Search Results (62)

Pododermatitis (bumblefoot) occurs commonly in birds of prey and owls and shows species-specific differences in its prevalence, especially between falcons and hawks. The development of the disease is particularly associated with circulatory disorders of the feet. To compare the blood vessel supply of the foot sole, especially the metatarsal foot pad, macroscopic dissections including intravascular injection of latex, contrast µCT scans with barium sulphate, corrosion casts (epoxy resin), and histological examinations of the skin were performed in eight avian species. The main supplying artery of the metatarsal pad, the pulvinar artery, originated from the medial digital artery of the first toe. This main pulvinar artery showed a rather vertical course towards the sole surface, subsequently encircling the metatarsal pad like a basket in falcons and owls, whereas a rather horizontal straight course was observed in northern goshawks and common buzzards. Organized fat tissue was present in the subcutis as the basis for the metatarsal pad only in falcons and owls. The dermis of the metatarsal pad showed a well-developed papillary layer and prominent dermal and subdermal vascular networks in all species examined. The observed differences were discussed regarding both the species-specific prevalence and the etiology of bumblefoot. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted tuberculosis (TB) control, increasing mortality and potentially worsening disparities. This study aimed to analyze the temporal trends of TB mortality in Brazil and to trace the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect using a Bayesian approach, focusing on nationwide data. An ecological study of TB deaths recorded in the Mortality Information System (SIM) from 2012 to 2022 was conducted. Trends and percentage changes in the mortality were estimated. A Bayesian Structural Time Series model combined with an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model was used to assess the pandemic’s effect on TB. A total of 51,809 TB deaths were identified, with a mortality rate of 2.27 per 100,000. Higher rates were found among the elderly (6.86), indigenous populations (5.58), and black individuals (4.21). The Bayesian model estimated a 9.9% (CI 8.8–11%) increase in TB mortality due to COVID-19. The Midwest region showed the highest increase (30%, 25–35%). Females experienced a greater post-pandemic monthly increase (2.80%) in mortality than males (0.72%). The Bayesian analysis revealed a significant rise in TB mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, with notable disparities affecting females, the elderly, the indigenous, and the black populations. These findings highlight the pandemic’s long-term impact on TB and stress the need for equity-focused, data-driven public health responses in Brazil. Full article

In avian medicine, sonographic examination is an important diagnostic tool for heart diseases. Little is known about the diagnostic relevance of the Doppler blood flow profiles of parrots. In the present study, sonographic examinations of Congo grey parrots with atherosclerosis were evaluated retrospectively to gain more knowledge about their pulmonary and aortic systolic blood flow. The shapes of their Doppler sonographic blood flow profiles were quantified by the determination of the acceleration and deceleration phases. The investigations showed the differences between the aortic flow profile, with fast rising velocities, and the pulmonary flow profile, which has a round shape, in grey parrots. Diseased parrots with ultrasonographic signs of a right heart failure, such as an enlarged right ventricle and/or insufficiencies of the right atrioventricular and/or pulmonary valve, showed a significantly shorter acceleration and longer deceleration phase than parrots without heart failure or with sonographic signs of left heart failure only. The correlation of the shape of the pulmonary Doppler blood flow profile with the diameter of the left atrium, the systolic and diastolic diameter of the right ventricle, the fractional shortening of the left and right ventricle, and the mean aortic and pulmonary blood flow illustrates the importance of these sonographic parameters in the investigation of the function of the right ventricle in heart disease. Our examination showed that the shape of the pulmonary Doppler blood flow profile of Congo grey parrots provides important information about the pressure load on the right ventricle in heart diseases, which is comparable to that in small animal and human medicine. Full article

Background: This study investigated the determinants of COVID-19 mortality and its temporal trends within São Paulo state’s Departamentos Regionais de Saúde (DRS) (health regions) to inform the development of targeted public health interventions. Methods: Utilizing an ecological study design, we analyzed confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths (February 2020–December 2021) obtained from the COVID Panel, incorporating relevant social and health indicators. The Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) was used to identify key determinants, and temporal trends in mortality and vaccination rates were analyzed across each DRS. Results: The average mortality rate was 15.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (median 7.00). Higher chronic disease mortality was associated with an increase in COVID-19 mortality. Moreover, an increase in the percentage of adults led to a decrease in deaths from COVID-19. Conclusions: COVID-19 mortality in São Paulo is shaped by a complex interplay of 12 behavioral, economic, demographic, and environmental factors. Region-specific public health policies should consider these factors, along with geographic, socioeconomic, and budgetary contexts, to effectively address health disparities across the state’s DRS. Full article

