Virome characterization in serum of healthy show pigs raised in Oklahoma demonstrated great diversity of ssDNA viruses.

In the United States, show pigs are raised to compete in agricultural events. These animals are usually raised in small herds with extensive human, domestic, and wild animal contact. Therefore, pathogen monitoring in this animal category is critical for improved disease surveillance and preparedness. This study characterized the virome of healthy show pigs using high-throughput sequencing using pooled serum samples from 2018 or 2019 (200 samples each pool). Results demonstrated the presence of DNA viral families (Parvoviridae, Circoviridae, and Herpesviridae) and RNA families (Arteriviridae, Flaviviridae, and Retroviridae). Twenty-three viral species were identified, including the first detection of porcine bufavirus in the US. Moreover, important swine pathogens identified included porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, atypical porcine pestivirus, and porcine circovirus (PCV). Additionally, complete coding genomes of 17 viruses from the Parvoviridae, Anelloviridae, and Circoviridae families were retrieved and included the first near full-length genomes of US Ungulate bocaparvovirus 3 species.

Feasibility Study of a Quasi-experimental Regional Opioid Safety Prescribing Program in Veterans Health Administration Emergency Departments.

BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) was implemented in 2013 and was associated with a 25% relative decrease in the dispensing of opioids. Although emergency department (ED) providers play a role in the initiation and continuation of opioids, the incumbent OSI did not target EDs. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this feasibility study was to leverage the existing VHA OSI and test a novel ED-based quality improvement (QI) program to decrease opioid prescribing in multiple ED settings. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study of phased-in implementation of a QI ED-based OSI. The general setting for this pilot were four VHA EDs across the Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) region 19: Denver, Oklahoma City, Muskogee, and Salt Lake City. We developed and disseminated a dashboard to assess ED-specific prescribing rates and an ED-tailored toolkit to implement the program. Academic detailing pharmacists provided focused audits and feedback with the highest prescribing providers. We measured change in ED-provider prescribing rate of opioids for patients discharged from the ED, by provider and aggregated up to facility level, pre- and postimplementation. RESULTS: Interrupted time-series analysis of provider-level data from the program implementation sites indicated a significant decrease in the trend for proportion of opioid prescriptions relative to the preintervention trend. The results of the analysis suggest that the intervention was associated with accelerating the rate at which ED provider prescribing rates decreased. CONCLUSION: Due to the high volume of patients and the vital role the ED plays in patient treatment and hospital admissions, it is evident that the ED is an important site for QI programs as well as the implementation of opioid safety measures. Given the findings of this pilot, we believe that implementation of a national Veterans Affairs ED OSI implementation is feasible practice.

Establishment, Hybridization, Dispersal, Impact, and Decline of Diorhabda spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Released for Biological Control of Tamarisk in Texas and New Mexico.

Three Diorhabda spp. tamarisk beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) were established in Texas from 2003 to 2010 for biological control of tamarisk (Tamarix spp.): Mediterranean tamarisk beetles, D. elongata (Brullé) from Greece, also established in New Mexico; subtropical tamarisk beetles, D. sublineata (Lucas) from Tunisia; and larger tamarisk beetles, D. carinata (Faldermann) from Uzbekistan. More than one million tamarisk beetles were released at 99 sites. Species establishment success ranged from 52 to 83%. All three species now co-occur in New Mexico with the northern tamarisk beetles, D. carinulata (Desbrochers). A phenotypic hybrid scoring system was developed to assess Diorhabda phenotype distributions and character mixing in hybrid zones. Widespread field populations of bispecific hybrid phenotypes for D. carinata/D. elongata and D. sublineata/D. elongata rapidly appeared following contact of parental species. Initial distributions and dispersal of Diorhabda spp. and hybrids are mapped for Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas, where they produced large-scale tamarisk defoliation and localized dieback for 3-4 yr. However, populations subsequently severely declined, now producing only isolated defoliation and allowing tamarisk to recover. Diorhabda sublineata and D. elongata temporarily produced nontarget spillover defoliation of ornamental athel, Tamarix aphylla (L.) Karst, along the Rio Grande. Hybrid phenotypes were generally bimodally distributed, indicating some degree of reproductive isolation. Additional diagnostic phenotypic characters in males allowed more precise hybrid scoring. Character mixing in some hybrid populations approached or reached that of a hybrid swarm. The significance of hybridization for tamarisk biocontrol is discussed.

Trypanosoma cruzi in a Mexican Free-Tailed Bat ( Tadarida brasiliensis) in Oklahoma, USA.

