10 research outputs found
Pain and Pain Management in Sea Turtle and Herpetological Medicine: State of the Art
No full textIn sea turtle rescue and rehabilitative medicine, many of the casualties suffer from occurrences that would be considered painful in other species; therefore, the use of analgesic drugs should be ethically mandatory to manage the pain and avoid its deleterious systemic effects to guarantee a rapid recovery and release. Nonetheless, pain assessment and management are particularly challenging in reptilians and chelonians. The available scientific literature demonstrates that, anatomically, biochemically, and physiologically, the central nervous system of reptiles and chelonians is to be considered functionally comparable to that of mammals albeit less sophisticated; therefore, reptiles can experience not only nociception but also “pain” in its definition of an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Hence, despite the necessity of appropriate pain management plans, the available literature on pain assessment and clinical efficacy of analgesic drugs currently in use (prevalently opioids and NSAIDs) is fragmented and suffers from some basic gaps or methodological bias that prevent a correct interpretation of the results. At present, the general understanding of the physiology of reptiles’ pain and the possibility of its reasonable treatment is still in its infancy, considering the enormous amount of information still needed, and the use of analgesic drugs is still anecdotal or dangerously inferred from other species
First person – Alessandro Soloperto
No full textABSTRACT
First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Alessandro Soloperto is the first author on ‘Mechano-sensitization of mammalian neuronal networks through expression of the bacterial large-conductance mechanosensitive ion channel’, published in Journal of Cell Science. Alessandro is a PhD student in the lab of Francesco Difato at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy, investigating the potential of targeted modulation of the neuronal Ca2+ activity via remote mechanical stimulation.</jats:p
Resistant bacteria from aquatic environments, a retrospective study from loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta
No full textIn sea turtle rescue medicine, the most frequent occurrences are traumatic injuries (fishing net entrapment, ingestion of hooks and lines, shell fractures, stranding, abnormal buoyancy) or infectious opportunistic pathologies in immunosuppressed animals (e.g., juveniles in cold stunning) (1), and the use of antimicrobial drugs is mandatory. The paucity of data on therapeutic protocols supported by scientific evidence (pharmacokinetics and efficacy trials), together with the repeated reports of antimicrobial resistance in strains isolated from free-ranging sea turtles (2), suggest isolation/sensitivity testing before a therapeutic plan is established as the most correct approach (3). In the present study the results of a four-year investigation about isolation, characterization, and sensitivity testing of isolates from Caretta caretta are reported, to explore the diffusion of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria form wild species with no history of previous therapies. The animals were presented at the Sea Turtle Rescue Center “Luigi Cantoro” of Torre Guaceto (BR, Italy, Adriatic Sea) for noninfectious occurrences, with lesions at different location (lesions of limbs or carapace with exposition of bone plates, shell fractures, gastrointestinal lesions from hooks/lines). Amies transport swabs were collected from superficial lesions with deep blade scrub, while bioptic samples were collected during surgery for hook/lines removal. Samples were cultured on Columbia Blood agar and McConkey agar. The isolates were identified by Gram staining, oxidase test, API 20E and 20NE systems, then screened for antimicrobial susceptibility by the disk diffusion method (4) with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (AMC), ampicillin-sulbactam (AMS), cefuroxime (CXM), ceftazidime (CAZ), ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NOR), gentamycin (GEN), and doxycycline (DOX). Samples were cultured also for Mycoplasma on Hayflick agar and tested with microbroth dilution for tetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, clarithromycin, tylosin, azithromycin, enrofloxacin and marbofloxacin. The prevalent isolates were Gram negative, and 30 of them, belonging to genera Aeromonas, Morganella, Pseudomonas, Serratia, and Vibrio, are potentially pathogenic. Many isolates resulted resistant to the association of semisynthetic penicillin and beta-lactamase inhibitors (18/32 to AMS and 27/32 to AMC), and to a second-generation cephalosporin (7/32 to CXM), while only two strains of Vibrio alginolyticus and Serratia marcescens were resistant to the third-generation cephalosporin CAZ. Noteworthy, the same V. alginolyticus strain was also resistant to all the tested antibiotics, including GEN and the fluoroquinolone CIP. Four more strains of Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Serratia genera were multidrug resistant (MDR) (semisynthetic penicillins+beta-lactamase inhibitors, second-generation cephalosporin, and doxycycline or fluoroquinolones). A single Mycoplasma spp. strain was isolated, proving resistant to tetracyclines and macrolides, with the only susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. The present data confirm the progressive spreading of AMR and MDR bacterial strains in wild animals without previous contacts with antimicrobial compounds, together with the concern about the potential for AMR diffusion linked to mobile genetic elements, frequently reported in many strains of the present isolates (5, 6). At the same time the sea turtles’ rehab suffers from the progressive reduction of therapeutic tools and adds zoonotic concerns for operators
Fusarium solani hyalohyphomycosisin loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta): a diagnostic and therapeutical challenge
No full textFusarium spp. are pathogens plants, animals and humans, isolated from soil, plants and water systems. They are distributed worldwide and include saprotrophic, biotrophic‐pathogenic or endophytic fungi, or producers of mycotoxins (fumonisins). Human isolates are becoming the leading mycosis affecting immunocompromised patients and frequently involved in mycoses of aquatic mammals and reptiles, included sea turtles or their eggs. Here reported are three severe cases of unusual localizations of Fusarium in loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and their diagnostic, therapeutic and clinical output. In the clinical practice, correct genus‐level identification of Fusarium species is critically important to enable correct treatment as in vitroantifungal susceptibility testing is mandatory for each Fusarium‐like isolate. For this reason, susceptibility testing can significantly help the practitioner in choosing the most appropriate therapeutic protocol
Capture myopathy after surgery in striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba): a case report
No full textIn the summer 2014, a male juvenile live striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) was stranded alive along the Ionian Calabrian coast (Italy) due to a severe wound close to the tail likely caused by entanglement in fishing gears. Radiographic exam during first medical evaluation evidenced a Salter-Harris fracture type 1 of a lumbar vertebra. Since the animal survive for three days, a surgical approach with a ‘hand-made’ external fixator specifically designed for this animal was attempted. Serum samples were collected the day before the surgery, during the surgery and the day after to evaluate renal and hepatic functions and muscular condition; unfortunately, the striped dolphin died suddenly the day after the surgery. A detailed necropsy was carried out within 12 hours, tissue samples were collected and routinely processed for histopathological examination.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis using anti-myoglobin and anti-fibrinogen was performed on skeletal and cardiac muscles and on kidney. A urine sample was also collected during the necropsy and proteinuria analysis with SDS-age was performed. Biochemical values of BUN, ALT and AST values were above the upper limits of reference range in all the three serum samples while creatinine values were below the lower limit. Also the serum amyloid A (SAA) was markedly higher, in particular in the post-surgical samples, while an increase in total serum protein was noticed only in samples collected after surgery. Post- mortem analyses did not showed any relevant pathological changes. IHC revealed severe muscular damage with myoglobin staining evident in renal tissues. Urinalysis showed urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio of 5:3 with glomerular proteinuria. Clinical-pathological and pathological findings suggest that cause of death was capture myopathy (CM) related to ischaemia-reperfusion damage due to elevated concentrations of catecholamines. This case point out as CM could have a role in mortality following the live-stranding event and compromised subsequent rehabilitation
Observed prevalence and characterization of fluoroquinolone-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic Sea
No full textBackground/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health concern with profound implications for human, animal, and environmental health. Marine ecosystems are emerging as reservoirs of resistant bacteria due to contamination from anthropogenic activities. This study aimed to investigate fluoroquinolone-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Methods: Cloacal swabs were collected from 28 loggerhead sea turtles at a rescue center in southern Italy. Swabs were cultured in nutrient media supplemented with enrofloxacin. Bacterial isolates underwent identification by MALDI-TOF, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and assessment for multidrug resistance. Conjugation experiments evaluated the transferability of enrofloxacin resistance. Results: Thirty-six enrofloxacin-resistant bacterial strains were isolated from 22 turtles. The identified species included Vagococcus fluvialis (13 strains), Citrobacter freundii (5), Escherichia coli (6), and Pseudomonas mendocina (4). Thirty-five isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, with resistance to critically important antibiotics such as imipenem observed in C. freundii and Enterobacter faecium. Conjugation experiments showed no transfer of resistance genes. Conclusions: The study highlights the prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria in C. caretta, implicating marine environments as reservoirs of AMR. The findings underscore the need for stricter regulation of antimicrobial use and monitoring of resistance dissemination in marine ecosystems. These results contribute to understanding AMR dynamics within the One Health framework, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental, animal, and human health
Video transmission over wireless channel
No full textThis work has been realized by the author in his PhD course in Electrical, Computer Science and Telecommunication at the University of Bologna, Faculty of Engineering, Italy. All the documentation here reported is a summary of years of work, under the supervision of Prof. Oreste Andrisano, coordinator of Wireless Communication Laboratory - WiLab, in Bologna. The subject of this thesis is the transmission of video in a context of heterogeneous network, and in particular, using a wireless channel.
All the instrumentation that has been used for the characterization of the telecommunication systems belongs to CNR (National Research Council), CNIT (Italian Inter-
University Center), and DEIS (Dept. of Electrical, Computer Science, and Systems).
From November 2009 to July 2010, the author spent his time abroad, working in collaboration with DLR - German Aerospace Center in Munich, Germany, on channel
coding area, developing a general purpose decoder machine to decode a huge family of iterative codes.
