Forensic aspects in animal abuse/cruelty: negative behaviors of humans towards the livestock

Abuses (cruelty) are instances of inappropriate treatment of animals by careers or persons interacting with the animal as part of the production process, such as before sacrifice or during shearing. These circumstances are then generalized on a large scale, leading to the spread of this behavior and posing a serious risk to animal welfare. It is important to establish the prevalence of behaviors, the reasons for the occurrence and the appropriate responses from livestock communities. These issues need to be taken into account in the context in which we have a moral duty towards the animals we care for and provide us with consumer goods. In general, the idea is to use animals for the company, food or clothing, an idea embraced even by many who do not consume meat but buy meat products for feeding their pets. Animals that provide these resources are dependent on people for food and shelter throughout their lives. Therefore, we have a duty to care for those animals that depend on us. In our research, the prevalence of deliberate maltreatment of animals in the county of Iasi was monitored. This does not mean that there were no occasions when an individual harmed the animal due to a certain set of circumstances, such as the animal's response to orders or because the person is upset about other reasons or is not feeling well. Cases of animal abuse are numerous, from precarious housing, to starvation, beating and even slaughter in barbaric conditions. Under existing laws (Law 205/2004 modified and republished in 2017) on animal welfare, a person commits the offense of cruelty to animals when the person causes death or unjustifiable physical pain or suffering to any animal by an act, an omission, or willful neglect

Unusual Canine Cutaneous Melanoma Presenting Parietal Bone Metastasis: A Case Report

Melanocytic tumour anatomic location is considered an important prognostic indicator. The cutaneous forms are generally considered benign and may show various biological behaviours. This work reports a rare case of canine cutaneous melanoma showing parietal bone metastasis. Bone invasion in melanocytic tumours is often described in oral or visceral melanomas, but not in cutaneous forms. The patient (dog, male, mixed breed, 12 years) was initially presented for the surgical removal of a cutaneous tumour located on the skin of the carpal region of the right forelimb. Four months after, the patient returned with enlarged lymph nodes and acute respiratory failure. The patient was euthanized due to a decline in physical condition. The necropsy showed metastases in the affected forelimb, regional lymph node, splanchnic organs, parietal bone and meninges. Histopathological examination of tumour tissue samples revealed a mixture of pigmented and non-pigmented spindle and epithelioid melanocytes, while according to immunohistochemistry, the tumours showed a strong immunopositivity for VEGF and MMP-10, and a moderate positivity for MMP-2 expression. This case shows that cutaneous melanocytic tumours may show an aggressive malignant form with positive immunohistochemical reactions for multiple invasiveness factors

An outbreak of hemorrhagic disease in rabbits

Rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease, known as viral necrotic hepatitis or hemorrhagic pneumonia, is a contagious disease with peracute or acute outcome and characterized by hyperthermia, prostration, hemorrhagic foamy discharge and mortality in 50-90% of cases. The main lesions are consisting in hemorrhagic diathesis, especially in lungs, liver and spleen. There are no evolution particularities regarding the age, breed, gender or species (domesticated or wild). The aim of this paper was consisting in describing the symptomatology and the pathology of hemorrhagic disease outbreak in rabbits. To the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Iasi were submitted for a physical examination 5 rabbits, 4 female and one male, crossbreed between Lionhead and Californian breed, 4 to 9 months old, kept in a private household, and. During the physical examination, the main symptomatology seen was consisting in sign of seizures, agitations, respiratory illness and nasal bloody and foamy discharge. Due to their bad conditions, the rabbits died shortly after the physical exam. The gross pathology was characterized by hemorrhagic diathesis, catarrhal-hemorrhagic rhinitis, laryngitis and tracheitis with the presence in lumen of a frothy and hemorrhagic liquid. The lesions seen in lungs were consisting in hemorrhagic pneumonia and edema, in liver a necrotic hepatitis, while in kidneys lesions with hemorrhagic pattern

Imaging, necropsyc and histopathological findings in aggressive mammary tumor in one cat

