Association of tyrosine hydroxylase 01 (TH01) microsatellite and insulin gene (INS) variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) with type 2 diabetes and fasting insulin secretion in Mexican population.

PURPOSE: A variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the insulin gene (INS) control region may be involved in type 2 diabetes (T2D). The TH01 microsatellite is near INS and may regulate it. We investigated whether the TH01 microsatellite and INS VNTR, assessed via the surrogate marker single nucleotide polymorphism rs689, are associated with T2D and serum insulin levels in a Mexican population. METHODS: We analyzed a main case-control study (n = 1986) that used univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to calculate the risk conferred by TH01 and rs689 loci for T2D development; rs689 results were replicated in other case-control (n = 1188) and cross-sectional (n = 1914) studies. RESULTS: TH01 alleles 6, 8, 9, and 9.3 and allele A of rs689 were independently associated with T2D, with differences between sex and age at diagnosis. TH01 alleles with ≥ 8 repeats conferred an increased risk for T2D in males compared with ≤ 7 repeats (odds ratio, ≥ 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.95). In females, larger alleles conferred a 1.5-fold higher risk for T2D when diagnosed ≥ 46 years but conferred protection when diagnosed ≤ 45 years. Similarly, rs689 allele A was associated with T2D in these groups. In males, larger TH01 alleles and the rs689 A allele were associated with a significant decrease in median fasting plasma insulin concentration with age in T2D cases; the reverse occurred in controls. CONCLUSION: Larger TH01 alleles and rs689 A allele may potentiate insulin synthesis in males without T2D, a process disabled in those with T2D.

Utility of the combination of hederagenin glucoside saponins and chromane hydrazone in the topical treatment of canine cutaneous leishmaniasis. An observational study.

Canine cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL) is an emerging zoonotic infection endemic in several countries of the world. Due to variable response to therapy and frequency of relapses, a more effective, safer, and inexpensive treatment is needed. Recently, it was reported that the hederagenin glucoside saponins (SS) and chromane-derived hydrazone (TC2) combined in a 1:1 ratio has high potential in antileishmanial therapy since both compounds alter the survival of Leishmania and the ability to infect adjacent macrophage. Not only the skin permeation and the absorption of an ointment containing 2% TC2 and 2% SS (w/w) was determined in this work, but also the acute dermal toxicity in both in vitro and in vivo assays. Last, the effectiveness and safety of the topical therapy with 2% TC2-2% SS ointment was evaluated in an observational study in dogs with diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Both TC2 and SS diffused through pig ear skin and traces of TC2 (but not SS) were detected in the stratum corneum of mice at 6-24 h. Neither TC2 nor SS was detected in plasma. The acute dermal toxicity was negative. Treatment with 2% TC2-2% SS ointment produced a complete long-term clinical cure in 56 dogs (24 females and 32 males) from the Orinoco and Amazonas regions in southeastern Colombia without adverse effects. All dogs have remained disease-free for the last 24 months. In conclusion, these results support the use of this topical therapy as a safer and new first-line local treatment of CCL that could help limit the spread of CL from dogs to humans.

Detecting hidden transient events in noisy nonlinear time-series.

The information impulse function (IIF), running Variance, and local Hölder Exponent are three conceptually different time-series evaluation techniques. These techniques examine time-series for local changes in information content, statistical variation, and point-wise smoothness, respectively. Using simulated data emulating a randomly excited nonlinear dynamical system, this study interrogates the utility of each method to correctly differentiate a transient event from the background while simultaneously locating it in time. Computational experiments are designed and conducted to evaluate the efficacy of each technique by varying pulse size, time location, and noise level in time-series. Our findings reveal that, in most cases, the first instance of a transient event is more easily observed with the information-based approach of IIF than with the Variance and local Hölder Exponent methods. While our study highlights the unique strengths of each technique, the results suggest that very robust and reliable event detection for nonlinear systems producing noisy time-series data can be obtained by incorporating the IIF into the analysis.

