Assessing the Presence of Pithomyces chartarum in Pastureland Using IoT Sensors and Remote Sensing: The Case Study of Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal).

Spores from the fungus Pithomyces chartarum are commonly found on Azorean pastures. When consumed by cattle along with the grass, these spores cause health issues in the cattle, resulting in animal suffering and financial losses. For approximately two years, we monitored meteorological parameters using weather stations and collected and analyzed grass samples in a laboratory to control for the presence of spores. The data confirmed a connection between meteorology and sporulation, enabling the prediction of sporulation risk. To detect the presence of spores in pastures rather than predict it, we employed field spectrometry and Sentinel-2 reflectance data to measure the spectral signatures of grass while controlling for spores. Our findings indicate that meteorological variables from the past 90 days can be used to predict sporulation, which can enhance the accuracy of a web-based alert system used by farmers to manage the risk. We did not detect significant differences in spectral signatures between grass with and without spores. These studies contribute to a deeper understanding of P. chartarum sporulation and provide actionable information for managing cattle, ultimately improving animal welfare and reducing financial losses.

Living fast, dying young: Anthropogenic habitat modification influences the fitness and life history traits of a cooperative breeder.

Anthropogenic habitat modification can indirectly effect reproduction and survival in social species by changing the group structure and social interactions. We assessed the impact of habitat modification on the fitness and life history traits of a cooperative breeder, the Arabian babbler (Argya squamiceps). We collected spatial, reproductive and social data on 572 individuals belonging to 21 social groups over 6 years and combined it with remote sensing to characterize group territories in an arid landscape. In modified resource-rich habitats, groups bred more and had greater productivity, but individuals lived shorter lives than in natural habitats. Habitat modification favoured a faster pace-of-life with lower dispersal and dominance acquisition ages, which might be driven by higher mortality providing opportunities for the dominant breeding positions. Thus, habitat modification might indirectly impact fitness through changes in social structures. This study shows that trade-offs in novel anthropogenic opportunities might offset survival costs by increased productivity.

Carcinoma erysipeloides of laryngeal origin.

The term "carcinoma erysipeloides" (CE) designates an uncommon form of cutaneous metastasis. CE is most often associated with carcinoma of the breast. However, there have been reports of CE from carcinoma of the uterus, prostate, lung, ovary, stomach, tonsils, thyroid, pancreas, rectum, parotid glands and melanoma. To our knowledge, CE of laryngeal origin has not been previously reported. We describe a patient diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus coinfection who developed a supraglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and erythematous cutaneous lesions. A skin biopsy demonstrated invasion of dilated dermal lymphatics by clusters of atypical squamous cells with polymorphic nuclei and extensive infiltration of the dermis by tumor cells. The histology of the metastatic cells was similar to that of the laryngeal carcinoma.

Tumores benignos del cordón espermático / Spermatic cord bening tumors

Se presentan dos casos de tumoraciones benignas del cordón espermático que se manifestaron con dolor y aumento de volumen de la bolsa escrotal. Motivan esta comunicación la rareza de la entidad y el diagnóstico diferencial que se requiere. Se hacen una serie de consideraciones de orden clínico, diagnóstico y terapéutico.