Thermography of the hoof

Titelblatt, Inhaltsverzeichnis, Lebenslauf 1\. Einleitung 2\. Schrifttum 3\. Material und Methoden 4\. Ergebnisse 5\. Diskussion 6\. Zusammenfassung / Summary LiteraturverzeichnisIn der vorliegenden Arbeit sind sowohl gesunde Hufe als auch Pferde mit verschiedenen Huferkrankungen thermographisch untersucht worden. Ziel war es, ein typisches Temperaturverteilungsmuster des gesunden Hufes zu definieren und Einflussfaktoren auf die Oberflächentemperatur des Hufes darzustellen. Bei der Auswertung der gesunden Hufe zeigte sich in 85% der Fälle eine Temperaturdifferenz der Hufe eines Pferdes <1°C, und der Kronsaum stellte sich stets als wärmster Bezirk dar. Die Sohle eines gesunden Hufes zeigte in den Strahlfurchen ihre wärmsten Bereiche. Vom Kronsaum bis zum Tragrand nahm die Oberflächentemperatur der Hufwand stetig ab, wobei in der proximalen Hufhälfte ein geringerer Temperaturabfall als in der distalen Hufhälfte beobachtet wurde. Das Tragen von kalten Hufverbänden über 24 Stunden hatte ein Absinken der Oberflächentemperatur des entsprechenden Hufes von 3 Stunden zur Folge. Im Rahmen der Auswertung wurde ein Schema erarbeitet, um die beobachteten thermographischen Muster durch absolute Temperaturwerte zu untermauern. Bei der Auswertung der pathologischen Hufformen stellten sich die unterschiedlichen Hornwanddicken im theromographischen Bild als eine lokale Hypo- bzw. Hyperthermie dar. Hufabszesse waren abhängig von ihrer Lokalisation auf dem Thermogramm der Sohle oder der Hufwand als "hot spot" sichtbar. Die Hornspalten der Hufwände stellen sich abhängig von ihrer Tiefe als kältere bzw. wärmere Linien in der Hufwand dar. In den beschriebenen Fällen akuter Hufrehe konnte eine Wärmezunge an der medialen bzw. lateralen Seitenwand des Hufes beobachtet werden. Anhand des entwickelten Schemas konnten in diesen Fällen geringere Temperaturdifferenzen zwischen Kronsaum und proximaler Hufwand gemessen werden, als bei gesunden Hufen. Aufgrund dieser Ergebnisse konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Thermographie als bildgebendes Verfahren in der Diagnostik von Huferkrankungen eine sinnvolle Hilfestellung leisten kann.In this study thermograms of clinically normal hooves and horses with different hoof diseases were examined. The goal of this study was to determine a thermography pattern of clinically normal hoof and to show the different influences on surface hooftemperature. Bilateral symmetry of hoof surface temperature (difference < 1°C) has been documented in 85% of the cases. The coronary band was the warmest area of the healthy hooves, followed by concentric circles decreasing in 1°C as they radiate away from the coronary band. The temperaturedecrease is less in the proximal hoof wall than in the distal part of the hoof wall. On the thermogram of the solar surface, the medial and the lateral sulci are the regions of increased heat. Cold hoofbandages, worn over 24 hours, decreased surface hoof temperature over three hours. In this examination, a scheme was developed to relate the observed thermographic patterns to absolute surface temperatures. Pathological formation of the hoof can be seen as a local hypo- or hyperthermia depending on the thickness of the hoof wall. Thermograms of subsolar or submural abscesses showed a "hot spot" on corresponding hoof surfaces depending on their location. Fissures of the hoof wall were shown as a line of increased or decreased surface temperature depending on their deepness. In cases of laminitis, areas of heat were recognized at the lateral and medial hoof wall. With the help of the above mentioned scheme, cases of laminitis showed less difference in temperature between coronary band and proximal hoof wall than clinically normal horses. Therefore thermography of the hoof is useful for the diagnosis of diseases of the hoof and is complementary to other imaging techniques

