Short-term efficacy and limitations of foot care in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Foot and ankle impairments are major issues in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Foot deformities often lead to skin disorders, such as callosities, ingrown toenails, and interdigital tinea pedis. This study was aimed at investigating the efficacy and limitations of foot care by experts in patients with RA. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with RA who began receiving foot care from nurses at our institution between September 2020 and February 2023 were included. Responses to a survey using the self-administered foot evaluation questionnaire (SAFE-Q) for patient-reported outcome measures were compared at baseline, the second visit (1.3 ± 0.5 months after baseline), and the third visit (3.6 ± 1.6 months after baseline). RESULTS: Scores for 'Pain and pain-related' and 'General health and well-being' components of SAFE-Q markedly improved after foot care. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the scores for 'Physical functioning and daily living', 'Social functioning', and 'Shoe-related' components during observation periods. CONCLUSIONS: Foot care for rheumatoid feet is effective in providing pain relief and improving general health and well-being. However, physical and social functioning and footwear issues did not improve. Clinicians must understand the effects and limitations of foot care in patients with RA.

Response to estrus induction with abortion treatment in microminipigs on different days after insemination.

In microminipigs, estrus induction with abortion treatment, which is typically performed between 25 and 40 days after mating, is not always successful. Thus, the authors hypothesized that it may be more difficult to induce estrus by treating microminipigs approximately 40 days after mating. Accordingly, in this study, estrus induction was performed with abortion treatment in four microminipigs as follows: 0.3 mg of cloprostenol, a prostaglandin F2-alpha analog, was administered (day 0); after 24 h, 0.15 mg of cloprostenol and 250 IU of equine chorionic gonadotrophin were administered intramuscularly and simultaneously (day 1); after 96 h, 120 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin was injected intramuscularly (day 4). These treatments were compared at two different stages of pregnancy: early treatment (26.5 ± 0.7 days) and late treatment (38.3 ± 0.8 days). In the early treatment, all four microminipigs exhibited estrus on day 5, whereas in the late treatment, estrus was observed clearly in only two pigs on day 6 and slightly in 1 pig on day 10, whereas it was unclear in 1 pig. These results suggest that it is difficult to induce estrus with abortion treatment in microminipigs at approximately 40 days after mating.

Hematological and biochemical reference values for the endangered kiso horse.

To establish blood and biochemical references for the endangered Kiso horse, blood samples were collected from 111 adult Kiso horses, 74.5% of the existing breed. The samples were analyzed for 23 hematological and biochemical parameters to determine their means and standard deviations (SD). We compared the mean ± 2SD with the reference values cited in one of the most commonly used veterinary textbooks in Japan. The hematology of Kiso horses is characterized by lower erythrocyte count and hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. In addition, their serum biochemistry showed lower levels of aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and γ-glutamyl transferase. Whether these propensities are attributed to breed-specific factors or are acquired factors remains unclear. Nevertheless, this study provides useful diagnostic indices for the endangered Kiso horse.

Population statistics and biological traits of endangered kiso horse.

The objective of this study was to clarify the current status of endangered Kiso horse, population statistics and biological traits, in order to take a step for the conservation by scientific approach. We surveyed 125 Kiso horses (86.2% of the whole breed), analyzed the construction of the population, and calculated the coefficient of inbreeding and effective population size. Moreover, we confirmed coat color variations and the traditional traits of the Kiso horse, and measured their height at the withers and chest circumference to clarify their physical characteristics. The population pyramid of the horses was stationary or contractive, suggesting a reduction of the population in the near future. The effective population size of the horse (47.9) suggested that the diversity was much less than their census size, and the high coefficient of inbreeding, 0.11 ± 0.07 on average, suggested that the horses were surely inbred. The horses had only 4 coat colors; bay, dark bay, buckskin dun, and chestnut, and 116 horses (92.8%) were bayish color, suggesting the fixation in their coat color. Moreover, the majority of them had dorsal stripe (83 horses; 66.4%), and the average heights at withers(131.9 ± 4.4 cm) and chest circumference (167.1 ± 10.1 cm) were not significantly different between males and females.

