Comparison of Executive Function Skills between Patients with Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developing Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Children with CP show deficits in executive function compared to their typically developing peers, based on the majority of the available evidence. However, the magnitude of these deficits, as well as the proportions of the shortfalls in the three main components, have not yet been examined. This is the first meta-analysis to synthesize evidence on the magnitude of differences between patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing populations in different components of executive function skills (working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility), and thus makes recommendations on which areas of executive functioning are in greatest need of intervention. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of four databases for studies that measured executive functions in these two groups until 31 August 2023. We calculated the standardized mean difference (Hedges' g), an average effect size overall, and for the three components of executive function skills separately, we used several moderator analyses, including methodological differences between the primary studies. Results: Fifteen articles were included in the meta-analysis. The average mean difference in executive functioning overall was large (g+ = -0.82). Furthermore, large significant differences were found in working memory (g+ = -0.92) and inhibitory control (g+ = -0.82) and a moderate difference was identified in cognitive flexibility (g+ = -0.57). In addition, results of moderator analyses reveal the importance of a rigorous matching of control group participants and CP patients. Conclusions: The results demonstrate a severe impairment in all executive functions among CP patients compared to typically developing peers, which do not decrease over time.

Computed Tomographic Evaluation of the Sagittal Ridge of the Third Metacarpal Bone in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Longitudinal Study.

Metacarpophalangeal joint region pain is a common cause of lameness in racehorses. Radiological abnormalities in the sagittal ridge (SR) of the third metacarpal bone have been associated with joint effusion, lameness and reduced sales prices. The aims were to describe computed tomographic (CT) appearance of the SR in racehorses, and to document the progression of these findings over three assessments. Forty yearlings were enrolled at the first examination (time 0). Re-examinations were performed twice, approximately six months apart on 31 (time 1) and 23 (time 2) horses, respectively. Computed tomographic examinations of both metacarpophalangeal regions were performed with the horses in a standing position. Computed tomographic reconstructions were analysed subjectively and objectively. The mean Hounsfield Unit values (Hus) of eight radial segments and location, size and shape of hypoattenuating lesions were recorded. Mean Hus at time 1 were higher than at time 0. There was no difference between mean HU at times 1 and 2. The mean HU values of the dorsal half were higher in the right forelimbs and in fillies. Hypoattenuation was identified in 33/80 (41.3%) limbs at time 0, in 22/62 (35.5%) limbs at time 1 and in 14/46 (30.4%) limbs at time 2. All hypoattenuations were located in the dorsodistal aspect of the SR. The most common shapes were hypoattenuating lesions elongated proximodistally and those extending towards trabecular bone. An increase in attenuation of the SR occurred in the first six months of training. Hypoattenuating lesions could decrease in size and could resolve during early training. In this population, these lesions were not associated with lameness.

Bayesian latent class modelling of true prevalence in animal subgroups with application to bovine paratuberculosis infection.

The prevalence of an infectious disease of animals living in separate groups (e.g. herds) is naturally analyzed using a Bayesian hierarchical latent class model. We propose an extension to this methodology by including subgroup level prevalence measures within the groups of animals. As an application illustrating the merits of our methodology, we reassessed the prevalence of bovine paratuberculosis (PTBC) infection in Hungarian commercial dairy farms. Our aim was to consolidate previous findings using a large amount of recent data and priors based on historical data. To model the subgroup level infection prevalence within animal groups, we considered correlated prevalences following beta distributions derived from independent normally distributed random herd effects. In the application, infection status of herds was handled as latent classes, multiparous and primiparous cows as within-herd subgroups. The novel methodology allows us to estimate both the mean and median conditional within-herd true prevalence (CWHP) related to each animal subgroup as well as other measures characterizing the interrelation of subgroups. The results of the application aligned with the findings of the former PTBC study, while the more recent and considerably larger dataset and the use of historical priors increased the reliability of the results. The STAN and JAGS codes of the application are available in Supplementary material.

