Canine Angiostrongylus vasorum

The French heartworm Angiostrougylus vasorum is a parasitic nematode that lives in the pulmonary vessels and the heart of canids. Transmission occurs through ingestion of infected intermediate hosts, such as snails and slugs. There are increasing reports of autochthonous infections in our neighbouring countries. Clinical signs usually relate to the respiratory system, coagulopathy and the neurologic system. Anorexia, gastrointestinal dysfunction and weight loss are also frequently observed. Diagnosis is not straightforward, but abnormalities detected by thoracic radiography, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan can be helpful. Eosinophilia, regenerative anemia and thrombocytopenia with or without abnormalities in the coagulation profile can occur. Definitive diagnosis is made by demonstrating the parasite in the cerebrospinal fluid, in faeces (Baermann technique) and/or in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Treatment consists of anthelmintic drugs and supportive care if necessary

Idiopathische hypercalcemie bij een Perzische kat

This report describes a clinical case of idiopathic hypercalcemia in a cat. A male, castrated Persian cat of seven years old was presented because of partial anorexia that had been present for the past three years.. Blood examination revealed a moderate hypercalcemia with hypofosfatemia. Thorough diagnostic workup revealed polycystic kidney disease and chronic kidney disease (IRIS stage 2). The hypercalcemia was not caused by the renal disease because the parathyroid hormone concentrations were normal, and because the cat had hypofosfatemia and an increased ionized calcium concentration. The cat was diagnosed with feline idiopathic hypercalcemia. The clinical signs disappeared and the calcium concentrations normalized after therapy with glucocorticoids

Serosurvey of canine distemper virus in culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) and chilla (Lycalopex griseus) foxes of the Araucanía region, Chile

Our goal was to assess whether free-ranging foxes have been exposed to canine distemper virus (CDV) in the Araucanía region in Chile. The study was conducted at three sites in rural areas where free-ranging foxes were trapped and bled from 2009 to 2012. We sampled two species of foxes: the culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) (n=13) and the chilla (Lycalopex griseus) (n=14). A serum virus neutralization assay was used to detect the presence and magnitude of functional systemic antibodies to CDV. Overall, CDV seroprevalence in culpeo and chilla foxes was 7.7 and 21.4%, respectively. Exposure to CDV did not differ among the sites. Despite the relatively low seroprevalence found in free-ranging foxes, the presence of CDV-seropositive dogs previously reported in rural sites nearby, suggests a potential risk of pathogen spill over from domestic dogs to foxes in the area

Drivers of acceptance of a new beverage in Europe

One of the challenges of studying food consumption behavior is to identify the drivers of choice for a food product. This is particularly important to design and develop new foods for which no previous information is available. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Bissap) is an herbaceous plant and an important source of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds, which confer a number of potential health benefits to derived products. The consumption of Bissap in beverage form is widespread in Africa and Asia, but not yet in Europe. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the main drivers of consumer acceptance of a traditional African beverage made from Bissap to which they had not been previously exposed. First, three focus groups (n = 22) were performed in Portugal to characterize the sensory profile of four Bissap beverages, to reveal perceptions and attitudes towards Bissap beverages, and to identify potential choice attributes. Subsequently, a full-profile conjoint analysis (n = 99) was performed, where consumers evaluated 37 Bissap beverage profiles, aiming to estimate choice attribute importance and to identify relevant market segments. Focus group findings showed that consumers would choose Bissap because they perceived as a healthy choice, and due to its novelty. The conjoint study showed an ideal profile for a Bissap beverage costing €0.99/L, <18 kcal/100 mL, packaged in Tetra-pack, light red color, and containing labeling information about antioxidants and Bissap. Four clusters of consumers were identified: price sensitive, body concerned, packaging attracted, and demanding, highlighting the most influential choice attributes: price, calories, and packaging. Findings provide useful guidance for new product development of an African product in the European lifestyle. Results might be useful from a nutraceutical point of view and to the food/beverages industry

Calidad de vida y sobrecarga del cuidador informal de adultos hospitalizados de una institución de salud pública, Trujillo 2022

La investigación tuvo por objetivo determinar la relación que existe entre calidad de vida y sobrecarga del cuidador informal de adultos hospitalizados de una Institución de Salud Pública, Trujillo 2022. El tipo de investigación fue básica, diseño no experimental, descriptiva y correlacional; con una muestra de 100 participantes. La técnica utilizada fue la encuesta. Se aplicó el cuestionario de salud SF-36 y la escala de sobrecarga del cuidador de Zarit, adaptado por las autoras. Se obtuvo como resultados en relación a la calidad de vida, que el 60% de los cuidadores informales presentaron un nivel regular y el 65% de cuidadores informales percibieron sobrecarga intensa. Se concluyó que existe relación significativa moderada entre ambas variables de estudio porque muestra un coeficiente de correlación de -0.442 con un nivel de significancia menor a 0.05, aceptando que la H1 es verdadera

The effect of impaired speaker’s voice and noise on children's spoken language processing

Background – Past studies indicate that listening to either impaired voice or against background noise may compromise children’s ability to process spoken language. However, the interaction of both factors remains largely unknown. Aim – The aim of this study was to investigate single and combined effects of impaired speaker’s voice and noise on spoken language processing in children (aged 5-6). Methods – First-grade primary school children (n = 53) individually performed two listening tasks: A Minimal-Pair Discrimination task assessing speech perception and a Sentence-Picture Matching Task assessing listening comprehension. Speech stimuli were presented in four conditions: (C1) normal voice and no noise, (C2) imitated impaired voice and no noise, (C3) normal voice and speech-shaped noise, and (C4) imitated impaired voice and speech-shaped noise. Task score per condition was calculated as measure of performance. Results – Irrespective of task, children performed significantly lower when stimuli were presented in a combination of impaired voice and noise (C4) as compared to any other condition. The presence of only one adverse factor (C2 or C3) lowered performance in the speech perception task but not the listening comprehension task. Discussion – Results suggest that when processing speech, young school-aged children are highly vulnerable to the combined effect of impaired speaker’s voice and noise. This could be due to increased auditory masking and reduced cognitive capacity available for linguistic processing. With only a single adverse factor present, children seem able to still use semantic or syntactic context cues for correct interpretation. However, performance drops when such cues are unavailable. Conclusion – Favorable listening conditions may be crucial for children’s processing of spoken language and positive learning outcomes. Particularly in the educational context, where listening is affected by voice quality and noise, measures should be taken to enhance the transmission of the speech signal and reduce noise