1,636 research outputs found
Esame TC nella displasia dell’anca del cane
No full textIntroduzione: scopo di questo lavoro è stata la messa a punto di un protocollo diagnostico di tomografia computerizzata (TC) per la valutazione della Displasia dell’anca del cane (DAC). Abbiamo paragonato due diversi posizionamenti del cane e definito quale tra gli indici morfometrici proposti in letteratura fosse più utile per valutare il grado di lassità dell’articolazione coxofemorale.
Materiali e metodi. Per valutare la possibile lussazione dorso-laterale della testa del femore, 13 cani risultati negativi al convenzionale esame Rx per la DAC sono stati sottoposti ad esame TC (GE Pace Plus), sia nel decubito dorsale con arti posteriori iperestesi (AI), sia nel decubito dorsale con arti perpendicolari al lettino (AP). Sugli studi tomografici sono state eseguite delle valutazioni qualitative sul grado di lassità evidenziabile nei due posizionamenti, e delle misurazioni morfometriche dell’articolazione coxo-femorale : Angolo della superficie lunata (AL), Angolo di copertura acetabolare (CA), angolo di ventro-versione acetabolare (AA). I valori delle misurazioni morfometriche ottenute nei due posizionamenti sono stati messi a confronto mediante il test statistico di ANOVA per evidenziare differenze significative tra i due decubiti.
Risultati e discussioni: Lassità articolare era evidente in 5/26 (19,2%) articolazioni coxo-femorali nelle scansioni eseguite su soggetto posizionato con gli arti posteriori iperestesi e in 15/26 (57,7%) articolazioni nelle scansioni eseguite su soggetto con arti posteriori perpendicolari. Nei soggetti considerati non displasici i valori erano: AI – CA = 11,3 (±2,4); AP - CA=11,5 (±5); AI-AL=13,6 (±5,3); AP-AL= 13,1 (±4,4); AI-AA = 26,7 (±5,2); AP-AA= 29,5 (±4,1). Nei soggetti displasici i valori erano: : AI – CEA = 3,9 (± 6); AP - CA= -7,1(±7,2); AI-AL=20,7 (±5,6); AP-AL= 21,3 (±5,7); AI-AA = 23,71 (±3,2); AP-AA= 24,3 (±3,9). Il test di ANOVA mostra una differenza statisticamente significativa tra le misure del CA nei soggetti displasici, e nei valori dell’AA nei soggetti considerati non displasici. I risultati del nostro studio dimostrano che il posizionamento in decubito dorsale con arti perpendicolari, è il migliore nell’evidenziare la lassità articolare nella DAC. Questo posizionamento è inoltre facile da attuare e non richiede particolari accorgimenti
Description of a low‐cost picture archiving and communication system based on network‐attached storage
No full textHigh costs for installing, maintaining, and updating a standard picture archiving and communication system (PACS) can be prohibitive for small/medium‐sized veterinary facilities. The aims of this prospective, exploratory study were to describe the design, implementation, and author experiences for 1 year's use of a low‐cost PACS based on network‐attached storage. The system described here was easily installed and resiliently stored redundant copies of data. It excellently balanced data recovery, system speed, security, and available memory for storage. A virtual private network also allowed off‐site data review. This system can also be used for future off‐site backup of data in the cloud
Hemodynamic effects of anesthetics in a mouse model assessed by Laser Doppler Perfusion and echocardiographic imaging
No full textAnesthetics can alter microvascular perfusion, affecting tissue oxygenation and delivery of vital substrates. The ??2???adrenergic agonist dexmedetomidine and the ?????blocker acepromazine are powerful sedatives with remarkable hemodynamic effects. Some authors reported an attenuation of the ??2???adrenergic agonist pressor response by an acepromazine???xylazine combination in dogs. We investigated non???invasively the microcirculatory effects of dexmedetomidine, of acepromazine and of their combination in isoflurane anesthetized mice by Laser Doppler Perfusion Imaging (LDPI). Thirty???two age???matched and sex???paired CD1 mice underwent 1.5% isoflurane anesthesia, followed by intraperitoneal injection of either 5 mg/kg acepromazine, or 1 mg/kg dexmedetomidine, or by their combination. Body temperature was adjusted to 36 °C. Heart (HR) and breath (BR) rate were recorded. Hind paws blood flow (Perfusion Units, volt) was recorded by LDPI 10 and 20 minutes after isoflurane induction, at different intervals after treatments, and after reversing dexmedetomidine by the ??2??? antagonist atipamezole. BR decreased in all groups without significant differences to baseline (P>0.05). Dexmedetomidine sharply reduced over time HR (P0.05). Acepromazine+dexmedetomidine decreased HR (P0.05); atipamezole gradually raised HR close to baseline (P>0.05). Peripheral perfusion under isoflurane anesthesia showed an increasing trend after 10 and 20 minutes, without differences among groups (P=0.1). Acepromazine increased perfusion between 10 and 20 minutes (P=0.005). Dexmedetomidine reduced blood perfusion after 5 minutes (P=0.0001), followed by an increase after 15 minutes (P=0.008). No significant changes were seen 5 minutes after atipamezole (P=0.9). Acepromazine+dexmedetomidine resulted in steady perfusion values over time (P=0.44), which after atipamezole increased very close to baseline (P=0.237). Acepromazine+dexmedetomidine in mice produced more temperate, steady peripheral perfusion values compared to those following single agent, reducing the entity of the ??2 ???agonist biphasic hemodynamic pattern. Our translational approach by LDPI in a mouse model allows an easy, accurate and non invasive measurement of the effects of anesthetics on peripheral microcirculation. 1. Alvaides RK, Neto FJ, Aguiar AJ, et al. Sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of acepromazine or atropine given before Dexmedetomidine in dogs. Vet Rec 2008; 26: 852???856. 2. B. J. A. Janssen, T. De Celle, J. J. M. Debets, A. E. et al, ???Effects of anesthetics on systemic hemodynamics in mice,??? Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, vol. 4, no. 287, pp. 1618???1624, 2004. 3. Adelaide Greco, Monica Ragucci, Raffaele Liuzzi, Sara Gargiulo, Matteo Gramanzini, e al. Reproducibility and Standardization of Laser doppler Imaging technique for the evaluation of normal mice hindlimb
Effect of left versus right recumbency on the vertebral heart score in normal dogs