Antibodies elicited by the CaniLeish® vaccine: long-term clinical follow-up study of dogs in Spain.

The prevention of canine leishmaniosis in healthy dogs requires a multimodal approach combining repellents with an effective vaccine. A vaccine that modulates the cell-mediated immune response against the protozoan has been available in Europe since 2012 (CaniLeish®, Virbac, France). The aim of the present study was to monitor dogs vaccinated with CaniLeish® to examine the kinetics of the antibody response and the safety and tolerance of CaniLeish®. Dogs vaccinated with CaniLeish® were monitored for 12 months. In follow-up visits at baseline (primovaccination or annual booster) (Visit 1, V1), and 1 (V2), 4 (V3), 8 (V4) and 12 (V5) months later, we examined antibody response kinetics using two serology techniques (IFAT and Speed Leish K™). Tolerance to CaniLeish® and its safety were also monitored. Anti-L. infantum IgG antibodies were determined in 242 dogs (125 dogs after primovaccination (Group P) and 117 dogs after booster vaccination (Group B). In addition, 46, 22 and 19 dogs were followed for 2, 3 and 4 years, respectively. At baseline, 100% of dogs in Group P returned negative IFAT and Speed Leish K™ test results while 9.4% (11/117) in Group B tested IFAT positive though Speed Leish K™ negative. In subsequent visits, seropositivity was detected by IFAT in 31.2% (Group P) and 41% (Group B) of the dogs in V2; 16.8% (Group P) and 10.2% (Group B) in V3; 6.4% (Group P) and 8.5% (Group B) in V4; and 3.2% (Group P) and 5.9% (Group B) in V5. All dogs tested Speed Leish K™ negative except two, in which it was later confirmed by molecular testing that they were not infected. Adverse events that could be associated with the vaccine were detected in 20 out of 314 dogs (6.4%). The good clinical status of all dogs was confirmed in an exhaustive clinical exam and haemato-biochemical profile. The Canileish® vaccine was well-tolerated with exceptions that did not appear to be related to age, sex, race or size of vaccinated dogs. Anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected by IFAT in 31.9-40.3% of the dogs 1 month after vaccination, and these antibodies could still be detected in 3.2% of the dogs 1 year later. This means that veterinarians need to use other tools (eg. PCR) to correctly diagnose seropositive dogs.

Overweight and obesity status from the prenatal period to adolescence and its association with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in young adults: cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of maternal and child overweight status across multiple time-points with liver fat content in the offspring during young adulthood. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: ELEMENT Cohort in Mexico City. POPULATION: Pregnant women with singleton births (n = 97). METHODS: We quantified hepatic triglyceride content (liver fat content) by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) and conventional T2-weighted MRIs (3T scanner) in 97 young adults from the ELEMENT birth cohort in Mexico City. Historical records of the cohort were used as a source of pregnancy, and childhood and adolescence anthropometric information, overweight and obesity (OWOB) were defined. Adjusted structural equation models were run to identify the association between OWOB in different life stages with liver fat content (log-transformed) in young adulthood. MAIN OUTCOME: Maternal OWOB at the time of delivery was directly and indirectly associated with the liver fat content in the offspring at young adulthood. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of the participants were classified as having NAFLD. We found a strong association of OWOB between all periods assessed. Maternal OWOB at time of delivery (ß = 1.97, 95% CI 1.28-3.05), and OWOB status in the offspring at young adulthood (ß = 3.17, 95% CI 2.10-4.77) were directly associated with the liver fat content in the offspring. Also, maternal OWOB was indirectly associated with liver fat content through offspring OWOB status. CONCLUSION: We found that maternal OWOB status is related to fatty liver content in the offspring as young adults, even after taking into account OWOB status and lifestyle factors in the offspring. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: There was an association between pre-pregnancy overweight and the development of NAFLD in adult offspring.