Trypanosoma cruzi is a vector-borne protozoan parasite that infects seven million individuals in Central and South America and is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. There are increasing reports of endemic transmission within the southern US. Trypanosoma cruzi occurs in wild raccoons and dogs in Oklahoma, but its endemicity in the state is poorly studied. We suspected Mexican free-tailed bats ( Tadarida brasiliensis) contributed to the endemicity of T. cruzi in Oklahoma due to their annual migration from Central America to their North American maternity roosts. During the summer of 2017, we sampled 361 Mexican free-tailed bats for T. cruzi at three maternity roosts in Oklahoma. We collected wing tissues, extracted T. cruzi DNA, amplified target DNA by PCR using the primers TCZ1/TCZ2, and observed amplification by gel electrophoresis. One juvenile Mexican free-tailed bat was positive for T. cruzi resulting in a 0.27% prevalence in the 361 sampled bats. Our finding of a wild bat naturally infected with T. cruzi in Oklahoma provided insight on the endemicity of T. cruzi in underrepresented endemic areas. The positive sample was sequenced, confirmed as T. cruzi, and uploaded to GenBank (no. MG869732). Future research will focus on monitoring T. cruzi prevalence in wild bats and insect vectors to better understand the enzootic emergence of this neglected tropical parasite.

A new species of Hyalella Smith, 1874 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalellidae) from Oklahoma, USA.

The genus Hyalella is endemic to the North and South America. There are currently 14 species described in North America and the Caribbean. For a long time, it had been assumed that different populations of these animals represented a single species, Hyalella azteca (Saussure, 1858). However, molecular analyses have demonstrated H. azteca sensu lato to be a complex of multiple species, so some species that occur in the United States have been mistakenly identified. Our aim in this paper was to describe a new species of Hyalella, found in Oklahoma, USA. The new species can be differentiated from the others, mainly because it presents serrated setae in the maxilla 2, because it does not have flanges on the surface of the body, presents the palm of the gnathopod 2 of the same size as the distal-posterior margin of the propodus, by shape and number of setae on the uropod 3 and telson. The description of this new species of Hyalella increases to 15 the number of species of the genus for the USA. It is important to understand the diversity of Hyalella with consideration of their possible role as bioindicators of environmental quality, and further consideration of their conservation status, and especially for species known from a single spring.

The use of nemabiome metabarcoding to explore gastro-intestinal nematode species diversity and anthelmintic treatment effectiveness in beef calves.

Next-generation deep amplicon sequencing, or metabarcoding, has revolutionized the study of microbial communities in humans, animals and the environment. However, such approaches have yet to be applied to parasitic helminth communities. We recently described the first example of such a method - nemabiome sequencing - based on deep-amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) rDNA, and validated its ability to quantitatively assess the species composition of cattle gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) communities. Here, we present the first application of this approach to explore GIN species diversity and the impact of anthelmintic drug treatments. First, we investigated GIN species diversity in cow-calf beef cattle herds in several different regions, using coproculture derived L3s. A screen of 50 Canadian beef herds revealed parasite species diversity to be low overall. The majority of parasite communities were comprised of just two species; Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia oncophora. Cooperia punctata was present at much lower levels overall, but nevertheless comprised a substantive part of the parasite community of several herds in eastern Canada. In contrast, nemabiome sequencing revealed higher GIN species diversity in beef calves sampled from central/south-eastern USA and Sao Paulo State, Brazil. In these regions C. punctata predominated in most herds with Haemonchus placei predominating in a few cases. Ostertagia ostertagi and C. oncophora were relatively minor species in these regions in contrast to the Canadian herds. We also examined the impact of routine macrocyclic lactone pour-on treatments on GIN communities in the Canadian beef herds. Low treatment effectiveness was observed in many cases, and nemabiome sequencing revealed an overall increase in the proportion of Cooperia spp. relative to O. ostertagi post-treatment. This work demonstrates the power of nemabiome metabarcoding to provide a detailed picture of GIN parasite community structure in large sample sets and illustrates its potential use in research, diagnostics and surveillance.

Factors Associated with Sedentary Behavior in Patients with Intermittent Claudication.

OBJECTIVES: Time spent in sedentary behavior has been associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors in the general population and in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD). Given the association of sedentary behavior and poor health outcomes, it is important to identify factors associated with sedentary behavior in these patients. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the sedentary time in patients with symptomatic PAD. METHODS: The sample included 297 patients with symptomatic PAD. Sedentary behavior was assessed using a step activity monitor and the patients were divided into tertiles. Demographic data, body mass index, comorbid conditions, and measures of severity of PAD (ankle brachial index, ischemic window, claudication measurements, peak oxygen uptake and walking economy) were obtained. RESULTS: Patients in the highest tertile (i.e. more sedentary) had a higher body mass index and a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and obesity than patients in the lowest tertile, whereas their peak walking time, peak oxygen uptake, and walking economy were lower (p < .05 for all). Using multiple regression procedures, the factors associated with the sedentary time were male sex (b = .217, R2 = .180, p = .001), body mass index (b = .154, R2 = .059, p = .013), peak walking time (b = -.360, R2 = .066, p ≤ .001), and walking economy (b = -.187, R2 = .142, p = .004). CONCLUSION: In patients with symptomatic PAD, greater time spent in sedentary behavior was found in men, and in patients with higher body mass index, lower peak walking time, and lower walking economy.

