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Acquired pulmonary artery branch stenosis without main pulmonary artery involvement due to external compression by neoplasia has been described in human and veterinary medicine. Over time, this can result in right ventricular hypertension and right-sided heart failure. Endovascular stenting offers quick relief from signs, while the underlying cause is addressed. Here, we present a dog with severe right pulmonary artery compression caused by a chemodectoma, which was treated with two, overlapping, self-expanding vascular stents and chemotherapy. The patient experienced immediate symptomatic relief, progressive stent expansion over time, and has been free of clinical symptoms for 5 months post implantation.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases with increased right ventricular (RV) afterload induce RV diastolic and systolic dysfunction, and myocardial fibrosis in humans. Studies in dogs with pulmonary stenosis (PS) evaluating RV diastolic function and markers of myocardial fibrosis are lacking. Hypothesis/Objectives Dogs with PS have echocardiographic evidence of RV diastolic and systolic dysfunction and increased serum concentrations of galectin‐3 (Gal‐3), a surrogate biomarker for myocardial fibrosis. Animals Forty client‐owned dogs (10 controls, 30 with PS). Methods Prospective study. All dogs had systemic blood pressure measurement, serum biochemical analysis, echocardiography, and measurement of serum Gal‐3 concentration performed. Results Variables of RV diastolic function were obtained in 39/40 dogs. Trans‐tricuspid flow velocity in early diastole to trans‐tricuspid flow velocity in late diastole ratios (RV E/A) were lower (P

The creation of accurate elevation models (topography) from stereo images are critical for a large variety of geospatial activities, including the production of digital orthomosaics, change detection, landing site analysis, geologic mapping, rover traverse planning, and spectral analysis. The United Stated Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, continues to transition the supported planetary sensor models to the Community Sensor Model (CSM) standard. This paper describes the current state of use for this photogrammetric standard, supported sensor model types, and qualitatively compares derived topography between SOCET SET and SOCET GXP (®BAE Systems) using HiRISE stereo images of Mars. Our transition to the CSM standard will ensure an uninterrupted capability to make these valuable products for Mars and many other extraterrestrial planets and moons.

Background: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a rare condition caused by compression of the neurovascular structures within the thoracic outlet. Different classifications of TOS exist depending on the neurovascular structure being compressed: neurogenic, venous, or arterial. Any of these forms can present independently or coexist with one other. TOS symptoms are sometimes precipitated by the presence of boney abnormalities that often require surgical intervention for ultimate resolution. This retrospective review will examine the presentations and outcomes of patients with TOS whose cause was a boney abnormality. Methods: A total of 73 patients who underwent thoracic outlet surgery between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed via electronic medical records. Twelve (16%) patients demonstrated boney abnormalities on presentation causing their symptoms. The patients with boney abnormalities were analyzed based on venous, arterial, or neurogenic TOS diagnosis. Results: Of the 12 patients with boney abnormalities, 5 were classified as venous TOS, 6 patients as neurogenic TOS, and 1 as arterial TOS. The boney abnormalities were as follows: venous TOS: three clavicular fractures, one nonfused congenital clavicle, and one residual rib; neurogenic TOS: three fractured first ribs, one fractured clavicle, and two cervical ribs; and arterial TOS: fused first and second rib with bilateral cervical ribs and arterial compression. Postoperatively, there were no artery, vein, or nerve injuries. Five patients had a pneumothorax treated over night with a chest tube, and one patient had a superficial wound infection. The median hospital stay was 1 day. All patients completed physical therapy after surgery. All patients have symptom resolution at follow-up. Conclusions: Patients with boney abnormalities constitute about one-fifth of patients who can present with all three forms of TOS: neurogenic, arterial, and venous, and some will have more than one of these presentations. Results in patients undergoing surgery with boney abnormalities causing thoracic outlet syndrome are excellent with symptom resolution and without substantial complications.

