Transcriptional imprints of prenatal stress: sex- and time-specific signatures in early neurodevelopment.

Prenatal stress (PNS) is a well-established animal model of foetal exposure to maternal stress and related psychiatric disorders. While its biological and behavioural effects on the offspring have been widely studied in adolescence and adulthood, early-life signatures remain largely unexplored. Here, we assessed whole-genome transcriptomic changes by RNA-sequencing, followed by pathway analyses, in hippocampi collected at postnatal day (PND)2 and PND14 from male and female rats exposed to PNS by physical maternal restraint, compared with non-stressed counterparts (n = 6 per group).

Green operating room project in a multidisciplinary Surgical Unit.

The climate emergency requires effective measures to reduce the environmental impact of the healthcare system. Approximately 20% of medical waste originates from operating rooms. Proper waste segregation, along with adherence to a correct definition of biohazardous waste, are good practice procedures in the operating unit that ensure waste reduction.

Left atrial thrombosis in a dog with advanced myxomatous mitral valve disease.

An 11-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel with a previous diagnosis of preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) was presented with respiratory distress and abdominal distension. Lung edema and ascites were diagnosed. Echocardiography revealed a progression of the MMVD as it was associated with a moderate enlargement of the left-sided cardiac chambers and an atrial septal defect (ASD).

Blood transcriptomic signatures associated with depression, or the risk for depression, in pregnant women from the Psychiatry Research And Motherhood - Depression (PRAM-D) study.

During pregnancy multiple biological systems undergo consistent modifications, in particular the hormonal axes and the immune system. Moreover, while it is well known that pregnant women suffering from depression show alterations in these systems, the exact underlying mechanisms are still not clear. For this reason, in this study, we explored the blood transcriptomic profile and related pathways in 41 pregnant women with a current diagnosis of depression, 23 pregnant women, who were not depressed in pregnancy but, because of a history of depressive episodes, were considered at high risk of developing antenatal depression (history-only), and 28 pregnant women who had never experienced depression in their life, including the current pregnancy.