ABSTRACT. Pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (pulsed TDI) has been demonstrated to be useful for the estimation of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions in various human cardiac diseases. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between pulsed TDI and LV function by using cardiac catheterization in healthy dogs and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of pulsed TDI in dogs with spontaneous mitral regurgitation (MR). The peak early diastolic velocity (E'), peak atrial systolic velocity (A'), and peak systolic velocity (S') were detectable in the velocity profiles of the mitral annulus in all the dogs. In the healthy dogs, S' and E' were correlated with LV peak +dP/dt and -dP/dt, respectively. E' was lower in dogs with MR than in dogs without cardiac diseases. E/E' in the MR dogs with decompensated heart failure was significantly increased in comparison with those with compensated heart failure. The sensitivity and specificity of the E/E' cutoff value of 13.0 for identifying decompensated heart failure were 80% and 83%, respectively. In addition, E/E' was significantly correlated with the ratio of left atrial to aortic diameter. These findings suggest that canine pulsed TDI can be applied clinically for estimation of cardiac function and detection of cardiac decompensation and left atrial volume overload in dogs with MR. KEY WORDS: canine, cardiac function, echocardiography, mitral regurgitation, pulsed tissue Doppler.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 67(12): 1207-1215, 2005 Doppler echocardiography is a predominant noninvasive modality that provides a large variety of useful information on cardiac conditions in human and small animal patients. Pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (pulsed TDI) derived from Doppler echocardiography can quantify the velocity of myocardial wall and/or valve annulus motions [30,31,40]. In humans, pulsed TDI of the mitral annulus and myocardial wall has been demonstrated to reflect the systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function in normal subjects [30,45] and patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) [22,46], hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) [36,39,46], restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) [14,16,35], constrictive pericarditis [14,16,35], ischemic heart diseases [4,31,43,46], heart failure [1,24], mitral regurgitation (MR) [2,3,17], atrial fibrillation [29], arterial hypertension [13,46], and cardiac amyloidosis [20].Analysis of pulsed TDI revealed that the peak early diastolic velocity (E'), peak atrial systolic velocity (A'), and peak systolic velocity (S') are typically derived from the velocity profiles of myocardial or valve annulus motions (Fig. 1) [30]. Several studies have revealed that E' and A' are correlated with LV diastolic function [1,13,16,20,24,26,31,36,39,40,45], and S' is correlated with LV systolic function [17,20,22,29,30,43,46]. E' was almost independent of preload and showed no pseudonormal pattern in contrast to the peak early diastolic velocity of LV inflow (E) [5,24]. In addition, a ratio of E to E' (E/E') showed good correlation with pulmo...

Background: The development of evidence-based interventions for delaying or preventing cognitive impairment is an important challenge. Most previous studies using self-report questionnaires face problems with reliability and consistency due to recall bias or misclassification among older people. Therefore, objective measurement of lifestyle components is needed to confirm the relationships between lifestyle factors and cognitive function. Aims: The current study examined the relationship between lifestyle factors collected with wearable sensors and cognitive function among community-dwelling older people using machine learning. Methods: In total, 855 participants (mean age: 73.8 years) wore a wristband sensor for 7.8 days on average every 3 months. Various lifestyle parameters were measured, including walking steps, conversation time, total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, time awake after sleep onset, awakening count, napping time, and heart rate. Random forest (RF) regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between total daily sensing data and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Confounding factor analysis was conducted with models that were adjusted and unadjusted for demographic and vascular risk factors, and selected variables were assessed as risk and protective factors using partial dependence plots (PDPs). Results: Lifestyle data were collected for 31.3 ± 7.1 days per year using wristband sensors. RF regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, and education levels selected four variables, including number of walking steps, conversation time, TST, and heart rate. Moreover, walking steps, conversation time, and heart rate remained after RF regression analysis adjusted for demographic and vascular risk factors. Number of walking steps, conversation time, and heart rate were categorized as protective factors, whereas TST was categorized as a risk factor for cognitive function. Although PDPs of number of walking steps and heart rate revealed continuously increased MMSE scores, those of conversation time and TST and revealed that the tendency in the graph was reversed at the boundary of a particular threshold (321.1 min for conversation time, 434.1 min for TST). Conclusions: Lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, sleep, and social activity appear to be associated with cognitive function among older people. Physical activity and appropriate durations of sleep and conversation are important for cognitive function.

