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Efficacy of a single dose of Pregabalin on signs of anxiety in cats during transportation—A pilot study
No full textObjectives: The aim of this clinical pilot study was to evaluate the dosage, efficacy, and clinical safety of a single oral dose of pregabalin in cats that experience fear and anxiety when placed into a carrier and transported by car.
Methods: Thirteen client-owned cats were enrolled in a blinded, randomized, crossover study with three treatment days approximately 1 week apart. The cats were assigned to receive pregabalin oral solution at dosages of 5 and 10 mg/kg and placebo in a randomized order, one treatment per week. Treatment was administered ~90 min before placing the cat into a carrier and starting transportation. Efficacy was assessed by the owners using a categorical scale and, based on video recordings, by an external observer, both blinded to the treatment.
Results: Owners assessed that cats given pregabalin displayed less vocalization, restlessness, and panting during transportation than did cats given placebo. Correlation between owners' and external observer's assessment of the overall treatment effect was good (0.63, p < 0.01), which confirms the owners' ability to observe reliably their own cat's behavior. Transient mild ataxia was the most common adverse event reported. The human commercial formulation used in this study was found difficult or very difficult to administer by 79% of the owners.
Conclusions and Relevance: Based on results of this pilot study, a single oral dose of pregabalin was well tolerated and decreased signs of anxiety and fear associated with car transportation in cats, as evaluated by blinded owners and external observer. The use of pregabalin prior to traveling may improve cat welfare and compliance for transportation. Further studies are needed to investigate the use of oral pregabalin in cats to alleviate signs of anxiety and fear associated with transportation and sequelae, like veterinary visits, and to develop a more user-friendly formulation.Orion Corporation (Finland
Nitrogen-doped carbon: A metal-free catalyst for selective oxidation of crude 5-hydroxymethylfurfural obtained from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS-90) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA)
No full textIn recent years, development of inexpensive and environmentally benign processes for catalytic conversion of lignocellulose biomass or biomass-derived carbohydrates into platform chemicals has gained increasing attention while also facing technological challenges related to the higher production costs. Here, we synthesized an inexpensive nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) materials by carbonization of bamboo sawdust mixed with melamine and K2CO3. The as-prepared NC materials were used first-time as catalysts for the selective oxidation of crude 5-HMF obtained from HFCS-90 into FDCA. Based on the obtained catalyst characterization and activity results, the rate of formation of FDCA is mainly dependent on the carbonization temperature of the catalyst, the quantity of graphitic N, and its related lattice defects in the carbon matrix. Under the optimized reaction conditions (NC-700 catalyst, 160 °C, 6 h, and 2 MPa O2), the reaction obtained 100% HMF conversion and 83% FDCA yield using crude 5-HMF (88% purity).Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)Western Innovation Fund from Western UniversityProgram of Processing and Efficient Utilization of Biomass Resources of Henan Center for Outstanding Overseas Scientist
An overview of microbial fuel cell usage in wastewater treatment, resource recovery and energy production
No full textWastewater treatment is a high-cost and energy-intensive process not only due to large amounts of pollutants but also for the large volumes of water to be treated, which are mainly generated by human activities and different industries. In this regard, biological wastewater treatments have become substitutes to the current technologies, owing to the improved treatment efficiency and added value. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as one of the promising biological treatments have arisen as a viable solution for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and electricity generation simultaneously. Therefore, in this article, the effects of various operating conditions on the COD removal and power production from MFCs are thoroughly discussed. In addition, the advantages and weaknesses of current MFCs technologies used for different types of wastewater are summarized. Finally, the technical barriers facing by MFCs operation and the economic feasibility of using MFCs for wastewater treatment are provided.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC
Aerosol delivery of synthetic DNA containing CpG motifs in broiler chicks at hatch under field conditions using a commercial-scale prototype nebulizer provided protection against lethal Escherichia coli septicemia