Genetic characterization of the Miyako horse based on polymorphisms of microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA.

To help plan conservation of the endangered Miyako horse, a biological resource of the Miyako Islands in Japan, we characterized the genetics of the breed by genotyping 32 microsatellites and identifying mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. We also calculated genetic distances between individuals based on the proportion of shared alleles and visualized the genetic relationships with a phylogenetic tree. Two important results were obtained. One is that accurate pedigree registration of the horse by using microsatellites is possible, as the exclusion power of parentage testing is 0.999998. Another is that the current genetic diversity of the horses was clarified. The average number of alleles, observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity were 4.2, 0.701 and 0.649, respectively, for the 35 analyzed horses. The probability values for bottleneck models (infinite allele model: 0.00000; stepwise mutation model: 0.00026; and two-phase model: 0.00000) suggested that Miyako horses have experienced a recent genetic bottleneck. Only one mitochondrial haplotype was identified. Consequently, genetic diversity within the population is relatively well-maintained despite a very small population size (41 at the time of the study), and the first priority in conservation of the Miyako horse is to increase the population size.

Cryopreservation of lar gibbon semen collected by manual stimulation.

We confirmed ejaculation as a result of manual stimulation in a lar gibbon, and attempted to cryopreserve the semen using TES-Tris-egg yolk-based (TTE) extender. After measuring the amount of semen (g), we first diluted the semen with TTE extender, and calculated sperm concentration (sperm/ml), total sperm count (sperm), and progressive sperm motility (%). Then, we cooled diluted semen slowly to 4 °C over 2 h, and added an equal volume of secondary extender containing glycerol over 30 min. Finally, we flash-froze the semen solution by plunging into liquid nitrogen. In addition, we freeze-thawed the solution to determine the recovery rate of the motile sperm. Collection of semen was successful on four of the five occasions. The median (min-max) quantity of ejaculate was 0.19 g (0.09-0.26 g), the median sperm concentration was 1.38 × 10(9) sperm/ml (1.20-1.53 × 10(9) sperm/ml), and the median total sperm count was 0.26 × 10(9) sperm (0.11-0.40 × 10(9) sperm). Moreover, the median sperm motility immediately after ejaculation was 65 % (60-75 %), the median sperm motility after freeze-thawing was 30 % (25-35 %), and the median recovery rate was 42.3 % (40.0-58.3 %). We were able to (1) collect semen from a lar gibbon by manual stimulation, (2) reveal andrological findings regarding semen characteristics, and (3) preserve the genetic resource using TTE cryopreservation.

Pre-Operative Left Ventricular Torsion, QRS Width/CRT, and Post-Mitral Surgery Outcomes in Patients With Nonischemic, Chronic, Severe Secondary Mitral Regurgitation.

The selection of appropriate candidates for mitral surgery among symptomatic patients with nonischemic, chronic, secondary severe mitral regurgitation (NICSMR) remains a clinical challenge. We studied 50 consecutive symptomatic NICSMR patients for a median follow-up of 2.5 years after mitral surgery and concluded that the pre-operative 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography-derived left ventricular torsional profile and QRS width/cardiac resynchronization therapy are potentially important prognostic indicators for post-surgery survival and reverse remodeling.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ovarian Activity in Microminipigs Showing Normal Estrous Cycles.

We investigated whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might be applicable to evaluation of the ovarian activity of microminipigs. Firstly, using three mature microminipigs, we confirmed ovarian position and morphology by laparotomy or laparoscopy, and then acquired MRI images in various patterns to determine the most suitable condition for the acquisition. Next, using four microminipigs, we performed daily MRI, starting 10 days after ovulation and ending 10 days after the subsequent ovulation, as the starting day of standing estrus was taken as day 0. While the ovarian structure could not be discriminated on T1-weighted imaging, it was possible to confirm the follicles during estrus as hyperintense regions on T2-weighted imaging. With chronological MRI, 3-5 follicles were visible on T2-weighted imaging during the interval from day -2 to day 1, and their size immediately prior to ovulation was 3-5 mm. However, confirmation of the presence of small follicles and the corpus luteum was difficult.

