Does surgical timing affect the rapidity of recovery in deep pain-entire non-ambulatory dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the delay between onset of neurological signs and spinal cord decompression affects the time to recovery in non-ambulatory paraparetic/paraplegic dogs with deep pain perception affected by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on non-ambulatory dogs with preserved deep pain perception in both hindlimbs and surgically treated for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion were prospectively collected from three referral hospitals. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to explore the relationship of time until restoration of independent ambulation with age, weight, preoperative use of anti-inflammatory drugs, delay between onset of inability to walk and arrival at the clinic, time between presentation and spinal surgery and surgery time. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-one dogs were included. Median time from admission to surgery, including imaging, was 180 (interquartile range, 65.4 to 240) minutes. All dogs were operated within 72 hours. Follow-up was available for all 151 dogs and ranged from 1 to 21 months. All but three dogs, which were all grade IV at presentation, recovered the ability to ambulate. In both univariable and multivariable models, only duration of surgery and neurological (Frankel) grade at presentation were significantly associated with the rapidity of recovery of ambulation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Delay between onset of clinical signs and presentation and time between presentation and spinal surgery was not associated with the rapidity of recovery of ambulation in dogs surgically treated for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion. These results should be evaluated in the context of a limited range of delay since only 14.5% dogs had a delay ≥6.5 hours. Duration of surgery and neurological grade at presentation were significantly associated with rapidity of recovery of ambulation.

Streptococcus pneumoniae prevalence in nasopharynx, oropharynx and gingival sulcus in Brazilian adults:A preliminary study.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of S. pneumoniae colonization in three different sites in healthy adults: nasopharynx, oropharynx and gingival sulcus. METHODS: Two-hundred and sixty five adults, aged 20-60 years, who attended dental clinics in one public university (n = 106) and one military institution (n = 159) were enrolled in this study. Pneumococcal detection was performed by direct culture (DC) and PCR for lytA gene after a broth enrichment step. Capsular types were determined by sequential multiplex PCR. RESULTS: We identified 18 (6.8%) pneumococcal carriers among 265 adults by PCR, but only one (0.4%) pneumococcal strain was isolated by DC method. Oropharynx (17; 6.4%) was the main source of S. pneumoniae. Colonization of gingival sulcus and nasopharynx was found in 4 (1.5%) and 2 (0.8%) adults, respectively. Nine distinct capsular types were detected from 9 adults and co-colonization with 2 serotypes was confirmed in 4 (1.5%) subjects. Factors associated with carriage were being females, low level of schooling, non-military and regular medication. We observed a low (6.8%) pneumococcal carriage prevalence, but oropharyngeal samples yielded more sensitive results, especially by the PCR-based detection methodology. CONCLUSION: Gingival sulcus was found to be a possible reservoir for S. pneumoniae independently of the oropharynx or nasopharynx colonization.

Acroangiodermatitis mimicking Kaposi's sarcoma in an HIV-positive man.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the commonest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related malignancy with its characteristic cutaneous morphological appearance and histopathological features. However, it can be simulated by other co-morbid opportunistic infections and unrelated dermatological conditions. We describe such a case of acroangiodermatitis in an HIV co-infected man, based on exclusion of KS histologically and the absence of human herpesvirus 8, the causative agent of KS.

El alcohol del encuentro / The alcohol of the meeting

Es importante indagar las conexiones existentes entre las propuestaspublicitarias de las marcas de bebidas alcohólicas y las prácticas de consumode los jóvenes de entre 13 y 25 años, entendidas como formas de producciónde distinciones e identificaciones.ObjetivosAnalizar las publicidades de las bebidas con alcohol con mayor difusión nacional encanales de televisión de aire e identificar disposiciones al consumo en jóvenes de 13a 25 años entre mayo y noviembre de 2014. Específicamente se buscó, por un lado,entender el modo en que se construyen mensajes publicitarios que promueven elconsumo de bebidas alcohólicas y, por el otro, explorar valoraciones, percepcionesy acciones respecto del consumo de alcohol e indagar en los contenidos presentesen las publicidades de bebidas alcohólicas en jóvenes residentes en las provinciasde Chaco, Córdoba, Mendoza, Tucumán, Santa Fe y Neuquén.MétodosSe utilizó un enfoque semiótico y antropológico de tipo cultural.ResultadosSe prevé la presentación de resultados parciales de este trabajo en REDCOM(Red de Investigadores en Comunicación), ENACCOM (Encuentro Nacional deCarreras de Comunicación) y el congreso internacional a 30 años de la carrerade Comunicación de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, así como su publicaciónen revistas especializadas nacionales e internacionales.ConclusionesLas opciones propuestas por las marcas son recibidas y reinterpretadas por losjóvenes, pero en todas ellas es patente el poder de naturalización del consumo.Se propone una diferenciación y distinción a través de la práctica cultural deconsumir una marca en particular, siempre regulada por las ofertas del mercado.Tal como se ha visto en el análisis de publicidades, el alcohol siempre estápresente en la práctica juvenil de diversión y nocturnidad. No se venden atributosy beneficios del alcohol en tanto producto, sino que ya están establecidos

