Endotoxic shock, one of the most prominent causes of mortality in intensive care units, is characterized by pulmonary hypertension, systemic hypotension, heart failure, widespread endothelial activation/injury, and clotting culminating in disseminated intravascular coagulation and multi-organ system failure. In the last few years, studies in rodents have shown that administration of low concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) exerts potent therapeutic effects in a variety of diseases/disorders. In this study, we have administered CO (one our pretreatment at 250 ppm) in a clinically relevant, well-characterized model of LPS-induced acute lung injury in pigs. Pretreatment only with inhaled CO significantly ameliorated several of the acute pathological changes induced by endotoxic shock. In terms of lung physiology, CO pretreatment corrected the LPS-induced changes in resistance and compliance and improved the derangement in pulmonary gas exchange. In terms of coagulation and inflammation, CO reduced the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation and completely suppressed serum levels of the proinflammatory IL-1beta in response to LPS, while augmenting the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Moreover, the effects of CO blunted the deterioration of kidney and liver function, suggesting a beneficial effect in terms of end organ damage associated with endotoxic shock. Lastly, CO pretreatment prevents LPS-induced ICAM expression on lung endothelium and inhibits leukocyte marginalization on lung parenchyma.

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The present study examined the prevalence of behaviours in dogs separated from the litter for adoption at different ages. Seventy adult dogs separated from their dam and littermates and adopted between the ages of 30 and 40 days were compared with 70 adult dogs that had been taken from the litter for adoption at two months. Owners were asked to complete a questionnaire eliciting information on whether their dog exhibited potentially problematic behaviours when in its usual environment. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether the age at which the dog was separated from the litter might predispose it to developing undesirable behaviours. The odds of displaying destructiveness, excessive barking, fearfulness on walks, reactivity to noises, toy possessiveness, food possessiveness and attention-seeking were significantly greater for the dogs that had been removed from the litter earlier during the socialisation period. In addition, dogs purchased from a pet shop at 30 to 40 days of age were reported to exhibit some of the listed behaviours with a significantly higher frequency than dogs purchased from a pet shop at two months. No significant differences were observed with dogs obtained from other types of sources. The dogs in the youngest age group (18 to 36 months) had a higher probability of displaying destructiveness and tail chasing. These findings indicate that, compared with dogs that remained with their social group for 60 days, dogs that had been separated from the litter earlier were more likely to exhibit potentially problematic behaviours, especially if they came from a pet shop.

Blood acidification at the inlet of a ML with infusion of 1, 2 and 5 mEq/min of lactic acid can increase the CO2 removal capacity of the ML up to 70%.

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36Unwelcome behaviors in pet dogs may have serious implications for the quality of life of both the 37 animals and their owners. We investigated owners' perceptions about their dogs' behavioral issues 38 as well as other factors that might be predictive of potential canine problem behaviors. We 39 distinguished between "undesirable behaviors" (behaviors that were unpleasant to the owners) and 40 "problematic behaviors" (behaviors that the owners found difficult to overcome). 41 We designed an on-line survey eliciting information about owners, their dogs, their relationship 42 with their dogs and whether the animals exhibited any of 15 potentially problematic behaviors. The 43 largest proportion of respondents (65%) reported that their dogs exhibited undesirable, but not 44 problematic, behaviors and were not interested in their modification. Only 32% of the respondents 45 considered the behavior to be both undesirable and problematic and wished to change it. The 46owners' perception of a problem was associated with reports of fear-and anxiety-related behaviors. 47The owner's gender, marital status and attitude towards the dog as his/her child as well as the dog's 48 age, size, age at acquisition and breed emerged as robust predictors. Compared to all other 49 behavioral categories, reported aggressive canine behaviors were three times more likely to elicit an 50 owner's wish to address them. This study revealed that the behaviors of dogs may be perceived 51 differently by their owners and the type of perception may influence the owner's actual willingness 52 to change those behaviors. Moreover, we identified the most robust set of factors that, either 53 individually or combined, would help predict a dog's potential problem behaviors and an owner's 54 attitude towards them, which will be useful in improving rational prevention and treatment 55 strategies. 56 57 58

Poor knowledge is available on the effectiveness of reading to dogs in educational settings, particularly in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this study, we test the hypothesis that reading to a dog improves propensity towards books and motivation to read after the end of the programme, as well as reading and cognitive skills in children with ASD. The study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial, consisting of testing and re-testing after a 10 sessions reading programme with and without the presence of a dog. Nine Children with ASD (6–11 years old) were randomly assigned to a control (CG, reading without a dog, n. 4) or experimental group (EG, reading to a dog, n. 5). Children’s attendance at reading sessions was recorded at each session. Parents’ perceptions were evaluated at the end of the programme to detect changes in children’s attitudes and motivation toward reading. Psychologist-administered validated reading (Cornoldi’s MT2 reading test; test of reading comprehension, TORC; metaphonological competence test, MCF) and cognitive tests (Wechsler intelligence scale for children Wisc IV, Vineland) to all children, at baseline and at the end of the reading programme. Compared with CG children, children in the EG group participated more frequently in the reading sessions, and they were reported to be more motivated readers at home after the programme. However, there were no differences on reading and cognitive tests’ scores either within each group of children or between groups. Further studies are warranted in order to understand whether and how incorporating dogs into a reading programme is beneficial to Children with ASD at the socio-emotional and cognitive level.