Characterization of the poll allele in Brahman cattle using long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing.

Brahman cattle (Bos indicus) are well adapted to thrive in tropical environments. Since their introduction to Australia in 1933, Brahman's ability to grow and reproduce on marginal lands has proven their value in the tropical beef industry. The poll phenotype, which describes the absence of horns, has become desirable in the cattle industry for animal welfare and handler safety concerns.

Incidence, Predictors, and Impact of Clostridium difficile Infection on Cardiac Surgery Outcomes.

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been associated with morbidity and mortality after cardiac operations. The present study examined incidence, predictors, and impact of CDI on inpatient mortality and resource utilization.

Methods: An analysis of adult patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting or valvular operations from 2005 to 2016 was performed using the National Inpatient Sample.

Pentosan Polysulfate-Associated Macular Disease in Patients With Interstitial Cystitis.

Recent studies have implicated long-term pentosan polysulfate use with vision loss from a newly described macular condition. Affected patients report difficulty with reading and adjusting to dim lighting, and they occasionally develop severe visual disability. Macular changes resemble those seen in age-related macular degeneration, potentially leading to misdiagnosis.

Author Correction: Diagnosis of fusion genes using targeted RNA sequencing.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Negative Affect Mediates the Association between Posttraumatic Cognitions and Craving in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder.

: The co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is common. Individuals with PTSD/AUD commonly drink to cope with PTSD symptoms, which maintains PTSD/AUD, and may result in increased craving for alcohol. Negative affect is implicated in negative reinforcement models of craving.

Trends in utilization, mortality, and resource use after implantation of left ventricular assist devices in the United States.

Objectives: Adoption of implantable left ventricular assist devices has dramatically improved survival and quality of life in suitable patients with end-stage heart failure. In the era of value-based healthcare delivery, assessment of clinical outcomes and resource use associated with left ventricular assist devices is warranted.

Methods: Adult patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation from 2008 to 2016 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample.

Canfam_GSD: De novo chromosome-length genome assembly of the German Shepherd Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) using a combination of long reads, optical mapping, and Hi-C.

Background: The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is one of the most common breeds on earth and has been bred for its utility and intelligence. It is often first choice for police and military work, as well as protection, disability assistance, and search-and-rescue. Yet, GSDs are well known to be susceptible to a range of genetic diseases that can interfere with their training.

High Correspondence Between Child Behavior Checklist Rule Breaking Behavior Scale with Conduct Disorder in Males and Females.

This study investigated the diagnostic utility of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Rule-Breaking Behavior scale to identify children of both sexes with conduct disorder (CD). Participants were derived from four independent datasets of children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar-I disorder of both sexes. Participants had structured diagnostic interviews with raters blinded to subject ascertainment status.

New Horizons in the use of routine data for ageing research.

The past three decades have seen a steady increase in the availability of routinely collected health and social care data and the processing power to analyse it. These developments represent a major opportunity for ageing research, especially with the integration of different datasets across traditional boundaries of health and social care, for prognostic research and novel evaluations of interventions with representative populations of older people. However, there are considerable challenges in using routine data at the level of coding, data analysis and in the application of findings to everyday care.

Comparing Single-Objective Optimization Protocols for Calibrating the Birds Nest Aquifer Model-A Problem Having Multiple Local Optima.

To best represent reality, simulation models of environmental and health-related systems might be very nonlinear. Model calibration ideally identifies globally optimal sets of parameters to use for subsequent prediction. For a nonlinear system having multiple local optima, calibration can be tedious.

Trauma-related guilt and pain among veterans with PTSD.

Despite the well-known co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain, large gaps remain in understanding how these two conditions influence each other. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between trauma-related guilt and pain among veterans with PTSD. Participants were 140 veterans enrolling in treatment for PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

Rapunzel syndrome causing partial gastric outlet obstruction requiring emergency laparotomy.

A 16-year-old girl with a background of childhood trichophagia presented with a 2-day history of epigastric pain and associated anorexia with vomiting. An epigastric mass was palpable on examination. A CT scan revealed an intragastric trichobezoar, extending into the duodenum consistent with Rapunzel syndrome with evidence of partial gastric outlet obstruction and a possible perforation.

