Vascularization of the trachea in the bottlenose dolphin: Comparison with bovine and evidence for evolutionary adaptations to diving

The rigid structure of the mammalian trachea is functional to maintain constant patency and airflow during breathing, but no gas exchange takes place through its walls. The structure of the organ in dolphins shows increased rigidity of the tracheal cartilaginous rings and the presence of vascular lacunae in the submucosa. However, no actual comparison was ever made between the size and capacity of the vascular lacunae of the dolphin trachea and the potentially homologous structures of terrestrial mammals. In the present study, the extension of the lacunae has been compared between the bottlenose dolphin and the bovine, a closely related terrestrial Cetartiodactyla. Our results indicate that the extension of the blood spaces in the submucosa of dolphins is over 12 times larger than in the corresponding structure of the bovines. Furthermore, a microscopic analysis revealed the presence of valve-like structures in the walls of the cetacean lacunae. The huge difference in size suggests that the lacunae are not merely a product of individual physiological plasticity, but may constitute a true adaptive evolutionary character, functional to life in the aquatic environment. The presence of valve-like structures may be related to the regulation of blood flow, and curtail excessive compression under baric stress at depth

Aging and Veterinary Care of Cats, Dogs, and Horses through the Records of Three University Veterinary Hospitals

The present article examines over 63,000 medical records belonging to the Veterinary Hospitals of the Universities of Bologna, Torino, and Padova, all in Northern Italy, and relative to dogs (approximately 50,000), cats (approximately 12,000), and companion horses (slightly less than 1,000). The animals of the three species were divided into age classes and categorized per sex into males, females, and neutered individuals. The mean age at visit and the effects of age classes and category (analyzed via ANOVA) are presented and discussed. The data indicate that many animals are presented to the hospitals either in the early phases of their life (presumably for vaccination and, in cats and dogs, gonadectomy) or in the advanced age (over 10 years in dogs, over 15 years in cats, and over 17 years in horses). The records of very old individuals of the three species are also reported. On the whole, the results suggest that a growing population of mature to old domestic carnivores or companion horses reaches ages that were considered exceptional only a few years ago. The data also testify an evolution in the animal\u2013owner relationship and a renewed respect for the value of life in companion domestic mammals

Supported Gold Nanoparticles for Alcohols Oxidation in Continuous-Flow Heterogeneous Systems

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were anchored on alkynyl carbamate-functionalized support materials having the suitable features for application as catalysts in continuous-flow packed bed reactors. The functionalization step was carried out by grafting with the di-functional organosilane [3-(2-propynylcarbamate)propyl]triethoxysilane (PPTEOS) three commercial micrometer-sized oxide supports, i.e. silica, alumina, and titania. The alkynyl-carbamate moieties were capable to straightforwardly reduce the gold precursor HAuCl4 yielding the supported AuNPs systems Au/SiO2@Yne, Au/Al2O3@Yne, and Au/TiO2@Yne. A comparison among the three materials revealed that silica allowed the highest organic functionalization (12 wt%) as well as the highest gold loading (3.7 wt%). Moreover, TEM investigation showed only for Au/SiO2@Yne the presence of homogeneously distributed, spherically shaped AuNPs (av. diameter 15 nm). Au/SiO2@Yne is an efficient catalyst, both in batch and flow conditions, in the oxidation of a large variety of alcohols, using H2O2 as oxidizing agent, at a temperature of 90 \ub0C. Furthermore, under flow conditions, the catalyst worked for over 50 h without any significant decrease in the catalytic activity. The catalytic activity of the three catalysts was evaluated and compared in the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol as a model substrate. We found that the flow approach plays a strategic role in preserving the physical and chemical integrity of the solid catalysts during its use, with remarkable consequences for the reaction conversion (from 2% in batch to 80 % in flow) in the case of Au/TiO2@Yne

The Brain of the Domestic Bos taurus: Weight, Encephalization and Cerebellar Quotients, and Comparison with Other Domestic and Wild Cetartiodactyla

The domestic bovine Bos taurus is raised worldwide for meat and milk production, or even for field work. However the functional anatomy of its central nervous system has received limited attention and most of the reported data in textbooks and reviews are derived from single specimens or relatively old literature. Here we report information on the brain of Bos taurus obtained by sampling 158 individuals, 150 of which at local abattoirs and 8 in the dissecting room, these latter subsequently formalin-fixed. Using body weight and fresh brain weight we calculated the Encephalization Quotient (EQ), and Cerebellar Quotient (CQ). Formalin-fixed brains sampled in the necropsy room were used to calculate the absolute and relative weight of the major components of the brain. The data that we obtained indicate that the domestic bovine Bos taurus possesses a large, convoluted brain, with a slightly lower weight than expected for an animal of its mass. Comparisons with other terrestrial and marine members of the order Cetartiodactyla suggested close similarity with other species with the same feeding adaptations, and with representative baleen whales. On the other hand differences with fish-hunting toothed whales suggest separate evolutionary pathways in brain evolution. Comparison with the other large domestic herbivore Equus caballus (belonging to the order Perissodactyla) indicates that Bos taurus underwent heavier selection of bodily traits, which is also possibly reflected in a comparatively lower EQ than in the horse. The data analyzed suggest that the brain of domestic bovine is potentially interesting for comparative neuroscience studies and may represents an alternative model to investigate neurodegeneration processes

