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BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests a correlation between modified Rankin Scale-based measures, an outcome measure commonly used in acute stroke trials, and mortality-based measures used by health agencies in the evaluation of hospital performance. We aimed to examine whether the 2 types of measures are interchangeable in relation to evaluation of hospital performance in acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Five outcome measures, unfavorable functional outcome (3-month modified Rankin Scale score ≥2), death or dependency (3-month modified Rankin Scale score ≥3), 1-month mortality, 3-month mortality, and 1-year mortality, were collected for 8292 individuals who were hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke between January 2014 and May 2015 in 14 hospitals participating in the Clinical Research Collaboration for Stroke in Korea -- National Institute of Health registry. Hierarchical regression models were used to calculate per-hospital risk-adjusted outcome rates for each measure. Hospitals were ranked and grouped based on the risk-adjusted outcome rates, and the correlations between the modified Rankin Scalebased and mortality-based ranking and their intermeasure reliability in categorizing hospital performance were analyzed. RESULTS: The comparison between the ranking based on the unfavorable functional outcome and that based on 1-year mortality resulted in a Spearman correlation coefficient of -0.29 and Kendall rank coefficient of -0.23, and the comparison of grouping based on these 2 types of ranks resulted in a weighted kappa of 0.123 for the grouping in the top 33%/middle 33%/bottom 33% and 0.25 for the grouping in the top 20%/middle 60%/bottom 20%, respectively. No significant correlation or similarity in grouping capacities were found between the rankings based on the functional outcome measures and those based on the mortality measures. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that regardless of clinical correlation at an individual patient level, functional outcome-based measures and mortality-based measures are not interchangeable in the evaluation of hospital performance in acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Del-Nido cardioplegia (DNc) is a single-dose cardioplegia that is widely used in human medicine because of its long duration. In this report, we describe two cases of open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using DNc. One dog was diagnosed with partial atrioventricular septal defect, and the other dog was diagnosed with myxomatous mitral valve disease stage D. Both dogs were treated with open-heart surgery with DNc to induce temporary cardiac arrest. No complications from DNc were observed, and the patients were discharged. Veterinary heart surgeons should consider DNc as an option for temporary cardiac arrest during open-heart surgery with CPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have presented evidence to support the significant association between red meat intake and colon cancer, suggesting that heme iron plays a key role in colon carcinogenesis. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea, exhibits anti-oxidative and anti-cancer effects. However, the effect of EGCG on red meat)associated colon carcinogenesis is not well understood. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of hemin and EGCG on colon carcinogenesis and the underlying mechanism of action. Methods: Hemin and EGCG were treated in Caco2 cells to perform the water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 assay, lactate dehydrogenase release assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot. We investigated the regulatory effects of hemin and EGCG on an azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon carcinogenesis mouse model. Results: In Caco2 cells, hemin increased cell proliferation and the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins, and ROS levels. EGCG suppressed hemin-induced cell proliferation and cell cycle regulatory protein expression as well as mitochondrial ROS accumulation. Hemin increased nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression, but decreased Keap1 expression. EGCG enhanced hemin-induced Nrf2 and antioxidant gene expression. Nrf2 inhibitor reversed EGCG reduced cell proliferation and cell cycle regulatory protein expression. In AOM/DSS mice, hemin treatment induced hyperplastic changes in colon tissues, inhibited by EGCG supplementation. EGCG reduced the hemin-induced numbers of total aberrant crypts and malondialdehyde concentration in the AOM/DSS model. Conclusions: We demonstrated that EGCG reduced hemin-induced proliferation and colon carcinogenesis through Nrf2-inhibited mitochondrial ROS accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 10-year-old intact male Shih Tzu dog presented with hematuria. Double-contrast cystography revealed a polypoid filling defect at the apex of the urinary bladder. Ultrasonography revealed a heterogeneously hypoechoic intramural mass with minimal vascular flow beneath the submucosal layer. After partial cystectomy, a well-demarcated bladder leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed on histopathology. The patient was alive and well without any clinical signs, recurrence, or metastasis at the 29-month follow-up after the surgical removal of the bladder mass. Leiomyosarcoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis if mass-like lesions are observed in the urinary bladder, although this type of malignancy is rare in canines. Histopathological confirmation is important for predicting prognosis and determining further medical plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common heart disease in small-breed dogs. Mitral repair, which comprise artificial chorda tendineae implantation and mitral annuloplasty, has become the mainstay of treatment in the veterinary field. We report on two small dogs who underwent mitral repair surgery for MR. A Hegar dilator was used during mitral annuloplasty for accurate and reproducible surgery. In both cases, mitral regurgitant flow almost disappeared after surgery, and clinical signs improved. The treatment regimen was terminated 3 months after the surgery. We concluded that using a Hegar dilator may facilitate mitral valve repair surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Minimally invasive C2 direct repair is often recognized as a motion preserving operation. • Seven patients underwent repair of atypical hangman's fracture by trans-pedicular fixation using the tubular retractor system. • No intraoperative neuro-vascular injury or postoperative complications. CT images demonstrated a stable construct occurred. The ideal treatment strategy of atypical hangman's fracture (AHF) is debatable. If surgical treatment is needed, direct trans-pedicular fixation technique is advantageous in that it stabilizes the fracture site and spares adjacent motion segments. The authors describe relatively simple and minimally invasive technique using the tubular retractor system (TRS) for surgical treatment of AHF. Trans-pedicular screw fixation using the TRS was performed in seven patients with AHF. This technique was facilitated by using intraoperative fluoroscopy and a surgical microscope. Rigid cervical collar was used for 4 weeks, postoperatively. To evaluate postoperative radiological outcomes, cervical computed tomography (CT) was performed at postoperative 6 months. The clinical outcomes, including visual analog scale and neck motion, were evaluated. In surgical outcomes, no intraoperative neuro-vascular injury or postoperative complications occurred. For all patients, dynamic radiographs and CT images demonstrated a stable construct. Clinical examination also showed satisfactory pain relief and restoration of the full range of motion in the neck. Direct trans-pedicular screw fixation using the TRS for AHF appears to be safe and effective. This technique permits less skin incision and muscle dissection with good postoperative recovery. This report serves as a preliminary study and may be a surgical option for minimally invasive direct repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the cranial vertebral angle (CVA) and the range of motion (ROM) was different between participants with a forward head posture (FHP), with or without pain. Methods: Forty-four participants who had FHP participated in this study. The FHP was assessed digitally by measuring a lateral view the CVA for each subject. A cervical ROM device measured the cervical ROM. The volunteers were allocated to either, with pain (n = 22), or without pain (n = 22) groups, and pain was evaluated using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Results: The FHP in the pain group showed a significant difference in the CVA, and the cervical ROM in both flexion and extension, compared with those in the FHP without pain group (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the occurrence of cervical area pain was higher amongst subjects who had a decreased CVA and flexion motion. Conclusion: This study suggested that decreased CVA and cervical flexion range, were predictive factors for the occurrence of pain in the cervical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are applied to structural health monitoring (SHM) in many areas due to their unique advantages such as ease of multiplexing and capability of absolute measurement. However, they are exposed to cyclic thermal load, generally in the temperature range of -20°C to 60°C, in railways during a long-term SHM and the cyclic thermal load can affect the mechanical strength of FBGs. In this paper, the effects of both cyclic thermal load and the reflectivity of FBGs on the mechanical strength are investigated though tension tests of FBG specimens after they are aged in a thermal chamber with temperature changes in a range from -20°C to 60°C for 300 cycles. Results from tension tests reveal that the mechanical strength of FBGs decreases about 8% as the thermal cycle increases to 100 cycles; the mechanical strength then remains steady until 300 cycles. Otherwise, the mechanical strength of FBGs with reflectivity of 6dB (70%) and lOdB (90%) exhibits degradation values of about 6% and 12%, respectively, compared to that with reflectivity of 3dB (50%) at 300 cycles. SEM photos of the Bragg grating parts also show defects that cause their strength degradation. Consequently, it should be considered that mechanical strength of FBGs can be degraded by both thermal cycles and the reflectivity if the FBGs are exposed to repetitive thermal load during a long-term SHM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We induced percutaneous spinal cord injuries (SCI) using a balloon catheter in 45 rats and transplanted human umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) at the injury site. Locomotor function was significantly improved in hUCB-MSCs transplanted groups. Quantitative ELISA of extract from entire injured spinal cord showed increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). Our results show that treatment of SCI with hUCB-MSCs can improve locomotor functions, and suggest that increased levels of BDNF, NGF and NT-3 in the injured spinal cord were the main therapeutic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Veterinary Journal / Revue Vétérinaire Canadienne is the property of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Veterinary Journal / Revue Vétérinaire Canadienne is the property of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the result of nodakenin, a significant natural resource and anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory medicinal material on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions. It states the investigation of inhibitory effect of nodakenin on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions in imprinting control region (ICR) mice. An overview on the study involving the animal care conducted in the Yonsei University at Wonju, South Korea is also presented.

