Diagnostic Accuracy of a Computed Tomography-Guided Transthoracic Needle Biopsy for Ground-Glass Opacities and Subsolid Pulmonary Nodules.

Purpose The increasing use of computed tomography (CT) imaging has led to the detection of more ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and subsolid nodules (SSNs), which may be malignant and require a biopsy for proper diagnosis. Approximately 75% of persistent GGNs can be attributed to adenocarcinoma in situ or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma. A CT-guided biopsy has been proven to be a reliable procedure with high diagnostic performance. However, the diagnostic accuracy and safety of a CT-guided biopsy for GGNs and SSNs with solid components ≤6 mm are still uncertain. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a CT-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) for GGN and SSNs with solid components ≤6 mm. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent CT-guided CNB for the evaluation of GGNs and SSNs with solid components ≤6 mm between February 2020 and January 2023. Biopsy findings were compared to the final diagnosis determined by definite histopathologic examination and clinical course. Results A total of 22 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 74 years (IQR: 68-81). A total of 22 nodules were assessed, comprising 15 (68.2%) SSNs with a solid component measuring ≤6 mm and seven (31.8%) pure GGNs. The histopathological examination revealed that 12 (54.5%) were diagnosed as malignant, nine (40.9%) as benign, and one (4.5%) as non-diagnostic. The overall diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity for malignancy were 86.36% and 85.7%, respectively. Conclusion A CT-guided CNB for GGNs and SSNs with solid components measuring ≤6 mm appears to have a high diagnostic accuracy.

A Systematic Review of Female Participation in Randomized Controlled Trials of Post-Stroke Upper Extremity Rehabilitation in Low- to Middle-Income Countries and High-Income Countries and Regions.

INTRODUCTION: Female participation is lower than males in both acute stroke and stroke rehabilitation trials. However, less is known about how female participation differs across countries and regions. This study aimed to assess the percentage of female participants in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of post-stroke rehabilitation of upper extremity (UE) motor disorders in low-middle-income (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) as well as different high-income world regions. METHODS: CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from 1960 to April 1, 2021. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they (1) were RCTs or crossovers published in English; (2) ≥50% of participants were diagnosed with stroke; 3) included adults ≥18 years old; and (4) applied an intervention to the hemiparetic UE as the primary objective of the study. Countries were divided into HICs and LMICs based on their growth national incomes. The HICs were further divided into the three high-income regions of North America, Europe, and Asia and Oceania. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and RStudio v.4.3.1. RESULTS: A total of 1,276 RCTs met inclusion criteria. Of them, 298 RCTs were in LMICs and 978 were in HICs. The percentage of female participants was significantly higher in HICs (39.5%) than LMICs (36.9%). Comparing high-income regions, there was a significant difference in the overall female percentages in favor of RCTs in Europe compared to LMICs but not North America or Asia and Oceania. There was no significant change in the percentage of female participants in all countries and regions over the last 2 decades, with no differences in trends between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Sufficient female representation in clinical trials is required for the generalizability of results. Despite differences in overall percentage of female participation between countries and regions, females have been underrepresented in both HICs and LMICs with no considerable change over 2 decades.

Genetic drift and purifying selection shape within-host influenza A virus populations during natural swine infections.

Patterns of within-host influenza A virus (IAV) diversity and evolution have been described in natural human infections, but these patterns remain poorly characterized in non-human hosts. Elucidating these dynamics is important to better understand IAV biology and the evolutionary processes that govern spillover into humans. Here, we sampled an IAV outbreak in pigs during a week-long county fair to characterize viral diversity and evolution in this important reservoir host. Nasal wipes were collected on a daily basis from all pigs present at the fair, yielding up to 421 samples per day. Subtyping of PCR-positive samples revealed the co-circulation of H1N1 and H3N2 subtype swine IAVs. PCR-positive samples with robust Ct values were deep-sequenced, yielding 506 sequenced samples from a total of 253 pigs. Based on higher-depth re-sequenced data from a subset of these initially sequenced samples (260 samples from 168 pigs), we characterized patterns of within-host IAV genetic diversity and evolution. We find that IAV genetic diversity in single-subtype infected pigs is low, with the majority of intrahost Single Nucleotide Variants (iSNVs) present at frequencies of <10%. The ratio of the number of nonsynonymous to the number of synonymous iSNVs is significantly lower than under the neutral expectation, indicating that purifying selection shapes patterns of within-host viral diversity in swine. The dynamic turnover of iSNVs and their pronounced frequency changes further indicate that genetic drift also plays an important role in shaping IAV populations within pigs. Taken together, our results highlight similarities in patterns of IAV genetic diversity and evolution between humans and swine, including the role of stochastic processes in shaping within-host IAV dynamics.

