Risk factors for race-day fatality, distal limb fracture and epistaxis in Thoroughbreds racing on all-weather surfaces in Great Britain (2000 to 2013)

The incidence of race-day injuries in Great Britain (GB) is higher on all-weather (AW) surfaces than on turf. However, to date no studies have focused on identifying risk factors for injury specific to AW racing. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine risk factors for fatality, distal limb fracture (DLF) and episodes of epistaxis in flat racing Thoroughbreds racing on AW surfaces in GB. Data included all flat racing starts on AW surfaces (n=258,193) and race-day veterinary events recorded between 2000 and 2013. Information on additional course-level variables was gathered during face-to-face interviews with racecourse clerks. Horse-, race- and course-level risk factors for each outcome were assessed using mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression including horse as a random effect. A classification tree method was used to identify potential interaction terms for inclusion in the models. During the study period, there were 233 fatalities resulting in a fatality incidence of 0.90 per 1000 starts; 245 DLF with a resultant DLF incidence of 0.95 per 1000 starts and 410 episodes of epistaxis resulting in an epistaxis incidence of 1.59 per 1000 starts. Risk factors varied for each outcome, although some factors were similar across models including the going, racing intensity, horse age, age at first race start, horse and trainer performance variables. Generally, older horses and those that had started racing at an older age were at higher risk of an adverse outcome, albeit with an interaction between the two variables in the fatality model. Faster going increased the odds of epistaxis and DLF but not fatality. Increasing race distance increased the odds of fatality but reduced the odds of epistaxis. Epistaxis was associated with type of AW surface (Fibresand versus Polytrack^®), but DLF and fatality were not. This study provides further evidence of the association between the risk of race-day injuries and fatalities and current age, age at first start, race distance, going and horse performance. These findings provide the racing industry with information to develop strategies to reduce the occurrence of race-day events on AW surfaces.

The chemical states and atomic structure evolution of ultralow-energy high-dose Boron implanted Si(110) via laser annealing

Further scale down the dimension of silicon-based integrated circuit is a crucial trend in semiconductor fabrication. One of the most critical issues in the nano-device fabrication is to confirm the atomic structure evolution of the ultrathin shallow junction. In this report, UV Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and reflective second harmonic generation (RSHG) are utilized to monitor the pulse laser induced atomic structure evolution of ultralow-energy high-dose Boron implanted Si(110) at room and cold substrate temperature. A peak feature around 480 cm-1 resolved in UV Raman spectra indicates the formation of Si-B bond after the laser irradiation. The red shift of binding energy of Si element (~99 eV) in XPS and the evolution of absorption peak (~196.2 eV) in XANES reveal that the changes in the chemical states of ultra shallow junction strongly correlate to the activation process of Boron implantation, which is confirmed by RSHG measurement. The substrate temperature effect in the recrystallization of Boron implanted region is also realized by cross-section high-resolution TEM (HRTEM). The phenomena of Si-B bond formation and ultra-shallow junction recrystallization can be traced and applied to improve the reliability of Si ultra shallow junction in the future.

Write-aware memory management for hybrid SLC-MLC PCM memory systems

In recent years, phase-change memory (PCM) has generated a great deal of interest because of its byte addressability and non-volatility properties. It is regarded as a good alternative storage medium that can reduce the performance gap between the main memory and the secondary storage in computing systems. To further reduce the bit cost of PCM, the development trend of PCM goes from single-level-cell (SLC) the multi-level-cell (MLC) technology. However, the worse endurance and the intolerable long write latency hinder a MLC PCM from being used as the main memory of computing systems. In this work, we propose a write-aware memory management design to facilitate enabling the use of hybrid PCM as main memory to achieve a better trade-off between the cost and the performance of PCM-based computing systems, where the hybrid PCM is composed of SLC PCM and MLC PCM. In particular, the proposed design can be seamlessly integrated into the inherent memory management of modern operation systems without additional hardware components. The capability of the proposed design was evaluated by a series of experiments, for which it was shown that the proposed design could greatly improve the read and write performance of hybrid PCM memory system up to 30%. At the same time, our proposed idea can significantly extend the lifetime of the investigated hybrid PCM architecture up to 1174 times, compared to existing approaches.

