Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging enables imaging of scar/fibrosis and is a cornerstone of most CMR imaging protocols. CMR imaging can benefit from image acceleration; however, image acceleration in LGE remains challenging due to its limited signal-to-noise ratio. In this study, we sought to evaluate a rapid two-dimensional (2D) LGE imaging protocol using a generative artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm with inline reconstruction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBehavioral traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically present in early childhood, underscoring the importance of screening tools for the early identification of ASD. The current study compared scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2) Preschool Form between the US standardization sample (n = 247) and a Canadian cohort of preschool-aged children (n = 595) recruited from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. In the MIREC sample, we examined whether ASD-like traits are correlated with sociodemographic characteristics and child intellectual abilities, and how maternal ratings of social skills assessed by the SRS-2 are associated with maternal ratings of general problem behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigated the ability of Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICWs) to remove critically important antimicrobial resistant organisms (AROs) from farm wastewater. Influent samples from the untreated farm waste and effluent samples taken at the end of the ICW system were collected monthly from four ICWs, serving four different farm types (suckler, dairy, dairy & poultry and pig). Using selective media to screen for the presence of carbapenemase resistant organisms, plasmid mediated and AmpC β-Lactamase producing organisms (ESBL/pAmpC) and fluoroquinolone resistant organisms, a total of 82 AROs were obtained with the majority being E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Women with disabilities are at elevated risk for pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum complications. However, there has not been a synthesis of literature on the neonatal and infant health outcomes of their offspring.
Objective: We examined the association between maternal disability and risk for adverse neonatal and infant health outcomes.
: There is growing recognition that preconception health, defined as the health of all reproductive-age individuals, impacts reproductive and perinatal outcomes. Although women with disabilities are becoming pregnant at increasing rates, little is known about their preconception health. Our objective was to describe the preconception health characteristics of women with physical, sensory, and intellectual/developmental disabilities and compare these characteristics with women without disabilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Women with disabilities experience significant health disparities. A barrier to progress in addressing these disparities is the lack of population-based data on their health outcomes, which are needed to plan health care delivery systems. Administrative health data are increasingly being used to measure the health of entire populations, but these data may only capture impairment and not activity and participation restrictions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis case series describes the clinical courses of 3 juvenile Yucatan miniature swine () that experienced a suspected anaphylactic reaction to ketamine hydrochloride during premedication for protocol-related surgery. All 3 swine rapidly developed diffuse erythema shortly after injection with ketamine-containing drug combinations. Clinical signs ranged from tachycardia and erythema alone to tachycardia and erythema followed by respiratory and cardiac arrest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOpiates play an important role in the control of pain associated with thoracotomy in both people and animals. However, key side effects, including sedation and respiratory depression, could limit the use of opiates in animals that are lethargic due to cardiac disease. In addition, a rare side effect-neuroexcitation resulting in pathologic behavioral changes (seizures, mania, muscle fasciculation)-after the administration of morphine or hydromorphone is well-documented in many species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare normal tissue dosimetry between hippocampal-avoidance whole brain radiation therapy (HA-WBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with 10 to 30 brain metastases, and to describe a novel SRS strategy we term Spatially Partitioned Adaptive RadiosurgEry (SPARE).
Methods And Materials: A retrospective review identified SRS treatment plans with >10 brain metastases located >5 mm from the hippocampi. Our Gamma Knife Icon (GKI) SPARE (GKI-Spr) technique treats multiple metastases with single-fraction SRS partitioned over consecutive days while limiting the total treatment time to ≤60 minutes per day.