No full textSynthetic DNA containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODN) are potent innate immune stimulators in neonatal and adult broiler chickens against bacterial septicemia. We have recently demonstrated that intrapulmonary (IPL) delivery of CpG-ODN as microdroplets under laboratory conditions can protect neonatal chickens against lethal Escherichia coli septicemia. The objectives of this study were to develop a commercial-scale poultry nebulizer (CSPN) that can deliver CpG-ODN as microdroplets in neonatal broiler chicks in the hatcheries and study the efficacy of CSPN in inducing immune-protective effects under different environmental conditions in 2 geographical locations in Canada. Three field experiments were conducted in commercial poultry hatcheries during different seasons of the year in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, Canada. Neonatal broiler chicks (n = 8,000/experiment) received CpG-ODN by the IPL route in the CSPN chamber for 30 min, and control chicks received distilled water (DW) for 30 min. Broiler chicks (CpG-ODN—240 chicks/experiment and DW—40 chicks/experiment) were randomly sampled from all locations of the CSPN after nebulization and challenged with a lethal dose of E. coli to examine the CpG-ODN nebulization induced protection. We found a significant level (P < 0.05) of protection in broiler chicks against E. coli challenge, suggesting that the newly built CSPN successfully delivered CpG-ODN via the IPL route. We found that when the CSPN was maintained at humidex 28°C or below and relative humidity (RH) between 40 and 60%, neonatal birds were significantly (P < 0.05) protected against E. coli septicemia after IPL delivery of CpG-ODN. By contrast, protection in chicks was adversely affected when the CSPN was maintained at the humidex of 29°C or higher and RH of 70%. Overall, the present study successfully built a CSPN for CpG-ODN delivery in chicks at the hatchery and revealed that the temperature, humidity, and humidex were critical parameters in CSPN for efficient delivery of CpG-ODN.Western Economic Diversification CanadaNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaAlberta Livestock and Meat AgencyCanadian Poultry Research CouncilChicken Farmers of Saskatchewa
Interlaboratory comparison of untargeted mass spectrometry data uncovers underlying causes for variability
No full textDespite the value of mass spectrometry in modern natural products discovery workflows, it remains very difficult to compare data sets between laboratories. In this study we compared mass spectrometry data for the same sample set from two different laboratories (quadrupole time-of-flight and quadrupole-Orbitrap) and evaluated the similarity between these two data sets in terms of both mass spectrometry features and their ability to describe the chemical composition of the sample set. Somewhat surprisingly, the two data sets, collected with appropriate controls and replication, had very low feature overlap (25.7% of Laboratory A features overlapping 21.8% of Laboratory B features). Our data clearly demonstrate that differences in fragmentation, charge state, and adduct formation in the ionization source are a major underlying cause for these differences. Consistent with other recent literature, these findings challenge the conventional wisdom that electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) yields a simple one-to-one correspondence between analytes in solution and features in the data set. Importantly, despite low overlap in feature lists, principal component analysis (PCA) generated qualitatively similar PCA plots. Overall, our findings demonstrate that comparing untargeted metabolomics data between laboratories is challenging, but that data sets with low feature overlap can yield the same qualitative description of a sample set using PCA
Multi-centre implementation of an educational program to improve the cardiac arrest diagnostic accuracy of ambulance telecommunicators and survival outcomes for sudden cardiac arrest victims: The EduCATe study design and methodology
No full textBackground
Sudden cardiac death remains a leading cause of mortality in Canada, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths annually. Most cardiac arrest victims collapse in their own home (85% of the time) and 50% are witnessed by a family member or bystander. Survivors have a quality of life similar to the general population, but the overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) rarely exceeds 8%. Victims are almost four times more likely to survive when receiving bystander CPR, but bystander CPR rates have remained low in Canada over the past decade, not exceeding 15–25% until recently. Telecommunication-assisted CPR instructions have been shown to significantly increase bystander CPR rates, but agonal breathing may be misinterpreted as a sign of life by 9–1-1 callers and telecommunicators, and is responsible for as much as 50% of missed OHCA diagnoses.
