bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postoperative complications and owner assessment of single portal laparoscopic ovariectomy in dogs
Authors: Binder Claudia , Katić Nikola , Aurich Jörg E , Dupré Gilles 
Published: October 2018

The aim of this retrospective study and owner survey was to record the postoperative complication rate, pain score and owners’ satisfaction rates of single portal laparoscopic ovariectomy in dogs using an operating laparoscope and to compare our results with data in the veterinary literature on other laparoscopic methods. Therefore, the medical records of all bitches that were spayed using a laparoscopic single port ovariectomy with an operating laparoscope between November 2007 and November 2014 were reviewed. A minimum follow‐up period of 12 months was required for study inclusion. One hundred and thirty two adult, healthy, femal dogs were included in our study. The information collected included breed, bodyweight, age at ovariectomy and postoperative complications detected during follow‐up 9–14 days after surgery. Furthermore, an electronic questionnaire was implemented, and the owners of the dogs were asked to report on long‐term complications and to retrospectively evaluate postoperative pain and overall satisfaction. Sixty‐two different and mixed breed dogs with weights ranging from 1.9 to 50 kg and ages ranging from 0.5 to 10.8 years were included. Short‐term complications were detected in 21 out of 132 cases, mostly at the surgical site (15.9 per cent). According to our questionnaire (n=65), 10 dogs developed urinary incontinence categorised as a major complication (15.4 per cent). The owner's evaluated pain score was less than 300 on a 1000‐unit visual analogue scale for 56 out of 65 dogs (86.2 per cent) and less than 500 in 63 dogs (96.9 per cent). The dog owners’ satisfaction rate was 95.3 per cent (87.5 per cent evaluated the surgery as excellent and 7.8 per cent as good). Altogether, our study suggests that single port access using an operating laparoscope for ovariectomy has minor complication rates comparable to other laparoscopic techniques but has the advantages of a low postoperative pain level as evaluated by the owner and a very high owner's satisfaction rate.
Influence of β-glucanase supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and meat quality in broilers fed wheat–barley–soybean diet
Authors: Sun Hao Yang , Ingale Santosh Laxman , Rathi Piyush , Kim In Ho 
Published: October 2018

A total of 600 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens with an average body weight of 43.00 ± 0.42 g were used in a 35 d growth assay to investigate the supplemental effects of three levels (600, 1200, and 1800 β-glucanase units kg−1) of β-glucanase on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and meat quality in wheat–barley–soybean-meal-based broiler diet. During days 19–35 and overall period, chickens’ body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P < 0.05) improved linearly following the levels of β-glucanase supplementation. The digestibility of crude protein and gross energy were significantly (P < 0.05) increased linearly with the levels of β-glucanase supplementation. Significant linear increase (P < 0.05) due to increasing β-glucanase supplementation was observed for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration. Increasing β-glucanase supplementation did not influence (P > 0.05) the meat quality. In conclusion, broiler diets supplementation with increasing β-glucanase could improve the growth performance, enhance the digestibility, and modulate the concentrations of BUN linearly. Meat quality was not influenced.
PREPARATION OF Cu-SiO2/PA12 COMPOSITE POWDERS BY ELECTROLESS PLATING FOR USE IN SLS PROCESSING
Authors: GUI CHENGMEI , CHEN ZHENMING , YAO CHENGUANG , YANG GUISHENG 
Published: October 2018

In this work, SiO2-encapsulated copper particles/PA12 (Cu-SiO2/PA12) composite powders were prepared by electroless composite plating, and the laser sintering behavior was investigated. Results showed that Cu, Cu2O, CuO, and SiO2 (Cu-SiO2) composite particles were plated on the surface of KH550-modified PA12 powders. The Cu-SiO2 particles existed independently on PA12 surface, and the size was around 200 nm. The melting temperature and crystallization temperature of Cu-SiO2/PA12 composite powders were 183∘C and 150∘C. The results indicate that the selective laser sintering (SLS) process involved the contact of Cu-SiO2/PA12 powders, the formation of sintering neck, the growth of sintering neck, and the formation of fused solid. The Cu-SiO2 composite particles uniformly dispersed in the part due to surface tension, and the contact interface was good due to their similar polarity. The Cu-SiO2/PA12 SLS parts had excellent dimensional precision. The tensile strength of the 15[Formula: see text]W-sintered Cu-SiO2/PA12 specimen was 48[Formula: see text]MPa.
The nuclear receptor RORα protects against angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure
Authors: Beak Ju Youn , Kang Hong Soon , Huang Wei , Myers Page H. , Bowles Dawn E. , Jetten Anton M. , Jensen Brian C. 
Published: November 2018

