Gastrointestinal nematodes of goats: host–parasite relationship differences in breeds at summer mountain pasture in northern Italy

Introduction: The Orobic goat is a hardy breed native to the Orobic Alps (Lombardy, northern Italy). The aim of the study was the assessment of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) egg excretion in Alpine and Saanen (cosmopolite breeds) and Orobic grazing goats, after a strategic treatment with eprinomectin in late June. Material and methods: Individual faecal samples from a mixed flock of cosmopolite and Orobic goats were collected and analysed by the FLOTAC double technique every three weeks from June to September. Results: Strongylida was the primary GIN infection observed in goats that grazed on Alpine pastures; a strategic treatment with eprinomectin led to a prolonged reduction of egg excretion during the whole study period. Egg excretion was also influenced by breed. Pluriparous Orobic does were able to control reinfection better than the pluriparous cosmopolite does. Regarding Nematodirus sp. eggs per gram of faeces (EPG), the autochthonous Orobic breed presented higher values than the cosmopolite breeds. However, cosmopolite goats presented higher EPG values of Strongyloides papillosus than their Orobic counterparts in August. Conclusions: Further studies on genetic features of local autochthonous goats, such as the Orobic breed, are needed, since they could reveal peculiar characteristics of susceptibility, resistance or resilience to GIN infection, providing genetic resources for selection

Definition of Healthy Ranges for Alanine Aminotransferase Levels: A 2021 Update

The changing epidemiology of liver disease, and modifications in the recommended analytical methodology call for a re-evaluation of the upper reference limits (URLs) of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Using the same ap- proach consolidated 20 years ago to define the healthy population, we defined the URL for the newly recommended International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) standardized test. In a cross-sectional study, we examined 21,296 apparently healthy blood donors (age 18-65 years) and calculated the sex-specific URL by the 95th percentile in indi- viduals without risk factors for liver disease. These were tested for the ability to predict liver damage in a subset of 745 participants with dysmetabolism, in an independent cohort of 977 unselected donors, and in 899 patients with chronic liver disease. ALT levels were measured by the IFCC test. Male sex, body mass index, glucose, lipids, ferritin, hyper- tension, and younger age were independent ALT predictors (P < 0.001). Updated URLs were identified at 42/30 U/L in males/females, approximately 30% lower than those currently recommended by the IFCC. Due to improved sensitiv- ity, they conferred the ability to detect steatosis and significant fibrosis in individuals with dysmetabolism (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31, range 1.40-3.80, P = 0.001; and OR = 3.35, range 1.19-9.42, P = 0.021; respectively), although with a limited accuracy, and significant fibrosis in unselected donors (OR = 2.32, 1.02-5.31, P = 0.045). Updated URLs had a moderate to high accuracy to discriminate liver conditions (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.81, range 0.78-0.91). Conclusion: Updated URLs by the IFCC method were lower than those calculated in initial studies, but higher than those in use with the recommended old, nonstandardized method, and were able to better predict liver disease. The limited awareness that different techniques are still in use should be regarded as a possible source of medical errors

Hepatic hemangioma in celiac patients : data from a large consecutive series

Background and Aims. Hepatic hemangioma (HH) has a widely ranging prevalence. The etiology is unclear; however, associations with autoimmune disorders have been described. We aimed at evaluating the prevalence of HH in celiac disease. Methods. Ninety-seven consecutive patients with celiac disease (18 M, 79 F, median age 41, and range 17-84 years) underwent liver ultrasound between January 2011 and 2012. The findings were compared with those of 1352 nonceliac patients (581 M, 771 F, median age 50, and range 16-94 years), without liver disease or previously detected HH, who underwent US in the same period. Results. Ultrasonographic findings consistent with HH were observed in 14 celiac patients (14.4%), a prevalence significantly higher than in controls (69 cases, 5.1%) (P=0.0006). Subgroup analysis showed that, among women, the prevalence of HH was 16.4% in the celiac disease group (13/79) compared with 5.9% in controls (46/771) (P=0.002). In celiac setting, HH had a median diameter of 1.3 cm and presented as a single lesion in 12 cases (86%). Conclusions. Our findings are consistent with a significantly higher prevalence of HH in celiac patients. Although mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear, autoimmune and metabolic processes, as well as alterations of gut-liver axis equilibrium, could play a role