A soft tissue-filled external ear canal, sometimes also referred to as otitis externa in the veterinary literature, is a prevalent disease in pet rabbits, especially in lop-eared pet rabbits. The authors describe the clinical findings, diagnostic workup, therapy, and outcome of pet rabbits treated surgically for a lateral ear canal ablation (LECA). For the time period between 2015 and 2023, the medical records of two veterinary clinics were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 25 pet rabbits, diagnosed via computed tomography (CT) scans with a soft tissue-filled external ear canal and (if present) middle ear, were identified. All the pet rabbits were evaluated as lop-eared pet rabbits and all were treated surgically using the same surgical technique, LECA. In accordance with Richardson et al., we categorized the different ear filling levels by using the grading system that was established in 2019. The mean follow-up period was 19 days, and in one case complete wound healing was not reached within 131 days after surgery. A total of 7/25 of the pet rabbits were evaluated with wound healing issues. Of the cases, 18/25 did not develop any recurrent ear diseases. Loss to follow-up was observed in 5/25 of the cases and recurrent ear diseases were identified in 2/25 of the pet rabbits. Progression of the ear disease was detected in four cases. CT post-operative images were acquired for 14/25 of the pet rabbits. Based on this study, LECA can be considered a safe surgical method to treat soft tissue-filled external ear canals, especially in lop-eared pet rabbits. Nonetheless, thorough post-surgical management including wound control is critical for therapy success. Full article

Obtaining significant levels of cooperation in public goods and environmental games, under the assumption of players being purely selfish, is usually prevented by the problem of free riding. Coalitions, in fact, generally fail to be internally stable, and this causes a serious under-provision of the public good, together with a significant welfare loss. The assumption of relational preferences, capable of better explaining economic behaviours in laboratory experiments, helps to foster cooperation, but, without adequate transfer scheme, no substantial improvements are reached. The present paper proposes a cooperation-enhancing transfer scheme under the assumption of players having Fehr and Schmidt utility functions, whose objectives are to guarantee internal stability and to maximize the sum of the utilities of coalition members. The transfer scheme is tested on a public goods contribution game parameterized on the data provided by the RICE model and benchmarked with other popular transfer schemes in environmental economics. The proposed scheme outperforms its benchmarking counterparts in stabilizing coalitions, and sensibly increases cooperation compared to the absence of transfers. Furthermore, for high but not extreme values of the parameter governing the intensity of dis-utility from disadvantageous inequality, it manages to support very large coalitions. Full article

This study investigates sustainable settlements—in terms of low-carbon settlements and communities transitioning from oil dependence to local resilience—in urban and rural areas of Austria. The objectives of this study are twofold: First, to examine the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and Transition Towns Network (TTN) as platforms for alternative lifestyles for urban and rural planning and, second, to comprehend the socio-spatial factors influencing the development of future transition settlements. This study provides updated insights into the concepts of the Global Ecovillage Network in a rural context as well as transition culture in an urban context. In two case studies, we focus on one Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) member, the Cambium Ecovillage near the village of Fehring, Styria, and one Transition Town Network member, Graz, the capital city of Styria. Using transdisciplinary and participatory methodologies, we examine the specific local contexts of these sustainable settlements. Ultimately, the findings of the study about facilitating participatory land use frameworks can be extrapolated from the Austrian context to the broader European context. Conclusions drawn from the results will inform potential future urban and rural land use initiatives concerning ecovillages and transition towns across Europe. Full article

There is scant information available about the blood flow of the pulmonary artery in avian cardiology. In human medicine, the shape of the Doppler sonographic blood flow profile of the pulmonary artery can be used to access the pressure conditions of the right heart. With this background, this study focused on the examination of the acceleration and deceleration phase of the pulsed-wave Doppler flow profile of the pulmonary artery of healthy racing pigeons. The results showed a significant difference between the pulmonary artery and aorta. The Doppler flow profile of the aorta was characterized by a short acceleration phase; however, the pulmonary flow profile revealed an acceleration similar to that of the deceleration phase. Neither profile changed considerably under the influence of heart rate changes and anesthesia with isoflurane. A negative correlation of the pulmonary acceleration phase with the left diastolic A wave and the systolic pulmonary blood flow velocities could be found. This indicates the influence of pressure changes in the heart on the flow profiles. The results of this study allow for the use of the shape of the Doppler sonographic blood flow profile of the pulmonary artery in the assessment of cardiovascular diseases in avian medicine, especially in racing pigeons. Full article

