Prospective study on the excretion of mucous stools and its association with age, gender, and feces output in captive giant pandas

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has evolved a large number of mucous glands in the intestinal lining to adapt to the digestion of high-fiber foods. However, in captive pandas, excessive mucus might form a mass and then be eliminated, which is often accompanied by discomfort and decreased activity. This event is called \u2018mucous excretion\u2019. The causes of mucus excretions in captive pandas, however, remain unknown. The aims of this study were to document the occurrence of mucus excretion and to investigate its possible associations with pandas\u2019 age, gender, and feces output. Eighteen giant pandas were studied at the Beijing Zoo from April 2003 to June 2017, and a total of 900 occurrences of mucous excretion and 32,856 daily defecation outputs in weight were recorded. The likelihood of mucous excretion occurrence decreased by 11.34% for each 1 kg of fecal output (Z = 124.12, p < 0.0001), while it increased by 5.89% per year of age (Z = 4.02, p < 0.0001). However, individual differences in gender had no significant effect on the mucous occurrence (Z = 120.75, p = 0.4508). A monthly change in mucus occurrence was also found. The mean frequency of mucus occurrence was significantly higher in October. In August, time (month) change showed the biggest negative influence on feces output but the biggest positive influence on mucus excretion (seasonal factors were 122.261 and 0.0126, respectively). Our results documented the occurrence of mucous excretions and confirmed their possible associations with the pandas\u2019 age and fecal output based on a 15-year prospective study. This study not only adds to our knowledge of panda physiology but also suggests the need for further studies examining the causes of the excretion of mucous stools in captive pandas. Reducing the incidence of mucous excretion would promote ex situ conservation and enhance panda welfare

Interventricular septum hematoma during cineventriculography

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intraseptal hematoma and subsequent myocardial infarction due to accidental contrast agent deposition complicating diagnostic cineventriculography is a previously undescribed complication of angiography.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 61 year old man was admitted at intensive care unit because of unstable angina pectoris 1 hour after coronary angiography. Transthoracic contrast echocardiography showed a non-perfused area in the middle of interventricular septum with an increase of thickening up to 26 mm. Review of cineventriculography revealed contrast enhancement in the interventricular septum after contrast medium injection and a dislocation of the pigtail catheter tip. Follow up by echocardiography and MRI showed, that intramural hematoma has resolved after 6 weeks. After 8 weeks successful stent implantation in LAD was performed and after 6 month the patient had a normal LV-function without ischemic signs or septal thickening demonstrated by stressechocardiography.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A safe and mobile position of the pigtail catheter during ventriculography in the middle of the LV cavity should be ensured to avoid this potentially life-threatening complication. For assessment and absolute measurement of intramural hematoma contrast-enhanced echocardiography is more feasible than MRI and makes interchangeable results.</p

Surgery for anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries : a multicentre study from the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association

OBJECTIVES: We sought to describe early and late outcomes in a large surgical series of patients with anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries. METHODS: We performed a retrospective multicentre study including surgical patients with anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries since 1991. Patients with isolated high coronary takeoff and associated major congenital heart disease were excluded. RESULTS: We collected 156 surgical patients (median age 39.5 years, interquartile range 15-53) affected by anomalous right (67.9%), anomalous left (22.4%) and other anatomical abnormalities (9.6%). An interarterial course occurred in 86.5%, an intramural course in 62.8% and symptoms in 85.9%. The operations included coronary unroofing (56.4%), reimplantation (19.2%), coronary bypass graft (15.4%) and other (9.0%). Two patients with preoperative cardiac failure died postoperatively (1.3%). All survivors were discharged home in good clinical condition. At a median follow-up of 2 years (interquartile range 1-5, 88.5% complete), there were 3 deaths (2.2%), 9 reinterventions in 8 patients (5 interventional, 3 surgical); 91.2% are in New York Heart Association functional class <= II, but symptoms persisted in 14.2%; 48.1% of them returned to sport activity. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, event-free survival at follow-up was 74.6%. Morbidity was not significantly different among age classes, anatomical variants and types of surgical procedures. Furthermore, return to sport activity was significantly higher in younger patients who participated in sports preoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical repair of anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries is effective and has few complications. Unroofing and coronary reimplantation are safe and are the most common procedures. The occurrence of late adverse events is not negligible, and long-term surveillance is mandatory. Most young athletes can return to an unrestrained lifestyle

Identification of modifiable factors associated with owner-reported equine laminitis in Britain using a web-based cohort study approach

Equine laminitis is a complex disease that manifests as pain and lameness in the feet, often with debilitating consequences. There is a paucity of data that accounts for the multifactorial nature of laminitis and considers time-varying covariates that may be associated with disease development; particularly those that are modifiable and present potential interventions. A previous case-control study identified a number of novel, modifiable factors associated with laminitis which warranted further investigation and corroboration. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with equine laminitis in horses/ponies in Great Britain (GB) using a prospective, web-based cohort study design, with particular interest in evaluating modifiable factors previously identified in the case-control study

Lawson criterion for ignition exceeded in an inertial fusion experiment

For more than half a century, researchers around the world have been engaged in attempts to achieve fusion ignition as a proof of principle of various fusion concepts. Following the Lawson criterion, an ignited plasma is one where the fusion heating power is high enough to overcome all the physical processes that cool the fusion plasma, creating a positive thermodynamic feedback loop with rapidly increasing temperature. In inertially confined fusion, ignition is a state where the fusion plasma can begin "burn propagation" into surrounding cold fuel, enabling the possibility of high energy gain. While "scientific breakeven" (i.e., unity target gain) has not yet been achieved (here target gain is 0.72, 1.37 MJ of fusion for 1.92 MJ of laser energy), this Letter reports the first controlled fusion experiment, using laser indirect drive, on the National Ignition Facility to produce capsule gain (here 5.8) and reach ignition by nine different formulations of the Lawson criterion

Current concept of abdominal sepsis : WSES position paper

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