The BET inhibitor JQ1 selectively impairs tumour response to hypoxia and downregulates CA9 and angiogenesis in triple negative breast cancer.

The availability of bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitors (BETi) has enabled translational epigenetic studies in cancer. BET proteins regulate transcription by selectively recognizing acetylated lysine residues on chromatin. BETi compete with this process leading to both downregulation and upregulation of gene expression. Hypoxia enables progression of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive form of breast cancer, partly by driving metabolic adaptation, angiogenesis and metastasis through upregulation of hypoxia-regulated genes (for example, carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). Responses to hypoxia can be mediated epigenetically, thus we investigated whether BETi JQ1 could impair the TNBC response induced by hypoxia and exert anti-tumour effects. JQ1 significantly modulated 44% of hypoxia-induced genes, of which two-thirds were downregulated including CA9 and VEGF-A. JQ1 prevented HIF binding to the hypoxia response element in CA9 promoter, but did not alter HIF expression or activity, suggesting some HIF targets are BET-dependent. JQ1 reduced TNBC growth in vitro and in vivo and inhibited xenograft vascularization. These findings identify that BETi dually targets angiogenesis and the hypoxic response, an effective combination at reducing tumour growth in preclinical studies.

Early- and late-onset psoriasis: a cross-sectional clinical and immunocytochemical investigation.

BACKGROUND: There is accumulating evidence that early-onset psoriasis (EOP; presenting at or before 40 years of age) and late-onset psoriasis (LOP; presenting after 40 years of age) are different diseases. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify potential clinical and immunocytochemical differences between EOP and LOP. METHODS: We assessed immunocytochemistry in involved (PP) skin and uninvolved skin (n = 31) and demographics, psoriasis phenotype and psychological parameters (n = 340) in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Immunocytochemistry revealed (17 EOP, 14 LOP) a greater lymphocytic infiltrate in PP skin of EOP compared with LOP (P = 0·03), with a higher epidermal CD4+ : CD8+ ratio in LOP (1·3) compared with EOP (0·5) (P = 0·002). In 340 patients with psoriasis (278 EOP, 62 LOP), we found an association with a positive first or second degree family history of psoriasis [62·0% vs. 35·6%, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 8·32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·90-36·52] and a higher likelihood of having parents with EOP (adjusted OR 10·34, 95% CI 1·32-81·83) in the EOP group. Patients with EOP were more likely to have received biological therapy (13·3% EOP vs. 3·5% LOP, P = 0·042), while patients with LOP had a higher likelihood of having type 2 diabetes (adjusted OR 3·43, 95% CI 1·004-11·691) and autoimmune thyroiditis (adjusted OR 5·05, 95% CI 1·62-15·7). Patients with LOP also had greater anxiety than patients with EOP (mean Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-A score LOP 8 ± 5, EOP 5 ± 5; P = 0·006). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide further evidence for the difference between EOP and LOP.

Aesthetic and functional rehabilitation of child using mock-up combined with stratified technique.

BACKGROUND: The loss of the vertical dimension of occlusion in children with quickly progressing early childhood caries hinders the aesthetic rehabilitation of primary incisors. Minimally invasive restorations using chemical-mechanical caries removal methods preserve sound dental tissue and maintains the health of the pulp. This is the treatment of choice for children and allows crown reconstruction of the primary incisors without the need for endodontic treatment. The resources employed in the rehabilitation process range from biological restorations to direct and indirect crowns with or without the aid of a celluloid matrix. CASE REPORT: The aim of this study was to describe a case of maxillary incisor rehabilitation in a female patient aged two years five months using a mock-up combined with the stratified technique and Planas' direct tracks. After a 26-month follow-up period only a little fracture of the reconstructed incisor had occurred. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In the case described, neuro-occlusal and functional rehabilitation enabled the establishment of satisfactory aesthetics in the primary incisors.