Mate-guarding success depends on male investment in a butterfly.

Males of many insects, including butterflies, produce mate-guarding devices, such as mating plugs, to prolong guarding and prevent future female matings in the male's absence. In a few butterflies, large external mate-guarding devices, that is, sphragides, occur. Gór et al. (Behaviour, 160, 2023 and 515-557) found conspicuously large size and morphological variation of mate-guarding devices within a single population of the potentially polyandrous Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne, L.) butterfly. They termed the externally visible male-produced devices as Copulatory opening APpendices (CAP) consisting of small devices, termed small CAPs and the much larger shield (i.e. sphragis). Our aim was to reveal CAP replacement dynamics within females during their lifetime and to understand how male investment into small CAPs or shields was (i) related to CAP persistence on the female, that is securing paternity, (ii) associated with female quality, measured as size and (iii) with actual adult sex ratio. We investigated a univoltine Clouded Apollo population to estimate CAP replacement risks, using multistate survival models, in an extensive observational study through 6 years based on mark-recapture. Shields were the most frequent mate-guarding devices and were more persistent than small CAPs, often lasting for life, excluding future matings. Thus, most females bearing a shield were deprived of postcopulatory female choice, and the genetic variance in their offspring could be reduced compared to those bearing small CAPs, thus mating more often. The ratio of shields to all CAPs gradually decreased towards the end of the flight period. Males were more prone to produce a shield when mating females with wider thoraces and when the ratio of males (i.e. competition) was higher in the population. To our best knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to investigate potential factors on which male investment in mate-guarding devices may depend, and how the variation in these devices impacts CAP persistence on females.

Features of Engorgement of Ixodes ricinus Ticks Infesting the Northern White-Breasted Hedgehog in an Urban Park.

In this work we exploited the parallel dense tick and hedgehog populations of an urban park in Budapest, Hungary as a good host-parasite model to obtain detailed data about this physiological relationship. Over a 27-week period from April to October, 57 hedgehogs were captured in an urban park and kept for 10-14 days in animal house. All dropped off ticks were sampled, which allowed us to draw more a detailed picture of Ixodes ricinus-hedgehog relationships. The results indicated that the hedgehog is an effective host for ticks (prevalence: 100%) and the mean intensity of infestation was 83.25. Of the male ticks, 68.42% dropped off dead; 1.56% of the dropped off nymphs and 11.4% of the larvae finished their bloodmeal with red cuticles, while 5.79% of the females could not finish their blood meal, and dropped off dried, dead, or shrunken. We applied novel statistical methods of survival analysis of prevalent cohorts to estimate the whole attachment times of ticks from the observed attachment times, having no information about when the ticks attached to their hosts. Mean attachment times were 4 days for larvae, 5 days for nymphs, 10 days for females, and 8 days for males. On the first day after capture of the hosts, fewer females, nymphs, and larvae detached engorged than had been predicted, but this was not true for males. Mean intensity of infestation per host was 1.4 for males, 6.7 for females, 45.0 for nymphs, and 29.3 for larvae. As regards seasonality, the activity of all stages of ticks consisted of several smaller peaks and considerably differed by season. Studies of the dense tick-host populations of this natural habitat could provide further valuable data about tick-host relations, the data of which cannot be drawn from most other hedgehog habitats.

