Effects of nicotinamide riboside in ovo feeding on high-yield broiler performance, meat quality, and myopathy incidence.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of in ovo nicotinamide riboside (NR) feeding on high-yield broiler growth and meat quality. Methods: Fertilized Cobb 700 by-product eggs (N = 3,240) were randomly assigned to one of four in ovo treatments and injected with 0 (0NR), 250 (250NR), 500 (500NR), or 1,000 (1,000NR) mM NR at incubation-day 10. Chicks were hatched, vent sexed, and randomly placed 18 per pen in one of 32 floor pens. On day 48, birds were processed and deboned. Results: There were dose effects for all part weights (p < 0.05). Pectoralis major weight of 250, 500, and 1,000NR carcasses were heavier than 0NR (p < 0.03) but did not differ from remaining NR doses (p > 0.26). Pectoralis minor weight of 250NR carcasses was greater (p < 0.01) than 0NR and did not differ from other NR tenders (p > 0.21). Pectoralis minor weight of 500 and 1,000NR carcasses was greater than 0NR (p < 0.09), but did not differ (P = 0.82) from each other. There were no dose effects for all Pectoralis major and minor myopathy scores and incidence except incidence of tenders scoring "0" and "1" for woody-like tender. Percentage of NR1,000 tenders scoring 0 and 1 for woody-like tender were less than and greater than all other treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). There were no differences among remaining NR doses and NR0 tenders (p > 0.10). There were dose effects for muscle fiber number (P = 0.03). There tended to be more muscle fibers within 250 and 1,000NR muscles compared to 0NR (p < 0.09). Pectoralis major muscle from 500NR did not differ in muscle fiber number compared to 250 and 1,000NR (p > 0.18), but had more (p < 0.01) fibers than 0NR muscle. There tended to be more fibers in 250 and 1,000NR muscles compared to 0NR muscle (p < 0.09). Discussion: Nicotinamide riboside in ovo feeding caused birds to produce heavier parts; however, myopathy scores and incidence were minimally affected which may have been due greater muscle fiber number.

Synovial macrophage diversity and activation of M-CSF signaling in post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

Objective: Synovium is home to immune and stromal cell types that orchestrate inflammation following a joint injury; in particular, macrophages are central protagonists in this process. We sought to define the cellular and temporal dynamics of the synovial immune niche in a mouse model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), and to identify stromal-immune crosstalk mechanisms that coordinate macrophage function and phenotype. Design: We induced PTOA in mice using a non-invasive tibial compression model of anterior cruciate ligament rupture (ACLR). Single cell RNA-seq and flow cytometry were used to assess immune cell populations in healthy (Sham) and injured (7d and 28d post-ACLR) synovium. Characterization of synovial macrophage polarization states was performed, alongside computational modeling of macrophage differentiation, as well as implicated transcriptional regulators and stromal-immune communication axes. Results: Immune cell types are broadly represented in healthy synovium, but experience drastic expansion and speciation in PTOA, most notably in the macrophage portion. We identified several polarization states of macrophages in synovium following joint injury, underpinned by distinct transcriptomic signatures, and regulated in part by stromal-derived macrophage colony-stimulating factor signaling. The transcription factors Pu.1, Cebpα, Cebpß, and Jun were predicted to control differentiation of systemically derived monocytes into pro-inflammatory synovial macrophages. Conclusions: We defined different synovial macrophage subpopulations present in healthy and injured mouse synovium. Nuanced characterization of the distinct functions, origins, and disease kinetics of macrophage subtypes in PTOA will be critical for targeting these highly versatile cells for therapeutic purposes.

Synovial fibroblasts assume distinct functional identities and secrete R-spondin 2 in osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Synovium is acutely affected following joint trauma and contributes to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) progression. Little is known about discrete cell types and molecular mechanisms in PTOA synovium. We aimed to describe synovial cell populations and their dynamics in PTOA, with a focus on fibroblasts. We also sought to define mechanisms of synovial Wnt/ß-catenin signalling, given its emerging importance in arthritis. METHODS: We subjected mice to non-invasive anterior cruciate ligament rupture as a model of human joint injury. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing to assess synovial cell populations, subjected Wnt-GFP reporter mice to joint injury to study Wnt-active cells, and performed intra-articular injections of the Wnt agonist R-spondin 2 (Rspo2) to assess whether gain of function induced pathologies characteristic of PTOA. Lastly, we used cultured fibroblasts, macrophages and chondrocytes to study how Rspo2 orchestrates crosstalk between joint cell types. RESULTS: We uncovered seven distinct functional subsets of synovial fibroblasts in healthy and injured synovium, and defined their temporal dynamics in early and established PTOA. Wnt/ß-catenin signalling was overactive in PTOA synovium, and Rspo2 was strongly induced after injury and secreted exclusively by Prg4hi lining fibroblasts. Trajectory analyses predicted that Prg4hi lining fibroblasts arise from a pool of Dpp4+ mesenchymal progenitors in synovium, with SOX5 identified as a potential regulator of this emergence. We also showed that Rspo2 orchestrated pathological crosstalk between synovial fibroblasts, macrophages and chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Synovial fibroblasts assume distinct functional identities during PTOA in mice, and Prg4hi lining fibroblasts secrete Rspo2 that may drive pathological joint crosstalk after injury.

