The aging brain: Movement speed and spatial control.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: With aging, people commonly develop motor slowing (bradykinesia). Although this slowness with aging may be entirely related to degradation of the cerebral networks important in motor programing, it is possible that, at least in part, it may be a learned procedure for enhancing the accuracy and/or precision of movements. The goal of this study is to test these contradictory hypotheses. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy adults, 12 younger than age 26 and 12 older than age 65 were asked to make alternative marks with a pen between a card centered in front of them and a series of circles distributed across a page. Performance was timed, and participants were instructed to complete the task as quickly as possible while not sacrificing accuracy for speed. The circle sizes and hand used varied by trial. RESULTS: The older adults performed the task more slowly for all target circle diameters. As the circles decreased in size, the younger adults performed the task more rapidly than did the older participants, but the younger participants also had a greater decline in accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: During this aiming task, healthy older adults were less likely than younger adults to sacrifice accuracy for speed. Thus, at least in part, their slowing may be a learned adaptive strategy.

[Etiologic diagnosis in meningitis and encephalitis molecular biology techniques]. / Diagnóstico etiológico en meningitis y encefalitis por técnicas de biología molecular.

INTRODUCTION: The aetiological study of infections of the central nervous system has traditionally been performed using bacterial cultures and, more recently, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for herpes simplex virus (HSV). Bacterial cultures may not have good performance, especially in the context of patients who have received antibiotics prior to sampling, and a request for HSV only by PCR reduces the information to only one aetiological agent. The aim of this study is to determine the infectious causes of meningitis and encephalitis, using traditional microbiology and molecular biology to improve the aetiological diagnosis of these diseases. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A prospective study was conducted on 19 patients with suspected meningitis, admitted to the Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital in Santiago, Chile, from March 1, 2011 to March 30, 2012. After obtaining informed consent, the CSF samples underwent cytochemical study, conventional culture, multiplex PCR for the major producing bacterial meningitis (N. meningitidis, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae), real-time single PCR for HSV-1 and 2, VZV, EBV, CMV, HHV-6 and enterovirus. Clinical and epidemiological data were also collected from the clinical records. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients analysed, 2 were diagnosed by conventional methods and 7 by adding molecular biology (increase to 37%). Three patients had meningitis due to S. pneumoniae, one due to Enterobacter cloacae, 2 patients meningoencephalitis HSV-1, and one VZV meningitis. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of PCR to conventional diagnostic methods in CNS infections increases the probability of finding the causal agent. This allows a more adequate, timely and rational management of the disease.

Global attentional neglect of segmented lines in Parkinson's disease.

Global attention requires disengagement from focal elements of stimuli. Since people with Parkinson's disease (PD) may reveal impaired disengagement, this study attempted to learn if people with PD may be impaired at allocating global attention. Healthy adults and people with PD attempted to bisect lines of uniform thickness and lines composed of two segments of unequal thickness and length. When the longer line segment was to the right of the shorter segment, the group with PD demonstrated an increased deviation toward the longer segment, supporting the postulate that people with PD have an impaired ability to disengage focal attention and engage global spatial attention.

Praxis and writing in a right-hander with crossed aphasia.

Studies of patients with brain lesions have demonstrated that language and praxis are mediated by dissociable networks. However, language has the capacity to influence the selection of purposeful actions. The abilities to use language and to program purposeful movements are often mediated by networks that have anatomic proximity. With hemispheric injury, the diagnosis of apraxia is often confounded by the specific influence of language impairments on the ability to select and produce transitive gestures. We report a patient who illustrates this confound. This patient is a right-handed man who developed global aphasia and neglect after a right hemispheric stroke. His right hand remained deft, and when asked to produce specific transitive gestures (pantomimes), he often performed normally but did make some body part as object and perseverative errors. However, he did not demonstrate the temporal or spatial errors typical of ideomotor apraxia. He also had a perseverative agraphia. Our patient's left hemisphere praxis system appeared to be intact, and the error types demonstrated during production of transitive gestures cannot be attributed to a degradation of postural and movement (praxis) programs mediated by his left hemisphere. The praxis errors types are most consistent with a deficit in the ability to select the necessary praxis programs. Thus, our patient appeared to have dissociation between language and praxis programs that resulted in body part as object and perseverative errors.

