Search

Sub fertility in stallions is usually caused by low sperm motility and deformed morphology. In addition a high percentage of DNA damage in semen is also an important factor. DNA damage in semen cells has a negative effect on embryotic development, but not on oocyte fertilization. However, this damage still results in a lower pregnancy rate (PR). One of the parameters with influence on the DNA quality in sperm is storage time. Also, higher temperature of processed semen has a negative influence. This effect is even bigger in sub fertile stallions with ascending age. A commonly used way to determine and compare DNA damage in semen cells, is the DNA fragmentation index percentage (DFI). In case of high DFI the first cycle PR sometimes drops to almost 0%. After collection, the DFI will increase, especially with a relatively high temperature of the environment. This case report describes the first cycle PR of a sub fertile stallion, who was monitored during 8 breeding seasons, with management adaptations in the insemination protocol during this period. Semen samples were collected from 1 warmblood stallion with a DFI % of 20.3 in raw semen and 36.6 after 48h in 2017. In group A (2017) the ejaculate was centrifuged at 600g for 15 minutes. The pellet was resuspended in INRA96, stored at 5°C, with an end concentration of 60-80 mio/ml. Artificial insemination (AI) was performed within 48 hours of ovulation. In group B (2018-2019) no centrifugation was performed, and the ejaculate was diluted at least 1 to 3 with Botusemen-Gold and AI took place within 48 hours of ovulation. In group C (2020-2024) AI took place within 24 hours of ovulation, also without centrifugation and in Botusemen-Gold. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by ultrasound 15-18 days post-ovulation. The Fisher exact test was used for the statistical analysis. In group A an 7.8% (12/153) first cycle pregnancy rate was obtained, in group B 20.6% (29/141) and in group C 27.6% (107/387). The p-value was statistical significant (P<0.005), between group A and both group B and C. There was no statistical significance between group B and C (P<0.11). In conclusion, management adaptations in the insemination protocol have a beneficial effect on first cycle PR in a warmblood stallion with high DFI. However, adaptations in time between insemination and ovulation in this case report no statistical effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating violence (DV) is a widespread problem that undermines the well-being of young adults. Consistent with social learning theory, exposure to interparental violence (IV) and childhood maltreatment have been identified as risk factors for DV perpetration and victimization. However, former research on these associations is mainly U.S.-based, cross-sectional, and focused on physical DV. To address these gaps in the literature, the aims of this study were twofold: first, to assess whether exposure to physical IV during childhood was associated with physical and psychological DV perpetration and victimization in young adulthood while controlling for childhood maltreatment; second, to determine whether the associations between IV and DV varied based on participants' sex, socioeconomic status, and antisociality. To investigate this, data from a longitudinal, multi-informant, dual-cohort study in the Netherlands (TRracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey) were used. Participants who self-reported their experiences of IV and whose romantic partners completed questionnaires on DV were included in the current sample ( N  = 522). Using hierarchical logistic regressions, results showed that IV exposure during childhood was not associated with DV perpetration or DV victimization during young adulthood. Further, this pattern of results did not vary as a function of sex, socioeconomic status, or antisociality. Overall, findings suggest that young adults in our sample demonstrate resilience against the intergenerational cycle of violence., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interests with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

An innovative polymer-based dual detection microfluidic platform has been developed for the accurate and reliable sensing of trace amounts of antibiotic tetracycline in environmental and food samples. This was achieved through the production of a bespoke polymeric material formed via an imprinting technique using a fluorescent dye. Thus, this enables dual detection of tetracycline, both thermally, via analyzing the heat-transfer resistance at the solid-liquid interface, and optically, through the inner filter effect. The combination of these two methods achieved a nanomolar limit of detection for tetracycline while also providing rapid, selective, and cost-effective sensing. Additionally, this method successfully detected tetracycline levels of 0.56 μM in blank egg samples which was significantly lower than the maximum residual level of 400 μg L -1 (0.9 μM). Our work shows that this approach can be used for the efficient detection of trace antibiotics in complex environmental and food samples, offering enhanced reliability through the integration of two complementary analysis techniques. This sensor has the potential to identify