Pepper U-Box E3 ubiquitin ligase 24, CaPUB24, negatively regulates drought stress response.

Under stress conditions, plants modulate their internal states and initiate various defence mechanisms to survive. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is one of the critical modules in these mechanisms, and Plant U-Box proteins play an important role in this process as E3 ubiquitin ligases. Here, we isolated the Plant U-box 24 gene CaPUB24 (Capsicum annuum Plant U-Box 24) from pepper and characterized its functions in response to drought stress. We found that, compared to the other CaPUBs in the same group, the expression of CaPUB24 was significantly induced by drought stress. We also found that CaPUB24 was localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm and had E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. To investigate the biological role of CaPUB24 in response to drought stress further, we generated CaPUB24-silenced pepper plants and CaPUB24-overexpressing Arabidopsis transgenic plants. CaPUB24-silenced pepper plants exhibited enhanced drought tolerance compared to the control plants due to reduced transpirational water loss and increased abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity. In contrast, CaPUB24-overexpressing Arabidopsis transgenic plants exhibited reduced drought tolerance and ABA-insensitive phenotypes. Our findings suggest that CaPUB24 negatively modulates drought stress response in an ABA-dependent manner.

Effects of bilateral tDCS over DLPFC on response inhibition, craving, and brain functional connectivity in Internet gaming disorder: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial with fMRI.

Background and aims: Impaired inhibitory control accompanied by enhanced craving is hallmark of addiction. This study investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on response inhibition and craving in Internet gaming disorder (IGD). We examined the brain changes after tDCS and their correlation with clinical variables. Methods: Twenty-four males with IGD were allocated randomly to an active or sham tDCS group, and data from 22 participants were included for analysis. Participants self-administered bilateral tDCS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for 10 sessions. Stop-signal tasks were conducted to measure response inhibition and participants were asked about their cravings for Internet gaming at baseline and post-tDCS. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected at pre- and post-tDCS, and group differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) changes from the bilateral DLPFC and nucleus accumbens were examined. We explored the relationship between changes in the rsFC and behavioral variables in the active tDCS group. Results: A significant group-by-time interaction was observed in response inhibition. After tDCS, only the active group showed a decrease in the stop-signal reaction time (SSRT). Although craving decreased, there were no significant group-by-time interactions or group main effects. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) showed group differences in post- versus pre-tDCS rsFC from the right DLPFC. The rsFC between the ACC and left middle frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with the SSRT. Discussion and conclusion: Our study provides preliminary evidence that bilateral tDCS over the DLPFC improves inhibitory control and could serve as a therapeutic approach for IGD.

Digital Health Interventions for Cancer Prevention Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in the United States: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly accelerated the use of digital health for cancer care. Previously, researchers identified a variety of digital health interventions for cancer prevention. The purpose of the present scoping review was to identify digital health interventions for cancer prevention designed for racial/ethnic minority groups. METHODS: The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews and was guided by the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework. A search of PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and CINAHL for peer-reviewed research articles published from database inception to August 21, 2023, was conducted. Peer-reviewed studies published in English that employed digital health interventions for cancer prevention, that were conducted among racial/ethnic minority groups, and that were conducted in the United States were included. Also included were cancer prevention interventions for people who did not have cancer, people who did have cancer, and cancer survivors. Excluded were interventions that included non-Hispanic White individuals, interventions performed outside the United States, interventions that combined face-to-face methods with digital strategies, and interventions that did not clearly include digital health. Articles that focused on technologies for collecting and transmitting health data (e.g., remote patient monitoring) without an explicit tie-in to cancer prevention intervention outcomes were also excluded. RESULTS: Following screening, eight articles met the eligibility criteria. Six of the articles were published prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and two were published during it. The digital health interventions for cancer prevention in racial/ethnic minority groups included screening (n = 5), emotional support and education (n = 1), human papillomavirus vaccination (n = 1), and education and treatment (n = 1). A consistently measured outcome was intervention efficacy. Four authors explicitly stated that theories or theoretical constructs were employed to guide intervention development. Also, no interventions were created using novel devices such as emerging technologies. CONCLUSIONS: We identified several notable gaps regarding digital health for cancer prevention among racial/ethnic minority groups. Addressing these gaps may help guide continued innovation in the use of digital health for cancer prevention among racial/ethnic minority groups.

