Deep optical study of the mixed-morphology supernova remnant G 132.7+1.3 (HB3)

We present optical CCD images of the large supernova remnant (SNR) G 132.7+1.3 (HB3) covering its full extent for the first time, in the emission lines of Hα +[N II], [S II], and [O III], where new and known filamentary and diffuse structures are detected. These observations are supplemented by new low-resolution long-slit spectra and higher resolution images in the same emission lines. Both the flux-calibrated images and spectra confirm that the optical emission originates from shock-heated gas since the [S II]/Hα > 0.4. Our findings are also consistent with the recently developed emission-line ratio diagnostics for distinguishing SNRs from H II regions. A multiwavelength comparison among our optical data and relevant observations in radio, X-rays, gamma-rays and CO bands, provided additional evidence on the interaction of HB3 with the surrounding clouds and clarified the borders of the SNR and the adjacent cloud. We discuss the supernova (SN) properties and evolution that led to the current observables of HB3 and we show that the remnant has most likely passed at the pressure driven snowplow phase. The estimated SN energy was found to be (3.7 ± 1.5) × 1051 erg and the current SNR age (5.1 ± 2.1) × 104 yr. We present an alternative scenario according to which the SNR evolved in the wind bubble cavity excavated by the progenitor star and currently is interacting with its density walls. We show that the overall mixed morphology properties of HB3 can be explained if the SN resulted by a Wolf−Rayet progenitor star with mass ∼34 M⊙⁠

Diagnostic investigation of cases of deaths of newborn lambs

Neonatal lamb mortality, caused either by disorders of non-infectious aetiology or by pathological conditions of microbial or parasitic aetiology, is defined as the death of newborn lambs during the first 28 days of their life. Neonatal lamb mortality reduces significantly the productivity of sheep flocks. A realistic target for neonatal lamb mortality rate in a well-managed flock should be 3%; the upper acceptable limit under any circumstances should be 5%. Effective control of the various disorders requires timely and accurate diagnosis of the cause of mortality. Initially, management practices in the flock should be evaluated, as they can affect neonatal mortality rate. Then, appropriate clinical and pathological examinations should be performed; the age at which lambs had died should be determined. The paper summarises the steps to be taken when investigating deaths of newborn lambs, as well as providing some guidelines regarding identification of potential causes of the deaths. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Diagnosis of clinical or subclinical mastitis in ewes

Objectives of this paper are to review (i) diagnostic methods and procedures available for clinical or subclinical mastitis in ewes and (ii) applications of these procedures in the diagnosis of mastitis. Early and correct diagnosis of the disease is important for identification of affected animals. The following diagnostic procedures can be used: clinical examination, imaging techniques (ultrasonography, endoscopy), bacteriological examination of milk samples, immunological tests, identification of biomarkers (cytological examination of milk and measurement of milk electroconductivity). In most cases, diagnosis of clinical mastitis is straightforward, based on the findings of clinical examination. The differential diagnosis includes primarily (i) bacterial mastitis (usually sporadic occurrence in a flock, usually unilateral, isolation of bacteria from milk samples), (ii) mycoplasmal mastitis [usually epidemic occurrence in a flock, usually bilateral accompanied by other signs (e.g., arthritis), isolation of Mycoplasma spp. from milk samples] and (iii) infection by Small Ruminant Lentivirus [usually epidemic occurrence in a flock, usually bilateral accompanied by various signs (e.g., respiratory or neurological signs) in the same or other animals of the flock, detection of antibodies to the virus, pro-viral DNA or viral RNA in blood samples]. Subclinical mastitis should be always suspected as one of the primary causes in cases of decreased milk production in dairy flocks; it should also be considered as a possible factor in cases of suboptimal growth rate of lambs in mutton-type production flocks. Diagnosis of subclinical mastitis is based on detection of infection (i.e., isolation of microorganisms from milk samples) and/or inflammatory reaction in the mammary gland. The best method for detection of the inflammatory reaction remains the demonstration of increased cellular content in milk, although various other methods, have been proposed. For individual animals, values 1.0 x 10(6) cells mL(-1) indicate a mammary gland with clinical or subclinical mastitis, with no need to perform a simultaneous bacteriological examination of milk samples to confirm the problem; values between 0.5 x 10(6) and 1.0 x 10(6) cells mL(-1) indicate 'suspected disease', hence there is a need for performing bacteriological examination in milk. Two consecutive measurements increase accuracy of results. In bulk milk samples, counts of 0.65 x 10(6) cells mL(-1) indicate approximately 15% prevalence of subdinical mastitis in the flock. In the differential diagnosis of cases of reduced milk yield in ewes, other possible causes of the problem should be taken into account (e.g., parasitic infections, chronic wasting diseases, suboptimal level of nutrition); in cases of suboptimal growth rate of lambs, other factors may be responsible (e.g., protozoan or parasitic infections, energy or micronutrient deficiency, viral disease). (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated factors in healthcare workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) represent a high-risk population for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Aim: To determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs, and identify the factors associated with this seroprevalence. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were applied for this systematic review and meta-analysis. Databases including PubMed/MEDLINE and preprint services (medRχiv and bioRχiv) were searched from inception to 24th August 2020. Findings: Forty-nine studies including 127,480 HCWs met the inclusion criteria. The estimated overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs was 8.7% (95% confidence interval 6.7–10.9%). Seroprevalence was higher in studies conducted in North America (12.7%) compared with those conducted in Europe (8.5%), Africa (8.2) and Asia (4%). Meta-regression showed that increased sensitivity of antibody tests was associated with increased seroprevalence. The following factors were associated with seropositivity: male gender; Black, Asian and Hispanic HCWs; work in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) unit; patient-related work; front-line HCWs; healthcare assistants; shortage of personal protective equipment; self-reported belief of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection; previous positive polymerase chain reaction test; and household contact with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs is high. Excellent adherence to infection prevention and control measures; sufficient and adequate personal protective equipment; and early recognition, identification and isolation of HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2 are imperative to decrease the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. © 2020 The Healthcare Infection Societ