Abstract Background Arterial thromboembolism is a sequela of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats related to left atrial (LA) enlargement and dysfunction. Hypothesis Pimobendan improves LA transport function in cats. Animals Twenty‐two client‐owned cats with HCM and 11 healthy cats. Methods Prospective, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical cohort study. Cats were randomized to receive either pimobendan (0.25 mg/kg PO q12h) or placebo for 4 to 7 days. Nineteen echocardiographic variables of LA size and function were evaluated. Statistical comparisons included t tests, analysis of variance, and multivariable analyses. Results Peak velocity of left auricular appendage flow (LAapp peak; mean ± SD, 0.85 ± 0.20 vs 0.71 ± 0.22 m/s; P = .01), maximum LA volume (P = .03), LA total emptying volume (P = .03), peak velocity of late diastolic transmitral flow (A peak velocity; 0.77 ± 0.12 vs 0.62 ± 0.17 m/s; P = .05), and A velocity time integral (A VTI; 3.05 ± 0.69 vs 3.37 ± 0.49; P = .05) were increased after pimobendan. Mean change after pimobendan was larger in cats with HCM compared to healthy cats for LA fractional shortening (2.1% vs −2.1%; P = .05), A VTI (0.58 vs 0.01 cm; P = .01), LAapp peak (0.20 vs 0.02 m/s; P = .02), LA kinetic energy (3.51 vs −0.10 kdynes‐cm; P = .05), and LA ejection force (1.93 vs −0.07 kdynes; P = .01) in the multivariable model. The stronger effect of pimobendan in cats with HCM was independent of LA size. Conclusions and Clinical Importance We identified positive, albeit minor, effects of pimobendan on LA function in cats with HCM. Whether or not treatment with pimobendan decreases the risk of cardiogenic embolism deserves further study.

Abstract Background Although older adults encompass almost half of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, it remains unclear which long-term hemodialysis vascular access type, arteriovenous fistula or arteriovenous graft, is optimal with respect to effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Clinical outcomes based on the initial AV access type have not been evaluated in randomized controlled trials. This pilot study tested the feasibility of randomizing older adults with advanced kidney disease to initial arteriovenous fistula versus graft vascular access surgery. Methods Patients 65 years or older with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease or incident end-stage kidney disease and no prior arteriovenous vascular access intervention were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to undergo surgical placement of a fistula or a graft after providing informed consent. Trial feasibility was evaluated as (i) recruitment of ≥ 70% of eligible participants, (ii) ≥ 50 to 70% of participants undergo placement of index arteriovenous access within 90 to 180 days of enrollment, respectively, (iii) ≥ 80% adherence to study-related assessments, and (iv) ≥ 70% of participants who underwent index arteriovenous access placement will have a follow-up duration of ≥ 12 months after index surgery date. Results Between September 2018 and October 2019, 81% (44/54) of eligible participants consented and were enrolled in the study; 11 had pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease, and 33 had incident or prevalent end-stage kidney disease. After randomization, 100% (21/21) assigned to arteriovenous fistula surgery and 78% (18/23) assigned to arteriovenous graft surgery underwent index arteriovenous access placement within a median (1st, 3rd quartile) of 5.0 (1.0, 14.0) days and 13.0 (5.0, 44.3) days, respectively, after referral to vascular surgery. The completion rates for study-specific assessments ranged between 40.0 and 88.6%. At median follow-up of 215.0 days, 5 participants expired, 7 completed 12 months of follow-up, and 29 are actively being followed. Assessments of grip strength, functional independence, and vascular access satisfaction were completed by > 85% of patients who reached pre-specified post-operative assessment time point. Conclusions Results from this study reveal it is feasible to enroll and randomize older adults with advanced kidney disease to one of two different arteriovenous vascular access placement surgeries. The study can progress with minor protocol adjustments to a multisite clinical trial. Trial registration Clinical Trials ID, NCT03545113 .

Abstract Background Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) may be useful therapeutically in conditions with poor blood supply, such as distal limb wounds in the horse. Encapsulation of ECFCs into injectable hydrogel microspheres may ensure cell survival and cell localization to improve neovascularization and healing. Autologous ECFCs were isolated from 6 horses, labeled with quantum nanodots (QD), and a subset were encapsulated in poly(ethylene) glycol fibrinogen microspheres (PEG-Fb MS). Full-thickness dermal wounds were created on each distal limb and injected with empty PEG-Fb MS, serum, ECFCs, or ECFCs encapsulated into PEG- Fb MS (ECFC/MS). Analysis included wound surface area (WSA), granulation tissue scoring (GS), thermography, collagen density staining, and immunohistochemical staining for endothelial and inflammatory cells. The purpose of this study was to track cell location and evaluate wound vascularization and inflammatory response after injection of ECFC/MS or naked ECFCs in equine distal limb wounds. Results ECFCs were found near and within newly formed blood vessels up to 3 weeks after injection. ECFC and ECFC/MS groups had the greatest blood vessel quantity at week 1 in the wound periphery. Wounds treated with ECFCs and ECFC/MS had the lowest density of neutrophils and macrophages at week 4. There were no significant effects of ECFC or ECFC/MS treatment on other measured parameters. Conclusions Injection of microsphere encapsulated ECFCs was practical for clinical use and well-tolerated. The positive ECFC treatment effects on blood vessel density and wound inflammation warrant further investigation.