The nuclear receptor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-α (RORα) regulates numerous critical biological processes, including central nervous system development, lymphocyte differentiation, and lipid metabolism. RORα has been recently identified in the heart, but very little is known about its role in cardiac physiology. We sought to determine whether RORα regulates myocardial hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte survival in the context of angiotensin II (ANG II) stimulation. For in vivo characterization of the function of RORα in the context of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, we used the “staggerer” (RORαsg/sg) mouse, which harbors a germline mutation encoding a truncated and globally nonfunctional RORα. RORαsg/sg and wild-type littermate mice were infused with ANG II or vehicle for 14 days. For in vitro experiments, we overexpressed or silenced RORα in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) and human cardiac fibroblasts exposed to ANG II. RORαsg/sg mice developed exaggerated myocardial hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction after ANG II treatment. In vitro gain- and loss-of-function experiments were consistent with the discovery that RORα inhibits ANG II-induced pathological hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte death in vivo. RORα directly repressed IL-6 transcription. Loss of RORα function led to enhanced IL-6 expression, proinflammatory STAT3 activation (phopho-STAT3 Tyr705), and decreased mitochondrial number and function, oxidative stress, hypertrophy, and death of cardiomyocytes upon ANG II exposure. RORα was less abundant in failing compared with nonfailing human heart tissue. In conclusion, RORα protects against ANG II-mediated pathological hypertrophy and heart failure by suppressing the IL-6-STAT3 pathway and enhancing mitochondrial function. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mice lacking retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-α (RORα) develop exaggerated cardiac hypertrophy after angiotensin II infusion. Loss of RORα leads to enhanced IL-6 expression and NF-κB nuclear translocation. RORα maintains mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress after angiotensin II. The abundance of RORα is reduced in failing mouse and human hearts.
Galectin-3 deficiency ameliorates fibrosis and remodeling in dilated cardiomyopathy mice with enhanced Mst1 signaling
Authors: Nguyen My-Nhan , Ziemann Mark , Kiriazis Helen , Su Yidan , Thomas Zara , Lu Qun , Donner Daniel G. , Zhao Wei-Bo , Rafehi Haloom , Sadoshima Junichi , McMullen Julie R. , El-Osta Assam , Du Xiao-Jun 
Published: November 2018