Nurses' burnout and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims: To examine the nurses' burnout and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: We followed the Cochrane criteria and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines for this systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources: PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Cochrane COVID-19 registry, CINAHL and pre-print services (medRχiv and PsyArXiv) were searched from January 1 to November 15, 2020 and we removed duplicates. Review Methods: We applied a random effect model to estimate pooled effects since the heterogeneity between results was very high. Results: Sixteen studies, including 18,935 nurses met the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of emotional exhaustion was 34.1%, of depersonalization was 12.6% and of lack of personal accomplishment was 15.2%. The main risk factors that increased nurses' burnout were the following: younger age, decreased social support, low family and colleagues readiness to cope with COVID-19 outbreak, increased perceived threat of Covid-19, longer working time in quarantine areas, working in a high-risk environment, working in hospitals with inadequate and insufficient material and human resources, increased workload and lower level of specialized training regarding COVID-19. Conclusion: Nurses experience high levels of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, while several sociodemographic, social and occupational factors affect this burnout. Impact: We found that burnout among nurses is a crucial issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to prepare nurses to cope better with COVID-19 pandemic. Identification of risk factors for burnout could be a significant weapon giving nurses and health care systems the ability to response in a better way against the following COVID-19 waves in the near future. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Control of liver abscesses in lambs by using marbofloxacin

We describe cases of liver abscesses in a group of newborn lambs. Diagnosis was based on the combination of clinical signs with the findings of ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen: oval, hypoechoic structure with regular borders in the liver of the affected lambs. Administration of marbofloxacin (dose rate: 3.0 mg per kg bodyweight, on three occasions, once daily, two days apart) was effective for treatment; three weeks later, the affected lambs were clinically health

Proposals for withdrawal period of sheep milk for some commonly used veterinary medicinal products: A review

This paper summarises the results of studies performed in Greece, in order to establish withdrawal time of sheep milk for some commonly used antimicrobial drugs. Several studies have been performed to establish milk withdrawal time for the following veterinary medicinal products, commonly used in the therapeutics of sheep: lincomycin, spectinomycin, procaine penicillin G,dihydrostreptomycin, kanamycin,oxytetracycline, trimethoprim and sulfadiazine, albendazole. For oxytetracycline, two pharmaceutical forms were tested, specifically long-acting injectable solution and spray. For albendazole, the pharmaceutical form of oral suspension was tested. For all the other antimicrobials, the pharmaceutical form of injectable solution was tested. The animal phase of all the trials was performed at the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Thessaly. Each product was administered at the highest recommended dose and the frequency currently licensed for administration to sheep. Subsequently, either liquid chromatography or liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry was used under GLP principles and as required each time, in order to establish residues of each antibiotic in milk. Most of the analytical work was carried out at GLP accredited laboratories. In each case, limit of detection and limit of quantification for each antibiotic tested were appropriately calculated. For calculation and proposal of a withdrawal period, the legally established minimum residue levels of each antibiotic and their concentrations detected in sheep milk were taken into account. The proposed withdrawal periods are as follows: lincomycin and spectinomycin inj. sol.: 4 milkings, procaine penicillin G and dihydrostreptomycin inj. sol.: 5 milkings, dihydrostreptomycin inj. sol.: 5 milkings, kanamycin inj. sol.: 4 milkings, oxytetracycline long-acting inj. sol.: 16 milkings, oxytetracycline spray: 0 milkings, trimethoprim and sulfadiazine inj. sol.: 7 milkings, albendazole or. susp.: 7 milkings after last administration of each test product. The above results provide standards and will help veterinarians to use the various veterinary pharmaceutical products in the therapeutics of dairy ewes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Teat lesions predispose to invasion of the ovine mammary gland by Mannheimia haemolytica

Teat lesions, produced in ewes by an experimental chapping procedure, were found to facilitate experimental infection with Mannheimia haemolytica, as assessed by observations on infection of the teat skin, teat duct and mammary gland, and on the production of mastitis. The origin of the M. haemolytica strain used (ovine tonsillar or mammary infection) did not appear to influence the results. In a second experiment, in which ewes continued to suckle their lambs but were not deliberately infected, chapping was shown to favour infection by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and M. haemolytica. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved