Control Series Research Articles

Positive Oral Contrast Solution at MDCT for Suspected Acute Appendicitis in Adults: Rate of Appendiceal Luminal Filling of Normal and Inflamed Appendixes.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of appendiceal filling with a positive oral contrast solution at MDCT performed for suspected acute appendicitis in adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We performed a retrospective review of MDCT in 684 consecutive adult patients with suspected acute appendicitis in a 19-month period. Patients were excluded if no positive oral contrast solution (500 mL each of water and polyethylene glycol and 30 mL diatrizoate) was given or if the appendix was not visible or absent. After exclusion, images of 519 patients (mean age ± SD, 37.4 ± 16.0 years; 335 women, 184 men) were reviewed for cecal contrast opacification and appendiceal filling. Imaging findings were recorded as positive or negative for acute appendicitis using all available clinical and pathologic data as a reference standard. A control series of CT colonography (CTC) screening examinations (overnight preparation with universal cecal opacification) in 2552 adults without symptoms of appendicitis was also reviewed. RESULTS. Cecal opacification was confirmed in 313/519 (60.3%) patients, with no difference between those considered to be positive (68/107, 63.6%) or negative (245/412, 59.5%) for appendicitis (p = 0.506). When positive oral contrast solution reached the cecum, appendiceal filling was seen in none of the 68 (0%) with appendicitis and in 205 of the 245 (83.7%) without appendicitis (p < 0.0001). Among CTC control subjects, appendiceal filling was similar to the cohort considered to be without appendicitis (2240/2552 [87.8%], p = 0.070). CONCLUSION. In MDCT for suspected acute appendicitis, luminal filling of the noninflamed appendix exceeds 80% when positive oral contrast solution reaches the cecum, indicating results similar to screening CTC. The appendix did not fill in proven acute appendicitis, indicating appendiceal filling may allow exclusion of appendicitis with high certainty. These results suggest positive oral contrast solution may augment diagnostic accuracy and confidence in cases of suspected acute appendicitis.

Research on Quality of Maize Grain as a Result of the Application of an Innnovative System for Storing Grain Under Operating Conditions

Abstract This study analyses the results of research on the improvement of grain quality using a filling core in a grain silo. The research is a part of the research project aimed at developing an innovative system for drying and storing maize grain that, among other benefits, reduces grain damage. Two series were carried out: a control series, in which a chute was applied as the main element, and an operation series, in which a cascade chute was used for testing. The analysis conducted on the simulated operating conditions showed a 4-5-fold reduction in the amount of grain damaged following the application of the filling core compared with the control series. It has also been shown that a 6-meter cascade chute considerably decreases the velocity of the falling grain when loading the silo.

Effects of general anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency with and without vatinoxan on bronchoalveolar lavage cytology of healthy horses

Pneumonia is one of the potential complications of general anaesthesia in horses. Anaesthesia is known to increase neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses after lateral recumbency, but studies after dorsal recumbency are lacking. Our primary aim was to determine when lung inflammation reaches its maximum and how rapidly BALF cytology returns to baseline after anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency. A secondary aim was to investigate the possible effect of vatinoxan, a novel drug, on the BALF cytology results.Six healthy experimental horses were enrolled in this observational crossover study. The horses were subject to repeated BALF and blood sampling for 7 days after general anaesthesia with two treatment protocols, and without anaesthesia (control). During the two treatments, the horses received either medetomidine-vatinoxan or medetomidine-placebo as premedication, and anaesthesia was induced with ketamine-midazolam and maintained with isoflurane for 1h in dorsal recumbency. The differences in BALF and blood variables between the two anaesthesia protocols and control were analysed with repeated measures analysis of variance models.In this study, anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency resulted in no clinically relevant changes in airway cytology that could be differentiated from the effect of repeated BALF sampling. No differences in BALF matrix metalloproteinase gelatinolytic activity could be detected between the two treatments or the control series. Marked increase in serum amyloid A was detected in some animals. Vatinoxan as premedication did not consistently affect lung cytology or blood inflammatory markers after anaesthesia.