Origin of long lifetime of band-edge charge carriers in organic-inorganic lead iodide perovskites

Long carrier lifetime is what makes hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites high-performance photovoltaic materials. Several microscopic mechanisms behind the unusually long carrier lifetime have been proposed, such as formation of large polarons, Rashba effect, ferroelectric domains, and photon recycling. Here, we show that the screening of band-edge charge carriers by rotation of organic cation molecules can be a major contribution to the prolonged carrier lifetime. Our results reveal that the band-edge carrier lifetime increases when the system enters from a phase with lower rotational entropy to another phase with higher entropy. These results imply that the recombination of the photoexcited electrons and holes is suppressed by the screening, leading to the formation of polarons and thereby extending the lifetime. Thus, searching for organic-inorganic perovskites with high rotational entropy over a wide range of temperature may be a key to achieve superior solar cell performance.

Breed, Coat Color, and Hair Length as Risk Factors for Hyperthyroidism in Cats

Background

Hyperthyroidism is very common in older cats, but the etiopathogenesis is poorly understood. Decreased risk of hyperthyroidism has been reported in certain colorpoint breeds, and this observation previously has been hypothesized to result from relatively greater tyrosine availability for thyroid hormone production because of limited ability to convert tyrosine to melanin pigment. However, studies investigating a potential link between coat pigmentation and risk of hyperthyroidism are limited.

Objective

To identify associations between coat phenotype and hyperthyroidism by investigation of breed, coat color, and hair length as risk factors for the disease.

Animals

Data were used from 4,705 cats aged ≥10 years, referred to a single veterinary teaching hospital (2006–2014) in the United Kingdom.

Methods

Retrospective, epidemiological, cross‐sectional study using Bayesian multivariable logistic regression to assess risk factors for hyperthyroidism.

Results

Burmese (odds ratio [OR], 0.01; 0.00–0.23; P = .004), Tonkinese (OR, 0.05; 0.00–0.95; P = .046), Persian (OR, 0.21; 0.10–0.44; P < .001), Siamese (OR, 0.27; 0.12–0.61; P = .002), Abyssinian (OR, 0.04; 0.00–0.74; P = .031), and British shorthair (OR, 0.47; 0.28–0.79; P = .004) breeds had decreased risk of hyperthyroidism compared to domestic shorthairs. Longhaired, nonpurebred cats (OR, 1.30; 1.03–1.64; P = .028) were at increased risk of hyperthyroidism. Coat color/pattern was not associated with hyperthyroidism in nonpurebred cats.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

We identified decreased risk of hyperthyroidism in the Tonkinese, Abyssinian, and British shorthair breeds, identified an association between risk of hyperthyroidism and hair length, and confirmed decreased risk in Burmese, Siamese, and Persian breeds. Additional studies are warranted to further investigate these findings.

Machine-learning-based calving prediction from activity, lying, and ruminating behaviors in dairy cattle

The objective of this study was to use automated activity, lying, and rumination monitors to characterize prepartum behavior and predict calving in dairy cattle. Data were collected from 20 primiparous and 33 multiparous Holstein dairy cattle from September 2011 to May 2013 at the University of Kentucky Coldstream Dairy. The HR Tag (SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel) automatically collected neck activity and rumination data in 2-h increments. The IceQube (IceRobotics Ltd., South Queensferry, United Kingdom) automatically collected number of steps, lying time, standing time, number of transitions from standing to lying (lying bouts), and total motion, summed in 15-min increments. IceQube data were summed in 2-h increments to match HR Tag data. All behavioral data were collected for 14 d before the predicted calving date. Retrospective data analysis was performed using mixed linear models to examine behavioral changes by day in the 14 d before calving. Bihourly behavioral differences from baseline values over the 14 d before calving were also evaluated using mixed linear models. Changes in daily rumination time, total motion, lying time, and lying bouts occurred in the 14 d before calving. In the bihourly analysis, extreme values for all behaviors occurred in the final 24 h, indicating that the monitored behaviors may be useful in calving prediction. To determine whether technologies were useful at predicting calving, random forest, linear discriminant analysis, and neural network machine-learning techniques were constructed and implemented using R version 3.1.0 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). These methods were used on variables from each technology and all combined variables from both technologies. A neural network analysis that combined variables from both technologies at the daily level yielded 100.0% sensitivity and 86.8% specificity. A neural network analysis that combined variables from both technologies in bihourly increments was used to identify 2-h periods in the 8 h before calving with 82.8% sensitivity and 80.4% specificity. Changes in behavior and machine-learning alerts indicate that commercially marketed behavioral monitors may have calving prediction potential.

