Minimum Database Research Articles

Multikernel similarity‐based clustering of amorphous systems and machine‐learned interatomic potentials by active learning

AbstractWe present a hybrid similarity kernel that exemplifies the integration of short‐ and long‐range descriptors via the use of an average kernel approach. This technique allows for a direct measure of the similarity between amorphous configurations, and when combined with an active learning (AL) spectral clustering approach, it leads to a classification of the amorphous configurations into uncorrelated clusters. Subsequently, a minimum size database is built by considering a small fraction of configurations belonging to each cluster and a machine learning interatomic potential (MLIP), within the Gaussian approximation scheme, is fitted by relying on a Bayesian optimization of the potential hyperparameters. This step is embedded within an AL loop that allows to sequentially increase the size of the learning database whenever the MLIP fails to meet a predefined energy convergence threshold. As such, MLIP are fitted in an almost fully automatized fashion. This approach is tested on two diverse amorphous systems that were previously generated using first‐principles molecular dynamics. Accurate potentials with less than 2 meV/atom root mean square energy error compared to the reference data are obtained. This accuracy is achieved with only 175 configurations sampling the studied systems at various temperatures. The robustness of these potentials is then confirmed by producing models with several thousands of atoms featuring a good agreement with reference ab initio and experimental data.

Цитогенетические последствия воздействия бензина на Lepidium sativum L.

The study aimed to characterize the ecological aftermath of the impact of gasoline on biological objects. On today, oil and products from it remain one of the most common pollutants. The novelty and relevance of the study are determined by the minimum database of cytogenetic changes after impact of gasoline on biota. The registration of such consequences, as a rule, negative ones, dictates the need to develop directions and methods for the reclamation of contaminated areas. An experimental study using a model plant object – watercress (Lepidium sativum L.) revealed the aftermath of gasoline impact. This object made it possible to identify a complex of changes determined by the gasoline. The experiment studied the effect of AI-95 gasoline in concentrations of 3, 5, 10% (water solution). For cytogenetic analysis, temporary compressed micro preparations of root sections stained with acetoorcein were examined. The anaphase method was used to account the chromosomal abnormalities. Gasoline can also be characterized as a mutagen. The level of mutations (bridges, fragments, micronucleus) under the impact of gasoline at a concentration of 5% is 35 times higher than in the control. Multiple violations were registered only as a result of impact by the investigated pollutant, which determines a high increase in the frequency of micronucleus. The proportion of aberrant anaphases in the total number of anaphases in the control was 1,2%, in the experimental variants it increased to 42,0, 68,4 and 79,6% under the impact of gasoline at concentrations of 3, 5 and 10%. Mitotoxic, as well as cytotoxic activity, was recorded. It is shown in a decrease in the mitotic index and a change in the ratio of mitotic phases. In the experimental variants, the frequency of cells in anaphase is decreased and the proportion of cells at the prophase stage is increased. That may be due to increase repair systems operating time. New experimental data on the genotoxicity of gasoline replenish the information database on the negative consequences of the impact of gasoline on plant objects.

Incidence of concurrent systemic injuries with traumatic proptosis and its effect on outcome - 100 dogs.

To evaluate the incidence of concurrent systemic injuries in dogs with traumatic ocular proptosis and their effect on survival to discharge. Additionally, to evaluate for associations between the type of trauma, each presenting vital signs, minimum laboratory database findings including packed cell volume, total solids, plasma glucose and lactate concentrations, and the diagnosis of concurrent systemic injury and survival. Retrospective study between the years 2017 and 2022. One university teaching hospital and one large, private practice. One hundred dogs presenting to the hospital with a diagnosis of traumatic ocular proptosis. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed; signalment, breed, sex, age, weight, date of presentation, type of trauma sustained, time from trauma to presentation, vitals on presentation, and minimum laboratory database findings including packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), plasma glucose concentration, and plasma lactate concentration were recorded. A modified animal trauma triage (ATT) score was retrospectively calculated. A total of 17 dogs (17%) had concurrent systemic injury. Compared to dogs without systemic injuries, dogs with systemic injuries had a significantly lower body temperature [median 101.1F (38.3C) vs. 101.6F (38.6C); P = 0.008], significantly higher plasma glucose concentrations (125 mg/dL, 6.9 mmol/L vs. 112 mg/dL, 6.2 mmol/L; P = 0.012) and approaching statistical significance, lower PCV values (median 40 vs. 46%; P = 0.051). Dogs presenting with traumatic ocular proptosis do present with concurrent systemic, non-ocular injuries; however, these concurrent injuries do not seem to be associated with survival to discharge.

