bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predicting Who Will Develop Dementia in a Cohort of Canadian Seniors
Authors: Hogan David B. , Ebly Erika M. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT:Objectives:We examined whether easily attainable variables were useful in predicting who became demented over a five year period and determined the rates of incident dementia for different categories of mild cognitive impairment.Methods:This was a cohort study of subjects recruited nationally in a population-based survey of Canadians 65 years and older (the Canadian Study of Health and Aging). After standardized clinical assessments, a subset of subjects (n=1782) was categorized as not demented at time one. Identical study methods allowed a reassessment of the cognitive status of surviving subjects (n=892) five years later.Results:Three baseline variables (Modified Mini Mental State (3MS) score, subject's age, and an informant's report of the presence of memory problems) were statistically significant predictors of the development of a dementia. An equation incorporating these three variables had a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 56% for predicting dementia among survivors at time two. An equation substituting the MMSE for the 3MS showed similar results. The various categories of mild cognitive impairment examined showed significantly different likelihoods for the subsequent development of a dementia. Some categories with a higher dementia risk were characterized by inclusion criteria requiring neuropsychological test scores that were greater than one standard deviation (SD) below the mean of age based normative data.Conclusion:In the absence of extensive laboratory, radiologic or neuropsychological tests, simple variables that can be easily determined in the course of a single clinical encounter were useful in predicting subjects with a higher risk of developing dementia. Attempts to use neuropsychological results to predict the development of dementia should look for significant impairments on age-standardized tests.
Post-traumatic Cervical Dystonia: A Distinct Entity?
Authors: Samii A. , Pal P.K. , Schulzer M. , Mak E. , Tsui J.K.C. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT:Background/Objective:The incidence of head/neck trauma preceding cervical dystonia (CD) has been reported to be 5-21%. There are few reports comparing the clinical characteristics of patients with and without a history of injury. Our aim was to compare the clinical characteristics of idiopathic CD (CD-I) to those with onset precipitated by trauma (CD-T). Methods: We evaluated 114 consecutive patients with CD over a 9-month period. All patients were interviewed using a detailed questionnaire and had a neurological examination. Their clinical charts were also reviewed.Methods:We evaluated 114 consecutive patients with CD over a 9-month period. All patients were interviewed using a detailed questionnaire and had a neurological examination. Their clinical charts were also reviewed.Results:Fourteen patients (12%) had mild head/neck injury within a year preceding the onset of CD. Between the two groups (CD-I and CD-T), the gender distribution (F:M of 3:2), family history of movement disorders (32% vs. 29%), the prevalence of gestes antagonistes (65% vs. 64%), and response to botulinum toxin were similar. There were non-specific trends, including an earlier age of onset (mean ages 43.3 vs. 37.6), higher prevalence of neck pain (86% vs. 100%), head tremor (67% vs. 79%), and dystonia in other body parts (23% vs. 36%) in CD-T.Conclusion:CD-I and CD-T are clinically similar. Trauma may be a triggering factor in CD but this was only supported by non-significant trends in its earlier age of onset.
Clinical and Electromyographic Examinations of Patients with Essential Tremor
Authors: Milanov Ivan 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT:Background:It is believed that no clinical differences exist among essential, familial and senile tremor, or between the tremor with synchronous or alternating electromyographic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and electromyographic findings in a large group of patients with different types of essential tremor.Methods:Two hundred and twenty patients with sporadic, familial or senile variants of essential tremor were examined. According to the electromyographic activity recorded from the antagonistic muscles, the patients were subdivided into a group with synchronous (SYN) and a group with alternating (ALT) activity. The historical aspects of the disease were noted, and a detailed neurological examination was performed.Results:A widespread tremor involving upper and lower limbs and 3-4 different anatomical regions was typical for familial tremor. It also had higher amplitude than the sporadic and senile tremor. ALT tremor had a higher amplitude and longer burst duration than SYN and more often involved lower limbs. Rest tremor was common in the ALT group. Overall, ALT tremor was more common than previously supposed.Conclusion:The familial and ALT tremors are more disabling than other types of essential tremor. Since electromyographic ALT activity is common in essential tremor, its presence does not reliably distinguish essential and Parkinsonian tremor.
