Factors influencing equine veterinarians' job satisfaction and retention: A focus group study.

Background: There is a shortage of equine veterinarians. Understanding what factors are associated with job satisfaction in equine veterinarians can inform interventions to increase retention in equine medicine.

Objective: To explore the prominent factors causing work dissatisfaction and burnout in equine veterinarians.

Student Experience and Clinicians' Longitudinal Evaluations Demonstrate Diversity of Experience and Achievement of Day One Competency in a Distributed Model of Clinical Education: A Mixed Methods Study.

Numerous colleges utilize distributed veterinary education (DVE) to deliver most or all their students' clinical education. This study explored students' experiences and development of competence in a DVE program. Veterinarians evaluated 120 final-year students' performances at the end of each 4-week clinical rotation using a four-point RIME (Reporter, Interpreter, Manager, Educator) scale.

Factors Associated with Behavioral Health Outcomes in Veterinarians Involved in Disaster Responses.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine what factors are associated with behavioral health in veterinary disaster responders.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was distributed via snowball sampling. Results were analyzed using chi-square analyses.

The intersection of Interprofessional Education and One Health: A qualitative study in human and veterinary medical institutions.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) and One Health are two common and overlapping frameworks for teaching collaborative practice. IPE is common at human medical institutions, while One Health is more common in graduate and veterinary programs. The connection between IPE and One Health is still being explored both in scholarship and in real-world professional settings.

Wave-Based Outcomes Comparison of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study From Rural Appalachia.

Background: There has been little to no characterization of the pandemic's effects on rural Central Appalachia, in which health disparities in the pre-COVID-19 era have historically plagued. This is the first study to compare wave-based differences in outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the rural Appalachian region. This study aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on large rural communities and Appalachia.

Prevalence and Factors of Self-medication with Antibiotics in Claiborne County, Tennessee.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious concern to public health, causing an estimated 35,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Misuse of antimicrobials increases the rate of AMR.

Challenges and Opportunities in One Health: Google Trends Search Data.

Google Trends data can be informative for zoonotic disease incidences, including Lyme disease. However, the use of Google Trends for predictive purposes is underutilized. In this study, we demonstrate the potential to use Google Trends for zoonotic disease prediction by predicting monthly state-level Lyme disease case counts in the United States.

Inferential implications of normalizing binomial proportions in a structural equation model: A simulation study motivated by feedlot data.

Most commercial software for implementation of structural equation models (SEM) cannot explicitly accommodate outcome variables of binomial nature. As a result, SEM modeling strategies of binomial outcomes are often based on normal approximations of empirical proportions. Inferential implications of these approximations are particularly relevant to health-related outcomes.

Factors associated with heartworm preventative use in the golden retriever lifetime study.

Introduction: Heartworm disease is preventable with use of heartworm preventatives, but the reported prevalence of heartworm preventative use in the United States is low, some estimates falling around 50% of dogs. However, there are very few estimates of prevalence and its associated factors.

Methods: We aimed to estimate prevalence and evaluate factors, including vaccination status, demographics, lifestyle, physical conditions, medications and supplements, and environment and living conditions, for their association with heartworm preventative use in a large dataset from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study ( = 2,998).

CANINE HEARTWORM INFECTION AND PROPHYLAXIS USE AMONG PET CARETAKERS FROM THE CUMBERLAND GAP REGION OF TENNESSEE, USA.

The prevalence of infection with canine heartworm (CHW), Dirofilaria immitis, continues to increase across the United States, regardless of the availability of effective and affordable prophylactic products. Current reports of CHW prevalence as estimated by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) are thought to under-represent the true magnitude of the issue because pet dogs that do not receive regular veterinary care are often excluded. This study estimated the prevalence of CHW in pet dogs and associated prophylaxis use in pet dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region with a combined doorstep diagnostic testing approach and caretaker survey.

Outcomes of Heart Failure in COVID-19 Patients: An Appalachian Experience.

Background: The Southeastern rural areas of the USA have a higher prevalence of heart failure (HF). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is associated with poor outcomes in patients with HF. Our study aimed to compare the outcomes of hospitalized HF patients with and without COVID-19 infection specifically in rural parts of the USA.

COVID-19 Experiences, Behaviors, Beliefs, and Well-Being Among Students and Employees at a University In Rural Appalachia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, most universities experienced drastic operational changes with shifts to online learning, work-from-home policies, and social distancing measures. These changes have caused concern for social isolation and mental health.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study explores differences in COVID-19 experiences, behaviors, beliefs, and well-being among students and employees (faculty and staff) at a rural Appalachian university.

Predictive Models for Weekly Cattle Mortality after Arrival at a Feeding Location Using Records, Weather, and Transport Data at Time of Purchase.

Feedlot mortality negatively affects animal welfare and profitability. To the best of our knowledge, there are no publications on predictive models for weekly all-cause mortality in feedlot cattle. In this study, random forest models to predict weekly mortality for cattle purchase groups (n = 14,217 purchase groups; 860,545 animals) from arrival at the feeding location (Day 1) to Day 42 and cumulative mortality from Day 43 until slaughter were built using records, weather, and transport data available at the time of purchase.