Perioperative Gelatin Use Is Associated With Increased Complication Rates and Does Not Prevent Postoperative Fluid Overload in Patients Undergoing Elective Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The benefit of using gelatin solution in cardiac surgery is still controversial. Previous data suggested adverse interactions of gelatin infusion with acute kidney injury (AKI) or coagulopathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between perioperative gelatin use and fluid overload (FO), hemodynamic stability, and outcomes compared to crystalloid-based fluid management. DESIGN: A retrospective study design. SETTING: At a single-center tertiary university setting. PARTICIPANTS: Propensity score-matched cohort study of 191 pairs of patients scheduled for cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received either gelatin + crystalloid or pure crystalloid-based perioperative fluid management. The primary outcomes were the frequency of FO and hemodynamic stability defined by the vasoactive-inotropic score. Postoperative complications and 3-year survival were analyzed also. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients who received gelatin experienced more frequent postoperative FO than controls (11.0% v 3.1%, p = 0.006) despite comparable hemodynamic stability in both groups. Gelatin administration was linked with a higher rate of postoperative complications, including blood loss, AKI, and new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation. Use of gelatin infusion resulted in an adjusted odds ratio of 1.982 (95% CI 1.051-3.736, p = 0.035) for developing early postoperative AKI. This study confirmed a dose-dependent relationship between gelatin infusion and AKI. Thirty-day mortality and 3-year survival were similar in the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Gelatin administration versus crystalloid fluid management showed a significant association with a higher rate of FO and an increased risk for early postoperative AKI in a dose-dependent manner.

Therapeutic sensitivity to standard treatments in BRCA positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent oncology guidelines recommend BRCA1/2 testing for a wide range of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. In addition, PARP inhibitors are available for mutation-positive metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC) patients following prior treatment with abiraterone, enzalutamide or docetaxel. However, the question of which of these standard treatments is the most effective for BRCA1/2 positive mCRPC patients remains to be answered. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of abiraterone, enzalutamide and docetaxel in BRCA1/2 mutation-positive mCRPC patients in terms of PSA-response (PSA50), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). METHODS: As no interventional trials are available on this topic, we performed the data synthesis of BRCA1/2 positive mCRPC patients by using both proportional and individual patient data. For PSA50 evaluation, we pooled event rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI), while for time-to-event (PFS, OS) analyses we used individual patient data with random effect Cox regression calculations. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis included 16 eligible studies with 348 BRCA1/2 positive mCRPC patients. In the first treatment line, response rates for abiraterone, enzalutamide and docetaxel were 52% (CI: 25-79%), 64% (CI: 43-80%) and 55% (CI: 36-73%), respectively. Analyses of individual patient data revealed a PFS (HR: 0.47, CI: 0.26-0.83, p = 0.010) but no OS (HR: 1.41, CI: 0.82-2.42, p = 0.210) benefit for enzalutamide compared to abiraterone-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our PSA50 analyses revealed that all the three first-line treatments have therapeutic effect in BRCA1/2 positive mCRPC; although, based on the results of PSA50 and PFS analyses, BRCA positive mCRPC patients might better respond to enzalutamide treatment. However, molecular marker-driven interventional studies directly comparing these agents are crucial for providing higher-level evidence.

Tick-borne encephalitis epidemic in Hungary 1951-2021: The story and lessons learned.

The authors analysed epidemiological data of the Hungarian tick-borne encephalitis epidemic from the past seven decades. A total of 911 meningitis serosa cases were described from 1930-1950 s by local hospital physicians, indicating that the virus had been present in the country decades before its official identification in 1952. The virus spread freely in the 1950s-1960s, occupying almost all habitats where ticks occurred in large numbers. The increasing number of cases drove authorities to classify this illness as a notifiable disease in 1977 and to organize the first measures to stop the epidemic. Statistical analysis revealed that the large-scale vaccination launched from the 1990s was responsible for the sharp decrease in the number of human cases from 1997. A significant negative correlation was found between the number of vaccine doses sold and human cases 6 years later. The TBEV endemic area covers 16.57% of the territory and 16.65% of the population of the country. In the last 10 years, 186,000 vaccine doses/year in average were enough to keep the incidence of human TBEV infections between 0.45 and 0.06/100,000 persons. A 20-year-long study found evidence for easing clinical signs in TBEV-infected hospitalized patients. Statistics found a sharp decrease in the number of samples sent for TBEV diagnosis after 1989. Male dominance of patients was characteristic of the epidemics since the 1940s, but now analysis of detailed data from the 1981-2021 period (60.5%-87.5%) proved the statistical significance of this dominance. Obviously, the voluntary vaccination programme was the tool which broke the spread of the epidemic. Widespread public awareness of the disease and the tick vector, probable evolutionary spread of less pathogenic virus strains supplemented with the vaccination campaign led to a negligible level of human TBE cases in Hungary in the last years.

