Impact of UV-B radiation on Clonostachys rosea germination and growth.

Sensitivity to UV-B radiation is one of the main limitations of biological control of plant pathogens in the field. The effect of UV-B radiation on germination and leaf tissue colonization by the biological control agent Clonostachys rosea was evaluated. There were variations among C. rosea strains in sensitivity to UV-B radiation. The most tolerant strain (LQC62) had relative germination of about 60 % after irradiation of 4.2 kJ m(-2). The deleterious effects of UV-B radiation on C. rosea colonization were overcome by higher conidial concentration. In addition, the tolerance of C. rosea conidia was higher when irradiated over leaf disks compared to agar media, and this is very important information to determine the dose and spray strategies for applying C. rosea in the field.

Occurrence of COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) litters along the eastern coast of Palawan Island, Philippines.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused worldwide health constraints. This study was conducted to establish a baseline monitoring survey to describe the distribution of PPE litters during the COVID-19 pandemic in the province of Palawan, Philippines. A total of 386 COVID-19-related PPE items were present in 83 % of coastal sampling sites with over a cumulative area of 48,200 m2, with a density of 8 × 10-3 items m-2. The facemask (98 %; n = 377) was the primary type of PPE, followed by face shield (2 %; n = 9). Meanwhile, the daily density of PPE litters in San Manuel, Puerto Princesa ranged from 0 to 9.9 × 10-2 items m-2, with a mean density of 8 × 10-3 items m-2. The accumulation rates of PPE items ranged from 3.27 × 10-1 items to 1.143 items d-1, with an average rate of 7.29 × 10-1 items d-1.

Plastic litter pollution along sandy beaches in Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Philippines.

Marine plastic litter pollution has become an emerging threat to the Philippines, especially in Palawan. This study was conducted to investigate the macroplastic litter and determine the clean-coast index (CCI) of the residential and non-residential sites on the coasts of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Plastic litters were sampled from 21 coastal barangays by delineating a 50-m-long transect line with three 4 m × 4 m quadrats. The litter sampled were counted and sorted into categories. The results showed that 17 sites were contaminated with plastic litters. In terms of residential and non-residential sites, the east coast has thrice as much plastic, 2.61 items/m2 and 1.26 items/m2 compared to west coast with only 1.57 items/m2 and 0.14 items/m2, respectively. The plastics sampled were predominantly fishing line (nylon), food packaging, and fragments. The calculated CCI revealed that 76% of the sites sampled were categorized as dirty and extremely dirty.

Healthcare-associated infections in high-risk neonates: Temporal trends in a national surveillance system.

BACKGROUND: Increased survival of preterm neonates who require hospitalization at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has led to an increase in infections. This study aims to describe the temporal trend, risk factors, and outcome of healthcare-associated infections in a NICU of a high complexity hospital, with emphasis on the differences of incidence between bacterial and fungal infections. METHODS: The study was carried out from January 2013 to December 2016, with daily follow-up of the newborns by the National Healthcare Safety Network. RESULTS: The study included 881 newborns, of whom 214 had a bacterial infection, 19 had fungi infection, and 12 bacterial and fungal infections associated. The hospital infection rate was 12/1000 patient-days. SNAPPE>24, days of hospitalization and PICC days were independent risk factors for the development of fungal and bacterial infection, respectively, with statistical significance for bacterial and fungal infections. The mortality rate was 2.6 times higher in those who had fungal infection than in those who had a bacterial infection. The occurrence of invasive infections was higher in the years 2015 and 2016 and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts were more frequent, impacting morbidity and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The use of invasive devices is a risk factor for the occurrence of HAI caused by bacteria and fungi. The frequency of deaths was higher in the group of neonates with fungal infection. These results point to the importance of constant epidemiological surveillance and measures of effective control of infections in NICU.

