Reemergence of Bordetella parapertussis, United States, 2019-2023.

To determine changes in Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis detection rates, we analyzed 1.43 million respiratory multiplex PCR test results from US facilities from 2019 through mid-2023.

Global patterns of allochthony in stream-riparian meta-ecosystems.

Ecosystems that are coupled by reciprocal flows of energy and nutrient subsidies can be viewed as a single "meta-ecosystem." Despite these connections, the reciprocal flow of subsidies is greatly asymmetrical and seasonally pulsed. Here, we synthesize existing literature on stream-riparian meta-ecosystems to quantify global patterns of the amount of subsidy consumption by organisms, known as "allochthony.

rates in blood culture on the rise: results of US surveillance.

is an emerging pathogen that poses a significant public health risk. Its multidrug resistance has led to high mortality, making rapid detection crucial for effective treatment and prevention of transmission. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate a substantial increase in cases in the United States, with a 95% rise in 2021.

A Hierarchical Genotyping Framework Using DNA Melting Temperatures Applied to Adenovirus Species Typing.

Known genetic variation, in conjunction with post-PCR melting curve analysis, can be leveraged to provide increased taxonomic detail for pathogen identification in commercial molecular diagnostic tests. Increased taxonomic detail may be used by clinicians and public health decision-makers to observe circulation patterns, monitor for outbreaks, and inform testing practices. We propose a method for expanding the taxonomic resolution of PCR diagnostic systems by incorporating a priori knowledge of assay design and sequence information into a genotyping classification model.

How Virtual Animal Anatomy facilitated a successful transition to online instruction and supported student learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Anatomy faculty with cadaver-based laboratory courses were presented with a significant challenge in March 2020 to create equivalent learning experiences without cadaveric access. The undergraduate domestic animal anatomy course at the Colorado State University was halfway into a 16-week semester when COVID-19 lockdown orders and the transition to remote instruction began. The new course curriculum was critically evaluated using student surveys and course outcome data.

The Effects of Social Distancing Policies on Non-SARS-CoV-2 Respiratory Pathogens.

Background: The initial focus of the US public health response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was the implementation of numerous social distancing policies. While COVID-19 was the impetus for imposing these policies, it is not the only respiratory disease affected by their implementation. This study aimed to assess the impact of social distancing policies on non-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) respiratory pathogens typically circulating across multiple US states.

Enhancing Anatomical Instruction: Impact of a Virtual Canine Anatomy Program on Student Outcomes.

Innovative reforms in medical education will require instructional tools to support these changes and to give students more flexibility in where and how they learn. At Colorado State University, the software program Virtual Canine Anatomy (VCA) was developed to assist student learning both inside and outside the anatomical laboratory. The program includes interactive anatomical photographs of dissected canine cadavers, dissection instructions with accompanying videos and diagrams, radiographs, and three-dimensional models.

Performance of a Semiquantitative Multiplex Bacterial and Viral PCR Panel Compared With Standard Microbiological Laboratory Results: 396 Patients Studied With the BioFire Pneumonia Panel.

Background: Microbiologic results are critical to optimal management of patients with lower respiratory tract infection, but standard methods may take several days. The multiplex polymerase chain reaction BioFire Pneumonia (PN) panel detects 15 common bacterial species semiquantitatively as copy number/mL, 8 viral species, and 7 resistance genes in about an hour within the clinical laboratory.

Methods: We tested 396 unique endotracheal or bronchoalveolar lavage specimens with the BioFire Pneumonia panel and compared the bacterial detections to conventional gram stain and culture results.

A statistical approach to white-nose syndrome surveillance monitoring using acoustic data.

Traditional pathogen surveillance methods for white-nose syndrome (WNS), the most serious threat to hibernating North American bats, focus on fungal presence where large congregations of hibernating bats occur. However, in the western USA, WNS-susceptible bat species rarely assemble in large numbers and known winter roosts are uncommon features. WNS increases arousal frequency and activity of infected bats during hibernation.

Enterovirus D68 outbreak detection through a syndromic disease epidemiology network.

Background: In 2014, enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was responsible for an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in children, with 1,153 EV-D68 cases reported across 49 states. Despite this, there is no commercial assay for its detection in routine clinical care. BioFire® Syndromic Trends (Trend) is an epidemiological network that collects, in near real-time, deidentified.

Native size-exclusion chromatography-mass spectrometry: suitability for antibody-drug conjugate drug-to-antibody ratio quantitation across a range of chemotypes and drug-loading levels.

Native size-exclusion chromatography-mass spectrometry (nSEC-MS) is an analytical methodology that is appropriate for accurately quantitating the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) on a wide variety of interchain cysteine-linked antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), irrespective of chemotype. In the current preclinical environment, novel ADCs conjugated with unique drug-linkers need to progress toward the clinic as quickly as possible. Platform analytical approaches can reduce time-to-clinic because key process development and optimization activities can be decoupled from the development of bespoke, molecule-specific analytical methods.

Evidence for Brassinosteroid-Mediated PAT During Germination of (Orchidaceae).

Polar auxin transport (PAT) is facilitated by polar localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux carriers, which direct auxin flow and regulate developmental events. Brassinosteroids (BRs) and auxin work synergistically to promote growth, and in root geotropisms this cross-talk involves BR-directed polarization of PIN through the mobilization of F-actin. However, the role of BR in PAT during shoot growth, hair formation, and embryogenesis has not been well studied.

Automated Real-Time Collection of Pathogen-Specific Diagnostic Data: Syndromic Infectious Disease Epidemiology.

Background: Health care and public health professionals rely on accurate, real-time monitoring of infectious diseases for outbreak preparedness and response. Early detection of outbreaks is improved by systems that are comprehensive and specific with respect to the pathogen but are rapid in reporting the data. It has proven difficult to implement these requirements on a large scale while maintaining patient privacy.

Using Sigma Quality Control to Verify and Monitor Performance in a Multi-Instrument, Multisite Integrated Health Care Network.

The authors developed a system-wide integrated network of instrumentation and Sigma-based quality control for fundamental chemistry, coagulation, and hematology analysis. The authors have based selection of Westgard rules for run management on a straightforward, Sigma-driven selection process. The network includes multiple hospitals and large regional clinic laboratories.

Multistate Models Reveal Long-Term Trends of Northern Spotted Owls in the Absence of a Novel Competitor.

Quantifying spatial and temporal variability in population trends is a critical aspect of successful management of imperiled species. We evaluated territory occupancy dynamics of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), California, USA, 1990-2014. The study area possessed two unique aspects.

A strategic informatics approach to autoverification.

Autoverification is rapidly expanding with increased functionality provided by middleware tools. It is imperative that autoverification of laboratory test results be viewed as a process evolving into a broader, more sophisticated form of decision support, which will require strategic planning to form a foundational tool set for the laboratory. One must strategically plan to expand autoverification in the future to include a vision of instrument-generated order interfaces, reflexive testing, and interoperability with other information systems.

Epi Info™: Now an Open-source application that continues a long and productive "life" through CDC support and funding.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Enrique Nieves Jr is the Acting Director of the Division of Integrated Surveillance Systems and Services (DISSS), National Center for Public for Health Informatics (NCPHI), Coordinating Center for Health information and Service (CCHIS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA. Jay Jones is a BearingPoint Consultant to the CDC/NCPHI Division of Alliance Management and Consultation (DAMC), National Center for Public for Health Informatics (NCPHI), Coordinating Center for Health information and Service (CCHIS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA.