Herding mechanisms to maintain the cohesion of a harem group: two interaction phases during herding

AbstractIn animal groups, individual interactions achieve coordinated movements to maintain cohesion. In horse harem groups, herding is a behavior in which males chase females from behind; it is considered to assist with group cohesiveness. However, the mechanisms by which the individuals move to maintain group cohesion are unknown. We applied novel non-invasive methods of drone filming and video tracking to observe horse movements in the field with high temporal and spatial resolution. We tracked all group members and drew trajectories. We analyzed the movements of females and found two phases of interactions based on their timing of movement initiation. The females that moved first were those nearest to the herding male, while the movement initiation of the later females was determined by the distance from the nearest moving female, not by the distance from the herding male. These interactions are unique among animal group movements and might represent a herding mechanism responsible for maintaining group cohesion. This might be due to long-term stable relationships within a harem group and strong social bonds between females. This study showed that the combination of drone filming and video tracking is a useful method for analyzing the movements of animals simultaneously in high resolution.

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Taxonomic signatures of cause-specific mortality risk in human gut microbiome

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-22962-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Aaro Salosensaari ◽

Ville Laitinen ◽

Aki S. Havulinna ◽

Guillaume Meric ◽

Susan Cheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mortality Risk ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Human Gut ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Human Gut Microbiome ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Sequencing Technologies

AbstractThe collection of fecal material and developments in sequencing technologies have enabled standardised and non-invasive gut microbiome profiling. Microbiome composition from several large cohorts have been cross-sectionally linked to various lifestyle factors and diseases. In spite of these advances, prospective associations between microbiome composition and health have remained uncharacterised due to the lack of sufficiently large and representative population cohorts with comprehensive follow-up data. Here, we analyse the long-term association between gut microbiome variation and mortality in a well-phenotyped and representative population cohort from Finland (n = 7211). We report robust taxonomic and functional microbiome signatures related to the Enterobacteriaceae family that are associated with mortality risk during a 15-year follow-up. Our results extend previous cross-sectional studies, and help to establish the basis for examining long-term associations between human gut microbiome composition, incident outcomes, and general health status.

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Serum Anti-Collagen IV IgM and IgG Antibodies as Indicators of Low Vascular Turnover of Collagen IV in Patients with Long-Term Complications of Type 2 Diabetes

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11050900 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 900

Author(s):

Krasimir Kostov ◽

Alexander Blazhev

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Vascular Wall ◽

Collagen Iv ◽

Collagen Type Iv ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Type Iv ◽

Antibody Levels

Thickening of the vascular basement membrane (BM) is a fundamental structural change in the small blood vessels in diabetes. Collagen type IV (CIV) is a major component of the BMs, and monitoring the turnover of this protein in type 2 diabetes (T2D) can provide important information about the mechanisms of vascular damage. The aim of the study was through the use of non-invasive biomarkers of CIV (autoantibodies, derivative peptides, and immune complexes) to investigate vascular turnover of CIV in patients with long-term complications of T2D. We measured serum levels of these biomarkers in 59 T2D patients with micro- and/or macrovascular complications and 20 healthy controls using an ELISA. Matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) were also tested. In the T2D group, significantly lower levels of CIV markers and significantly higher levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were found compared to controls. A significant positive correlation was found between IgM antibody levels against CIV and MMP-2. These findings suggest that vascular metabolism of CIV is decreased in T2D with long-term complications and show that a positive linear relationship exists between MMP-2 levels and CIV turnover in the vascular wall.

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A comparative two-cohort study of pediatric patients with long term stay in ICUs

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84248-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julia García Mancebo ◽

Sara de la Mata Navazo ◽

Estíbaliz López-Herce Arteta ◽

Rosario Montero Mateo ◽

Isabel María López Esteban ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Resources ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Non Invasive Ventilation ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Single Center Study ◽

