is needed., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rapidly progressive neuromuscular disorder causing weakness of the skeletal, respiratory, cardiac and oropharyngeal muscles with up to one third of young men reporting difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). Recent studies on dysphagia in DMD clarify the pathophysiology of swallowing disorders and offer new tools for its assessment but little guidance is available for its management. This paper aims to provide a step-by-step algorithm to facilitate clinical decisions regarding dysphagia management in this patient population., Methods: This algorithm is based on 30 years of clinical experience with DMD in a specialised Centre for Neuromuscular Disorders (Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital, Belgium) and is supported by literature where available., Results: Dysphagia can worsen the condition of ageing patients with DMD. Apart from the difficulties of chewing and oral fragmentation of the food bolus, dysphagia is rather a consequence of an impairment in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing. By contrast with central neurologic disorders, dysphagia in DMD accompanies solid rather than liquid intake. Symptoms of dysphagia may not be clinically evident; however laryngeal food penetration, accumulation of food residue in the pharynx and/or true laryngeal food aspiration may occur. The prevalence of these issues in DMD is likely underestimated., Conclusions: There is little guidance available for clinicians to manage dysphagia and improve feeding for young men with DMD. This report aims to provide a clinical algorithm to facilitate the diagnosis of dysphagia, to identify the symptoms and to propose practical recommendations to treat dysphagia in the adult DMD population. Implications for Rehabilitation Little guidance is available for the management of dysphagia in Duchenne dystrophy. Food can penetrate the vestibule, accumulate as residue or cause aspiration. We propose recommendations and an algorithm to guide management of dysphagia. Penetration/residue accumulation: prohibit solid food and promote intake of fluids. Aspiration: if cough augmentation techniques are ineffective, consider tracheostomy.

The use of fences to segregate wildlife can change predator and prey behaviour. Predators can learn to incorporate fencing into their hunting strategies and prey can learn to avoid foraging near fences. A twelve-strand electric predator-proof fence surrounds our study site. There are also porous one-strand electric fences used to create exclosures where elephant (and giraffe) cannot enter in order to protect blocs of browse vegetation for two critically endangered species, the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi). The denser vegetation in these exclosures attracts both browsing prey and ambush predators. In this study we examined if lion predation patterns differed near the perimeter fencing and inside the elephant exclosures by mapping the location of kills. We used a spatial analysis to compare the predation patterns near the perimeter fencing and inside the exclosures to predation in the rest of the conservancy. Predation was not over-represented near the perimeter fence but the pattern of predation near the fence suggests that fences may be a contributing factor to predation success. Overall, we found that predation was over-represented inside and within 50 m of the exclosures. However, by examining individual exclosures in greater detail using a hot spot analysis, we found that only a few exclosures contained lion predation hot spots. Although some exclosures provide good hunting grounds for lions, we concluded that exclosures did not necessarily create prey-traps per se and that managers could continue to use this type of exclusionary fencing to protect stands of dense vegetation.

Protecting an endangered and highly poached species can conflict with providing an open and ecologically connected landscape for coexisting species. In Kenya, about half of the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) live in electrically fenced private conservancies. Purpose-built fence-gaps permit some landscape connectivity for elephant while restricting rhino from escaping. We monitored the usage patterns at these gaps by motion-triggered cameras and found high traffic volumes and predictable patterns of prey movement. The prey-trap hypothesis (PTH) proposes that predators exploit this predictable prey movement. We tested the PTH at two semi-porous reserves using two different methods: a spatial analysis and a temporal analysis. Using spatial analysis, we mapped the location of predation events with GPS and looked for concentration of kill sites near the gaps as well as conducting clustering and hot spot analysis to determine areas of statistically significant predation clustering. Using temporal analysis, we examined the time lapse between the passage of prey and predator and searched for evidence of active prey seeking and/or predator avoidance. We found no support for the PTH and conclude that the design of the fence-gaps is well suited to promoting connectivity in these types of conservancies.

