Aptamer-based multiplexed proteomic technology for biomarker discovery

Interrogation of the human proteome in a highly multiplexed and efficient manner remains a coveted and challenging goal in biology. We present a new aptamer-based proteomic technology for biomarker discovery capable of simultaneously measuring thousands of proteins from small sample volumes (15 [mu]L of serum or plasma). Our current assay allows us to measure ~800 proteins with very low limits of detection (1 pM average), 7 logs of overall dynamic range, and 5% average coefficient of variation. This technology is enabled by a new generation of aptamers that contain chemically modified nucleotides, which greatly expand the physicochemical diversity of the large randomized nucleic acid libraries from which the aptamers are selected. Proteins in complex matrices such as plasma are measured with a process that transforms a signature of protein concentrations into a corresponding DNA aptamer concentration signature, which is then quantified with a DNA microarray. In essence, our assay takes advantage of the dual nature of aptamers as both folded binding entities with defined shapes and unique sequences recognizable by specific hybridization probes. To demonstrate the utility of our proteomics biomarker discovery technology, we applied it to a clinical study of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We identified two well known CKD biomarkers as well as an additional 58 potential CKD biomarkers. These results demonstrate the potential utility of our technology to discover unique protein signatures characteristic of various disease states. More generally, we describe a versatile and powerful tool that allows large-scale comparison of proteome profiles among discrete populations. This unbiased and highly multiplexed search engine will enable the discovery of novel biomarkers in a manner that is unencumbered by our incomplete knowledge of biology, thereby helping to advance the next generation of evidence-based medicine

Reported antimicrobial use and Salmonella resistance on 90 Alberta swine farms

The study objectives were to describe antimicrobial use (AMU) and Salmonella resistance on 90 Alberta swine farms. The vast majority of antimicrobials were used in-feed. In weaners, in-feed use did not vary among farms, suggesting heavy reliance on in-feed antimicrobials. For grow-to-finish production phases, most farms reported heavy reliance on in-feed antimicrobials, but 6 and 14 farms did not report any in-feed AMU in growers and finishers, respectively

Factors Associated With Time to Elimination of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in Individual Ontario Swine Herds Based on Surveillance Data

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) emerged into Canada in January of 2014. The virus was considered to be of high importance and the number of new cases were tracked using different mechanisms by stakeholders such as veterinary services from the provincial government and the swine industry. In addition to the initial date of infection, veterinary organizations in the swine industry maintained a disease control program (DCP) database that contained the date of declaration of freedom from PEDV in individual herds. Such data allowed for the determination of the duration of PEDV infection in individual herds based on herd type, year and season of diagnosis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine time to PEDV elimination in Ontario swine herds infected between 2014 and 2017, on the basis of records from the DCP database; and to identify factors associated with the likelihood of elimination. Duration of time to eliminate PEDV was estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. The final Cox's proportional hazard model included herd type, season and year of diagnosis. The hazard of PEDV elimination for premises that were farrow-to-wean was 3.36 times larger (P-value: 0.044, 95% CI: 1.03, 10.93) than for farrow-to-feeder herds. Herds diagnosed in the summer and fall had hazard ratios of 1.40 (P-value: 0.044, 95% CI: 1.03, 10.93) and 7.32 (P-value: <0.001, 95% CI: 3.12, 17.18), respectively compared to herds diagnosed in the winter months. The hazard ratio for herds diagnosed in 2015 was 0.54 (P-value: 0.015, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.89) compared to herds diagnosed in 2014. Factors associated with time to elimination are likely reflective of the complexity of infection control practices applied in herds with different demographics and population structures, seasonal variability in the pathogen transmissibility, and the availability of resources to manage an emerging production-limiting disease. The median times to elimination were relatively long, which could be due to how it was measured, decisions made at the level of individual herds or delays related to reporting PEDV elimination. Design of control measures for production-limiting diseases at the regional level should take these factors into consideration

The Boundary-spanning Role of Democratic Learning Communities: Implementing the IDEALS

This multi-case study investigates characteristics and practices in schools that expand the traditional boundaries of school leadership and transform schools into democratic learning communities based on the level of implementation of the IDEALS framework. This investigation serves as a modus to illuminate democratic processes that change schools and address the needs of the students, not the needs of the adults in the system. A sample of five purposefully selected high schools, from the Midwest USA, was utilized. The schools serve Grade 9—12 students, but vary in size, residential area and socioeconomic status of the students. This study illuminates some of the challenges and strategies that facilitate or impede the process of creating more democratic schools that expand the boundaries of inquiry and discourse to include a broader range of community stakeholders and that respect and embrace issues of equity.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

PigCHAMP Summary of 1994 Reproductive Herd Performance

A summary of 51 swine herds in the western cornbelt that used PigCHAMP as their reproductive record system during 1994 was completed. This summary documents the wide range in performance that existed among herds. Using 10th and 90th percentiles, farrowing rate ranged from 69.1% to 88.1%, pigs weaned per litter from 8.1 to 9.8, and litters per mated female from 1.76 to 2.36. Overall reproductive performance, reported as pigs weaned per mated female per year, ranged from 14.8 to 22.4 with a 50th percentile value of 19.3. These results can be used for planning and decision making purposes in individual swine enterprises