Barriers and facilitators of the use of clinical informatics resources to facilitate pharmacogenomic implementation in resource-limited settings.

Objective: Understand perceived barriers to and facilitators of using clinical informatics applications for pharmacogenomic (PGx) implementation in resource-limited settings.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a qualitative research study using a semi-structured interview guide informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Interview questions assessed CFIR contextual determinants related to: electronic health record (EHR) infrastructure; clinical informatics personnel and resources; EHR integration of PGx test results; PGx clinical decision support (CDS) tools; institutional resources; and partner receptivity.

Assessment of genetic diversity, inbreeding, and collection completeness of Jersey bulls in the US National Animal Germplasm Program.

Genomic selection and extensive use of a few elite bulls through artificial insemination are leading to reduced genetic diversity in Jersey cattle. Conservation of genetic diversity through gene banks can protect a breed's genetic diversity and genetic gain, ensuring continued genetic advancement in the future. The availability of genomic information in the US National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) facilitates characterization of Jersey bulls in the germplasm collection.

Enhancing evaluation of bull fertility through multivariate analysis of sperm.

Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) has become the predominant tool for assessing bull semen in AI programs. Despite such popularity CASA's ability to predict fertility has been limited, especially when emphasis is based on single motion characteristics. Our hypothesis is that numerical sets of CASA measures provide a more effective method to differentiate the potential fertilization capacity of bulls and that bulls can be clustered based on sets of CASA measures.

Adolescents Identify Modifiable Community-Level Barriers to Accessing Mental Health and Addiction Services in a Rural Canadian Town: A Survey Study.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to inadequate provision of mental health and addictions care, as services have been traditionally conceptualized to serve the needs of children or adults. Additionally, rural communities have been largely excluded from research investigating mental healthcare access and exhibit unique barriers that warrant targeted interventions. Finally, perspectives from the target population will be most important when understanding how to optimize adolescent mental health and addictions care.

Boar semen cryopreservation: State of the art, and international trade vision.

Biosecurity is a major concern in the global pig production. The separation in time of semen collection, processing and insemination in the pig farm is a few days for chilled semen but it can be indefinite when using cryopreserved semen. Field fertility results of boar cryopreserved semen are close to chilled semen, which makes it a valuable resource for the establishment of semen genebanks, long-distance semen trade, and the implementation of other technologies such as the sex-sorted semen.

The world was their laboratory: how two pioneer scientist-administrators, James Watt and Zdenek Fejfar, advanced methods and international collaboration in cardiovascular disease epidemiology during the Cold War.

In 1952, James Watt, a young US Public Health Service (PHS) infectious disease epidemiologist, was appointed-amid wide surprise-director of the US National Heart Institute (NHI) where he served until 1961. He skillfully advanced epidemiologic research methods and study conduct nationally while also establishing epidemiology in the administrative hierarchy of the institute. Watt soon turned to development of an effective program in international cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemiology under auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the United Nations in Geneva.

Biobanking animal genetic resources: critical infrastructure and growth opportunities.

National animal gene banks have acquired substantial quantities of germplasm that protect and preserve a wide range of livestock breeds. New challenges and growth opportunities are emerging. A key challenge will be increased gene bank use, but this requires increased characterization of phenotypes and genotypes for populations and collections.

Bioclimatic thermal stress indices and their relationships with andrological characteristics in hair rams.

This study evaluated relationships among reproductive parameters and the bioclimatic indices: temperature and humidity index (THI), equivalent temperature index (ETI), black globe temperature and humidity index (BGTHI), and thermal comfort index (TCI), during the first 45 days of spermatogenesis (SP-45) and during the 15 days of sperm transit through the epididymis (STP-15) that preceded the reproductive assessments (ReA). Such information is useful in determining the optimal breeding season in Northeast Brazil. Santa Inês rams (n = 25) underwent two ReA in three periods of the year (D-P = dry; R-P = rainy and RD-P = rainy/dry transition), and the bioclimatic indices were calculated at the corresponding SP-45 and STP-15 timepoints prior to each ReA.

Charitable medication distribution improves care for uninsured patients with diabetes.

Objectives: This study examined the impact of insulin products donated by a pharmaceutical manufacturer and dispensed by Dispensary of Hope-partnered pharmacies on medication access and treatment outcomes among uninsured patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Study Design: This was a pilot, single-center, retrospective observational study.

Methods: Uninsured patients with diabetes who were newly established with Ascension Medical Group clinics for the treatment of T2D were included in this study.

Incorporation of Biotechnologies into Gene Banking Strategies to Facilitate Rapid Reconstitution of Populations.

National animal gene banks that are responsible for conserving livestock, poultry, and aquatic genetic resources need to be capable of utilizing a broad array of cryotechnologies coupled with assisted reproductive technologies to reconstitute either specific animals or populations/breeds as needed. This capability is predicated upon having sufficient genetic diversity (usually encapsulated by number of animals in the collection), units of germplasm or tissues, and the ability to reconstitute animals. While the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO 2012, 2023) developed a set of guidelines for gene banks on these matters, those guidelines do not consider applications and utilization of newer technologies (e.

An expandable, modular de novo protein platform for precision redox engineering.

The electron-conducting circuitry of life represents an as-yet untapped resource of exquisite, nanoscale biomolecular engineering. Here, we report the characterization and structure of a de novo diheme "maquette" protein, 4D2, which we subsequently use to create an expanded, modular platform for heme protein design. A well-folded monoheme variant was created by computational redesign, which was then utilized for the experimental validation of continuum electrostatic redox potential calculations.

IL-7R licenses a population of epigenetically poised memory CD8 T cells with superior antitumor efficacy that are critical for melanoma memory.