Pirfenidone Reverts Global DNA Hypomethylation, Promoting DNMT1/UHRF/PCNA Coupling Complex in Experimental Hepatocarcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development is associated with altered modifications in DNA methylation, changing transcriptional regulation. Emerging evidence indicates that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) plays a key role in the carcinogenesis process. This study aimed to investigate how pirfenidone (PFD) modifies this pathway and the effect generated by the association between c-Myc expression and DNMT1 activation. Rats F344 were used for HCC development using 50 mg/kg of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 25 mg/kg of 2-Acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF). The HCC/PFD group received simultaneous doses of 300 mg/kg of PFD. All treatments lasted 12 weeks. On the other hand, HepG2 cells were used to evaluate the effects of PFD in restoring DNA methylation in the presence of the inhibitor 5-Aza. Histopathological, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and western blot analysis were carried out and our findings showed that PFD treatment reduced the amount and size of tumors along with decreased Glipican-3, ß-catenin, and c-Myc expression in nuclear fractions. Also, this treatment improved lipid metabolism by modulating PPARγ and SREBP1 signaling. Interestingly, PFD augmented DNMT1 and DNMT3a protein expression, which restores global methylation, both in our in vivo and in vitro models. In conclusion, our results suggest that PFD could slow down HCC development by controlling DNA methylation.

Structural remodelling of the heart valves extracellular matrix during embryo development.

Alterations in heart valve development represent more than 20% of congenital cardiovascular malformations. Most of the functional properties of heart valves depend on extracellular matrix. Despite its relevance, little is known about fibrillar components on developing stages. Our objective is to define histological changes on valves fibrillar components in late embryonic development of Mus musculus. We found type III collagen as the predominant fibre type in the ECM in prenatal stages followed by a switch to a type I predominance for postnatal ages. The change in fibrillar components is necessary to support the normal mechanical function of adult heart valves.

Tightening Bonds in Latin America Through Phage Discovery.

Between 2015 and 2019, we hosted an International Phage Course at Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 2-week full-time course was hands-on and included lectures from renowned phage biologists. Participating students were able to meet and discuss with recognized experts from around the world in a familiar setting, facilitating the establishment of scientific collaborations and the expansion of their networks. Eighty-four students from 14 Latin American countries have participated in the course, which included isolation, characterization, genome sequencing, and annotation of novel phages. We have successfully created a coursework that enabled the acquisition of new knowledge and expertise in bacteriophage biology and strengthened ties among Latin American colleagues.

Isolation and Characterization of vB_MsmS_Celfi: A New Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacteriophage.

Introduction: Because of the clinical relevance of Mycobacteria, and from a therapeutic perspective, there is an increasing interest to study phages that infect bacteria belonging to this genus. Materials and Methods: A phage was isolated from a soil sample, using Mycobacterium smegmatis as host. Its characterization included sequencing, annotation, and analysis of the genome, host range determination, and electron microscopy imaging. Results: Mycobacterium phage vB_MsmS_Celfi is a temperate phage able to infect Mycobacterium tuberculosis with high efficiency. From electron microscopy images, Celfi belongs to the Siphoviridae family. Genome analysis classified phage Celfi into cluster L, subcluster L2 of Actinobacteriophage clusters. Mycobacterium phage Celfi exhibits a Lysin B distant to those present in other members of the subcluster and other mycobacteriophages. Conclusions: The discovery of new phages that infect M. tuberculosis could contribute to the development of novel tools for detection systems and future treatment of the disease.

Genome Sequence and Characterization of Lactobacillus casei Phage, vB_LcaM_Lbab1 Isolated from Raw Milk.