Shape-Sensing Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy versus Computed Tomography-Guided Transthoracic Biopsy for the Evaluation of Subsolid Pulmonary Nodules.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Subsolid nodules (SSN), including ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and part-solid nodules (PSNs), are slow-growing but have a higher risk for malignancy. Therefore, timely diagnosis is imperative. Shape-sensing robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (ssRAB) has emerged as reliable diagnostic procedure, but data on SSN and how ssRAB compares to other diagnostic interventions such as CT-guided transthoracic biopsy (CTTB) are scarce. In this study, we compared diagnostic yield of ssRAB versus CTTB for evaluating SSN. METHODS: A retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent either ssRAB or CTTB for evaluating GGN and PSN with a solid component less than 6 mm from February 2020 to April 2023 at Mayo Clinic Florida and Rochester. Clinicodemographic information, nodule characteristics, diagnostic yield, and complications were compared between ssRAB and CTTB. RESULTS: A total of 66 nodules from 65 patients were evaluated: 37 PSN and 29 GGN. Median size of PSN solid component was 5 mm (IQR: 4.5, 6). Patients were divided into two groups: 27 in the ssRAB group and 38 in the CTTB group. Diagnostic yield was 85.7% for ssRAB and 89.5% for CTTB (p = 0.646). Sensitivity for malignancy was similar between ssRAB and CTTB (86.4% vs. 88.5%; p = 0.828), with no statistical difference. Complications were more frequent in CTTB with no significant difference (8 vs. 2; p = 0.135). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic yield for SSN was similarly high for ssRAB and CTTB, with ssRAB presenting less complications and allowing mediastinal staging within the same procedure.

Influenza D virus utilizes both 9-O-acetylated N-acetylneuraminic and 9-O-acetylated N-glycolylneuraminic acids as functional entry receptors.

Influenza D virus (IDV) utilizes bovines as a primary reservoir with periodical spillover to other hosts. We have previously demonstrated that IDV binds both 9-O-acetylated N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) and 9-O-acetylated N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc9Ac). Bovines produce both Neu5,9Ac2 and Neu5Gc9Ac, while humans are genetically unable to synthesize Neu5Gc9Ac. 9-O-Acetylation of sialic acids is catalyzed by CASD1 via a covalent acetyl-enzyme intermediate. To characterize the role of Neu5,9Ac2 and Neu5Gc9Ac in IDV infection and determine which form of 9-O-acetylated sialic acids drives IDV entry, we took advantage of a CASD1 knockout (KO) MDCK cell line and carried out feeding experiments using synthetic 9-O-acetyl sialic acids in combination with the single-round and multi-round IDV infection assays. The data from our studies show that (i) CASD1 KO cells are resistant to IDV infection and lack of IDV binding to the cell surface is responsible for the failure of IDV replication; (ii) feeding CASD1 KO cells with Neu5,9Ac2 or Neu5Gc9Ac resulted in a dose-dependent rescue of IDV infectivity; and (iii) diverse IDVs replicated robustly in CASD1 KO cells fed with either Neu5,9Ac2 or Neu5Gc9Ac at a level similar to that in wild-type cells with a functional CASD1. These data demonstrate that IDV can utilize Neu5,9Ac2- or non-human Neu5Gc9Ac-containing glycan receptor for infection. Our findings provide evidence that IDV has acquired the ability to infect and transmit among agricultural animals that are enriched in Neu5Gc9Ac, in addition to posing a zoonotic risk to humans expressing only Neu5,9Ac2.IMPORTANCEInfluenza D virus (IDV) has emerged as a multiple-species-infecting pathogen with bovines as a primary reservoir. Little is known about the functional receptor that drives IDV entry and promotes its cross-species spillover potential among different hosts. Here, we demonstrated that IDV binds exclusively to 9-O-acetylated N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) and non-human 9-O-acetylated N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc9Ac) and utilizes both for entry and infection. This ability in effective engagement of both 9-O-acetylated sialic acids as functional receptors for infection provides an evolutionary advantage to IDV for expanding its host range. This finding also indicates that IDV has the potential to emerge in humans because Neu5,9Ac2 is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues, including lung. Thus, results of our study highlight a need for continued surveillance of IDV in humans, as well as for further investigation of its biology and cross-species transmission mechanism.