Fast field echo resembling CT using restricted echo-spacing (FRACTURE) MR sequence can provide craniocervical region images comparable to a CT in dogs.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for evaluating cerebellar compression in patients with craniocervical junction abnormalities (CJA). However, it is limited in depicting cortical bone because of its short T2 relaxation times, low proton density, and organized structure. Fast field echo resembling a computed tomography (CT) scan using restricted echo-spacing (FRACTURE) MRI, is a new technique that offers CT-like bone contrast without radiation. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using FRACTURE MRI for craniocervical junction (CCJ) assessment compared with CT and conventional MRI, potentially reducing the need for multiple scans and radiation exposure, and simplifying procedures in veterinary medicine. CT and MRI of the CCJ were obtained from five healthy beagles. MRI was performed using three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted, T2-weighted, proton density-weighted (PDW), single echo-FRACTURE (sFRACTURE), and multiple echo-FRACTURE (mFRACTURE) sequences. For qualitative assessment, cortical delineation, trabecular bone visibility, joint space visibility, vertebral canal definition, overall quality, and artifacts were evaluated for each sequence. The geometrical accuracy, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were quantified. Both sFRACTURE and CT images provided significantly higher scores for cortical delineation and trabecular bone visibility than conventional MRI. Joint space visibility and vertebral canal definition were similar to those observed on CT images, regardless of the MR sequence. In the quantitative assessment, the distances measured on T2-weighted images differed significantly from those measured on CT. There were no significant differences between the distances taken using T1-weighted, PD-weighted, sFRACTURE, mFRACTURE and those taken using CT. T1-weighted and sFRACTURE had a higher SNR for trabecular bone than CT. The CNR between the cortical bone and muscle was high on CT and FRACTURE images. However, the CNR between the cortical and trabecular bones was low in mFRACTURE. Similar to CT, FRACTURE sequences showed higher cortical delineation and trabecular bone visibility than T2-weighted, T1-weighted, and PDW CCJ sequences. In particular, sFRACTURE provided a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the trabecular bone and a high CNR between the cortical bone and muscle and between the cortical and trabecular bones. FRACTURE sequences can complement conventional MR sequences for bone assessment of the CCJ in dogs.

Atypically located accessory splenic hemangiosarcoma in a Dog: Diagnostic value of triple-phase computed tomography.

A 10-year-old Cocker spaniel presented with lethargy. Triple-phase computed tomography was obtained with a contrast test bolus at the level of porta hepatis, which revealed a right lower abdominal mass. The mass was not connected to other abdominal organs; however, a linear structure was observed connecting the splenic hilum to the mass, which was suspected to be the feeding vessel. The arterial phase image was obtained again with a contrast bolus at the level of the celiac artery. A prominent contrast-enhanced feeding artery originating from the splenic artery to the mass was observed. Histopathology confirmed an accessory splenic hemangiosarcoma.

Comparison of computed tomography perfusion and magnetic resonance dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging in canine brain.

Brain perfusion allows for the evaluation of cerebral hemodynamics, particularly in brain infarcts and tumors. Computed tomography (CT) perfusion (CTP) provides reliable data; however, it has a limited scan field of view and radiation exposure. Magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion provides detailed imaging of small structures and a wide scan field of view. However, no study has compared CTP and MR perfusion and assessed the correlation between the perfusion parameters measured using CTP and MR perfusion. The aim of the present study was to assess the correlation and agreement of the cerebral perfusion derived from dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)-MRI and CTP in dogs. In this crossover design study, the cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time, and time to peak were measured in the temporal cerebral cortex, caudate nucleus, thalamus, piriform lobe, and hippocampus using CTP and DSC-MRI in six healthy beagle dogs and a dog with a pituitary tumor. On the color map of healthy beagles, blood vessels and the perivascular brain parenchyma appeared as red-green, indicating high perfusion, and the areas distant from the vessels appeared as green-blue, indicating low perfusion levels in CTP and DSC-MRI. CTP parameters were highest in the piriform lobe (CBF = 121.11 ± 12.78 mL/100 g/min and CBV = 8.70 ± 2.04 mL/100 g) and lowest in the thalamus (CBF = 63.75 ± 25.24 mL/100 g/min and CBV = 4.02 ± 0.55 mL/100 g). DSC-MRI parameters were also highest in the piriform lobe (CBF = 102.31 ± 14.73 mL/100 g/min and CBV = 3.17 ± 1.23 mL/100 g) and lowest in the thalamus (CBF = 37.73 ± 25.11 mL/100 g/min and CBV = 0.81 ± 0.44 mL/100 g) although there was no statistical correlation in the quantitative perfusion parameters between CTP and DSC-MRI. In a dog with a pituitary tumor, the color map of the tumor appeared as a red scale, indicating high perfusion and higher CBF and CBV on CTP (149 mL/100 g and 20 mL/100 g/min) and on DSC-MRI (116.3 mL/100 g and 15.32 mL/100 g/min) compared to those measured in healthy dogs. These findings indicate that DSC-MRI and CTP maps exhibit comparability and interchangeability in the assessment of canine brain perfusion.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy is sufficient to promote microenvironmental normalization via the type I interferon pathway in PD-L1-expressing head and neck cancer.

Immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) have been proven to be an effective first-line therapy against programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1; also known as CD274 molecule)-expressing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in recent KEYNOTE-048 trial. However, associated changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Oral tumors in C57/BL6 mice were induced by administering 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene into the buccal mucosa. Single-cell suspension was isolated from tumor tissue; proliferating cells were injected subcutaneously into the left flank of mice to establish Ajou oral cancer (AOC) cell lines. Subsequently, a syngeneic PD-L1-expressing HNSCC model was developed by injecting AOC cells into the buccal or tongue area. The model recapitulated human HNSCC molecular features and showed reliable in vivo tumorigenicity with significant PD-L1 expression. ICB monotherapy induced global changes in the TME, including vascular normalization. Furthermore, the antitumor effect of ICB monotherapy was superior to those of other therapeutic agents, including cisplatin and inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). The ICB-induced antitumorigenicity and TME normalization were alleviated by blocking the type I interferon pathway. In summary, ICB monotherapy is sufficient to induce TME normalization in the syngeneic model; the type I interferon pathway is indispensable in realizing the effects of ICBs. Furthermore, these results explain the underlying mechanism of the efficacy of ICB monotherapy against PD-L1-expressing HNSCC in the KEYNOTE-048 trial.

Fast field echo resembling a CT using restricted echo-spacing (FRACTURE) sequence for shoulder joint in normal dogs.

Shoulder disease is a common cause of forelimb lameness in dogs. Determining the precise underlying cause of shoulder lameness can be challenging, especially in veterinary practice. Computerized tomography (CT) is often the preferred imaging modality for bone evaluation; however, it uses ionizing radiation and provides limited soft tissue contrast. Conversely, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers excellent soft tissue contrast but has limitations in bone imaging. This study aimed to introduce a new technical innovation that enhances cortical and trabecular bone contrast on MRI, which we refer to as Fast Field Echo Resembling a CT Using Restricted Echo-Spacing (FRACTURE). In this prospective pilot study, we aimed to evaluate the use of FRACTURE, CT, and conventional MRI sequences in assessing the normal canine shoulder using a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. Five research beagle dogs were included, and the following pulse sequences were acquired for each dog (1): three-dimensional (3D) FRACTURE, (2) T2-weighted (T2W) images using 3D turbo spin echo (TSE), (3) T1-weighted (T1W) images using 3D TSE, (4) PD-weighted (PDW) images using 3D TSE, and (5) CT. Various parameters, including the delineation of cortical bone (intertubercular groove, greater tubercle, and lesser tubercle), conspicuity of the trabecular bone, shoulder joint visualization, and image quality, were measured for each dog and sequence. In all sequences, the shoulder joint was successfully visualized in all planes with mild motion artifacts. The intertubercular groove was best visualized on CT and FRACTURE. Both the greater and lesser tubercles were easily identified on the CT, FRACTURE, and PDW images. The trabecular pattern scored significantly higher in the CT and FRACTURE images compared to the T1W, T2W, and PDW images. Overall, the visualization of the shoulder joint was excellent in all sequences except for T1W. The use of FRACTURE in combination with conventional MRI sequences holds promise for facilitating not only soft tissue evaluation but also cortical and trabecular bone assessment. The findings from this study in normal dogs can serve as a foundation for further FRACTURE studies in dogs with shoulder diseases.

Explainable Model Using Shapley Additive Explanations Approach on Wound Infection after Wide Soft Tissue Sarcoma Resection: "Big Data" Analysis Based on Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service Hub.

Background and Objectives: Soft tissue sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of malignant mesenchymal tissues. Despite their low prevalence, soft tissue sarcomas present clinical challenges for orthopedic surgeons owing to their aggressive nature, and perioperative wound infections. However, the low prevalence of soft tissue sarcomas has hindered the availability of large-scale studies. This study aimed to analyze wound infections after wide resection in patients with soft tissue sarcomas by employing big data analytics from the Hub of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent wide excision of soft tissue sarcomas between 2010 and 2021 were included. Data were collected from the HIRA database of approximately 50 million individuals' information in the Republic of Korea. The data collected included demographic information, diagnoses, prescribed medications, and surgical procedures. Random forest has been used to analyze the major associated determinants. A total of 10,906 observations with complete data were divided into training and validation sets in an 80:20 ratio (8773 vs. 2193 cases). Random forest permutation importance was employed to identify the major predictors of infection and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) values were derived to analyze the directions of associations with predictors. Results: A total of 10,969 patients who underwent wide excision of soft tissue sarcomas were included. Among the study population, 886 (8.08%) patients had post-operative infections requiring surgery. The overall transfusion rate for wide excision was 20.67% (2267 patients). Risk factors among the comorbidities of each patient with wound infection were analyzed and dependence plots of individual features were visualized. The transfusion dependence plot reveals a distinctive pattern, with SHAP values displaying a negative trend for individuals without blood transfusions and a positive trend for those who received blood transfusions, emphasizing the substantial impact of blood transfusions on the likelihood of wound infection. Conclusions: Using the machine learning random forest model and the SHAP values, the perioperative transfusion, male sex, old age, and low SES were important features of wound infection in soft-tissue sarcoma patients.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in males: Associations of HPV-related knowledge and perceptions with HPV vaccination intention among Korean mothers of boys.

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates among males are suboptimal worldwide. In South Korea, little is known about parents' intention to vaccinate boys against HPV. Therefore, we examined the associations of HPV-related knowledge and perceptions with vaccination intention among Korean mothers of boys. Methods: From August to December 2021, eligible mothers were surveyed about HPV-related knowledge, perceptions, and intention to vaccinate their sons against HPV. Mothers were categorized into no intention, contemplating, and intention to vaccinate groups. Using analysis of variance, we compared the groups' scores on the scales measuring HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. We conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to assess the associations between the variables and vaccination intention. Results: Among 361 mothers, 43.9 % had no intention, 60.7 % were contemplating, and 4.4 % intended to vaccinate their sons. The mean percentage of correct answers on the HPV and vaccine knowledge scales were 52.5 % and 62.3 %, respectively. The mean scores on the HPV attitudes and beliefs subscales were significantly different. Higher scores on benefits (OR = 3.04, 95 % CI 1.96 - 4.70; OR = 3.94, 95 % CI 1.54 - 10.70) and influence (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI 1.03 - 2.13; OR = 2.97, 95 % CI 1.44 - 6.14) were associated with contemplating the vaccine and intending to vaccinate sons. Knowledge was not associated with mothers' vaccination intention. Conclusions: Public health authorities and healthcare providers in Korea can use the results of this study to implement effective interventions that emphasize the importance of male HPV vaccination and encourage parent-son communication about the vaccine.

Development and feasibility of new cardiac measurement method using vertebral heart area ratio in dogs.

The vertebral heart scale (VHS) is the most common method used for the objective evaluation of heart size, however, VHS cannot evaluate the entire heart area. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the development and feasibility of vertebral heart area ratio (VHAR=heart area/the fourth thoracic vertebra [T4] body area) as a new cardiac measurement method. A total of 125 dogs considered without clinical heart abnormalities in the pre-anesthetic examination, measurements of the VHS and VHAR using thoracic radiography were compared with computed tomography measurements of the vertebral cardiac volume ratio (VCVR=cardiac volume/T4 body volume) and investigate whether the VHAR values differed between observers. The mean cardiac and T4 body volumes were 116.99 ± 108.07 cm3 and 0.92 ± 0.91 cm3, respectively. The mean values of observers 1 and 2 were 9.9 ± 0.7 v (VHS), 42.64 ± 27.94 cm2 (heart area), and 1.37 ± 0.96 cm2 (T4 body area). Intraclass coefficients were the highest for the heart area, followed by the T4 body area and VHS. The VHAR showed a moderate correlation with VHS in observers 1 (r=0.671) and 2 (r=0.633). The VCVR showed a more positive correlation with VHAR (r=0.573) than with VHS (r=0.426). These results indicated that VHAR could be used as a complement to VHS for heart size measurement, and the high degree of observer agreement for the measurements indicated the measurement reproducibility of VHAR.

