Correlation between the Leaflet-Annulus Index and Echocardiographic Indices in Maltese Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common chronic heart valve disease, leading to left-sided cardiomegaly in dogs. The leaflet-annulus index (LAI) was originally used in humans as a predictor of mitral regurgitation (MR) after mitral valve repair surgery. This index represents the quantity and severity of MR since it is affected by annular dilation. Recently, LAI was adapted to veterinary medicine, and its usefulness as an indicator of annular dilation on 2D transthoracic echocardiography in MMVD dogs was suggested. For this study, 135 Maltese dogs were selected and divided into groups of control, B1, and B2, according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine consensus statement. The following data were collected: radiographic indices including the vertebral heart score and vertebral left atrial size, echocardiographic indices including the left-atrium-to-aortic-root ratio (LA:Ao), left ventricular internal diameter at diastole, normalized for body weight, and anteroposterior length and LAI measured on right parasternal long-axis view. The results showed a significant difference in LAI between each group, becoming smaller as the disease progressed. Also, there was a significant correlation between LAI and each index, showing the strongest correlation with LA:Ao. LAI could be helpful as a new indicator used for the determination of severity and prognosis in Maltese dogs with MMVD.

Facile Strategy for Third Component Optimization in Wide-Band-Gap π-Conjugated Polymer Donor-Based Efficient Ternary All-Polymer Solar Cells.

Emerging organic solar cells based on a ternary strategy is one of the most effective methods for improving the blend film morphology, absorption ability, and device performances. On the other hand, this strategy has had very limited success in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) because of the scarcity of new polymers and the challenges faced during third component optimization. Herein, highly efficient ternary all-PSCs were developed from siloxane-functionalized side chains with a wide-band-gap (Eg) polymer, Si-BDT, which is blended with a medium and ultra-narrow Eg polymer donor and acceptor, PTB7-Th, and DCNBT-TPIC. An impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.45% was achieved in the ternary all-PSCs [PTB7-Th(0.6):Si-BDT(0.4):DCNBT-TPIC(0.6)] with the addition of 0.4 wt equivalent Si-BDT into binary all-PSCs [PTB7-Th(1):DCNBT-TPIC(0.6) PCE of 10.11%]. In contrast, the binary all-PSCs with a Si-BDT(1):DCNBT-TPIC(0.6) active layer only exhibited a good PCE of 9.92%. More importantly, the siloxane-functionalized side chains increase the light-absorption ability, carrier mobility, blend miscibility, and film morphology in ternary devices compared to those of the binary devices. Hence, exciton dissociation, charge carrier transport, and suppressed recombination properties were facilitated. In the presence of Si-BDT, both binary and ternary all-PSCs PCEs are significantly improved. Indeed, 13.45% PCE is one of the best values reported for all-PSCs except for those based on polymerized small molecule acceptors. In addition, the ternary all-PSCs showed excellent environmental and thermal stabilities with 95 and 84% of the initial PCE retained after 900 and 500 h, respectively. These results offer effective device engineering, providing a new avenue for improving the device performance in ternary all-PSCs.

All-Polymer Solar Cells Approaching 12% Efficiency with a New π-Conjugated Polymer Donor Enabled by a Nonhalogenated Solvent Process.

High efficiency and nonhalogenated solvent processing are important issues for commercial application of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). In this regard, we increased the photovoltaic performance of all-PSCs to a benchmark power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.66% by manipulating the pre-aggregation of a new π-conjugated polymer donor (Nap-SiBTz) using toluene as a solvent. This use of Nap-SiBTz enhanced the absorption coefficient (λmax = 9.30 × 104 cm-1), increased charge carrier mobility, suppressed trap-assisted recombination, improved bulk heterojunction morphology, and resulted in high PCEs of all-PSCs with an active layer thickness of 200 nm. To overcome severe charge recombination and energy losses, a 1-phenylnapthalene additive was used to achieve a well-ordered microstructure and molecular packing that inherently improved the device performances. The resulting encapsulation-free devices exhibited good ambient and thermal stabilities. The results of this study augur well for the future of the roll-to-roll production of all-PSCs.

