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Abstract Background Increasing functional residual capacity (FRC) or tidal volume (VT) reduces airway resistance and attenuates the response to bronchoconstrictor stimuli in animals and humans. What is unknown is which one of the above mechanisms is more effective in modulating airway caliber and whether their combination yields additive or synergistic effects. To address this question, we investigated the effects of increased FRC and increased VT in attenuating the bronchoconstriction induced by inhaled methacholine (MCh) in healthy humans. Methods Nineteen healthy volunteers were challenged with a single-dose of MCh and forced oscillation was used to measure inspiratory resistance at 5 and 19 Hz (R5 and R19), their difference (R5-19), and reactance at 5 Hz (X5) during spontaneous breathing and during imposed breathing patterns with increased FRC, or VT, or both. Importantly, in our experimental design we held the product of VT and breathing frequency (BF), i.e, minute ventilation (VE) fixed so as to better isolate the effects of changes in VT alone. Results Tripling VT from baseline FRC significantly attenuated the effects of MCh on R5, R19, R5-19 and X5. Doubling VT while halving BF had insignificant effects. Increasing FRC by either one or two VT significantly attenuated the effects of MCh on R5, R19, R5-19 and X5. Increasing both VT and FRC had additive effects on R5, R19, R5-19 and X5, but the effect of increasing FRC was more consistent than increasing VT thus suggesting larger bronchodilation. When compared at iso-volume, there were no differences among breathing patterns with the exception of when VT was three times larger than during spontaneous breathing. Conclusions These data show that increasing FRC and VT can attenuate induced bronchoconstriction in healthy humans by additive effects that are mainly related to an increase of mean operational lung volume. We suggest that static stretching as with increasing FRC is more effective than tidal stretching at constant VE, possibly through a combination of effects on airway geometry and airway smooth muscle dynamics.

Gynecomastia is a benign glandular proliferation that can affect adolescents causing significant psychological discomfort. Generally, it is idiopathic but underlying endocrinological conditions must be excluded. Different surgical techniques are available, the surgical correction with subareolar incision achieves the goal of satisfactory aesthetic result for patients. We studied all patients treated for gynecomastia in two centers of pediatric surgery. After collection of a detailed family history, we evaluated the presence of early onset of puberty, congenital abnormalities of the external genitalia, use of drugs, eating habits and the presence of genetic disorders. Laboratory tests and ultrasound were made to exclude endocrinological disorders. The surgical treatment was performed by a subareolar incision with gland and adipose tissue excision. A Body - Q chest module to evaluate patient satisfaction has been proposed to everyone before and after surgery. 47 adolescents with median age of 15 years were surgically treated. Three presented endocrinological disorders. Grade of gynecomastia for surgery was: III in 40 patients and IIb in 7 patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients. The Body - Q chest module was completed by 42 patients and showed good results for all points analyzed, except for social feelings. Gynecomastia in adolescents can be surgically treated with subareolar incision, reporting good aesthetic results and low incidence of complications. Specific tests are useful to assess patient satisfaction.

Objective: Intermittent Preventive Treatment of schoolchildren (IPTsc) is recommended by WHO as a strategy to protect against malaria; to explore whether IPTsc with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) or artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) cause a selection of molecular markers in Plasmodium falciparum genes associated with resistance in children in seven schools in Tanga region, Tanzania. Methods: SNPs in P. falciparum genes Pfmdr1, Pfexo, Pfkelch13, and Pfcrt and copy number variations in Pfplasmepsin-2 and Pfmdr1 were assessed in samples collected at 12 months (visit 4, n=74) and 20 months (visit 6, n=364) after initiation of IPTsc and compared with the baseline prevalence (n=379). Results: The prevalence of Pfmdr1 N86 and Pfexo 415G was >99% and 0%, respectively without any temporal differences observed. The prevalence of Pfmdr1 184F changed significantly from baseline (52.2%) to visit 6 (64.6%) (χ2=6.11, P=0.013), but no differences were observed between the treatment arms (χ2=0.05, P=0.98). Finally, only minor differences in the amplification of Pfmdr1 were observed; from 10.2% at baseline to 16.7% at visit 6 (χ2=0.98, P=0.32). Conclusions: The IPTsc strategy does not seem to pose a risk for the selection of markers associated with DP or ASAQ resistance. Continuously and timely surveillance of markers of antimalarial drug resistance is recommended.