Comprehensive profiling of DNA methylation in Korean patients with colorectal cancer.

Alterations in DNA methylation play an important pathophysiological role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. We comprehensively profiled DNA methylation alterations in 165 Korean patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and conducted an in-depth investigation of cancer-specific methylation patterns. Our analysis of the tumor samples revealed a significant presence of hypomethylated probes, primarily within the gene body regions; few hypermethylated sites were observed, which were mostly enriched in promoter-like and CpG island regions. The CpG Island Methylator PhenotypeHigh (CIMP-H) exhibited notable enrichment of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). Additionally, our findings indicated a significant correlation between methylation of the MLH1 gene and MSI-H status. Furthermore, we found that the CIMP-H had a higher tendency to affect the right-side of the colon tissues and was slightly more prevalent among older patients. Through our methylome profile analysis, we successfully verified the thylation patterns and clinical characteristics of Korean patients with CRC. This valuable dataset lays a strong foundation for exploring novel molecular insights and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of CRC. [BMB Reports 2024; 57(2): 110-115].

Diagnostic assessment of two-dimensional shear wave elastography in relation to dimethyl arginine levels in dogs with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: In veterinary medicine, previous studies regarding the diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography (SWE) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are not consistent with each other. Moreover, there has been no study evaluating the relationship between symmetric dimethyl arginine (SDMA) concentration and renal shear wave velocity (SWV) using two-dimensional SWE (2D SWE) in dogs with CKD. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of 2D SWE in dogs with CKD and to assess the relationship between renal SWV and SDMA concentration. METHODS: Dogs with healthy kidneys and dogs with CKD underwent 2D SWE and SDMA assay. Renal stiffness was estimated as renal SWV in m/s. RESULTS: SDMA concentration had a weak positive correlation with the left (r = 0.338, p = 0.022) and right renal SWV (r = 0.337, p = 0.044). Renal SWV was not significantly different between healthy kidney and CKD groups in the left (p = 0.085) and right (p = 0.171) kidneys. CONCLUSIONS: 2D SWE may could not distinguish between dogs with healthy kidney and dogs with early stage of CKD, but it would be useful for assessing the serial change of renal function in dogs.

Supplementary Effects of Allium hookeri Extract on Glucose Tolerance in Prediabetic Subjects and C57BL/KsJ-db/db Mice.

Allium hookeri (AH) has been used as a nutritional and medicinal food in Asia for many years. Our previous studies have described its anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and anti-inflammatory activities in animal models and prediabetes. This study investigated whether AH could improve glycemia by modulating insulin secretion in prediabetic subjects through an in-depth study. Eighty prediabetic subjects (100 ≤ fasting plasma glucose < 140 mg/dL) were randomly assigned to a placebo (n = 40) group or an ethanol AH extract (500 mg/day, n = 40) group for 12 weeks. Dietary intake and physical activity, blood glucose (an oral glucose tolerance test for 120 min), insulin (insulin response to oral glucose for 120 min), area under the curve (AUC) of glucose or insulin after oral glucose intake, insulin sensitivity markers, C-peptide, adiponectin, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, hematological tests (WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet count), blood biochemical parameters (ALP, AST, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, gamma-GT, BUN, creatinine, LD, CK, and hs-CRP), and urine parameters (specific gravity and pH) were examined at both baseline and 12 weeks after supplementation with placebo or AH capsules. Fifty-eight participants (placebo group: 20 men and 10 women; AH group: 13 men and 15 women) completed the study. AH supplementation moderately reduced postprandial blood glucose at 60 min (-6.14 mg/dL, p = 0.061), postprandial insulin levels at 90 min (-16.69 µU/mL, p = 0.017), the glucose AUC at 90 min (-412.52 mg*min/dL, p = 0.021), as well as the insulin AUC at 90 min (-978.77 µU*min/mL, p = 0.021) and 120 min (-1426.41 µU*min/mL, p = 0.015) when compared with the placebo group. However, there were no effects of AH on dietary intake and physical activity; HOMA index; HbAlc; C-peptide; or adiponectin, hematological-, blood biochemical-, and urinary markers. To confirm the effects of AH extract on blood glucose insulin sensitivity, C57BL/6J or C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice were used (n = 8/group). Body weight, fasting plasma glucose level, lipid profiles, liver and renal function, pancreatic histology, and insulin immunoreactivity were assessed. In the diabetic db/db mice, hyperglycemia, which was accompanied by an increase in insulin secretion in diabetic mice, was significantly reduced by AH treatment, resulting in the alleviation of ß-cell overcompensation and insulin resistance. We confirmed that AH supplementation can effectively control blood glucose and insulin levels by improving insulin sensitivity and may be a potential agent for glycemic control in subjects with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Postoperative Computed Tomographic Assessment of the Complete Resection of an Infiltrative Lipoma Compressing the Spinal Cord in a Dog.

