Pathogenesis of Isospora amphiboluri in Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps)

Isospora amphiboluri is a common coccidian found in captive bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). To minimize the impact of this parasite, it is important to characterize its pathogenesis so that we can develop appropriate methods for diagnosis and treatment. Forty-five juvenile bearded dragons were used for this two-part study. In the first part, ten bearded dragons were infected with 20,000 oocysts per os, while a control group of five animals received only water. Feces were collected over 45 days and screened for oocysts. In the second part, thirty bearded dragons were used to characterize the pathogenesis of I. amphiboluri. Twenty-five bearded dragons were infected as described previously, while five animals served as controls. Five infected bearded dragons and one control were humanely euthanized on days 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 post-infection for complete necropsies. The pre-patent period for I. amphiboluri was found to be 18.6 ± 1.9 days (range 15–22 days). Histopathology confirmed that I. amphiboluri follows a homoxenous life cycle. Infections begin in the duodenum and progress to the colon over time. The findings of this study can be used to develop better quarantine and treatment protocols for captive bearded dragons.

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113 Effects of Sleep on Intrusive Symptoms and Emotion Reactivity in a Laboratory-Based Film Analogue Study

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.112 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A46-A46

Author(s):

Anna Marie Nguyen ◽

Rebecca Campbell ◽

Abigail Vance ◽

Ellen Leen-Feldner

Keyword(s):

Sleep Deprivation ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Interaction Effect ◽

Emotion Reactivity ◽

Negative Valence ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

Acute Sleep Deprivation ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Abstract Introduction Recent literature highlights the need to focus on the impact of intrusive symptoms as a possible risk factor for the development and maintenance of PTSD. Cognitive and sleep models also contribute to the further understanding of intrusive symptoms. Further emotion work emphasizes that disgust is an emotion closely associated with the emergence of posttraumatic stress symptomology following traumatic events. Methods This study utilized a film eliciting disgust to examine the effects of acute sleep deprivation on the intensity of intrusive symptoms and emotion reactivity. Forty-nine college students were randomly assigned to sleep as usual or an acute sleep deprivation after watching a disturbing film. It was hypothesized that, relative to the control group, participants who were acutely sleep deprived would report higher frequency of intrusive symptoms and higher negative valence. Results Findings were partially consistent with hypotheses. There were no group or interaction effects on intrusive symptoms, although participants across both groups reported significant decreases in negative valence and intrusive symptoms across the study (F(1, 47) = 10.30, p < 0.01). There was a significant interaction effect between sleep group and self-reported negative valence, where individuals in the sleep deprived group reported significantly higher valence than individuals in the control group, despite significant decreases in negative valence over time (F(1, 48) = 7.869, p < 0.01). Conclusion Possible mechanisms that may contribute to the significant difference in valence may be due to higher order emotion regulation strategies that are compromised due to sleep loss. However, the significant decreases in negative valence and intrusive symptoms over time may be due to methodological factors or the type of sleep manipulation. Further work can address these challenges by using a larger sample size or examining the effects of chronic, partial sleep deprivation. Support (if any):

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Effect of Indoor Wall Climbing on Self-Efficacy and Self-Perceptions of Children with Special Needs

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly ◽

10.1123/apaq.26.3.259 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 259-273 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Erin R. Mazzoni ◽

P. Lynn Purves ◽

Julie Southward ◽

Ryan E. Rhodes ◽

Viviene A. Temple

Keyword(s):

Special Needs ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Control Group ◽

Children With Special Needs ◽

Control Groups ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Self Worth ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

The impact of a six-week indoor wall climbing on the perceptions of self for children with special needs aged 6–12 years was explored. Participants (n = 46) were randomly assigned to the intervention (girls, n = 4; boys, n = 19) and control groups (girls, n = 5; boys, n = 18). Belayers’ and children’s perceptions of efficacy were measured using specifically designed questionnaires and perceptions of competence and global self-worth were measured using Harter’s (1985) Self-Perception Profile for Children for participants with an adaptive age of 8 years or higher. Children’s self-efficacy and belayers’ ratings of children’s efficacy improved significantly, t(21) = 3.9, p = .001, d = .84 and F(2, 44) = 30.03, p < .001, respectively. The children’s judgments of their athletic and social competence and global self-worth, however, did not change over time or differ from the wait-listed control group (p > .05). These results suggest that it is likely that many experiences that enhance self-efficacy may be needed to improve self-perceptions.

