Business-centric data solutions for safeguarding animal agriculture in the United States of America.

Business-centric solutions to data-related problems often yield the greatest positive impacts and improvements for private enterprises but are challenging to design and implement at scale within government agencies. The core mission of the Veterinary Services of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service is to safeguard animal agriculture in the United States of America, and effective data management underpins these efforts. As this agency works to assist data-driven decision-making in animal health management, it continues to use a blend of best practices from Federal Data Strategy initiatives and the International Data Management Association framework. This paper describes three case studies that focus on strategies to improve animal health data collection, integration, reporting and governance for animal health authorities. These strategies have enhanced the way USDA's Veterinary Services execute their mission and core operational activities for prevention, detection and early response to support disease containment and control.

S'agissant des problèmes en lien avec les données, les solutions centrées sur l'activité sont souvent celles qui génèrent le plus d'effets positifs et d'améliorations pour les entreprises du secteur privé, mais elles sont difficiles à concevoir et à mettre en oeuvre à grande échelle au sein des agences gouvernementales. Les Services vétérinaires du Service d'inspection de la santé animale et végétale du département américain de l'Agriculture (USDA) ont pour mission centrale de préserver les productions animales états-uniennes ; une gestion efficace des données vient soutenir cet effort. Dans leur action d'appui aux processus décisionnels de gestion de la santé animale fondés sur les données, ces Services recourent à une combinaison de bonnes pratiques mises en oeuvre aussi bien par les initiatives de la Stratégie fédérale sur les données que dans le cadre de l'Association internationale de gestion des données. Les auteurs décrivent trois études de cas sur des stratégies visant à améliorer la collecte, l'intégration, la notification et la gouvernance des données de santé animale afin de répondre aux besoins des autorités compétentes dans ce domaine. Ces stratégies ont permis aux Services vétérinaires de l'USDA de mieux s'acquitter de leur mission et d'améliorer leurs activités opérationnelles de prévention, de détection et de réaction rapide afin d'endiguer et contrôler les maladies.

Las soluciones eminentemente empresariales a problemas relacionados con los datos deparan con frecuencia los mejores frutos y resultados a la empresa privada, pero son difíciles de diseñar y aplicar a escala dentro de las administraciones públicas. Los Servicios Veterinarios adscritos al Servicio de Inspección Sanitaria de Animales y Plantas del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) tienen por principal cometido salvaguardar la producción animal estadounidense, labor que pasa en parte por una eficaz gestión de los datos. En su función de apoyo a la adopción de decisiones de gestión zoosanitaria basadas en los datos, este organismo sigue empleando una combinación de prácticas óptimas tomadas de iniciativas de la Estrategia Federal de Datos y de las pautas marcadas por la Asociación Internacional de Gestión de Datos. Los autores presentan y analizan tres ejemplos de estrategias para mejorar la obtención, integración, notificación y administración de datos zoosanitarios para las autoridades del ramo. Estas estrategias han conferido mayor eficacia a los Servicios Veterinarios del USDA en el cumplimiento de su misión y en la ejecución de sus principales actividades operativas de prevención, detección y pronta respuesta para ayudar a contener y combatir enfermedades.

A case-crossover study of intensive racing and training schedules and risk of catastrophic musculoskeletal injury and lay-up in California thoroughbred racehorses.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between intensive racing and training schedules and risk of either catastrophic musculoskeletal injury (CMI) or lay-up from racing in California Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbred racehorses that sustained a CMI during racing or training and either were subsequently euthanized or died on a California racetrack during 1991 and 1992 were studied using a case-crossover study design. Each study subject (case) provided its own self-matched control information in the form of 'typical' exposure frequency, determined or estimated from historic information. Periods of rapid average daily accumulation of high-speed exercise distance were identified for each horse from official race and training histories with a sliding 60-day window. Those window frames containing an average daily rate of distance accumulation exceeding 75th percentile cutoff values were classified as exposed frames followed by 30 days of increased risk, or hazard periods. All remaining days (excluding periods of layoff from racing) were considered non-hazard time at risk. The relative risk (RR) of CMI within 30 days following a period of rapid accumulation of high-speed exercise distance (during a hazard period) was 4.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0, 5.8). Of these 214 cases, 84 (39%) were injured during a hazard period whereas on average only 22% of total career time at risk was hazard time for these horses. A second analysis was performed for horses with at least 1 lay-up period from racing of > or = 60 days. RR for a lay-up beginning during a hazard period was estimated for the last lay-up experienced by each horse. The RR for lay-up beginning during a hazard period was 4.8 (95% CI = 2.9, 8.1). Of these 98 cases, 32 (33%) of the lay-ups began during a hazard period whereas on average, only 22% of at-risk time up to last lay-up was hazard time for these horses.

