Seasonal roost selection and activity of a remnant population of northern myotis in Pennsylvania.

The decline in northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) populations due to the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) has led to the species receiving federal protection in the United States and Canada, requiring conservation of critical habitats. However, considerably more is known about summer habitat preferences of northern myotis compared to late summer through winter. Our goal was to describe the seasonal presence and habitat use of a remnant colony of northern myotis in central Pennsylvania. We radio-tagged 31 northern myotis and established 6 acoustic monitoring stations to document activity from 2017-2021. We found that roost trees used during the maternity season by reproductive females were occupied by bats during both summer (21 June-14 August) and autumn (15 August-31 October), indicating similar habitat use patterns between seasons. During this time, both males and females preferred to roost in dead and declining trees. No other variable influenced male use, but females also preferred trees located close to water and in forest stands with higher basal area than randomly located trees. Northern myotis with active transmitters never left the study area and were tracked to roosts until early November. During October and November, a female and male were tracked to an underground network of air-filled voids (the Milieu Souterrain Superficiel) we presume to be a hibernaculum. Northern myotis calls were recorded outside this roost between March and October, and bats were observed emerging from this roost during spring and autumn but not summer. Acoustic activity at this site exhibited a seasonal pattern that differed from acoustic activity near roost trees and foraging areas, with a peak of activity during late summer when northern myotis are known to swarm. These data show that northern myotis maternity roosts are used extensively outside of summer and may be vulnerable to forestry practices that occur even outside of the pup-rearing season. These data also support the growing evidence that some northern myotis hibernate outside of caves and mines.

Improvement in quality of life outcomes 2 weeks after left ventricular assist device implantation.

BACKGROUND: The successful use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge to heart transplantation has prompted our examination of quality of life (QOL) outcomes. The purposes of this study are to describe QOL in patients 1 to 2 weeks after LVAD implantation and to compare QOL in a smaller cohort of patients from before to 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. METHODS: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 81 patients who completed booklets of questionnaires that measure domains of QOL 1 to 2 weeks after LVAD insertion and from 30 of 81 patients who completed booklets at both the pre-implantation and post-implantation periods. Patients completed booklets of 6 to 8 self-reporting instruments, with acceptable reliability and validity. Data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics (chi-square, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests) with p = 0.01 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: One to 2 weeks after LVAD implantation, patients were quite satisfied with their lives, experienced moderately low amounts of stress, coped well, and perceived themselves as having good health and QOL, low symptom distress, and moderately low functional disability. Patients reported significantly better QOL, more satisfaction with health and functioning, and were significantly less distressed by symptoms from immediately pre-operatively to post-operatively. However, patients reported significantly more self-care disability and more dissatisfaction with socioeconomic areas of life from before to immediately after surgery. Psychological distress was low and did not change with time. CONCLUSION: Given that QOL improved from before to after LVAD implantation, our findings provide a springboard for investigation of the impact of LVADs on long-term QOL outcomes.

[Clinical and statistical study on the value of the sugar cube test in the measurement of the degree of radio-induced xerostomia]. / Studio clinico e statistico sulla validità del test della zolletta nella misurazione del grado di xerostomia radioindotta.

Personal experience with the sugar cube test for evaluating the degree of xerostomy induced by radiation therapy carried out by means of 60Co photons on volumes including the parotid glands is reported. The execution technique is described and the processing of data deriving from a series of 480 tests carried out in 60 patients suffering from head-neck cancers reported. On the basis of experience it is maintained that the test presents the following advantages: simple execution, maximum tolerance, easy evaluation, possibility of numerically quantifying and graphically evidencing the course of xerostomy; in conclusion, it is considered that this can be advantageously adopted for both research and practical clinico-therapeutic purposes.

[The topical treatment of atrophic-erosive oral lichen planus with fluocinonide in a bioadhesive gel, chlorhexidine and miconazole gel. A totally open trial]. / Il trattamento topico del lichen planus orale atrofico-erosivo con fluocinonide in gel bioadesivo, clorexidina e miconazolo gel. Un trial tutto aperto.

To evaluate the efficacy and long-term course of topical steroids treatment in oral lichen planus (OLP), an open trial has been carried out in 30 patients with atrophic-erosive or symptomatic varieties of OLP confirmed histologically with relative contraindications for systemic steroid treatment (namely, liver disease, peptic ulcer, diabetes, blood hypertension or osteoporosis). The treatment was the following: Fluocinonide (Topsyn) 0.025% in 4% idrossiethylcellulose gel applied 3 times/daily for two months, 2 times/daily for the next 2 months and 1 times/daily for other 2 months. Moreover, chlorhexidine (Plakout) 0.12%, 3 mouthwashes/daily and miconazole gel (Micotef) applied 1 times/daily were used for the entire period of the steroid therapy as antimycotics. The clinical evaluation of signs and symptoms was assessed on a scale of 0 to 5 and of 0 to 3, respectively. Twenty patients concluded the entire therapeutical scheme, whereas 5 (17%) interrupted the treatment for the appearance of side-effects (namely, gastroesophageal disturbances, mucosal bleeding and pruritus), 1 interrupted voluntarily the treatment and 4 cases did not present at the controls. No cases of oral candidiasis were seen. Eighteen patients (90%) had improvements of oral lesions with significant statically reductions in the scores of signs (p < 0.002) and of symptoms (p < 0.02) (Wilcoxon test). We emphasize also that in 61% of the responders the oral conditions were stable after 6 months of follow-up. In conclusion our results suggest the following: a) fluocinonide is an effective and safe drug for the treatment of OLP, especially in addition with chlorehixidine and miconazole; b) the stability of our results demonstrates that probably an adequate steroid therapeutical scheme is more useful than continuous steroid administration in the treatment of OLP.