1,309 research outputs found
Antiviral kinetics of tenofovir alafenamide and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate over 24 weeks in women of childbearing potential with chronic HBV.
No full textBackground/Purpose Use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) improves patient outcomes in preventing mother-to-child transmission (pMTCT) of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in mothers with chronic HBV and high viral loads. Given the lack of data for tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) in pMTCT, rates of early viral suppression with TAF and TDF were evaluated in women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) participating in 2 randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 studies in chronic HBV.
Methods In a patient subset meeting WOCBP criteria and with baseline HBV DNA >200,000 IU/mL, rates of viral suppression with TAF or TDF in achieving the target of HBV DNA <200,000 IU/mL at weeks 12 and 24 were assessed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors predictive of failure to suppress HBV DNA to the target level.
Results In 275 of 1298 (21%) patients meeting WOCBP criteria with high viral load, 93% and 96% had HBV DNA <200,000 IU/mL at weeks 12 and 24, respectively. Results for TAF (n = 194) vs TDF (n = 81) treatment were similar at weeks 12 and 24 (94% vs. 90% and 97% vs. 93%), respectively. High baseline HBV DNA level, genotype D infection, and prior interferon (week 24 only) were predictive of failure to achieve the target level. Both treatments were well tolerated with TAF showing less impact on renal and bone parameters.
Conclusions In WOCBP with high VL, no differences were found between TAF and TDF in reducing HBV DNA to levels associated with lower transmission risk. These data support ongoing studies of TAF for pMTCT
Behavior during transition differs for cows diagnosed with claw horn lesions in mid lactation
No full textClaw horn lesions, including sole hemorrhages and sole ulcers, are a major cause of lameness in dairy cattle. These lesions often develop in the weeks around calving and become visible 8 to 12 wk later. The aim was to determine whether cows that are diagnosed with claw horn lesions several weeks after calving behave differently during the calving period when the lesions are thought to first develop. The claws of 26 multiparous Holstein dairy cows were scored for sole hemorrhage severity and presence of sole ulcers 2 wk before calving, 3 wk after calving, and every 4 wk thereafter until 15 wk after calving. Of the 26 cows, 13 cows had no or low lesion scores up to 15 wk and 13 cows had at least 1 new severe lesion or sole ulcer diagnosed between 7 and 15 wk after calving. Behavior (dry matter intake, feeding time and rate, number and size of meals, standing time, number and duration of standing bouts, location of standing, and displacements at the feed bunk) was recorded from 2 wk before calving to 3 wk after calving. Behavior during the 2 wk before calving, first 24h after calving, 1 wk after calving, and 2 to 3 wk after calving was compared between cows with and without lesions in mid lactation. Multivariate regression was used to determine the predictive value of each behavior and combination of behaviors on lesion diagnosis. Cows diagnosed with lesions in mid lactation spent more time standing than cows without lesions during the 2 wk before (832+/-29 vs. 711+/-29 min/d) and 24 h after (935+/-46 vs. 693+/-46 min/d) calving. These differences were driven by an increase in the time spent perching with front feet in the stall (241+/-22 vs. 147+/-22 min/d at 2 wk before calving) and an increase in standing bout duration (101+/-10 vs. 56+/-10 min/bout at 24 h after calving). Compared with cows without lesions, cows with lesions consumed feed at a faster rate (86+/-3 vs. 77+/-3 g/min) during the 2 wk before calving and consumed more feed (17.9+/-0.9 vs. 12.3+/-0.9 kg/d) during the 24 h after calving. The number of displacements at the feeder was not different between groups. These results indicate that a combination of feeding and standing behavior during the transition can serve as early indicators of claw horn lesions in mid lactation
Benefit of aspirin on mortality reduction from gastrointestinal cancer prevention outweighs the risk of mortality from major bleeding in Helicobacter pylori-eradicated subjects: a territory-wide study
No full textApplication of Big Data analysis in gastrointestinal research
