An exploration of frontline health professional's current understanding of non-fatal strangulation.

AIM: To explore frontline health professionals' current understanding of non-fatal strangulation and their need for and support for a comprehensive education and screening package to support health delivery. DESIGN: A descriptive mixed-method approach was chosen to analyse responses to an anonymous, online survey consisting of ten Likert scale, open-ended and five demographic questions. 103 frontline health professionals (nurses, doctors, paramedics, midwives) participated in this study. METHODS: Content analysis of the Likert scale and open-ended questions describing the subjective experiences and perceptions of the participants was undertaken along with percentage and frequency counts of the rated Likert responses. RESULTS: The findings identified that 51.1% of health professionals do not ask about strangulation routinely and that 59% of health professionals reported receiving no formal education or professional development on NFS to enhance their knowledge or inform clinical practice. No health professionals identified mild traumatic brain injury as a consequence or sign of strangulation, nor did they identify an understanding that 50% of people may have no visible injuries after being strangled. Health professionals also do not routinely document the different agencies referred to or involved in supporting the person who experienced NFS. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that frontline health professionals lack the confidence, skills and education needed to meet medical obligations to their patients and to fulfil their duty to 'do no harm'. Frontline health professionals would welcome a comprehensive education and screening package to guide recognition and response to non-fatal strangulation in their clinical settings. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: The purpose of the study was to understand and explore health professionals' knowledge about non-fatal strangulation so that improved education around better screening, and management of trauma-focused care to people who have been subjected to non-fatal strangulation could occur. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This review contains no patient or public contribution since it examines health professionals' knowledge of identifying non-fatal strangulation and the screening and assessment tools used in clinical practice.

Disrupted one-carbon metabolism in heifers negatively affects their health and physiology.

The objective of this study was to determine the dose-dependent response of one-carbon metabolite (OCM: methionine, choline, folate, and vitamin B12) supplementation on heifer dry matter intake on fixed gain, organ mass, hematology, cytokine concentration, pancreatic and jejunal enzyme activity, and muscle hydrogen peroxide production. Angus heifers (n = 30; body weight [BW] = 392.6 ±â€…12.6 kg) were individually fed and assigned to one of five treatments: 0XNEG: total mixed ration (TMR) and saline injections at days 0 and 7 of the estrous cycle, 0XPOS: TMR, rumen-protected methionine (MET) fed at 0.08% of the diet dry matter, rumen-protected choline (CHOL) fed at 60 g/d, and saline injections at days 0 and 7, 0.5X: TMR, MET, CHOL, 5-mg B12, and 80-mg folate injections at days 0 and 7, 1X: TMR, MET CHOL, 10-mg vitamin B12, and 160-mg folate at days 0 and 7, and 2X: TMR, MET, CHOL, 20-mg vitamin B12, and 320-mg folate at days 0 and 7. All heifers were estrus synchronized but not bred, and blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, and at slaughter (day 14) during which tissues were collected. By design, heifer ADG did not differ (P = 0.96). Spleen weight and uterine weight were affected cubically (P = 0.03) decreasing from 0XPOS to 0.5X. Ovarian weight decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing folate and B12 injection. Hemoglobin and hematocrit percentage were decreased (P < 0.01) in the 0.5X treatment compared with all other treatments. Plasma glucose, histotroph protein, and pancreatic α-amylase were decreased (P ≤ 0.04) in the 0.5X treatment. Heifers on the 2X treatment had greater pancreatic α-amylase compared with 0XNEG and 0.5X treatment. Interleukin-6 in plasma tended (P = 0.08) to be greater in the 0XPOS heifers compared with all other treatments. Lastly, 0XPOS-treated heifers had reduced (P ≤ 0.07) hydrogen peroxide production in muscle compared with 0XNEG heifers. These data imply that while certain doses of OCM do not improve whole animal physiology, OCM supplementation doses that disrupt one-carbon metabolism, such as that of the 0.5X treatment, can induce a negative systemic response that results in negative effects in both the dam and the conceptus during early gestation. Therefore, it is necessary to simultaneously establish an optimal OCM dose that increases circulating concentrations for use by the dam and the conceptus, while avoiding potential negative side effects of a disruptive OCM, to evaluate the long-term impacts of OCM supplementation of offspring programming.