A patent concerning Doubly Generalized-Low Density Parity Check codes has been produced by the author as well as some important scientic papers, published on
IEEE journals and conferences
A crude awakening: effects of crude oil on lipid metabolism in calanoid copepods terminating diapause
No full textAuthor Posting. © University of Chicago, 2019. This article is posted here by permission of University of Chicago for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biological Bulletin 237(2), (2019): 90-110, doi: 10.1086/705234.Calanus finmarchicus and Calanus glacialis are keystone zooplankton species in North Atlantic and Arctic marine ecosystems because they form a link in the trophic transfer of nutritious lipids from phytoplankton to predators on higher trophic levels. These calanoid copepods spend several months of the year in deep waters in a dormant state called diapause, after which they emerge in surface waters to feed and reproduce during the spring phytoplankton bloom. Disruption of diapause timing could have dramatic consequences for marine ecosystems. In the present study, Calanus C5 copepodites were collected in a Norwegian fjord during diapause and were subsequently experimentally exposed to the water-soluble fraction of a naphthenic North Sea crude oil during diapause termination. The copepods were sampled repeatedly while progressing toward adulthood and were analyzed for utilization of lipid stores and for differential expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism. Our results indicate that water-soluble fraction exposure led to a temporary pause in lipid catabolism, suggested by (i) slower utilization of lipid stores in water-soluble fraction-exposed C5 copepodites and (ii) more genes in the β-oxidation pathway being downregulated in water-soluble fraction-exposed C5 copepodites than in the control C5 copepodites. Because lipid content and/or composition may be an important trigger for termination of diapause, our results imply that the timing of diapause termination and subsequent migration to the surface may be delayed if copepods are exposed to oil pollution during diapause or diapause termination. This delay could have detrimental effects on ecosystem dynamics.We thank the Department of Biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for additional funding for ES’s stay at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI); Christoffer H. Hilde for help in the field and in the lab; Siv Anina Etter, Øystein Leiknes, Sofia Soloperto, and Clara P. Igisch for help with the fieldwork; Justyna Świeżak, Mari-Ann Østensen, and Signe D. Løvmo for experimental assistance; and Hanny Rivera for help with bioinformatic analyses at WHOI. The RNA-sequencing work was provided by the Genomics Core Facility (GCF). The GCF is funded by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU and the Central Norway Regional Health Authority. AMT was funded by the National Science Foundation (award no. OPP-1746087).2020-10-0
Early recurrence and major bleeding in patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation treated with non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (RAF-NOACs) study
No full textBackground: The optimal timing to administer non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation is unclear. This prospective observational multicenter study evaluated the rates of early recurrence and major bleeding (within 90 days) and their timing in patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation who received NOACs for secondary prevention.
Methods and Results: Recurrence was defined as the composite of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, and symptomatic systemic embolism, and major bleeding was defined as symptomatic cerebral and major extracranial bleeding. For the analysis, 1127 patients were eligible: 381 (33.8%) were treated with dabigatran, 366 (32.5%) with rivaroxaban, and 380 (33.7%) with apixaban. Patients who received dabigatran were younger and had lower admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and less commonly had a CHA2DS2‐VASc score >4 and less reduced renal function. Thirty‐two patients (2.8%) had early recurrence, and 27 (2.4%) had major bleeding. The rates of early recurrence and major bleeding were, respectively, 1.8% and 0.5% in patients receiving dabigatran, 1.6% and 2.5% in those receiving rivaroxaban, and 4.0% and 2.9% in those receiving apixaban. Patients who initiated NOACs within 2 days after acute stroke had a composite rate of recurrence and major bleeding of 12.4%; composite rates were 2.1% for those who initiated NOACs between 3 and 14 days and 9.1% for those who initiated >14 days after acute stroke.
Conclusions: In patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation, treatment with NOACs was associated with a combined 5% rate of ischemic embolic recurrence and severe bleeding within 90 days
Surgery of the lateral skull base: a 50-year endeavour.
No full textDisregarding the widely used division of skull base into anterior and lateral, since the skull base should be conceived as a single anatomic structure, it was to our convenience to group all those approaches that run from the antero-lateral, pure lateral and postero-lateral side of the skull base as “Surgery of the lateral skull base”. “50 years of endeavour” points to the great effort which has been made over the last decades, when more and more difficult surgeries were performed by reducing morbidity. The principle of lateral skull base surgery, “remove skull base bone to approach the base itself and the adjacent sites of the endo-esocranium”, was then combined with function preservation and with tailoring surgery to the pathology. The concept that histology dictates the extent of resection, balancing the intrinsic morbidity of each approach was the object of the first section of the present report. The main surgical approaches were described in the second section and were conceived not as a step-by-step description of technique, but as the highlighthening of the surgical principles. The third section was centered on open issues related to the tumor and its treatment. The topic of vestibular schwannoma was investigated with the current debate on observation, hearing preservation surgery, hearing rehabilitation, radiotherapy and the recent efforts to detect biological markers able to predict umor growth. Jugular foramen paragangliomas were treated in the frame of radical or partial surgery, radiotherapy, partial “tailored” surgery and observation. Surgery on meningioma was debated from the point of view of the neurosurgeon and of the otologist. Endolymphatic sac tumors and malignant tumors of the external auditory canal were also treated, as well as chordomas, chondrosarcomas and petrous bone cholesteatomas. Finally, the fourth section focused on free-choice topics which were assigned to aknowledged experts. The aim of this work was attempting to report the state of the art of the lateral skull base surgery after 50 years of hard work and, above all, to raise questions on those issues which still need an answer, as to allow progress in knowledge through sharing of various experiences. At the end of the reading, if more doubts remain rather than certainties, the aim of this work will probably be achieved