No full textBig Data, which are characterized by certain unique traits like volume, velocity and value, have revolutionized the research of multiple fields including medicine. Big Data in health care are defined as large datasets that are collected routinely or automatically, and stored electronically. With the rapidly expanding volume of health data collection, it is envisioned that the Big Data approach can improve not only individual health, but also the performance of health care systems. The application of Big Data analysis in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology research has also opened new research approaches. While it retains most of the advantages and avoids some of the disadvantages of traditional observational studies (case-control and prospective cohort studies), it allows for phenomapping of disease heterogeneity, enhancement of drug safety, as well as development of precision medicine, prediction models and personalized treatment. Unlike randomized controlled trials, it reflects the real-world situation and studies patients who are often under-represented in randomized controlled trials. However, residual and/or unmeasured confounding remains a major concern, which requires meticulous study design and various statistical adjustment methods. Other potential drawbacks include data validity, missing data, incomplete data capture due to the unavailability of diagnosis codes for certain clinical situations, and individual privacy. With continuous technological advances, some of the current limitations with Big Data may be further minimized. This review will illustrate the use of Big Data research on gastrointestinal and liver diseases using recently published examples.published_or_final_versio
On co-authorship for author disambiguation
No full textAuthor name disambiguation deals with clustering the same-name authors into different individuals. To attack the problem, many studies have employed a variety of disambiguation features such as coauthors, titles of papers/publications, topics of articles, emails/affiliations, etc. Among these, co-authorship is the most easily accessible and influential, since inter-person acquaintances represented by co-authorship could discriminate the identities of authors more clearly than other features. This study attempts to explore the net effects of co-authorship on author clustering in bibliographic data. First, to handle the shortage of explicit coauthors listed in known citations, a web-assisted technique of acquiring implicit coauthors of the target author to be disambiguated is proposed. Then, a coauthor disambiguation hypothesis that the identity of an author can be determined by his/her coauthors is examined and confirmed through a variety of author disambiguation experiments. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.X1174sciescopu
Health and growth of veal calves provided a fatty acid supplement and a dry teat
No full textVeal calves are at a high risk of disease early in life, which can lead to poor growth. Research is needed to determine interventions that can reduce disease and promote the growth of veal calves. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of fatty acid supplementation and the provision of a dry teat on the incidence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), navel inflammation, and diarrhea, as well as calf growth. Upon arrival to a commercial veal facility (d 0), 240 Holstein bull calves from 2 cohorts were randomly assigned to 4 treatments using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n = 60/treatment): (1) milk replacer (MR) without fatty acid supplementation and without access to a dry teat (control), (2) MR with fatty acid supplementation (NeoTec5g, Provimi, Brookville, OH) and without access to a dry teat (FAS), (3) MR without fatty acid supplementation and with access to a dry teat (TT), or (4) MR with fatty acid supplementation and with access to a dry teat (FAS+TT). Calves were housed in individual pens from 0 to 9 wk and then paired by treatment at wk 9. Milk replacer was fed twice daily using a step-up program. Fatty acid supplement was added to milk replacer at a feeding rate of 0.5 g/kg of body weight per head per day for the FAS and FAS+TT groups. Health exams were conducted twice weekly for 6 wk to diagnose BRD, navel inflammation, and diarrhea. Body weight, body condition score (BCS), and structural measurements were recorded at wk 0, 5, and 10. Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated for wk 1 to 5, wk 5 to 10, and wk 1 to 10. Health data were analyzed using logistic regression and are reported as relative risk. Body weight, BCS, and structural measurements were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, and ADG was analyzed using a generalized linear model. There was no effect of FAS, TT, or their interaction on body weight or BCS. There was no effect of FAS on ADG wk 1 to 5, wk 5 to 10, or wk 1 to 10. There was a tendency for TT to decrease ADG from wk 1 to 5 but not from wk 5 to 10 or wk 1 to 10. There was a tendency for the interaction of FAS and TT to decrease ADG for wk 1 to 5 but not for wk 5 to 10 and wk 1 to 10. There was no effect of FAS, TT, or their interaction on the risk of BRD, diarrhea, or navel inflammation. We saw no effect of our interventions on calf health or growth. More research is needed to determine whether other factors, such as failure of passive transfer, poor ventilation, barren housing, and low milk allowance in the first few weeks after arrival, may have affected the efficacy of our interventions
Effects of supplemental vitamins E and C on the immune responses of calves
No full textTwo experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of oral supplementation of vitamin C and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), alone and in combination, on immune responses of calves. In Experiment 1, 18 Holstein newborn female calves were supplemented with 0, 1, and 2 g/d of vitamin C from birth to 6 wk of age. Concentrations of ascorbic acid in blood plasma were significantly higher for supplemented calves than for control calves. No significant differences among treatments occurred in the concentrations of IgG1, IgG2, and titer to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. In Experiment 2, effects of oral supplementation of vitamins E and C on immune responses were studied using 18 Holstein female calves. Concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in blood plasma were significantly higher for supplemented than for control calves. The concentrations increased from birth to wk 1, and then very little change occurred from wk 1 to 6. Differences among treatments in the concentrations of IgG1, IgG2, IgM, and titer to keyhole limpet hemocyanin were not significant; however, concentrations of IgM in calves supplemented with vitamins E and C generally tended to be higher than those of control calves. Antibodies to keyhole limpet hemocyanin were higher at 6 wk than at 4 wk of age.LR: 20031114; PUBM: Print; JID: 2985126R; 0 (Antibodies); 0 (Antigens); 0 (Immunoglobulin G); 0 (Immunoglobulin M); 0 (keyhole-limpet hemocyanin); 1406-18-4 (Vitamin E); 50-81-7 (Ascorbic Acid); 9013-72-3 (Hemocyanin); ppublishSource type: Electronic(1
Randomized clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of teflubenzuron for treating sea lice on Atlantic salmon
No full textA double-blind, randomized control clinical trial was performed to investigate the effectiveness of teflubenzuron in controlling sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis on farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. A total of 40 sea cages from 3 commercial cage sites in Atlantic Canada were used in this Good Clinical Practice (GCP) trial. The teflubenzuron was administered in the feed at a dosage of 10 mg kg(-1) biomass d(-1) for 7 d. Medicated and control cages were matched by site, cage size, and pre-treatment mean lice counts using cages as the unit of concern. Post-treatment lice counts and staging of developmental stages were performed at 1 and 2 wk after the end of treatment. Chalimus stages in medicated cages were significantly lower than in control cages at 1 wk (79% reduction in mean lice counts, p < 0.001), and at 2 wk (53% reduction, p < 0.001). Mobile (pre-adult and adult) stages were also significantly reduced in medicated cages at 1 wk (69% reduction, p < 0.01), and at 2 wk (40% reduction, p < 0.01) post-treatment, respectively. Teflubenzuron was proven effective for reducing lice burdens on salmon despite the low parasite levels experienced during the trial and the recruitment of lice from the untreated cages. The use of cage as the unit of concern was an important design component of this trial.LR: 20061115; PUBM: Print; JID: 8807037; 0 (Benzamides); 70288-86-7 (Ivermectin); 83121-18-0 (teflubenzuron); ppublishSource type: Electronic(1
Discrete physiological effects of beetroot juice and potassium nitrate supplementation following 4-wk sprint interval training
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Physiological Society via the DOI in this record.The physiological and exercise performance adaptations to sprint interval training (SIT) may be modified by dietary nitrate (NO3) supplementation. However, it is possible that different types of NO3 supplementation evoke divergent physiological and performance adaptations to SIT. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 4-wk SIT with and without concurrent dietary NO3 supplementation administered as either NO3-rich beetroot juice (BR) or potassium NO3 (KNO3). Thirty recreationally active subjects completed a battery of exercise tests before and after a 4-wk intervention in which they were allocated to one of three groups: 1) SIT undertaken without dietary NO3 supplementation (SIT); 2) SIT accompanied by concurrent BR supplementation (SIT BR); or 3) SIT accompanied by concurrent KNO3 supplementation (SIT KNO3). During severe-intensity exercise, V O2peak and time to task failure were improved to a greater extent with SIT +BR than SIT and SIT KNO3 (P 0.05). There was also a greater reduction in the accumulation of muscle lactate at 3 min of severe-intensity exercise in SIT BR compared with SIT KNO3 (P <0.05). Plasma NO2 concentration fell to a greater extent during severe-intensity exercise in SIT BR compared with SIT and SIT KNO3 (P <0.05). There were no differences between groups in the reduction in the muscle phosphocreatine recovery time constant from pre- to postintervention (P <0.05). These findings indicate that 4-wk SIT with concurrent BR supplementation results in greater exercise capacity adaptations compared with SIT alone and SIT with concurrent KNO3 supplementation. This may be the result of greater NO-mediated signaling in SIT +BR compared with SIT+ KNO3. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We compared the influence of different forms of dietary nitrate supplementation on the physiological and performance adaptations to sprint interval training (SIT). Compared with SIT alone, supplementation with nitrate-rich beetroot juice, but not potassium NO3, enhanced some physiological adaptations to training
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