Ultrasound, Dacryocystorhinography and Morphological Examination of Normal Eye and Lacrimal Apparatus of the Donkey (Equus asinus)

The study investigated normal macromorphological and ultrasonographic features of the eye and lacrimal gland, as well as normal dacryocystorhinography of the donkey (Equus asinus) in Egypt. A total of 36 donkeys of different ages, weights, and sexes were included in the study: 21 live animals for ultrasonography and dacryocystorhinography, and 15 cadaver skulls for morphological anatomy of the lacrimal apparatus. The ultrasound biometric values of the eye were 33.7 ± 1.7 mm for axial globe length (AGL), 39.8 ± 2.1 mm for globe diameter (GD), 10.8 ± 0.7 mm for lens thickness (LT), 3.2 ± 0.7 mm for anterior chamber depth (ACD), and 19.3 ± 1.6 mm for vitreous chamber depth (VCD). The lacrimal gland was recognized as a hypoechogenic structure with an anechoic core, located at the dorsolateral aspect of the orbit, and ovoid in shape. The mean NLD length was 193.0 ± 9.8 mm by radiography and 206.0 ± 20.4 mm by gross assessment. One NL orifice (NLO) was noticed on each side, with a diameter of 3.0 ± 0.1 mm and located 12.1 ± 2.1 mm from the dorsal commissure of the nostril. These results may act as the baseline for proper management of conditions of the eye and lacrimal apparatus in the donkey in the future.

Recovery of Haemal Lordosis in European Seabass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus 1758)

Lordosis of the haemal part of the vertebral column is a frequent abnormality in reared fish. Haemal lordosis develops during the late larval and early juvenile life stages of fish, mainly due to the high swimming activity of the fish in the rearing tanks. In the present study, we have examined whether haemal lordosis recovers during the growth of European seabass. Furthermore, we aimed to develop simple morphometric indices (PrAn1 and PrAn2) that might link the severity of lordosis at the juvenile stage with fish morphological quality at harvesting. At 111 days post-hatching (dph, 53 ± 4 mm standard length, SL), 600 seabass juveniles with lordotic (L, 200 fish) or normal (N, 400 fish) external morphology were selected and introduced in a common tank. At 150 dph (75 ± 7 mm SL), 350 fish were randomly selected, pit-tagged and transferred to a sea cage for on-growing up to 502 dph (234 ± 16 mm SL). The morphological examination of the fish at 150 and 502 dph revealed that 60% (46 out of 77) of L juveniles turned into normal phenotype by the end of on-growing period. Interestingly, 56% of the fish with recovered external morphology (N-Rec) presented either a completely normal vertebral column (31%) or minor abnormalities of individual vertebrae (25%). Following the results of geometric morphometric analysis, the differences in the body shape between N-Rec and N fish were not statistically significant (p > 0.05, canonical variate analysis). The examined morphometric indices were effective in discriminating the normal fish from 58% (PrAn1) to 65% (PrAn2) of lordotic juveniles. Results are discussed with respect to the mechanism of lordosis recovery, and spotlights on their application for quality control and cull out of the abnormal fish in commercial hatcheries.

Enhancement of Maternal ECG Using Short-Term Fourier Transform for Foetal Electrocardiogram Extraction

The objective of the project is to improve maternal abdomen recording for better prediction of foetal Electrocardiogram (FECG). One of the most difficult tasks in observing foetal well-being is obtaining a clean foetal Electrocardiogram (FECG) using non-invasive abdominal recordings. The foetal graph's low signal quality, on the other hand, makes morphological examination of its wave structure in clinical follow-up difficult. The signal contains precise information that can help doctors to monitor fetal health during pregnancy and labor. The abdominal signal is normalized and separated in the pre-processing stage for wave shape analysis in clinical follow-up. The Kaiser window is used for spectral analysis and segmenting the signal. The two-dimensional (2D) time-frequency representation is obtained by short-time Fourier transform (STFT). The STFT enhances the abdominal recordings of maternal Electrocardiogram (MECG) for efficient separation of foetal electrocardiogram (FECG) to monitor the foetus well-being.

Fabrication and tribological behavior of novel UHMWPE/vitamin-C/graphene nanoplatelets based hybrid composite for joint replacement