The feeding of one-carbon metabolites (including methionine and B vitamins) has been shown to improve fetal growth and milk production in species such as mice, sheep, and dairy cattle. Extending this to beef cattle around the time of breeding is a growing area of research. Our group previously determined that one-carbon metabolite supplementation to beef heifers altered the abundance of circulating methionine-folate cycle intermediates in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, we aimed to determine a whole-body response to one-carbon metabolite supplementation in heifers by measuring the effects on specific physiological systems as well as a total systemic response. We determined that treatments that negatively altered the methionine-folate cycle yielded a fundamental negative whole-body response to supplementation.

Dysphagia in Head and Neck Radiotherapy: The Influence of Pharyngeal Constrictor Anatomy and Dosimetry.

The goal of this study was to identify which anatomical and dosimetric changes correlated with late patient-reported dysphagia throughout the course of head and neck chemo-radiotherapy treatment. The patient cohort (n = 64) considered oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal patients treated with curative intent, exhibiting no baseline dysphagia with a follow-up time greater than one year. Patients completed the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory during a follow-up visit. A composite score was measured ranging from 20 to 100, with a low score indicating a high symptom burden; a score ≤60 indicated patient-reported dysphagia. The pharyngeal (PCM) and cricopharyngeal constrictor muscles (CPM) were contoured on a planning CT image and adapted to weekly cone-beam CT anatomy using deformable image registration and dose was accumulated using weighted dose-volume histogram curves. The PCM and CPM were examined for volume, thickness, and dosimetric changes across treatment with the results correlated to symptom group. Anatomical evaluation indicated the PCM thickness increased more during treatment for patients with dysphagia, with base of C2 vertebrae (p = 0.04) and superior-inferior middle PCM (p = 0.01) thicknesses indicating a 1.0-1.5 mm increase. The planned and delivered mean dose and DVH metrics to PCM and CPM were found to be within random error measured for the dose accumulation, indicating delivered and planned dose are equivalent. The PCM and CPM organs were found to lie approximately 5 mm closer to high dose gradients in patients exhibiting dysphagia. The volume, thickness, and high dose gradient metrics may be useful metrics to identify patients at risk of late patient-reported dysphagia.

Developing and validating multi-omics prediction models for late patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy.

Background and purpose. To investigate models developed using radiomic and dosiomic (multi-omics) features from planning and treatment imaging for late patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy.Materials and methods. Training (n = 64) and testing (n = 23) cohorts of head and neck cancer patients treated with curative intent chemo-radiotherapy with a follow-up time greater than 12 months were retrospectively examined. Patients completed the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory and a composite score ≤60 was interpreted as patient-reported dysphagia. A chart review collected baseline dysphagia and clinical factors. Multi-omic features were extracted from planning and last synthetic CT images using the pharyngeal constrictor muscle contours as a region of interest. Late patient-reported dysphagia models were developed using a random forest backbone, with feature selection and up-sampling methods to account for the imbalanced data. Models were developed and validated for multi-omic feature combinations for both timepoints.Results. A clinical and radiomic feature model developed using the planning CT achieved good performance (validation: sensitivity = 80 ± 27% / balanced accuracy = 71 ± 23%, testing: sensitivity = 80 ± 10% / balanced accuracy = 73 ± 11%). The synthetic CT models did not show improvement over the plan CT multi-omics models, with poor reliability of the radiomic features on these images. Dosiomic features extracted from the synthetic CT showed promise in predicting late patient-reported dysphagia.Conclusion. Multi-omics models can predict late patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy patients. Synthetic CT dosiomic features show promise in developing successful models to account for changes in delivered dose distribution. Multi-center or prospective studies are required prior to clinical implementation of these models.

Joint extension speed dictates bio-inspired morphing trajectories for optimal longitudinal flight dynamics.

Avian wing morphing allows dynamic, active control of complex flight manoeuvres. Previous linear time-invariant (LTI) models have quantified the effect of varying fixed wing configurations but the time-dependent effects of morphing between different configurations is not well understood. To fill this gap, I implemented a linear parameter-varying (LPV) model for morphing wing gull flight. This approach models the wing joint angles as scheduled parameters and accounts for nonlinear kinematic and gravitational effects while interpolating between LTI models at discrete trim points. With the resulting model, I investigated the longitudinal response associated with various joint extension trajectories. By optimizing the extension trajectory for four independent objectives (speed and pitch angle overshoot, speed rise time and pitch angle settling time), I found that the extension trajectory inherent to the gull wing does not guarantee an optimal response but may provide a sufficient response with a simpler mechanical implementation. Furthermore, the results indicated that gulls likely require extension speed feedback. This morphing LPV model provides insights into underlying control mechanisms, which may allow for avian-like flight in future highly manoeuvrable uncrewed aerial vehicles.

Predicting feed intake in confined beef cows.

Six existing equations (three for nonlactating and three for lactating; NRC, 1987, Predicting feed intake of food-producing animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, National Academy of Science; doi: 10.17226/950; NRC, 1996, Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th Revised Edition: Update 1996. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; doi: 10.17226/9791; Hibberd and Thrift, 1992. Supplementation of forage-based diets. J. Anim. Sci. 70:181. [Abstr]) were evaluated for predicting feed intake in beef cows. Each of the previously published equations are sensitive to cow-shrunk BW and feed energy concentration. Adjustments in feed intake prediction are provided for level of milk yield in NRC (1987. Predicting feed intake of food-producing animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, National Academy of Science; doi: 10.17226/950) and NRC (1996 Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th Revised Edition: Update 1996. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; doi: 10.17226/9791) equations. The equation published in 1996 used data generated between 1979 and 1993. Our objectives were to validate the accuracy of the published equations using more recent data and to propose alternative prediction models. Criteria for inclusion in the evaluation dataset included projects conducted or published since 2002, direct measurement of feed intake, adequate protein supply, and pen feeding (no metabolism crate data). After removing outliers, the dataset included 53 treatment means for nonlactating cows and 32 treatment means for lactating cows. Means for the nonlactating dataset were dry matter intake (DMI) = 13.2 ±â€…2.9 kg/d, shrunk body weight (SBW) = 578 ±â€…83.9 kg, body condition score = 5.7 ±â€…0.73, and Mcal net energy for maintenance (NEm)/kg of feed = 1.27 ±â€…0.15 Mcal/kg. Means for the lactating dataset were DMI = 14.6 ±â€…2.24 kg/d, SBW = 503 ±â€…73.4 kg, body condition score = 4.7 ±â€…0.58, and Mcal NEm/kg feed = 1.22 ±â€…0.16. Simple linear regression was used to determine slope, intercept, and bias when observed DMI (y) was regressed against predicted DMI (x). The NRC (1996. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th Revised Edition: Update 1996. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; doi: 10.17226/9791) nonlactating equation underestimated feed intake in diets moderate to high in energy density with intercept differing from 0 and slope differing from one (P ≤ 0.01). Average deviation from observed values was 2.4 kg/d. Similarly, when the NRC (1996. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th Revised Edition: Update 1996. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; doi: 10.17226/9791) equation was used to predict DMI in lactating cows, the slope differed from one (P < 0.01) with average deviation from observed values of 3.0 kg/d. New models were developed by pooling the two datasets and including a categorical variable for stage of production (0 = nonlactating and 1 = lactating). Continuous variables included study-average SBW0.75 and diet NEm, Mcal/kg. The best-fit empirical model accounted for 68% of the variation in daily feed intake with standard error of the estimate Sy root mean squared error = 1.31. The proposed equation needs to be validated with independent data.

Late gestational nutrient restriction in primiparous beef females: Performance and metabolic status of lactating dams and pre-weaning calves.

Fall-calving primiparous beef females [body weight (BW): 451 ±â€…28 (SD) kg; body condition score (BCS): 5.4 ±â€…0.7] were individually-fed 100% (control; CON; n = 13) or 70% (nutrient restricted; NR; n = 13) of estimated metabolizable energy and metabolizable protein requirements from day 160 of gestation to calving. Post-calving, all dams were individually-fed tall fescue hay supplemented to meet estimated nutrient requirements for maintenance, growth, and lactation in Calan gates until day 149 of lactation, which limited calves to milk only. From day 150 of lactation until weaning at day 243, dams and calves were group-fed in drylots. Dam BW and metabolic status were determined every 21 d, and BCS and backfat (BF) were determined every 42 d of lactation until weaning. Pre-weaning calf BW, size, and metabolic status were determined every 21 d. Data were analyzed with nutritional plane, calving date, and calf sex (when P < 0.25) as fixed effects. Circulating metabolites included day and nutritional plane × day as repeated measures. We previously reported that post-calving, NR dams were 64 kg and 2.0 BCS less than CON, but calf BW and size at birth were not affected. During the first 147 d of lactation, NR dams gained more (P < 0.01) BW than CON and increased (P < 0.01) BCS, while CON decreased (P ≤ 0.01) BCS and BF. Previously, NR dams had lower (P < 0.01) circulating triglycerides on day 1 of lactation, tended to have lower (P = 0.08) triglycerides on day 21, and had lower (P ≤ 0.04) non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) on days 21 and 243 than CON. Maternal glucose and urea N were not affected (P ≥ 0.73). At weaning, NR dams weighed 17 kg less (P = 0.15), were 0.67 BCS lower (P < 0.01), and tended to have less (P = 0.06) BF. Calves born to NR dams weighed less (P = 0.02) than CON by day 42 of age and were 13% smaller (P < 0.01) at weaning. Calf girth measures diverged (P ≤ 0.05) by day 21 of age, and skeletal size measures were less (P ≤ 0.08) for calves born to NR dams at most timepoints after day 63 of age. Calves born to NR dams tended to have lower (P = 0.09) circulating urea N pre-weaning than CON, but glucose, triglycerides, and NEFA were not affected (P ≥ 0.16). In summary, first-parity beef females that were nutrient restricted during late gestation experienced compensatory growth and gained body condition during lactation but were still thinner at weaning. Nutrient restriction reduced pre-weaning calf growth, likely due to decreased milk production.

