Longitudinal assessment of thyroid function in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism: Clinical outcomes and prevalence of autoantibodies.

Background: Knowledge about primary hypoadrenocorticism coexisting with immune-mediated thyroiditis (Schmidt's syndrome) in dogs is limited.

Objective: To evaluate thyroid function in dogs with naturally occurring hypoadrenocorticism before and during treatment.

Animals: Sixty-six client-owned dogs.

Effects of tag mass on the physiology and behaviour of common noctule bats.

Background: External tags, such as transmitters and loggers, are often used to study bat movements. However, physiological and behavioural effects on bats carrying tags have rarely been investigated, and recommendations on the maximum acceptable tag mass are rather based on rules of thumb than on rigorous scientific assessment.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive three-step assessment of the potential physiological and behavioural effects of tagging bats, using common noctules Nyctalus noctula as a model.

A scoping review of the economic impact of family oral health: Implications for public health, research, and policy.

Objectives: To summarize evidence on the impact of oral health on individual and family economic outcomes, describe trends in the literature, and identify areas for additional research to inform public health research and practice.

Methods: Searches were conducted within PubMed, CINAHL, EconLit, Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases. Article review, selection, abstraction, and reporting processes were guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews.

Occurrence of COVID-19 and serum - and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A case-control study among workers with a wide range of exposures.

- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic chemicals; some are present in most humans in developed countries. Some studies suggest that certain PFAS may have immunotoxic effects in humans, which could put individuals with high levels of exposure at increased risk for infectious diseases such as COVID-19. We conducted a case-control study to examine the association between COVID-19 diagnosis and PFAS serum concentrations among employees and retirees from two 3 M facilities, one of which historically generated perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS).

Low foraging rates drive large insectivorous bats away from urban areas.

Urbanization has significant impacts on wildlife and ecosystems and acts as an environmental filter excluding certain species from local ecological communities. Specifically, it may be challenging for some animals to find enough food in urban environments to achieve a positive energy balance. Because urban environments favor small-sized bats with low energy requirements, we hypothesized that common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) acquire food at a slower rate and rely less on conspecifics to find prey in urban than in rural environments due to a low food abundance and predictable distribution of insects in urban environments.

Clinical features and long-term management of cats with primary hypoadrenocorticism using desoxycorticosterone pivalate and prednisolone.

Background: Primary hypoadrenocorticism (PH) is rare in cats and knowledge about treatment is sparse.

Objective: To describe cats with PH with a focus on long-term treatment.

Animals: Eleven cats with naturally occurring PH.

Wind energy production in forests conflicts with tree-roosting bats.

Many countries are investing heavily in wind power generation, triggering a high demand for suitable land. As a result, wind energy facilities are increasingly being installed in forests, despite the fact that forests are crucial for the protection of terrestrial biodiversity. This green-green dilemma is particularly evident for bats, as most species at risk of colliding with wind turbines roost in trees.

Antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines among workers with a wide range of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic chemicals; some are present in most humans in developed countries. Several studies have shown associations between certain PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and reduced antibody concentration after vaccination against diseases such as Tetanus. Recent studies have reported associations between COVID-19 occurrence and exposure to certain types of PFAS.

Effect of tetra-hydroxylated bile acid on size and insulin sensitivity of subcutaneous adipocytes in healthy lean cats.

Obesity leads to insulin resistance and is a major risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus in cats. Prevention of obesity and obesity-induced insulin resistance is difficult, and reliable long-term strategies are currently lacking. Retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ) was recently identified as an important transcription factor in the development of large insulin-resistant adipocytes in mice and humans.

Coastal onshore wind turbines lead to habitat loss for bats in Northern Germany.

Wind energy production is particularly rewarding along coastlines, yet coastlines are often important as migratory corridors for wildlife. This creates a conflict between energy production from renewable sources and conservation goals, which needs to be considered during environmental planning. To shed light on the spatial interactions of a high collision risk bat species with coastal wind turbines (WT), we analysed 32 tracks of 11 common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) in Northern Germany with miniaturized global positioning system units yielding 6266 locations.

Long-term individualized monitoring of sympatric bat species reveals distinct species- and demographic differences in hibernation phenology.

Background: Hibernation allows species to conserve energy and thereby bridge unfavorable environmental conditions. At the same time, hibernation imposes substantial ecological and physiological costs. Understanding how hibernation timing differs within and between species can provide insights into the underlying drivers of this trade-off.

Brain penetration and efficacy of tepotinib in orthotopic patient-derived xenograft models of MET-driven non-small cell lung cancer brain metastases.

Central nervous system-penetrant therapies with intracranial efficacy against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastases are urgently needed. We report preclinical studies investigating brain penetration and intracranial activity of the MET inhibitor tepotinib. After intravenous infusion of tepotinib in Wistar rats (n = 3), mean (±standard deviation) total tepotinib concentration was 2.

Salivary cortisol in healthy dogs: a randomized cross-over study to evaluate different saliva stimulation methods and their effects on saliva volume and cortisol concentration.

Background: Salivary cortisol collected at home is a useful test to diagnose and monitor Cushing's syndrome in humans. The main problem in dogs is to retrieve a sufficient amount of saliva. The aim of this study was to evaluate different salivary collection methods and compare their effects on volume, pH and cortisol concentration of saliva.

