scholarly journals Fenbendazole resistance in Heterakis gallinarum, the vector of Histomonas meleagridis, the causative agent of Blackhead Disease in poultry.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Collins ◽  
Brian Jordan ◽  
Andrew Bishop ◽  
Ray M Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Heterakis Gallinarum ◽  
Weight One ◽  
Label Dose ◽  
Health Related

Due to their ubiquity, management of parasites is a common and important factor for profitable production of poultry. Heterakis gallinarum, the cecal nematode, is the most common nematode parasite of poultry. While typically causing no pathology on its own, H. gallinarum is the vector of Histomonas meleagridis, a protozoan parasite that causes blackhead disease. Histomonas meleagridis is highly pathogenic in turkeys, potentially causing high mortality. In contrast, disease caused by H. meleagridis is much less severe in chickens, where it primarily reduces productivity without manifestations of clinical disease. There are no approved treatments for H. meleagridis, making control reliant on control of the helminth vector through the use of fenbendazole (FBZ) the only drug labeled for treatment of H. gallinarum in the United States We were contacted by an industry veterinarian regarding health-related concerns in a breeder-broiler house due to histomoniasis, despite frequent anthelmintic treatments. Since we had recently diagnosed resistance to FBZ in Ascaridia dissimilis, a closely related nematode of turkeys, we were interested to determine if H. gallinarum had also evolved resistance to FBZ. Heterakis gallinarum eggs were isolated from litter collected from the house and used to infect 108 chickens. Treatment groups included a non-treated control, a label-dose and a 2X-label dose of FBZ, with 36 birds per group divided into two replicate pens of 18 birds each. Birds were placed at 1-day post hatch, and at 3 weeks of age were infected with 150 embryonated eggs via oral gavage. Two weeks post infection, treated birds were administered a minimum of either a label- or 2X label-dose of FBZ in water for 5 days (SafeGuard® Aquasol, 1mg/kg BW). To ensure that all birds consumed the full intended dose at a minimum, the dosage was calculated using 1.25 times the average body weight. One-week post treatment, birds were euthanized, ceca removed, and parasites enumerated. Efficacy was calculated by comparing the total numbers of worms recovered from each treatment group to the numbers recovered in the non-treated control group. There were no significant differences in worm numbers recovered from any of the three groups (p-value=0.81). There also was no efficacy benefit to treatment with a 2X dose; H. gallinarum worm counts were reduced by 42.7% and 41.4%, for the label and 2X dosages, respectively. These data provide strong evidence that H. gallinarum has developed resistance to FBZ. Consequently, in houses infected with FBZ-resistant H. gallinarum, H. meleagridis will be able to cycle through the birds in an unrestricted manner. Further investigation is needed to determine the prevalence of resistance in H. gallinarum on chicken farms, but it is clear this has the potential to have a large-scale economic impact on the poultry industry. These data when viewed together with our recent findings of FBZ resistance in A. dissimilis, suggest that drug resistance in ascarid nematodes may be an important emerging problem on poultry operations.

scholarly journals Efficacy of a novel topical combination of esafoxolaner, eprinomectin and praziquantel against fleas in cats, under field conditions

Parasite ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Tielemans ◽  
Tomoko Otsuki ◽  
Tara Cheesman ◽  
Fiona Selmes ◽  
Anthony Pfefferkorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Label Dose ◽  
Treatment Tolerance ◽  
Significant Health

Esafoxolaner is a purified afoxolaner enantiomer with insecticidal and acaricidal properties. It is combined with eprinomectin and praziquantel, nematodicidal and cestodicidal compounds, in a novel topical endectoparasiticide formulation for cats. This novel formulation was tested in four field studies, in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. In all studies, naturally flea-infested domestic cats were treated with the novel formulation at the label dose and conditions of use. The main objective, identical in the four studies, was to assess efficacy on fleas, based on comparison of mean number of fleas found on infested cats before and one month after treatment. Tolerance to the product was also evaluated in the four studies. Otherwise, the studies had some differences in their design and secondary objectives, for example testing for a reduction in flea infestation-related cutaneous signs, testing of one treatment or of three monthly treatments, and use of a positive control group. In the four studies, a total of 307 cats were treated with the novel formulation. The reduction of fleas one month after treatment was 97.7%, 98.8%, 100% and 99.7% in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia, respectively. There were no significant health abnormalities attributed to treatment in any of the studies.

