Habitat selection in adult males of Alpine ibex, <i>Capra ibex ibex</i>

Habitat use and selection of 14 Alpine ibex males were studied in the Gran Paradiso National Park. Alpine meadows were always overused and positively selected, because this habitat constituted an important food resource for the ibex. Even if rocks (30%) and stone ravines (22%) were the most frequented habitats in the study area, their use was lower than their availability because they offered few trophic resources. Pastures were used only in spring when the ibexes were looking for those sites just free from snow and with fresh vegetation. Stone ravines, where the ibexes rested in the hottest days, were most used in summer. Rocks were most used in winter: rock-faces are the only sites where the risk of avalanches is low and where it is still possible to find snow-free patches. Larch woods were especially used in winter and spring when it was still possible to find snow-free patches. The home range sizes proved to be influenced by the amount of Alpine meadows and rocks

Unusual complications caused by lipoma of the tongue

Lipoma is the most common, benign, soft tissue, mesenchymal tumour and is composed of mature adipose tissue. It is infrequent in the oral cavity (approximately 0.3% of all tongue neoplasias). We describe the case of a 68-year-old man with a swelling at the tongue edge and tongue dysesthesia. Medical history, clinical assessment, radiographic images, and cytological analysis enabled specialists to classify this neoplasia as a lipoma. The patient recovered fully after surgical excision of the affected area, and the neuralgic symptoms regressed. Surgical excision is an elective treatment; however, accurate differential diagnosis, histological examination, and follow-up are required

Multiplicative effect of stress and poor sleep quality on periodontitis: A university-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association of perceived stress and poor sleep quality with periodontitis in a university-based cohort of individuals. MethodsA total of 235 individuals were included in this cross-sectional study. Perceived stress and sleep quality were evaluated through validated questionnaires, while periodontitis was identified with a full-mouth periodontal examination protocol using both European Federation of Periodontology/American Academy of Periodontology (EFP/AAP) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/AAP case definitions. Simple and multiple linear and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between perceived stress and sleep quality with periodontitis prevalence and severity. ResultsStage III/IV periodontitis resulted associated with both moderate/high perceived stress (odds ratio [OR] = 5.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2-13.5; p &lt; 0.001) and poor sleep quality (OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.2-7.4; p &lt; 0.05). The interaction between moderate/high perceived stress and poor sleep quality presented a multiplicative association with stage III/IV periodontitis (EFP/AAP; OR = 5.8; 95% CI: 1.6-21.3; p &lt; 0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated a similar trend of association also with linear periodontal parameters, that is, mean clinical attachment level (CAL) and mean probing pocket depth (PPD). ConclusionsThe findings from the present study suggest that stress and poor sleep quality may exert a multiplicative effect on periodontitis prevalence and severity

Healthy lifestyles are associated with a better response to periodontal therapy: A prospective cohort study

Aim: To evaluate the association between lifestyle behaviours and clinical periodontal outcomes following Steps 1/2 of periodontal therapy.Methods: A total of 120 subjects with untreated Stage II/III periodontitis participated in this study. At baseline, questionnaires were administered to assess the following lifestyle behaviours: adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD), physical activity (PA) and stress levels, sleep quality, smoking and alcohol use. Participants received Steps 1/2 of periodontal therapy and were re-evaluated after 3 months. A composite outcome of the endpoint of therapy (i.e., no sites with probing pocket depth [PPD] &gt;= 4 mm with bleeding on probing, and no sites with PPD &gt;= 6 mm) was regarded as the primary outcome. Simple and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between lifestyle behaviours and clinical periodontal outcomes. Disease severity at baseline, body mass index, diabetes, household disposable income and plaque control were considered as confounders.Results: Multiple regression analyses showed significantly lower odds of achieving the endpoint of therapy in subjects with poor sleep quality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03-0.47; p &lt;.01), smoking (OR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.06-0.52; p &lt;.05) and alcohol use above the suggested intake (OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07-0.63; p &lt;.01). Subjects with a combination of `unhealthy lifestyles' (low adherence to MD and low PA levels and high levels of stress and poor sleep quality) showed higher proportions of residual PPD &gt;= 6 mm (MD = 1.51; 95% CI: 0.23-2.80; p &lt;.05) and lower odds of achieving the endpoint of therapy (OR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.33-0.99; p &lt;.05) at re-evaluation.Conclusions: Subjects with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours showed worse clinical outcomes 3 months after Steps 1/2 of periodontal therapy

Correlation Between Dysphagia and Malocclusion in Rett Syndrome: A preliminary study

Objectives: Rett syndrome (RS) is a severe neurological developmental disorder characterised by stereotypical hand movements, epileptic seizures, craniofacial dysmorphism and digestive dysfunction. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the severity of malocclusion and dysphagia in patients with RS. Methods: This preliminary study was conducted at the Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic of the University Hospital of Siena, Siena, Italy, from January 2014 to December 2017. A total of 56 patients with RS were examined and grouped according to the severity of dysphagia (absent, mild, moderate or severe) and malocclusion (4 mm). Results: All of the patients were female and the mean age was 11.3 years. Eight (14.3%) patients had mild, 18 (32.1%) had moderate and 30 (53.6%) had severe dysphagia. Four (7.1%) patients had 4 mm occlusion. Mild dysphagia was observed in 100% and 40% of patients with 4 mm malocclusion, respectively. There was a significant correlation between dysphagia and malocclusion severity (P <0.001). Conclusion: A higher degree of malocclusion was associated with more severe dysphagia among a cohort of patients with RS. Keywords: X-Linked Mental Retardation; Rett Syndrome; Dysphagia; Malocclusion; Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood

phosphorus and potassium fertilizer effects on alfalfa and soil in a non limited soil

Fertilization strategies for high-yielding alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) should take in account the increase in soil nutritional status that occurred during the last decades in areas with intensive agricultural use. A field study was conducted at the University of Padova, northeastern Italy, to determine the response of alfalfa yield and nutritive value to various combinations of P and K rates in a soil lacking nutrient deficiency. Alfalfa cultivar Delta was seeded in March 2005 on a silt loam soil having 38 mg kg -1 available P and 178 mg kg -1 exchangeable K. Nine treatments deriving from the combination of three P fertilization rates (0, 100, and 200 kg ha -1 P 2 O 5 ) and three K rates (0, 300, and 600 kg ha -1 K 2 O) were compared in a randomized complete block design. Plots were harvested at bud stage during three growing seasons (2005-2007) and dry matter (DM) yield, forage nutritive value, P and K contents, canopy height, and stem density were measured at each harvest. Soil samples were collected at the end of the research period for determination of available P and exchangeable K. The results demonstrated that P application had no impact on yield and did not interact with K in determining productivity, while K had a positive effect on yield. However, the 300 kg ha -1 K 2 O rate appeared sufficient to maximize yield, without adverse effects on the forage nutritive value. Data from soil analyses showed that alfalfa has a high K uptake even when it is fertilized at high rates

Corrigendum: Cancer survivorship at heart: a multidisciplinary cardio-oncology roadmap for healthcare professionals

Content: This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.122366