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In between coral branches: describing the courtship behavior of the Mediterranean cardinalfish Apogon imberbis (Linnaeus, 1758)
No full textThe behavior of a pair of cardinalfish Apogon imberbis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Apogonidae) was investigated through the acquisition of time-lapse images at three-min-intervals over five consecutive days, encompassing both diurnal and nocturnal hours. We characterized the phases of courtship, quantified the frequency and alternation of activity patterns, and assessed their duration across the diel cycle, highlighting potential differences between sexes. The habitat preferences by A. imberbis associated to the red octocoral Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1827) (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) were documented for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. The pair exhibited pronounced diel behavioral patterns, with increased nocturnal activity likely linked to zooplankton foraging, and diurnal rest in shelters provided by the coral branches. The courtship consisted in three activities that were cyclically repeated throughout the day, with a total duration of 10.2 hours. The novel behavior named “patrolling” was played by the female after the mating event, presumably linked to the egg-laying site defense. The time-lapse technique offers the possibility to collect continuous, non-invasive observations at great depths and for prolonged periods, allowing for detailed surveys of the organisms, their interactions and the use of the habitat. The advantages and potentialities of this methodology could be further improved by machine learning programs for the recognition of animal activity patterns, allowing for the processing of massive dataset, reducing human workload and improving accuracy and time-efficiency
Prevalence of feline hyperthyroidism in Greece
No full textΟ υπερθυρεοειδισμός είναι η πιο συχνή ενδοκρινοπάθεια της γάτας και συνηθώς εμφανίζεται σε ζώα μέσης ή μεγαλύτερης ηλικίας. Ο πρωταρχικός στόχος αυτής της μελέτης ήταν να προσδιοριστεί ο επιπολασμός του υπερθυρεοειδισμού της γάτας στην Ελλάδα και ο δευτερεύων στόχος ήταν η σύγκριση των κλινικών εκδηλώσεων και των αιματολογικών και βιοχημικών ευρημάτων μεταξύ υπερθυρεοειδικών και ευθυρεοειδικών γατών.
Συνολικά συμπεριλήφθηκαν 80 γάτες, ηλικίας έξι ετών και άνω. Η διάγνωση του υπερθυρεοειδισμού βασίστηκε στις συγκεντρώσεις της ολικής θυροξίνης (που μετρήθηκαν με χημειοφωταύγεια) και της ελεύθερης θυροξίνης (που μετρήθηκαν με διάλυση μέχρι εξισορρόπησης) στον ορό του αίματος.
Το 5% (4/80) των γατών διαγνώσθηκε με υπερθυρεοειδισμό. Τα κλινικά και εργαστηριακά ευρήματα που ήταν συχνότερα στις υπερθυρεοειδικές γάτες σε σύγκριση με τις ευθυρεοειδικές περιλάμβαναν τη βρογχοκήλη, την κατάπτωση ή τον λήθαργο, τη δύσπνοια και τη μειωμένη συγκέντρωση αζώτου ουρίας στο αίμα.
Τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης μας δείχνουν ότι ο υπερθυρεοειδισμός της γάτας είναι συχνός στην Ελλάδα και πρέπει να ελέγχεται, ιδιαίτερα στις μεσήλικες και υπερήλικες γάτες.Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disease of cats and usually occurs in middle-aged to older animals. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of feline hyperthyroidism in Greece, and a secondary aim was to compare the clinical signs, haematological and serum biochemical findings between hyperthyroid and non-hyperthyroid cats.
A total of 80 cats, six years of age or older, were prospectively enrolled. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was based on serum concentrations of total thyroxine (measured by a solid-phase chemiluminescent competitive assay) and free thyroxin (measured by an equilibrium dialysis radioimmunoassay).
Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed in 4/80 (5%) of the cats. Clinical and laboratory findings that were significantly more common in hyperthyroid compared to the non-hyperthyroid cats included a palpable thyroid nodule, depression-lethargy, dyspnoea, and decreased blood urea nitrogen concentration.