This work introduces a two-module robotic pipe inspection system with ultrasonic NDE device to evaluate the integrity of pipe structures. The proposed robotic platform has high mobility. The two module mobile robot platform overcomes pipe obstacle structures such as elbow, or T-branch joints by cooperative maneuvers. Also, it can climb up the straight pipeline at a fast speed due to the wheel driven mechanism. For inspection of pipe structure, SH-waves generated by EMAT are applied with additional signal processing methods. A wavelet transform is implemented to extract a meaningful and specific signal from the superposed SH-wave signals. Intensity ratio which is normalized the defect signals intensity by the maximum intensity of directly transmitted signals in the wavelet transforms spectrum is applied to evaluate defects quantitatively. It is experimentally verified that the robotic ultrasonic inspection system with EMAT is capable of non-destructive inspection and evaluation of defects in pipe structure successfully by applying signal processing method based on wavelet transform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of the triangular grooved tip shape on the flow and heat transfer characteristics near the tip region. To study the effect of the triangular grooved tip shape, five triangular grooved tips were designed by changing the relative apex location of the triangular groove. Numerical computations were conducted for a total of six tip shapes, including a squealer tip. The contour plot of the secondary velocity and streamline were analyzed to understand the flow over a blade tip in detail, and the effect of the leakage vortex was discussed by comparing the total pressure loss. To compare the heat transfer characteristics, the Nusselt number and heat load over the tip surface, including the cavity sidewall, were analyzed. Results showed that the origin and trace of the vortex in the tip cavity depended on the apex location of the triangular groove, and because of this, the Nusselt number on the tip and blade suction side surface were also affected. Among the considered tips, the triangular grooved suction side tip showed comparable flow loss to that of the squealer tip. It also showed a lower heat transfer than the other tip shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, percutaneous spinal cord injury (SCI) methods using a balloon catheter in adult rats are described. A balloon catheter was inserted into the epidural space through the lumbosacral junction and then inflated between T9-T10 for 10min under fluoroscopic guidance. Animals were divided into three groups with respect to inflation volume: 20 μL (n = 18), 50 μL (n = 18) and control (Fogarty catheter inserted but not inflated; n = 10). Neurological assessments were then made based on BBB score, magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology. Both inflation volumes produced complete paralysis. Gradual recovery of motor function occurred when 20 μL was used, but not after 50 μL was applied. In the 50 μL group, all gray and white matter was lost from the center of the lesion. In addition, supramaximal damage was noted, which likely prevented spontaneous recovery. This percutaneous spinal cord compression injury model is simple, rapid with high reproducibility and the potential to serve as a useful tool for investigation of pathophysiology and possible protective treatments of SCI in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal studies and small controlled studies in humans suggest that adiponectin may regulate blood pressure via brain-mediated and endothelium-mediated mechanisms. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the epidemiological evidence on plasma adiponectin levels and hypertension in free-living adult population. A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE, up to February 2013, identified 43 nonprospective and 5 prospective studies that included 17598 adults (8220 with hypertension; mean age 19-69 years; and mean body mass index 22-38 kg/m²). Two investigators independently extracted data on adiponectin levels by hypertension status and dose-response relationship. We used a random-effects model to compute the weighted mean difference in adiponectin levels between adults with hypertension and normotensive adults and a 2-stage generalized least-square trend methods to compute the odds ratio of hypertension per 1 µg/mL increase in adiponectin. Adults with hypertension had 1.64 µg/mL (95% confidence interval, -2.07, -1.21) lower adiponectin levels than normotensive adults. Every 1 µg/mL increase in adiponectin levels was associated with 6% reduced risk of hypertension (95% confidence interval, 0.92, 0.97). These findings were consistent across study design and characteristics, including age, sex, and body mass index (P>0.05). However, our meta-analysis was limited by unexplained large between-study heterogeneity, a small number of prospective studies, and selective reporting