Tick Diversity and Pathogen Transmission in Daejeon, Korea: Implications from Companion Animals and Walking Trails.

With the ongoing global warming-induced climate change, there has been a surge in vector-borne diseases, particularly tick-borne diseases (TBDs). As the population of companion animals grows, there is growing concern from a One Health perspective about the potential for these animals to spread TBDs. In this study, ticks were collected from companion animals and the surrounding environment in Daejeon Metropolitan City, Korea, using flagging and dragging, and CO2 trap methods. These ticks were then subjected to conventional (nested) PCR for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Borrelia spp. We identified a total of 29,176 ticks, consisting of three genera and four species: H. longicornis, H. flava, I. nipponensis, and A. testudinarium. Notably, H. longicornis was the predominant species. The presence of A. testudinarium suggested that the species traditionally found in southern regions are migrating northward, likely as a result of climate change. Our PCR results confirmed the presence of all four pathogens in both companion animals and the surrounding environment, underscoring the potential for the indirect transmission of tick-borne pathogens to humans through companion animals. These findings emphasize the importance of the ongoing surveillance of companion animals in the management and control of TBDs.

CC-96673 (BMS-986358), an affinity-tuned anti-CD47 and CD20 bispecific antibody with fully functional fc, selectively targets and depletes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) is a transmembrane protein highly expressed in tumor cells that interacts with signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) and triggers a "don't eat me" signal to the macrophage, inhibiting phagocytosis and enabling tumor escape from immunosurveillance. The CD47-SIRPα axis has become an important target for cancer immunotherapy. To date, the advancement of CD47-targeted modalities is hindered by the ubiquitous expression of the target, often leading to rapid drug elimination and hematologic toxicity including anemia. To overcome those challenges a bispecific approach was taken. CC-96673, a humanized IgG1 bispecific antibody co-targeting CD47 and CD20, is designed to bind CD20 with high affinity and CD47 with optimally lowered affinity. As a result of the detuned CD47 affinity, CC-96673 selectively binds to CD20-expressing cells, blocking the interaction of CD47 with SIRPα. This increased selectivity of CC-96673 over monospecific anti-CD47 approaches allows for the use of wild-type IgG1 Fc, which engages activating crystallizable fragment gamma receptors (FcγRs) to fully potentiate macrophages to engulf and destroy CD20+ cells, while sparing CD47+CD20- normal cells. The combined targeting of anti-CD20 and anti-CD47 results in enhanced anti- tumor activity compared to anti-CD20 targeting antibodies alone. Furthermore, preclinical studies have demonstrated that CC-96673 exhibits acceptable pharmacokinetic properties with a favorable toxicity profile in non-human primates. Collectively, these findings define CC-96673 as a promising CD47 × CD20 bispecific antibody that selectively destroys CD20+ cancer cells via enhanced phagocytosis and other effector functions.

Discovery and Preclinical Activity of BMS-986351, an Antibody to SIRPα That Enhances Macrophage-mediated Tumor Phagocytosis When Combined with Opsonizing Antibodies.

In normal cells, binding of the transmembrane protein CD47 to signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα) on macrophages induces an antiphagocytic signal. Tumor cells hijack this pathway and overexpress CD47 to evade immune destruction. Macrophage antitumor activity can be restored by simultaneously blocking the CD47-SIRPα signaling axis and inducing a prophagocytic signal via tumor-opsonizing antibodies. We identified a novel, fully human mAb (BMS-986351) that binds SIRPα with high affinity. BMS-986351 demonstrated broad binding coverage across SIRPα polymorphisms and potently blocked CD47-SIRPα binding at the CD47 binding site in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro, BMS-986351 increased phagocytic activity against cell lines from solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, and this effect was markedly enhanced when BMS-986351 was combined with the opsonizing antibodies cetuximab and rituximab. A phase I dose-escalation/-expansion study of BMS-986351 for the treatment of advanced solid and hematologic malignancies is underway (NCT03783403). SIGNIFICANCE: Increasing the phagocytotic capabilities of tumor-associated macrophages by modulating macrophage-tumor cell surface signaling via the CD47-SIRPα axis is a novel strategy. Molecules targeting CD47 have potential but its ubiquitous expression necessitates higher therapeutic doses to overcome potential antigen sink effects. The restricted expression pattern of SIRPα may limit toxicities and lower doses of the SIRPα antibody BMS-986351 may overcome target mediated drug disposition while maintaining the desired pharmacology.

Potential Tick Defense Associated with Skin and Hair Characteristics in Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus).

The Korean water deer (WD), a predominant wildlife species in South Korea, is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Despite belonging to the same family, Cervidae, WD show significantly fewer adult ixodid tick infestations compared to roe deer (RD). Ticks, which cannot fly, engage in questing behavior in natural environments to latch onto hosts. They detect signals like body temperature and host skin chemicals to navigate through the hair coat to the preferred epidermis. In light of this, we performed an extensive comparative study of the skin tissue and hair characteristics of both deer species, focusing on elements contributing to the reduced tick bite incidence in WD. Remarkably, WD exhibited more prominent blood vessels, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands, which are crucial for skin barrier functions (p < 0.005). Moreover, WD had irregular scale patterns on their hair cuticles and possessed hair that was significantly stiffer and 2.83 times thicker than that of RD (p < 0.001). These characteristics potentially impede ticks from reaching the epidermis hair in WD and RD in the context of tick bite prevention. Further investigations in this area could enhance our understanding of tick-host dynamics and contribute to developing preventive measures against tick-borne diseases in other deer species.

Protective Behaviors Against COVID-19 and Related Factors in Korean Adults With Depressive Symptoms: Results From an Analysis of the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated protective behaviors against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and related factors in individuals with depressive symptoms. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included data from the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey. Depressive symptoms, COVID- 19 protection behaviors, and related factors were investigated in 228,485 people. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze categorical variables. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 27.0). RESULTS: In the study, 3.9% (n=8,970) had depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in individuals in their 19-39 years , and ≥60s than in those in their 40-59 years (p<0.001). Lower education level and household income were associated with a higher prevalence of depression (p<0.001). Among the various occupations, service workers had the highest prevalence of depressive symptoms (p<0.001). Individuals with depressive symptoms were less likely to adopt protective behaviors against COVID-19 (p<0.001) or exhibit concerns regarding death and economic damage (p<0.001) compared to individuals without depressive symptoms. Individuals with depressive symptoms were more likely to have unhealthy behaviors than those without depressive symptoms (p<0.001). Individuals with depressive symptoms considered that the COVID-19 response by the government and other organizations was inadequate (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with depressive symptoms faced greater challenges in adopting protective behaviors. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies to protect people with depressive symptoms during another pandemic in the future.

Strength-based cognitive-behavioural therapy and peer-to-peer support in the recovery process for people with schizophrenia: A randomised control trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dysfunctional cognition and negative symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with persistently low social functioning and quality of life (QoL). Recovery interventions report only a modest effect in improving social functioning and QoL. This study examined the therapeutic effects and pathways of interventions using strength-based cognitive-behavioural therapy (SBCBT) and peer-to-peer support (PSP) approaches. METHODS: A randomised control trial compared SBCBT, PSP and TAU (treatment-as-usual) by recruiting 127 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and low social functioning. RESULTS: The three-group comparison found SBCBT produced improved social functioning and social support at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up while PSP reported improved social QoL and defeatist beliefs, but none remained at 6-month follow-up. Unsurprising, no improvement was found in any areas for TAU, both at post-test and 6-month follow-up. Regarding mechanisms of change, improvements in hope and personal recovery consistently and significantly accounted for improvements in social functioning and many aspects of QoL of participants, thus indicating the important contribution of hope and personal recovery in strength-based interventions for people with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: This rigorously designed study provides the first few solid empirical evidence on the effectiveness of SBCBT and PSP in recovery from schizophrenia and provides initial evidence of the linkage between dysfunctional cognition, hope and recovery in schizophrenia.

