Non-lactose-fermenting uropathogenic Escherichia coli from dogs: virulence profile characterization.

Non-lactose-fermenting Escherichia coli (NLFEC) has a few descriptive studies restricted to human infections. In the present study, isolates of NLFEC obtained from urine samples of dogs with hyperadrenocorticism were characterized regarding their virulence ability, biofilm formation capacity and antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Escherichia coli lactose-fermenting strains from urinary infection in dogs with the same conditions were analysed to provide comparisons. The non-lactose-fermenting E. coli strains were classified as belonging to clade I E. coli, whereas the lactose-fermenting strains were classified in phylogroup B2. All strains presented virulence markers to adhesion, iron acquisition, toxins, colicin and cytotoxin production, and biofilm regulation. Components of the extracellular matrix in addition to the in vitro biofilm formation ability were observed in the strains. Multidrug resistance (MDR) profiles were observed by in vitro susceptibility tests to all NLFEC strains. In summary, non-lactose-fermenting uropathogenic E. coli from dogs behaves similar to lactose-fermenting E. coli, exhibiting MDR profile, and pathogenic potential of promote animal infections.

Insights on the genetic features of endometrial pathogenic Escherichia coli strains from pyometra in companion animals: Improving the knowledge about pathogenesis.

Endometrial pathogenic E. coli (EnPEC) isolates are involved in endometrial infections in animals and humans. Besides the high aggressiveness of the endometrial infections, the EnPEC virulence profile and pathogenesis are still little known. In this study, we have sequenced and analyzed an EnPEC strain from canine pyometra (E. coli_LBV005/17), following a molecular characterization of the virulence profile and phylogenetic evolution of an EnPEC collection from canines and felines (45 strains). Most of the strains belonged to phylo-group B2, and display a high virulence profile. In particular we highlight the classification of the E. coli_LBV005/17 as sequence type 131 (ST131), in addition to other five strains, as observed by gyrB phylogenetic analysis. Also, the phylogenetic position of EnPEC strains from pyometra in companion animals suggests that their origins are from both extraintestinal and commensal E. coli strains. Accordingly to Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and phylogenetic analysis we can propose that EnPEC strains have neither the same genetic profile, nor a unique common ancestral. In summary, the present work characterize an EnPEC genome from bitch pyometra and the genetic profile of 45 EnPEC strains from companion animals pyometra, being the commonest virulence pattern: fimA, papC, hlyA, hlyE, cnf1, entB, iroN, irp1, bssS, bssR, and hmsP. These data improving the background knowledge of this E. coli pathotype related to pyometra in companion animals and may support new methods to prevent the disease evolution.

Melanoma oral amelanótico metastático com acometimento neurológico e gonadal em um cão fêmea - relato de caso / [Metastatic oral amelanotic melanoma with neurologic and gonadal involvement in a female dog - case report]

Relata-se um caso de melanoma oral disseminado em uma cadela de dois anos, com protrusão de bulbo ocular unilateral e quadro convulsivo progressivo. Os exames de imagem revelaram aumento de volume nas regiões submandibular, maxilar e cerebral, padrão nodular pulmonar e aumento das dimensões ovarianas. A citologia da massa submandibular indicou proliferação epitelial maligna, enquanto a biópsia excisional foi sugestiva de melanoma amelanótico. Na necropsia, havia uma massa gengival localmente infiltrativa e nodulações brancas nos linfonodos, nos rins, no pulmão, no cérebro e nos ovários, indicativas de metástase. O diagnóstico histopatológico consistiu de neoplasia maligna metastática indiferenciada, indicativo de melanoma amelanótico. Células caracterizadas por núcleo com cromatina espessa, múltiplos nucléolos bem evidentes, mitoses atípicas e multinucleações consistiram nos principais critérios de malignidade. No espaço peritrabecular ósseo facial, havia rara diferenciação pigmentar melanocítica, confirmada histoquimicamente pela técnica de Fontana-Massom e Giemsa. Algumas células foram positivas pela imuno-histoquímica para PNL-2 e Melan-A, e o diagnóstico de melanoma amelanótico disseminado foi firmado. A indiferenciação neoplásica marcante, com disseminação metastática multissistêmica e acometimento mútuo de sítios anatômicos pouco comuns, conjuntamente com a ampla variação dos padrões celulares, foi responsável pelo desafio diagnóstico do presente caso, ressaltando o papel decisivo da imuno-histoquímica para confirmação diagnóstica. A importância clínica deste trabalho consiste ainda em alertar a comunidade clínica e científica acerca da dificuldade diagnóstica, devendo-se considerar o melanoma amelanótico como diferencial mesmo em casos de lesões orais menos perceptíveis e/ou desprovidas de pigmentação.(AU)