Genetic moderation of multiple pathways linking early cumulative socioeconomic adversity and young adults' cardiometabolic disease risk
Authors: Wickrama Kandauda A. S. , Lee Tae Kyoung , O'Neal Catherine Walker 
Published: May 2017

AbstractRecent research suggests that psychosocial resources and life stressors are mediating pathways explaining socioeconomic variation in young adults' health risks. However, less research has examined both these pathways simultaneously and their genetic moderation. A nationally representative sample of 11,030 respondents with prospective data collected over 13 years from the National Study of Adolescent to Adult Health was examined. First, the association between early cumulative socioeconomic adversity and young adults' (ages 25–34) cardiometabolic disease risk, as measured by 10 biomarkers, through psychosocial resources (educational attainment) and life stressors (accelerated transition to adulthood) was examined. Second, moderation of these pathways by the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region gene (5-HTTLPR) was examined. There was evidence for the association between early socioeconomic adversity and young adults' cardiometabolic disease risk directly and indirectly through educational attainment and accelerated transitions. These direct and mediating pathways were amplified by the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. These findings elucidate how early adversity can have an enduring influence on young adults' cardiometabolic disease risk directly and indirectly through psychosocial resources and life stressors and their genetic moderation. This information suggests that effective intervention and prevention programs should focus on early adversity, youth educational attainment, and their transition to young adulthood.
Direct genetic and maternal effects affecting litter size, birth weight and pre-weaning losses in Creole goats of Guadeloupe
Authors: Menéndez-Buxadera A. , Alexandre G. , Mandonnet N. , Navès M. , Aumont G. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe litter size (LS), or its equivalent the number of kids born in the litter (NB), of Creole goats in Guadeloupe was studied by two procedures. The first approach considered LS as a single trait and as a characteristic of the mother of the litter, and was studied by an univariate animal model (UAM). The second procedure treated NB, the individual birth weight (BW) and loss of kids (LK) as traits belonging to the animals born in the litter and their dam, in a multitrait animal model (MAM). The heritability for genetic direct effect (h2a) for LS estimated by UAM (0·14) was 40% lower than the corresponding value for NB estimated by MAM. The most appropriate of the 6 MAMs tested estimated heritabilities (h2a) of 0·24, 0·22 and 0·17 for NB, BW and LK, respectively, while maternal effects (h2m) were 0·20, 0·24 and 0·09 for the same characters. The genetic correlations between direct and maternal effects (ram) were negative –0·611 and –0·725 for NB and LK, respectively, and not significantly different from zero for BW. This study explored the possibility of using the information on NB, BW and LK recorded in each animal born in the litter in order to analyse the genetic variability of these traits.
Methods of carcass classification based on subjective assessments of carcass fatness and of carcass conformation: effect of sex on the prediction of tissue composition in carcasses of sucking lambs
Authors: Miguel E. , Ruiz de Huidobro F. , Díaz M. T. , Velasco S. , Lauzurica S. , Pérez C. , Onega E. , Blázquez B. , Cañeque V. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractForty-eight sucking lambs (26 males and 22 females) of the Manchega breed were used in this work. Lambs were slaughtered at 10, 12 and 14 kg live weight. Carcass degree of fatness was assessed by three assessors from colour photographs of the carcasses, using the European Union scale for light lambs (EU), the Colomer-Rocher method (CF) and another new scale developed by our group (sucking lambs scale, SL). Carcass conformation was assessed according to the Colomer-Rocher method (CC). Fatness and conformation scales were divided to give 0·25 points in each interval. Left half-carcasses were jointed and dissected into lean, fat and bone. Muscle proportion, bone proportion and whole fat proportion (obtained by addition of every fat depot: subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, inguinal fat and kidney knob and channel fat) were determined. Male and female carcasses showed a very different tissue composition: both groups had statistically significant differences (P < 0·05) in 20 out of 25 tissue composition variates. Males showed a higher number of variates that were well correlated with assessors’ scoring than females. Correlation coefficients between most of the tissue composition variates and assessors’ scores were higher in males. Furthermore, the number of variates that were significantly correlated with assessors’ scores was lower in females. Therefore, subjective methods for the estimation of carcass degree of fatness and of carcass conformation are poor predictors of tissue composition in female sucking lamb carcasses.
Deterministic predictions of beef cow herd population dynamics with alternative replacement strategies
Authors: Amer P. R. , Roughsedge T. , Lowman B. , Simm G. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA deterministic method of predicting numbers of each animal class present over time in a beef cow herd with multiple calving seasons per year is described. Breeding cow classes are defined according to the number of generations of descent from the cows in the herd prior to the introduction of a specific heifer replacement breeding policy. Cow classes are further divided into subgroups defined according to age of cow, calving interval and whether or not the cow was last mated to a terminal sire. The method is demonstrated by showing the evolution of herd breed make-up with several alternative replacement female breeding policies including grading-up, two-breed rotation and three-breed rotation breeding policies. For an example herd, the first generation of replacements peaked at approximately 0·4 of the herd at 6 years after the first matings for a new breeding system. Later generations of replacements reached equivalent proportions of the herd to the previous generation approximately 3·3 years later, with peak proportions at approximately 0·25 of the herd. Differences in the relative levels of expression of heterosis for grade up versus rotational replacement policies increased steadily from 5 years onwards with 0·17 of the heterosis expected in a herd of F1 cows remaining 20 years after the first matings of the new breeding system. The two-breed grading-up system showed less heterosis than the three-breed grading-up system only after 8 years, with the difference increasing to 0·16 of the heterosis in an F1 herd after 20 years. Results are also presented showing the difference in contributions of breeds to the herd gene pool over time with the different breeding systems. With the rotational systems, breeds lag by approximately 3 years in the timing of their contribution according to the order of their introduction to the rotation. The effects of faster heifer replacement rates on results were also discussed. It is concluded that short-to medium-term impacts of breed and replacement breeding system choices are likely to be more relevant in practical decision making by suckler herd managers than the characteristics of breeding systems once herds have reached genetic equilibrium.
Impacts of alternative replacement breeding systems on biological and economic performance in beef suckler production using a herd level bio-economic model
Authors: Roughsedge T. , Lowman B. , Amer P. R. , Simm G. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA deterministic bio-economic model was used to investigate the impact of different heifer replacement breeding systems for beef suckler cow production in different environments. It was shown that measures of cow efficiency were highly correlated with profitability in suckled calf production. However, where significant genotype differences exist in final output value due to issues of carcass quality, then more complete characterization of system profitability is recommended. In systems utilizing a terminal sire mating policy for all matings in excess of replacement heifer requirements the proportion of terminal sire matings made are affected by female fertility. Reduced cow fertility combined with late attainment of puberty in heifers and low heifer fertility has a substantial negative effect on the proportion of terminal sire matings made. This illustrates an aspect of production that can be improved by the use of crossbreeding to exploit heterosis in reproductive traits. The time frame of impacts of the different systems was seen to vary. Grading up to a pure breed allowed exploitation of heterosis in the early years of the transition leading to a boost in profitability but this boost was lost as the herd became purebred. Composite and rotational crossing systems were seen to create a steady rise in financial margin to the point where they became stable in breed proportion and heterosis. The effect of cow size was evaluated in three different environments, representing UK lowland, upland and hill. It was found that small cows became more profitable in relation to large cows as food resources became more limiting. In a non-limiting environment large cows were more profitable than small cows.
Effect of season and dietary fibre on feeding behaviour of lactating sows in a tropical climate
Authors: Renaudeau D. , Weisbecker J.-L. , Noblet J. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractTwenty-seven multiparous Large White sows were used to determine the effect of season in a tropical climate and dietary fibre on their feeding behaviour during lactation. The experiment was conducted in Guadeloupe (French West Indies, latitude 16°N, longitude 61°W) between October 1999 and January 2001; climatic conditions in the farrowing room were equivalent to outdoor conditions. Two seasons were determined a posteriori from climatic criteria recorded continuously in the farrowing room. During the warm season, ambient temperature and relative humidity averaged 25°C and 0·868, respectively. The corresponding values for the hot season were 27·5°C and 0·835. Experimental diets offered during lactation were a control diet (C; 140 g neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) per kg) and a high fibre diet (HF; 200 g NDF per kg). Sows were offered food ad libitum between the 6th and the 27th day of lactation. Daily food intake between day 6 and day 27 decreased during the hot season (P < 0·001; 3226 v. 5571 g/d during the warm season). This was achieved by a reduction of both meal size (P < 0·05; 460 v. 718 g per meal) and ingestion and consumption time (P < 0·01; -11·1 and -15·3 min/day, respectively) whereas the number of meals remained constant (8·4 meals per day on average). During warm season, hourly food intake peaked twice daily near sunrise and sunset. During the hot season, peaks were attenuated and food intake was reduced during the hotter periods of the day and increased during the fresher period of the day, especially in early morning. As a result the diurnal partition of food intake was significantly affected by season; proportionately 0·62 and 0·47 of total food intake occurred during the day in warm and in hot seasons, respectively. Standing duration averaged 138 min/ day with no significant difference between seasons. Feeding behaviour criteria were not influenced by diet composition. In conclusion, the season in a humid tropical climate significantly affects the feeding behaviour of lactating sows.