sources of antimicrobial resistance, which is crucial for targeted efforts to combat this pressing global health challenge., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP NEN) exhibit substantial biological heterogeneity, impacting clinical management and outcomes. In 2019, the WHO subdivided the grade 3 (G3) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) characterised by Ki-67 > 20% into the well-differentiated G3 neuroendocrine tumour (NET) and G3 poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) subgroups. Since this update, questions about the prognostic implications and best treatment strategies for NET G3 and NEC remain. Therefore, we initiated a real-world retrospective observational cohort study using data from 225 NEC and 58 NET G3 patients treated in Belgium. Analysis of patient and tumour characteristics and the effect of survival was conducted. Most frequent primary locations were pancreatic (32.9%) and colorectal (21.5%), and 71.8% was diagnosed with stage IV disease. Median overall survival (mOS) was higher in NET G3 (41.3 months (m)) compared to NEC (13.2m). Of those who underwent functional imaging, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) imaging was positive in 90.6 and 95.6% of the NET G3 and NEC patients, respectively, and somatostatin receptor (SSTR) expression was seen in 97.4 and 66.0%, respectively. The latter was linked to better mOS, suggesting the added value of performing both SSTR imaging and 18F-FDG-PET for high-grade (HG) NEN to provide prognostic information and to possibly expand therapeutic options, which are currently reserved for lower-grade NEN patients. Moreover, while debated, in our population, primary surgery was performed in 92 and 73.5% of locoregional NET G3 and NEC cases, respectively, indicating that surgery can be considered in locoregional setting. Finally, platinum-etoposide was the predominant first-line treatment in metastatic NEC, with no significant survival difference between carboplatin and cisplatin.

Campylobacter infections in humans and chickens are a significant burden to health services and the poultry industry. In the UK, over 75% of chicken products are Campylobacter -positive at retail, but the knowledge of the mechanisms responsible for extraintestinal spread into edible tissues remains incomplete. This work aimed to establish if two chicken-associated lineages of Campylobacter jejuni , ST353 and ST464, have the potential for extraintestinal spread. Large- and small-scale chicken colonization trials investigated the infection biology of C. jejuni ST353 (three strains) and ST464 (four strains). Both lineages strongly colonized the ileum and ceca and were detected in liver and spleen. C. jejuni ST353 and ST464 spleen load were significantly increased compared to C. jejuni M1 controls. Immune responses in cecal tonsils exhibited early induction of IFN-γ and suppressed TGFβ at 7 days post-infection with C. jejuni ST464. Histochemistry of gut tissue demonstrated significant decreases in intestinal crypt depth in ileal tissue with increasing severity relative to Campylobacter lineage, M1

Background: Clade Ib, a new strain of clade I monkeypox virus, emerged in eastern DR Congo, sparking an international outbreak. Comprehensive studies are needed to assess its transmission dynamics and clinical presentation., Methods: We did a prospective observational cohort study at Kamituga General Hospital in South Kivu, DR Congo, between May 2 and Oct 9, 2024. Sociodemographic, exposure, and clinical data were collected from mpox-suspected cases. Cases were confirmed by Xpert Mpox PCR and followed through hospitalisation and on days 29 and 59 after diagnosis., Findings: Of the 510 suspected cases included, 407 (80%) tested positive via PCR. Among the 407 confirmed cases, 196 (48%) were women. Age distribution was bimodal, with 58 (14%) children younger than 5 years, and 267 (66%) individuals aged 15-34 years. Most cases (237 [58%] of 406) reported contact with a suspected or confirmed mpox case; primarily colleagues, spouses or sexual partners in adults, and parents or siblings in children. Self-reported comorbidities were rare (18 [5%] of 400), including 6 (2%) people infected with HIV. Prodromal symptoms were present in 331 (88%) of 375 patients, active skin lesions in 394 (97%) of 407 patients, mucosal lesions in 324 (82%) of 394 patients, and lymphadenopathy in 288 (73%) of 394 patients. In adults, 280 (89%) of 314 had genital skin lesions and mean lesion density was highest in the genital area. In contrast, only 35 (42%) of 84 children had genital lesions, as part of a more uniform rash. Among 403 hospitalised patients, two (<1%) deaths occurred. Among 296 patients with detailed hospital follow-up, complications were primarily genito-urinary (169 [57%]) or cutaneous (121 [41%]). Four (67%) of six pregnant women with recorded outcome had adverse pregnancy outcomes. On days 29 and 59, few sequelae were reported other than scars., Interpretation: Clade Ib infections in Kamituga showed distinct clinical patterns compared with clade Ia outbreaks elsewhere in the country and the global clade IIb outbreak. In adults, the disease primarily affected the genito-urinary system, compatible with sexual transmission, whereas children