Notes on the brain and encephalization quotient of two sperm whales with a synthesis of the literature and indications of a new method of extraction

The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus, Linnaeus 1758) possesses the largest brain that ever existed. Relatively few authors have dealt with it and the available descriptions are heterogeneous, with only few data about brain weight or gross anatomy. In fact the central nervous system of large cetaceans is quite difficult to obtain, given the huge body size and the low frequency of strandings of recently dead individuals. Furthermore, since the skull of the sperm whale underwent an extreme transformation for the accommodation of the spermaceti organ, the cranial cavity is surrounded by thick layers of bone and thus difficult to reach under field conditions. We recently had the chance to extract the brain from two stranded sperm whales whose bodies were in good condition. In the present note we describe the main macroscopic characteristics of the sperm whale brain, including its weight and Encephalization Quotient, review the available literature, and describe a possible new approach to the removal and preservation of the organ under field conditions

The Brain of the Domestic Bos taurus: Weight, Encephalization and Cerebellar Quotients, and Comparison with Other Domestic and Wild Cetartiodactyla

The domestic bovine Bos taurus is raised worldwide for meat and milk production, or even for field work. However the functional anatomy of its central nervous system has received limited attention and most of the reported data in textbooks and reviews are derived from single specimens or relatively old literature. Here we report information on the brain of Bos taurus obtained by sampling 158 individuals, 150 of which at local abattoirs and 8 in the dissecting room, these latter subsequently formalin-fixed. Using body weight and fresh brain weight we calculated the Encephalization Quotient (EQ), and Cerebellar Quotient (CQ). Formalin-fixed brains sampled in the necropsy room were used to calculate the absolute and relative weight of the major components of the brain. The data that we obtained indicate that the domestic bovine Bos taurus possesses a large, convoluted brain, with a slightly lower weight than expected for an animal of its mass. Comparisons with other terrestrial and marine members of the order Cetartiodactyla suggested close similarity with other species with the same feeding adaptations, and with representative baleen whales. On the other hand differences with fish-hunting toothed whales suggest separate evolutionary pathways in brain evolution. Comparison with the other large domestic herbivore Equus caballus (belonging to the order Perissodactyla) indicates that Bos taurus underwent heavier selection of bodily traits, which is also possibly reflected in a comparatively lower EQ than in the horse. The data analyzed suggest that the brain of domestic bovine is potentially interesting for comparative neuroscience studies and may represents an alternative model to investigate neurodegeneration processes

Automatic design of color W- operators to segment white blood cells in images of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

This paper proposes the automatic design of color W-operators to segment white blood cells of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in images in RGB color space. The design of the proposed W-operators consists of two stages, one for training and one for testing. The training stage is carried out marginally for each of the RGB color space channels. For the training stage, we use different sets of n-pairs of images to obtain an array of observations, for each channel, with their respective labels observed in a window of size k. In the test stage, the three associated W-operators obtained in the previous stage are combined, obtaining a color W-operator. The proposed method was used to segment white blood cells with satisfactory results To validate this method, a free access database of Leukocyte Images for Segmentation and Classification (LISC) was used. From the results, it can be concluded that the proposed W-operator color allows better segmentation than those defined from a single channel or the linear combination of the three channels.En este trabajo se propone el diseño automático de W-operadores color para la segmentación de glóbulos blancos en imágenes de leucemia linfoblástica aguda, representadas en el espacio color RGB. El diseño de los W-operadores propuestos consta de dos etapas, una etapa de entrenamiento y otra de testeo. El entrenamiento se realiza en forma marginal para cada uno de los canales del espacio color RGB. Para la etapa de entrenamiento, se utilizan diferentes conjuntos de n-pares de imágenes obteniendo una matriz de observaciones, para cada canal, con sus respectivas etiquetas observadas en una ventana de tamaño k. En la etapa de prueba, se combinan los tres W-operadores asociados en la etapa anterior, obteniendo un W-operador color. El método propuesto se utilizó para la segmentación de los glóbulos blancos con resultados satisfactorios. Para validar el método se utilizó una base de datos denominada LISC (Leukocyte Images for Segmentation and Classification), de acceso libre. A partir de los resultados, se puede concluir que el color W-operador propuesto, permite una mejor segmentación que aquellas definidas a partir de un canal único o de la combinación lineal de los tres canales.Fil: Guevara Cruz, Susana Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; ArgentinaFil: Pastore, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; ArgentinaFil: Ballarin, Virginia Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; Argentin

