University Of California-Davis Research Articles

Abstract B044: Assessing Native Americans’ readiness for lung cancer screening and smoking cessation

Abstract Introduction: Among all U.S. racial/ethnic populations, Native Americans (American Indians) experience the highest rates of commercial tobacco use and lung cancer incidence and mortality. The goal of the Native American Commercial Tobacco and lung cancer screening InterventiON Study (NACTIONS) is to address these disparities by measurably increasing lung cancer screening (LCS) in the context of smoking cessation. Building off a history of collaborations, the University of California, Davis (UCD) reached out to two Native-serving Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in its catchment area to co-design means to improve lung health among their Native patients. Methods: In recognition of the extra time and effort involved, the UCD offered modest funding to these two FQHCs in inland northern California as well as gift cards for providers in sharing their practices in offering smoking cessation and LCS as well as interviews with their Native patients. Eligibility criteria for LCS were based on the 2021 US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations that specified age: 50-80 years old and smoking history of 20 pack years for current smokers or those who quit within the past 15 years. We interviewed 14 providers and two categories of Native patients: both who had completed LCS (n=9) and those who are eligible but had not yet been screened (n=8) to understand facilitators, barriers, and solutions. A Native leader provided us with a conceptual framework to understand Native resiliency in addressing addiction to guide our approach. We also convened monthly meetings to discuss observations and co-design next steps. Findings: Both FQHCs reported approximately 400 Native patients eligible for LCS, but the readiness levels for interventions to promote smoking cessation and LCS were not the same. Each FQHC is under-resourced and each FQHC’s electronic medical system was not originally formulated for research. However, IT directors were willing to increase their scope to document patients’ readiness for intervention and their smoking histories through the LCS process. Common to both FQHCs is the essentiality of earned trust with their patients; adapting each FQHC’s electronic health system for precisely identifying eligible patients and longitudinally following them; assessing their social determinants of health; and the need to provide lung health education for the entire community. For instance, the high prevalence of diabetes, substance abuse, homelessness, etc. must be considered and the need to have tribal, friends, and family support for lung health can be reinforced through community-wide health education and patient navigation. Conclusions: This needs assessment documented factors that will enhance efforts for promoting LCS and smoking cessation at two Native-serving FQHCs. Promoting lung health through smoking cessation and increased completions of LCS can be better achieved through collaboration, addressing both social and physiological determinants of health, and earned trust. Citation Format: Julie Dang, Mayra Sandoval, David Cooke, Miriam Nuno, Carla Martin, Bobbi Jo Simmons, Teresa Martens, Elisa Tong, Moon S. Chen Jr. Assessing Native Americans’ readiness for lung cancer screening and smoking cessation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B044.

Platelet-Rich Plasma and Related Orthobiologics for the Treatment of Equine Musculoskeletal Disorders-A Bibliometric Analysis from 2000 to 2024.

(1) Background: There is increasing interest in the use of platelet-rich plasma and related orthobiologics for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal disorders in horses; however, there is no information on the bibliometric impact of the literature published in this area. (2) Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed using the bibliometrix R package by analyzing the documents registered in the WOS and Scopus databases from 2000 to 2024. The included registers were evaluated according to the menu of results from the biblioshiny web app (overview, sources, authors, documents, words, trending topics, clustering, conceptual structure, and social structure). (3) Conclusions: The documents produced were mainly published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, BMC Veterinary Research, and the American Journal of Veterinary Research). The most productive institutions were Universidad de Caldas, Colorado State University, University of California-Davis, and University of Leipzig, and the most productive countries were the USA, Brazil, and Colombia. Horse, platelet-rich plasma, equine, osteoarthritis, and autologous conditioned serum were the most frequently used keywords. The trending topics in this area are platelet lysates and orthobiologics. The collaboration network of authors, institutions, and countries shows an isolated development of individual author networks with modest collaboration between institutions and countries.

What Is the Role of the Carotid Baroreflex in Exaggerating the Exercise Pressor Reflex in Male UCD-Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rats?

