The Provision of Browse and Its Impacts on the Health and Welfare of Animals at the Zoo: A Review.

Browsers are animals that consume significant proportions of leaves, twigs, and bark from woody plants. These species have evolved morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to subsist on a specialized diet. In zoos and other managed care facilities, the provision of browse in appropriate amounts helps promote positive animal welfare.

Boosting REsources And caregiver empowerment for Tracheostomy care at HomE (BREATHE) Study: study protocol for a stratified randomization trial.

Background: Annually, about 4000 US children undergo a tracheostomy procedure to provide a functional, safe airway. In the hospital, qualified staff monitor and address problems, but post-discharge this responsibility shifts entirely to caregivers. The stress and constant demands of caregiving for a child with a tracheostomy with or without ventilator negatively affect caregivers.

Kids are not just small adults: An attempt to validate pediatric tablet-based digits in noise testing.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate whether conductive hearing loss (CHL) can be differentiated from sensorineural hearing loss in children ages 3-18 using a diotic and antiphasic digits-in-noise (DIN) tablet-based test using existing adult cut-off criteria.

Methods: A blinded multi-institutional prospective cohort of 64 children aged 3-18 scheduled for an audiometric soundbooth evaluation with a pediatric audiologist and a same-day otolaryngologist examination were recruited for the study. Following a conventional audiogram, the subjects underwent diotic (same-phased stimuli) and antiphasic (out-of-phase stimuli) DIN testing on a HearX Samsung Galaxy tablet with over-the-ear headphones, for a total of 128 measurements.

BIOMECHANICAL VARIABLES OF THE FOOT IN SOUND RETICULATED GIRAFFES () IN HUMAN CARE.

Lameness is an important veterinary and welfare concern for giraffes in human care. To date, there is limited information on the objective weight-bearing characteristics of the foot in giraffes, making evidence-based decisions for foot care and lameness treatment subjective. Eleven young-adult reticulated giraffes (; median age, 3.

Reduction of Antibiotic-Associated Conditions After Tympanostomy Tube Placement in Children.

Objective: Tympanostomy tube placement has been shown to decrease systemic antibiotics usage in patients with recurrent acute otitis media. Systemic antibiotics in children are associated with an increase in antibiotic-associated conditions (asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, celiac disease, overweight/obesity, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], autism, learning disability, and Clostridium difficile colonization) later in life. The objective of this study is to estimate whether tympanostomy tube placement is associated with a reduction in antibiotic-associated conditions in children with recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM).

The Effect of Palatoplasty on Growth.

Objectives: To assess the effect of palatoplasty on growth velocity in undernourished and nourished orally fed children with cleft palate.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted using a data query with cleft-associated ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes to identify children who underwent cleft palate repair between 2006 and 2022 at a tertiary pediatric hospital. Data gathered included demographics, admission variables, weight gain, and weight percentile as per the WHO growth chart data.

Heavy metals and trace minerals in commonly available shark species from North East Arabian Sea: A human health risk perspective.

Shark is a seafood commodity that is a good source of minerals and accumulates heavy metals and trace elements through biomagnification, which can pose health risk if taken above the permissible limit. A study was conducted on commonly landed eleven shark species (Scoliodon laticaudus, Rhizopriodon oligolinx, Sphyrna lewini (CR), Carcharhinus macloti, Carcharinus limbatus, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides, Carcharhinus sorrah, Carcharinus falciformes(VU), Glaucostegus granulatus, Chiloscyllium arabicum, Loxodon macrorhinus) and analyzed for their heavy metal content, Hazard Index, Total Hazard Quotient, Metal Pollution Index, and also calculated the health risk associated with the consumption. Most of the heavy metals and trace minerals were found to be within the acceptable limit.

Primary Repair of Ear Avulsion with Adjuvant Hyperbaric Therapy and Nitroglycerin Ointment.

Traumatic auricular avulsion is a rare and deforming injury. Classically, repair has required microvascular anastomosis. In this publication, we report two separate cases of pediatric auricular avulsion from dog bites.

Children's Visual Perception of Facial Scarring and Cleft Lip Deformity Using Eye Tracking Data.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine children's perception of secondary cleft lip deformity (SCLD) using objective eye tracking technology and subjective responses on a survey to understand pediatric perceptions of facial scarring.

Design: Cross-sectional study of participants aged 5-17 years old.

Methods: Participants viewed images of children's faces with an eye tracking device.

Timing of First Set of Pressure Equalization Tubes in Pediatric Patients With Cleft Deformities.

Objectives: Children with cleft palates often have comorbid eustachian tube dysfunction requiring pressure equalization tubes (PETs). PETs can relieve middle ear effusions that impede hearing. Ideal PET placement timing in this population is controversial.

A Retrospective Study on Antinuclear Antibody Patterns in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients and Its Correlation With Serological Markers.

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease. Detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) aids in the diagnosis of SLE. The indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) assay is often used a routine screening test for the detection of ANA.

Decoding Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Rheumatology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not a newcomer in medicine. It has been employed for image analysis, disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and improving overall patient care. ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, Inc.

Beyond the Five Freedoms: Animal Welfare at Modern Zoological Facilities.

The current manuscript highlights the aspects of an animal welfare program for a modern zoological facility. The program should be proactive to identify areas for continuous improvement as well as reactive to address any identified animal welfare concerns. The program should go beyond the five freedoms and utilize one of the more modern frameworks as a foundation for the program.

ARTERIAL CATHETERIZATION IN GREAT APES.

Anesthesia is frequently required to provide appropriate medical care to captive great apes. Anesthetic safety can be optimized through placement of an arterial catheter, which allows direct measurement of arterial blood pressure and easy sampling of arterial blood for blood-gas analysis. Arterial catheterization in great apes can be achieved through palpation-guided or ultrasound-guided placement with or without a modified Seldinger technique.

HYPERKALEMIA IN FOUR ANESTHETIZED RED WOLVES ().

Four clinically healthy red wolves () developed hyperkalemia during routine anesthetic procedures. All cases were anesthetized using a combination of dexmedetomidine (10-24 mcg/kg), ketamine (2-3 mg/kg), and either midazolam (0.25-0.

Update on congenital ear molding.

Purpose Of Review: Congenital ear deformities are characterized by distorted, but still present, landmarks of the auricle. Interventions include early treatment with ear molding or delayed surgical treatment. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the latest information related to ear molding for congenital ear deformities.

Head and neck venous thrombosis secondary to pediatric otolaryngologic infection.

Objectives: Head and neck venous thrombosis is a rare but potentially devastating complication of childhood otolaryngologic infections. This study examines the presentation and management of this condition.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on all pediatric patients with otolaryngologic infections complicated by cranial and cervical venous thrombosis at a tertiary children's hospital from 2007 to 2018.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and volatile methyl siloxanes in global air: Spatial and temporal trends.

The study reports on the atmospheric concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) measured using sorbent-impregnated polyurethane foam disks (SIPs) passive air samplers. New results are reported for samples collected in 2017, which extends temporal trend information to the period 2009-2017, for 21 sites where SIPs have been deployed since 2009. Among neutral PFAS, fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) had higher concentrations than perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FOSAs) and perfluoroalkane sulfonamido ethanols (FOSEs) with levels of ND‒228, ND‒15.

A denoising framework for 3D and 2D imaging techniques based on photon detection statistics.

A method to capture three-dimensional (3D) objects image data under extremely low light level conditions, also known as Photon Counting Imaging (PCI), was reported. It is demonstrated that by combining a PCI system with computational integral imaging algorithms, a 3D scene reconstruction and recognition is possible. The resulting reconstructed 3D images often look degraded (due to the limited number of photons detected in a scene) and they, therefore, require the application of superior image restoration techniques to improve object recognition.

Integrated microtia and aural atresia management.

Objectives: To present recommendations for the coordinated evaluation and management of the hearing and reconstructive needs of patients with microtia and aural atresia.

Methods: A national working group of 9 experts on microtia and atresia evaluated a working document on the evaluation and treatment of patients. Treatment options for auricular reconstruction and hearing habilitation were reviewed and integrated into a coordinated care timeline.

Insights into the divergent evolution of the oceanic squid Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) from the Indian Ocean.

Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis is known for its complex population structure with three major transoceanic forms (viz. middle-sized, dwarf, and giant forms) whose taxonomic status has been disputed for decades. This integrated taxonomic study examines these prevenient morphotypes gathered on cruises in the Indian Ocean to ascertain their status in the evolutionary history of the species.

Development of a depuration protocol for commercially important edible bivalve molluscs of India: Ensuring microbiological safety.

We investigated the effect of depuration of three naturally contaminated commercially important tropical edible bivalve molluscs by varying temperature, salinity and body-size of animals harvested from Ashtamudi and Vembanad estuaries, India using a static depuration system to ensure microbiological food safety. Before depuration, the levels of faecal indicators and pathogens were above the acceptable limits for live consumption. The depuration water temperature had a significant effect on bacterial elimination.