Introduction: Vaccines are a significant public health achievement, which are crucial for child survival and disease control globally. In Brazil, the National Immunization Program (PNI) manages vaccination schedules, including essential vaccines like BCG and Hepatitis B, administered at birth. Despite achieving over 95% coverage for years, vaccination rates have declined since 2016, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to analyze spatial and temporal trends in BCG and Hepatitis B vaccination coverage at birth, identify areas with spatial variation in these trends, classify the identified trends, and investigate the pandemic’s impact on vaccination adherence. Methods: This is an ecological study with real-world data from Brazil, focusing on vaccination coverage from 2014 to 2023. Utilizing the Spatial Variation in Temporal Trends (SVTT) technique, the study identifies municipalities’ vaccination trends. It also employs time series analysis and Interrupted Time Series methods to evaluate the pandemic’s impact on vaccination rates, using data from the PNI and the Information System on Live Births (SINASC). Results: Between January 2014 and December 2023, Brazil administered 25,902,207 doses of the BCG vaccine to children at birth, with 3911 municipalities (70.24%) showing declining trends, particularly in Florianópolis. Similarly, 22,962,434 doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine were administered, with 3284 municipalities also experiencing declines. Conclusions: It is crucial that public health policies be reevaluated to address regional disparities in vaccination coverage, particularly in more vulnerable areas. Focused interventions, such as awareness campaigns, improved access to vaccination services, and strengthened monitoring, are fundamental to reversing this trend. Full article

Diseases of the musculature can be caused, for example, by alimentary or traumatic issues. In three bald eagles with painful lameness and/or a reduced range of the hip joint, a muscular disease was diagnosed via radiographic examination. The eagles were kept in a falconry and trained as demonstration birds, which were displayed on a gloved hand and flown in falconry education programs. The imaging revealed varying degrees of calcification of the adductors along the course of the puboischiofemoral muscle of the left hind limb in all cases. A histological examination of the affected musculature of one eagle confirmed the presence of a myopathy with muscle fiber atrophy, fibrosis, and metaplastic bone formation. Increased mechanical stress and injuries to the affected muscle groups are discussed as the cause of these alterations. The adductor muscles of the left leg of bald eagles in falconry husbandry appear to be particularly prone to muscular injuries and the development of heterotopic ossification. The healing process of such an injury with the stiffened musculature can lead to restrictions in the movement of the hip joint. Thus, the conscious and professional handling of the eagles is essential for maintaining the health of these birds. Full article

We investigated whether developing an autoimmune disorder (AID) following a high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis improves overall survival. This retrospective study included data from women treated for high-grade serous, endometrioid, or transitional cell ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer FIGO stage III or IV at a Swiss cantonal gynecological cancer center (2008–2023). We used Kaplan–Meier estimates and the Cox proportional hazards model using time-varying covariates for the survival function estimation. In all, 9 of 128 patients developed an AID following a cancer diagnosis. The median time from cancer diagnosis to AID was 2 years (IQR 2–5). These women survived for a median of 3031 days (IQR 1765–3963) versus 972 days (IQR 568–1819) for those who did not develop an AID (p = 0.001). The median overall survival of nine women with a pre-existing AID was 1093 days (IQR 716–1705), similar to those who never had an AID. The multivariate analyses showed older age (p = 0.003, HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.013–1.064) was associated with a poorer prognosis, and developing an AID after a cancer diagnosis was associated with longer survival (p = 0.033, HR 0.113, 95% CI 0.015–0.837). Clinical manifestations of autoimmune disorders following ovarian cancer diagnoses were associated with better overall survival (8 versus 2.7 years), indicating an overactive immune response may improve cancer control. Full article

The exploration of functional resting-state brain developmental parameters and measures can help to improve scientific, psychological, and medical applications. The present work focussed on both traditional approaches, such as topographical power analyses at the signal space level, and advanced approaches, such as the exploration of age-related dynamics of source space data. The results confirmed the expectation that the third life decade would show a kind of stability in oscillatory signal and source-space-related parameters. However, from a source dynamics perspective, different frequency ranges appear to develop quite differently, as reflected in age-related sequential network communication profiles. Among other discoveries, the left anterior cingulate source location could be shown to reduce bi-directional network communication in the lower alpha band, whereas it differentiated its uni- and bidirectional communication dynamics to sub-cortical and posterior brain locations. Higher alpha oscillations enhanced communication dynamics between the thalamus and particularly frontal areas. In conclusion, resting-state data appear to be, at least in part, functionally reorganized in the default mode network, while quantitative measures, such as topographical power and regional source activity, did not correlate with age in the third life decade. In line with other authors, we suggest the further development of a multi-perspective approach in biosignal analyses. Full article