Previous studies have shown that exercise evokes an excessive increase in blood pressure in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which is mediated, in part, by an altered exercise pressor reflex. Importantly, in healthy individuals the arterial baroreflex modulates the pressor response to exercise; however, the effects of T2DM on this modulatory effect of the baroreflex remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the arterial baroreflex function in T2DM rats and to determine whether the carotid baroreflex plays a role in exaggerating the exercise pressor reflex. We hypothesized that T2DM rats would present a baroreflex dysfunction that likely contributes to the exaggerated pressor response during muscle contraction. Experiments were performed on adult (8 ± 2 months old), male University of California Davis (UCD)-T2DM ( n=7; body weight: 640 ± 43 g) and healthy Sprague-Dawley rats ( n=3; body weight: 485 ± 29 g). Female rats were not included in this study because they become diabetic when they are much older (>10 months old). Cardiac baroreflex function was characterized in anesthetized T2DM and healthy rats using the modified Oxford technique, which involved sequential bolus infusions of sodium nitroprusside (10 μg/kg) and phenylephrine (10 μg/kg) to induce blood pressure decreases and increases, respectively. Overall cardiac baroreflex gain (i.e., slope of the relationship between systolic blood pressure and R-R interval) was calculated using logistic regression, while gains to blood pressure falling and rising were calculated separately using piecewise and linear regression. The role of the carotid baroreflex in exaggerating the exercise pressor reflex was tested by statically contracting the hindlimb muscles for 30 s after surgical sinoaortic denervation (SAD) in decerebrated T2DM ( n=1; body weight: 555 g) and healthy ( n=1; body weight: 519 g) rats. Carotid barointact T2DM ( n=8; body weight: 521 ± 38 g) and healthy rats ( n=8; body weight: 482 ± 56 g) were included as controls. The pressor responses were calculated as a change (Δ) in peak mean arterial pressure during 30 s contraction relative to baseline. Data are presented as mean ± SD. T2DM rats presented with lower overall baroreflex sensitivity (T2DM: 0.07 ± 0.02 ms/mmHg, healthy: 0.61 ± 0.81 ms/mmHg, p=0.044), as well as sensitivity to increases in blood pressure (T2DM: 0.14 ± 0.10 ms/mmHg , healthy: 0.28 ± 0.15 ms/mmHg, p=0.049) compared to healthy controls. In contrast, cardiac baroreflex gain during decreases in blood pressure were not different between groups (T2DM: 0.16 ± 0.07 ms/mmHg, healthy: 0.10 ± 0.06 ms/mmHg, p=0.109). Notably, SAD did not alter blood pressure response to muscle contraction in the T2DM rat (SAD: Δ32 mmHg vs barointact: Δ32 ± 12 mmHg), but evoked an exaggerated blood pressure response in healthy rat (SAD: Δ34 mmHg vs barointact: Δ12 ± 3 mmHg). Our preliminary findings suggest that despite an attenuated cardiac baroreflex function in T2DM rats, specifically during acute increases in blood pressure, carotid baroreflex dysfunction may not contribute significantly to the exaggerated exercise pressor reflex in diabetes. This project was supported by NIH R01 HL144723. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The Nagoya Protocol and nitrogen-fixing maize: Close encounters between Indigenous Oaxacans and the men from Mars (Inc.)

In this article, we discuss the Nagoya Protocol and its implications for access and benefit-sharing (ABS) agreements related to genetic resources and biodiversity. We analyze a case study of the appropriation of olotón, a maize variety with an unusual nitrogen-fixing trait grown in many communities throughout Oaxaca and probably beyond that region. Samples of olotón were acquired by scientists affiliated with Mars, Inc., the University of California-Davis, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The article unpacks how the olotón ABS agreement with the single Oaxacan community of Totontepec became a topic of controversy despite its approval by the Mexican government under the auspices of the Nagoya Protocol. We pose the question: Is the olotón ABS agreement to be considered “fair and equitable” or could it be an example of the unjust appropriation of genetic resources known as “biopiracy”? To answer that question, we proceed to analyze the “procedural,” “distributive,” “commutative,” and “representational” forms of justice as they apply to the acquisition of olotón. The Nagoya Protocol was created in part to impede biopiracy by providing a framework for acquiring and using biodiversity in a “fair and equitable” way, but the Nagoya Protocol’s provisions are ambiguous and allow for confidentiality clauses that favor the acquisition of genetic materials in ways that we do not consider fair and equitable. We join other researchers and academics who cite the need for an improved approach for ethically accessing, using, and sharing genetic resources and knowledge.

Development of a standardized consensus lexicon for terms related to micronutrient programs.

Inconsistent use of terminology among diverse stakeholders hinders effective communication in micronutrient programs, especially large-scale food fortification (LSFF) which involves stakeholders from different sectors. To align the terminology use, the Micronutrient Data Innovation Alliance (DInA) of the Micronutrient Forum (MNF) created a lexicon of terms related to LSFF and other micronutrient programs. The purpose of this lexicon is to establish a central repository of consensus definitions of key terms to facilitate communication among diverse stakeholders involved in micronutrient programs including public and private sectors, donor agencies, food industries, academic institutions, etc. This paper describes the methodology of lexicon development. Important terms related to micronutrient programs were compiled from multiple sources, including United Nations agencies, program implementation and technical support agencies, relevant websites, and scientific literature. The selection of terms was guided by key micronutrient interventions (fortification, supplementation, dietary diversification) and the program cycle (assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation). Definitions of terms were identified from these references and checked for consistency across different sources. For terms with multiple definitions, a modified Delphi method was applied to harmonize the definitions. The first draft lexicon (n = 113 terms) was reviewed by six experts from the University of California, Davis (UCD) and MNF, and second draft (n = 115 terms) was shared with 24 global micronutrient experts for feedback. Fifty-four terms were found to have multiple definitions. Of which, minor modification was made for 12-terms with nominal difference and remaining 42-terms were shared with over 140 micronutrient-experts disseminated via an online survey through newsletters and emails to solicit experts' opinions on the most appropriate definition or a modified one. Nineteen legal terms and 83 micronutrient terms (n = 102 terms) were subsequently added. Overall, 39 experts from diverse areas of expertise (LSFF, micronutrient program planning and implementation, surveys and research, policy development, food industry regulations, food safety, and public health nutrition) participated in the online survey. The terms with >75% agreement among experts were considered as final, while the remaining were reviewed again by experts from UCD and MNF until consensus was reached on harmonized definitions. The current lexicon is available online at the DInA-website. and contains 217 terms and will be maintained as a "living document". The lexicon will facilitate the ability of key stakeholders of micronutrient programs to evaluate and compare program performance in order to make informed decisions on how to ensure future progress in reducing micronutrient deficiencies.

