Economic evaluation of the eradication program for bovine viral diarrhea in the Swiss dairy sector

The aim of this study was to conduct an economic evaluation of the BVD eradication program in the Swiss dairy sector. The situation before the start of the program (herd-level prevalence: 20%) served as a baseline scenario. Production models for three dairy farm types were used to estimate gross margins as well as net production losses and expenditures caused by BVD. The total economic benefit was estimated as the difference in disease costs between the baseline scenario and the implemented eradication program and was compared to the total eradication costs in a benefit-cost analysis. Data on the impact of BVD virus (BVDV) infection on animal health, fertility and production parameters were obtained empirically in a retrospective epidemiological case-control study in Swiss dairy herds and complemented by literature. Economic and additional production parameters were based on benchmarking data and published agricultural statistics. The eradication costs comprised the cumulative expenses for sampling and diagnostics. The economic model consisted of a stochastic simulation in @Risk for Excel with 20,000 iterations and was conducted for a time period of 14 years (2008–2021)

A refined TALDICE-1a age scale from 55 to 112 ka before present for the Talos Dome ice core based on high-resolution methane measurements

A precise synchronization of different climate records is indispensable for a correct dynamical interpretation of paleoclimatic data. A chronology for the TALDICE ice core from the Ross Sea sector of East Antarctica has recently been presented based on methane synchronization with Greenland and the EDC ice cores and δ<sup>18</sup>O<sub>ice</sub> synchronization with EDC in the bottom part (TALDICE-1). Using new high-resolution methane data obtained with a continuous flow analysis technique, we present a refined age scale for the age interval from 55–112 thousand years (ka) before present, where TALDICE is synchronized with EDC. New and more precise tie points reduce the uncertainties of the age scale from up to 1900 yr in TALDICE-1 to below 1100 yr over most of the refined interval and shift the Talos Dome dating to significantly younger ages during the onset of Marine Isotope Stage 3. Thus, discussions of climate dynamics at sub-millennial time scales are now possible back to 110 ka, in particular during the inception of the last ice age. Calcium data of EDC and TALDICE are compared to show the impact of the refinement to the synchronization of the two ice cores not only for the gas but also for the ice age scale

Surgical Site Infections at Donor and Recipient Sites in Patients with Iliac Crest Harvesting For Autologous Bone Grafting - A Pilot Evaluation

Surgeons harvest the iliac crest for bone grafting. The epidemiology of surgical site infections (SSI) associated with this procedure at the donor, or recipient site, is unknown. We perform a retrospective pilot evaluation of adult patients undergoing first-time orthopedic surgery at the Balgrist University Hospital between 2014-2019. We excluded patients with infection at the index surgery, diabetic foot surgeries, superficial SSIs, and revision surgeries. We included 20,088 episodes of primary orthopedic surgery, of which 467 with iliac crest bone sampling (467/20,088; 2%). Only two iliac sites (2/467; 0.4%) become infected. In contrast, surgeries with iliac crest sampling yielded more SSIs at the recipient site than those without (1.9% vs. 0.8%; χ2-test; p<0.01). These patients equally revealed more co-morbidities such as a longer duration of surgery (median 127 vs. 79 minutes), when compared to the general orthopedic population. In multivariate logistic regression analysis with the outcome “ SSI at the recipient site”, the iliac harvesting was independently associated with deep SSIs requiring surgical revision (odds ratio 2.1; 95% confidence interval 1.1-4.2). In our pilot evaluation with 20,088 primary orthopedic surgeries, the SSI risk of the iliac harvest site was low. In contrast, surgeries with supplementary iliac crest harvesting revealed a higher SSI risk than the general orthopedic population, potentially due to a mix of local independent risks of grafting together with a prolonged surgery time. Keywords : Autologous bone grafting; Deep surgical site infections; Epidemiology; Iliac crest harvesting; Revision surger

Combining charcoal sediment and molecular markers to infer a Holocene fire history in the Maya Lowlands of Petén, Guatemala

Abstract Vegetation changes in the Maya Lowlands during the Holocene are a result of changing climate conditions, solely anthropogenic activities, or interactions of both factors. As a consequence, it is difficult to assess how tropical ecosystems will cope with projected changes in precipitation and land-use intensification over the next decades. We investigated the role of fire during the Holocene by combining macroscopic charcoal and the molecular fire proxies levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan. Combining these two different fire proxies allows a more robust understanding of the complex history of fire regimes at different spatial scales during the Holocene. In order to infer changes in past biomass burning, we analysed a lake sediment core from Lake Peten Itza, Guatemala, and compared our results with millennial-scale vegetation and climate change available in the area. We detected three periods of high fire activity during the Holocene: 9500–6000 cal yr BP, 3700 cal yr BP and 2700 cal yr BP. We attribute the first maximum mostly to climate conditions and the last maximum to human activities. The rapid change between burned vegetation types at the 3700 cal yr BP fire maximum may result from human activity

Associations of Statin Use with Deep Surgical Site Infections and Late Non-Infectious Revision Surgeries in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery: A Clinical Cohort Study

