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Tail docking in lambs is associated with an acute inflammatory and ischemic response correlated to pain. The present study sought to quantify these responses by utilizing infrared thermographic imaging (IRT) after tail docking lambs. Images were taken for each lamb before tail docking (T0), within a minute after the band was placed (T1), at 5 minutes (T5), and 15 minutes (T15) respectively and analyzed for pixel intensity in areas on the lamb’s rump, tail base, and two locations below the docking band. The pixel intensity at 2 cm below the docking band did significantly decrease (p < 0.05) over the course of the study at 15 minutes, indicating the presence of ischemia, and a significant decrease in the pixel intensity of the rump and tail base was observed. The closest location to the rubber ring showed the presence of inflammation as an indirect indicator of acute pain . IRT is a valuable tool in the detection of inflammation and ischemic areas and has the potential to be used to quantify and measure the experience of inflammation and pain after tail docking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the preparation of osseointegrated dental implant sites, the use of bone drilling with conventional external irrigation has been shown to be thermally non-injurious to bovine bone, when employed as a model for dental implantology. The use of internal irrigation drilling systems is promoted on the basis of improved delivery of coolant to the bone/drill interface, which should subsequently improve local debridement and cooling, and therefore reduce thermal insults to the bone. The aim of this bovine model study was to compare the temperatures that were generated with external and internal irrigation systems during bone preparation for dental implants. A constant drill load of 1.7 kg was applied throughout the drilling procedures via a drilling rig. The burs that were used for both irrigation methods were a 2 mm twist drill for cutting the channel and a 3.25 mm drill for trephining this channel. The principal recorded parameter was the change in temperature generated via the drilling procedure. The 2 mm twist drills produced a maximum change in temperature of only 3.0°C and 3.1°C for the internal and external irrigation systems, respectively. Maximum changes for the 3.25 mm drills were 1.34°C and 1.62°C, respectively. Using the t -test, no statistical benefit was observed for one irrigant delivery system over the other. The clinical benefit of using the more expensive internal irrigation systems is therefore deemed unjustifiable, on the grounds that these systems do not appear to reduce the thermal challenge to the bone over and above that of simple flood irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is characterized by the episodic whitening of the fingers upon exposure to cold. A recently described thermographic algorithm was proposed as a diagnostic replacement of the currently applied finger systolic pressure (FSP) test. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of the thermographic algorithm when applied in patients suspected of having RP. Forty-three patients were examined using thermographic imaging after local cooling of the hands in water of 10 °C for 1 min. The thermographic algorithm was applied to predict the probability of RP. The performance of the algorithm was evaluated with different cut-off levels. A new algorithm was proposed based on patients from the target population. The performance of the tested algorithm was noninferior to the FSP test, when a cut-off level of 0.05 was applied, yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 69% and 58%, respectively. The accuracy was 66%. The FSP test had a sensitivity and specificity of 77% and 37%, respectively, and the accuracy was 59%. The thermographic method proved useful for detecting RP and was able to replace the FSP test as a diagnostic test. The alternative algorithm revealed that other thermographic variables were more predictive of the target population, but this should be verified in future patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is characterized by the episodic whitening of the fingers upon exposure to cold. Verification of the condition is crucial in vibration-exposed patients. The current verification method is outdated, but thermographic imaging seems promising as a diagnostic replacement. By investigating patients diagnosed with RP, the study aimed at developing a simple thermographic procedure that could be applied to future patients where verification of the diagnosis is needed. Twenty-two patients with primary RP and 58 healthy controls were examined using thermographic imaging after local cooling of the hands for 1 min in water of 10°C. A logistic regression model was fitted with the temperature curve characteristics to convey a predicted probability of having RP. The characteristics time to end temperature and baseline temperature were the most appropriate predictors of RP among those examined (p = 0.004 and p = 0.04, respectively). The area under the curve was 0.91. The cut-off level 0.46 yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 86%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 69% and 93%, respectively. This newly developed thermographic method was able to distinguish between patients with RP and healthy controls and was easy to operate. Thus, the method showed great promise as a method for verification of RP in future patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03094910. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]