Divergences between serum C-reactive protein and ferritin concentrations in canine pyometra.

The main aim of this report was to investigate and compare the response of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin, two positive acute phase proteins (APPs) which usually show an increase in inflammatory processes, in dogs with pyometra. For this purpose, two different studies were made. In the first one , both proteins were measured together in an APPs profile in 25 dogs with pyometra, 25 dogs with pancreatitis (as an example of a positive inflammatory control group), and in 25 healthy dogs. In the second study, to advance the knowledge of the changes and evolution of serum ferritin and CRP in dogs with pyometra after treatment, the concentrations of both APPs were analyzed in 30 dogs with pyometra at diagnosis and after ovariohysterectomy and in 10 clinically healthy female dogs before and after elective spaying. In both studies, bitches with pyometra showed significant increases in serum CRP, indicating an inflammatory condition, but not in serum ferritin despite being a moderate positive APP. This divergence between the dynamics of these APPs could be a useful tool for the suspicion of cases of canine pyometra.

Spatial extent of an outbreak in animal epidemics.

Characterizing the spatial extent of epidemics at the outbreak stage is key to controlling the evolution of the disease. At the outbreak, the number of infected individuals is typically small, and therefore, fluctuations around their average are important: then, it is commonly assumed that the susceptible-infected-recovered mechanism can be described by a stochastic birth-death process of Galton-Watson type. The displacements of the infected individuals can be modeled by resorting to brownian motion, which is applicable when long-range movements and complex network interactions can be safely neglected, like in the case of animal epidemics. In this context, the spatial extent of an epidemic can be assessed by computing the convex hull enclosing the infected individuals at a given time. We derive the exact evolution equations for the mean perimeter and the mean area of the convex hull, and we compare them with Monte Carlo simulations.

Retrospective evaluation of the short-term response of human intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in the management of canine immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (2010-2015): 27 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the short-term response, early prognostic markers, and survival after treatment of canine immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) with human intravenous immunoglobulin (hIVIG) and methylprednisolone. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: Private referral veterinary medical center. ANIMALS: Twenty-seven client-owned dogs with primary or secondary ITP. INTERVENTIONS: All dogs received 2 mg/kg IV methylprednisolone once daily and a single infusion of 5% hIVIG administered over 6-12 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A substantial increase in platelet count within 60 ± 12 hours post-hIVIG infusion (T60) was observed in 19 of the 27 (70%) dogs with ITP (responders). Thirty-four variables, including serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G concentration 24 ± 12 hours post-hIVIG infusion (T24IgG) and increase in serum IgG concentration 24 ± 12 hours post-hIVIG infusion (T24ΔIgG), were compared between responders and nonresponders at 5 different time points. Mortality rates of responders and nonresponders were evaluated 14 days post-hIVIG infusion. Serum T24IgG and serum T24ΔIgG were both significantly higher at T60 in responders. All responders were alive 14 days post-hIVIG infusion, and their mortality rate was significantly lower compared with nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS: Responder dogs had an excellent 14-day survival rate. Serum T24IgG and serum T24ΔIgG concentrations accurately predicted response status at 60 hours post-hIVIG infusion.

Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia and Clinically Suspected Acute Pancreatitis in Dogs, a Pilot Study.

Acute pancreatitis can be a complication of massive hemolysis, above all when intravascular in nature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between canine immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and clinically suspected acute pancreatitis (CSAP) and the role of calculated free plasma hemoglobin (Hbfp) in CSAP occurrence/development. In this cohort study the records of 95 dogs with IMHA and 95 sick dogs with pathologies other than IMHA were compared for CSAP occurrence/development. At presentation, 12/95 dogs with IMHA met criteria for CSAP, while only 3/95 sick control dogs met these criteria (χ2 =1.58, P = .008). Within 7 days of hospitalization 9 additional dogs with IMHA had developed CSAP. The Hbfp was calculated and compared for dogs with IMHA that had/developed CSAP and for those without CSAP. In dogs with IMHA, a calculated Hbfp concentration ≥ 0.08 g/dL resulted in an increased relative risk (RR) of having/developing CSAP (RR = 2.54, 95% CI, 1.51-4.29; P = .003). No significant effect on short-term prognosis in dogs with IMHA was found between those having/developing CSAP and those without CSAP. This study showed that dogs with IMHA have an increased risk of having CSAP and Hbfp concentration may be involved in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis.

Predictive Value of Acute Phase Proteins for the Short-Term Outcome of Meningoencephalitis of Unknown Origin in Dogs.

Meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO) is one of the most common inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The study evaluates the possible increase and the potential role of acute phase proteins (APPs) and other inflammatory serum parameters as biomarkers predicting the short-term outcome of dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUO). A retrospective cohort study was designed. The APP profile and other markers of systemic inflammation of forty-eight client-owned dogs with a new diagnosis of MUO were compared between 7-day survival and non-survival dogs diagnosed with MUO. Thirty-nine (81%) dogs were alive at the end of the 7-day follow-up period, while 9 (19%) dogs died or were euthanized because of MUO. None of the 11 markers of inflammation studied were different between the survived and non-survived dogs; for this reason, none of them could be used as a predictor of the short-term outcome based on the results of the present study. This confirms that even though MUO is often associated with a severe inflammatory status of the central nervous system (CNS), this condition is probably isolated exclusively to the CNS.

Unbiasedness and optimization of regional weight cancellation.

The Monte Carlo method is often used to simulate systems which can be modeled by random walks. To calculate observables, in many implementations the "walkers" carry a statistical weight which is generally assumed to be positive. Some random walk simulations, however, may require walkers to have positive or negative weights: it has been shown that the presence of a mixture of positive and negative weights can impede the statistical convergence, and special weight-cancellation techniques must be adopted to overcome these issues. In a recent work we demonstrated the usefulness of one such method, exact regional weight cancellation, to solve eigenvalue problems in nuclear reactor physics in three spatial dimensions. The method previously exhibited had several limitations (including multigroup transport and isotropic scattering) and needed homogeneous cuboid cancellation regions. In this paper we lift the previous limitations, in view of applying exact regional cancellation to more realistic continuous-energy neutron transport problems. This extended regional cancellation framework is used to optimize the efficiency of the weight cancellation. Our findings are illustrated on a benchmark configuration for reactor physics.

Space and time correlations for diffusion models with prompt and delayed birth-and-death events.

Understanding the statistical properties of a collection of individuals subject to random displacements and birth-and-death events is key to several applications in physics and life sciences, encompassing the diagnostic of nuclear reactors and the analysis of epidemic patterns. Previous investigations of the critical regime, where births and deaths balance on average, have shown that highly non-Poissonian fluctuations might occur in the population, leading to spontaneous spatial clustering, and eventually to a "critical catastrophe," where fluctuations can result in the extinction of the population. A milder behavior is observed when the population size is kept constant: the fluctuations asymptotically level off and the critical catastrophe is averted. In this paper, we extend these results by considering the broader class of models with prompt and delayed birth-and-death events, which mimic the presence of precursors in nuclear reactor physics or incubation in epidemics. We consider models with and without population control mechanisms. Analytical or semi-analytical results for the density, the two-point correlation function, and the mean-squared pair distance will be derived and compared with Monte Carlo simulations, which will be used as a reference.

Analysis of heterogeneous Markov media for particle transport problems.

Markov media provide a prototype class of stochastic geometries that are widely used in order to model several complex and disordered systems encompassing, e.g., turbulent fluids and plasma, atmospheric layers, or biological tissues, especially in relation to particle transport problems. In several key applications, the statistical properties of random media may display spatial gradients due to material stratification, which means that the typical spatial scale and the probability of finding a given material phase at a spatial location become nonhomogeneous. In this paper we investigate the main features of spatially heterogeneous Markov media, using Poisson hyperplane tessellations and Arak polygonal fields. We show that both models can generate geometry realizations sharing Markov-like properties, and discuss their distinct advantages and drawbacks in terms of flexibility and ease of use. The impact of these models on the observables related to particle transport will be assessed using Monte Carlo simulations.

Reduced risk of arterial thromboembolism in cats with pleural effusion due to congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine whether cardiogenic pleural effusion in cats is associated with a lower risk of arterial thromboembolism (ATE) compared with cats with cardiac disease without evidence of pleural effusion. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on owned cats with natural occurring cardiac diseases. Cats included were classified in three groups: those with cardiac disease but no evidence of congestive heart failure (CHF); those with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema; and those with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion. Prevalence of ATE was calculated and the variables analysed for an association with this outcome were the presence and type of CHF, sex and neuter status, age, breed, type of cardiac diseases and left atrial (LA) dimension. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to fit the association between ATE and these variables. RESULTS: A total of 366 cats with cardiac disease met the inclusion criteria: 179 were included in the group with cardiac disease but no evidence of CHF, 66 in the group with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and 121 in the group with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion. Prevalence of ATE (58/366 [15.8%]) was significantly different among groups (with no evidence of CHF, 28/179 [15.6%]; with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, 22/66 [33.3%]; with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion, 8/121 [6.6%]; P <0.001). Cats with ATE had a significantly higher LA to aortic root ratio (2.30 ± 0.46) than those without ATE (2.04 ± 0.46; P <0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the group with evidence of cardiogenic pleural effusion was associated with a lower risk of developing ATE compared with groups with cardiac disease but no evidence of CHF and with evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (P = 0.005 and P <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Presence of cardiogenic pleural effusion is associated with a lower risk of developing ATE, while LA enlargement is a risk factor for ATE.