A case of disseminated oral melanoma in a two year old female dog with unilateral protuberance of the eye bulb and progressive seizure is described. Imaging exams revealed increase of the submandibular, maxillary and cerebral regions, nodular pattern in lungs and increased ovarian dimensions. The cytology of the submandibular mass indicated a malignant epithelial proliferation, whereas the excisional biopsy indicated an amelanotic melanoma. At necropsy, a locally infiltrating gingival mass and white nodules in the lymph nodes, kidneys, lung, brain and ovaries were observed, indicative of metastases. Histopathological diagnosis consisted of an undifferentiated malignant metastatic neoplasm. Nucleus with coarse chromatin, prominent nucleoli, bizarre mitotic figures and multinucleated cells were the major malignant features. There was a poor melanocytic pigment differentiation in the peritrabecular space of facial bones, confirmed by Fontana-Masson and Giemsa histochemical techniques. Only a few cells were immunohistochemically positive for PNL-2 and Melan-A and the diagnosis of a disseminated amelanotic melanoma was performed. The diagnostic challenge was based on marked neoplastic undifferentiation, with multisystemic metastasis and mutual involvement of uncommon anatomic sites, associated with a large variability of cellular patterns, highlighting the decisive role of immunohistochemistry for diagnostic confirmation. Therefore, the clinical importance of this study is to warn the clinical and scientific community about the diagnostic challenge, considering the amelanotic melanoma as a differential even in cases of poorly apparent and/or nonpigmented oral lesions.(AU)

Chromosome evolution in fish: sex chromosome variability in Eigenmannia virescens (Gymnotiformes: Sternopygidae).

New data are presented on the sex chromosomes of the fish species Eigenmannia virescens (Gymnotiformes, Sternopygidae). A new finding, involving the occurrence of ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, is described in specimens sampled from the São Francisco and Amazon river basins in Brazil. All individuals had a chromosome number of 2n = 38. The homologs of the sex chromosome pair from the São Francisco river basin sample differed only in their morphology, while those from the Amazonian sample differed both in morphology and heterochromatin pattern. A possible model for the evolution of the sex chromosomes in E. virescens is proposed, including data from populations from the Paraná (Brazil) river basin, in which male heterogamety has already been described. The occurrence of different sex chromosome systems in species and populations of the neotropical freshwater fish fauna is discussed.

The impact of a videotape on smoking cessation among African-American women.

The African-American female smokers identified stress, pleasure, and addiction as the reasons that they smoked. These reasons were similar to those provided by the other smokers. The African-American female smokers reported greater addiction to nicotine than the other smokers, as indicated by greater incidence of smoking within 30 minutes of waking. The African-American female smokers also identified with the characters depicted in the videotape more strongly than did the other smokers. African-American female smokers identified behavioral coping strategies as those that they would use in their quit attempts more frequently than did the other smokers. Cessation rates were similar for the African-American females and other smokers. Although low, the 9.7% reported cessation rate, or the 4.6% conservative cessation rate estimate, is higher than the 3% 3-month quit rate observed among a group of 50 African-American female smokers living in South-Central Los Angeles during the same time period who were not participating in a quit-smoking program. Therefore the present data suggest an effect above mere testing.

Molecular weight and antitumour activity of Zymomonas mobilis levans.