Subsistence strategies in traditional societies distinguish gut microbiomes.

Recent studies suggest that gut microbiomes of urban-industrialized societies are different from those of traditional peoples. Here we examine the relationship between lifeways and gut microbiota through taxonomic and functional potential characterization of faecal samples from hunter-gatherer and traditional agriculturalist communities in Peru and an urban-industrialized community from the US. We find that in addition to taxonomic and metabolic differences between urban and traditional lifestyles, hunter-gatherers form a distinct sub-group among traditional peoples. As observed in previous studies, we find that Treponema are characteristic of traditional gut microbiomes. Moreover, through genome reconstruction (2.2-2.5 MB, coverage depth × 26-513) and functional potential characterization, we discover these Treponema are diverse, fall outside of pathogenic clades and are similar to Treponema succinifaciens, a known carbohydrate metabolizer in swine. Gut Treponema are found in non-human primates and all traditional peoples studied to date, suggesting they are symbionts lost in urban-industrialized societies.

Outcomes of cervical cancer and positive para-aortic lymph nodes in the modern era of chemoradiation.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with cervical cancer with positive para-aortic lymph nodes have a poor prognosis. Our primary aim was to describe outcomes among this subgroup in the era of modern chemoradiation. METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed cervical cancer metastatic to their para-aortic lymph nodes diagnosed between 1998 and 2011 and treated with curative intent were included in this analysis. Surgicopathologic, demographic, and outcome data were collected. Descriptive and survival statistics were generated to evaluate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and to compare outcomes by treatment. P values were generated using both Wilcoxon and log-rank methods and listed respectively. RESULTS: The median PFS was 19 months. The median OS was 23.4 months. The median PFS for radiation only was 14 months and for chemoradiation was 20 months (P = 0.27 and 0.60, respectively). There was no difference in median OS for the radiation-only group versus chemoradiation. The median OS stratified by stage was 32 months (stage I), 21 months (stage II), 19.4 months (stage III), and 19.8 months (stage IV; P = 0.17 and 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a median OS of 23 months, which is less than what was documented in the literature. Despite the use of modern chemoradiation therapy, most of the cohort died within 3 years. The low OS presented in our study highlights the limitations of the current treatment regimens and the need for identification of for more effective therapy.

Efficacies of spinosad and a combination of chlorpyrifos-methyl and deltamethrin against phosphine-resistant Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on wheat.

Highly phosphine-resistant populations of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) have recently been found in Oklahoma grain storage facilities. These findings necessitate development of a phosphine resistance management strategy to ensure continued effective use of phosphine. Therefore, we investigated the efficacies of two grain insecticides, namely, spinosad applied at label rate of 1 ppm and a mixture of chlorpyrifos-methyl and deltamethrin applied at label rates of 3 and 0.5 ppm, respectively, against highly phosphine-resistant R. dominica and T. castaneum. Adult mortality and progeny production suppression of spinosad- or chlorpyrifos-methyl + deltamethrin mixture-treated wheat that had been stored for 2, 84, 168, 252, and 336 d posttreatment were assessed. We found that both spinosad and chlorpyrifos-methyl + deltamethrin were effective against phosphine-resistant R. dominica and caused 83-100% mortality and also caused total progeny production suppression for all storage periods. Spinosad was not effective against phosphine-resistant T. castaneum; the highest mortality observed was only 3% for all the storage periods. Chlorpyrifos-methyl + deltamethrin was effective against phosphine-resistant T. castaneum only in treated wheat stored for 2 and 84 d, where it caused 93-99% mortality. However, chlorpyrifos-methyl + deltamethrin was effective and achieved total suppression of progeny production in T. castaneum for all the storage periods. Spinosad was not as effective as chlorpyrifos-methyl + deltamethrin mixture at suppressing progeny production of phosphine-resistant T. castaneum. These two insecticides can be used in a phosphine resistance management strategy for R. dominica and T. castaneum in the United States.

Phosphine resistance in Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica from stored wheat in Oklahoma.