Metabolomic approaches to polyamines including acetylated derivatives in lung tissue of mice with asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, the relationship between polyamine (PA) metabolism and asthma has been studied in severe asthmatic therapy, but systematic PA metabolism including their acetylated derivatives was not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: Profiling analysis of polyamines (PAs) was performed to understand the biochemical events and monitor altered PA metabolism in lung tissue of mice with asthma. METHODS: Polyamine profiling of lung tissue of mice with asthma was performed without derivatization by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) combined with star pattern recognition analysis. The PA levels between control and asthma groups were evaluated by multivariate analysis. RESULTS: In mouse lung tissue, seven PAs were determined by LC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Their levels were normalized to the corresponding mean levels of the control group for star pattern analysis, which showed distorted heptagonal shapes with characteristic and readily distinguishable patterns for each group. Levels of putrescine (p < 0.0034), N1-acetylputrescine (p < 0.0652), and N8-acetylspermidine (p < 0.0827) were significantly increased in asthmatic lung tissue. The separation of the two groups was evaluated using multivariate analysis. In unsupervised learning, acetylated PAs including N1-acetylspermine were the main metabolites for discrimination. In supervised learning, putrescine and N1-acetylputrescine were evaluated as important metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: The present results provide basic data for understanding polyamine metabolism in asthma and may help to improve the therapy for severe asthma patients.

Retraction Note to: Analysis of loxoprofen in tablets, patches, and equine urine as tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The authors have retracted this article [1] because after publication they became aware that the equine urine samples analysed for loxoprofen in this study were in fact equine plasma samples. Therefore the results and conclusions of this article cannot be relied upon. All authors agree to this retraction.

Safety of Temporary Use of Recycled Autoclaved Femoral Components in Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty: Confirming Sterility Using a Sonication Method.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of sonication technique for microbiological diagnosis and the sterility of the recycled autoclaved femoral components from infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a sonication method. METHODS: Nineteen femoral implants explanted from patients with infected TKA were sterilized with a standard autoclave method. Standard culture of the fluid before and after sonication of the sterilized implants was performed to detect pathogenic microorganisms. Additional experiments were performed to evaluate the sterility of the recycled implant by inducing artificial biofilm formation. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was inoculated into 10 implants and sterilization in a standard autoclave was performed, and then the fluid was cultured before and after sonication. RESULTS: Two of the 19 sterilized implants were positive for growth of bacteria after sonication, whereas no growth was detected in the cultured fluid from the sterilized implants before sonication. The bacteria were Staphylococcus species in all two cases. In one of 10 implants inoculated with MRSA, the culture was positive for growth of bacteria both before and after sonication. However, Staphylococcus epidermidis was cultured from both occasions and thus this implant was thought to be contaminated. CONCLUSIONS: We found sonication for identification of pathogens could be helpful, but this finding should be interpreted carefully because of the possibility of contamination. Sterilization of an infected femoral implant with an autoclave method could be a good method for using the temporary articulating antibiotic spacer in two-stage revision arthroplasty.

Analysis of loxoprofen in tablets, patches, and equine urine as tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Loxoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the 2-arylpropionic acid type, which has used to treat musculoskeletal disorders in the horse racing industry. However, it has also used illicitly to mask clinical signs of inflammation and pain in racehorses. Thus, its accurate analysis has become an important issue in horse doping laboratories. In this study, an analytical method of loxoprofen was developed as tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivative by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Characteristic fragment ions of [M-15], [M-57], and [M-139] permitted the accurate and selective detection of loxoprofen. Under optimal conditions, this method showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.999) in the range of 10-500 ng/mL, repeatability (% relative standard deviation = 5.6-8.5), and accuracy (% relative error = - 0.3-0.9) with a detection limit of 1.0 ng. When applied to the analysis of loxoprofen in tablet and patch products, loxoprofen was positively identified as TBDMS derivative by GC-MS. The present method provided rapid and accurate determination of loxoprofen in patch and tablet products. Levels of loxoprofen were highest in equine urine at 0.5 and 1 h after oral administration with single dose (3 mg/kg) to three horses, and then rapidly reduced to below the lower limit of quantification at 24 h. Therefore, the present method will be useful for the pharmacokinetic study and doping tests for loxoprofen and other similar acidic drugs in horses.

Real-time demonstration of QoS guaranteed 25-Gb/s PON prototype with Ethernet-PON MAC/PHY and cost-effective APD receivers for 100-Gb/s access networks.