Spatial Neurolipidomics at the Single Amyloid-ß Plaque Level in Postmortem Human Alzheimer's Disease Brain.

Lipid dysregulations have been critically implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Chemical analysis of amyloid-ß (Aß) plaque pathology in transgenic AD mouse models has demonstrated alterations in the microenvironment in the direct proximity of Aß plaque pathology. In mouse studies, differences in lipid patterns linked to structural polymorphism among Aß pathology, such as diffuse, immature, and mature fibrillary aggregates, have also been reported. To date, no comprehensive analysis of neuronal lipid microenvironment changes in human AD tissue has been performed. Here, for the first time, we leverage matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) through a high-speed and spatial resolution commercial time-of-light instrument, as well as a high-mass-resolution in-house-developed orbitrap system to characterize the lipid microenvironment in postmortem human brain tissue from AD patients carrying Presenilin 1 mutations (PSEN1) that lead to familial forms of AD (fAD). Interrogation of the spatially resolved MSI data on a single Aß plaque allowed us to verify nearly 40 sphingolipid and phospholipid species from diverse subclasses being enriched and depleted, in relation to the Aß deposits. This included monosialo-gangliosides (GM), ceramide monohexosides (HexCer), ceramide-1-phosphates (CerP), ceramide phosphoethanolamine conjugates (PE-Cer), sulfatides (ST), as well as phosphatidylinositols (PI), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), and phosphatidic acid (PA) species (including Lyso-forms). Indeed, many of the sphingolipid species overlap with the species previously seen in transgenic AD mouse models. Interestingly, in comparison to the animal studies, we observed an increased level of localization of PE and PI species containing arachidonic acid (AA). These findings are highly relevant, demonstrating for the first time Aß plaque pathology-related alteration in the lipid microenvironment in humans. They provide a basis for the development of potential lipid biomarkers for AD characterization and insight into human-specific molecular pathway alterations.

SARS-CoV-2 Outbreaks on Mink Farms-A Review of Current Knowledge on Virus Infection, Spread, Spillover, and Containment.

Many studies have been conducted to explore outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in farmed mink and their intra-/inter-species spread and spillover to provide data to the scientific community, protecting human and animal health. Studies report anthropozoonotic introduction, which was initially documented in April 2020 in the Netherlands, and subsequent inter-/intra-species spread of SARS-CoV-2 in farmed mink, likely due to SARS-CoV-2 host tropism capable of establishing efficient interactions with host ACE2 and the mink hosts' ability to enhance swift viral transmission due to their density, housing status, and occupational contacts. Despite the rigorous prevention and control measures adopted, transmission of the virus within and between animal species was efficient, resulting in the development of mink-associated strains able to jump back and forth among the mink hosts and other animal/human contacts. Current knowledge recognizes the mink as a highly susceptible animal host harboring the virus with or without clinical manifestations, furthering infection transmission as a hidden animal reservoir. A One Health approach is, thus, recommended in SARS-CoV-2 surveillance and monitoring on mink farms and of their susceptible contact animals to identify and better understand these potential animal hosts.

Understanding if the reward is worth the influenza risk: The true cost of showing pigs.