Use of non-invasive stimulation in movement disorders: a critical review.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive stimulation has been widely used in the past 30 years to study and treat a large number of neurological diseases, including movement disorders. OBJECTIVE: In this critical review, we illustrate the rationale for use of these techniques in movement disorders and summarize the best medical evidence based on the main clinical trials performed to date. METHODS: A nationally representative group of experts performed a comprehensive review of the literature in order to analyze the key clinical decision-making factors driving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in movement disorders. Classes of evidence and recommendations were described for each disease. RESULTS: Despite unavoidable heterogeneities and low effect size, TMS is likely to be effective for treating motor symptoms and depression in Parkinson's disease (PD). The efficacy in other movement disorders is unclear. TMS is possibly effective for focal hand dystonia, essential tremor and cerebellar ataxia. Additionally, it is likely to be ineffective in reducing tics in Tourette syndrome. Lastly, tDCS is likely to be effective in improving gait in PD. CONCLUSIONS: There is encouraging evidence for the use of noninvasive stimulation on a subset of symptoms in selected movement disorders, although the means to optimize protocols for improving positive outcomes in routine clinical practice remain undetermined. Similarly, the best stimulation paradigms and responder profile need to be investigated in large clinical trials with established therapeutic and assessment paradigms that could also allow genuine long-term benefits to be determined.

Association between inflammatory potential of the diet and sleep parameters in sleep apnea patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the inflammatory potential of diet and sleep parameters in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) at predicting sleep pattern. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with mild to severe OSA were included in the study (N = 296). Sleep pattern was analyzed by polysomnography and subjective sleep parameters. DII scores were calculated from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and generalized linear models were conducted. RESULTS: DII scores were efficient at predicting apnea severity (P < 0.05) and daytime sleepiness (P = 0.02) in age stratification and predicting rapid eye movement latency in obese individuals (P = 0.03). No significant associations were found between DII scores and the majority of sleep parameters. The DII was only associated with daytime sleepiness; patients with a more proinflammatory diet (quintile 4) showed more subjective sleepiness than the group with a more anti-inflammatory diet (quintile 1; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Findings from this study indicated that the DII could be sensitive and specific for predicting apnea severity in individuals commonly associated with OSA. Although the DII was not associated with most of the sleep parameters, the few associations found demonstrated the need for more studies that evaluate whether DII is associated with the risk for OSA symptoms.

Balance versus resistance training on postural control in patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidences have shown that physiotherapy programs may improve the balance of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), although it is not clear which specific exercise program is better. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of balance versus resistance training on postural control measures in PD patients. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The study was conducted in a physiotherapy outpatient clinic of a university hospital. POPULATION: A total of 40 PD participants were randomly divided into two groups: balance training (BT) and resistance training (RT). METHODS: The BT group focused on balance training, functional independence and gait while the RT group performed resistance exercises emphasizing the lower limbs and trunk, both supervised by trained physiotherapists. Therapy sessions were held twice a week (at 60 minutes), totaling 24 sessions. The primary outcome was evaluated by force platform with center of pressure sway measures in different balance conditions and the secondary outcome was evaluated by Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) scale to determine the effects of the intervention on postural control. RESULTS: Significant improvement of postural control (pre vs. post 15.1 vs. 9.6 cm2) was only reported in favor of BT group (d=1.17) for one-legged stand condition on force platform. The standardized mean difference between groups was significantly (P<0.02), with 36% of improvement for BT vs. 0.07% for RT on this condition. Significant improvement (P<0.05) was also observed in favor of BT (in mean 3.2%) for balance gains in some BESTest scores, when compared to RT group (-0.98%). CONCLUSIONS: Postural control in Parkinson's disease is improved when training by a directional and specific balance program than a resistance training program. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Balance training is superior to resistance training in regard to improving postural control of individuals with PD. Gold standard instruments (high in cost and difficult to access) were used to assess balance, as well as scales with clinical applicability (low cost, easily acceptable, applicable and valid), which can guide the management of physiotherapists both in their decision-making and in clinical practice.