Genome characterization of a Korean isolate of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) outbreaks occur annually in the Republic of Korea. The complete genome sequence of the PED virus isolate CKK1-1 obtained from an infected pig was determined. The genome is 28,037 nt long, excluding the poly(A) tail, and contains seven open reading frames flanked by two untranslated regions.

Pd-catalyzed oxa-[4 + n] dipolar cycloaddition using 1,4-O/C dipole synthons for the synthesis of O-heterocycles.

Transition metal-catalyzed dipolar cycloaddition is one of the most efficient and powerful synthetic strategies to produce diverse heterocycles. In particular, for the construction of oxygen-containing heterocycles, which are valuable structural motifs found in pharmaceuticals and natural compounds, transition metal-catalyzed oxa-dipolar cycloaddition using an oxygen-containing dipole has emerged as a promising method. In recent years, the 1,4-O/C dipole synthons 2-alkylidenetrimethylene carbonate and 2-hydroxymethylallyl carbonate have been developed and successfully applied to palladium-catalyzed oxa-[4 + n] dipolar cycloadditions with diverse dipolarophiles. In this review, we summarize recent advances in palladium-catalyzed oxa-[4 + n] dipolar cycloadditions using 1,4-O/C dipoles including asymmetric catalysis and divergent catalysis toward five- to nine-membered O-heterocycles.

Demonstration of SARS-CoV-2 Exposure in Korean Native Cattle and Korean Native Black Goats in Korea.

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 virus. A wide range of animals that interact with humans have been investigated to identify potential infections. As the extent of infection became more apparent, extensive animal monitoring became necessary to assess their susceptibility. This study analyzed nasal swabs and blood samples collected from randomly selected Korean native cattle and Korean native black goats. The tests conducted included real-time qPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 antigens, an ELISA to detect antibodies, and a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) to determine the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Among the 1798 animals tested (consisting of 1174 Korean native cattle and 624 Korean native black goats), SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detected in one Korean native cattle and one Korean native black goat. ELISA testing revealed positive results for antibodies in 54 Korean native cattle (4.60%) and 16 Korean native black goats (2.56%), while PRNTs yielded positive results in 51 Korean native cattle (4.34%) and 14 Korean native black goats (2.24%). The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigens and/or antibodies was identified in animals on farms where farmworkers were already infected. It is challenging to completely rule out the possibility of reverse zoonotic transmission from humans to livestock in Korea, although the transmission is not to the same extent as it is in highly susceptible animal species like minks, cats, and dogs. This is due to the limited geographical area and the dense, intensive farming practices implemented in these regions. In conclusion, continuous viral circulation between humans and animals is inevitable, necessitating ongoing animal monitoring to ensure public health and safety.

Effect of glycopyrrolate on the postoperative urine output of patients following kidney transplantation: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the urine output and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of patients postoperatively administered sugammadex or glycopyrrolate 7 days following kidney transplantation (KT). METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 134 consecutive patients who underwent KT under general anesthesia. Their urine output and eGFR were recorded every 24 hours between postoperative day (POD) 1 and 7. We used regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between the reversal agent administered and the outcomes of the participants. RESULTS: The urine output and eGFR of the participants did not differ between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that body mass index (BMI) (odds ratio (OR) 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.40), diabetes mellitus (OR 3.14; 95% CI 1.07-9.16), neurovascular disease (OR 7.00; 95% CI 1.61-30.42), and the duration of surgery (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00-1.01) were associated with lower urine output on POD 7. In addition, only BMI (OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.09-1.42) was associated with low eGFR on POD 7. CONCLUSIONS: The urine output and eGFR of patients administered sugammadex or glycopyrrolate following KT did not differ 7 days later. Moreover, glycopyrrolate does not affect urine output or eGFR on POD 7, according to multivariate regression analysis.

Towards an integrative hope-dysfunctional beliefs perspective to personal recovery in schizophrenia: a path analysis.

BACKGROUND: Evidence shows that negative symptoms of schizophrenia and underlying dysfunctional cognition are related to persistently low functioning and quality of life. However, despite the abundance of existing recovery programs for people with schizophrenia, few have examined whether and how the widely-adopted hope-motivation recovery pathway and the deficit-oriented cognitive pathway might converge to influence functioning and quality of life. METHODS: A cross-sectional, quantative survey recruited a convenient sample of adult outpatients with DSM-5 schizophrenia spectrum disorders and low social functioning (n = 124). Self-reported measurements included personal recovery (30-item Mental Health Recovery Measure), social functioning (8-item Social Functioning Questionnaire), hope (12-item Hope Scale), quality of life (28-item World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Abbreviated Version-Hong Kong), defeatist beliefs (15-item extracted from Dysfunctional Attitude Scale), and asocial beliefs (15-item extracted from Revised Social Anhedonia Scale). Correlation analysis and structural equation modelling was applied to investigate how the two pathways intertwined to predict social functioning and quality of life. RESULTS: Asocial beliefs and hope separately mediated two partial mediation pathways from defeatist beliefs to recovery outcomes (social functioning and personal recovery). Meanwhile, defeatist beliefs, social functioning, and personal recovery further predicted quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the very few studies that provides empirical evidence of a deficit-strength linkage in the recovery from schizophrenia. Remediation of dysfunctional beliefs and the injection of hope and successful experiences should be undertaken concurrently in recovery as they are associated with differential effects on enhancing social functioning and personal recovery, which then converge and contribute to a better quality of life.

A Miniaturized Tri-Band Implantable Antenna for ISM/WMTS/Lower UWB/Wi-Fi Frequencies.

This study aims to design a compact antenna structure suitable for implantable devices, with a broad frequency range covering various bands such as the Industrial Scientific and Medical band (868-868.6 MHz, 902-928 MHz, 5.725-5.875 GHz), the Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS) band, a subset of the unlicensed 3.5-4.5 GHz ultra-wideband (UWB) that is free of interference, and various Wi-Fi spectra (3.6 GHz, 4.9 GHz, 5 GHz, 5.9 GHz, 6 GHz). The antenna supports both low and high frequencies for efficient data transfer and is compatible with various communication technologies. The antenna features an asynchronous-meandered radiator, a parasitic patch, and an open-ended square ring-shaped ground plane. The antenna is deployed deep inside the muscle layer of a rectangular phantom below the skin and fat layer at a depth of 7 mm for numerical simulation. Furthermore, the antenna is deployed in a cylindrical phantom and bent to check the suitability for different organs. A prototype of the antenna is created, and its reflection coefficient and radiation patterns are measured in fresh pork tissue. The proposed antenna is considered a suitable candidate for implantable technology compared to other designs reported in the literature. It can be observed that the proposed antenna in this study has the smallest volume (75 mm3) and widest bandwidth (181.8% for 0.86 GHz, 9.58% for 1.43 GHz, and 285.7% for the UWB subset and Wi-Fi). It also has the highest gain (-26 dBi for ISM, -14 dBi for WMTS, and -14.2 dBi for UWB subset and Wi-Fi) compared to other antennas in the literature. In addition, the SAR values for the proposed antenna are well below the safety limits prescribed by IEEE Std C95.1-1999, with SAR values of 0.409 W/Kg for 0.8 GHz, 0.534 W/Kg for 1.43 GHz, 0.529 W/Kg for 3.5 GHz, and 0.665 W/Kg for 5.5 GHz when the applied input power is 10 mW. Overall, the proposed antenna in this study demonstrates superior performance compared to existing tri-band implantable antennas in terms of size, bandwidth, gain, and SAR values.

A Postmortem Case Study-An Analysis of microRNA Patterns in a Korean Native Male Calf (Bos taurus coreanae) That Died of Fat Necrosis.

Korean native cattle are highly valued for their rich marbling and flavor. Nonetheless, endeavors to enhance marbling levels can result in obesity, a prevalent contributor to fat necrosis. Fat necrosis is characterized by the formation of necrotic fat masses in the abdominal cavity, which physically puts pressure on affected organs, causing physical torsion or obstruction, resulting in death and consequent economic loss. Pancreatic injuries or diabetes mellitus were reported as factors of fat necrosis in humans; however, the pathogenesis in animals has not been established. In this study, we identified fat necrosis in a 6-month-old Korean native cow and investigated its potential underlying causes. Serum samples were utilized for a microarray analysis of bovine miRNA. Comparative examination of miRNA expression levels between cattle afflicted with fat necrosis and healthy cattle unveiled notable variances in 24 miRNAs, such as bta-miR-26a, bta-miR-29a, bta-miR-30a-5p and bta-miR-181a. Upon conducting miRNA-mediated KEGG pathway analysis, several pathways including the prolactin signal pathway, insulin resistance, autophagy, the insulin-signaling pathway and the FoxO-signaling pathway were found to be significantly enriched in the calf affected by fat necrosis. As a result, this study potentially indicates a potential connection between fat necrosis and diabetes in Korean native cattle.

Safety and Clinical Outcomes of Insulin Degludec in Korean Patients with Diabetes in Real-World Practices: A Prospective, Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of insulin degludec (IDeg) in a real-world population of Korean patients with diabetes requiring insulin therapy. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, single-arm, open-label, non-interventional study. Patients aged ≥ 12 months and treated with previous glucose-lowering medications were eligible to switch to IDeg. The primary endpoint was the incidence of adverse events (AEs), and the secondary endpoints were changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial glucose (PPG), and target HbA1c < 7.0%. RESULTS: In total, 3225 and 2450 patients were included in the safety analysis set (SAS) and effectiveness analysis set (EAS), respectively. The mean baseline HbA1c and duration of diabetes were 9.4% and 13.0 years, respectively. Adverse events were reported in 740 patients (22.9%); the majority were mild and resolved. Significant improvements were observed in HbA1c, FPG, and PPG at week 26 (all p < 0.0001). The target of HbA1c < 7% was achieved in 22.2% of patients at week 26. CONCLUSION: In real-world clinical practice, 26 weeks of IDeg treatment resulted in significant reductions in glycemic parameters with a low incidence of AEs in Korean patients with diabetes. No new safety signals were observed. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY AND REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02779413) and the universal trial number is [U1111-1176-2287].

Effects of dapagliflozin compared with glimepiride on body composition in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin: The BEYOND study.

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of dapagliflozin on body composition such as total body fat (BF) mass, abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) areas compared with glimepiride in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a 52-week, multicentre, randomized, parallel-group, open-label, Phase IV (NCT02564926) study. Patients with inadequate glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin ≥7.0% and <10.0%) on metformin monotherapy (≥1000 mg/day) were randomized 1:1 to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg/day or glimepiride 1-2 mg/day for 12 months as an add-on to metformin. Baseline and end of study body composition evaluations included dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal computed tomography scans. RESULTS: Of 124 enrolled patients from 14 centres, 121 received study treatment (dapagliflozin: 60; glimepiride: 61) and 106 (85.5%) completed the study. Over 52 weeks, the dapagliflozin group showed the following differences versus the glimepiride group: -2.59 kg BF mass, -1.94% BF%, -17.55 cm2 VAT area, -18.39 cm2 SAT area, -0.46% glycated haemoglobin, -18.25 mg/dl fasting blood glucose, -3.7 kg weight, -2.21 cm waist circumference, -1.37 kg/m2 body mass index, -6.81 mmHg systolic blood pressure and +657.71 ng/ml in adiponectin; all were statistically significant. Both groups had similar incidences of adverse events; however, hypoglycaemic events were mainly (12 of 15) reported in the glimepiride group. CONCLUSION: Dapagliflozin reduced total BF mass, abdominal VAT and SAT areas, and showed better glycaemic control than glimepiride. Being safe and well-tolerated, dapagliflozin appears to be a more favourable alternative to sulphonylureas as add-on therapy after metformin monotherapy failure in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes.

