The decision to euthanize a compromised pig can be challenging for pig farmers and veterinarians. To understand more about the challenges in Germany, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Based on a hybrid design, the responses of 39 veterinarians and 62 pig farmers were analyzed to generate a list of common clinical signs associated with the euthanasia of sows, fatteners, and piglets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman infections with H7N9 avian influenza A virus that emerged in East China in 2013 and caused high morbidity rates were more frequently detected in men than in women over the last five epidemic waves. However, molecular markers associated with poor disease outcomes in men are still unknown. In this study, we systematically analysed sex hormone and cytokine levels in males and females with laboratory-confirmed H7N9 influenza in comparison to H7N9-negative control groups as well as laboratory-confirmed seasonal H1N1/H3N2 influenza cases (n = 369).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The life science industry has a strong interest in real-world data (RWD), a term that is currently being used in many ways and with varying definitions depending on the source. In this review article, we provide a summary overview of the challenges and risks regarding the use of RWD and its translation into real-world evidence and provide a classification and visualization of RWD challenges by means of the RWD Challenges Radar.
Summary: Based on a systematic literature search, we identified 3 types of challenges - organizational, technological, and people-based - that must be addressed when deriving evidence from RWD to be used in drug approval and other applications.
Male sex was repeatedly identified as a risk factor for death and intensive care admission. However, it is yet unclear whether sex hormones are associated with disease severity in COVID-19 patients. In this study, we analysed sex hormone levels (estradiol and testosterone) of male and female COVID-19 patients ( = 50) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in comparison to control non-COVID-19 patients at the ICU ( = 42), non-COVID-19 patients with the most prevalent comorbidity (coronary heart diseases) present within the COVID-19 cohort ( = 39) and healthy individuals ( = 50).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPasture-borne parasites adversely affect bovine health and productivity worldwide. In Europe, gastrointestinal nematodes, especially , the liver fluke and the lungworm represent the most important parasites of dairy cattle. The present study assessed exposure towards these parasites among 646 cattle herds in three parts of Germany during 2017-2019 via antibody detection in bulk tank milk (BTM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the past years, it became apparent that health status and performance differ considerably within dairy farms in Northern Germany. In order to obtain clues with respect to possible causes of these differences, a case-control study was performed. Case farms, which showed signs of health and performance problems, and control farms, which had none of these signs, were compared.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResistance to third-generation cephalosporins and other beta-lactam antibiotics is of major concern for animal and human health. Knowledge of the prevalence of resistant bacteria in primary production is an important element to estimate transmission along the stages in the food production chain and the exposure of the human population. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of cefotaxime-resistant commensal E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this investigation the farm prevalence of cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC) in German broiler farms was evaluated. In total, 59 flocks on 34 broiler farms were sampled in four agricultural regions of Germany. Per broiler flock, three faecal samples, a pair of boot swabs and one dust sample were taken and examined for the presence of CREC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNon-physiological activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), e.g. by aldosterone under conditions of high salt intake, contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, although beneficial effects of aldosterone also have been described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA cross-sectional study concerning farm prevalence and risk factors for the count of cefotaxime resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) (CREC) positive samples per sampling group on German fattening pig farms was performed in 2011 and 2012. Altogether 48 farms in four agricultural regions in the whole of Germany were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetabolic acidosis is a common feature of tumor microenvironment and may affect the phenotype of tumor cells, including invasive capacity and formation of metastases. We tested whether previous exposure to an acidic environment alters metastatic potential of two rat carcinoma cell lines in the animal model. In addition, we determined the effect of an acidic environment on motility and invasive capacity of AT-1 prostate carcinoma cells in culture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCells in solid tumors generate an extracellular acidosis due to the Warburg effect and tissue hypoxia. Acidosis can affect the functional behavior of tumor cells, causing, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a receptor tyrosine kinase, contributes to parainflammatory dysregulation, possibly causing cardiovascular dysfunction and remodeling. The physiological role of cardiovascular EGFR is not completely understood. To investigate the physiological importance of EGFR in vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes, we generated a mouse model with targeted deletion of the EGFR using the SM22 (smooth muscle-specific protein 22) promoter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTumor micromilieu often shows pronounced acidosis forcing cells to adapt their phenotype towards enhanced tumorigenesis induced by altered cellular signalling and transcriptional regulation. In the presents study mechanisms and potential consequences of the crosstalk between extra- and intracellular pH (pH(e), pH(i)) and mitogen-activated-protein-kinases (ERK1/2, p38) was analyzed. Data were obtained mainly in AT1 R-3327 prostate carcinoma cells, but the principle importance was confirmed in 5 other cell types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Pathophysiological effects of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR or ErbB1) include vascular remodeling. EGFR transactivation is proposed to contribute significantly to heterologous signaling and remodeling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC).
Methods And Results: We investigated the importance of EGFR in primary VSMC from aorta of mice with targeted deletion of the EGFR (EGFR(Δ/Δ VSMC)→VSMC(EGFR-/-) and EGFR(Δ/+ VSMC)→VSMC(EGFR+/-)) and the respective littermate controls (EGFR(+/+ VSMC)→VSMC(EGFR+/+)) with respect to survival, pentose phosphate pathway activity, matrix homeostasis, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation, and Ca(2+) homeostasis.
We examined the contribution of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-T-cell signaling to aldosterone (aldo)/salt-induced fibrosis in the kidneys and the hearts of FVB/N wild-type (WT) or transgenic (Tg) mice expressing a dominant-negative TGF-β type II receptor in T cells (hCD2-ΔkTβRII). Animals received aldo through osmotic minipumps and had access to either 1% NaCl (aldo/NaCl group) or tap water (vehicle group) for 4 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was measured during this period via a tail cuff.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBecause solid growing tumors often show hypoxia and pronounced extracellular acidosis, the aim of this study was to analyze the impact of an acidotic environment on the activity of the p-glycoprotein (pGP) and on the cellular content and cytotoxicity of the chemotherapeutic drug daunorubicin in the AT1 R-3327 Dunning prostate carcinoma cell line cultured in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, extracellular acidosis (pH 6.6) activated p38 and ERK1/2 and thereby induced daunorubicin resistance via a pronounced activation of pGP.
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