Scrapie at Abattoir: Monitoring, Control, and Differential Diagnosis of Wasting Conditions during Meat Inspection.

Wasting disease in small ruminants is frequently detected at slaughterhouses. The wasting disorder is manifested by the deterioration of the nutritional and physiological state of the animal indicated by thinness, emaciation, and cachexia. Evidence of emaciation and cachexia, alone, are pathological conditions leading to carcass condemnation during an inspection. Several diseases are associated with a wasting condition, including scrapie, pseudotuberculosis, tuberculosis, paratuberculosis, Maedi Visna, and tumor diseases. On the other hand, parasitic diseases, nutrition disorders, exposure or ingestion of toxins, metabolic conditions, inadequate nutrition due to poor teeth, or poor alimentary diet are conditions contributing to poor body condition. Classical and atypical scrapie is naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in small ruminants. The etiological agent for each one is prions. However, each of these scrapie types is epidemiologically, pathologically, and biochemically different. Though atypical scrapie occurs at low incidence, it is consistently prevalent in the small ruminant population. Hence, it is advisable to include differential diagnosis of this disease, from other possibilities, as a cause of wasting conditions detected during meat inspection at the abattoir. This manuscript is a review of the measures in force at the abattoir for scrapie control, focusing on the differential diagnosis of gross lesions related to wasting conditions detected in small ruminants during meat inspection.

A minor beta-structured conformation is the active state of a fusion peptide of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein.

Entry of enveloped animal viruses into their host cells always depends on a step of membrane fusion triggered by conformational changes in viral envelope glycoproteins. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection is mediated by virus spike glycoprotein G, which induces membrane fusion at the acidic environment of the endosomal compartment. In a previous work, we identified a specific sequence in the VSV G protein, comprising the residues 145-164, directly involved in membrane interaction and fusion. In the present work we studied the interaction of pep[145-164] with membranes using NMR to solve the structure of the peptide in two membrane-mimetic systems: SDS micelles and liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine (PC:PS vesicles). The presence of medium-range NOEs showed that the peptide has a tendency to form N- and C-terminal helical segments in the presence of SDS micelles. Analysis of the chemical shift index indicated helix-coil equilibrium for the C-terminal helix under all conditions studied. At pH 7.0, the N-terminal helix also displayed a helix-coil equilibrium when pep[145-164] was free in solution or in the presence of PC:PS. Remarkably, at the fusogenic pH, the region of the N-terminal helix in the presence of SDS or PC:PS presented a third conformational species that was in equilibrium with the helix and random coil. The N-terminal helix content decreases pH and the minor beta-structured conformation becomes more prevalent at the fusogenic pH. These data point to a beta-conformation as the fusogenic active structure-which is in agreement with the X-ray structure, which shows a beta-hairpin for the region corresponding to pep[145-164].

Membrane fusion induced by vesicular stomatitis virus depends on histidine protonation.

Entry of enveloped animal viruses into their host cells always depends on a step of membrane fusion triggered by conformational changes in viral envelope glycoproteins. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection is mediated by virus spike glycoprotein G, which induces membrane fusion at the acidic environment of the endosomal compartment. VSV-induced membrane fusion occurs at a very narrow pH range, between 6.2 and 5.8, suggesting that His protonation is required for this process. To investigate the role of His in VSV fusion, we chemically modified these residues using diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC). We found that DEPC treatment inhibited membrane fusion mediated by VSV in a concentration-dependent manner and that the complete inhibition of fusion was fully reversed by incubation of modified virus with hydroxylamine. Fluorescence measurements showed that VSV modification with DEPC abolished pH-induced conformational changes in G protein, suggesting that His protonation drives G protein interaction with the target membrane at acidic pH. Mass spectrometry analysis of tryptic fragments of modified G protein allowed the identification of the putative active His residues. Using synthetic peptides, we showed that the modification of His-148 and His-149 by DEPC, as well as the substitution of these residues by Ala, completely inhibited peptide-induced fusion, suggesting the direct participation of these His in VSV fusion.

Lesão lítica de mandíbula em mulher com mieloma múltiplo usuária de bisfosfonato / Lytic lesion of the jaw in a woman with multiple myeloma using bisphosphonates

Os bisfosfonatos são comumente utilizados no tratamento do mieloma múltiplo e em outras neoplasias com metástases ósseas. Geralmente são bem tolerados, entretanto osteonecrose de mandíbula é um efeito adverso recentemente relatado com uso de bisfosfonatos endovenosos. Relata-se um caso de osteonecrose de mandíbula em paciente submetido ao tratamento de mieloma múltiplo com quimioterapia e pamidronato endovenoso.

Bisphosphonates are commonly used in the treatment of multiple myeloma and other bone metastatic neoplasias. They are usually well tolerated; however osteonecrosis of the jaw is a recently reported side effect seen with the use of parenteral bisphosphonates. We report a case of osteonecrosis of the jaw in a patient treated for multiple myeloma with chemotherapy and parenteral pamidronate.