Hypovitaminosis D is associated with negative outcome in dogs with protein losing enteropathy: a retrospective study of 43 cases

Background

Hypovitaminosis D has previously been shown to be prevalent amongst dogs with protein losing enteropathy (PLE).

The hypothesis of this study was that Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) serum concentrations could be a risk factor for negative outcome in dogs with PLE.

Forty-three dogs diagnosed with PLE (2005–2014) and which serum Vitamin D serum concentrations were collected and archived at −80 Degrees C were analyzed.

Post-diagnostic communication with referring veterinarians was made to determine outcome of PLE dogss: Dogs which died due to PLE within 4 months after diagnosis (negative outcome group, n = 22) and dogs alive or which died due to another disease at the end point of the study (1 year after diagnosis, good outcome group, n = 21). Serum samples taken at the time of diagnosis were analysed for ionized calcium (iCa) concentrations and serum 25(OH) D concentration.

Results

Clinical (CCECAI) scores, age at PLE diagnosis, and iCa concentrations were not significantly different between dog groups. A significantly greater (p < 0.001) number of PLE dogs treated with hydrolyzed or elimination diet alone showed good outcome as compared to the PLE negative outcome group. Median serum 25(OH) D concentration was significantly (p = 0.017) lower in dogs with negative outcome versus PLE dogs with good outcome. Using logistic regression analysis, 25(OH) D serum concentration was shown to be a statistically significant factor for outcome determination. Cox regression analysis yielded a hazard ratio of 0.974 (95% CI 0.949, 0.999) per each one nmol/l increase in serum 25(OH) D concentration.

Conclusions

Low serum 25(OH) D concentration in PLE dogs was significantly associated with poor outcome. Further studies are required to investigate the clinical efficacy of Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) as a potential therapeutic agent for dogs with PLE.

Heart rate variability during hemodialysis is an indicator for long-term vascular access survival in uremic patients

BACKGROUND

Vascular access (VA) is the lifeline of hemodialysis patients. Although the autonomic nervous system might be associated with VA failure (VAF), it has never been addressed in previous studies. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive values of the heart rate variability (HRV) indices for long-term VA outcomes.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted using a prospectively established cohort enrolling 175 adult chronic hemodialysis patients (100 women, mean age 65.1 ± 12.9 years) from June 2010 to August 2010. Each participant received a series of HRV measurements at enrollment. After a 60-month follow-up period, we retrospectively reviewed all events and therapeutic procedures of the VAs which existed at the enrollment and during the follow-up period.

RESULTS

During the 60-month follow-up period, 37 (26.8%) had VAF but 138 (73.2%) didn't. The values of most HRV indices were statistically increased during hemodialysis since initiation in the non-VAF group, but not in the VAF group. Among all participants, the independent indicators for VAF included higher normalized high-frequency (nHF) activity [hazard ratio (HR) 1.04, p = 0.005], lower low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio (HR 0.80, p = 0.015), experience of urokinase therapy (HR 11.18, p = 0.002), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (HR 2.88, p = 0.003) and surgical thrombectomy (HR 2.36, p = 0.035), as well as higher baseline serum creatinine (HR 1.07, p = 0.027) and potassium level (HR 1.58, p = 0.037). In subgroup analysis, a lower sympathetic activity indicated by lower LF/HF ratio was an independent indicator for VAF (HR 0.61, p = 0.03) for tunneled cuffed catheter, but conversely played a protective role against VAF (HR 1.27, p = 0.002) for arteriovenous fistula.

CONCLUSIONS

HRV is a useful tool for predicting long-term VAF among hemodialysis patients.

