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Kamba ET, Chimonyo M. Utilisation of indigenous knowledge to control gastrointestinal nematodes in Southern Africa. Trop Anim Health Prod 2024; 56:100. [PMID: 38472670 PMCID: PMC10933149 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-024-03941-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) exacerbate the impact of droughts on the survival of cattle. The inadequacies of the conventional system make it increasingly important to explore indigenous knowledge (IK) to create drought-tolerant and GIN resilient herds. The objective of the study was to assess the indigenous strategies for controlling GIN during droughts. Face-to-face interviews with experts on IK were conducted to give insight into the importance, methods and ranking of GIN control. The experts identified 86 cattle that were used to test their assertions. The control methods used were identifying cattle that were susceptible to high GIN loads using predisposing factors, diagnosis of GIN burdens using faecal appearance, and treatment using phytotherapy. Experts ranked predisposing factors as the most critical control strategy and identified body condition, class, sex, coat colour, pregnancy status and lactation status as predisposing factors to high GIN burdens. Thin, older, dark-coloured cattle, as well as pregnant and lactating cows, were considered susceptible to GIN. However, pregnancy status, coat colour and sex were significantly associated with high GIN burdens. Cows were 2.6 times more likely to have high GIN burdens than bulls. Dark-coloured cattle were 3.5 times more likely to have high GIN burdens than light-coloured ones, and the likelihood of pregnant cows was 4.9 times higher than non-pregnant cows. A dark-coloured pregnant cow was extremely susceptible to high GIN burdens. In conclusion, knowledge of predisposing factors informs selection decisions when purchasing foundation stock. Cattle that are susceptible to high GIN loads are prioritised during droughts or culled where resources are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- E T Kamba
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, University Road, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
| | - M Chimonyo
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, University Road, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa.
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Mazigo HD, Montresor A. Validating a questionnaire to identify women in the first trimester of pregnancy during preventive chemotherapy interventions against soil-transmitted helminths in northwestern Tanzania. IJID Reg 2024; 10:214-218. [PMID: 38434235 PMCID: PMC10904898 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Objectives To evaluate the performance of a questionnaire in assessing the pregnancy status of women of reproductive age during preventive chemotherapy interventions. Methods A questionnaire (20 questions) was administered to 1217 women of reproductive age (≥18 years) from Ilemela and Buchosa districts, northwestern Tanzania. A single urine sample was collected from each of them and tested using a rapid pregnancy test for presence of pregnant. Results Overall, 10.8% (132/1217) of the women reported to be pregnant at the specific question in the questionnaire. The rapid pregnancy test identified 15.1% (184/1217) of the women to be pregnant. In total, 86.4% (114/132) of the women who reported to be pregnant during the interview were confirmed to be pregnant using the rapid pregnant test. The question on pregnancy demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 98.3%. Conclusions The questionnaire performance was not completely satisfactory; however, it managed to identify pregnant women in the first trimester. The question on the last date of the start of the menstrual period yield the highest sensitivity and appeared to be the key one used in combination with other questions. Further validation of these results in other countries with different cultures are recommended to fully evaluate the performance of this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humphrey D. Mazigo
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
- School of Public Health, Dean Office, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
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Elmore AL, Patrick SW, McNeer E, Fryer K, Reid CN, Sappenfield WM, Mehra S, Salemi JL, Marshall J. Treatment access for opioid use disorder among women with medicaid in Florida. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 246:109854. [PMID: 37001322 PMCID: PMC10121896 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains prevalent. Medications for OUD (MOUD) are standard care for pregnant and non-pregnant women. Previous research has identified barriers to MOUD for women with Medicaid but did not account for the type of MOUD (methadone vs. buprenorphine) or pregnancy status. We examined access to MOUD by treatment type for pregnant and non-pregnant women with Medicaid in Florida. METHODS A secondary analysis of Florida "secret-shopper" data was conducted. Calls were made to clinicians from the 2018 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provider list by women posing as either a pregnant or non-pregnant woman with OUD and Medicaid. We examined 546 calls to buprenorphine-waivered providers (BWP) and 139 to opioid treatment programs (OTP). Counts and percentages were used to describe caller success by type of treatment and pregnancy status. Chi-square tests were used to identify statistical differences. RESULTS Only 42 % of calls reached a treatment provider in Florida. Pregnant and non-pregnant women were less likely to obtain an appointment with Medicaid coverage by a BWP than an OTP (p < 0.01). Nearly 40 % of OTPs offered appointments to callers with Medicaid compared to only 17 % of BWPs. Both types of providers denied appointments more often for pregnant women. Thirty-eight percent of BWP's and 12 % of OTP's denied appointments to pregnant women using cash or Medicaid payment. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates logistical and financial barriers to treatment for OUD among pregnant and non-pregnant women with Medicaid in Florida and highlights the need for improved systems of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Elmore
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
| | - Stephen W Patrick
- Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy & Departments of Pediatrics and Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Elizabeth McNeer
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kimberly Fryer
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Chinyere N Reid
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | | | - Saloni Mehra
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Jason L Salemi
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Jennifer Marshall
