Publications by authors named "YuMei Chang"

The skin is covered by a protective mucus layer, which is essential to the innate defense mechanism of fish. Investigating the response of skin mucus to various toxic stresses is crucial for enhancing its ability to tackle environmental challenges and developing strategies to mitigate toxic effects. Alkalinity stress assays (50 mmol/L NaHCO) were conducted on crucian carp () from Lake Dali Nur (pH = 9.

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Between the years 2022 and 2023, 62 red kite () nestlings were translocated from England to Spain to bolster declining populations in mainland Europe as part of a wider conservation initiative. Health examinations were undertaken by veterinarians ahead of translocation, including examination of hematology and biochemistry parameters from blood samples. This study aimed to establish reference values for these parameters in nestling red kites for use in future translocations or for other clinical purposes.

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  • Manual observations of broiler chicken behaviours, like walking and sitting, are limited by time and sample size, making it hard to assess animal welfare like lameness.
  • The study used a random forest algorithm to analyze accelerometer data from different broiler strains aged 25 to 49 days, achieving high accuracy (92% to 94%) in classifying their behaviours.
  • The findings suggest that accelerometers can effectively automate the recording of chicken behaviours, aiding research and supporting ethical principles aimed at reducing animal use in experiments.
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There is growing evidence supporting clinically important associations between age at neutering in bitches and subsequent urinary incontinence (UI), although much of this evidence to date is considered weak. Target trial emulation is an innovative approach in causal inference that has gained substantial attention in recent years, aiming to simulate a hypothetical randomised controlled trial by leveraging observational data. Using anonymised veterinary clinical data from the VetCompass Programme, this study applied the target trial emulation framework to determine whether later-age neutering (≥ 7 to ≤ 18 months) causes decreased odds of early-onset UI (diagnosed < 8.

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  • This study investigates the impact of a magnesium-enriched diet on cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), focusing on its potential to improve plasma magnesium levels and overall health outcomes.* -
  • Sixty client-owned cats with CKD were randomly split into two groups: one received a magnesium-enriched phosphate-restricted diet (PRD), while the other received a standard PRD. Results showed an increase in total magnesium in the magnesium group without negative side effects.* -
  • The magnesium-enriched diet led to better management of CKD-related issues, such as lower trends in ionized calcium levels and stable fibroblast growth factor-23 concentrations, suggesting this dietary modification could be beneficial for feline patients with CKD.*
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: This study evaluated early childhood comorbidities of cerebral palsy (CP) in low birth weight (LBW) children and assessed the impact of maternal bio-psychosocial factors on CP risk in preterm infants of varying birth weights (BWs). : Data from 15,181 preterm infants (2009-2013) and 151,810 controls were analyzed using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. CP prevalence and LBW-associated comorbidities were examined, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.

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Crucian carp ( is widely distributed in the world and has become an economically freshwater fish. The population in Lake Dali Nur can tolerate the extreme alkaline environment with alkalinity over 50 mmol/L (pH 9.6), thus providing a special model for exploring alkali-tolerant molecular markers in an extremely alkaline environment.

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Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has a significant impact on global health worldwide. The development of multi-drug resistant strains that are resistant to the first-line drugs isoniazid and rifampicin threatens public health security. Rifampicin and isoniazid resistance are largely underpinned by mutations in rpoB and katG respectively and are associated with fitness costs.

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  • Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a prevalent acquired disorder affecting the blood clotting process primarily in dogs and less frequently in cats, leading to significant health risks in both species.
  • ITP can be classified into primary (autoimmune) and secondary (triggered by other diseases), but there is a lack of systematic evaluation regarding which underlying conditions trigger secondary ITP.
  • A comprehensive study developed guidelines through a structured review of literature, expert input, and consensus-building processes to create diagnostic algorithms and screening recommendations for ITP in dogs and cats.
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Rabies is a highly virulent viral disease that has been associated with large-scale population declines of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Rabies vaccination may be a valuable conservation tool in this species, but studies indicate that a single dose does not always confer protective immunity. We examined 47 serum samples from 22 captive African wild dogs (sampled opportunistically for other purposes) to assess whether serum antibody levels after vaccination correlated with the number of doses received and whether other factors affected outcomes.

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  • Cyprinidae is the largest fish family, consisting of around 367 genera and 3006 species, but the Far Eastern daces are among the few that have adapted to seawater, making them an important model for studying seawater adaptation.
  • Researchers sequenced the genomes of two Far Eastern daces and found that their population dynamics and adaptations to seawater are linked to historical glacial cycles and changes in sea level.
  • The study identified specific genetic changes in Pseudaspius that facilitate seawater adaptation, including significant gene variations and increased promoter activity in response to higher osmolarity, enhancing our understanding of how marine ecosystems can be preserved and managed.
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  • The study uses target trial emulation to analyze veterinary data, focusing on the effects of surgical versus non-surgical management for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture in dogs.
  • It involved dogs aged 1.5 to 12 years diagnosed with unilateral CCL rupture in 2019, utilizing a framework to account for various factors that could influence outcomes, like age and comorbidities.
  • Results showed that surgical management significantly reduced short-term lameness by 25.7% compared to non-surgical treatments, providing insights into better treatment options for this condition.
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Background: Microscopic nephrocalcinosis is a common pathological feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. Detection of macroscopic nephrocalcinosis using ultrasonography and its implications remain unexplored.

