European organic dairy farmers’ preference for animal health management within the farm management system

The expertise and knowledge of veterinary advisors on improving animal health management is key towards a better herd health status. However, veterinary advisors are not always aware of the goals and priorities of dairy farmers. To dairy farmers animal health is only one aspect of farm management and resources may be allocated to other more preferred areas. Veterinary advisors may experience this as non-compliant with their advice. To explore the preferences of European Union (EU) organic dairy farmers for improved animal health management relative to other farm management areas an adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) was performed. A total of 215 farmers participated originating from organic dairy farms in France (n=70), Germany (n=60), Spain (n=28) and Sweden (n=57). The management areas udder health and claw health represented animal health management whereas barn, calf and pasture management represented potential conflicting management areas. Results indicate that EU organic dairy farmers differ in their preferences for improved animal health management within the farming system. In general, improved calf management was the most preferred area and improved claw health management was found to be least preferred, the remaining areas were of intermediate interest. Cluster analyses on claw health measures and udder health measures resulted in respectively seven and nine distinct preference profiles. The results indicate a high degree of variation in farmers’ preference, which cannot be explained by the typical herd characteristics. With the individual preferences revealed by ACA, a veterinary advisor can now find out whether his intended advice is directed at a favourable or unfavourable management area of the farmer. If the latter is the case the veterinarian should first create awareness of the problem to the farmer. Insights in individual farmers preferences will allow veterinary advisors to better understand why farmers were incompliant with their advice and improve their advice by showing, for example, the potential benefits of their advice.     

民办非营利性医疗机构发展问题及对策

新医改方案中提出鼓励和引导社会资本发展医疗卫生事业,鼓励社会资本依法兴办非营利性医疗机构。发展民办医疗机构尤其是民办非营利性医疗机构对深化医药卫生体制改革具有重要意义。然而当前民办非营利性医疗机构的发展困难重重。试图从民间组织理论的视角出发,从社会环境、内部治理和外部监督管理等方面对民办非营利性医疗机构发展面临的问题进行分析,进而提出政策建议,希望为进一步发展民办非营利性医疗机构提供思路和经验借鉴。     

Using the Genetics Concept Assessment to document persistent conceptual difficulties in undergraduate genetics courses

To help genetics instructors become aware of fundamental concepts that are persistently difficult for students, we have analyzed the evolution of student responses to multiple-choice questions from the Genetics Concept Assessment. In total, we examined pretest (before instruction) and posttest (after instruction) responses from 751 students enrolled in six genetics courses for either majors or nonmajors. Students improved on all 25 questions after instruction, but to varying degrees. Notably, there was a subgroup of nine questions for which a single incorrect answer, called the most common incorrect answer, was chosen by >20% of students on the posttest. To explore response patterns to these nine questions, we tracked individual student answers before and after instruction and found that particular conceptual difficulties about genetics are both more likely to persist and more likely to distract students than other incorrect ideas. Here we present an analysis of the evolution of these incorrect ideas to encourage instructor awareness of these genetics concepts and provide advice on how to address common conceptual difficulties in the classroom.     

Enriched Endogenous Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Mice Ameliorate Parenchymal Cell Death After Traumatic Brain Injury

Currently no effective therapies are available for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Early intervention that specifically provides neuroprotection is of most importance which profoundly influences the outcome of TBI. In the present study, we adopted a closed-skull mild TBI model to investigate potential roles of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) in protecting against TBI. Using two-photon laser scanning microscopy (2PLSM), parenchymal cell death and reactive oxidative species (ROS) expression were directly observed and recorded after TBI through a thinned skull bone window. Fat-1 mice with high endogenous ω-3 PUFAs significantly inhibited ROS expression and attenuated parenchymal cell death after compression injury during the early injury phase. Elevated generation of glutathione (GSH) and neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) in the parenchyma of fat-1 mice could be the contributor to the beneficial role of ω-3 PUFAs in TBI. The results of the study suggest that ω-3 PUFAs is an effective neuroprotectant as an early pharmacological intervention for TBI and the information derived from this study may help guide dietary advice for those who are susceptible to repetitive mild TBI.     