of dose-response data. In conclusion, epidemiological evidence suggests that plasma adiponectin level is a biomarker and possible mediator in the development of adiposity-related hypertension. The question remains as to adiponectin as a potential therapeutic target and its relationship with other adipokines in blood pressure regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the biological scaffold properties of canine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) compared to a those of polypropylene mesh in growing rats with full-thickness abdominal defects. SIS is used to repair musculoskeletal tissue while promoting cell migration and supporting tissue regeneration. Polypropylene mesh is a non-resorbable synthetic material that can endure mechanical tension. Canine SIS was obtained from donor German shepherds, and its porous collagen fiber structure was identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A 2.50-cm² section of canine SIS (SIS group) or mesh (mesh group) was implanted in Sprague-Dawley rats. At 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after surgery, the implants were histopathologically examined and tensile load was tested. One month after surgery, CD68+ macrophage numbers in the SIS group were increased, but the number of CD8+ T cells in this group declined more rapidly than that in rats treated with the mesh. In the SIS group, few adhesions and well-developed autologous abdominal muscle infiltration into the SIS collagen fibers were observed. No significant differences in the tensile load test results were found between the SIS and mesh groups at 24 weeks. Canine SIS may therefore be a suitable replacement for artificial biological scaffolds in small animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with a study which examined the possibility of using silicone stents broadly used for human medicine in canine obstructive tracheal disease. Topics discussed include information on a silicone stent designed anatomically and physiologically to be suitable for the canine trachea, complications of airway stenting, and the delivery device used in placing the stent during the procedure.

Here, we describe two dogs in which canine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was implanted as a biomaterial scaffold during perineal herniorrhaphy. Both dogs had developed severe muscle weakness, unilaterally herniated rectal protrusions, and heart problems with potential anesthetic risks. Areas affected by the perineal hernia (PH) located between the internal obturator and external anal sphincter muscles were reconstructed with naive canine SIS sheets. In 12 months, post-operative complications such as wound infections, sciatic paralysis, rectal prolapse, or recurrence of the hernia were not observed. Symptoms of defecatory tenesmus also improved. Neither case showed any signs of rejection or specific immune responses as determined by complete and differential cell counts. Our findings demonstrate that canine SIS can be used as a biomaterial scaffold for PH repair in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study about the cardiovascular risk factors among individuals living in low socioeconomic communities and homeless shelters. It examines data gathered from 426 low socioeconomic community-dwelling males and females and 287 males in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing on the factors and characteristics that contribute to coronary heart disease, such as emotional stress. The effectiveness of controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose in this population was also analyzed.

The use of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells for cell transplantation therapy holds great promise for repairing spinal cord injury. Here we report the first clinical trial transplantation of human umbilical cord (hUCB)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the spinal cord of a dog suspected to have fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCEM) and that experienced a loss of deep pain sensation. Locomotor functions improved following transplantation in a dog. Based on our findings, we suggest that transplantation of hUCB-derived MSCs will have beneficial therapeutic effects on FCEM patients lacking deep pain sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem ceils for cell transplantation therapy holds great promise for repairing spinal cord injury. Here we report the first clinical trial transplantation of human umbilical cord (hUCB)-derived mesenchymal stem ceils (MSCs) into the spinal cord of a dog suspected to have fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCEM) and that experienced a loss of deep pain sensation. Locomotor functions improved fallowing transplantation in a dog. Based on our findings, we suggest that transplantation of hUCB-derived MSCs will have beneficial therapeutic effects on FCEM patients lacking deep pain sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]