Recurrence of advanced melanoma after therapy is a major risk factor for reduced survival, and treatment options are limited. Antitumor immune memory plays a critical role in preventing melanoma recurrence and memory T cells could be a potent cell-based therapy, but the identity, and functional properties of the required immune cells are incompletely understood. Here, we show that an IL-7R tumor-specific CD8 population is critical for antitumor memory and can be epigenetically augmented to drive powerful antitumor immune responses.

Bibliographic mapping for heat tolerance in pigs and poultry.

Heat tolerance, especially under climate change scenarios, plays an increasingly import factor in pig and chicken production. We therefore evaluated bibliographic mapping of citation, co-occurrence of keywords, co-citation and bibliographic coupling for heat tolerance, and these species. Data was obtained from Scopus (Elsevier) and analysed in Vosviewer.

A gene bank's collection of genetic diversity among minor chicken breeds.

Genetic differences among heritage or fancier breeds of chickens have not been quantified in the United States. Gene banks collecting germplasm for conserving these breeds need this information as do breeders and companies raising them. Our goal was to evaluate genetic diversity of 10 heritage/fancier chicken breeds that are a component of the national collection and to use this information to establish a baseline of their genetic diversity and future conservation efforts.

Academic Activism: An Avenue to Action.

Until now, the term "advocacy" in pharmacy education and practice has focused on advocating for the advancement of the pharmacy profession or patient advocacy. With the 2022 Curricular Outcomes and Entrustable Professional Activities publication, the focus of advocacy has broadened to include advocacy for other causes that impact the health of patients. This commentary will highlight 3 pharmacy-focused organizations advocating for social issues impacting the health of patients as well as encourage members of the Academy to continue to expand personal social advocacy efforts.

Cutting Edge: IL-21 and Tissue-Specific Signals Instruct Tbet+CD11c+ B Cell Development following Viral Infection.

Tbet+CD11c+ B cells, also known as age-associated B cells (ABCs), are pivotal contributors to humoral immunity following infection and in autoimmunity, yet their in vivo generation is incompletely understood. We used a mouse model of systemic acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection to examine the developmental requirements of ABCs that emerged in the spleen and liver. IL-21 signaling through STAT3 was indispensable for ABC development.

Does access to free medication reduce health system costs? An evaluation of the Dispensary of Hope program.

Cost-related medication nonadherence-when patients fail to take medication as prescribed because of the cost of the medication-has numerous consequences: more hospitalizations, avoidable deaths, and greater health care expenditures. Dispensary of Hope is a charitable medication access program that collects and distributes pharmaceuticals to pharmacies to dispense free of charge to patients with no insurance, low incomes, and chronic conditions. To estimate the differences in medical costs and utilization of hospital patients enrolled in the Dispensary of Hope program relative to those who were not enrolled.

Lentivirus Susceptibility in Brazilian and US Sheep with Mutations.

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) affect sheep and goats worldwide. The major gene related to SRLV infections is the Transmembrane Protein Gene 154 (). We estimated the haplotype frequencies of in the USA (USDA-ARS) and Brazil (Embrapa) Gene Banks by using two different SNP genotyping methodologies, Fluidigm and KASP.

The Need for a Framework Addressing the Temporal Aspects of Fish Sperm Motility Leading to Community-Level Standardization.

Motility is a widely available parameter that can be used to assess sperm quality of aquatic species. Sperm from fishes with external fertilization usually undergo a dynamic and short-lived period of motility after activation. The common practice of assigning a single value at an arbitrary peak of motility presents challenges for reproducibility, community-level standardization, and comparisons across studies.

Processed Meat Characteristics between Commercial Duroc-Sired and Heritage Breed Large Black Pigs.

This study examined the meat processing characteristics between Duroc-sired (DS) and heritage breed Large Black (LB) pigs fed high forage (FIB) or commercial diets (CON). Fifty pigs (DS, n = 25; LB, n = 25) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design with breed and diet as fixed effects. Processing traits were measured for fresh bellies, bacon slices, and sausage patties.

Genetic architecture of a composite beef cattle population.

Composite breeds are widely used in the beef industry. Composites allow producers to combine desirable traits from the progenitor breeds and simplify herd management, without repeated crossbreeding and maintenance of purebreds. In this study, genomic information was used to evaluate the genetic composition and characteristics of a three-breed beef cattle composite.

Assessing Population Structure and Genetic Diversity in US Suffolk Sheep to Define a Framework for Genomic Selection.

Long-term sustainability of breeds depends on having sufficient genetic diversity for adaptability to change, whether driven by climatic conditions or by priorities in breeding programs. Genetic diversity in Suffolk sheep in the United States was evaluated in four ways: 1) using genetic relationships from pedigree data [(n = 64 310 animals recorded in the US National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP)]; 2) using molecular data (n = 304 Suffolk genotyped with the OvineHD BeadChip); 3) comparing Australian (n = 109) and Irish (n = 55) Suffolk sheep to those in the United States using molecular data; and 4) assessing genetic relationships (connectedness) among active Suffolk flocks (n = 18) in NSIP. By characterizing genetic diversity, a goal was to define the structure of a reference population for use for genomic selection strategies in this breed.

Inflammasome activation in infected macrophages drives COVID-19 pathology.

Severe COVID-19 is characterized by persistent lung inflammation, inflammatory cytokine production, viral RNA and a sustained interferon (IFN) response, all of which are recapitulated and required for pathology in the SARS-CoV-2-infected MISTRG6-hACE2 humanized mouse model of COVID-19, which has a human immune system. Blocking either viral replication with remdesivir or the downstream IFN-stimulated cascade with anti-IFNAR2 antibodies in vivo in the chronic stages of disease attenuates the overactive immune inflammatory response, especially inflammatory macrophages. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication in lung-resident human macrophages is a critical driver of disease.