Diet, embodiment, and virtue in the mechanical philosophy

This paper considers the relationship between diet, embodiment, nature and virtue in several seventeenth-century natural philosophers, all of whom sought to overcome or to radically reform inherited ideas about the self as a hylomorphic compound of form and matter, but who nonetheless were not entirely ready to discard the notion that the self is intimately united with the body. One implication of this intimate union, for them, is that what one does with the body, including what one puts into it, is directly relevant to the supreme end of achieving a virtuous life. I thus consider food—its preparation and its consumption—as a link between natural and moral philosophy in the early modern period, showing in particular the parallels between the search for the diet that is ‘natural to man’, on the one hand, and the project of establishing rules of virtue on the other. Key to discerning these parallels, I argue, is an understanding of early modern ideas about diet and eating as rooted in the Stoic notion of oikeiôsis, which may be translated as ‘assimilation’ or ‘appropriation’, and which, as recent work by Lisa Shapiro has shown, played an important role in early modern ideas about a bodily contribution to the human good. The most general thesis is that dietary questions were far more important in early modern philosophy than has yet been recognized: nearly every prominent natural philosopher was preoccupied with them. A narrower thesis is that this parallelism between natural philosophy and moral philosophy is reflected in the conception of cooking as both a fundamental physiological process (‘coction’) as well as the most basic form of social existence.     

Stories,fun and games: Teaching genetics in primary school

Nuggets are suggestions with practical advice to help in communicating biology to students. They are shorter than the formal papers and have not been peer-reviewed, but may provide ideas for the classroom. Please send contributions to the editor at: jbe@iob.org     

Management of Diabetes During Air Travel: A Systematic Literature Review of Current Recommendations and their Supporting Evidence

Objective: Individuals with diabetes are increasingly seeking pretravel advice, but updated professional recommendations remain scant. We performed a systematic review on diabetes management during air travel to summarize current recommendations, assess supporting evidence, and identify areas of future research.Methods: A systematic review of the English literature on diabetes management during air travel was undertaken utilizing PubMed and MEDLINE. Publications regarding general travel advice; adjustment of insulin and noninsulin therapies; and the use of insulin pumps, glucometers and subcutaneous glucose sensors at altitude were included. Gathered information was used to create an updated summary of glucose-lowering medication adjustment during air travel.Results: Sixty-one publications were identified, most providing expert opinion and few offering primary data (47 expert opinion, 2 observational studies, 2 case reports, 10 device studies). General travel advice was uniform, with increasing attention to preflight security. Indications for oral antihyperglycemic therapy adjustments varied. There were few recommendations on contemporary agents and on nonhypoglycemic adverse events. There was little consensus on insulin adjustment protocols, many antedating current insulin formulations. Most publications advocated adjusting insulin pump time settings after arrival; however, there was disagreement on timing and rate adjustments. Glucometers and subcutaneous glucose sensors were reported to be less accurate at altitude, but not to an extent that would preclude their clinical use.Conclusion: Recommendations for diabetes management during air travel vary significantly and are mostly based on expert opinion. Data from systematic investigation on glucose-lowering medication adjustment protocols may support the development of a future consensus statement.Abbreviations:CSII = continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (device)DPP-4 = dipeptidyl peptidase 4EGA = error grid analysisGDH = glucose dehydrogenaseGOX = glucose oxidaseGLP1 = glucagon-like peptide-1NPH = neutral protamine HagedornSGLT2 = sodium-glucose cotransporter-2     

Pet owners' views of pet behavior problems and willingness to consult experts for assistance

Prior research has found that dog obedience training and the receipt of advice regarding companion animal (pet) behavior reduce the risk of nonhuman animal relinquishment to an animal shelter and increase human-companion animal interactions, but research also finds that only a minority of pet guardians participates in such activities. The researchers for this study asked 170 dog and cat guardians to assess the seriousness of common problem behaviors and how likely they were to seek help. The researchers also asked them to rate different methods of obtaining expert advice. The dog and cat guardians saw behaviors directly affecting humans as most severe; those involving the destruction of property were next in severity; and those affecting the animal more than the human were least severe. There were no significant differences in ratings by participants' gender or income. Participants indicated they were more likely to use free help options than fee-based services. The lack of a clear correlation between the seriousness of a behavior problem and likelihood of seeking help suggests that other factors may play a role in pet guardians' interest in obtaining expert advice.     