Background: It is unclear whether surgical placement of an arteriovenous (AV) fistula (AVF) confers substantial clinical benefits over an AV graft (AVG) in older adults with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We report vascular access outcomes of a pilot clinical trial. Study Design: Pilot randomized parallel-group open-label trial. Setting & Participants: Patients 65 years and older with ESKD and no prior AV access receiving maintenance hemodialysis through a tunneled central venous catheter referred for AV access placement by their treating nephrologist. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to surgical placement of an AVG or AVF. Outcomes: Index AV access primary failure, successful cannulation, adjuvant interventions and infections. Results: Of 122 older adults receiving hemodialysis and no prior AV access surgery, 24% died before (n = 18) or were too sick for (n = 11) referral for a permanent AV access. Of 46 eligible patients, 36 (78%) consented and were randomly assigned to AVG (n = 18) and AVF (n = 18) placement, of whom 13 (72%) and 16 (89%) underwent index AV access surgical placement, respectively. At a median follow-up of 321.0 days, primary AV access failure was noted in 31% in each group. The proportion of patients with successful cannulation was 62% (8 of 13) in the AVG and 50% (8 of 16) in the AVF group; median times to successful cannulation were 75.0 and 113.5 days, respectively. Endovascular procedures were recorded in 38% and 44%, and surgical reinterventions, in 23% and 25%, respectively. AV access infection was seen in 3 (23%) and 2 (13%) patients, respectively. Limitations: Small sample size precludes statistical inference. Conclusions: Almost one-quarter of older adults with incident ESKD and a central venous catheter as primary access were not referred for AV access placement due to medical reasons. Based on these limited results, there is little reason to favor either an AVF or AVG in this population until results from a larger randomized clinical trial become available. Funding: Government funding to an author (Dr Murea is supported by National Institutes of Health∖National Institute on Aging grant 1R03 AG060178-01). Trial Registration: NCT03545113.

Many discoveries of active surface processes on Mars have been made due to the availability of repeat high-resolution images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. HiRISE stereo images are used to make digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthorectified images (orthoimages). HiRISE DTMs and orthoimage time series have been crucial for advancing the study of active processes such as recurring slope lineae, dune migration, gully activity, and polar processes. We describe the process of making HiRISE DTMs, orthoimage time series, DTM mosaics, and the difference of DTMs, specifically using the ISIS/SOCET Set workflow. HiRISE DTMs are produced at a 1 and 2 m ground sample distance, with a corresponding estimated vertical precision of tens of cm and ∼1 m, respectively. To date, more than 6000 stereo pairs have been acquired by HiRISE and, of these, more than 800 DTMs and 2700 orthoimages have been produced and made available to the public via the Planetary Data System. The intended audiences of this paper are producers, as well as users, of HiRISE DTMs and orthoimages. We discuss the factors that determine the effective resolution, as well as the quality, precision, and accuracy of HiRISE DTMs, and provide examples of their use in time series analyses of active surface processes on Mars.

Case summary An 8-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was presented for a recheck evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and chronic kidney disease. Three years prior to presentation, the patient was diagnosed with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and started on atenolol. The left ventricular outflow tract obstruction subsequently resolved. Biochemical analysis a week prior to presentation demonstrated severe azotemia. Transthoracic echocardiograph revealed pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, severe left ventricular concentric hypertrophy, severe left atrial enlargement and continuous left-to-right flow through the interatrial septum near the fossa ovalis. The patient was euthanized owing to poor prognosis, and gross examination at necropsy revealed a valve-incompetent patent foramen ovale secondary to severe left atrial dilation. Relevance and novel information To our knowledge, this is the first report of an acquired left-to-right shunt through a valve-incompetent foramen ovale in a cat with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Severe left atrial dilation was suspected to cause interatrial shunting through the valve-incompetent foramen ovale, and this finding may be relevant to echocardiographic evaluations in other cats.

Objective: This study describes the pharmacokinetics of parent pimobendan (PIM) and its active metabolite, o-desmethyl-pimobendan (ODMP), after oral and rectal administration of pimobendan to healthy dogs.Animals: A total of eight healthy privately owned dogs were used in this study.Procedures: The dogs received a single dose (0.5 mg/kg) of a commercially available pimobendan tablet per os (PO). Twelve blood samples were collected over a 12-h period for pharmacokinetic analysis. After a 24-h washout period, the dogs received the same dose of pimobendan solution per rectum (PR), and samples were obtained at the same time for analysis.Results: For PIM, PO vs. PR, respectively, the mean maximum plasma concentration (Cmax, ng/ml) was 49.1 ± 28.7 vs. 10.1 ± 2, the time to reach a maximum concentration (Tmax, h) was 2.1 ± 0.9 vs. 1 ± 0.4, the disappearance half-life (t1/2, h) was 1.8 ± 0.8 vs. 2.2 ± 0.6, and the area under the concentration–time curve (AUC, ng*h/ml) was 148.4 ± 71.6 vs. 31.1 ± 11.9, with relative bioavailability (F, %) of 25 ± 8. For ODMP, PO vs. PR, respectively, Cmax was 30.9 ± 10.4 vs. 8.8 ± 4.8, Tmax was 3.2 ± 1.6 vs. 1.7 ± 1.1, and t1/2 was 5.0 ± 2.7 vs. 8.3 ± 4.8, with AUC of 167.8 ± 36.2 vs. 50.1 ± 19.2 and F of 28 ± 6. The differences between PO and PR were significant (P < 0.03) for AUC and Cmax for both PIM and ODMP.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: The pharmacokinetics of PIM and ODMP were described following PO and PR administration. The findings suggest that pimobendan PR might achieve effective concentrations and, as such, warrant future studies of clinical effectiveness in treating dogs with congestive heart failure and which are unable to receive medication PO.

Nearly half of all mild brain injury sufferers experience long-term cognitive impairment, so an important goal in rehabilitation is to address their multiple cognitive deficits to help them return to prior levels of functioning. Cognitive training, or the use of repeated mental exercises to enhance cognition, is one remediation method for brain injury. The primary purpose of this hypothesis-generating pilot study was to explore the statistical and clinical significance of cognitive changes and transfer of training to real-life functioning following 60 h of Brain Booster, a clinician-delivered cognitive training program, for six patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) or non-traumatic acquired brain injury (ABI). The secondary purpose was to explore changes in functional connectivity and neural correlates of cognitive test gains following the training. We used a multiple case study design to document significant changes in cognitive test scores, overall IQ score, and symptom ratings; and we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore trends in functional network connectivity and neural correlates of cognitive change. All cognitive test scores showed improvement with statistically significant changes on five of the seven measures (long-term memory, processing speed, reasoning, auditory processing, and overall IQ score). The mean change in IQ score was 20 points, from a mean of 108 to a mean of 128. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis including improvements in cognition, mood, social identity, performance, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). With MRI, we documented significant region-to-region changes in connectivity following cognitive training including those involving the cerebellum and cerebellar networks. We also found significant correlations between changes in IQ score and change in white matter integrity of bilateral corticospinal tracts (CST) and the left uncinate fasciculus. This study adds to the growing body of literature examining the effects of cognitive training for mild TBI and ABI, and to the collection of research on the benefits of cognitive training in general.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02918994.

An 8-year-old intact female Chihuahua was presented for evaluation and possible occlusion of a previously diagnosed patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Transthoracic echocardiography revealed left ventricular and left atrial enlargement, enlargement of the main pulmonary artery, and a PDA with bidirectional shunting. Tricuspid regurgitant velocities suggested moderate pulmonary hypertension. The PDA was occluded with an Amplatz® Canine Duct Occluder using a transarterial approach on the following day. No immediate complications were observed other than an acute decrease in left ventricular systolic function. One day after the PDA occlusion transthoracic echocardiography revealed no residual ductal flow, but there was spontaneous echocardiographic contrast in the left ventricle. The patient was discharged with sildenafil, pimobendan, and clopidogrel. Five weeks later when the patient was presented for a recheck examination, the previously documented spontaneous echocardiographic contrast was no longer present. Finding spontaneous echocardiographic contrast in the dog has not previously been reported in association with PDA occlusion.

