Abstract Vulnerability to nicotine addiction is significantly increased in individuals who begin smoking during adolescence; however, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon remain unclear. This ...study examined the motivational effects of nicotine withdrawal in adolescent (PND 27–42) and adult (PND 60–75) rats using the conditioned place aversion paradigm. Male Wistar rats were tested for their initial preference for either of two distinct compartments of our conditioning apparatus. Rats were then implanted with subcutaneous (sc) pumps that produce equivalent blood plasma levels of nicotine for 14 days. Conditioning was conducted over the last 8 days of nicotine exposure. Rats received the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg, sc) to precipitate withdrawal in their initially preferred compartment, and on alternate days they received saline in their non-preferred compartment. Following conditioning, rats were re-tested for their preference for each compartment. A subsequent study was conducted to examine potential developmental differences in learning place aversion produced by another aversive stimulus, lithium chloride (LiCl). Rats received LiCl (0, 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg, sc) in their initially preferred side using similar conditioning procedures. Adults displayed robust place aversion produced by nicotine withdrawal. This effect was lower in adolescent rats even in a group of young rats that received 7 additional days of nicotine exposure prior to conditioning. This developmental difference was specific to nicotine withdrawal since there were no differences between adolescents and adults in learning place aversion with LiCl. Our findings demonstrating reduced effects of nicotine withdrawal constitute a powerful basis for the increased vulnerability to nicotine dependence during adolescence.
Validation of predictive risk models for prolonged air leak (PAL) is essential to understand if they can help to reduce its incidence and complications. This study aimed to evaluate both the clinical ...and statistical performances of 4 existing models. We selected 4 predictive PAL risk models based on their scientific relevance. We referred to these models as Chicago, Bordeaux, Leeds and Pittsburgh model, respectively, according to the affiliation place of the first author. These predicting risk models were retrospectively applied to patients recorded on the second edition of the Italian Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Group registry. Predictions for each patient were calculated based on the logistic regression coefficient values provided in the original manuscripts. All models were tested for their overall performance, discrimination, and calibration. We recalibrated the original models with the re-estimation of the model intercept and slope. We used curve decision analysis to describe and compare the clinical effects of the studied risk models. Better statistical metrics characterize the models developed on larger populations (Chicago and Bordeaux models). However, no model has a valid benefit for threshold probability greater than 0.30. The Net benefit of the most performing model (Bordeaux model) at the threshold probability of 0.11 is 23 of 1000 patients, burdened by 333 false positive cases. One of 1000 is the Net benefit at the threshold probability of 0.3. The use of PAL scores based on preoperative predictive factors cannot be currently used in a clinical setting because of a high false positive rate and low positive predictive value.
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Automatic time monitoring system for presence in fodder-trough in dairy cows: feeding behaviour Bassini, A.L. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare); Sgoifo Rossi, C.A. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare); Cattaneo, M. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare) ...
Atti della Società Italiana di Buiatria (Italy),
(2005), Letnik:
37
Journal Article
While evaluating dry matter intake in dairy cattle and its relationship with milk production, it is important to understand feeding behaviour of dairy cows. In this study, feeding behaviour of three ...Holstein dairy cows was investigated by an automatic time monitoring system, based on electromagnetic waves decoding, and by a manual chronograph. The automatic system was tested to verify the reliability of recorded data and its trustworthiness in veterinary field, to develop an important tool for subclinical ketosis and other peripartum pathologies diagnosis. Day was divided in seven time bands, paying particular attention to management events, to evaluate their relationship with feeding behaviour. Mean time of permanence in fodder-trough was 224.7 min/day for each animal (67.24% of this time was dedicated to feeding behaviour); mean dry matter intake per minute was 0.130 kg/head. Moreover, it is important to emphasize that cows feed after milking, probably for hypoglycaemia status, but also for better microclimate created by flushing system in this study
Un importante elemento da prendere in considerazione, relativamente al rapporto tra assunzione di sostanza secca e produzione lattea, è rappresentato dalla necessità di una perfetta conoscenza del comportamento alimentare delle bovine da latte e della quantità di alimento assunto. In questo studio il comportamento trofico di tre bovine da latte ad alta produzione, di razza Frisona, è stato monitorato con un sistema per l´identificazione automatica degli animali, basato sulla decodifica di onde elettromagnetiche inviate da un emettitore fissato tramite un collare zootecnico, e tramite cronografia manuale. Il sistema di rilevazione della presenza di animali in mangiatoia è stato testato dal punto di vista hardware per verificare la precisa e continua raccolta dei dati, al fine di una futura applicazione clinico-veterinaria, come strumento affidabile per la diagnosi precoce della chetosi subclinica e di altre dismetabolie tipiche del periparto. La giornata è stata divisa in 7 fasce orarie, allo scopo di valutarne la relazione con il comportamento alimentare. Si è valutato che il tempo medio di permanenza in mangiatoia per ogni bovina è di 224,7 min/die, di cui il 67,24% viene trascorso in atteggiamenti trofici, con un´assunzione media di sostanza secca pari a 0,130 kg/min per ogni soggetto. E´ emerso che le bovine si alimentano in prevalenza nei periodi post mungitura, non solo per una probabile condizione di ipoglicemia, ma anche per l´effetto, nel presente studio, di un miglioramento del microclima dovuto al flushing aziendale
Supplements for improvement of dairy ruminants [dairy cows; nannygoats Savoini, G. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare); Agazzi, A. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare); Dell´Orto, V. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare)
L'Informatore agrario,
(24-30 Dec 2004), Letnik:
60, Številka:
51
Journal Article
The healthiness of feeds assessed by electronic nose [quality; contamination Cheli, F. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare); Campagnoli, A. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare); Tognon, G. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Veterinarie per la Sicurezza Alimentare) ...
L'Informatore agrario,
(2-8 Sep 2005), Letnik:
61, Številka:
33
Journal Article
The intermediate-term impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients after major gastrointestinal and liver surgery has not been well characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the 1-year mortality ...rate and renal outcomes associated with postoperative AKI in a national prospective cohort.
This prospective multicentre, observational cohort with 1-year postoperative follow-up included adults undergoing major gastrointestinal and liver surgery across the UK and Ireland between 23 September and 18 November 2015. AKI was defined according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. The primary outcome was death at 1-year after surgery, and the secondary outcome was Major Adverse Kidney Events (MAKE-365). Cox proportionate and multilevel logistic regression were used to account for case mix.
Of 5745 patients across 173 centres, 1-year follow-up data was completed for 3504 patients (62.2 per cent, 126 centres), with attrition largely explained by centre non-participation (63.1 per cent). Some 13.6 per cent (475 of 3504) patients developed AKI by 7 days after surgery (stage 1: 9.2 per cent; stage 2/3: 4.3 per cent). At 1 year, 10.8 per cent (378 patients) experienced a MAKE-365 endpoint (303 patients had died, 61 had renal replacement therapy and 78 had renal dysfunction). Patients who experienced AKI by 7 days after surgery had a higher hazard of death at 1 year for KDIGO stage 1 (hazard ratio 1.50 (95 per cent c.i. 1.08 to 2.08), P = 0.016) and KDIGO stage 2/3 (hazard ratio 2.96 (95 per cent c.i. 2.02 to 4.33), P < 0.001). Both KDIGO stage 1 (odds ratio 2.09 (95 per cent c.i. 1.50 to 2.92), P < 0.001) and stage 2/3 (odds ratio 9.26 (95 per cent c.i. 6.31 to 13.59), P < 0.001) AKI were independently associated with MAKE-365.
AKI events within 7 days after gastrointestinal or liver surgery are associated with significantly worse survival and renal outcomes at 1 year.
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BackgroundMedical devices used in clinical practice are often associated with biofilm-associated staphylococcal infections MethodsAn in vitro antibiotic susceptibility assay of Staphylococcus aureus ...biofilms using 96-well polystyrene tissue-culture plates was performed to test the effects of RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP), ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and vancomycin. Efficacy studies were performed using a rat model of central venous catheter (CVC)–associated infection. Twenty-four hours after implantation, the catheters were filled with RIP (1 mg/mL). Thirty minutes later, rats were challenged, via the CVC, with 1.0×106 cfu of S. aureus strain Smith diffuse. The antibiotic-lock technique was begun 24 h later ResultsMinimum inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics in biofilms were at least 4-fold higher than those against the freely growing planktonic cells. When they were first treated with RIP, the cells in biofilms became as susceptible to antibiotics as did planktonic cells. These data were confirmed by the in vivo studies. In particular, when CVCs were treated with both RIP and antibiotics, the biofilm bacterial load was further reduced to 1×101 cfu/mL, and bacteremia was not detected, suggesting that there was 100% elimination of bacteremia and a 6 log10 reduction in biofilm bacterial load ConclusionRIP significantly reduces bacterial load and enhances the effect of antibiotics in the treatment of CVC-associated S. aureus infections
More than 20 years ago the World Health Organization (WHO) published the booklet 'Cancer Pain Relief', including the fundamentals and clear principles, which was summarized in five simple sentences: ...'by mouth', 'by the clock', 'by the ladder', 'for the individual' and 'attention to detail'. Over the years, several modifications to the analgesic ladder have been proposed, as the addition of two further steps, related to the switch of opioid and/or non-invasive route of administration, and to the use of invasive approaches, or again the skip of the second step; nevertheless the educational value and benefits related to the worldwide dissemination are of paramount importance.
To date, all the guidelines are inspired by the strategy of WHO; below some of the most important international guidelines published in the last two years are compared, particularly as regards the criteria of choice of opioids for moderate/severe pain.
The discussion on the role of the second step of the WHO analgesic ladder is still open. The challenge for new formulations of 'old' opioids will be to better manage cancer pain, with more tailored efficacy and possibly less side effects.
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