Breed predispositions to congenital and juvenile cataracts in horses at two academic institutions.

Determination of horse breeds predisposed to congenital and juvenile cataracts will enable investigations into potential genetic mechanisms for cataracts in horses. To investigate horse breed predispositions to congenital and juvenile cataracts in two academic referral populations. Retrospective case series. Medical record identification of horses diagnosed with congenital or juvenile cataracts at the Cornell University Equine Hospital (2000-2022) and the University of California-Davis (UCD) Large Animal Clinic (1990-2021). Signalment, examination findings and treatments were recorded. Descriptive statistics were performed, and breed over-representations were determined using Chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests. Thirty-one (Cornell) and 70 (UCD) horses with congenital or juvenile cataracts were identified, for a total of 101 affected horses. Seventy-eight horses were affected bilaterally and 23 were affected unilaterally, for a total of 179 affected eyes. Standardbreds were significantly over-represented at both institutions, comprising 32.5% of congenital/juvenile cataract cases and 10% of the equine hospital population at Cornell (p < 0.001) and 4.3% of cataract cases and 1.3% of the equine hospital population at UCD (p = 0.03). Thoroughbreds were under-represented for congenital and juvenile cataracts at both institutions (p = 0.03 Cornell, p = 0.01 UCD). Retrospective study, potential for selection bias. The over-representation of the Standardbred breed for congenital and juvenile cataracts at two institutions suggests an underlying genetic basis in the breed. Future genetic and genomic studies are warranted to investigate heritable cataracts in Standardbred horses.

Phyllosphere 2022: 11th International Symposium on Leaf Surface Microbiology

This Meeting Review article offers a synthesis of the science presented and discussed at the recently held 11th International Symposium on Leaf Surface Microbiology, also known as Phyllosphere 2022, at the University of California–Davis (UC Davis), 17 to 21 July 2022. Twice postponed due to Covid-19, this in-person conference covered wide-ranging but intersecting topics related to the microbiology of leaves (and other aboveground parts of plants), including phytopathology, food safety, plant physiology, microbial ecology, fluid physics, vegetation science, single-cell biology, canopy architecture, and human health. The overarching theme of the meeting (“understanding the rules of phyllospheric life”) was explored in 46 podium and 12 poster presentations. It also fueled the formal and informal discussions among 90-plus conference participants about existing and new questions in phyllosphere microbiology. Are there first principles underlying the acquisition, assembly and succession of microbial communities in the phyllosphere? How best to define, recognize, and exploit phyllosphere fitness of microscopic leaf dwellers? At what scales do or should we sample, interrogate, and understand the phyllosphere? What still needs to be learned that keeps us from new insights, resources, and tools to produce healthier or more nutritious plant foliage? Having the conference at UC Davis in the summer presented a unique opportunity to “vertically integrate” high school students from the COSMOS program into the Phyllosphere 2022 conference and allow face-to-face interactions with early-career scientists and prominent senior career professionals in phyllosphere microbiology. Students thus experienced first-hand the ways in which scientists address problems that affect society and seek understanding and solutions to those problems. It represented an effective approach to engage a younger generation into thinking about research and stewardship of plants and their foliage and, more generally, about the merits of a science career.

Scrotal insulation impairs spermatogenesis but not Sertoli cell endocrine function