Purpose This study aims to fabricate and investigate the tribological performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based composite materials reinforced with 0.5, 1 and 2 weight percentage of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) while keeping the weight percentage of vitamin C constant at 2% for each composite. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the composites were fabricated using hot pressing, and the dispersion of GNP/vitamin C/UHMWPE hybrid composite was investigated by X-ray diffraction. Experimental trials were performed according to ASTM F732 on a reciprocating sliding tribometer (pin-on-disc) at human body temperature of 37 ± 1 °C, for a load of 52 N, to assess the role of these fillers on the tribological properties of UHMWPE against Ti6Al4V counter body material under dry and lubricating (human serum) environment. Findings In this study, it has been observed that friction and wear behavior of the developed composites improve with increase in weight percentage of GNP, and human serum adheres to the surface of the composite pins upon sliding, resulting in the formation of a film, which results in better wear resistance of the composite pins under human serum lubrication than dry sliding. Scanning electron microscope was used to investigate the worn surface morphological examination of the composite materials. Specific wear rate of 0.76 × 10−7 mm3/Nm was attained for 2 Wt.% GNP-filled composite under human serum lubrication. Practical implications The results indicate the compatibility of the composite material used in this study and suggested the in vitro implant application. Originality/value The presented work includes novel study of synergistic effect of GNP (which acts as a solid lubricant) and vitamin C (added as an antioxidant) on the tribological performance of UHMWPE under dry and human serum lubrication.

Pleural pathology in HIV-infected patients: features of morphological diagnostics

Background. The progression of HIV infection is accompanied by the development of opportunistic diseases, including pleural effusions of various origins. Morphological examination of pleura tissue in cases of pleural effusion serves as the basis for establishing the etiology of the pathological process and, therefore, the final clinical diagnosis. Objective – analysis of results of morphological diagnostics of pleura lesions in HIV-infected patients in comparison with other laboratory tests and clinical diagnosis. Methods. 103 cases of pleurisy of various origins were studied. Pleural biopsies were obtained by various types of minimally invasive diagnostic interventions with subsequent morphological examination. Results were compared with the available data of microbiological and molecular genetic studies of pleural biopsies. Results. At the time of hospitalization the preliminary clinical diagnosis was pleurisy of unknown etiology in 96,1 % of cases. A combined disease was diagnosed – hepatitis C in a third of all observations according to the results of laboratory tests. Due to routine staining with hematoxylin and eosin, tuberculosis lesions of the pleura were diagnosed in 59,2 %, the second most frequent was the diagnosis of nonspecific pleurisy, 20,4 %. According to the duration of the process, acute pleural tuberculosis was established in 19,7 % of cases, the subacute form of tuberculosis pleurisy – in 54,1 % of cases, and chronic pleural tuberculosis was established in 22,9 % of cases. In 17,5 % of cases, in order to clarify the etiology of pleurisy, additional histochemical staining for infectious agents was performed. The results of microbiological and molecular genetic studies were established in 76,7 % of cases. The greatest number of M. tuberculosis detection was obtained during the culture study of the biopsy material and exudates. When comparing the final clinical diagnosis and the level of CD4 cells in peripheral blood, it was found that in most cases (74,5 %) pleural effusions developed at low counts of CD4 cells, less than 350/l. Conclusion. Tuberculosis predominates in the etiological structure of pleural effusions in patients with HIV infection. Pleural tuberculosis can be the main secondary disease or be combined with pulmonary tuberculosis. In second place in terms of frequency of occurrence, nonspecific pleurisy was diagnosed as a complication of the main secondary disease. Pleural effusions develop when CD4 cell counts are low. Morphological diagnostics of pleural lesions is the main research method in the diagnostic algorithm of cases of pleural effusions of unknown etiology against the background of HIV infection.

Diagnosis of liver fibrosis: an emphasis on elastography

In the strategy of managing patients with chronic diffuse liver diseases, the priority areas are the determination of the diagnosis with the determination of the main risk factors, the activity of the process (steatosis, steatohepatitis), as well as the degree of fibrous transformation. The rate of progression of liver fibrosis is a decisive factor that will determine the prognosis, treatment tactics and the likelihood of severe complications. The “gold standard” for diagnosing chronic liver pathology is a puncture liver biopsy with morphological examination of the liver tissue. At the same time, potential complications, contraindications to the procedure, low patient compliance, as well as errors in the interpretation of the results obtained due to various reasons are significant limitations of this diagnostic method. These shortcomings were the reason for the search for reliable non-invasive methods for diagnosing liver fibrosis both during the initial examination and during subsequent monitoring in dynamics. Modern methods of liver elastography are widely used for non-invasive assessment of fibrosis, demonstrating good diagnostic capabilities and significantly reducing the need for liver biopsy. Various elastography methods, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, effectively complement each other, which is successfully used in clinical practice in the diagnosis of fibrous transformation. The combined use of elastographic methods and commercial predictive diagnostic panels will increase the diagnostic accuracy in the determination of liver fibrosis.