Influenza A virus transmission between pigs and humans has been reported periodically worldwide, and spillover events across the animal-human species barrier could lead to the next influenza pandemic. Swine exhibitions serve as a unique interface conducive to zoonotic disease transmission due to extensive commingling of pigs and humans for prolonged periods of time. The majority of zoonotic influenza A virus transmission in the United States has been linked to swine exhibitions, leading some to suggest additional controls for influenza A virus at the swine-human interface. Determining the value of the exhibition swine industry and gauging the financial impacts influenza A virus outbreaks could have on society, helps to inform adoption decisions of mitigation recommendations. This study estimates the total value of the exhibition swine industry in the United States and calculates the predicted costs of the most extreme mitigation strategy, cancelling swine exhibitions to reduce zoonotic influenza A virus transmission. Mixed methods, including a survey, were used to collect data and inform the study model. We estimated that the direct economic impact of the exhibition swine sector in 2018 was $1.2 billion. If pig shows were to be cancelled for one year, the estimated direct economic impact would be $357.1 million. A permanent, > 3-year ban on swine exhibitions would result in a $665 million economic impact, which is a 45% reduction from baseline. The direct economic impact of cancelling the swine show circuit could not be determined, as youth exhibitors may pursue alternative activities that cannot be precisely accounted for. However, the estimated loss to the swine industry justifies seeking enhanced mitigation to prevent disease transmission. Moreover, economic losses secondary to exhibition cancellations may explain hesitancy to participate in active influenza A virus surveillance efforts.

Evolution of influenza A viruses in exhibition swine and transmission to humans, 2013-2015.

AIMS: Swine are a mixing vessel for the emergence of novel reassortant influenza A viruses (IAV). Interspecies transmission of swine-origin IAV poses a public health and pandemic risk. In the United States, the majority of zoonotic IAV transmission events have occurred in association with swine exposure at agricultural fairs. Accordingly, this human-animal interface necessitates mitigation strategies informed by understanding of interspecies transmission mechanisms in exhibition swine. Likewise, the diversity of IAV in swine can be a source for novel reassortant or mutated viruses that pose a risk to both swine and human health. METHODS AND RESULTS: In an effort to better understand those risks, here we investigated the epidemiology of IAV in exhibition swine and subsequent transmission to humans by performing phylogenetic analyses using full genome sequences from 272 IAV isolates collected from exhibition swine and 23 A(H3N2)v viruses from human hosts during 2013-2015. Sixty-seven fairs (24.2%) had at least one pig test positive for IAV with an overall estimated prevalence of 8.9% (95% CI: 8.3-9.6, Clopper-Pearson). Of the 19 genotypes found in swine, 5 were also identified in humans. There was a positive correlation between the number of human cases of a genotype and its prevalence in exhibition swine. Additionally, we demonstrated that A(H3N2)v viruses clustered tightly with exhibition swine viruses that were prevalent in the same year. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that multiple genotypes of swine-lineage IAV have infected humans, and highly prevalent IAV genotypes in exhibition swine during a given year are also the strains detected most frequently in human cases of variant IAV. Continued surveillance and rapid characterization of IAVs in exhibition swine can facilitate timely phenotypic evaluation and matching of candidate vaccine strains to those viruses present at the human-animal interface which are most likely to spillover into humans.

Genetic drift and purifying selection shape within-host influenza A virus populations during natural swine infections.

Patterns of within-host influenza A virus (IAV) diversity and evolution have been described in natural human infections, but these patterns remain poorly characterized in non-human hosts. Elucidating these dynamics is important to better understand IAV biology and the evolutionary processes that govern spillover into humans. Here, we sampled an IAV outbreak in pigs during a week-long county fair to characterize viral diversity and evolution in this important reservoir host. Nasal wipes were collected on a daily basis from all pigs present at the fair, yielding up to 421 samples per day. Subtyping of PCR-positive samples revealed the co-circulation of H1N1 and H3N2 subtype IAVs. PCR-positive samples with robust Ct values were deep-sequenced, yielding 506 sequenced samples from a total of 253 pigs. Based on higher-depth re-sequenced data from a subset of these initially sequenced samples (260 samples from 168 pigs), we characterized patterns of within-host IAV genetic diversity and evolution. We find that IAV genetic diversity in single-subtype infected pigs is low, with the majority of intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs) present at frequencies of <10%. The ratio of the number of nonsynonymous to the number of synonymous iSNVs is significantly lower than under the neutral expectation, indicating that purifying selection shapes patterns of within-host viral diversity in swine. The dynamic turnover of iSNVs and their pronounced frequency changes further indicate that genetic drift also plays an important role in shaping IAV populations within pigs. Taken together, our results highlight similarities in patterns of IAV genetic diversity and evolution between humans and swine, including the role of stochastic processes in shaping within-host IAV dynamics.

A narrative review of imaging for pancreas adenocarcinoma: staging, surgical considerations, and surveillance.