mostly manifested extragenital lesions. These findings highlight the need for updated case definitions and targeted public health interventions to address evolving transmission dynamics and mitigate risks for vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and young children., Funding: European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2 and EDCTP3); Belgian Directorate-General Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid; Research Foundation-Flanders., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests LL has received institutional consultancy fees from BioNtech and institutional research funding from Sanofi; both not relevant for this work. JK has provided expert witness reports for the Treasury Board of Canada not relevant to this work. JK has also received mpox research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the International Development Research Centre in open funding competitions. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Molecular recognition is of crucial importance in several healthcare applications, such as sensing, drug delivery, and therapeutics. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) present an interesting alternative to biological receptors (e.g., antibodies, enzymes) for this purpose since synthetic receptors overcome the limited robustness, flexibility, high-cost, and potential for inhibition that comes with natural recognition elements. However, off the shelf MIP products remain limited, which is likely due to the lack of a scalable production approach that can manufacture these materials in high yields and narrow and defined size distributions to have full control over their properties. In this Perspective, we will confer how breakthroughs in the automation of MIP design, manufacturing, and evaluation of performance will accelerate the (commercial) implementation of MIPs in healthcare technology. In addition, we will discuss how prediction of the in vivo behavior of MIPs with animal-free technologies (e.g., 3D tissue models) will be critical to assess their clinical potential., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-hepatitis delta virus (HDV) coinfection is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, but the factors that determine disease progression and severity are incompletely characterised. This long-term follow-up study aims to identify risk factors for severe liver-related outcomes. In this multicentre national cohort study, data from admission until the last visit between 2001 and 2023 was retrospectively collected from 162 HBV-HDV coinfected patients. The inclusion criteria were HBsAg or HBV DNA positivity, anti-HDV or HDV RNA positivity, and at least one follow-up visit. The median follow-up was 6.2 years (IQR 3.3-10.2). At baseline, 68/152 (44.7%) patients were diagnosed with advanced liver fibrosis. Forty patients (24.7%) had at least one severe liver-related outcome during follow-up. HDV viremia was detectable in 92 patients (64.3%) at last evaluation and was more frequently detectable in patients of European origin (p < 0.001). HDV RNA-positive patients had a 4.7-fold higher risk for severe liver-related outcomes (p < 0.001) and were more frequently diagnosed with advanced fibrosis at baseline (p = 0.007) compared to HDV RNA-negative patients. Multivariate analyses identified HDV RNA positivity, as well as several markers for liver disease severity, such as INR, platelet count, and advanced fibrosis at baseline, and age at admission as independent risk factors for severe liver-related outcomes. In conclusion, almost one in four HBV-HDV coinfected patients developed a severe liver-related outcome during follow-up. Several markers for liver disease severity and HDV RNA positivity were the strongest predictors for outcomes., (© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Viral Hepatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: DR Congo has the highest global burden of mpox, a disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The incidence has risen since 1980, but recent analyses of epidemiological trends are lacking. We aimed to describe trends in suspected and confirmed mpox cases in DR Congo using epidemiological and laboratory mpox surveillance data collected from 2010 to 2023, and provide insights that can better inform the targeting and monitoring of control strategies., Methods: We analysed aggregated national epidemiological surveillance data and individual-level laboratory data from 2010 to 2023. We calculated incidence based on suspected cases, case-fatality ratios, and percentage of laboratory-confirmed cases and assessed geospatial trends. Demographic and seasonal trends were investigated using generalised additive mixed models., Findings: Between Jan 1, 2010, and Dec 31, 2023, a total of 60 967 suspected cases and 1798 suspected deaths from mpox were reported in DR Congo (case-fatality ratio 2·9%). The number of reporting provinces increased from 18 of 26 provinces in 2010 to 24 of 26 provinces in 2023. The annual incidence increased from 2·97 per 100 000 in 2010 to 11·46 per 100 000 in 2023. The highest incidence (46·38 per 100 000) and case-fatality ratio (6·0%) were observed in children younger than 5 years. Incidence was higher in rural