A randomized trial of genetic information for personalized nutrition

Personal genetic information has become increasingly accessible to the public as a result of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests; however, concerns have been raised over their value and potential risks. We compared the effects of providing genotype-based dietary advice with general recommendations on behavioral outcomes using a randomized controlled study. Participants were men and women from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study between the ages of 20–35 years (n = 149) who completed a survey to assess their awareness of DTC genetic tests and nutrigenomics, as well as potential motivations for undergoing genetic testing. Participants were then randomized into an intervention (I) or control (C) group and were given either genotype-based personalized dietary advice or general dietary advice, respectively. A second survey was administered to assess the participants’ opinions of the dietary reports they received. A greater proportion of participants in the intervention group agreed that they understood the dietary advice they were given (93% (I) vs. 78% (C); p = 0.009). Participants in the intervention group were more likely to agree that the dietary recommendations they received would be useful when considering their diet (88% (I) vs. 72% (C); p = 0.02) and wanted to know more about the recommendations (95% (I) vs. 76% (C); p < 0.0001). Only 9% of participants in the intervention group reported feeling uneasy about learning their genetic information. These findings suggest that individuals find dietary recommendations based on genetics more understandable and more useful than general dietary advice. Very few feel uneasy about receiving their genetic information that relates to personalized nutrition.     

Tuberculosis: Hospitalization and Outpatient Treatment

Initial hospitalization terminated by discharge upon medical advice to continue with chemotherapy on an outpatient basis represents the treatment of choice for most patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Any departure from this plan for any patient should be accepted only after careful consideration of all the circumstances. Patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis who are to receive outpatient chemotherapy without adequate initial hospitalization should be carefully selected by the local or provincial department of public health. Approval in writing should be required from the appropriate public health authority before antituberculosis chemotherapy is provided at public expense for any such patient, except possibly for a limited period while awaiting formal approval. In all instances, the clinic which dispenses the antituberculosis drugs should have the patient under supervision with recall for follow-up examinations as required. Prophylactic antituberculosis chemotherapy may be provided to certain groups of persons without hospitalization.     

PARENT DEVELOPMENT

Today''s parents tend to be overwhelmed with advice from many sources. In his role as family counselor, the pediatrician must understand and consider the emotional development of parents in relation to their child''s development; otherwise, his advice and counsel do not “take” and he becomes tired and frustrated and angry.Parents progress through definite stages of development: Stage 1: Learning the cues—the struggle of the parents to interpret the infant''s needs. Stage 2: Learning to accept growth and development—the parent learning to accept some loss of control of the toddler. Stage 3: Learning to separate—the parent learning to allow the child to develop independently. Stage 4: Learning to accept rejection, without deserting—the struggle of the parents not to intrude and yet to be there when needed. Stage 5: Learning to build a new life having been thoroughly discredited by one''s teenager—the parent learning to live independently while the teenager struggles to develop his own identity.The pediatrician who is accepting, sensitive and a good listener and who keeps in mind that parents as well as children have capacities for growth and development, will be a potent factor in promoting good parent-child relationships and many times more effective in dealing with the child in health and disease.     

Factors Influencing Patient Pathways for Receipt of Cancer Care at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

Background

Within the field of oncology, increasing access to high quality care has been identified as a priority to reduce cancer disparities. Previous research reveals that the facilities where patients receive their cancer care have implications for cancer outcomes. However, there is little understanding of how patients decide where to seek cancer care. This study examined the factors that shape patients’ pathways to seek their cancer care at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center (NCI-CCC), and differences in these factors by race, income and education.

Methods

In-depth interviews and survey questionnaires were administered to a random sample of 124 patients at one NCI-CCC in the Northeast US. In-depth interview data was first analyzed qualitatively to identify themes and patterns in patients’ pathways to receive their cancer care at an NCI-CCC. Logistic Regression was used to examine if these pathways varied by patient race, income, and education.

Results

Two themes emerged: following the recommendation of a physician and following advice from social network members. Quantitative data analysis shows that patient pathways to care at an NCI-CCC varied by education and income. Patients with lower income and education most commonly sought their cancer care at an NCI-CCC due to the recommendation of a physician. Patients with higher income and education most commonly cited referral by a specialist physician or the advice of a social network member. There were no statistically significant differences in pathways to care by race.

Conclusions

Our findings show that most patients relied on physician recommendations or advice from a social network member in deciding to seek their cancer care at an NCI-CCC. Due to the role of physicians in shaping patients’ pathways to the NCI-CCC, initiatives that strengthen partnerships between NCI-CCCs and community physicians who serve underserved communities may improve access to NCI-CCCs.     

Whole genome sequence-enabled prediction of sequences performed for random PCR products of Escherichia coli

The sequence of an unknown PCR product generated by random (and conventional) PCR could be determined without sequencing when it is provided with the template DNA sequence. Theoretically, this was based on formerly established ideas which assert that the amount of random PCR product mainly depends on the stability of the primer-binding structures and that the dynamic solution structure of DNA is essentially governed by the Watson–Crick base pairing. However, it has not been clear whether this holds true for larger genomes of mega- to gigabase size, beside the λ phage genome (of 50 kb) used previously, nor has it been ascertained to uniquely specify the sequence of a random PCR product. Here, we jointly use two computer programs together with experimental data from Genome Profiling (i.e. TGGE analysis of random PCR products). The first procedure carried out by a newly remodeled computer program (PCRAna-A1) was shown to be competent to calculate a set of random PCR products from Escherichia coli genome DNA (4.7 Mb). The other procedure performed with another program (Poland-H) played a critical role in determining the final candidate sequence by theoretically offering the initial melting temperature and the melting pattern of unspecified candidate sequences. The success attained here not only proved our method to be useful for sequence prediction but also confirmed the above-mentioned ideas as rational. We believe that this is the first case to computer-utilize a genome sequence as a whole.     

Anthelmintics for dogs and cats

As the dog and cat anthelmintic market is small, fragmented and dominated by old-fashioned narrow spectrum products, there is little incentive for the pharmaceutical companies to invest major research resources in this area. Development of new products will always be of relatively low priority and progress will be much slower than is the case with ruminant anthelmintics. Some successes since ICOPA V can however be claimed. The previously reported cesticidal properties of praziquantel have been put to good use and have contributed to the progress made in many hydatid control programmes. Ivermectin shows promise as an alternative heartworm prophylactic and the applications for multiple dose therapy with the benzimidazoles continue to increase. In the latter case, much still needs to be done to explore the full potential of this chemical group and to define optimum dosage regimes for both broad spectrum therapy and for the prophylaxis of T. cati and A. caninum infections. It is to be hoped that the increasing awareness of the general public concerning the role of worm control in the broader concept of responsible pet ownership will create a greater demand for expert advice and more effective chemotherapy.     

Valéry et l’automatisme psychologique

While the name of Paul Valery is usually associated with that of Leonardo da Vinci or the character, Monsieur Teste, most people are unaware of Valery’s posthumous work, which he considered the most significant of his writings: Cahiers/Notebooks, a voluminous and dense work, in its dimensions (around 30,000 pages) as well as in what it discloses about the daily ponderings of a man who considered himself — in spite of himself — a philosopher. It is a multifaceted work, touching on all fields of thought: history, politics, and the sciences, in all their diversity, from mathematics to physics, and biology to the theory of evolution. Neither philosophy, nor theology, nor linguistics is left in the dark. But he clearly expressed a preference for psychology and, more specifically, the question of mental function: What is it to think? How does the mind link ideas? What is abstraction? What role do feelings play? What is the relationship between the mind and the machine? Must we concede the existence of the unconscious mind. These are some of the questions we address in elucidating the concept of automatism through what makes it work as well as its failings.     

Ars moriendi: Proteases as sculptors of cellular suicide

The Ars moriendi, which translates to “The Art of Dying,” encompasses two Latin texts that gave advice on how to die well and without fear according to the Christian precepts of the late Middle Ages. Given that ten to hundred billion cells die in our bodies every day, it is obvious that the concept of a well and orderly (“regulated”) death is also paramount at the cellular level. In apoptosis, as the most well-studied form of regulated cell death, proteases of the caspase family are the central mediators. However, caspases are not the only proteases that act as sculptors of cellular suicide, and therefore, we here provide an overview of the impact of proteases in apoptosis and other forms of regulated cell death.