Word search performance for diagnoses of equine surgical colics in free-text electronic patient records.

The objectives of the current project were to: (1) identify limitations of search sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) for free-text surgical diagnoses included in electronic patient records maintained at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), (2) develop procedural or programmable recommendations for removing these limitations, and (3) provide guidelines for effective search strategies for users performing aggregate searches using the VMTH clinical information system. Search sensitivity corresponds to detection sensitivity (the capacity of a search term to 'identify' a relevant document) and search PPV indicates the proportion of retrieved documents that are relevant. All horses submitted to the VMTH for a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder requiring surgical intervention in 1995 were identified using procedure codes for billing purposes and stored in the electronic patient record. Patient records and surgical reports were reviewed for causes of GI disorders, and variation in naming of these disorders. Key word searches were performed for four GI disorders, and search performance was evaluated by estimating search sensitivity and PPV. Search sensitivity ranged from 33% to 98%, and PPV ranged from 2% to 74%. The procedural recommendation that would likely have the greatest influence on minimizing these search limitations would be more uniform naming of GI disorders. This would free searchers from having to anticipate all of the exact word combinations that could be used in the relevant documents, and also minimize retrieval of irrelevant documents.

High-speed exercise history and catastrophic racing fracture in thoroughbreds.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between several racing speed history characteristics and risk of fatal skeletal injury (FSI) in racing Thoroughbreds. ANIMALS: 64 Thoroughbreds euthanatized during a 9-month period in 1991 at a California racemeet because of a catastrophic fracture incurred while racing (cases), identified retrospectively. For each race in which an FSI occurred, 1 control horse was randomly selected from the noncatastrophically injured participants. PROCEDURE: Racing and officially timed workout histories were obtained for each horse. Several history characteristics were calculated to summarize racing career patterns and high-speed exercise schedules prior to date of injury and included age at first race, proportion of career spent laid up, average duration of laid up periods, average lifetime racing frequency, time from last lay up to date of injury, and total and rate of distance accumulated 1 to 6 months prior to date of injury. History characteristics associated with FSI were screened by paired t-test and studied in detail, using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: High total and high average daily rates of exercise distance accumulation within a 2-month period were associated with higher risks for FSI during racing, yet career patterns, such as age at first race or total proportion of career spent laid up, were not found to be associated with risk for FSI. A horse that had accumulated a total of 35 furlongs of race and timed-work distance in 2 months, compared with a horse with 25 furlongs accumulated, had an estimated 3.9-fold increase in risk for racing-related FSI (95% confidence interval = 2.1, 7.1). A horse that had accumulated race and timed-work furlongs at an average rate of 0.6 furlong/d within a 2-month period, compared with a horse with an average of 0.5 furlong/d, had an estimated 1.8-fold increase in risk for racing-related FSI (95% confidence interval = 1.4, 2.6). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Thoroughbred racehorses that either accumulate large total high-speed distances or rapidly accumulate high-speed distances within a 2-month period may be at increased risk for FSI during racing.

Association between long periods without high-speed workouts and risk of complete humeral or pelvic fracture in thoroughbred racehorses: 54 cases (1991-1994).