Testicular thermal insult is detrimental to spermatogenesis and a common cause of testicular degeneration. Changes in semen quality after scrotal insulation are well understood but its effects on Sertoli cell function is still not fully characterized. Isoform-specific assays have provided opportunities for analysis of inhibin-A and B. Recent studies in stallions have shown inhibin-B decreases after treatment with a GnRH receptor antagonist but returns with spermatogenesis after treatment stops, suggesting it may be a useful biomarker for testicular damage and recovery (Ball.et.al. Theriogenology; 2019; 213:108-115). The hypothesis of the present study was that serum inhibin-B correlates positively with sperm parameters after scrotal insulation decreasing as sperm motility and production decline. Stallions were assigned to a untreated control (n=4) and treated group (n=5) that was submitted to scrotal insulation for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon, for two consecutive days, using a thermal blanket surrounding the scrotum. The intratesticular temperature was measured immediately after the blanket was removed and increased ∼10°C during the insulation period. Semen was collected twice weekly, but semen and serum samples were evaluated weekly for 98 days after treatment. Testicular response was assessed by determination of the concentrations of testosterone and estrone sulphate (interstitial compartment) and inhibin-B (tubular compartment), respectively. Spermkinetics were analyzed by CASA (IVOS Version 12 Hamilton Thorne Research, MA, USA), sperm concentration by Neubauer hemocytometer (Optik Labor®, Lancing, England), serum concentrations of inhibin- B and estrone sulfate were determined by ELISA and testosterone by RIA. Data were analyzed by ANOVA for repeated measures. Sperm motility and total sperm number decreased from day 4 to 67 (P<0.05) and sperm abnormalities increased from day 17 and did not recover until the end of our evaluation (day 98). Testosterone concentrations declined acutely. A significantly reduction in circulating testosterone concentrations occurred at 4, 9 and 37 days after onset of scrotal insulation, which is probably the result of Leydig cell impairment. However, no changes in inhibin-B or estrone sulfate were seen in response to treatment (n.s.). In summary, thermal insult appears to affect germ cells, and Leydig cell but not Sertoli cell function and, consequently, does not disturb inhibin-B synthesis. It has to be concluded that inhibin-B is no reliable biomarker for testicular damage and recovery from thermal insults. Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, grant #2019/01119-8 and #2022/03405-0), the John P. Hughes Endowment and the Clinical Endocrinology Laboratory, University of California-Davis.

Inhibiting Cyclooxygenase Activity Attenuates the Exaggerated Exercise Pressor Reflex in Male UCD-Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rats

It is well established that prostaglandins, a product of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes contribute to evoking the exercise pressor reflex. Previous studies suggest that COX expression is upregulated in the peripheral nerves of those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), likely due to low grade inflammation associated with the disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if COX activity in the exercising skeletal muscle exaggerates the exercise pressor reflex in T2D. We hypothesized that inhibiting COX activity in the hindlimb would reduce the exaggerated pressor response to muscle contraction in T2D rats. To do this, we evoked the exercise pressor reflex by statically contracting the skeletal muscle for 30s in unanesthetized, decerebrate rats. Experiments were performed on male University of California Davis (UCD)-T2D (n=8; body weight: 526 ± 42g) and Sprague Dawley rats (n=3; body weight: 473 ± 10g). Changes (Δ) in peak mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) responses to exercise were compared before and after locally injecting indomethacin (1 mg/kg in 0.2 mL of 100 mM sodium carbonate), a COX 1 and 2 inhibitor, or its vehicle (0.2 mL of 100 mM sodium carbonate) into the arterial supply of the ipsilateral (contracting) and contralateral (non-contracting) hindlimb. Data are presented as mean ± SD. We found that local injection of indomethacin into the contracting hindlimb reduced the exaggerated peak pressor (ΔMAP: 30 ± 14 mmHg to 18 ± 8 mmHg; P&lt;0.01) but not cardioaccelerator (ΔHR: 21 ± 8 bpm to 19 ± 11 bpm; P=0.59) responses in T2D rats, but did not reduce these responses in healthy rats (ΔMAP 14 ± 3 mmHg to 14 ± 6 mmHg; P&gt;0.99; ΔHR: 10 ± 5 bpm to 13 ± 7 bpm; P=0.67). Conversely, local injection of indomethacin into the non-contracting hindlimb (n=4), as well as injection of the vehicle in the contracting hindlimb (n=4), did not affect the pressor response to muscle contraction in T2D rats. Developed tensions during muscle contraction were similar for all comparisons. In summary, our findings suggest that COX activity contributes to the exaggerated pressor response to muscle contraction in T2D rats. This project was supported by NIH R01 HL144723. This project was supported by NIH R01 HL144723. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Perspective: Emphasizing Safe Engineering Design Features of Quad Bikes in Agricultural Safety Programs

Highlights Previous quad bike educational interventions focused solely on operator behavior, leading to positive shifts in ‘safety knowledge’ but very little change in actual rider behavior. Discussions in a recent virtual ATV Safety Symposium hosted by the University of California-Davis (2022) emphasized building agricultural community awareness of quad bike engineering controls—particularly in the U.S. and other nations. Outreach specialists in agriculture should begin to prioritize more discussion of quad bike engineering controls in training programs. Abstract. To date, most quad bike educational programs have featured an operator-focused approach, focusing on adherence to administrative controls, personal responsibility, and personal protective equipment. Though these programs lead to shifts in ‘safety knowledge’, they result in very little change in actual rider behavior. In this perspectives article, we highlight discussions from a recent ATV Safety Symposium and USDA-NIFA review of agricultural ATV safety in the U.S. that highlight the dire need for building agricultural community awareness of quad bike engineering controls such as CPDs, wider and more stable frame designs, and others. Although CPDs were introduced 15 years ago, we continue to observe low awareness of this and other important quad bike safety features among young adults in agriculture. We believe that it will be critical to apply some of the recommendations outlined in this article to improve future outreach programs focused on quad bike safety for agricultural occupational use. If rural, agricultural communities learn to accept and respect these life-saving technologies, future standards, policies, and legislative actions are more likely to be well-received. Keywords: Agriculture, All-terrain vehicle (ATV), Crush-protection device (CPD), Engineering, Operator, Outreach, Quad bike, Safety.

