1,720,966 research outputs found
Behavioral management of puppies in training as military dogs
No full textMilitary dogs, besides being exposed to stressful events during operations (loud noises, transport, exposure to high and low temperatures, etc.), can be involved in explosions and/or gunshot wounds. Breeding, selection and management of working dogs are specific activities that involve a deep knowledge of different disciplines such as genetics, animal husbandry, internal medicine and applied ethology. This study aimed to provide specific guidelines on the breeding and behavioral management of German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois military dogs, from birth to the seventh month of age. The deep knowledge of the dog from the point of view of applied ethology and the psychology of learning, beyond a natural predisposition to interact correctly with the dog, are the most important topics for a good canine trainer; education and dog training are only a direct and natural consequence of this
Early efficacy of teriparatide in multilevel osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty
No full textAims: Teriparatide [rhPTH(1–34)] has been shown to increase
bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce the risk of fracture in
postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The purpose of this
study was to investigate the skeletal effects of 9 months of
treatment with teriparatide in women with osteoporotic vertebral
compression fractures treated previously by percutaneous vertebroplasty
and antiresorptive therapy for at least two years.
Methods: Daily subcutaneous injections of 20 μg teriparatide
were administered for 9 months to 30 postmenopausal women
previously submitted to percutaneous vertebroplasty for multilevel
vertebral compression fractures. Mean age was 71.3 years (range
59–83). All patients had previously received alendronate therapy
administered 70 mg/once weekly for 24–36 months. Before teriparatide
therapy the median baseline BMD T-score was%-2.5 and
the median baseline bone turnover markers levels were 24 μg of
osteocalcin, 87 μg of N-propeptide of type I pro-collagen, 15 μg of
bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and 13 nMolBCE/L of
N-telopeptide of collagen. All patients received daily calcium (1000
mg) and vitamin D (500 IU) supplementation. The primary study
outcome was change in lumbar spine BMD measured by DXA.
Secondary outcomes included changes in bone turnover markers,
pain and incidence of new vertebral fractures detected by magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitative and semiquantitative
morphometry.
Results: At 9 months of follow-up, lumbar spine BMD increased
6.4% relative to baseline data. Bone turnover markers had statistically
significant increases. New vertebral fractures were observed
in only three patients. Clinical data showed significant pain relief.
No adverse treatment effects were observed during teriparatide
therapy period.
Conclusions: Vertebral fracture risk reduction is a primary
outcome measure in many studies of osteoporosis treatments.
Because teriparatide improves bone density and bone quality and
reduces the increasing risk of future fracture associated with a
history of fractures, this therapy may reduce the expensive and
disabling consequences of osteoporosis in women with a history of
fracture
CLINICAL IMPROVEMENT AFTER 18 MONTH OF THERAPY WITH TERIPARATIDE IN PATIENTS AFFECTED BY OSTEOPOROTIC VERTEBRAL FRACTURE: OUR EXPERIENCE IN THIRTY WOMEN TREATED
No full textIntroduction: Vertebral fractures are the most common osteoporotic fracture and may result in back pain with functional limitations and diminished quality of life. Teriparatide [rhPTH (1–34)] has been shown to increase bone mass and reduce the risk
of vertebral and other osteoporotic fractures.
Materials and Methods: From January 2006 to January 2008 thirty women (mean age 72.3) with osteoporotic compression vertebral fractures (VCF) have been treated with a daily subcutaneous administration of teriparatide (20 μg/day) and supplementation with calcium and vitamin D. All patients underwent a preliminary
clinical (VAS, Oswestry Disability Index) and instrumental evaluation (Plain X-ray with vertebral morphometry and DXA).