Multi-phase MULTIDETECTOR-row computed tomographic features and laboratory findings in dogs with gallbladder rupture.

Gallbladder rupture is a life-treating condition in dogs. In human medicine, multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) is considered the best modality for the diagnosis of gallbladder rupture. The aims of the study were to describe MDCT features of gallbladder rupture in dogs and to determine the CT findings and laboratory data that differ between dogs with ruptured biliary tree and dogs with biliary disease with no rupture. For this single-center, cross-sectional study were considered for inclusion dogs presented from May 2010 to September 2020, with surgical diagnosis of gallbladder rupture or integrity, who underwent MDCT examination and with CBC and biochemistry results available for review. Forty-seven dogs with different diseases of the biliary tract were included. Seventeen dogs with confirmed gallbladder rupture and 30 dogs with intact gallbladder were included. Multiple MDCT findings showed statistical significance in distinguish dogs with gallbladder rupture: irregular contours of the gallbladder (p < 0.0001), discontinuation of the gallbladder wall (p = 0.0005), adhesions with adjacent organs (p = 0.005), heterogeneous enhancement of the gallbladder wall (p = 0.01), pericholecystic effusion (p = 0.001) and pericholecystic peritonitis (p = 0.001). The presence of three or more of these findings was highly indicative for gallbladder rupture (AUC = 0.921). In this study, MDCT proved to be useful in differentiating dogs with gallbladder rupture from dogs with biliary disease without rupture.

Fibrinolysis in Dogs with Intracavitary Effusion: A Review.

Physiologic fibrinolysis is a localized process in which stable fibrin strands are broken down by plasmin in response to thrombosis. Plasmin activation can also take place separately from the coagulation process, resulting in pathologic fibrinolysis. When plasmin activation exceeds the neutralizing capacity of plasmin inhibitors, severe bleeding can potentially take place. Although the processes which regulate coagulation and fibrinolysis in the blood are well known, it is less clear as to what extent the same processes take place in the body cavities and whether they influence systemic hemostasis. The results of the studies herein cited demonstrate that coagulation followed by fibrinogenolytic/fibrinolytic activity takes place in all kinds of canine ascitic and pleural fluids. Moreover, systemic clotting abnormalities suggesting primary fibrinolysis/primary hyperfibrinolysis (i.e., elevated plasma fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products [FDPs] and normal D-dimer concentrations with fibrinogen concentrations ≤ 100 mg/dL or above this cut-off, respectively) occur in dogs with intracavitary effusion. Enhanced fibrinolytic activity in dogs with intracavitary effusion can also be detected using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), although the degree of agreement between ROTEM and FDPs, D-dimer and fibrinogen concentrations is poor. Finally, contrary to the thrombotic events commonly documented in some humans and cats with cardiac diseases, bleeding tendencies due to primary fibrinolysis/primary hyperfibrinolysis have been documented in dogs with cardiogenic ascites.

Multidetector-Row CT Findings in Dogs with Different Primary Parathyroid Gland Diseases.

Primary hyperparathyroidism in dogs is a possibly life-threatening condition, characterized by the excess of parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion, which leads to an increase in serum ionized calcium level. The utility of computed tomography (CT) in the detection and characterization of parathyroid diseases in dogs has not been assessed to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the use of multidetector-row CT (MDCT) for the diagnosis of parathyroid disease in dogs. For this descriptive, single-center study, the database of the San Marco Veterinary Clinic was searched for dogs having a suspicion of parathyroid disease who underwent contrast-enhanced MDCT in the period from 2005 to 2021. Dogs with histopathology of the affected parathyroid gland were subsequently considered for inclusion. A total of 22 parathyroid glands were included: 12 adenomas, 8 adenocarcinomas, and two glands with hyperplasia. Several CT features were evaluated, including parathyroid gland affected, lateralization, shape, size, attenuation, and contrast-enhancement. Although the overlap between the appearance of different diseases exists, contrast-enhanced CT was a useful method for the diagnosis of parathyroid disease in dogs.

