Genetic Analysis of the Impact of Heat Stress on Fertility Traits in Dairy Cows in the Netherlands.

This study aimed to use Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) as an indicator for assessing heat stress conditions for fertility traits in the Holstein dairy cattle breed in the Netherlands. Data from artificial insemination and calving events of 416,814 first-parity cows from the Netherlands were used, considering different THI definitions based on different numbers of days before and after artificial insemination events. To achieve our aim, we investigated first, at population level, the relationship between different THI definitions and 4 fertility traits: conception rate, interval calving to first insemination, interval first to last insemination, and calving interval.

Racial and Educational Isolation are Associated with Worse Outcomes in Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Sociodemographic factors influence outcomes in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). We predict an association between measures of social isolation and outcomes in infants with complex CHD. These measures, racial (RI) and educational (EI) isolation range from 0 to 1, with 0 being no isolation and 1 being fully isolated within a specific population.

Lipoprotein (a) Testing in Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in 5 Large US Health Systems.

Background: Lipoprotein (a) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, lipoprotein (a) testing remains variable and it is unclear what factors influence testing and if testing changes clinical management.

Methods And Results: A retrospective study using electronic medical record data from 5 health systems identified an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease cohort divided into those with and without a lipoprotein (a) test between 2019 and 2021.

Durable mixed chimerism may permit subsequent immunosuppression-free intestinal transplantation-A proof-of-principle study.

Intestinal transplantation (ITx) is the definitive treatment for intestinal failure but has the highest rejection rate among solid organ transplants, requiring high doses of immunosuppressive medication, which is associated with high rates of infection, graft-versus-host disease, and malignancy. Transplant tolerance would overcome the need for long-term immunosuppression (ISP). Using nonmyeloablative conditioning, our laboratory has developed a novel swine model of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that produces durable mixed chimerism (MC) and immune tolerance without toxicity.