Background: Alterations of hepatic drug metabolism in patients with renal failure are poorly understood. In this study, the effects of uremic substances that can be removed by hemodialysis on in vitrohepatic drug metabolism were studied using human liver microsomes and hepatocytes. Methods: The metabolism of various compounds that undergo oxidation and glucuronidation in the liver was studied using human liver microsomes and hepatocytes in the presence of 11 uremic substances removable by hemodialysis. Results: The formation of resorufin from ethoxyresorufin was inhibited by 3-indoxylsulfate and 3-indoleacetic acid. The formation of 6β-hydroxytestosterone from testosterone was inhibited only by 3-indoxylsulfate. These uremic substances reduced the maximum metabolic rate but not the affinity, suggesting that the inhibitory mechanism was noncompetitive. The inhibition of formation of resorufin and 6β-hydroxytestosterone by 3-indoxylsulfate was also observed in human hepatocytes. The elimination of nicardipine in liver microsomes was decreased significantly in the presence of 3-indoxylsulfate and 3-indoleacetic acid. Conclusion: The hepatic metabolism of certain drugs may be inhibited directly by uremic substances such as 3-indoxylsulfate that accumulate in the plasma in patients with chronic renal failure.

ABSTRACT. A 4-year-old female Miniature Dachshund was referred with a chief complaint of right periorbital swelling that had not responded to antibiotic therapy. Ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration revealed that the periorbital lesion had a cystic structure without any inflammatory or neoplastic cells. Computed tomography (CT) showed that the cyst occupied a defect in the periorbital maxillary, lacrimal, and frontal bones and had invaded the nasal cavity. The lesion was histologically suspected by incisional biopsy as an epithelial cyst. KEY WORDS: canine, computed tomography, periorbital cyst.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 68 (7): [747][748] 2006 A few reports have described cystic lesions around the eye or in the maxilla [2][3][4][5]. Surgery is the treatment of choice for a periorbital cyst. Either marsupialisation or enucleation is performed, depending on various factors-the size of the cyst, its status(unilocular or multilocular), and anatomical structures that are adjacent to the cysts [1,6].Computed tomography (CT) is one of the useful modalities for evaluating lesions in the human orofacial area [1]. However, to our knowledge, CT imaging of canine orofacial cysts has not yet been reported. Therefore, in the present case, we utilized CT imaging to identify the morphological characterization of the cyst.A 4-year-old, female Miniature Dachshund was referred to the Animal Medical Center of Nihon University with a chief complaint of right periorbital swelling. A swelling of the medial lower lid of the right eye had been observed for 2 months. An ophthalmic examination, including a fluorescein dye passage test, no abnormalities. The swelling had recurred despite antibiotic therapy and intermittent fine needle aspiration of the periorbital cyst.On physical examination, a fluctuant swelling with a diameter of 2 cm was palpated in the medial canthus and medial lower lid of the right eye. Ultrasonography revealed that the swelling had an echolucent cystic structure. Sterile serosanguineous fluid was derived from the cyst by fineneedle aspiration. Cytological examination did not provide any evidence for a significant inflammatory process or neoplastic cell infiltration. CT was designed to clarify the morphological structure of the cyst.Under general anesthesia, CT was performed by CT-W450-10A (Hitach Medical Co., Tokyo) with the following scan parameters: 50 mA, 120 kVp, 4.5 s scan, 2-mm continuous slices, and 512 × 512 matrix size. CT imaging revealed a circumscribed and smooth cystic structure (Fig. 1). The cyst had expanded primarily within the right orbital region, invading the nasal cavity and cribriform plate. A periosteal reaction was not observed around the lesion, and the internasal septum, palatine bone, and teeth that were adjacent to the cyst were intact. The subsequent contrast CT * CORRESPONDENCE TO: ASANO, K., Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252-8510, Japan. Fig. 1. Transverse CT imaging at the...