Association between vitamin D deficiency and common variants of Vitamin D binding protein gene among Mexican Mestizo and indigenous postmenopausal women.

PURPOSE: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and polymorphisms in the group-specific component (GC) gene are known to be associated in different populations. However, the effects of such genetic variants may vary across different populations. Thus, the objective of this study was to estimate the association between Vitamin D-Binding Protein (VDBP) haplotypes and VDD in mestizo postmenopausal women and Mexican Amerindian ethnic groups. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 726 postmenopausal Mexican women from the Health Workers Cohort Study (HWCS) and 166 postmenopausal women from the Metabolic Analysis in an Indigenous Sample (MAIS) cohort in Mexico. GC polymorphisms (rs7045 and rs4588) were analyzed by TaqMan probes. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured by Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immuno Assay. RESULTS: The prevalence of VDD serum 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL was 43.7% in mestizo women and 44.6% in indigenous women. In HWCS, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs7041 and rs4588 were associated with VDD. In addition, women from the HWCS, carrying the haplotypes GC2/2 and GC1f/2 had higher odds of VDD (OR = 2.83, 95% CI 1.14, 7.02; and OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.40, 3.78, respectively) compared to women with haplotype 1f/1 s. These associations were not statistically significant in the MAIS cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show genetic association of the analyzed SNPs and related haplotypes, on the GC gene, with VDD in mestizo Mexican postmenopausal women. Moreover, a high prevalence of VDD with high genetic variability within the country was observed. Our results support the need for national policies for preventing VDD.

Evaluation of the Induction of Cell-Mediated Immunity Against Candida albicans in a Model of Cutaneous Infection in Newborn 0-Day-Old Mice.

Candida albicans is a commensal fungus of the skin and mucous membranes in humans, but it is also responsible for mucocutaneous and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients like low birth weight neonates and premature newborns. The epicutaneous application of C. albicans is widely used to study the immune response against this pathogen in adult mice models. However, the immune response of newborns against infections caused by the genus Candida is poorly understood. In order to mimic premature human infection, we developed a model of C. albicans epicutaneous infection in newborn mice. We found that yeasts were able to colonize while the pseudohyphae invaded the epidermis. Recruitment of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells at the infection zone was observed. Fungal invasion, fungal burden and cellular infiltration displayed a time- and dose-dependent response. Interestingly, newborn mice were able to control C. albicans primary infection. Finally, we showed that the epicutaneous infection of C. albicans in newborn mice at birth results in the induction of cell-mediated immunity as evinced by delayed-type hypersensitivity assays.

Flea species infesting dogs in Spain: updated spatial and seasonal distribution patterns.

This entomological survey examines the spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of flea species infesting dogs in Spain. Bioclimatic zones covering broad climate and vegetation ranges were surveyed according to size. In a cross-sectional spatial survey carried out from late May 2013 to mid-July 2015, 1084 dogs from 42 different locations were examined. A total of 3032 fleas were collected and identified as belonging to the following species: Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) (81.7%, 2476 fleas); Ctenocephalides canis (11.4%, 347 fleas); Pulex irritans (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) (6.9%, 208 fleas), and Echidnophaga gallinacea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) (0.03%, one flea). Variables observed to have effects on flea abundance were animal weight, sex, length of hair and habitat. In the seasonal survey conducted from June 2014 to June 2015, 1014 fleas were collected from 239 dogs at 30 veterinary practices across Spain. Peaks in C. felis abundance were observed in early summer and late autumn, whereas high numbers of P. irritans and C. canis were recorded in autumn. Numbers of fleas detected in winter were low overall. Based on these findings, the present study updates the spatial and seasonal distributions of flea species in Spain and assesses the impacts of host and habitat variables on flea infestation.

Polymorphisms in Host Immunity-Modulating Genes and Risk of Invasive Aspergillosis: Results from the AspBIOmics Consortium.

