Workflows and locations matter - insights from electronic hand hygiene monitoring into the use of hand rub dispensers across diverse hospital wards.

Background: While healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect approximately 3.2-6.5% of hospitalised patients in the US and Europe, improving hand hygiene (HH) could reduce HAI rates.

Social inequality, social networks, and health: a scoping review of research on health inequalities from a social network perspective.

Background: This review summarises the present state of research on health inequalities using a social network perspective, and it explores the available studies examining the interrelations of social inequality, social networks, and health.

Methods: Using the strategy of a scoping review, as outlined by Arksey and O'Malley (Int J Sci Res Methodol 8:19-32, 2005), our team performed two searches across eight scientific, bibliographic databases including papers published until October 2021. Studies meeting pre-defined eligibility criteria were selected.

Life satisfaction and mental health from age 17 to 21 years in a general population sample.

Adolescence is a period when both mental health (MH) and wellbeing start deteriorating, which raises the question of how the two phenomena are linked and whether deterioration in one might be used to flag problematic developments in the other. While research shows that wellbeing and MH are associated, the direction of the association is not clear and longitudinal analyses, that might help disentangle the cause and effect, are scarce. Moreover, few studies have investigated the directional relation between MH and wellbeing early in the life course.

Multimorbidity is associated with the income, education, employment and health domains of area-level deprivation in adult residents in the UK.

Evidence suggests that there are social inequalities in multimorbidity, with a recent review indicating that area levels of deprivation are consistently associated with greater levels of multimorbidity. Definitions of multimorbidity, the most common of which is the co-occurrence of more than one long term condition, can include long term physical conditions, mental health conditions or both. The most commonly used measure of deprivation in England and Wales is the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), an index of seven different deprivation domains.

How COVID-19 Pandemic Worsens the Economic Situation of Women in South Africa.

Little is known about the general equilibrium impact COVID-19 induces on different gender groups. This paper addresses the problem of relatively few general equilibrium studies focusing on gender impacts of COVID-19. The analysis uses a gendered Computable General Equilibrium model linked to a microsimulation model that analyses a mild and severe scenario of the pandemic on economic and distributional outcomes for females.

Economic and Distributional Impact of COVID-19: Evidence from Macro-Micro Modelling of the South African Economy.

A computable general equilibrium model linked to a microsimulation model is applied to assess the potential short-term effects on the South African economy of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With a particular focus on distributional outcomes, two simulations are run, a mild and a severe scenario. The findings show significant evidence of decline in economic growth and employment, with the decline harsher for the severe scenario.

Reducing agricultural nitrogen inputs in the German Baltic Sea catchment - trends and policy options.

We depict recent agricultural nitrogen input and future loads to be expected in 2021 in the German Baltic Sea catchment to assess the feasibility of reaching water quality targets defined by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). We calculate recent and future nitrogen balances from agriculture by applying an interdisciplinary modelling system, also considering the effects of the Nitrate Directive. The nitrogen surpluses are transferred to a nutrient emission model to simulate nitrogen emissions, in-stream retention and resulting riverine loads to the sea until 2021.

Dexamethasone and acetate modulate cytoplasmic leptin in bovine preadipocytes.

Hormonal and nutrient signals regulate leptin synthesis and secretion. In rodents, leptin is stored in cytosolic pools of adipocytes. However, not much information is available regarding the regulation of intracellular leptin in ruminants.

The impact of map and data resolution on the determination of the agricultural utilisation of organic soils in Germany.

Due to its nature, agricultural land use depends on local site characteristics such as production potential, costs and external effects. To assess the relevance of the modifying areal unit problem (MAUP), we investigated as to how a change in the data resolution regarding both soil and land use data influences the results obtained for different land use indicators. For the assessment we use the example of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculturally used organic soils (mainly fens and bogs).

Evaluating antibiotics for use in medicine using a poloxamer biofilm model.

Background: Wound infections, due to biofilms, are a constant problem because of their recalcitrant nature towards antibiotics. Appropriate antibiotic selection for the treatment of these biofilm infections is important. The traditional in vitro disc diffusion method for antibiotic selection uses bacterial cultures grown on agar plates.

Biofilms and their relevance to veterinary medicine.

Bacteria are renowned for their ability to tolerate and adapt to a wide range of adverse environmental conditions. The primary mechanism that facilitates these adaptations is thought to be the capacity to form and maintain biofilms. Within a biofilm, bacteria become attached to a surface where they exist in complex communities which are able to interact with each other through intracellular communication and thus rapidly adapt to changing environments.

Altered mesoaccumbens and nigro-striatal dopamine physiology is associated with stereotypy development in a non-rodent species.

Stress-induced changes in mesoaccumbens dopamine neurophysiology have been associated with the development of stereotypic behaviour in in-bred strains of laboratory rodents. This experiment evaluated whether similar changes are associated with environmentally-induced stereotypic behaviour in a higher-vertebrate species, the horse. D1- and D2-like dopamine receptor densities (B(max)) and dissociation constants (K(d)) were measured in control (n=9) and stereotypy (n=9) horses in the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, putamen, substantia nigra and ventral tegmentum brain regions.

Effects of syringe material and temperature and duration of storage on the stability of equine arterial blood gas variables.

Objectives: To evaluate the consistency of partial pressures (P) of arterial oxygen (aO(2)), arterial carbon dioxide (aCO(2)) and pH measurements in equine carotid arterial blood samples taken into syringes made from three different materials and stored at room temperature or placed in iced water for measurement at three different times.

Study Design: Prospective observational study over 19 days.

Animals: Four clinically normal Thoroughbred or Thoroughbred-cross horses (three geldings, one mare, mean age 6.