scholarly journals How advocacy affects Twitter migraine conversations: A pilot cross-sectional survey of Northeast American “migraine” landscape on Twitter from May to June 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 251581632097208
Author(s):  
Pengfei Zhang ◽  
Santosh Bhaskarabhatla
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Network Model ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Closeness Centrality ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Sources Of Information

Background: Twitter is a leading microblogging platform, with over 126 million daily active users as of 2019, which allows for large-scale analysis of tweets related to migraine. June 2020 encompassed the National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month in the United States and the American Headache Society’s virtual annual conference, which offer opportunities for us to study online migraine advocacy. Objective: We aim to study the content of individual tweets about migraine, as well as study patterns of other topics that were discussed in those tweets. In addition, we aim to study the sources of information that people reference within their tweets. Thirdly, we want to study how online awareness and advocacy movements shape these conversations about migraine. Methods: We designed a Twitter robot that records all unique public tweets containing the word “migraine” from May 8th, 2020 to June 23rd, 2020, within a 400 km radius of New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. We built two network analysis models, one for the months of May 2020 and June 2020. The model for the month of May served as a control group for the model for the month of June, the Migraine Awareness Month. Our network model was developed with the following rule: if two hashtag topics co-exist in a single tweet, they are considered nodes connected by an edge in our network model. We then determine the top 30 most important hashtags in the month of May and June through applications of degree, between-ness, and closeness centrality. We also generated highly connected subgraphs (HCS) to categorize clusters of conversations within each of our models. Finally, we tally the websites referenced by these tweets during each month and categorized these websites according to the HCS subgroups. Results: Migraine advocacy related tweets are more popular in June when compared to May as judged by degree and closeness centrality measurements. They remained unchanged when judged by between-ness centralities. The HCS algorithm categorizes the hashtags into a large single dominant conversation in both months. In each of the months, advocacy related hashtags are apart of each of the dominant conversation. There are more hashtag topics as well as more unique websites referenced in the dominant conversation in June than in May. In addition, there are many smaller subgroups of migraine-related hashtags, and in each of these subgroups, there are a maximum of two websites referenced. Conclusion: We find a network analysis approach to be fruitful in the area of migraine social media research. Migraine advocacy tweets on Twitter not only rise in popularity during migraine awareness month but also may potentially bring in more diverse sources of online references into the Twitter migraine conversation. The smaller subgroups we identified suggest that there are marginalized conversations referencing a limited number of websites, creating a possibility of an “echo chamber” phenomenon. These subgroups provide an opportunity for targeted migraine advocacy. Our study therefore highlights the success as well as potential opportunities for social media advocacy on Twitter.

scholarly journals More “Bank” for the Buck: Microtargeting and Normative Appeals to Increase Social Marketing Efficiency

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander L. Metcalf ◽  
Justin W. Angle ◽  
Conor N. Phelan ◽  
B. Allyson Muth ◽  
James C. Finley
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The United States ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Social Marketing Campaign ◽  
Chesapeake Bay Watershed ◽  
Normative Appeals ◽  
Normative Message

Successful conservation in the United States relies on collective stewardship by millions of private landowners, challenging those agencies and nongovernment organizations tasked with engagement and outreach. Perennially limited resources compound this challenge, highlighting a deep need for efficient social marketing. In the following research, we test the efficacy of two social marketing strategies—microtargeting and normative appeals—through a randomized controlled trial of an integrated social marketing campaign targeting riparian landowners in the Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We used a microtargeting algorithm to predict landowners’ likelihood of responding to a conservation outreach campaign to create treatment groups of high-likelihood prospects versus random prospects (i.e., no microtargeting). A normative appeal was also included as an experimental factor in the campaign communicating that forested riparian buffer investments were common among similar landowners. Among microtargeted landowners, we observed a 66% increase in response to a riparian restoration survey compared to the control group. Additionally, we found a significant influence of a normative message among random (nonmicrotargeted) prospects, increasing response by 23% over the control group. We conclude conservation outcomes may be more efficiently achieved by deploying these marketing techniques on a wider scale to a variety of conservation challenges.

scholarly journals Ivermectin as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19 among Healthcare Providers in a Selected Tertiary Hospital in Dhaka – An Observational Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Tarek Alam ◽  
Rubaiul Murshed ◽  
Pauline Francisca Gomes ◽  
Zafor Md. Masud ◽  
Sadia Saber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Experimental Group

Introduction: While multiple vaccines are undergoing clinical trial across the globe, we yearn for an FDA approved drug to protect us from the devastating pandemic for the time being. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of Ivermectin when administered as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19. Method: An observational study, with 118 healthcare providers who were enrolled purposively, was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Dhaka from May 2020 to August 2020. The subjects were divided into experimental and control groups; and the experimental group received an oral monthly dose of Ivermectin 12mg for 4 months. Both groups were exposed to COVID-19 positive patients admitted in the hospital during the course of study. The symptomatic subjects were evaluated by physical examination, COVID-19 RT-PCR and/or HRCT of chest. Differences between the variables were determined using the Chi-square test and the level of statistical significance was reached when p<0.05. Result: 73.3% (44 out of 60) subjects in control group were positive for COVID-19, whereas only 6.9% (4 out of 58) of the experimental group were diagnosed with COVID-19 (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Ivermectin, an FDA-approved, safe, cheap and widely available drug, should be subjected to large-scale trials all over the world to ascertain its effectiveness as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19.

scholarly journals Engaging Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Smoking Cessation Through Large-Scale Community Service Events

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Vijayaraghavan ◽  
Dorie E. Apollonio
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Service Delivery Model ◽  
Smoking Cessation Counseling ◽  
Health Related

Cigarette smoking contributes substantially to the increased financial- and health-related burdens among adults experiencing homelessness. We describe findings from a case study of a model to increase access to cessation services among adults experiencing homelessness. In partnership with Project Homeless Connect (PHC), we piloted a unique service delivery model that involved providing brief cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy to smokers from this population attending large-scale service events in San Francisco, with the goal of connecting them to long-term smoking cessation care. We participated in three service events between October 2017 and March 2018. We offered brief smoking cessation counseling to 45 individuals, and smoking cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy to 7 individuals experiencing homelessness. This model could improve public health if expanded to other cities, particularly the 200 other cities in the United States offering PHC service events.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life as Measured by the 12-Item Short-Form Survey Among Adults With Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia who Received Either Lefamulin or Moxifloxacin in 2 Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Clinical Trials

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P Lodise ◽  
Sam Colman ◽  
Elizabeth Alexander ◽  
Daniel S Stein ◽  
David Fitts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Bacterial Pneumonia ◽  
Short Form ◽  
The United States ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Background Interest in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) as part of benefit–risk assessment for new drug approvals is increasing. Lefamulin is the first intravenous (IV) and oral pleuromutilin antibiotic for treatment of adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was prospectively incorporated in its CABP trials (Lefamulin Evaluation Against Pneumonia [LEAP] 1 and 2) via the 12-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-12), a widely used PRO that measures general health status in 8 domains. Methods HRQoL was evaluated by SF-12 at baseline and test of cure (TOC; 5–10 days after the last study drug dose) in patients who received lefamulin or moxifloxacin in LEAP 1 (IV/oral treatment) and LEAP 2 (oral-only treatment). SF-12 outcomes included the 8 domains, physical component and mental component summary scores, and the Short-Form Six-Dimension health utility score. Results Analysis included 1215 patients (lefamulin: n = 607; moxifloxacin: n = 608). At baseline, all mean SF-12 scores in both treatment groups were well below the United States reference mean. Clinically meaningful and significant improvements from baseline to TOC were observed in all SF-12 scores. No significant differences in mean score improvements from baseline to TOC between treatment groups were observed. SF-12 score improvements at TOC across predefined subgroups were comparable between treatment groups. Conclusions Results indicate that adults with CABP experienced comparable HRQoL improvements with lefamulin relative to moxifloxacin, and treatment with either agent resulted in returns to population norm HRQoL levels. These data suggest that lefamulin is a potential alternative to moxifloxacin for treatment of adults with CABP.

scholarly journals An Efficacy Study of a Digital Core Curriculum for Grade 5 Mathematics