Does diabetes affect paraneoplastic thrombocytosis in colorectal cancer?

BACKGROUND: A large variety of factors can affect colorectal cancer (CRC) survival, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. Although several common factors play a role in their development and platelets are damaged in both diseases, the combined relationship of the three conditions was never investigated previously. METHODS: A prospective, real-life observational cohort study was conducted with the inclusion of 108 CRC patients and 166 voluntary non-CRC subjects. Plasma interleukin-6 and thrombopoietin levels were measured. RESULTS: Study participants were divided into cohorts based on the presence of T2DM. Platelet count (p < 0.0500) and interleukin-6 (p < 0.0100) level were significantly higher in the CRC groups. Thrombopoietin level was higher in the T2DM, CRC, and CRC + T2DM groups (p < 0.0500). Analysis of parameter changes over time and survival models revealed that neither platelet count, interleukin-6, nor thrombopoietin levels were affected by T2DM. Death of patients was associated with higher baseline platelet count (p = 0.0042) and interleukin-6 level (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Although the independent, disease-worsening effect of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis and T2DM is known, the coexistence of the two did not further impair the survival of CRC patients, suggesting that T2DM has no significant effect over paraneoplastic thrombocytosis.

Perioperative Factor Concentrate Use is Associated With More Beneficial Outcomes and Reduced Complication Rates Compared With a Pure Blood Product-Based Strategy in Patients Undergoing Elective Cardiac Surgery: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare factor concentrate (FC)-based and blood product-based hemostasis management of coagulopathy in cardiac surgical patients in terms of postoperative bleeding, required blood products, and outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective, propensity score-matched analysis. SETTING: Single, tertiary, academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred eighteen matched pairs of 433 consecutive patients scheduled for cardiac surgery in two isolated periods with distinct strategies of hemostasis management. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received either blood product-based (period I) or FC-based (period II) hemostasis management to treat perioperative coagulopathy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients treated with FC management experienced less postoperative blood loss (907 v 1,153 mL, p = 0.014) and required less red blood cell and fresh frozen plasma transfusion (2.3 v 3.7 units p < 0.0001, and 2.0 v 3.4 units p < 0.0001, respectively) compared with subjects in the blood product-based management group. The frequency of Stage 3 acute kidney injury and 30-day mortality rate were significantly higher in the blood product-based group than in the FC management group (6.8% v 0.8%, p = 0.016, and 7.2% v 0.8%, p = 0.022, respectively). FC management-related thromboembolic events were not registered. The FC strategy was associated with a 2.19-fold decrease in the odds of massive postoperative bleeding (p < 0.0001), a 2.56-fold decrease in the odds of polytransfusion (p < 0.0001), and a 13.16-fold decrease in the odds of early postoperative death (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: FC-based versus blood product-based management is associated with reduced blood product needs and fewer complications, and was not linked to a higher frequency of thromboembolic events or a decrease in long-term survival in cardiac surgical patients developing perioperative coagulopathy and bleeding.

The inter-individual variance can provide additional information for the ecotoxicologists beside the mean.