Identifying Multiple Myeloma Patients Using Automated Data Capture from Electronic Medical Records

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell (PC) malignancy typified by the presence of monoclonal proteins on serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation or elevation of either kappa or lambda serum free light chains (sFLC) and end organ damage. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) offer a potential source of real world data that is more generalizable than clinical trial data and more granular than registry data. However, MM cohort derivation is challenging: diagnostic codes have poor specificity, and manually created registries are time consuming and frequently focus only on patients diagnosed on site, excluding second opinions or patients transferring care. Attempts to combine diagnostic codes with procedure codes for lab tests, biopsies or radiology studies have reported sensitivities of 73-90% and positive predictive values (PPV) of 60-93%. These approaches relied on test completion, not test results, which may misclassify patients as having MM. As part of an ongoing quality improvement project at the University of California Davis (UCD) designed to identify all patients with MM treated at our institution, we hypothesized that integrating test results, rather than their utilization, with diagnostic codes would create a more specific algorithm while maintaining sensitivity and high PPV. Methods: Patient diagnostic codes, lab, and bone marrow (BM) biopsy reports were loaded from EMR into the Temporal Data Association Platform (TDAP), a patient level data matrix that integrates multi-modal clinical data and organizes it by time allowing for temporal association of clinical events and the ability to assess patient trends over time. Bone marrow (BM) biopsy reports are evaluated by a machine learning algorithm trained to identify the presence and quantity (CD138 percentage) of clonal PCs. Patients identified in the screen set are then passed through both the evaluative and fast track. The UCD algorithm then runs on TDAP and consists of two components (Figure 1): an evaluative track, and a fast-track. Like prior algorithms, the Fast-Track identifies MM specific diagnostic codes, but only evaluates visits at the UCD Cancer Center. The evaluative track classifies patients into categories based the International Myeloma Working Group diagnostic criteria (Figure 2): 1) treatment ineligible smoldering MM (SMM), 2) treatment eligible SMM, 3) symptomatic MM. Patients not meeting criteria for these categories are excluded. Patients enter the UCD MM cohort if identified as treatment eligible SMM or symptomatic MM or via the fast-track. The UCD algorithm was built using a training set of 141 unique patients identified at the UCD Cancer Registry and sampled at random from the EMR. These charts were manually reviewed and labeled as MM, including treatment eligible SMM, (n=112) or not (n=29). To assess the performance of this and a previously described algorithm (Brandenburg 2019) once predictions were made by each algorithm, we assessed accuracy (the proportion of accurate predictions), PPV, and sensitivity. Results: The UCD algorithm identified 111 of the MM cases and excluded MM in 9 of the negative cases with 20 false positives and only 1 false negative. This resulted in a PPV of 85% and sensitivity of 99% with an accuracy of 85%. The evaluative track alone identified 69 (sensitivity 62%) of MM cases and correctly excluded 19 negative cases, for an overall accuracy of 62%. The Brandenburg algorithm identified MM in 67 cases and excluded MM in 28 of the negative cases. It had only 1 false positive case but had 45 false negatives. This resulted in PPV of 99%, but a sensitivity of only 60% for an overall accuracy of 67%. Conclusions: We describe a novel approach to the identification of MM patients incorporating lab and pathology results with diagnostic codes to create a sensitive algorithm while maintaining high accuracy and PPV. Evaluating test results was inadequate, and incorporating diagnostic codes allowed for higher sensitivity. Further refinement to increase specificity while maintaining sensitivity is ongoing. Performance on a validation cohort will be presented at the meeting. By incorporating test results in a temporal framework, TDAP, we can associate temporally related events such as rise in M-spike and new end organ damage. Future directions are expansion of the algorithm to other institutions and automated assessment of MM disease status. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Outreach Efforts to Prevent Newcastle Disease Outbreaks in Southern California.

In May 2018, an outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease (vND) affected backyard and commercial premises in Southern California. The re-occurrence of these outbreaks since the 1970s suggests that some poultry communities may not have reliable and stable resources available regarding biosecurity and disease prevention. Therefore, staff at the University of California, Davis (UCD) School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) began organizing educational events and learning more about the gamefowl breeder community through a needs assessment exercise, during which local feedstores and neighborhoods were also visited. Focus groups were organized with breeders in various cities within the regional quarantine area, established by the CDFA during the vND outbreak. The focus groups were aimed at creating open communication networks with gamefowl breeders in the affected area, as well as to learn about their current sources of information, learning preferences, and current management practices. With the input from gamefowl breeders, as well as funding and input from the CDFA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a quality assurance program called the “Gamefowl Wellness Program” was established. Educational content was created and published through the UCD Gamefowl Wellness Program poultry health website. Additionally, with the help of the CDFA, the USDA, and pharmaceutical companies, Newcastle disease vaccines and training for their application were provided to feedstores with gamefowl breeder clientele. Nurturing trust with these poultry communities allowed us to receive the information needed to develop effective outreach strategies that could better serve them. Responding to community concerns might be a way to garner the trust necessary to prevent or at least promptly detect foreign animal disease outbreaks.