We sought to improve the ability and speed with which ambulance telecommunicators can recognize OHCA over the phone, initiate timely CPR instructions, and improve survival.
Methods
In this multi-center national study, we will implement and evaluate an educational program developed for ambulance telecommunicators using a multiple baseline interrupted time-series design. We will compare outcomes 12 months before and after the implementation of a 20-min theory-based educational video addressing barriers to recognition of OHCA while in the presence of agonal breathing. Participating Canadian sites demonstrated prior ability to collect standardized data on OHCA. Data will be collected from eligible 9–1-1 recordings, paramedic documentation and hospital medical records. Eligible cases will include suspected or confirmed OHCA of presumed cardiac origin in patients of any age with attempted resuscitation.
Discussion
The ability of telecommunication-assisted CPR instructions to improve bystander CPR and survival rates for OHCA victims is undeniable. The ability of telecommunicators to recognize OHCA over the phone is unequivocally impeded by relative lack of training on agonal breathing, and reluctance to initiate CPR instructions when in doubt. Our pilot data suggests the potential impact of this project will be to increase absolute OHCA recognition and bystander CPR rates by at least 10%, and absolute out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival by 5% or more.
Trial registration
Prospectively registered on March 28, 2019 at ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03894059.Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet)Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Healt
Bacterial-specific aggregation and killing of immunomodulatory host defense peptides
No full textThis study involves the design and development of disulfide bridge-linked antimicrobial
peptides using the host defense protein Angiogenin 4 (chAng4) as a template. The mini peptides
derived from chAng4 (mCA4s) were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacies in various pathogenic
bacterial strains, and the role of the oxidation state of thiols in the peptide sequence and its implication
on antibacterial properties were explored. A remarkable property of these synthetic mCA4 peptides
is their capability to flocculate bacteria and mediate bacterial-specific killing, in the absence of any
other external stimulus. mCA4s were further evaluated for their cellular uptake, hemolytic activities,
toxicities, and immunomodulatory activities in different eukaryotic cell lines. The results indicate
that disulfide bridge-containing cationic amphipathic peptides show superior antibacterial efficacies,
are nontoxic and nonhemolytic, and mediate bacterial flocculation and killing, in the absence of
external stimuli.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research CouncilCanadian Poultry Research Counci
The use of item response theory models to evaluate scales designed to measure knowledge of, and attitudes toward, antibiotic use and resistance in Swedish dairy producers
No full textScales are frequently used to quantify latent traits that can not be measured directly (eg knowledge of a subject, attitude toward an issue, severity of a clinical condition). Historically, little attention has been paid within veterinary medical sciences to evaluating how well these scales perform. In this study methods that can be used in this evaluation were reviewed and applied to scales quantifying two unmeasurable traits: knowledge of, and attitudes toward, antibiotic use and resistance in Swedish dairy farms. Items (questionnaire questions) that did not fit well with the assumed unmeasurable trait were identified and removed. Item response theory models were applied to the remaining items to determine how well they contributed to the scale using item characteristic curves and a variety of information functions. A graphical evaluation of the fit of the models to the data was then carried out. For the knowledge scale, the evaluation identified a number of items which did not fit well with the scale. It subsequently demonstrated that the scale did a good job of discriminating among producers with below average knowledge, but had very little ability to separate average producers from those with a high level of knowledge. Similarly, the attitude scale did well at discriminating among producers with an average or poor attitude toward reducing their own antibiotic use, but had little ability to distinguish among those with above average attitudes. Item response theory models are valuable for determining how well items contribute to predicting an individual's value of the latent variable and whether or not there are “gaps” in the scale which are not measured well. Guidelines for the use of these methods in the development or refinement of scales are presented. Their post-hoc use to verify the performance of scales in preparation for subsequent analyses is also discussed
Optimization of marine microbe encapsulation and subsequent in-situ incubation
