A prospective cohort study to identify clinical diagnostic and prognostic markers of primary immune thrombocytopenia in dogs.

Background: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (pITP) in dogs presents a diagnostic challenge, and clinical markers of severity are lacking.

Objectives: Identify clinicopathologic features that differentiate pITP from secondary ITP (sITP) and markers related to bleeding severity, transfusion, and survival of dogs with pITP.

Animals: Ninety-eight thrombocytopenic dogs (58 pITP and 40 sITP).

Bacterial culture and immunohistochemical detection of bacteria and endotoxin in cats with suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome.

Objective: To characterize the frequency and type of bacterial infection by culture- and immunohistochemical (IHC)-based methods and determine the impact of infection on clinical features and survival time in cats with suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome (S-CCHS).

Animals: 168 client-owned cats with S-CCHS (cases).

Procedures: Clinical features, bacterial culture results, culture-inoculate sources, and survival details were recorded.

Clinical, clinicopathologic, and hepatic histopathologic features associated with probable ketoconazole-induced liver injury in dogs: 15 cases (2015-2018).

Objective: To characterize clinical, clinicopathologic, and hepatic histopathologic features and outcome for dogs with probable ketoconazole-induced liver injury.

Animals: 15 dogs with suspected ketoconazole-induced liver injury that underwent liver biopsy.

Procedures: Medical record data were summarized regarding signalment, clinical signs, clinicopathologic and hepatic histopathologic findings, concurrent medications, ketoconazole dose, treatment duration, and outcome.

Characterization of aminoaciduria and hypoaminoacidemia in dogs with hepatocutaneous syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To characterize aminoaciduria and plasma amino acid concentrations in dogs with hepatocutaneous syndrome (HCS). ANIMALS 20 client-owned dogs of various breeds and ages. PROCEDURES HCS was definitively diagnosed on the basis of liver biopsy specimens (n = 12), gross and histologic appearance of skin lesions (4), and examination of skin and liver biopsy specimens (2) and presumptively diagnosed on the basis of cutaneous lesions with compatible clinicopathologic and hepatic ultrasonographic (honeycomb or Swiss cheese pattern) findings (2).

Efficacy of Low-dose (2 millicurie) versus Standard-dose (4 millicurie) Radioiodine Treatment for Cats with Mild-to-Moderate Hyperthyroidism.

Background: Radioiodine ( I) is effective treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats, but optimal dose to restore euthyroidism without inducing hypothyroidism is unclear. Treatment-induced hypothyroidism can lead to azotemia and reduced duration of survival.

Objective: To compare efficacy and short-term outcomes of low-dose I versus higher, standard-dose I as treatment for hyperthyroidism.

Hepatocutaneous syndrome in Shih Tzus: 31 cases (1996-2014).

Objective: To characterize findings in Shih Tzus with progressive superficial necrolytic dermatitis and degenerative vacuolar hepatopathy consistent with hepatocutaneous syndrome.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 31 Shih Tzus.

The contribution of primary prevention medication and dietary change in coronary mortality reduction in England between 2000 and 2007: a modelling study.

Objective: To analyse the falls in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in England between 2000 and 2007 and quantify the relative contributions from preventive medications and population-wide changes in blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol levels, particularly by exploring socioeconomic inequalities.

Design: A modelling study.

Setting: Sources of data included controlled trials and meta-analyses, national surveys and official statistics.

The impact of social deprivation on coronary revascularisation treatment outcomes within the National Health Service in England and Wales.

Background: There is strong evidence to suggest that social deprivation is linked to health inequalities. In the UK, concerns have been raised regarding disparities in the outcomes of acute cardiac services within the National Health Service (NHS). This study explored whether differences exist in (a) elective hospital presentation time (b) indicators of severity and disease burden and (c) treatment outcomes (hospital stay and mortality) on the basis of the index of multiple deprivation (IMD) status.

Reduction in myocardial infarction admissions in Liverpool after the smoking ban: potential socioeconomic implications for policymaking.

Objectives: To analyse the trends and trend changes in myocardial infraction (MI) and coronary heart disease (CHD) admissions, to investigate the effects of the 2007 smoke-free legislation on these trends, and to consider the policy implications of any findings.

Design Setting: Liverpool (city), UK.

Participants: Hospital episode statistics data on all 56 995 admissions for CHD in Liverpool between 2004 and 2012 (International Classification of Diseases codes I20-I25 coded as an admission diagnosis within the defined dates).

Improving healthcare-associated infection surveillance at a multi-hospital institution using an existing data repository.

The accurate and timely reporting of healthcare-associated infections is an essential infection control practice. Rates provide benchmarks for detecting trends and can help facilities identify intervention opportunities. Standardizing how hospitals within an organization calculate these rates is critical if the rates are to be compared among hospitals and to national standards.

Vacuolation in T-tubules as a model for tubular-vesicular transformations in biomembrane systems.

This review outlines the basic properties of T-tubules in skeletal muscle cells, and the factors that govern reversible vacuolation in T-tubules under experimental conditions. Comparable membranous transformations, involving the plasma membrane or occurring intracellularly, in non-muscle cells are then considered. Finally, the mechanisms of similar transformations in various model membrane systems are discussed.

