First report of Spirocerca vulpis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Portugal.

Recent studies have described Spirocerca lupi-like nematodes in the stomach of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Europe. A phylogenetic analysis of those specimens using mitochondrial DNA and their morphological reexamination allowed their characterization as a different species, Spirocerca vulpis. Between the years of 2010 and 2017, roundworms were collected from seven red foxes of northeastern Portugal found at necropsy with nodular lesions on their stomach wall. Histopathological analysis of four foxes revealed granulomatous lesions of the gastric nodules. On morphological assessment, by light microscopy, nematodes revealed the presence of six triangular teeth-like buccal capsule structures, which are absent in S. lupi. Polymerase chain reaction was run to amplify a 551 bp partial fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Sequences were 99% similar to S. vulpis (85% coverage) of red foxes from Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 99% similar (99% coverage) to sequences of Spirocerca sp. of red foxes from Denmark and 93% similar (99% coverage) to S. lupi from South Africa. This is the first report of S. vulpis in foxes or any other host from Portugal.

Molecular genetics of syndromic and non-syndromic forms of parathyroid carcinoma.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) may occur as part of a complex hereditary syndrome or an isolated (i.e., non-syndromic) non-hereditary (i.e., sporadic) endocrinopathy. Studies of hereditary and syndromic forms of PC, which include the hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome (HPT-JT), multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 2 (MEN1 and MEN2), and familial isolated primary hyperparathyroidism (FIHP), have revealed some genetic mechanisms underlying PC. Thus, cell division cycle 73 (CDC73) germline mutations cause HPT-JT, and CDC73 mutations occur in 70% of sporadic PC, but in only ∼2% of parathyroid adenomas. Moreover, CDC73 germline mutations occur in 20%-40% of patients with sporadic PC and may reveal unrecognized HPT-JT. This indicates that CDC73 mutations are major driver mutations in the etiology of PCs. However, there is no genotype-phenotype correlation and some CDC73 mutations (e.g., c.679_680insAG) have been reported in patients with sporadic PC, HPT-JT, or FIHP. Other genes involved in sporadic PC include germline MEN1 and rearranged during transfection (RET) mutations and somatic alterations of the retinoblastoma 1 (RB1) and tumor protein P53 (TP53) genes, as well as epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation and histone modifications, and microRNA misregulation. This review summarizes the genetics and epigenetics of the familial syndromic and non-syndromic (sporadic) forms of PC.

Diagnosis of insulin autoimmune syndrome using polyethylene glycol precipitation and gel filtration chromatography with ex vivo insulin exchange.

CONTEXT: Insulin-binding antibodies may produce severe dysglycaemia in insulin-naïve patients ('insulin autoimmune syndrome' (IAS) or Hirata disease), while rendering routine insulin assays unreliable. OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of clinically used insulin assays and an optimal analytical approach in the context of IAS. DESIGN: Observational biochemical study of selected patients with hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia. PATIENTS: Three patients without diabetes with recurrent spontaneous hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia and 'positive' insulin antibodies. MEASUREMENTS: A panel of clinically used insulin assays (Siemens ADVIA® Centaur, Siemens Immulite® 2000, DiaSorin LIAISON® XL, PE AutoDELFIA® and the Beckman Coulter Access® 2) were used before and after plasma dilution or polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. Anti-insulin IgG antibodies were measured by Isletest™ -IAA ELISA. Gel filtration chromatography (GFC) was undertaken with and without preincubation of plasma with exogenous insulin. RESULTS: Dilution of IAS plasma with assay-specific buffer increased insulin recovery, supporting negative immunoassay interference by antibodies. PEG precipitation of IAS plasma decreased insulin recovery using all assays except the Immulite® 2000. GFC discriminated high molecular weight and monomeric insulin, while ex vivo addition of exogenous insulin to plasma increased insulin bound to antibody, thereby improving the sensitivity of detection of insulin immunocomplexes. CONCLUSIONS: Immunoprecipitation with PEG must be used with caution in screening for insulin-antibody complexes as results are assay dependent. GFC with addition of exogenous insulin can identify significant insulin immunocomplexes with enhanced sensitivity, with attendant greater clinical utility and avoidance of radiolabelled reagents.

DMP-1-mediated Ghr gene recombination compromises skeletal development and impairs skeletal response to intermittent PTH.

