Characterization of normal and scarred myocardium based on texture analysis of cardiac computed tomography images

An accurate detection of myocardial scar using Cardiac CT may have a strong clinical impact; however, the main drawback is the insufficient contrast to noise ratio of delayed iodine enhanced (DIE) CT images, which makes its accurate segmentation (manual as well as automatic) difficult. In this work, we investigate texture parameters applied on the different scans in order to obtain the scans and features that best differentiates normal from scarred myocardium. The experiments on 7 cases of myocarditis show the accuracy of the parameter energy in all scans, as well as the good performance of the angiographic scan (having higher spatial resolution) with different parameters for the segmentation propose. Moreover, the best performance was obtained on the baseline scan for the energy feature, with an accuracy of 94%.

Prevention of fetal infection in heifers challenged with bovine viral diarrhoea virus type 1a by vaccination with a type 1c or type 1a vaccine

AIMS

To evaluate a vaccine containing type 1c bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus for prevention of fetal infection in pregnant heifers when challenged with New Zealand BVD virus type 1a 6 months after vaccination, compared to unvaccinated heifers and heifers vaccinated with a vaccine containing type 1a BVD virus.

METHODS

Fifty five crossbred Friesian heifers, free from BVD virus and antibody, were randomly allocated to three groups. Twenty five heifers were vaccinated twice with a vaccine containing type 1c BVD virus (T1c group), and 10 heifers with a vaccine containing type 1a BVD virus (T1a group), and 20 heifers were unvaccinated (NC group). After oestrus synchronisation the heifers were bred by artificial insemination followed by natural bull mating. Six months after booster vaccination 15 heifers from the T1c group, eight from the T1a group, and 15 from the NC group, were exposed to four calves that were persistently infected with type 1a BVD virus, for 4 weeks. At the beginning of the challenge phase 36/38 heifers were 72-74 days pregnant and 2/38 heifers were approximately 53 days pregnant. Approximately 52 days after the start of the challenge the heifers were subjected to euthanasia and fetal tissues were collected for the detection of BVD virus by ELISA in fetal heart blood and PCR in fetal tissues.

RESULTS

Based on PCR results, BVD virus was detected in 15/15 fetuses in the NC group, compared to 4/14 fetuses in the T1c group and 3/8 fetuses in the T1a group. The proportion of BVD virus-positive fetuses was lower in both vaccinated groups compared to the NC group (p<0.002), but there was no difference in proportions between the vaccinated groups (p=1.00). Fetal protection, expressed as the prevented fraction, was 71.4 (95% CI=41.9-91.6)% and 62.5 (95% CI=24.5-91.5)% for the T1c and T1a groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The vaccines containing killed type 1c and type 1a BVD viruses significantly reduced fetal infection following challenge with a New Zealand type 1a BVD virus. Prevention of fetal infection by vaccination may not be 100%, and the risk of persistently infected calves being born to some vaccinated cattle should be acknowledged and managed as part of a BVD control programme.

Is it possible a new definition of metabolic syndrome in childhood?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether a group of Italian children and adolescents who were diagnosed to have metabolic syndrome (MS) according to a new ethnic age and gender specific definition had, in comparison with a control group, other signs and metabolic risk factors which are commonly associated with MS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The cross-sectional study population included 300 subjects (51% boys, age range 6-14 years), who were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of MS, diagnosed on the basis of 3/5 factors derived from the age and gender specific quantile distribution of MS components in a large regional Italian population survey (Calabrian Sierras Community Study, CSCS). In all subjects the following data were collected: anthropometric measures, blood pressure, liver function, C-reactive protein (hsCRP), uric acid blood levels, lipid and glucose profile. Triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio was calculated.

RESULTS

There were 38 subjects (13%) with MS, who had higher indices of growth and fat distribution and higher blood levels of uric acid, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase. TG/HDL ratio was higher (median 3.11 vs. 1.14, p = 0.00001) in MS subjects who had lower apolipoprotein A and higher apolipoprotein B and non-HDL-C levels. hsCRP was not different between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our ethnic age and gender specific definition of MS in Italian children and adolescents was able to identify in a youth group different cardiometabolic risk factors related to insulin resistance, endothelial damage and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which are commonly associated with MS diagnosis.

Vaccination of boars with a GnRH vaccine (Improvac) eliminates boar taint and increases growth performance

Peri- and postpubertal boars accumulate substances (e.g., androstenone and skatole) in their fatty tissue that are responsible for boar taint in pork. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a GnRH vaccine, Improvac, in eliminating boar taint. Three hundred male (200 intact boars, 100 barrows) crossbred (Large White x Landrace) pigs were used in a 2 x 3 factorially arranged experiment. The respective factors were sex group (barrows, boars treated with placebo, or boars treated with Improvac) and slaughter age (23 or 26 wk). Vaccines were administered 8 and 4 wk before slaughter. All Improvac-treated pigs exhibited anti-GnRH titers. Testes and bulbo-urethral gland weights in treated pigs were reduced by approximately 50% (P < 0.001) and serum testosterone levels were below 2 ng/mL in the majority of treated boars (94 and 92% across both age groups at 2 and 4 wk, respectively). Boar taint, as assessed by the concentration of androstenone and skatole in s.c. fat, was suppressed to low or undetectable levels in 100% of Improvac-treated boars. No Improvac-treated pigs had significant concentrations of either androstenone (> 1.0 microg/g) or skatole (> 0.20 microg/g). In contrast, 49.5% of placebo-treated controls had significant androstenone and 10.8% had significant skatole levels, resulting in 10% of the control boars with high concentrations of both compounds. The mean concentrations of taint compounds in the Improvac-treated pigs were not significantly different from those in barrows. Improvac-treated boars grew more rapidly (P = 0.051 and < 0.001 for pigs slaughtered at 23 and 26 wk of age, respectively) than control boars over the 4 wk after the secondary vaccination, possibly because of reduced sexual and aggressive activities. Compared with barrows, Improvac-treated boars were leaner and had superior feed conversion efficiency. The vaccine was well tolerated by the pigs, and no observable site reactions could be detected at the time of slaughter. Vaccination of boars with Improvac allows production of heavy boars with improved meat quality through prevention and control of boar taint.