High Flow Oxygen ◽

Hospital Acquired ◽

Complications And Mortality ◽

Second Period

AbstractDuring the last decades, the number of patients with long stay admissions (LSA) in PICU has increased. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with PICU LSA, assessing healthcare resources use and changes in the profile of these patients. A retrospective, observational, single-center study was carried out. Characteristics of LSA were compared between two periods (2006–2010 and 2011–2015). During the earlier period there were 2,118 admissions (3.9% of them LSA), whereas during the second period, there were 1,763 (5.4% of them LSA) (p = 0.025). LSA accounted for 33.7% PICU stay days during the first period and 46.7% during the second (p < 0.001). Higher use of non-invasive ventilation (80.2% vs. 37.8%, p = 0.001) and high-flow oxygen therapy (68.8% vs. 37.8%, p = 0.005) was observed in the 2011–2015 cohort, whereas the use of arterial catheter (77.1% vs. 92.6%, p = 0.005), continuous infusion of adrenaline (55.2% vs. 75.9%, p = 0.004), and hemoderivative transfusion (74% vs. 89.2%, p = 0.010) was less frequent. In the 2006–2010 cohort, hospital-acquired infections were more common (95.2% vs. 68.8%, p < 0.001) and mortality was higher (26.8% vs. 13.8%, p = 0.026). The number of long-stay PICU admissions have increased entailing an intensive use of healthcare resources. These patients have a high risk for complications and mortality.

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Palliative brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy for dysphagia from esophageal cancer: a nationwide survey in Japan

Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1093/jjco/hyab015 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Terufumi Kawamoto ◽

Naoki Nakamura ◽

Tetsuo Saito ◽

Ayako Tonari ◽

Hitoshi Wada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Esophageal Cancer ◽

External Beam Radiotherapy ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

External Beam ◽

First Line ◽

Term Survival ◽

Radiotherapy Alone ◽

Group Members ◽

First Line Treatment

Abstract Background International guidelines recommend brachytherapy for patients with dysphagia from esophageal cancer, whereas brachytherapy is infrequently used to palliate dysphagia in some countries. To clarify the availability of palliative treatment for dysphagia from esophageal cancer and explain why brachytherapy is not routinely performed are unknown, this study investigated the use of brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy for dysphagia from esophageal cancer. Methods Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group members completed a survey and selected the treatment that they would recommend for hypothetical cases of dysphagia from esophageal cancer. Results Of the 136 invited facilities, 61 completed the survey (44.9%). Four (6.6%) facilities performed brachytherapy of the esophagus, whereas brachytherapy represented the first-line treatment at three (4.9%) facilities. Conversely, external beam radiotherapy alone and chemoradiotherapy were first-line treatments at 61 and 58 (95.1%) facilities, respectively. In facilities that performed brachytherapy, the main reason why brachytherapy of the esophagus was not performed was high invasiveness (30.2%). Definitive-dose chemoradiotherapy with (≥50 Gy) tended to be used in patients with expected long-term survival. Conclusions Few facilities routinely considered brachytherapy for the treatment of dysphagia from esophageal cancer in Japan. Conversely, most facilities routinely considered external beam radiotherapy. In the future, it will be necessary to optimize external beam radiotherapy.

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When Housing and Communities Were Delivered: A Case Study of Post-Wenchuan Earthquake Rural Reconstruction and Recovery

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147629 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7629

Author(s):

Haorui Wu

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Wenchuan Earthquake ◽

Place Making ◽

Sustainable Rural Development ◽

Residential Communities ◽

Social Settings ◽

Disaster Survivors ◽

Two Phases

This study contributes to an in-depth examination of how Wenchuan earthquake disaster survivors utilize intensive built environment reconstruction outcomes (housing and infrastructural systems) to facilitate their long-term social and economic recovery and sustainable rural development. Post-disaster recovery administered via top-down disaster management systems usually consists of two phases: a short-term, government-led reconstruction (STGLR) of the built environment and a long-term, survivor-led recovery (LTSLR) of human and social settings. However, current studies have been inadequate in examining how rural disaster survivors have adapted to their new government-provided housing or how communities conducted their long-term recovery efforts. This qualitative case study invited sixty rural disaster survivors to examine their place-making activities utilizing government-delivered, urban-style residential communities to support their long-term recovery. This study discovered that rural residents’ recovery activities successfully perpetuated their original rural lives and rebuilt social connections and networks both individually and collectively. However, they were only able to manage their agriculture-based livelihood recovery temporarily. This research suggests that engaging rural inhabitants’ place-making expertise and providing opportunities to improve their housing and communities would advance the long-term grassroots recovery of lives and livelihoods, achieving sustainable development.

