Hemoperitoneum after a Bothrops snakebite: Case report.

Snakebites are frequent in tropical countries. Brazil has an average of 27,000 cases per year, with a fatality rate of 0.5%, and the Bothrops genus is the most common causative agent, accounting for about 70-90% of the accidents. This report describes a case of human envenomation by a juvenile Bothrops jararaca snake in São Paulo, Brazil, in a 71 years-old man, previously healthy. He presented a life-threatening envenomation, which developed to severe hypotension, acute kidney injury and extensive peritoneal hemorrhage. The hemoperitoneum was diagnosed due to persistent hypotension associated with anemia, pain and gastrointestinal complaints. Abdominal Computed Tomography scans showed a moderate to large amount of presumable hematic material inside the abdominal cavity, predominantly in the perihepatic and perisplenic spaces. The intra-abdominal hemorrhage was not surgically addressed, and the patient was discharged 5 days after hospitalization, with the progressive absorption of the hemoperitoneum. Systemic bleeding is one of the complications and main causes of death in Bothrops envenomations. Acute peritoneal hemorrhage is one of these serious complications that must be carefully addressed since its management must take into account the risk of bleeding caused by toxins that affect hemostasis. The case described highlights the importance of early diagnosis and adequate management of this potentially fatal complication in snakebites.

Reproductive tract size and position score: Estimation of genetic parameters for a novel fertility trait in dairy cows.

The dairy industry is moving toward selecting animals with better fertility to decrease the economic losses linked to reproductive issues. The reproductive tract size and position score (SPS) was recently developed in physiological studies as an indicator of pregnancy rate and the number of services to conception. Cows are scored as SPS 1, 2, or 3 based on the size of their reproductive tract and its position in the pelvis, as determined by transrectal palpation. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for SPS to assess its potential as a novel fertility trait. Phenotypes were collected at the University of British Columbia's research herd from 2017 to 2020, consisting of 3,247 within- and across-lactation SPS records from 490 Holstein cows. A univariate animal model was used to estimate the variance components for SPS. Both threshold and linear models were fit under a Bayesian approach and the results were compared using the Spearman rank correlation (r) between the estimated breeding values. The 2 models ranked the animals very similarly (r = 0.99), and the linear model was selected for further analysis. Genetic correlations with other currently evaluated traits were estimated using a bivariate animal model. The posterior means (± posterior standard deviation) for heritability and repeatability within- and across-lactation were 0.113 (± 0.013), 0.242 (± 0.012), and 0.134 (± 0.014), respectively. The SPS showed null correlations with production traits and favorable correlations with traditional fertility traits, varying from -0.730 (nonreturn rate) to 0.931 (number of services). Although preliminary, these results are encouraging because SPS seems to be more heritable than and strongly genetically correlated with number of services, nonreturn rate, and first service to conception, indicating potential for effective indirect selection response on these traits from SPS genetic selection. Therefore, further studies with larger data sets to validate these findings are warranted.

Yoga Training Has Positive Effects on Postural Balance and Its Influence on Activities of Daily Living in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

CONTEXT: There is a little evidence about the influence of yoga as a complementary therapy for postural balance and its influence on activities of daily living in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of a six-month yoga program on postural balance and subjective impact of postural balance impairment on activities of daily living in people with MS. DESIGN: Randomized controlled pilot study. SETTING: Protocol developed at the Adaptive Physical Activity Study Department, College of Physical Education, State University of Campinas, Brazil. SUBJECTS: A total of 12 (11 women) yoga naive people with MS randomly divided into two groups as follows: Control (C-waiting list, n = 6) and Yoga (Y-Yoga training, n = 6). INTERVENTIONS: Yoga group practiced postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and relaxation on weekly 60-min classes for a six-month period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following evaluations were performed at study entry (baseline), and after six months (six months): Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and self-reported postural balance quality and influence of postural balance on activities of daily living. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in BBS score from baseline to six months only in the Yoga group, especially in subjects with higher EDSS score, with increased quality of self-reported postural balance, and decreased influence of postural balance impairment on activities of daily living. In conclusion, a six-month yoga training is beneficial for people with MS, since it improves postural balance and decreases the influence of postural balance impairment on activities of daily living. A greater sample size is necessary to increase generalization, but it seems that yoga could be included as a feasible complementary therapy for people with MS.