Eritema multiforme limitado à cavidade oral em um cão: relato de caso / Multiforme erythema limited to the oral cavity in a dog: case report

O eritema multiforme é uma doença incomum em cães, que afeta pele e mucosas, cuja etiologia ainda não foi completamente elucidada. Contudo, o envolvimento exclusivo da cavidade oral é considerado raro, tendo sido descrito poucas vezes até o presente momento. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever um caso de eritema multiforme limitado à cavidade oral em um canino. Um cão, fêmea, Akita, com sete anos de idade, apresentou histórico de ulcerações na cavidade oral e nas laterais da língua, sem alterações cutâneas ou sistêmicas. O diagnóstico definitivo foi realizado por meio do exame histopatológico da mucosa oral, e a terapia imunossupressora empregada mostrou-se eficaz. Embora o eritema multiforme seja considerado incomum na espécie canina, este relato de caso apresenta a forma mais rara da doença, com poucos casos descritos em medicina veterinária.(AU)

Multiforme erythema is an uncommon disease in dogs that affects the skin and mucous membranes, the etiology of which has not yet been fully elucidated. However, the exclusive involvement of the oral cavity is considered rare, having been described few times until the present moment. The aim of this work is to describe a case of multiforme erythema limited to the oral cavity in a canine. A seven-year-old female dog, akita, presented a history of ulcerations in the oral cavity and on the sides of the tongue, with no cutaneous or systemic changes. The definitive diagnosis was made through the histopathological examination of the oral mucosa and the immunosuppressive therapy used proved to be effective. Although multiforme erythema is considered uncommon in the canine species, this case report presents the rarest form of the disease, with few cases described in veterinary medicine.(AU)

Prevention of infectious bursal disease (IBD) by feeding IBD virus-immune bovine colostrum.

Addition of 5% freeze-dried IBD virus (IBDV)-immune bovine colostrum to the diet of chickens prevented infection when housed in an IBDV-contaminated environment. Four of five chickens receiving 2.5%, and all chickens receiving 0.5% or no IBDV-immune colostrum were infected. No interference with development of an active immunity was found in chickens receiving 5% IBDV-immune colostrum in their diet and vaccinated intramuscularly with modified IBDV.

Tissue tropism of three cloacal isolates and Massachusetts strain of infectious bronchitis virus.

Three virus isolates (ECV-1, -2, and -3) recovered from cloacae of chickens in flocks that experienced drops in egg production were identified as infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), based on characteristic embryo lesions, chloroform sensitivity, coronavirus morphology, and serology. Because these isolates were recovered from the cloacae of the hens, their tissue tropism was compared with the prototype strain of IBV, Massachusetts-41 (M-41), in experimentally inoculated chickens. During the 39-day period postinoculation (PI), virus isolation was attempted from digestive and respiratory tracts, kidney, and cloacal swabs. ECV-1, ECV-2, and M-41 were more frequently recovered from the cecal tonsils than from other tissues. ECV-1, ECV-3, and M-41 were also recovered from kidney for up to 39 days PI. ECV-2 and ECV-3 had a limited distribution in respiratory tissues, being isolated only sporadically from trachea, bronchus, and lung. Surprisingly, ECV-2 was isolated from esophagus at 2, 16, 30, and 39 days PI; otherwise, its distribution in other tissues was sporadic. Results confirmed that IBV, including M-41, can infect a variety of tissues and that some isolates may be recovered frequently from digestive tract tissues, particularly from the cecal tonsils.

Inclusion body hepatitis in Mexico.

Inclusion body hepatitis is recorded for the first time in Mexico. Clinical signs, gross lesions, and histopathology in chickens are described, as well as chicken embryo lesions.

Response of susceptible versus immune chicks to killed, live-modified, and wild infectious bursal disease virus vaccines.