Joint working. Stories in the making.

Joint working is likely to increase. But it does not necessarily improve efficiency. The essential change required is cultural, not structural.

Reversible vacuolation of T-tubules in skeletal muscle: mechanisms and implications for cell biology.

The majority of investigations of the transverse tubules (T-system) of skeletal muscle have been devoted to their role in excitation-contraction coupling, with particular reference to contact with the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the mechanism of Ca2- release. By contrast, this review is concerned with structural and functional aspects of the vacuolation of T-tubules. It covers experimental procedures used in reversible vacuolation induced by the efflux-influx of glycerol and other small nonelectrolytes, sugars, and ions.

Phosphatidylserine-dependent adhesion of T cells to endothelial cells.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) was exposed at the surface of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and cultured cell lines by agonists that increase cytosolic Ca(2+), and factors governing the adhesion of T cells to the treated cells were investigated. Thrombin, ionophore A23187 and the Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor 2, 5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzohydroquinone each induced a PS-dependent adhesion of Jurkat T cells. A23187, which was the most effective agonist in releasing PS-bearing microvesicles, was the least effective in inducing the PS-dependent adhesion of Jurkat cells.

Microbiological and geochemical characterization of fluvially deposited sulfidic mine tailings.

The fluvial deposition of mine tailings generated from historic mining operations near Butte, Montana, has resulted in substantial surface and shallow groundwater contamination along Silver Bow Creek. Biogeochemical processes in the sediment and underlying hyporheic zone were studied in an attempt to characterize interactions consequential to heavy-metal contamination of shallow groundwater. Sediment cores were extracted and fractionated based on sediment stratification.

Accessibility of T-tubule vacuoles to extracellular dextran and DNA: mechanism and potential application of vacuolation.

In addition to its function in excitation-contraction coupling, the ability of the T-system of skeletal muscle fibres to undergo reversible vacuolation indicates that it may play a role in volume regulation. The mechanism of reversible vacuolation has been investigated by confocal microscopy using fluorescein dextran to probe the accessibility of T-tubules to the extracellular environment. Vacuolation was induced by loading the fibres with 60-100 nM glycerol for 30 minutes and then returning them to glycerol-free medium.

[Functional role of vacuolization of the T-system of skeletal muscle fibers].

T-tubules of skeletal muscle fibres easily transform into large vacuoles under the influence of various factors. These include osmotic shock produced by the efflux of small molecular weight molecules (e.g.

Phosphatidylserine-mediated adhesion of T-cells to endothelial cells.

Phosphatidylserine was exposed on the surface of human umbilical endothelial cells (ECV304) a few minutes after adding thrombin in vitro, as monitored by prothrombinase assays with and without annexin V. Jurkat T cells adhered to the thrombin-treated cells. The adhesion was inhibited by annexin V, indicating that it was mediated by exposed phosphatidylserine on the endothelial cells.

Reversible vacuolation of the transverse tubules of frog skeletal muscle: a confocal fluorescence microscopy study.

A confocal microscope was used to investigate the reversible vacuolation of frog skeletal muscle fibres produced by the efflux and entry of glycerol (80-100 mM). The formation, development and disappearance of vacuoles was observed in the fibres by staining simultaneously with two fluorescent membrane probes, RH414 and DiOC6(3). The styryl dye, RH414, stains only the plasmalemma and the membranes of the transverse tubules.

Spatial and temporal distribution of [Ca2+]i in normal human myotubes. A fura-2 imaging study.

The spatio-temporal distribution of intracellular, free calcium ions, [Ca2+]i, induced in human myotubes by electrical stimulation typically showed a relatively large increase of [Ca2+]i in the vicinity of the plasmalemma. The similarity of this distribution, with that observed after the application of caffeine, and the lack of any effect of lanthanum, strongly suggest that the main source of Ca2+ participating in the electrically induced transient is the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Aneurally cultured human myotubes therefore display a 'skeletal muscle type' coupling between membrane depolarization and calcium release.

A spectroscopic study of the mitochondrial transit peptide of rat malate dehydrogenase.

A peptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of the rat malate dehydrogenase, comprising the transit sequence and two residues of the mature protein (MLSALARPVGAALR-RSFSTSAQNNAK) has been chemically synthesized, and its structural characteristics investigated by Fourier-transform i.r. (FT-IR), c.

Interactions between metal ions and poly(ethylene glycol) in the fusion of human erythrocytes.

Diffusion of the fluorescent membrane probe, Dil-C16 (3), from labelled to unlabelled human erythrocytes has been employed to monitor hemi-fusion (membrane fusion) in monolayers of cells exposed to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Diffusion of the cytoplasmic probe, 6-carboxyfluorescein, was used similarly to monitor cell fusion (cytoplasmic mixing). Hemi-fusion, which is normally seen when erythrocytes are exposed to dehydrating concentrations of commercial PEG 6000, did not occur when the PEG was pretreated with Chelex 100 resin to remove metal ions.