Low vison

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in farmed and feral mink in Denmark. METHODS: We examined meat juice from 235 feral mink and 306 farmed mink for T. gondii antibodies, and faecal samples from 113 feral mink and 166 farmed mink for Cryptosporidium oocyst excretion. Meat juice was analysed using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and oocyst excretion was identified by a modified Ziehl-Neelsen method...

OBJECTIVES: Up to 90% of people with dementia in long term care (LTC) have hearing and/or vision impairment. Hearing/vision difficulties are frequently under-recognised or incompletely managed. The impacts of hearing/vision impairment include more rapid cognitive decline, behavioural disturbances, reduced quality of life, and greater care burden. This research investigated LTC staff knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding hearing/vision care needs for residents with dementia. METHODS: A survey of staff in LTC facilities in England, South Korea, India, Greece, Indonesia and Australia...

Ophthalmic diseases represent a significant problem as over 2 billion people worldwide suffer from vison impairment and blindness. Eye drops account for around 90% of ophthalmic medications but are limited in success due to poor patient compliance and low bioavailability. Low bioavailability can be attributed to short retention times in the eye caused by rapid tear turnover and the difficulty of drug diffusion through the multi-layered structure of the eye that includes lipid-rich endothelial and epithelial layers as well as the stroma which is high in water content...

The release of domestic organisms to the wild threatens biodiversity because the introduction of domestic genes through interbreeding can negatively impact wild conspecifics via outbreeding depression. In North America, farmed American mink ( Neovison vison ) frequently escape captivity, yet the impact of these events on functional genetic diversity of wild mink populations is unclear. We characterized domestic and wild mink in Ontario at 17 trinucleotide microsatellites located in functional genes thought to be associated with traits affected by domestication...

Pathogens are one of the factors driving wildlife population dynamics. The spread of pathogens in wildlife is currently highly related to the transmission of pathogens from farmed animals, which has increased with the constant development of farming. Here, we analysed the spatio-temporal variation in the prevalence of Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) antibodies in feral American mink (Neovison vison) populations in Poland (1153 individuals from 9 sites) in relation to mink farming intensity. AMDV was detected in feral mink at all study sites and the prevalence ranged from 0...

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of global distribution, caused by the infection of pathogenic Leptospira, a group of bacteria capable of infecting both domestic and wild animals. Mink (Neovison vison) in southern Chile is recognized as a wild and synanthropic rodent predator (among various other prey), and Leptospira infection in them can be acquired through contact with the pathogen in the environment or by eating infected prey. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide more specifics regarding the source of the infection for the American mink under the conditions of Southern Chile...

The ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has spilled over into humans from an animal reservoir. Notably, the virus is now spilling back into a variety of animal species. It appears striking that American (Neovison vison) and European (Mustela vison) minks are the first intensively farmed animal to experience outbreaks. Neither of these have occurred in Asia or Africa but rather in Europe - namely Spain, Denmark, Netherlands and in the US, at a mink farm in Utah. Current evidence indicates that the virus was transmitted to the animals through infected human workers on the farm...

Research has demonstrated that low vison aids (LVAs) can have a positive impact on the functional sight of those living with sight loss. Step changes in technology are now enabling new wearable LVAs with greater potential than those available previously. For these novel devices to receive increased acceptance and therefore adoption by those with sight loss, visual task demands have to be understood more clearly in order to enable better alignment between device design and user requirements. The aim of this study was to quantify these requirements...

Objective Retinal prostheses strive to restore vison to patients that are blind from retinal degeneration by electrically stimulating surviving retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The quality of elicited percepts remains limited however and it is desirable to develop improved stimulation strategies. Here, we examine how the anatomical and biophysical properties of RGCs influence activation thresholds, including the effects of variations found naturally. Approach Detailed reconstructions were made of a large number of mouse α RGCs and were used to create an array of model cells; the models were used to study the effects of individual anatomical features on activation threshold to electric stimulation...

Mortality of mink kits represents a significant loss to production. However, causes of post-weaning mortality in mink kits in modern Danish mink production systems are still relatively poorly documented. We performed a cross-sectional mortality study on eight Danish mink farms including 1893 post mortem examinations of mink kits found dead or euthanized. We assessed the prevalence of cystitis and urolithiasis leading to mortality. Gross pathological findings as well as animal characteristics were recorded and associations with post mortem microbiology (using culture and MaldiTof-MS Vitek MS system) were investigated...

