Challenges in diagnosing a peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the ulnar nerve in a dog – a case report

In this case report we present the rare case of a distally located peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) of the left ulnar nerve in a two-year-old female Rottweiler dog. We discuss the clinical and diagnostic findings and the challenges of the diagnosis. The dog was successfully treated with a limb sparing partial neurectomy. After surgery, the dog did not show any pain or lameness on long term follow-up

Microbiological Evaluation of Carcasses of Wild Boar Hunted in a Hill Area of Northern Italy

This study evaluated the prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria (mainly Campylobacter spp., but also Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella) in wild boar (S us scrofa) and the hygiene of carcasses of wild boar hunted in a hill area of northern Italy during a hunting season (October to December). In total, 62 animals were submitted to microbiological analyses of the tonsils (detection of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes), caecal content (detection of Salmonella and Campylobacter spp.), mesenteric lymph glands (detection of Salmonella), and carcasses. In addition to analyzing pathogen prevalence and carcass hygiene of these animals, we performed an enumeration of total viable count (TVC), Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and spores of sulfite-reducing clostridia. Influencing factors considered were sex, weight, and age of the animals and environmental temperature on the day of hunting. A high prevalence was observed for L. monocytogenes in tonsils (35.3%) and for Campylobacter spp. in caecal content (51.8%), whereas Salmonella enterica strains (mainly serovar Thompson) were only occasionally isolated (7% in caecal content and 3.5% in lymph glands). The prevalence of L. monocytogenes was influenced by animal age and environmental temperature. Campylobacter spp. were the only pathogens detected on the carcasses (16.7%). Carcasses were characterized by low levels of contamination: TVC, 3.21 ± 0.80 log CFU/cm2, Enterobacteriaceae, 1.32 ± 0.89 log CFU/cm2; E. coli, 1.31 ± 0.93 log CFU/cm2; and occasional detection of low counts of staphylococci and clostridia. TVC was positively influenced only by high environmental temperature, and higher Enterobacteriaceae counts were detected on heavy male carcasses than on females. The results confirmed the potential role of wild boars as reservoirs for the most important foodborne pathogens. But a low carcass contamination level is achievable if hunters are properly trained about hygienic carcass management and slaughtering procedures

A review of minimally invasive fracture stabilization in dogs and cats

Objective: To summarize and discuss peer-reviewed studies on minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO) of long bone, physeal, and articular fractures in dogs and cats. Study design: Invited review. Methods: A critique of literature was performed to assess MIO feasibility, outcomes, and complications through PubMed, Scopus, and CAB abstracts research databases (2000-2020). Results: More than 40 MIO articles have been published in the last 15 years, but most studies had small numbers, lacked control groups, and used limited outcome measures. Studies generally showed that MIO was feasible in dogs and cats with low complication rates. The current evidence does not demonstrate superior bone healing or functional outcomes with MIO when compared to standard methods. Although treatment principles, case selection, and techniques varied depending on the anatomical location, there were no salient differences in complication rates among long bones, physeal, and articular fractures treated by MIO. Conclusion: The current available evidence and the personal experience of the authors support MIO as a promising fracture management modality. MIO can yield excellent outcomes when applied in carefully selected cases, performed by surgeons experienced in the technique. We cannot, however, conclude that MIO is superior to open fracture stabilization based on the available evidence in veterinary literature. Randomized controlled studies are warranted to prospectively compare MIO with other osteosynthesis techniques and thereby validate its role in fracture management for dogs and cats

Comparison between high-field 3 Tesla MRI and computed tomography with and without arthrography for visualization of canine carpal ligaments: a cadaveric study

