250 research outputs found

    Prevalence of and risk factors for degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in england

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    Background To date, epidemiological studies on degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) in dogs have largely reported referral caseloads or been limited to predisposed breeds. Analysis of primary‐care data to identify factors associated with DMVD would help clinicians identify high‐risk individuals and improve understanding. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for DMVD in dogs attending primary‐care veterinary practices in England. Animals Cases were identified within the electronic patient records of 111,967 dogs attending 93 practices. Four hundred and 5 dogs were diagnosed with DMVD (diagnosed cases) and a further 3,557 dogs had a heart murmur (HM) consistent with DMVD (possible cases). Methods Retrospective cross‐sectional study design. Prevalence was adjusted for the sampling approach. Mixed effects logistic regression models identified factors associated with DMVD. Results Prevalence estimates of diagnosed DMVD and HMs consistent with DMVD (both diagnosed and possible cases) were 0.36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29–0.45) and 3.54% (95% CI: 3.26–3.84) respectively. In the multivariable analysis, males had higher odds of diagnosed DMVD than did females (odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% CI: 1.12–1.74). Insured dogs had increased odds of DMVD compared with noninsured dogs (OR 3.56, 95% CI: 2.79–4.55) and dogs ≄20 kg had approximately half the odds of DMVD diagnosis compared with dogs(OR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.36–0.74). Strong associations between a DMVD diagnosis and individual breeds and age were identified. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Degenerative mitral valve disease was a common disorder in practice‐attending dogs. Knowledge of identified risk factors for DMVD could improve clinical diagnosis and direct future research

    Clinical Severity Score System in Dogs with Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease

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    BACKGROUND: Several risk factors already have been determined for dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD). Risk factors often have been considered in isolation and have not always taken into account additional information provided by the history and physical examination (PE). HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Data obtained from history and PE of dogs with DMVD provide prognostic information and can be used for risk stratification. ANIMALS: Client‐owned dogs (n = 244) with DMVD recruited from first opinion practice. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal follow‐up of dogs with DMVD. History and PE data were obtained at 6‐month intervals and analyzed with time‐dependent Cox models to derive relative risk of cardiac death. Independent hazard ratios were used to derive a clinical severity score (CSS), the prognostic value of which was evaluated by analyzing the median survival times for different risk groups and ROC analysis. Analysis of the progression of CSS over time also was undertaken. RESULTS: History of cough, exercise intolerance, decreased appetite, breathlessness (difficulty breathing) and syncope with PE findings of heart murmur intensity louder than III/VI and absence of respiratory sinus arrhythmia were independently associated with outcome and allowed development of the CSS. Clinical severity score distinguished groups of dogs with significantly different outcomes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Routinely obtained clinical findings allow risk stratification of dogs with DMVD. Results of ancillary diagnostic tests may be complementary to history and PE findings and always should be interpreted in conjunction with these findings

    Wharton’s jelly or bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells improve cardiac function following myocardial infarction for more than 32 weeks in a rat model: a preliminary report

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    The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) following myocardial infarction (MI) is small. This may be due to differences in cellular sources and donor age, route of administration, in vitro cellular manipulations and the short time course of follow up in many animal studies. Here, we compared MSCs from two different sources (adult bone marrow or Wharton’s jelly from umbilical cord) for their long-term therapeutic effect following MI in a rat model to evaluate the effect of donor age. MSCs (or control infusions) were given intravenously 24-48 hr after myocardial ischemia (MI) induced by coronary artery ligation. Cardiac function was assessed by ultrasound at time points starting from before MSC infusion through 68 weeks after MI. A significant improvement in ejection fraction was seen in animals that received MSCs in time points 25 to 31 wks after treatment (p <0.01). These results support previous work that show that MSCs can cause improvement in cardiac function and extend that work by showing that the beneficial effects are durable. To investigate MSCs’ cardiac differentiation potential, Wharton’s jelly MSCs were co-cultured with fetal or adult bone-derived marrow MSCs. When Wharton’s jelly MSCs were co-cultured with fetal MSCs, and not with adult MSCs, myotube structures were observed in two-three days and spontaneous contractions (beating) cells were observed in fiveseven days. The beating structures formed a functional syncytium indicated by coordinated contractions (beating) of independent nodes. Taken together, these results suggest that MSCs given 24-48 hr after MI have a significant and durable beneficial effect more than 25 weeks after MI and that MSC treatment can home to damaged tissue and improve heart function after intravenous infusion 24-48 hrs after MI, and that WJCs may be a useful source for off-the-shelf cellular therapy for MI

