Re: Laboratory safety evaluation of bedinvetmab, a canine anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody, in dogs.

We are writing to express our interest in the article entitled "Laboratory safety evaluation of bedinvetmab, a canine anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody, in dogs", published in the October, 2021 issue of The Veterinary Journal, Volume 276, 105733, by Krautmann and others.

A comparison of fixation methods for supracondylar and distal humeral shaft fractures of the dog and cat.

Retrospective analysis of case records from dogs and cats diagnosed with supracondylar or distal diaphyseal humeral fractures was performed. Complications were compared and outcome was assessed at final follow-up and by owner questionnaire. A total of 37 cases (25 dogs and 12 cats) were included. Methods used consisted of plates and screws or external skeletal fixator (ESF). The ESF was associated with a significantly higher rate of minor complications (14/22) compared with plates and screws (2/15). There was no difference in major or catastrophic complications between fixation methods. Major complications occurred in 4/37 cases and catastrophic complications occurred in 3/37 cases. Good or excellent outcome was achieved in 24/33 of cases. There was no difference in outcome between dogs and cats. Plates and screws or ESF can be successful methods of managing supracondylar and distal diaphyseal humeral fractures in dogs and cats. Prognosis may be more guarded, however, than previously reported.

Comparaison des méthodes de fixation pour les fractures sus-condyliennes et distales de la diaphyse chez le chien et le chat. Une analyse rétrospective des dossiers de cas de chiens et de chats diagnostiqués avec des fractures sus-condyliennes et distales de l'humérus a été réalisée. Les complications ont été comparées et les résultats ont été évalués au suivi final et à l'aide d'un questionnaire rempli par le propriétaire. Trente-sept cas (25 chiens et 12 chats) ont été inclus au total. Les méthodes utilisées comportaient des plaques et des vis ou un fixateur squelettique externe (FSE). Le FSE était associé à un taux significativement supérieur de complications mineures (14/22) comparativement aux plaques et aux vis (2/15). Il n'y avait aucune différence pour les complications majeures ou catastrophiques entre les méthodes de fixation. Des complications majeures se sont produites dans 4/37 cas et des complications majeures se sont produites dans 3/37 cas. Un résultat adéquat ou excellent a été obtenu dans 24/33 des cas. Il n'y avait aucune différence au niveau des résultats entre les chiens et les chats. Les plaques et les vis ou le FSE peuvent être des méthodes réussies de gestion des fractures sus-condyliennes et distales de la diaphyse chez les chiens et les chats. Cependant, le pronostic peut être plus réservé que ce qui avait été précédemment signalé.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Upper airway detection and visualization from cone beam image slices.

This paper describes a method developed to assist in the detection and reconstruction of a three dimensional (3D) model of the human upper airway using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image slices and a 3D Gaussian smoothing kernel. The segmented and reconstructed volumetric airway is characterized by the corresponding three principal axes that are selected for viewing direction orientation via rotation and translation. These axes are derived using the 3D Principal Component Analysis (PCA) result of the rendered volume. To finely adjust the view and access airway, the major and minor axes of each slice are also computed using the two dimensional (2D) PCA in the respective planes. The exterior volume view is visualized in two modes, namely, a solid surface (volume details transparent to user) view and a nontransparent (volume detail accessible) view. This functionality provides an application driven use of the 3D airway in CBCT based anatomy studies. The extracted information may be useful as an imaging biomarker in the diagnostic assessment of patients with upper airway respiratory conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, allergic rhinitis, and other related diseases; as well as planning orthopedic/orthodontic therapies.

The co-morbidity of personality disorder and clinical syndromes in prisoners.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to examine patterns of Axis II co-morbidity using data from the national survey of psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales. METHODS: A one-in-five sub-sample of participants in a survey of psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales was interviewed using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and the Structured Clinical Interview for the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders Axis II personality disorders (PD). Logistic regression analysis was conducted adjusting for confounders of associations with co-morbid psychopathology disorders, age and gender. RESULTS: The most prevalent Axis II disorders in the sample were anti-social, paranoid and borderline PD. Following logistic regression, anti-social and borderline PD demonstrated high levels of co-morbidity with both Axis I and other Axis II disorders, narcissistic PD with other Axis II, and paranoid and avoidant PD with Axis I disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Certain Axis II disorders may increase the risk for lifetime Axis I disorders. Although appropriate statistical procedures reduce the level of Axis II co-morbidity, some patterns may be artefacts of a diagnostic system encouraging multiple diagnostic categories.