The archaeal RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a double-psi β-barrel enzyme closely related to eukaryotic RNAPII in terms of subunit composition and architecture, promoter elements and basal transcription factors required for the initiation and elongation phase of transcription. Understanding archaeal transcription is, therefore, key to delineate the universally conserved fundamental mechanisms of transcription as well as the evolution of the archaeo-eukaryotic transcription machineries. The dynamic interplay between RNAP subunits, transcription factors and nucleic acids dictates the activity of RNAP and ultimately gene expression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
January 2018
Despite increased use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in biomedical research, consistent information regarding appropriate euthanasia methods, particularly for embryos, is sparse. Current literature indicates that rapid cooling is an effective method of euthanasia for adult zebrafish, yet consistent guidelines regarding zebrafish younger than 6 mo are unavailable. This study was performed to distinguish the age at which rapid cooling is an effective method of euthanasia for zebrafish and the exposure times necessary to reliably euthanize zebrafish using this method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Radiation therapy is a standard treatment option for prostate cancer. With growing use of escalated doses and tighter margins, procedures to limit rectal size variation are needed to reduce prostate motion, increase treatment accuracy, and minimize rectal toxicity. This prospective study was done to determine whether the introduction of an antiflatulent medication would decrease rectal distention at computed tomography (CT) simulation and throughout a course of radiation therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 3-y-old female Xenopus laevis was reported for a gray mass on the abdomen. The frog was used for egg collection and was otherwise experimentally naïve. On physical exam, the frog was bright and active and had a firm, gray, lobulated mass (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci
November 2015
Despite the routine collection of oocytes from African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) for use in research, few studies have evaluated methods for preparing their skin for surgery. We evaluated 3 skin preparatory agents by examining their antibacterial efficacy and the gross and microscopic appearance of Xenopus skin after exposure. Frogs (n = 14) were sedated and treated (contact time, 10 min) with 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThirty years ago, Parkinson disease was described as a shortage of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Today, understanding of this disorder includes possible genetic influences, premorbid and nonmotor issues, and a variety of neurologic, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Using a case study, this article presents the current science of Parkinson disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: There are unexplained sex-specific changes in the clinical expression of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We sought to examine the potential effect of exogenous estrogen in the form of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) on AS initiation and severity.
Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of women with AS from the membership of the Spondylitis Association of America.
Objective: To investigate the features of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) in a Canadian cohort of 639 patients with AS and 73 patients with nr-axSpA.
Methods: Clinical and laboratory data were compared for patients with AS and nr-axSpA enrolled in a longitudinal SpA cohort.
Results: The proportion of male patients was higher in AS than in nr-axSpA (76.
Objective: There is an unacceptable delay in the diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in its early stages among patients at high risk, in particular those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our objectives were to develop a sensible and reliable questionnaire to identify undetected axSpA among patients with IBD.
Methods: Literature was reviewed for item generation in the Toronto axSpA Questionnaire on IBD (TASQ-IBD).
The objective of this prospective cohort study was to investigate alterations in body composition variables and spasticity following subtetanic neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training in an adult population with spinal cord injury (SCI). Fourteen sedentary adults with SCI (thoracic [T]4-T11; American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A/B; time since injury: 10.17 +/- 11.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To identify soluble biomarkers associated with response to therapy with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Methods: The study was conducted at a PsA clinic where patients are assessed every 6 months, and serum samples are collected and stored once a year at the time of clinical assessment. Forty patients with active PsA who gave serum samples prior to treatment with TNFi and after at least 3 months of therapy were identified.
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a novel neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) system for improving aerobic fitness in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). It was hypothesized that training with this NMES system would increase peak oxygen consumption (Vo(2)peak) and peak heart rate (HRpeak) in a sedentary adult SCI population.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of pregnancy on ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Methods: Our study aimed to determine the severity of back pain and stiffness pre-, during, and postpartum in patients with AS and controls, and corresponding extraarticular symptoms.
Results: Nineteen female patients with AS (35 pregnancies) and 33 controls (77 pregnancies) were studied.
Objective: To determine the association between urolithiasis and syndesmophyte formation and the effect of urolithiasis on ankylosing spondylitis (AS) disease activity.
Methods: In a longitudinal cohort of 504 patients with AS, we conducted an analysis of all patients with AS who have a history of urolithiasis. All patients met the modified New York criteria for AS.