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Evaluation of the impact of antimicrobial use protocols in PRRS virus infected swine on phenotypic antimicrobial resistance patterns

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00970-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carissa A. Odland ◽

Roy Edler ◽

Noelle R. Noyes ◽

Scott A. Dee ◽

Joel Nerem ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Longitudinal Studies ◽

Bacterial Infections ◽

Population Level ◽

Control Group ◽

Antimicrobial Use ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Resistance Patterns ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

A longitudinal study was conducted to assess the impact of different antimicrobial exposures of nursery-phase pigs on patterns of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance in fecal indicator organisms throughout the growing phase. Based on practical approaches used to treat moderate to severe PRRSV-associated secondary bacterial infections, two antimicrobial protocols of differing intensity of exposure [44.1 and 181.5 animal-treatment days per 1000 animal days at risk (ATD)] were compared with a control group with minimal antimicrobial exposure (2.1 ATD). Litter-matched pigs (n = 108) with no prior antimicrobial exposure were assigned randomly to the treatment groups. Pen fecal samples were collected nine times during the wean-to-finish period and cultured for Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using NARMS gram-negative and gram-positive antibiotic panels. Despite up to 65-fold difference in ATD, few and modest differences were observed between groups and over time. Resistant patterns at marketing overall remained similar to those observed at weaning, prior to any antimicrobial exposures. Those differences observed could not readily be reconciled with the patterns of antimicrobial exposure. Resistance of E. coli to streptomycin was higher in the group exposed to 44.1 ATD, but no aminoglycosides were used. In all instances where resistance differed between time points, the higher resistance occurred early in the trial prior to any antimicrobial exposures. These minimal impacts on AMR despite substantially different antimicrobial exposures point to the lack of understanding of the drivers of AMR at the population level and the likely importance of factors other than antimicrobial exposure. IMPORTANCE Despite a recognized need for more longitudinal studies to assess the effects of antimicrobial use on resistance in food animals, they remain sparse in the literature, and most longitudinal studies of pigs have been observational. The current experimental study had the advantages of greater control of potential confounding, precise measurement of antimicrobial exposures which varied markedly between groups and tracking of pigs until market age. Overall, resistance patterns were remarkably stable between the treatment groups over time, and the differences observed could not be readily reconciled with the antimicrobial exposures, indicating the likely importance of other determinants of AMR at the population level.

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The Effect of Sensory Satiety on Perceived Benefits: The Case of Aesthetic Consumption in South Korea

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12208637 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 8637

Author(s):

Joo-Eon Jeon ◽

Eun Mi Lee

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Empirical Study ◽

Product Life Cycle ◽

Multiple Regression Model ◽

Perceived Benefits ◽

Aesthetic Design ◽

Sensory Pleasure ◽

Functional Benefit ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Repeated exposure to aesthetic design results in consumers experiencing satiation because of sensory satiety. In other words, being consistently exposed to aesthetic stimuli activates consumers’ sensory satiety, defined as the drop in sensory pleasure, and the resulting reduction of their value of aesthetic products ultimately leads to switching intentions. That is, sensory satiety reduces functional and emotional benefits. Furthermore, consumers are unlikely to recall every item they have consumed, and are instead likely to focus on a particular option. Thus, this study predicts that consumers can recover from satiation over time. This research proposes that both satiation and accustomedness negatively affect functional benefit. As an empirical study, the research uses a multiple regression model for two purposes: The first is to test the impact of sensory satiety on perceived benefits, and the second is to observe the change in sensory satiety over time. We find that satiation and accustomedness, as sub-dimensional scales of sensory satiety, reduce perceived benefits. The results showed that it is clear that only satiation reduced functional benefits, whereas both satiation and accustomedness reduced emotional benefits. In addition, our study confirms the change in sensory satiety over time. Consumers who have been continuously exposed to, and used, aesthetic products become accustomed to them and feel satiated. Based on these results, this study will be useful for the sustainability of the product life cycle.