Survey examination of resilience, psychological, and relational well-being during COVID-19: A developmental and cross-cultural dataset.

The datasets include relevant psychological and demographic variables relating to people's relationships, perceptions, and reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited from the United States (N = 396), China (N = 156), and Iran (N = 248). Participants were directed to an online survey that assessed their psychological well-being, affective states, factors related to life satisfaction, and their experiences with the Covid-19 pandemic. For the United States, participants were separated by developmental stage (e.g., young adults between 18 and 35 years old and older adults who were 55 years old or older). Participants from China and Iran were 18 years old or older. Participants from the United States also provided qualitative data in the form of a text-box response where they described their reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic. These data may be relevant for researchers who want to investigate cross-cultural or developmental differences in people's psychological states, perceptions, and reactions in the beginning phases of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Improved determination of Neisseria gonorrhoeae gyrase A genotype results in clinical specimens.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae has prompted the development of rapid molecular assays designed to determine antimicrobial susceptibility. One common assay uses high-resolution melt analysis to target codon 91 of the gyrase A gene (gyrA) to predict N. gonorrhoeae susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. METHODS: We extracted DNA from remnant clinical specimens that had previously tested positive for N. gonorrhoeae using the Aptima Combo 2 for CT/NG assay (Hologic, San Diego, CA, USA). We selected DNA extracts from specimens with indeterminate, WT and mutant gyrA genotype results from a previous study using high-resolution melt analysis to detect the gyrA codon 91 mutation. We re-tested those specimens using the recently CE-marked ResistancePlus GC (beta) assay (SpeeDx, Sydney, Australia). RESULTS: Of 86 specimens with indeterminate gyrA genotypes on high-resolution melt analysis, the ResistancePlus GC (beta) assay (SpeeDx) identified 30 (35%) WT, 22 (26%) mutant and 34 (40%) indeterminate gyrA genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The ResistancePlus GC (beta) assay showed improved N. gonorrhoeae gyrA genotype determination compared with a prior gyrA genotypic high-resolution melt assay.

Closed Genome Sequences of Clinical Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strains Obtained from Combined Oxford Nanopore and Illumina Sequencing.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the etiological agent of gonorrhea, the second most common notifiable disease in the United States. Here, we used a hybrid approach combining Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION and Illumina MiSeq sequencing data to obtain closed genome sequences of nine clinical N. gonorrhoeae isolates.

A multisite implementation of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay to predict ciprofloxacin susceptibility in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

There are no commercially available Food and Drug Administration-cleared rapid tests for Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This study evaluated the performance of a laboratory-developed real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for genotyping the gyrA gene to determine antimicrobial susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Validation and clinical performance of the gyrA assay were evaluated across 3 geographic locations (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia). Following validation, clinical specimens were collected in Aptima Combo2® CT/NG transport medium from asymptomatic persons who tested positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and evaluated for assay percent reportable (i.e., proportion of N. gonorrhoeae-positive specimens that yielded a gyrA genotype). The percentage of gyrA genotyping results differed by laboratory and specimen type. The proportion of specimens that were reportable was best for urine/genital specimens (genotyped = 76.4% (95% confidence interval, 69.9-82%)) followed by rectal (genotyped = 67.2% (95% confidence interval, 63.4-70.6%)) and then pharyngeal specimens (genotyped = 36.1%, (95% confidence interval, 31.9-40.5%)). Overall, asymptomatic patients with N. gonorrhoeae yielded an interpretable genotype 57.2% (784/1370) of the time, of which 480 were wild-type gyrA, resulting in 61% (480/784) being potentially treatable with ciprofloxacin.

The Frequency of Discordant Gyrase A Genotypes Among Cases of Multiple Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections at Different Anatomic Sites.

Gyrase A genotyping reliably predicts Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. It is unknown whether concurrent infections at different anatomic sites harbor different susceptibility profiles. We found a 3.2% frequency of discordant gyrase A genotypes among concurrent but anatomically separate N. gonorrhoeae infections diagnosed at 2 laboratories in Los Angeles.

How to better monitor and clean irregular surfaces in operating rooms: Insights gained by using both ATP luminescence and RODAC assays.

BACKGROUND: A major limitation to developing evidence-based approaches to infection prevention is the paucity of real-time, quantitative methods for monitoring the cleanliness of environmental surfaces in clinical settings. One solution that has been proposed is adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assays, but this method does not provide information about the source of the ATP. MATERIALS/METHODS: To address this gap, we conducted a study in which ATP bioluminescence was coupled with traditional RODAC sampling and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry to assess which organisms were viable and present. Using this mixed assessment approach, we evaluated cleaning of 5 different types of high-touch surfaces (overhead lights, door handles, anesthesia keyboards, mattresses, and side tables) in operating rooms. RESULTS: Whether surfaces tested cleaner after turnaround than they did before turnaround depended on the surface type. Before and after cleaning, flat, covered surfaces (mattresses and side tables) were more likely to pass as "clean" by ATP assay than uncovered, irregularly shaped surfaces (overhead lights, door handles, and anesthesia keyboards). Irregularly shaped surfaces were more likely to pass by RODAC assay than by ATP assay after cleaning. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that irregularly shaped surfaces in operating rooms may require enhanced covering, cleaning, and monitoring protocols compared to more regularly shaped surfaces.