We demonstrate a real-time 25-Gb/s PON prototype with ethernet-PON MAC/PHY, O-band transmitter, and cost-effective APD receivers. With applying parasitic inductance and capacitance reduction, the frequency response of 25-Gb/s APD ROSA with TO46-pacakge is improved to support high receiver sensitivity around -25 dBm at the BER of 10-3. The 30 dB power budget of 25 Gb/s downstream is achieved at the BER of 10-3. With long-term ethernet packet transmission, 25 Gigabit and 10 Gigabit ethernet traffics are successfully transmitted through the 20-km SMF over 14 hour's observation window. Furthermore, QoS and bandwidth re-assignment function of the 25-Gb/s PON prototype are successfully demonstrated with respect to residential, business and mobile backhaul services in ONUs.

Comparison of Fecal Microbiota between German Holstein Dairy Cows with and without Left-Sided Displacement of the Abomasum.

One of the most common diseases in high-performance German Holstein dairy cows is left-sided displacement of the abomasum (LDA). Hypomotility of the abomasum is detrimental during the pathogenesis of LDA. It is known that improper interactions between the gut microbiota and the enteric nervous system contribute to dysfunctions of gastrointestinal motility. Therefore, we hypothesized that the gut microbial composition will be different between German Holstein dairy cows with and without LDA. We used 16S rRNA gene analysis to evaluate whether there are any differences in bacterial composition between German Holstein dairy cows with and without LDA. Even though our data are limited to being used to correlate compositional changes with corresponding functional aspects in the pathogenesis of LDA, results from this study show that the fecal microbial compositions of German Holstein dairy cows with LDA shifted and were less diverse than those in normal cows. In particular,Spirochaeteswere absent in cows with LDA.

Molecular Detection of Giardia intestinalis from Stray Dogs in Animal Shelters of Gyeongsangbuk-do (Province) and Daejeon, Korea.

Giardia is a major public health concern and considered as reemerging in industrialized countries. The present study investigated the prevalence of giardiosis in 202 sheltered dogs using PCR. The infection rate was 33.2% (67/202); Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daejeon showed 25.7% (39/152, P<0.0001) and 56% (28/50), respectively. The prevalence of infected female dogs (46.7%, P<0.001) was higher than in male dogs (21.8%). A higher prevalence (43.5%, P<0.0001) was observed in mixed breed dogs than purebred (14.1%). Although most of the fecal samples collected were from dogs of ≥1 year of age which showed only 27.4% positive rate, 61.8% (P<0.001) of the total samples collected from young animals (<1 year of age) were positive for G. intestinalis. A significantly higher prevalence in symptomatic dogs (60.8%, P<0.0001) was observed than in asymptomatic dogs (23.8%). Furthermore, the analysis of nucleotide sequences of the samples revealed that G. intestinalis Assemblages A and C were found in the feces of dogs from Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daejeon. Since G. intestinalis Assemblage A has been known to infect humans, our results suggest that dogs can act as an important reservoir of giardiosis in Korea. Hence, hygienic management should be given to prevent possible transmission to humans.

Application of vincristine-loaded platelet therapy in three dogs with refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia.

Three dogs presented with refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT). All patients failed to respond to prednisone, which is considered a mainstay of immunosuppressive therapy. Vincristine-loaded platelets (VLPs), which act selectively on mononuclear phagocytes,were introduced. After the VLPs were transfused, two dogs responded quickly with improved clinical signs while the third dog with recurrent IMT was euthanized due to its deteriorating condition. This case report describes the efficacy of VLP therapy in refractory IMT patients.

Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infection in stray cats by nested PCR in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey of Dirofilaria immitis infection among stray cats in Korea using nested PCR. We included 235 stray cats (121 females and 114 males) and evaluated each for the presence of feline heartworm infection. Blood samples were collected from 135 cats in Daejeon, 50 cats in Seoul, and 50 cats from Gyeonggi-do (Province). Of the 235 DNA samples, 14 (6.0%) were positive for D. immitis. The prevalence of infection in male cats (8/114, 7.0%) tended to be higher than that in female cats (6/121, 5.0%), but the difference was not statistically significant. In each location, 8, 2, and 4 cats were positive for infection, respectively, based on DNA testing. No significant differences in the prevalence were observed among the geographic regions, although the rate of infection was higher in Gyeonggi-do (8.0%) than Daejeon (5.9%) and Seoul (4.0%). We submitted 7 of the 14 D. immitis DNA-positive samples for sequencing analysis. All samples corresponded to partial D. immitis cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences with 99% homology to the D. immitis sequence deposited in GenBank (accession no. FN391553). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey using nested PCR to analyze the prevalence of D. immitis in stray cats in Korea.

