Comparison of zootechnical performances, welfare condition and quality traits of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis) reared in different Italian farms.

Growth performances of sunshine bass (initial m.b.w.=200\ub150 g) were examined in 3 different rearing conditions: concrete square basins (HSB-1); raceways (HSB-2); natural ponds (HSB-3). Fish received the same extruded feed (prot. 48.8%; lip. 17.8%). The trial lasted 16 months in HSB-1 and HSB-2 and 12 months in HSB-3 due to unfavourable welfare status and low growth performances. At harvest (16 months), sunshine bass reached a satisfactory mean weight without significant differences between groups. HSB-2 fish were longer with a smaller circumference, probably due to different hydrodynamics of the raceway. Glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, protein, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine kinase (CK), glycogen of plasma or tissue were not affected by rearing conditions as well as the proximate composition and the fatty acid profile of the fillet

Evaluation of macular pigment optical density following femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery

Background: To evaluate macular pigment optical density (MPOD) after bimanual femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) compared to standard bimanual phacoemulsification (B-MICS). Methods: Aprospective, casematched, comparative cohort study conducted at theInstitute of Ophthalmology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy); 30 eyes under wentbimanual FLACS with low-energy Ziemer LDV Z8 (FLACS) and 30 underwent B-MICS standard technique (B-MICS). All interventions were conducted by the same expert surgeon. MPOD using the Macular Pigment Screener II (MPS II) was evaluated at baseline, 7 and 30 days after surgery. As secondary outcomes, we considered best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) obtained using optical coherence tomography. Results: In all cases, a BunnyLens AF IOL was safely implanted in the capsular bag through a1.4 mm incision. We found asignificant reductionin MPOD in both groups at 7 and 30 days; 0.16 ±0.14 and 0.10±0.12 (FLACS) and 0.18±0.13 and 0.15±0.14 (B-MICS), respectively (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at either 7 (P=0.52) or 30 days (P=0.18). BCVA improved significantly in both groups and CMT increased in both groups (P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). BCVA and CMT were similar between the groups with a significant difference in CMT in favor of the FLACS group at 30 days (P=0.017). Conclusions: MPOD was reduced in both groups without any significant difference between the FLACS and B-MICS cataract interventions. FLACS is associated with a significantly higher increase of macular thickness at 30 days compared to B-MICS

Limited Vitrectomy versus Complete Vitrectomy for Epiretinal Membranes: A Comparative Multicenter Trial

Purpose. To evaluate whether limited vitrectomy is as effective as complete vitrectomy in eyes with epiretinal membrane (ERM) and to compare the surgical times and rates of complications. Methods. In this multicentre European study, data of eyes with ERM that underwent vitrectomy from January 2017 to July 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. In the limited vitrectomy group, a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was induced up till the equator as opposed to complete PVD induction till the vitreous base in the comparison group. Incidence of iatrogenic retinal breaks, retinal detachment, surgical time, and visual outcomes were compared between groups. Results. We included 139 eyes in the analysis with a mean age being 72.2 \ub1 6.9 years. In this, sixty-five eyes (47%) underwent limited vitrectomy and 74 eyes (53%) underwent complete vitrectomy. Iatrogenic retinal tears were seen in both groups (5% in limited vitrectomy versus 7% in complete vitrectomy, p=0.49). Retinal detachment occurred in 2 eyes in the limited vitrectomy group (3%) compared to none in the complete vitrectomy group (p=0.22). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness improved significantly with no intergroup differences (p=0.18). Surgical time was significantly shorter in the limited vitrectomy group with 91% surgeries taking less than 1 hour compared to 71% in the complete vitrectomy group (p<0.001). Conclusion. A limited vitrectomy is a time-efficient and effective surgical procedure for removal of epiretinal membrane with no additional complications

Bottom up ethics - neuroenhancement in education and employment

Neuroenhancement involves the use of neurotechnologies to improve cognitive, affective or behavioural functioning, where these are not judged to be clinically impaired. Questions about enhancement have become one of the key topics of neuroethics over the past decade. The current study draws on in-depth public engagement activities in ten European countries giving a bottom-up perspective on the ethics and desirability of enhancement. This informed the design of an online contrastive vignette experiment that was administered to representative samples of 1000 respondents in the ten countries and the United States. The experiment investigated how the gender of the protagonist, his or her level of performance, the efficacy of the enhancer and the mode of enhancement affected support for neuroenhancement in both educational and employment contexts. Of these, higher efficacy and lower performance were found to increase willingness to support enhancement. A series of commonly articulated claims about the individual and societal dimensions of neuroenhancement were derived from the public engagement activities. Underlying these claims, multivariate analysis identified two social values. The Societal/Protective highlights counter normative consequences and opposes the use enhancers. The Individual/Proactionary highlights opportunities and supports use. For most respondents these values are not mutually exclusive. This suggests that for many neuroenhancement is viewed simultaneously as a source of both promise and concern

An international collaborative evaluation of central serous chorioretinopathy: different therapeutic approaches and review of literature. The European Vitreoretinal Society central serous chorioretinopathy study

Purpose: To study and compare the efficacy of different therapeutic options for the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Methods: This is a nonrandomized, international multicentre study on 1719 patients (1861 eyes) diagnosed with CSCR, from 63 centres (24 countries). Reported data included different methods of treatment and both results of diagnostic examinations [fluorescein angiography and/or optical coherent tomography (OCT)] and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after therapy. The duration of observation had a mean of 11 months but was extended in a minority of cases up to 7 years. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the different therapeutic options of CSCR in terms of both visual (BCVA) and anatomic (OCT) improvement. Results: One thousand seven hundred nineteen patients (1861 eyes) diagnosed with CSCR were included. Treatments performed were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops, laser photocoagulation, micropulse diode laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy (PDT; Standard PDT, Reduced-dose PDT, Reduced-fluence PDT), intravitreal (IVT) antivascular endothelial growth factor injection (VEGF), observation and other treatments. The list of the OTHERS included both combinations of the main proposed treatments or a variety of other treatments such as eplerenone, spironolactone, acetazolamide, beta-blockers, anti-anxiety drugs, aspirin, folic acid, methotrexate, statins, vitis vinifera extract medication and pars plana vitrectomy. The majority of the patients were men with a prevalence of 77%. The odds ratio (OR) showed a partial or complete resolution of fluid on OCT with any treatment as compared with observation. In univariate analysis, the anatomical result (improvement in subretinal fluid using OCT at 1 month) was favoured by age <60 years (p < 0.005), no previous observation (p < 0.0002), duration less than 3 months (p < 0.0001), absence of CSCR in the fellow eye (p = 0.04), leakage outside of the arcade (p = 0.05) and fluid height >500 \u3bcm (p = 0.03). The OR for obtaining partial or complete resolution showed that anti-VEGF and eyedrops were not statistically significant; whereas PDT (8.5), thermal laser (11.3) and micropulse laser (8.9) lead to better anatomical results with less variability. In univariate analysis, the functional result at 1 month was favoured by first episode (p = 0.04), height of subretinal fluid >500 \u3bcm (p < 0.0001) and short duration of observation (p = 0.02). Finally, there was no statistically significant difference among the treatments at 12 months. Conclusion: Spontaneous resolution has been described in a high percentage of patients. Laser (micropulse and thermal) and PDT seem to lead to significant early anatomical improvement; however, there is little change beyond the first month of treatment. The real visual benefit needs further clarification