Recent studies suggest that immune-modulating single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence the risk of developing cancer-related infections. Here, we evaluated whether 36 SNPs within 14 immune-related genes are associated with the risk of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and whether genotyping of these variants might improve disease risk prediction. We conducted a case-control association study of 781 immunocompromised patients, 149 of whom were diagnosed with IA. Association analysis showed that the IL4Rrs2107356 and IL8rs2227307 SNPs (using dbSNP numbering) were associated with an increased risk of IA (IL4Rrs2107356 odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 3.09; IL8rs2227307 OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.81), whereas the IL12Brs3212227 and IFNγrs2069705 variants were significantly associated with a decreased risk of developing the infection (IL12Brs3212227 OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.96; IFNγrs2069705 OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.97). An allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT)-stratified analysis revealed that the effect observed for the IL4Rrs2107356 and IFNγrs2069705 SNPs was stronger in allo-HSCT (IL4Rrs2107356 OR, 5.63; 95% CI, 1.20 to 3.09; IFNγrs2069705 OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.59) than in non-HSCT patients, suggesting that the presence of these SNPs renders patients more vulnerable to infection, especially under severe and prolonged immunosuppressive conditions. Importantly, in vitro studies revealed that carriers of the IFNγrs2069705C allele showed a significantly increased macrophage-mediated neutralization of fungal conidia (P = 0.0003) and, under stimulation conditions, produced higher levels of gamma interferon (IFNγ) mRNA (P = 0.049) and IFNγ and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) cytokines (P value for 96 h of treatment with lipopolysaccharide [PLPS-96 h], 0.057; P value for 96 h of treatment with phytohemagglutinin [PPHA-96 h], 0.036; PLPS+PHA-96 h = 0.030; PPHA-72 h = 0.045; PLPS+PHA-72 h = 0.018; PLPS-96 h = 0.058; PLPS+PHA-96 h = 0.0058). Finally, we also observed that the addition of SNPs significantly associated with IA to a model including clinical variables led to a substantial improvement in the discriminatory ability to predict disease (area under the concentration-time curve [AUC] of 0.659 versus AUC of 0.564; P-2 log likehood ratio test = 5.2 · 10(-4) and P50.000 permutation test = 9.34 · 10(-5)). These findings suggest that the IFNγrs2069705 SNP influences the risk of IA and that predictive models built with IFNγ, IL8, IL12p70, and VEGFA variants can used to predict disease risk and to implement risk-adapted prophylaxis or diagnostic strategies.

Preventive strategies in paediatric cardiovascular surgery: impact on surgical site infections and beyond.

BACKGROUND: Surgical management of congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased worldwide, but healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can threaten these efforts. AIM: To analyse the incidence of HAI, the impact of preventive interventions, and microbiological profiles in a paediatric cardiovascular surgery programme. METHODS: Cohort study including children aged <12 years with CHD who underwent cardiovascular surgery between 2010 and 2021 in Medellín, Colombia (a middle-income setting). Data were collected from medical and laboratory records and infection control programme databases. Impact of various preventive interventions was assessed using a Poisson model. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. FINDINGS: A total of 2512 surgeries were analysed. Incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) was 5.9%, followed by central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI; 4.7%), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI; 2.2%), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP; 1.4%). Most of the strategies focused on preventing SSI, resulting in a reduction from 9.5% in 2010 to 3.0% in 2021 (P = 0.030). Antibiotic prophylaxis based on patient weight and continuous infusion had an impact on reducing SSI (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.32-0.99). Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) in clean wounds reduced 100% of infections. No significant risk reduction was observed for other HAI with the implemented interventions. CONCLUSION: Preventive strategies effectively reduced SSI but no other infections, emphasizing the need for targeted approaches to address a broader spectrum of HAI successfully.

Replicability of simulation studies for the investigation of statistical methods: the RepliSims project.

