INDAGINE ANATOMO ED ISTO-PATOLOGICA SULLO STATO SANITARIO DI SPIGOLE(DICENTRARCHUS LABRAX) PESCATE NEL FIUME ARNO

Non esistendo dati relativi allo stato sanitario di spigole (Dicentrarchus labrax) pescate nel fiume Arno, ed essendo la pesca ed il consumo di tali pesci, una realtà ampliamente praticata localmente, nella Provincia di Pisa, lo scopo di questo lavoro è stato quello di indagare lo stato sanitario di una popolazione di spigola selvatica, pescata nel fiume Arno tramite indagini parassitologiche, citologiche ed istopatologiche. Parallelamente all’indagine sanitaria, ci siamo proposti, tramite indagini istopatologiche, su tessuti branchiali ed epatici, la ricerca di alterazioni suggestive di esposizione cronica ad agenti xenobiotici ed utilizzare i dati raccolti in via preliminare per indagare gli ipotetici rischi sanitari per la tutela della salute del consumatore.Sono state pescate 20 spigole in 3 diverse località del fiume Arno, nei pressi di Pisa. Gli organi sono stati sottoposti ad indagine parassitologica, ed istopatologica per la ricerca dei principali parassiti e di lesioni microscopiche suggestive di malattie infettive o parassitarie. Ulteriormente le branchie ed il fegato sono stati analizzati tramite tecniche istologiche per la ricerca di lesioni suggestive di esposizione cronica ad agenti xenobiotici. GTli unici parasiti isolati sono stati trematodi monogenei identificati come Diplectanum aequans in 4 soggetti. Nessun organo (ad eccetto delle branchie e del fegato) hanno mostrato alterazioni patologiche all'esame istopatologico. Nel testo vengono riportate le alterazioni riportate a livello delle branchie e del fegato. Il presente studio, sebbene basato su tecniche qualitative e con i limiti che queste possono avere, risulta il primo ad indagare localmente una realtà di interesse per il consumatore proprio per il frequente consumo che viene fatto di spigole pescate nel fiume Arno. La tecnica istologica è risultata utile nell’evidenziazione delle lesioni branchiali ed epatiche sebbene aspecifica riguardo alle noxae patogene e quindi di estrema utilità per uno screening iniziale sulla qualità del pescato e per la possibilità di utilizzo dei tessuti branchiali ed epatico quali biomarkers per la qualità sia del pesce sia delle acque. Le presenti indagini dovranno essere confermate tramite tecniche quantitative (analisi tossicologiche, microbiologiche e chimiche sull’acqua) per la ricerca di eventuali xenobiotici presenti in questa specie pescata nel fiume Arno o nell’ ambiente. La spigola infatti , in quanto specie predatrice e quindi biomagnificatore, si presta per monitorare la situazione ambientale nel tempo e parallelamente ad altre specie stanziali nel fiume, che però difficilmente vengono consumate, può fungere da bioindicatore in future ricerche. Senza dubbio lo stato sanitario degli animali inseriti in questo studio è risultato ottimo, come confermato dall’assenza di lesioni macroscopiche e microscopiche. Proprio per questo motivo,considerata l’assenza di lesioni riferibili a malattie infettive e la modesta presenza di parassiti a livello esclusivamente branchiale, negli esemplari prelevati, è probabile che le lesioni degenerative ed infiammatorie rilevate, sebbene di lieve entità, siano con buona probabilità causate da un moderato stress ambientale che merita un approfondimento mirato per la salute del consumatore

The biased evolution of generation time

Many life-history traits, like the age at maturity or adult longevity, are important determinants of the generation time. For instance, semelparous species whose adults reproduce once and die have shorter generation times than iteroparous species that reproduce on several occasions. A shorter generation time ensures a higher growth rate in stable environments where resources are in excess, and is therefore a positively selected feature in this (rarely met) situation. In a stable and limiting environment, all combination of traits (or strategies) that produce the same number of viable offspring on average are strictly neutral even when their generation times differ. We first study the evolution of life-history strategies with different generation times in this context, and show that those with the longest generation time represent the most likely evolutionary outcomes. Indeed, strategies with longer generation times generate fewer mutants per time unit, which makes them less likely to be replaced within a given time period. This `turnover bias' inevitably exists and favors the evolution of strategies with long generation times. Its real impact, however, should depend on the strength and direction of other evolutionary forces; selection for short generation times, for instance, may oppose turnover bias. Likewise, the evolutionary outcome depends on the strength of such selection and population size, comparably to other biases acting on the occurrence of mutations.Comment: Now we also study the evolution of development duration, suggesting that turnover bias is involved in the evolutionary dynamics of any trait linked with the generation tim

Aberrant right coronary artery occlusion during the percutaneous pulmonary trunk stenting in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot

Aberrant coronary arteries are frequently observed in patients presenting with Fallot's tetralogy (TOF). Before the complete surgical repair of the TOF, the percutaneously performed pulmonary trunk (PT) angioplasty is often performed in order to temporarily increase the pulmonary circulation, thus increasing the pulmonary vessel size, finally improving surgical outcome. This case reports a 12-year-old boy with a TOF insufficiently improved by surgical correction, in whom a PT angioplasty with stent implantation was complicated by an extrinsic compression of an aberrant right coronary artery (RCA) causing a myocardial ischemia with severe hypotension. The RCA, originating from the left anterior descending coronary artery, passed through the aortic root and the PT and was thus compressed by the PT-stent. Finally the RCA was successfully treated with standard coronary balloon angioplasty and stenting, improving myocardial perfusion and the hemodynamics of the patient, who finally died several days thereafter due to septic shock and massive pulmonary embolis

An unusual presentation of actinomycosis in a dairy cow

A first lactation dairy cow (in late gestation) presented with a hard round swelling of the right olecranon and slight lameness. A lateromedial radiograph of the right olecranon had a mottled appearance with indistinct borders. Bone biopsy was performed post calving. Histology showed fibrosis and reactive changes, however this sample was considered too superficial and not representative of the whole lesion. Based on the differential diagnoses treatment was not possible and the cow was culled at the end of her lactation. At slaughter the forelimb was retained for further analysis. Grossly, the olecranon was severely enlarged, irregular with multiple yellow granulomas in the cortex and medulla of the bone. Histology showed multifocal pyogranulomas containing bacteria, Splendore-Hoeppli material and surrounded by remodelled bone and fibrosis. Despite displaying biochemical properties characteristic of Actinomycesspecies this could not be confirmed by partial 16s rRNA sequencing and the organism could not be definitively speciated

Biological aspects of radiation and drug-eluting stents for the prevention of restenosis

Based on recent advances, this article aims to review the biological basis for the use of either radiation or drug-eluting stents for the prevention of restenosis, and to elucidate the complementary role that they may play in the future. Vascular restenosis is a multifactorial process primarily driven by the remodeling of the arterial wall, as well as by the hyperproliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC). These pathophysiological features are the target of therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting constrictive remodeling as well as inhibiting SMC proliferation. The success of radiation as well as anti-proliferative drugs such as paclitaxel and sirolimus lies in the primary and/or multifactorial inhibition of cell proliferation. Radiation has the additional feature of preventing constrictive remodeling while sirolimus has the potential property of being anti-inflammatory, which may be a desirable feature. The effects of radiation are not reliant on any uptake and "metabolism” by the target cells, as in the case with drugs, and thus radiation potentially may be more effective as a result of its more-direct action. However, radiation does have some significant drawbacks compared to drug-eluting stents, including a much delayed re-endothelialization resulting in the need for prolonged anti-platelet therapy. Based on recent clinical data, drug-eluting stents have been shown to markedly reduce the likelihood of restenosis, which actually favors this approach for the prevention of restenosis. From a biological perspective, drug-eluting stents and radiation have certain differences, which are reviewed in this articl

Novel sequence variants of viral hexon and fibre genes in two dogs with canine adenovirus type 1-associated disease

There is little information on sequence variation of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), the aetiological agent of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH). This study reports hexon and fibre gene sequence variants of CAdV-1 in a dog with systemic ICH and a dog with the ocular form of the disease (\ue2\u80\u98blue eye\ue2\u80\u99) in Northern Italy in 2013. One of the sequence variants matched a CAdV-1 fox sequence previously detected in Italy

A lubrication analysis of pharyngeal peristalsis: application to flavour release.

International audienceAfter eating a liquid or a semi-liquid food product, a thin film responsible for the dynamic profile of aroma release coats the pharyngeal mucosa. The aim of this article was to analyse the fluid mechanics of pharyngeal peristalsis and to develop a simple biomechanical model in order to understand the role of saliva and food bolus viscosity on the coating of pharyngeal mucosa. We began by analysing the physiology and the biomechanics of swallowing in order to determine relevant model assumptions. This analysis of the literature clarified the types of mechanical solicitations applied on the food bolus. Moreover, we showed that the pharyngeal peristalsis in the most occluded region is equivalent to a forward roll coating process, the originality of which is lubrication by a film of saliva. A model based on the lubrication theory for Newtonian liquids was developed in dimensionless form. The parametric study showed the strong influence of relative saliva thickness on the food bolus coating. A specific experimental device was designed that confirms the model predictions. Two sets of conditions that depend on the relative thickness of saliva were distinguished. The first is characterised by a relatively thin film of saliva: food bolus viscosity has a strong impact on mucosa coating. These phenomena are well represented by the model developed here. The second is obtained when the saliva film is relatively thick: hydrodynamic mixing with saliva, interdiffusion or instabilities may govern mucosa coating. Finally, these results were extrapolated to determine the influence of food bolus viscosity on the dynamic profile of flavour release according to physiological parameters