Inclusion criteria were: persistent back pain non responsive to drugs, postmenopausal osteoporosis, a minimum of one year
previous antiresorptive therapy. Results: The mean pre-treatment VAS and ODI scores were 8.3 and 78% respectively. In all patients plain X-rays have shown at least one severe vertebral fracture (>40%) with a mean (Bone Mineral Density) T-score of -3.8 at lumbar spine. Clinical and instrumental evaluation was performed at 6, 12 and 18 months. The mean VAS score was 4.2, 4 and 4.4 respectively as well as the ODI score with 55, 50 and 50%. No statistically significative T-score improvement was observed in any patients at every step of follow up.Conclusion: Chronic back pain associated with vertebral fracture provides a great challenge to physicians and patients. A daily
administration of teriparatide is a valid a reliable treatment of severe osteoporosis with VCF. Despite a dramatic improvement in VAS and ODI score no significative BMD modification was observed during follow up
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Effects of exercise on urinary biochemical parameters and proteins in a group of well-trained military working dogs
Full text linkExercise-induced proteinuria has been widely investigated in humans, also in relation to intensity and duration of activity. Instead, there are only limited publications regarding urinary biochemical parameters and urinary proteins before and after physical activity in dogs. This paper aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on urinary biochemistry and proteins in military dogs. Twenty-four dogs were enrolled in this study. All the dogs were clinically sound, and they were examined before and after activity. Pulse rates (PR) and respiratory rate (RR) were monitored. Urine was sampled before and after a training session of search activity. Standard urinalysis was carried out, urine total proteins and creatinine were measured and the urinary protein:creatinine ratio was calculated; finally, the urinary proteins were separated using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Clinical examination before and after activity did not reveal any pathological finding. After activity, the PR was slightly increased, while the RR was notably increased (p < 0.05). Total proteins, albumin, and their ratio with creatinine were significantly higher after exercise when considering all the dogs included or only the females while, when considering only the males no significant difference was detected. The clinical relevance of this study was related to the possibility of using urine as a non-invasive sample for monitoring health status after training activity and exercise in dogs. An increase in microalbuminuria after search activity, measured using SDS-PAGE could be considered an early biomarker of renal function during training sessions
Behavioural modifications of bitches during diestrus and anestrus
No full textBy scoring the dogs behaviours, statistically significant differences between the two sex cycle
periods were found. When in their own box, the subjects in diestrus vs anestrus remained, on
average (±S.E.), sitting (diestrus 39.81±15.93 s vs anestrus 81.54±35.95 s; p<0.062) and
standing on hind legs (diestrus 4.54±2.21 s vs anestrus 9.09±7.45 s; p<0.02) for a shorter
time, while they barked more (diestrus 30.81±17.52 s vs anestrus 7.63±5.73 s; p<0.062).
When in the unknown box, the subjects in diestrus remained standing on hind legs (diestrus
23±11.9 s vs anestrus 79.45±39.98 s; p<0.02) and barked (diestrus 2.63±1.62 s vs anestrus
16.63±9.99 s; p<0.062) for a shorter time, while they remained sitting (diestrus 139±
58.62 s vs anestrus 58.81±24.39 s; p<0.062) for a longer time compared to anestrus.
The third test did not show statistically significant differences in the aggressive
behaviour of the tested subjects when in anestrus vs diestrus, the mean score (± S.E.) being
3.62±0.11 when in anestrus and 3.69±0.06 when in diestrus
Military Working Dogs Operating in Afghanistan Theater: Comparison between Pre-and Post-Mission Blood Analyses to Monitor Physical Fitness and Training
Full text linkThe intergovernmental organization known as the United Nations (UN) was born “to maintain international peace and security” through different operations and tasks, including “mine action” and “explosive detection”. Explosives are the most frequent cause of injuries in military personnel and an enormous danger for civilians. The role of explosive detection dogs (EDDs) and mine detection dogs has gained great consideration over time, leading to their intense use in military operations. Literature regarding working injuries reported by EDDs during missions is limited. The aim of the present study is to investigate the hematological changes that occurred between pre-and post-mission blood analyses in military working dogs deployed to Afghanistan in order to evaluate signs of health problems or physical adjustments. Examining the clinical records, only three dogs reported a medical issue, one with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), and two with lameness episodes. Lack of health issues occurring during the missions was reflected by the absence of significant differences between pre-and post-mission blood analyses. Blood results were also examined by dividing the EDDs into groups considering age at departure, sex, breed and mission length. A few categories demonstrated significant changes in some parameters; however, the mean values were always included in the ranges of normality, indicating that their physical fitness and training were adequate for the required tasks
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