Veterinary drug therapies used for undesirable behaviours in UK dogs under primary veterinary care

Undesirable behaviours (UBs) in dogs are common and important issues with serious potential welfare consequences for both the dogs and their owners. This study aimed to investigate the usage of drug therapy for UBs in dogs and assess demographic risk factors for drug-prescribed UBs within the dog population under primary-care veterinary care in the UK in 2013. Dogs receiving drug therapy for UB were identified through the retrospective analysis of anonymised electronic patient records in VetCompass™. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling. The study population comprised 103,597 dogs under veterinary care in the UK during 2013. There were 413 drug-prescribed UBs recorded among 404 dogs. The prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event treated with a drug in 2013 was 0.4%. Multivariable modelling identified 3 breeds with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB compared with crossbred dogs: Toy Poodle (OR 2.75), Tibetan Terrier (OR 2.68) and Shih-tzu (OR 1.95). Increasing age was associated with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB, with dogs ≥ 12 years showing 3.1 times the odds compared with dogs < 3 years. Neutered males (OR 1.82) and entire males (OR 1.50) had increased odds compared with entire females. The relatively low prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event that was treated with a drug in 2013 could suggest that opportunities for useful psychopharmaceutical intervention in UBs may be being missed in first opinion veterinary practice. While bodyweight was not a significant factor, the 3 individual breeds at higher odds of an UB treated with a behaviour modifying drug all have a relatively low average bodyweight. The current results also support previous research of a male predisposition to UBs and it is possible that this higher risk resulted in the increased likelihood of being prescribed a behaviour modifying drug, regardless of neuter status.

Regional Patterns of Access and Participation in Non-Formal Cultural Education in Germany

(1) Background: The equality of life chances in Germany is often assessed along the lines of a west/east and urban/rural differentiation in which the latter usually perform worse. One currently popular proposal for addressing these inequalities is to strengthen cultural and arts education. The question arises to what extent regional characteristics genuinely influence participation opportunities and to what extent individual resources still play a decisive role. (2) Methods: Using descriptive analyses and multilevel logistic regression modelling, we investigate the distribution of and participation in non-formal cultural education amongst German youth. (3) Results: We find that differences are more complex than a simple west/east or urban/rural divides. Rather, cultural activities must be considered in terms of their character in order to assess the mechanisms at play. There seem to be differences in the dependency on district funding between very peripheral and very central districts that frame the cultural infrastructure. (4) Conclusions: Regional discrepancies are not uniformly distributed across different fields of education or infrastructure. Simplifying statements that classify peripheral regions the general losers can be refuted here. Simultaneously, more comprehensive data could yield significantly more results than we are currently able to produce.

Regression Equations for Weight Estimation in Paediatric Resuscitation

Background: Weight estimation is critical in paediatric resuscitation, as stopping to weigh a child could influence their survival. Weight estimation methods used in New Zealand (NZ) are not accurate for the population, increasing the complexity of prescribing medication and selecting equipment. Aim: Develop regression equations (RE) to predict the weight of NZ children based on height, sex, age and ethnicity to be deployed in a mobile application (Weight Estimation Without Waiting). Methods: The RE was derived from retrospective regression modelling of a large existing dataset. Data were presented using descriptive statistics and calculation of means, limits of agreement and the proportion of weight estimates within a percentage of actual weight. Conclusion: The RE developed in this study outperformed existing age-based weight estimation methods while providing a method to ensure that weight estimation techniques evolve with NZ children.

The effect of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress and change in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in Queensland, Australia

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased levels of stress and alcohol consumption. This study examined the effect of resilience on the relationship between stress and changes in alcohol consumption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. A cross-sectional survey of 502 adults in Queensland, Australia (mean age = 45.68 (16.61)), found 23.9% of individuals had increased their alcohol consumption since the start of the pandemic. Regression modelling demonstrated a significant association between perceived stress and change in alcohol consumption. The study also revealed resilience was a moderating factor, where high levels of resilience buffered against increases in alcohol consumption associated with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Uncovering dynamic textual topics that explain crime

Crime analysis/mapping techniques have been developed and applied for crime detection and prevention to predict where and when crime occurs, leveraging historical crime records over a spatial area and covariates for the spatial domain. Some of these techniques may provide insights for understanding crime and disorder, especially, via interpreting the weights for the spatial covariates based on regression modelling. However, to date, the use of temporal covariates for the time domain has not played a significant role in the analysis. In this work, we collect time-stamped crime-related news articles, infer crime topics or themes based on the collection and associate the topics with the historical numeric crime counts. We provide a proof-of-concept study, where instead of adopting spatial covariates, we focus on temporal (or dynamic) covariates and assess their utility. We present a novel joint model tailored for the crime articles and counts such that the temporal covariates (latent variables, more generally) are inferred based on the data sources. We apply the model for violent crime in London.