Objectives: Partial artemisinin resistance, mediated by Plasmodium falciparum K13 (PfK13) mutations, has been confirmed in certain areas of East Africa that are historically associated with high-level antimalarial resistance. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) borders these areas in the East. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of resistance markers in six National Malaria Control Program surveillance sites; Boende, Kabondo, Kapolowe, Kimpese, Mikalayi, and Rutshuru. Methods: The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in P. falciparum genes PfK13, Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfmdr1, and Pfcrt were assessed using targeted next-generation sequencing of isolates collected at enrollment in therapeutic efficacy studies. Results: PfK13 SNPs were detected in two samples: in Kabondo (R561H) and in Rutshuru (P441L), both areas near Uganda and Rwanda. The Pfdhps ISGEGA haplotype, associated with reduced sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine chemoprevention efficacy, ranged from 0.8% in Mikalayi (central DRC) to 42.2% in Rutshuru (East DRC). Conclusions: R561H and P441L observed in eastern DRC are a concern, as they are associated with delayed artemisinin-based combination therapies-clearance and candidate marker of resistance, respectively. This is consistent with previous observations of shared drug resistance profiles in parasites of that region with bordering areas of Rwanda and Uganda. The likely circulation of parasites has important implications for the ongoing surveillance of partial artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum and for future efforts to mitigate its dispersal.

In canine leishmaniosis (CanL), complex interactions between the parasites and the immunological background of the host influence the clinical presentation and evolution of infection and disease. Therefore, the potential use of nutraceuticals as immunomodulatory agents becomes of considerable interest. Some biological principles, mainly derived from plants and referred to as plant-derived nutraceuticals, are considered as supplementation for Leishmania spp. infection. This study provides a systematic review regarding the use of nutraceuticals as a treatment using a text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) approach to identify dominant topics of nutritional supplements in leishmaniosis-based research, summarize the temporal trend in topics, interpret the evolution within the last century and highlight any possible research gaps. Scopus® database was screened to select 18 records. Findings revealed an increasing trend in research records since 1994. TM identified terms with the highest weighted frequency and TA highlighted the main research areas, namely “Nutraceutical supports and their anti-inflammatory/antioxidant properties”, “AHCC and nucleotides in CanL”, “Vit. D3 and Leishmaniosis”, “Functional food effects and Leishmaniosis” and “Extract effects and Leishmaniosis”. Despite the existing academic interest, there are only a few studies on this issue so far, which reveals a gap in the literature that should be filled.

Ostriches can be utilized as multipurpose animals suitable for producing meat, eggs, feathers, and leather. This growing interest in ostrich farming leads to an increased demand for comprehensive information on their management. But, little attention is paid to the consequences for their welfare. The study aimed to perform a research literature analysis on ostriches’ welfare using the text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) methods. It identifies prevailing topics, summarizes their temporal trend within the last forty years, and highlights potential research gaps. According to PRISMA guidelines, a literature exploration was achieved using the Scopus® database, retaining keywords about ostriches’ welfare. Papers distributed in the English language from 1983 to 2023 were included. Descriptive statistics, TM, and TA were applied to a total of n. 122 documents included. The findings revealed an increasing trend in research records since 1994. TM recognized the terms with the highest weighted frequency and TA identified the main topics of the research area, in the following order: “health and management”, “feeding and nutrition”, “welfare reproduction”, “egg production”, and “welfare during transport”. The study confirms the increased focus on ostriches’ welfare but shows that further studies are required to ensure the welfare of this species.

