Hematological profile of East African short-horn zebu calves from birth to 51 weeks of age

This paper is the first attempt to accurately describe the hematological parameters for any African breed of cattle, by capturing the changes in these parameters over the first 12 months of an animal’s life using a population-based sample of calves reared under field conditions and natural disease challenge. Using a longitudinal study design, a stratified clustered random sample of newborn calves was recruited into the IDEAL study and monitored at 5-weekly intervals until 51 weeks of age. The blood cell analysis performed at each visit included: packed cell volume; red cell count; red cell distribution width; mean corpuscular volume; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; hemoglobin concentration; white cell count; absolute lymphocyte, eosinophil, monocyte, and neutrophil counts; platelet count; mean platelet volume; and total serum protein. The most significant age-related change in the red cell parameters was a rise in red cell count and hemoglobin concentration during the neonatal period. This is in contrast to what is reported for other ruminants, including European cattle breeds where the neonatal period is marked by a fall in the red cell parameters. There is a need to establish breed-specific reference ranges for blood parameters for indigenous cattle breeds. The possible role of the postnatal rise in the red cell parameters in the adaptability to environmental constraints and innate disease resistance warrants further research into the dynamics of blood cell parameters of these breeds.     

Common and rare alleles of the serotonin transporter gene,SLC6A4, associated with Tourette's disorder

To evaluate the hypothesis that functionally over‐expressing alleles of the serotonin transporter (SERT) gene (solute carrier family 6, member 4, SLC6A4) are present in Tourette's disorder (TD), just as we previously observed in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), we evaluated TD probands (N = 151) and controls (N = 858). We genotyped the refined SERT‐linked polymorphic region 5‐HTTLPR/rs25531 and the associated rs25532 variant in the SLC6A4 promoter plus the rare coding variant SERT isoleucine‐to‐valine at position 425 (I425V). The higher expressing 5‐HTTLPR/rs25531 L_A allele was more prevalent in TD probands than in controls (χ² = 5.75; P = 0.017; odds ratio [OR], 1.35); and, in a secondary analysis, surprisingly, it was significantly more frequent in probands who had TD alone than in those who had TD plus OCD (Fisher's exact test; P = 0.0006; OR, 2.29). Likewise, the higher expressing L_AC haplotype (5‐HTTLPR/rs25531/rs25532) was more frequent in TD probands than in controls (P = 0.024; OR, 1.33) and also in the TD alone group versus the TD plus OCD group (P = 0.0013; OR, 2.14). Furthermore, the rare gain‐of‐function SERT I425V variant was observed in 3 male siblings with TD and/or OCD and in their father. Thus, the cumulative count of SERT I425V becomes 1.57% in OCD/TD spectrum conditions versus 0.15% in controls, with a recalculated, family‐adjusted significance of χ² = 15.03 (P < 0.0001; OR, 9.0; total worldwide genotyped, 2914). This report provides a unique combination of common and rare variants in one gene in TD, all of which are associated with SERT gain of function. Thus, altered SERT activity represents a potential contributor to serotonergic abnormalities in TD. The present results call for replication in a similarly intensively evaluated sample. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society     

Robotic kidney transplantation in the obese patient: 10‐year experience from a single center

Despite increasing obesity rates in the dialysis population, obese kidney transplant candidates are still denied transplantation by many centers. We performed a single‐center retrospective analysis of a robotic‐assisted kidney transplant (RAKT) cohort from January 2009 to December 2018. A total of 239 patients were included in this analysis. The median BMI was 41.4 kg/m², with the majority (53.1%) of patients being African American and 69.4% of organs sourced from living donors. The median surgery duration and warm ischemia times were 4.8 hours and 45 minutes respectively. Wound complications (mostly seromas and hematomas) occurred in 3.8% of patients, with 1 patient developing a surgical site infection (SSI). Seventeen (7.1%) graft failures, mostly due to acute rejection, were reported during follow‐up. Patient survival was 98% and 95%, whereas graft survival was 98% and 93%, at 1 and 3 years respectively. Similar survival statistics were obtained from patients undergoing open transplant over the same time period from the UNOS database. In conclusion, RAKT can be safely performed in obese patients with minimal SSI risk, excellent graft function, and patient outcomes comparable to national data. RAKT could improve access to kidney transplantation in obese patients due to the low surgical complication rate.     

The Impact of the Universal Infant Free School Meal Policy on Dietary Quality in English and Scottish Primary School Children: Evaluation of a Natural Experiment

The Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) policy was introduced in September 2014 in England and January 2015 in Scotland and offered all infant schoolchildren (ages 4–7 years) a free school lunch, regardless of income. Yet, impacts of UIFSM on dietary intakes or social inequalities are not known. A difference-in-differences study using the National Diet and Nutrition Survey assessed pooled pre-UIFSM (2010–2014) and post-UIFSM (2014–2017) dietary data. English or Scottish infant schoolchildren (4–7 years; n = 458) were the intervention group, with junior schoolchildren (8–11 years; n = 401) as controls. We found that implementation of UIFSM led to an increase in infant schoolchildren having a school meal. Impacts on key food groups such as fruit and vegetables or sweetened beverages were not seen. However, there was evidence that the UIFSM policy lowered consumption of foods associated with packed lunches, such as crisps, and some nutrients, such as total fat and sodium. Policy impacts differed by income group, with larger effect sizes in low-income children. In conclusion, evaluation of UIFSM demonstrated some improvements in dietary quality but the findings suggest school meal quality needs to be improved to fully realise the benefits of UIFSM.     

Predicting genetic loading from symptom patterns in obsessive- compulsive disorder: a latent variable analysis

Background: Some symptom dimensions in obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) patients have a familial and putative genetic foundation, based on replicated findings in studies of sib‐pairs with OCD. However, these symptom dimensions are all from exploratory factor analyses of Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist ratings based on non‐empirically derived symptom categories, rather than individual symptoms. Methods: In this study, we used a novel latent variable mixture model analysis to identify meaningful patient subgroupings. This was preceded by a confirmatory factor analysis of a 65‐item OCD symptom inventory from 398 OCD probands, which yielded a five‐factor solution. Data from all five symptom factors were used in a latent variable mixture model analysis, which identified two statistically separate OCD subpopulations. Results: One group of probands had a significantly higher proportion of OCD‐affected afflicted relatives (parents or close parental relatives), whereas the other group had a less prevalent familial OCD. The group with the more familial OCD was also found to have an earlier age of OCD onset, more severe OCD symptoms, and greater psychiatric comorbidity and impairment. Conclusions: Especially if the results are verified in other samples, this research paradigm, which identified characteristics of individuals with familial OCD, should prove useful in carrying out genome‐wide linkage and association studies of OCD and may provide a model for other symptom‐based studies of additional medical disorders. Depression and Anxiety 25:680–688, 2008. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Characterizing the hoarding phenotype in individuals with OCD: associations with comorbidity, severity and gender

Hoarding frequently occurs in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and some evidence suggests that it constitutes a distinct OCD subtype, with genetic contributions. This study investigated differences between OCD patients with and without hoarding symptoms. Of the 473 OCD patients studied, 24% were classified as hoarders according to combined interviewer and self-ratings, which were validated with the Savings Inventory-Revised in a subsample. Hoarders suffered from significantly more severe OCD symptoms, (especially compulsions) and had greater impairment and dysphoria. Hoarders also had more comorbid psychiatric disorders. Further study revealed that many of these differences were attributable to the female subjects: Compared to female non-hoarders, female hoarders were more likely to suffer from bipolar I, substance abuse, panic disorder, binge-eating disorder, and had greater OCD severity. Male hoarders had an increased prevalence of social phobia compared to non-hoarding males. These results suggest that there are gender-specific differences in the hoarding sub-phenotype of OCD.     

Penile fracture with bilateral corporeal rupture and complete urethral disruption: case report and literature review

Penile fracture is a rare injury most commonly sustained during sexual intercourse. We report the case of a 35-year-old man who presented with bilateral rupture of the corpora cavernosa and complete disruption of the urethra. A review of the literature on penile fracture is also presented. Urgent surgical exploration was performed and the injuries repaired primarily. In follow-up, the patient reported satisfactory erectile function. This case highlights the importance of early surgical repair and evaluation for concomitant urethral injuries in cases of penile fracture.     

Extensive cell migration, axon regeneration, and improved function with polysialic acid-modified Schwann cells after spinal cord injury

Schwann cell (SC) implantation after spinal cord injury (SCI) promotes axonal regeneration, remyelination repair, and functional recovery. Reparative efficacy, however, may be limited because of the inability of SCs to migrate outward from the lesion-implant site. Altering SC cell surface properties by overexpressing polysialic acid (PSA) has been shown to promote SC migration. In this study, a SCI contusion model was used to evaluate the migration, supraspinal axon growth support, and functional recovery associated with polysialyltransferase (PST)-overexpressing SCs [PST-green fluorescent protein (GFP) SCs] or controls (GFP SCs). Compared with GFP SCs, which remained confined to the injection site at the injury center, PST-GFP SCs migrated across the lesion:host cord interface for distances of up to 4.4 mm within adjacent host tissue. In addition, with PST-GFP SCs, there was extensive serotonergic and corticospinal axon in-growth within the implants that was limited in the GFP SC controls. The enhanced migration of PST-GFP SCs was accompanied by significant growth of these axons caudal to lesion. Animals receiving PST-GFP SCs exhibited improved functional outcome, both in the open-field and on the gridwalk test, beyond the modest improvements provided by GFP SC controls. This study for the first time demonstrates that a lack of migration by SCs may hinder their reparative benefits and that cell surface overexpression of PSA enhances the ability of implanted SCs to associate with and support the growth of corticospinal axons. These results provide further promise that PSA-modified SCs will be a potent reparative approach for SCI. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Left ventricular intra-myocardial dissection after myocardial infarction

Left ventricular (LV) intra-myocardial dissection or dissecting hematoma is a rare complication of myocardial infarction that could occur in the acute phase, during remodeling process and even after coronary revascularization. LV intra-myocardial dissection has a high mortality, and the best management strategy remains controversial. Here, we present a case of dissection of left ventricle late after anterior myocardial infarction diagnosed by multimodality imaging.     

Family involvement in eating disorder treatment among Latinas

ABSTRACT

Latinos are less likely to seek health care for eating disorders and more likely to drop out of treatment than members of other ethnic groups, highlighting existing challenges to engagement in traditional mental health care. This study explored the role of family in the treatment of adult Latinas with eating disorders through content analysis of family sessions adjunctive to cognitive behavioral therapy. This study yielded insight into the experiences of 10 Latinas with eating disorders (M age = 39.90 years) and 10 relatives (M age = 39.50) from the Promoviendo una Alimentación Saludable trial who were randomly selected to receive six family enhancement sessions. Data from 53 sessions were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Family intervention might serve as a valuable adjunct to conventional treatment by positively influencing social, family, and emotional support for Latinas with eating disorders.