Demography, common disorders and mortality of Boxer dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK.

BACKGROUND: The Boxer is a popular dog breed with a distinctive appearance. However, the breed has been linked with several health conditions, some of which have been associated with its moderately brachycephalic conformation and its white colouration. Anonymised primary-care veterinary clinical records were explored to extract data on the demography, common disorders and mortality of Boxers in the UK in 2016. RESULTS: The study population of 336,865 dogs included 3,219 (0.96%) Boxers, of which 10.71% were recorded as white. The mean adult bodyweight was 30.43 kg (SD 5.73 kg). Annual disorder counts did not differ statistically between the sexes or between white and non-white Boxers. The most prevalent fine-level precision disorders were otitis externa (n = 230, 7.15%), epulis (188, 5.84%), corneal ulceration (161, 5.00%) and periodontal disease (149, 4.63%). Of the 34 most common fine-level disorders, none differed in prevalence between white and non-white dogs. The most prevalent disorder groups were skin disorder (n = 571, 17.74%), neoplasia (457, 14.20%) and ear disorder (335, 10.41%). White Boxers had higher prevalence than non-white Boxers for two disorder groups: dental disorder and brain disorder. The median longevity of 346 Boxers that died during the study was 10.46 years (IQR 9.00-11.98, range 2.76-18.00). Median longevity did not differ statistically between the sexes or between white and non-white Boxers. The most common grouped causes of death were death - unrecorded cause (n = 73, 21.10%), neoplasia (43, 12.43%) and brain disorder (33, 9.54%). CONCLUSIONS: There was minimal evidence of substantial health differences between white and non-white Boxers. Among the four most common disorders recorded in Boxers, two were typically common across all types of dogs (otitis externa and periodontal disease) while two suggested strong predispositions for the Boxer breed (epulis and corneal ulceration), showing the value of eliciting breed-specific disorder patterns for insights for potential health reforms. The overall longevity of Boxer dogs was consistent with other breeds of similar body size.

The Boxer is a medium-large sized, active dog with a short coat and a moderately flat-faced (brachycephalic) skull shape. Despite many decades of popularity in the UK, there is limited published evidence on the overall health profile of Boxers. White-coloured Boxers are thought to be at higher risk of deafness from birth and as a result, white Boxers have traditionally often been culled at birth by breeders.Using anonymised veterinary clinical records collected within the VetCompass Programme at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), Boxers made up around 1% of all dogs in the UK in 2016, with an average adult bodyweight around 30 kg. The most common colours were brindle (22.82%), dark red (22.62%) and dark red multi-colour (20.92%), with 10.71% white Boxers. Across the 3,219 Boxers in the study, 73.97% had at least one disorder recorded during 2016. The average number of disorders per year did not differ statistically between female and male Boxers, or between white and non-white Boxers. The most common specific disorders in Boxers were ear infection (7.15%), gum mass (5.84%), eye ulcer (5.00%) and dental disease (4.63%). White and non-white dogs did not differ in their risk for any of the 34 most common specific disorders. Only two dogs in the study were recorded with deafness; one white and one non-white. The average lifespan of Boxers overall was 10.46 years. Lifespan did not differ statistically between female and male Boxers, or between white and non-white Boxers.This study identifies ongoing popularity for the Boxer in the UK, with around 10% of these Boxers being white. There was minimal evidence of health differences between male and female Boxers, or between white and non-white Boxers. Among the four most common disorders recorded in Boxers, two are typically common across all types of dogs (ear and dental disease) while two showed strong predisposition in the Boxer breed (gum mass and eye ulcer), suggesting the value of understanding breed-specific health patterns to prioritise health plans for each breed. The overall longevity of Boxer dogs was typical of other breeds of this body size.

A preliminary comparison of the efficacy of online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) stress management interventions for social and healthcare workers.

Social and healthcare workers have been shown to experience greater levels of illness, depression and burnout as a result of chronic workplace stress. The purpose of this study was to examine whether brief online ACT and CBT interventions could reduce the experience of stress and burnout in employees, while also improving mental health and psychological flexibility. A total of 42 individuals working within the social and healthcare professions were randomly assigned to either a 2-week online ACT or CBT intervention. Recruitment was undertaken internationally, although the majority of participants were based in Ireland at the time of their participation (79%). Participants' perceived stress, burnout, mental health and work-related psychological flexibility were assessed at baseline and post-treatment. Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted on all data. Outcomes indicated that both interventions resulted in significant improvements in stress, burnout and mental health scores from baseline to post-treatment. No significant differences were observed between ACT and CBT conditions, or in psychological flexibility scores from baseline to post-treatment. Reliable Change Index (RCI) scores indicated that clinically significant improvements in stress and mental health were seen in 42% and 19% of programme-completers, respectively. These results provide preliminary evidence for the usefulness of brief internet-delivered ACT and CBT interventions for the treatment of occupational stress and its comorbid symptoms. Online programmes with a longer duration and additional therapist support should be evaluated, as these may improve the outcomes of future interventions.

Development and evaluation of an interprofessional community health course in Zambia.

Persistent global health inequities and workforce shortage require innovative strategies to prepare professionals for teamwork in a global context. Over two years, students (n = 33) from education, nursing, occupational therapy, public health, and physical therapy participated in a course in Zambia that emphasized interprofessional collaborative practice (IPP), cultural fluency, and understanding ecological approaches to health. Faculty measured the learning outcomes of the course using the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competency Self-Assessment Tool (pre and posttest), and a focus group to gain a deeper understanding of the student experience and course effectiveness. The Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory (BEVI) was used post trip to determine feasibility of distribution and response of the tool via e-mail. These preliminary results suggested that students developed skills and knowledge related to IPP, cultural fluency, and ecological approaches to health. Specifically, students acknowledged growth in their ability to communicate more effectively with other health professions, and ability to evaluate personal assumptions and biases toward health, healthcare, and cultural practices. The method of developing this course could be a model for other institutions wanting to grow IPP experiences for their students.

Multiple contextual control over non-arbitrary relational responding and a preliminary model of pragmatic verbal analysis.

The aims of the current study were (i) to explore the flexibility and generalizability of non-arbitrary relational contextual control in human participants and (ii) to provide a simple empirical model of pragmatic verbal analysis, a key element in the relational frame theory approach to problem solving. Participants were trained to respond to abstract shapes as cues for responding in accordance with non-arbitrary relations of sameness, difference and opposition. Next, sameness, difference and opposition relational responding was brought under additional contextual control by arbitrary B1-B3 stimuli, such that, depending on the B stimulus presented, relational responding was applied to one of three distinct physical dimensions of multidimensional shapes. Equivalence training and testing was then provided such that participants showed derived relations between the B stimuli and three novel arbitrary C stimuli. Two additional cues were then trained such that they occasioned comparative (more/less) relations. A final test showed that the C stimuli exerted contextual control over physical dimensions in the novel context of more/less/same non-arbitrary relational responding. These findings provide a simple, preliminary model of pragmatic verbal analysis.

Benign gastro-colic fistula in a woman presenting with weight loss and intermittent vomiting: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Benign gastro-colic fistula is a rare occurrence in modern surgery due to the progress in medical management of gastric ulcer disease. Here we report the first case of benign gastro-colic fistula occurring whilst on proton-pump inhibitor therapy. This is a case study of benign gastro-colic fistula and review of the available literature in regards to etiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION: An 84-year-old woman of Caucasian background presented with 12 months of worsening abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss on a background of known gastric ulcer disease. CONCLUSION: The leading cause of gastro-colic fistulae has changed from benign to malignant due to improved medical management of gastric ulcer disease. The rarity and non-specific symptoms of gastro-colic fistula make the diagnosis difficult and it is best made by barium enema; however, computed tomography has not been formally evaluated. Surgical management with en bloc resection of the fistula tract is the preferred treatment. Benign gastro-colic fistulae are becoming exceedingly rare in the context of modern medical management of gastric ulcer disease. Surgical management is the gold standard for both benign and malignant disease.

The effectiveness of the Ivan H. Smith Memorial Studentships program on encouraging medical students to pursue a career in radiation oncology.

BACKGROUND: Founded in 1963, the Ivan H. Smith Memorial Studentship (ISMS) is a summer program that familiarizes students with the work of several cancer centers and aims to attract medical students into oncology. METHODS: In this study, we attempted to evaluate the impact of the ISMS Program on career choice in radiation oncology (RO). RESULTS: There were 5.9 times as many ISMS recipients from 1971 to 1981 who completed training in RO compared to the number of graduates exiting post-MD training in RO in 1989. CONCLUSION: Although few former ISMS students entered RO, the ISMS encourages medical students into this field.

Familial eccrine spiradenoma: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Familial eccrine spiradenoma is a rare autosomal dominant condition that is characterized by slow-growing, benign adnexal tumors. OBJECTIVE: We investigated a case of familial eccrine spiradenoma displaying an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. To our knowledge, only two previously reported cases of familial eccrine spiradenoma exist in the literature. METHODS: A case report and review of the literature are given. RESULTS: We report a case of familial eccrine spiradenoma in a mother and daughter and present successful treatment using surgical extirpation and CO2 laser ablation. CONCLUSION: Familial eccrine spiradenoma is a benign autosomal dominantly inherited condition that is characterized by tender, slow-growing, adnexal tumors of the head and neck. Surgical tumor extirpation and CO2 laser ablation offer both an effective symptomatic and cosmetically elegant treatment option.