Waste marble dust: An interesting residue to produce cement

The objective of the present study was to establish the technological and regulatory viability of using marble industry waste as additive in Portland cement. Six clinker and marble dust mixtures were prepared (M-1 = 0%; M-2 = 5%; M-3 = 10%, M-4 = 15%; M-5 = 20%, M-6 = 25%), varying the percentage of marble dust added from 0 to 25% of total clinker weight in the cementing mixture. Results obtained showed that the mineralogical composition of marble dust is based on the presence of CaO, and physicochemical analysis confirmed its feasibility as a pure and clean by-product. Regarding the fresh state of the cement samples, it is interesting to note that i) The paste workability varies according to the percentage addition, and water percentage values are similar to or lower than those in the control series, and ii) Expansion values of samples with marble dust addition are the same as those of the control series, with samples M-2, M-4, and M-6 reaching a value of 1 mm. Moreover, flexural-tensile strength test results at 365 days are identical for samples M-1, M-2, and M-3 to those for the control series. Flexural-tensile strength resistance data are always lower for samples M-4, M-5, and M-6 than for the control series, although this difference is reduced at higher curing ages. Compression resistance is higher in samples with percentage additions up to 10% than in the control series. Compression resistance at curing ages of 90 and 365 days was >50% of reference resistance values at 28 days. The most important conclusions regarding the cementing mixture presented in this study are that: i) it meets physicochemical criteria for the utilization of marble dust as by-product in the preparation of CEM-II cement; ii) it meets the criteria in UNE-EN 196-3 for any resistance class according to tests conducted on the cementing paste in fresh state; and iii) it can be classified as CEM-II in accordance with RC-16 guidelines, with a resistance class that varies as a function of the percentage addition of marble dust. Finally, with respect to the technical feasibility of using ornamental marble fabrication waste as additive to clinker to form a cementing mixture, the optimal percentage addition is 10% to obtain CEM-II (32.5 N), CEM-II (32.5 R), and CEM-II (42.5 N).

Papillary Renal Neoplasm With Reverse Polarity: A Morphologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Study.

We evaluated the clinicopathologic and chromosomal characteristics of a distinct subset of papillary renal tumors and compared them to a control series of papillary renal cell carcinoma types 1 and 2. Of the 18 patients, 9 were women and 9 were men, ranging in age from 46 to 80 years (mean, 64 y; median, 66 y). The tumors ranged in diameter from 0.6 to 3 cm (mean, 1.63 cm; median, 1.4 cm). Fourteen tumors were WHO/ISUP grade 2 and 4 were grade 1. All were stage category pT1. The tumors had branching papillae with thin fibrovascular cores, covered by cuboidal to columnar cells with granular eosinophilic cytoplasm, smooth luminal borders, and mostly regular and apically located nuclei with occasional nuclear clearing and inconspicuous nucleoli. Tubule formation and clear cytoplasmic vacuoles were observed in 5 and 9 tumors, respectively. Ten tumors had pseudocapsules. Psammoma bodies, necrosis, mitotic figures and intracellular hemosiderin are absent from all tumors. In contrast, papillary renal cell carcinoma type 1 consisted of delicate papillae covered by a single layer of cells with scanty pale cytoplasm with nuclei generally located in a single layer on the basement membrane of the papillary cores, while type 2 tumors had broad papillae covered by pseudostratified cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and more randomly located nuclei. Both had occasional psammoma bodies, foamy macrophages and intracellular hemosiderin. Immunohistochemically, all were positive for pancytokeratin AE1/AE3, epithelial membrane antigen, MUC1, CD10, GATA3, and L1CAM. Cytokeratin 7 was positive in 16 tumors (1 had <5% positivity). CD117 and vimentin were always negative. α-methylacyl-CoA-racemase (AMACR/p504s) showed variable staining (range, 10% to 80%) in 5 tumors. However, all tumors in the control group were negative for GATA3 and positive for AMACR/p504s and vimentin immunostains. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of the study group demonstrated chromosome 7 trisomy in 5 tumors (33%), trisomy 17 in 5 tumors (33%), and trisomy 7 and 17 in 3 tumors (20%). Chromosome Y deletion was found in 1 of 7 male patients and chromosome 3p was present in all tumors. No tumor recurrence or metastasis occurred. In summary, we propose the term papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity for this entity.

