Comparison of nasal swabs and handmade foam cubes for detecting equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

The control of equine respiratory infections is a biosecurity challenge. Respiratory viruses are often rapidly detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on nasal swabs. In the past, some laboratories developed handmade techniques to increase the amount of nasal secretions collected, without comparing them with nasal swabs when qPCR replaced the use of viral culture.

Systematic Review: Efficacy of Medical Therapy on Outcomes Important to Adult Patients with X-Linked Hypophosphatemia.

Objective: To examine the highest certainty evidence addressing the management of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) in adults to inform treatment recommendations.

Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central up to May 2023. Eligible studies included RCTs and observational studies of individuals 18+ with clinically or genetically confirmed XLH.

Measurement Properties of the Dysphagiameter for the Assessment of Dysphagia in Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a rare late-onset muscle disease with progressive dysphagia as a major symptom. The Dysphagiameter is a newly developed patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to assess the severity of dysphagia and its impact in patients with OPMD. This article reports on item reduction and a first assessment of the Dysphagiameter's psychometrics properties, in a French and English-speaking population of individuals with OPMD.

Patient-Relevant Digital-Motor Outcomes for Clinical Trials in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Type 7: A Multicenter PROSPAX Study.

Background And Objectives: With targeted treatment trials on the horizon, identification of sensitive and valid outcome measures becomes a priority for >100 spastic ataxias. While digital-motor measures, assessed using wearable sensors, are considered prime outcome candidates for spastic ataxias, genotype-specific validation studies are lacking. We here aimed to identify candidate digital-motor outcomes for spastic paraplegia type 7 (SPG7)-one of the most common spastic ataxias-that (1) reflect patient-relevant health aspects, even in mild, trial-relevant disease stages; (2) are suitable for a multicenter setting; and (3) assess mobility also during uninstructed walking simulating real life.