Low serum folate concentrations in dogs with non-associative immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia.

BACKGROUND: Folate deficiency in people can occur in conditions causing increased demand, including haemolytic anaemia. This has not been investigated in dogs with non-associative immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA). METHODS: Cohort study of 15 dogs with non-associative IMHA. Haematocrit (HCT) and serum folate concentrations were measured at presentation and each subsequent venipuncture performed for monitoring. The relationship between serum folate concentrations and HCT was investigated using linear and logistic mixed-effects regression models and in paired samples using a one-tailed paired t-test. RESULTS: Low serum folate concentrations occurred in five of 15 dogs. In 126 samples, a significant positive relationship was found between HCT and corresponding serum folate concentrations. A significant relationship was found between dichotomised folate concentrations (below the reference interval or within/above the reference interval) and HCT and between serum folate concentrations and dichotomised HCT (less than or equal/above 0.30 L/L). For paired samples (available in eight dogs), the mean serum folate concentration of samples with the lowest HCT was significantly lower than that of samples in which the HCT first exceeded 0.30 L/L. CONCLUSIONS: Low serum folate concentrations were observed in some dogs with non-associative IMHA. Further studies are needed to determine the cause and investigate whether folate supplementation would be beneficial.

Exact weight cancellation in Monte Carlo eigenvalue transport problems.

Random walks are frequently used as a model for very diverse physical phenomena. The Monte Carlo method is a versatile tool for the study of the properties of systems modeled as random walks. Often, each walker is associated with a statistical weight, used in the estimation of observable quantities. Weights are typically assumed to be positive; nonetheless, some applications require the use of positive and negative weights or complex weights and often pose particular challenges with convergence. In this paper we examine such a case from the field of nuclear reactor physics, where the negative particle weights prevent the power iteration algorithm from converging on the sought fundamental eigenstate of the Boltzmann transport equation. We demonstrate how the use of weight cancellation allows convergence on the physical eigenstate. To this end, we develop a method to perform weight cancellation in an exact manner, in three spatial dimensions. The viability of this algorithm is then demonstrated on a reactor physics problem.

Genetic Insights into Feline Parvovirus: Evaluation of Viral Evolutionary Patterns and Association between Phylogeny and Clinical Variables.

Feline panleukopenia is a severe disease of cats caused by feline parvovirus (FPV), and marginally canine parvovirus (CPV). Despite being less rapid than CPV, FPV evolution deserves attention, especially since outbreaks of particular severity are currently reported. This apparently different virulence needs monitoring from genetic and clinical points of view. This manuscript explored FPV molecular epidemiology at both Italian and international levels and the possible association between viral phylogeny and disease severity. Sequences from clinical cases of feline panleukopenia in Italy were obtained from 2011 to 2019, and the etiological agent was characterized, distinguishing FPV from CPV. Phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses were conducted on Italian and international sequences. Moreover, the association between the viral sequence and clinical variables was evaluated on a group of highly characterized patients. After its origin in the 1920s, FPV showed a constant population size until a more recent expansion since 2000. Few long-distance introduction events characterized FPV spreading, however, most of its evolution occurred locally. Although without a strong statistical association, several clinical variables appeared influenced by viral phylogeny, suggesting a differential virulence potentially characterizing FPV strains. These results stress the importance of the continuous study of viral evolution and its repercussions on the disease clinical aspects.

Hitting probability for anomalous diffusion processes.

We present the universal features of the hitting probability Q(x,L), the probability that a generic stochastic process starting at x and evolving in a box [0, L] hits the upper boundary L before hitting the lower boundary at 0. For a generic self-affine process, we show that Q(x,L)=Q(z=x/L) has a scaling Q(z) approximately z;{phi} as z-->0, where phi=theta/H, H, and theta being the Hurst and persistence exponent of the process, respectively. This result is verified in several exact calculations, including when the process represents the position of a particle diffusing in a disordered potential. We also provide numerical support for our analytical results.

Prognostic value of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and serum concentrations of acute phase proteins, cholesterol, and total thyroxine in cats with panleukopenia.