The hypothesis that the inter-individual parameter variability is an unexploited area of ecotoxicology was proposed several decades ago. Although some illustrative examples were presented to support this hypothesis in the last decades, it has never been tested on an extensive, coherent database. In this study, variance changes of 105 dose-response curves were analysed. All data originated from the same experiment, where the effects of the insecticide Trebon EC were investigated in a dose-response manner on 15 traits of the collembolan Folsomia candida in four subsequent generations and two types of insecticide treatments. A consistent relationship between inter-individual variance and insecticide application was found in 2 (first clutch size and growth-reproduction trade-off) out of the 15 of the parameters. Contrary to the mean, the variance of the first clutch size showed consistent differences compared to the control. Furthermore, the variance of the growth-reproduction trade-off was consistently different from the control except in one case (F3 generation of the transgenerational treatment). Higher first clutch size variances were found in F1 and a lower one in the F2 and F3 generations than in that of the control. This overall pattern of the variance changes of the first clutch size and the trade-off seems to be a quick response to the insecticide application. In the short term, we have found that variance increased with insecticide treatment (P and F1 generation), because phenotypic variance generally increases due to environmental stress. Disruptive selection could be another mechanism between the more detoxification less reproduction strategy and the more reproduction less detoxification strategy. However, in the later generations (F2-F3) the variance decreases compared to the control, which could be because on short term selection stronger on the viability parameters and in long-term selection on reproduction becomes stronger. According to our results, analysis of the variance changes of some parameters may give information about the effects of the pesticide even when the mean does not predict any impact. Testing variance changes are important in ecotoxicology because variance change can signalise toxicant impact even when the mean does not change in certain cases.

The Impact of Paratuberculosis on Milk Production, Fertility, and Culling in Large Commercial Hungarian Dairy Herds.

Paratuberculosis (PTBC) is a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), which is common in dairy herds worldwide, although the scale of its impact on herd productivity is unclear. The aim of our study was to determine the differences between MAP ELISA positive vs. negative cows in terms of milk production and quality, reproductive parameters, and culling. The data of five large dairy herds that participated in the voluntary PTBC testing program in Hungary were analyzed. Cows were tested by ELISA (IDEXX Paratuberculosis Screening Ab Test, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME, USA) using milk samples collected during official performance testing. The outcome of the initial screening test involving all milking cows in the herds was used for the classification of the cows. The 305-day milk production, reproduction and culling data of 4,341 dairy cows, and their monthly performance testing results (n = 87,818) were analyzed. Multivariate linear and logistic models, and right censored tobit model were used for the statistical analysis. Test-day and 305-day milk production of ELISA positive cows decreased by 4.6 kg [95% CI: 3.5-5.6 kg, P < 0.0001 (-13.2%)] and 1,030 kg [95% CI: 708-1,352 kg, P < 0.0001 (-9.4%)], compared to their ELISA negative herdmates, respectively. Milk ELISA positive cows had 35.8% higher [95% CI: 17.9-56.4%, P < 0.0001] somatic cell count, on average. Test positive cows conceived 23.2 days later [95% CI: 9.2-37.3 days, P = 0.0012 (+16.5%)] and their calving interval was 33.8 days longer [95% CI: 13.2-54.4 days, P = 0.0013, (+9.7%)], compared to the negative cows, on average. Milk ELISA positive cows were less likely to conceive to first insemination (odds ratio: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.31-0.75, P = 0.0013), and required 0.42 more inseminations to conceive [95% CI: 0.07-0.77, P = 0.0192 (+13.7%)], on average. Milk ELISA positive cows were culled 160.5 days earlier after testing compared to their ELISA negative herdmates (95% CI: 117.5-203.5 days, P < 0.0001). Our results suggest that MAP ELISA positive cows experience decreased milk production, milk quality, fertility, and longevity, which supports the need to control the prevalence of PTBC in dairy herds.

Relationship of dairy heifer reproduction with survival to first calving, milk yield and culling risk in the first lactation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the associations of heifer reproductive performance with survival up to the first calving, first-lactation milk yield, and the probability of being culled within 50 days after first calving. METHODS: Data from 33 large Holstein-Friesian commercial dairy herds were gathered from the official milk recording database in Hungary. The data of heifers first inseminated between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014 were analyzed retrospectively, using Cox proportional hazards models, competing risks models, multivariate linear and logistic mixed-effects models. RESULTS: Heifers (n = 35,128) with younger age at conception were more likely to remain in the herd until calving, and each additional month in age at conception increased culling risk by 5.1%. Season of birth was related to first-lactation milk yield (MY1; n = 19,931), with cows born in autumn having the highest milk production (p<0.001). The highest MY1 was achieved by heifers that first calved between 22.00 and 25.99 months of age. Heifers that calved in autumn had the highest MY1, whereas calving in summer was related to the lowest milk production (p<0.001). The risk of culling within 50 days in milk in first lactation (n = 21,225) increased along with first calving age, e.g. heifers that first calved after 30 months of age were 5.52-times more likely to be culled compared to heifers that calved before 22 months of age (p<0.001). Calving difficulty was related to higher culling risk in early lactation (p<0.001). Heifers that required caesarean section were 24.01-times more likely to leave the herd within 50 days after first calving compared to heifers that needed no assistance (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Reproductive performance of replacement heifers is closely linked to longevity and milk production in dairy herds.

Relationship between reproductive management practices and fertility in primiparous and multiparous dairy cows.

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of reproductive management practices on fertility in primiparous and multiparous dairy cows and to identify the differences by parity. Data on reproductive performance and management of cows were gathered from 34 large commercial Holstein-Friesian dairy herds in Hungary. Individual data on 23 781 cows that calved in the studied herds in 2014 were collected from the national milk recording database and used to calculate the reproductive indices. Farm managers and veterinarians were interviewed in person from May 22 to November 6, 2015 using a questionnaire to collect information about reproductive management practices. The data were statistically analyzed by mixed-effects models. Our results showed that the use of a voluntary waiting period (VWP) was linked to a greater increase in calving-to-conception interval (CCI, P < 0.05) and a greater decline in the chance of pregnancy at 200 days in milk (P200, P < 0.001) in multiparous cows. Estrus synchronization was related to a larger reduction in days-to-first service (DFS, P < 0.001), breeding interval (IBI, P < 0.05), and CCI (P < 0.01) and a greater improvement in P200 (P < 0.001) in primiparous cows. Early pregnancy diagnosis and pregnancy recheck improved IBI (P < 0.01 for both practices), CCI (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively), and P200 (P < 0.001 for both practices) to a larger extent in primiparous than in multiparous cows. In conclusion, estrus synchronization, early pregnancy diagnosis, and pregnancy recheck led to a greater improvement in fertility in primiparous cows than in multiparous cows.

L'objectif de la présente étude était d'analyser l'impact des pratiques de gestion de la reproduction sur la fertilité de vaches laitières primipares et multipares et d'identifier les différences par parité. Les données sur les performances de reproduction et la gestion des vaches ont été amassées auprès de 34 fermes laitières Holstein-Friesian commerciales importantes en Hongrie. Les données individuelles de 23 781 vaches ayant mise-bas en 2014 dans les troupeaux à l'étude ont été obtenues de la base de données nationale d'enregistrement de la production laitière et furent utilisées pour calculer les indices de reproduction. Les gérants de ferme et les vétérinaires ont été interviewés en personne entre le 22 mai et le 6 novembre 2015 à l'aide d'un questionnaire pour obtenir des informations sur les pratiques de gestion de la reproduction. Les données ont été analysées statistiquement par des modèles à effets mixtes. Nos résultats ont démontré que l'utilisation d'une période volontaire d'attente (VWP) était liée à une plus grande augmentation de l'intervalle vêlage-conception (CCI, P < 0,05) et à un plus grand déclin de la probabilité de gestation à 200 jours en lait (P200, P < 0,001) chez les vaches multipares. La synchronisation des oestrus était reliée à une plus grande réduction du nombre de jours avant la première saillie (DFS, P < 0,001), de l'intervalle de reproduction (P < 0,05), et de CCI (P < 0,01), et une meilleure amélioration du P200 (P < 0,001) chez les vaches primipares. Des diagnostics de gestation hâtifs et des vérifications de la gestation ont amélioré IBI (P < 0,01 pour ces deux pratiques), CCI (P < 0,01 et P < 0,001, respectivement), et P200 (P < 0,001 pour les deux pratiques) d'une manière plus importante chez les primipares que chez les multipares. En conclusion, la synchronisation des oestrus, les diagnostics de gestation hâtif, et la vérification de la gestation ont conduit à une plus grande amélioration de la fertilité chez les vaches primipares que chez les vaches pluripares.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Transgenerational and multigenerational stress gene responses to the insecticide etofenprox in Folsomia candida (Collembola).

Insecticide exposure may cause both transgenerational and multigenerational effects on populations, but the molecular mechanisms of these changes remain largely unclear. Many studies have focused on either transgenerational or multigenerational mechanisms but did neglect the comparative aspects. This study assessed whether the pyrethroid insecticide etofenprox (formulation Trebon® 30 EC) shows transgenerational and/or multigenerational effects on the survival and reproduction of Folsomia candida (Collembola). The activation of stress-related genes was studied to detect whether etofenprox modifies the expression of reproduction-associated genes in trans- and multigenerational treatments. A laboratory study was carried out for three generations with five insecticide concentrations in LUFA 2.2 soil. In the transgenerational treatment, only the parent generation (P) was exposed, but the subsequent generations were not. In the multigenerational treatment, all three generations were exposed to the insecticide in the same manner. Multigenerational exposure resulted in reduced reproduction effects over generations, suggesting that F. candida is capable of acclimating to enhanced concentration levels of etofenprox during prolonged exposure over multiple generations. In the transgenerational treatment, the heat shock protein 70 was up-regulated and cytochrome oxidase 6N4v1 expression down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner in the F2 generation. This finding raises the possibility of the epigenetic inheritance of insecticide impacts on parents. Furthermore, CYP6N4v1 expression was oppositely regulated in the trans- and multigenerational treatments. Our results draw attention to the differences in molecular level responses of F. candida to trans- and multigenerational etofenprox exposure.

Size matters for lice on birds: Coevolutionary allometry of host and parasite body size.

Body size is one of the most fundamental characteristics of all organisms. It influences physiology, morphology, behavior, and even interspecific interactions such as those between parasites and their hosts. Host body size influences the magnitude and variability of parasite size according to Harrison's rule (HR: positive relationship between host and parasite body sizes) and Poulin's Increasing Variance Hypothesis (PIVH: positive relationship between host body size and the variability of parasite body size). We analyzed parasite-host body size allometry for 581 species of avian lice (∼15% of known diversity) and their hosts. We applied phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) methods to account for phylogenetic nonindependence controlling for host and parasite phylogenies separately and variance heterogeneity. We tested HR and PIVH for the major families of avian lice (Ricinidae, Menoponidae, Philopteridae), and for distinct ecological guilds within Philopteridae. Our data indicate that most families and guilds of avian lice follow both HR and PIVH; however, ricinids did not follow PIVH and the "body lice" guild of philopterid lice did not follow HR or PIVH. We discuss mathematical and ecological factors that may be responsible for these patterns, and we discuss the potential pervasiveness of these relationships among all parasites on Earth.

Prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus in cattle farms in Hungary.

A study was performed to survey the virological prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus (BVDV) in cattle herds in Hungary between 2008 and 2012. A total of 40,413 samples for BVDV detection and 24,547 samples for antibody testing were collected from 3,247 herds (570,524 animals), thus representing approximately 75% of the cattle population in Hungary. Retrospective Bayesian analysis demonstrated that (1) the herd-level true virus prevalence was 12.4%, (2) the mean individual (within-herd) true virus prevalence was 7.2% in the herds having at least one virus-positive animal and 0.89% for all investigated herds with a mean apparent prevalence of 1.15% for the same population. This is the first study about BVDV prevalence in Hungary.