Nutrient requirements increase substantially during late gestation in the beef female; however, poor forage nutrient availability can result in undernutrition. For heifers, the added nutrient requirements needed to continue growing during their first pregnancy and lactation pose an even greater challenge. It is plausible that lingering effects of late gestational nutrient restriction may exist for the dam and calf pre-weaning. We report that first-parity beef females that were nutrient restricted during late gestation and then fed to meet estimated nutrient requirements during lactation recovered quickly metabolically and experienced compensatory growth, but still had less body condition at weaning than controls. Late gestational nutrient restriction did not affect calf size at birth but resulted in calf body weight and size measures diverging early in life. Ultimately, nutrient restriction resulted in a 13% decrease in weaning weight, which was likely due to decreased milk production (in a companion paper). Despite this, metabolic status of calves born to nutrient restricted dams was not greatly altered. In summary, first-parity beef females that were nutrient restricted during late gestation prioritized partitioning nutrients to maternal growth and energy reserves over milk production during lactation, but dams were thinner at weaning, and pre-weaning calf growth was slowed.

Rumen and cecum bacteria of beef cattle that differ in feed efficiency fed a forage diet.

Most of the research addressing feed efficiency and the microbiota has been conducted in cattle fed grain diets, although cattle evolved to consume forage diets. Our hypothesis was that the bacteria in the rumen and cecum differed in cattle that have a common feed intake but had different ^average daily body weight gains (ADG) on a forage diet. Heifers (n = 134) were 606 ±â€…1 d of age and weighed 476 ±â€…3 kg at the start of the 84-d feeding study. Heifers were offered ad libitum access to a totally mixed ration that consisted of 86% ground brome hay, 10% wet distillers grains with solubles, and 4% mineral supplement as dry matter. Feed intake and body weight gain were measured, and gain was calculated. Heifers with the least (n = 8) and greatest (n = 8) ADG within 0.32 SD of the mean daily dry matter intake were selected for sampling. Digesta samples from the rumen and cecum were collected, and subsequent 16S analysis was conducted to identify Amplicon Sequence Variants. There were no differences in Alpha and Beta diversity between ADG classification within sample sites (P > 0.05). Both sample sites contained calculated balances of sister clades using phylogenetic isometric log ratio transferred data that differed across ADG classification. These findings suggest that bacteria did not differ at the community level, but there was structural difference at the clade level.

Feed is one of the greatest costs associated with beef production. Modifying the efficiency that feed is used offers a potential mechanism to improve production efficiency. Bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract modify the nutrient content of the feed cattle eat before it is absorbed. The rumen and cecum are the two primary sites of fermentation in the digesta tract. Structure of the bacterial community at the clade level suggests that they differ with feed efficiency.

Late gestational nutrient restriction in primiparous beef females: nutrient partitioning among the dam, fetus, and colostrum during gestation.

