Melanocyte-Keratinocyte Transplantation in Post-Burn Leukoderma Scars: Preliminary Experience Using a Modified Technique.

Post-burn leukoderma, commonly affecting the African and Asian communities, results from deep dermal burns. The associated stigma exacerbates the condition and significantly affects the rehabilitation and reintegration of post-burn survivors into society. Melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation (MKTP) is a promising single-stage treatment for repigmentation in vitiligo. However, its use in post-burn leukoderma is undetermined. This study aims to evaluate the MKTP treatment in post-burn leukoderma patches. Six patients (five males and one female, mean age = 29±5.51 years) with ten patches of post-burn leukoderma underwent single-stage MKTP without adjuvant pigmentation therapy. The postoperative follow-up period ranged from twelve to twenty-four months for all the patients. The average size of leukoderma treated was 16.25±9 cm2. Repigmentation was observed in 92.16±11.05% of the total treated area by the end of one year after MKTP application. All six patients were satisfied with the treatment outcome. MKTP without adjuvant therapy is an effective surgical treatment to treat post-burn leukoderma patches. Future studies should cover a larger sample over a longer follow-up period.

Le vitiligo cicatriciel après brûlure est fréquent dans les populations africaines et asiatiques, affectant significativement la réintégration sociale des patients. La TMK est une technique en 1 temps de repigmentation du vitiligo, prometteuse, qui n'a pas été évaluée dans ce contexte. Nous l'avons utilisée, sans traitement adjuvant, chez 6 patients (5 hommes et 1 femme de 29 +/- 5,51 ans) sur 10 zones dépigmentées (surface de 16,25 +/- 9 cm2), avec un recul de 12 à 32 mois. À un an, une repigmentation a été observée sur 92,16 +/- 11,05% de la surface traitée et tous les patients étaient satisfaits du résultat. La TMK isolée semble donc être efficace pour traiter le vitiligo cicatriciel après brûlures, des études sur des zones plus étendues et avec un suivi à plus long terme restant nécessaires.

FAO/WHO GIFT (Global Individual Food consumption data Tool): a global repository for harmonised individual quantitative food consumption studies.

Knowing who eats what, understanding the various eating habits of different population groups, according to the geographical area, is critical to develop evidence-based policies for nutrition and food safety. The FAO/WHO Global Individual Food consumption data Tool (FAO/WHO GIFT) is a novel open-access online platform, hosted by FAO and supported by WHO, providing access to harmonised individual quantitative food consumption (IQFC) data, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). FAO/WHO GIFT is a growing repository, which will serve as the global FAO/WHO hub to disseminate IQFC microdata. Currently five datasets from LMIC are available for dissemination, and an additional fifty datasets will be made available by 2022. To facilitate the use of these data by policy makers, ready-to-use food-based indicators are provided for an overview of key data according to population segments and food groups. FAO/WHO GIFT also provides an inventory of existing IQFC data worldwide, which currently contains detailed information on 188 surveys conducted in seventy-two countries. In order for end-users to be able to aggregate the available data, all datasets are harmonised with the European Food Safety Authority's food classification and description system FoodEx2 (modified for global use). This harmonisation is aimed at enhancing the consistency and reliability of nutrient intake and dietary exposure assessments. FAO/WHO GIFT is developed in synergy with other global initiatives aimed at increasing the quality, availability and use of IQFC data in LMIC to enable evidence-based decision-making and policy development for better nutrition and food safety.

Laryngeal Neuropathy in Adult Goats With Copper Deficiency.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the cause of a neurological syndrome characterized by stridor in adult goats with clinical signs of copper deficiency. The main clinical signs consisted of apathy, emaciation, pale mucous membranes, mucous nasal discharge, dyspnea, severe achromotrichia, diffuse alopecia, torpor, ataxia, and stridor. When the goats were forced to move, the stridor increased. In a herd of 194 Toggenburg goats, 10 adult goats with clinical signs of copper deficiency were removed from the herd and divided into 2 groups: group 1, which consisted of 4 nannies and 1 buck with stridor, and group 2, which consisted of 4 nannies and 1 buck without stridor. Group 3, used as a control, consisted of 5 adult goats from another flock without any clinical signs of disease. The mean serum copper concentrations were 1.3 ± 0.3 µmol/L in group 1, 8.1 ± 1.1 µmol/L in group 2, and 11.3 ± 2.2 µmol/L in group 3. The mean serum iron concentrations were 42.3 ± 14.2 µmol/L in group 1, 39.1 ± 8.2 µmol/L in group 2, and 20.6 ± 6.1 µmol/L in group 3. The main histological lesions in goats from group 1 were axonal degeneration of the recurrent laryngeal nerves and atrophy of the muscles of vocal folds and of the dorsal cricoarytenoid and right and left cricothyroid muscles. Goats with ataxia had neuronal degeneration and necrosis of cerebellar Purkinje cells and of the cranial cervical ganglion. We concluded that the stridor was caused by axonal degeneration of the recurrent laryngeal nerves due to the severe copper deficiency.

Increased relatedness among the neighboring plants from seedling to adult stages in carnaúba wax palm.