Bone minerals are acquired during growth and are key determinants of adult skeletal health. During puberty, the serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and its downstream effector IGF-1 increase and play critical roles in bone acquisition. The goal of the current study was to determine how bone cells integrate signals from the GH/IGF-1 to enhance skeletal mineralization and strength during pubertal growth. Osteocytes, the most abundant bone cells, were shown to orchestrate bone modeling during growth. We used dentin matrix protein (Dmp)-1-mediated Ghr knockout (DMP-GHRKO) mice to address the role of the GH/IGF axis in osteocytes. We found that DMP-GHRKO did not affect linear growth but compromised overall bone accrual. DMP-GHRKO mice exhibited reduced serum inorganic phosphate and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and decreased bone formation indices and were associated with an impaired response to intermittent PTH treatment. Using an osteocyte-like cell line along with in vivo studies, we found that PTH sensitized the response of bone to GH by increasing Janus kinase-2 and IGF-1R protein levels. We concluded that endogenously secreted PTH and GHR signaling in bone are necessary to establish radial bone growth and optimize mineral acquisition during growth.

On the faecal detection of Halicephalobus gingivalis in equines in Iran.

The life-cycle of the parasitic forms of Halicephalobus gingivalis is yet to be fully understood. In cases where there is evidence to support the presence of eggs from this parasite or its DNA in the faeces of equines, a thorough investigation of the clinical status and gastro-intestinal tract of the affected animals is warranted, as well as detailed descriptions of the employed coprological technique. Since reports of the identification of H. gingivalis eggs in faeces are sparse, objective measurements and high-quality images must be provided, in order to ensure optimal criteria for classification. Regarding research concerning H. gingivalis, no piece of information should be regarded as superfluous.

Tunable elastomer materials with vascular tissue-like rupture mechanics behavior.

Purpose. Laboratory models of human arterial tissues are advantageous to examine the mechanical response of blood vessels in a simplified and controllable manner. In the present study, we investigated three silicone-based materials for replicating the mechanical properties of human arteries documented in the literature.Methods. We performed uniaxial tensile tests up to rupture on Sylgard184, Sylgard170 and DowsilEE-3200 under different curing conditions and obtained their True (Cauchy) stress-strain behavior and Poisson's ratios by means of digital image correlation (DIC). For each formulation, we derived the constitutive parameters of the 3-term Ogden model and designed numerical simulations of tubular models under a radial pressure of 250 mmHg.Results. Each material exhibits evident non-linear hyperelasticity and dependence on the curing condition. Sylgard184 is the stiffest formulation, with the highest shear moduli and ultimate stresses at relative low strains (µ184 = 0.52-0.88 MPa,σ184 = 15.90-16.54 MPa,ε184 = 0.72-0.96). Conversely, Sylgard170 and DowsilEE-3200 present significantly lower shear moduli and ultimate stresses that are closer to data reported for arterial tissues (µ170 = 0.33-0.7 MPaσ170 = 2.61-3.67 MPa,ε170 = 0.69-0.81;µdow= 0.02-0.09 MPaσdow= 0.83-2.05 MPa,εdow= 0.91-1.05). Under radial pressure, all formulations except DowsilEE-3200 at 1:1 curing ratio undergo circumferential stresses that remain in the elastic region with values ranging from 0.1 to 0.18 MPa.Conclusion. Sylgard170 and DowsilEE-3200 appear to better reproduce the rupture behavior of vascular tissues within their typical ultimate stress and strain range. Numerical models demonstrate that all three materials achieve circumferential stresses similar to human common carotid arteries (Sommeret al2010), making these formulations suited for cylindrical laboratory models under physiological and supraphysiological loading.

First skull of Antillothrix bernensis, an extinct relict monkey from the Dominican Republic.

The nearly pristine remains of Antillothrix bernensis, a capuchin-sized (Cebus) extinct platyrrhine from the Dominican Republic, have been found submerged in an underwater cave. This represents the first specimen of an extinct Caribbean primate with diagnostic craniodental and skeletal parts in association, only the second example of a skull from the region, and one of the most complete specimens of a fossil platyrrhine cranium yet discovered. Cranially, it closely resembles living cebines but is more conservative. Dentally, it is less bunodont and more primitive than Cebus, with crowns resembling Saimiri (squirrel monkeys) and one of the oldest definitive cebines, the late Early Miocene Killikaike blakei from Argentina. The tricuspid second molar also resembles the enigmatic marmosets and tamarins, whose origins continue to present a major gap in knowledge of primate evolution. While the femur is oddly short and stout, the ulna, though more robust, compares well with Cebus. As a member of the cebid clade, Antillothrix demonstrates that insular Caribbean monkeys are not monophyletically related and may not be the product of a single colonizing event. Antillothrix bernensis is an intriguing mosaic whose primitive characters are consistent with an early origin, possibly antedating the assembly of the modern primate fauna in greater Amazonia during the La Venta horizon. While most Greater Antillean primate specimens are quite young geologically, this vanished radiation, known from Cuba (Paralouatta) and Jamaica (Xenothrix) as well as Hispaniola, appears to be composed of long-lived lineages like several other mainland clades.

Ingestion of plastic debris by commercially important marine fish in southeast-south Brazil.

Rising concentrations of plastics in the oceans are leading to increasing negative interactions with marine biota, including ingestion by endangered and/or economically important seafood species such as fish. In this paper, we visually evaluated plastic debris ingestion by 965 specimens of eight commercially exploited fish species from different marine habitats off the southeast-south coast of Brazil. All species ingested plastics, with pelagic animals having higher amounts, frequency of occurrence, diversity and sizes of ingested items than demersal-pelagic and demersal animals. Highest frequency of occurrence (FO%) of plastic ingestion (25.8%) was observed for the pelagic skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis (Scombridae), and lowest (5%) for the demersal bluewing searobin Prionotus punctatus (Triglidae). Microplastics predominated in all species, and fibers/lines and fragments were the main items found, possibly derived from fishing materials. The most abundant plastic colors were transparent, black and blue, and the most common polymers were polyamide and polyurethane. With the available data, no relationship between the size of the individuals and amount of ingested plastics was observed. Considering the negative impacts of plastic ingestion on marine fish, and potentially on human health due to their consumption, understanding ingestion patterns is critical for better evaluating their origin and possible causes, and consequently for helping define prevention strategies for this problem.

Vulnerabilidad al estrés en adolescentes de instituciones deportivas / Vulnerability to stress in teenagers in sports institutions

Fundamento: Los trastornos temporomandibulares tienen origen multifactorial y el factor psicológico ocupa un papel importante en su desencadenamiento. Objetivo: Determinar la vulnerabilidad al estrés en adolescentes de instituciones deportivas. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transversal, en la EIDE provincial de Sancti Spíritus "Lino Salabarría Pupo" entre octubre de 2020 y marzo de 2021. Se seleccionaron 70 escolares de décimo, onceno y duodécimo grados mediante muestreo aleatorio simple. Se midió la variable: rango de vulnerabilidad al estrés. Se utilizaron métodos del nivel teórico, empírico y estadístico. Resultados: El 51.4 %.de los estudiantes fueron clasificados con vulnerabilidad al estrés, el 40 % no vulnerables, el 8.6 % seriamente vulnerables y ninguno extremadamente vulnerables. Conclusiones: Existe un predominio de adolescentes de instituciones deportivas con vulnerabilidad al estrés.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders have a multifactorial origin and the psychological factor plays an important role in their triggering. Objective: To determine the vulnerability to stress in teenagers from sports institutions. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted at the Sancti Spíritus provincial EIDE "Lino Salabarría Pupo" between October 2020 and March 2021. Seventy schoolchildren from tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades were selected by simple random sampling. The variable range of vulnerability to stress was measured. Theoretical, empirical and statistical methods were used. Results: 51.4 % of the students were classified with vulnerability to stress, 40 % not vulnerable, 8.6 % seriously vulnerable and none extremely vulnerable. Conclusions: There is a predominance of teenagers from sports institutions with vulnerability to stress.

LeishVet update and recommendations on feline leishmaniosis.

Limited data is available on feline leishmaniosis (FeL) caused by Leishmania infantum worldwide. The LeishVet group presents in this report a review of the current knowledge on FeL, the epidemiological role of the cat in L. infantum infection, clinical manifestations, and recommendations on diagnosis, treatment and monitoring, prognosis and prevention of infection, in order to standardize the management of this disease in cats. The consensus of opinions and recommendations was formulated by combining a comprehensive review of evidence-based studies and case reports, clinical experience and critical consensus discussions. While subclinical feline infections are common in areas endemic for canine leishmaniosis, clinical illness due to L. infantum in cats is rare. The prevalence rates of feline infection with L. infantum in serological or molecular-based surveys range from 0% to more than 60%. Cats are able to infect sand flies and, therefore, they may act as a secondary reservoir, with dogs being the primary natural reservoir. The most common clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities compatible with FeL include lymph node enlargement and skin lesions such as ulcerative, exfoliative, crusting or nodular dermatitis (mainly on the head or distal limbs), ocular lesions (mainly uveitis), feline chronic gingivostomatitis syndrome, mucocutaneous ulcerative or nodular lesions, hypergammaglobulinaemia and mild normocytic normochromic anaemia. Clinical illness is frequently associated with impaired immunocompetence, as in case of retroviral coinfections or immunosuppressive therapy. Diagnosis is based on serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cytology, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) or culture. If serological testing is negative or low positive in a cat with clinical signs compatible with FeL, the diagnosis of leishmaniosis should not be excluded and additional diagnostic methods (cytology, histology with IHC, PCR, culture) should be employed. The most common treatment used is allopurinol. Meglumine antimoniate has been administered in very few reported cases. Both drugs are administered alone and most cats recover clinically after therapy. Follow-up of treated cats with routine laboratory tests, serology and PCR is essential for prevention of clinical relapses. Specific preventative measures for this infection in cats are currently not available.

Cirurgia ortognática: assimetria facial e a limitação do planejamento manual com articulador semi-ajustável Acon (ASA) - correção com planejamento virtual (3D) / Orthognathic surgery: facial asymmetry and the limitation of manual planning with the semi-adjustable Arcon (ASA) articulator ­ correction with virtual (3D) planning

Introdução: os casos de assimetria facial são considerados os de maior complexidade dentro do âmbito da cirurgia Buco-Maxilo-Facial, devido a alteração esquelético-morfológica nos três planos do espaço (Pitch, Yaw e Roll). Estes planos foram trazidos do posicionamento de uma aeronave no espaço para o mundo da cirurgia, mais especificamente ao planejamento virtual, para romper as limitações do planejamento manual e a plataforma de Erickson, usados durante décadas para correção não só de casos simples envolvendo movimentos puros dos ossos, como também assimetrias. Hoje é sabido que o planejamento manual ainda é usado, porém, vem caindo em desuso devido as suas limitações. A cirurgia virtual vem ganhando muito espaço e se superando a cada dia. Objetivo: relatar um caso de cirurgia ortognática em que a paciente era portadora de assimetria facial, planejada de forma manual (tradicional) e os erros encontrados após 04 anos, levando a uma re-operação baseada em planejamento virtual.

Introduction: the cases of facial asymmetry are considered the most complex within the scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery due to skeletal-morphological changes in the three planes of space (Pitch, Yaw and Roll). These plans were brought from the position of an aircraft in space to the world of surgery, specifically the virtual planning to break the limitations of manual planning and Erickson platform, used for decades to fix not only simple cases involving purê bone's movements as well as asymmetries. Today it is known that manual planning is still used, however, it has fallen into disuse because of its limitations. Virtual surgery is gaining a lot of space and surpassing every day. Objective: this article aims to report a case of orthognathic surgery in which the patient had facial asymmetry, planned manually (traditional) and the errors found after 04 years, leading to a virtual planning-based re-operation.

Evidências da interação entre obesidade e doença periodontal: uma revisão de literatura / Evidence of interaction between obesity and periodontal disease: a review of literature

A obesidade e o sobrepeso, acúmulo em excesso de gordura no organismo, apresentam um perfil epidemiológico cada vez maior mundialmente e representam um risco geral à saúde, já que estão associados ao desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares e cerebrovasculares, hipertensão, diabetes tipo 2, cânceres, hiperlipidemia e colelitíase. Além disso, citocinas derivadas do tecido adiposo e hormônios podem desempenhar um papel modulador de processos inflamatórios, dentre eles a periodontite. Esta doença periodontal é caracterizada por causar danos à gengiva, ao tecido conjuntivo de suporte e ósseo, os quais ancoram os dentes aos maxilares. É infecciosa, crônica e causada predominantemente por bactérias que estimulam um infiltrado inflamatório de células de defesa, estabelecendo sua progressão. A relação entre a doença periodontal e sobrepeso/obesidade tem sido discutida por diversos estudos. Alguns sugerem que a obesidade pode exacerbar a susceptibilidade à doença periodontal por apresentarem distúrbios hormonais e inflamatórios. O objetivo desta revisão de literatura é reunir as principais evidências que discutem esse tema a fim de direcionar estudos que estabeleçam a causalidade desta interação e, caso haja conclusões identificadas, buscar melhorias na condição de saúde geral da população. A literatura vem tentando comprovar essa relação mas encontra dificuldades em diversos aspectos como critérios de avaliação utilizados, parâmetros de definição das doenças, população a ser estudada, metodologias empregadas, e ausência de estudos com observações longitudinais

The obesity and the overweight, accumulation of excessive fat in the body, have an epidemiological increase worldwide and represent a general risk to health, because they are associated with the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancers, hyperlipidemia, and cholelithiasis. Beside, cytokines from adipose tissue and hormones may play a modulatory role in inflammatory processes, including periodontitis. This periodontal disease is characterized by damage the gums, connective tissue and bone support, which anchor the teeth to the jaws. It is infectious, chronic and predominantly caused by bacteria that stimulate an inflammatory infiltrate of immune cells, setting its progression. The relationship between periodontal disease and overweight / obesity has been discussed by several studies. Some studies suggest that obesity can exacerbate periodontal disease susceptibility for having hormonal disorders and inflammatory conditions. The aim of this review is to show the main evidences that discuss this issue in order to direct studies to establish the causality of this interaction and to search improvements in the general health condition of the population. The literature has been trying to prove this relationship but finds difficulties in various aspects such as evaluation standard, parameters defining diseases, population studied, methodologies, and lack of studies with longitudinal observations.