Complications and Cost in Open Versus Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression: A Database Study.

Study Design: A retrospective database study.

Objective: To compare complications and costs associated with endoscopic and open lumbar decompression on a large scale.

Background: Though open lumbar decompression is considered the gold standard, endoscopic procedures are on the rise.

Opioid-related mortality after occupational injury in Washington State: accounting for preinjury opioid use.

Objectives: To estimate the impact of occupational injury and illness on opioid-related mortality while accounting for confounding by preinjury opioid use.

Methods: We employed a retrospective cohort study design using Washington State workers' compensation data for 1994-2000 injuries linked to US Social Security Administration earnings and mortality data and National Death Index (NDI) cause of death data from 1994 to 2018. We categorised injuries as lost-time versus medical-only, where the former involved more than 3 days off work or permanent disability.

Insights from single-strain and mixed culture experiments on the effects of heatwaves on freshwater flagellates.

The increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves driven by climate change significantly impact microbial communities in freshwater habitats, particularly eukaryotic microorganisms. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates are important bacterivorous grazers and play a crucial role in aquatic food webs, influencing the morphological and taxonomic structure of bacterial communities. This study investigates the responses of three flagellate taxa to heatwave conditions through single-strain and mixed culture experiments, highlighting the impact of both biotic and abiotic factors on functional redundancy between morphologically similar protist species under thermal stress.

Cleaning practices of transport vehicles by commercial and non-commercial livestock markets users in Scotland.

Background: Livestock markets are critical intermediaries in the movement of cattle and sheep between herds and to abattoirs. Disease prevention strategies promoting Cleansing & Disinfection (C&D) of vehicles moving animals from markets are in place in Scotland to reduce the risk of widespread transmission of pathogens within the livestock industry. However, little is known about how market users implement C&D on their vehicles and how these may differ between sectors of the industry.

Predicting COVID-19 Cases in Nursing Homes of California and Ohio: Does the Work Environment Matter?

Objective: The cross-sectional study evaluates if the prepandemic work environments in nursing homes predict coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases among residents and staff, accounting for other factors.

Method: Leveraging data from a survey of California and Ohio nursing homes (n = 340), we examined if Workplace Integrated Safety and Health domains - Leadership, Participation, and Comprehensive and Collaborative Strategies predicted cumulative COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents and staff.

Results: In Ohio, a 1-unit increase in Leadership score was associated with 2 fewer staff cases and 4 fewer resident cases.

Opportunities and challenges in antimicrobial resistance policy including animal production systems and humans across stakeholders in Argentina: a context and qualitative analysis.

Introduction: Gaps in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and control, including implementation of national action plans (NAPs), are evident internationally. Countries' capacity to translate political commitment into action is crucial to cope with AMR at the human-animal-environment interface.

Methods: We employed a two-stage process to understand opportunities and challenges related to AMR surveillance and control at the human-animal interface in Argentina.

Association of Poor Bone Quality with Pseudarthrosis and Poor Clinical Outcomes in Single-Level Instrumented Lumbar Arthrodesis Using Local Autologous Bone Graft.

Introduction: Although osteoporosis and low bone mineral density is thought to lead to poor fusion outcomes, few studies have adequately addressed the correlation, and they were limited by small sample size at a single institution.

Methods: We completed a secondary analysis of 182 patients enrolled at 26 spine centers across the United States in the EXO-SPINE FDA-approved clinical trial with 12-month CT-based fusion status determined by two independent, blinded radiologists. Using previously described CT-based techniques, we measured local and global Hounsfield units (HU) and examined the relationship with radiographic and clinical outcomes.

Future directions for One Health research: Regional and sectoral gaps.

Implementation of a One Health approach varies considerably between different geographical regions and remains challenging to implement without greater inclusivity of different disciplinary capacity and expertise. We performed comparative analyses of abstracts presented at the 1st World One Health Congress (WOHC 2011) and 6th WOHC (2020) to explore and describe the evolving demographics and disciplinary scope of One Health research. We classified abstracts into six One Health research categories and twenty-three subcategories.

Identifying target areas for risk-based surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases: a seasonal analysis of slaughter and live-trade cattle movements in Uganda.

Animal movements are a major driver for the spread of Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs). These movements link populations that would otherwise be isolated and hence create opportunities for susceptible and infected individuals to meet. We used social network analysis to describe the seasonal network structure of cattle movements in Uganda and unravel critical network features that identify districts or sub-regions for targeted risk-based surveillance and intervention.

Mindfulness Applications: Can They Serve as a Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout Reduction Tool in Orthopaedic Surgery Training? A Randomized Control Trial.

Unlabelled: Stress and burnout are prevalent within the orthopaedic surgery community. Mindfulness techniques have been shown to improve wellness, yet traditional courses are generally time-intensive with low surgeon utilization. We sought to determine whether the introduction of a simple mindfulness-based phone application would help decrease stress, anxiety, and burnout in orthopaedic surgery residents.

