Nine isolates of Canine parvovirus (CPV) were obtained from Vietnamese dogs and cats. One canine isolate showed a unique antigenic property which indicates a novel antigenic variant of CPV-2b when examined with hemagglutination inhibition tests using our monoclonal antibodies, 21C3 and 19D7, which were recently developed. This isolate had an amino acid substitution of residue 426, Asp to Glu, and the same substitution has recently been found in CPV from Italian dogs. This study first showed that such substitution caused an antigenic difference demonstrable by monoclonal antibodies and that a similar evolution may have occurred in CPV in Vietnam.

Nerve preservation is an important goal during surgery because accidental transection or injury leads to significant morbidity, including numbness, pain, weakness or paralysis. Nerves are usually identified by their appearance and relationship to nearby structures or detected by local electrical stimulation (electromyography), but thin or buried nerves are sometimes overlooked. Here, we use phage display to select a peptide that binds preferentially to nerves. After systemic injection of a fluorescently labeled version of the peptide in mice, all peripheral nerves are clearly delineated within 2 h. Contrast between nerve and adjacent tissue is up to tenfold, and useful contrast lasts up to 8 h. No changes in behavior or activity are observed after treatment, indicating a lack of obvious toxicity. The fluorescent probe also labels nerves in human tissue samples. Fluorescence highlighting is independent of axonal integrity, suggesting that the probe could facilitate surgical repair of injured nerves and help prevent accidental transection.

Purpose: To investigate the ability of four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT)-derived ventilation images to identify regions of highly functional lung for avoidance in intensitymodulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials:The treatment planning records from 21 patients with stage III NSCLC were selected. Ventilation images were generated from the 4D CT sets, and each was imported into the treatment-planning system. Ninety percentile functional volumes (PFV90), constituting the 10% of the lung volume where the highest ventilation occurs, were generated. Baseline IMRT plans were generated using the lung volume constraint on V20 (<35%), and two additional plans were generated using constraints on the PFV90 without a volume constraint. Dose-volume (DVH) and dose-function (DFH) histograms were generated and used to evaluate the PTV coverage, lung volume, and functional parameters for comparison of the plans. Results:The mean dose to the PFV90 was reduced by 2.9 Gy, and the DFH at 5 Gy (F5) was reduced by 9.6% (SE=2.03%). The F5, F10, V5, and V10 were all significantly reduced from the baseline values. We identified a favorable subset of patients for whom there was a further significant improvement in the mean lung dose.Conclusions: 4D CT-derived ventilation regions were successfully utilized as avoidance structures to reduce the DVH and DFH at 5 Gy in all the cases. In a subset, there was also a Conflict of Interest NotificationThe authors have no commercial or financial interests related to this study to disclose.Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access

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Highlights Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG specificity is critical for Covid-19 spread and prevalence studies. A large collection of pre-pandemic samples is necessary for the assessment of assay specificity. Specificity of Abbott Architect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay is high. Sensitivity of both anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG assays evaluated are high.