Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytological findings in healthy Amiata donkeys

Background: The approach to respiratory diseases in donkeys is similar to that for horses; nevertheless, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and tracheal wash cytology in this species have been described only a few times in the literature. Aim: To describe BALF cytological findings in a cohort of 24 healthy Amiata donkeys. Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out via standing sedation with a large animal where the BAL catheter passed blindly through the nasal passage into the trachea. Results: The total nucleated cell count of the BALF was found similar to that already described in healthy horses and donkeys. No differences in the differential count were observed according to age and sex. A decreased macrophage percentage and an increased eosinophil percentage were observed in our donkey population when compared to the existing reference range for horses. Conclusion: The reference intervals for BAL cytology in donkeys may be significantly different for those referred for horses

High strain rate effects in masonry structures under waterborne debris impacts

Masonry buildings are vulnerable to extreme hydrodynamic events such as floods or tsunamis. Post-disaster surveys have shown that waterborne debris impacts can significantly damage masonry walls during these events. To simulate these actions, the current design or research practice is to compute the force–time diagram of the impact and then use it for dynamic analyses. Standing on the current knowledge, debris impacts are highly impulsive, but it is not clear if such loads are fast enough to activate the high strain rate effects in masonry, i.e. the strain rate dependency of material properties. The present study aims to answer this question, for the first time, following nonlinear Finite Element (FE) simulations. Simulations are conducted on a masonry wall, following a micro-modelling strategy, subjected to water flow and waterborne debris impact under different scenarios. It is found that the strain rates exceed the critical threshold after which strain rate effects are considerable. Such a finding, initially obtained using the minimum design demand for log-type debris imposed by ASCE/SEI 7-22, is further extended to a range of impact force–time diagrams different in impact duration and peak force (corresponding to different debris properties or flow velocity). It is also shown that the impact location (i.e. midspan or close to the boundary) affects the strain rate magnitude because of the changes in the impact stiffness and the activated failure mechanisms. Furthermore, it is found that the dynamic tensile post-elastic behaviour of the materials is the most influencing parameter in the structural response. These results open a new area in the field of assessment and design of masonry structures to waterborne debris and guide the development of future experiments, numerical simulations or design relations

An Oxalate-Bridged Copper(II) Complex Combining Monodentate Benzoate, 2,2'-bipyridine and Aqua Ligands:Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Investigation of Magnetic Properties

A dinuclear copper(II) complex of formula [{Cu(bipy)(bzt)(OH2)}2(μ-ox)] (1) (where bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, bzt = benzoate and ox = oxalate) was synthesised and characterised by diffractometric (powder and single-crystal XRD) and thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) analyses, spectroscopic techniques (IR, Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and electronic spectroscopy), magnetic measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The analysis of the crystal structure revealed that the oxalate ligand is in bis(bidentate) coordination mode between two copper(II) centres. The other four positions of the coordination environment of the copper(II) ion are occupied by one water molecule, a bidentate bipy and a monodentate bzt ligand. An inversion centre located on the ox ligand generates the other half of the dinuclear complex. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions are responsible for the organisation of the molecules in the solid state. Molar magnetic susceptibility and field dependence magnetisation studies evidenced a weak intramolecular-ferromagnetic interaction (J = +2.9 cm-1) between the metal ions. The sign and magnitude of the calculated J value by density functional theory (DFT) are in agreement with the experimental data

Impact of a dexmedetomidine intravenous infusion in septic dogs: preliminary study

Sepsis represents an increasing health emergency both in human and veterinary medicine Dexmedetomidine is an alpha-2 agonist drug with sedative and analgesic properties recently used critically ill patient in human ICU. The purpose of this work was to evaluate hemodynamics effects of a continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine in septic dogs

Plasma concentrations of Tapentadol and clinical evaluations of a combination of Tapentadol plus Sevoflurane for surgical anaesthesia and analgesia in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) undergoing orchiectomy

Pain is probably under-treated in animals, particularly in rabbits, due to a lack of familiarity with the species and limited information about analgesic dose, efficacy and safety. Tapentadol (TAP) is a novel opioid drug, with a proven efficacy and safety profile in humans, which could be useful as an analgesic in rabbits. In a clinical study, TAP was administered (5 mg/kg, IV) to seven male New Zealand White rabbits 5 min before anaesthetic induction with sevoflurane to perform orchiectomy. Monitoring of vital signs, including heart rate, electrocardiogram, respiratory rate, invasive blood pressure, oxygen saturation, righting reflex, palpebral reflex, jaw tone and tongue retraction, was performed throughout surgery. Pain was assessed for 8 h following surgery, using previously validated parameters, physiological assessments and behavioural assessments. Blood was also collected at regular intervals to assess the pharmacokinetic profile of the drug. TAP was rapidly distributed and eliminated in rabbits. Apnoea did not occurred in any subject. Following surgery, there were very few observable signs of pain in four rabbits and all resumed normal activities within a few hours. In conclusion, this is the first study about the clinical effects and potential utility of TAP as an adjunct drug for anaesthesia and analgesia in the rabbit. However, further studies are still needed before its use in the veterinary clinical practice