(Press-News.org) Media Alert: DENVER/April 2, 2024 — Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers introduced a straightforward questionnaire to help horse owners identify and monitor signs of osteoarthritis pain in their equine companions. This initiative aims to facilitate earlier and more effective treatment, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for horses.
Created by Dr. Janny de Grauw, Senior Lecturer at The Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom, Bryony Lancaster, Program Director, MSc Equine Science of the University of Edinburgh and Dr. Diane Howard, the questionnaire is modeled after the Brief Pain Inventory used to evaluate pain severity and its impact on functioning.
“Horses are another long-lived athletic species, and there is some thought that arthritis studies in horses may also apply to people, so having a similar instrument could help with that research,” Howard said. “The questionnaire can also serve as an objective tool for veterinarians to assess and monitor the adequacy of treatment plans and so determine if changes in a protocol need to be made.”
A preliminary trial of the questionnaire, which involved 25 owners/caretakers of horses diagnosed with arthritis, revealed that 88% of participants found the questionnaire beneficial, while 84% appreciated its simplicity and ease of use.
One significant insight from the study highlighted by Howard is that many horse owners blame themselves for their horse’s arthritis or believe it to be a natural occurrence beyond treatment.
“In general, it’s not the owner or trainer’s fault, and once they realize that, they could be more willing to think, ‘Maybe my horse is hurting a bit, and maybe it’s arthritis,’” Howard said. “There are currently no ways of curing it, but there are certainly ways of controlling the pain and slowing the progress of the disease.”
About Morris Animal Foundation
Morris Animal Foundation’s mission is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Denver, it is one of the largest nonprofit animal health research organizations in the world, funding nearly $160 million in more than 3,000 critical animal health studies to date across a broad range of species. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org.
Media Contact: Annie Mehl
END
Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers develop early osteoarthritis detection tool
2024-04-02
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Companies ignoring climate risks get punished by markets, new study reveals
2024-04-02
A pioneering study from the University of Florida has quantified corporations’ exposure to climate change risks like hurricanes, wildfires, and climate-related regulations and the extent to which climate risks are priced into their market valuations. The research also exposes a costly divide – companies that proactively manage climate risks fare much better than those that ignore the threats.
Using textual analysis of earnings call transcripts from almost 5,000 U.S. public companies, researchers developed novel measures of firms’ physical climate risk exposure ...
These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago. They may be gone in decades.
2024-04-02
Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you’ve probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level, and nearly all scrub mints grow in areas that are being rapidly developed or converted to agricultural pasture.
In a new study, researchers analyzed a distinct type of DNA marker, which shows there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be scientifically described. And at least one species has been left without federal protection because of a technicality.
“The Titusville balm is currently considered ...
Researchers at CiQUS synthesize new compounds within living cells using light
2024-04-02
Plants harness chlorophyll to capture sunlight and kickstart photosynthesis, a crucial process on our planet that converts luminous energy into chemical fuel while producing oxygen. This pivotal chemical energy is subsequently utilized by plants, algae, and select bacteria to metabolize carbon dioxide and water into sugars.
Now, scientists at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) have achieved a breakthrough by integrating non-native photosensitizers into mammalian cells. This revelation showcases the capability of these substances to also absorb green ...
Dr. Arati Dasgupta honored by the Nuclear and Plasma Science Society
2024-04-02
WASHINGTON – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) plasma physicist, Arati Dasgupta, Ph.D., head, Radiation Hydrodynamics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, receives the 2024 IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) Award for her fundamental contributions to, and leadership of, high energy density plasma, atomic, and radiation physics, fusion applications, and service to the plasma science community.
Presented by the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society, the PSAC Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of plasma science and engineering. Dasgupta is the 37th winner of the PSAC Award — one of three women ever to receive ...
All-cash home buyers pay 10% less than mortgage buyers
2024-04-02
Owning a home has long been considered a crucial way to build wealth, but making such a purchase has become increasingly difficult for many residents. In addition to steep housing prices and high interest rates, there have been a growing number of all-cash buyers who can close a deal quickly, beating out competing offers from buyers who need to finance their home with a mortgage.
The convenience and certainty of all-cash offers appeals to sellers so much so, that they pay on average 10 % less than mortgage buyers, according to a new study from the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management.
“When sellers accept a mortgage offer, it comes with risk,” said Michael ...
Must mRNA be cloaked in a lipid coat to serve as a vaccine?
2024-04-02
The Uchida Laboratory (Lab Head: Prof. Satoshi Uchida, Department of Advanced Nanomedical Engineering, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University; abbreviated as TMDU) of Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (Center Director: Prof. Kazunori Kataoka, Location: Kawasaki, Japan; abbreviated as iCONM) has demonstrated that intradermal administration of mRNA alone (naked mRNA) without protected by nanoparticles induced robust vaccination against SARS CoV-2, a virus causing COVID-19, in mice and primates, ...
Infant gut microbes have their own circadian rhythm, and diet has little impact on how the microbiome assembles
2024-04-02
Infant gut microbiomes oscillate with a circadian rhythm, even when they are cultivated outside of the body. Researchers report April 2 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe that the rhythm is detectable as early as 2 weeks after birth but becomes more pronounced with age. The finding comes from a randomized controlled trial that also showed that diet has less impact on the development and composition of the infant microbiome than previously thought.
“We found that even at very early ages of colonization, the microbial ecosystem develops this circadian rhythmicity,” ...
New study finds triple-negative breast cancer tumors with an increase in immune cells have lower risk of recurrence after surgery
2024-04-02
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new multicenter, international study suggests that people who have early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and high levels of immune cells within their tumors may have a lower risk of recurrence and better survival rates even when not treated with chemotherapy. The study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).
TNBC is a breast cancer subtype that does not respond to drugs that target the estrogen receptor or the HER2 protein. It grows rapidly, is more likely to spread beyond the breast before diagnosis ...
New insights into how tumors on adrenal glands develop
2024-04-02
Fukuoka, Japan—Researchers from Kyushu University's Faculty of Medical Sciences report on new insights into the mechanisms of how adrenal gland tumors are formed. The team identified a new type of tumor cell population that they termed 'steroids-producing nodules' or SPNs, that exhibits the unique characteristic of producing two different hormones. Specific structures in SPNs were found to lead to cortisol-producing adenomas, or CPAs, noncancerous tumors that produce excessive cortisol.
Their findings, published in eBioMedicine, ...
Ask Chat GPT about your radiation oncology treatment
2024-04-02
· AI responses to common patient questions were on par or exceeded answers from professional societies
· Goal also to reduce clinician workload and burnout
· More than 60% of cancer patients require radiation oncology treatment
CHICAGO --- Cancer patients about to undergo radiation oncology treatment have lots of questions. Could ChatGPT be the best way to get answers?
A new Northwestern Medicine study tested a specially designed ChatGPT to see if it could successfully provide answers to patients’ common questions about radiation oncology. Patients may be too overwhelmed to address all their concerns during a clinical visit ...