ID:16073 A Review of the Factors and Outcomes of Institutional Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation Committees: A Multi-Center Experience

The concept of a Neuromodulation Committee was created to enact a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to neuromodulation. The process has been implemented at the University of California, Davis (UCD) and Stanford University. The committee is composed of implanters, a pain psychologist who completes all pre-procedural psychological assessments, a nurse practitioner or physician assistant who sees patients for preoperative history and physicals, and current pain fellows. The goals of the committee are to weigh the risks and benefits of the neuromodulation device, approach, and patient candidacy.

University of California Cannabis Research Workshop, May 2021: Meeting Summary.

This meeting report describes the University of California's (UC) Cannabis Research Workshop on May 26-27, 2021, which was organized by the UC Office of the President (UCOP) in partnership with the University of California, Davis (UCD). The event was designed to explore ways to strengthen research collaborations within and between campuses, discuss federal and state regulations and scientific priorities, and provide updates on current or recent cannabis and cannabinoid research studies. Topical areas were highlighted in four breakout sessions, including: 1) agronomy and environmental impacts; 2) biomedicine and public health; 3) economics, law, public policy, and social science; and 4) administrative considerations for supporting university research on cannabis and cannabinoids.

The oromaxillofacial region as a model for a one-health approach in regenerative medicine.

The concept of a one-health approach in regenerative medicine has gained tremendous momentum in the scientific and public communities in recent years. Knowledge derived from this approach informs innovative biomedical research, clinical trials, and practice. The ultimate goal is to translate regenerative strategies for curing diseases and improving the quality of life in animals and people. Building and fostering strong and enthusiastic interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration between teams with a wide range of expertise and backgrounds is the cornerstone to the success of the one-health approach and translational sciences. The veterinarian's role in conducting clinical trials in client-owned animals with naturally occurring diseases is critical and unique as it may potentially inform human clinical trials. The veterinary regenerative medicine and surgery field is on a steep trajectory of discoveries and innovations. This manuscript focuses on oromaxillofacial-region regeneration to exemplify how the concept of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration and the one-health approach influenced the authors' work experience at the University of California-Davis.

A Comprehensive Cancer Center Experience with Hyper-CVAD Plus Ponatinib As Frontline Therapy for Adult Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

BackgroundPonatinib, a third-generation BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), + hyper-CVAD showed remarkable activity against Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), and may be superior to chemotherapy + earlier generation TKIs in terms of depth of remission, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS). However, this regimen's efficacy and tolerability have yet to be externally validated. Here, we summarize our real-world experience with ponatinib + hyper-CVAD for untreated Ph+ ALL and other Ph+ acute or blast phase leukemias.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed all adults treated at the University of California, Davis (UCD) from March 2012 to May 2021 with ponatinib + hyper-CVAD upfront. The primary endpoints were 3-year OS and EFS. Secondary endpoints were complete molecular response (CMR), measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity by multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC), complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) rates, and adverse events (AEs). Time to event analyses were done via the Kaplan-Meier method. Patients alive were censored at their last follow-up date. Patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) after 6 months of achieving complete remission (CR) were censored at the time of HCT for the landmark analysis. Patients with missing data were excluded from the response analyses.ResultsWe identified 13 Ph+ ALL patients who received ponatinib + hyper-CVAD for initial induction. The baseline characteristics for the Ph+ ALL patients are summarized in Table 1. The median follow-up was 16 months. The median number of hyper-CVAD cycles completed was 8 (range, 1-8) with ponatinib. Two patients proceeded to HCT in CR1, one at 3.5 months after starting induction, and due to difficulty controlling the patient's concurrent multiple myeloma prior to HCT and recovery from anti-neoplastic therapy, the second was delayed to 46 months after starting induction.The 3-year OS and EFS with ponatinib + hyper-CVAD were each 92% (95% confidence interval, 78.9-100) (Figure 1). Landmark analysis completed 6 months following CR showed a 3-year OS of 100% in patients treated with ponatinib + hyper-CVAD without HCT in first CR (CR1). The CMR, CCyR, and MRD-negativity by MFC rates with ponatinib were all 92.3% (12/13). The median time to CMR, CCyR, and MRD-negativity by MFC were 51 days, 22 days, and 53 days, respectively.Notable AEs with ponatinib include neutropenic fever (92%), bacterial infection (69%), transaminitis (38%), venous thromboembolism (31%), invasive fungal infection (15%), hemorrhage (15%), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (15%), and tumor lysis syndrome (8%). One patient died during induction with ponatinib due to a bacterial infection. Two patients switched to a different TKI due to a CVA after 4 and 24 months. Only 2 patients did not complete 8 cycles of hyper-CVAD, due to death during induction (n=1) and proceeding to HCT after 3 cycles (n=1).As for similar Ph+ leukemias, 3 chronic myeloid leukemia with lymphoid blast crisis (CML-LBC), 1 CML with mixed phenotype blast crisis (CML-MPBC), and 1 with mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) were treated with ponatinib + hyper-CVAD. The MPAL patient achieved CMR within 55 days, while the CML-MPBC and 2 CML-LBC patients achieved CMR after HCT. The third CML-LBC patient is in CR with ongoing treatment. After median follow-up of 25 months, all 5 were alive, and only the MPAL patient relapsed 28 months after starting treatment and 1 year after HCT.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first report externally validating the efficacy and tolerability of ponatinib + hyper-CVAD for Ph+ ALL. We also show the feasibility of using this regimen in patients with Ph+ CML-LBC, CML-MPBC and MPAL. Despite the small sample size and retrospective nature, our study supports existing data demonstrating that this regimen challenges both the designation of Ph+ ALL as a high-risk disease and the trend to transplant in CR1. Our findings support that ponatinib + hyper-CVAD should be considered a standard of care for Ph+ ALL. [Display omitted] DisclosuresKaesberg: Incyte: Speakers Bureau. Rosenberg: Takeda, Janssen: Speakers Bureau. Abedi: BMS/Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Speakers Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau. Tuscano: Genentech, Pharamcyclics, Abbvie, BMS, Acrotech, Seattle Genetics, Takeda: Research Funding. Jonas: AbbVie, BMS, Genentech, GlycoMimetics, Jazz, Pfizer, Takeda, Treadwell: Consultancy; 47, AbbVie, Accelerated Medical Diagnostics, Amgen, AROG, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Forma, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, GlycoMimetics, Hanmi, Immune-Onc, Incyte, Jazz, Loxo Oncology, Pfizer, Pharmacyclics, Sigma Tau, Treadwell: Research Funding; AbbVie: Other: Travel reimbursement. OffLabel Disclosure:Ponatinib is approved for Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) that is resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. In this study, we described outcomes with ponatinib in combination with hyperCVAD in the frontline setting, which is off-label.

