Publications by authors named "R A Whiston"

Uterine disease in cattle impairs reproductive performance and profitability and increases antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Thus, probiotics offer a promising alternative therapy. This review presents conceptual findings on the efficacy of probiotics in managing uterine diseases and fertility in cows.

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Whilst most individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection have relatively mild disease, managed in the community, it was noted early in the pandemic that individuals with cardiovascular risk factors were more likely to experience severe acute disease, requiring hospitalisation. As the pandemic has progressed, increasing concern has also developed over long symptom duration in many individuals after SARS-CoV-2 infection, including among the majority who are managed acutely in the community. Risk factors for long symptom duration, including biological variables, are still poorly defined.

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Article Synopsis
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, self-reported symptom studies helped to understand long-term effects of the virus, particularly the diverse symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition, which require specific categorization for better personalized care.
  • The research involved analyzing data from UK adults who provided health reports via a smartphone app, focusing on individuals who experienced long COVID after initially feeling healthy for 30 days post-infection.
  • The study identified unique symptom profiles based on vaccination status and viral variants, ultimately including over 9,800 participants, with findings significant enough to provide insights for unvaccinated individuals infected with the wild-type and alpha variants and vaccinated individuals with the delta variant.
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The bovine genital tract harbors a dynamic microbiome. Genital tract microbial communities in healthy animals have been characterized using next-generation sequencing methods showing that microbe compositions differ between the vagina and uterus, more so during the postpartum period. Pre-calving fecal and vaginal, and endometrial swabs at the different postpartum intervals were collected from dairy cows.

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Article Synopsis
  • In the UK, two surgical approaches for repairing open abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), transperitoneal (TP) and retroperitoneal (RP), were compared in patients with complex vascular issues.
  • The study involved 57 patients, assessing outcomes like postoperative complications, hospital stay length, and systemic inflammation, with RP patients showing better results in these areas.
  • Findings suggest that the RP approach, despite being more demanding, offers clinical advantages and cost savings, advocating for its more frequent use in complex AAA cases.
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