Adult patients with grown-up congenital heart disease: Lights and shadows

GUCH is acronym of grown-up congenital heart of patients who become adults after cardiac surgery. The history of this population is in progress (temporal perspective), and long-term post-surgical follow-up revealed the paradoxical meaning of correction of complex congenital heart disease, because surgery does not restore normality: It prolongs life, improves symptoms, functional capacity, but it is often associated with illness and peculiar needs. Not only survival but also health-related quality of life, which is strictly connected to clinical status, socio-economic situation, psychological conditions, cognitive functions, level of care with particular attention to gender differences. Currently the history of these patients is better known: A multidisciplinary team of cardiologists with specific training in congenital heart disease, psychologists, neurophysiologists, obstetricians, social workers, experts in human science can improve the possibilities of these patients to realize their effective and safe project of life

Rare generalized form of fungal dermatitis in a horse: Case report

A rare case of Geotrichum spp. dermatitis in a horse is presented. After unrelated, previous surgery and antibiotic treatment, a saddle horse showed well-circumscribed areas of non-pruritic alopecia. Suspecting allergic skin disease, the horse was treated with corticosteroids. The skin lesion spread, and a second veterinarian was consulted. At clinical examination, the horse was lethargic, pyretic and hair was shedding/easily epilated over the head, neck, shoulders, and legs and the hind legs were swollen. Blood analysis revealed mild leucocytosis and hyperglobulinemia. Hair, skin scraping, and skin biopsy ruled out parasites and bacteria; cytology identified yeast-like structures with hyphae or pseudohyphae. Geotrichum candidum was isolated on culture. Treatment consisted of stable disinfection, topical application of an antifungal solution, vitamins C and E supplementation and allowing the horse to graze in sunlight for at least 6 h/day. At 3-weeks follow-up, the horse had gained weight, alopecia was decreased, and all other clinical parameters were normal. Antifungal treatment was continued twice a week for three months. This study suggests Geotrichum candidum may cause skin lesions in horses after long-term use of corticosteroids or antibiotics. To avoid unnecessary and prolonged suffering in cases of dermatitis, veterinarians should be promptly consulted, appropriate diagnostic procedures conducted, so that a definitive diagnosis can be reached, and an appropriate treatment regimen implemented

Understanding and recognition of the right ventricular function and dysfunction via a numerical study

The role played by the right ventricular (RV) dysfunction has long been underestimated in clinical practice. Recent findings are progressively confirming that when the RV efficiency deteriorates both the right and the left circulation is (significantly) affected, but studies dedicated to a detailed description of RV hemodynamic role still lack. In response to such a gap in knowledge, this work proposes a numerical model that for the first time evaluates the effect of isolated RV dysfunction on the whole circulation. Lumped parameter modelling was applied to represent the physio-pathological hemodynamics. Different grades of impairment were simulated for three dysfunctions i.e., systolic, diastolic, and combined systolic and diastolic. Hemodynamic alterations (i.e., of blood pressure, flow, global hemodynamic parameters), arising from the dysfunctions, are calculated and analysed. Results well accord with clinical observations, showing that RV dysfunction significantly affects both the pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics. Successful verification against in vivo data proved the clinical potentiality of the model i.e., the capability of identifying the degree of RV impairment for given hemodynamic conditions. This study aims at contributing to the improvement of RV dysfunction recognition and treatment, and to the development of tools for the clinical management of pathologies involving the right heart

Pilot study of the relationship between deck level and journey duration on plasma cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in italian heavy pigs

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the relationship between journey duration, deck level and activation patterns of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA) and sympathetic adrenal medullary system (SAM) in pigs. A total of 90 pigs were examined. The animals came from three different Italian farms associated with the same slaughterhouse located in Bari (Apulia region-Italy). A group of thirty animals was transported from Pordenone (11 h journey); a second group was transported from Terni (6.5 h journey); a third group was transported from Benevento (3 h journey). The animals were transported in the same vehicle, which complied with the structural characteristics indicated in the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005. The truck was composed of a lorry and a trailer, each one divided into three decks. Only the animals transported in the trailer were tested for the study. Before transportation, blood samples were collected on each farm, at 6:00 a.m., from 30 pigs randomly selected out of 135 pigs ready to be transported. Blood samples were also collected during slaughter to evaluate plasma cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, around 6:00 a.m. A journey duration of 11 h was associated with significantly higher plasma concentrations of stress hormones compared with shorter journeys. This increase was proportional to the journey duration, with the pigs travelling for 6.5 h displaying intermediate concentrations between those noticed after 3 h and 11 h journeys. The interaction between deck and journey distance was not significant on epinephrine, norepinephrine or cortisol levels collected at arrival. There was a significant effect of deck level on norepinephrine levels (p < 0.0001), a tendency to influence epinephrine levels (p = 0.073) but no effect on cortisol levels (p = 0.945). Overall, we observed that an 11 h-long journey seemed to impact negatively on pigs\u2019 HPA-SAM activity, likely requiring the animals to spend more time in the lairage facilities to recover