Abstract Background Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to neovascularization and vascular repair in vivo and are attractive for clinical use in ischemic disease. Tracking of stem and progenitor cells is essential to determine engraftment after administration. Semiconductor quantum dots (QD) are promising for cell labeling due to their ease of uptake by many cell lines and their continued presence after many cell generations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate function and growth of equine EPCs after QD labeling. Additionally, this study evaluated the duration of QD label retention and mechanisms of QD label loss. Results Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) from adult horses (N = 3) were employed for this study, with QD labeled and unlabeled ECFCs tested from each horse. Cell proliferation of ECFCs labeled with QD at 20 nM was quantified by comparing the number of cell doublings per day (NCD) and the population doubling time (PDT) in labeled and unlabeled cells. Function of labeled and unlabeled ECFCs was assessed by comparing uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein (DiO-Ac-LDL) and tubule formation on growth factor containing matrix. Cell proliferation was not impacted by QD labeling; both NCD (p = 0. 95) and PDT (P = 0. 91) did not differ between unlabeled and QD labeled cells. Function of ECFCs assessed by DiO-Ac-LDL and tubule formation was also not different between unlabeled and QD labeled cells (P = 0. 33 and P = 0. 52, respectively). ECFCs retained their QD labeling over 7 passages with both 5 nM and 20 nM label concentrations. Reduction in label intensity was observed over time, and the mechanism was determined to be cell division. Conclusions Equine ECFCs are effectively labeled with QD, and QD concentrations up to 20 nM do not affect cell growth or function. QD label loss is a result of cell division. The use of QD labeling with equine EPCs may be an ideal way to track engraftment of EPCs for in vivo applications.

Jupiter’s moon Europa harbors one of the most likely environments for extant extraterrestrial life. Determining whether Europa is truly habitable requires understanding the structure and thickness of its ice shell, including the existence of perched water or brines. Stereo-derived topography from images acquired by NASA Galileo’s Solid State Imager (SSI) of Europa are often used as a constraint on ice shell structure and heat flow, but the uncertainty in such topography has, to date, not been rigorously assessed. To evaluate the current uncertainty in Europa’s topography we generated and compared digital terrain models (DTMs) of Europa from SSI images using both the open-source Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP) software and the commercial SOCET SET® software. After first describing the criteria for assessing stereo quality in detail, we qualitatively and quantitatively describe both the horizontal resolution and vertical precision of the DTMs. We find that the horizontal resolution of the SOCET SET® DTMs is typically 8–11× the root mean square (RMS) pixel scale of the images, whereas the resolution of the ASP DTMs is 9–13× the maximum pixel scale of the images. We calculate the RMS difference between the ASP and SOCET SET® DTMs as a proxy for the expected vertical precision (EP), which is a function of the matching accuracy and stereo geometry. We consistently find that the matching accuracy is ~0.5 pixels, which is larger than well-established “rules of thumb” that state that the matching accuracy is 0.2–0.3 pixels. The true EP is therefore ~1.7× larger than might otherwise be assumed. In most cases, DTM errors are approximately normally distributed, and errors that are several times the derived EP occur as expected. However, in two DTMs, larger errors (differences) occur and correlate with real topography. These differences primarily result from manual editing of the SOCET SET® DTMs. The product of the DTM error and the resolution is typically 4–8 pixel2 if calculated using the RMS image scale for SOCET SET® DTMs and the maximum images scale for the ASP DTMs, which is consistent with recent work using martian data sets and suggests that the relationship applies more broadly. We evaluate how ASP parameters affect DTM quality and find that using a smaller subpixel refinement kernel results in DTMs with smaller (better) resolution but, in some cases, larger gaps, which are sometimes reduced by increasing the size of the correlation kernel. We conclude that users of ASP should always systematically evaluate the choice of parameters for a given dataset.