Introduction: Only a few Lactobacillus casei phages have so far been characterized. As several L. casei strains are part of probiotic formulations, bacteriophage outbreaks targeting these strains can lead to critical losses within the dairy industry. Materials and Methods: A new L. casei phage was isolated from raw milk obtained from a milking yard from the province of Buenos Aires. The phage genome was sequenced, annotated, and analyzed. Morphology was determined by electron microscopy and the host range was established. Results: Lactobacillus phage vB_LcaM_Lbab1 is a member of the Herelleviridae family and features a host range including L. casei/Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus kefiri strains. We further analyzed the baseplate proteins in silico and found putative carbohydrate binding modules that are responsible for host recognition in other Lactobacillus phages. Conclusions: A new Lactobacillus phage was isolated and characterized. The focus was made on its host recognition mechanism, pointing toward the development of future strategies to avoid deleterious infections in the dairy industry.

Background distraction during vertical solid and character line bisections.

Background-objectives: When vertical lines are positioned above or below the center of the page, line bisection deviates toward the center of the page, suggesting that the edges of the page distract the allocation of attention to the line. A letter-character line (LCL) bisection requires both global and focal attention, to identify the target letter closest to the line's center. If more focal and less global attention is allocated to a LCL, more global attentional resources may be available and inadvertently allocated to the page. Alternatively, if the allocation of focal attention to a LCL inhibits global attentional processing, there may be less distraction by the page. METHOD: Twenty-four healthy adults (12 older) bisected vertical solid and character lines centered, or positioned closer to the top or bottom of the page. RESULTS: There was no difference between bisection of solid and character lines centered on the page. Page-related deviations were greater with character lines than solid line bisections, and greater for lines positioned toward the top than the bottom of the page. With lines positioned toward the top, the older participants' attempted bisections were higher than those of the younger participants. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the allocation of focal attention increases global attentional distractibility and that global-background attentional distraction is greater when the vertical lines are placed in the upper part of the page. Older participants appeared to be less distracted when lines were placed toward the top of the page, but the reason for this age difference requires further research.

Asymmetrical distractibility of global and focal visuospatial attention during segmental and total compound line bisections.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Compound horizontal lines are composed of 2 segments of unequal length and width. Line bisection requires that the participants attend to the entire line (global attention). The longer segment often distracts participants, suggesting that attention directed to this segment (focal attention) disrupts the allocation of global attention. This study attempted to learn whether the allocation of focal attention to a line segment is distracted by global attention allocated to the entire line and whether there are right-left distraction asymmetries when allocating focal or global attention. METHOD: Twenty-four healthy adults (12 > 65 years old) attempted to bisect horizontal lines composed of 2 segments of unequal length, with the larger segment placed to the right or left. They were also asked to bisect the longer segment of these lines. RESULTS: When allocating focal attention to the larger segment, healthy participants were more distracted when the smaller segment was on the left than on the right. In contrast, when attempting to allocate global attention to the entire line, participants were more distracted when the larger segment was on the right side. There were no significant differences between older and younger participants. CONCLUSIONS: The asymmetrical global distraction during segment bisection might be related to the right hemisphere's dominance in mediating global attention and allocating attention leftward. In contrast, the asymmetrical focal distraction during full-line bisection might be related to the left hemisphere's dominance in mediating focal attention and allocating attention toward the right. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Anisakidae nematodes isolated from the flathead grey mullet fish (Mugil cephalus) of Buenaventura, Colombia.

Anisakiasis is a parasitic infection caused by larval stages of nematodes of the genus Anisakis, Pseudoterranova and Contracaecum, of the Anisakidae family. The lifecycle of these nematodes develops in aquatic organisms and their final hosts are marine mammals. However, humans can act as accidental hosts and become infected with infective stage larvae (L3) by consuming raw or undercooked fish or shellfish carrying the parasite. Of this group of parasites, the genus Anisakis is the most studied: its presence in humans is associated with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms or allergic responses that can trigger anaphylactic shock. The lack of studies in anisakiasis and Anisakis in Colombia has resulted in this infection being little-known by medical practitioners and therefore potentially underreported. The objective of this study was to identify anisakid nematodes in the flathead grey mullet fish (Mugil cephalus), caught by artisanal fishing methods and commercialized in Buenaventura. Morphological identification was carried out by classical taxonomy complemented by microscopy study using the histochemical technique Hematoxylin-Eosin. Nematodes of the genus Anisakis were found in the host M. cephalus. The Prevalence of Anisakis larvae in flathead grey mullet fish was 33%. The findings confirm the presence of Anisakis sp. in fish for human consumption in the Colombian Pacific region, a justification for further investigation into a possible emerging disease in this country.

[Blood-feeding of Rhodnius prolixus].

Triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) are blood-sucking insect vectors of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi which is the causative agent of Chagas' disease. Rhodnius prolixus is the most epidemiologically important vector of T. cruzi in Colombia. Triatomines are regarded to be vessel-feeders as they obtain their blood meals from vertebrate hosts by directly inserting their mouthparts into vessels. Microscopic techniques are useful for visualizing and describing the morphology of biological structures. Here, we show images of the blood-feeding of R. prolixus, including some histological features by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the mouthparts of R. prolixus when feeding on a laboratory mouse.

A histological ontology of the human cardiovascular system.

BACKGROUND: In this paper, we describe a histological ontology of the human cardiovascular system developed in collaboration among histology experts and computer scientists. RESULTS: The histological ontology is developed following an existing methodology using Conceptual Models (CMs) and validated using OOPS!, expert evaluation with CMs, and how accurately the ontology can answer the Competency Questions (CQ). It is publicly available at http://bioportal.bioontology.org/ontologies/HO and https://w3id.org/def/System . CONCLUSIONS: The histological ontology is developed to support complex tasks, such as supporting teaching activities, medical practices, and bio-medical research or having natural language interactions.

Influencia de la anastomosis de las arterias umbilicales (Hyrtl's) en la morfometría y eficiencia placentaria / Influence of the anastomosis of the umbilical arteries (Hyrtl's) on the morphometry and efficiency of the placenta

La anastomosis de Hyrtl's (AH), vaso único con amplia variabilidad anatómica, comunica las arterias umbilicales cerca de la inserción del cordón umbilical en las placentas humanas. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar si existe relación entre las características morfométricas de la placenta y la presencia de anastomosis y analizar si esta tiene influencia en la eficiencia placentaria. Estudio descriptivo. Se analizaron 60 placentas provenientes de madres que aceptaron participar en la investigación, embarazo único, a término (entre 37,0 y 41,6 semanas), con edades entre 18 y 37 años, con al menos cuatro visitas a control prenatal, sin comorbilidades. Las características placentarias de peso, diámetros y grosor se tomaron en fresco. Una vez fijadas con formaldehido al 10 %, mediante disección se ubicó, clasificó y fotografió la anastomosis. El peso de la placenta fue 494,4 ± 87,1 gramos, el grosor central correspondió a 1,7 ± 0,4 cm, DM 19,9 ± 2,0 cm y Dm 18,4 ± 1,7 cm. La inserción de cordón predominante fue excéntrica (65 %) y la forma discoidea u ovalada (60 %). En 51 placentas se ubicó la presencia de anastomosis (85 %). En el grupo de placentas con presencia AH se encontró un peso placentario más bajo al compararlo con el grupo que no presentó AH, el resto de las características morfométricas de la placenta, incluido el tipo de inserción de cordón umbilical no presentaron relación con la anastomosis. La eficiencia placentaria expresada con la relación entre peso neonato/peso placenta presentó diferencias significativas en el grupo con presencia de anastomosis, con mayores valores comparados con el grupo sin anastomosis. La presencia de AH contribuye positivamente a la eficiencia placentaria. Sin embargo, el incremento del peso placentario puede ser un efecto compensador de la placenta y no siempre indica una mayor eficiencia funcional del órgano.