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major cause of heart failure without effective therapy. Fibrogenesis plays a key role in the development of DCM, but little is known of the expression of the profibrotic factor galectin-3 (Gal-3) and its role in DCM pathophysiology. In a mouse DCM model with transgenic (TG) overexpression of mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1), we studied Gal-3 expression and effects of the Gal-3 inhibitor modified citrus pectin (MCP) or Gal-3 gene knockout (KO). Gal-3 deletion in TG mice (TG/KO) was achieved by crossbreeding Mst1-TG mice with Gal-3 KO mice. The DCM phenotype was assessed by echocardiography and micromanometry. Cardiac expression of Gal-3 and fibrosis were determined. The cardiac transcriptome was profiled by RNA sequencing. Mst1-TG mice at 3−8 mo of age exhibited upregulated expression of Gal-3 by ~40-fold. TG mice had dilatation of cardiac chambers, suppressed left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, poor LV contractility and relaxation, a threefold increase in LV collagen content, and upregulated fibrotic genes. Four-month treatment with MCP showed no beneficial effects. Gal-3 deletion in Mst1-TG mice attenuated chamber dilatation, organ congestion, and fibrogenesis. RNA sequencing identified profound disturbances by Mst1 overexpression in the cardiac transcriptome, which largely remained in TG/KO hearts. Gal-3 deletion in Mst1-TG mice, however, partially reversed the dysregulated transcriptional signaling involving extracellular matrix remodeling and collagen formation. We conclude that cardiac Mst1 activation leads to marked Gal-3 upregulation and transcriptome disturbances in the heart. Gal-3 deficiency attenuated cardiac remodeling and fibrotic signaling.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We found in a transgenic mouse dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) model a pronounced upregulation of galectin-3 in cardiomyocytes. Galectin-3 gene deletion reduced cardiac fibrosis and fibrotic gene profiles and ameliorated cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. These benefits of galectin-3 deletion were in contrast to the lack of effect of treatment with the galectin-3 inhibitor modified citrus pectin. Our study suggests that suppression of galectin-3 mRNA expression could be used to treat DCM with high cardiac galectin-3 content.
High-Resolution Infrared Thermal Imaging of the Esophagus During Atrial Fibrillation Ablation as a Predictor of Endoscopically Detected Thermal Lesions
Authors: Deneke Thomas , Nentwich Karin , Berkovitz Artur , Sonne Kai , Ene Elena , Pavlov Borche , Fochler Franziska , Bötsch Anne-Katrin , Kuhn Rainer , Halbfaß Philipp 
Published: October 2018

Background:
Endoscopically detected thermal esophageal lesions (EDEL) after ablation of atrial fibrillation may be precursors of atrioesophageal fistula and esophageal luminal temperature monitoring has previously failed to decrease thermal damage.

Methods:
Sixty-three patients undergoing their first pulmonary vein isolation using radiofrequency point-by-point catheter ablation were prospectively included in the HEAT-AF study (High-Resolution Esophageal Assessment of Esophageal Temperature During Atrial Fibrillation Ablation) and esophageal temperatures were continuously monitored using a novel infrared thermography system (IRTS). Peak esophageal temperature (Tpeak) was correlated to postablation endoscopy results characterizing patients as EDEL positive or negative.

Results:

Twelve patients had EDEL (19%). Comparing EDEL positive to negative patients, Tpeak was significantly higher (56.3±4.6°C versus 45.7±5.5°C,
P
<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated Tpeak was a statistically significant predictor (
P
=0.0008) of EDEL and yielded an odds ratio of 1.52; 95% CI, (1.24–2.05). Receiver operator curve analysis demonstrated Tpeak as a highly accurate binary classifier with an area under the curve of 93%.

Conclusions:
For the first time esophageal temperature monitoring using a high resolution, high-fidelity IRTS allowed accurate prediction of postablation EDEL suggesting that Tpeak alone is an excellent binary classifier of patients at risk of EDEL. The logistic regression model and associated receiver operator curve will aid in the selection of optimal temperature thresholds in future prospective studies.
Critical Volume of Human Myocardium Necessary to Maintain Ventricular Fibrillation
Authors: Aras Kedar K. , Faye Ndeye Rokhaya , Cathey Brianna , Efimov Igor R. 
Published: October 2018

Background:
Abnormal QT intervals, long QT or short QT, have been epidemiologically linked with sudden cardiac death because of ventricular fibrillation (VF). Consequently, Food and Drug Administration recommends testing all pharmacological agents for QT toxicity as a risk factor for cardiac toxicity. Such tests assess QT/QTc interval, which represents ventricular depolarization and repolarization. However, the current QT toxicity analysis does not account for the well-known anisotropy in cardiac tissue conductivity. Mines demonstrated in 1913 that cardiac wavelength (λ) determines inducibility of reentrant arrhythmia, where both repolarization time or action potential duration and conduction velocity determine λ=action potential duration×conduction velocity. We aimed to determine the role of anisotropic wavelength in inducibility of VF in explanted human left ventricular preparations. We tested the hypothesis that 3-dimensional cardiac wavelength, which takes into account anisotropic cardiac tissue conductivity, can accurately predict VF sustainability.

