Impact of intelligent virtual and AI-based automated collimation functionalities on the efficiency of radiographic acquisitions.

Introduction: Intelligent virtual and AI-based collimation functionalities have the potential to enable an efficient workflow for radiographers, but the specific impact on clinical routines is still unknown. This study analyzes primarily the influence of intelligent collimation functionalities on the examination time and the number of needed interactions with the radiography system.

Methods: An observational study was conducted on the use of three camera-based intelligent features at five clinical sites in Europe and the USA: AI-based auto thorax collimation (ATC), smart virtual ortho (SVO) collimation for stitched long-leg and full-spine examinations, and virtual collimation (VC) at the radiography system workstation.

E96V Mutation in the Gene Is Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Susceptibility in Obese NZO Mice.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) represents a multifactorial metabolic disease with a strong genetic predisposition. Despite elaborate efforts in identifying the genetic variants determining individual susceptibility towards T2D, the majority of genetic factors driving disease development remain poorly understood. With the aim to identify novel T2D risk genes we previously generated an N2 outcross population using the two inbred mouse strains New Zealand obese (NZO) and C3HeB/FeJ (C3H).

Comparative genomic analyses of multiple backcross mouse populations suggest SGCG as a novel potential obesity-modifier gene.

To nominate novel disease genes for obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), we recently generated two mouse backcross populations of the T2D-susceptible New Zealand Obese (NZO/HI) mouse strain and two genetically different, lean and T2D-resistant strains, 129P2/OlaHsd and C3HeB/FeJ. Comparative linkage analysis of our two female backcross populations identified seven novel body fat-associated quantitative trait loci (QTL). Only the locus Nbw14 (NZO body weight on chromosome 14) showed linkage to obesity-related traits in both backcross populations, indicating that the causal gene variant is likely specific for the NZO strain as NZO allele carriers in both crosses displayed elevated body weight and fat mass.

Interaction between MHC diversity and constitution, gut microbiota and Astrovirus infections in a neotropical bat.

Astroviruses (AstVs) infect numerous mammalian species including reservoirs such as bats. Peptides encoded by the genes of the highly polymorphic Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) form the first line of host defence against pathogens. Aside from direct involvement in mounting adaptive immune responses, MHC class II genes are hypothesized to regulate gut commensal diversity and shape the production of immune-modulatory substances by microbes, indirectly affecting host susceptibility.

Natural co-infection of divergent hepatitis B and C virus homologues in carnivores.

In humans, co-infection of hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV, HCV) is common and aggravates disease outcome. Infection-mediated disease aggravation is poorly understood, partly due to lack of suitable animal models. Carnivores are understudied for hepatitis virus homologues.

Alternative exon splicing and differential expression in pancreatic islets reveals candidate genes and pathways implicated in early diabetes development.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has a strong genetic component. Most of the gene variants driving the pathogenesis of T2D seem to target pancreatic β-cell function. To identify novel gene variants acting at early stage of the disease, we analyzed whole transcriptome data to identify differential expression (DE) and alternative exon splicing (AS) transcripts in pancreatic islets collected from two metabolically diverse mouse strains at 6 weeks of age after three weeks of high-fat-diet intervention.

A hepatitis B virus causes chronic infections in equids worldwide.

Preclinical testing of novel therapeutics for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) requires suitable animal models. Equids host homologs of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Because coinfections of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HCV occur in humans, we screened 2,917 specimens from equids from five continents for HBV.

At Least Seven Distinct Rotavirus Genotype Constellations in Bats with Evidence of Reassortment and Zoonotic Transmissions.

Bats host many viruses pathogenic to humans, and increasing evidence suggests that rotavirus A (RVA) also belongs to this list. Rotaviruses cause diarrheal disease in many mammals and birds, and their segmented genomes allow them to reassort and increase their genetic diversity. Eighteen out of 2,142 bat fecal samples (0.

Cross-order host switches of hepatitis C-related viruses illustrated by a novel hepacivirus from sloths.

The genealogy of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the genus remains elusive despite numerous recently discovered animal hepaciviruses (HVs). Viruses from evolutionarily ancient mammals might elucidate the HV macro-evolutionary patterns. Here, we investigated sixty-seven two-toed and nine three-toed sloths from Costa Rica for HVs using molecular and serological tools.

Mammalian deltavirus without hepadnavirus coinfection in the neotropical rodent .

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a human hepatitis-causing RNA virus, unrelated to any other taxonomic group of RNA viruses. Its occurrence as a satellite virus of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a singular case in animal virology for which no consensus evolutionary explanation exists. Here we present a mammalian deltavirus that does not occur in humans, identified in the neotropical rodent species The rodent deltavirus is highly distinct, showing a common ancestor with a recently described deltavirus in snakes.

