Efficacy and safety of different antiarrhythmic protocols used for rate control in dogs with secondary atrial fibrillation.

Introduction/objectives: Studies comparing the effects of antiarrhythmic protocols used for rate control in dogs with secondary atrial fibrillation (AF) are currently limited; therefore, this study aimed to report detailed data on the efficacy and therapy-related side-effects (TRSEs) of different antiarrhythmic protocols in dogs with secondary AF.

Animals, Materials, And Methods: Dogs with secondary AF treated with combination therapy with diltiazem and digoxin (CT), diltiazem monotherapy (MT), digoxin monotherapy (MT), or amiodarone monotherapy (MT) were retrospectively evaluated. Signalment, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and outcome data were retrieved.

Evaluation of Galectin-3 in Dogs with Atrial Fibrillation.

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a lectin associated with fibrosis and inflammation, and increased circulating concentrations are considered a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) in humans. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the serum concentration of Gal-3 in dogs with cardiac disease, both with and without AF. Dogs with AF associated with acquired heart diseases were selected, while cardiac healthy dogs and dogs with heart diseases but without AF served as controls.

Efficacy and safety of antiarrhythmic therapy in dogs with naturally acquired tachyarrhythmias treated with amiodarone or sotalol: a retrospective analysis of 64 cases.

Introduction/objective: Studies on the use of amiodarone or sotalol are limited in dogs. Therefore, this study aimed to provide data on the efficacy and safety of these drugs in dogs with ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) and/or supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SvT).

Animals, Materials, And Methods: Dogs with VT and/or SvT treated with amiodarone or sotalol as a first-line therapy were retrospectively evaluated.

Association between echocardiographic indexes and urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (uNGAL) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a biomarker of tubular damage, and its elevation has been described in human and canine cardiorenal syndrome. The aim was to evaluate the association between echocardiographic indexes and urine NGAL (uNGAL) and uNGAL normalized to urine creatinine (uNGALC) in dogs with MMVD. This is a multicentric prospective cross-sectional study.

Transient myocardial thickening: a retrospective analysis on etiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and outcome findings in 27 cats.

Introduction/objective: Transient myocardial thickening (TMT) in cats is a poorly characterized clinical entity. Therefore, this study aimed to provide descriptions of additional cats diagnosed with this clinical phenomenon.

Animals, Materials, And Methods: For this multicenter observational retrospective study, cats diagnosed with TMT were searched in three medical databases.

Efficacy and tolerability of the American Heartworm Society therapeutic protocol in dogs affected by heartworm disease without caval syndrome.

Objectives: The American Heartworm Society medical protocol represents the current standard of therapy for canine heartworm disease without caval syndrome. However, data on the tolerability of this protocol are limited. This study aimed to describe efficacy and prevalence of possible treatment-related side effects in dogs with heartworm disease treated using the American Heartworm Society protocol.

Risk factors for atrial fibrillation in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) frequently affects large-breed dogs. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors for the development of atrial fibrillation in dogs of different breeds with an echocardiographic diagnosis of DCM.

Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study, we searched the electronic databases of five cardiology referral centers for dogs with an echocardiographic diagnosis of DCM.

Stable landings mask irreversible community reorganizations in an overexploited Mediterranean ecosystem.

Cumulative human pressures and climate change can induce nonlinear discontinuous dynamics in ecosystems, known as regime shifts. Regime shifts typically imply hysteresis, a lacking or delayed system response when pressures are reverted, which can frustrate restoration efforts. Here, we investigate whether the northern Adriatic Sea fish and macroinvertebrate community, as depicted by commercial fishery landings, has undergone regime shifts over the last 40 years, and the reversibility of such changes.

Evaluation of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin to detect renal tubular damage in dogs with stable myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Background: Dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) can experience progressive renal tubular damage and dysfunction. The prevalence of renal tubular damage is not known in dogs with stable MMVD.

Objective: To evaluate renal tubular damage in dogs with stable MMVD by evaluation of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL).

Effect of sampling time on urinary electrolytes following oral furosemide administration in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Introduction/objectives: Urine chemistry has received growing attention to estimate the diuretic response in dogs with cardiac disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of time elapsed between the oral furosemide administration and sample collection on urine chemistry in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) receiving diuretic therapy in American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) stage C.

Materials And Methods: Seventy-three dogs with MMVD ACVIM stage C and 106 healthy dogs were prospectively included.

Prevalence and risk factors for atrial fibrillation in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common supraventricular arrhythmia more frequently observed in large breed dogs.

Objectives: Estimate the prevalence of AF in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and identify risk factors for developing AF.

Animals: A total of 2194 client-owned dogs with MMVD, including 1280, 588, 290, and 36 dogs in ACVIM stages B1, B2, C, and D, respectively.