Predictors of Mortality for Patients with COVID-19 in the Rural Appalachian Region.

Background: The prevalence and outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in rural areas is unknown.

Methods: This is a multi-center retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from April 5, 2020 to December 31, 2020. The data were extracted from 13 facilities in the Appalachian Regional Healthcare system that share the same electronic health record using ICD-10-CM codes.

Serum Vitamin D Is Associated with Antioxidant Potential in Peri-Parturient Cows.

Dairy cows experience increased oxidative stress during periods of transition such as at the cessation of lactation and around the periparturient period, thus increasing disease risk. Despite routine supplementation of transition cow diets with certain vitamins in an attempt to mitigate oxidative stress, there is no currently available data directly linking vitamin supplementation with antioxidant potential (AOP) in transition cows. The objective of this study was to determine the association between serum vitamins and biomarkers of oxidative stress in healthy cows.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among Rural Appalachian Healthcare Workers (Eastern Kentucky/West Virginia): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction The success of a vaccination program is dependent on vaccine efficacy and the number of people vaccinated. Healthcare workers are the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine based on CDC phase 1a recommendations and are a point of contact for information for patients, so they must be well-educated on common misconceptions about the vaccine. Objective To identify acceptance/refusal rates of COVID-19 vaccine, reasons for refusal, and to understand the impact of demographics, work environment, and comorbidities on vaccine acceptance.

The impact of gel fingernail polish application on the reduction of bacterial viability following a surgical hand scrub.

Objective: To determine the effect of gel nail polish application on the reduction of bacterial viability immediately after a surgical hand scrub.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Sample Population: Ten fingernails each from 40 female health care professionals and students.

Weather conditions associated with death attributed to bovine respiratory disease complex in high-risk auction market-sourced male beef calves.

Objective: To evaluate associations between weather conditions and management factors with the incidence of death attributable to bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) in high-risk auction-sourced beef calves.

Animals: Cohorts (n = 3,339) of male beef calves (545,866) purchased by 1 large cattle feeding operation from 216 locations and transported to 1 of 89 feeding locations (backgrounding location or feedlot) with similar management protocols.

Procedures: Associations between weather conditions and management factors on the day of purchase (day P) and during the first week at the feeding location and cumulative BRDC mortality incidence within the first 60 days on feed were estimated in a mixed-effects negative binomial regression model.

Random-effects linear model application to herd-level assessment of bovine hepatic trace mineral concentrations.

To evaluate the utility of random-effects linear modeling for herd-level evaluation of trace mineral status, we performed a retrospective analysis of the results for trace mineral testing of bovine liver samples submitted to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between 2011 and 2017. Our aim was to examine random-effects models for their potential utility in improving interpretation with minimal sample numbers. The database consisted of 1,658 animals distributed among 121 herds.

Rumination time around dry-off relative to the development of diseases in early-lactation cows.

Monitoring rumination time (RT) around the time of calving is an effective way of identifying cows at risk of disease in early lactation. However, this only allows for the identification of cows a few days before the onset of clinical signs; thus, effective preventive measures cannot be implemented. Recent research has suggested that biomarkers of immune and metabolic function measured at dry-off (DO) can predict higher disease risk in early lactation.

Serum retinol, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol as biomarkers for disease risk and milk production in periparturient dairy cows.

The effectiveness of using serum vitamin concentrations as biomarkers to predict diseases in dairy cows during the periparturient period is not well known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum β-carotene, retinol, and α-tocopherol concentrations and periparturient cow diseases in commercial dairies. We measured serum concentrations of these vitamin-active compounds at dry-off and during close-up (approximately 3 wk before calving) and early lactation (approximately 7 d post-calving), and we examined their association with clinical diseases in the first 30 d in milk.

Prospects for predictive modeling of transition cow diseases.

Transition cow diseases can negatively impact animal welfare and reduce dairy herd profitability. Transition cow disease incidence has remained relatively stable over time despite monitoring and management efforts aimed to reduce the risk of developing diseases. Dairy cattle disease risk is monitored by assessing multiple factors, including certain biomarker test results, health records, feed intake, body condition score, and milk production.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Mediator of the Association between Physical Activity and Overweight and Obesity in Adolescent Girls.

Overweight and obesity (OW/OB) continue to be prominent health issues among adolescent girls. However, little is known about the interrelationships between physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and OW/OB in this population. The objective of this study was to examine whether CRF mediates the relationship between PA and OW/OB in adolescent girls.

Breastfeeding and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Background: The beneficial effect of breastfeeding on individual components of the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents has been reported, but it is unknown if there is an association between being breastfed and metabolic syndrome as a whole. Research aim: This systematic review was performed to assess quality and strength of evidence for the association between being breastfed and the development of metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents.

Methods: Articles were obtained from searches using PubMed and Embase databases, as well as from secondary searches through reference lists.