2023 AAHA Management of Allergic Skin Diseases in Dogs and Cats Guidelines.

These guidelines present a systematic approach to diagnosis, treatment, and management of allergic skin diseases in dogs and cats. The guidelines describe detailed diagnosis and treatment plans for flea allergy, food allergy, and atopy in dogs and for flea allergy, food allergy, and feline atopic skin syndrome in cats. Management of the allergic patient entails a multimodal approach with frequent and ongoing communication with the client. Obtaining a comprehensive history is crucial for diagnosis and treatment of allergic skin diseases, and the guidelines describe key questions to ask when presented with allergic canine and feline patients. Once a detailed history is obtained, a physical examination should be performed, a minimum dermatologic database collected, and treatment for secondary infection, ectoparasites, and pruritus (where indicated) initiated. The process of diagnosing and managing allergic skin disease can be prolonged and frustrating for clients. The guidelines offer recommendations and tips for client communication and when referral to a dermatologist should be considered, to improve client satisfaction and optimize patient outcomes.

Analyzing the Impact of Intensive Agriculture on Soil Quality: A Systematic Review and Global Meta-Analysis of Quality Indexes

As the global population grows, the demand for food increases and puts a strain on food production systems and agricultural productivity, causing soil degradation. Soil quality indexes (SQIs) have been developed to maintain and improve soil quality. However, due to the variety of soils and SQIs, analyzing and comparing results has historically been difficult. Therefore, in this study, we carried out a systematic review with meta-analysis focused on soil quality studies of agricultural soils under intensive agriculture using the unified weighted additive SQI methodology (SQIU). Sixty-five observations of agricultural soil quality were analyzed. Chemical indicators were the most prevalent in the SQIUs, followed by physical and biological indicators. Conventional soil management had negative effects on soil quality (–7.55%). From the factors analyzed, the minimum database had a significant effect on the soil quality results, but not the number of indicators that made up the SQIU. The SQIU made up of chemical–biological indicators (CB) presented negatively overestimated measurements of soil quality (–32.53%), exaggerating the degradation of the analyzed soils. The indicators that correlated most strongly with the size of the effect on agricultural soil quality were the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). The SQIU is a feasible tool to interpret the quality of agricultural soils around the world, as it makes it possible to obtain a simple and generalized view of soil conditions.

25, 50 and 75 years ago.

25, 50 and 75 years ago.

Diagnostic utility of serum bile acids in dogs presenting with epileptic seizures consistent with a tier 1 confidence level diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy.

The International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force consensus guidelines recommend performing fasting serum bile acid (SBA) and/or serum ammonia measurements as part of a tier 1 diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy in dogs. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the diagnostic utility of fasting SBA in this population. Dogs that met the tier 1 confidence level diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy, with the additional requirement of both fasting and 2-hour postprandial SBA measurements, were included. The incidence of significant hepatopathies and usefulness of dynamic SBA testing and minimum database results were analysed. A total of 233 dogs were included. All dogs diagnosed with clinically significant hepatopathy had elevations in postprandial SBA, with eight of 14 (57.14%) showing elevations in fasting SBA. The prevalence of clinically significant hepatopathies that could have been missed without using postprandial SBA measurement was 1.29%. The further investigations performed were not uniform and there were limitations in the ability to control sampling techniques due to the retrospective nature of this study. Investigations into hepatopathy were not standardised across this study population. This study documents the importance of postprandial SBA measurements in the detection of hepatopathies and revealsthat non-dynamic blood sampling has a negative predictive value of 91% for detecting elevated postprandial SBA, specific to dogs meeting the tier 1 confidence level diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy.