Growth and stress factors in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) larval development

Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) is a specialized cleaner fish used in salmon farms as a biological treatment against sea lice. Its commercial rearing is at present mostly experimental. A number of key aspects, including the molecular and physiological mechanisms that promote its growth and development, are still largely unexplored. In this study histological, biometric, biochemical and molecular approaches are combined for the first time to investigate the changes in growth (insulin-like growth factor 1 and 2 and myostatin) and stress (heat shock protein 70 and cortisol) markers that occur during ballan wrasse larval development by relating them to larval stages and feed changes. The real-time PCR data demonstrated that igf1 transcripts rose from 1 day post-hatching (dph) and were no longer detectable 38 dph, whereas igf2 and myostatin transcripts were low and stable until 28 dph, then rose in late larval stages. The biometric and histological data matched the molecular findings, documenting rapid growth and development of the larval digestive tract and assimilation ability. Cortisol was lowest at hatching, it rose slightly at first feeding, and then increased during larval development; a similar trend was detected for hsp70 gene expression. The low cortisol levels found at the earliest larval stages reflect a poor stress-coping ability, a feature that may actually protect larvae from the elevated metabolic demands involved by stress responses and promote faster growth and survival. The present data can be applied to improve the rearing performances of this important cleaner species and reduce captures from the wild

A frailty index predicts post-liver transplant morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients

Background: We hypothesized that frailty acts as a measure of health outcomes in the context of LT. The aim of this study was to explore frailty index across LT, as a measure of morbidity and mortality. This was a retrospective observational study including all consecutive 47 HIV+patients who received LT in Modena, Italy from 2003 to June 2015. Methods: frailty index (FI) was constructed from 30 health variables. It was used both as a continuous score and as a categorical variable, defining 'most frail' a FI > 0.45. FI change across transplant (deltaFI, \uce\u94FI) was calculated as the difference between year 1 FI (FI-Y1) and pre-transplant FI (FI-t0). The outcomes measures were mortality and "otpimal LT" (defined as being alive without multi-morbidity). Results: Median value of FI-t0 was 0.48 (IQR 0.42-0.52), FI-Y1 was 0.31 (IQR 0.26-0.41). At year five mortality rate was 45%, "optimal transplant" rate at year 1 was 38%. All the patients who died in the post-LT were most frail in the pre-LT. \uce\u94FI was a predictor of mortality after correction for age and MELD (HR = 1.10, p = 0.006) and was inversely associated with optimal transplant after correction for age (HR = 1.04, p = 0.01). Conclusions: We validated FI as a valuable health measure in HIV transplant. In particular, we found a relevant correlation between FI strata at baseline and mortality and a statistically significant correlation between, \uce\u94FI and survival rate

Automatic design of a classifier for noise filtration in binary images using linear discriminant analysis

El siguiente trabajo presenta el diseño automático de un clasificador para filtrado de ruido en imágenes binarias utilizando la técnica del análisis discriminante lineal. Se diseñó el clasificador en dos etapas: entrenamiento y testeo. En la etapa de entrenamiento, utilizando un conjunto de n-pares de imágenes con ruido aditivo al 10%, se obtuvo una matriz de observaciones con sus respectivas etiquetas para una ventana de tamaño 3x3 y 5x5. Aplicando la técnica del análisis discriminante lineal se consiguió un conjunto de coeficientes generando un nuevo filtro que es el que se propone en este trabajo. En la etapa de testeo se comparó el clasificador propuesto con un filtro heurístico, en este caso se eligió el filtro mediana. Ambos fueron aplicados a tres imágenes de prueba con ruido aleatorio al 10%. Se calculó el error cuadrático medio para ambas técnicas. Se concluyó que, para las condiciones experimentales diseñadas, el clasificador propuesto tiene un mejor rendimiento con respecto al filtro mediana.In this work, we present an automatic design of a classifier for noise filtering in binary images using linear discriminant analysis. The classifier was designed in two stages: training and testing. In the training stage, we use a set of n-pairs of images with 10% additive noise to obtain a matrix of observations with their respective labels for 3x3 and 5x5 windows. We propose to apply linear discriminant analysis to obtain a set of coefficients in order to define the new filter. In the testing stage, the proposed classifier was compared with a heuristic filter, in this case, the median filter was chosen. Both were applied to different images with random noise. The mean square error was calculated. The proposed classifier has a better performance with respect to the median filter for the experimental conditions designed.Fil: Guevara Cruz, Susana Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; ArgentinaFil: Robalino, Emilio Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; ArgentinaFil: Bouchet, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; ArgentinaFil: Brun, Marcel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; ArgentinaFil: Ballarin, Virginia Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica; Argentin