Results of simulation studies evaluating the performance of statistical methods can have a major impact on the way empirical research is implemented. However, so far there is limited evidence of the replicability of simulation studies. Eight highly cited statistical simulation studies were selected, and their replicability was assessed by teams of replicators with formal training in quantitative methodology. The teams used information in the original publications to write simulation code with the aim of replicating the results. The primary outcome was to determine the feasibility of replicability based on reported information in the original publications and supplementary materials. Replicasility varied greatly: some original studies provided detailed information leading to almost perfect replication of results, whereas other studies did not provide enough information to implement any of the reported simulations. Factors facilitating replication included availability of code, detailed reporting or visualization of data-generating procedures and methods, and replicator expertise. Replicability of statistical simulation studies was mainly impeded by lack of information and sustainability of information sources. We encourage researchers publishing simulation studies to transparently report all relevant implementation details either in the research paper itself or in easily accessible supplementary material and to make their simulation code publicly available using permanent links.

Alzheimer risk associated with a copy number variation in the complement receptor 1 increasing C3b/C4b binding sites.

Two multicentre genome-wide association (GWA) studies provided substantial evidence, implicating the complement receptor 1 gene (CR1) in Alzheimer disease (AD) genetic etiology. CR1 encodes a large transmembrane receptor with a crucial role in the immune complement cascade. We performed a genetic follow-up of the GWA CR1 association in a Flanders-Belgian cohort (n=1883), and investigated the effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the CR1 locus on AD risk and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels. We obtained significant association (P(adj)<0.03; odds ratio (OR)=1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.51)) for one CR1 risk haplotype, and haplotype association was strongest in individuals carrying apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 alleles (P(adj)<0.006; OR=1.50 (95% CI: 1.08-2.09)). Also, four SNPs correlated with increased CSF amyloid Aß1₋42 levels, suggesting a role for the CR1 protein in Aß metabolism. Moreover, we quantified a low-copy repeat (LCR)-associated copy number variation (CNV) in CR1, producing different CR1 isoforms, CR1-F and CR1-S, and obtained significant association in carriers of CR1-S. We replicated the CR1 CNV association finding in a French cohort (n=2003) and calculated in the combined cohorts, an OR of 1.32; 95% CI: 1.10-1.59 (P=0.0025). Our data showed that the common AD risk association may well be explained by the presence of CR1-S increasing the number of C3b/C4b and cofactor activity sites and AD risk with 30% in CR1-S carriers. How precisely the different functional role of CR1-S in the immune complement cascade contributes to AD pathogenesis will need additional functional studies.

Daily rhythms of blood glucose differ in diurnal and nocturnal European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) undergoing seasonal phase inversions.

Sea bass change their feeding rhythms from diurnal to nocturnal in winter, returning to diurnal feeding in spring. Despite behavioral data, the physiological changes that take place during such changes remain unexplored. In this paper, blood glucose rhythms of European sea bass with diurnal/nocturnal self-feeding rhythms were investigated during phase inversions of their feeding behavior (in winter and spring) when both diurnal and nocturnal fish coexist. Blood glucose showed daily variations in both seasons (ANOVA, p < 0.03), fitting a cosine function (COSINOR, p < 0.05) in all cases, except in diurnal fish in spring. The average blood glucose levels of nocturnal fish in winter (2.67 ± 0.09 mmol/l, mean ± SEM) were significantly (t test, p < 0.01) higher than in spring (2.20 ± 0.08 mmol/l), while they were similar (~2.25 mmol/l) in diurnal fish in both seasons. These findings revealed for the first time insights into the seasonal physiological changes that accompany changes in behavioral rhythms in diurnal and nocturnal sea bass.

Gender differences and regionalization of the cultural significance of wild mushrooms around La Malinche volcano, Tlaxcala, Mexico.