Fall-calving primiparous crossbred beef females [body weight (BW): 451 ±â€…28 (SD) kg; body condition score (BCS): 5.4 ±â€…0.7] were allocated by fetal sex and expected calving date to receive either 100% (control; CON; n = 13) or 70% (nutrient restricted; NR; n = 13) of metabolizable energy and metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance, pregnancy, and growth from day 160 of gestation to calving. Heifers were individually-fed chopped poor quality hay and supplemented to meet targeted nutritional planes based on estimated hay intakes. Dam BW, BCS, backfat, and metabolic status were determined pre-treatment, every 21 d (BW and metabolic status) or 42 d (BCS and backfat) during gestation, and post-calving. At birth, calf BW and size were measured, and total colostrum from the most full rear quarter was collected pre-suckling. Data were analyzed with nutritional plane, treatment initiation date, and calf sex (when P < 0.25) as fixed effects. Gestational metabolites included day and nutritional plane × day as repeated measures. During late gestation, CON dams gained (P < 0.01) maternal (non-gravid) BW and maintained (P ≥ 0.17) BCS and backfat, while NR dams lost (P < 0.01) maternal BW, BCS, and backfat. Circulating glucose, urea N, and triglycerides were less (P ≤ 0.05) in NR dams than CON at most late gestational timepoints after treatment initiation. Circulating non-esterified fatty acids were greater (P < 0.01) in NR dams than CON. Post-calving, NR dams weighed 63.6 kg less (P < 0.01) and were 2.0 BCS less (P < 0.01) than CON. At 1 h post-calving, NR dams had less (P = 0.01) plasma glucose and tended to have less (P = 0.08) plasma triglycerides than CON. Nutrient restriction did not affect (P ≥ 0.27) gestation length, calf birth weight, or calf size at birth. Colostrum yield was 40% less (P = 0.04) in NR dams than CON. Protein and immunoglobulin concentrations were greater (P ≤ 0.04), but free glucose and urea N concentrations were less (P ≤ 0.03), in colostrum of NR dams than CON. Colostrum total lactose, free glucose, and urea N were less (P ≤ 0.03) in NR dams than CON, but total protein, triglycerides, and immunoglobulins were not affected (P ≥ 0.55). In summary, beef heifers experiencing late gestational nutrient restriction prioritized partitioning nutrients to fetal growth and colostrum production over maternal growth. During undernutrition, fetal and colostral nutrient demands were largely compensated for by catabolism of maternal tissue stores.

Nutrient requirements increase substantially during late gestation in the beef female. Even in well-managed herds, it is possible for females to be nutrient restricted during this time due to challenges of poor forage quality or availability and environmental stress. For heifers, the added nutrient requirements needed to continue growing pose an even greater challenge during their first pregnancy. However, little is known about how late gestational undernutrition impacts nutrient partitioning between maternal growth, the developing offspring, and colostrum production in beef heifers. Our data show that late gestational nutrient restriction in heifers slowed the expected maternal growth and instead maternal tissue stores were catabolized. Less nutrients were available in the maternal circulation, yet calf weight and size at birth were not affected. Late gestational nutrient restriction resulted in less colostrum produced by the dam and less lactose available to the offspring, but the total protein, fat, and immunoglobulins available in colostrum were not altered. In summary, beef heifers experiencing late gestational nutrient restriction prioritized partitioning nutrients to fetal growth and colostrum production over maternal growth and maintenance of body condition.

Imaging manifestations of IgG4-related disease.

IgG4-related disease is a multisystem immune-mediated disorder associated with lesions manifesting an IgG4-rich plasma cell infiltrate and often raised serum IgG4 concentrations. The disease can mimic neoplastic, infective, and inflammatory processes due to features such as development of masses or organ enlargement. Prompt consideration of this diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary investigations and offer appropriate treatments, which can include steroids and other immunosuppressive agents. Although histology is typically diagnostic, imaging is critical to assess disease burden, determine biopsy targets, and evaluate response to treatment. Characteristic imaging features can also point towards the diagnosis in the absence of biopsy. This review highlights these features, as well as more atypical findings, grouped by organ or system. Differential diagnoses are emphasised. The full spectrum of imaging methods is discussed. Whole-body imaging with integrated 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has an evolving role in the detection of multi-organ involvement and subsequent follow-up.

Heritability of beef cow metabolizable energy for maintenance.

Most of the metabolizable energy that a cow uses during a production year is for maintenance; however, less is known about the heritability of maintenance compared to other traits that can be measured directly. Feed intake is a heritable trait in the mature cow and most of the feed consumed is used for maintenance. We hypothesized that maintenance energy was a heritable trait. Individual feed intake was measured for 84 or 85 d on 5 yr old pregnant cows (N = 887) from a pedigreed population of cattle that represent prominent breeds in the United States. Phenotypic mean (± SD) values were 654 ± 68 kg for cow body weight, 0.21 ± 0.24 kg/d for average daily gain, and 175 ± 17 d for midpoint fetal age. Dry matter intake averaged (± SD) 10.84 ± 1.41 kg/d. Metabolizable energy for maintenance was estimated by subtracting the metabolizable energy used for conceptus growth and tissue accretion from metabolizable energy intake. Metabolizable energy for maintenance averaged (± SD) 139 ± 18 ME kcal/d/BW kg0.75 and had a heritability of 0.31 ± 0.11. Cows have a moderate heritability for maintenance suggesting an opportunity for selection.