Cereal wastes such as rice bran and cereal dust are valuable yet underutilised by-products of grain processing. This study aimed to bio-convert these wastes into bacterial cellulose (BC), an emerging sustainable and renewable biomaterial, via an inexpensive solid-state fermentation (SSF) pre-treatment using three mould isolates. Medium substitution by directly using untreated rice bran or cereal dust did not significantly increase the yield of bacterial cellulose produced by Novacetimonas sp. (NCBI accession number PP421219) compared to the standard Hestrin–Schramm (HS) medium. In contrast, rice bran fermented with Rhizopus oligosporus yielded the highest bacterial cellulose (1.55 ± 0.6 g/L dry weight) compared to the untreated control (0.45 ± 0.1 g/L dry weight), demonstrating an up to 22% increase in yield. Using the SSF process, the media production costs were reduced by up to 90% compared to the standard HS medium. Physicochemical characterisation using SEM, EDS, FTIR, XPS, XRD, and TGA was performed to gain insights into the internal structure, morphology, and chemical bonding of differently produced BC, which revealed comparable biopolymer properties between BC produced in standard and waste-based media. Hence, our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of fungal SSF for transforming abundant cereal waste into BC, providing a circular economy solution to reduce waste and convert it into by-products to enhance the sustainability of the cereal industry.

Bacterial endocarditis (BE) is a severe infection of the endocardium and cardiac valves caused by bacterial agents in dogs. Diagnosis of endocarditis is challenging due to the variety of clinical presentations and lack of definitive diagnostic tests in its early stages. This study aims to provide a research literature analysis on BE in dogs based on text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) identifying dominant topics, summarizing their temporal trend, and highlighting any possible research gaps. A literature search was performed utilizing the Scopus® database, employing keywords pertaining to BE to analyze papers published in English from 1990 to 2023. The investigation followed a systematic approach based on the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 86 records were selected for analysis following screening procedures and underwent descriptive statistics, TM, and TA. The findings revealed that the number of records published per year has increased in 2007 and 2021. TM identified the words with the highest term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), and TA highlighted the main research areas, in the following order: causative agents, clinical findings and predisposing factors, case reports on endocarditis, outcomes and biomarkers, and infective endocarditis and bacterial isolation. The study confirms the increasing interest in BE but shows where further studies are needed.

Beekeeping provides products with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical characteristics. These products are characterized by abundance of bioactive compounds. For different reasons, honey, royal jelly, propolis, venom, and pollen are beneficial to humans and animals and could be used as therapeutics. The pharmacological action of these products is related to many of their constituents. The main bioactive components of honey include oligosaccharides, methylglyoxal, royal jelly proteins (MRJPs), and phenolics compounds. Royal jelly contains jelleins, royalisin peptides, MRJPs, and derivatives of hydroxy-decenoic acid, particularly 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), which possess antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory, metabolic syndrome-preventing, and anti-aging properties. Propolis has a plethora of activities that are referable to compounds such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester. Peptides found in bee venom include phospholipase A2, apamin, and melittin. In addition to being vitamin-rich, bee pollen also includes unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and phenolics compounds that express antiatherosclerotic, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the constituents of hive products are particular and different. All of these constituents have been investigated for their properties in numerous research studies. This review aims to provide a thorough screening of the bioactive chemicals found in honeybee products and their beneficial biological effects. The manuscript may provide impetus to the branch of unconventional medicine that goes by the name of apitherapy.

This study aimed to investigate changes in the number of, and reasons for, requests for dogs’ euthanasia over the last thirty years. Data (breed, age, gender, neuter status, manner, and cause of death) from dogs’ euthanasia registered between 1990 and 2020 in a small animals’ veterinary hospital were analyzed. The overall period examined has been split into two terms (T1 = 1990–2004 and T2 = 2005–2020) considering the introduction and enforcement of Law 189/2004. During the whole period examined, a significant increasing trend in euthanasia cases has been recorded (p = 0.027). Comparing the two terms, we observed significant differences regarding variables such as age, breed, reproductive status, and ownership. The number of euthanized dogs was significantly higher in T1 than in T2. Dogs euthanized in T2 were older than dogs in T1. A high percentage of the euthanized dogs were crossbred and stray dogs. Additionally, the number of neutered/spayed dogs was significantly higher. Regarding the cause of death, a significantly higher percentage of neoplastic processes was detected in T2. The data here reported suggest a potential influence of Law 189/2004. This law in Italy has proven to be a legal milestone that has influenced the decision-making process between euthanasia and natural death.