The effects of increasing the sodium content of grass or concentrates on the nutrition of sheep
Authors: Phillips C. J. C. , Mohamed M. O. , Omed H. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractSupplementary salt is often added to the diet of sheep by including it in concentrate food, but an alternative is to soak their forage in a weak salt solution, which could prevent the sudden influx of large doses of sodium(Na) to the rumen. An experiment was conducted to compare low and moderate levels of salt in forage with moderate and high levels added to the concentrate. Twenty sheep were housed in individual chambers equipped for faeces and urine collection and offered fresh grass and concentrate, with the salt being added to the grass by soaking in salt water and to the concentrate by direct mixing. The grass for sheep offered the supplementary Na in concentrates and for a control treatment was soaked in water without salt. Grass was offered in two daily meals and was availablead libitum, and concentrates were offered at a restricted level just before the first feeding of grass. Adding salt at the low and moderate levels to the water in which the grass was soaked increased the Na intake from 1·1 g/day (the control treatment) to 2·1 and 3·8 g/day, respectively, and reduced the Mg and Ca contents in the grass, compared with grass soaked in unsalted water. Adding salt to the concentrate at moderate and high levels increased Na intake to 3·7 and 5·9 g/day, respectively. Grass dry matter (DM) intakes were increased by adding Na to the concentrates, but not to the grass, and DM digestibility was increased in all salt supplement treatments except the high level added to the concentrate. The apparent absorption of Na was increased in proportion to the amount of Na added to the diet and that of K was increased at the moderate and high levels. The apparent absorption and retention of Mg and Ca were decreased at the low level of Na supplementation in herbage. It is concluded that the potential benefits of adding salt to the diet, namely increased food intake and digestibility and increased mineral absorption, are dependent on the level of addition and the method of adding it.
Effects of folic acid fortification on orofacial clefts prevalence: a meta-analysis
Authors: Millacura Natalia , Pardo Rosa , Cifuentes Lucia , Suazo José 
Published: May 2017

AbstractObjectiveOrofacial clefts (OFC) are the most prevalent craniofacial birth defect. Folic acid (FA) supplementation has been demonstrated as an effective intervention to reduce risk of OFC occurrence. However, the effect of mandatory FA fortification of wheat and/or maize flour on OFC prevalence has shown controversial results among countries adopting this policy. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to synthesize the available evidence evaluating the global impact of this mandatory policy on OFC occurrence.DesignLiterature search in conventional and grey medical/scientific databases showed fifteen studies considering OFC prevalence in pre- and post-fortification periods with FA. The effect of this policy was evaluated by computing relative risk (RR) and separating samples into total OFC, non-syndromic forms, cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate only (CPO).ResultsWe found a significant effect of FA fortification only on non-syndromic CL/P (RR=0·88; 95 % CI 0·81, 0·96), whereas neutral effects were detected for total OFC (syndromic plus non-syndromic) and CPO.ConclusionsOur results may reflect the different aetiology of syndromic OFC with respect to non-syndromic forms and the CL/P related to CPO. Although the number of non-syndromic CL/P samples was lower than that for total OFC, the absence of both between-study heterogeneity and publication bias leads us to conclude that FA fortification may have beneficial effects on non-syndromic CL/P.
Injecting Compassion into International Wildlife Law: From Conservation to Protection?
Authors: Scholtz Werner 
Published: May 2017

AbstractInternational wildlife law is concerned with the conservation of sentient species, but generally ignores the welfare of individual animals. It therefore does not reflect a recognition of the moral worth of animals and perpetuates the dichotomy between conservation and welfare. It is the primary goal of this article to ascertain how welfare concerns may be incorporated into international wildlife law in order to ensure that it takes cognizance of the moral worth of animals. The article advocates an injection of ethics, via a welfare-centric approach, into wildlife law in order to escape the dichotomy between conservation and welfare in relation to wild animals, and so to advance the progressive development of law that is conducive to wildlife protection rather than merely to its conservation.
Epibionts dominate metabolic functional potential of Trichodesmium colonies from the oligotrophic ocean
Authors: Frischkorn Kyle R , Rouco Mónica , Van Mooy Benjamin A S , Dyhrman Sonya T 
Published: May 2017

Abstract
Trichodesmium is a genus of marine diazotrophic colonial cyanobacteria that exerts a profound influence on global biogeochemistry, by injecting ‘new’ nitrogen into the low nutrient systems where it occurs. Colonies of Trichodesmium ubiquitously contain a diverse assemblage of epibiotic microorganisms, constituting a microbiome on the Trichodesmium host. Metagenome sequences from Trichodesmium colonies were analyzed along a resource gradient in the western North Atlantic to examine microbiome community structure, functional diversity and metabolic contributions to the holobiont. Here we demonstrate the presence of a core Trichodesmium microbiome that is modulated to suit different ocean regions, and contributes over 10 times the metabolic potential of Trichodesmium to the holobiont. Given the ubiquitous nature of epibionts on colonies, the substantial functional diversity within the microbiome is likely an integral facet of Trichodesmium physiological ecology across the oligotrophic oceans where this biogeochemically significant diazotroph thrives.