The role of equine piroplasmosis as a factor in the population decline of the Grevy's zebra is not known. We determined the prevalence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in cograzing Grevy's zebras (Equus grevyi) and donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) in northern Kenya and identified the associated tick vectors. Blood samples were taken from 71 donkeys and 16 Grevy's zebras from March to May 2011. A nested PCR reaction using 18s ribosomal (r)RNA primers on 87 blood spots showed 72% (51/71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 60.4-81.0%) of donkeys and 100% (16/16; 95% CI, 77.3-100%) of Grevy's zebras were T. equi positive. No samples were positive for B. caballi. Sequence comparison using the National Center for Biotechnology Information's basic local alignment search tool identified homologous 18s rRNA sequences with a global geographic spread. The T. equi-derived sequences were evaluated using Bayesian approaches with independent Metropolis-coupled Markov chain Monte Carlo runs. The sequences clustered with those found in Sudan, Croatia, Mongolia, and the US, with statistical support greater than 80% for the two main clades. Hyalomma tick species were found on both donkeys and Grevy's zebras, whereas Rhipicephalus pulchellus was found exclusively on Grevy's zebras and Hyalomma marginatum rupfipes on donkeys. The prevalence of T. equi was 100% in Grevy's zebras and 72% in donkeys with common tick vectors identified. Our results suggest that donkeys and Grevy's zebras can be asymptomatic carriers and that piroplasmosis is endemic in the study area.

Objectives: Following on from our previous work looking at the interrater reliability of assessing seizure adequacy for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), we sought to examine whether a specific teaching module could improve the reliability of visual inspection of electroencephalography (EEG) recordings for specific features of seizure length, presence of polyspike, δ wave activity, and post-ictal suppression., Methods: Twelve medical practitioners at varying levels of training and ECT experience rated 15 EEG traces after minimal training and a further set of 15 EEG traces after a more detailed training. Results were analyzed to examine the interrater reliability of the EEG features and the overall assignment of traces as meeting "old" (1995) or "new" (2005) Royal College of Psychiatrists criteria for therapeutic seizures compared with the agreed ratings of 2 experienced ECT practitioners ("standard ratings")., Results: There was evidence for a specific training effect for the "old" criteria with an improvement in the interrater reliability (generalized κ, 0.590 vs 0.813) associated with a significantly better estimation of seizure length as assessed by comparison of the root mean square difference from the standard ratings (mean, 7.83 vs 4.49; P < 0.003). The interrater reliability for the new criteria did not improve (generalized κ, 0.599 vs 0.581) but was already at quite a good standard. Examination of individual features did demonstrate improvement in the rating of δ activity (generalized κ, 0.564 vs 0.655) and post-ictal suppression (generalized κ, 0.553 vs 0.611) after the training. When these 2 criteria were grouped together (δ suppression), interrater reliability was shown to be significantly improved after the training (generalized κ, 0.568 vs 0.659). Although not statistically significant, the participants reported that the training improved their confidence in using both criteria for therapeutic seizures (old: 49% vs 67%; new: 27% vs 48%)., Conclusions: The reliability of assessments of seizure length, presence of δ activity, and post-ictal suppression can be measurably improved with a specific teaching module. Using the δ suppression criteria together with the accurate estimation of seizure length on EEG may have greater clinical utility when it comes to instructing trainees in ECT administration, assessment of therapeutic seizures, and developing protocols for dose adjustment.