Clinical-Radiologic Correlation of Extraocular Eye Movement Disorders: Seeing beneath the Surface

Extraocular eye movement disorders are relatively common and may be a significant source of discomfort and morbidity for patients. The presence of restricted eye movement can be detected clinically with quick, easily performed, noninvasive maneuvers that assess medial, lateral, upward, and downward gaze. However, detecting the presence of ocular dysmotility may not be sufficient to pinpoint the exact cause of eye restriction. Imaging plays an important role in excluding, in some cases, and detecting, in others, a specific cause responsible for the clinical presentation. However, the radiologist should be aware that the imaging findings in many of these conditions when taken in isolation from the clinical history and symptoms are often nonspecific. Normal eye movements are directly controlled by the ocular motor cranial nerves (CN III, IV, and VI) in coordination with indirect input or sensory stimuli derived from other cranial nerves. Specific causes of ocular dysmotility can be localized to the cranial nerve nuclei in the brainstem, the cranial nerve pathways in the peripheral nervous system, and the extraocular muscles in the orbit, with disease at any of these sites manifesting clinically as an eye movement disorder. A thorough understanding of central nervous system anatomy, cranial nerve pathways, and orbital anatomy, as well as familiarity with patterns of eye movement restriction, are necessary for accurate detection of radiologic abnormalities that support a diagnostic source of the suspected extraocular movement disorder. ^©RSNA, 2016.

A network model for solving the yard truck routing and scheduling problem

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to improve the efficiency of loading and discharging operations in container terminals. Accounting for an increase in the size of ships, the yard truck (YT) routing and scheduling problem has become an important issue to terminal operators.

Design/methodology/approach

– A (binary) integer programming model is developed using the time-space network technique to optimally move YTs between quay cranes (QC) and yard cranes (YC) in the time and space dimensions. The objective of the model is to minimize the total operating cost, and the model employs the M/M/S model in the queuing theory to determine the waiting time of YTs. The developed model can obtain the optimal number of YTs and their scheduling and routing plans simultaneously, as shown by the computational results.

Findings

– The results also show that the model can be applied to practical operations. In this research, an experimental design of the QC and YC operation networks was considered with the import and export containers carried by YTs. The model can be used to tackle a real world problem in an international port, and the analysis results could be useful references for port operators in actual practice.

Research limitations/implications

– The purpose of this research only focusses on YTs routing and scheduling problem, however, the container terminal operation problems are interrelated with berth allocation and yard stacking plan. The managerial application of this study is to analyze the trade-off between truck numbers and truck waiting time can be used for terminal operators to adjust the truck assignment. This research can assist an operator to determine the optimal fleet size and schedule in advance to avoid wasted costs and congestion in the quayside and yard block.

Originality/value

– This research solves the YT scheduling and routing problem for container discharging and loading processes with a time-space network model, which has not been previously reported, through an empirical research.

Evaluating hospital at home and early discharge schemes for patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD

Hospital at home and early discharge schemes for patients experiencing an acute exacerbation of their chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, appear to be an effective and safe option for selected patients and these services have become increasingly common. Here we discuss the evaluation of such schemes including: the rationale for evaluation; aspects of quality which might be considered for evaluation; the role of evaluation frameworks, quantitative and qualitative evaluation and steps in planning an evaluation.

Descriptive epidemiology of veterinary events in flat racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain (2000 to 2013)

BACKGROUND

To date, no large scale studies have reported race-day events requiring veterinary attention in British Thoroughbreds racing on the flat. Quantifying and describing common injuries and health conditions affecting racehorses will enable targeted risk factor analysis aimed at reducing their occurrence.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the type and incidence of race-day veterinary events experienced by Thoroughbred racehorses participating in flat racing in the UK.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study (2000 to 2013).

METHODS

Veterinary events recorded by race-day veterinarians were retrieved and linked to race start data. Race-day veterinary events were described by type, location and anatomical structure(s) affected and whether the outcome was fatal or not. Incidence per 1000 starts was calculated, both overall and by year. Stratified incidence rates were calculated for selected event categories by specific course- and horse-level variables.

RESULTS

There were 7993 events experienced by 6727 horses, with an incidence of 9.37 events per 1000 starts. Soft tissue injuries other than tendon and ligament injuries were the most commonly occurring veterinary events (24.1%), followed by gait observations (21.2%) and respiratory conditions (21.2%). In total, 13.8% of events were bone injuries. The incidence of fatality (n = 628) was 0.76 per 1000 starts. Most (485/628, 77.2%) fatal events were bone injuries, 64 were due to cardiac conditions and 54 due to tendon and ligament injuries. All-weather tracks had a higher incidence of veterinary events and fatalities than turf tracks. Firmer (turf) or faster (all-weather) going were associated with a higher incidence of all veterinary events.