Feed is one of the greatest costs of beef production. Most of the feed used annually by a cow is to maintain her body. A study was conducted measuring individual feed intake of mature pregnant cows. We have determined that the amount of energy that a cow uses to maintain her body is heritable suggesting that cows can be selected for differences in the energy required to maintain their bodies.

One-carbon metabolite supplementation to heifers for the first 14 d of the estrous cycle alters the plasma and hepatic one-carbon metabolite pool and methionine-folate cycle enzyme transcript abundance in a dose-dependent manner.

The objective of this study was to determine the dose of folate and vitamin B12 in beef heifers fed rumen protected methionine and choline required to maintain increased B12 levels and intermediates of the methionine-folate cycle in circulation. Angus heifers (n = 30; BW = 392.6 ±â€…12.6 kg) were individually fed and assigned to one of five treatments: 0XNEG: Total mixed ration (TMR) and saline injections at day 0 and 7 of the estrous cycle, 0XPOS: TMR, rumen protected methionine (MET) fed at 0.08% of the diet DM, rumen protected choline (CHOL) fed at 60 g/d, and saline injections at day 0 and 7, 0.5X: TMR, MET, CHOL, 5 mg B12, and 80 mg folate at day 0 and 7, 1X: TMR, MET CHOL, 10 mg vitamin B12, and 160 mg folate at day 0 and 7, and 2X: TMR, MET, CHOL, 20 mg B12, and 320 mg folate at day 0 and 7. All heifers were estrus synchronized but not bred, and blood was collected on day 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 14 of a synchronized estrous cycle. Heifers were slaughtered on day 14 of the estrous cycle for liver collection. Serum B12 concentrations were greater in the 0.5X, 1X, and 2X, compared with 0XNEG and 0XPOS on all days after treatment initiation (P < 0.0001). Serum folate concentrations were greater for the 2X treatment at day 5, 7, and 9 of the cycle compared with all other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). There were no differences (P ≥ 0.19) in hepatic methionine-cycle or choline analyte concentrations by treatment. Concentrations of hepatic folate cycle intermediates were always greater (P ≤ 0.04) in the 2X treatment compared with the 0XNEG and 0XPOS heifers. Serum methionine was greater (P = 0.04) in the 0.5X and 2X heifers compared with 0XNEG, and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) tended (P = 0.06) to be greater in the 0.5X heifers and the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM):SAH ratio was decreased (P = 0.05) in the 0.5X treatment compared with the 0XNEG, 0XPOS, and 2X heifers. The hepatic transcript abundance of MAT2A and MAT2B were decreased (P ≤ 0.02) in the 0.5X heifers compared with the 0XNEG, 0XPOS, and 2X heifers. These data support that beef heifers fed rumen protected methionine and choline require 20 mg B12 and 320 mg folate once weekly to maintain increased concentrations of B12 and folate in serum. Furthermore, these data demonstrate that not all supplementation levels are equal in providing positive responses, and that some levels, such as the 0.5X, may result in a stoichiometric imbalance in the one-carbon metabolism pathway that results in a decreased SAM:SAH ratio.

The strategic inclusion of one-carbon metabolites, which include vitamins and minerals that are found in human prenatal vitamins, to beef cattle feeding and management protocols during the periconceptual period (the time around breeding) is a novel concept. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the feeding and injection doses of one-carbon metabolites in beef heifers to maintain increased circulating concentrations of one-carbon metabolites for use as a model from which other studies could base their treatments on. We determined that daily feeding of methionine and choline at 0.08% of dry matter and 60 g/d, respectively, and administration of vitamin B12 and folate at 20 mg and 320 mg once per week, respectively resulted in sustained elevated concentrations of one-carbon metabolites.