Objectives: Identify risk factors associated with ultrasound-diagnosed nephrocalcinosis and evaluate the influence of nephrocalcinosis on CKD progression.

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  • This study investigates how effectively ultrasonography detects nephrocalcinosis in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by comparing it with micro-computed tomography and histopathology techniques.* -
  • Twelve kidneys from seven client-owned cats with CKD were examined, revealing that ultrasonography classified kidneys into three categories: absent, suspected, and present for nephrocalcinosis.* -
  • The results showed a strong correlation between macroscopic and microscopic assessments of nephrocalcinosis, suggesting that while ultrasonography may provide some insights, advanced imaging and histological methods are crucial for accurate detection.*
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The main goals of Phase II trials are to identify the therapeutic efficacy of new treatments and continue monitoring all the possible adverse effects. In Phase II trials, it is important to develop an adaptive randomization (AR) procedure that takes into account both the efficacy and toxicity. In most existing articles, toxicity is modeled as a binary endpoint through an unobservable random effect (frailty) to link the efficacy and toxicity.

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Background: Legislation was introduced in Germany in 2018, requiring bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing before the prescription of fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins to dogs. We hypothesised that, following this intervention, the number of clinical samples testing positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) would reduce.

Methods: Reports of S.

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Purpose: We have previously published a retrospective matched-case control study comparing the effect of recombinant LH (r-hLH) versus highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) supplementation on the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in the GnRH-antagonist protocol. The result from that study showed that the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) was significantly higher in the r-hLH group (53% vs. 64%, p = 0.

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Background: Osteoarthritis of the equine thoracolumbar articular process joints (APJs) has been linked to back pain. Changes are commonly diagnosed through nuclear scintigraphy, radiography and ultrasonography (US).

Objectives: (1) To assess the agreement of APJ grades between US and computed tomography (CT) images; (2) to assess the effect of location on the agreement of APJ grades between US and CT images.

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Target trial emulation applies design principles from randomised controlled trials to the analysis of observational data for causal inference and is increasingly used within human epidemiology. Veterinary electronic clinical records represent a potentially valuable source of information to estimate real-world causal effects for companion animal species. This study employed the target trial framework to evaluate the usefulness on veterinary observational data.

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Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) continues to be the costliest, most complex animal health problem in England. The effectiveness of the test-and-slaughter policy is hampered by the imperfect sensitivity of the surveillance tests. Up to half of recurrent incidents within 24 months of a previous one could have been due to undetected infected cattle not being removed.

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Background: Serum insulin concentration at 60 min (InsulinT60) during an oral sugar test (OST) indicates future laminitis risk and insulin dysregulation (ID). Associations between InsulinT60 and physical and owner-reported variables may help clinicians select individuals for ID testing. Associations between InsulinT60 and other metabolic markers may help elucidate ID pathophysiology.

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  • Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, which has varying strains that can develop drug resistance, complicating treatment efforts.
  • Researchers have used machine learning, specifically random forest models, to predict drug resistance but found that the population structure of TB strains can affect these predictions.
  • By employing methods like stratification and feature selection, the study improved model performance, showing that lineage-specific approaches generally work better than global models, while still being comparable when adjustments are made to reduce lineage dependency.
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Background: Previous studies in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) have identified altered myocardial energy metabolism and oxidation, which might contribute to cardiac hypertrophy. Diets rich in medium chain fatty acids and antioxidants are a potential means of treatment. A previous clinical study found significantly smaller left atrial diameter (LAD) and left atrium-to-aorta diameter ratio (LA : Ao) in dogs with subclinical DMVD fed a specially formulated diet vs control diet for 6 months.

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Accelerometers are increasingly being investigated to detect animal behavior as a method for monitoring individual welfare that overcomes manual challenges associated with time, resource, and discrete sampling. We investigated the effects of broiler chicken hybrid (hereafter breed) and weight on accelerometer activity (activityA; calculated as percentage of time spent active (%)) and its association with lameness as a major broiler welfare concern. Accelerometers were attached to birds of different breeds on between 2 and 4 occasions from 26 to 30 days old (conventional breed CNV) and 26 to 49 days old (two slower-growing breeds SGH; SGN).

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Background: Intestinal fibrosis (IF) is commonly identified on histopathology of intestinal biopsy specimens (IBSp) from cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE) however, its clinical relevance is unknown.

Objectives: Characterize and determine the clinical relevance of IF in cats with CIE.

Animals: Sixty-five client-owned cats diagnosed with CIE after gastrointestinal histopathology from a single referral hospital in the United Kingdom.

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