The purpose of this study was to determine the cultural significance of wild mushrooms in 10 communities on the slopes of La Malinche volcano, Tlaxcala. The frequency and order of mention of each mushroom species in interviews of 200 individuals were used as indicators of the relative cultural significance of each species. A X(2) analysis was used to compare the frequency of mention of each species between males and females, and a Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the difference in the total number of fungi mentioned by either gender. Traditional names for mushroom species were documented and frequency of mention assessed through multivariate statistics. The fungi with highest frequency of mention were Amanita basii, Lyophyllum decastes, Boletus pinophilus, Gomphus floccosus and Cantharellus cibarius complex. We found significant differences in the frequency of mention of different fungi by males and females but no significant difference was found for the total number of fungi mentioned by either gender. Principal component analysis suggested a cultural regionalization of La Malinche volcano communities based on preferences for consumption and use of traditional names. We observed two groups: one formed by communities on the eastern part of the volcano (with mixed cultures) and the other including communities on the western slope (ethnic Nahua towns). San Isidro Buensuceso is the most distinct community, according to the criteria in this study.

Triggered electromyography (tEMG) in the lumbar spine It́s reliable? Correlation of tEMG with postoperative CT images in lumbar instrumentation. / Electromiografía evocada (tEMG) en la columna lumbar. ¿Es confiable? Correlación de tEMG con imágenes de TC posoperatorias en la instrumentación lumbar.

INTRODUCTION: Instrumentation with pedicle screws (PS) can compromise the adjacent neural structures. Triggered electromyography (tEMG) is a modality of intraoperative neuromonitoring, used to assist in the placement of these. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the reliability of this tool. METHOD: Retrospective review of patients underwent posterior lumbar fusions from January 2017 to December 2019, correlating postoperative CT images (postop CT) with tEMG results for each PS with a threshold of 10mA, establishing sensitivity and specificity of this tool. Diagnostic test and receiver operating characteristic curve were performed to evaluate the area under the curve. RESULT: A total of 275 PS were evaluated between L1 to S1; 5 PS showed concordance for an inadequate trajectory, while 10PS, with tEMG <10mA, were correctly positioned. The postoperative CT identified 17 pedicle gaps not noticed by the tEMG. Sensitivity and specificity were 23% (95% CI: 8-45) and 96% (95% CI: 93-98), respectively, with a PPV of 33.3% and a NPV of 93.6%. The area under the curve was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62-0.86) with a cut-off point of 24mA, showing a sensitivity of 77% (95% CI: 0.55-0.92) and specificity of 69% (95% CI: 0.63-0.75). CONCLUSION: Given its low sensitivity, we do not recommend tEMG as the sole test in the verification of PS. We recommend using a cut-off point ≤8mA as it demonstrated the highest levels of sensitivity and specificity. We do not recommend using high thresholds to increase sensitivity.

SELNET clinical practice guidelines for bone sarcoma.

Bone sarcoma are infrequent diseases, representing < 0.2% of all adult neoplasms. A multidisciplinary management within reference centers for sarcoma, with discussion of the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies within an expert multidisciplinary tumour board, is essential for these patients, given its heterogeneity and low frequency. This approach leads to an improvement in patient's outcome, as demonstrated in several studies. The Sarcoma European Latin-American Network (SELNET), aims to improve clinical outcome in sarcoma care, with a special focus in Latin-American countries. These Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) have been developed and agreed by a multidisciplinary expert group (including medical and radiation oncologist, surgical oncologist, orthopaedic surgeons, radiologist, pathologist, molecular biologist and representatives of patients advocacy groups) of the SELNET consortium, and are conceived to provide the standard approach to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of bone sarcoma patients in the Latin-American context.

Validation of the translation of an instrument to measure reliability of written information on treatment choices: a study on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

INTRODUCTION: DISCERN is an instrument designed to help patients assess the reliability of written information on treatment choices. Originally created in English, there is no validated Spanish version of this instrument. This study seeks to validate the Spanish translation of the DISCERN instrument used as a primary measure on a multicenter study aimed to assess the reliability of web-based information on treatment choices for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: We used a modified version of a method for validating translated instruments in which the original source-language version is formally compared with the back-translated source-language version. Each item was ranked in terms of comparability of language, similarity of interpretability, and degree of understandability. Responses used Likert scales ranging from 1 to 7, where 1 indicates the best interpretability, language and understandability, and 7 indicates the worst. Assessments were performed by 20 raters fluent in the source language. RESULTS: The Spanish translation of DISCERN, based on ratings of comparability, interpretability and degree of understandability (mean score (SD): 1.8 (1.1), 1.4 (0.9) and 1.6 (1.1), respectively), was considered extremely comparable. All items received a score of less than three, therefore no further revision of the translation was needed. CONCLUSION: The validation process showed that the quality of DISCERN translation was high, validating the comparable language of the tool translated on assessing written information on treatment choices for ADHD.

Heart rate dynamics and lactate following high-intensity race-pace continuous vs interval workouts in highly trained athletes.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to compare the physiological responses of high-intensity race-pace continuous vs. interval workouts commonly used in middle-distance athletics, by means of analyzing post-exercise cardiac autonomic regulation and lactate. METHODS: Nineteen highly-trained 800-m male runners were asked to run a 600-m race-pace continuous workout and a 2 × 4 × 200-m interval training, counterbalanced and randomized within one week of difference. Blood lactate jointly with linear and nonlinear heart rate dynamics were assessed during the immediate 15-min recovery. Age-category (Under23-Senior vs. Juvenile-Junior) was considered as an inter-subject factor. RESULTS: Peak lactate was higher following the interval training (15.51 ± 0.99 vs 13.83 ± 1.77 mmol L-1; P < 0.05) whereas lactate removal was almost nonexistent 15 min after both workouts (between 0 and 16%). Vagal modulation (ln RMSSD and lnRMSSD to RR ratio) remained significantly depressed at the end of recovery following both workouts, although the alteration was larger following the interval training. Detrended Fluctuation Analysis evidenced a more random HR behavior (DFA1 closer to 0.5) during the first 9 min of recovery after the interval training, whereas no significant change was observed in heart rate complexity (SampEn). Neither were differences found in post-exercise lactate and HR dynamics as a function of age-category. CONCLUSIONS: High-intensity workouts commonly used in middle-distance athletics, both race-pace continuous and intervallic approaches, induce a large depression of vagal modulation in highly trained runners, although interval trainings appear to induce even a greater alteration of both linear and nonlinear HR dynamics and a higher post-exercise peak lactate.

Risk factors associated with veterinary attrition from clinical practice: a descriptive study.

A sustainable workforce is important for the veterinary profession to meet the demands of society. To maintain a sustainable workforce, it has been recommended to retain veterinary clinicians. However, there seems to be an increasing issue with retention of veterinarians in clinical practice. In the following study, the researchers sought to understand the associations between demographic and work-related factors and attrition of veterinarians from clinical practice. Responses to an online cross-sectional survey of 881 current and former Australian veterinary clinicians were analysed. A logistic regression model was used to identify and describe associations between attrition from veterinary clinical practice and salary, working hours, role in practice, years of experience, field of work, interaction with regulatory authorities, region of work and on-call duties. Lower salary, longer working hours, having on-call duties and having worked in both rural and metropolitan regions were found to significantly (P < 0.05) increase the likelihood of leaving clinical practice. The results may inform intervention strategies to assist the industry to retain veterinarians in clinical practice.

The Effect of Different Species of Eimeria with Clostridium perfringens on Performance Parameters and Induction of Clinical Necrotic Enteritis in Broiler Chickens.