Implementation of Virtual Multiple Mini-Interviews for Fellowship Recruitment.

ABSTRACTIntroductionThe SARS-CoV Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has upended health care systems and one of the casualties has been the trainee recruitment process since social distancing and travel restrictions make an in-person experience improbable. At the University of California, Davis (UCD), our Pain Division transitioned our internally validated multiple mini-interview (MMI) process to a virtual environmentMethodsApplicants signed a confidentiality agreement prior to their interviews and were invited to watch a series of videos orienting them to the process and to the program itself. All faculty raters interviewed candidates using a total of 6 non-medical MMI scenarios with corresponding questions and scoring rubrics through the Zoom platform. Applicants were then welcomed to voluntary informal conversations with the current fellow trainees and faculty. An optional survey was sent to the applicants post-interview to assess their overall satisfaction with the virtual process.ResultsThe survey analyzed the following using a 5 point Likert scale: Overall Satisfaction, Video Overview Program, Interview Day Details, Video Tour, Web-Based Interviews, Process was Fair, and finally a question on Informed Decision regarding receiving sufficient information to formulate their rank list. All respondents (80% response rate) reported being either satisfied or very satisfied with each of the aspects of the interview process detailed above.ConclusionsWhile technical difficulties and confidentiality issues are of concern when offering an entirely web based recruitment, our group was able to transition traditional in-person MMI to a virtual platform using a similar structure which was well-received by applicants

Miraculous skin metamorphosis for beached amphibious fish

Taking those first steps on land after emerging from the primordial swamp required a lot more than simply changing the way the earliest pioneers moved and breathed. The ancient innovators must also have sealed their skins to prevent water loss in the relatively dry surroundings. They may even have repurposed their external layer to absorb oxygen when their gills collapsed. Modern amphibious mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) probably reprise this epic transformation each time they flip in the fin prints of their ancestors on land. So how do these modern-day descendants of the earliest land colonists pull off the feat each time they emerge? An international team of researchers from China, Canada, Germany and the USA, led by Andrew Whitehead from the University of California Davis (UCD), USA, and Patricia Wright from the University of Guelph, Canada, investigated the skin of beached mangrove rivulus to find out how the extraordinary creatures carry off this miraculous metamorphosis.As mangrove rivulus thrive on the eastern shore of America, from Florida to Brazil, the team decided to compare the skins of a population from Honduras, which makes its home in brackish mangrove swamps, with another population that frequents freshwater ponds in Belize. The intrepid creatures routinely make their homes above the waterline, so Tessa Blanchard, from the University of Guelph, Canada, made sure that the fish were comfortably ensconced in individual moist containers for 1, 6, 24, 72 and 168 h before collecting portions of their skin. Scott Kelly, from York University, Canada, then scrutinised the samples and the team was amazed to see dramatic changes – even within an hour of leaving the water. The fish restructured the gaps between the skin cells that solvents, ions and other compounds usually pass through to make the skin more robust, and Kelly saw large numbers of blood vessels near the surface of the beached fish's skin, which pick up oxygen from the air and transport it quickly to the cells that balance the salts in the fish's bodies.Yunwei Dong, from Ocean University of China, also analysed the gene expression patterns in the fish's skin during a sabbatical in the Whitehead lab, and discovered that the animals reduced the expression of genes that control the amount of collagen in their skin, which could help them to absorb oxygen and water, in addition to allowing them to get around on land more easily. The beached fish also altered the expression of genes that help them to absorb oxygen and maintain their delicate internal salt balance. Meanwhile, the skins of the high and dry fish began producing a group of proteins, Rhesus proteins, which are essential for disposing of toxic ammonia – the fish equivalent of urea waste produced by humans – which they usually eject through the gills in water. In addition, the team noticed that the fish increased the gene expression of aquaporins – specialised channel proteins to absorb water from their surroundings – to prevent themselves from drying out. Meanwhile, at the University of Münster, Germany, Angela Noll and Juergen Schmitz compared the genes of the mangrove rivulus with those of non-amphibious fish, and found that several of the key genes that allow the amphibious fish to emerge from water have changed significantly, underlining their importance for life on land.‘When K. marmoratus transitions from water to air, the skin quickly alters its barrier and exchange functions to delicately balance these dual purposes on land’, says Whitehead, who is keen to understand the genetic mutations that could explain why some mangrove rivulus populations adjust better to life on land than others.