Methods:

We conducted panoramic optical mapping of coronary perfused human left ventricular wedge preparations subjected to pharmacologically induced shortening and prolongation of action potential duration, by I
K,ATP
agonist pinacidil and antagonist glybenclamide, respectively. This measured action potential duration, conduction velocity, and thus determined pacing cycle length–dependent wavelengths in longitudinal (λ
L
), transverse (λ
TV
), and transmural (λ
TM
) directions using S1S1 pacing protocol, from which wavelength volume (V
λ
) was determined, as V
λ
=λ
L
×λ
TV
×λ
TM
, and compared with tissue volume
.
We tested a hypothesis that tissue volume/V
λ
ratio can predict VF sustainability.

Results:

At baseline, at pacing rate of 240 beats per minute, the wavelengths were λ
L
=9.6±0.6 cm, λ
TV
=4.2±0.3 cm, and λ
TM
=5.8±0.2 cm, respectively (n=7), and thus V
λ
=246.4±42.1 cm
3
. Administration of pinacidil at escalating concentrations progressively decreased V
λ
, and VF became sustained, when tissue volume/V
λ
was above safety factor κ=4.4±0.6 (n=9) during rapid pacing. Treatment with glybenclamide decreased V
T
/V
λ
below κ at any pacing rate and prevented VF sustainability.

Conclusions:

Sustained VF was only sustained in ventricular volume exceeding critical V
λ
=λ
L
×λ
TV
×λ
TM
.
High‐Intensity Interval Training for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease—Is It Safe? A Systematic Review
Authors: Wewege Michael A. , Ahn Dohee , Yu Jennifer , Liou Kevin , Keech Andrew 
Published: October 2018

Background

Cardiac rehabilitation (
CR
) for patients with cardiovascular disease has traditionally involved low‐ to moderate‐intensity continuous aerobic exercise training (
MICT
). There is growing and robust evidence that high‐intensity interval training (
HIIT
) shows similar or greater efficacy compared with
MICT
across a range of cardiovascular and metabolic measures, in both healthy populations and populations with a chronic illness. However, there is understandable concern about the safety aspects of applying
HIIT
in
CR
settings. This systematic review analyzed safety data drawn from recent proof‐of‐concept studies of
HIIT
during
CR
among patients with cardiovascular disease.

Methods and Results

We included trials comparing
HIIT
with either
MICT
or usual care in patients with coronary artery disease or heart failure participating in tertiary care services, such as phase 2 (outpatient)
CR
. Adverse events occurring during or up to 4 hours after an exercise training session were collated. There were 23 studies included, which analyzed 1117 participants (
HIIT
=547;
MICT
=570). One major cardiovascular adverse event occurred in relation to an
HIIT
session, equating to 1 major cardiovascular event per 17 083 training sessions (11 333 training hours). One minor cardiovascular adverse events and 3 noncardiovascular adverse events (primarily musculoskeletal complaints) were also reported for
HIIT
. Two noncardiovascular events were reported in relation to
MICT
.