Association Between Long-Term Care Facility Staffing Levels and Antipsychotic Use in US Long-Term Care Facilities.

Inappropriate use of antipsychotics is an indicator of quality of care in long-term care (LTC) facilities. There is evidence to suggest that staffing levels in LTC may be associated with the rates of inappropriate antipsychotic use. This study sought to examine the association between staffing and antipsychotic prescribing in LTC facilities. Cross-sectional study investigated the association between reported staffing levels and the frequency of inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing at US LTC facilities between 2016 and2018. Data from the Nursing Home Compare and LTCFocus datasets were linked, which contain information from the Minimum Data Set database on facility characteristics and staffing measures from the Payroll-Based Journal system. A final sample set of 10,436 facilities was used. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables of interest. An unadjusted linear correlation analysis and linear regression were performed. Potential confounders were investigated by comparison across low-vs high-staffing facilities where adjusted for in regression analyses. The mean staff level for the facilities was identified as 3.69 (SD= 0.67) staffing hours per patient per day, and the mean antipsychotic use rate across all facilities was 15.24% (SD= 8.62%). There was a 0.75% decrease in inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing per unit increase in overall staff-to-patient ratio. When looking at staffing types, a 3.09% decrease in inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing was observed per unit increase in licensed staff hours. More specifically, we saw a 2.25% decrease per unit increase in RN staffing hours, a 1.83% decrease per unit increase in LPN staffing hours, and nursing aide staffing hours were not associated with antipsychotic use. These findings provide support for policy-based interventions to decrease antipsychotic use in LTC facilities by improving staffing skill mix and staffing levels. The results may also inform nursing staff education and training on antipsychotic prescribing practices.

Analysis of the association between atrial fibrillation with in-hospital mortality in people admitted for community-acquired pneumonia through an observational, nation-wide, sex-stratified study

We aimed to analyze the influence of atrial fibrillation (AF) prior to hospital admission (“prevalent”) and AF diagnosed during hospital admission (“incident”) on in-hospital mortality (IHM) in women and men admitted for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Spain (2016–2019). We used the Spanish Register of Specialized Care‐Basic Minimum Database. We analyzed 519,750 cases of CAP in people ≥ 18 years (213,631 women (41.1%)), out of which people with prevalent AF represented 23.75% (N = 123,440), whereas people with incident AF constituted 0.60% (N = 3154). Versus no AF, crude IHM was significantly higher for prevalent AF (15.24% vs. 11.40%, p < 0.001) and for incident AF (23.84% vs. 12.24%, p < 0.001). After propensity score marching, IHM in women and men with prevalent AF neared IHM in women and men with no AF (15.72% vs. 15.52%, p = 0.425; and 14.90% vs. 14.99%, p = 0.631, respectively), but IHM in women and men with incident AF was higher than IHM in women and men with no AF (24.37% vs. 13.36%, p < 0.001; and 23.94% vs. 14.04%, p < 0.001, respectively). Male sex was associated with a higher IHM in people with prevalent AF (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.02–1–10), but not in people with incident AF (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.77–1–13). AF diagnosed during hospital admission was associated with a higher IHM, irrespectively of sex.