Levans produced by several Zymomonas mobilis strains were classified by their viscosity average molecular weight and tested against sarcoma 180. Measurements of the samples' polydispersity were carried out to characterise the molecular weight distribution. The antitumour activities of levan samples were plotted against the viscosity average molecular weight and a maximum value of this activity was found at Mv = 210,000 (Mw = 456,900 and PD = 16.2). The results indicate that levan antitumour activities depend on the polysaccharide molecular weight and that a specific class of molecular weight may be responsible for this effect.

Recovery of Bacillus sphaericus 2362 spores from growth medium by flocculation/sedimentation.

Bacillus sphaericus 2362 spore sedimentation was evaluated through batch settling experiments, using tannin as the flocculating agent. The flocculation was demonstrated to be efficient up to the tannin concentration of 150 ppm. The floc diameter averaged 208 micro m, and its density was found to be 1.09 g/mL. The sedimentation process using tannin as a flocculating agent is promising, and a spore concentrate was obtained without loss of biological activity, presenting a LC(50) equal to 0.22 ppm. The result indicates that the larvicide activity is appropriate for controlling populations of Culex quinquefasciatus.

Symptomatology in alcoholics at various stages of abstinence.

Evaluation of 312 abstinent alcoholics (163 men and 149 women) with the Symptom Check-List 90 revealed high levels of symptomatology for subjects in the early months of abstinence. Symptomatology decreased progressively with prolonged abstinence, approximating normal levels for subjects abstinent 10 years or more. The levels were similar for men and women. At all stages, for both men and women, symptomatology was highest on the depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions, with guilt a particularly persistent symptom. It is suggested that the findings depict a long-term process of recovery from active alcoholism and are consistent with the concept of a protracted withdrawal syndrome, an intermediate (partially reversible) brain syndrome, and general psychosocial dysfunction and demoralization consequent to active alcoholism.

Cooperation of adolescents in orthodontic treatment.

Cooperation of 39 adolescents with orthodontic treatment was examined 8-10 months into treatment and again at completion. Early in treatment, parental attitudes served as the best predictors of cooperation. By the end of active treatment, however, the adolescent patients' own cognitions were the most salient predictors of cooperation. Prior to beginning orthodontic treatment, subjects and their parents completed a battery of psychosocial and orthodontic-specific measures. Results of stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that only the Parent Positive Attitude Toward Braces measure significantly predicted orthodontic cooperation early in treatment, while External-Powerful Others (Professionals) attributions of control, External-Chance attributions of control, and the initial assessment of cooperation significantly predicted cooperation over longer periods of time.

Sex chromosome evolution in fish. II. Second occurrence of an X1X2Y sex chromosome system in Gymnotiformes.

A multiple sex chromosome system of the X1X1X2X2:X1X2Y type is reported to occur in the fish species Brachyhypopomus pinnicaudatus (Gymnotiformes, Hypopomidae), being the second occurrence of this sex chromosome system in Gymnotiformes and the fifth among Neotropical freshwater fish. The possible origin of this system was hypothesized to be a centric fusion, which occurred in an ancestral form, of two medium-sized acrocentrics, giving origin to the metacentric neo-Y. Heterochromatic DAPI-positive regions were visualized in the pericentromeric region of all the chromosomes, including the Y-chromosome. In-situ hybridization with (TTAGGG)n (all-human-telomeres probe) did not detect any telomeric interstitial regions (ITS), indicating a possible loss of terminal segments of the chromosomes involved in the neo-Y formation.

Application of fractional factorial design to levan production by Zymomonas mobilis

Levan is a non-toxic, biologically active, extra cellular polysaccharide composed solely by fructose units. Optimization of levan production by Zymomonas mobilis strain ZAG-12 employing a 2(4-1) fractional factorial design was performed to analyze the influence of the temperature (20, 25 e 30°C) agitation (50, 75 e 100 rpm), and the initial concentrations of both sucrose (150, 200 e 250 g.L-1) and yeast extract (2.0, 3.5 e 5.0g.L-1) on final levan concentration. Aerobic fermentation was performed batchwise in 500mL Pyrex flasks for 72 hours. Biomass, ethanol, levan and sucrose were determined at beginning and also at end of the fermentations. The experiments showed that the final levan concentration depended on initial sucrose concentration, temperature and agitation velocity and that the initial concentration of yeast extract did not influence levan production. However, when the production of ethanol and biomass were considered, it became evident that yeast extract was a significant variable. The best conditions for levan production occurred at 100 rpm agitation, 20°C and 250g.L-1 of initial sucrose resulting in 14.67g.L-1 of levan.

