An ultra-early, transient interferon-associated innate immune response associates with protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection despite exposure.

Background: A proportion of individuals exposed to respiratory viruses avoid contracting detectable infection. We tested the hypothesis that early innate immune responses associate with resistance to detectable infection in close contacts of COVID-19 cases.

Methods: 48 recently-exposed household contacts of symptomatic COVID-19 cases were recruited in London, UK between May 2020 and March 2021 through a prospective, longitudinal observational study.

SARS-CoV-2 human challenge reveals biomarkers that discriminate early and late phases of respiratory viral infections.

Blood transcriptional biomarkers of acute viral infections typically reflect type 1 interferon (IFN) signalling, but it is not known whether there are biological differences in their regulation that can be leveraged for distinct translational applications. We use high frequency sampling in the SARS-CoV-2 human challenge model to show induction of IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression with different temporal and cellular profiles. MX1 gene expression correlates with a rapid and transient wave of ISG expression across all cell types, which may precede PCR detection of replicative infection.

Applying the Techniques of Materials Science towards an Understanding of the Process of Canine Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration in dogs occurs in an accelerated way and involves calcification, which is associated with disc herniation or extrusion. The degenerative process is complex and involves the transformation of collagen fibres, loss of proteoglycans and notochord cells and a reduction in water content; however, how these processes are linked to future disc extrusion remains unknown. We have employed techniques including Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Uniaxial Compression Loading and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in an attempt to gain a greater understanding of the degenerative process and its consequences on the physical properties of the disc.

Mydriasis associated with ischemic cerebrovascular infarct affecting the ipsilateral cerebellar interposital nucleus in 2 dogs.

A 10-year-old male neutered crossbreed dog and an 8-year-old female neutered greyhound presented after peracute onset of cerebellar dysfunction. The crossbreed dog had anisocoria with the left pupil being mydriatic, spontaneous conjugate rotatory nystagmus with fast phase to the left and delayed postural reactions on the left side. The greyhound had anisocoria with the left pupil being mydriatic, right positional ventral strabismus, absent menace response in the left eye and postural reaction deficits on the left side.

A review of the contributions of forensic archaeology and anthropology to the process of disaster victim identification.

Forensic archaeology and anthropology have developed significantly over past decades and now provide considerable assistance to the investigation process of disaster victim recovery and identification. In what are often chaotic death and crime scenes, the formal process of utilizing archaeological methods can bring control, order, and ensure systematic search. Procedures assist in defining scene extent, locating victims and evidence, rule out areas for consideration, and provide standardized recording and quality assurance through dedicated use of standardized forms (pro formas).

The adaptive immune response to Trichuris in wild versus laboratory mice: An established model system in context.

Laboratory model organisms have provided a window into how the immune system functions. An increasing body of evidence, however, suggests that the immune responses of naive laboratory animals may differ substantially to those of their wild counterparts. Past exposure, environmental challenges and physiological condition may all impact on immune responsiveness.

Salivary testosterone changes during oral glucose tolerance tests in overweight and obese men - Postprandial or circadian variation?

Background: Serum total testosterone (T) decreases postprandially. Postprandial salivary testosterone (SalT) responses, however, have not been studied. We report on the effect of glucose ingestion on fasting SalT concentrations.

The wild mouse bone marrow has a unique myeloid and lymphoid composition and phenotype.

The murine bone marrow has a central role in immune function and health as the primary source of leukocytes in adult mice. Laboratory mice provide a human-homologous, genetically manipulable and reproducible model that has enabled an immeasurable volume of high-quality immunological research. However, recent research has questioned the translatability of laboratory mouse research into humans and proposed that the exposure of mice to their wild and natural environment may hold the key to further immunological breakthroughs.

Sex drives colonic mucin sialylation in wild mice.

Mucin protein glycosylation is important in determining biological properties of mucus gels, which form protective barriers at mucosal surfaces of the body such as the intestine. Ecological factors including: age, sex, and diet can change mucus barrier properties by modulating mucin glycosylation. However, as our understanding stems from controlled laboratory studies in house mice, the combined influence of ecological factors on mucin glycosylation in real-world contexts remains limited.

Transcerebellar ventriculoperitoneal shunt for management of presumed arachnoid diverticulum in the fourth ventricle of a dog.

Objective: To describe the approach for placement of a transcerebellar fourth ventriculoperitoneal shunt for management of presumed fourth ventricle arachnoid diverticulum and secondary obstructive hydrocephalus of a dog. To describe the outcome of this procedure.

Study Design: Case report.

Dectin-1 ligands produce distinct training phenotypes in human monocytes through differential activation of signaling networks.

