Factors affecting N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase as an indicator for mastitis detection in dairy sheep.

The study of new indirect methods for mastitis detection is of great relevance both at the economic level of the farm and dairies, and in terms of consumer health, and animal welfare. These methods help us to monitor the disease and speed up the decision-making process on treatment of the affected animal and the destination of the milk. The main aim of this work was to study the effect of intramammary infection and other non-infectious factors on the activity of the enzyme N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) in milk, in order to evaluate its use as an indicator for the early diagnosis of mastitis in sheep that could be less expensive, easier to measure and a better marker of inflammation or complementary to existing methods such as somatic cell count (SCC). Seven biweekly samplings were carried out, in which NAGase activity, SCC and milk were analyzed. Glands were classified according to their sanitary status based on the results of the SCC and bacteriological analysis. Non-infectious factors such as lactation stage, parity number and milking session had a statistically significant effect on NAGase values, finding the highest NAGase values at the onset and end of the study, in infectious mastitic glands of multiparous females and at morning milking. However, among the NAGase variation factors studied, the health status of the gland was the factor that caused the highest variation in enzyme levels, with infectious mastitic glands showing higher values than healthy glands. The predictive ability of NAGase was also studied by means of several logistic regression models, with the one that included NAGase together with lactation stage and parity obtaining the best results if sensitivity is to be prioritized, or the model that included NAGase, lactation stage, parity, milking and production if specificity is to be prioritized. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the use of NAGase as an intramammary infection detection method in sheep can be useful when non-infectious factors that cause changes in the concentration of the enzyme are also considered.

[Laser Blended Vision for presbyopia: Results after 3 years]. / Laser Blended Vision (vision combinée) pour la correction de la presbytie : résultats à 3ans.

PURPOSE: Retrospective study of the first 173 patients with presbyopia who underwent LASIK with a non-linear aspheric ablation profile and micro-monovision for the correction of presbyopia with myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia or emmetropia: Laser Blended Vision(®) Program by Carl Zeiss Meditec(®) (Jena, Germany). METHODS: We retrospectively studied the first consecutive 173 patients with presbyopia who underwent LASIK with the wavefront-guided Laser Blended Vision(®) Program by Zeiss(®) in our Excimer Laser Zeiss Mel-80 by Carl Zeiss Meditec(®) (Jena, Germany) over the last three years in our clinic (Optima Laser Clinic, Valence, Spain). The program has a non-linear aspheric ablation profile that increases the spherical aberration in both eyes. A slight myopia of -1.5 diopters (D) in the non-dominant eye is also programmed. We analysed the results and patient satisfaction. The patients were separated into two groups: less than 50 years old and 50 years or more. Follow-up was from 1 to 28 months. We also separated two groups: follow-up under 12 months and follow-up of 12 months or more. We analysed the efficacy, safety and predictability of the procedure. RESULTS: Seventy-nine male and 94 female patients between 42 and 69 years old were studied, for a total of 337 eyes. Only eight patients (4.62%) were between 42 and 44; 55 (31.79%) were between 45 and 49; 110 patients (63.58%) were 50 years or more. Nine patients underwent the surgery in the non-dominant eye only. Twelve (6.94%) patients were emmetropic (0.5 or less spherical equivalent), 42 (24.28%) were myopic or myopic astigmatic, and 119 (68.79%) were hyperopic or hyperopic astigmatic. One hundred and thirty-six patients (78.61%) had pre-operative near vision between J4 and J10. One hundred and seventy-one patients (98.84%) had post-operative near vision between J1 and J3; 150 (86.7%) had J1 (efficacy). Post-operative visual acuity without correction for distance was 20/20 or better in 159 patients (91.91%) (binocular). The predictability within 0.5 D was 87.86%. Safety 99.7% (336/337 eyes): one eye of a diabetic patient lost two lines BCVA. A total of 93.64% were satisfied with the procedure, 2.89% used eye-glasses for certain activities, 1.73% reported dry eye, 0.58% reported a nonspecific lack of adaptation, and there were no serious complications; 3.47% did not achieve their expectations. Twenty-four patients (13.87%) needed an enhancement, 18 of them (75.5%) for only one eye, with 88.89% of these being the non-dominant eye. Forty-nine patients (28.32%) had over 12 months follow-up, with 95.92% still satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: Laser Blended Vision(®) is an excellent option, well tolerated, stable and effective for patients with presbyopia and myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia or emmetropia, also avoiding an intraocular procedure.