Prevalence and risk factors associated with cat parasites in Italy: a multicenter study

Background: Parasites that infect cats include protozoa, helminths and arthropods, many of which are transmissible to humans. Effective control relies on a good knowledge of parasite distribution and the risk factors for infection. The present study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of major feline parasites in Italy and the risk factors associated with their occurrence. Methods: Over a 12-month study period, feces, hair and ectoparasites from naturally infected cats from feral colonies, shelters and private households were analyzed at 13 study centers across Italy. Samples from these cats (n = 987) were analyzed at all centers using the same diagnostic methods. Prevalence values and risk factors were evaluated statistically for the identification of predictors of risk. Results: The overall prevalence of gastro-intestinal and broncho-pulmonary (BP) nematodes was 35.9% (354/987). Toxocara cati was the most prevalent species (253/987; 25.6%), followed by Ancylostomatidae (98/987; 9.9%). Among BP nematodes, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus was the most common (76/987; 7.7%). Approximately 35.7% (352/987) of the study population was infested by ectoparasites, of which the most common were fleas (29.4%, 290/987), followed by ear mites Otodectes cynotis (9.8%, 97/987). Predictors of risk for parasite infection included age, a predominantly or exclusively outdoor lifestyle, geographic area and lack of antiparasitic treatment. Conclusions: Both ecto- and endoparasites are still common in cats throughout Italy, many of them being of zoonotic concern and vectors of pathogens to humans. Given the presence of parasites throughout the entire study period, year-round treatment should be considered. Furthermore, data confirm the need to protect the human–animal bond using proper endo- and ectoparasiticides to reduce the risk of human infection, in application of the One-Health concept

Arrival-angle effects on two-receiver measurements of phase velocity

International audienceWe compile a data set of Rayleigh-wave phase velocities between pairs of stations, based on teleseismic events located on the same great circle as the two stations. We validate our observations against dispersion estimates based on ambient-noise cross correlations at the same station pairs. Discrepancies between the results of the two methods can in principle be explained by deviations in the wave propagation path between earthquake and receivers, due to lateral heterogeneity in the Earth's structure, but the latter effect has, so far, not been precisely quantified nor corrected for. We implement an algorithm to measure the arrival angle of earthquake-generated surface waves and correct the dispersion measurements accordingly. Application to a data set from the Central-Western Mediterranean shows that the arrival-angle correction almost entirely accounts for the discrepancy in question, decreasing significantly the velocity bias for a wide range of periods

3-D shear-wave velocity model of the lithosphere below the Sardinia-Corsica continental block based on Rayleigh-wave phase velocities

Rayleigh-wave dispersion curves from both ambient noise and teleseismic events allow us to provide the first high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity (VS) model of the crust and upper mantle below the Sardinia–Corsica microplate, an important continental block for understanding the evolution of the central-western Mediterranean. For a wide range of periods (from 3 to ∼30 s), the phase velocities of the study area are systematically higher than those measured within the Italian peninsula, in agreement with a colder geotherm. Relative and absolute variations in the VS allow us to detect a very heterogeneous upper crust down to 8 km, as opposed to a relatively homogeneous middle and lower crust. The isosurface at 4.1 km s−1 is consistent with a rather flat Moho at a depth of 28.0 ± 1.8 km (2σ). The lithospheric mantle is relatively cold, and we constrain the thermal lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary at ∼100 km. We find our estimate consistent with a continental geotherm based on a surface heat flow of 60 mW m−2. Our results suggest that most of the lithosphere endured the complex history of deformation experienced by the study area and imply, in general, that deep tectonic processes do not easily destabilize the deeper portion of the continental lithosphere, despite leaving a clear surface signature

Galectin-3 as prognostic biomarker in patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory failure

