Obstetric and long-term kidney outcomes in renal transplant recipients: a 40 year single-centre study

Female renal transplant recipients of childbearing age may ask what the outcomes are for pregnancy and whether pregnancy will affect graft function. We analyzed obstetric and transplant outcomes among renal transplant recipients in our center who have been pregnant between 1973 and 2013. A case−cohort study was performed identifying 83 pairs of pregnant and non-pregnant controls matched for sex, age, transplant vintage, and creatinine. There were 138 pregnancies reported from 89 renal transplant recipients. There were live births in 74% of pregnancies with high prevalence of prematurity (61%), low birth weight (52%), and pre-eclampsia (14%). Lower eGFR (OR 0.98; p = 0.05) and higher uPCR (OR 1.86; p = 0.02) at conception were independent predictors for poor composite obstetric outcome. Lower eGFR (OR 0.98; p = 0.04), higher uPCR (OR 1.50; p = 0.04), and live organ donation (OR 0.35; p = 0.02) were predictors of ≥20% loss of eGFR between immediately pre-pregnancy and one yr after delivery. There was no difference in eGFR at one, five, and 10 yr in pregnant women compared with non-pregnant controls and a pregnancy was not associated with poorer 10-yr transplant or 20-yr patient survival. Despite high rates of obstetric complications, most women had successful pregnancies with good long-term transplant function

A time series transcriptome analysis of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) varieties challenged with Ugandan cassava brown streak virus

Open Access Journal; Published online: 29 August 2017A time-course transcriptome analysis of two cassava varieties that are either resistant or susceptible to cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) was conducted using RNASeq, after graft inoculation with Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV). From approximately 1.92 billion short reads, the largest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was obtained in the resistant (Namikonga) variety at 2 days after grafting (dag) (3887 DEGs) and 5 dag (4911 DEGs). At the same time points, several defense response genes (encoding LRR-containing, NBARC-containing, pathogenesis-related, late embryogenesis abundant, selected transcription factors, chaperones, and heat shock proteins) were highly expressed in Namikonga. Also, defense-related GO terms of ‘translational elongation’, ‘translation factor activity’, ‘ribosomal subunit’ and ‘phosphorelay signal transduction’, were overrepresented in Namikonga at these time points. More reads corresponding to UCBSV sequences were recovered from the susceptible variety (Albert) (733 and 1660 read counts per million (cpm)) at 45 dag and 54 dag compared to Namikonga (10 and 117 cpm respectively). These findings suggest that Namikonga’s resistance involves restriction of multiplication of UCBSV within the host. These findings can be used with other sources of evidence to identify candidate genes and biomarkers that would contribute substantially to knowledge-based resistance breeding

Amazight Identity in the Post Colonial Moroccan State: A Case Study in Ethnicity

This study will demonstrate that the Amazight are a distinct ethnic group in Morocco, despite the common interpretation in scholarly and everyday discourse that they are merely groups of people speaking one of the Amazight language and not representing a distinct cultural entity. The study will go on to examine the ramifications of this ethnic identity and the heritage of the historical and tribal roots of the Amazight in light of nationalism, state building, ethnicity, and cultural marginalization

QTL associated with resistance to cassava brown streak and cassava mosaic diseases in a bi-parental cross of two Tanzanian farmer varieties, Namikonga and Albert

Article purchasedCassava production in Africa is compromised by cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD). To reduce costs and increase the precision of resistance breeding, a QTL study was conducted to identify molecular markers linked to resistance against these diseases. A bi-parental F1 mapping population was developed from a cross between the Tanzanian farmer varieties, Namikonga and Albert. A one-step genetic linkage map comprising 943 SNP markers and 18 linkage groups spanning 1776.2 cM was generated. Phenotypic data from 240 F1 progeny were obtained from two disease hotspots in Tanzania, over two successive seasons, 2013 and 2014. Two consistent QTLs linked to resistance to CBSD-induced root necrosis were identified in Namikonga on chromosomes II (qCBSDRNFc2Nm) and XI (qCBSDRNc11Nm) and a putative QTL on chromosome XVIII (qCBSDRNc18Nm). qCBSDRNFc2Nm was identified at Naliendele in both seasons. The same QTL was also associated with CBSD foliar resistance. qCBSDRNc11Nm was identified at Chambezi in both seasons, and was characterized by three peaks, spanning a distance of 253 kb. Twenty-seven genes were identified within this region including two LRR proteins and a signal recognition particle. In addition, two highly significant CMD resistance QTL (qCMDc12.1A and qCMDc12.2A) were detected in Albert, on chromosome 12. Both qCMDc12.1A and qCMDc12.2A lay within the range of markers reported earlier, defining the CMD2 locus. This is the first time that two loci have been identified within the CMD2 QTL, and in germplasm of apparent East African origin. Additional QTLs with minor effects on CBSD and CMD resistance were also identified

Evidence of a high incidence of subclinically affected calves in a herd of cattle with fatal cases of Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP).

BACKGROUND: Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP) is a disease of calves characterised by bone marrow trilineage hypoplasia, mediated by ingestion of alloantibodies in colostrum. Suspected subclinical forms of BNP have been reported, suggesting that observed clinical cases may not represent the full extent of the disease. However to date there are no objective data available on the incidence of subclinical disease or its temporal distribution. This study aimed to 1) ascertain whether subclinical BNP occurs and, if so, to determine the incidence on an affected farm and 2) determine whether there is evidence of temporal clustering of BNP cases on this farm. To achieve these aims, haematological screening of calves born on the farm during one calving season was carried out, utilising blood samples collected at defined ages. These data were then analysed in comparison to data from both known BNP-free control animals and histopathologically confirmed BNP cases. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to create a composite haematology score to predict the probabilities of calves being normal, based on their haematology measurements at 10–14 days old. RESULTS: This study revealed that 15% (21 of 139) of the clinically normal calves on this farm had profoundly abnormal haematology (<5% chance of being normal) and could be defined as affected by subclinical BNP. Together with clinical BNP cases, this gave the study farm a BNP incidence of 18%. Calves with BNP were found to be distributed throughout the calving period, with no clustering, and no significant differences in the date of birth of cases or subclinical cases were found compared to the rest of the calves. This study did not find any evidence of increased mortality or increased time from birth to sale in subclinical BNP calves but, as the study only involved a single farm and adverse effects may be determined by other inter-current diseases it remains possible that subclinical BNP has a detrimental impact on the health and productivity of calves under certain circumstances. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical BNP was found to occur at a high incidence in a herd of cattle with fatal cases of BNP

The effects of social service contact on teenagers in England

Objective: This study investigated outcomes of social service contact during teenage years. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (N = 15,770), using data on reported contact with social services resulting from teenagers’ behavior. Outcomes considered were educational achievement and aspiration, mental health, and locus of control. Inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment was used to estimate the effect of social service contact. Results: There was no significant difference between those who received social service contact and those who did not for mental health outcome or aspiration to apply to university. Those with contact had lower odds of achieving good exam results or of being confident in university acceptance if sought. Results for locus of control were mixed. Conclusions: Attention is needed to the role of social services in supporting the education of young people in difficulty. Further research is needed on the outcomes of social services contact