Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Chemodectomas in Five Dogs

Chemodectomas are low prevalence tumors with complex clinical management. Many present as an incidental finding however, in other dogs, they produce pericardial effusion and/or compression, leading to the appearance of severe clinical signs. There are currently several approaches: surgery, radiotherapy, stent placement and chemotherapy. This is the first description of percutaneous echo-guided radiofrequency ablation of aortic body tumors. This minimally invasive treatment is based on high frequency alternating electrical currents from an electrode that produces ionic agitation and generates frictional heat, causing coagulation necrosis. Five dogs with an echocardiographic and cytological diagnosis of chemodectoma underwent percutaneous echo-guided radiofrequency ablation. At the time of presentation, all the dogs showed clinical signs, such as ascites and/or collapse. There were no complications either during the procedure or in the following 24 hours. Rapid clinical improvement associated with a reduction in size and change in sonographic appearance of the mass were achieved with no complications. Six months follow-up was carried out in all dogs. A second percutaneous echo-guided RFA was performed eight months after the first procedure in one dog. Based on our experience, radiofrequency ablation seems to be a feasible and safe technique, making it a potential alternative therapeutic approach in the clinical management of aortic body tumors leading to severe clinical compromise

A HGF/cMET Autocrine Loop Is Operative in Multiple Myeloma Bone Marrow Endothelial Cells and May Represent a Novel Therapeutic Target

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the angiogenic role of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/cMET pathway and its inhibition in bone marrow endothelial cells (EC) from patients with multiple myeloma versus from patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or benign anemia (control group). Experimental Design: The HGF/cMET pathway was evaluated in ECs from patients with multiple myeloma (multiple myeloma ECs) at diagnosis, at relapse after bortezomib- or lenalidomide-based therapies, or on refractory phase to these drugs; in ECs from patients with MGUS (MGECs); and in those patients from the control group. The effects of a selective cMET tyrosine kinase inhibitor (SU11274) on multiple myeloma ECs' angiogenic activities were studied in vitro and in vivo. Results: Multiple myeloma ECs express more HGF, cMET, and activated cMET (phospho (p)-cMET) at both RNAand protein levels versus MGECs and control ECs. Multiple myeloma ECs are able to maintain the HGF/cMET pathway activation in absence of external stimulation, whereas treatment with anti-HGF and anti-cMET neutralizing antibodies (Ab) is able to inhibit cMET activation. The cMET pathway regulates several multiple myeloma EC activities, including chemotaxis, motility, adhesion, spreading, and whole angiogenesis. Its inhibition by SU11274 impairs these activities in a statistically significant fashion when combined with bortezomib or lenalidomide, both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: An autocrine HGF/cMET loop sustains multiple myeloma angiogenesis and represents an appealing new target to potentiate the antiangiogenic management of patients with multiple myeloma

Transverse Right Ventricle Strain and Strain Rate Assessed by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Dogs with Pulmonary Hypertension

Right ventricular (RV) strain analysis using 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) permits practitioners to assess regional and global deformation of the myocardium. Recently, assessment of the longitudinal right ventricle (RV) strain and strain rate using 2D STE has been reported in dogs. Although longitudinal deformation is the dominant component of the RV systole, RV myocardial fibers of the superficial layer are oriented circumferentially and these contribute to the RV pump function (radial deformation). Because this strain component has not been investigated in dogs, we have assessed radial RV strain and strain rate using 2D STE in healthy dogs and dogs with pulmonary hypertension (PH). We have recruited 74 dogs (40 healthy dogs and 34 dogs with PH) in which we have analyzed radial RV free wall strain and strain rate using XstrainTM software. We have used the left apical 4-chamber view optimized for the RV for analysis of the radial strain and strain rate variables (XstrainTM software denoted radial strain as “transverse”). Seven dogs were excluded during the analysis for low quality images. Transverse strain and strain rate obtained in healthy dogs showed no relationship with heart rate, body weight or age (r2 < 0.09 and p > 0.05 for all variables). Moreover, no relationship between transverse strain/strain rate variables and left atrial-to-aortic ratios was observed (r2 < 0.06 and p = 0.2, for both). Transverse strain and strain rate obtained in dogs with PH, showed weak negative relationships with tricuspid regurgitation velocity (r2 < 0.25 and p = 0.006, for both). Transverse RV strain and strain rate using 2D STE is feasible in most dogs and decrease with worsening of the PH, but these advanced echocardiographic indices do not help in identifying dogs with PH

Mural Endocarditis and Embolic Pneumonia Due to Trueperella pyogenes in an Adult Cow with Ventricular Septal Defect

Bacterial endocarditis represents one of the most frequently acquired cardiac diseases in adult cattle. Congenital heart diseases as a ventricular septal defect can facilitate bacterial endocarditis as a consequence of turbulent blood flow through the defect, causing damage to the endocardium. We describe a case of mural endocarditis associated with a ventricular septal defect in an eight-year-old female Holstein Friesian cow. The cow’s history revealed that she had presented dysorexia and a sudden decrease of milk production in the last 10 days prior to the examination. On clinical examination, jugular pulses, tachycardia with irregular heart rate and tachypnea with harsh bronchovesicular sounds were evident. Electrocardiographic examination allowed the diagnosis of an atrial fibrillation with high ventricular response rate. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large vegetation originating from the endocardium between the tricuspid and pulmonic valves in the right ventricle outflow. On post-mortem examination, a small muscular septal defect under the right coronary cusp of the aortic valve and a mural vegetative endocarditis were found. An abscess in the chondro-costal junction of the third right rib and metastatic pneumonia were also observed. This case report describes a rare consequence of a small ventricular septal defect that had not been previously diagnosed in an adult cow

Left Atrial Mural Thrombosis and Hemopericardium in a Dog with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

A 14-year-old mixed-breed dog with a 2-year history of myxomatous mitral valve disease was examined for collapse and lethargy. At the presentation, pale oral mucous membranes, rapid and weak femoral pulses, and muffled heart sounds with a moderate left apical systolic murmur were revealed. Echocardiographic examination showed pericardial effusion with organized echogenic material originating from the left atrial wall. Tamponade of the right atrium and severe left atrial enlargement were also observed. Multiple views of the left atrium and left auricle allowed to visualize a hyperechoic mass adherent to the endocardium of the left atrial wall. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography study allowed to rule out active intrapericardial hemorrhages, and echo-guided pericardiocentesis was performed. No recurrence of pericardial effusion was observed, but the dog suddenly died after 10 days. The postmortem examination confirmed multifocal left atrial thrombosis attached to the endomyocardial tears

Teaching Cyber Security: The Hack-Space Integrated Model

Nowadays cyber security is becoming an ever more stringent requirement and warned by organizations and companies all over the world. Furthermore, the educational offer on the topic is still modest and universities are struggling to design training courses capable of producing professionals directly employable. In this work, this need is addressed with the proposal of an integrated model "The Hack Space", developed within the Master of Science in Computer Security of the University of Bari, composed of four main elements: Organization, Knowledge, Skills/Tools and Collaboration. The Hack Space aims to create professionals capable of dealing with security at various levels, with clear ideas on what are the processes, functions and controls useful for security, using an in-depth knowledge structure of the company