Conclusions

HIIT
has shown a relatively low rate of major adverse cardiovascular events for patients with coronary artery disease or heart failure when applied within CR settings.
Analysis of the Planetary Boundary Layer Height during DISCOVER-AQ Baltimore–Washington, D.C., with Lidar and High-Resolution WRF Modeling
Authors: Hegarty Jennifer D. , Lewis Jasper , McGrath-Spangler Erica L. , Henderson John , Scarino Amy Jo , DeCola Philip , Ferrare Richard , Hicks Micheal , Adams-Selin Rebecca D. , Welton Ellsworth J. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe daytime planetary boundary layer (PBL) was examined for the Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) Baltimore (Maryland)–Washington, D.C., campaign of July 2011 using PBL height (PBLH) retrievals from aerosol backscatter measurements from ground-based micropulse lidar (MPL), the NASA Langley Research Center airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar-1 (HSRL-1), and the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) on the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite. High-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulations with horizontal grid spacing of 1 km and different combinations of PBL schemes, urban parameterization, and sea surface temperature inputs were evaluated against PBLHs derived from lidars, ozonesondes, and radiosondes. MPL and WRF PBLHs depicted a growing PBL in the morning that reached a peak height by midafternoon. WRF PBLHs calculated from gridded output profiles generally showed more rapid growth and higher peak heights than did the MPLs, and all WRF–lidar differences were dependent on model configuration, PBLH calculation method, and synoptic conditions. At inland locations, WRF simulated an earlier descent of the PBL top in the afternoon relative to the MPL retrievals and radiosonde PBLHs. At Edgewood, Maryland, the influence of the Chesapeake Bay breeze on the PBLH was captured by both the ozonesonde and WRF data but generally not by the MPL PBLH retrievals because of generally weaker gradients in the aerosol backscatter profile and limited normalized relative backscatter data near the top height of the marine layer.
Climatology of Tibetan Plateau Vortices in Reanalysis Data and a High-Resolution Global Climate Model
Authors: Curio Julia , Schiemannm Reinhard , Hodges Kevin I. , Turner Andrew G. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThe Tibetan Plateau (TP) and surrounding high mountains constitute an important forcing of the atmospheric circulation due to their height and extent, and thereby impact weather and climate in downstream regions of East Asia. Mesoscale Tibetan Plateau vortices (TPVs) are one of the major precipitation-producing systems on the TP. A fraction of TPVs move off the TP to the east and can trigger extreme precipitation in parts of China, such as the Sichuan province and the Yangtze River valley, which can result in severe flooding. In this study, the climatology of TPV occurrence is examined in two reanalyses and, for the first time, in a high-resolution global climate model using an objective feature tracking algorithm. Most TPVs are generated in the northwestern part of the TP; the center of this main genesis region is small and stable throughout the year. The strength and position of the subtropical westerly jet is correlated to the distance TPVs can travel eastward and therefore could have an effect on whether or not a TPV is moving off the TP. TPV-associated precipitation can account for up to 40% of the total precipitation in parts of China in selected months, often due to individual TPVs. The results show that the global climate model is able to simulate TPVs at N512 (~25 km) horizontal resolution and in general agrees with the reanalyses. The fact that the global climate model can represent the TPV climatology opens a wide range of options for future model-based research on TPVs.
Certification Marks—Success or Failure?
Authors: Taylor Donald A. 
Published: November 2018

The function of a certification mark is to provide impartial third-party endorsement to aid buyers in overcoming some of the problems of product selection. However, little is known about the precise purposes for which such marks are used. Furthermore, the administrative framework designed to achieve the specific objectives and the broader objective of improving the buying function requires evaluation to ascertain the probable success of certification marks. To examine these questions, the owners of eighty certification marks provided information regarding the specific objectives sought by using the mark and details regarding the administrative framework used. The more interesting results are summarized here.
A Behavioral Conception of Retail Image
Authors: Kunkel John H. , Berry Leonard L. 
Published: November 2018

Retail store image is an alluring yet uncrystallized concept. Part of the problem stems from the difficulty encountered by some researchers in defining image. The result has been an avoidance of definition altogether or definitions based on a variety of assumptions about the internal psychological state. In this article, the authors present an alternative approach to the image concept in which the usual assumptions about the internal state are avoided. The procedures involved in the acquisition and maintenance of retail images are outlined and implications for practitioners and academicians are indicated.
Vertical contact tightness of occlusion comparison between orofacial myalgia patients and asymptomatic controls: a pilot study
Authors: Qi Kun , Xu Yi-Fei , Guo Shao-Xiong , Xiong Wei , Wang Mei-Qing 
Published: November 2018

Objective The association between occlusal contact and orofacial pain remains unclear. The aim of this study was to detect occlusal contact tightness by using a new method and to compare differences between patients and asymptomatic controls. Methods Fifteen female patients with orofacial myalgia and fifteen age- and sex-matched asymptomatic controls were enrolled. Occlusal contacts were recorded by making bite imprints. The numbers, sizes, and distributions of the contacts were detected by making photos of bite imprints after biting. The Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results In myalgia patients, impact contacts at the molar regions were more frequent, larger in number and area size, and were distributed more on guiding cusps, compared with impact contacts in asymptomatic controls. Conclusion Our new method revealed more prevalent and more severe impact contacts in orofacial myalgia patients, compared with asymptomatic controls.