Alteration of the Gut Microbiota in Pigs Infected with African Swine Fever Virus.

The factors that influence the pathogenicity of African swine fever (ASF) are still poorly understood, and the host's immune response has been indicated as crucial. Although an increasing number of studies have shown that gut microbiota can control the progression of diseases caused by viral infections, it has not been characterized how the ASF virus (ASFV) changes a pig's gut microbiome. This study analyzed the dynamic changes in the intestinal microbiome of pigs experimentally infected with the high-virulence ASFV genotype II strain (N = 4) or mock strain (N = 3). Daily fecal samples were collected from the pigs and distributed into the four phases (before infection, primary phase, clinical phase, and terminal phase) of ASF based on the individual clinical features of the pigs. The total DNA was extracted and the V4 region of the 16 s rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced on the Illumina platform. Richness indices (ACE and Chao1) were significantly decreased in the terminal phase of ASF infection. The relative abundances of short-chain-fatty-acids-producing bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae, Roseburia, and Blautia, were decreased during ASFV infection. On the other hand, the abundance of Proteobacteria and Spirochaetes increased. Furthermore, predicted functional analysis using PICRUSt resulted in a significantly reduced abundance of 15 immune-related pathways in the ASFV-infected pigs. This study provides evidence for further understanding the ASFV-pig interaction and suggests that changes in gut microbiome composition during ASFV infection may be associated with the status of immunosuppression.

Development of Effective PEDV Vaccine Candidates Based on Viral Culture and Protease Activity.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious disease that has been reported annually in several Asian countries, causing significant economic losses to the swine livestock industry. Although vaccines against the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) are available, their efficacy remains questionable due to limitations such as viral genome mutation and insufficient intestinal mucosal immunity. Therefore, the development of a safe and effective vaccine is necessary. In this study, a virulent Korean strain of PEDV, CKT-7, was isolated from a piglet with severe diarrhea, and six different conditions were employed for serial passage of the strain in a cell culture system to generate effective live attenuated vaccine (LAV) candidates. The characteristics of these strains were analyzed in vitro and in vivo, and the CKT-7 N strain was identified as the most effective vaccine candidate, with a viral titer peak of 8.67 ± 0.29 log10TCID50/mL, and no mortality or diarrhea symptoms were observed in five-day-old piglets. These results indicate that LAV candidates can be generated through serial passage with different culture conditions and provide valuable insights into the development of a highly effective LAV against PEDV.

A Plant-Derived Maternal Vaccine against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Protects Piglets through Maternally Derived Immunity.

Newborn piglets are susceptible to a highly contagious enteritis caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), associated with high levels of mortality worldwide. There is pressing need for a rapid, safe, and cost-effective vaccine to safeguard pigs from getting infected by PEDV. PEDV belongs to the coronavirus family and is characterized by high levels of mutability. The primary goal of a PEDV vaccine is to provide immunity to newborn piglets through vaccination of sows. Plant-based vaccines are becoming more popular because they have low manufacturing costs, are easily scalable, have high thermostability, and a long shelf life. This is in contrast to conventional vaccines which include inactivated, live, and/or recombinant types that can be expensive and have limited ability to respond to rapidly mutating viruses. The binding of the virus to host cell receptors is primarily facilitated by the N-terminal subunit of the viral spike protein (S1), which also contains several epitopes that are recognized by virus-neutralizing antibodies. As a result, we generated a recombinant S1 protein using a plant-based vaccine platform. We found that the recombinant protein was highly glycosylated, comparable to the native viral antigen. Vaccination of pregnant sows at four and two weeks before farrowing led to the development of humoral immunity specific to S1 in the suckling piglets. In addition, we noted significant viral neutralization titers in both vaccinated sows and piglets. When challenged with PEDV, piglets born from vaccinated sows displayed less severe clinical symptoms and significantly lower mortality rates compared to piglets born from non-vaccinated sows.

Tailored Multiplex Real-Time RT-PCR with Species-Specific Internal Positive Controls for Detecting SARS-CoV-2 in Canine and Feline Clinical Samples.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been frequently reported in companion dogs and cats worldwide during the ongoing coronavirus disease. However, RT-qPCR methods developed for humans have been used for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections in suspected companion dogs and cats owing to the lack of the companion animal-tailored methods. Therefore, we developed a multiplex RT-qPCR (mRT-qPCR) using newly designed primers and probes targeting RdRp and N genes of all currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the canine or feline 16S rRNA gene as an endogenous internal positive control (EIPC) for reliable diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection from suspected dogs and cats. The developed mRT-qPCR assay specifically detected the target genes of SARS-CoV-2 but no other canine or feline pathogens. Furthermore, canine and feline EIPCs were stably amplified by mRT-qPCR in samples containing canine- or feline-origin cellular materials. This assay has high repeatability and reproducibility, with an optimal limit of detection (<10 RNA copies per reaction) and coefficients of variation (<1.0%). The detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 of the developed mRT-qPCR was 6.6% for canine and feline nasopharyngeal samples, which was consistent with that of a commercial mRT-qPCR kit for humans. Collectively, the newly developed mRT-qPCR with canine and feline EIPC can efficiently diagnose and evaluate the viral load in field specimens and will be a valuable tool for etiological diagnosis, epidemiological study, and controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections in canine and feline populations.

Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Repair Restores Contact Pressure and Contact Area to Its Native State Even After Opening-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy: A Cadaveric Biomechanical Study.

PURPOSE: To elucidate the effect of medial meniscus posterior root (MMPR) repair during opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) in terms of contact pressure (CP) and contact area (CA). METHODS: Nine fresh-frozen human cadaveric knee specimens were included. Each specimen was tested under 9 conditions comprising 3 different degrees of correction during OWHTO (neutral, 5° of valgus, and 10° of valgus) and 3 different types of MMPR conditions (intact, torn, and repaired). The prepared specimens were attached to a customized tibiofemoral jig in a fully extended state. The CP and CA generated by a tibiofemoral axial load of 650 N was recorded using the Tekscan sensor's pressure mapping software. Statistical analysis was performed using a repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: The increased CP and decreased CA in torn MMPR was decreased and increased, respectively, to the intact MMPR after repairing, irrespective of whether OWHTO was performed. The mean CP at a correction angle of 5° of valgus was 0.4067 ± 0.0768 MPa for intact MMPR, which increased to 0.7340 ± 0.1593 MPa for the torn MMPR and decreased to 0.3614 ± 0.0639 MPa for the repaired MMPR. In addition, the proportion of decrease in CP and increase in CA after MMPR repair was constant, compared with the torn MMPR, irrespective of the degree of correction during OWHTO. CONCLUSIONS: MMPR repair decreases CP and increases CA, irrespective of whether OWHTO is performed. The biomechanical advantage of repairing torn MMPR is maintained, regardless of the degree of correction during OWHTO. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Both OWHTO and MMPR repair are known to protect the medial compartment of the knee. However, there are concerns in performing 2 procedures simultaneously. Results of our study showed that concurrent repair of the MMPR during OWHTO is useful for protecting the medial compartment of the knee with respect to tibiofemoral contact biomechanics.