The objective of this study was to assess the spatial genetic structure (SGS) at different life stages (cohorts) in a remnant population (N = 101) of Copernicia prunifera in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. Using seven inter-simple sequence repeat molecular markers, we were able to analyze 93 loci with 100% polymorphism. Seedlings had the highest level of genetic diversity (HE = 0.411, HO = 0.599), followed by juveniles (HE = 0.394, HO = 0.579) and adults (HE = 0.267, HO = 0.427). Based on analysis of molecular variance, the majority of genetic variations were observed to occur within the life stages (93.42%) rather than between the life stages (6.58%). We found a recent reduction in the population size (bottleneck) based on the number of loci with heterozygosity excess for the two models used (infinite allele = 92 and stepwise = 91). All the life stages showed significant SGS, with positive and significant kinship values. Sp values were 0.040 for seedlings, 0.093 for juveniles, 0.156 for adults, and 0.053 for the total population. We found an increase in SGS from the seedling to adult stages, indicating that the plants were from related adult progenitors. Data from this study can be used in designing effective management and conservation strategies for the species.

Fibrin-alginate hydrogel supports steroidogenesis, in vitro maturation of oocytes and parthenotes production from caprine preantral follicles cultured in group.

This study aimed to establish a culture system that improves the in vitro development of caprine preantral follicles. In a first experiment, follicles were encapsulated as a single unit per bead and cultured singly or in groups or with five follicles in the same alginate (ALG) bead for 18 days. In a subsequent experiment, the "five follicles per bead" design was chosen to culture in ALG, fibrin-alginate (FA) or hyaluronate (HA) for 18 days. In a third experiment, we chose the five follicles per bead in FA to culture for 30 days. The culture set-up of five follicles per ALG bead increased antrum formation and follicle diameter compared to the other culture designs (p < .05). Moreover, under this condition, 44.44% of the oocytes from in vitro cultured preantral follicles reached meiotic resumption. A significant increase of follicle diameter occurred in attachment system and FA (p < .05), but the ALG condition reached the highest among all groups on day 18 (p < .05). Follicles encapsulated in matrix produced more estradiol and progesterone than attachment system (p < .05). The expression of MMP-9 mRNA was higher in FA than in other groups (p < .05) and similar to antral follicles from in vivo control (p > .05). Only FA group resulted in oocytes matured. After 30 days, oocytes from preantral follicles in vitro grown in FA developed to eight-cell parthenotes. In conclusion, a culture system using FA supported the development of caprine preantral follicles cultured in group and included in the same bead of hydrogel, improving the oocyte maturation and producing parthenotes.

Efeito hipolipemiante da suplementação dietética com a farinha do cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal) em ratos hipercolesterolêmicos / Hypolipidemic effect of diet supplementation with cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal) flour in hypercholesterolemic rats

Estudos com frutas e vegetais ricos em fibra alimentar tem demonstrado efeito redutor das concentrações sanguíneas de colesterol total, atuando de forma preventiva contra a hipercolesterolemia. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi analisar a composição química da farinha de cubiu e avaliar o efeito de seu consumo sobre a lipemia de ratos hipercolesterolêmicos. Foram utilizados 8 animais para cada tratamento, em 7 grupos sendo: 1 controle; 3 experimentais com 5%, 25% e 50% da recomendação de fibras (AIN-93) provenientes da farinha de cubiu; e 3 grupos per feeding tendo celulose e pectina como fonte de fibra alimentar nas mesmas proporções dos grupos experimentais. Ao final do ensaio foi verificado que não houve variação significativa no consumo de ração pelos animais e no ganho de massa corporal no decorrer do experimento. Os tratamentos com farinha de cubiu reduziram as concentrações de colesterol total (-21,6%), LDL-c (-56,8%), aumentaram a excreção de colesterol fecal (+116%), e diminuíram o colesterol hepático (-32,1%). Nenhum dos tratamentos promoveu alteração significativa nas concentrações de triglicerídeos. Os tratamentos com pectina e celulose demonstraram resultados semelhantes aos do cubiu. Os resultados observados servem como base para futuros estudos visando o aproveitamento biotecnológico deste fruto.

Studies with fruit and vegetables rich in dietary fiber have shown lowering effects on the blood concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), acting preventively against hypercholesterolemia. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of cocona and evaluate the effect of the consumption of cocona flour on lipemia of Wistar rats with hypercholesterolemia. Eight animals were used for each treatment, in 7 groups: control; 3 experimental groups with 5%, 25% and 50% of the recommended fiber (AIN-93) from cocona flour; 3 groups per feeding with pectin and cellulose as source of dietary fiber, in the same proportions of the experimental groups. At the end of the assay, we verified that there were not significant variations in the consumption of the animals and the body weight during the experiment. Treatments with cocna flour were responsible for reducing the concentrations of total cholesterol (-21.6%), LDL-c (-56.8%), increasing the excretion of fecal cholesterol (+116%) and lowering the liver cholesterol (-32.1%). None of the treatments significantly altered the triglyceride concentrations. Treatments using pectin and cellulose show results similar to cocona. The observed results can be used in further studies aimed at the biotechnological exploitation of this fruit.

Leukocoria in a child with sturge-weber syndrome.

A five-year-old girl with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) presented with unilateral leukocoria. Imaging excluded retinoblastoma and revealed a choroidal hemangioma, a non-traumatic vitreous hemorrhage and a cataract. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in the radiologic literature of these ophthalmologic findings presenting together and conditioning leukocoria in the setting of SWS. We discuss possible mechanisms and review the literature, emphasizing the role of neuroimaging in pediatric patients with SWS and ophthalmologic complaints.