Dynamics of automatically generated body condition scores during early lactation and pregnancy at first artificial insemination of Holstein cows.

The objective of this study was to characterize the association between body condition score (BCS) and BCS change (ΔBCS), determined by an automated camera system at multiple time points, and the subsequent pregnancy per first artificial insemination (P/AI1) of Holstein cows. A retrospective observational study was completed using data collected from 11,393 lactations in 7,928 Holstein cows calving between April 2019 and March 2021 in a commercial dairy operation located in Colorado. Cows were classified as primiparous or multiparous.

Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) standardized template for collection of key information for benefit-risk assessment of live-attenuated viral vaccines.

Several live-attenuated viral vaccine candidates are among the COVID-19 vaccines in development. The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) has prepared a standardized template to describe the key considerations for the benefit-risk assessment of live-attenuated viral vaccines. This will help key stakeholders assess potential safety issues and understand the benefit-risk of such vaccines.

[Monoclonal antibodies for anti-infective therapy].

Sera of animal origin and hyperimmunoglobulins have dominated serum therapy for a century. Although numerous monoclonal antibodies (MABs) have been developed since the end of the 1980s, particularly for the treatment of immunological and oncological diseases, it will take 20 years before the first anti-infective MAB is approved in the European Union. Interestingly, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous MABs, which are approved in particular for immunological indications, are currently being used to treat the consequences of SARS-CoV‑2 infection, such as pneumonia or hyperimmune reactions.

The Brighton Collaboration standardized template for collection of key information for benefit-risk assessment of inactivated viral vaccines.

Inactivated viral vaccines have long been used in humans for diseases of global health threat and are now among the vaccines for COVID-19 under development. The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) has prepared a standardized template to describe the key considerations for the benefit-risk assessment of inactivated viral vaccines. This will help key stakeholders to assess potential safety issues and understand the benefit-risk of the vaccine platform.

The Brighton Collaboration standardized template for collection of key information for benefit-risk assessment of protein vaccines.

Several protein vaccine candidates are among the COVID-19 vaccines in development. The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) has prepared a standardized template to describe the key considerations for the benefit-risk assessment of protein vaccines. This will help key stakeholders to assess potential safety issues and understand the benefit-risk of such a vaccine platform.

Revisiting pharmacy-based naloxone with pharmacists and naloxone consumers in 2 states: 2017 perspectives and evolving approaches.

Objectives: Pharmacies provide accessible sources of naloxone to caregivers, patients taking opioids, and individuals using drugs. While laws permit expanded pharmacy naloxone access, prior work identified barriers like concerns about stigma of addiction and time constraints that inhibit scale-up. We sought to examine similarities and differences in experiences obtaining naloxone at the pharmacy over a 1-year period in 2 states, and to explore reactions from people with opioid use disorder, patients taking opioids for chronic pain, caregivers of opioid users, and pharmacists to communication tools and patient outreach materials designed to improve naloxone uptake.

Exploring the Archaeome: Detection of Archaeal Signatures in the Human Body.

Due to their fundamentally different biology, archaea are consistently overlooked in conventional microbiome surveys. Using amplicon sequencing, we evaluated methodological set-ups to detect archaea in samples from five different body sites: respiratory tract (nasal cavity), digestive tract (mouth, appendix, and stool) and skin. With optimized protocols, the detection of archaeal ribosomal sequence variants (RSVs) was increased from one (found in currently used, so-called "universal" approach) to 81 RSVs in a representative sample set.

Nonlocal collective ultrastrong interaction of plasmonic metamaterials and photons in a terahertz photonic crystal cavity.

Light-matter interaction in the strong coupling regime is of profound interest for fundamental quantum optics, information processing and the realization of ultrahigh-resolution sensors. Here, we report a new way to realize strong light-matter interaction, by coupling metamaterial plasmonic "quasi-particles" with photons in a photonic cavity, in the terahertz frequency range. The resultant cavity polaritons exhibit a splitting which can reach the ultra-strong coupling regime, even with the comparatively low density of quasi-particles, and inherit the high Q-factor of the cavity despite the relatively broad resonances of the Swiss-cross and split-ring-resonator metamaterials used.

Defining the interval for monitoring potential adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) after receipt of live viral vectored vaccines.

Live viral vectors that express heterologous antigens of the target pathogen are being investigated in the development of novel vaccines against serious infectious agents like HIV and Ebola. As some live recombinant vectored vaccines may be replication-competent, a key challenge is defining the length of time for monitoring potential adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in clinical trials and epidemiologic studies. This time period must be chosen with care and based on considerations of pre-clinical and clinical trials data, biological plausibility and practical feasibility.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in a community sample over 2 years.

Background: Although numerous studies have demonstrated that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) improves clinical and nonclinical outcomes, few studies have followed MBSR participants for >12 months, and few have analyzed post-intervention home practice.

Methods: We followed a community sample of 247 self-referred adults for 2 years after completion of an 8-week MBSR program. Dependent variables, including self-reported anxiety, depression, perceived wellness, mindfulness, and duration and frequency of continued home practice, were measured before and after the program and every 6 months after.

Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children.

Oral biofilm and its molecular analysis provide a basis for investigating various dental research and clinical questions. Knowledge of biofilm composition leads to a better understanding of cariogenic and periopathogenic mechanisms. Microbial changes taking place in the oral cavity during childhood are of interest for several reasons.

Sampling Modification Effects in the Subgingival Microbiome Profile of Healthy Children.