Feline hyperthyroidism appears to be relatively common in Greece and routine measurement of thyroid hormone concentration should be considered in all middle-aged and older cats
Effectiveness of Calotropis procera Leaf Extract in Treating Eimeriosis- Induced Inflammation Alteration of the Jejunum in Mice
No full textCalotropis procera leaf extract was utilized to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and oxidative status of Eimeria papillate infection in mice. The mice were divided into five groups: Group I served as the control. In Group II, considered uninfected, a dose of 200 mg/kg of the extract was administered to evaluate toxicity. Groups III, IV, and V were infected with 1 x 103 sporulated E. papillate oocysts. Group III received no treatment. Group IV was administered 200 mg/kg extractants daily, while Group V received 25 mg/kg of toltrazuril daily via gavage. On day 5 p.i., mice were slaughtered and jejunum tissues were prepared for examination. GC-MS analysis revealed nine biologically active chemical compounds. Also, quantitative results showed phenolics, flavonoids, and tannin 160.22±0.652 GAE, 34.046±0.545 QE, and 65.869±0.263 TAE/(mg/g DW), respectively. Moreover, IC50 was obtained at 44.2±0.007 g/mL for Hep-G2 cell lines. Results showed statistically significant differences in mice that received a dose of 200 mg/kg of the extract, compared to the infected group (P ≤ 0.05), as the tissue injury within the jejunum decreased by 61%. The extract successfully reverses the effects of the E. papillate infection on glutathione, malondialdehyde, and total protein levels. It has been demonstrated that extract possesses anti-inflammatory activities, and improves oxidative status
Comparing the Antiemetic Effects of Maropitant and Ondansetron in Cats with Acute Vomiting in Clinical Practice: Maropitant and ondansetron in acute vomiting
No full textThe objective of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy of a single subcutaneous administration of maropitant and ondansetron in cats presenting with acute vomiting, evaluating their effects within the first 24 hours. A total of 40 cats with vomiting were enrolled and randomly allocated to receive maropitant (n=20), and ondansetron (n=20). A single subcutaneous dose of 1 mg/kg/day maropitant and 0.4 mg/kg/day ondansetron was administered. All cats were subjected to clinical evaluation for vomiting and nausea consisting of appetite and activity scores, vomiting/nausea scores (visual analog scale and numerical rating scale), and pain assessment, at 0 min, 30 min, 4 h, and 24 h. There was no time-dependent statistical difference between maropitant and ondansetron group for the activity-appetite score, pain score, visual analog scale, and numerical rating scale (p > 0.05), however, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) was observed in the numerical rating scale, pain score, and visual analog score after the application compared to the pre-application period in each group. Similarly, activity and appetite score of inter-groups increased (p < 0.05) at the end of the observation period. This research indicates that a single dose of ondansetron and maropitant could effectively control vomiting and nausea within the first 24 h with similar antiemetic effectiveness. Additionally, clinical scoring to predicting vomiting and nausea in cats could be a valuable tool for antiemetic drug choice.The objective of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy of a single subcutaneous administration of maropitant and ondansetron in cats presenting with acute vomiting, evaluating their effects within the first 24 hours. A total of 40 cats with vomiting were enrolled and randomly allocated to receive maropitant (n=20), and ondansetron (n=20). A single subcutaneous dose of 1 mg/kg/day maropitant and 0.4 mg/kg/day ondansetron was administered. All cats were subjected to clinical evaluation for vomiting and nausea consisting of appetite and activity scores, vomiting/nausea scores (visual analog scale and numerical rating scale), and pain assessment, at 0 min, 30 min, 4 h, and 24 h. There was no time-dependent statistical difference between maropitant and ondansetron group for the activity-appetite score, pain score, visual analog scale, and numerical rating scale (p > 0.05), however, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) was observed in the numerical rating scale, pain score, and visual analog score after the application compared to the pre-application period in each group. Similarly, activity and appetite score of inter-groups increased (p < 0.05) at the end of the observation period. This research indicates that a single dose of ondansetron and maropitant could effectively control vomiting and nausea within the first 24 h with similar antiemetic effectiveness. Additionally, clinical scoring to predicting vomiting and nausea in cats could be a valuable tool for antiemetic drug choice