First Report of an Invasive Infection by Cephalotrichum gorgonifer in a Neutropenic Patient with Hematological Malignancy under Chemotherapy

The etiological agents of infrequent invasive fungal infections (IFI) are difficult to identify on the species level using classic morphological examination. We describe the first case of an IFI caused by Cephalotrichum gorgonifer in a neutropenic patient with a hematological malignancy and put it on the map as a new causative agent of IFI. Case report, microbiological findings and description of the etiological agent. A 60-year-old man was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. A CT scan confirmed the presence of lung infiltrates located at the right upper lobe. Histological examination of one of the nodules showed a large number of narrow septate hyphae with acute-angle branching and irregular round cell morphology; vessels walls appeared infiltrated, proving an angioinvasive pulmonary IFI. Sample culture resulted positive and molecular identification proved the presence of Cephalotrichum gorgonifer. Voriconazole was used for 12 months and the patient did not report any complications or side effects. Complete remission of lymphoma was achieved later by the time chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and radioimmunotherapy consolidation were completed. We recommend the inclusion of Cephalotrichum gorgonifer in the list of opportunistic pathogens causing mycoses in neutropenic hematological patients with suspected mould-related IFI.

Leopard Seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) in New Zealand Waters Predating on Chondrichthyans

Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are top-order predators that prey on a wide variety of species including crustaceans, cephalopods, fishes, birds, and pinnipeds. While multiple diet studies have been conducted worldwide, there are no previous accounts of leopard seals predating on chondrichthyans. As part of a wider study on the diet of leopard seals in New Zealand (NZ) waters, researchers and citizen scientists recorded 39 observations of predation and collected 127 scats (166 total records) between 1942 and 2019. Predation on chondrichthyans was detected in 23.1% (n = 9) of observations of predation and 7.1% (n = 9) of scats (the latter via morphological examination and DNA sequencing). From both observations of predations and scats, three chondrichthyan species or genus were identified; elephantfish (Callorhinchus milii), ghost sharks (Hydrolagus spp.) and spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias). While this is the first published record of leopard seals feeding on chondrichthyans, the relatively high frequency of occurrence within our NZ records, and that certain individuals appeared to target this type of prey, indicates that these species could constitute a substantial, or important, part of the diet for some leopard seals in this region. As chondrichthyans form an important part of the NZ marine ecosystems, our recognition of an additional top-order predator of these species contributes to understanding the overall health of, and future impacts of predators on, the wider NZ marine ecosystem.

Histological changes in the gills, livers and muscles of Oreochromis niloticus fed with steriod, natural hormone and pawpaw seed based diets

This study was conducted to evaluate the histological changes of 17αmethyl-testosterone (MT), wet testes of bull (Bos indicus), boar (Sus domesticus), bull/mud catfish testes (B. indicus/C. gariepinus) and pawpaw (Carica papaya) seed powder-based diet on the Nile tilapia fry in an indoor experimental pond. Histological changes and efficacies in producing monosex males were determined after four months. Fifty-five fry were assigned randomly to three experimental ponds in triplicates. Five experimental feeds composed of soya-bean, fish meal, wheat bran, cassava flour were formulated by adding 0.06g of 17α- methyl-testosterone, 17.47g of bull wet testes, 25.59g of boar wet testes, 20.48g of bull/catfish and 20g of pawpaw seed powder per kg of feed to group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively. Obtained results from the morphological examination revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in phenotypic males of the Nile tilapia fry fed with the experimental diets. The highest indistinct percentage was recorded in the 17αmethyl-testosterone-treated diet while the lowest was recorded in diets 3 and 4 with no significant differences. All the groups showed histopathological differences in the livers, gills, and muscles. However, the liver histology of groups 1 and 5 showed central vessels that are mildly congested with abundant glycogen vacuolation and somewhat fat infiltration, while the histology of the muscles of group 5 showed pathological lesions including moderate to severe necrosis. These alterations can be considered an indication of the performance and health of fish in monosex culture medium indicating effects of plant extract and MT.

Effectiveness of Perioperative Local Use of Anesthetics and Antiseptics in Patients with Purulent-necrotic Lesions of Lower Extremities in Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Every second patient with the diabetes mellitus (DM) needs surgery due to purulent-necrotic changes in the feet. The aim of the study was comparative morphological examination of the course of the wound process in purulent-necrotic lesions of the lower extremities of patients with DM with different approaches to local treatment in the perioperative period. Materials and Methods: We investigated changes in the histological structure and the nature of the reactions of skin tissues, muscles and fascia during the healing of an ulcer in patients with the diabetes mellitus after various types of local treatment. Then the specimens were photographed and analyzed using the OLIMPUS BX 41 light microscope. Results: In the first comparison group, which used standard anesthesia techniques and locally antiseptic povidon-iodine - granulation tissue was characterized by the complete absence of fibrous structures and the presence of a small number of small-sized neoplastic vessels with swollen endothelium. And in patients of the II observation group who received locally decamethoxin and infiltration anesthesia with a 2% solution of lidocaine after surgery during the study of histological preparations of the affected tissues, a significant decrease in signs of pathological vascular reaction was established compared with the comparison group. Conclusions: In group 1 (control) healing of wounds on the third-seventh day is characterized by somewhat slow regeneration. Wound healing was most favorable in patients of the second group, where infiltration anesthesia was used by local anesthetic and antiseptic decamethoxin.