OBJECTIVE:To compare the quality of visualization of canine carpal ligaments by using computed tomography (CT), MRI, CT arthrography (CTA), and magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. STUDY POPULATION: Cadavers from dogs weighing more than 20 kg. METHODS: A 16-slice CT scanner and a 3 Tesla MRI were used for the investigation. A dilute contrast medium was injected into the middle carpal and radiocarpal joints under fluoroscopic control, and CTA and MRA images were acquired. To evaluate the difference between imaging modalities, 3 observers graded carpal ligaments of clinical interest using a scale from 0 to 4 for their quality of visualization. Data were analyzed by using a random-effect ordinal logistic regression with Bonferroni adjustment. The interobserver agreement was calculated by using the weighted Cohen's κ. RESULTS: Normal carpal joints (n = 9) were investigated. Magnetic resonance arthrography improved visualization of the majority of carpal ligaments compared with MRI (P < .05) and offered the best visualization overall. Magnetic resonance imaging and MRA offered better visualization compared with both CT and CTA (P < .05). There was no difference between CT and CTA. Interobserver agreement was discrete (0.2 < κ ≤ 0.4) for all observers. CONCLUSION: Arthrography improved the capabilities of MRI but not of CT for visualization of the canine carpal ligaments. Magnetic resonance arthrography was particularly useful for evaluation of the stabilizers of the antebrachiocarpal joint. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: 3 Tesla MRA and MRI allow excellent visualization of the ligamentous morphology and may be helpful in the diagnostic process of carpal sprains in dogs

Alcohol and Nicotine Use among Adolescents: An Observational Study in a Sicilian Cohort of High School Students

In recent years, the mode of alcoholic intake known as binge drinking (BD) has become a common practice, especially among adolescents who, due to socio-environmental motives, tend to reach a rapid state of drunkenness. This drunkeness leads to alterations in brain areas responsible for executive functions and cognitive processes, as well as to the genesis of factors that predispose to lasting addiction. Likewise, nicotine leads to a comparable degree of addiction. On this basis, the aim of this research was to evaluate, on a cohort of 349 high school students (15-17 years old) in the province of Palermo, the following: (I) the drinking model of alcoholic beverages; (II) the use of nicotine and the degree of dependence; (III) the correlation between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the use of nicotine. We employed the AUDIT-C test and the Fagerstrom test, two valid and standard instruments, in order to assess alcohol and nicotine use, respectively. Statistical analysis of the data showed that male and female students consumed alcohol prominently in a BD mode (77.2%, audit score (AS) 3.497, confidence interval (CI) 3.206-3.788; 69.6%, AS 2.793, CI 2.412-3.274) and nicotine (41.5%, Fagerstrom score (FS) 3.882, CI 3.519-4.245; 28%, FS 3.286, CI 2.547-4.024). Furthermore, a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and nicotine use was found for male (r = 0.6798, p &lt; 0.0001) and female (r = 0.6572, p &lt; 0.0001) students. This study provided further insights into the use of legal substances of abuse in adolescents, evidencing the obvious need for the promotion of specific school educational programs aimed at the wellbeing of youth populations

Statistical properties of the GALEX spectroscopic stellar sample

The GALEX General Data Release 4/5 includes 174 spectroscopic tiles, obtained from slitless grism observations, for a total of more than 60,000 ultraviolet spectra. We have determined statistical properties of the sample of GALEX stars. We have defined a suitable system of spectroscopic indices, which measure the main mid-UV features at the GALEX low spectral resolution and we have employed it to determine the atmospheric parameters of of stars in the range 4500<Teff<9000 K. Our preliminary results indicate that the sample is formed by a majority of main sequence F- and G-type stars, with metallicity [M/H]>-1 dex.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science, UV universe special issu

Stellar lifetime and ultraviolet properties of the old metal-rich Galactic open cluster NGC6791: a pathway to understand the UV upturn of elliptical galaxies