Predicting EHL film thickness parameters by machine learning approaches

Non-dimensional similarity groups and analytically solvable proximity equations can be used to estimate integral fluid film parameters of elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) contacts. In this contribution, we demonstrate that machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches (support vector machines, Gaussian process regressions, and artificial neural networks) can predict relevant film parameters more efficiently and with higher accuracy and flexibility compared to sophisticated EHL simulations and analytically solvable proximity equations, respectively. For this purpose, we use data from EHL simulations based upon the full-system finite element (FE) solution and a Latin hypercube sampling. We verify that the original input data are required to train ML approaches to achieve coefficients of determination above 0.99. It is revealed that the architecture of artificial neural networks (neurons per layer and number of hidden layers) and activation functions influence the prediction accuracy. The impact of the number of training data is exemplified, and recommendations for a minimum database size are given. We ultimately demonstrate that artificial neural networks can predict the locally-resolved film thickness values over the contact domain 25-times faster than FE-based EHL simulations (R2 values above 0.999). We assume that this will boost the use of ML approaches to predict EHL parameters and traction losses in multibody system dynamics simulations.

Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on the Incidence and Outcomes of COVID-19 Needing Hospital Admission According to Sex: Retrospective Cohort Study Using Hospital Discharge Data in Spain, Year 2020.

(1) Background: To analyze incidence and in-hospital mortality (IHM) of COVID-19 needing hospital admission in Spain (2020) in patients with T2DM. (2) Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study. Using the Spanish Register of Specialized Care-Basic Minimum Database we estimated age-adjusted incidence rates (IR). (3) Results: We included 203,488 patients (56.77% men), of whom 45,620 (22.41%) had T2DM. Age-adjusted IRs/1000 for men with and without T2DM was 12.90 and 5.87, respectively (IRR 2.20; 95% CI 2.18–2.22; p < 0.001), and for women with and without T2DM was 9.23 and 4.27, respectively (IRR 2.16; 95% CI 2.13–2.19; p < 0.001). Crude IHM was 23.86% in people with T2DM, and 15.94% in non-T2DM people (p < 0.001). After matching, intensive-care admission (7.37% vs. 6.15%; p < 0.001) and IHM (23.37% vs. 20.41%; p < 0.001) remained higher in women with T2DM. After matching, IHM among T2DM men was 1.5% higher than among non-T2DM men (24.27% vs. 22.72%; p < 0.001). Men with T2DM had a 34% higher IHM than women with T2DM. Prevalent T2DM increased IHM among women (1.09; 95% 1.03–1.16) and men (1.05; 95% 1.01–1.10). (4) Conclusions: Incidence rates of COVID-19 needing hospital admission were higher in men vs. women, and for people with T2DM vs. non-T2DM. Men had higher IHM beside T2DM status. Prevalent T2DM was associated with higher IHM for both sexes.

The Influence of Atrial Fibrillation on In-Hospital Mortality in People with Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: An Observational, Sex-Stratified Study.

(1) Background: The study aimed to analyze the influence of atrial fibrillation (AF) prior to hospital admission (“prevalent”) and new-onset AF diagnosed during hospital admission (“incident”) on in-hospital mortality (IHM) in women and men who developed hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in Spain (2016–2019). (2) Methods: We used the Spanish Register of Specialized Care-Basic Minimum Database. (3) Results: We analyzed 38,814 cases of HAP (34.6% women; 13.5% ventilator-associated). Prevalent AF was coded in 19.9% (n = 7742), and incident AF in 5.5% (n = 2136) of HAP. Crude IHM was significantly higher for prevalent AF (34.22% vs. 27.35%, p < 0.001) and for incident AF (35.81% vs. 28.31%, p < 0.001) compared to no AF. After propensity score matching, IHM among women and men with prevalent AF was higher than among women and men with no AF (among women, 32.89% vs. 30.11%, p = 0.021; among men, 35.05% vs. 32.46%, p = 0.008). Similarly, IHM among women and men with incident AF was higher than among women and men with no AF (among women, 36.23% vs. 29.90%, p = 0.013; among men, 35.62% vs. 30.47%; p = 0.003). Sex was associated with a higher IHM only in people with incident AF (for female, OR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01–1.57). (4) Conclusions: Both prevalent and incident AF were associated with higher IHM in people who developed HAP. Female sex was associated with a higher IHM in incident AF.

