NODULAR FAT NECROSIS IN THE FELINE AND CANINE ABDOMEN

The radiographic appearance of nodular fat necrosis is described in ten cats and one dog. The most common radiographic sign was the presence of a focal mineralized circular to oval soft tissue mass in the abdominal fat as present in 9 cats. These masses had a distinct eggshell-like rim encapsulating the lesion. In one cat and one dog multiple masses were present, without radiographic signs of mineralization. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in three cats and one dog, findings included the presence of hyperechoic masses with associated acoustic shadowing, some with a hypoechoic centre. Almost all animals were old and obese. In three cats and one dog, changes were confirmed with biopsy or post mortem examination. Lesions having the appearance of those in this paper are most likely incidental findings and should not be confused with abdominal masses of neoplastic origin. Ultrasound can be helpful in identifying such lesions.     

Leaf morphology and chemistry in Fagus sylvatica (beech) trees as affected by site factors and ozone: results from CONECOFOR permanent monitoring plots in Italy

During summer 2001, leaf samples were collected from seven beech stands that are part of the Italian network of permanent monitoring plots (CONECOFOR). In each plot, sun leaves from the upper crown were collected from five trees and subjected to chemical analysis (C, N, P, S, K, Ca and Mg) and morphological analysis (area, dry mass, thickness and thickness of individual tissues). Based on the measurements, nutrient ratios (N/C, N/K, N/P, N/Ca, N/Mg, K/Ca, Mg/Ca), sclerophylly indices (leaf mass per area (LMA) and leaf density (LD)) and nitrogen content per leaf area unit (NLA) were determined. Stomatal density was also measured. Among stands, leaf area was smallest and sclerophylly (indicated as LMA) was greatest in the southernmost stands and under drought conditions. Reduced leaf area and increased LMA also appeared to be strongly related to tropospheric ozone concentrations, whereas crown transparency was related mainly to site factors such as rainfall and temperature and, to a lesser extent, ozone concentration. The southernmost stands had a lower N/C ratio than the more northern stands, suggesting that the apoplastic fraction of cells within the leaf played a greater role. In the northern stands (especially at Lombardy and in Piedmont) where ozone concentrations were high, nutrient ratios were unbalanced and the high value of LMA appeared to be related primarily to the contribution of plasmatic components. Overall, leaf morphology was most sensitive to climate stress at the southern plots and to environmental pollution (nitrogen deposition and tropospheric ozone concentration) at some of the northern plots.     

Anatomo-radiographic Study on the Osteogenesis of Carpal and Tarsal Bones in Horse Fetus

The aim of this study is to point out the time of appearance of the carpal and tarsal bones in the fetal horse, considering an estimated fetal age, to follow their morphological development through to birth, and to characterize possible abnormal shape and/or delay of their ossification. The right carpal and tarsal region of 140 equine fetuses of both sexes (71 males, 69 females) and different ages (from 70 to 340 days of gestation) were examined radiographically in order to identify the sites of ossification from their earliest appearance. The times of appearance of the sites of ossification of the carpal bones are chronologically stated for each bone.     

The teeth of the horse: evolution and anatomo-morphological and radiographic study of their development in the foetus

The aim of this work was to study the ontogenetic process in teeth from their early appearance in the ossifying matrix of the mandible and maxilla, in different foetuses of scalar ages. Radiographic examinations of the skull and mandible hemisections were performed and the latero-medial (LM) and dorsoventral (DV) projections for the skull and mandible were analysed. A high-definition film-screen combination was used for this study. The exposure values ranged from 35 kV/6 mAs to 58 kV/10 mAs, according to the size of the skulls and their degree of ossification. The first dental germ observed was the P3, at 138-140 days of pregnancy. At 146 days, P2 and P4 dental germs were visible. At 160-168 days, the dental germ of the first deciduous incisor tooth (I1) appeared; at 180-188 days of pregnancy the germ of the second (I2), and at 224 days the germ of the third (I3), were detectable. At 275 days the dental germ of the mandibular first molar tooth (M1) appeared, while the maxillary M1, which was not visible radiographically, was represented by a jelly-like amorphous body within its alveolar cavity.     

Environmental influences on the recruitment dynamics of juvenile European eels,Anguilla anguilla,in a small estuary of the Tyrrhenian Sea,Sardinia, Italy

1. The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is a catadromous and migratory species of commercial importance. Its complex life cycle results in its exposure to many risk factors, which have resulted in stock declines across all life stages since the 1970s.
2. The temporal recruitment dynamics of juvenile eels (glass eels and elvers) were investigated in a small Mediterranean estuary (Sardinia, Italy). The composition of the population and the monthly and seasonal variations in the abundances of juvenile eels was assessed over 78 sampling events (from February 2017 to February 2018). Furthermore, the effects of abiotic variables on the abundances of glass eels and elvers were investigated using generalized additive models (GAMs).
3. Glass eels had the greatest abundance during the winter months, whereas elvers had the greatest abundance during spring. Modelling revealed that the abundance of glass eels was mostly explained by the combined effects of water temperature (12.3–14.5 °C), tidal coefficient (40–110 cm), moon phase, season, and river mouth condition, whereas the abundance of elvers was associated with water temperature (14–21 °C), dissolved oxygen content (>7 mg/L), and season. These results suggest that the annual recruitment of juvenile eels occurs throughout the year, with clear seasonal migration dynamics.
4. The use of multiple statistical approaches allowed us to identify the importance of several environmental variables in regulating the recruitment dynamics, providing useful information for conserving eel stocks through the restoration of the natural flow regime and the connectivity between freshwater habitats and the sea.

     

Gambusia holbrooki,the ‘tadpolefish’: The impact of its predatory behaviour on four protected species of European amphibians

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Hexapod origins: monophyletic or paraphyletic?

Recent morphological and molecular evidence has changed interpretations of arthropod phylogeny and evolution. Here we compare complete mitochondrial genomes to show that Collembola, a wingless group traditionally considered as basal to all insects, appears instead to constitute a separate evolutionary lineage that branched much earlier than the separation of many crustaceans and insects and independently adapted to life on land. Therefore, the taxon Hexapoda, as commonly defined to include all six-legged arthropods, is not monophyletic.     

Sertoli cell tumor associated with polyomavirus infection in a Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae)

A 3-yr-old male Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) died after 2 wk of lethargy, emaciation, feather loss, and abdominal distension. The bird was housed in an aviary for breeding, but it had shown loss of fertility in the previous breeding season. Necropsy revealed a gross, firm, and yellow mass involving the left testis. Histologically, the mass was a mixed form, intratubular and diffuse, Sertoli cell tumor. Some neoplastic cells had intranuclear inclusion bodies that immunoelectron microscopy proved to be polyomavirus particle aggregates. There were no viral inclusions in other tissues. The possible role of infection in the pathogenesis of the tumor is discussed.