Immunization but not natural infection of horses results in antibody activity against the S protein of Streptococcus equi subsp equi.

Objective: Evaluate the immunogenicity of a vaccine targeting the S protein (Ssee) of Streptococcus equi subsp equi and determine antibody activity against Ssee in horses with strangles.

Methods: The study was designed as a prospective experiment using 20 university-owned Quarter Horses and a cross-sectional serosurvey of 78 privately owned horses with strangles. Horses were immunized IM with 0 (n = 4), 200 (n = 8), or 400 (n = 8) μg of recombinant Ssee at weeks 0, 4, and 12.

"I am a guest man in a world of women": The lived experiences of gay fathers utilizing human milk donations for their babies.

This study explores the lived experiences of gay fathers in Israel who receive human milk donations for their infants born abroad through surrogacy. Unlike regulated milk banks, peer-to-peer milk sharing is an informal, unregulated practice often facilitated through online platforms, where health risks and personal trust become central concerns. Using a phenomenological multiple case study approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight families, yielding four main themes: (1) Interruption versus continuity, (2) Lack and compensation, (3) Inclusion and exclusion, and (4) Concrete and symbolic attributes of human milk.

Data-Driven Framework for the Prediction of PEGDA Hydrogel Mechanics.

Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels are biocompatible and photo-cross-linkable, with accessible values of elastic modulus ranging from kPa to MPa, leading to their wide use in biomedical and soft material applications. However, PEGDA gels possess complex microstructures, limiting the use of standard polymer theories to describe them. As a result, we lack a foundational understanding of how to relate their composition, processing, and mechanical properties.