This manuscript reports the application of sensors for water use efficiency with a focus on the application of an in vivo OECT biosensor. In two distinct experimental trials, the in vivo sensor bioristor was applied in yellow kiwi plants to monitor, in real-time and continuously, the changes in the composition and concentration of the plant sap in an open field during plant growth and development. The bioristor response and physiological data, together with other fruit sensor monitoring data, were acquired and combined in both trials, giving a complete picture of the biosphere conditions. A high correlation was observed between the bioristor index (ΔIgs), the canopy cover expressed as the fraction of intercepted PAR (fi_PAR), and the soil water content (SWC). In addition, the bioristor was confirmed to be a good proxy for the occurrence of drought in kiwi plants; in fact, a period of drought stress was identified within the month of July. A novelty of the bioristor measurements was their ability to detect in advance the occurrence of defoliation, thereby reducing yield and quality losses. A plant-based irrigation protocol can be achieved and tailored based on real plant needs, increasing water use sustainability and preserving high-quality standards.

In this paper, we present an experimental procedure to enhance the dimensional accuracy of fabrication via stereolithography (SLA) of features at the sub-mm scale. Deviations in sub-mm hemispherical cavity diameters were detected and measured on customized samples by confocal microscopy. The characterization and experimental observations of samples allowed the identification of inaccuracy sources, mainly due to the laser beam scanning strategy and the incomplete removal of uncured liquid resin in post-processing (i.e., IPA washing). As a technology baseline, the measured dimensional errors on cavity diameters were up to −46%. A compensation method was defined and implemented, resulting in relevant improvements in dimensional accuracy. However, measurements on sub-mm cavities having different sizes revealed that a constant compensation parameter (i.e., C = 85, 96, 120 μm) is not fully effective at the sub-mm scale, where average errors remain at −24%, −18.8%, and −16% for compensations equal to 85, 96 and 120 μm, respectively. A further experimental campaign allowed the identification of an effective nonlinear compensation law where the compensation parameter depends on the sub-mm feature size C = f(D). Results show a sharp improvement in dimensional accuracy on sub-mm cavity fabrication, with errors consistently below +8.2%. The proposed method can be extended for the fabrication of any sub-mm features without restrictions on the specific technology implementation.

Stapling devices have emerged as a widespread and effective option for soft tissue surgery, offering promising outcomes for patients by reducing complication rates and surgery time. This review aims to provide an exhaustive analysis of commercially available alternatives in the market, incorporating insights from market analysis, patent landscape, and the existing literature. The main focus lies in identifying and evaluating the most widely adopted and innovative stapling devices, including linear, linear cutting, circular, and powered staplers. In addition, this review delves into the realm of bioabsorbable staples, exploring the materials utilized and the surgical fields where these advanced staples find applications. To facilitate easy comprehension, the gathered information is presented in tables, highlighting the essential parameters for each stapling device. This comprehensive research about stapling devices is intended to aid healthcare practitioners and researchers in making informed decisions when choosing the most appropriate instrument for specific surgical procedures.

The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate sedation protocol for a standing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in horses, comparing continuous rate infusions (CRIs) of detomidine and romifidine combined with a single bolus of morphine. Sixteen horses referred for standing low-field open-magnet MRI were randomly assigned to one of two sedation protocols. The horses were premedicated with 0.03 mg/kg of intramuscular acepromazine, and those animals belonging to Group D received an intravenous (IV) loading dose of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg) 30 min later, while those of Group R received romifidine (0.04 mg/kg). If the horses were inadequately sedated, an additional dose of IV detomidine (0.005 mg/kg) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg) was administered, according to the animal’s group. During the MRI, a single IV bolus of morphine (0.05 mg/kg) was administered, and according to which group it belonged to, the animal started the administration of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg/h) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg/h). Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), depth of sedation, and degree of ataxia were evaluated every 10 min during MRI. Two horses belonging to Group D and four horses from Group R needed additional sedation before entering the MRI unit because they were unsatisfactorily sedated. No side effects were observed following morphine bolus administration. During the MRI procedure, five horses in Group R received an additional IV romifidine bolus (0.01 mg/kg) because the depth of sedation score was 1 and the ataxia score was 0. Any substantial differences were recorded between the two treatments in terms of HR, RR, and RT. In conclusion, at the doses used, a detomidine–morphine combination following a CRI of detomidine appears more suitable than a romifidine–morphine combination following a CRI of romifidine for maintaining an adequate depth of sedation and adequate immobility in horses undergoing standing MRI.