We have used high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) of two rover landing sites based on mosaicked images from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera as a reference to evaluate DTMs based on High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) and Context Camera (CTX) images. The Next-Generation Automatic Terrain Extraction (NGATE) matcher in the SOCET SET and GXP® commercial photogrammetric systems produces DTMs with good (small) horizontal resolution but large vertical error. Somewhat surprisingly, results for NGATE are terrain dependent, with poorer resolution and smaller errors on smoother surfaces. Multiple approaches to smoothing the NGATE DTMs give similar tradeoffs between resolution and error; a 5 × 5 lowpass filter is near optimal in terms of both combined resolution-error performance and local slope estimation. Smoothing with an area-based matcher, the standard processing for U.S. Geological Survey planetary DTMs, yields similar errors to the 5 × 5 filter at slightly worse resolution. DTMs from the HRSC team processing pipeline fall within this same trade space but are less sensitive to terrain roughness. DTMs produced with the Ames Stereo Pipeline also fall in this space at resolutions intermediate between NGATE and the team pipeline. Considered individually, resolution and error each varied by approximately a factor of 2. Matching errors were 0.2–0.5 pixels but most results fell in the 0.2–0.3 pixel range that has been stated as a rule of thumb in multiple prior studies. Horizontal resolutions of 10–20 image pixels were found, consistently greater than the 3–5 pixel spacing generally used for stereo DTM production. Resolution and precision were inversely correlated; their product varied by ≤20% (4–5 pixels squared). Refinement of the stereo DTM by photoclinometry can yield quantitative improvement in resolution (more than a factor of 2), provided that albedo variations over distances smaller than the stereo DTM resolution are not too severe. We offer specific guidance for both producers and users of planetary stereo DTMs, based on our results.

Abstract Background Dirofilaria immitis infection occurs in dogs and cats, both of which species are clinically affected by mature adult infections. Cats are uniquely affected by immature-adult infections with an inflammatory pulmonary disease called Heartworm-Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD). D. immitis infection causes pulmonary parenchymal and vascular pathology in the dog and cat. Dogs develop pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale, whereas the development of pulmonary hypertension is rare in the cat. D. immitis infection in the dog causes alteration of the right ventricular (RV) extracellular matrix, including a decrease in myocardial collagen. In this study, the RV myocardial changes of cats infected with adult and immature-adult D. immitis were assessed. Methods The cardiopulmonary systems of six groups of SPF cats (n = 9-10 per group) were examined 8 or 18 months after infection with L3 D. immitis. Two groups were untreated and allowed to develop adult HW; two groups were treated with ivermectin starting 3 months post infection, thus allowing HARD but no mature adult heartworms; and two groups were treated with selamectin beginning 1 month post infection, preventing development of L5 or adult heartworms. A group of specific pathogen free (SPF) normal cats was utilized as a negative control (n = 12). Lung pathologic lesions were objectively assessed, and both RV and left ventricular (LV) weights were obtained to calculate an RV/LV ratio. Intramural RV myocardial collagen content was quantitatively assessed. Results RV/LV weight ratios were not different between groups. Negative control cats had significantly greater RV collagen content than all other affected groups (P = 0.032). Analysis of the RV/LV ratios and collagen content revealed no significant relationship (r = 0.03, P = 0.723, respectively). Collagen content had a modest, but significant, negative correlation, however, with both pulmonary vascular pathology (r = −0.25, P = 0.032) as well as the total pulmonary parenchymal and vascular pathology (r = −0.26, P = 0.025). Conclusions Cats infected with mature and immature D. immitis did not develop RV hypertrophy but did demonstrate loss of RV myocardial collagen content. The collagen loss was present at 8 and 18 months after infection in all infected cats. This loss of RV myocardial collagen was correlated with the severity of pulmonary parenchymal and vascular pathology.

Abstract Growing interest in extracellular vesicles (EVs, including exosomes and microvesicles) as therapeutic entities, particularly in stem cell‐related approaches, has underlined the need for standardization and coordination of development efforts. Members of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and the Society for Clinical Research and Translation of Extracellular Vesicles Singapore convened a Workshop on this topic to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with development of EV‐based therapeutics at the preclinical and clinical levels. This review outlines topic‐specific action items that, if addressed, will enhance the development of best‐practice models for EV therapies. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1730–1739

Timely placement of an arteriovenous (AV) vascular access (native AV fistula [AVF] or prosthetic AV graft [AVG]) is necessary to limit the use of tunneled central venous catheters (TCVC) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treated with hemodialysis (HD). National guidelines recommend placement of AVF as the AV access of first choice in all patients to improve patient survival. The benefits of AVF over AVG are less certain in the older adults, as age-related biological changes independently modulate patient outcomes. This manuscript describes the rationale, study design and protocol for a randomized controlled pilot study of the feasibility and effects of AVG-first access placement in older adults with no prior AV access surgery. Fifty patients age ≥65 years, with incident ESKD on HD via TCVC or advanced kidney disease facing imminent HD initiation, and suitable upper extremity vasculature for initial placement of an AVF or AVG, will be randomly assigned to receive either an upper extremity AVG-first (intervention) or AVF-first (comparator) access. The study will establish feasibility of randomizing older adults to the two types of AV access surgery, evaluate relationships between measurements of preoperative physical function and vascular access development, compare vascular access outcomes between groups, and gather longitudinal assessments of upper extremity muscle strength, gait speed, performance of activities of daily living, and patient satisfaction with their vascular access and quality of life. Results will assist with the planning of a larger, multicenter trial assessing patient-centered outcomes. Keywords: arteriovenous access, Fistula, Graft, Hemodialysis, Older patients, Word count, abstract, 240, Text: 4,526, Figures: 1, Tables: 4

Background: Drug-coated balloons (DCBs), which deliver anti-proliferative drugs with the aid of excipients, have emerged as a new endovascular therapy for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease. In this study, we evaluated the use of keratose (KOS) as a novel DCB-coating excipient to deliver and retain paclitaxel. Methods: A custom coating method was developed to deposit KOS and paclitaxel on uncoated angioplasty balloons. The retention of the KOS-paclitaxel coating, in comparison to a commercially available DCB, was evaluated using a novel vascular-motion simulating ex vivo flow model at 1 h and 3 days. Additionally, the locoregional biological response of the KOS-paclitaxel coating was evaluated in a rabbit ilio-femoral injury model at 14 days. Results: The KOS coating exhibited greater retention of the paclitaxel at 3 days under pulsatile conditions with vascular motion as compared to the commercially available DCB (14.89 ± 4.12 ng/mg vs. 0.60 ± 0.26 ng/mg, p = 0.018). Histological analysis of the KOS–paclitaxel-treated arteries demonstrated a significant reduction in neointimal thickness as compared to the uncoated balloons, KOS-only balloon and paclitaxel-only balloon. Conclusions: The ability to enhance drug delivery and retention in targeted arterial segments can ultimately improve clinical peripheral endovascular outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of flipping the classroom on final exam scores in a terminal general education college mathematics course for a diverse student population. We employed a quasiexperimental design. Seven instructors collectively taught 13 sections of each pedagogy (flipped/traditional). Six hundred thirty-two students participated. Common final exams were graded concurrently. Mixed-model analyses were performed. Students in flipped sections scored 5.1 percentage points higher on average than those in traditional sections (p = .02) when controlling for math SAT and financial aid status, an improvement of 7.8 points among Black students (p < .01) and 1.0 points among Whites (p = .67). The estimated average difference between White and Black students, conditional on covariates, was 5.2 percentage points in traditional sections (p < .01) and –1.6 in flipped sections (p = .39). The 6.8-point difference in achievement gap between pedagogies was statistically significant (p < .01). Flipping the classroom was associated with improved student performance, particularly among Black students.

We present a computational study of isochoric heating in multi-layered (ML) targets at ultra-high intensity laser irradiation ( ∼ 10 20 W c m − 2 ). Previous studies have shown enhanced ion heating at interfaces, but at the cost of large temperature gradients. Here, we study ML targets to spread this enhanced interface heating to the entirety of the target and find heating parameters at which the temperature distribution is more homogeneous than at a single interface while still exceeding the mean temperature of a non-layered target. Further, we identify a limiting process of pressure oscillations that causes the layers to alternate between expanding and being compressed and leads to lower ion temperatures. Based on that, we derive an analytical model estimating the oscillation period to find target conditions that optimize heating and temperature homogeneity. This model can also be used to infer the electron energy from the oscillation period which can be measured e.g. by XFEL probing.

Two single-stranded polynucleotide constructs, 123 and 126 nucleotides in length, were chemically synthesized using standard phosphoramidite chemistry. Clonable, double-stranded DNA fragments about 100-bp long were prepared from the polynucleotides by primer extension with a DNA polymerase and end-trimming with two restriction endonucleases, then the fragments were ligated into separate plasmids. Errors in individual insert copies were determined by dideoxy sequencing after in vivo amplification of plasmids. Five of the ten inserts sequenced contained errors, including seven single-base-pair deletions, one four-base-pair deletion and one G→C transversion. The origins of the latter two errors are unclear, but single-base deletions are inconsistent with errors of polymerases; thus, the most common sequence errors of chemical synthesis are deletion mutations. Deletions are most likely to result from incomplete capping or de-tritylation. The observed error rate can become a significant limiting factor in applications that depend on the correctness of a polynucleotide sequence in individual insert clones.

Despite significant improvements in life expectancy of kidney transplant patients due to advances in surgery and immunosuppression, Chronic Allograft Nephropathy (CAN) remains a daunting problem. A complex network of cellular mechanisms in both graft and peripheral immune compartments complicates the non-invasive diagnosis of CAN, which still requires biopsy histology. This is compounded by non-immunological factors contributing to graft injury. There is a pressing need to identify and validate minimally invasive biomarkers for CAN to serve as early predictors of graft loss and as metrics for managing long-term immunosuppression.We used DNA microarrays, tandem mass spectroscopy proteomics and bioinformatics to identify genomic and proteomic markers of mild and moderate/severe CAN in peripheral blood of two distinct cohorts (n = 77 total) of kidney transplant patients with biopsy-documented histology.Gene expression profiles reveal over 2400 genes for mild CAN, and over 700 for moderate/severe CAN. A consensus analysis reveals 393 (mild) and 63 (moderate/severe) final candidates as CAN markers with predictive accuracy of 80% (mild) and 92% (moderate/severe). Proteomic profiles show over 500 candidates each, for both stages of CAN including 302 proteins unique to mild and 509 unique to moderate/severe CAN.This study identifies several unique signatures of transcript and protein biomarkers with high predictive accuracies for mild and moderate/severe CAN, the most common cause of late allograft failure. These biomarkers are the necessary first step to a proteogenomic classification of CAN based on peripheral blood profiling and will be the targets of a prospective clinical validation study.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of flipping the classroom on final exam scores in a terminal general education college mathematics course for a diverse student population. We employed a quasiexperimental design. Seven instructors collectively taught 13 sections of each pedagogy (flipped/traditional). Six hundred thirty-two students participated. Common final exams were graded concurrently. Mixed-model analyses were performed. Students in flipped sections scored 5.1 percentage points higher on average than those in traditional sections (p = 0.02) when controlling for math SAT and financial aid status, an improvement of 7.8 points among Black students (p < 0.01) and 1.0 points among Whites (p = 0.67). The estimated average difference between White and Black students, conditional on covariates, was 5.2 percentage points in traditional sections (p < 0.01) and -1.6 in flipped sections (p = 0.39). The 6.8-point difference in achievement gap between pedagogies was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Flipping the classroom was associated with improved student performance, particularly among Black students.

Acquired pulmonary artery branch stenosis without main pulmonary artery involvement due to external compression by neoplasia has been described in human and veterinary medicine. Over time, this can result in right ventricular hypertension and right-sided heart failure. Endovascular stenting offers quick relief from signs, while the underlying cause is addressed. Here, we present a dog with severe right pulmonary artery compression caused by a chemodectoma, which was treated with two, overlapping, self-expanding vascular stents and chemotherapy. The patient experienced immediate symptomatic relief, progressive stent expansion over time, and has been free of clinical symptoms for 5 months post implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many women experience depressive symptoms after birth, and rates among African Americans are as high as 40 percent. Spirituality and religiosity are valued in African American communities, but their relevance to new mothers has not been empirically tested. We examined effects of religiosity and spirituality on trajectories of depressive symptoms during the year following childbirth. Data were collected by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Community and Child Health Network (CCHN) focused on maternal-child health disparities. The sample consisted of 702 low SES African American predominantly Christian women. Participants were interviewed in their homes throughout the year following a birth. Spirituality and religiosity each independently predicted changes in depressive symptoms with low levels predicting increases over time. Effects of religiosity were mediated by a woman's spirituality. Religiosity and spirituality functioned as significant, interrelated protective factors in this study which provides novel insight about lower income African American women following birth.