MAIN LIMITATIONS

Events were based on presumptive, rather than definitive, veterinary diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The most common events experienced by racehorses on race-day were relatively minor and not career-ending. Although more severe bone, joint, tendon and ligament injuries were less common, they had a greater impact on whether the outcome of the event was fatal.

Complications of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Dogs and Cats Receiving Corticosteroid Treatment

BACKGROUND

Corticosteroid treatment is commonly required in veterinary patients for treatment of inflammatory, immune-mediated, neurologic, and neoplastic diseases, which also may require assisted enteral nutrition via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate complications associated with PEG use in dogs and cats receiving corticosteroid treatment.

ANIMALS

Forty-two animals were included in the study: 12 dogs and 2 cats in the steroid group and 26 dogs and 2 cats in the control group.

METHODS

Medical records, between January 2006 and March 2015, were reviewed. Patients were included if the PEG tube was in use for at least 24 hours and if complete medical records were available. Patients were assigned to the control group if they were not treated with corticosteroids during PEG use or to the steroid group if they had received corticosteroids during PEG tube use. Complications were classified as minor, moderate, and major in severity. Maximum severity complication rate was compared between groups.

RESULTS

The general prevalence of complications was found to be similar between groups (P = .306), but in the steroid group, 43% of the cases developed a major severity complication compared with 18% of the control group (P = .054).

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

Owners of dogs and cats receiving corticosteroids, in which PEG is planned, should be counseled about possible complications beyond those associated with PEG tube usage alone.

Impact of metabolic syndrome and its components on heart rate variability during hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study

Background

Both uremia and metabolic syndrome (MetS) affect heart rate variability (HRV) which is a risk factor of poor prognoses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of MetS on HRV among chronic hemodialysis patients.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out in a teaching hospital in Northern Taiwan from June to August, 2010. Adult patients on chronic hemodialysis without active medical conditions were enrolled. HRV were measured for 4 times on the index hemodialysis day (HRV-0, -1, -2, and -3 at before, initial, middle, and late phases of hemodialysis, respectively), and the baseline demographic data and clinical parameters during the hemodialysis session were documented. Then we evaluated the impacts of MetS and its five components on HRV.

Results

One hundred and seventy-five patients (100 women, mean age 65.1 ± 12.9 years) were enrolled and included those with MetS (n = 91, 52 %) and without MetS (n = 84, 48 %). The patients with MetS(+) had significantly lower very low frequency, total power, and variance in HRV-0, total power and variance in HRV-2, and variance in HRV-3. (all p ≦ 0.05) When using the individual components of MetS to evaluate the impacts on HRV indices, the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) criterion significantly affected most indices of HRV while other four components including “waist circumference”, “triglycerides”, “blood pressure”, and “high-density lipoprotein” criteria exhibited little impacts on HRV. FPG criterion carried the most powerful influence on cardiac ANS, which was even higher than that of MetS. The HRV of patients with FPG(+) increased initially during the hemodialysis, but turned to decrease dramatically at the late phase of hemodialysis.

Conclusions

The impact of FPG(+) outstood the influence of uremic autonomic dysfunction, and FPG criterion was the most important one among all the components of MetS to influence HRV. These results underscored the importance of interpretation and management for abnormal glucose metabolism.

Structure-based virtual screening and experimental validation of the discovery of inhibitors targeted towards the human coronavirus nucleocapsid protein

Nucleocapsid protein (NP), an essential RNA-binding viral protein in human coronavirus (CoV)-infected cells, is an antiviral target for drug discovery.

Incidentally Small Pulmonary Nodule in Candidates for Living Donor Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND

The methods of differentiation and management of incidental small pulmonary nodules (ISN) in candidates for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) are not well clarified. We aimed to share our experience and investigate the role of nodular size in application of ISN.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From October 2009 to December 2012, 360 primary adult LDLTs were performed. Thirty-seven candidates with ISN and follow-up of over 2 years were collected. Subjects with pathologic reports of malignancy or infection composed group A, and those with pathologic reports of benign disease or stable lesions on CT image within 3~6 months composed group B.