Leptin, adiponectin and serotonin levels in lean and obese dogs.

BACKGROUND: Serotonin (5-hydroytryptamine or 5HT) is associated with numerous behavioral and psychological factors and is a biochemical marker of mood. 5HT is involved in the hypothalamic regulation of energy consumption. 5HT controls appetite in the central nerve system (CNS) and stimulates intestinal mobility. There are few studies looking at the role of 5HT and the relationship between peripheral circulating serotonin and obesity. The aim of this study was to find any differences in leptin, adiponectin, and 5HT between lean and obese dogs and to identify correlations among these factors. RESULTS: Leptin, triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels were higher in the obese group (all p < 0.01). Adiponectin and 5HT levels were higher in the lean group compared to the obese group (p < 0.01). Leptin (r = 0.628, p < 0.01), TG (r = 0.491, p < 0.01) and cholesterol (r = 0.419, p < 0.01) were positively correlated with body condition score (BCS), and adiponectin (r = -0.446, p < 0.01) and 5HT (r = -0.490, p < 0.01) were negatively correlated with BCS. Leptin was negatively correlated with adiponectin (r = -0.294, p < 0.01) and 5HT (r = -0.343, p < 0.01). 5HT was negatively correlated with leptin (r = -0.343, p < 0.01), TG (r = -0.268, p < 0.05) and cholesterol (r = -0.357, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 5HT is an important appetite control neurotransmitter, but there are limited studies for 5HT levels related to obesity in dogs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate peripheral 5HT levels in obese dogs. From this research, we can assume that 5HT may be correlated with canine obesity. Further studies will be needed to further elucidate the role of low serum 5HT levels in canine obesity.

Paroxysmal dyskinesia suspected as canine epileptoid cramping syndrome in a young Yorkshire terrier dog.

A 9-month-old intact female Yorkshire terrier dog was presented with episodic partial seizure-like cramping of the limbs. The patient's episodes began six months previously; the interval between episodes became shorter, and the duration of the episodes increased. Various tests including neurologic examination, blood examination, abdominal radiography, ultrasonographic examination, angiographic computed tomography (CT) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected no remarkable changes. After these tests were conducted, the patient's condition was suspected to be canine epileptoid cramping syndrome (CECS), which could be a form of paroxysmal dyskinesia (PD), and as a trial therapy, Science Diet k/d (Hill's Pet Nutrition, Topeka, KS, U.S.A.) was prescribed. The clinical signs were dramatically reduced after diet therapy, and we diagnosed the patient with CECS. This is the first case report of CECS in a Yorkshire terrier dog.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in rabbits of Korea by serological tests and nested polymerase chain reaction.

This study surveyed the Toxoplasma (T.) gondii infection prevalence in the Korean rabbit population. Rabbits (n=142) were obtained from two breeding farms in the Gongju area, Chungnam Province, and in the Kochang area, Junbuk Province, Korea. Of 142 sera samples analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 15 (10.6%) exhibited T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies, and 1 (0.7%) rabbit harbored T. gondii-specific IgM. Female rabbits (9/84; 10.7%) had a similar T. gondii prevalence to males (6/58; 10.3%). When stratified by age, rabbits aged >1 year had a similar prevalence of T. gondii infection (7/66; 10.6%) to rabbits aged <1 year (8/76; 10.5%). Immunoblotting detected 6 major antigenic bands corresponding to T. gondii-positive sera at 20, 28, 30, 35, 63 and 77 kDa. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of whole-blood samples detected the T. gondii B1 gene in 23 rabbits (16.2%). All PCR-positive samples corresponded to partial T. gondii B1 gene sequences with 99% homology to a T. gondii sequence deposited in GenBank (accession number EU340874). Female rabbits (13/84; 15.5%) harbored a similar prevalence of T. gondii DNA to males (10/58; 17.2%). Rabbits aged >1 year had a similar prevalence (12/66; 18.2%) of T. gondii infection to rabbits aged <1 year (11/76; 14.5%). No statistically significant differences were observed regarding the prevalences of infection according to sex or age using molecular or serological tests. This study is the first survey using serological tests and nested PCR to analyze the T. gondii prevalence in rabbits in Korea.