SUMMARY: Hyrtl's anastomosis (HA), a single vessel, with wide anatomical variability, communicates the umbilical arteries, near the insertion of the umbilical cord in human placentas. The objective of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the morphometric characteristics of the placenta and the presence of the anastomosis and to analyze if this influences the placental efficiency. Descriptive study. We analyzed 60 placentas from mothers who agreed to participate in the study, single pregnancy, term (between 37.0 and 41.6 weeks), aged between 18 and 37 years with at least four visits to prenatal control, without comorbidities. The placental characteristics of weight, diameters and thickness were taken fresh. Once fixed with 10 % formaldehyde, the anastomosis was located, classified, and photographed by dissection. The weight of the placenta was 494.4 ± 87.1 g, the central thickness corresponded to 1.7 ± 0.4 cm, the MD 19.9 ± 2.0 cm and Dm 18.4 ± 1.7 cm: The predominant cord insertion was eccentric, with 65 % and the discoid or oval shape with 60 %. In 51 placentas the presence of anastomosis was found (85 %). In the group of placentas with AH presence, a lower placental weight was found when compared to the group that did not present AH, the rest of the morphometric characteristics of the placenta, including the type of umbilical cord insertion, were not related to the anastomosis. Placental efficiency expressed as the neonatal weight/placental weight ratio showed significant differences in the group with presence of anastomosis, with higher values compared to the group without anastomosis. The presence of HA contributes positively to placental efficiency. However, the increase in placental weight may be a compensatory effect of the placenta and does not always indicate a greater functional efficiency of the organ.

Automatic recognition of fundamental tissues on histology images of the human cardiovascular system.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Therefore, techniques for improving diagnosis and treatment in this field have become key areas for research. In particular, approaches for tissue image processing may support education system and medical practice. In this paper, an approach to automatic recognition and classification of fundamental tissues, using morphological information is presented. Taking a 40× or 10× histological image as input, three clusters are created with the k-means algorithm using a structural tensor and the red and the green channels. Loose connective tissue, light regions and cell nuclei are recognised on 40× images. Then, the cell nuclei's features - shape and spatial projection - and light regions are used to recognise and classify epithelial cells and tissue into flat, cubic and cylindrical. In a similar way, light regions, loose connective and muscle tissues are recognised on 10× images. Finally, the tissue's function and composition are used to refine muscle tissue recognition. Experimental validation is then carried out by histologist following expert criteria, along with manually annotated images that are used as a ground-truth. The results revealed that the proposed approach classified the fundamental tissues in a similar way to the conventional method employed by histologists. The proposed automatic recognition approach provides for epithelial tissues a sensitivity of 0.79 for cubic, 0.85 for cylindrical and 0.91 for flat. Furthermore, the experts gave our method an average score of 4.85 out of 5 in the recognition of loose connective tissue and 4.82 out of 5 for muscle tissue recognition.

Anisakis and anisakidosis: hosts and case reports in South America. Systematic review / Anisákidos y anisakidosis: reportes de caso y hospedadores en América del Sur. Revisión sistemática

Abstract Introduction: Anisakidosis is a disease caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood parasitized by nematode larvae of the family Anisakidae. Even though it is a public health issue in Europe and Asia, it is relatively unknown in South America. Objective: To present case reports on anisakidosis and the intermediate hosts of Anisakis reported in South America. Materials and methods: A systematic review was conducted in Medline, Cochrane, Embase, LILACS and Scopus using a structured search of MeSH and DeCS descriptors. The search strategy included publication period: inception of each database-September 2018; languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese; and study types: case reports and observational cross-sectional studies. The review was complemented with an unstructured search in SciELO and Google Scholar. Results: The initial search yielded 172 articles. After removing duplicates and reviewing the inclusion criteria, 69 studies were selected for full analysis: 19 case reports and 50 host records. The most reported form of anisakidosis was gastrointestinal anisakidosis with 45 cases; this infectious disease was caused by a single larva in 41 people (91.1%). Reports of 95 species of fish for human consumption parasitized by larvae of the genera Anisakis, Contracaecum, Pseudoterranova and Hysterothylacium were identified in Argentina (22 fish species), Brazil (34 species), Chile (15 species), Colombia (17 species), Ecuador (8 species), Peru (7 species), Uruguay and Venezuela (2 species each). Conclusion: Anisakidosis is a latent risk in South America, so it is necessary to establish effective regulations for efficiently controlling the appearance of this parasitic disease in the region. Furthermore, the general population should receive more information about the precautions regarding saltwater fish consumption.