Oral microbiota are considered major players in the development of periodontal diseases. Thorough knowledge of intact subgingival microbiomes is required to elucidate microbial shifts from health to disease. This comparative study investigated the subgingival microbiome of healthy children, possible inter- and intra-individual effects of modified sampling, and basic comparability of subgingival microprints.

Performance of Bedside Lung Ultrasound by a Pediatric Resident: A Useful Diagnostic Tool in Children With Suspected Pneumonia.

Objectives: Recent studies suggest that lung ultrasound is a good, radiation-free alternative to chest radiography in children with pneumonia. We investigated how bedside lung ultrasound performed by a pediatric resident compared with chest radiography in children with suspected pneumonia.

Methods: This was a prospective study comparing bedside lung ultrasound to chest radiography as the reference standard.

Modulators of the extracellular matrix and risk of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures.

Objectives: The extracellular matrix (ECM) of ligaments continuously undergoes remodelling in order to maintain tissue homeostasis. Several key mediators of ECM remodelling were chosen for investigation in the present study. It is thought that polymorphisms within genes encoding signalling molecules may contribute to inter-individual variation in the responses to mechanical loading, potentially altering risk of injury.

From Mouth to Model: Combining and Oral Biofilm Growth.

Oral biofilm studies based on simplified experimental setups are difficult to interpret. Models are limited mostly by the number of bacterial species observed and the insufficiency of artificial media. Few studies have attempted to overcome these limitations and to cultivate native oral biofilm.

Live virus vaccines based on a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) backbone: Standardized template with key considerations for a risk/benefit assessment.

The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) was formed to evaluate the safety of live, recombinant viral vaccines incorporating genes from heterologous viral and other microbial pathogens in their genome (so-called "chimeric virus vaccines"). Many such viral vector vaccines are now at various stages of clinical evaluation. Here, we introduce an attenuated form of recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) as a potential chimeric virus vaccine for HIV-1, with implications for use as a vaccine vector for other pathogens.

Adventitious agents and live viral vectored vaccines: Considerations for archiving samples of biological materials for retrospective analysis.

Vaccines are one of the most effective public health medicinal products with an excellent safety record. As vaccines are produced using biological materials, there is a need to safeguard against potential contamination with adventitious agents. Adventitious agents could be inadvertently introduced into a vaccine through starting materials used for production.

Accuracy of commercial kits and published primer pairs for the detection of periodontopathogens.

Objectives: Despite the input of microbiome research, a group of 20 bacteria continues to be the focus of periodontal diagnostics and therapy. The aim of this study was to compare three commercial kits and laboratory-developed primer pairs for effectiveness in detecting such periodontopathogens.

Materials And Methods: Fourteen bacterial mock communities, consisting of 16 randomly assembled bacterial strains, were used as reference standard for testing kits and primers.

The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG).

Recombinant viral vectors provide an effective means for heterologous antigen expression in vivo and thus represent promising platforms for developing novel vaccines against human pathogens from Ebola to tuberculosis. An increasing number of candidate viral vector vaccines are entering human clinical trials. The Brighton Collaboration Viral Vector Vaccines Safety Working Group (V3SWG) was formed to improve our ability to anticipate potential safety issues and meaningfully assess or interpret safety data, thereby facilitating greater public acceptance when licensed.

Molecular support for the recognition of the Mycoblastus fucatus group as the new genus Violella (Tephromelataceae, Lecanorales).

The crustose lichen genus Mycoblastus in the Northern Hemisphere includes eight recognized species sharing large, simple ascospores produced 1-2 per ascus in strongly pigmented biatorine apothecia. The monophyly of Mycoblastus and the relationship of its various species to Tephromelataceae have never been studied in detail. Data from ITS rDNA and the genes coding for translation elongation factor 1-α and DNA replication licensing factor mini-chromosome maintenance complex 7 support the distinctness of Mycoblastus s.

Regulatory structures for gene therapy medicinal products in the European Union.

Taking into account the complexity and technical specificity of advanced therapy medicinal products: (gene and cell therapy medicinal products and tissue engineered products), a dedicated European regulatory framework was needed. Regulation (EC) No. 1394/2007, the "ATMP Regulation" provides tailored regulatory principles for the evaluation and authorization of these innovative medicines.

Trafficking in persons and victim health in Australia.

This article explores the health problems experienced by victims of trafficking in persons in Australia and analyses the domestic support schemes established to assist these victims. It focuses specifically on the health of adult, female victims who constitute the majority of identified victims, and who are the principal recipients of government support services. Domestic experiences and support schemes are reviewed in the light of international law and best practice guidelines.

Oral biofilm analysis of palatal expanders by fluorescence in-situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) of natural heterogeneous biofilm is today facilitated by a comprehensive range of staining techniques, one of them being fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). We performed a pilot study in which oral biofilm samples collected from fixed orthodontic appliances (palatal expanders) were stained by FISH, the objective being to assess the three-dimensional organization of natural biofilm and plaque accumulation. FISH creates an opportunity to stain cells in their native biofilm environment by the use of fluorescently labeled 16S rRNA-targeting probes.

Aluminium localization in root tips of the aluminium-accumulating plant species buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench).

Aluminium (Al) uptake and transport in the root tip of buckwheat is not yet completely understood. For localization of Al in root tips, fluorescent dyes and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) were compared. The staining of Al with morin is an appropriate means to study qualitatively the radial distribution along the root tip axis of Al which is complexed by oxalate and citrate in buckwheat roots.