Outcomes Following Treatment of Talar Osteochondral Lesions with a Mixture of Particulate Allogenic Cartilage Extracellular Matrix and Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate: A Case Control Series

Objectives: There continues to be a general lack of consensus regarding the optimal treatment for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). Microfracture, once considered the gold-standard, has been associated with poor long-term results due to the formation of biomechanically inferior reparative fibrocartilage as opposed to hyaline cartilage. Particulate allogenic cartilage extracellular matrix offers a promising solution as an adjuvant therapy; however, there is currently minimal objective evidence to indicate its effect on post-operative outcomes. This study compares post-operative radiographic and clinical outcomes following treatment of OLTs with an adjuvant mixture of particulate cartilage extracellular matrix and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) against outcomes following microfracture with or without BMAC. Methods: Patients diagnosed with an OLT and treated by a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon were screened for inclusion. Those whose surgical intervention included microfracture, microfracture augmented with BMAC alone, or microfracture augmented with a mixture of BMAC and particulate allogenic cartilage extracellular matrix were eligible for this case-control study. Lesion size, location, and concurrent injuries were recorded following retrospective chart review. Foot and Ankle Outcome Scores (FAOS) were collected pre-operatively and at a minimum of 1 year post-operatively through the prospective Registry database at the authors’ institution. Modified magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) scoring evaluated the structural quality of repaired lesions on MRIs collected greater than six months post-operatively. Differences in post-operative MOCART and FAOS scores were evaluated using ANOVA tests. Results: Forty-seven patients treated with microfracture alone, forty-seven treated with microfracture augmented by BMAC, and fifty-two treated with an adjuvant mixture of particulate allogenic cartilage extracellular matrix and BMAC were identified at a minimum of 2 years post-operatively. Average MOCART scores were significantly different between treatment groups (p=0.03). At an average follow-up of 10.86 months, patients who received adjunctive therapy had an average MOCART score of 73.5 ± 11.13. At an average follow-up of 23.06 months and 43.6 months respectively, patients treated with microfracture and BMAC and microfracture alone scored 63.33 ± 22.23 and 55 ± 23.92. There was no detectable statistically significant difference in post-operative FAOS scores between treatment groups. With respect to revision surgery, two patients (3.84%) originally treated with adjuvant particulate cartilage extracellular matrix and BMAC have required a secondary surgery as opposed to nine patients (9.57%) treated with microfracture and BMAC or microfracture alone. Conclusion: Increases in post-operative FAOS scores compared to pre-operative FAOS scores for all treatment groups indicate patients’ function and symptoms improved regardless of intervention received. However, significantly higher MOCART scores for the particulate cartilage extracellular matrix and BMAC treatment group suggest adjuvant treatment may help achieve better post-operative fill and structural integrity. Thus, long-term outcomes and the quality of reparative tissues may be improved through use of adjuvant treatments such as particulate allogenic cartilage extracellular matrix and BMAC.

Analysing Interrupted Time Series with a Control

Abstract Interrupted time series are increasingly being used to evaluate the population-wide implementation of public health interventions. However, the resulting estimates of intervention impact can be severely biased if underlying disease trends are not adequately accounted for. Control series offer a potential solution to this problem, but there is little guidance on how to use them to produce trend-adjusted estimates. To address this lack of guidance, we show how interrupted time series can be analysed when the control and intervention series share confounders, i. e. when they share a common trend. We show that the intervention effect can be estimated by subtracting the control series from the intervention series and analysing the difference using linear regression or, if a log-linear model is assumed, by including the control series as an offset in a Poisson regression with robust standard errors. The methods are illustrated with two examples.