Respiratory obstruction due to tonsillar lymphoglandular polyp in a brachycephalic dog: a case report

BackgroundRespiratory distress is one of the most common afflictions of brachycephalic dogs. Dogs in respiratory distress usually present to the emergency service with a constellation of clinical signs including but not limited to: stertorous breathing, dyspnea, gagging, cyanotic mucus membranes, hyperthermia, and commonly a history of gastrointestinal signs. While Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome is the most common cause of respiratory distress in dogs with brachycephalic conformation, any condition eliciting an inflammatory response in the oropharynx, can result in obstruction. There is no previous report of respiratory obstruction leading to emergency tonsillectomy caused by tonsillar polyps.Case presentationA 9-month-old male intact English bulldog presented to the emergency service in severe respiratory distress. Due to continued severe dyspnea and cyanosis the patient was induced with propofol (Propofol, Hospira) 4 mg/kg intravenously titrated to effect and tracheal intubation performed. Intubation was noted to be difficult due the presence of two, large, inflamed masses in the oropharynx region. The remainder of his physical exam was unremarkable. Minimum database blood work and chest radiographs revealed only minor abnormalities. The patient was placed under anesthesia and the masses were transected sharply using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser (Aesculight, Bothell, WA, USA). Anesthesia and recovery were uneventful, and the patient was discharged the following day. Histopathology results of the masses revealed them to be benign lymphoglandular polyps.ConclusionsThis is the first report of bilateral tonsillar polyps causing life-threatening respiratory obstruction in a dog. Both masses were excised safely and completely with the CO2 laser. Difficulties inherent to oropharyngeal surgery include the hemorrhage, small working space, tissue swelling and difficult visualization. Surgical excision of these polyps alleviated all emergent and chronic clinical signs, and the patient’s remains healthy 12-months post-treatment.

Incidence, Outcomes and Sex-Related Disparities in Pneumonia: A Matched-Pair Analysis with Data from Spanish Hospitals (2016-2019).

(1) Background: the purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence and in-hospital mortality (IHM) of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) needing hospital admission and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in Spain (2016–2019). (2) Methods: using the Spanish Register of Specialized Care-Basic Minimum Database, we estimated the incidence of CAP and HAP. We matched each woman with a man with an identical age, according to comorbidities. (3) Results: we analyzed 518,838 cases of CAP and 38,705 cases of HAP, and 5192 ventilator-associated HAPs (13.4%). The incidence of CAP increased over time in both men (from 384.5 to 449.8 cases/105 population) and women (from 244.9 to 301.2 cases/105 population). Men showed a 47% higher adjusted incidence of CAP than women. The incidence of HAP increased over time in both men (from 302.3 to 342.2 cases/105 population) and women (from 139.2 to 167.6 cases/105 population). Men showed a 98% higher adjusted incidence of HAP than women. IHM was higher in men admitted for CAP than in women (12.9% vs. 12.2%; p < 0.001), but not in men who developed HAP (28.9% vs. 28.0%; p = 0.107). Men admitted for CAP (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.10–1.15) and men who developed HAP (OR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01–1.10) had higher IHM than women. (4) Conclusions: men had higher incidence rates of CAP and HAP than women. Men admitted for CAP and men who developed HAP had higher IHM than women.

2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines.

The '2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines' are authored by a Task Force of experts in feline clinical medicine and serve as an update and extension of those published in 2009. They emphasize the individual patient evaluation and the process of aging, with references to other feline practice guidelines for a more complete discussion of specific diseases. Focusing on each cat encourages and empowers the owner to become a part of the cat's care every step of the way. A comprehensive discussion during the physical examination and history taking allows for tailoring the approach to both the cat and the family involved in the care. Videos and analysis of serial historical measurements are brought into the assessment of each patient. These Guidelines introduce the emerging concept of frailty, with a description and methods of its incorporation into the senior cat assessment. Minimum database diagnostics are discussed, along with recommendations for additional investigative considerations. For example, blood pressure assessment is included as a minimum diagnostic procedure in both apparently healthy and ill cats. Cats age at a much faster rate than humans, so practical timelines for testing frequency are included and suggest an increased frequency of diagnostics with advancing age. The importance of nutrition, as well as senior cat nutritional needs and deficiencies, is considered. Pain is highlighted as its own syndrome, with an emphasis on consideration in every senior cat. The Task Force discusses anesthesia, along with strategies to allow aging cats to be safely anesthetized well into their senior years. The medical concept of quality of life is addressed with the latest information available in veterinary medicine. This includes end of life considerations like palliative and hospice care, as well as recommendations on the establishment of 'budgets of care', which greatly influence what can be done for the individual cat. Acknowledgement is given that each cat owner will be different in this regard; and establishing what is reasonable and practical for the individual owner is important. A discussion on euthanasia offers some recommendations to help the owner make a decision that reflects the best interests of the individual cat.