Objectives: Galectin-3 is p-galactoside-binding lectin with several roles in immune-inflammatory response. To date, there is no evidence of Galectin-3 role as a prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 disease. The aim of this study is to clarify the prognostic role of Galectin-3 in patients with COVID 19 acute respiratory failure.Methods: We enrolled 156 consecutive patients with COVID-19 disease. Routine laboratory test, arterial blood gas, chest X-ray or Computed Tomography and Galectin-3 dosage were performed. The primary outcome was to assess Galectin-3 predictive power for 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day Intensive Care Unit admission and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome stratification according to Galectin-3 dosage. We performed Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous variables comparison. Fisher's exact test or Chi-square test were used for categorical variables analysis. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves estimated Galectin-3 predictive power for the endpoints. With a fixed cut-off of 35.3 ng/ml, Kaplan-Meier with Log-Rank test and Cox Regression were performed to assess mortality and Intensive Care Unit admission risk.Results: Galectin-3 correlated with many other prognostic predictors tested in our analysis. Moreover, patients with serum levels of Galectin-3 above 35.3 ng/ml had increased risk for mortality, Intensive Care Unit admission and severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the role of Galectin-3 as a predictor of mortality, Intensive Care Unit access and ARDS stratification in patients with COVID 19 acute respiratory failure

Surface-Wave Tomography of the Central-Western Mediterranean: New Insights Into the Liguro-Provençal and Tyrrhenian Basins

International audienceThe complex tectonic setting of the central-western Mediterranean has interested geoscientists for decades, but its geodynamic evolution remains a matter of debate. We rely on 807 seismometers from southern Europe and northern Africa to measure Rayleigh and Love phase velocities in the period range ∼5-200 s, based on teleseismic earthquakes and seismic ambient noise. By nonlinear joint inversion of the phase-velocity maps, we obtain a 3-D shear-wave velocity (VS) model of the study area. At shallow depths, our model correlates with surface geology and reveals the presence of a sedimentary cover in the Liguro-Provençal basin, as opposed to the Tyrrhenian basin where this is either very thin or absent. At ∼5-km depth, high velocities below the Magnaghi, Vavilov, and Marsili seamounts point to an exhumed, scarcely serpentinized mantle. These are replaced by lower velocities at larger depths, likely connected to the presence of partial melt. At 50-60-km depth, a very heterogeneous structure characterizes the Tyrrhenian basin, with low velocities pointing to the presence of fluids due to the lateral mantle inflow from the Ionian slab edges, and higher velocities associated with a relatively dry upper mantle. Such heterogeneity disappears at depths ≳75 km, replaced by more uniform velocities which are ∼2% lower than those found in the Liguro-Provençal basin. We infer that, at the same depths, the Tyrrhenian basin is characterized by a larger concentration of fluids and possibly higher temperatures

Shear-velocity structure and dynamics beneath the Central Mediterranean inferred from seismic surface waves

The evolution of the Sicily Channel Rift Zone (SCRZ), located south of the Central Mediterranean, is thought to accommodate the regional tectonic stresses of the Calabrian subduction system. It is unclear whether the rifting of the SCRZ is passive from far-field extensional stresses or active from mantle upwelling beneath. To map the structure and dynamics of the region, we measure Rayleigh- and Love-wave phase velocities from ambient seismic noise and invert for an isotropic 3-D shear-velocity and radial anisotropic model. Variations of crustal S-velocities coincide with topographic and tectonic features: slow under high elevation, fast beneath deep sea. The Tyrrhenian Sea has a VSV); areas experiencing compression and subduction-related volcanism have negative anisotropy (VSH<VSV). The crustal anisotropy across the Channel shows the extent of the SW-NE extension. Beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea, we find very low sub-Moho S-velocities. In contrast, the SCRZ has a thin mantle lithosphere underlain by a low-velocity zone. The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary rises from 40-60 km depth beneath Sicily and Tunisia to ∼33 km beneath the SCRZ. Upper mantle, negative radial anisotropy beneath the SCRZ suggests vertical mantle flow. We hypothesize a more active mantle upwelling beneath the rift than previously thought from an interplay between poloidal and toroidal fluxes related to the Calabrian slab, which in turn produces uplift at the surface and induces volcanism