Fertility outcome after medically treated pyometra in dogs

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra complex (CEH/P) is a challenge in canine reproduction. Present study aimed to assess fertility after medical treatment. One-hundred-seventy-four bitches affected by CEH/P received aglepristone on days 1, 2, 8, then every 7 days until blood progesterone < 1.2 ng/mL; cloprostenol was administered on days 3 to 5. Records were grouped according to bodyweight (BW): small (< 10 kg, n = 33), medium (10 65 BW < 25 kg, n = 44), large (25 65 BW < 40 kg, n = 52), and giant bitches (BW 65 40 kg, n = 45). Age; success rate; aglepristone treatments number; relapse, pregnancy rates; diagnosis-relapse, -first, -last litter intervals; litters number after treatment, and LS were analyzed by ANOVA. Overall age was 5.14 \ub1 1.75 years, without difference among groups. Treatment was 100% successful, without difference in treatments number (4.75 \ub1 1.18), relapse (15/174, 8.62%) and pregnancy (129/140 litters, 92.14%) rates, intervals diagnosis-relapse (409.63 \ub1 254.9 days) or -last litter (418.62 \ub1 129.03 days). The interval diagnosis-first litter was significantly shorter (163.52 \ub1 51.47 days) and longer (225.17 \ub1 90.97 days) in small and giant bitches, respectively. Overall, 1.47 \ub1 0.65 litters were born after treatment. Expected LS was achieved in each group, as shown by \u394LS (actual-expected LS by breed, overall 120.40 \ub1 1.62) without differences among groups. Concluding, CEH/P affects younger dogs than previously described. Relapses were rarer than previously reported. Medical treatment with aglepristone+cloprostenol is effective and safe, preserving subsequent fertility, as demonstrated by negligible changes in LS

RBS, PIXE, Ion-Microbeam and SR-FTIR Analyses of Pottery Fragments from Azerbaijan

The present work is aimed at the investigation of the ceramic bulk and pigmented glazed surfaces of ancient potteries dating back to XIX century A.D. and coming from the charming archeological site located in the Medieval Agsu town (Azerbaijan), a geographic area of special interest due to the ancient commercial routes between China, Asia Minor, and Europe. For the purpose of the study, complementary investigation tools have been exploited: non-destructive or micro-destructive investigation at elemental level by ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques, by using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectroscopy and ion-microbeam analysis, and chemical characterization at microscopic level, by means of synchrotron radiation (SR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. The acquired information reveals useful for the identification of the provenance, the reconstruction of the firing technology, and finally, the identification of the pigment was used as a colorant of the glaze

Vibrational density of states and elastic properties of cross-linked polymers: combining inelastic light and neutron scattering

The vibrational dynamics of a new class of cross-linked polymers made up of cyclodextrins is here investigated in the microscopic range by the joint use of light and inelastic neutron scattering experiments. The effect of increasing the connectivity of the polymeric network on the vibrational dynamics of the system is studied by exploiting the complementarity of these two different probes. The derived densities of vibrational states of the polymers evidence the presence of the characteristic anomalous excess of vibrational modes with respect to the Debye level, already observed in the low-frequency Raman spectra and referred to as boson peak (BP). The overall analysis of the spectra suggests an emerging picture in which the motions of hydrogen atoms of the polymers are progressively hampered when the cross-linking degree of the covalent network increases. At the same time, the frequency and intensity of the BP are found to significantly change by increasing the cross-linking degree of the polymeric network, as clearly suggested by the existence of a scaling-law for the BP evolution. These findings support the conclusion that the growing of the covalent connectivity of the system induces a general modifications of the elastic properties of these cyclodextrin-based polymers, which are, once again, modulated by the cross-linking agent/cyclodextrin molar ratio

Relationship between Elastic Properties and Gel-to-Sol Transition in Cyclodextrin-Based Hydrogel

In order to elucidate the effects of the nature of the cross-linker, of the hydration level and of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance on the macro- and microscopic properties of a paradigmatic model of polysaccharide hydrogel, an integrated approach based on the combined use of low-frequency Raman scattering and FTIR-ATR absorption has been developed. The proposed methodology aims to explore the stability range of the liquid and gel phase diagram of the system. This approach was applied to cyclodextrin based nanosponges (CDNS), prepared by polymerization of \u3b1-, \u3b2-, and \u3b3-cylcodextrins (CDNS) with an activated derivative of ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid. It revealed successful, on one side, for a comparative analysis of the elasticity, as mesoscopic parameter, of the dry polymeric network, measured by Raman spectroscopy in the low frequency (0 \uf7 150 cm\u20131) range, and, on the other side, for the investigation of the water holding capacity, as macroscopic parameter, through the analysis of the vibrational dynamics of water molecules in the swollen polymers, monitored by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy in two selected wavenumber regions, i.e. 2800 \uf7 3800 cm\u20131 and 1500 \uf7 1800 cm\u20131, where the O-H stretching and H-O-H bending vibrations respectively occur. As main result, the same evolution as a function of the molar ratio n, has been observed for the elasticity on mesoscopic scale, as described by the Boson Peak (\u3c9BP) and the swelling ability on macroscopic scale, expressed by the mass ratio m describing the gel-to-sol transition in these systems. From the results, the way for a rational development of stimuli-responsive systems with specifi performances, by modulating the stability range of the liquid suspension and gel phases properly changing the molar ratio n during the synthesis, is opened

Isolation of NDM-1-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa sequence type ST235 from a stem cell transplant patient in Italy, May 2013

We describe the first isolation of an NDM-1-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Italy. In May 2013, a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and history of prior hospitalisation in Belgrad, Serbia, underwent stem cell transplantation at a tertiary care hospital in Rome, Italy. After transplantion, sepsis by NDM-1-producing P. aeruginosa occurred, leading to septic shock and fatal outcome

Spectroscopic investigation of Roman decorated plasters by combining FT-IR, micro-Raman and UV-Raman analyses

In this work, the complementary use of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, conventional micro-Raman spectroscopy and UV-Raman scattering proved successful for the characterization of bulk minerals and of a variety of pigments from decorated finishing layers of plasters from a Roman archaeological site known as Villa dei Quintili, a monumental residence located in the south-eastern part of Rome (Italy). The used multi-technique approach provided insights on the pictorial technique, giving information that could be useful for proper restoration. It is worth underlining that the present study represents the first attempt of carrying out UV resonance Raman measurements for analysing cultural heritage materials

Incidence and Outcome of Invasive Fungal Diseases after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Prospective Study of the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto Midollo Osseo (GITMO).

AbstractEpidemiologic investigation of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) may be useful to identify subpopulations who might benefit from targeted treatment strategies. The Gruppo Italiano Trapianto Midollo Osseo (GITMO) prospectively registered data on 1858 consecutive patients undergoing allo-HSCT between 2008 and 2010. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for proven/probable IFD (PP-IFD) during the early (days 0 to 40), late (days 41 to 100), and very late (days 101 to 365) phases after allo-HSCT and to evaluate the impact of PP-IFDs on 1-year overall survival. The cumulative incidence of PP-IFDs was 5.1% at 40 days, 6.7% at 100 days, and 8.8% at 12 months post-transplantation. Multivariate analysis identified the following variables as associated with PP-IFDs: transplant from an unrelated volunteer donor or cord blood, active acute leukemia at the time of transplantation, and an IFD before transplantation in the early phase; transplant from an unrelated volunteer donor or cord blood and grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in the late phase; and grade II-IV acute GVHD and extensive chronic GVHD in the very late phase. The risk for PP-IFD was significantly higher when acute GVHD was followed by chronic GVHD and when acute GVHD occurred in patients undergoing transplantation with grafts from other than matched related donors. The presence of PP-IFD was an independent factor in long-term survival (hazard ratio, 2.90; 95% confidence interval, 2.32 to 3.62; P < .0001). Our findings indicate that tailored prevention strategies may be useful in subpopulations at differing levels of risk for PP-IFDs

Manuale di ostetricia e neonatologia del cane e del gatto

Fisiopatologia della riproduzione:ciclo estrale della cagna e della gatta. Valutazione clinica dei soggetti riproduttori. Patologie del parto e del puerperio: diagnosi e trattament