Impact of the self-healing agent composition on material characteristics of bio-based self-healing concrete

This paper investigates the composition of the biological self-healing agent based on its impact on material characteristics of concrete. A direct addition of the agent – a mixture of bacterial spores and nutrients – into concrete matrix has been investigated by many studies in recent decades. Under certain conditions, the applied microorganisms proved to be able to produce CaCO3, and researchers used this biocalcification process to autonomously seal microcracks in concrete. Thus, this bio-based material could potentially heal itself and lead to a more durable and economic structure. However, it has been shown that the self-healing agent, especially the indispensable nutrients, can positively or negatively influence the material characteristics. In this study, some of the most suitable and frequently proposed nutrients (calcium lactate, calcium nitrate, calcium formate, urea, and yeast extract) were directly added into cement mortar during the mixing process and their impact on material characteristics – compressive strength, flexural strength, and rheology – was evaluated and compared. Results show that calcium nitrate, calcium formate, calcium lactate, and urea have generally a potential to increase the compressive strength, especially in early ages. In contrast, the applied dose of yeast extract resulted in a drastic drop of compressive strength when compared to the control series, thus further optimization of the concentration is needed. The flexural strength was affected rather negligibly by the proposed nutritional admixtures.

An objective based model of published treatment options for relapsed or refractory (R/R) peripheral t-cell lymphoma (PTCL): An evidence-based decision-making approach.

e19048 Background: PTCL are rare diseases with a poor prognosis. Front line therapy achieves CR in 30% to 60% and OS of 25%. Patients with R/R disease have an even worse prognosis. There is no consensus on the management of R/R disease because evidence supporting most treatment approaches is modest. Many approaches are often not supported by literature, and categorizations regarding efficacy and toxicity without attention to details are ignored. Treatments that have achieved regulatory approval with stringent independent assessment of pathology and response are viewed as less established, or equivalent to smaller published experiences. In the effort to take a critical and comprehensive evidence-based approach to available standards in R/R PTCL we developed an objective scoring system for all types of studies published in the literature (eg randomized phase 3, case match control, phase 2, phase 1, case reports and small series) to aid decision-making based on an assessment of all the available data. Methods: An extensive review on PubMed of clinical trials published in literature for R/R PTCL was performed. A rigorous scoring system based on a survey from 100 authorities in the field to quantitate scientific impact of each study based was developed. These include: type of study (randomized phase 3, case match control analysis, phase 2 weighted based on number of PTCL patients [ &gt; 100 vs &lt; 100 patients], phase 1 with &gt; 5 or &lt; 5 PTCL patients enrolled, and retrospective); weighting for use of central pathology or response review; weighting for detailed study metrics (ORR, CR, DoR, PFS). The scoring system included a penalty for omission detail. The proposed scoring system was evaluated by a panel of experts. The scoring system was modified based on recommendations made by 2 or more panel members. Results: We identified 58 publications between 2004 and 2018. The scoring system spanned from 0 to 9. Only 12 of the 58 studies had a score above 5; 15 of 58 had a score between 1 - 5; remaining publications scored 0 - 1. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests practice patterns are based on studies with low priority scores, and underweight robust clinical experiences. This analysis aims to produce an evidenced based approach for R/R PTCL.

Multiplexed (18-Plex) Measurement of Signaling Targets and Cytotoxic T Cells in Trastuzumab-Treated Patients using Imaging Mass Cytometry.

Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) uses metal-conjugated antibodies to provide multidimensional, objective measurement of protein targets. We used this high-throughput platform to perform an 18-plex assessment of HER2 ICD/ECD, cytotoxic T-cell infiltration and other structural and signaling proteins in a cohort of patients treated with trastuzumab to discover associations with trastuzumab benefit. An antibody panel for detection of 18 targets (pan-cytokeratin, HER2 ICD, HER2 ECD, CD8, vimentin, cytokeratin 7, β-catenin, HER3, MET, EGFR, ERK 1-2, MEK 1-2, PTEN, PI3K p110 α, Akt, mTOR, Ki67, and Histone H3) was used with a selection of trastuzumab-treated patients from the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group 10/05 trial (n = 180), and identified a case-control series. Patients that recurred after adjuvant treatment with trastuzumab trended toward a decreased fraction of HER2 ECD pixels over threshold compared with cases without recurrence (P = 0.057). After exclusion of the lowest HER2 expressers, 5-year recurrence events were associated with reduced total extracellular domain (ECD)/intracellular domain (ICD) ratio intensity in tumor (P = 0.044). These observations are consistent with our previous work using quantitative immunofluorescence, but represent the proof on identical cell content. We also describe the association of the ECD of HER2 with CD8 T-cell infiltration on the same slide. The proximity of CD8 cells as a function of the expression of the ECD of HER2 provides further evidence for the role of the immune system in the mechanism of action of trastuzumab.

Comparative Analysis of Blood Plasma Proteome in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Comparative mass spectrometric analysis of protein composition was carried out in 36 blood plasma specimens from patients with renal cell carcinoma and 20 specimens from donors. Analysis of protein composition of plasma specimens devoid of the major protein fractions showed a 20-50% higher level of protein identifications in patient' specimens. Specimens of the control and experimental series were similar by protein composition, 70-80% identifications in experimental and control series coinciding. High similarity of biological processes with participation of the proteins identified in both series was observed. The greater part of proteins in both series were located extracellularly and were exosomal (specimens from renal cancer patients) or vesicular (specimens from healthy volunteers).

Contemporary occurrence and aetiology of chronic leg ulcers in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

IntroductionChronic leg ulcers are known as a major and snowballing threat to public health and the global economy. In Africa, there is controversy on the dearth of studies reporting the...

Radiation Prophylaxis for Hip Salvage Surgery in Cerebral Palsy: Can We Reduce the Incidence of Heterotopic Ossification?

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a well-recognized complication of proximal femoral resection (PFR) surgery in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Although single-dose radiation prophylaxis (SDRP) has been shown to be effective at lowering the rates of HO following adult total hip arthroplasty; there has been limited study examining the efficacy of SDRP for HO prevention in children with CP undergoing PFR. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of SDRP in children with CP undergoing PFR. This retrospective case control series identified all patients from one tertiary children's hospital undergoing PFHR. Patients were dichotomized into (1) SDRP and (2) non-SDRP groups. In SDRP, radiation was delivered preoperatively at a dose of 7.5 Gy utilizing a 6 MV photon beam. The incidence of HO in the SDRP cohort was compared to historic data using binomial testing. The size of HO lesions was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. McCarthy, Brooker, and Anatomic Classifications of HO were compared using repeated measures logistic regression. Twenty-three patients (mean age, 15.5) and 35 hips (17 SDRP, 18 Non-SDRP) were included in the analysis. There were 17 females and 6 males in the cohort with the majority classified as GMFCS V, 21/23 (91%). HO was seen in 6 of the SDRP cohort (6/17, 35%) and 15 of the non-SDRP cohort (15/18, 83%) (P=0.015). The average size of HO at maturity was 282.7 mm in the SDRP cohort compared with 1221.5 mm in the Non-SDRP cohort (P=0.026). Radiation treatment was associated with a 938.9 mm decrease in HO size at maturity (P= 0.026). Multivariate repeated measures logistic regression analysis found that non-SDRP hips had 13 times higher odds of developing HO (P=0.015). There were no significant differences in infection rates between the 2 cohorts and there were no radiation-associated complications. Short-term follow up demonstrates that SDRP is a safe and efficacious intervention in decreasing the incidence and size of HO in children with CP undergoing PFR. Level III-Case control cohort study.

HERBICIDE GENOTOXICITY REVEALED WITH THE SOMATIC WING SPOT ASSAY OF Drosophila melanogaster

The genotoxicity of the herbicides clomazone, linuron and simazine was detected using the somatic wing spot assay of Drosophila melanogaster . For the evaluation of the mutagenic and recombinogenic activities induced by the herbicides two crosses were used: the standard cross (ST) which expresses basal levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes and the high bioactivation cross (HB) with overexpression of P450 genes conferring increased sensitivity to promutagens and procarcinogens. Third-instar larvae were exposed by chronic feeding (48 h) to three different concentrations of each herbicide. The frequencies of spots per individual in the treated series were compared to the negative concurrent control series (water or 5 % ethanol solution depending on the herbicide). Clomazone showed positive results for small and total spots in both the ST and the HB crosses. Linuron was positive at all concentrations tested for small and total spots in the ST cross while only positive for small and total spots at the highest concentration assayed in the HB cross. Simazine did not produce positive results in the ST cross while it was positive in the HB cross. The bifunctional cross-linking agent mitomycin C (MMC – 0.15 mM) was used as positive control and produced as expected a significant increase of all types of spots in both crosses. In conclusion, the positive results were due to induced mutations and not by recombinogenic activity, furthermore the significant increase in the frequency of total spots was mainly due to the induction of small single spots.

Flange-notched wood I-joists reinforced with OSB collars: Experimental investigation and sensitivity analysis

A total of 220 four-point quasi-static bending tests were performed on 3.66 m and 6.10 m long wood I-joists. In addition to control specimens, two different notch sizes (100 × 100 mm and 100 × 150 mm) at three different locations (305, 455 and 610 mm from the support) and two Oriented Strand Board (OSB) collar reinforcements were considered to evaluate their impact on failure mode, stiffness, and load-carrying capacity. While the joist from the control series without notch failed in flexure, the notched I-joists failed mostly in combined flexure-shear failure. It was found that the reduction in capacity and stiffness increases with the increase in notch depth and notch distance from support. Reinforcing the I-joists with OSB collars at the notch prevented brittle shear failure and improved capacity compared to the unreinforced I-joists. Regression models were proposed to estimate the capacity of unreinforced and reinforced I-joists with flange notches. By conducting a sensitivity analysis, it was found that the I-joist aspect ratio, notch depth, notch location and reinforcement type have a significant impact on the capacity of reinforced I-joists.

Shear behaviour of pile cap strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymers

A pile cap is typically a disturbed region with a very small shear span to depth ratio. Flexural theory for reinforced concrete structures cannot be applied to interpret the behaviour of a pile cap because of the non-uniform stress distribution over the depth. In this research, two series of pile caps were designed with different effective depths using strut-and-tie modelling (STM). Three scaled pile caps were cast for each series and tested under monotonic concentrated load until failure to observe the ultimate shear strength. Two additional series of pile caps strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) with exactly the same geometric and design parameters as the control series were cast to observe the shear strength enhancement in comparison with the control specimens. STM proved to be a reliable solution for predicting the shear strength of the pile caps. The application of CFRP resulted in a 15–17% enhancement in the shear strength of the pile caps. It was also found that different prediction models for the evaluation of shear enhancement in beams can be used in the case of pile caps.

DAMPING SUB SYNCHRONOUS RESONANCE IN POWER SYSTEM USING TCSC &amp; SVC

when the steam turbine-generator is connected with series of compensation along the transmission line, the sub synchronous resonance may happen. The Flexible Ac Transmission System (FACTS) controller of the devices wide use which has been used to reduce and suppress the phenomenon of sub-synchronous resonance the Thyristor Control Series Compensation (TCSC) and Static VAR Compensation (SVC) are the types of FACTS controller that has been used to put down the SSR and also for the purpose of provide a better and efficient solution to improve the transferred capacity system to connect the series compensation along the transmission line. Series capacitor work to increase the chance of creating sub synchronous resonance. Series capacitors also have an inclination to amplify the shaft stress during considerable network transien toccurrence, SSR phenomena happen which can cause damage of the shaft generator turbine. The first standard model of IEEE was adopted to study this phenomenon. This research deals the PID control of SVC( Static VAR Compensation) and TCSC (Thyristor Controlled Series Compensator) and excitation system controller for reducing SSR in power system. In this research, the method of Eigenvalue was used to analysis the sub-synchronous resonance phenomenon and the result was verified using DYMOLA simulation