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Serum sCD25 Protein as a Predictor of Lack of Long-Term Benefits from Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13153702 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 3702

Author(s):

Anna Siemiątkowska ◽

Maciej Bryl ◽

Katarzyna Kosicka-Noworzyń ◽

Jakub Tvrdoň ◽

Iwona Gołda-Gocka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Treatment Cycle ◽

Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽

Interleukin 2 ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Small Cell ◽

Soluble Form ◽

Small Cell Lung ◽

Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽

Non Invasive

Prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is poor. Even though it can improve with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents, most patients do not respond to treatment. We hypothesized that the serum soluble form of the unit α of the interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25) could be used as a biomarker of successful immunotherapy in NSCLC. We recruited patients dosed with atezolizumab (n = 42) or pembrolizumab (n = 20) and collected samples at baseline and during the treatment. Levels of sCD25 were quantified with the ELISA kits. Patients with a high sCD25 at baseline (sCD25.0 ≥ 5.99 ng/mL) or/and at the end of the fourth treatment cycle (sCD25.4 ≥ 7.73 ng/mL) progressed faster and lived shorter without the disease progression and serious toxicity. None of the patients with high sCD25 at both time points continued therapy longer than 9.3 months, while almost 40% of patients with low sCD25 were treated for ≥12.3 months. There was a 6.3-times higher incidence of treatment failure (HR = 6.33, 95% CI: 2.10–19.06, p = 0.001) and a 6.5-times higher incidence of progression (HR = 6.50, 95% CI: 2.04–20.73, p = 0.002) in patients with high compared with low sCD25.0 and sCD25.4. Serum levels of sCD25 may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of long-term benefits from the anti-PD-1/PD-L1s in NSCLC.

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Framework for patient-ventilator asynchrony during long-term non-invasive ventilation

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-213022 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 74 (7) ◽

pp. 715-717 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jesus Gonzalez-Bermejo ◽

Jean-Paul Janssens ◽

Claudio Rabec ◽

Christophe Perrin ◽

Frédéric Lofaso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Present Report ◽

Time Windows ◽

Clinical Impact ◽

Positive Pressure ◽

Systematic Analysis ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Non Invasive Ventilation ◽

Polygraphic Recordings ◽

Bench Testing

Episodes of patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA) occur during acute and chronic non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIV). In long-term NIV, description and quantification of PVA is not standardised, thus limiting assessment of its clinical impact. The present report provides a framework for a systematic analysis of polygraphic recordings of patients under NIV for the detection and classification of PVA validated by bench testing. The algorithm described uses two different time windows: rate asynchrony and intracycle asynchrony. This approach should facilitate further studies on prevalence and clinical impact of PVA in long-term NIV.

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The acceptance of hearing aids for children with otitis media with effusion

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215100143865 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 113 (4) ◽

pp. 314-317 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

A. H. Jardine ◽

M. V. Griffiths ◽

E. Midgley

Keyword(s):

Otitis Media ◽

Hearing Aids ◽

Otitis Media With Effusion ◽

Binaural Hearing ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Binaural Hearing Aids

AbstractConservative treatment for otitis media with effusion (OME) led us to consider the use of hearing aids as a way of managing the associated hearing loss. This study aimed to assess the compliance of patients and acceptance of hearing aids for the management of children with OME.Thirty-nine children who had been given binaural hearing aids to manage OME were assessed at routine follow-up after six months. A clinician who did not prescribe the aid administered a questionnaire to assess compliance, change in symptoms and acceptance of the aids.Thirty-eight parents thought the aids were easy to use and 25 (66 per cent) were completely satisfied with the management. Aided hearing improved by a mean of 17 dB (Range 10–30) over three frequencies, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 Khz and all parents reported subjective hearing improvement in their children. The stigma of an aid was reported as minimal under the age of seven.Hearing aids provide a non-invasive way of managing the problems associated with OME which is acceptable to certain parents and children. Long-term effects of using aids need to be evaluated before they can be recommended.

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