Respiratory Viruses and Antibodies in Preconditioned South Dakota Feeder Calves

Nasal swabs and blood samples were taken from a t o t a l of 400 calves on a preconditioning evaluation program during 2 years. Fifty calves from each of four South Dakota ranches were divided into preconditioned (PC) and control (CO) groups and sampled both on the ranch and in the feedlot. The preconditioning program followed the recommendations of the South Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association and the Extension Service and included vaccination with live virus vaccines for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and parainfluenza-3 virus (PI3). In both years, viruses were isolated from calves on the ranches before vaccination. PI3 and IBR were readily isolated from calves that were vaccinated 2 weeks previously with a live intranasal IBR-PI3 virus vaccine. Fifty-six virus isolations were made from the 200 calves on arrival at the feedlot in the second year in contrast to six made the first year. Serum was tested for antibodies to IBR, BVD, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and PI3. Prevaccination antibodies were present to PI3 and BVD during the first year and to PI3, BM and RSV during the second year. Antibody levels varied among the ranches. Serologically, respiratory syncytial virus was present in the feedlot both years, although it was only isolated the second year. Serologic evidence from calves in the feedlot indicated that PI3 and RSV were the most prevalent viruses. There were no significant differences between the health scores of preconditioned and control calves and this may have been inf1uenced by the presence of other agents, i.e., respiratory syncytial virus and enteroviruses

High-Moisture Ear Corn and Corn Silage in Backgrounding Cattle Diets

One hundred ninety-two Angus x Limousin steer calves (560 lb) were used in an 85-day backgrounding trial. Dietary crude protein levels of 90, 100, 110 and 120% of the NRC factorial equation recommendation were used within ad libitum-fed corn silage diets (CS) arid limit-fed chopped high-moisture ear corn (HMEC) diets. The objective was to determine if optimum dietary crude protein levels differed between these two basal diets when fed at similar levels of a net energy of gain. By design of the experiment, daily dry matter intake of HMEC diets was lower than CS diets (P\u3c.001). ADG was similar across basal diets and feed conversion was improved (P\u3c.001) with HMEC diets. Dietary crude protein level did not affect ADG. Quadratic decreases in the protein efficiency ratio occurred as dietary crude protein Level increased (P\u3c.01). Plasma urea N (PUN) levels were higher in calves fed HMEC diets (P\u3c.05) arid increased quadratically with increasing dietary crude protein level on day 56 (P\u3c.05). This study suggests the NRC factorial equation estimates the gram daily crude protein requirement and can be used without modification to predict dietary crude protein needs of limit-fed feeder calves

Optimun Levels of Dietary Crude Protein and Monensin for Steer Calves on Limit-Fed, High Concentrate Diets

One hundred ninety-two Angus and Angus x Limousin calves (611 lb) were randomly allotted to one of four Levels of crude protein intake and three dosages of monensin in an 80% concentrate diet. Intake of the complete diet was restricted to allow 2.2 lb average daily gain over an 86-day period. Crude protein was fed at 90, 100, 110 or 120% of the gram daily requirement described by NRC. Monensin was fed at 120, 180 or 240 mg/head/day. Each 10% increase in dietary crude protein caused a .13 lb increase in ADG, a .34 unit improvement in feed efficiency and .90 mg/dl increase in plasma urea nitrogen (P\u3c .001). Increasing monensin from 120 to 180 mg/head/day improved ADG .19 lb per day and feed/gain .56 units (P\u3c.01). There was no additional response to feeding monensin at 240 mg/head/day

Non-canonical Hedgehog signaling mediates profibrotic hematopoiesis-stroma crosstalk in myeloproliferative neoplasms.

