scholarly journals Efficacy of ERL-4221 as an ovotoxin for feral pigs (Sus scrofa)

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin L. Sanders ◽  
Fang Xie ◽  
Richard E. Mauldin ◽  
Jerome C. Hurley ◽  
Lowell A. Miller ◽  
...  

Context The expansion of feral pig populations across the United States has increased the occurrence of damage and damage complaints. New techniques are needed to more effectively manage feral pig damage, including the development of fertility control agents. Aims We aimed to assess the ovotoxic properties of ERL-4221 as a candidate fertility control agent for feral pigs. Methods We conducted two palatability trials to determine ERL-4221 acceptance and one experimental trial with ERL-4221 at the captive wildlife facility of Texas A&M University-Kingsville during 2008. Our experimental trial had three treatments, a control containing no ERL-4221, baits containing 16.0 mg ERL-4221 kg–1 bodyweight for 10 days, and baits containing 16.0 mg ERL-4221 kg–1 bodyweight for 20 days. Key results Final body mass, total ovary mass, number of follicles and number of corpora lutea did not differ between treatments. Conclusions We did not find it efficacious to orally deliver ERL-4221 to feral pigs to reduce fertility. Oral delivery is the most practical, cost-effective means of delivering fertility control agents to feral pigs and development of additional fertility control strategies are needed. Implications Unless ovotoxic effects of ERL-4221 can be identified in feral pigs, along with a successful means of administration, other fertility control strategies may need to be explored, such as oocyte-secreted proteins that regulate follicular development.

Author(s):  
Marilyn Joyce ◽  
Andrew J. Marcotte ◽  
Richard Barker ◽  
Edward J. Klinenberg

A methodology for identifying ergonomics risk factors and control strategies in office environments has been developed and pilot tested. Developed as part of an overall ergonomics program being implemented by the United States Air Force, the employees impacted include both civilian and military personnel performing a wide range of administrative tasks typically performed in offices. The research design included: a focused literature review; strategic site visits; and review of criteria established by the Air Force; an iterative developmental process of a Screening Survey and an Ergonomics Assessment Methodology Guide; and testing. The results indicate that the process can be used as an effective means for identifying and controlling ergonomics hazards in administrative work areas.


Author(s):  
Lorna Harron

Enbridge Pipelines Inc. manages over 1200 liquid hydrocarbon facilities across Canada and the United States, including both mainline facilities and gathering system facilities. The range of facilities managed by Enbridge includes terminals, pump stations, valve sites, scraper trap sites, battery sites, and densitometer sites. Evaluation of risk at facilities is a requirement of 49CFR195 (2) for liquid mainline facilities located in the United States and a requirement of CSA Z662 (3) for NEB regulated mainline facilities in Canada. Enbridge has developed an index risk model that is modular in nature to evaluate risk at various liquid facilities. The index risk model provides a relative risk ranking of facility risk, so the risk values obtained are comparative numbers. Facility risk values may be compared with all facilities within the System, or between similar types of facilities, such as terminals. The modular nature of the facility risk model permits the evaluation of all applicable assets within a given facility. There are three likelihood modules and eight consequence modules within the facility risk model that combine to create a risk value using Equation 1: Risk=Likelihood×Consequence(1) The modular indexed risk model has proven to be an effective means of evaluating facility risk. The modular approach meets the requirements of 49CFR195 and the Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR 1999) that references CSA Z662 for the risk assessment of facilities associated with mainline pipe. The modular approach can be applied to all facilities regardless of regulatory requirements and can assist in the prioritization of risk control strategies at facilities. As this approach provides a whole risk view of facilities rather than focusing solely on leaks and spills, the risk model may identify systemic areas of opportunity within the organization. This paper provides a review of the development of a modular index facility risk model for liquid operations. Challenges and successes faced during the development and execution of the model are discussed.


OTO Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473974X2093906
Author(s):  
C. Scott Brown ◽  
Calhoun D. Cunningham ◽  
Walter T. Lee ◽  
Liana Puscas