Pathogen-associated selection on innate immunity genes (TLR4, TLR7) in a neotropical rodent in landscapes differing in anthropogenic disturbance.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) form part of the innate immune system and can recognize structurally conserved pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) molecules. Their functional importance in the resistance to pathogens has been documented in laboratory experimental settings and in humans. TLR diversity, however, has been rarely investigated in wildlife species.

The use of venetoclax-based salvage therapy for post-hematopoietic cell transplantation relapse of acute myeloid leukemia.

For patients with high risk myeloid disease, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only potentially curative therapy. Unfortunately, many of these patients relapse after HCT and have a limited survival. The recent approval of venetoclax, an orally bioavailable BCL-2 inhibitor, resulted in significant responses in treatment naïve acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and off-label use in the relapsed/refractory setting is increasing.

Highly diversified shrew hepatitis B viruses corroborate ancient origins and divergent infection patterns of mammalian hepadnaviruses.

Shrews, insectivorous small mammals, pertain to an ancient mammalian order. We screened 693 European and African shrews for hepatitis B virus (HBV) homologs to elucidate the enigmatic genealogy of HBV. Shrews host HBVs at low prevalence (2.

Host Biology and Anthropogenic Factors Affect Hepadnavirus Infection in a Neotropical Bat.

The tent-making bat hepatitis B virus (TBHBV) is a hepadnavirus closely related to human hepatitis B virus. The ecology of TBHBV is unclear. We show that it is widespread and highly diversified in Peters' tent-making bats (Uroderma bilobatum) within Panama, while local prevalence varied significantly between sample sites, ranging from 0 to 14.

Evolutionary biology of human hepatitis viruses.

Hepatitis viruses are major threats to human health. During the last decade, highly diverse viruses related to human hepatitis viruses were found in animals other than primates. Herein, we describe both surprising conservation and striking differences of the unique biological properties and infection patterns of human hepatitis viruses and their animal homologues, including transmission routes, liver tropism, oncogenesis, chronicity, pathogenesis and envelopment.

Two Novel Candidate Genes for Insulin Secretion Identified by Comparative Genomics of Multiple Backcross Mouse Populations.

To identify novel disease genes for type 2 diabetes (T2D) we generated two backcross populations of obese and diabetes-susceptible New Zealand Obese (NZO/HI) mice with the two lean mouse strains 129P2/OlaHsd and C3HeB/FeJ. Subsequent whole-genome linkage scans revealed 30 novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) for T2D-associated traits. The strongest association with blood glucose [12 cM, logarithm of the odds (LOD) 13.

Astrovirus infections induce age-dependent dysbiosis in gut microbiomes of bats.

Astroviruses (AstV) are a major cause of diarrhoea in children. Interestingly, some wildlife species, including bats, remain phenotypically asymptomatic after infection. Disease symptoms, however, may only be less visible in bats and enteric viruses may indeed perturb their gut microbial communities.

Ecological drivers of Hepacivirus infection in a neotropical rodent inhabiting landscapes with various degrees of human environmental change.

Anthropogenic environmental change can impact community and population traits such as species diversity and population densities, which have been shown to influence the prevalence of viruses in wildlife reservoirs. In particular, host species resilient to changes in their natural habitat may increase in numbers, which in turn can affect the prevalence of directly transmitted viruses. We have carried out a survey of small mammal communities in three tropical landscapes differing in their degree of environmental change in Central Panama and investigated the effects of community changes on Hepacivirus prevalence.

A novel hepatitis B virus species discovered in capuchin monkeys sheds new light on the evolution of primate hepadnaviruses.

Background & Aims: All known hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes occur in humans and hominoid Old World non-human primates (NHPs). The divergent woolly monkey HBV (WMHBV) forms another orthohepadnavirus species. The evolutionary origins of HBV are unclear.

Seasonal Fluctuations of Astrovirus, But Not Coronavirus Shedding in Bats Inhabiting Human-Modified Tropical Forests.

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are considered a major threat to global health. Most EIDs appear to result from increased contact between wildlife and humans, especially when humans encroach into formerly pristine habitats. Habitat deterioration may also negatively affect the physiology and health of wildlife species, which may eventually lead to a higher susceptibility to infectious agents and/or increased shedding of the pathogens causing EIDs.

Assay optimization for molecular detection of Zika virus.

Objective: To examine the diagnostic performance of real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for Zika virus detection.

Methods: We compared seven published real-time RT-PCR assays and two new assays that we have developed. To determine the analytical sensitivity of each assay, we constructed a synthetic universal control ribonucleic acid (uncRNA) containing all of the assays' target regions on one RNA strand and spiked human blood or urine with known quantities of African or Asian Zika virus strains.

Differential Infection Patterns and Recent Evolutionary Origins of Equine Hepaciviruses in Donkeys.

Unlabelled: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen. Genetically related viruses in animals suggest a zoonotic origin of HCV. The closest relative of HCV is found in horses (termed equine hepacivirus [EqHV]).