Surveillance and Risk Analysis for Bovine Babesiosis in England and Wales to Inform Disease Distribution.

is a zoonotic piroplasm that infects both cattle and humans in Europe. Disease transmission occurs through tick bites, a species that is increasing in abundance and distribution across Europe in response to climate and land-use changes. Developments in agri-environment policy and changing consumer demands may also have unintended consequences on tick-borne disease rates.

Can Better Leadership Reduce Nursing Home Staff Turnover?

Objectives: To assess whether a measure of leadership support for worker safety, health, and well-being predicts staff turnover in nursing homes after controlling for other factors.

Design: This paper uses administrative payroll data to measure facility-level turnover and uses a survey measure of nursing home leadership commitment to workers. In addition, we use data from Medicare to measure various nursing home characteristics.

Sustainability policies and practices at veterinary centres in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Background: Veterinary professionals operate at the human-animal-environment interface and are concerned about sustainability issues. This study examined the extent to which sustainability is represented in policy and enacted in veterinary practice settings, as reported by practice representatives.

Methods: An online survey was completed by 392 veterinary centre representatives in the UK and Republic of Ireland to identify existing policies and practices around the environmental impacts of veterinary services and animal husbandry, responsible medicine use, animal welfare and social wellbeing.

The Asymmetric Response Concept explains ecological consequences of multiple stressor exposure and release.

Our capacity to predict trajectories of ecosystem degradation and recovery is limited, especially when impairments are caused by multiple stressors. Recovery may be fast or slow and either complete or partial, sometimes result in novel ecosystem states or even fail completely. Here, we introduce the Asymmetric Response Concept (ARC) that provides a basis for exploring and predicting the pace and magnitude of ecological responses to, and release from, multiple stressors.

A scoping review of foot-and-mouth disease risk, based on spatial and spatio-temporal analysis of outbreaks in endemic settings.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most important transboundary animal diseases affecting livestock and wildlife species worldwide. Sustained viral circulation, as evidenced by serological surveys and the recurrence of outbreaks, suggests endemic transmission cycles in some parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This is the result of a complex process in which multiple serotypes, multi-host interactions and numerous socio-epidemiological factors converge to facilitate disease introduction, survival and spread.

Increased all-cause mortality following occupational injury: a comparison of two states.

Objectives: To measure the impact of lost-time occupational injuries on all-cause mortality in Washington State and, using the same data elements and study design, to determine whether the estimated impact was similar to previous estimates for New Mexico.

Methods: We linked injuries in the Washington workers' compensation system with Social Security Administration data on earnings and mortality. We estimated Cox survival models of mortality for women and men with lost-time compared with medical-only injuries, adjusting for age, pre-injury earnings and industry.

Thermography for disease detection in livestock: A scoping review.

Infra-red thermography (IRT) offers potential opportunities as a tool for disease detection in livestock. Despite considerable research in this area, there are no common standards or protocols for managing IRT parameters in animal disease detection research. In this review, we investigate parameters that are essential to the progression of this tool and make recommendations for their use based on the literature found and the veterinary thermography guidelines from the American Academy of Thermology.

A simple surgical mask modification to pass N95 respirator-equivalent fit testing standards during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has infected hundreds of millions of people resulting in millions of deaths worldwide. While N95 respirators remain the gold standard as personal protective equipment, they are resource-intensive to produce and obtain. Surgical masks, easier to produce and obtain, filter ≥95% submicron particles but are less protective due to a lack of seal around a user's face.

FAIR data pipeline: provenance-driven data management for traceable scientific workflows.

Modern epidemiological analyses to understand and combat the spread of disease depend critically on access to, and use of, data. Rapidly evolving data, such as data streams changing during a disease outbreak, are particularly challenging. Data management is further complicated by data being imprecisely identified when used.

Assessing the Likelihood of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Incursion Into the Gamebird Sector in Great Britain Designated Hatcheries.

The outbreaks of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the United Kingdom in 2017 and 2021 had a substantial impact on the gamebird industry and highlighted to policymakers the importance of existing knowledge gaps for effective disease control. Despite the size of the industry, the impact of HPAI on the gamebird industry is not well-understood. To improve future disease preparedness, a veterinary risk assessment to explore the risk of HPAI incursion into the gamebird sector in Great Britain a designated hatchery was commissioned by Scottish Government Animal Health and Welfare Division.

A risk assessment of equine piroplasmosis entry, exposure and consequences in the UK.

Background: Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is currently not endemic in the UK, despite a lack of formal surveillance and the presence of carrier horses in the equine population. Pathogen establishment would have significant welfare and economic impacts on the national equine industry, but the disease is often overlooked by UK practitioners.

Objectives: To assess the risk of disease entry, exposure and consequences to the UK equine population.

Does having a cat in your house increase your risk of catching COVID-19?

Due to the zoonotic origin of SARS-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the potential for its transmission from humans back to animals and the possibility that it might establish ongoing infection pathways in other animal species has been discussed. Cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and were shown experimentally to transmit the virus to other cats. Infection of cats has been widely reported.