Comparison of selected canine vector-borne diseases between urban animal shelter and rural hunting dogs in Korea

A serological survey for Dirofilaria immitis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, and Borrelia burgdorferi infections in rural hunting and urban shelter dogs mainly from southwestern regions of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was conducted. From a total of 229 wild boar or pheasant hunting dogs, the number of serologically positive dogs for any of the four pathogens was 93 (40.6%). The highest prevalence observed was D. immitis (22.3%), followed by A. phagocytophilum (18.8%), E. canis (6.1%) and the lowest prevalence was B. burgdorferi (2.2%). In contrast, stray dogs found within the city limits of Gwangju showed seropositivity only to D. immitis (14.6%), and none of the 692 dogs responded positive for A. phagocytophilum, E. canis or B. burgdorferi antibodies. This study indicates that the risk of exposure to vector-borne diseases in rural hunting dogs can be quite high in Korea, while the urban environment may not be suitable for tick infestation on dogs, as evidenced by the low infection status of tick-borne pathogens in stray dogs

Metastasis to the breast from colonic adenocarcinoma

A 63-year-old woman was referred to a breast surgeon with a breast mass discovered incidentally during follow-up study after colon cancer surgery. Invasive adenocarcinoma was revealed on core needle biopsy. Wide excision of the breast including the tumor was performed. On standard histological examination the tumor showed features of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The immunohistochemistry study revealed positive results for cytokeratin (CK)20 and CDX2, but negative for CK7. These are typical characteristics for colon cancer. Considering her history of subtotal colectomy for sigmoid colon cancer, it is presumable that the mass in the breast was of colonic origin, and it was an extremely rare case of metastasis to the breast from primary colorectal neoplasm. Although the instance is rare, clinicians should keep the possibility of breast metastasis from colorectal cancer in mind for early and correct diagnosis

Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Use of Phentermine

Weight-control drugs (known as anorexigens) such as fenfluramine have been linked with pulmonary hypertension in previous reports. In our case, a 29 year old woman was admitted for shortness of breath and was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. Three months ago, she had been taking phentermine for five weeks. Other factors that might have contributed to the development of pulmonary hypertension were excluded. With treatment, her symptoms improved. This is the first case that can suggest a possible connection between phenermine single medication with pulmonary hypertension. Phentermine has been considered a relatively safe drug to treat obesity, and further investigation is needed to decide the safety and dosage of phentermine

Effect of epicardial fat volume on outcomes after left atrial posterior wall isolation in addition to pulmonary vein isolation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation

BackgroundGreater epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is related to higher recurrences after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (AFCA). We investigated the effects of posterior wall box isolation (POBI) in conjunction with circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) on rhythm outcomes according to varying EAT volumes among patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF).Materials and methodsWe included 1,187 patients with PeAF undergoing a de novo AFCA including those receiving CPVI alone (n = 687) and those receiving additional POBI (n = 500). The rhythm outcomes at 2 years post-AFCA were compared in subgroups stratified by the EAT volume using propensity overlap weighting.ResultsA reduced EAT volume was linearly associated with more favorable rhythm outcomes for additional POBI than for CPVI alone (P for interaction = 0.002). Among the patients with smaller EAT volumes (≤116.23 mL, the median value, n = 594), additional POBI was associated with a reduced AF recurrence risk as compared to CPVI only [weighted HR (hazard ratio) 0.74, 95% CI (confidence interval) 0.56–0.99]. In contrast, among the remaining 593 patients with greater EAT volumes (>116.23 mL), No difference was observed in the recurrence risk between the additional POBI and CPVI alone groups (weighted HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.84–1.52). Among 205 patients with repeat ablations, the POBI reconnection rate was more frequent in the large EAT group (77.4%) than in the small EAT group (56.7%, P = 0.034).ConclusionWhile PeAF patients with a smaller EAT volume averted AF recurrence by additional POBI after CPVI, no benefit of the POBI was observed in those with a greater EAT volume

Spatial Changes in the Atrial Fibrillation Wave-Dynamics After Using Antiarrhythmic Drugs: A Computational Modeling Study

Background: We previously reported that a computational modeling-guided antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) test was feasible for evaluating multiple AADs in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We explored the anti-AF mechanisms of AADs and spatial change in the AF wave-dynamics by a realistic computational model.Methods: We used realistic computational modeling of 25 AF patients (68% male, 59.8 ± 9.8 years old, 32.0% paroxysmal AF) reflecting the anatomy, histology, and electrophysiology of the left atrium (LA) to characterize the effects of five AADs (amiodarone, sotalol, dronedarone, flecainide, and propafenone). We evaluated the spatial change in the AF wave-dynamics by measuring the mean dominant frequency (DF) and its coefficient of variation [dominant frequency-coefficient of variation (DF-COV)] in 10 segments of the LA. The mean DF and DF-COV were compared according to the pulmonary vein (PV) vs. extra-PV, maximal slope of the restitution curves (Smax), and defragmentation of AF.Results: The mean DF decreased after the administration of AADs in the dose dependent manner (p < 0.001). Under AADs, the DF was significantly lower (p < 0.001) and COV-DF higher (p = 0.003) in the PV than extra-PV region. The mean DF was significantly lower at a high Smax (≥1.4) than a lower Smax condition under AADs. During the episodes of AF defragmentation, the mean DF was lower (p < 0.001), but the COV-DF was higher (p < 0.001) than that in those without defragmentation.Conclusions: The DF reduction with AADs is predominant in the PVs and during a high Smax condition and causes AF termination or defragmentation during a lower DF and spatially unstable (higher DF-COV) condition