Effect of dried and ensiled pomegranate by-pr oduct on performance, blood metabolites and meat quality of Balochi lambs
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the addition of dried and ensiled pomegranate by-products on the performance, rumen parameters, blood metabolites and meat quality of Balochi ram lambs. A total of 18 lambs at 90 d age with similar body weight (BW, 28.0±3.5 kg) with 6 replicates per treatment were used. The experimental treatments including 1) Control, 2) 20% of dried pomegranate by-product, 3) 20% of ensiled pomegranate by-product. According to the results, it was found that the use of pomegranate by-products does not have a significant effect on daily weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio (P>0.05). Except the constant rate of gas production, other rumen parameters were significantly affected by the experimental treatments (P<0.05). Furthermore, the use of pomegranate by-products had a significant effect on blood cholesterol (P<0.05). Moreover, the dietary treatments have no significant effect on meat traits and its components (P>0.05). The overall results showed that ensiling pomegranate by-products could reduce the amount of tannin in them to a greater extent
Effects of garlic powder extract on selected fecal characteristics and health of neonatal Saanen goat kids
No full textTwenty-seven newborn kids were used to investigate the effects of garlic powder extract supplementation on selected fecal characteristics, body weight (BW), average daily weight gain (ADG), occurrence of diarrhea and hematological traits. Kids were assigned to one of the three groups (C: control group, G1: group supplemented with 50 mg/kg BW garlic product, G2: group supplemented with 100 mg/kg BW garlic product) at 3 days of age. Each group consisted of 9 kids. Each kid in G1 and G2 was supplemented with 50 or 100 mg/kg BW/day garlic powder extract from 3 days to 28 days of age, respectively, whereas the kids in C did not receive garlic product. There were no differences (P>0.05) in BW, ADG, fecal score and body temperature among the groups. There were no differences (P>0.05) in fecal pH at 3 and 21 days of age among the groups, whereas fecal pH was lower for G1 in comparison to C at 7 days of age and G2 had a higher fecal pH than C and G1 at 28 days of age (P=0.05). Fecal total coliform population results were not different (P>0.05) among the groups. The mean numbers of days with diarrhea were not statistically different among the groups (P>0.05) but were numerically decreased in G1 and G2 compared with C. No difference (P>0.05) in the incidence of diarrhea was found among the groups. The incidence of diarrhea was numerically higher for G2 in comparison to C while G1 had a lower incidence of diarrhea numerically than group C. There were no differences (P>0.05) in total white blood cell, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and eosinophils counts at 29 days of age. G1 had a lower basophils concentration (P=0.05) than C and G2. Based on the results of fecal pH, it can be reported that garlic product supplementation had no consistent effect on fecal pH. Because of both decreased mean number of days with diarrhea in G1 and a lower incidence of diarrhea in G1 compared with C, it may be stated that 50 mg/kg BW/day of garlic product helps to decrease the occurrence of diarrhea in newborn kids
Inclusive Education in the Forest School: An Empirical Study in an English Primary School
No full textΤο παρόν άρθρο διερευνά την αποτελεσματικότητα του Σχολείου του Δάσους (ΣτΔ) ως παιδαγωγικής προσέγγισης που ενισχύει τη συμπεριληπτική εκπαίδευση σε σχολικά πλαίσια γενικής εκπαίδευσης. Εστιάζοντας σε ένα δημοτικό σχολείο στην Αγγλία, η μελέτη εξετάζει πώς το ΣτΔ επηρεάζει τη συμμετοχή και τη μαθησιακή εμπειρία μαθητών της Γ΄ και Δ΄ τάξης (Year 3 and 4), με ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στους μαθητές με ειδικές εκπαιδευτικές ανάγκες και αναπηρίες (ΕΕΑΑ). Υιοθετείται μικτή μεθοδολογική προσέγγιση, η οποία περιλαμβάνει παρατήρηση με χρήση Κλίμακας Δραστηριοποίησης (Leuven Scale of Involvement), ερωτηματολόγια για να συλλέξει δεδομένα από τους γονείς και ημιδομημένες συνεντεύξεις με εκπαιδευτικούς. Τα ευρήματα δείχνουν σταθερά υψηλότερα επίπεδα δραστηριοποίησης των μαθητών στις συνεδρίες ΣτΔ, οι οποίες κρίνονται ιδιαίτερα