Derivation of numerical values for the World Health Organization guidelines for recreational waters.

In April 2001, draft 'Guidelines' for safe recreational water environments were developed at a World Health Organization (WHO) expert consultation. Later the same month, these were presented and discussed at the 'Green Week' in Brussels alongside the on-going revision of the European Union Bathing Water Directive 76/160/EEC. The WHO Guidelines cover general aspects of recreational water management as well as define water quality criteria for various hazards.

Effects of silage species and supplemental vitamin E on the oxidative stability of milk.

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of feeding legume silages and providing supplemental vitamin E in concentrates on the oxidative stability of milk. In experiment 1, six multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were offered 1 of 6 silage treatments in a cyclical changeover-design experiment, with four 4-wk periods. The silages were grass, red clover, white clover, alfalfa, grass and red clover mixture (50:50 on a DM basis), and grass and white clover mixture (50:50 on a DM basis).

The effect of dietary forage on the development and survival of helminth parasites in ovine faeces.

Studies in New Zealand and the UK have shown that lambs grazing birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) or chicory (Cichorium intybus) have reduced parasite intensities compared to lambs grazing ryegrass swards. However, data in the literature on the influence of forages on helminth parasites is equivocal and the underlying mechanisms by which different forage diets may affect these parasites have not been fully determined. The aim of the experiments reported here was to investigate the hypothesis that the consumption of these forages does not affect the hatching and development of helminth eggs in the faeces subsequently produced by the host animal.

Mathematical modelling of digesta passage rate, mean retention time and in vivo apparent digestibility of two different lengths of hay and big-bale grass silage in ponies.

Welsh-cross pony geldings (about 300 kg live weight) were used in a 4x4 Latin square experiment to determine the rate of passage and apparent digestibility of unchopped big-bale grass silage (BBL), chopped big-bale grass silage (BBS), unchopped grass hay (HL) and chopped grass hay (HS) offered at approximately 15 g/kg live weight per d. On day 1 of collection weeks, ponies were fed 85 g ytterbium chloride hexahydrate-marked feed 1.5 h after the morning meal.

The effect of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) on parasite intensities and performance of lambs naturally infected with helminth parasites.

Conventionally, farmers rely upon the routine use of anthelmintics to control helminth parasites and their use has proved highly cost-effective. However, several factors, including the emergence of helminths resistant to pharmaceutical anthelmintics, are forcing farmers to seek alternative approaches to parasite control. Studies in New Zealand have shown that some alternative forages may reduce parasitic infestation in sheep.

Relationship between intrafollicular concentrations of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) and steroid hormones in oestrogenic and non-oestrogenic ovarian follicles in the mare.

The objective of the present study was to determine whether parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is present in the equine follicular fluid and if so, how it is related to the follicular development in the horse. For this purpose, ovaries were collected from 40 Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred Cross mares at slaughter during the period from February to May. Normal growing follicles were dissected from the ovaries of each mare and their diameters measured.

hCG treatment on day of mating improves embryo viability and fertility in ewe lambs.

An investigation was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing hCG at mating time on luteal function, conceptus growth, placentation and reproductive performance in TexelxClun Forest ewe lambs. After oestrus synchronisation with progestagen sponges and PMSG ewe lambs were treated either with normal saline (n=102) or 150 IU of hCG (n=105) at mating time. At 25 days after mating 24 animals were slaughtered from each group to determine embryo viability and placental development.

Factors affecting the survival of sheep embryos after transfer within a MOET program.

Multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) has the potential to increase the rate of genetic improvement in sheep. However, better realization of this potential requires maximum survival rates of transferred embryos of high genetic merit after transfer into recipient ewes. These studies were therefore conducted to investigate the effect of both embryonic and recipient ewe factors on the survival rate of transferred embryos.

The mobile bag technique as a method for determining the degradation of four botanically diverse fibrous feedstuffs in the small intestine and total digestive tract of ponies.

An in sacco mobile bag technique was used to determine the rate and extent of disappearance of unmolassed sugar-beet pulp, soyabean hulls, hay cubes and an oat hull-naked oats mixture (67:33, w/w) in the foregut and total digestive tract of ponies. Ponies were administered naso-gastrically polyester mesh bags containing 350 mg feed, in a Latin square design. Bags were collected at the ileo-caecal junction (small intestine bag, SIB) and in the faeces (faecal bag, FB) and their residues analysed for proximate constituents and NSP composition and content.

Forage intake, meal patterns, and milk production of lactating dairy cows fed grass silage or pea-wheat bi-crop silages.

This study investigated the feed intake, milk production, and plasma nutrient status in dairy cows fed inter-cropped pea-wheat (bi-crop) silages comprised of contrasting ratios of pea to wheat. Spring peas (cv. Magnus) and wheat (cv.

Factors affecting gestation length in the Thoroughbred mare.

In order to assist in the accurate prediction of the timing of parturition in the mare true gestation length, along with the potential effect of a number of factors, was investigated. Data from 433 Thoroughbred foal pregnancies were used. Sequential ultrasonic scanning allowed the true gestation length (fertilisation-parturition) to be ascertained, as apposed to previous work, which used the mating-parturition interval.

The absorption of phosphate ions from the ovine reticulorumen.

The reticulorumen is now recognised to be an important site of net absorption of phosphate ions from ruminal fluid containing phosphate concentrations appropriate to those found in normal farming practice. These rates of absorption were measured in vivo from solutions placed in the washed reticulorumen, isolated in situ, in conscious, trained sheep. Reducing the ruminal sodium concentration led to reduced absorption of phosphate, suggestive that phosphate and sodium fluxes across the apical wall of the ruminal epithelial cell are linked, as they are in the kidney.