Objective To create a high-quality annotated online surgical video atlas of key indicator otolaryngology cases and assess its use and overall journal trends over time. Methods Videos are recorded from multiple viewpoints within the operating room and compiled into a single stream. Postediting includes chaptering videos and overlaying relevant text annotations. Videos are published online and viewership trends analyzed. Results Over 3 years, 29 otolaryngology videos were published out of 161 journal publications (18%). Eight of the 14 key indicator procedures are included (57%). From the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2019, viewership of otolaryngology pages increased from 548 to 11,139 views per month, totaling >150,000 views. These now represent 10% of the total journal monthly views and 10% of the overall views. Users originate from the United States and from >10 other countries. Discussion Residents and faculty face challenges of providing the highest standard of clinical care, teaching, and learning in and out of the operating room. Inherent difficulties of surgical training, high-fidelity surgical simulation, and imposed work hour restrictions necessitate additional, more efficient and effective means of teaching and learning. Surgical videos demonstrating key anatomy, procedural steps, and surgical dexterity with hand positioning are increasing in their popularity among learners. Implications for Practice Surgical video atlases provide a unique adjunct for resident education. They are enduring and easily accessible. In a climate of work hour restrictions or elective case reduction, they may supplement how residents learn to operate outside the operating theater.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Localized outbreaks of meningococcal disease in the United States and Canada continue to cause serious alarm within communities as a result of the fulminating pattern of the disease, high mortality rate, and high incidence among adolescents. The increasing number of outbreaks since 1991 has raised questions about the management and prevention of further cases during an outbreak. The purpose of this statement is to guide primary-care physicians in their role in infection control and prevention of both sporadic cases and outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease. This statement provides information on the epidemiology of meningococcal disease, including definitions of sporadic, secondary, and coprimary cases, clusters of cases, and outbreaks. Data are presented on identification of cases, disease risk of contacts, and agents for chemoprophylaxis, and recommendations are given for: (1) risk assessment of contacts, (2) administration of chemoprophylaxis, (3) appropriate use of meningococcal vaccine, (4) appropriate use of the microbiology laboratory, (5) the necessity for timely and appropriate reporting of invasive meningococcal disease to local public health authorities, and (6) information on counseling and public education that may be helpful during an outbreak to minimize public anxiety. An additional section, "Information for Sharing," which uses a question-and-answer format and which may be helpful to parents and community and health care workers during an outbreak, is also provided.


Author(s):  
Blachy J Dávila Saldaña ◽  
Tami D John ◽  
Challice L Bonifant ◽  
David Buchbinder ◽  
Sharat Chandra ◽  
...  

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disease (CAEBV) is characterized by high levels of EBV predominantly in T and/or NK cells with lymphoproliferation, organ failure due to infiltration of tissues with virus-infected cells, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and/or lymphoma. The disease is more common in Asia than in the United States and Europe. While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is considered the only curative therapy for CAEBV, its efficacy and the best treatment modality to reduce disease severity prior to HSCT is unknown. Here, we retrospectively assessed an international cohort of 57 patients outside of Asia. Treatment for the disease varied widely, although most patients ultimately proceeded to HSCT. Though patients undergoing HSCT had better survival than those who did not (55% v 25%, p<0.01), there was still a high rate of death in both groups. Mortality was largely not affected by age, ethnicity, cell type involvement, or disease complications, but development of lymphoma showed a trend with increased mortality (56% v 35%, p=0.1). The overwhelming majority (75%) of patients who died after HSCT succumbed to relapsed disease. CAEBV remains challenging to treat when advanced disease is present. Outcomes would likely improve with better disease control strategies, earlier referral for HSCT, and close follow-up after HSCT including aggressive management of rising EBV DNA levels in the blood.


2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (03) ◽  
pp. 6378-2020
Author(s):  
SAJID UMAR ◽  
HASAN ONGOR ◽  
ERHAN BAYRAKTAR ◽  
HAZAL OZTURK GURGEN ◽  
BELGI DIREN SIGIRCI ◽  
...  

Avibacterium paragallinarum is an important pathogen affecting the respiratory tract of chickens. There is a paucity of information on the molecular characteristics and pathology of A. paragallinarum in Turkish poultry flocks. In the present study, broiler and layer flocks (n = 2) suspected of viral infections with serious respiratory signs and significant mortality were visited. Chickens showed various disease signs and necropsy lesions, including purulent nasal discharge, respiratory distress, facial edema, sticky eyes, mucoid tracheitis, hemorrhagic inflammation of the infraorbital sinuses along with fibrinous mass and conjunctivitis. Histopathological lesions included loss of cilia along with necrosis and exfoliation of the superficial mucosal epithelium of the trachea, facial cellulitis, dermatitis, fibrinous plasmatic edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells, especially heterophils. A. paragallinarum was detected in tissue samples by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the core region of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene revealed that Turkish strains detected here belonged to serotype A (serovar A1). They were related to strains reported from India (VRDC), the United States (0083), and Japan (0221), which are representatives of serovar A1. A homology of 88-90% was found between Indian strains and the Turkish strains detected in this study. Surprisingly, only vaccine strains of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were detected as a co-infecting agent in all samples positive for A. paragallinarum. Our findings suggest that A. paragallinarum may be an emerging pathogen in Turkish poultry flocks, and direct PCR may facilitate rapid diagnosis of infectious coryza. These results will also help to develop control strategies for A. paragallinarum.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsokyi Choera ◽  
Brittney Jung-Hynes ◽  
Derrick J. Chen

Abstract Background: Group B Streptococcal (GBS) infections in the United States are a leading cause of meningitis and sepsis in newborns. The CDC, therefore recommends GBS screening for all pregnant women at 35–37 weeks of gestation and administration of intrapartum prophylaxis (in those that tested positive) as an effective means of controlling disease transmission. Several FDA approved molecular diagnostic tests are available for rapid and accurate detection of GBS in antepartum women. Method: In this study, we report a clinical comparison of the Xpert GBS LB assay and a novel FDA-cleared test, Revogene GBS LB assay. A total of 250 vaginal-rectal swabs from women undergoing prenatal screening were submitted to the University of Wisconsin’s clinical microbiology laboratory for GBS testing. Results: We found 96.8% of samples were concordant between the two tests, while 3.2% were discordant with a positive percent agreement of 98.0% and a negative percent agreement of 96.5% between the Revogene GBS LB assay and the GeneXpert GBS LB assay. Conclusion: Overall, we report that both assays perform well for the detection of GBS colonization in pregnant women.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Robinson