Background: There is no cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profile in a representative sample of Canadian children and adolescents according to weight status. The 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey, launched by Statistics Canada in partnership with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, provides an opportunity to address this gap., Methods: The Canadian Health Measures Survey collected information at 15 sites across Canada from March 2007 to March 2009 from Canadians aged 6 to 79 years living in private households. The survey consisted of a household interview and a visit to a mobile examination centre to perform physical measurements, including anthropometry, blood pressure, and biospecimen collection. The present analysis is based on data from 2087 children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years., Results: Children and adolescents who were overweight or obese had on average higher mean concentrations and higher prevalence of adverse levels of CVD risk factors (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and insulin levels) than did normal-weight children and adolescents. Adjustment for covariates (gender, age, household education, household income adequacy, and province of residence) and compliance with recommendations for daily steps, soft-drink intake, and sleep duration did not alter the differences in CVD risk factors between normal weight and overweight or obese children and adolescents., Conclusions: Results of this study underscore the importance of excess weight as an independent risk factor for CVD health in early life and call for primary prevention of overweight and obesity in childhood to reduce CVD risk., (Copyright © 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Large carnivores inhabiting ecosystems with heterogeneously distributed environmental resources with strong seasonal variations frequently employ opportunistic foraging strategies, often typified by seasonal switches in diet. In semi-arid ecosystems, herbivore distribution is generally more homogeneous in the wet season, when surface water is abundant, than in the dry season when only permanent sources remain. Here, we investigate the seasonal contribution of the different herbivore species, prey preference and distribution of kills (i.e. feeding locations) of African lions in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, a semi-arid African savanna structured by artificial waterholes. We used data from 245 kills and 74 faecal samples. Buffalo consistently emerged as the most frequently utilised prey in all seasons by both male (56%) and female (33%) lions, contributing the most to lion dietary biomass. Jacobs' index also revealed that buffalo was the most intensively selected species throughout the year. For female lions, kudu and to a lesser extent the group "medium Bovidae" are the most important secondary prey. This study revealed seasonal patterns in secondary prey consumption by female lions partly based on prey ecology with browsers, such as giraffe and kudu, mainly consumed in the early dry season, and grazers, such as zebra and suids, contributing more to female diet in the late dry season. Further, it revealed the opportunistic hunting behaviour of lions for prey as diverse as elephants and mice, with elephants taken mostly as juveniles at the end of the dry season during droughts. Jacobs' index finally revealed a very strong preference for kills within 2 km from a waterhole for all prey species, except small antelopes, in all seasons. This suggested that surface-water resources form passive traps and contribute to the structuring of lion foraging behaviour.

We test two hypotheses that could account for patch departure by large mammalian carnivores. One hypothesis is the unsuccessful-hunt hypothesis, where carnivores leave an area after an unsuccessful hunt but continue hunting in the same area after a successful hunt. The second hypothesis is the patch-disturbance hypothesis, where carnivores depart the area after a successful hunt because of behavioral responses of prey to predator presence. We used global positioning system collars to monitor the movements of African lions (Panthera leo) and identified their kill sites to distinguish between these two hypotheses. Lions moved to a different area (≥ 5 km away) after 87% of the kills, which supports the patch-disturbance hypothesis for patch-departure behavior of large mammalian carnivores.

Samples of human adult lymphocytes, fetal lymphocytes, amniotic fluid cells, and chorionic villus cells were sexed independently by cytogenetics and DNA-DNA in situ hybridisation to a tritiated Y probe. For the in situ hybridisation analysis, the presence of Y bodies (hybridisation bodies) in 100 interphase nuclei were scored after autoradiography. In all, 82/83 samples were sexed in this way (one technical failure) and 78/82 were sexed by both in situ hybridisation and cytogenetics. There was complete agreement between the two methods. There was a considerable variation (40-100%) in the percentage of interphase nuclei with a hybridisation body among the male samples, but very few nuclei from female samples showed significant hybridisation. In situ hybridisation could be used to sex the conceptus when males but not females are at risk for various X-linked genetic disorders and may also be useful for detecting 45,X/46,XY mosaicism or polyploid/diploid mosaicism. This would be particularly useful for direct preparations of chorionic villus samples, which often prove difficult to analyse cytogenetically but offer the best means of avoiding maternal contamination. Some interphase nuclei had more than one hybridisation body, and this was most commonly found among amniotic fluid cells. Comparison of sizes of nuclei with one or two hybridisation bodies strongly suggested that most of the amniotic fluid cell nuclei with two hybridisation bodies were tetraploid.