Bis-TEGylated poly(p-benzamide)s: combining organosolubility with shape persistence

The synthesis of perfectly planar, bis-substituted aromatic polyamides is reported herein. With highly flexible triethylene glycol chains attached and conformational restriction through intramolecular, bifurcated hydrogen bonds these are among the most shape-persistent yet organo-soluble polymers to date. Starting from 4-nitrosalicylic acid, our group developed a route to phenyl-2,5-bis-TEGylated aminobenzoate, which could be polymerized by addition of lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (LiHMDS). Since this technique has not been applied to step-growth polycondensations of polyaramides so far, the influence of two different solvents and an N-protective group was investigated. Therefore, substituted phenyl aminobenzoate derivatives carrying a free amine or an N-protective group have been polymerized. Additionally, the tendency for self-assembly of the readily soluble bis-TEGylated poly(p-benzamide) was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the dried state. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements of chloroform solutions did not indicate the formation of aggregates. Thus, intermolecular interactions, which other aromatic polyamides typically exhibit, are prevented. The access to bis-substituted, entirely rigid poly(p-benzamide)s via this new polycondensation method paves the way for exciting new structures in materials science and supramolecular chemistry

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis—outcome and time to transplant after biliary diversion according to genetic subtypes

BackgroundProgressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by progressive cholestasis in early childhood. Surgical therapy aims at preventing bile absorption either by external or internal biliary diversion (BD). Several different genetic subtypes encode for defects in bile transport proteins, and new subtypes are being discovered ongoingly. Overall, the literature is scarce, however, accumulating evidence points to PFIC 2 having a more aggressive course and to respond less favorable to BD. With this knowledge, we aimed to retrospectively analyze the long-term outcome of PFIC 2 compared to PFIC 1 following BD in children at our center.MethodsClinical data and laboratory findings of all children with PFIC, who were treated and managed in our hospital between 1993 and 2022, were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsOverall, we treated 40 children with PFIC 1 (n = 10), PFIC 2 (n = 20) and PFIC 3 (n = 10). Biliary diversion was performed in 13 children (PFIC 1, n = 6 and 2, n = 7). Following BD, bile acids (BA) (p = 0.0002), cholesterol (p &lt; 0.0001) and triglyceride (p &lt; 0.0001) levels significantly decreased only in children with PFIC 1 but not in PFIC 2. Three out of 6 children (50%) with PFIC 1 and 4 out of 7 children (57%) with PFIC 2 required liver transplantation despite undergoing BD. On an individual case basis, BA reduction following BD predicted this outcome. Of the 10 children who had PFIC 3, none had biliary diversion and 7 (70%) required liver transplantation.ConclusionIn our cohort, biliary diversion was effective in decreasing bile acids, cholesterol levels as well as triglycerides in the serum only in children with PFIC 1 but not PFIC 2. On an individual case level, a decrease in BA following BD predicted the need for liver transplantation

Habitat properties are key drivers of Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) prevalence in Ixodes ricinus populations of deciduous forest fragments

Background: The tick Ixodes ricinus has considerable impact on the health of humans and other terrestrial animals because it transmits several tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) such as B. burgdorferi (sensu lato), which causes Lyme borreliosis (LB). Small forest patches of agricultural landscapes provide many ecosystem services and also the disservice of LB risk. Biotic interactions and environmental filtering shape tick host communities distinctively between specific regions of Europe, which makes evaluating the dilution effect hypothesis and its influence across various scales challenging. Latitude, macroclimate, landscape and habitat properties drive both hosts and ticks and are comparable metrics across Europe. Therefore, we instead assess these environmental drivers as indicators and determine their respective roles for the prevalence of B. burgdorferi in I. ricinus. Methods: We sampled I. ricinus and measured environmental properties of macroclimate, landscape and habitat quality of forest patches in agricultural landscapes along a European macroclimatic gradient. We used linear mixed models to determine significant drivers and their relative importance for nymphal and adult B. burgdorferi prevalence. We suggest a new prevalence index, which is pool-size independent. Results: During summer months, our prevalence index varied between 0 and 0.4 per forest patch, indicating a low to moderate disservice. Habitat properties exerted a fourfold larger influence on B. burgdorferi prevalence than macroclimate and landscape properties combined. Increasingly available ecotone habitat of focal forest patches diluted and edge density at landscape scale amplified B. burgdorferi prevalence. Indicators of habitat attractiveness for tick hosts (food resources and shelter) were the most important predictors within habitat patches. More diverse and abundant macro- and microhabitat had a diluting effect, as it presumably diversifies the niches for tick-hosts and decreases the probability of contact between ticks and their hosts and hence the transmission likelihood.[br/] Conclusions: Diluting effects of more diverse habitat patches would pose another reason to maintain or restore high biodiversity in forest patches of rural landscapes. We suggest classifying habitat patches by their regulating services as dilution and amplification habitat, which predominantly either decrease or increase B. burgdorferi prevalence at local and landscape scale and hence LB risk. Particular emphasis on promoting LB-diluting properties should be put on the management of those habitats that are frequently used by humans. In the light of these findings, climate change may be of little concern for LB risk at local scales, but this should be evaluated further

Framework and baseline examination of the German National Cohort (NAKO)

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a multidisciplinary, population-based prospective cohort study that aims to investigate the causes of widespread diseases, identify risk factors and improve early detection and prevention of disease. Specifically, NAKO is designed to identify novel and better characterize established risk and protection factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases in a random sample of the general population. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 205,415 men and women aged 19–74 years were recruited and examined in 18 study centres in Germany. The baseline assessment included a face-to-face interview, self-administered questionnaires and a wide range of biomedical examinations. Biomaterials were collected from all participants including serum, EDTA plasma, buffy coats, RNA and erythrocytes, urine, saliva, nasal swabs and stool. In 56,971 participants, an intensified examination programme was implemented. Whole-body 3T magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30,861 participants on dedicated scanners. NAKO collects follow-up information on incident diseases through a combination of active follow-up using self-report via written questionnaires at 2–3 year intervals and passive follow-up via record linkages. All study participants are invited for re-examinations at the study centres in 4–5 year intervals. Thereby, longitudinal information on changes in risk factor profiles and in vascular, cardiac, metabolic, neurocognitive, pulmonary and sensory function is collected. NAKO is a major resource for population-based epidemiology to identify new and tailored strategies for early detection, prediction, prevention and treatment of major diseases for the next 30 years. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10654-022-00890-5

Hair Cortisol in Twins : Heritability and Genetic Overlap with Psychological Variables and Stress-System Genes

A. Palotie on työryhmän jäsen.Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is a promising measure of long-term hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Previous research has suggested an association between HCC and psychological variables, and initial studies of inter-individual variance in HCC have implicated genetic factors. However, whether HCC and psychological variables share genetic risk factors remains unclear. The aims of the present twin study were to: (i) assess the heritability of HCC; (ii) estimate the phenotypic and genetic correlation between HPA axis activity and the psychological variables perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism; using formal genetic twin models and molecular genetic methods, i.e. polygenic risk scores (PRS). HCC was measured in 671 adolescents and young adults. These included 115 monozygotic and 183 dizygotic twin-pairs. For 432 subjects PRS scores for plasma cortisol, major depression, and neuroticism were calculated using data from large genome wide association studies. The twin model revealed a heritability for HCC of 72%. No significant phenotypic or genetic correlation was found between HCC and the three psychological variables of interest. PRS did not explain variance in HCC. The present data suggest that HCC is highly heritable. However, the data do not support a strong biological link between HCC and any of the investigated psychological variables.Peer reviewe

Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders. Methods We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors. Results Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged. Conclusions Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.Peer reviewe