Blood Parameters and Feline Tooth Resorption: A Retrospective Case Control Study from a Spanish University Hospital

Tooth resorption (TR; progressive destruction of hard dental tissues) varies in prevalence according to population, age, and country (29–66.1%). Our objective was twofold: describing the TR clinical presentation in Northeastern Spain, and studying 34 blood parameters to ascertain potential systemic effects associated with TR. Cases (29; presented from September 2018 to May 2019) and controls (58) were considered. Non-parametric tests were carried out to compare cases and controls for each blood parameter; those showing significant differences were chosen for multiple regression analysis (binomial logistic and hierarchical multiple regressions). In case TR was detected in 130/870 teeth (14.9%), TR stage and type were correlated (p < 0.001). Increasing CREA values (p = 0.034) and decreasing BUN/CREA and ALB/GLOB values were associated with TR presence (p = 0.029 and p = 0.03, respectively). Increasing GLOB was associated with increasing severity of TR (p < 0.01). Type 1 TR (highly related to inflammation and periodontal disease PD) was the most frequently observed type; the association of TR and inflammation biomarkers (ALB/GLOB, GLOB) are explained by this fact. The concomitant presence of PD and TR in old cats would cause TR association with kidney damage biomarkers (CREA, BUN/CREA). When affected by TR, special care in these aspects must be provided to cats

Tooth resorption in Spanish domestic cats: Preliminary data

The objective of this study was to collect preliminary data about tooth resorption (TR) from cats treated at the Odontology Service (September 2016-June 2018), part of a University Veterinary Hospital in Spain, with specific emphasis on TR distribution per tooth. Diagnosis was based on visual/tactile inspection and intraoral dental radiographs. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 59 adult cats (27 females, 32 males). TR occurred in 39/59 cats (66.1%; 95% CI: 54.0%-78.2%). The median number of lesioned teeth per TR-affected animal was 3. A highly significant but weak correlation was found for age and number of TR-affected teeth per individual (Spearman´s correlation ¿ = 0.381, P =.003, power = 0.853; N = 59). No TR cases were detected in incisors (0/708, 0%) but TR occurred in canines (21/236, 8.9%; 95% CI: 5.4%-12.4%), premolars (78/590, 13.2%; 95% CI: 10.5%-15.9%), and molars (33/236, 14%; 95% CI: 9.7%-18.3%). A significant age influence on TR was found. The greatest TR occurrence corresponded to 307 (21/59; 35.6%; 95% CI: 23.4%-47.8%) followed by 409 (17/59; 28.8%; 95% CI: 17.2%-40.3%), 407 (16/59; 27.1%; 95% CI: 15.7%-38.4%), and 309 (16/59; 27.1%; 95% CI: 15.7%-38.4%). These teeth would be considered as TR-sentinels in the studied population. These findings are relevant for veterinarians working in dental clinics, where the TR prevalence may be high especially in older cats

Periodontal and Dental Status in Packs of Spanish Dogs

While periodontal disease (PD) is the most common canine oral pathology, its prevalence varies according to diagnosis methodology, breed, and age. We intended to increase understanding of canine PD by studying dogs that are managed in a specific way: pack dogs in Spain. They received a mixed diet (home-prepared food, commercial dry food, stale bread and bones). Thirty-two conscious individuals from two packs of dogs in Northeastern Spain (30/32 crossbred hunting dogs and 2/32 Siberian Husky; 26 males and 6 females; 27.75 ± 5.807 kgs; 5.48 ± 2.818 years) received visual dental examination for assessment of absent teeth (AT), dental calculus (DC) grade, gingival recession (GR), periodontal disease (PD), tooth fracture (TF), and dental attrition (DA). DC was the most prevalent oral problem (75%), followed by TF/DA (68.75%), AT (34.37%), GR (31.25%), and, finally, PD (15.62%). Low individual affectation values were found for AT, GR, and PD (<1 tooth/individual); mean DC grade per individual was 0.06 ± 0.063; and TF and DA were found in 1.63 and 4.72 teeth/individual, respectively. Low prevalence and extent of PD was attributed to diagnosis methodology, bodyweight effect, breed, and, ultimately, diet. Individuals affected by DC remained under veterinary surveillance due to PD development

The status of business education in Catholic high schools, 1943-1944

There is no national head of the Catholic school system. Catholic schools are unified in that they have the same philosophy of education. This philosophy is expressed in the Encyclical of Pope Pius XI, "Christian Education of Youth”, as follows: It is necessary that all the teaching and the whole organization of the school, and its teachers, syllabus and textbooks in every branch, be regulated by the Christian spirit, under the direction and maternal supervision of the Church; so that Religion nay be in very truth the foundation and crown of the youth's entire training; and this in every grade of school, not only the elementary, but the intermediate and the higher institutions of learning as well. Catholic schools are under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of the diocese in which they are situated. In the year 1942-1943, the number of dioceses in the United States was one hundred thirteen, the number in the different states ranging from one to seven. The education in each diocese is supervised by a priest superintendent appointed by the Bishop. Some dioceses have, besides the superintendent of schools, the community supervisor, a Sister or Brother appointed by the superior of each order. These community supervisors, in addition to reporting to the head of their own religious orders, act as assistants to a diocesan superintendent of schools. The number of these supervisors in any diocese depends on the number of religious orders represented in that diocese

Prevención del Síndrome de Frey en las parotidectomías mediante la realización de colgajo del Sistema Musculoaponeurótico Superficial: Estudio retrospectivo

El Síndrome de Frey o Síndrome Auriculotemporal o sudoración gustatoria es una de las complicaciones más frecuentes de las parotidectomías y su secuela más significativa. El presente trabajo es un estudio retrospectivo que tiene por objeto caracterizar dicho síndrome y estudiar la relación de diversas características clínicas y quirúrgicas de los pacientes con la aparición del mismo. Entre las características quirúrgicas, se hace especial hincapié en la posible acción preventiva de la realización de la técnica del colgajo del Sistema Musculoaponeurótico Superficial (SMAS). Para ello se ha seleccionado una muestra de 334 pacientes del archivo del Servicio de Cirugía Oral y Maxilofacial del Hospital Miguel Servet, centrada en las cirugías sobre la glándula parótida realizadas en el periodo comprendido entre los años 2002 y 2012. La incidencia del Síndrome de Frey en nuestro estudio es del 30,54%. El síntoma que se presenta de forma más frecuente en el Síndrome de Frey es la sudoración gustatoria que está presente en el 97,02% de los casos estudiados. El momento de aparición del síndrome es muy variable, desde unos días hasta varios años tras la intervención. El tiempo transcurrido entre la intervención y la aparición del Síndrome de Frey se ha estudiado mediante análisis de supervivencia. Se ha detectado un efecto significativo (p0,05)

Sedation in pediatric palliative care: The role of pediatric palliative care teams

Objectives. Palliative sedation (PS) consists of the use of drugs to alleviate the suffering of patients with refractory symptoms, through a reduction in consciousness.The aim of this study is to describe the incidence of and indications for PS in patients treated by pediatric palliative care teams (PPCT), and the relationship between PS, the place of death, and the characteristics of the care teams. Methods. Ambispective study with the participation of 14 PPCT working in Spain. Results. From January to December 2019, a total of 164 patients attended by these PPCT died. Of these, 83 (50.6%) received PS during their last 24 hours. The most frequent refractory symp toms were terminal suffering (n = 40, 48.2%), dyspnea (n = 9, 10.8%), pain (n = 8, 9.6%), and convulsive state (n = 7, 8.4%). Sedation in the last 24 hours of life was more likely if the patient died in hospital, rather than at home (62.9% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.01); if the parents had not expressed their preference regarding the place of death (69.2% vs. 45.2%, p = 0.009); and if the PPCT had less than 5 years’ experience (66.7% vs. 45.5%, p = 0.018). Significance of results. PS is a real possibility in pediatric end-of-life care and relates to care planning and team expertise.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBU

AutoSpill is a principled framework that simplifies the analysis of multichromatic flow cytometry data.

Compensating in flow cytometry is an unavoidable challenge in the data analysis of fluorescence-based flow cytometry. Even the advent of spectral cytometry cannot circumvent the spillover problem, with spectral unmixing an intrinsic part of such systems. The calculation of spillover coefficients from single-color controls has remained essentially unchanged since its inception, and is increasingly limited in its ability to deal with high-parameter flow cytometry. Here, we present AutoSpill, an alternative method for calculating spillover coefficients. The approach combines automated gating of cells, calculation of an initial spillover matrix based on robust linear regression, and iterative refinement to reduce error. Moreover, autofluorescence can be compensated out, by processing it as an endogenous dye in an unstained control. AutoSpill uses single-color controls and is compatible with common flow cytometry software. AutoSpill allows simpler and more robust workflows, while reducing the magnitude of compensation errors in high-parameter flow cytometry

Climate variability and Dinophysis acuta blooms in an upwelling system

Dinophysis acuta is a frequent seasonal lipophilic toxin producer in European Atlantic coastal waters associated with thermal stratification. In the Galician Rías, populations of D. acuta with their epicentre located off Aveiro (northern Portugal), typically co-occur with and follow those of Dinophysis acuminata during the upwelling transition (early autumn) as a result of longshore transport. During hotter than average summers, D. acuta blooms also occur in August in the Rías, when they replace D. acuminata. Here we examined a 30-year (1985–2014) time series of D. acuta from samples collected by the same method in the Galician Rías. Our main objective was to identify patterns of distribution and their relation with climate variability, and to explain the exceptional summer blooms of D. acuta in 1989–1990. A dome-shaped relationship was found between summer upwelling intensity and D. acuta blooms; cell maxima were associated with conditions where the balance between upwelling intensity and heating, leading to deepened thermoclines, combined with tidal phase (3 days after neap tides) created windows of opportunity for this species. The application of a generalized additive model based on biological (D. acuta inoculum) and environmental predictors (Cumulative June–August upwelling CUIJJA, average June–August SSTJJA and tidal range) explained more than 70% of the deviance for the exceptional summer blooms of D. acuta, through a combination of moderate (35,000–50,000 m3 s−1 km−1) summer upwelling (CUIJJA), thermal stratification (SSTJJA > 17 °C) and moderate tidal range (∼2.5 m), provided D. acuta cells (inoculum) were present in July. There was no evidence of increasing trends in D. acuta bloom frequency/intensity nor a clear relationship with NAO or other long-term climatic cycles. Instead, the exceptional summer blooms of 1989–1990 appeared linked to extreme hydroclimatic anomalies (high positive anomalies in SST and NAO index), which affected most of the European Atlantic coast.Versión del editor3,083

SJS/TEN 2019: From science to translation.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) are potentially life-threatening, immune-mediated adverse reactions characterized by widespread erythema, epidermal necrosis, and detachment of skin and mucosa. Efforts to grow and develop functional international collaborations and a multidisciplinary interactive network focusing on SJS/TEN as an uncommon but high burden disease will be necessary to improve efforts in prevention, early diagnosis and improved acute and long-term management. SJS/TEN 2019: From Science to Translation was a 1.5-day scientific program held April 26-27, 2019, in Vancouver, Canada. The meeting successfully engaged clinicians, researchers, and patients and conducted many productive discussions on research and patient care needs

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice