Complications and outcome of cats with congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts treated with thin film: Thirty-four cases (2008-2017)

Background: Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (CEHPSS) are rare in cats. Outcome after attenuation of CEHPSS with thin film has been described in a small number of cases. Objectives: To describe the clinical presentation, postoperative complications, and outcome of cats treated with thin film to attenuate CEHPSS. Animals: Thirty‐four cats with CEHPSS were identified from the database of 3 institutions over 9 years. Methods: Retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed to identify cats with a diagnosis of a CEHPSS that underwent surgical attenuation. Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts were suspected from clinical signs, clinicopathologic findings, and diagnostic imaging, and confirmed at exploratory laparotomy. Cats treated with thin film band attenuation were included. Postoperative complications and follow‐up were recorded. Results: Complications were recorded in 11 of 34 cats. Deaths related to CEHPSS occurred in 6 of 34; 4 cats did not survive to discharge. Persistent seizures were the cause of death in 4 cats. Seizures were recorded in 8 of 34 cats after surgery; all these cats received preoperative antiepileptic drugs. Serum bile acid concentrations normalized in 25 of 28 of the cats for which data was available. Three cats had persistently increased serum bile acid concentrations and underwent a second exploratory laparotomy. One had a patent shunt, the other 2 had multiple acquired portosystemic shunts. Median follow‐up was 8 months (0.5‐84 months). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts attenuation using thin film in cats carries a good short‐ and mid‐term prognosis if they survive the postoperative period. Seizures were the most common cause of death

Fossil penguin

18 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 15-17).We report the discovery of the first vertebrate from the Paleogene of Tierra del Fuego (Isla Grande), Argentina, in southernmost South America. The specimen consists of parts of an associated pelvic girdle and limb that are identified as belonging to the penguin stem clade (Aves: Pansphenisciformes). The specimen, from an exposure of the Leticia Formation (late middle Eocene), is the earliest known penguin (pansphenisciform) from South America. It is more than 20 million years older than the earliest previously recorded South American penguins (from the late Oligocene-early Miocene) and, thus, almost doubles their known record on the continent. A detailed description of the new specimen and a discussion of its implications for the understanding of penguin morphological evolution are provided. The new specimen and other fossil penguins do not currently point to the origin of extant, or crown clade, penguin lineages (Spheniscidae), by the Eocene, only to the divergence of the penguin stem lineage from its sister taxon by this time. The new fossil has several morphologies that differ from all extant penguins but are shared with other fossil penguin taxa, suggesting they may be outside Spheniscidae. However, in a discussion of the current status of penguin systematics, we suggest the urgent need for comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of fossil and extant penguins to clarify the timing and pattern of penguin diversification. The specimen was recovered from a newly identified fossil vertebrate locality, an exposure of the Eocene Leticia Formation at Punta Torcida on the Atlantic shore of southeastern Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The new locality is introduced, and a brief geologic description is made, highlighting the potential of the shallow marine sediments of the Leticia Formation for contributing to our knowledge of the Paleogene vertebrate fossil record of Tierra del Fuego, and of southern South America, generally

Clasificador difuso para diagnóstico de enfermedades

En este artículo se presenta la aplicación de un nuevo método de identificación difusa para resolver problemas de clasificación. El modelo o clasificador difuso obtenido después del proceso de entrenamiento, contiene conjuntos triangulares con solapamiento de 0.5 para el antecedente y conjuntos tipo singleton para el consecuente. En la evaluación de las reglas se emplea un operador promedio en vez de una T-norma. Los consecuentes son ajustados empleando mínimos cuadrados recursivos. El método propuesto consigue una mayor precisión que la alcanzada con los métodos actuales existentes, empleando un número reducido de reglas y parámetros, sin sacrificar la interpretabilidad del modelo difuso. El enfoque propuesto es aplicado a dos problemas clásicos de clasificación: el Pima Indian Diabetic y el Dermatology Problem, para mostrar el desempeño del método propuesto y comparar los resultados con los alcanzados por otros investigadores.This paper presents the application of a new fuzzy identification method to solve classification problems. The model or fuzzy classifier, obtained after training process, contains triangular sets with 0.5 overlapping to the antecedent and singleton sets for the consequent. In the evaluation of the rules is used an average operator instead of a T-norm. The consequent are adjusted using recursive least squares. The proposed method achieves higher accuracy than others methods, using a small number of rules and parameters, without sacrificing the interpretability of the fuzzy model. The proposed approach is applied in two classic classification problems: Pima Indian Diabetic and Dermatology Problem, to show the performance of the proposed method and compare the results with other researchers

Perspectives on public involvement in health research from Singapore: The potential of a supported group model of involvement.

BACKGROUND: Singapore is an international research hub, with an emphasis on translational clinical research. Despite growing evidence of the positive impact of public involvement (PPI) in research, it remains rare in Singapore. AIMS: To investigate Singaporean public perspectives around the rationale, role and scope for being involved in health research To identify the potential, challenges, facilitators and strategies for implementing PPI in Singapore. DESIGN: Semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of the public, analysed using thematic framework analysis. RESULTS: Twenty people participated. Four main themes emerged: potential benefits; challenges; facilitators; and strategies for implementation. Whilst initially unfamiliar with the concept, all interviewees recognized potential benefits for the research itself and those involved, including researchers. PPI was seen to offer opportunities for public empowerment and strengthening of relationships and understanding between the public, academics and health professionals, resulting in more impactful research. Challenges included a Singaporean culture of passive citizenship and an education system that inculcates deferential attitudes. Facilitators comprised demographic and cultural changes, including trends towards greater individual openness and community engagement. Implementation strategies included formal government policies promoting involvement and informal community-based collaborative approaches. CONCLUSION: Given the socio-political framework in Singapore, a community-based approach has potential to address challenges to PPI and maximize impact. Careful consideration needs to be given to issues of resource and support to enable members of the public to engage in culturally sensitive and meaningful ways that will deliver research best placed to effectively address patient needs

Performance of Glass Resistive Plate Chambers for a high granularity semi-digital calorimeter

A new design of highly granular hadronic calorimeter using Glass Resistive Plate Chambers (GRPCs) with embedded electronics has been proposed for the future International Linear Collider (ILC) experiments. It features a 2-bit threshold semi-digital read-out. Several GRPC prototypes with their electronics have been successfully built and tested in pion beams. The design of these detectors is presented along with the test results on efficiency, pad multiplicity, stability and reproducibility.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figure

First examples of neutral and cationic indenyl nickel(II) complexes bearing arsine or stibine ligands: highly active catalysts for the oligomerisation of styrene

New indenyl nickel(II) complexes bearing arsine or stibine ligands synthesised by a new methodology exhibit very high catalytic activities for the oligomerisation of styrene