The frequency of nuclear star-formation in Seyfert 2 galaxies

We investigate the detectability of starburst signatures in the nuclear spectrum of Seyfert 2 galaxies by constructing spectral models in the wavelength range 3500-4100A, combining the spectrum of a bulge population (of age ~10Gyr) with that of younger stellar populations, spanning ages from ~3 Myr to 1 Gyr. We also construct models combining the bulge template with a power-law (PL) continuum, which is observed in some Seyfert 2's in polarized light, contributing with typically 10-40% of the flux at 4020A. We conclude that such continuum cannot be distinguished from that of a very young stellar population (age < 10 Myr), contributing with less than ~0.02% of the mass of the bulge. The models are compared with nuclear spectra - corresponding to a radius of 200-300 pc at the galaxy - of 20 Seyfert 2 galaxies, in which we specifically look for the signatures above of young to intermediate age stellar populations. We find them in ten galaxies, thus 50% of the sample. But only in six cases (30% of the sample) they can be attributed to young stars (age < 500 Myr): Mrk 1210, ESO 362-G8, NGC 5135, NGC 5643, NGC 7130 and NGC 7582. In the remaining four cases, the signatures are due to intermediate age stars (~1 Gyr). We find a tendency for the young stars to be found more frequently among the late type Seyfert's. This tendency is supported by a comparison between the equivalent widths (W) of absorption lines of the nuclear spectra of the Seyfert 2's with those of normal galaxies of the same Hubble type.Comment: 18 figures, revised version published in ApJ, December 2000, vol. 544, p. 74

Highly ionized gas on galaxy scales: mapping the interacting Seyfert galaxy LEDA 135736

We have used the VIMOS IFU to map the properties of the Seyfert 1.9 galaxy LEDA 135736. These maps reveal a number of interesting features including: an Extended Narrow Line Region detectable out to 9 kpc, an area of intense star formation located at a projected distance of 12 kpc from the centre, an elliptical companion galaxy, and kinematic features, aligned along the long-axis of the ENLR, that are consistent with radio jet-driven mass outflow. We propose that the ENLR results from extra-planar gas ionized by the AGN, and that the AGN in turn might be triggered by interaction with the companion galaxy, which can also explain the burst of star formation and morphological features. Only about two percent of the ENLR's kinetic energy is in the mass outflow. We infer from this that the bulk of mechanical energy imparted by the jet is used to heat this gas.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Planetary Candidates Observed by Kepler VI: Planet Sample from Q1-Q16 (47 Months)

\We present the sixth catalog of Kepler candidate planets based on nearly 4 years of high precision photometry. This catalog builds on the legacy of previous catalogs released by the Kepler project and includes 1493 new Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs) of which 554 are planet candidates, and 131 of these candidates have best fit radii <1.5 R_earth. This brings the total number of KOIs and planet candidates to 7305 and 4173 respectively. We suspect that many of these new candidates at the low signal-to-noise limit may be false alarms created by instrumental noise, and discuss our efforts to identify such objects. We re-evaluate all previously published KOIs with orbital periods of >50 days to provide a consistently vetted sample that can be used to improve planet occurrence rate calculations. We discuss the performance of our planet detection algorithms, and the consistency of our vetting products. The full catalog is publicly available at the NASA Exoplanet Archive.Comment: 18 pages, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Serie

Evolution of chemical abundances in Seyfert galaxies

We computed the chemical evolution of spiral bulges hosting Seyfert nuclei, based on updated chemical and spectro-photometrical evolution models for the bulge of our Galaxy, made predictions about other quantities measured in Seyferts, and modeled the photometry of local bulges. The chemical evolution model contains detailed calculations of the Galactic potential and of the feedback from the central supermassive black hole, and the spectro-photometric model covers a wide range of stellar ages and metallicities. We followed the evolution of bulges in the mass range 10^9 - 10^{11} Msun by scaling the star formation efficiency and the bulge scalelength as in the inverse-wind scenario for elliptical galaxies, and considering an Eddington limited accretion onto the central supermassive black hole. We successfully reproduced the observed black hole-host bulge mass relation. The observed nuclear bolometric luminosity is reproduced only at high redshift or for the most massive bulges; in the other cases, at z = 0 a rejuvenation mechanism is necessary. The black hole feedback is in most cases not significant in triggering the galactic wind. The observed high star formation rates and metal overabundances are easily achieved, as well as the constancy of chemical abundances with redshift and the bulge present-day colours. Those results are not affected if we vary the index of the stellar IMF from x=0.95 to x=1.35; a steeper IMF is instead required in order to reproduce the colour-magnitude relation and the present K-band luminosity of the bulge.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&