No full textThe effect of right vs. left recumbency on computation of the vertebral heart score (VHS) was assessed in 63 healthy dogs. The VHS was significantly higher in right lateral recumbency (9.8±0.6 vs. 9.5±0.8; P<0.0004). Gender and dog size did not significantly influence VHS values while there was more difference between left and right side measurements when considering the type of thorax (P=0.055)
Using time-driven activity-based costing to establish a tariff system for home health care services
No full textThe most important societal challenge is aging, often associated with chronic disease and increased multimorbidity; nevertheless, the costs of an aging society will not be sustainable in terms of healthcare and social services. In late 2011, the regional government of Campania, Italy, launched a study with the aim of implementing a tariff system for the provision of home and palliative care services. To create the tariff system, the regional government set up two working groups: one to identify home and palliative care profiles and the other to propose a tariff system for home and palliative care based on the profiles identified. The second group analyzed the average resources absorbed by each of the care profiles identified using a time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) system. This study has two distinguishing features: (1) its use to establish a system of tariffs related to services provided over a particular time frame in an individualized care plan, and (2) the method of calculating the daily cost of care (i.e., the cost of a standard day, including access to all healthcare professionals required to care for the patient at home). The authors identified a prospective tariff system based on the average amount of total resources absorbed according to the different levels of care complexity rather than on historical costs. Although the study pertains to an Italian region, it highlights a methodology that can be applied in other countries
Ultrasound molecular imaging by targeted microbubble contrast agents
No full textUltrasound contrast agents are based on the physical resonating behavior of bubbles with diameter of few microns, microbubbles, when those undergone ultrasound beam. Microbubbles, once introduced in the body intravenously, increase the backscatter from blood improving contrast image such that the macro and micro-circulation can be both visualized in order to asses organ function and to characterize tumors vascolarity. Recently, phenomena associated to resonating microbubbles such as “cavitation”, “microstreaming” and “sonoporation” have suggested that ultrasound contrast agent may be induced, deliberately by the ultrasonographer, to interact with the endothelial cells and that the interaction may further be driven if microbubbles are specifically targeted for intravascular molecules: either by modifying the shell of microbubbles or by attaching on the shell specific ligands: i.e. peptides, proteins and antibody. This features have opened new scenarios since microbubbles can be seen, not only, as media to improve generically contrast vascular image, but also as media to record physiological process undergoing into the vascular constrain as well as to release a healing payload, carried by microbubbles, to the surrounding tissues. Therefore, ultrasound contrast media may further place ultrasonography among therapeutic modality as much as advances in ligands and bubbles biochemistry as well as advances in US probes technology will be provided. A concise overview of the current understandings on ultrasound contras media is hereafter presented
Greco in Oz
No full textAn overseas trip provides adventure, self-discovery, and a measure of healing to the author
Author Correction: Gluten consumption and inflammation affect the development of celiac disease in at-risk children
No full textThe original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the authors Renata Auricchio, Ilaria Calabrese, Martina Galatola, Donatella Cielo, Fortunata Carbone, Marianna Mancuso, Giuseppe Matarese, Riccardo Troncone, Salvatore Auricchio & Luigi Greco which were incorrectly given as Auricchio Renata, Calabrese Ilaria, Galatola Martina, Cielo Donatella, Carbone Fortunata, Mancuso Marianna, Matarese Giuseppe, Troncone Riccardo, Auricchio Salvatore & Greco Luigi. The original article has been corrected
Recent advancements of landslide hydrology
No full textOccurrence of rainfall-induced landslides is increasing worldwide, owing to land use and climate changes. Although the connection between hydrology and rainfall-induced landslides might seem obvious, hydrological processes have been only marginally considered in landslide research for decades. In 2016, an advanced review paper published in WIREs Water [Bogaard and Greco (2016), WIREs Water, 3(3), 439–459] pointed out several challenging issues for landslide hydrology research: considering large-scale hydrological processes in the assessment of slope water balance; including antecedent hydrological information in landslide hazard assessment; understanding and quantifying the feedbacks between deformation and infiltration/drainage processes; overcoming the conceptual mismatch of soil mechanics models and hydrological models. While little progress has been made on the latter two issues, a variety of studies have been published, focusing on the role of hydrological processes in landslide initiation and prediction. The importance of the identification of the origin of water to understand the processes leading to landslide activation is largely acknowledged. Techniques and methodologies for the definition of landslide catchments and for the assessment of landslide water balance are progressing fast, often considering the hydraulic effect of vegetation. The use of hydrological information in landslide prediction models has also progressed enormously. Empirical predictive tools, to be implemented in early warning systems for shallow landslides, benefit from the inclusion of antecedent soil moisture, extracted from different sources depending on the scale of the prediction, leading to significant improvement of their predictive skill. However, this kind of information is generally still missing in operational LEWS. This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Hydrological Processes.Water Resource
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