Echocardiographic predictors of first onset of atrial fibrillation in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) as a consequence of left atrial (LA) dilatation, and it affects survival and quality of life.

Objectives: To evaluate the usefulness of echocardiography in predicting the first occurrence of AF in dogs with MMVD.

Animals: Forty-four client-owned dogs with MMVD, 22 dogs that developed AF, and 22 dogs that maintained sinus rhythm.

Ontogenetic trophic segregation between two threatened smooth-hound sharks in the Central Mediterranean Sea.

Elasmobranchs are among the species most threatened by overfishing and a large body of evidence reports their decline around the world. As they are large predators occupying the highest levels of marine food webs, their removal can alter the trophic web dynamic through predatory release effects and trophic cascade. Suitable management of threatened shark species requires a good understanding of their behaviour and feeding ecology.

Contrasting life-history traits of two sympatric smooth-hound species: implication for vulnerability.

In this study, life-history traits (maximum and average size, size at maturity and fecundity) of two congeneric smooth-hounds, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus, which share a geographical distribution and experience a similar fishing exploitation, were estimated and compared between species. The results indicated a lower maximum and average size, a lower size at maturity and a higher fecundity in M. punctulatus compared with those in M.

From sea monsters to charismatic megafauna: Changes in perception and use of large marine animals.

Marine megafauna has always elicited contrasting feelings. In the past, large marine animals were often depicted as fantastic mythological creatures and dangerous monsters, while also arousing human curiosity. Marine megafauna has been a valuable resource to exploit, leading to the collapse of populations and local extinctions.

Life-history traits of the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias in the Adriatic Sea.

Pivotal life history traits concerning age structure and reproduction of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias, Linnaeus 1758) were investigated in the Adriatic Sea from mid February 2012 to mid July 2013 and in 2016. The whole sample consisted of 176 females and 150 males, ranging between 217-1025 mm and 219-875 mm, respectively. The individual age, which was estimated using a cross-sectioning technique of the second dorsal-fin spine, ranged from 0 to 13+ years for females and from 0 to 9+ years for males.

Sexual selection and the evolution of sperm morphology in sharks.

Post-copulatory sexual selection, and sperm competition in particular, is a powerful selective force shaping the evolution of sperm morphology. Although mounting evidence suggests that post-copulatory sexual selection influences the evolution of sperm morphology among species, recent evidence also suggests that sperm competition influences variation in sperm morphology at the intraspecific level. However, contradictory empirical results and limited taxonomic scope have led to difficulty in assessing the generality of sperm morphological responses to variation in the strength of sperm competition.

Familiarity and sex modulate size-dependent following behaviour in the Mediterranean killifish.

Living in a group offers the chance to follow the choices and the behaviours of other individuals. Following a group mate might confer fitness advantages if the group mate knows about resources such as food or shelters. Shoaling fish often follow larger group mates which, in most species, are generally older and therefore more experienced.

Climate change, biological invasions, and the shifting distribution of Mediterranean fishes: A large-scale survey based on local ecological knowledge.

Climate change and biological invasions are rapidly reshuffling species distribution, restructuring the biological communities of many ecosystems worldwide. Tracking these transformations in the marine environment is crucial, but our understanding of climate change effects and invasive species dynamics is often hampered by the practical challenge of surveying large geographical areas. Here, we focus on the Mediterranean Sea, a hot spot for climate change and biological invasions to investigate recent spatiotemporal changes in fish abundances and distribution.

Sex composition modulates the effects of familiarity in new environment.

In many social species, when an individual is associated with familiar conspecifics, it displays an array of behaviours that may confer benefits (e.g., increased boldness and faster habituation to novel environments).

Unexpected female preference for smaller males in the marbled goby Pomatoschistus marmoratus.

The study tested the role of body size and of nest size in female mate choice in the marbled goby, Pomatoschistus marmoratus. The results show a female preference for smaller males, supporting the idea that smaller males may be preferred to larger ones in the absence of male-male competition. No effect of nest size was detected, suggesting that other nest characteristics, beyond nest size, may be implicated.

Recovery Trends of Commercial Fish: The Case of an Underperforming Mediterranean Marine Protected Area.

Temporal trends in the recovery of exploited species in marine protected areas (MPAs) are useful for a proper assessment of the efficacy of protection measures. The effects of protection on the fish assemblages of the sublittoral rocky reefs in the "Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre" MPA (W. Sardinia, Italy) were evaluated using a multi-year series of data.

Multiple paternity and hybridization in two smooth-hound sharks.

Multiple paternity appears to be a common trait of elasmobranch mating systems, with its occurrence likely driven by convenience, due to females seeking to minimize the stress of male harassment. Here we use molecular markers to analyse the frequency of multiple paternity in two related viviparous sharks, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus punctulatus. We first applied molecular methods to assign pregnant females, embryos and additional reference adults (N = 792) to one of the two species.