Genetic and phenotypic associations of mitochondrial DNA copy number, SNP, and haplogroups with growth and carcass traits in beef cattle.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA CN) is heritable and easily obtained from low-pass sequencing (LPS). This study investigated the genetic correlation of mtDNA CN with growth and carcass traits in a multi-breed and crossbred beef cattle population. Blood, leucocyte, and semen samples were obtained from 2,371 animals and subjected to LPS that resulted in nuclear DNA (nuDNA) and mtDNA sequence reads. Mitochondrial DNA CN was estimated as the ratio of mtDNA to nuDNA coverages. Variant calling was performed from mtDNA, and 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were identified in the population. Samples were classified in taurine haplogroups. Haplogroup and mtDNA type were further classified based on the 11 segregating SNP. Growth and carcass traits were available for between 7,249 and 60,989 individuals. Associations of mtDNA CN, mtDNA haplogroups, mtDNA types, and mtDNA SNP with growth and carcass traits were estimated with univariate animal models, and genetic correlations were estimated with a bivariate animal model based on pedigree. Mitochondrial DNA CN tended (P-value ≤0.08) to be associated with birth weight and weaning weight. There was no association (P-value >0.10) between mtDNA SNP, haplogroups, or types with growth and carcass traits. Genetic correlation estimates of mtDNA CN were -0.30 ± 0.16 with birth weight, -0.31 ± 0.16 with weaning weight, -0.15 ± 0.14 with post-weaning gain, -0.11 ± 0.19 with average daily dry-matter intake, -0.04 ± 0.22 with average daily gain, -0.29 ± 0.13 with mature cow weight, -0.11 ± 0.13 with slaughter weight, -0.14 ± 0.13 with carcass weight, -0.07 ± 0.14 with carcass backfat, 0.14 ± 0.14 with carcass marbling, and -0.06 ± 0.14 with ribeye area. In conclusion, mtDNA CN was negatively correlated with most traits investigated, and the genetic correlation was stronger with growth traits than with carcass traits.

This study investigated mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA CN) as a potential genetic indicator of growth and carcass traits in a composite beef cattle population. Mitochondrial DNA CN was previously shown to be under genetic control. The current study estimated the genetic relationship of mtDNA CN with growth and carcass traits. Blood, leucocyte, and semen samples were obtained from 2,371 animals and subjected to whole-genome sequencing at a low depth that resulted in nuclear DNA and mtDNA sequence reads. Mitochondrial DNA CN was estimated as the ratio of mtDNA to nuclear DNA coverages. Growth and carcass traits were available for between 7,249 and 60,989 individuals. Genetic parameters were estimated from an animal model based on pedigree. Genetic correlation estimates of mtDNA CN with growth and carcass traits were low to moderate and mostly negative. These indicate that selection for lower mtDNA would be associated with an increase in birth weight, weaning weight, post-weaning gain, average daily dry-matter intake, mature cow weight, slaughter weight, and carcass weight. Therefore, the by-product of whole-genome sequencing at a low depth could be used as an indicator trait for growth and carcass traits in genetic evaluations, but the genetic relationships are not likely strong enough to prioritize mtDNA ahead of routinely used indicator traits.

Building back better: resilient environmental and occupational health systems for the next global crisis

@#Even after two years, the COVID-19 pandemic still disrupts public activities and services as it exposes vulnerabilities among the population and negatively impacts environmental conditions. The crisis also impeded global progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The Fourth Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) Forum held virtually on November 25 to 26, 2021 provided a venue for learning about local and international COVID-19 responses to help prepare for the next global crisis. Through the systems thinking approach, the discussions prioritized analyses of leadership and governance, financing, human resource, technologies, information management, and service delivery. These analyses focused on community and/or workplace programs and services linked to air quality, waste management, psychosocial wellness, and COVID-19 vaccination. The forum amplified calls for climate actions and public health improvement and emphasized the significance of a collaborative, evidence-based, integrated public health response to a crisis underscoring the apparent interdependence of the SDGs.

A carbon monoxide laser-based specialty optical fiber preform fabrication system.

We report the development of a specialty optical fiber preform fabrication system based on carbon monoxide (CO) laser heating. The laser heating is accomplished via a single-beam optical arrangement integrated into a rotating glass lathe. The CO laser output power and its beam quality are affected by absorption of the laser radiation by water vapor present in the surrounding air. This is addressed by construction of an enclosed and fully motorized system to enable preform processing in a dry air environment. The performance of the system is evaluated, and the ability to maintain a desired preform processing temperature is demonstrated. Relevant aspects of preform manufacturing, such as glass cutting, splicing, tapering, and overcladding, are described in detail. The process of using these aspects to fabricate optical fiber preforms made of highly dissimilar materials and of various core-to-cladding ratios is discussed. Specialty fibers drawn from these preforms exhibit low-loss and show good optical performance.