compared with urban areas. PCR testing was performed for 7438 suspected cases (12·2%), with 4248 (57·1%) of 7438 samples testing positive. Median age of confirmed cases (13·0 years [IQR 6·0-25·0]) remained stable, although the 95th percentile of age increased over time., Interpretation: The incidence and geographical distribution of suspected mpox cases have increased substantially since 2010. Improvements in surveillance and decentralised testing are essential to monitor mpox trends and direct interventions effectively, to address the public health emergency declarations issued in August, 2024., Funding: Belgian Directorate-General Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid; European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership; Research Foundation-Flanders; European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations; Department of Economy, Science, and Innovation of the Flemish Government; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; and the International Development Research Centre., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests LL has received institutional consultancy fees from BioNtech and institutional research funding from Sanofi, both not relevant for this work. JKi has provided expert witness reports for the Treasury Board of Canada not relevant to this work. JKi has also received mpox research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the International Development Research Centre in open funding competitions. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

In Guinea, genomic surveillance has been established to generate sequences of and to identify locally circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. This study aims to describe the distributions, genetic diversity, and origins of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic. A migration analysis was performed by selecting all sequences generated in Guinea for variants of concern and interest. From March 2020 to December 2023, 1038 sequences were generated in Guinea and submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database. Of these, 73.1% corresponded to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, which were further grouped into Omicron (69.4%), Delta (21.9%), Alpha (6.6%), and Eta (2.1%). Other variants accounted for 26.9% of the total. Among the total variants analyzed, 75 importations into Guinea from various countries worldwide were identified. Most of the importations (40%) originated from African countries, followed in significance by those from European countries (25.3%) and Asia (18.6%). A significant migratory flow was observed within Guinea. The genomic surveillance reported in this study revealed the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Guinea, emphasizing the importance of large-scale sequencing analyses in understanding the dynamics of the pandemic.

Cell therapies, including tumor antigen-loaded dendritic cells used as therapeutic cancer vaccines, offer treatment options for patients with malignancies. We evaluated the feasibility, safety, immunogenicity, and clinical activity of adjuvant vaccination with Wilms' tumor protein (WT1) mRNA-electroporated autologous dendritic cells (WT1-mRNA/DC) in a single-arm phase I/II clinical study of patients with advanced solid tumors receiving standard therapy. Disease status and immune reactivity were evaluated after 8 weeks and 6 months. WT1-mRNA/DC vaccination was feasible in all patients, except one. Vaccination was well tolerated without evidence of systemic toxicity. The disease control rate and overall response rate among a total of 39 evaluable patients were 74.4% and 12.8%, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 43.7 months among 13 patients with glioblastoma multiforme, 41.9 months among 12 patients with metastatic breast cancer, and 48.8 months among 10 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, comparing favourably with historical controls reported in the literature. OS was longer in patients with stable disease at 8 weeks and disease control at 6 months versus patients without disease control at either time point. Disease control and higher OS were associated with antigen-specific type 1 CD4 + and/or CD8 + T-lymphocyte responses, mainly induced by WT1-mRNA/DC vaccination. Antigen-nonspecific type 2 CD8 + T-cell responses were common before WT1-mRNA/DC vaccination but did not show any association with clinical outcome. Collectively, these data indicate that WT1-mRNA/DC vaccination is feasible, safe, and immunogenic and shows clinical activity in patients with advanced solid tumors, suggesting that it has the potential to help improve their survival., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Antwerp University Hospital/University of Antwerp (EC 10/40/266) and the Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG 08 − 0005) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01291420) and EudraCT (2011-000547-24). The sponsor’s protocol code was CCRG 11 − 001. All participants provided informed written consent in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: VFVT and ZNB are coinventors of a now-elapsed patent covering the messenger RNA electroporation technique (Improved Transfection of Eukaryotic Cells with