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs) are a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders caused by the defects in the synthesis and processing of glycoproteins. CDG is caused by mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase (MOGS) deficiency, and is an extremely rare type, and only six patients have been reported. Here, we report a patient from China with facial dysmorphism, infantile spams, developmental delay, low vison, and abnormal liver function and low immunoglobulin. Brain MRI showed hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and slightly wide sulci at bilateral frontal parietal lobes...

Protein and amino acid (AA) availability of three protein meals of expected different quality were evaluated in young growing and adult mink. Lamb meal (LM), poultry meal (PM) or fishmeal (FM) were used as main protein sources in three extruded diets investigated by determining apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and nitrogen balance in 12 growing mink males aged 8-11 weeks in a Latin square design. In adult mink, ATTD of the diets was determined. The diets had lower protein content than recommended for growing mink, protein contributing 23% of total metabolisable energy (ME), to ensure differences in growth response...

The American mink, Neovison vison , is an invasive species in Chile. Its impact on native fauna and public health has not been studied in depth in the country. In this study, we searched for gastrointestinal parasites, including helminths and zoonotic Cryptosporidium sp., the presence of Trichinella sp. in muscle, and the renal carriage of pathogenic Leptospira sp. in minks caught on Navarino Island, "Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena" Region, and Maullín and Ancud, "Los Lagos" Region, Chile...

BACKGROUND: Pre-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is a severe syndrome, with world-wide occurrence, affecting farmed mink (Neovison vison) kits during the lactation period. Kits affected by PWD often display clinical signs such as: yellow-white diarrhea, greasy skin, and dehydration. In severe cases the kits eventually die. It is common practice to treat PWD using antimicrobials; however the effect is not well documented. Due to the multifactorial etiology of PWD vaccine development is not feasible...

Organs-on-chip technology has recently emerged as a promising tool to generate advanced cardiac tissue in vitro models, by recapitulating key physiological cues of the native myocardium. Biochemical, mechanical, and electrical stimuli have been investigated and demonstrated to enhance the maturation of cardiac constructs. However, the combined application of such stimulations on 3D organized constructs within a microfluidic platform was not yet achieved. For this purpose, we developed an innovative microbioreactor designed to provide a uniform electric field and cyclic uniaxial strains to 3D cardiac microtissues, recapitulating the complex electro-mechanical environment of the heart...

Aim: To investigate the genome-wide methylation of genetically characterized colorectal cancer stem cell (CR-CSC) lines. Materials & methods: Eight CR-CSC lines were isolated from primary colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, cultured and characterized for aneuploidy, mutational status of CRC-related genes and microsatellite instability (MSI). Genome-wide DNA methylation was assessed by MethylationEPIC microarray. Results: We describe a distinctive methylation pattern that is maintained following in vivo passages in immune-compromised mice...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the thickness of the outer retinal layers and its relationship with visual function in fellow eyes of participants with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Longitudinal study. PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled 105 subjects with unilateral neovascular AMD from 3 clinical centers in Europe. METHODS: The fellow eye, without advanced AMD, was selected for the study. Subjects were followed up with visits occurring every 6 months for 2 years...

Treatment of mink kits with pre-weaning diarrhea (PWD) can be time-consuming and expensive for the farmer, and the efficacy of the treatment procedure may be questioned. Evidence-based treatment protocols for application on affected animals at farms with outbreaks of PWD are lacking. In Denmark, the dams are sometimes treated with amoxicillin, however, it is unknown if it is passed on to the mink kits via the milk. The aim of the present study was to investigate if amoxicillin is transferred via the milk to the kits after oral (PO) and intramuscular (IM) treatment, respectively, of the dam...

Importance: Low-vision assistive devices are not covered by Medicare and many private insurers, although there is evidence that they can improve functioning and quality of life. Little is known about whether sociodemographic disparities exist in the use of low-vision services by Medicare beneficiaries. Objective: To determine if sociodemographic disparities exist in the use of low-vision services by Medicare beneficiaries. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional population-based survey...

BACKGROUND: Optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) are low-grade tumours of the visual pathway. Although survival rates are high, there is considerable morbidity and hence treatment focuses on preservation of vison and quality of life. The multiple, complex issues faced by these patients are often confounded by a concurrent diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1). As there is a paucity of literature addressing the current practices of the multi-professional team (MPT) caring for children diagnosed with an OPG, individual professional experiences often guide the MPT's approach to the care of these children and their families...