Norovirus (NoV) is a major etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. A total of 314 fecal specimens collected from patients of 39 NoV gastroenteritis outbreaks in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, between December 2001 and April 2006 were tested for the occurrence of recombinant NoVs. Sixteen genotypes (GI/1, GI/2, GI/4, GI/7, GI/8, GI/11, GI/14, GII/2, GII/3, GII/4, GII/5, GII/6, GII/8, GII/12, GII/14, and GII/untypeable) were detected in the 39 outbreaks based on capsid sequences and GII/4 was predominant recently. Twelve strains detected in 11 (28.2%) of the 39 outbreaks were suspected to be recombinants by using Simplot and Recco analyses and five recombinant genotypes, GII/4-GII/12 (five strains), GIIb-GII/3 (four strains), GII/4-GII/2 (one strain), GII/4-GII/14 (one strain), and GI/2-GI/8 (one strain), were identified based on RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and capsid sequences. None of the strains genotyped as GII/4 based on the capsid sequence was identified as a recombinant. The putative recombination points in the recombinant strains were placed either upstream or downstream of the open reading frame (ORF) 1 and ORF2 overlap. The present study indicates the following: (a) recombination among ORFs is common in nature, (b) the involvement of recombinant NoVs in gastroenteritis outbreaks is extensive even in a local area such as Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and (c) the conserved region (ORF1 and ORF2 overlap) has a meaningful function against the recombination event.

ABSTRACT. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP)-like condition was diagnosed in a Japanese domestic cat with stiffness, marked atrophy of the muscles, and limited mobility of all joints in both the pelvic limbs. Etretinate, a retinoid, was used for medical management; however, no improvement in the clinical signs was observed. Inheritance of the disorder has not yet been demonstrated. Furthermore, the clinical signs and histopathological findings of feline FOP-like condition in the present case differed from those of the previously reported cases. KEY WORDS: feline, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, heterotopic ossification.

Expression of NKp46 is involved in cytokine production of CD56(+) NK cells in the peripheral blood and the uterine endometrium.

ABSTRACT. Six adult healthy Beagles were used to investigate the hepatic perfusion dynamics of Levovist, a contrast agent used in contrast harmonic imaging (CHI). In addition, 8 dogs with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 2 dogs with metastatic hepatic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) were used to characterize both the CHI findings with Levovist. In the Beagles, the start of intravenously injected Levovist into the aorta between the cranial mesenteric and renal arteries and the portal vein at the hepatic hilum were 5.47 ± 1.52 sec and 16.03 ± 3.39 sec, respectively. As a characteristic CHI finding in the 8 dogs with HCC, the early arterial phase showed a fine network of blood flow enhanced at the surrounding region and within the tumor in all the 8 dogs (100%), and the post vascular phase demonstrated a defect in the whole tumor and an enhancement of the surrounding hepatic tissues in 7 dogs (87.5%). In the 2 dogs with HSA, characteristic finding in which the early arterial and late vascular phases showed a rim contrast enhancement pattern, and the post vascular phase revealed that the whole tumor lacked contrast enhancement and the surrounding hepatic tissues was clearly enhanced. In dogs, the start of the early arterial and late vascular phases, and the characterizations of the CHI findings in HCC and HSA were suggested to be similar to those in humans. Therefore, CHI is thought to be useful for the diagnosis of HCC and metastatic hepatic HSA in dogs as well as in humans.