Ecocardiografia Transesofagea 3D in Area Critica

L’Ecocardiografia 3D rappresenta una grande innovazione nell’ambito degli ultrasuoni applicati alle strutture cardio-vascolari. Già agli inizi degli anni ’80 si è cercato di effettuare ricostruzioni tridimensionali delle strutture e dei flussi cardiaci per migliorare la comprensione degli aspetti anatomopatologici, ma erano tentativi per lo più confinati nell’area della pura ricerca. I continui progressi nel campo delle tecniche di rappresentazione di superficie e di volume, in associazione al rapido sviluppo della tecnologia informatica applicata agli ultrasuoni hanno reso l’ecocardiografia tridimensionale pronta per una ampia applicazione clinica. Tanto è che l’ ASE (American Society of Echocardiography) e l’EAE (European Association of Echocardiography) nel Febbraio 2012 hanno stilato una serie di Raccomandazioni per l’uso dell’Ecocardiografia 3D nell’ambito di specifiche situazioni cliniche. In pratica, il vantaggio importante della tecnica 3D è dato dal fatto che l’interpretazione delle immagini non richiede un assemblaggio mentale di una serie di immagini tomografiche planari in un concetto multidimensionale dell’anatomia cardiaca, come si verifica per l’ecocardiografia 2D, perché le immagini ottenute sono simili a quelle osservabili al tavolo anatomico o chirurgico, riducendo cosi la variabilità intra-inter-osservatore, facilitando l’interazione fra clinici di diverse specialità, e fornendo importanti dati per il successivo indirizzo terapeutico. In tale ottica la migliore accuratezza e riproducibilità dell’RT3DE rispetto all’Ecocardiografia 2D ha importanti ricadute cliniche poiché può determinare un cambiamento nei processi decisionali clinici che si basano sui parametri ecocardiografici. L’Ecocardiografia 3D è quindi oramai una realtà al servizio dell’utilizzo clinico, in particolare da quando è fattibile in tempo reale. Tuttavia il costo delle sonde dedicate e del software di gestione e la necessità di ecografi di ultima generazione per la sua esecuzione fanno sì che questa tecnologia sia ancora riservata a pochi laboratori di eccellenza

Extinction is imminent for Mexico’s endemic porpoise unless fishery bycatch is eliminated

Primary funding was by Secretaria del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Secretario R. Pacchiano). Mexican support was from SEMARNAT, CONABIO, CONANP, PROFEPA, SEMAR, and WWF-Mexico. US support from NOAA-Fisheries-SWFSC and The Marine Mammal Center.The number of Mexico’s endemic porpoise, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), is collapsing primarily due to bycatch in illegal gillnets set for totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi), an endangered fish whose swim bladders are exported to China. Previous research estimated that vaquitas declined from about 567 to 245 individuals between 1997 and 2008. Acoustic monitoring between 2011 and 2015 showed a decline of 34%/year. Here, we combine visual line transect and passive acoustic data collected simultaneously in a robust spatial analysis to estimate that only 59 (95% Bayesian Credible Interval [CRI] 22 – 145) vaquita remained as of autumn 2015, a decrease since 1997 of 92% (95% CRI 80%-97%). Risk analysis suggests that if the current, temporary gillnet ban is maintained and effectively enforced, vaquitas could recover to 2008 population levels by 2050. Otherwise, the species is likely to be extinct within a decade.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Fishers’ knowledge as an information source to investigate by-catch of marine mammals in the South China Sea

Bycatch mortality is a significant driver of marine mammal population declines. However, there is little information available on patterns or magnitude of bycatch mortality in many heavily fished Asian marine systems such as the South China Sea (SCS). To address this limited knowledge base, we conducted interviews with fishers to gather local ecological knowledge on marine mammal bycatch around Hainan Island, China. Gillnets were the primary fishing gear used in local fisheries, and were also responsible for the majority of reported marine mammal bycatch events in recent decades. Bycatch events were reported from all seasons but were most frequent in spring (38.4%), which might relate to seasonal variation in fishing activities. The spatial pattern of relative bycatch densities for Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Indo-Pacific finless porpoises and unidentified small dolphins varied around Hainan and neighbouring waters. A substantial proportion of informants (36.1 and 9.2% respectively) reported that they have eaten or sold marine mammal meat, demonstrating the continued existence of cultural practices of consuming marine mammals on Hainan. Responses of fishers to bycatch events were dependent both on their existing attitudes and perceptions towards marine mammals and on other sociocultural factors. Almost half of informants agreed that marine mammal populations in the SCS have decreased. Declines were thought by informants to have been caused by overfishing, water pollution and vessel collisions, with bycatch responsible for further declines in dolphins

Quantifying the Spatial Ecology of Wide-Ranging Marine Species in the Gulf of California: Implications for Marine Conservation Planning

There is growing interest in systematic establishment of marine protected area (MPA) networks and representative conservation sites. This movement toward networks of no-take zones requires that reserves are deliberately and adequately spaced for connectivity. Here, we test the network functionality of an ecoregional assessment configuration of marine conservation areas by evaluating the habitat protection and connectivity offered to wide-ranging fauna in the Gulf of California (GOC, Mexico). We first use expert opinion to identify representative species of wide-ranging fauna of the GOC. These include leopard grouper, hammerhead sharks, California brown pelicans and green sea turtles. Analyzing habitat models with both structural and functional connectivity indexes, our results indicate that the configuration includes large proportions of biologically important habitat for the four species considered (25–40%), particularly, the best quality habitats (46–57%). Our results also show that connectivity levels offered by the conservation area design for these four species may be similar to connectivity levels offered by the entire Gulf of California, thus indicating that connectivity offered by the areas may resemble natural connectivity. The selected focal species comprise different life histories among marine or marine-related vertebrates and are associated with those habitats holding the most biodiversity values (i.e. coastal habitats); our results thus suggest that the proposed configuration may function as a network for connectivity and may adequately represent the marine megafauna in the GOC, including the potential connectivity among habitat patches. This work highlights the range of approaches that can be used to quantify habitat protection and connectivity for wide-ranging marine species in marine reserve networks

Bycatch of franciscana dolphins Pontoporia blainvillei and the dynamic of artisanal fisheries in the species' southernmost area of distribution

Na Argentina, a toninha é um dos cetáceos mais vulneráveis devido às capturas por rede de pesca artesanal. O presente estudo teve como objetivo estimar as capturas acidentais no sul da província de Buenos Aires, através de entrevistas aos capitães de barcos de pesca artesanal, entre os anos 2006-2009. As capturas foram reportadas para redes de emalhe e de camarão; com as mais altas frequências entre outubro e fevereiro, a 5 km da costa e 10-20 m de profundidade. A mortalidade acidental média anual estimada foi de 107 golfinhos (IC 95% = 87-129), 92 em redes de emalhe (IC 95% = 73-112) e 15 em redes de camarão (IC 95% = 8-25), com uma captura de 0,029 golfinhos/km de rede de emalhe (IC 95% = 0,023-0,036) e 0,024/rede de camarão (IC 95% = 0,012-0,035). As flutuações anuais responderam principalmente às diferenças nos dias de pesca. Considerando o último levantamento estimativo feito para o norte costeiro da província, estima-se uma mortalidade entre 360-539 golfinhos/ano em toda a província de Buenos Aires. Esses valores correspondem de 2,5-3,7% da abundância populacional da Argentina; o que traria como consequência um declínio populacional da espécie, tornando-se fundamental encontrar alternativas de pesca para a área.In Argentina, the franciscana dolphin is one of the most vulnerable cetaceans regularly entangled in coastal artisanal fishery nets. The aim of this paper is to estimate the species' incidental mortality on the Southern coast of Buenos Aires province through interviews with the captains of artisanal fishing vessels, in the period 2006-2009. Franciscana bycatch was reported for gillnets and shrimper gear all year round but it occurred more frequently between October and February, at 5 km offshore and 10-20 m depth. The estimated mean annual incidental mortality was 107 dolphins (CI 95% = 87-129), 92 caught in gillnets (CI 95% = 73-112) and 15 in shrimpers' gear (CI 95% = 8-25) with a capture per unit effort of 0.029 dolphins per km of gillnet (CI 95% = 0.023-0.036) and 0.022 per shrimpe r's net (CI 95% = 0.012-0.035). Annual fluctuations were due to differences in the number of gillnetting fishing days. If mortality estimates for the Northern coast are also taken into account, values attain a maximum of 360-539 dolphins bycaught in the entire Buenos Aires province, representing 2.5-3.7% of the species' abundance in Argentina. This will inevitably lead to the decline of franciscana dolphin populations in the near future unless alternative fishing grounds are identified and alternative gearadopted

INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT COSTS, AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA\u27S TRADE: A GRAVITY MODEL APPROACH

This paper examines the impact of transport infrastructure, as an important determinant of transport costs, on trade between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fifteen largest trading partners. The estimation is based on a gravity model and panel data for the years 2005 to 2014. Transport costs have been estimated on the basis of distance, geography and quality of transport infrastructure, as well as on sets of "dummy" variables, such as the impact of borders, language or "dummy" variables for identifying whether a country is surrounded by land or sea. The results can be summarized as follows: (i) the quality of infrastructure and logistics is an important determinant of trade performance; (ii) the importance of distance is not diminished when the quality of infrastructure is included; (iii) Bosnia and Herzegovina trades with countries with which it shares a common language – ceteris paribus – twice as much as with others

Comparaison de la fraction d'éjection ventriculaire gauche en scintigraphie CZT et IRM myocardique (protocole CONFIRM-SC)

Objectif principal : validation de la scintigraphie myocardique sur caméra CZT (CZT-SPECT) pour la mesure de la FEVG, en référence à l'IRM. Objectifs secondaires : comparaison des volumes VG, de la cinétique segmentaire, et de la quantification de la nécrose en scintigraphie. En outre : comparaison du Strain longitudinal (SL) échocardiographique et du Strain circonférentiel (SC) IRM à l'analyse visuelle de la cinétique segmentaire en IRM, en recherchant un seuil de normalité pour le SL et le SC segmentaires dans cette population ischémique. Patients et méthode : 48 patients SCA ST+ explorés par échocardigraphie, IRMm et CZT-SPECT après 40 jours (21-71). Résultats : Fraction d'éjection CZT-SPECT et IRMm : bonne corrélation (r-0,790, p<0,0001,), comme la comparaison CZT-SPECT/échocardiographie et IRMm/échocardiographie (r-0,792 et 0,838 respectivement, p<0,0001,). CZT-SPECT et échocardiographie sous estimaient les VTD et VTS par rapport à l'IRMm (VTD : r-0,646 et 0,373 respectivement, p<0,0001). Comparaison de l'analyse segmentaire de l'épaississement myocardique : bonne corrélation entre les 3 techniques (CZT-SPECT / IRMm 77,88%, échocardiographie /IRMm 75,5%, CZT-SPECT /échocardiographie 83,74%, p<0,0001). Comparaison des données de cinétique segmentaire : concordance satisfaisante entre CZT-SPECT, l'IRM et échocardiographie, incrémentielle de la base vers l'apex. Perfusion : bonne corrélation entre CZT-SPECT et IRMm pour la détection et la quantification de la nécrose myocardique (r-0,7429, p<0,0001). Strain longitudinal (SL ) global : bonne corrélation avec la mesure de la FEVG en IRMm et en échocardiographie (p-0,61 et 0,6327 respectivement, p<0,01). Un Strain longitudinal (SL) de -16 en échocardiographie, et un Strain circonférentiel (SC) de -9 en IRMm étaient les seuils entre segments sains et ischémiques ou lésés (p<0,0001), sans que le SL échocardiographique et le SC IRMm ne soient corrélées entre eux. La CZT-SPECT est un examen fiable pour la mesure de la FEVG. La CZT-SPECT et l'échocardiographie tendent à sous estimer le VTD par rapport à l'IRMm, et dans une moindre mesure le VTS. La concordance de la CZT-SPECT avec l'IRMm pour la recherche d'une séquelle de nécrose myocardique est également satisfaisante. Les valeurs de SL échocardiographique <-16 et du SC IRMm <-9 apparaissent comme les seuils entre segments ischémiques et sains.CLERMONT FD-BCIU-Santé (631132104) / SudocSudocFranceF

Relations entre parodontites, athérosclérose et cardiopathies ischémiques

CLERMONT FD-BCIU-Santé (631132104) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF