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Background Dogs with hypoadrenocorticism (HA) frequently show signs of gastrointestinal disease (SGD). The prevalence of dogs presented for chronic SGD with HA is unknown. Objectives The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of HA in dogs with chronic SGD and to identify clinical and laboratory variables for HA in this population. Animals One hundred fifty‐one dogs with chronic SGD. Methods In this multicentered prevalence study a standardized workup was performed in prospectively enrolled dogs with SGD > 3 weeks duration. Basal serum cortisol concentration was measured in every dog with ACTH stimulation test (ACTHST) if basal serum cortisol concentration was <3 μg/dL. Results Basal serum cortisol concentration was <3 μg/dL in 80/151 (53%) dogs, <2 μg/dL in 42/151 (28%) dogs, and < 1 μg/dL in 9/151 (6%) dogs. In 6/151 dogs HA was diagnosed based on ACTHST (stimulated serum cortisol concentration < 2 μg/dL), a prevalence of 4%. There was no difference in history, physical examination, and laboratory variables between dogs with HA and those with other causes of chronic SGD. In 4/6 dogs with HA, there was melena or hematochezia indicating gastrointestinal blood loss. Hyperkalemia, hyponatremia, or both was not observed in any dog. Conclusion and Clinical Importance The prevalence of HA among dogs with chronic SGD is higher than in the general population. Based on these results, testing adrenal function should be performed as a standard screening test in dogs with chronic SGD to differentiate between HA and chronic enteropathies.

The aim of the study was to analyze glucocorticoid (GC) dosing protocols in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism (HA), and to identify predictors for optimal clinical outcomes during both the acute and chronic phases of the disease, as well as during long-term therapy. This observational cross-sectional study utilized a case-based online questionnaire. Practicing veterinarians across Germany were invited to participate. The survey collected data in the disease course and follow-ups. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, single and multiple comparisons, and a multivariable logistic regression model. For 103 dogs the questionnaire was fully completed and analyzed. Of these, 85 dogs (82.5%) were hospitalized, and they received either prednisolone (52.9%), dexamethasone (31.8%) or hydrocortisone (11.8%). Hydrocortisone therapy was associated with a shorter hospitalization time and faster normalization of electrolytes compared to prednisolone. Follow-up data were available for 85 dogs, with 82.35% ( = 70/85) achieving an optimal or well-adjusted clinical outcome. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the eukalemic and eunatremic form was significantly less associated with the presence of azotemia and the occurrence of an acute adrenal crisis. Dividing the daily GC dosage was associated with poorer clinical outcomes and a reduced likelihood of achieving optimal medication adjustment. Our findings provide new, relevant recommendations for the therapeutic management of HA in dogs. Hydrocortisone appears to be a promising treatment for managing HA during hospitalization, highlighting its potential use in clinical practice. Once-daily administration of prednisolone is advisable for long-term therapy. To achieve the best possible outcome, implementing an optimal treatment protocol is essential, which veterinarians should tailor based on the needs of both owners and animals. The main limitations of the study include its retrospective nature and the limited number of participants. Future studies, particularly prospective ones, could further validate the beneficial effects of hydrocortisone and evaluate long-term therapy in comparison to prednisolone.

Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) blown films fabricated under two different processing conditions, namely a non-stalk bubble configuration and a stalk bubble configuration, were investigated. Morphological characterization was performed using small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, infrared dichroism, and differential scanning calorimetry. The findings on crystal orientation characteristics of the films suggest that modification on the widely accepted row orientation model of Keller and Machin may be needed. In comparison to the conventional non-stalk bubble geometry for LLDPE film blowing, the stalk bubble configuration can produce a more randomly orientated lamellar texture, resulting in less anisotropy in mechanical properties and a higher dart impact resistance. A good correlation between mechanical properties and morphological features was found.

Photopolymerizable diacrylate monomers dissolved in fluid-layer smectic A and smectic C liquid crystal (LC) hosts exhibited significant spatial segregation and orientation that depend strongly on monomer structure. Small, flexible monomers such as 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) oriented parallel to the smectic layers and intercalated, whereas rod-shaped mesogen-like monomers such as 1,4-di-(4-(6-acryloyloxyhexyloxy)benzoyloxy)-2-methylbenzene (C6M) oriented normal to the smectic layers and collected within them. Such spatial segregation caused by the smectic layering dramatically enhanced photopolymerization rates; for HDDA, termination rates were reduced, whereas for C6M, both the termination and propagation rates were increased. These polymerization precursor structures suggest novel materials-design paradigms for gel LCs and nanophase-separated polymer systems.

Particles possessing nanometre-scale pores of well-defined size and connectivity are of interest for catalysis, chromatography and controlled release of drugs, and as fillers with low dielectric constant, pigments and hosts for optically active compounds 1 , 2 . Silica containing ordered mesopores (of nanometre-scale width) can be prepared by templating of surfactant 3 , 4 and block copolymer 5 liquid-crystalline mesophases, and interfacial phenomena have been used to control the macroscopic form of these materials, providing mesoporous particles 1 , 6 , fibres 7 , 8 and films 9 , 10 . A variety of spherical or nearly spherical particles has been reported 1 , 6 , 7 , 11 , 12 , 13 , but the degree of ordering and the range of the porous mesostructures have been limited. Here we report a rapid, aerosol-based 14 , 15 , 16 process for synthesizing solid, well-ordered spherical particles with stable pore mesostructures of hexagonal and cubic topology, as well as layered (vesicular) structures. Our method relies on evaporation-induced interfacial self-assembly 17 confined to spherical aerosol droplets. This simple, generalizable process can be modified for the formation of ordered mesostructured thin films.

