Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) populations occur on Mediterranean islands, where wind energy is developing fast. As griffons are subjected to collisions with wind turbines while foraging, it is ...necessary to understand which factors affect their movements to minimize the potential impact of wind farms. We assessed habitat use of 37 griffons (n. GPS locations = 130,218) and their overlap with wind farms in Sardinia (Italy), an island where both Griffon Vulture population and wind energy are significantly expanding. Griffons in Sardinia cover smaller areas (95% isopleth = 956.3 ± 677.7 km2, 50% isopleth = 73.8 ± 48.2 km2) than in mainland Europe, restricting most of their movements within 5–10 km from colonies and roosts. Supplementary feeding stations throughout these areas (n = 37) provide approximately 20 tons of carrion each year, suggesting that griffon movements are strongly determined by food availability. Overall, 6 wind farms (101 turbines) out of the 29 present in Sardinia were built in areas used by foraging griffons. Two of them were positioned near roosts and supplementary feeding stations. As griffon movements concentrate around nesting/roosting sites and feeding stations, wind farms should be excluded around these highly utilized areas, and mitigation measures, including the removal of livestock carrion, should be adopted for those that are built at greater distances. There is also an urgent need for updated data about wind energy location. The creation of supplementary feeding stations could be used to shape the enlargement of the foraging grounds of an increasing Griffon Vulture population on Mediterranean islands and to exclude wind farm areas to mitigate their impacts.
Farmland biodiversity is declining worldwide, and especially in Western countries largely owing to the large-scale intensification of agricultural practices. The Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax is a ...steppe bird adapted to agro-pastoral ecosystems in Western Europe, and is one of those many farmland species declining due to changes in agricultural production systems. In the EU, the majority of the extant population of this species is concentrated in the Iberian Peninsula. In Italy, the species has now disappeared from the mainland and is currently present only in Sardinia, where two populations, in the central-western areas, hold about two-thirds of the whole island’s numbers, with the rest scattered across numerous smaller nuclei. While there are indications and anecdotal information suggesting a possible population decline during recent decades, robust monitoring across different time periods that would allow a comparison of numbers is lacking in Sardinia. Here we repeated a Little Bustard survey performed in 2008 in two areas of western Sardinia: Abbasanta, which is one of the two strongholds for the species in Sardinia, and Campeda, which holds a small population (about 10 territorial males). Using the same methodology as in the past survey, we assessed current population size and density, and quantified changes over time. We found alarming declines, at a rate of around 30% in 14 years in both areas, with an estimated current population of 87 males in Abbasanta and 8 males in Campeda. We highlight current and emerging threats, such as the downsizing of the Special Protection Area of Abbasanta, and the encroachment of solar power plants within the same area.
Old World vultures are experiencing dramatic population declines and now are among the species most threatened with extinction. Understanding the environmental variables that can influence the ...reproductive indexes of vulture populations can facilitate both habitat and species management. The aim of this study was to identify which environmental variables primarily affect the breeding successes of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus in northern Sardinia by applying a Bayesian hierarchical model. A unique dataset of reproductive records (197 nests monitored over 39 years for a total of 992 breeding records) was used. Eight environmental and topographical variables describing the habitat at the nesting sites were considered as potential predictors of breeding success. These included mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, isothermality, elevation, the normalized difference vegetation index, wind speed, and the aspect and slope of the land surface. In addition, we also considered the effect of human disturbance and the type of nest. According to our best model, the probability of successfully raising a chick in Griffon Vultures was higher in nests exposed to a high wind speed, not covered by natural shelters, where the vegetation was mostly represented by shrub and pastures, with low human disturbance and in years with low rainfall. This model will be useful for management of the breeding habitat and to identify the area most suitable for Griffon Vulture reproduction. This information is crucial for programming conservation measures aimed at enlarging the area of occupancy of the species.
Un romanzo in un endecasillabo? Giorgia Ambu; Mauro Aresu; Fanny Boninu ...
Medea (Cagliari),
12/2018, Volume:
4, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Durante il corso di Letteratura italiana (anno 2017/18), dedicato alla Commedia di Dante, gli studenti sono stati invitati a cimentarsi nell’impresa di concentrare un romanzo nello spazio conchiuso ...di un endecasillabo o più terzine dantesche – o, in alternativa, nella misura di un tweet: si trattava (in un certo senso) di emulare la capacità del sommo poeta di distillare un’intera esistenza (Paolo e Francesca, Ulisse, Conte Ugolino…) nel volgere di poche terzine. Una giuria di ‘addetti ai lavori’ ha selezionato i migliori componimenti – sorvolando, di tanto in tanto, su alcune infrazioni creative rispetto alle misure canoniche…
Gene expression is controlled by epigenetic deregulation, a hallmark of cancer. The DNA methylome of canine diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (cDLBCL), the most frequent malignancy of B-lymphocytes in ...dog, has recently been investigated, suggesting that aberrant hypermethylation of CpG loci is associated with gene silencing. Here, we used a multi-omics approach (DNA methylome, transcriptome and copy number variations) combined with functional in vitro assays, to identify putative tumour suppressor genes subjected to DNA methylation in cDLBCL. Using four cDLBCL primary cell cultures and CLBL-1 cells, we found that
,
and
, which were significantly suppressed in DLBCL samples, were hypermethylated and also responsive (at the DNA, mRNA and protein level) to pharmacological unmasking with hypomethylating drugs and histone deacetylase inhibitors. The regulatory mechanism underneath the methylation-dependent inhibition of those target genes expression was then investigated through luciferase and in vitro methylation assays. In the most responsive CpG-rich regions, an in silico analysis allowed the prediction of putative transcription factor binding sites influenced by DNA methylation. Interestingly, regulatory elements for
and
were commonly identified in all three genes. This study provides a foundation for characterisation and experimental validation of novel epigenetically-dysregulated pathways in cDLBCL.
Despite canine B-cell Lymphoma (BCL) representing the most common haematological tumour, epigenetic events driving development and progression are scarcely known. Recently, canine Diffuse Large BCL ...(DLBCL) DNA methylome by genome-wide CpG microarray has identified genes and pathways associated to pathogenesis. To validate data previously obtained by array analysis, the CLBL-1 cell line was used and the HOXD10, FGFR2, ITIH5 and RASAL3 genes were selected. CLBL-1 cells were treated with two hypomethylating drugs (HDs; IC50, 50% inhibitory concentration), i.e. azacytidine and decitabine (DEC), either alone or in combination with three histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis; IC20), i.e. valproic acid, trichostatin and vorinostat. Following the incubation with both HDs, an overall decrease of promoter methylation was highlighted, thus confirming target genes hypermethylation. The highest mRNA restoration was observed following the exposure to HDs combined with HDACis, and mostly with valproic acid. Contrasting results were only obtained for RASAL3. An in vivo confirmation was finally attempted treating Nod-Scid mice engrafted with CLBL-1 cells with DEC. Although DEC did not arrest tumour growth, target genes promoter methylation was significantly reduced in DEC-treated mice vs controls. Overall, this work demonstrates that CLBL-1 cell line represents a reliable in vitro model to validate the methylation-dependent silencing of key genes for BCL; moreover, it may be useful for xenograft models in mice, despite its aggressive behaviour. In future, functional studies will be performed to deepen the role of selected genes on BCL pathogenesis and progression, and their methylation-dependent mechanism of regulation.
Purpose
The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to compare antibiotic therapy and appendectomy as treatment for patients with uncomplicated appendicitis confirmed by ultrasound and/or ...computed tomography.
Methods
The study was conducted from January 2017 to January 2018. Data regarding all patients discharged from the participating centers with a diagnosis of uncomplicated appendicitis were collected prospectively.
Results
Of the 318 patients enrolled in the study, 27.4% underwent antibiotic-first therapy, and 72.6% underwent appendectomy. The matched group was composed of 87 patients in both study arms. Of the 87 patients available of 1-year follow-up in the antibiotic-first group, 64 (73.6%) did not require appendectomy. The complication-free treatment success in the antibiotic-first group was 64.4%. A statistically significant higher complication-free treatment success was found in the appendectomy group: 81.8% in the pre-matching sample and 83.9% in the post-matching sample. Patients in the antibiotic-first group reported lower VAS scores compared to those treated with an appendectomy, both at discharge (2.0 ± 1.7 vs 3.6 ± 2.3) and at 30-day follow-up (0.3 ± 0.6 vs 2.1 ± 1.7). The mean of the days of absence from work was higher in the appendectomy group (
β
0.63; 95% CI 0.08–1.18).
Conclusion
Although laparoscopic appendectomy remains the gold standard of treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis, conservative treatment with antibiotics is a safe option in most cases. Approximately 65% of patients treated with antibiotics are symptom-free at 1 year, without increased risk of adverse events should symptoms recur, and better outcomes in terms of less pain and shorter period of absence from work compared to patients undergoing an appendectomy.
Trial registration
Clinicaltrials.gov
identifier (NCT number): NCT03080103
Canine subcutaneous mast cell tumours (ScMCTs) reportedly have a good prognosis. However, biomarkers that can be used to predict outcome are currently limited.
A multicentre prospective study was ...conducted to identify new prognostic markers. Dogs with a first occurrence of ScMCT were enrolled upon primary tumour removal and regional lymphadenectomy. In the absence of metastasis, dogs were monitored, while dogs with overtly metastatic lymph nodes (histological node 3, HN3) received adjuvant vinblastine.
Forty-three dogs were enrolled: 15 (34.9%) had at least one HN3 lymph node and received vinblastine, and 28 (65.1%) were monitored. Three tumours harboured exon 8 and 9 c-kit mutations. Eight (18.6%) dogs experienced tumour progression, and five (11.6%) died of MCT-related causes. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 90% and 77%, respectively. Variables significantly associated with an increased risk of progression included high cytograde, a mitotic count (MC) greater than 4/10 high-power fields (hpf) and Ki67-index greater than 23. An MC greater than 4/10 hpf was also associated with an increased risk of tumour-related death.
Regional rather than sentinel lymphadenectomy was performed in these dogs. Dogs were enrolled in oncology referral centres, constituting a different population compared to previous studies.
ScMCTs have a good prognosis. However, the metastatic rate at admission was higher in this study than previously reported, and a subset of tumours were associated with a fatal outcome despite multimodal treatment. Proliferative activity and cytograding may predict more aggressive behaviour in ScMCTs.
Background
The CARdiorenal PEDIatric EMergency (CARPEDIEM) machine was originally designed to perform only continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) in neonatal and pediatric patients. In some ...cases, adequate convective clearance may not be reached because of a limited blood flow. In such conditions, the application of diffusive clearance continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD) would help optimize blood purification. In this study, the CARPEDIEM™ machine was modified to enable the circulation of dialysis through the filter allowing testing of the performance of CARPEDIEM™ machine in CVVHD.
Methods
Three different polyethersulfone hemodialyzers (surface area = 0.1 m
2
, 0.2 m
2
, and 0.35 m
2
, respectively) were tested in vitro with a scheduled combination of plasma flow rates (Qp = 10-20-30 ml/min) and dialysis fluid flow rate (Qd = 5-10-15 ml/min). Three sessions were performed in co-current and one in counter-current configuration (as control) for each filter size. Clearance was measured from the blood and dialysate sides and results with mass balance error greater than 5 % were discarded.
Results
Urea and creatinine clearances for each plasma/dialysate combination are reported: clearance increase progressively for every filter proportionally to plasma flow rates. Similarly, clearances increase progressively with dialysate flow rates at a given plasma flow. The clearance curve tends to present a steep increase for small increases in plasma flow in the range below 10 ml/min, while the curve tends to plateau for values averaging 30 ml/min. As expected, the plateau is reached earlier with the smaller filter showing the effect of membrane surface-area limitation. At every plasma flow, the effect of dialysate flow increase is evident and well defined, showing that saturation of effluent was not achieved completely in any of the experimental conditions explored. No differences (
p
> 0.05 for all values) were obtained in experiments using whole blood instead of plasma or using co-current versus counter-current dialysate flow configuration.
Conclusions
Although plasma flow and filter surface give an important contribution to the level of clearance urea and creatinine, it appears evident that dialysate flow plays an essential role in the blood purification process, justifying the use of CVVHD versus CVVH in case of high dialysis dose requirement and/or limited blood flow rate.
The most promising techniques for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) in canine lymphoma are flow cytometry (FC) and polymerase chain reaction amplification of antigen receptor genes (PARR). ...However, the agreement between these methods has not been established. MRD was monitored by FC and PARR following treatment of dogs affected with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), comparing results in lymph node (LN), peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples. The prognostic impact of MRD on time to relapse (TTR) and lymphoma-specific survival (LSS) was also assessed.
Fourteen dogs with previously untreated DLBCL were enrolled into the study; 10 dogs eventually relapsed, while four dogs with undetectable MRD were still in remission at the end of the study. At diagnosis, the concordance rate between FC and PARR was 100%, 78.6%, and 64.3% for LN, PB and BM, respectively. At the end of treatment, the agreement rates were 35.7%, 50%, and 57.1% for LN, PB and BM, respectively. At least one of the follow-up samples from dogs experiencing relapse was PARR+; conversely, FC was not able to detect MRD in seven of the dogs that relapsed. PARR was more sensitive than FC in predicting TTR, whereas the combination of PARR and FC was more sensitive than either technique alone in predicting LSS using PB samples. The results suggest that immunological and molecular techniques should be used in combination when monitoring for MRD in canine DLBCL.
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