Risk factors for, frequency, and type of complications after temporary tube cystostomy in goats, sheep, and pigs.

To describe risk factors for as well as type and frequency of complications, time to occurrence of complications, and mortality after temporary tube cystostomy alone or in combination with other surgical procedures, in goats, sheep, and pigs. Retrospective case series. One hundred thirteen goats, eight sheep, and six pigs. Medical records of goats, sheep, and pigs that underwent temporary tube cystostomy alone or in combination with urethrotomy at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, University of California-Davis from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2018 were reviewed. Signalment, presurgical and surgical procedures, urolith type and location, and postoperative complications and mortality were analyzed. In goats, logistic regression analysis was performed to determine association between the presence of complications or mortality as well as candidate predictor variables. Postoperative complications were reported in 54.9% (62/113) of goats, 37.5% (3/8) of sheep, and 50% (3/6) of pigs. The most frequent type of complication was reobstruction. Median (range) time to first complication was 171 days (1-2247) for goats. In sheep and pigs, the range for time to re-presentation for complications was 11 to 37 and 17 to 1182 days, respectively. Proportions of nonsurvivors after tube cystostomy were 48.4% (30/62) goats, 1/8 sheep and 2/6 pigs. No association between examined predictor variables and the occurrence of complications or mortality was detected. The risk of complications and mortality after temporary tube cystostomy was high, especially in goats. Owners should be made aware of the high complication rate after temporary tube cystostomy alone or in combination with other procedures. Investigation of alternative approaches to manage obstructive urolithiasis in goats, sheep, and pigs should be considered.

A comparison of cerebral small vessel disease severity between autopsy cohorts in the northeast of England and Sacramento County in California, USA

AbstractBackgroundCerebral small vessel disease (SVD) encompasses progressive fibrosis/hyalinosis of the small arteries and arterioles of the white matter (WM) resulting in ischemic WM damage. Few studies have compared SVD between different cohorts. Using a sclerotic index (SI) measurement, we quantitatively assessed vessel wall fibrosis in the frontal and parietal WM of human brains donated to brain banks in the UK and the USA.Method64 cases from the University of California Davis (UCD) Alzheimer’s Disease Centre Biorepository and 55 cases from the Newcastle Brain and Tissue resource (NBTR) were included. Cases were neuropathological diagnosed as controls (UCD n=18; NBTR n=25), intermediate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathologic change (UCD n=13; NBTR n=4), and definite AD (UCD n=33; NBTR n = 26). In the UCD cohort, 49 identified racially as White, 9 as Black African American, 3 as Chinese and 1 as Indian Asian. All cases from the NBTR identified racially as White. Using H&amp;E sections, images of approximately eight arteries/arterioles from the frontal and parietal WM were captured and SI assessment performed. Mean SI score was calculated per region, per cases.ResultNo intergroup differences in age were observed and age was not associated with SI score in either cohort. In the UCD cohort, race was not associated with neuropathological diagnosis (Chi‐sq = 8.39, p&gt;0.211) and no differences were seen in SI scores between White and Black African Americans (p&gt;0.69). Intergroup comparisons revealed that SI scores in both WM regions were significantly higher in the overall UCD cohort compared to the overall NBTR cohort (p&gt;0.006) and this was consistent across controls (frontal p=0.0001; parietal p=0.045), intermediate AD neuropathological change (p=0.001), and AD (frontal p=0.001) cases.ConclusionSVD‐associated vessel occlusion is more severe in the USA cohort from Sacramento compared to the UK cohort from Newcastle. This may reflect differences in cardiovascular disease and lifestyle of individuals enrolled in the two brain donation programmes.