Perfil facial de diferentes tratamentos ortodônticos em pacientes com maloclusão classe II / Facial profile of different orthodontic treatments in patients with class II malocclusion

O objetivo dos autores foi comparar o perfil mole facial resultante de diferentes tratamentos para a maloclusão esquelética Classe II, bem como avaliar o grau de concordância intra e intergrupo de diferentes examinadores para tais tratamentos. As medidas cefalométricas de tecido mole foram comparadas em 56 radiografias cefalométricas laterais finais distribuídas em três grupos de tratamento: 22 crescimento (controle), 17 ortodôntico e 17 ortocirúrgico. Dos dois últimos grupos, 4 fotografias extrabucais laterais iniciais foram replicadas e modificadas, a fim de gerar três silhuetas digitais: inicial (não alterada), compensação ortodôntica e tratamento ortocirúrgico. Essas silhuetas foram ordenadas e avaliadas em 4 níveis de atratividade por 158 examinadores: 52 leigos, 52 cirurgiões buco-maxilo-faciais e 54 ortodontistas. A Análise de Variância (ANOVA), Análise Multifatorial de Variâncias (MANOVA) e o Teste de Kruskall-Wallis com pós-teste de Tukey detectaram diferenças entres os grupos com nível de significância de 0,05 e intervalo de confiança de 95%. A medida A-A', o ângulo Z e o ângulo de convexidade facial mole apresentaram diferenças significantes (p<0,05), com o grupo ortodôntico apresentando menor espessura do lábio superior e o grupo ortocirúrgico, menor convexidade facial. Os grupos de examinadores concordaram com o perfil mais atrativo em cada trio de imagens, sendo o perfil ortocirúrgico o preferível em metade dos casos ao perfil de compensação ortodôntica. Entretanto, o grupo de leigos apresentou maiores pontuações médias de atratividade e discordâncias intra e intergrupo (p<0,05). Assim, pode-se concluir que o tratamento ortocirúrgico apresentou maiores mudanças faciais cefalométricas e foi percebido como o mais atrativo. Além disso, os leigos apresentaram percepções faciais diferentes dos profissionais (AU)

The authors aimed to compare the soft tissue profile resulting from different treatments for skeletal class II malocclusion, as well as to evaluate the intra and intergroup agreement degree by different examiners for these treatments. The soft tissue cephalometric measurements were compared in 56 lateral cephalometric radiographs that were distributed in three treatments groups: 22 growth (control), 17 orthodontic, and 17 surgical-orthodontic. From the last two groups, 4 photograph images were replicated and modified in order to create three digital silhouettes: initial (unchanged), orthodontic camouflage, and surgical-orthodontic treatment. These silhouettes were ordered and assessed in 4 attractiveness level by 158 examiners: 52 laypersons, 52 oral surgeons, and 54 orthodontists. The Variance of Analysis (ANOVA), Variances Multifactorial of Analysis (MANOVA), and Kruskall-Wallis Test with Tukey post-test detected differences among groups with significance level of 0.05 and confidence interval of 95%. The A-A' measure, the Z angle and the soft tissue facial convexity prese nted significant differences (p<0.05) with the camouflage group presenting lower upper lip thickness and the surgical group presenting lower facial convexity. The examiners groups agreed with the most attractive profile for each image and the surgical-orthodontic profile was more preferred in half of the cases than camouflage profile. However, the laypersons group presented greater mean attractiveness scores and intra and intergroup disagreements (p<0.05). Thus, it was possible to conclude that the surgical-orthodontic treatment showed greater cephalometric facial changes and it was perceived as more attractive. Moreover, the laypersons showed different facial perception when compared with professionals (AU)

Avaliação da radiografia panorâmica como meio diagnóstico da hipertrofia das conchas nasais / Evaluate the panoramic radiolography a valuable standard diagnosis for nasal hypertrophy conches

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a validade da radiografia panorâmica no diagnóstico da obstrução nasal por hipertrofia dos cornetos nasais, tendo como referencial o exame de nasofibroscopia óptica. A amostra selecionada para o presente estudo constou de 42 pacientes com características faciais de respirador bucal, jovens de ambos os gêneros, na faixa etária de 7 a 15 anos (idade média de 11 anos e 5 meses) que realizaram radiografias panorâmicas e obtiveram laudo de hipertrofia das conchas nasais. Após o diagnóstico radiográfico esses pacientes foram encaminhados para realizarem o exame de nasofibroscopia óptica. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise descritiva com nível de significância de 95,24%, através do qual foi possível constatar que quando comparada com o laudo do exame de nasofibroscopia óptica a radiografia panorâmica foi considerada um exame confiável para diagnóstico da obstrução nasal por hipertrofia das conchas nasais.