Background and Objective: Pancreas adenocarcinoma is a disease with dire prognosis. Imaging is pivotal to the diagnosis, staging, reassessment, surgical planning, and surveillance of pancreas cancer. The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader an overview of current imaging practices for pancreas adenocarcinoma. Methods: A literature search of original papers and reviews through 2022 was performed using the PubMed database. The most current American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines on pancreas cancer imaging were also included. Key Content and Findings: Multidisciplinary team care at a high-volume institution is instrumental to optimal patient management and outcomes. It is therefore important for all team members to be aware of imaging modality options, strengths, and challenges. Additionally, a high-level understanding of imaging findings is useful clinically. This manuscript provides a current overview of imaging modalities used in the identification and assessment of pancreas adenocarcinoma, including ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography. Imaging findings, including the expected and unexpected, are reviewed to give the novice imager a better understanding. Conclusions: This review provides a current overview of imaging for pancreas adenocarcinoma, including strengths and weakness of various imaging modalities; therefore, providing the reader with a robust resource when considering imaging in the management of this disease.

Swine industry stakeholders' perception on the use of water-based foam as an emergency mass depopulation method.

The U.S. pork supply chain is vulnerable to various internal and external threats and in need of prompt, comprehensive response plans. Under urgent circumstances, for example in the case of foreign disease incursions, swine farms will have to perform on-farm animal depopulation to prevent disease spread. Several animal depopulation methods including water-based foam (WBF) have been proposed and are under evaluation for feasibility in the field. However, the psychological/emotional impacts of applying depopulation methods for personnel managing and carrying on the tasks are not currently well understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate WBF as an alternative for depopulation compared to existing methods approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Swine industry stakeholders were invited to voluntarily observe a WBF depopulation trial and to provide their self-reported perspectives before and after the observation. A survey was designed to explore key areas on expected and perceived method effectiveness, efficiency, and animal welfare considerations, as well as to evaluate short-term post-observation psychological impacts. Among 42 recruited stakeholders, 31.0% (13/42) were educators/researchers followed by animal health officials (26.2%, 11/42) and veterinarians (23.8%, 10/42), with an average of 11.7 ± 12.6 (n = 39) years of work experience. After the trial, respondents' positive perception of WBF depopulation increased specifically regarding the animal loading process being less stressful than restrained in-barn depopulation options (P = 0.003) and by the observation of fewer swine escape attempts and vocalizations than expected (P < 0.001). Respondents' positive perception of WBF also increased regarding to the time required to fill the trailer with foam, to stop hearing animal vocalization, and stop hearing animal movement, as the observed trial times were faster than their pre-observation estimates (P < 0.001). Additionally, 79.5% (31/39) of respondents agreed that the rapid destruction of animal populations had priority over animal welfare under urgent scenarios. Minor post-traumatic stress disorder-like (PTSD-like) symptoms from the observed trials were reported (26.7%, 4/15 respondents) one month after the observation. This study showed that the WBF depopulation process was perceived positively by swine stakeholders and may have limited short-term psychological impacts on personnel involved in animal depopulation.

Innate immune control of influenza virus interspecies adaptation.

Influenza virus pandemics are caused by viruses from animal reservoirs that adapt to efficiently infect and replicate in human hosts. Here, we investigated whether Interferon-Induced Transmembrane Protein 3 (IFITM3), a host antiviral factor with known human deficiencies, plays a role in interspecies virus infection and adaptation. We found that IFITM3-deficient mice and human cells could be infected with low doses of avian influenza viruses that failed to infect WT counterparts, identifying a new role for IFITM3 in controlling the minimum infectious viral dose threshold. Remarkably, influenza viruses passaged through Ifitm3-/- mice exhibited enhanced host adaptation, a result that was distinct from passaging in mice deficient for interferon signaling, which caused virus attenuation. Our data demonstrate that IFITM3 deficiency uniquely facilitates zoonotic influenza virus infections and subsequent adaptation, implicating IFITM3 deficiencies in the human population as a vulnerability for emergence of new pandemic viruses.