Psychiatric and social aspects of suicidal behaviour in prisons.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal behaviour and completed suicide are serious problems within British prisons, leading to significant morbidity and mortality, and are the focus of major efforts towards their prevention. AIM: To explore the demographic, social and psychiatric correlates of suicidal behaviour in prisons in England and Wales and their relationship with health service use; and to develop a combined psychosocial model of risk. METHOD: This report analyses the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the ONS National Prison Survey, and their association with the presence of psychiatric disorders, personality disorder, substance abuse and social risk factors. These data were compared with data from the second national survey of psychiatric morbidity in adults living at home. In both surveys, a two-phase interviewing procedure was used, covering general health, health service use, assessment of psychiatric disorders, life events, social supports, suicidal behaviour, activities of daily living, sociodemographic data, substance abuse and intelligence. RESULTS: Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were commoner in prisons than in the general population and these were significantly associated with higher rates of psychosis, neurosis and personality disorder in prisons. In addition, demographic and factors such as being young, single, white, leaving school early and experiencing poor social support and significant social adversity were important risk factors for suicidal thoughts. Crucially, there was no separate category of people at suicidal risk who did not have psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of suicidal behaviour in prisons cannot be addressed without adequate attention to the high rates of psychiatric disorder and vulnerability factors in prisoners.

Management of childhood constipation: parents' experiences.

BACKGROUND: Constipation in childhood is common and places a burden on child health services. Whilst constipation can have a variety of causes, for most children it is usually non-organic and requires limited intervention. It has been suggested that health professionals can resent consultations for such a common problem, believing them to be inappropriate. However, they can underestimate the impact of this condition, leading to adverse clinical effects, as well as parental dissatisfaction. Little research has explored parents' experiences of consulting health professionals about the management of childhood constipation. AIM: To explore parents' experiences of consulting health professionals about management of childhood constipation and to use the findings to inform more effective therapeutic encounters when responding to parental concerns. METHODS: A phenomenological approach was adopted, using in-depth interviews with parents of 14 children receiving health interventions for constipation. FINDINGS: Six themes emerged from analysis including: 'enduring and extreme constipation', which reflected the substantial and sustained impact of the child's constipation; 'dismissed and fobbed off', which captured parents' feelings that their concerns were frequently dismissed by health professionals; 'asserting the need for action', a perception that they had reached a point at which they had to demand some intervention; and 'validation and acknowledgement', which reflected acknowledgment that, finally, their concerns for their child had been taken seriously and acted on. DISCUSSION: The findings indicate a failure by some health professionals to appreciate fully the significance of childhood constipation, thereby appearing to be unconcerned and insensitive to the needs of child and family. The impact of this is a potential loss of trust in health professionals by parents, which can then have implications for how they perceive and access health services for management of this common childhood problem. The findings offer an insight into parental experiences and indicate the need for a more sensitive approach during health consultations.

Ethnic differences in prisoners. 1: criminality and psychiatric morbidity.

BACKGROUND: In England and Wales, persons of African-Caribbean origin are more likely to be both imprisoned and admitted to secure hospitals. AIMS: To estimate population-based rates of imprisonment in different ethnic groups, and compare criminal behaviour and psychiatric morbidity. METHOD: We examined Home Office data on all persons in prison, and carried out a two-stage cross-sectional survey of 3142 remanded and sentenced, male and female, prisoners in all penal establishments in England and Wales in 1997. RESULTS: We confirmed high rates of imprisonment for Black people and lower rates for South Asians. Different patterns of offending and lower prevalence of psychiatric morbidity were observed in Black prisoners. CONCLUSIONS: Despite increased risks of imprisonment, African-Caribbeans show less psychiatric morbidity than White prisoners. This contrasts with the excess of African-Caribbeans in secure hospitals, an inconsistency possibly in part due to the effects of ethnic groups on admission procedures.

Ethnic differences in prisoners. 2: risk factors and psychiatric service use.

BACKGROUND: The high rates of psychiatric morbidity in prisoners vary between ethnic groups. AIMS: To compare early environmental risks, stressful daily living experiences and reported use of psychiatric services in prisoners from different ethnic groups. METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of 3142 prisoners in all penal establishments in England and Wales in 1997. RESULTS: Fewer Black and South Asian male prisoners reported childhood traumas and conduct disorder, and fewer Black prisoners experienced stressful prison experiences, than White prisoners. Fewer Black women had received previous psychiatric treatment, and fewer Black men had their psychiatric problems identified in prison. Black prisoners were less likely to have received psychiatric treatment than Whites. CONCLUSIONS: The lower prevalence of psychiatric morbidity observed in Black prisoners corresponds with reduced exposure to risk factors. Higher rates of imprisonment might be explained by higher rates of conduct disorder, adolescent-onset criminality and disadvantage within the criminal justice system.