Resumen Introducción. La anisakidosis es una parasitosis ocasionada por el consumo de pescado de mar crudo o semicrudo parasitado por larvas de nematodos de la familia Anisakidae. En Europa y Asia es un problema de salud pública; sin embargo, en América del Sur es poco conocida. Objetivo. Identificar los reportes de caso de anisakidosis y los hospedadores intermediarios de anisákidos reportados en América del Sur. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática en Medline, Cochrane, Embase, LILACS y Scopus mediante la búsqueda estructurada de términos MeSH y DeCS. Estrategia de búsqueda: periodo de publicación: inicio de cada base de datos-septiembre de 2018; idiomas: inglés, español y portugués; tipos de estudio: reportes de caso y estudios transversales observacionales. La revisión fue complementada con una búsqueda no estructurada en SciELO y Google Scholar. Resultados. La búsqueda inicial arrojó 172 artículos. Una vez removidos los duplicados y revisados los criterios de inclusión, se seleccionaron 69 estudios para análisis completo: 19 reportes de caso y 50 registros de hospedadores. La forma de anisakidosis más reportada fue la gastrointestinal, con 45 casos, donde la parasitosis fue causada por una larva única en 41 casos (91.1%). Se identificaron reportes de 95 especies de peces para consumo humano parasitadas por los géneros Anisakis, Contracaecum, Pseudoterranova e Hysterothylacium en los siguientes países: Argentina (22 especies), Brasil (34 especies), Chile (15 especies), Colombia (17 especies), Ecuador (8 especies), Perú (7 especies), Venezuela (4 especies) y Uruguay (2 especies). Conclusión. La anisakidosis es un riesgo latente para América del Sur, por lo que es necesario instaurar normativas efectivas para controlar su aparición en la región y brindar más información a la población general sobre las precauciones necesarias en relación con el consumo de pescado de agua salada.

Anisákidos y anisakidosis: generalidades y su actualidad en Colombia. Revisión bibliográfica / Anisakis and Anisakiasis: General aspects and current situation in Colombia

RESUMEN La anisakidosis es una parasitosis ocasionada por nematodos de la familia Anisakidae, causa-da por el consumo de pescado parasitado con larvas infectivas (L3) de estos nematodos. En Europa y Asia es un problema de salud pública. Sin embargo, en Colombia y en general en los países de América del Sur, es poco conocida. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar una revisión de las generalidades de los parásitos anisákidos y mostrar la situación actual de esta parasitosis en Colombia. Se realizó una búsqueda estructurada de términos MeSH y DeCS en MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, LILACS y Scopus; esta se complementó con otra no estructurada en SciELO y Google Scholar. Se incluye un reporte de caso y seis registros de hospederos. Se describen registros de peces de consumo humano parasitados por Anisakis sp., Anisakis physeteris y Pseudoterranova decipiens para el Océano Pacífico y, los géneros Pseudoterranova y Contracaecum en peces del Océano Atlántico y aguas continentales. Se concluye que la anisakidosis representa un riesgo latente para Colombia, es necesario instaurar legislaciones efectivas para un control eficiente sobre esta parasitosis y educar a la población sobre los cui-dados necesarios para el consumo de pescado.