Body and major organ sizes of young mature microminipigs determined by computed tomography.

To understand the anatomical characteristics of microminipigs, one of the smallest miniature pigs, as a large animal model, we measured the body and organ sizes of four-, five-, six-, and seven-month-old microminipigs (n = 4, females) using computed tomography. In addition, the results were compared with those of young mature beagles (10 months old, two males and three females), which have been widely used as a large animal model. The microminipigs at 4-6 months of age were much smaller than the beagles. However, when the microminipigs reached seven months of age, their overall size was similar to that of the beagles. The thoracic cavity volume of the seven-month-old microminipigs was less than half that of the beagles, and the cavity was largely filled by the heart. The liver size of the seven-month-old microminipigs was approximately half of that of the beagles. Moreover, the spleen of the seven-month-old microminipigs was different in morphology, but not different in size from that of the beagles. In addition, although their volumes were the same, the kidneys of the seven-month-old microminipigs, unlike those of the beagles, were flattened in shape. Collectively, the major abdominal organs of the seven-month-old microminipigs were either the same size or smaller than those of the beagles, but the abdominal cavity volume of the seven-month-old microminipigs was larger than that of the beagles. Thus, the abdominal cavity of microminipigs is assumed to be filled with the gastrointestinal tract. The anatomical characteristics of the young mature microminipigs revealed in our study suggest that microminipigs could have great potential as a large animal model for biomedical research.

Genetic diversity of maternal lineage in the endangered Kiso horse based on polymorphism of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region.

To determine genetic characteristics of the maternal lineage of the Kiso horse based on polymorphisms of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region, we collected blood samples from 136 Kiso horses, 91% of the entire population, and sequenced 411 bp from 15,437 to 15,847 in the region. First of all, we estimated the demographic history; by searching homology between the obtained and known sequences using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, by mismatch analysis to evaluate the mutation processes using Arlequin, and by building a phylogenetic tree showing the relationship of the mtDNA haplotypes for 24 horse breeds around the world using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis softwear. The results suggested that various horses that came to Japan stayed at Kiso region and became ancestors of Kiso horse and also genetically supported the theory that the Kiso horse was historically improved by other Japanese native horse breeds. Next, we analyzed the diversity of current maternal lineage by classifying the resulting sequences, and by calculating the haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity using Arlequin. Then, we visualized the relationship among haplotypes by a median-joining network using NETWORK 4.6.0.0. The results suggested the diversity of maternal lineage in the Kiso horse was reasonably maintained. Lastly, we predicted future change of the diversity of maternal lineage in Kiso horse by assessing the regional distribution of the acquired haplotypes. The distribution suggested that diversity of maternal lineage would possibly be reducing.

Genetic characterization of the endangered Kiso horse using 31 microsatellite DNAs.

In order to contribute to conservation of the endangered Kiso horse, we clarified their genetic information using 31 microsatellite DNAs, and genotyped 125 horses, 83% of the existing breed. First, we clarified the current status of the horses. The horses were confirmed to have experienced rapid loss of population causing a bottleneck, and their effective population size was much smaller than their census size. Moreover, the number of alleles (6.3), observed heterozygosity (0.674), and expected heterozygosity (0.662) were in the same range as other endangered horses all over the world. Therefore, although their inbreeding level was not so severe (F(is): -0.017), the Kiso horse is surely one of the endangered. Second, we obtained genetic information of individuals. This information allowed us to understand the genetic distance of individuals, and might help in development of a reproductive strategy concerning the genetic distance between the mating pairs. Moreover, there appeared to be 4 subpopulations of Kiso horse, and this result was in good agreement with their historical background. Third, we confirmed that the parentage test for identification using the 31 microsatellite DNAs was highly reliable (probability of exclusion: 0.999999993). This identification increases the reliability of stud certification, and is also helpful for effective management. Understanding the genetic diversity within the population and the relationships among individuals is important to ensuring effective management for maintenance of genetic variation, and this study may help in conservation of the endangered Kiso horse.