Statins have multiple preventive properties. We investigate if a chronic perioperative statin medication for cardiovascular indications reduces deep orthopedic surgical site infections (SSI), and other late non-infectious complications, in adult patients. We performed a single-center cohort of primary orthopedic interventions 2014-2019; with the exclusion of infection surgery and diabetic foot surgery. Group comparisons with Cox regression analyses; with and without propensity-score matching (nearest neighbor approach). We included 20,088 interventions in 20,088 different patients (median age 53 years, 49% females, 5% diabetes mellitus). Among them, 2,486 episodes (12%) revealed a pre-operative statin therapy (222 different brands and doses). After a median follow-up of 11 months, 1,414 episodes needed a surgical revision: 158 (0.8%) due to deep SSI and 1256 (6.3%) for non-infectious reasons. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, statin use was unrelated to both SSI (hazard ratio (HR) 0.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-1.4) and non-infectious complications (HR 1.1, 95%CI 0.9-1.3). We equally lacked associations when we associated deep SSIS with statin use for the subgroups of implant-related surgery (HR 0.8, 95%CI 0.4-1.6) or orthroplasties (HR 0.8, 95%CI 0.3-2.6), separately. Likewise, propensity-score matched analyses on the variable “statin” equally failed to alter these outcomes. In our large cohort study with 20,088 orthopedic interventions, we found no protective association of a statin medication on deep SSI risks; or on other late non-infectious complications requiring revision surgery. Keywords statin medication, orthopedic surgery, surgical site infection, revision surgery, epidemiolog

Greenland records of aerosol source and atmospheric lifetime changes from the Eemian to the Holocene

The Northern Hemisphere experienced dramatic changes during the last glacial, featuring vast ice sheets and abrupt climate events, while high northern latitudes during the last interglacial (Eemian) were warmer than today. Here we use high-resolution aerosol records from the Greenland NEEM ice core to reconstruct the environmental alterations in aerosol source regions accompanying these changes. Separating source and transport effects, we find strongly reduced terrestrial biogenic emissions during glacial times reflecting net loss of vegetated area in North America. Rapid climate changes during the glacial have little effect on terrestrial biogenic aerosol emissions. A strong increase in terrestrial dust emissions during the coldest intervals indicates higher aridity and dust storm activity in East Asian deserts. Glacial sea salt aerosol emissions in the North Atlantic region increase only moderately (50%), likely due to sea ice expansion. Lower aerosol concentrations in Eemian ice compared to the Holocene are mainly due to shortened atmospheric residence time, while emissions changed little.It is supported by funding agencies and institutions in Belgium (FNRS-CFB and FWO), Canada (NRCan/GSC), China (CAS), Denmark (FIST), France (IPEV, CNRS/INSU, CEA and ANR), Germany (AWI), Iceland (RannIs), Japan (NIPR), Korea (KOPRI), The Netherlands (NWO/ALW), Sweden (VR), Switzerland (SNF), United Kingdom (NERC), and the USA (US NSF, Office of Polar Programs). Long-term support of ice core research at the University of Bern by SNF is gratefully acknowledged

[Intramammary use of antibiotics in dairy farms in the canton of Ticino before, during and after Staphylococcus aureus genotype B elimination].

INTRODUCTION The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of intramammary antibiotics before, during and after the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus genotype B (SAGTB). Data on intramammary antibiotic use was collected in 65 dairy farms as part of a pilot project for SAGTB elimination in the canton of Ticino from 2017 to 2019. The investigated farms were divided into 46 affected farms (with at least one SAGTB-positive animal) and 19 control farms (SAGTB-free farms). Data on antibiotic use were requested from veterinarians and treatment incidence, as a measure of antibiotic use, was calculated based on medical records and veterinary prescriptions. In addition, the treatment incidence was calculated for 47 farms during alpine farming period. In 2018 (elimination year), the mean incidence of treatment during lactation in the SAGTB-positive farms was significantly higher than in the control farms (p=0,003). In 2019 no significantly lower antibiotic use during lactation or dry period was detected between 2017 (before elimination) and 2019 (after elimination). Alpine farming places where only S. aureus genotype B-negative animals had access to had a significantly lower antibiotic use during lactation (p=0,004). The new federal database (Antibiotics Information System in Veterinary Medicine, IS ABV) should allow continuous monitoring and to confirm the reduction of antibiotic use in the coming years

Assessment of oligoclonal bands in cerebrospinal fluid and serum of dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown origin

Background: Meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO) is an inflammatory disease of the canine central nervous system (CNS) that shares several features with multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans. In approximately 95% of MS patients, ≥ two immunoglobulin G (IgG) oligoclonal bands (OCBs) are detectable exclusively in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Hypothesis/objectives: To investigate OCBs in CSF and serum in dogs affected by MUO, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), idiopathic epilepsy (IE), intracranial neoplasia (IN), steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA), and diseases outside the CNS. We hypothesize that the highest prevalence of CSF-specific OCBs (≥ two OCBs uniquely in the CSF) would be found in dogs affected by MUO. Animals: Client-owned dogs (n = 121) presented to the neurology service due to neurological deficits. Methods: Prospective study. Measurement of IgG concentration in CSF and serum via a canine IgG ELISA kit. OCB detection via isoelectric focusing (IEF) and immunoblot. Results: Presence of CSF-specific OCBs was significantly higher in dogs with MUO (57%) compared to 22% in IN, 6% in IE, 15% in SRMA, 13% in IVDD, and 0% in the non-CNS group (p < .001). Dogs with MUO were 9.9 times more likely to show CSF-specific OCBs than all other diseases together (95% confidence interval, 3.7–26.4; p < .001). Conclusions and clinical importance: MUO showed the highest prevalence of CSF-specific OCBs, indicating an inflammatory B cell response. Future studies are needed to evaluate the prevalence in the specific MUO subtypes and a possible similarity with human MS