Behaviour and vocalizations of two sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) entangled in illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea.

Illegal driftnetting causes each year several entanglements and deaths of sperm whales in different Mediterranean areas, primarily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. In summer 2020, during the June-July fishing season, two sperm whales were found entangled in illegal driftnets in the Aeolian Archipelago waters, Southern Italy. These two rare events were an exceptional chance to collect behavioural and acoustics data about entangled sperm whales.

No evidence of increased cerebrovascular involvement in adult neurologically-asymptomatic β-Thalassaemia. A multicentre multimodal magnetic resonance study.

Multi-factorial causes jeopardize brain integrity in β-thalassaemia. Intracranial parenchymal and vascular changes have been reported among young β-thalassaemia patients but conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings are contradictory making early MRI and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)/venography monitoring a matter of debate. This study prospectively investigated 75 neurologically asymptomatic β-thalassaemia patients (mean-age 35·2 ± 10·7 years; 52/75 transfusion-dependent; 41/75 splenectomised) using a 3T magnetic resonance scanner; clinical, laboratory and treatment data were also collected.

The Role of Autobiographical Story-Telling During Rehabilitation Among Hip-Fracture Geriatric Patients.

Hip fracture is one of the most common health care problems among elderly people. Literature shows that high self-efficacy expectations and positive affect are some of the key issues in functional recovery after hip fracture. The present investigation tested whether self-narration of such life-breaking event influences self-efficacy and depression during the process of rehabilitation.

Frailty and resilience in an older population. The role of resilience during rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery in geriatric patients with multiple comorbidities.

Hip fracture is common in the elderly and it is usually associated with comorbidities and physiological changes which may have an impact on functioning and quality of life. The concept of resilience may explain why this impact varies among patients. The aim of this open, prospective cohort study was to explore the relationships between resilience, frailty and quality of life in orthopedic rehabilitation patients, and also to assess whether these factors might affect rehabilitation outcome.

Seizures, encephalopathy, and vaccines: experience in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Objectives: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of children for whom claims were filed with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) alleging seizure disorder and/or encephalopathy as a vaccine injury.

Study Design: The National VICP within the Department of Health and Human Services compensates individuals who develop medical problems associated with a covered immunization. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of children younger than 2 years of age with seizures and/or encephalopathy allegedly caused by an immunization, where a claim was filed in the VICP between 1995 through 2005.

Fatigue in inflammatory bowel diseases: relationship with age and disease activity.

A higher rate of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are reported to experience the symptom of fatigue compared with general population. Fatigue can impair quality of life of IBD patients by limiting their daily functioning. However, this problem is poorly understood and addressed.

Acute encephalopathy followed by permanent brain injury or death associated with further attenuated measles vaccines: a review of claims submitted to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Objective: To determine if there is evidence for a causal relationship between acute encephalopathy followed by permanent brain injury or death associated with the administration of further attenuated measles vaccines (Attenuvax or Lirugen, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Kansas City, MO), mumps vaccine (Mumpsvax, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), or rubella vaccines (Meruvax or Meruvax II, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), combined measles and rubella vaccine (M-R-Vax or M-R-Vax II, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), or combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (M-M-R or M-M-R II, Merck and Co, Inc, West Point, PA), the lead author reviewed claims submitted to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Methods: The medical records of children who met the inclusion criteria of receiving the first dose of these vaccines between 1970 and 1993 and who developed such an encephalopathy with no determined cause within 15 days were identified and analyzed.

Results: A total of 48 children, ages 10 to 49 months, met the inclusion criteria after receiving measles vaccine, alone or in combination.

CNS lesions in neonatal isoimmune thrombocytopenia.

We treated two siblings with classic neonatal isoimmune thrombocytopenia and porencephalic cysts in whom the CNS lesions occurred in a vascular distribution, for which there is no clear explanation. Whether the CNS vasculature is injured by the immune process at certain susceptible sites in larger vessels or whether there is a thrombotic process occurring at sites of vascular injury is speculative. This observation suggests that vascular factors are involved in the development of CNS lesions in this condition.