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Sodium Sulfite Exacerbates Allograft Vasculopathy and Affects Tryptophan Breakdown in Murine Heterotopic Aortic Transplantation

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity ◽

10.1155/2019/8461048 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert Sucher ◽

Theresa Hautz ◽

Elisabeth Mohr ◽

Maximilian Mackowitz ◽

Vanessa Mellitzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sodium Sulfite ◽

Essential Feature ◽

Smooth Muscle Actin ◽

Control Group ◽

Allograft Vasculopathy ◽

Inflammatory Processes ◽

Graft Vasculopathy ◽

Cellular Immune ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Graft vasculopathy is the main feature of chronic rejection in organ transplantation, with oxidative stress being a major trigger. Inflammation-associated prooxidant processes may be controlled by antioxidants; however, interference with redox-regulated mechanisms is a complex endeavor. An essential feature of the cellular immune response is the acceleration of tryptophan (Trp) breakdown, leading to the formation of several bioactive catabolites. Long-term activation of this immunobiochemical pathway contributes to the establishment of a tolerogenic environment, thereby supporting allograft survival. Herein, the impact of the antioxidant sodium sulfite on the development of graft vasculopathy was assessed in murine aortic transplantation. Allogeneic (BALB/c to C57BL/6) heterotopic murine aortic transplantations were performed. Animals were left untreated or were treated with 10 μl of 0.1 M, of 0.01 M sodium sulfite, or of 0.1 M sodium sulfate, intraperitoneally once/day, until postoperative day (POD) 100. Grafts were assessed by histology, immunohistochemistry, and adhesion molecule gene expression. Serum concentrations of tryptophan and its catabolite kynurenine (Kyn) were measured. On day 100, graft vasculopathy was significantly increased upon treatment with 0.1 M sodium sulfite, compared to allogeneic untreated controls (p=0.004), which correlated with a significant increase ofα-smooth-muscle-actin, Vcam-1, and P-selectin. Serum Kyn concentrations increased in the allogeneic control group over time (p<0.05,POD≥50), while low-dose sodium sulfite treatment (0.01 M) treatment resulted in a decrease in Kyn levels over time (p<0.05,POD≥10), compared to the respective baselines (p<0.05). Longitudinal analysis of serum metabolite concentrations in the different treatment groups further identified an overall effect of sodium sulfite on Kyn concentrations. Antioxidative treatment may result in ambivalent consequences. Our data reveal that an excess of antioxidants like sodium sulfite can aggravate allograft vasculopathy, which further highlights the challenges associated with interventions that interfere with the complex interplay of redox-regulated inflammatory processes.

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The Impact of Temporal Trajectories of Emotional Experience on Blood Donor Return

Annals of Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1093/abm/kaaa067 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anne van Dongen ◽

Lisa A Williams ◽

Barbara M Masser ◽

Nancy Briggs ◽

Amanda Thijsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Donors ◽

Blood Donation ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Lower Probability ◽

Control Group ◽

Return Behavior ◽

Donation Process ◽

Group A ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Despite recognition that blood donation is an affectively poignant process, many aspects of donors’ emotional experiences and their consequences remain unexamined. Purpose This study tracked the donor’s experience of several positive and negative emotions live as they arose during the donation process and tracked the impact of that experience on donor return. Methods New whole blood donors (N = 414) reported their experience of 10 positive and 10 negative discrete emotions before, during, and after donation. Return behavior of these donors and a business-as-usual control group was tracked over the next 6 months. Results In total, 46.4% of participants and 43.2% of the control group returned to donate within 6 months. On the basis of established relevance to blood donation and statistical considerations, group-based latent trajectories of three emotions (joy, calm, and stress) were modeled over time, revealing five classes of emotion trajectories. A trajectory of low/increasing joy and calm and high/decreasing stress was associated with significantly lower probability of return (preturn = .28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20, 0.38) relative to all but one other trajectory group and the control group. A trajectory of medium-high/increasing joy, high calm, and low/decreasing stress was associated with a significantly greater probability of return (preturn = .59, 95% CI = 0.49, 0.69) relative to two other trajectory classes and the control group. Conclusions By identifying blood donors’ emotion trajectories over time and the impact of those trajectories on return behavior, this research paves the way for the development of effective emotion-focused interventions to boost retention.

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OP0279 THE IMPACT OF A REFERRAL STRATEGY FOR AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS: 12 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP OF PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.6090 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 174.2-174

Author(s):