For practical reasons, in many studies PD-L1 expression is measured by combined positive score (CPS) from a single tumor sample. This does not reflect the heterogeneity of PD-L1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We investigated the extent and relevance of PD-L1 expression heterogeneity in HNSCC analyzing primary tumors and recurrences (LRs), as well as metastases. Tumor tissue from 200 HNSCC patients was immunohistochemically stained for PD-L1 and analyzed using image-analysis software QuPath v3.4 with multiple specimens per patient. CPS was ≥20 in 25.6% of primary tumors. Intra-tumoral heterogeneity led to a therapeutically relevant underestimation of PD-L1 expression in 28.7% of patients, when only one specimen per patient was analyzed. Inter-tumoral differences in PD-L1 expression between primary tumors and lymph node metastasis (LNM) or LR occurred in 44.4% and 61.5% (CPS) and in 40.6% and 50% of cases (TPS). Overall survival was increased in patients with CPS ≥ 1 vs. CPS < 1 in primary tumors and LNM (hazard ratio: 0.46 and 0.35; p < 0.005); CPS in LR was not prognostic. Our analysis shows clinically relevant intra- and inter-sample heterogeneity of PD-L1 expression in HNSCC. To account for heterogeneity and improve patient selection for immunotherapy, multiple sample analyses should be performed, particularly in patients with CPS/TPS < 1. Full article

Plasma volume (PV) undergoes constant and dynamic changes, leading to a large intra-day variability in healthy individuals. Hydration is known to induce PV changes; however, the response to the intake of osmotically different fluids is still not fully understood. In a randomized controlled crossover trial, 18 healthy individuals (10 females) orally received an individual amount of an isotonic sodium-chloride (ISO), Ringer (RIN), or glucose (GLU) solution. Hemoglobin mass (Hbmass) was determined with the optimized carbon monoxide re-breathing method. Fluid-induced changes in PV were subsequently calculated based on capillary hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) and hematocrit (Hct) before and then every 10 minutes until 120 min (t_0–120) after the fluid intake and compared to a control trial arm (CON), where no fluid was administered. Within GLU and CON trial arms, no statistically significant differences from baseline until t₁₂₀ were found (p > 0.05). In the ISO trial arm, PV was significantly increased at t₇₀ (+138 mL, p = 0.01), t₈₀ (+191 mL, p < 0.01), and t₁₁₀ (+182 mL, p = 0.01) when compared to t₀. Moreover, PV in the ISO trial arm was significantly higher at t₇₀ (p = 0.02), t₁₁₀ (p = 0.04), and t₁₂₀ (p = 0.01) when compared to the same time points in the CON trial arm. Within the RIN trial arm, PV was significantly higher between t₇₀ and t₉₀ (+183 mL, p = 0.01) and between t₁₁₀ (+194 mL, p = 0.03) and t₁₂₀ (+186 mL, p < 0.01) when compared to t₀. These results demonstrated that fluids with a higher content of osmotically active particles lead to acute hemodilution, which is associated with a decrease in [Hb] and Hct. These findings underpin the importance of the hydration state on PV and especially on PV constituent levels in healthy individuals. Full article

Background: International migration is a global phenomenon with significant implications on the health–disease process due to exposures along transit routes and local/destination epidemiological indicators. We aimed to analyze the transmission and spread of tuberculosis among international migrants and refugees from a spatiotemporal perspective and the associated factors. Method: This was an ecological study of cases of tuberculosis in international migrants in Brazil, between 2010 and 2021. Annual incidence rates were calculated and spatiotemporal scan techniques were used to identify municipalities at risk. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with tuberculosis in international migrants. Results: A total of 4037 cases of tuberculosis were reported in Brazil in international migrants. Municipalities at risk for this event were identified using the spatiotemporal scan technique, and a cluster was identified with ITT: +52.01% and ETT: +25.60%. A higher probability of TB infection was identified in municipalities with a TB incidence rate >14.40 cases/100 inhabitants, population >11,042 inhabitants, Gini index >0.49, and illiteracy rate >13.12%. A lower probability was found in municipalities with average per capita household income >BRL 456.43. Conclusions: It is recommended that health authorities implement monitoring and rigorous follow-up in affected areas to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment completion for international migrants, preventing disease spread to other communities. Full article