The rate of cancer diagnosis in cats is increasing, and one of the most common type is of mammary gland tumors. Mammary neoplasis are clinically diagnosed, radiology and ultrasound revealed, and confirmed by necropsy examination and through histopathology. One intact female cat, 9 years old, with 10 cm ulcerated mammary tumor and with severe clinical condition, was brought to the Radiology service for imaging examination metastasis check up. Considering the critical condition, the radiological findings, and the clinical tumoral staging, with the consent of the owner, the cat was directed to the anatomopathology department for euthanasia, and for necropsy procedures. Pathological findings that were discovered on survey radiographs included: increased radiopacity in the pulmonary projection area, mild pleural effusion, radiopaque structure defined in the ventral abdominal wall, with decrease radiodensity middle area, and radiopaque kidney projection area. During necropsy, macroscopically was identified: aggressive mammary tumor invasions, pulmonary metastasis, kidney changes and ovarian cysts. Histophatological changes consists of: diagnosed mammary adenocarcinoma consisted of polymorphic cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and hyperchromatic nuclei, with frequent mitosis and with necrosis areas. Also, subpleural pulmonary metastasis with compact tumoral cells areas, hepatic congestion injury and fibrous nephritis were encountered. Mixed mammary adenocarcinoma exhibit a complex histological pattern, with an aggressive clinical behaviour, associated with a reserved or bad prognostic. Mammary tumours are one of the most frequent neoplasia in female cats; therefore, these tumours represent a serious problem in veterinary medicine

Long Term Evaluation of Biodegradation and Biocompatibility In-Vivo the Mg-0.5Ca-xZr Alloys in Rats

Biodegradable alloys in Mg have the advantages of traditional metallic materials and those of biodegradable polymers with superior strength, lower density and ideal rigidity for fixing bone fractures. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of the five concentrations of Mg-0.5Ca-xZr alloys used were assessed using clinical and laboratory examinations that followed over time: tissue reaction, histological and imaging (RX, CT and SEM) evolution at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after implant. The main purpose of this study was to investigate in vivo the long-term effect of Mg-0.5Ca-xZr alloys in rats. The results confirmed that Mg-0.5Ca-xZr alloys are biocompatible and biodegradable and are recommended to be used as possible materials for new orthopedics devices

Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning Used in the Case of Two Behavioral Tests Applied in Zebrafish Exposed to Mycotoxins

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that allows computer systems to learn directly from examples, data, and experience. Statistical modeling is more about finding connections between variables and consequently the impact of these relationships, while also catering for prediction. It should be clear that these two methodologies are different in terms of their purpose, despite the fact that they use similar means to get there. The evaluation of the machine learning algorithm uses a set of tests to validate its accuracy. Although, for a statistical model, the analysis of regression parameters by confidence intervals, significance tests and other tests can be used to assess the legitimacy of the model. To demonstrate the applications and usefulness of this theory, an experimental study was conducted on zebrafish exposed to mycotoxin. Methods: Patulin (70 µg/L) and kojic acid (100 mg/L, 204 mg/L, and 284 mg/L) were administered by immersion to zebrafish once daily for a period of 7 days before the behavior testing. The following behavioral tests were performed: a novel tank test (NTT) (to assess the explorative behavior and anxiety); and a Y-maze test (which measures the spontaneous explorative behavior). Behavioral tests were performed on separate days. For the behavior tests, the statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA variation analysis (two-way ANOVA). All results are expressed as the mean ± standard error of the mean. The values of the general index F for which p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Y-maze—patulin exposure led to an intensification of the locomotor activity and an increased traveled distance and number of arm entries. By increasing the spontaneous alternation between the aquarium’s arms, patulin has shown a stimulating effect on spatial memory. In the case of zebrafish exposed to 100 mg/L kojic acid, the traveled distance was shorter by 27% than the distance attained by those in the control group. The higher doses of kojic acid (204 mg/L and 284 mg/L) led to an increased locomotor activity, distance traveled, number of arm entries, and the spontaneous alternation. The increase in spontaneous alternation demonstrates that 204 mg/L and 284 mg/L kojic acid doses had a stimulating effect on spatial memory. Novel tank test—compared to the control group, the traveled distance of the patulin-exposed fish is slightly reduced. Compared to the control group, the traveled distance of the kojic acid-exposed fish is reduced, due to a shorter mobile time (by 25–27% in the case of fish exposed to 204 mg/L and 284 mg/L kojic acid). Patulin and kojic acid exhibit toxic effects on zebrafish liver, kidney, and myocardium and leads to severe alteration. We continued the analysis by trying some machine learning algorithms on the classification problems in the case of the two behavioral tests MAZE and NTT, after which we concluded that the results were better in the case of the NTT test relative to the MAZE test and that the use of decision tree algorithms leads to amazing results, knowing that their hierarchical structure allows them to learn signals from both classes. Conclusions: The groups exposed to patulin and kojic acid show histological changes in the liver, kidneys, and myocardial muscle tissue. The novel tank test, which assesses exploratory behavior, has been shown to be conclusive in the behavioral analysis of fish that have been given toxins, demonstrating that the intoxicated fish had a decreased explorative behavior and increased anxiety. We were able to detect a machine learning algorithm in the category of decision trees, which can be trained to classify the behavior of fish that were given a toxin in the category of those used in the experiment, only by analyzing the characteristic features of the NTT Behavior Test