M. J. Abdelkadir ◽

M. Kuijper ◽

C. Appels ◽

A. Spoorenberg ◽

J. Hazes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Usual Care ◽

Axial Spondyloarthritis ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Referral Strategy ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Background:Early recognition of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients is difficult for general practitioners within the large amount of chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients1. As a result, several referral strategies have been developed to help physicians identify patients at risk for axSpA. Most referral strategies were developed in secondary care patients with no available data on their impact. The only referral strategy that was developed and validated in primary CLBP patients is the Case Finding Axial Spondyloarthritis (CaFaSpA) strategy, but required an impact analysis before implementation in daily clinical practice2-3.Objectives:The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of using the CaFaSpA referral strategy on patient reported outcome outcomes (PROs) in primary care patients with CLBP at risk for axSpA.Methods:A clustered randomized controlled trial was performed in a primary care setting in the Netherlands. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT01944163). Each cluster contained the general practices from a single primary care practice and their included patients. Clusters were randomized to either the intervention (use of CaFaSpA referral strategy) or the control group (usual care). Primary outcome was disability after 12 months. Secondary outcome was quality of life, pain and fatigue after 12 months. A linear mixed-effects model was used to explore the effects over time according to intention to treat analysis.Results:In total 679 patients were included within 93 GP clusters. Sixty-four percent of our study population were female and mean age was 36 (7.5) years. Overall RMDQ reduced over time both in the intervention and control group (figure 1). The difference in decrease was not statically significant between the groups (p-value 0.81).Figure 1.Estimated mean RMDQ scores over time for the overall intervention and usual care group.EQ-5D increased by 0.03 after 12 months within the intervention group and 0.01 in the control group (not significant) (table 1). The decrease in pain and fatigue did not differ significantly between the intervention and control group.Table 1.Mean change in PROs after 12 months in the intervention and control groupPROsInterventionUsual careBaseline12 monthsp-valueBaseline12 monthsp-valueEQ-5D mean (SD)0.69 (0.26)0.72 (0.27)0.140.72 (0.24)0.73 (0.25)0.53VAS-pain mean (SD)5.03 (2.42)4.68 (2.69)0.074.96 (2.42)4.55 (2.69)0.02VAS-fatigue mean (SD)5.19 (2.50)5.01 (0.21)0.355.23 (2.45)4.86 (2.73)0.04Conclusion:Although the functional disability due to pain reduces over time, there was no positive effect by referring based on the CaFaSPA model. Further data on PROMs for the axSpA patients are under investigation.References:[1]Jois RN et al. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2008;47:1364-1366.[2]van Hoeven L et al. PLoS One 2015; 22;10(7):e0131963.[2]Moons KG et al. Heart 2012;98(9):691-8.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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Effects of testosterone onHeterakis spumosainfections in mice

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182000074266 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 105 (2) ◽

pp. 335-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

A. Harder ◽

F. Wunderlich ◽

P. Marinovski

Keyword(s):

Small Intestine ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Young Adult ◽

Adult Female ◽

Post Infection ◽

Male Mice ◽

Patent Period ◽

Intestinal Nematode ◽

Early Phases

SUMMARYThis study describes the effects of testosterone (Te) on the intestinal nematodeHeterakis spumosain mice. The course ofHeterakisinfections is apparently under Te-control. At high circulating Te-levels as occurring in intact males, Te-treated females, and Te-treated castrated males, the period of release ofHeterakiseggs in mouse faeces is greatly extended and the number of eggs released per unit time is markedly elevated in comparison to low Te-levels, as found in untreated females and castrated male mice. Also, the onset of the patent period occurs earlier in Te-treated mice. Testosterone also accelerates development and growth of both female and male worms ofHeterakisin mice. Thus, young adult male worms can be observed in the upper colon of Te-treated castrated male mice on day 21 post-infection (p. i.), whereas, at that time, only L4larvae are present in Te-untreated male castrates. Testosterone also favours the survival of nematodes in hosts. In untreated male castrates, the number of worms present on day 7 p.i. (L2larvae) is approximately two thirds higher than that found on day 21 p.i. However, such a reduction in the number of worms does not occur in Te-treated castrated mice during the same period of time. The early phases of the life-cycle ofHeterakis, i.e. hatching in the small intestine and final settling of L2larvae in the upper colon are independent of Te. Also, Te does not affect motility and even slightly reduces the fecundity of adult female wormsin vitro. Our data suggest that Te and/or Te-metabolites and/or Te-induced host factor(s) accelerate the development and growth ofH. spumosaand favour the survival ofHeterakisin the colon of mice.