Modified infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) administered ocularly to either susceptible or passively immune chicks did not induce protection against bursal atrophy by wild IBDV, while intramuscular (IM) or intrabursal (IB) injection protected susceptible chickens. No protection was obtained in passively immune chickens vaccinated IM or IB. Susceptible and passively immune chickens vaccinated with a single dose of killed-virus suspension (KVS) did not become resistant to wild IBDV challenge. A killed-virus multiple emulsion (KVME) induced partial protection (3/5) against challenge 28 days after subcutaneous vaccination of three-day-old susceptible chickens. At 35 and 42 days old, all susceptible chickens were protected by KVME. Protection by passive antibodies was observed in unvaccinated, KVS-, and KVME-vaccinated chickens challenged at 10 and 17 days of age. Protection was only partial in passively immune chickens vaccinated with KVME after passive antibodies were no longer protective to unvaccinated and KVS-vaccinated chicks. Modified IBDV was detected two days post-IB inoculation only in the bursa of Fabricius of susceptible chickens, while wild IBDV was found also in the thymus, spleen, and blood. No evidence of virus was found in immune chickens inoculated IB with modified IBDV. The growth of wild IBDV was limited to the bursa of Fabricius in immune chickens. Furthermore, the intensity of fluorescence, as well as the number of positive bursa cells, was low when compared with fluorescence in the bursa of susceptible chickens infected with wild IBDV.

Response of mibolerone-treated chickens to infectious bursal disease virus.

The response of mibolerone-treated chickens to infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was studied. Chickens fed a ration containing mibolerone at 1.5 parts per million (ppm) developed bursal atrophy by 4 weeks of age. No indication was found that mibolerone prevented IBDV infection even after 7 weeks of feeding. Furthermore, only chickens treated with mibolerone died when infected with IBDV at 2 or 3 weeks of age, and treated chickens had more severe clinical signs than did untreated controls when infected at 4-8 weeks of age. Chickens fed mibolerone had lower body weights than unmedicated controls, and apparently had a lower antibody response to IBDV and to bovine serum albumin.

Pathogenesis of infectious bursal disease in embryonally bursectomized chickens.

The pathogenesis of infectious bursal disease (IBD) in intact chickens was compared with pathogenesis in chickens that had undergone embryonal bursectomy (EBX chickens), which were challenged at either 2 or 6 weeks of age. All EBX chickens were free of bursa remnants, and those challenged at 6 weeks of age failed to develop primary and secondary antibody responses to sheep red blood cells and bovine serum albumin. A direct fluorescent-antibody technique was used to study the course of infection in the bursa of Fabricius, spleen, thymus, cecal tonsils, and kidneys. EBX delayed but did not prevent the appearance of IBD-infected cells. Virus-positive cells were detected in the thymus of EBX chickens up to 18 days postinfection. Significantly more EBX chickens challenged at 6 weeks of age had hemorrhagic lesion in muscles and intestinal tract than comparable intact chickens had.

Direct binding of protein A, protein G, and anti-IgG conjugates to chicken infectious anemia virus.

Recombinant Protein A, recombinant Protein G, and anti-chicken-IgG anti-bodies raised in rabbits, goats, or horses were found to bind directly to chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV). MSB-1 cells infected with the Cux-1 strain of chicken anemia agent, but not to uninfected MSB-1 cells were found to react with fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugates. In an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, rabbit anti-chicken horseradish peroxidase conjugate bound directly to CIA-1 CIAV-coated plates. In addition, sera from a low percentage of specific-pathogen-free breeder hens reacted in an indirect fluorescent antibody test to detect CIAV antibodies. These reactions generally disappeared within a month. The breeder flocks were demonstrated to be free of CIAV infection by the susceptibility of their progeny.

Depletion of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subpopulations by CIA-1, a chicken infectious anemia virus.

The suppressive effect of chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) on T-lymphocyte subpopulation was evaluated in vivo by flow cytometry and dual immunostaining on frozen sections. Between 14 and 21 days postinoculation (PI), the percentage of CD4-, CD8-, and CT1-positive (CD4+, CD8+, and CT1+) cells was significantly lower in chickens infected at 1 day of age with CIA-1 strain of CIAV than in controls. The mean percentage of CD4+ cells in the thymus was only 43%, whereas in the controls it was 77%. The mean percentages of CD8+ cells in the thymus in infected and control chickens was 54% and 90%, respectively, and of CT1+ cells, 44% and 92%, respectively. At 28 days PI, the percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and CT1+ cells was similar in infected and control chickens. Also at 14 and 21 days PI, immunoperoxidase staining demonstrated fewer CD4+, CD8+, and CT1+ cells in the thymus of infected chickens than in controls. In frozen sections of thymus stained with CIA-1 antibodies and CD4, CD8, or CT1, few of the cells positive for CIAV antigen seen in the outer zone of the cortex carried CD4, CD8, or CT1 molecules. These results suggest that CIA-1 infection either destroys cells expressing CD4, CD8, or CT1 molecules on their surface or interferes with the expression of these molecules.