최저비행고도와 UAS 운영제한고도 구축에 관한 연구

UTM is an air traffic management ecosystem under development for autonomously controlled operations of UAS by the FAA, NASA, other federal partner agencies, and industry. They are collaboratively exploring concepts of operation, data exchange requirements, and a supporting framework to enable multiple UAS operations beyond visual line-of-sight at altitudes under AGL 500ft in airspace where air traffic services are not provided. Minimum Safe Altitude is a generic expression, used in various cases to denote an altitude below which it is unsafe to fly owing to presence of terrain or obstacles. The European drone regulation mentions that the UAS is maintained within 120 metres from the closest point of the surface of the earth during flight, except when overflying an obstacle. This study attempted to develop a minimum flight altitude database system. Based on domestic and international rules and regulations on setting the minimum flight altitude it is expected that it can be applied to the operation of aircraft and unmanned aerial system in UTM environments for specific area in Korea.

Near-Ultraviolet to Near-Infrared Band Thresholds Cloud Detection Algorithm for TANSAT-CAPI

Cloud and aerosol polarization imaging detector (CAPI) is one of the important payloads on the China Carbon Dioxide Observation Satellite (TANSAT), which can realize multispectral polarization detection and accurate on-orbit calibration. The main function of the instrument is to identify the interference of clouds and aerosols in the atmospheric detection path and to improve the retrieval accuracy of greenhouse gases. Therefore, it is of great significance to accurately identify the clouds in remote sensing images. However, in order to meet the requirement of lightweight design, CAPI is only equipped with channels in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared bands. It is difficult to achieve effective cloud recognition using traditional visible light to thermal infrared band spectral threshold cloud detection algorithms. In order to solve the above problem, this paper innovatively proposes a cloud detection method based on different threshold tests from near ultraviolet to near infrared (NNDT). This algorithm first introduces the 0.38 μm band and the ratio of 0.38 μm band to 1.64 μm band, to realize the separation of cloud pixels and clear sky pixels, which can take advantage of the obvious difference in radiation characteristics between clouds and ground objects in the near-ultraviolet band and the advantages of the band ratio in identifying clouds on the snow surface. The experimental results show that the cloud recognition hit rate (PODcloud) reaches 0.94 (ocean), 0.98 (vegetation), 0.99 (desert), and 0.86 (polar), which therefore achieve the application standard of CAPI data cloud detection The research shows that the NNDT algorithm replaces the demand for thermal infrared bands for cloud detection, gets rid of the dependence on the minimum surface reflectance database that is embodied in traditional cloud recognition algorithms, and lays the foundation for aerosol and CO2 parameter inversion.

Machine Learning Enabled Quickly Predicting of Detonation Properties of N‐Containing Molecules for Discovering New Energetic Materials

AbstractEnergetic materials are widely used in the fields of military, civil engineering, and space exploration. The discovery of new energetic materials is essential to develop next‐generation technologies of weapon, mining, construction, and rocket propelling. In this study, a machine‐learning‐assisted method is developed for accelerating the discovery of new energetic materials via efficient prediction and quick screening. Suitable neural networks are established for accurately predicting the detonation properties of various N‐containing molecules based on their structures, including density (ρ), detonation velocity (D), and detonation pressure (P). Then, the minimum database volume for high‐precision extended prediction is determined. A proof‐of‐concept study for discovering new energetic compounds using machine learning is carried out, and 31 new N‐containing molecules with outstanding detonation properties are discovered. It is expected that the development of next‐generation energetic materials is greatly accelerated by the application of this strategy assisted by machine learning.