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A91 ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF A FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTATION PROGRAM FOR RECURRENT CLOSTRIDIOIDES DIFFICILE INFECTION IN ALBERTA

Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1093/jcag/gwab002.089 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 63-65

Author(s):

D Y Yang ◽

T Mullie ◽

H Sun ◽

L Russell ◽

B Roach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Cost ◽

Real World ◽

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Control Group ◽

Real World Data ◽

World Data ◽

The Cost ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the most effective therapy for recurrent C. difficile infection. Although studies using statistical modeling have shown FMT to be cost-effective, real-world data is lacking. Aims To assess the impact of FMT program on the healthcare cost of recurrent C. difficile infections using real-world data from Alberta’s public healthcare system. Methods C. difficile infection patients were identified through provincial laboratory database with positive C. difficile results in Edmonton, Alberta between 2009–16. If an initial positive test was followed by ≧2 positive tests within 183 days, an individual was categorized as recurrent C. difficile infection (RCDI). Otherwise, non-recurrent C. difficile infection (non-RCDI) was assigned. Since the Edmonton FMT program was established in 2013, patients were further divided into pre-FMT (2009–12) and post-FMT (2013–16) eras. This divided patients into four study groups as outlined in Table 1. Administrative data, including inpatient stays, ambulatory or emergency room visits, outpatient prescriptions, and physician billings, were extracted. A cost of $389 was assigned to each FMT procedure to account for cost of donor screening and sample preparation. A difference in differences (DID) approach, a tool which estimates the effect of a treatment by comparing outcome difference between treatment group and control group over time, was used to analyze the impact of FMT program on the cost of RCDI. Non-RCDI patients were used as control group to account for changes in treatment costs over time. Ordinary least squares regression, with log-transformed healthcare cost as the dependent variable, was used for the analysis. Results 4717 non-RCDI and 548 RCDI patients were identified and divided into the 4 groups (Table 1). RCDI patients were significantly older than non-RCDI patients (71.13 vs 62.49; P < 0.001). After adjusting for differences in age, sex, and baseline healthcare utilization, cost for RCDI patients were significantly lower relative to costs for non-RCDI patients in the post-FMT era. Cost of non-RCDI increased by $5,300.08 between the pre- and post-FMT eras, while the cost of RCDI decreased by $7,654.92 in the same time frame (Table 2). FMT program was estimated to have saved $12,954 annually for RCDI patients at mean age, sex, and baseline cost of our overall sample. Conclusions Our data suggest that the healthcare cost of RCDI has decreased with the introduction of an FMT program. Funding Agencies Alberta Health Services, University of Alberta Hospital Foundation

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Exploring Strategies to Optimise the Impact of Food-Specific Inhibition Training on Children’s Food Choices

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.653610 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Lucy Porter ◽

Fiona B. Gillison ◽

Kim A. Wright ◽

Frederick Verbruggen ◽

Natalia S. Lawrence

Keyword(s):

Group Testing ◽

Food Choices ◽

Control Group ◽

Specific Inhibition ◽

Food Control ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Lower Accuracy ◽

The Impact ◽

Inhibition Training ◽

Over Time

Food-specific inhibition training (FSIT) is a computerised task requiring response inhibition to energy-dense foods within a reaction-time game. Previous work indicates that FSIT can increase the number of healthy foods (relative to energy-dense foods) children choose, and decrease calories consumed from sweets and chocolate. Across two studies, we explored the impact of FSIT variations (e.g., different response signals, different delivery modes) on children’s food choices within a time-limited hypothetical food-choice task. In Study 1, we varied the FSIT Go/No-Go signals to be emotive (happy vs. sad faces) or neutral (green vs. red signs). One-hundred-and-fifty-seven children were randomly allocated to emotive-FSIT, neutral-FSIT, or a non-food control task. Children participated in groups of 4–15. No significant FSIT effects were observed on food choices (all values of p > 0.160). Healthy-food choices decreased over time regardless of condition (p < 0.050). The non-significant effects could be explained by lower accuracy on energy-dense No-Go trials than in previous studies, possibly due to distraction in the group-testing environment. In Study 2, we compared computer-based FSIT (using emotive signals) and app-based FSIT (using neutral signals) against a non-food control with a different sample of 206 children, but this time children worked one-on-one with the experimenter. Children’s accuracy on energy-dense No-Go trials was higher in this study. Children in the FSIT-computer group chose significantly more healthy foods at post-training (M = 2.78, SE = 0.16) compared to the control group (M = 2.02, SE = 0.16, p = 0.001). The FSIT-app group did not differ from either of the other two groups (M = 2.42, SE = 0.16, both comparisons p > 0.050). Healthy choices decreased over time in the control group (p = 0.001) but did not change in the two FSIT groups (both p > 0.300) supporting previous evidence that FSIT may have a beneficial effect on children’s food choices. Ensuring that children perform FSIT with high accuracy (e.g., by using FSIT in quiet environments and avoiding group-testing) may be important for impacts on food choices though. Future research should continue to explore methods of optimising FSIT as a healthy-eating intervention for children.

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