Phosphine gas, or hydrogen phosphide (PH3), is the most common insecticide applied to durable stored products worldwide and is routinely used in the United States for treatment of bulk-stored cereal grains and other durable stored products. Research from the late 1980s revealed low frequencies of resistance to various residual grain protectant insecticides and to phosphine in grain insect species collected in Oklahoma. The present work, which used the same previously established discriminating dose bioassays for phosphine toxicity as in the earlier study, evaluated adults of nine different populations of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and five populations of lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) collected from different geographic locations in Oklahoma. One additional population for each species was a laboratory susceptible strain. Discriminating dose assays determined eight out of the nine T. castaneum populations, and all five populations of R. dominica, contained phosphine-resistant individuals, and highest resistance frequencies were 94 and 98%, respectively. Dose-response bioassays and logit analyses determined that LC99 values were approximately 3 ppm for susceptible and 377 ppm for resistant T. castaneum, and approximately 2 ppm for susceptible and 3,430 ppm for resistant R. dominica. The most resistant T. castaneum population was 119-fold more resistant than the susceptible strain and the most resistant R. dominica population was over 1,500-fold more resistant. Results suggest a substantial increase in phosphine resistance in these major stored-wheat pests in the past 21 yr, and these levels of resistance to phosphine approach those reported for other stored-grain pest species in other countries.

Genetic diversity in tetraploid switchgrass revealed by AFLP marker polymorphisms.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial warm-season grass native to North America that has been identified as a dedicated cellulosic biofuel crop. We quantified genetic diversity in tetraploid switchgrass germplasm collected at Oklahoma State University and characterized genetic relatedness among the collections from distinct regions. Fifty-six tetraploid accessions, including seven upland and 49 lowland genotypes from throughout the US, were examined. The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) procedure was utilized to generate DNA profiling patterns that were scored visually. Sixteen selective AFLP primer combinations were used to amplify 452 polymorphic bands. The accessions' genetic similarity coefficients, UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averaging) cluster analysis and principle coordinate analysis, were performed. The upland and lowland accessions clustered according to ecotypes, with one exception (TN104). Genetic similarity coefficients among the accessions ranged from 0.73 to 0.95. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed, showing significant differences between the upland and lowland genotypes. The trnL marker confirmed that TN104 was a lowland genotype, but the trnL marker identification of upland and lowland genotypes was not consistent with the AFLP analysis in two germplasms (Miami and AR4).

Stories from the field.

"Stories From the Field" is a series of short profiles of tobacco control programs and their leaders, showcasing promising technical assistance and training models in Louisiana, Puerto Rico, the Cherokee Nation, West Virginia, the Pacific Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The series illuminates key themes of collaboration with diverse stakeholders, elimination of health disparities, building tobacco control coalitions, engaging youth to reduce commercial tobacco use, sustaining tobacco control efforts, and the use of the media to raise public awareness that are highlighted in the Health Promotion Practice Supplement Theme Issue, Training and Technical Assistance: Lessons Learned to Sustain Social Norm Changes in Tobacco Control. Common tobacco control strategies bind the stories together. Local knowledge, coalition building, community involvement, innovative partnerships, and educational outreach are at the core of all of these tobacco control projects.

Dispersal of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in different habitats.

The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), a serious pest of stored cereal grains, is widely distributed and has been collected in different habitats in North America, such as those from agricultural and nonagricultural settings. Our objective was to study the dispersal distances and direction of dispersal by R. dominica after external marking using fluorescent powder, releasing marked beetles, and recapturing adults using pheromone traps in distinctively different ecological habitats, wooded sites and open grasslands, for 2 consecutive yr. The recapture rate of marked beetles ranged from 6 to 26% in both sites and was generally higher in the wooded site than the open field site for both years. There was a significant difference in dispersal distances between wooded and open sites. Mean dispersal distances in the wooded site ranged from 337 to 375 m, whereas in the open site, they varied from 261 to 333 m. Trap captures for both marked and feral beetles were related to the ambient temperature such that increase in trap captures occurred with increasing temperature. Significant differences were observed for directional movement of R. dominica in both sites and indicated that most beetles dispersed in the northwest direction. Correlation analyses showed that the relationship between numbers of marked-released-recaptured beetles significantly decreased with increasing trap distances. Understanding dispersal distances and directions provide insight to flight behavior of R. dominica and to the relationship between ecologically diverse breeding habitats. Knowledge of R. dominica habitat ecology outside of grain storage facilities may be useful in designing suitable management tactics to minimize the onset of infestations in grain storages.

Seasonality of child homicide.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is seasonal variation (by season and month of year) in homicides among young children. STUDY DESIGN: Homicide deaths in children