AERA Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 233285841985048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Shechtman ◽  
Jeremy Roschelle ◽  
Mingyu Feng ◽  
Corinne Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Refined Theory ◽  
Achievement Data ◽  
Grade 5 ◽  
Digital Core

The Math Curriculum Impact Study was a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of a digital core curriculum for Grade 5 mathematics. Reasoning Mind’s Grade 5 Common Core Curriculum was a comprehensive, adaptive, blended learning approach that schools in the treatment group implemented for an entire school year. Schools in the control group implemented their business-as-usual mathematics curriculum. The study was completed in 46 schools throughout West Virginia, resulting in achievement data from 1,919 students. It also included exploratory investigations of teacher practice and student engagement. The main experimental finding was a null result; achievement was similar in both experimental groups. The exploratory investigations help clarify interpretation of this result. As educational leaders throughout the United States adopt digital mathematics curricula and adaptive, blended approaches, our findings provide a relevant caution. However, our findings are not generalizable to all digital offerings, and there is a continuing need for refined theory, study of implementation, and rigorous experimentation to advise schools.

National Healthcare Utilization Trends for Deep Vein Thrombosis in the United States.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 3183-3183
Author(s):  
Prabhu Viswanathan ◽  
Upasna Goswami ◽  
Lakshmanan Krishnamurti
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
P Value ◽  
Upward Trend ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparins ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Deep Vein

Abstract Abstract 3183 Poster Board III-120 Background Over the past 15 years, increased awareness and advances in management such as the widespread adoption of low molecular weight heparins and new anticoagulants have had a dramatic impact on practice; there are no large scale studies to determine the impact of these changes on the health care utilization and outcomes of DVT. We examined national statistics of the trends in hospital utilization for Deep Vein Thrombosis in the United States. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) is one in a family of databases and software tools developed as part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. For 2007 NIS contains all discharge data from 1,044 hospitals located in 40 States, approximating a 20-percent stratified sample of U.S. community hospitals. We examined trends for hospital utilization available through the NIS dataset. All descriptive statistics have been reported for DVT as ‘primary discharge diagnosis’ as well as ‘All discharge diagnoses’. Presence of ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes 453.0-453.9 were used to define DVT related hospitalizations. Results From 1993 to 2007 the number of annual diagnosis of DVT as one of “All Diagnoses' of DVT annually increased from 224,739 to 526,105 while the number of DVT as ‘Principal Diagnosis’ increased from 110,445 to 146,612. The average length of hospital stay has decreased from 7.6 days to 5 days (p-value <0.01). The average annual proportion of in-hospital deaths from DVT decreased during his period from 1.6% vs. 0.8% (p-value <0.01). FIG 1 For DVT as one of all diagnoses, the trends show a polynomial upward trend and the rate of increase is increasing every year (p value using T Test: 0.007). For annual number of discharges with DVT as primary diagnosis, there is a polynomial upward trend, with an index less than 1 and the curve is flattening out and the rate of increase is decreasing year over year (p value using T Test=0.0028). These findings suggest that the increase in DVT as primary diagnosis is not keeping pace with rapid increase in DVT as one of all diagnosis. For DVT as primary diagnosis, mortality rate was 1.6% and 0.3% respectively among those who underwent a procedure vs. those who did not undergo a procedure. Mortality for DVT as one of all diagnoses was 8.9% and 3.3% respectively among those who underwent a procedure vs. those did not undergo a procedure. Notably, a death in patients with DVT as one of all diagnosis was attributed to a variety of diagnoses, such as malignancies, infections and complications of implantation device. Rate of postoperative pulmonary embolism or thrombosis per 1000 surgical patients age 18 and over as a marker of Hospital-level Patient Safety Indicators age 18 and over adjusted for age, gender, comorbidities and DRG clusters, has increased from 6.3 in 1994 to 11.2 in 2006 FIG 2. From 1997 to 2006, the proportion of male patients increased from 43.1% to 45% while female patients decreased from 57% to 54.9%. (p-value <0.01) For the year 2007, with DVT as the primary or one of all diagnoses, OR procedures on vessels other than head and neck is the main principal procedure. DVT of extremities as primary diagnosis is associated with hypertension and hyperlipidemia as most important secondary diagnoses and for all DVT of the extremities as secondary diagnosis the most common primary diagnosis is pulmonary heart disease. Conclusions Survival for patients with DVT has improved and patients are likely to be discharged from acute care hospital earlier. We speculate that this could be the result of improved diagnosis and management including the use of low molecular weight heparins. Some of the changes in annual incidence may be attributed to earlier diagnosis and changes in ICD coding. However, the sustained increase in annual incidences of DVT as a secondary diagnosis and that of postoperative pulmonary embolism and thrombosis is a cause for concern and should prompt a review of strategies to prevent DVT among sick hospitalized patients. These data are subject to the well known limitations of administrative datasets, and underscore the need for large scale prospective study of the factors contributing to health care utilization and outcomes of DVT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Antidepresant effects of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) extract in depressed induced rats using 3-minutes Tail Suspension method

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Nita Parisa ◽  
Mayasari Mayasari ◽  
Nia Savitri Tamzil ◽  
Bintang Arroyantri ◽  
Ziske Maritska
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Tail Suspension ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Cinnamon Extract ◽  
Immobility Time ◽  
Cinnamomum Burmannii ◽  
One Way Anova

Abstract Background. The increasing prevalence of depression gives rise to challenges in not only elucidating its diverse causes, but also in finding an effective treatment. One of the factors linked to depression is the imbalance of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine neurotransmitters.  Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) as one of the world’s wellknown cooking ingredients is believed to be able to regulate the neurotransmitters imbalance with the help of terpenoids and flavonoid polyphenols as one of its content. Objective. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of cinnamon extract as an antidepressant in depressed induced animal model. Methods. An experimental in vivo with pre-post control group design was conducted in twenty five Wistar strain white rats that were divided into 5 treatment groups that received fluoxetine as positive control, aquades, and different dose of cinnamon extracts (50 mg/kgBW, 100 mg/kgBW, and 200 mg/kgBW).  Depression induction method used was 3-minute Tail Suspension Test, done for 14 days. The antidepressant effectiveness test was carried out by calculating the immobility time duration with Forced Swimming Test method and was further analyzed using one-way ANOVA test. Results. One-way ANOVA test results showed that there were differences in the mean duration of immobility time between treatment groups after being given cinnamon extract (p value = 0,000). Groups that were given 100 mg/kgBW cinnamon extract and 200 mg /kgBW showed a p value>0.05 when compared with positive control group receiving Fluoxetine although displayed a similar reduced immobility time. Conclusion. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) extract showed a promising potential as an effective antidepressant tested in animal model.     Keywords: cinnamon, extract, depression, immobility time, rat

scholarly journals Frequency of mortality in neonatal meningitis in dexamethasone vs. placebo group.

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (09) ◽  
pp. 1404-1408
Author(s):  
Umar Shahbaz ◽  
Muhammad Khalid Masood ◽  
Riffat Omer ◽  
Touseef Ahmed ◽  
Najaf Masood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Placebo Group ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Neonatal Meningitis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Placebo Trial ◽  
Chi Square Test

Objectives: To determine the frequency of mortality in neonatal meningitis in dexamethasone vs. placebo group as an adjunct to the usual treatment. Study Design: Randomized control trial. Setting: Department of Paediatrics, Neonatal section, Mayo Hospital Lahore. Period: September 2014 to March 2015. Material & Methods: The consecutive non-probability sampling technique was used in this study. Total 100 patients were included, 50 in each group. Patients were assigned either of following two treatment groups. One group is standard antibiotics plus Dexamethasone and the other one is standard antibiotics plus Placebo. Trial and placebo groups received their respective treatments (Dexamethasone plus standard antibiotics and placebo plus standard antibiotics) according to the protocol. Percentage of patients dying in dexamethasone group was compared with those in the control group by using Chi-square test. Period: From September 2014 to March 2015. Results: In our study the mean age of the patients was 14.92 days. The male to female ratio was 1:1. Mortality occurred in 34 neonates under study and among these 34 cases,12 were belonging to those who had received dexamethasone and 22 were from those who had received placebo, this difference between two groups was statistically significant (p-value=0.035). Conclusion: Dexamethasone is efficacious drug and significantly reduces the mortality in infants as compared to the placebo group patients in the treatment of neonatal meningitis.

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