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BackgroundEarly excess and inadequate gestational weight gain (GWG) have been associated with negative outcomes for mother and child. The use of digital media to deliver pregnancy lifestyle interventions is increasing, but there is little data on participant engagement. The Pregnancy Lifestyle Activity and Nutrition (PLAN) intervention pilot study was an electronic health and dietetic-delivered intervention program promoting healthy GWG in early pregnancy. ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the interactions of participants with the program and to assess its acceptability. MethodsThis study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods using data from parent randomized controlled trial (ACTRN12617000725369). Quantitative data from 22 participants in the intervention arm who completed the study provided measures of the interactions participants had with the digital components of the program and with dietetic consultations. A descriptive qualitative analysis employed semistructured interviews with 9 participants to elicit views on the acceptability of the intervention and its components. ResultsThe electronic delivery of information and recording of weight from 8 to 20 weeks of gestation were universally accepted. Component (face-to-face dietitian, weight tracker, website information delivery, and SMS goal prompting) acceptability and engagement differed between individuals. A total of 4 key themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: supporting lifestyle change, component acceptability and value, delivery platforms, and engagement barriers. ConclusionsThe PLAN intervention and its delivery via a blend of personal dietetic consultations and digital program delivery was found to be acceptable and valuable to pregnant women. Individuals responded differently to various components, emphasizing the importance of including women in the development of lifestyle interventions and allowing participants to choose and tailor programs. Larger randomized controlled trials using these insights in a broader section of the community are needed to inform the iterative development of practical, time-efficient, and cost-effective ways of supporting optimal GWG with the potential to optimize outcomes for pregnant women and their child.

Aims: Q fever is a globally distributed, neglected zoonotic disease of conservation and public health importance, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Coxiella burnetii normally causes subclinical infections in livestock, but may also cause reproductive pathology and spontaneous abortions in artiodactyl species. One such artiodactyl, the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), is an increasingly important livestock species in semi‐arid landscapes. Ticks are naturally infected with C. burnetii worldwide and are frequently found on camels in Kenya. In this study, we assessed the relationship between dromedary camels' C. burnetii serostatus and whether the camels were carrying C. burnetii PCR‐positive ticks in Kenya. We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between camel seropositivity and carrying C. burnetii PCR‐positive ticks. Methods and Results: Blood was collected from camels (N = 233) from three herds, and serum was analysed using commercial ELISA antibody test kits. Ticks were collected (N = 4354), divided into pools of the same species from the same camel (N = 397) and tested for C. burnetii and Coxiella‐like endosymbionts. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize seroprevalence by camel demographic and clinical variables. Univariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess relationships between serostatus (outcome) and tick PCR status, camel demographic variables, and camel clinical variables (predictors). Camel C. burnetii seroprevalence was 52%. Across tick pools, the prevalence of C. burnetii was 15% and Coxiella‐like endosymbionts was 27%. Camel seropositivity was significantly associated with the presence of a C. burnetii PCR‐positive tick pool (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.4–5.1; p = 0.0045), increasing age class, and increasing total solids. Conclusions: The role of ticks and camels in the epidemiology of Q fever warrants further research to better understand this zoonotic disease that has potential to cause illness and reproductive losses in humans, livestock, and wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yaws is a disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue, which is believed to be an exclusively human pathogen (1). However, this bacterium has recently been identified in [...]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6803.2008.00229.x Byline: Robert Faff (1), Daniel Mulino (2), Daniel Chai (2) Keywords: D81; G19 Abstract: Abstract We explore the linkage between financial risk tolerance (FRT) and risk aversion. To do this, we obtain FRT scores from a psychometrically validated survey and conduct a battery of online lottery choice experiments involving the same nonstudent participants. We contrast: real and hypothetical payoffs, low and high stakes, decisions involving gains and losses, and order effects. Our key finding is that the two approaches to analyzing decision making under uncertainty are strongly aligned. We present evidence that this is particularly the case for the female participants in our sample and when high-stake gambles are employed. Author Affiliation: (1)Monash University and The University of Leeds (2)Monash University

Using Google search volume as a proxy for investor attention, this paper provides evidence on the role attention plays in financial markets. We first show that abnormal Google search volume (ASVI) helps explain cross‐sectional variations in trading activity, even after controlling for its important determinants. Specifically, ASVI is positively related to trading volume, order imbalance and liquidity. When the relation between stock returns and ASVI is examined, we find a strong positive relation in the month after attention shocks and a reversal over a longer holding period. We further conjecture that the attention effect is more pronounced in stocks with higher limits to arbitrage. For this purpose, we construct a limits‐to‐arbitrage index and show that limits to arbitrage play an important role in explaining the attention effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disorder affecting approximately 10% of women of reproductive age who often experience chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Laparoscopy, which is invasive and expensive, is the gold standard for diagnosis of endometriosis. A simple minimallyinvasive test for endometriosis-specific biomarkers which is yet to be realized would offer a timely and accurate diagnosis for the disease thereby allowing early treatment intervention. Although aberrant microRNA expression has been implicated in endometriosis in several studies, conflicting results have been reported. This study hypothesized that the use of an appropriate animal model will provide a unique entry point for the discovery of biomarkers for early diagnosis of endometriosis. The study aimed at identifying miRNAs that are differentially expressed in eutopic endometrium of induced endometriosis in Papio anubis for early detection of endometriosis. Female adult baboons (n = 3) were induced with endometriosis by intraperitoneal inoculation of autologous menstrual endometrium. We sequenced small RNA samples obtained from normal (control) and diseased eutopic endometrium. Quality reads from the sequences were subjected to differential expression analysis to identify dysregulated microRNAs and genes from other non-coding small RNA in the samples using a bioinformatics approach. Through in silico analysis, gene targets of the dysregulated miRNA and their functions were determined. Our findings show significant high expression of seven microRNAs namely miR-199a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-214-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-125b-5p, miR-199a-5p and miR-10b-5p. The study also reveals five microRNAs that were significantly down regulated and they include miR-29b-3p, miR-16-5p, miR-342-3p, miR-378a-3p and let-7g-5p. Seventeen genes from non-coding small RNAs were significantly dysregulated. The dysregulated microRNAs and genes play important roles in pathogenesis of endometriosis. Our findings indicate that specific miRNA signatures are associated with endometriosis, and the dysregulated miRNAs could constitute new and informative biomarkers for early diagnosis of endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human skin is morphologically and physiologically different from the skin of other primates. However, the genetic causes underlying human-specific skin characteristics remain unclear. Here, we quantitatively demonstrate that the epidermis and dermis of human skin are significantly thicker than those of three Old World monkey species. In addition, we indicate that the topography of the epidermal basement membrane zone shows a rete ridge in humans but is flat in the Old World monkey species examined. Subsequently, we comprehensively compared gene expression levels between human and nonhuman great ape skin using next-generation cDNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). We identified four structural protein genes associated with the epidermal basement membrane zone or elastic fibers in the dermis (COL18A1, LAMB2, CD151, and BGN) that were expressed significantly greater in humans than in nonhuman great apes, suggesting that these differences may be related to the rete ridge and rich elastic fibers present in human skin. The rete ridge may enhance the strength of adhesion between the epidermis and dermis in skin. This ridge, along with a thick epidermis and rich elastic fibers might contribute to the physical strength of human skin with a low amount of hair. To estimate transcriptional regulatory regions for COL18A1, LAMB2, CD151, and BGN, we examined conserved noncoding regions with histone modifications that can activate transcription in skin cells. Human-specific substitutions in these regions, especially those located in binding sites of transcription factors which function in skin, may alter the gene expression patterns and give rise to the human-specific adaptive skin characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gutierrez and Kelly (2008) recently documented momentum in weekly returns. Using the Australian market as a setting, we find that stocks with high 1-week returns exhibit a continuation in returns up to 1 year after a brief initial return reversal. However, after controlling for the intermediate-horizon past performance, the continuation in returns after 1-week returns disappears. These findings suggest that different past investment horizons contain separate information about price momentum and that intermediate-term trends dominate short-term trends in driving future returns. Overall, we show that understanding momentum over different horizons facilitates the design of more profitable trading strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilising a comprehensive data set for Australian firms, we examine a range of competing asset-pricing models, including the four- and five-factor models where the equity-risk premium is augmented by size, value, momentum and liquidity premia, and find that none of the models tested appears to adequately explain the cross section of Australian returns. A model accounting for Australia's integration with the US equity market appears to be the best of the competing models we study. Our argument that a model recognising Australia's integration with the USA is supported when we apply the portfolio and factor construction methodology suggested by Brailsford et al. (2012a,b). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small stocks tend to reverse, whereas large stocks tend to trend over a one-month horizon, which explains the lack of short-term reversals in the Australian market as a whole. However, large stocks exhibit intra-industry reversals, in which industry winners underperform industry losers in the subsequent month, when controlling for price momentum. Conversely, once this intra-industry reversal is neutralised, large stocks display momentum behaviour, in which market winners outperform market losers. These conditional strategies generate positive, significant risk-adjusted returns on large stocks in Australia. This paper documents significant industry momentum, as winning industries outperform losing industries in the following month. This industry momentum effect dominates the intra-industry reversal. The paper also finds evidence that conditional reversals are driven by illiquidity and are inhibited by stock prices under-reacting to earnings announcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]