Presence of nucleosomes in plasma and increased thrombin generation in dogs with acute and chronic gastroenteropathies

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) which contain nucleosomes protect the host by eliminating extracellular pathogens. However, any inflammatory stimuli can activate NETs and eventually lead to an immune overreaction leading to autoimmune diseases and thrombosis. Acute/chronic gastroenteropathies(aGE/cGE) are prevalent in dogs, and are associated with a strong inflammatory component. The aim of this study was to investigate if dogs with aGE and cGE have increased concentrations of nucleosomes indicative of NETs formation, and whether increased concentrations of nucleosomes are associated with hypercoagulability determined by increased thrombin generation.Twenty-six dogs were enrolled. The dogs were healthy (n = 11), or presented with aGE(n = 7) or cGE(n = 8). Minimum database including CRP, APTT, PT and fibrinogen, was obtained from all dogs. Citrated plasma was batched and used for subsequent analyses. Nucleosome concentration was analysed using a Cell-Death Detection ELISA-kit and thrombin generation by a calibrated automated thrombogram assay.No statistical differences in nucleosome concentrations were present between the groups. Although a numerically increased concentration of nucleosomes where seen in dogs with aGE(median;range) (0.019 AU;0.003–0.088) and cGE(0.023 AU;0.011–0.256) compared to controls(0.007 AU;0.003–0.042). One dog with GI-lymphoma demonstrated a markedly increased concentration of nucleosomes (0.256 AU). Dogs with aGE showed increased thrombin generation by increased peak (p = 0.03) and endogenous thrombin potential (p = 0.03); and increased CRP (p = 0.001), fibrinogen (p = 0.0002) and prolonged APTT (p = 0.03) compared to controls.This proof of concept study demonstrates that dogs with aGE and cGE have presence of nucleosomes with marked increase in one dog with GI-lymphoma. Nucleosomes might be linked to haemostatic alterations in dogs with inflammatory and neoplastic diseases.

Retrospective evaluation of albuterol inhalant exposure in dogs: 36 cases (2007-2017).

To describe the clinical features, clinicopathological features, treatment, and outcome of dogs presented for albuterol exposure. Retrospective case series from January 2007 to December 2017. Tertiary veterinary facility. Thirty-six client-owned dogs presenting for known or suspected albuterol exposure secondary to chewing on albuterol metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). None. All dogs presented with clinical signs attributable to albuterol exposure. The most common physical examination abnormality was sinus tachycardia, noted in 34 of 36 (94%) dogs. Twenty-seven patients (75%) were admitted to the hospital for therapy, with a median length of hospitalization of 20.5hours (16.75-24.5). Thirty-two of 36 dogs had serum electrolytes evaluated at admission, with 22 of 32 (69%) presenting with hypokalemia ([K+]<3.62mmol/L]). Hyperlactatemia ([lactate]>2.80mmol/L) was noted in 23 of 28 (82%) dogs. A negative correlation was found between serum lactate and potassium (r=-0.64, r2 = 0.40, P= 0.0003). Hyperglycemia ([glucose]>6.44mmol/L) was noted in 20 of 30 (67%) dogs. Beta antagonist therapy was utilized in 20 of 36 (56%) of dogs. Although uncommon, albuterol intoxication can lead to significant clinical and electrolyte abnormalities. Albuterol-induced hypokalemia and associated tachyarrhythmias can be successfully managed, and albuterol intoxication has an excellent prognosis for survival to discharge. A minimum database should be evaluated in all dogs presenting for suspected albuterol exposure, with lactate and glucose monitored carefully in dogs with moderate or severe hypokalemia given the correlation found.