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a common disease that causes great economic loss to the broiler industry due to mortality and reduced performance. Although Clostridium perfringens (CP) is a necessary component of this disease, coccidia species are a well-defined predisposing factor that exacerbates the condition. Different Eimeria species have been reported to influence NE to different degrees. In a pair of experiments, six different Eimeria species were evaluated in the presence and absence of C. perfringens. Male broiler chicks were housed in battery cages for the duration of both experiments. Feed conversion, body weight gain, and NE mortality were reported in both experiments. Experiment 1 challenged birds with E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. tenella, E. necatrix, and E. brunetti at day 13 and subsequently inoculated birds with CP on days 18, 19, and 20. In the second experiment, E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. tenella, and E. praecox were inoculated on day 15 and challenged with CP on days 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 of the experiment. In the first experiment, E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, and E. necatrix with the addition of CP all stimulated necrotic enteritis mortality. In the second experiment, E. praecox had minimal impact on performance during the challenge (14-23 days) while E. maxima + CP decreased body weight gain and increased mortality compared to the CP alone control. Eimeria maxima had the highest mortality (21.9%) in this experiment followed by E. acervulina (6.3%). The remaining Eimeria with added CP in the second experiment did not induce NE mortality. While the challenge with CP alone did not induce mortality, feed conversion was increased compared to the unchallenged control group. When using isolated Eimeria species in these experiments, disturbances created by E. brunetti and E. maxima resulted in the most-severe challenges. These experiments highlight the NE risk of these species of Eimeria and give insight into how other species interact with the host in a controlled CP challenge model.

Artículo regular­Efecto de diferentes especies de Eimeria con Clostridium perfringens sobre los parámetros de rendimiento y la inducción de enteritis necrótica clínica en pollos de engorde. La enteritis necrótica (NE) es una enfermedad común que causa grandes pérdidas económicas a la industria del pollo de engorde debido a la mortalidad y a la reducción del rendimiento. Aunque Clostridium perfringens (CP) es un componente necesario de esta enfermedad, las especies de coccidia son un factor predisponente bien definido que agrava la enfermedad. Se ha informado que diferentes especies de Eimeria influyen en la enteritis necrótica en diferentes grados. En un par de experimentos, se evaluaron seis especies diferentes de Eimeria en presencia y ausencia de C. perfringens. Pollos de engorde machos se alojaron en jaulas en batería durante la duración de ambos experimentos. En ambos experimentos se analizaron la conversión alimenticia, el aumento de peso corporal y la mortalidad por enteritis necrótica. En el Experimento 1 se desafió a las aves con E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. tenella, E. necatrix y E. brunetti en el día 13 y posteriormente se inoculó a las aves con C. perfringens en los días 18, 19 y 20. En el segundo experimento, E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. tenella y E. praecox se inocularon en el día 15 y se desafiaron con C. perfringens en los días 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 y 22 del experimento. En el primer experimento, E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima y E. necatrix junto con C. perfringens estimularon la mortalidad por enteritis necrótica. En el segundo experimento, E. praecox tuvo un impacto mínimo en el rendimiento durante el desafío (14 a 23 días) mientras que el tratamiento de E. maxima + C. perfringens disminuyó el aumento de peso corporal y aumentó la mortalidad en comparación con el control con solamente C. perfringens. Eimeria maxima tuvo la mayor mortalidad (21.9%) en este experimento seguida por E. acervulina (6.3%). El resto de las especies de Eimeria junto con C. perfringens en el segundo experimento no indujeron mortalidad por enteritis necrótica. Si bien el desafío con C. perfringens no solo no indujo mortalidad, sino que la conversión alimenticia aumentó en comparación con el grupo de control no desafiado. Cuando se utilizaron especies de Eimeria aisladas en estos experimentos, los problemas creados por E. brunetti y E. maxima resultaron en los desafíos más severos. Estos experimentos destacan el riesgo por enteritis necrótica con estas especies de Eimeria y dan una idea de cómo otras especies interactúan con el hospedador en un modelo de desafío con C. perfringens controlado.