BACKGROUND: Feline parvovirus (FPV) is a common and potentially lethal infectious agent in cats. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic value of age, neuter status, serum concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, cholesterol and total thyroxine (tT4), and the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in cats with panleukopenia. ANIMALS: Client-owned cats with FPV infection diagnosed by a positive fecal ELISA test, positive PCR on feces or blood or both. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. The electronic medical database was searched for cats with FPV infection presented between January 2010 and January 2018. Cats were divided into survivors and nonsurvivors according to their survival status 28 days after hospital admission. The prognostic importance of each variable was investigated univariately and by multivariable Cox's proportional-hazards regression. Finally, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the best cutoff value for discriminating survivors from nonsurvivors for the statistically significant prognostic predictors identified by multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Seventy cats were enrolled in the study. Multivariable analysis determined that only serum tT4 concentration at hospital admission was significantly (P = .01) associated with survival. A cutoff value of 0.82 µg/dL was identified by ROC curve analysis for serum tT4 concentration in discriminating survivors from nonsurvivors. Sensitivity at this cutoff was 73.9% and specificity was 82.9% (area under the curve, 0.783; 95% confidence interval, 0.668-0.873; P < .0001). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Serum tT4 concentration at hospital admission has prognostic value in cats with FPV infection.

Discriminating transudates and exudates in dogs with pleural effusion: diagnostic utility of simplified Light's criteria compared with traditional veterinary classification.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the simplified Light's criteria (ie, pleural effusion lactate dehydrogenase concentration and serum total protein) can identify the pathophysiology of pleural effusion formation in dogs, and to assess whether these criteria were more accurate than the traditional veterinary classification based on pleural effusion total protein (TPp) and nucleated cell count (TNCCp). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study including 100 dogs with pleural effusion. The aetiology of effusion was used to classify the pathophysiology of its formation. Parameters measured included the simplified Light's criteria, TPp and TNCCp. The diagnostic utility of the two methods in classifying pleural effusion formation was evaluated. RESULTS: Seven transudates due to decreased colloid osmotic pressure, 18 transudates due to increased hydrostatic pressure gradient and 75 exudates were included in the study. The simplified Light's criteria misclassified 2 of 75 exudates (98 per cent overall accuracy). The traditional veterinary classification scheme misclassified 31 of 75 exudates and 12 of 18 increased hydrostatic pressure gradient transudates (57 per cent overall accuracy). The frequency of agreement between the simplified Light's criteria and the traditional veterinary classification with the true nature of the pleural effusion was significantly different (P<0.001). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The simplified Light's criteria were highly accurate in discriminating exudates from transudates, while TPp and TNCCp had no diagnostic value in doing so.

Thyroid axis and adrenal activity in 28 day survivor and nonsurvivor dogs involved in recent road traffic accidents: A cohort study of 420 dogs.

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the impact of a recent trauma on thyroid axis and adrenal activity in dogs and to assess the usefulness of urinary cortisol-to-creatinine ratio (UCCR), basal serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine (tT4), and free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations in predicting outcome in dogs traumatized by a road traffic accident (RTA). An RTA exposed group of 210 dogs was evaluated within 24  hours of the trauma. Their data were compared with data from a matched group of dogs with other diagnoses. UCCR was positively correlated with the trauma severity and was higher in the exposed group than in the nonexposed group (median 101.500 vs. 21.02; p < 0.0001). tT4 values were statistically similar between the two groups, but were correlated with a trauma score, while TSH (median = 0.050 vs. 0.080 ng/mL; p < 0.0001) and fT4 (median = 15.850 vs. 17.950 pmol/L; p = 0.0037) were significantly lower for the exposed group. Nonsurvivors in comparison to survivors presented and higher median UCCR (181.800 vs. 93.850 respectively; p = 0.020), and a lower serum fT4 (12.700 vs. 16.500 pmol/L, respectively; p = 0.0046). A similar pattern had been observed for tT4. TSH levels were not predictive of survival. This study provides insights into the endocrine characteristics of dogs suffering from acute trauma. UCCR was higher while fT4 and TSH were both lower in RTA-injured dogs than in dogs affected by other conditions. Furthermore low fT4 and tT4, and a high UCCR could be useful prognostic factors in dogs affected by RTA trauma.

Model of dispersive transport across sharp interfaces between porous materials.

Recent laboratory experiments on solute migration in composite porous columns have shown an asymmetry in the solute arrival time upon reversal of the flow direction, which is not explained by current paradigms of transport. In this work, we propose a definition for the solute flux across sharp interfaces and explore the underlying microscopic particle dynamics by applying Monte Carlo simulation. Our results are consistent with previous experimental findings and explain the observed transport asymmetry. An interpretation of the proposed physical mechanism in terms of a flux rectification is also provided. The approach is quite general and can be extended to other situations involving transport across sharp interfaces.