Linear Polynucleotides by Electroporation, WO/2003/000907)., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Recent reports raise concerns on the changing epidemiology of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High-quality genomes were generated for 337 patients from 14/26 provinces to document whether the increase in number of cases is due to zoonotic spillover events or viral evolution, with enrichment of APOBEC3 mutations linked to human adaptation. Our study highlights two patterns of transmission contributing to the source of human cases. All new sequences from the eastern South Kivu province (n = 17; 4.8%) corresponded to the recently described clade Ib, associated with sexual contact and sustained human-to-human transmission. By contrast, all other genomes are clade Ia, which exhibits high genetic diversity with low numbers of APOBEC3 mutations compared with clade Ib, suggesting multiple zoonotic introductions. The presence of multiple clade I variants in urban areas highlights the need for coordinated international response efforts and more studies on the transmission and the reservoir of mpox., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Several variants of SARS-CoV-2 have a demonstrated impact on public health, including high and increased transmissibility, severity of infection, and immune escape. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the SARS-CoV-2 lineages and better characterize the dynamics of the pandemic during the different waves in Guinea., Methods: Whole genome sequencing of 363 samples with PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values under thirty was undertaken between May 2020 and May 2023. The Illumina iSeq 100 technology was used. The sequences were then analyzed using the GeVarli pipeline to generate consensus sequences and variant calling. All sequences isolated in Guinea and available on GISAID were included in the analysis for phylogenetic tree and phylodynamic determination. Nextstain tools were used for these analyses. Statistical analysis was done using GraphPad Prism version 10., Results: The circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in Guinea can be distributed in three different periods. The first, lasting from May to June 2020, was characterized by lineages B1 and B.1.1. The second period, from January 2021 to July 2021, was characterized by the lineages B.1.1.7 (Alpha), AY.122, B.1.1.318, R1, B.1.525 and B.1.629. The third period, between December 2021 and May 2023, was characterized by the Omicron variant, with nine subvariant majorities found. In addition, detecting variants in the period out of their circulation was documented. The importation and exportation investigation showed the strong movement viral association between Guinea and Senegal on the one hand and Guinea and Nigeria on the other., Conclusion: In summary, this study contributes to understanding the epidemic dynamics of the disease by describing the significant variants that circulated in Guinee and the distribution of this variant in the population. It also shows the importation and exportation of the virus during the pandemic. Sub-sampling and degradation of samples for sequences were observed. Organization and collaboration between laboratories are needed for a good sample-collecting and storage system for future direction., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the National Ethics Review Board (number 062/CNERS/22). The protection of confidentiality was promoted to all participants. All participants for whom nasopharyngeal samples were collected provided verbal informed consent to participate in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

DNA methylation biomarkers have emerged as promising tools for cancer detection. Common methylation patterns across tumor types allow multi-cancer detection. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) has gained considerable attention for methylation detection. However, multi-cancer detection using multiple targets in ddPCR has never been performed before. Therefore, we developed a multiplex ddPCR assay for multi-cancer detection. Based on previous data analyses using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we selected differentially methylated targets for eight frequent tumor types (lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, pancreatic, head and neck, liver, and esophageal cancer). Three targets were validated using ddPCR in 103 tumor and 109 normal adjacent fresh frozen samples. Two distinct ddPCR assays were successfully developed. Output data from both assays is combined to obtain a read-out from the three targets together. Our overall ddPCR assay has a cross-validated area under the curve (cvAUC) of 0.948. Performance between distinct cancer types varies, with sensitivities ranging from 53.8% to 100% and specificities ranging from 80% to 100%. Compared to previously published single-target parameters, we show that combining targets can drastically increase sensitivity and specificity, while lowering DNA input. In conclusion, we are the first to report a multi-cancer methylation ddPCR assay, which allows for highly accurate tumor predictions., (© 2024 The Author(s). Molecular Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)