Levana é um polissacarídeo extracelular, biologicamente ativo, não tóxico, contendo em sua estrutura apenas frutose. A maximização da produção de levana, por via fermentativa, pela linhagem de Zymomonas mobilis ZAG-12, foi estudada utilizando-se um planejamento fatorial de dois níveis 2(4-1), variando-se as concentrações iniciais de sacarose (150, 200 e 250 g.L-1) , extrato de levedura (2.0, 3.5 e 5.0 g.L-1), temperatura (20, 25 e 30°C) e agitação (50, 75 e 100 rpm). As fermentações foram desenvolvidas por processos descontínuos em frascos Pyrex roscados, de 500 mL, contendo 300 mL de meio a base de sacarose, por 72 horas. No início e ao final do processo, foram dosados: biomassa, etanol, levana e sacarose como açúcares redutores totais. A análise dos dados mostra que o aumento da produção de levana depende tanto dos efeitos da concentração inicial de sacarose, temperatura e agitação, isoladamente, quanto da interação entre agitação e temperatura na faixa experimental estudada. O extrato de levedura não afeta a produção de levana, entretanto, quando a resposta é produção de etanol e biomassa, fica evidente que essa variável é significativa. Os resultados demonstraram que as melhores condições para a produção em batelada ocorreram com 250g/L de sacarose inicial, 100 rpm de agitação, a 20°C.

A contact map matching approach to protein structure similarity analysis

We modeled the problem of identifying how close two proteins are structurally by measuring the dissimilarity of their contact maps. These contact maps are colored images, in which the chromatic information encodes the chemical nature of the contacts. We studied two conceptually distinct image-processing algorithms to measure the dissimilarity between these contact maps; one was a content-based image retrieval method, and the other was based on image registration. In experiments with contact maps constructed from the protein data bank, our approach was able to identify, with greater than 80% precision, instances of monomers of apolipoproteins, globins, plastocyanins, retinol binding proteins and thioredoxins, among the monomers of Protein Data Bank Select. The image registration approach was only slightly more accurate than the content-based image retrieval approach.

Medium optimization fot the production of Actinomycin-D by Streptomyces parvulus

The present work aims to optimize the complex medium for the production of actinomycin-D by S.parvulus. The quantitative influence of the medium components was investigated in order to maximize the antibiotic synthesis. In the original medium, concentrations of actinomycin-D not higher than 245 ug/ml were achieved. In contrast, with the optimized medium the antibiotic concentration reached a value of approximately 530 ug/ml

Disturbios hidreletroliticos agudos em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. Casuistica e protocolo terapeutico. / Acute water-electrolyte disorders in Intensive Care Unit. Case study and therapeutic record

Os autores apresentam a casuistica e o protocolo terapeutico adotado na UTI do Pronto-Socorro Infantil Sabara, frente aos disturbios hidreletroliticos agudos. Sao ressaltados os passos fundamentais da correcao desses disturbios e a importancia da utilizacao correta do protocolo terapeutico

Neurocisticercose - artigo de revisäo / Neurocysticercosis: review article

Os autores fazem uma revisäo atualizada sobre a neurocisticercose. Foram revisados os aspectos epidemiológicos, patológicos, as manifestaçöes clínicas, diagnóstico, tratamento, prognóstico e a profilaxia desta importante doença neurológica

Hipernatremia em terapia intensiva. / Hypernatremia in intensive therapy

Os autores apresentam a conduta terapeutica adotada na UTI do pronto-socorro infantil Sabara frente as criancas que apresentem desidratacao hipermatremica consequente balanco negativo de Na e agua.Os resultados sao comentados a luz dos trabalhos classicos da literatura