SUMMARY Anisakidosis is a parasitic disease derived from the consumption of infective larvae from Anisakidae family. In Europe and Asia is a public health problem, however, in Colombia and South American countries is little known. The objective is to review Anikids general aspects and find out about the current situation of this disease in Colombia. Search of MeSH and DeCS terms, through MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus databases, complemented with grey literature from SciELO and Google Scholar, was made. One case report and six host records were included. Records of fish for human consumption from Pacific Ocean parasitized by Anisakis sp., Anisakis physeteris and Pseudoterranova decipiens are described, as well as for fish from Atlantic Ocean and inland waters with genera Pseudoterranova and Contracaecum. Anisakidosis represents a latent risk for Colombia; it is necessary to establish effective legislations for an efficient control of the emergence of this parasitic disease, as well as to educate people about needed precautions considering fish consumption.

Abnormal tactile pressure perception in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Some of the behavioral disorders associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), such as the reduced magnitude of actions (hypometria) may be related to an impairment in cognitive disengagement. A reduced ability to disengage attention from previous sensory stimuli will alter perception with a reduced range of estimated stimulus magnitudes (contraction to the mean). To test this disengagement hypothesis, participants with PD were tested to learn whether they had abnormal sensory perception with overestimation of the relative magnitude of weaker tactile stimuli and underestimation of the relative magnitude of stronger tactile stimuli in relation to a reference stimulus. DESIGN/METHOD: The participants were 12 people with PD and 12 healthy adults. Test stimuli were applied to the palm using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments (SWM) of 6 magnitudes, 3 greater and 3 less than a standard stimulus. In each trial, after being stimulated with the reference (standard) stimulus, a test monofilament was applied, and the participant was asked to provide a numerical estimate of the magnitude of the second stimulus relative to the standard. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, participants with PD overestimated the magnitudes of the tactile stimuli below the standard stimulus and underestimated the magnitudes of stimuli above the standard stimulus. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that people with PD likely have a reduced ability to estimate the relative magnitudes of tactile sensory stimuli. Whereas deafferentation would alter perception in one direction, the impairment of these participants with PD may result from a disorder of disengagement, and disorders of disengagement are often due to frontal-executive dysfunction.

First reporting of Anisakis sp. in the Armed Snook fish (Centropomus armatus) caught and commercialized in Buenaventura, Colombia / Primer reporte de Anisakis sp. en el pez Róbalo (Centropomus armatus) capturado y comercializado en Buenaventura, Colombia

Objective: Nematodes of the Anisakidae family are parasites found in aquatic organisms. The lack of studies on anisakidosis and Anisakis in Colombia has meant this type of parasitosis is not widely known by health personnel and underreporting of the disease is highly likely. The objective of this study was to identify anisakid nematodes in the armed snook fish (Centropomus armatus) obtained by artisanal fishing and sold commercially in the coastal port city of Buenaventura. Material and methods: Morphological identification of these worms was performed using taxonomic keys and supplemented with microscopic study using the histochemical Hematoxylin-Eosin technique. Results: Nematodes of the genus Anisakis were found in 42% and the mean abundance was 2.8 in the C. armatus. Conclusions: The findings confirm the presence of Anisakis sp. in fish for human consumption in Buenaventura, the main fishing port in the Colombian Pacific region. This finding in itself warrants further investigation into the possibility of an emerging disease in Colombia.

Objetivos: Los nematodos de la familia Anisakidae son parásitos de organismos acuáticos. La falta de estudios en anisakidosis y anisakidos en Colombia ha resultado en el desconocimiento de esta infección por parte del personal de salud y un posible subregistro de la enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar nematodos anisakidos en el pez róbalo (Centropomus armatus), obtenido por pesca artesanal y comercializado en la localidad de Buenaventura. Materiales y métodos: La identificación morfológica se realizó usando claves taxonómicas para estos gusanos complementada con estudio microscópico mediante técnica histoquímica de Hematoxilina-Eosina. Resultados: Se encontraron nemátodos del género Anisakis en 42% y una abundancia promedio de 2.8 en el hospedero C. armatus. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos confirman la presencia de Anisakis sp. en peces de consumo humano de Buenaventura, principal puerto pesquero en la región Pacífica colombiana, lo cual abre el camino en la investigación de una posible enfermedad emergente en este país.