Health Indicators Related to Disease, Death, and Reproduction

One of the primary goals of epidemiology is to quantify various aspects of a population’s health, illness, and death status and the determinants (or risk factors) thereof by calculating health indicators that measure the magnitudes of various conditions. There has been some confusion regarding health indicators, with discrepancies in usage among organizations such as the World Health Organization the, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the CDC of other countries, and the usage of the relevant terminology may vary across papers. Therefore, in this review, we would like to propose appropriate terminological definitions for health indicators based on the most commonly used meanings and/or the terms used by official agencies, in order to bring clarity to this area of confusion. We have used appropriate examples to make each health indicator easy for the reader to understand. We have included practical exercises for some health indicators to help readers understand the underlying concepts

Long-Term Efficacy of Prophylactic Cavotricuspid Isthmus Ablation during Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Patients Without Typical Atrial Flutter: a Prospective, Multicentre, Randomized Trial

Background and Objectives: Cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) block is easily achieved, and prophylactic ablation can be performed during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, the previous study was too small and short-term to clarify the efficacy of this block. Methods: Patients who underwent catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF were enrolled, and patients who had previous or induced atrial flutter (AFL) were excluded. We randomly assigned 366 patients to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) only and prophylactic CTI ablation (PVI vs. PVI+CTI). Results: There was no significant difference in procedure time between the two groups because most CTI blocks were performed during the waiting time after the PVI (176.8 +/- 72.6 minutes in PVI vs. 174.2 +/- 76.5 minutes in PVI+CTI, p=0.75). All patients were followed up for at least 18 months, and the median follow-up was 3.4 years. The recurrence rate of AF or AFL was not different in the 2 groups (25.7% in PVI vs. 25.7% in PVI+CTI, p=0.92). The recurrence rate of any AFL was not significantly different in the 2 groups (3.3% in PVI vs. 1.6% in PVI+CTI, p=0.31). The recurrence rate of typical AFL also was not different (0.5%in PVI vs. 0.5% in PVI+CTI, p=0.99). Conclusions: In this large and long-term follow-up study, prophylactic CTI ablation had no benefit in patients with paroxysmal AF without typical AFL.11Nsciescopu

Effects of the Entrepreneurial Strategic Orientation of Social Enterprises on Organizational Effectiveness: Case of South Korea

This study aims to empirically verify whether the entrepreneurial strategic orientation of social enterprises has any effect on organizational effectiveness with the mediation of dynamic capabilities. In the consideration of social enterprises’ features, strategic orientation consisted of social value orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, and market orientation. Dynamic capabilities consisted of absorption capacity and coordination capacity, and organizational effectiveness was comprised of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. An online questionnaire survey targeted 228 employees of Korean social enterprises. The survey results were analyzed using a structural equation. As a result of the analysis, entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation significantly affected absorption capacity, but social value orientation did not affect it. Social value orientation and market orientation significantly affected coordination capacity, but entrepreneurial orientation did not affect it. Absorptive capacity and coordination capacity affected organizational effectiveness, and the hypotheses were adopted. Consequently, it was revealed that market orientation had the most significant effects on social enterprises’ dynamic capabilities and organizational effectiveness. It was confirmed that social value orientation and entrepreneurial orientation revealed differences depending on the absorptive capacity and coordination capacity of dynamic capabilities

Effects of the Entrepreneurial Strategic Orientation of Social Enterprises on Organizational Effectiveness: Case of South Korea

This study aims to empirically verify whether the entrepreneurial strategic orientation of social enterprises has any effect on organizational effectiveness with the mediation of dynamic capabilities. In the consideration of social enterprises’ features, strategic orientation consisted of social value orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, and market orientation. Dynamic capabilities consisted of absorption capacity and coordination capacity, and organizational effectiveness was comprised of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. An online questionnaire survey targeted 228 employees of Korean social enterprises. The survey results were analyzed using a structural equation. As a result of the analysis, entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation significantly affected absorption capacity, but social value orientation did not affect it. Social value orientation and market orientation significantly affected coordination capacity, but entrepreneurial orientation did not affect it. Absorptive capacity and coordination capacity affected organizational effectiveness, and the hypotheses were adopted. Consequently, it was revealed that market orientation had the most significant effects on social enterprises’ dynamic capabilities and organizational effectiveness. It was confirmed that social value orientation and entrepreneurial orientation revealed differences depending on the absorptive capacity and coordination capacity of dynamic capabilities

The Improving Effect of HL271, a Chemical Derivative of Metformin, a Popular Drug for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, on Aging-induced Cognitive Decline

In recent years, as the aging population grows, aging-induced cognitive impairments including dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) have become the biggest challenges for global public health and social care. Therefore, the development of potential therapeutic drugs for aging-associated cognitive impairment is essential. Metabolic dysregulation has been considered to be a key factor that affects aging and dementia. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a primary sensor of cellular energy states and regulates cellular energy metabolism. Metformin (1,1-dimethylbiguanide hydrochloride) is a well-known AMPK activator and has been widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since the incidence of T2DM and dementia increases with aging, metformin has been considered to be one of the most promising drugs to target dementia and its related disorders. To that end, here, we tested the efficacy of metformin and HL271, a novel metformin derivative, in aging-induced cognitive decline. Water (control), metformin (100 mg/kg) or HL271 (50 mg/kg) were orally administered to aged mice for two months; then, the mice were subjected to behavioral tests to measure their cognitive function, particularly their contextual, spatial and working memory. AMPK phosphorylation was also measured in the drug-treated mouse brains. Our results show that oral treatment with HL271 (50 mg/kg) but not metformin (100 mg/kg) improved cognitive decline in aged mice. AMPK activation was correlated with behavior recovery after aging-induced cognitive decline. Taken together, these results suggest that the newly synthesized AMPK activator, HL271, could be a potential therapeutic agent to treat age-related cognitive decline © Experimental Neurobiology 2018.101Nsciekc