Acceptability of peer learning and education approach on malaria prevention (PLEA-malaria) through primary schools communities in rural Ethiopia: peer educators’ perspectives

Background Evidence on peer educators’ experiences of implementing the school-based educational interventions on malaria prevention would be used as inputs for malaria eliminating efforts. This study explored the acceptability of the school-based peer-learning and education approach on malaria prevention (PLEA-malaria) among peer educators in Ethiopia. Methods This process evaluation study was aimed to examine the success of the school-based PLEA-malaria that was implemented in 75 primary schools in Jimma from 2017 to 2019. A mixed research method was employed to collect post-intervention data from 404 peer educators and key stakeholders. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and interview guide. Multivariable linear regression modelling was performed using SPSS software version 26.0. Atlas ti 7.5 for windows was used to analyse the qualitative data. The result was presented by triangulating the findings of the qualitative and quantitative methods. Results The mean score (M, range = R) of acceptability of PLEA-malaria was (M = 20.20, R = 6–30). The regression modelling showed that age; (β = 0.264, 95% CI 0.266 to 0.632), GPA; (β = 0.106, 95% CI 0.008 to 0.074), parental readiness for malaria education; (β = 0.184, 95% CI 0.711 to 2.130), frequency of peer education; (β = 0.232, 95% CI 1.087 to 2.514) and team spirit; (β = 0.141, 95% CI 0.027 to 0.177) were positively associated with the acceptability while this relationship was negative for the number of ITN in the household; (β = − 0.111, 95% CI − 1.182 to -0.13) and frequency of parent-student communication; (β = − 0.149, 95% CI − 1.201 to − 0.293). The qualitative study identified facilitators of PLEA-malaria (e.g. team formation process, outcome efficacy, presence of schools’ structures, schools priority, and support) and barriers (e.g. low commitments, threat appraisal, response efficacy, and PLEA-malaria implementation gaps). Conclusion The results suggested that the acceptability of the school-based PLEA-malaria was higher implying the strategy is promising in promoting malaria prevention in primary schools. Considering factors related to personal, access to malaria preventive services, school system, and social support in education and behaviour change interventions would be important to improve the acceptability. The relationship about how an improvement in the level of acceptability would in turn influences malaria preventive behaviours among the students should be investigated.

Introducing LASSO-type penalisation to generalised joint regression modelling for count data

In this work, we propose an extension of the versatile joint regression framework for bivariate count responses of the package by Marra and Radice (R package version 0.2-3, 2020) by incorporating an (adaptive) LASSO-type penalty. The underlying estimation algorithm is based on a quadratic approximation of the penalty. The method enables variable selection and the corresponding estimates guarantee shrinkage and sparsity. Hence, this approach is particularly useful in high-dimensional count response settings. The proposal’s empirical performance is investigated in a simulation study and an application on FIFA World Cup football data.

Reporting the epidemiology of aural haematoma in dogs and proposing a novel aetiopathogenetic pathway

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for aural haematoma in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. A cohort study design. Dogs diagnosed with aural haematoma during 2016 were identified from the VetCompass database. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used for risk factor analysis. There were 2,249/905,554 dogs diagnosed with aural haematoma during 2016. The estimated one-year incidence risk for aural haematoma was 0.25% (95% confidence interval 0.24–0.26). After accounting for confounding factors, 14 breeds showed increased odds and 20 breeds showed reduced odds of aural haematoma compared with crossbred dogs. Breeds with the highest odds included Bull Terrier (OR 7.42, 95% confidence interval 4.39–12.54), Saint Bernard (OR 7.28, 95% confidence interval 3.58–14.81) and French Bulldog (OR 6.95, 95% confidence interval 5.55–8.70). Increasing age, increasing bodyweight and breeds with V-shaped drop and semi-erect ear carriage also showed increased odds of aural haematoma. Associations between ear carriage within breeds and the risk of aural haematoma suggest that trauma along the line of cartilage folding within V-shaped and semi-erect ears may trigger aural haematoma. New knowledge of key breed predispositions will contribute to improved breed health control strategies.