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a two-month or longer period without official high-speed workouts (lay-up) is associated with humeral or pelvic fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses. DESIGN: Reprospective study. ANIMALS: Thoroughbred racehorses in California that were euthanatized because of a complete humeral or pelvic fracture. PROCEDURE: Age, sex, activity, number of lay-ups, number of days from a race or official timed workout to fracture, number of days from end of last lay-up to fracture, mean duration of lay-ups, and total number of days in race training were compared between horses with humeral fractures and horses with pelvic fractures. A case-crossover study was used to estimate relative risk for fracture of the humerus or pelvis occurring within hazard periods of 10 and 21 days following lay-up, compared with periods following more regular participation in official racing or timed workout events. RESULTS: Horses with pelvic fractures were more often female, older, and had 0 or > or = 2 lay-ups. Horses with humeral fractures were typically 3-year-old males that had 1 lay-up. Horses with pelvic fractures had more total days in race training, fewer days from last exercise event to fracture, and a greater number of days from end of last lay-up to fracture than horses with humeral fractures. Return from lay-up was strongly associated with risk for humeral fracture during hazard periods of 10 and 21 days (relative risk = 71 and 45, respectively). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Risk of humeral fracture may be reduced if horses are cautiously reintroduced into race training after lay-up.

Fatal musculoskeletal injuries incurred during racing and training in thoroughbreds.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize and contrast data from Thoroughbreds that incurred a fatal musculoskeletal injury (FMI; injury resulting in death or euthanasia) during racing or training and data from all California race entrants during a 9-month period in 1991. DESIGN: Case-control study. ANIMALS: Thoroughbreds that incurred a FMI during racing or training at a California race-meet and all California race entrants from January through June and October through December 1991. PROCEDURE: Age and sex were compared with chi 2 and Fisher's exact tests among horses fatally injured while racing and training. A log-linear model was fit to assess the relationship between race-meet and age and sex of California race entrants. Incidence risk of racing FMI was estimated per 1,000 race entrants, and the relationship between the occurrence of FMI during racing with race-meet, age, and sex was evaluated by logistic regression. RESULTS: Injury type and sex-specific age distributions differed among the horses fatally injured during racing and training. Age and sex distributions of the race entrants were not independent and varied among race-meets. Overall incidence risk of racing FMI was estimated at 1.7/1,000 race entrants. Risk of racing FMI in male horses was about twofold that in female horses, and in 4-year-olds was twofold that in 3-year-olds. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Age and sex-related differences in risk of incurring a FMI during racing should be considered when comparing fatal injury rates among race-meets.

Relationship between race start characteristics and risk of catastrophic injury in thoroughbreds: 78 cases (1992).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate relationships of several racehorse characteristics and race conditions with risk of a catastrophic musculoskeletal injury (CMI) resulting in euthanasia in Thoroughbreds during racing in California in 1992. DESIGN: Retrospective longitudinal study. ANIMALS: Thoroughbreds that incurred CMI during racing and all California race entrants in 1992. PROCEDURE: Necropsy records were reviewed, and race start information was obtained. Incidence risk of CMI/1,000 race entrants was estimated. Relationships between CMI during racing and race-meet, entrant age and sex, race type and length, and racing surface type and condition were evaluated by use of logistic regression. RESULTS: Incidence risk of CMI was 1.7/1,000 entrants. A higher risk of CMI was found at 2 fair race-meets, with incidence risks of 4.9 and 5.5/1,000 entrants. Risk of injury in male horses was 1.7 times greater than that in female horses, and influence of age on risk depended on race type. Risk of injury for horses 2 to 5 years old was two times greater for claiming horses than for maiden horses. Race length or racing surface type (dirt vs turf) or condition (fast, muddy, yielding) were not significantly associated with risk of CMI. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Incidence of CMI was similar among 12 of 14 major and fair race-meets and among various race lengths and racing surface types and conditions, whereas incidence of CMI was influenced by entrant age and sex as well as race type. Investigators should consider controlling for age and sex, race-meet, and race type whenever possible in studies of risk of CMI.

An asparaginase of Aspergillus nidulans is subject to oxygen repression in addition to nitrogen metabolite repression.

Of five amidohydrolase activities subject to nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans, L-asparaginase shows clearest evidence of also being subject to repression by atmospheric oxygen. Such oxygen repressibility is only evident under nitrogen metabolite derepressed conditions. Asparaginase levels are also considerably elevated by areA300, an altered function allele of the positive acting wide domain regulatory gene areA mediating nitrogen metabolite repression and are drastically reduced by loss of function mutations in areA. A. nidulans has two L-asparaginase enzymes and it has been shown by the use of appropriate mutants that these regulatory effects are exerted on the expression of that specified by the ahrA gene but probably not that specified by the apnA gene.