    Signs of cosmic rays gravitational wave detectors

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    Orientador: Anderson Campos FauthDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb WataghinResumo: Um dos fenĂŽmenos previstos por Einstein na dedução da relatividade geral foi a existĂȘncia de pequenas perturbaçÔes da mĂ©trica que ele nomeou de ondas gravitacionais.Essas ondas ao atravessarem a matĂ©ria fazem com que a mesma oscile de acordo com a polarização da onda gravitacional.Esta Ă© a Ășnica previsĂŁo importante da Relatividade Geral que ainda nĂŁo foi comprovada completamente.O pequeno sinal gerado pela passagem de uma onda gravitacional em comparação com os ruĂ­dos existentes no sistema de detecção torna a sua detecção direta um dos principais desafios da ciĂȘncia moderna.Neste trabalho estudamos o ruĂ­do gerado por raios cĂłsmicos na antena gravitacional Mario Schenberg,localizada na cidade de SĂŁo Paulo.Medidas do fluxo de mĂșons e hĂĄdrons isolados realizadas no hemisfĂ©rio norte foram utilizadas para calcular o fluxo esperado dessas partĂ­culas na cidade de SĂŁo Paulo.O cĂĄlculo da energia depositada no detector de ondas gravitacionais pelos raios cĂłsmicos foi realizado atravĂ©s de simulaçÔes de Monte arlo utilizando o Geant4.A passagem de mĂșons e prĂłtons,com diversas energias e alguns Ăąngulos de incidĂȘncia,pelo prĂ©dio e pela esfera ressonante da antena gravitacional,foi simulada.Desenvolvemos um modelo termo-acĂșstico, denominado de multiponto,adequado para calcular as energias depositadas nos modos normais de vibração da esfera a partir da energia depositada na esfera por partĂ­culas elementares.om esses resultados calculamos a taxa esperada de sinal de raios cĂłsmicos no principal modo de detecção de ondas gravitacionais,nl=12,do detector Mario Schenberg para temperaturas de operação Tnoise entre 10 -5 e 10 -7 K.Os resultados obtidos mostraram que para a sensibilidade projetada para 4,2K do detector MĂĄrio Schenberg a taxa de sinais devido aos raios cĂłsmicos Ă© muito pequena,sendo da ordem de 5 eventos por dia.PorĂ©m,quando for atingido o limite quĂąntico,serĂĄ preciso uma anĂĄlise mais detalhada do sinal de saĂ­da da antena,jĂĄ que o nĂșmero de partĂ­culas esperado aumenta consideravelmente, alcançando cerca de 250 sinais por diaAbstract: One of the phenomena predicted by Einstein in the derivation of general relativity is the existence of small perturbations of the metric that he named gravitational waves.As they travel through space oscillates the space-time according to its polarization.This is the only major prediction of general relativity not yet proven completely.The small signal generated by the passage of a gravitational wave compared to the noise in the system of detection makes their direct detection one challenge of modern science.In this paper we study the noise generated by cosmic rays in the gravitational antenna Mario Schenberg,located in the city of Sao Paulo.Single muons and hadrons flux measurements held in the northern hemisphere were used to calculate the expected flux of these particles in the city of Sao Paulo. The calculation of the energy deposited in the detector of gravitational waves from cosmic rays was performed by Monte arlo simulations using Geant4.The transport of muons and protons,with several energy and some different angles of incidence,across the building and the resonant sphere was simulated.We developed a thermo-acoustic model,called multi-point,suitable for calculating the energy deposited in the normal modes from the energy deposited on the sphere by elementary particles. With these results we calculate the expected rate of cosmic ray signals in the main detection mode of gravitational waves,nl =12,of the Mario Schenberg detector,for temperatures Tnoise between 10 -5 and 10 -7 K.The results showed for the designed for 4.2 K sensitivity of the Mario Schenberg detector that the rate of signals due to cosmic rays is very small,being around 5 events per day.However,when it will reach the quantum limit will be needed a more detailed analysis of the antenna signal output,since the expected number of cosmic ray noise increases considerably,reaching about 250 signals per dayMestradoFĂ­sica das Particulas Elementares e CamposMestre em FĂ­sic

    ACVIM consensus statement guidelines for the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and monitoring of pulmonary hypertension in dogs.

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    Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by increased pressure within the pulmonary vasculature, is a hemodynamic and pathophysiologic state present in a wide variety of cardiovascular, respiratory, and systemic diseases. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide a multidisciplinary approach to guidelines for the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and monitoring of PH in dogs. Comprehensive evaluation including consideration of signalment, clinical signs, echocardiographic parameters, and results of other diagnostic tests supports the diagnosis of PH and allows identification of associated underlying conditions. Dogs with PH can be classified into the following 6 groups: group 1, pulmonary arterial hypertension; group 2, left heart disease; group 3, respiratory disease/hypoxia; group 4, pulmonary emboli/pulmonary thrombi/pulmonary thromboemboli; group 5, parasitic disease (Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus); and group 6, disorders that are multifactorial or with unclear mechanisms. The approach to treatment of PH focuses on strategies to decrease the risk of progression, complications, or both, recommendations to target underlying diseases or factors contributing to PH, and PH-specific treatments. Dogs with PH should be monitored for improvement, static condition, or progression, and any identified underlying disorder should be addressed and monitored simultaneously
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