The evolutionary properties of the old metal-rich Galactic open cluster NGC6791 are assessed, based on deep UB photometry and 2Mass JK data. For 4739 stars in the cluster, bolometric luminosity and effective temperature have been derived from theoretical (U-B) and (J-K) color fitting. The derived H-R diagram has been matched with the UVBLUE grid of synthetic stellar spectra to obtain the integrated SED of the system, together with a full set UV (Fanelli) and optical (Lick) narrow-band indices. The cluster appears to be a fairly good proxy of standard elliptical galaxies, although with significantly bluer infrared colors, a shallower 4000A Balmer break, and a lower Mg2 index. The confirmed presence of a dozen hot stars, along their EHB evolution, leads the cluster SED to consistently match the properties of the most active UV-upturn galaxies, with 1.7+/-0.4% of the total bolometric luminosity emitted shortward of 2500A. The cluster Helium abundance results Y=0.30 +/-0.04, while the Post-MS implied stellar lifetime from star number counts fairly agrees with the theoretical expectations from both the Padova and BASTI stellar tracks. A Post-MS fuel consumption of 0.43 +/- 0.01 M_sun is found for NGC6791 stars, in close agreement with the estimated mass of cluster He-rich white dwarfs. Such a tight figure may lead to suspect that a fraction of the cluster stellar population does actually not reach the minimum mass required to effectively ignite He in the stellar core.Comment: A total of 15 pages, with 9 figures and 3 tables. The paper is to appear in the Astrophysical Journal. See http://www.bo.astro.it/~eps/home.html for further data retrieval and future track of the projec

Agreement on classification of clinical photographs of pigmentary lesions: exercise after a training course with young dermatologists.

Smartphone apps may help promoting the early diagnosis of melanoma. The reliability of specialist judgment on lesions should be assessed. Hereby, we evaluated the agreement of 6 young dermatologists, after a specific training. Clinical judgment was evaluated during 2 online sessions, 1 month apart, on a series of 45 pigmentary lesions. Lesions were classified as highly suspicious, suspicious, non-suspicious or not assessable. Cohen's and Fleiss' kappa were used to calculate intra- and inter-rater agreement. The overall intra-rater agreement was 0.42 (95% confidence interval - CI: 0.33-0.50), varying between 0.12-0.59 on single raters. The inter-rater agreement during the first phase was 0.29 (95% CI: 0.24-0.34). When considering the agreement for each category of judgment, kappa varied from 0.19 for not assessable to 0.48 for highly suspicious lesions. Similar results were obtained in the second exercise. The study showed a less than satisfactory agreement among young dermatologists. Our data point to the need for improving the reliability of the clinical diagnoses of melanoma especially when assessing small lesions and when dealing with thin melanomas at a population level

Reduced probability of improving viro-immunological state in subjects with vertical transmission of HIV reaching adult age: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

Introduction: Young adults with vertical transmission (VT) of human immunodeficiency virus&nbsp;(HIV) represent a fragile population. This study evaluates factors associated with viro-immunological outcome of these patients. Methods: We performed a multicenter study including HIV-infected subjects with VT ≥ 18 years old from six Italian clinics. Subjects were observed from birth to death, lost to follow-up, or last visit until December 31, 2019. Condition of "optimal viro-immunological status" (OS) was defined as the simultaneous presence of HIV&nbsp;ribonucleic acid&nbsp;(RNA) &lt; 50 copies/mL, CD4+ &gt; 500 cells/mm3 , and CD4+/CD8+ ratio ≥ 1. Results: A total of 126 subjects were enrolled. At 18 years of age, 52/126 (44.4%) had HIV-RNA &gt; 50 copies/mL, 47/126 (38.2%) had CD4+ &lt; 500/mm3 , and 78/126 (67.2%) had&nbsp;CD4+/CD8+ &lt; 1; 28 subjects (23.7%) presented in the condition of OS. Having a CD4+/CD8+ ratio ≥ 1 at 18 years of age was related with an increased probability of shift from suboptimal viro-immunological status (SOS) to OS (HR: 7.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.23-14.04), and a reduced risk of shift from the OS to the SOS (HR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26-0.92). Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnosis significantly reduced the probability of shift from a viro-immunological SOS to OS (HR: 0.09, 95% CI:&nbsp;0.03-0.30). Subjects who had not achieved an OS at 18 years of age had an increased risk of discontinuation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART, p = .019). Conclusions: Only a small proportion of subjects with VT of HIV reached the adult age with "OS".&nbsp;Transition to the adult care with a compromised viro-immunological condition represents a negative driver for future optimal infection control, with a higher risk of discontinuation of cART and a reduced probability to improve the immunological status later in the years