Infiltrative lipomas, which are locally invasive tumors composed of well-differentiated adipocytes, are histologically identical to lipomas but have a tendency to infiltrate adjacent muscle and fibrous tissue without metastasis, such as muscle; connective tissue; bone; and, in rare cases, peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. They differ from liposarcomas yet also exhibit neoplastic cell infiltration and often recur despite surgical removal. A 10-year-old spayed Maltese female dog presented with hindlimb paresis and back pain for two months. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extensive fatty mass impinging on the vertebral canal, compressing the spinal cord, and extending into the surrounding muscle layers and thoracic cavity. The mass was surgically removed, and subsequent postoperative computed tomography confirmed complete removal of the mass using Vitrea® advanced visualization fat measurement. Histopathological analysis confirmed that the mass was an infiltrative lipoma. The patient's symptoms completely resolved after surgery, with no recurrence reported at the 2-year follow-up. This case highlights the benefits of using postoperative computed tomography combined with the automated fat measurement technique to determine whether reoperation is necessary or to predict patient prognosis by identifying potential residual lipoma post-surgery.

Machine learning-based risk prediction model for canine myxomatous mitral valve disease using electronic health record data.

Introduction: Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cause of heart failure in dogs, and assessing the risk of heart failure in dogs with MMVD is often challenging. Machine learning applied to electronic health records (EHRs) is an effective tool for predicting prognosis in the medical field. This study aimed to develop machine learning-based heart failure risk prediction models for dogs with MMVD using a dataset of EHRs. Methods: A total of 143 dogs with MMVD between May 2018 and May 2022. Complete medical records were reviewed for all patients. Demographic data, radiographic measurements, echocardiographic values, and laboratory results were obtained from the clinical database. Four machine-learning algorithms (random forest, K-nearest neighbors, naïve Bayes, support vector machine) were used to develop risk prediction models. Model performance was represented by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC). The best-performing model was chosen for the feature-ranking process. Results: The random forest model showed superior performance to the other models (AUC = 0.88), while the performance of the K-nearest neighbors model showed the lowest performance (AUC = 0.69). The top three models showed excellent performance (AUC ≥ 0.8). According to the random forest algorithm's feature ranking, echocardiographic and radiographic variables had the highest predictive values for heart failure, followed by packed cell volume (PCV) and respiratory rates. Among the electrolyte variables, chloride had the highest predictive value for heart failure. Discussion: These machine-learning models will enable clinicians to support decision-making in estimating the prognosis of patients with MMVD.

Single-slab 3D double inversion recovery for magnetic resonance brain imaging in clinically healthy dogs.