Effects of two different management systems on hormonal, behavioral, and semen quality in male dromedary camels

Effects of two different management systems on male dromedary camel hormones, behaviors, and semen parameters were documented. Camels (n=6) were tested under two management systems: (i) housed in single boxes with 1-h freedom (H23); (ii) exposed to females for 17 h (from 3.30 p.m. to 8.30 a.m.) and then housed (ConExF). Blood was collected every morning; camel behavior was recorded twice a day: (i) from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. to determine the short effects; (ii) from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to determine the long effects. Each camel underwent a female parade and semen collection thrice a week; sexual behavior, libido, and semen parameters were assessed. Testosterone and cortisol concentrations were higher in ConExF than H23. Compared to the H23 group, ConExF group spent more time walking, standing tripods, and looking outside their pen/box but they spent less time eating, ruminating, resting, standing, and showing stereotypical behaviors. In the morning, ConExF group spent more time walking, ruminating, and showing typical sexual behaviors compared to themselves during afternoon time and the H23 group. However, in the afternoon time, ConExF camels put more time their heads outside the box through the window and showed higher frequencies of stereotypies, probably due to a higher level of frustration. While the sexual behavioral score was higher and ejaculates showed a higher fraction of milky white and white-colored semen in ConExF than H23 group, their libido was similar. Overall, 17 h of exposure led to an increase in testosterone and cortisol levels, enhancing sexual behavior and semen color, but leading to frustration

Uprighting impacted mandibular second molar using a skeletal anchorage: a case report

The aim of this case report is to present an innovative combined orthodontic-surgical technique to disimpact mandibular second molar (MM2) using an orthodontic miniscrew and an elastic chain. The impact on the Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was also evaluated. Using the present techinique, it is possible to expose the impacted tooth, insert a self-drilling miniscrew in the retromolar area, and remove the bud of third mandibular molar. At the same time the orthodontic force is applied with the use of an elastomeric chain that connects the head of miniscrew and vestibular and oral buttons bonded on MM2. A close traction is performed for the whole treatment time without the reactivation of the elastic force. The use of skeletal anchorage allowed the disimpaction of impacted MM2 in a short treatment time (about three months) avoiding the typical biomechanical side effects of traditional orthodontic appliance and increasing the effectiveness of the treatment. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the real advantages and disadvantages of this combined orthodontic-surgical approach

Comparision of profile macro-estethic perception among orthodontists, dentistry students, orthodontic patients and surgical orthodontic patients

Background: The patient's needs should guide the orthodontist in choosing the most appropriate therapy. The purpose of the present survey was to compare the esthetic perception of the facial profile by orthodontists (O), dentistry students (DS), orthodontic patients (OP) and surgical-orthodontic patients (SOP) and to evaluate the influence of gender, age and level of study. Material and Methods: A facial profile photograph of a young female was taken and twelve modified images were made, altering the position of the jaws in protrusion and in retrusion. Two hundred caucasian examiners, divided into four groups (O, DS, OP, SOP), were selected. Each examiner was asked to complete the questionnaire with an approval rating from 1 to 10. An ordinary least square OLS model was applied. Significant levels were set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: All examiners considered a straight profile or a slight retrusion of the maxilla as the most attractive profile. Slight discrepancies (up to 2 mm) in jaw protrusion were barely perceived by patients. Mandibular retrusion (2 and 4 mm) was one of the least appreciated condition by all examiners. Surgical-orthodontic patients assigned lower ratings compared to orthodontic patients. Female subjects assigned lower ratings than males. Patients with secondary school education assigned higher statistically significant values compared to other levels of study. The lowest values were attributed by the sample of age > = 17 years. Conclusions: The choice of the most appropriate therapy is based not only on a correct diagnosis, but on the evaluation of esthetic and psychological aspects