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Li Z, Tao M, Huang M, Pan W, Huang Q, Wang P, Zhang Y, Situ B, Zheng L. Quantification of placental extracellular vesicles in different pregnancy status via single particle analysis method. Clin Chim Acta 2023; 539:266-273. [PMID: 36587781 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2022.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nano-sized, lipid bilayer-delimited placental extracellular vesicles (PEVs) released by the placenta are now regarded as important mediators involved in various physiological and pathological processes of pregnant women. The number and contents of PEVs are significantly altered in preeclampsia and are considered as potential biomarkers. However, the distribution pattern of PEVs in the maternal circulation in different pregnancy status is still unclear for the limitation of the traditional method with low sensitivity. METHODS In this work, we recruited 561 pregnant women with different pregnancy status and investigated the distribution pattern of PEVs in the maternal circulation based on a single extracellular vesicle analysis method and placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), a placenta-specific marker. RESULTS The concentration of PEVs in pregnant women increased with the progression of gestational age, while the ratio of PEVs decreased to about 10% in the third trimester. Surprisingly, the PLAP+ EVs also presented in the plasma of non-pregnant women and normal male about 5%. The change in the ratio of PEVs can reflect the pregnancy status and also had a better diagnostic value in severe preeclampsia (AUC = 0.7811). CONCLUSIONS Our study not only reveals the distribution pattern of PEVs, but also identifies the diagnostic potential of PEVs as biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixiong Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Maliang Tao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Mei Huang
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Weilun Pan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Qiuyu Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Bo Situ
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Lei Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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Fang M, Zhang Q, Yu P, Ge C, Guo J, Zhang Y, Wang H. The effects, underlying mechanism and interactions of dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy on maternal bile acid metabolism. Toxicol Lett 2020; 332:97-106. [PMID: 32599024 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
As important members in steroids related signal pathways, bile acids are very important in regulating substance metabolism and immune homeostasis. However, bile acids are highly cytotoxic, and the excessive accumulation can induce several abnormalities such as cholestatic liver injury. It is known that the bile acid metabolism alters during pregnancy and mostly will not result in pathologies. However, the effect of dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy on bile acid metabolism is still unknown. In this study, pregnant Wistar rats were subcutaneously administered dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg.d) or saline from gestation day 9-21, while virgin rats were given the same treatment for 13 days. We found that, physiological pregnancy or dexamethasone exposure during non-pregnancy did not affect maternal serum TBA level and liver function. Nevertheless, dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy increased serum TBA level and accompanied with liver injury. Furthermore, we discovered that the conservation of bile acid homeostasis under pregnancy or dexamethasone exposure was maintained through compensatory pathways. However, dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy tipped the balance of liver bile acid homeostasis by increasing classical synthesis and decreasing efflux and uptake. In addition, dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy also increased serum estrogen level and nuclear receptors mRNA expression levels. Finally, two-way ANOVA analysis showed that dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy could induce or facilitate maternal cholestasis and liver injury by up-regulating ERα and CYP7A1 expression. This study confirmed that dexamethasone exposure during pregnancy was related to maternal intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and should be carefully monitored in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Fang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Pengxia Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Caiyun Ge
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Juanjuan Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yuanzhen Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, 185 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China; Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, 185 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, 185 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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Ibrahim I, Ibrahim B, Yong GL, Coats M, Vujovic Z, Wilson MS. A multispecialty study of determining the possibility of pregnancy and the documentation of pregnancy status in surgical patients: a cause for concern? Scott Med J 2018; 63:108-112. [PMID: 30253702 DOI: 10.1177/0036933018801486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Determining the possibility of pregnancy and the documentation of pregnancy status are important considerations in the assessment of females of reproductive age when admitted to hospital. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to determine the adequacy of the documentation of pregnancy status and possibility of pregnancy across multiple surgical specialties. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective audit of surgical specialties (general, orthopaedics, urology, vascular, maxillofacial, ENT, gynaecology and neurosurgery) within NHS Tayside, in May 2015. RESULTS A total of 129 females of reproductive age were admitted; 69 (53.5%) elective and 60 (46.5%) emergencies. Eighty-four patients (65%) were asked 'Is there any possibility of pregnancy?' Pregnancy status was documented in 74% of patients. Eleven (8.5%) patients were not asked about possibility of pregnancy and did not have a documented pregnancy status. Documentation of the use of contraception, sexual activity and date of last menstrual period was noted in 53 (41.1%), 31 (24.0%) and 66 (51.2%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS There is a wide variation in the documentation of pregnancy status and possibility of pregnancy amongst surgical specialties. This was not an issue in gynaecology but is an issue in ENT, maxillofacial, neurosurgery, vascular and general surgery. The reasons are unclear. Documentation of pregnancy status using ßhCG assays should be the gold standard, and national guidelines are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Ibrahim
- Foundation Doctor, Department of General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Scotland
| | - Bilal Ibrahim
- Medical student, Department of General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Scotland
| | - Guo Liang Yong
- Foundation Doctor, Department of General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Scotland
| | - Maria Coats
- Specialty Registrar, Department of General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Scotland
| | - Zorica Vujovic
- Consultant Surgeon, Department of General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Scotland
| | - Michael Sj Wilson
- Specialty Registrar, Department of General Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Scotland
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