RESULTS

Nodular size was significantly different between group A and B (7.68±3.77 mm versus 4.10±1.37 mm, respectively, p<0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed area under the cure values (0.839 (95% confidence interval, 0.701~0.977); sensitivity, 81.3%; and specificity, 76.2%). Recurrent infection was not seen in 13 candidates with infectious ISN up to the median post-transplant follow-up of 40.70 months (range=24.4-61.7 months). Excluding 3 malignancy, 100% of the 34 candidates survived for over 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

With 5 mm as the optimal cutoff, nodular size is a good predictor to differentiate malignant and infectious from benign ISN. For sizes less than 5 mm, follow-up of 3 months is recommended. For over 5 mm of ISN, it is recommended to obtain pathologic diagnosis and treat as diagnosis of infectious ISN.

Heart rate variability is an indicator for intradialytic hypotension among chronic hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) carries adverse impact. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents autonomic cardiac regulation which influences intradialytic blood pressure. We aimed to evaluate the association between IDH and HRV.

METHODS

This prospective study was carried out in a teaching hospital in Taiwan from June to August 2010. Adult patients on chronic hemodialysis without active medical conditions were enrolled and received HRV measurements for 4 times (before and during an index hemodialysis session). Patients were categorized by the changes of systolic blood pressure during the index hemodialysis into Group 1 (elevation >20 mmHg), Group 2 (decrease >20 mmHg), and Group 3 (others). Then we compared HRV indices among the three groups, and determined the indicators for IDH.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventy-one patients (96 women, mean age 64.9 years) were enrolled and categorized into Group 1 (n = 47, 27.5 %), Group 2 (n = 45, 26.3 %) and Group 3 (n = 79, 46.2 %). Comparing with Group 1 and/or Group 3, Group 2 had significantly higher blood pressure at hemodialysis initiation (most p < 0.001) and statistically lower levels of HRV indices including variance, total power, very low-frequency, low-frequency and high-frequency since the middle phase of the hemodialysis. By logistic regression method, higher systemic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR) 1.048; p < 0.001], heart rate (OR 1.093; p = 0.021), low-frequency/high-frequency ratio (OR 1.715; p = 0.022), as well as lower variance (OR 0.639; p = 0.048) at hemodialysis initiation were independently associated with intradialytic blood pressure changes.

CONCLUSIONS

HRV is a useful indicator for IDH among hemodialysis patients.

Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin in Dogs With Sepsis Undergoing Emergency Laparotomy: A Prospective Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is an early indicator of acute kidney injury (AKI) in dogs and its use has not been evaluated in dogs with sepsis.

ANIMALS

Fifteen dogs with sepsis requiring laparotomy (study dogs) and 10 dogs undergoing surgery for intervertebral disc disease (control dogs).

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether NGAL increases in dogs with sepsis undergoing emergency laparotomy and whether it is correlated with development of AKI and survival.

METHODS

Longitudinal study conducted at a referral teaching hospital. Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL), urinary NGAL normalized to urinary creatinine concentration (UNCR), and serum creatinine concentration were measured at 4 time points (admission, after anesthesia, and 24 and 48 hours postsurgery). Development of AKI (increase in serum creatinine concentration of 0.3 mg/dL) and in-hospital mortality were recorded. Linear mixed-model analysis was employed to assess differences between groups over time. Mann-Whitney U-test was performed for comparison of continuous variables between groups and Chi square or Fisher's exact tests were used to assess correlation between discrete data.

RESULTS

Serum NGAL and UNCR were significantly higher in study dogs across all time points (P = .007 and P < .001, respectively) compared with controls. Urinary NGAL normalized to creatinine in the study group was not significantly different between survivors (n = 12) and nonsurvivors (n = 3). Dogs that received hydroxyethyl starch had significantly higher UNCR across all time points (P = .04) than those that did not.

DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION

Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and UNCR are increased in dogs with sepsis requiring emergency laparotomy. Additional studies are needed to evaluate its role as a marker of AKI in this population.