Describing backfat and Semimembranosus muscle fatty acid variability in heavy pigs: Analysis of non–genetic factors

This study aimed to describe the multivariate structure of Semimembranosus muscle and backfat fatty acid (FA) composition in 798 Italian Large White heavy pigs and to investigate the effects of environmental factors and carcass characteristics on FA variations. The total FA variability in muscle and backfat was characterized by a negative correlation between saturated and polyunsaturated FAs, which strongly depended on the carcass adiposity. Slaughtering season was also relevant, with pigs slaughtered in autumn having more n-6 FAs and eicosadienoic acid in backfat, while pigs slaughtered in winter displayed more saturated FAs. Regarding Semimembranosus muscle, pigs with heavier belly cuts and slaughtered in autumn had higher proportions of cis-vaccenic and palmitoleic acids, while those slaughtered in summer had more saturated FAs. Slaughtering season emerged as a relevant factor shaping both backfat and muscle FA composition, indicating that more studies and attention should be paid to environmental factors, which may have effects on FA metabolism and deposition in finishing pigs

Factors affecting the development of Bovine Respiratory Disease: a cross-sectional study in beef steers shipped from France to Italy

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a complex, multifactorial syndrome and one of the major welfare and economical concerns for the cattle industry. This 1-year cross-sectional study was aimed at documenting the prevalence of BRD-related pathogens and clinical signs before and after a long journey and at identifying possible predisposition factors. Male Limousine beef steers (n = 169) traveling from France to Italy were health checked and sampled with Deep Nasopharyngeal Swabs (DNS) at loading (T0) and 4 days after arrival (T1). Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify the presence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), bovine adenovirus (BAdV), bovine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV-3), Histophilus somni, Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, and Pasteurella multocida. Weather conditions at departure and arrival were recorded, and the travel conditions were taken from the travel documentation. At T0, even if no animals displayed clinical signs, some of them were already positive for one or more pathogens. At T1, the number of animals displaying clinical signs and positive for BCoV, BAdV, BRSV, H. somni, M. haemolytica, M. bovis, and P. multocida increased dramatically (p < 0.001). Transport also significantly increased co-infection passing from 16.0% at T0 to 82.8% at T1 (p < 0.001). An extra stop during the journey seemed to favor BRSV, M. haemolytica, and P. multocida (p < 0.05). Weather conditions, in particular sudden climate changes from departure to arrival and daily temperature variance, were found to be predisposing factors for many of the pathogens. The farm of arrival also played a role for BRSV, BAdV, and H. somni (p < 0.05). BCoV increased dramatically, but no associations were found confirming that it spreads easily during transport phases. Our findings increased our understanding of factors increasing the likelihood of BRD-related pathogens shedding and can be useful to minimize the incidence of BRD and to implement animal transport regulations

Do patients with hallucinations imagine speech right?

A direct relationship between auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) and decreased left-hemispheric lateralization in speech perception has been often described, although it has not been conclusively proven. The specific lateralization of AVHs has been poorly explored. However, patients with verbal hallucinations show a weak Right Ear Advantage (REA) in verbal perception compared to non AVHs listeners suggesting that left-hemispheric language area are involved in AVHs. In the present study, 29 schizophrenia patients with AVHs, 31 patients with psychotic bipolar disorder who experienced frequent AVHs, 27 patients with schizophrenia who had never experienced AVHs and 57 healthy controls were required to imagine hearing a voice in one ear alone. In line with previous evidence healthy controls confirmed the expected REA for auditory imagery, and the same REA was also found in non-hallucinator patients. However, in line with our hypothesis, patients with schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder with AVHs showed no lateral bias. Results extend the relationship between abnormal asymmetry for verbal stimuli and AVHs to verbal imagery, suggesting that atypical verbal imagery may reflect a disruption of inter-hemispheric connectivity between areas implicated in the generation and monitoring of verbal imagery and may be predictive of a predisposition for AVHs. Results also indicate that the relationship between AVHs and hemispheric lateralization for auditory verbal imagery is not specific to schizophrenia but may extend to other disorders as well