Introduction: In veterinary medicine, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely utilized for brain imaging. But the complex structures of brain tissues can give rise to artifacts such as partial volume averaging in conventional sequences. To address this issue, several studies about double inversion recovery (DIR) sequences have been conducted in human medicine. However, published clinical studies about brain MRI using DIR sequences in dogs are currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the magnetic resonance features of single-slab 3D DIR sequences in the normal canine brain. Methods: Five healthy Beagle dogs were examined and the following pulse sequences were acquired for each: (1) spin-echo T2-weighted (T2W), (2) fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), (3) gray matter (GM) selective, and (4) white matter (WM) selective single-slab 3D DIR sequence. For qualitative analysis, the distinction between gray and white matter of the cerebral cortex, presence and severity of the image artifacts were assessed for each pulse sequence. In addition, reconstructed images of single-slab 3D DIR sequences were qualitatively evaluated. For quantitative analysis, contrast ratios (CRs), signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of the GM, WM and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured for each pulse sequence. Results and Discussion: GM selective 3D DIR was superior to T2W and FLAIR in delineating the boundaries between GM and WM in the overall brain area. Whereas WM selective 3D DIR provided better gray-white matter distinction of the cerebral cortex than T2W and FLAIR at the level of the medulla oblongata, where T2W and FLAIR images exhibited severe partial volume averaging artifacts. In general, the 3D DIR images demonstrated fewer artifacts compared to other sequences, and the reconstructed sagittal and dorsal images of these sequences maintained same spatial resolution as the original transverse images without any image degradation. Both gray and white matter selective 3D DIR sequences effectively suppressed unwanted signals, thereby providing high contrast between gray and white matter. Findings from this study could serve as a foundation for further studies on DIR sequences for the evaluation of brain diseases in dogs.

Siewert-Kartagener's syndrome in a dog.

Siewert-Kartagener's syndrome, a type of primary ciliary dyskinesia, is a complex disease comprising situs inversus, rhinosinusitis, and bronchiectasis. Situs inversus totalis is a condition in which all organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities are reversed. Furthermore, primary ciliary dyskinesia, an autosomal genetic disease, may coexist with situs inversus totalis. Reports on Siewert-Kartagener's syndrome in veterinary medicine are limited. We report a rare case of primary ciliary dyskinesia with Siewert-Kartagener's syndrome in a dog, concurrently infected with canine distemper virus and type-2 adenovirus. This case highlights that situs inversus totalis can cause primary ciliary dyskinesia, and concurrent infections are possible.

CCIDB: a manually curated cell-cell interaction database with cell context information.

Cell-cell interaction (CCI) is a crucial event in the development and function of multicellular organisms. The development of CCI databases is beneficial for researchers who want to analyze single-cell sequencing data or study CCI through molecular experiments. CCIs are known to act differently according to cellular and biological contexts such as cell types, gene mutations or disease status; however, previous CCI databases do not completely provide this contextual information pertaining to CCIs. We constructed a cell-cell interaction database (CCIDB) containing the biological and clinical contexts involved in each interaction. To build a database of cellular and tissue contexts, we collected 38 types of context features, which were categorized into seven categories, including 'interaction', 'cell type', 'cofactor', 'effector', 'phenotype', 'pathology' and 'reference'. CCIs were manually retrieved from 272 studies published recently (less than 6 years ago). In the current version of CCIDB, 520 CCIs and their 38 context features have been manually collected and curated by biodata engineers. We suggest that CCIDB is a manually curated CCI resource that is highly useful, especially for analyzing context-dependent alterations in CCIs. Database URL https://ccidb.sysmed.kr/.

Radiographic findings of cardiopulmonary structures can predict hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure in cats.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to find the radiographic characteristics for the detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and congestive heart failure (CHF) in cats. ANIMALS: Healthy cats (n = 35) and HCM cats with (21) and without (22) CHF. METHODS: On radiography, the cardiac size using vertebral heart score, left atrium enlargement (LAE), and dilation of the pulmonary vessels were assessed. The sensitivity and specificity of the radiographic characteristics regarding LAE were evaluated with the echocardiographic left atrium to aortic root ratio as a reference. RESULTS: In HCM cats, cardiomegaly, LAE, and dilation of the caudal pulmonary artery were found compared with those in healthy cats. The LAE could be predicted using the elevation of the carina with 94.12% specificity but 17.5% sensitivity. When CHF developed, LAE and dilation of the caudal pulmonary vein (PV) were significantly different compared with those in HCM cats without CHF. The distal side of the summated shadow made by the right caudal PV with the ninth rib in HCM cats with CHF was significantly larger than that in HCM cats without CHF and a cut-off value of 5.35 mm was drawn with 75% sensitivity and 100% specificity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although there was an overlapping of radiographic findings between healthy and HCM cats, radiographic assessment of LAE can be useful for predicting HCM and the distal side of the summated shadow made by the right caudal PV with the ninth rib can predict CHF in HCM cats.