Evaluation of symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine in dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism receiving long-term mineralocorticoid replacement therapy.

Objectives: To investigate kidney function by determining serum symmetric dimethylarginine (sSDMA) and serum creatinine (sCr) concentrations in dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism (PH) receiving long-term mineralocorticoid replacement therapy.

Methods: Dogs with PH receiving a minimum of 12 months of either desoxycorticosterone pivalate or fludrocortisone acetate were included in the study provided that banked frozen serum samples were available for sSDMA analysis. sCr concentrations were retrieved from the medical records.

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations in healthy cats before and after weight gain and weight loss.

Background: Measurement of serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 is used to diagnose acromegaly in cats.

Hypothesis: Changes of body weight do not affect serum concentrations of IGF-1 in cats.

Animals: Ten healthy purpose-bred cats.

Systematic study of liposomes composition towards efficient delivery of plasmid DNA as potential application of dermal fibroblasts targeting.

The use of non-viral DNA vectors to topically treat skin diseases has demonstrated a high potential. However, vectors applied on the skin face extracellular barriers including the stratum corneum and intracellular barriers such as the endosomal escape and the nuclear targeting of the plasmid DNA. The aim of this study was to develop a formulation suitable for dermal application and effective for delivering plasmid DNA into cells.

SHP2 Inhibition Influences Therapeutic Response to Tepotinib in Tumors with MET Alterations.

Tepotinib is an oral MET inhibitor approved for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring MET exon 14 (METex14) skipping mutations. Examining treatment-naive or tepotinib-resistant cells with MET amplification or METex14 skipping mutations identifies other receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that co-exist in cells prior to tepotinib exposure and become more prominent upon tepotinib resistance. In a small cohort of patients with lung cancer with MET genetic alterations treated with tepotinib, gene copy number gains of other RTKs were found at baseline and affected treatment outcome.

Children's dental service use reflects their parents' dental service experience and insurance.

Background: Decisions about children's oral health care are made by parents. Parents' dental insurance, dental service use, and perceived affordability all influence their children's oral health care.

Methods: Using data from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey, the authors constructed a database of 4,396 nationally representative US children and their linked household adults.

Sample strategies for quantification of hepatic fat fraction mean MRI in healthy cats during body weight gain.

Hepatic fat fraction (HFF) can be non-invasively estimated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) multiple echo gradient recalled echo (GRE) sequence. The aim of this study was to test different methods of sampling strategies to quantify the HFF in healthy cats during body weight gain. Twelve healthy adult male cats were examined in a 3 Tesla MRI unit.

Glycemic variability in newly diagnosed diabetic cats treated with the glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue exenatide extended release.

Background: Glycemic variability (GV) is an indicator of glycemic control and can be evaluated by calculating the SD of blood glucose measurements. In humans with diabetes mellitus (DM), adding a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue to conventional therapy reduces GV. In diabetic cats, the influence of GLP-1 analogues on GV is unknown.

Evaluation of the changes in hepatic apparent diffusion coefficient and hepatic fat fraction in healthy cats during body weight gain.

Objective: To determine the change in mean hepatic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and hepatic fat fraction (HFF) during body weight gain in cats by use of MRI.

Animals: 12 purpose-bred adult neutered male cats.

Procedures: The cats underwent general health and MRI examination at time 0 (before dietary intervention) and time 1 (after 40 weeks of being fed high-energy food ad libitum).

Diagnostic contribution of individual components of adrenal function tests to diagnose canine hyperadrenocorticism.

There is limited information regarding the value of constitutive components of the ACTH stimulation test (ACTHST) and low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) including serum baseline cortisol (BC), difference between post-ACTH stimulation cortisol (PC) and BC (ΔACTHC), cortisol concentration 4h after dexamethasone administration (4HC), difference between 4HC and BC (Δ4C), and the difference between cortisol concentration 8h after dexamethasone administration and 4HC (Δ8C). Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if these components can predict hyperadrenocorticism, pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH), or functional adrenocortical tumor (FAT) in dogs. Cortisol concentrations were normalized, as fold change (FC), to the PC reference interval upper limit.

Urinary tract infections in dogs with spontaneous hypercortisolism - frequency, symptoms and involved pathogens.

Dogs with hypercortisolism are predisposed to developing bacteriuria associated either with clinical signs of cystitis or without clinical signs (subclinical bacteriuria). Based on current guidelines, dogs with subclinical bacteriuria should not be treated with antibiotics because there is no evidence that treatment improves outcome and because unnecessary treatments should be avoided. Before these guidelines were published in 2019, dogs with hypercortisolism and bacteriuria were commonly treated with antibiotics irrespective of clinical signs.

Income-Based Disparities in a Yearly Dental Visit in United States Adults and Children: Trend Analysis 1997 to 2016.

Objective: To determine how income-based disparities in a yearly dental visit (the Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicator for Oral Health) changed since legislation to expand dental coverage and to compare disparity trends in children and adults.

Methods: We analyzed Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 1997 to 2016 to determine yearly dental visit rates for US children and adults by family income. We determined measures of income disparity, including the Slope Index of Inequality and the Relative Index of Inequality and examined trends in yearly dental visit, Slope Index of Inequality, and Relative Index of Inequality using joinpoint regression.