Lack of SARS-CoV-2 Viral RNA Detection among a Convenience Sampling of Ohio Wildlife, Companion, and Agricultural Animals, 2020-2021.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in humans in late 2019 and spread rapidly, becoming a global pandemic. A zoonotic spillover event from animal to human was identified as the presumed origin. Subsequently, reports began emerging regarding spillback events resulting in SARS-CoV-2 infections in multiple animal species. These events highlighted critical links between animal and human health while also raising concerns about the development of new reservoir hosts and potential viral mutations that could alter the virulence and transmission or evade immune responses. Characterizing susceptibility, prevalence, and transmission between animal species became a priority to help protect animal and human health. In this study, we coalesced a large team of investigators and community partners to surveil for SARS-CoV-2 in domestic and free-ranging animals around Ohio between May 2020 and August 2021. We focused on species with known or predicted susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, highly congregated or medically compromised animals (e.g., shelters, barns, veterinary hospitals), and animals that had frequent contact with humans (e.g., pets, agricultural animals, zoo animals, or animals in wildlife hospitals). This included free-ranging deer (n = 76 individuals), free-ranging mink (n = 57), multiple species of bats (n = 59), and other wildlife in addition to domestic cats (n = 275) and pigs (n = 184). In total, we tested 792 individual animals (34 species) via rRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was not detected in any of the tested animals despite a major peak in human SARS-CoV-2 cases that occurred in Ohio subsequent to the peak of animal samplings. Importantly, we did not test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in this study, which limited our ability to assess exposure. While the results of this study were negative, the surveillance effort was critical and remains key to understanding, predicting, and preventing the re-emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans or animals.

Isomer-Resolved Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Acidic Phospholipids.

The biological functions of lipids are entirely dependent on their molecular structures with even small changes in structure─such as different sites of unsaturation─providing critical markers for changes in the underlying metabolism. Conventional mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) approaches, however, face the twin challenges of mixture and structural complexity and are typically unable to differentiate lipid isomers that differ only in the position(s) of carbon-carbon double bonds. Recent coupling of ozone-induced dissociation (OzID) with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MSI has demonstrated the potential to map changes in individual double-bond isomers, thus enabling visualization of the modulation in lipid desaturation in adjacent tissue types. This has, to date, only been performed in positive-ion mode due to a generally higher abundance of phosphatidylcholines (PC) in mammalian tissues and the efficient desorption/ionization of this lipid subclass. Many other glycerophospholipids (GPLs), however, are better detected in negative-ion mode as deprotonated anions. Recently, OzID has been implemented on a traveling-wave ion-mobility mass spectrometer (Waters, SYNAPT G2-Si) that provides a 50-fold increase in the rate of the gas-phase reaction between ionized lipids and ozone and a commensurate increase in sensitivity for isomer-resolved mass spectrometry. These gains are exploited here to interrogate the distributions of anionic GPL isomers in biological tissues, covering the subclasses phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidic acid (PA). Exploiting both ozone- and collision-induced dissociation in a single acquisition simultaneously identifies sites of unsaturation and acyl chain composition from the same mass spectrum.

Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer.

The zoonotic origin of the COVID-19 pandemic virus highlights the need to fill the vast gaps in our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 ecology and evolution in non-human hosts. Here, we detected that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA during November 2021-March 2022. Subsequently, deer-to-deer transmission persisted for 2-8 months, disseminating across hundreds of kilometers. Newly developed Bayesian phylogenetic methods quantified how SARS-CoV-2 evolution is not only three-times faster in white-tailed deer compared to the rate observed in humans but also driven by different mutational biases and selection pressures. The long-term effect of this accelerated evolutionary rate remains to be seen as no critical phenotypic changes were observed in our animal models using white-tailed deer origin viruses. Still, SARS-CoV-2 has transmitted in white-tailed deer populations for a relatively short duration, and the risk of future changes may have serious consequences for humans and livestock.

Refinement of water-based foam depopulation procedures for finisher pigs during field conditions: Welfare implications and logistical aspects.