Abrogation of age-related resistance to chicken infectious anemia by embryonal bursectomy.

Embryonally bursectomized (Ebx) chickens developed signs and lesions typical of chicken infectious anemia (CIA) when infected with CIA-1 isolate of chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) at 21 or 38 days of age. In both cases, the chickens had low hematocrit values after the 14th day of inoculation, and the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the thymus was markedly reduced at 21 days postinoculation. Even though intact chickens became infected, they never developed low hematocrit values. The data support the hypothesis that age-related resistance to CIA is antibody-mediated and is not due to disappearance of the CIAV target cell; the data also suggest that CD4+/CD8+ cells are the target for infection.

Identification of the chicken anemia agent, reproduction of the disease, and serological survey in the United States.

An agent with antigenic, physicochemical, and pathological characteristics of chicken anemia agent (CAA) was isolated from broiler chickens and was designated chicken infectious anemia (CIA)-1. CIA-1 was resistant to chloroform treatment and passed through 50-nm-diameter-pore membranes. When inoculated in embryonally bursectomized and/or intact chickens, CIA-1 produced signs and lesions characteristic of CIA: low hematocrit values, pale bone marrow, thymic and bursal atrophy, and enlarged liver. Microscopic lesions were a reflection of macroscopic observations. When injected into 4-week-old chickens CIA-1 induced antibodies against the Cux-1 CAA isolate. In CsCl, CIA-1 had a density of 1.36 g/ml. Antibodies against CAA were found in breeder and commercial chicken flocks from Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. The age of these flocks ranged from 10 to 78 weeks.

Pathogenesis of Marek's disease virus-induced local lesions. 1. Lesion characterization and cell line establishment.

Subcutaneous (wing-web) or intramuscular inoculation of chickens with allogeneic normal or Marek's disease virus (MDV)-infected chicken kidney cells induced local lesions visible by 3-4 days postinoculation (PI). Lesions were slightly larger (P less than 0.05) in infected than uninfected chickens 5 and 8 days PI. They persisted and grew past 9 days PI only when infected. Infiltrating lymphocytes in infected and uninfected early lesions were similar; they included B-cells and also T-cells with and without Ia antigen. Up to 42% of lymphocytes from infected or uninfected lesions had the surface antigen MATSA. At 3 to 6 days PI, infected lesions contained lymphocytes with viral internal antigen, especially in Ia-bearing cells and MATSA-bearing cells, but thereafter infection was latent. Cells harvested daily from local lesions induced with allogeneic MDV-infected cells were cultured; MD tumor cell lines were established from lesions as early as 4 days PI, with a total success rate of about 50% thereafter. Either transformed tumor cells were already present during the early cytolytic infection period or else appropriate target cells were present that became infected in vivo and/or in vitro and then became transformed in vitro.

Serological and molecular characterization of three enteric isolates of infectious bronchitis virus of chickens.

Three coronaviruses isolated from the intestines of laying chickens were partially characterized. Serological and molecular assays indicated that the enteric coronaviruses are infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) isolates. Although the three isolates were recovered from three unrelated chicken flocks, their RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotide fingerprints were almost identical. The three isolates were not neutralized by antisera specific to IBV serotype Connecticut, but their RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotide fingerprints closely matched the fingerprints of strain Conn-46, a Connecticut serotype. This and the co-fingerprinting data suggested that the three field isolates may have emerged from the Connecticut virus through mutation(s). The mutation(s) apparently involved the S1 protein gene that determines the virus serotype.