Cells of the innate immune system retain memory of prior exposures through a process known as innate immune training. β-glucan, a Dectin-1 ligand purified from the Candida albicans cell wall, has been one of the most widely utilized ligands for inducing innate immune training. However, many Dectin-1 ligands exist, and it is not known whether these all produce the same phenotype.

A pro-inflammatory gut mucosal cytokine response is associated with mild COVID-19 disease and superior induction of serum antibodies.

The relationship between gastrointestinal tract infection, the host immune response, and the clinical outcome of disease is not well understood in COVID-19. We sought to understand the effect of intestinal immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 on patient outcomes including the magnitude of systemic antibody induction. Combining two prospective cohort studies, International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium Comprehensive Clinical Characterisations Collaboration (ISARIC4C) and Integrated Network for Surveillance, Trials and Investigations into COVID-19 Transmission (INSTINCT), we acquired samples from 88 COVID-19 cases representing the full spectrum of disease severity and analysed viral RNA and host gut cytokine responses in the context of clinical and virological outcome measures.

Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy for the treatment of hypersomatotropism secondary to a pituitary somatotroph adenoma in a dog.

Pituitary-dependent hypersomatotropism is rarely diagnosed in dogs and surgical treatment is not reported. A 6-year-10-month male neutered Patterdale Terrier presented with polyuria, polydipsia, progressive pharyngeal stertor, excessive hair growth and widened facial features and paws. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentration via radioimmunoassay was consistent with hypersomatotropism (1783 ng/mL).

Optimization of chest CT protocols based on pixel image matrix, kernels and iterative reconstruction levels - A phantom study.

Introduction: This study investigated the impact of high matrix image reconstruction in combination with different reconstruction kernels and levels of iterative reconstructions on image quality in chest CT.

Methods: An anthropomorphic chest phantom (Kyoto Kagaku Co., Ltd.

Risk factors and vectors for SARS-CoV-2 household transmission: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Despite circumstantial evidence for aerosol and fomite spread of SARS-CoV-2, empirical data linking either pathway with transmission are scarce. Here we aimed to assess whether the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on frequently-touched surfaces and residents' hands was a predictor of SARS-CoV-2 household transmission.

Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study, during the pre-alpha (September to December, 2020) and alpha (B.

Discrete patterns of microbiome variability across timescales in a wild rodent population.

Mammalian gastrointestinal microbiomes are highly variable, both within individuals and across populations, with changes linked to time and ageing being widely reported. Discerning patterns of change in wild mammal populations can therefore prove challenging. We used high-throughput community sequencing methods to characterise the microbiome of wild field voles (Microtus agrestis) from faecal samples collected across 12 live-trapping field sessions, and then at cull.

Onset and window of SARS-CoV-2 infectiousness and temporal correlation with symptom onset: a prospective, longitudinal, community cohort study.

Background: Knowledge of the window of SARS-CoV-2 infectiousness is crucial in developing policies to curb transmission. Mathematical modelling based on scarce empirical evidence and key assumptions has driven isolation and testing policy, but real-world data are needed. We aimed to characterise infectiousness across the full course of infection in a real-world community setting.

ACVIM consensus statement on diagnosis and management of acute canine thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion.

Background: Thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (TL-IVDE) is the most common cause of acute paraparesis and paraplegia in dogs; however, guidelines on management of the condition are lacking.

Objectives: To summarize the current literature as it relates to diagnosis and management of acute TL-IVDE in dogs, and to formulate clinically relevant evidence-based recommendations.

Animals: None.

The Diagnosis of Normocalcaemic Hyperparathyroidism is Strikingly Dissimilar Using Different Commercial Laboratory Assays.

We assessed the impact of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and adjusted calcium analyses on Abbott, Roche and Siemens analytical platforms in the diagnosis of normocalcaemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NCPHPT). These assays are used by over 85% of clinical laboratories in the UK. Over five months, consecutive serum samples from outpatients with NCPHPT in the laboratory with Abbott assays were identified, aliquoted and stored at -80°C.

A 3-Dimensional Printed Patient-Specific Surgical Guide to Facilitate Transsphenoidal Hypophysectomy in Dogs.

Objective: Hypophysectomy in dogs is a difficult surgery that requires specific learning and training. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a 3-dimensional printed patient-specific surgical guide to facilitate choosing the entry point in the basisphenoid bone before approaching the during transsphenoidal hypophysectomy in dogs.

Methods: Two canine cadavers and 8 dogs undergoing transsphenoidal hypophysectomy for Cushing's disease treatment, involving design and fabrication of a 3-dimensional printed guide.