The role of hematopoietic Hedgehog signaling in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) remains incompletely understood despite data suggesting that Hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitors have therapeutic activity in patients. We aim to systematically interrogate the role of canonical vs. non-canonical Hh signaling in MPNs. We show that Gli1 protein levels in patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) mark fibrotic progression and that, in murine MPN models, absence of hematopoietic Gli1, but not Gli2 or Smo, significantly reduces MPN phenotype and fibrosis, indicating that GLI1 in the MPN clone can be activated in a non-canonical fashion. Additionally, we establish that hematopoietic Gli1 has a significant effect on stromal cells, mediated through a druggable MIF-CD74 axis. These data highlight the complex interplay between alterations in the MPN clone and activation of stromal cells and indicate that Gli1 represents a promising therapeutic target in MPNs, particularly that Hh signaling is dispensable for normal hematopoiesis

The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic on reversing global life-saving gains in the survival of childhood cancer: A call for collaborative action from SIOP, IPSO, PROS, WCC, CCI, st jude global, UICC and WHPCA

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented health crisis in all socio-economic regions across the globe. While the pandemic has had a profound impact on access to and delivery of health care by all services, it has been particularly disruptive for the care of patients with life-threatening noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as the treatment of children and young people with cancer. The reduction in child mortality from preventable causes over the last 50 years has seen childhood cancer emerge as a major unmet health care need. Whilst survival rates of 85% have been achieved in high income countries, this has not yet been translated into similar outcomes for children with cancer in resource-limited settings where survival averages 30%. Launched in 2018, by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) is a pivotal effort by the international community to achieve at least 60% survival for children with cancer by 2030. The WHO GICC is already making an impact in many countries but the disruption of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to set back this global effort to improve the outcome for children with cancer, wherever they may live. As representatives of the global community committed to fostering the goals of the GICC, we applaud the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular we support the WHO's call to ensure the needs of patients with life threatening NCDs including cancer are not compromised during the pandemic. Here, as collaborative partners in the GICC, we highlight specific areas of focus that need to be addressed to ensure the immediate care of children and adolescents with cancer is not disrupted during the pandemic; and measures to sustain the development of cancer care so the long-term goals of the GICC are not lost during this global health crisis.Fil: Pritchard Jones, Kathy. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: de Abib, Simone C.V.. International Society Of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Surinam. Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Esiashvili, Natia. University of Emory; Estados UnidosFil: Kaspers, Gertjan J.L.. Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Países BajosFil: Rosser, Jon. No especifíca;Fil: van Doorninck, John A.. Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children; Estados UnidosFil: Braganca, João M.L.. No especifíca;Fil: Hoffman, Ruth I.. No especifíca;Fil: Rodriguez Galindo, Carlos. St Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Adams, Cary. Union for International Cancer Control; SuizaFil: Connor, Stephen R.. Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance; Estados UnidosFil: Abdelhafeez, Abdelhafeez H.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Bouffet, Eric. University Of Toronto. Hospital For Sick Children; Canadá. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Howard, Scott C.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Challinor, Julia M.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Hessissen, Laila. Children Hospital of Rabat; Marruecos. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Dalvi, Rashmi B.. Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences; India. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Kearns, Pamela. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Chantada, Guillermo Luis. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Frazier, Lindsay A.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Sullivan, Michael J.. University of Melbourne; Australia. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Schulte, Fiona S.M.. University of Calgary; Canadá. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Morrissey, Lisa K.. Boston Children’s Hospital; Estados Unidos. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Kozhaeva, Olga. European Society for Paediatric Oncology; BélgicaFil: Luna Fineman, Sandra. Children’s Hospital Colorado; Estados Unidos. International Society of Paediatric Oncology; SuizaFil: Khan, Muhammad S.. Tawam Hospital; Emiratos Arabes Unido

Effects of sleep deprivation on neural functioning: an integrative review

Sleep deprivation has a broad variety of effects on human performance and neural functioning that manifest themselves at different levels of description. On a macroscopic level, sleep deprivation mainly affects executive functions, especially in novel tasks. Macroscopic and mesoscopic effects of sleep deprivation on brain activity include reduced cortical responsiveness to incoming stimuli, reflecting reduced attention. On a microscopic level, sleep deprivation is associated with increased levels of adenosine, a neuromodulator that has a general inhibitory effect on neural activity. The inhibition of cholinergic nuclei appears particularly relevant, as the associated decrease in cortical acetylcholine seems to cause effects of sleep deprivation on macroscopic brain activity. In general, however, the relationships between the neural effects of sleep deprivation across observation scales are poorly understood and uncovering these relationships should be a primary target in future research