Očvršćavanje urea-formaldehidnog adheziva u prisustvu hemijski tretiranog drveta poljskog jasena

The influence of Narrow Leaved Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. ssp. Pannonica Soo & Simon) pre-treatments on the curing behavior of urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesive was studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to monitor the curing reaction of UF adhesive mixed with non-treated wood flour (control series) and wood flour of Narrow leaved Ash obtained after different pre-treatments of wood particles. Three different pre-treatments were applied, one with sodium carbonate solution (0.03 g/g of dry wood), one with acetic acid solution (0.06 g/g of dry wood) and one with distilled water. The curing reaction of different adhesive systems showed no apparent differences in peak temperature values, and there were no significant differences in the enthalpy of the reaction. However, it was assessed that the activation energy has lower values for the UF systems with alkaline and acid treated wood flour (76.64 and 76.92 kJ/mol) in regard to the UF systems with control (untreated) wood flour and water treated wood flour (79.28 and 79.14 kJ/mol). In addition, the application of iso-conversional models have shown different curing behavior of UF adhesive systems.

Thrombocyte indices and plateletcrit in dogs with primary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia

Primary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is one of the most common autoimmune disorders in dogs. Platelet indices in dogs with IMHA have not been commonly used in daily clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate trombocyte indices, including platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPW), platelet size deviation width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) in dogs with primary IMHA and to compare them with the corresponding values in a control series of healthy dogs. This study was performed on 21 dogs diagnosed with primary IMHA and 11 healthy dogs. The inclusion criteria were the presence of a positive Coombs’ test, true agglutination, anemia with HCT &lt;35 %, hyperbilirubinemia, bilirubinuria, hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinuria, and spherocytosis. MPV and PDW were significantly higher in the dogs with IMHA compared to the reference population. No significant differences were found in PLT and PCT between the groups. The use of MPV and PDW values in evaluating the bone marrow response would be helpful in dogs with primary IMHA.

Value of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fractal Analysis Combined With Myocardial Strain in Discriminating Isolated Left Ventricular Noncompaction and Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Excessive trabeculation is present in isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which sometimes makes the differentiation between these two difficult. Fractal dimension (FD) is a unitless measure value of how completely the object fills space, which can assess the extent of myocardial trabeculae quantitatively. To compare the trabeculae features and myocardial strain derived from cardiac MR between LVNC and DCM. Respective case-control series. In all, 35 LVNC patients and 30 DCM patients were enrolled, and 20 healthy volunteers were selected as a control group. 5 T with 8-channel phased-array cardiac receiver coil including steady-state free precession cine imaging. The degree of left ventricular trabeculation was evaluated by a semiautomatic tool based on fractal analysis. Myocardial deformation was assessed by feature tracking. Independent samples Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, and Spearman's rank coefficient were conducted. Max apical FD and mean global FD were higher in the LVNC group than in the DCM group (1.433 ± 0.074 vs. 1.341 ± 0.062, P < 0.001; 1.323 ± 0.036 vs. 1.267 ± 0.041, P < 0.001, respectively). For diagnosing LVNC, max apical FD was 1.392 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.881, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.804-0.957), and the cutoff value of mean global FD was 1.283 (AUC = 0.895, 95% CI: 0.828-0.961). The global peak longitudinal strain value of the left ventricle (GPLS) showed significant differences between the LVNC group and DCM group [-6.49 (-11.41, -4.90) vs. -4.61 (-5.87, -3.61), P = 0.006]. The diagnostic accuracy for LVNC is highest when using FDs in coordination with GPLS (AUC = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86-0.98, P < 0.001). Fractal analysis provides a quantitative measurement of myocardial trabeculation. The combination of fractal analysis with myocardial strain provides a novel biomarker in distinguishing LVNC from DCM. 3 Technical Efficacy Stage: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:153-163.