Water-based foam (WBF) depopulation is currently being researched as an alternative for rapid destruction of swine populations under emergency circumstances. Appropriate guidelines are needed to maintain method reliability and depopulation efficacy while minimizing animal distress under field conditions. Finisher pigs were depopulated using WBF with a 7.5-minute dwell time in two trials to evaluate the effect of; trial 1) foam fill level (1.5, 1.75, or 2.0 times the pig's head height) and trial 2) foam fill rate (slow, medium, or fast) on aversive pig responses (surface breaks, vocalization, and escape attempts) and time to cessation of cardiac activity. Activity and cardiac activity were recorded using subcutaneous bio-loggers for swine in trial 2. The average time to cessation of movement (COM) from the start of foam filling was compared for the foam fill rate groups using a generalized linear mixed effect model under Poisson distribution. Foam rate group was used as an independent variable, and replicates as a random effect. For trial 1, the average (mm:ss ± SD) time to fill completion was 01:18 ± 00:00, 00:47 ± 00:05, and 00:54 ± 00:05, for 1.5, 1.75, and 2.0 times the pig's head height, respectively. For trial 2, the average time to fill completion was 03:57 ± 00:32, 01:14 ± 00:23 and 00:44 ± 00:03, and the average time (mm:ss ± SE) to COM was 05:22 ± 00:21, 03:32 ± 00:14, and 03:11 ± 00:13 for slow, medium, and fast fill rate groups, respectively. A higher number of aversive pig responses were observed for the lowest foam fill level and slowest foam fill rate compared to increased fill levels and faster fill rates. For trial 2 the median (mm:ss ± IQR) time to fatal arrhythmia was 09:53 ± 02:48, 11:19 ± 04:04, and 10:57 ± 00:47 post-foam initiation for fast, medium, and slow foam rate groups, respectively. Time to cessation of cardiac activity was significantly shorter for the fast foam rate group compared to medium and slow foam rates groups (P = 0.04). For both trials, vocalizations were absent, and all pigs were unconscious following the 7.5-minute dwell time and no pigs needed a secondary euthanasia method. This WBF study showed that slower fill rates and low foam fill levels may extend the time until cessation of cardiac activity in swine during depopulation. A conservative recommendation with consideration of swine welfare during an emergency scenario would be a minimum foam fill level twice the pig's head height and a foam fill rate capable of covering pigs in foam within 60 s to minimize aversive responses and expedite cessation of cardiac activity.

Water-based medium-expansion foam depopulation of adult cattle.

Current options for depopulation of adult cattle are limited, have logistic constraints, and may not be practical on a large scale. Aspirated water-based foam (WBF) has been shown to be successful in depopulating poultry and swine but has yet to be tested in cattle. WBF is advantageous because necessary equipment can be readily available, easy to use, and presents minimal personnel risk. With the use of a modified rendering trailer in a field setting, we evaluated the efficacy of aspirated WBF for depopulation of adult cattle. Water-based medium-expansion foam was added to the trailer holding cattle to a depth of approximately 50 cm greater than head height. The study was conducted as a gated design and the initial trial was conducted using six anesthetized and six conscious animals for verification of the process and followed by four replicates each containing 18 conscious cattle. A total of 84 cattle were used, with a subset (n = 52) implanted with subcutaneous bio-loggers that recorded activity and electrocardiograms. Cattle were loaded onto the trailer and three gasoline-powered water pumps delivered foam into the trailer followed by a 15-min foam dwell period. Average (± SD) time to completely fill the trailer with foam was 84.8 ±â€…11.0 s. No animal vocalizations were heard during foam application or the dwell period, and all cattle were confirmed dead upon removal from the trailer after 15 min of immersion. Necropsies of a subset of cattle revealed foam extending to at least the tracheal bifurcation in all cattle and distal to this level in 67% (8/12) animals. Time to cessation of movement, which served as a proxy for loss of consciousness, was 2.5 ±â€…1.3 min and time to cardiac death was 8.5 ±â€…2.5 min as determined by data from animals carrying subcutaneous bio-loggers. The results of this study indicate that WBF is a rapid and effective method for depopulation of adult cattle with potential advantages in speed and carcass handling and disposal over current methods.

Preference Signaling for the Diagnostic Radiology Match: A Single Institution Experience.

The Association of American Medical Colleges announced the addition of preference signaling to the 2022-2023 residency match cycle for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology. This new offering provided applicants the option to indicate their specific interest in up to 6 residency programs during initial application submission. Our institutional diagnostic radiology residency program received a total of 1294 applications. One hundred and eight applicants signaled the program. Interview invitations were sent to 104 applicants, 23 of which signaled the program. Out of the top 10 ranked applicants, 6 applicants signaled the program. Out of the 5 matched applicants, 80% used the program signal, and 100% did the geographic preference. Opting to signal programs during the initial application submission may be beneficial for both the applicants and the programs in finding the optimal match.