Use of 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography to assess left ventricular systolic function in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Background: Early identification of systolic dysfunction in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) potentially could improve the outcome and decrease mortality. Objective: To compare 2-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-STE) with 2-dimensional (2D) and M-mode echocardiography in the evaluation of systolic function in SIRS dogs. Animals: Seventeen SIRS and 17 healthy dogs. Methods: Prospective observational case-control study. Each dog underwent physical examination, conventional echocardiography, 2D-STE, and C-reactive protein measurement. Results: Dogs with SIRS had lower 2D-STE ejection fraction (X4D-EF; 44 ± 8 versus 53 ± 8; P =.003), endocardial global longitudinal strain (ENDO-G-Long-St; -14.6 ± 3.2 versus -18.5 ± 4.1; P =.003), and normalized left ventricular diameter in diastole (1.38 ± 0.25 versus 1.54 ± 0.17; P =.04) and systole (0.85 ± 0.18 versus 0.97 ± 0.11; P =.03) as compared to healthy dogs. Simpson method of disks (SMOD) right parasternal EF (55 ± 9 versus 60 ± 6; P =.07) and end systolic volume index (ESVI; 23 ± 10 versus 21 ± 6; P =.61), SMOD left apical EF (59 ± 9 versus 59 ± 6; P =.87) and ESVI (20 ± 8 versus 22 ± 6; P =.25), fractional shortening (FS; 34 ± 5 versus 33 ± 4; P =.39), M-mode EF (64 ± 7 versus 62 ± 5; P =.35), and ESVI (23 ± 11 versus 30 ± 9; P =.06) were not significantly different between SIRS and control group, respectively. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Speckle tracking X4D-EF and ENDO-G-Long-St are more sensitive than 2D and M-Mode FS, EF, and ESVI in detecting systolic impairment in dogs with SIRS

A Parenting Program to Reduce Disruptive Behavior in Hispanic Children with Acquired Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted in Mexico

Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) are at risk of impairments in self-regulation and disruptive behavior. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Signposts program to reduce disruptive behavior and improve self-regulation in Hispanic children with ABI, and reduce parental stress and improve parenting practices. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we assigned children (n = 71) and their parents to Signposts or generic telephone support. Blinded assessors conducted assessments at pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and at 3 months post-intervention. Signposts was effective in reducing dysfunctional parenting practices. Further, when analyzing participants at risk of behavioral disturbance (n = 46), Signposts was effective in reducing child disruptive behavior in the home environment and emotional self-regulation. No differences were found for parental stress, parent sense of competence, child disruptive behaviors at school, and child cognitive and behavioral selfregulation. The reduction in disruptive behavior was associated with the implementation of authoritative parenting practices (external regulation), and not as

Parenting and the dysregulation profile predict executive functioning in children with acquired brain injury

Background: Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) present with high rates of psychological disorders commonly accompanied by deficits in hot and cold executive functions (EFs). Impairments in EFs have been reported to precede mental health problems. Moreover, children who are vulnerable to developing mental health problems in adulthood frequently present with a dysregulation profile in childhood, characterized by impairments in cognitive, behavioral and emotional regulation. Objective: To identify profiles of behaviors associated with impairment in hot and cold EFs and compare injury factors, envi

Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (APGC-ToF-MS) for the determination of regulated and emerging contaminants in aqueous samples after stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE)

This work presents the development, optimization and validation of a multi-residue method for the simultaneous determination of 102 contaminants, including fragrances, UV filters, repellents, endocrine disruptors, biocides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several types of pesticides in aqueous matrices. Water samples were processed using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) after the optimization of several parameters: agitation time, ionic strength, presence of organic modifiers, pH, and volume of the derivatizing agent. Target compounds were extracted from the bars by liquid desorption (LD). Separation, identification and quantification of analytes were carried out by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to time-of-flight (ToF-MS) mass spectrometry. A new ionization source, atmospheric pressure gas chromatography (APGC), was tested. The optimized protocol showed acceptable recovery percentages (50–100%) and limits of detection below 1 ng L−1 for most of the compounds. Occurrence of 21 out of 102 analytes was confirmed in several environmental aquatic matrices, including seawater, sewage effluent, river water and groundwater. Non-target compounds such as organophosphorus flame retardants were also identified in real samples by accurate mass measurement of their molecular ions using GC-APGC–ToF-MS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that this technique has been applied for the analysis of contaminants in aquatic systems. By employing lower energy than the more widely used electron impact ionization (EI), AGPC provides significant advantages over EI for those substances very susceptible to high fragmentation (e.g., fragrances, pyrethroids)

HLA association with the susceptibility to anti-synthetase syndrome

Objective: To investigate the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD). Methods: We conducted the largest immunogenetic HLA-DRB1 and HLA-B study to date in a homogeneous cohort of 168 Caucasian patients with ASSD and 486 ethnically matched healthy controls by sequencing-based-typing. Results: A statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*03:01 and HLA-B*08:01 alleles in patients with ASSD compared to healthy controls was disclosed (26.2% versus 12.2%, P = 1.56E–09, odds ratio–OR [95% confidence interval–CI] = 2.54 [1.84–3.50] and 21.4% versus 5.5%, P = 18.95E–18, OR [95% CI] = 4.73 [3.18–7.05]; respectively). Additionally, HLA-DRB1*07:01 allele was significantly decreased in patients with ASSD compared to controls (9.2% versus 17.5%, P = 0.0003, OR [95% CI] = 0.48 [0.31–0.72]). Moreover, a statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*03:01 allele in anti-Jo-1 positive compared to anti-Jo-1 negative patients with ASSD was observed (31.8% versus 15.5%, P = 0.001, OR [95% CI] = 2.54 [1.39–4.81]). Similar findings were observed when HLA carrier frequencies were assessed. The HLA-DRB1*03:01 association with anti-Jo-1 was unrelated to smoking history. No HLA differences in patients with ASSD stratified according to the presence/absence of the most representative non-anti-Jo-1 anti-synthetase autoantibodies (anti-PL-12 and anti-PL-7), arthritis, myositis or interstitial lung disease were observed. Conclusions: Our results support the association of the HLA complex with the susceptibility to ASSD

Observed Consequences of Presupernova Instability in Very Massive Stars

This chapter concentrates on the deaths of very massive stars, the events leading up to their deaths, and how mass loss affects the resulting death. The previous three chapters emphasized the theory of wind mass loss, eruptions, and core collapse physics, but here we emphasize mainly the observational properties of the resulting death throes. Mass loss through winds, eruptions, and interacting binaries largely determines the wide variety of different types of supernovae that are observed, as well as the circumstellar environments into which the supernova blast waves expand. Connecting these observed properties of the explosions to the initial masses of their progenitor stars is, however, an enduring challenge and is especially difficult for very massive stars. Superluminous supernovae, pair instability supernovae, gamma ray bursts, and "failed" supernovae are all end fates that have been proposed for very massive stars, but the range of initial masses or other conditions leading to each of these (if they actually occur) are still very certain. Extrapolating to infer the role of very massive stars in the early universe is essentially unencumbered by observational constraints and still quite dicey.Comment: 39 pages, 5 figures, to appear as chapter in the book "Very Massive Stars in the Local Universe", ed. J. Vin

WEBT and XMM-Newton observations of 3C 454.3 during the post-outburst phase. Detection of the little and big blue bumps

The blazar 3C 454.3 underwent an unprecedented optical outburst in spring 2005. This was first followed by a mm and then by a cm radio outburst, which peaked in February 2006. We report on follow-up observations by the WEBT to study the multiwavelength emission in the post-outburst phase. XMM-Newton observations on July and December 2006 added information on the X-ray and UV fluxes. The source was in a faint state. The radio flux at the higher frequencies showed a fast decreasing trend, which represents the tail of the big radio outburst. It was followed by a quiescent state, common at all radio frequencies. In contrast, moderate activity characterized the NIR and optical light curves, with a progressive increase of the variability amplitude with increasing wavelength. We ascribe this redder-when-brighter behaviour to the presence of a "little blue bump" due to line emission from the broad line region, which is clearly visible in the source SED during faint states. Moreover, the data from the XMM-Newton OM reveal a rise of the SED in the UV, suggesting the existence of a "big blue bump" due to thermal emission from the accretion disc. The X-ray spectra are well fitted with a power-law model with photoelectric absorption, possibly larger than the Galactic one. However, the comparison with previous X-ray observations would imply that the amount of absorbing matter is variable. Alternatively, the intrinsic X-ray spectrum presents a curvature, which may depend on the X-ray brightness. In this case, two scenarios are possible.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date