Molecular characterization of Anthurium genotypes by using DNA fingerprinting and SPAR markers.

We characterized single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) molecular markers from 20 genotypes of Anthurium andraeanum Lind., including 3 from commercial varieties and 17 from 2 communities in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Twenty-four SPAR, consisting of 7 random amplified polymorphic DNA and 17 inter-simple sequence repeat markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity of 20 Anthurium accessions. The set of SPAR markers generated 288 bands and showed an average polymorphism percentage of 93.39%, ranging from 71.43 to 100%. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of the random amplified polymorphic DNA primers averaged 0.364 and ranged from 0.258 to 0.490. Primer OPF 06 showed the lowest PIC, while OPAM 14 was the highest. The average PIC of the inter-simple sequence repeat primers was 0.299, with values ranging from 0.196 to 0.401. Primer UBC 845 had the lowest PIC (0.196), while primer UCB 810 had the highest (0.401). By using the complement of Jaccard's similarity index and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustering, 5 clusters were formed with a cophenetic correlation coefficient of 0.8093, indicating an acceptable clustering consistency. However, no genotype clustering patterns agreed with the morphological data. The Anthurium genotypes investigated in this study are a germplasm source for conservational research and may be used in improvement programs for this species.

Successful use of dapsone for the management of circinate balanitis.

Circinate balanitis is the commonest cutaneous manifestation of reactive arthritis (Reiter syndrome), but can also occur independently. Topical corticosteroid therapy is the most commonly used treatment, and topical calcineurin inhibitors have also been used successfully. We report a case of a 20-year-old man who presented with discrete erythematous patches with slightly raised keratotic annular borders on his glans penis. He also developed geographic tongue and severe arthritis. A clinical diagnosis of circinate balanitis was made, which was supported by the psoriasiform features on skin biopsy. The patient failed to respond to topical 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream, but a novel approach using a combination of dapsone and topical 0.1% tacrolimus ointment successfully cleared his rash.

Measuring the impact of quality of life of children treated for orofacial clefts: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) of children previously treated for cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and compare with non-cleft children. METHOD: A case-control study with 70 children between 5 and 12 years old was carried out. The case group consisted of 35 individuals previously treated for non-syndromic CL/P and presently receiving assessment at a rehabilitation hospital in Brazil. The children had received primary surgical treatment for CL/P reconstruction during early childhood. The control group consisted of 35 healthy children selected to ensure close similarity to the cleft group in age, gender and socioeconomic status. QoL was measured using the AUQEI questionnaire. RESULTS: Cleft lip and palate had no significant influence on the QoL in children (p = 0.44). A higher percentage of the cleft lip and palate group of children reported a lower QoL than the cleft lip or cleft palate groups. Gender had no significant difference on the quality of life in CL/P children (p = 0.2) and in control group (p = 1.0). CONCLUSION: The QoL in children with CL/P was found to be similar to the non-cleft group. Our results confirm that clefts repaired during earlier childhood associated with a health care program, including psychological support, is beneficial for CL/P children.

Suspected exercise-induced seizures in a young dog.

A 12-month-old female neutered crossbreed was referred for investigation of seizure-like episodes occurring only at intense exercise. Thorough medical, neurological and cardiac investigations were performed and excluded the most commonly known causes of seizure-like activity. The dog was fitted with an ambulatory electrocardiography device and underwent another exercise-induced seizure. The electrocardiogram during the episode revealed a sinus tachycardia at approximately 300 beats/minute. A video recording of the episode revealed generalised tonic clonic limb activity with jaw chomping and frothing at the mouth typical of seizure activity. Antiepileptic medications were not prescribed and the owner was advised not to exercise the dog intensely. The dog responded well and did not seizure after 12 months of mild-moderate off-lead exercise. As all the seizures in this case were triggered by intense physical activity, it is suggested that this may be a new form of reflex seizure activity.