Real-time surveillance of severe acute respiratory infections in Scottish hospitals: an electronic register-based approach, 2017-2022.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of routine syndromic surveillance of respiratory infections, specifically new cases of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). This surveillance often relies on questionnaires carried out by research nurses or transcriptions of doctor's notes, but existing, routinely collected electronic healthcare data sets are increasingly being used for such surveillance. We investigated how patient diagnosis codes, recorded within such data sets, could be used to capture SARI trends in Scotland. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective observational study using electronic healthcare data sets between 2017 and 2022. METHODS: Sensitive, specific and timely case definition (CDs) based on patient diagnosis codes contained within national registers in Scotland were proposed to identify SARI cases. Representativeness and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess how well SARI cases captured by each definition matched trends in historic influenza and SARS-CoV-2 data. RESULTS: All CDs accurately captured the peaks seen in laboratory-confirmed positive influenza and SARS-CoV-2 data, although the completeness of patient diagnosis records was discovered to vary widely. The timely CD provided the earliest detection of changes in SARI activity, whilst the sensitive CD provided insight into the burden and severity of SARI infections. CONCLUSIONS: A universal SARI surveillance system has been developed and demonstrated to accurately capture seasonal SARI trends. It can be used as an indicator of emerging secondary care burden of emerging SARI outbreaks. The system further strengthens Scotland's existing strategies for respiratory surveillance, and the methods described here can be applied within any country with suitable electronic patient records.

Birds can transition between stable and unstable states via wing morphing.

Birds morph their wing shape to accomplish extraordinary manoeuvres1-4, which are governed by avian-specific equations of motion. Solving these equations requires information about a bird's aerodynamic and inertial characteristics5. Avian flight research to date has focused on resolving aerodynamic features, whereas inertial properties including centre of gravity and moment of inertia are seldom addressed. Here we use an analytical method to determine the inertial characteristics of 22 species across the full range of elbow and wrist flexion and extension. We find that wing morphing allows birds to substantially change their roll and yaw inertia but has a minimal effect on the position of the centre of gravity. With the addition of inertial characteristics, we derived a novel metric of pitch agility and estimated the static pitch stability, revealing that the agility and static margin ranges are reduced as body mass increases. These results provide quantitative evidence that evolution selects for both stable and unstable flight, in contrast to the prevailing narrative that birds are evolving away from stability6. This comprehensive analysis of avian inertial characteristics provides the key features required to establish a theoretical model of avian manoeuvrability.

Temperature dynamics in silicon core fibers during CO2 laser processing.

Silicon core fibers are a promising candidate for optoelectronic and photonic applications. Fabrication and post-processing of those fibers is thus far done without precise knowledge of the processing temperatures. Here, a simple technique is presented that allows for in-situ temperature monitoring during thermal processing of silicon core fibers. The temperature was probed across the silicon melting point and cooling rates above 3500 °C s-1 were measured. The silicon core was found to be molten at a temperature of 1281 °C, more than 100 °C below the bulk silicon melting point. This is attributed to stress inbuilt to silicon core fibers during the fabrication process.

Light microscopic observations of the ruminal papillae of cattle on diets with divergent forage to cereal ratios.

High levels of supplementation with cereal increases production rates in cattle but can increase incidence of disease, ranging from mild indigestion to acute ruminal acidosis and death. Therefore, there is motivation to determine biological markers which can be used to identify whether animals have been, or are being fed, sufficient or excessive cereals. This study aimed to describe light microscopic findings from animals being fed diverse dietary cereal proportions and to test the performance of a novel rumen epithelial scoring system. Rumen wall tissue samples were obtained from the abattoir from 195 cattle from 11 Scottish farms and processed for histological examination. Light microscopic examination was used to characterise ruminal epithelial response to dietary challenge. Secondary objectives included describing the distribution of immune-related cells in bovine ruminal epithelium and assessing the use of a modified Elastin Martius Scarlet Blue stain (EMSB) for histological examination of the rumen epithelium. Cells staining positive for cluster of differentiation 3 were distributed mainly in the lower layers of the stratum basale and were found in higher densities in animals offered lower cereal proportion diets. Cells staining positive for major histocompatibility complex class 2 (MHCII) were most common in perivascular locations and in the junction between the lower stratum basale and the propria-submucosa. The density of MHCII positive staining cells was higher in animals on lower cereal diets. The level of supplementation with cereal was also associated with the thickness of the stratum corneum (SCT) and stratum granulosum (SGT), the integrity of the stratum corneum and sloughing of cornified cells. There were no advantages in using EMSB stain over haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) in this scoring system. We concluded that a scoring system that included only SCT, SGT and a measure of the loss of appearance of intercellular space allowed differentiation of groups of animals according to the level of cereal supplementation.