A Retrospective Longitudinal Database Study of Persistence and Compliance with Treatment of Osteoporosis in Hungary.

This study assessed persistence and compliance with anti-osteoporosis therapies, and associations between compliance and clinical outcomes (fracture, fracture-related hospitalization and death), in Hungarian women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The study used the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration database and included women with PMO aged at least 50 years, for whom a prescription for anti-osteoporosis medication had been filled between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 (index event). Persistence (prescription refilled within 8 weeks of the end of the previous supply) was evaluated over 2 years; good compliance (medication possession ratio ≥ 80 %) was evaluated at 1 year. Associations between compliance and clinical outcomes (data collected for up to 6 years) were assessed with adjustment for baseline covariates. A total of 296,300 women met the inclusion criteria (524,798 index events). Persistence and compliance were higher for less frequent and parenteral therapies (1- and 2-year persistence: half-yearly [parenteral] vs. daily/weekly/monthly [oral and parenteral], 81 and 38 % vs. 21-34 and 10-18 %, respectively; parenteral vs. oral, 75 and 36 % vs. 32 and 16 %; good compliance: half-yearly vs. daily/weekly/monthly, 70 vs. 24-39 %; parenteral vs. oral 78 vs. 36 %). Good compliance significantly reduced the risks of fracture, fracture-related hospitalization and death (relative risk vs. non-compliance [95 % confidence interval]: 0.77 [0.70-0.84], 0.72 [0.62-0.85] and 0.57 [0.51-0.64], respectively; P < 0.01). Improving compliance through long-interval parenteral therapies may result in clinical benefits for patients.

Confidence limits for prevalence of disease adjusted for estimated sensitivity and specificity.

Prevalence of a disease is usually assessed by diagnostic tests that may produce false results. Rogan and Gladen (1978) described a method to estimate the true prevalence correcting for sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic procedure, and Reiczigel et al. (2010) provided exact confidence intervals for the true prevalence assuming sensitivity and specificity were known. In this paper we propose a new method to construct approximate confidence intervals for the true prevalence when sensitivity and specificity are estimated from independent samples. To improve coverage we applied an adjustment similar to that described in Agresti and Coull (1998). According to an extensive simulation study the new confidence intervals maintain the nominal level fairly well even for sample sizes as small as 30; mini-mum coverage is above 88%, 93%, and 98% at nominal 90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively. We illustrate the advantages of the proposed method with real-life applications.

Personality and cardiovascular risk: association between hypertension and affective temperaments-a cross-sectional observational study in primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: Affective temperaments can be considered the subclinical manifestations of affective disorders, which have a bidirectional relationship with cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVES: Aim of this study was to assess the role of affective temperaments in primary hypertension, which is the leading risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. METHODS: In total, 251 consecutive patients, including 179 patients being treated for primary hypertension with anti-hypertensives, with chronic disorders without diagnosed depression were enrolled in a primary care setting. Patients completed the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Lifestyle-related risk factors, chronic diseases including cardiovascular complications were also recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship of affective temperaments and lifestyle-related risk factors on hypertension. RESULTS: Dominant cyclothymic temperament-with instability and rapid mood swings as main characteristics-had a significant association with hypertension (P = 0.006) even after the adjustment of correlation for known risk factors such as age, diabetes mellitus and obesity (OR: 11.88, 95%CI: 1.27-111.17). This association remained significant after controlling for the family wise error rate. The obtained adjusted P value was 0.024 at a 0.05 error rate. CONCLUSION: RESULTS indicate that dominant cyclothymic affective temperament may be an additional risk factor in cardiovascular morbidity, and it may be worthy of further assessment to identify patients at risk and formulate a more individualized treatment approach.