ωφέλιμες για μαθητές με ΕΕΑΑ. Αναδεικνύονται, επίσης, σημαντικά κοινωνικά και συναισθηματικά οφέλη, ενώ τονίζεται η ανάγκη ενσωμάτωσης βιωματικών, υπαίθριων δραστηριοτήτων στα τυπικά αναλυτικά προγράμματα. Η παρούσα μελέτη συμβάλλει στη συζήτηση για τη συμπεριληπτική παιδαγωγική, προτείνοντας το ΣτΔ ως ένα δυναμικό μοντέλο που ενισχύει τη συμμετοχή των μαθητών στη μαθησιακή διαδικασία.This article explores the effectiveness of Forest School (FS) as a pedagogical approach that fosters inclusive education within mainstream primary school settings. Focusing on a case study in a primary school in England, the research investigates how FS influences the engagement and learning experiences of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils, with particular emphasis on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining observations using the Leuven Scale of Involvement, parent questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with teaching staff. The findings indicate consistently higher levels of pupil involvement during FS sessions, which proved especially beneficial for pupils with SEND. The study also highlights important social and emotional gains, underlining the value of experiential, outdoor activities in promoting pupil wellbeing and engagement. These results support the integration of FS principles into mainstream curricula, not as an optional supplement, but as a core component of inclusive and dynamic teaching practices. The study contributes to the growing discourse on inclusive pedagogy by positioning Forest School as a transformative model that enhances pupil participation and fosters meaningful learning for all
GIF ANIMATION : “AN ART EDUCATION PROGRAM”
No full textΗ παρούσα εργασία προτείνει ένα εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα στον τομέα της καλλιτεχνικής εκπαίδευσης, με σκοπό την παρουσίαση και ενσωμάτωση νέων μεθόδων που αξιοποιούν τις σύγχρονες τεχνολογίες στον χώρο των εικαστικών τεχνών στο πλαίσιο της τυπικής εκπαίδευσης. Συγκεκριμένα, η εργασία αναλύει την εικαστική και παιδαγωγική διάσταση της μορφής του "Gif animation", η οποία αποτελεί μια ιδιαίτερα δημοφιλή μορφή animation, καθώς και τη δυνατότητα ένταξης της στη δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση. Το προτεινόμενο πρόγραμμα εφαρμόζεται στο 9ο Εσπερινό ΕΠΑ.Λ. Πάτρας, στον τομέα Εφαρμοσμένων Τεχνών με Ειδικότητα Συντήρησης Έργων Τέχνης κατά τη σχολική χρονιά 2022-2023.This paper proposes an educational program in the field of artistic education, aimed at presenting and integrating new methods that utilize modern technologies in the visual arts, within the framework of formal education. Specifically, the paper analyzes the artistic and pedagogical aspects of "Gif animation," a particularly popular form of animation, as well as the possibility of its integration into secondary education. The proposed program was implemented at the 9th Vocational High school of Patras, in the field of Applied Arts, with a specialization in Art Conservation, during the 2022-2023 school year
Οργάνωση και Δημιουργική Ανάπτυξη Οπτικοακουστικής Παραγωγής Animation: Μελέτη Περίπτωσης της Μικρού Μήκους Ταινίας Animation «Ανοιχτά Φτερά»
No full textΤο παρόν άρθρο εξετάζει τη δημιουργική και οργανωτική διαδικασία που ακολουθήθηκε για την παραγωγή της μικρού μήκους animation ταινίας "Ανοιχτά Φτερά" (βραβείο ΙΡΙΣ, 2025 της ελληνικής ακαδημίας κινηματογράφου). Η έρευνα εστιάζει στον κοινό ερευνητικό στόχο όλων των μελών ως προς τη μεταφορά της παραδοσιακής τεχνικής stop motion σε ψηφιακό περιβάλλον 3D animation, αξιοποιώντας τις δεξιότητές τους ανάλογα με το επίπεδο γνώσεών τους, τη σύνθεση μιας διεπιστημονικής δημιουργικής ομάδας και την εκπαιδευτική αξιοποίηση της συμμετοχής φοιτητών όλων των βαθμίδων. Μέσα από την ανάλυση της μελέτης περίπτωσης, αναδεικνύονται τα οφέλη, οι δυσκολίες και οι καινοτομίες που προκύπτουν όταν η ακαδημαϊκή κοινότητα εμπλέκεται σε επαγγελματικές δημιουργικές διαδικασίες.This article examines the creative and organizational process followed in the production of the short-animated film Open Wings (winner of the IRIS Award, 2025, by the Hellenic Film Academy). The research focuses on the same research goal of all the team members for transition of the traditional stop motion technique into a digital 3D animation environment, the formation of an interdisciplinary creative team, and the educational utilization of student participation across all academic levels. Through the analysis of this case study, the benefits, challenges, and innovations that emerge when the academic community becomes involved in professional creative processes are highlighted