Parent recommendations to support physical activity for families with young children: Results of interviews in deprived and affluent communities in South Wales (United Kingdom).

Background: Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of mortality worldwide. Early childhood is a critical period when healthy behaviours can be instilled for a future active lifestyle. We explored community, societal and environmental factors affecting child and family physical activity and sought parent recommendations to support physical activity in families with young children.

Infective endocarditis in intravenous drug users.

Since its first documented case in 1646, the epidemiology of endocarditis has significantly evolved. In the modern era, endocarditis has been increasingly associated with invasive procedures, medical devices, and intravenous drug use (IVDU). Patients at greatest risk include those with immunosuppression due to diabetes mellitus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), transplant medications, and increased survival of those with congenital heart or prosthetic heart valves.

Development of nursing quality care process metrics and indicators for intellectual disability services: a literature review and modified Delphi consensus study.

Background: Nursing process quality care metrics and indicators are quantifiable measures of the nursing care delivered to clients. They can be used to identify and support nurses' contribution to high quality, safe, client care and are lacking in specialist intellectual disability nursing. In a national Nursing Quality Care-Metrics project for Irish intellectual disability services, a set of nursing quality care process metrics and associated indicators were established for intellectual disability services.

Optimized Genetic Testing for Polledness in Multiple Breeds of Cattle.

Many breeds of modern cattle are naturally horned, and for sound husbandry management reasons the calves frequently undergo procedures to physically remove the horns by disbudding or dehorning. These procedures are however a welfare concern. Selective breeding for polledness - absence of horns - has been effective in some cattle breeds but not in others ( genotypes) due in part to the complex genetics of horn phenotype.

Annual booster vaccination and the risk of equine influenza to Thoroughbred racehorses.

Background: Equine influenza (EI) outbreaks occurred among horses on four racing yards (two National Hunt, one Flat, one mixed National Hunt racing/breeding yard) in Ireland within a 4-week period.

Objectives: To carry out a detailed analysis of racing yards affected in order to identify the source of infection and monitor virus spread among a vaccinated population.

Study Design: Observational field study.

A Profile of the SAIL Databank on the UK Secure Research Platform.

Background: The Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank is a national data safe haven of de identified datasets principally about the population of Wales, made available in anonymised form to researchers across the world. It was established to enable the vast arrays of data collected about individuals in the course of health and other public service delivery to be made available to answer important questions that could not otherwise be addressed without prohibitive effort. The SAIL Databank is the bedrock of other funded centres relying on the data for research.

Finite difference schemes for a structured population model in the space of measures.

We present two finite-difference methods for approximating solutions to a structured population model in the space of non-negative Radon Measures. The first method is a first-order upwind-based scheme and the second is high-resolution method of second-order. We prove that the two schemes converge to the solution in the Bounded-Lipschitz norm.

Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Background: Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are life-threatening complications after surgery, warranting prophylaxis. However prophylaxis is not uniformly practiced among cardiac surgical patients. This study aimed to characterize the national incidence, mortality, and costs associated with thromboembolism after cardiac surgery.

Diagnosed prevalence of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorder in Wales, UK: a national electronic cohort study and case-control comparison.

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of diagnosed hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) using linked electronic medical records. To examine whether these conditions remain rare and primarily affect the musculoskeletal system.

Design: Nationwide linked electronic cohort and nested case-control study.

Acute kidney injury is independently associated with mortality and resource use after emergency general surgery operations.

Introduction: The incidence of severe perioperative renal dysfunction in high-acuity patients has not been well-explored at the national level. The present study aimed to evaluate the trends in the incidence of perioperative acute kidney injury and renal replacement therapy as well as associated mortality among patients undergoing an emergency general surgery operation.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using the National Inpatient Sample to identify all adult patients (>18 y) without chronic kidney disease who underwent an emergency general surgery procedure from 2008 to 2016.

Behavioural difficulties in early childhood and risk of adolescent injury.

Objective: To evaluate long-term associations between early childhood hyperactivity and conduct problems (CP), measured using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and risk of injury in early adolescence.

Design: Data linkage between a longitudinal birth cohort and routinely collected electronic health records.

Setting: Consenting Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) participants residing in Wales and Scotland.