A Yeast-Derived Peptide Promotes Skin Wound Healing by Stimulating Effects on Fibroblast and Immunomodulatory Activities

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Novel Mg-0.5Ca-xMn Biodegradable Alloys Intended for Orthopedic Application: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Mg-based biodegradable materials, used for medical applications, have been extensively studied in the past decades. The in vitro cytocompatibility study showed that the proliferation and viability (as assessed by quantitative MTT-assay—3-(4,5-dimethyltiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) were not negatively affected with time by the addition of Mn as an alloying element. In this sense, it should be put forward that the studied alloys don’t have a cytotoxic effect according to the standard ISO 10993-5, i.e., the level of the cells’ viability (cultured with the studied experimental alloys) attained both after 1 day and 5 days was over 82% (i.e., 82, 43–89, 65%). Furthermore, the fibroblastic cells showed variable morphology (evidenced by fluorescence microscopy) related to the alloy sample’s proximity (i.e., related to the variation on the Ca, Mg, and Mn ionic concentration as a result of alloy degradation). It should be mentioned that the cells presented a polygonal morphology with large cytoplasmic processes in the vicinity of the alloy’s samples, and a bipolar morphology in the remote region of the wells. Moreover, the in vitro results seem to indicate that only 0.5% Mn is sufficient to improve the chemical stability, and thus the cytocompatibility; from this point of view, it could provide some flexibility in choosing the right alloy for a specific medical application, depending on the specific parameters of each alloy, such as its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In order to assess the in vivo compatibility of each concentration of alloy, the pieces were implanted in four rats, in two distinct body regions, i.e., the lumbar and thigh. The body’s reaction was followed over time, 60 days, both by general clinical examinations considering macroscopic changes, and by laboratory examinations, which revealed macroscopic and microscopic changes using X-rays, CT(Computed Tomography), histology exams and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). In both anatomical regions, for each of the tested alloys, deformations were observed, i.e., a local reaction of different intensities, starting the day after surgery. The release of hydrogen gas that forms during Mg alloy degradation occurred immediately after implantation in all five of the groups examined, which did not affect the normal functionality of the tissues surrounding the implants. Imaging examinations (radiological and CT) revealed the presence of the alloy and the volume of hydrogen gas in the lumbar and femoral region in varying amounts. The biodegradable alloys in the Mg-Ca-Mn system have great potential to be used in orthopedic applications

In Vitro and In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of the New Magnetic-Cerium Oxide Nanoconjugates

Background. Cerium oxide nanoparticles present the mimetic activity of superoxide dismutase, being able to inactivate the excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) correlated with a large number of pathologies, such as stents restenosis and the occurrence of genetic mutations that can cause cancer. This study presents the synthesis and biological characterisation of nanoconjugates based on nanoparticles of iron oxide interconnected with cerium oxide conjugates. Methods. The synthesis of magnetite-nanoceria nanoconjugates has been done in several stages, where the key to the process is the coating of nanoparticles with polyethyleneimine and its chemical activation-reticulation with glutaraldehyde. The nanoconjugates are characterised by several techniques, and the antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results. Iron oxide nanoparticles interconnected with cerium oxide nanoparticles were obtained, having an average diameter of 8 nm. Nanoconjugates prove to possess superparamagnetic properties and the saturation magnetisation varies with the addition of diamagnetic components in the system, remaining within the limits of biomedical applications. In vitro free-radical scavenging properties of nanoceria are improved after the coating of nanoparticles with polyethylenimine and conjugation with magnetite nanoparticles. In vivo studies reveal increased antioxidant activity in all organs and fluids collected from mice, which demonstrates the ability of the nanoconjugates to reduce oxidative stress. Conclusion. Nanoconjugates possess magnetic properties, being able to scavenge free radicals, reducing the oxidative stress. The combination of the two properties mentioned above makes them excellent candidates for theranostic applications

3D high-precision melt electro written polycaprolactone modified with yeast derived peptides for wound healing

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