No full textWhile microfluidic encapsulation of bacteria has been previously performed with species commonly manipulated within the laboratory such as E. coli, the encapsulation process has not been previously utilized for marine bacterial species which may be more sensitive to manipulation. Thus, the encapsulation process was optimized to ensure that the viability of marine bacteria was not adversely impacted. The process for the encapsulation of bacteria involved injecting bacterial cells suspended in agarose (termed the encapsulation matrix) through a cross-flow microfluidic chip using mineral oil to form microbeads. The process was optimized using three representative bacteria isolated from temperate, intertidal marine sediment collected in Prince Edward Island: Marinomonas polaris, Psychrobacter aquimaris, and Bacillus licheniformis. In addition to assessing cell viability before and after the encapsulation process, the effect of temperature as well as the effect of the encapsulating matrix on cell viability were assessed independently to determine optimal encapsulation parameters. It was determined that the encapsulation process did not have an adverse effect on mesophilic bacteria although psychrophilic bacteria were less tolerant to the encapsulation process due to the high temperature required. Consequently, a lowered encapsulating temperature, achieved using low gelling temperature agarose, significantly improved viability of psychrophilic species. While the addition of nutrients to the encapsulation matrix had some beneficial effects, temperature was deemed the most significant parameter in the improvement of bacterial viability during encapsulation.
Following the optimization of marine microbe encapsulation, a suitable growth chamber (i.e. MD Pod) to incubate the microbeads was developed. Three different designs were developed: drop-shaped, cylindrical, and flexible. Each design was tested to ensure the use of biocompatible materials and to ensure sterility during incubation.
Additionally, each design was optimized to allow for simple assembly in the field and potential for miniaturization to facilitate use in a wide array of environment types (i.e. sediment, sponges, corals, etc.). The MD Pod designs were also compared to dialysis cassettes, a commercially available device that may be used for in-situ incubation of microbeads. Modifications to the dialysis cassette which increased its suitability for in-situ incubations were also assessed. While the MD Pods offer the greatest potential in terms of use in variable environments and thus continue to be further developed, the reliability and accessibility of a modified dialysis cassette allowed for its use in further development of a new cultivation technique.
Following testing of various incubation chambers, it was determined that the most suitable chamber was a dialysis cassette sealed with additional steel clamps. This design was then utilized for the in-situ incubation of mixed marine sediment samples within the environment. Sediment samples were collected and processed, the concentration of sediment bacteria within each sample was determined, and sediment bacteria were encapsulated within agarose microbeads. The microbead suspension was then loaded into the incubation chamber and placed back in the same environment from which the sediment sample was collected and allowed to incubate for a week. Upon retrieval from the environment, microbead suspensions were unloaded and analyzed. Marine sediment samples from the in-situ incubation were assessed for abundance, viability and diversity and compared to traditional plating cultivation techniques. Based upon preliminary results, it was determined that the use of microencapsulation followed by in-situ incubation allows for the isolation of distinct bacterial taxa compared to previous methods indicating that this cultivation technique will be beneficial in the isolation of new taxa which may be explored for novel natural products
In-between spaces of policy and practice: Voices from Prince Edward Island early childhood educators
No full textOver the course of the past decades, the discourse, pedagogy, scope, and delivery of early learning and child care (ELCC) has undergone myriad significant changes internationally, nationally, and at local levels. Prince Edward Island (PEI), the smallest Canadian Province, has not been exempt from these transformations. By situating early childhood educators (ECEs) at the centre of ecological multilevel environments (Bronfenbrenner, 2005), this qualitative study explored how a system-wide change implemented through the Prince Edward Island Preschool Excellence Initiative (PEIPEI) has impacted and is being impacted by ECEs over time. Purposive sampling was used to invite seven early childhood educators working on provincially regulated early years centres (EYCs) to participate in individual interviews. Findings indicated that ECEs have been striving to navigate and merge the space in-between policy and practices and that after ten years, they remain in this liminal space where they continue to navigate unravelling transitions as they search for their professional identity