Background Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are technological innovations have been successfully applied in a wide variety of disciplines to deliver quality online education. These courses are an area of intense focus of educational research. Preliminary studies have shown MOOCs to be effective means of delivering medical education. This study reports data on course completion rates and the geographic reach of a MOOC designed for medical education. Methods A online course designed as for a 4th year medical school elective was opened as a free to take MOOC in August, 2014. The course is offered in English with subtitles via Udemy.com. Data regarding completion rates were obtained from the course management interface of the MOOC, data regarding the geographic reach of the course was obtained from Google Analytics. All data is anonymous, aggregated, and studied retrospectively. The intended course audience was fourth year medical students in the United States, but enrollment was open to all. Results MOOC enrollment reached 5,586 students by February, 2018. Completion rates were low (5%), with 8% completing 50% or more of the MOOC. 80% of students did not complete a single course element. Students enrolled from 161 different countries based on localization by Google Analytics. The most common countries students enrolled from were the United States (46%), India (6%), the United Kingdom (4%), Egypt (2.5%), Canada (2.5%), Australia (2%), China (2%), Germany (1.5%), Brazil (1.5%), and Saudi Arabia (1.5%). Conclusions Course enrollment included 5,586 students from 161 different countries. Course completion rates were low, but consistent with other scientific MOOCs designed for high level audiences that are open for public enrollment. These results also show the potential global reach of a MOOC. These factors of high enrollment, low course completion, but global reach are unique challenges for medical educators who deliver content via MOOC technology. Further study is needed to further define the role of MOOCs in medical education.


2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 3887-3895 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. S. Fel�cio ◽  
T. Hogg ◽  
P. Gibbs ◽  
P. Teixeira ◽  
M. Wiedmann

ABSTRACT Microbiological characterization of alheiras, traditional smoked meat sausages produced in northern Portugal, had previously shown that more than 60% of the lots analyzed were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes at levels higher than 100 CFU/g. In order to better understand L. monocytogenes contamination patterns in alheiras, we characterized 128 L. monocytogenes isolates from alheiras using a variety of subtyping techniques (i.e., molecular serotyping; arsenic, cadmium, and tetracycline resistance typing; and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE]). Subtyping of isolates from products collected on two separate dates provided evidence for the persistence of specific L. monocytogenes PFGE types in the production and distribution chains of alheiras from four different processors. A subset of 21 isolates was further characterized using ribotyping and Caco-2 cell invasion assays to evaluate the pathogenic potential of L. monocytogenes present in alheiras. Caco-2 invasion assays revealed seven isolates with invasion efficiencies that were less than 20% of that of the control strain 10403S. All seven isolates had premature stop codons in inlA that represented three distinct mutations, which had previously been observed in isolates from the United States or France. Our findings indicate the need for a comprehensive approach to control L. monocytogenes in alheiras, including strategies to reduce persistence. The presence of considerable diversity in invasion phenotypes among L. monocytogenes strains present in alheiras, including the presence of subtypes likely to be virulence attenuated, may provide an opportunity to initially focus control strategies on the subtypes most likely to cause human disease.


2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan D. Cowled ◽  
Eddie Gifford ◽  
Michelle Smith ◽  
Linton Staples ◽  
Steven J. Lapidge

Conservative population declines of 73% were recorded in three independent feral pig populations in Welford National Park, Queensland, when PIGOUT® baits containing 72 mg of sodium fluoroacetate were used in a baiting program following prefeeding. Declines were measured using a prebaiting population census with remote cameras, followed by carcass recovery. The knockdown of susceptible feral pigs may have been higher than this, since any carcasses not recovered reduced the recorded efficacy. In addition, feral pigs know to have left the baiting area after trapping and telemetry-tagging, and subsequently not exposed to toxic baits, were included in the analysis. The use of remote cameras and carcass recovery appears to be a relatively accurate means of recording localised declines in feral pig populations. This method is applicable only when carcass recovery is possible, such as in open areas in the semi-arid rangelands. A decline of 86% of radio-tagged feral pigs attending bait stations was also recorded. Camera observations revealed no non-target consumption of baits. Measurement of sodium fluoroacetate–contaminated tissues from feral pigs showed that residues were too low to present a significant risk to recorded scavenging animals in the area. Some feral pigs vomited before death, with vomitus containing sodium fluoroacetate poison at high concentrations. No vomitus was consumed by non-target species. Almost all feral pigs were killed relatively rapidly after ingestion of sodium fluoroacetate and the signs observed in a small number of poisoned feral pigs did not indicate a significant welfare concern.


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