Behavioral and physiological changes around estrus events identified using multiple automated monitoring technologies

This study included 2 objectives. The first objective was to describe estrus-related changes in parameters automatically recorded by the CowManager SensOor (Agis Automatisering, Harmelen, the Netherlands), DVM bolus (DVM Systems LLC, Greeley, CO), HR Tag (SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel), IceQube (IceRobotics Ltd., Edinburgh, UK), and Track a Cow (Animart Inc., Beaver Dam, WI). This objective was accomplished using 35 cows in 3 groups between January and June 2013 at the University of Kentucky Coldstream Dairy. We used a modified Ovsynch with G7G protocol to partially synchronize ovulation, ending after the last PGF2α injection (d 0) to allow estrus expression. Visual observation for standing estrus was conducted for four 30-min periods at 0330, 1000, 1430, and 2200h on d 2, 3, 4, and 5. Eighteen of the 35 cows stood to be mounted at least once during the observation period. These cows were used to compare differences between the 6h before and after the first standing event (estrus) and the 2wk preceding that period (nonestrus) for all technology parameters. Differences between estrus and nonestrus were observed for CowManager SensOor minutes feeding per hour, minutes of high ear activity per hour, and minutes ruminating per hour; twice daily DVM bolus reticulorumen temperature; HR Tag neck activity per 2h and minutes ruminating per 2h; IceQube lying bouts per hour, minutes lying per hour, and number of steps per hour; and Track a Cow leg activity per hour and minutes lying per hour. No difference between estrus and nonestrus was observed for CowManager SensOor ear surface temperature per hour. The second objective of this study was to explore the estrus detection potential of machine-learning techniques using automatically collected data. Three machine-learning techniques (random forest, linear discriminant analysis, and neural network) were applied to automatically collected parameter data from the 18 cows observed in standing estrus. Machine learning accuracy for all technologies ranged from 91.0 to 100.0%. When we compared visual observation with progesterone profiles of all 32 cows, we found 65.6% accuracy. Based on these results, machine-learning techniques have potential to be applied to automatically collected technology data for estrus detection.

A Flexible Three-in-One Microsensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Internal Temperature, Voltage and Current of Lithium Batteries

Lithium batteries are widely used in notebook computers, mobile phones, 3C electronic products, and electric vehicles. However, under a high charge/discharge rate, the internal temperature of lithium battery may rise sharply, thus causing safety problems. On the other hand, when the lithium battery is overcharged, the voltage and current may be affected, resulting in battery instability. This study applies the micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology on a flexible substrate, and develops a flexible three-in-one microsensor that can withstand the internal harsh environment of a lithium battery and instantly measure the internal temperature, voltage and current of the battery. Then, the internal information can be fed back to the outside in advance for the purpose of safety management without damaging the lithium battery structure. The proposed flexible three-in-one microsensor should prove helpful for the improvement of lithium battery design or material development in the future.

Changes in systolic blood pressure over time in healthy cats and cats with chronic kidney disease

Background

Hypertension is a common problem in older cats, most often associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cross‐sectional studies have suggested that blood pressure in cats increases with age.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To determine whether blood pressure in cats increases with age and whether this occurs independently of the presence of CKD. To investigate risk factors for developing hypertension.

Animals/Subjects

Two hundred and sixty‐five cats with CKD and 133 healthy cats ≥9 years were retrospectively identified.

Methods

Four groups were created according to status at initial evaluation (CKD or healthy) and blood pressure at the last included visit (normotensive [NT] or developed hypertension [DH]): Healthy‐NT, Healthy‐DH, CKD‐NT and CKD‐DH. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) over time slopes were compared with 0 and between groups. Risk factors for the development of hypertension were investigated, and associations of biochemical and clinical variables with SBP were examined.

Results

Cats that were hypertensive at CKD diagnosis (n = 105) were not included in further analyses. Twenty‐seven cats with CKD and 9 healthy cats developed hypertension ≥3 months after diagnosis of CKD or their first visit. Systolic blood pressure significantly increased with age in all cats (P < .001). Healthy cats were at less risk than cats with CKD to become hypertensive (hazard ratio 0.2, P < .001), with creatinine being an independent risk factor for the development of hypertension.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The high prevalence of hypertension in azotemic cats in this study shows the importance of monitoring of SBP in elderly cats, and in particular in cats with CKD.