Control of the hydrolysis and condensation of soluble precursors of titanium is shown to yield oxide coatings of well-defined morphology. A ``smooth'' coating, consisting of patches of titania on silica, causes only a small increase in the surface area, from 130 m2/g for the uncoated silica gel to 154 m2/g. On the other hand, the ``rough'' coating, which consists of 3 nm diameter titania particles dispersed over the silica surface, results in an increase in the BET surface area to 350 m2/g. The specific titania surface area was determined via isopropanol dehydration activity and was found to be comparable to the BET surface area indicating that the titania phase is responsible for the increase in surface area. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provide definitive evidence for the coating morphology while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the dispersion of the titania. The supported titania maintains its surface area upon calcination at temperatures up to 873 K while unsupported titania looses much of its surface area. Also demonstrated in this work is a novel preparation method using titanium bis-ammonium lactato dihydroxide (TALH), a water soluble precursor.

Thin films of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) material, confined between solid bounding plates are unique systems which exhibit high speed bistable electro-optic effects. The defects observed in these materials, both static and dynamic, prompted our investigations using high resolution X-ray scattering and optical microscopy. These experiments have enabled us to determine the layer and director structures of FLC systems and therefore understand many commonly observed features. We show that these structures are strongly dependent on surface treatment and temperature dependent material properties. In samples with planar alignment of the director with respect to the bounding plates, we find a surprising 'chevron' structure of tilted layers. This structure is formed as a response to the shrinking of the smectic C layers while being anchored at the solid plates. We show that the chevron layer structure introduces a planar defect of the ferroelectric polarization in the smectic C* phase, parallel to the bounding plates at the chevron tips. Stabilization of the director field in smectic C chevron cells occurs at this chevron interface, so that smectic C chevron cells behave as two nearly independent cells, optically and electrically in series. We present the full three dimensional layer structure of zig-zag walls, the predominant surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC) defect, which we find mediates a change in chevron direction. Samples prepared with obliquely evaporated silicon monoxide (SiO) surface treatments, which promote non-planar alignment of the director at the bounding plates, reveal a local layer structure and switching mechanisms which are dependent on the arrangement of the evaporation directions on the plates. For cells with antiparallel alignment of the evaporation directions on the upper and lower plates, uniformly tilted layers are observed. In cells with parallel alignment, a monodomain of chevroned layers is formed.

Fusarium spp. are important pathogens on cereals, capable of causing considerable yield losses and significantly reducing the quality of harvested grains due to contamination with mycotoxins. The European Union intends to reduce the use of chemical-synthetic plant protection products (csPPP) by up to 50% by the year 2030. To realize this endeavor without significant economic losses for farmers, it is crucial to have both precise early detection of pathogens and effective alternatives for csPPP. To investigate both the early detection of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the efficacy of selected biological control agents (BCAs), a pot experiment with spring wheat (cv. ‘Servus’) was conducted under semi-field conditions. Spikes were sprayed with different BCAs prior to inoculation with a mixture of F. graminearum and F. culmorum conidia. While early detection of FHB was investigated by hyperspectral imaging (HSI), the efficiency of the fungal (Trichoderma sp. T10, T. harzianum T16, T. asperellum T23 and Clonostachys rosea CRP1104) and bacterial (Bacillus subtilis HG77 and Pseudomonas fluorescens G308) BCAs was assessed by visual monitoring. Evaluation of the hyperspectral images using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) resulted in a pathogen detection nine days post inoculation (dpi) with the pathogen, and thus four days before the first symptoms could be visually detected. Furthermore, support vector machines (SVM) and a combination of LDA and distance classifier (DC) were also able to detect FHB symptoms earlier than manual rating. Scoring the spikes at 13 and 17 dpi with the pathogen showed no significant differences in the FHB incidence among the treatments. Nevertheless, there is a trend suggesting that all BCAs exhibit a diminishing effect against FHB, with fungal isolates demonstrating greater efficacy compared to bacterial ones.

GATA3 is a transcription factor with an important role in atopic diseases because of its role in the differentiation of Th2 lymphocytes. Moreover, GATA3 is expressed in keratinocytes and has a role in keratinocyte differentiation and the establishment of the epidermal barrier. In this study, we investigated the role of GATA3 in keratinocytes in the context of epidermal barrier integrity under inflammatory skin conditions. When analysing skin samples from atopic dermatitis and psoriasis patients or healthy controls, we detected decreased expression of GATA3 in the stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis patients when compared to healthy controls. Our cell cultures experiments revealed that a downregulation in GATA3 by shRNA leads to a significant reduction of filaggrin mRNA under atopic dermatitis-like conditions in keratinocytes. Overexpression of GATA3 in keratinocytes reversed this effect and significantly upregulated filaggrin and, furthermore, filaggrin-2 mRNA expression. Our results demonstrate that GATA3 is involved in the regulation of filaggrin and filaggrin-2 expression during inflammatory conditions in the skin. Thus, GATA3 may be of special importance for the establishment and maintenance of an intact epidermal barrier, especially in atopic dermatitis.