An anatomically shaped medial meniscus prosthesis is able to partially restore the contact mechanics of the meniscectomized knee joint.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether a flexible medial meniscus prosthesis is more capable of sharing loads with the direct tibiofemoral cartilage contact than the stiffer first-generation prosthesis. Additionally, the effect of the prosthesis on the tibial pressure distribution after total meniscectomy was investigated. METHODS: In an artificial knee joint, the relative amounts of load transferred through both meniscus prostheses and the direct tibiofemoral contact were assessed with pressure-sensitive sensors. Additionally, six cadaveric knee joints were loaded in a physiological environment. Tibial contact pressures were measured with an intact native meniscus, after total meniscectomy and after implantation of the second-generation meniscus prosthesis. RESULTS: Whereas the first generation of the meniscus prosthesis transferred virtually all the load from femur to tibia, the second-generation prosthesis allowed for load sharing with the direct tibiofemoral contact. No differences in load sharing were found between the native meniscus and the second-generation meniscus prosthesis. The prosthesis decreased peak and mean pressures on the medial tibial cartilage compared to meniscectomy. No significant differences in pressure were found between the native meniscus and the meniscus prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: The second-generation meniscus prosthesis presented in this study can share loads with the direct tibiofemoral contact, a characteristic that the first-generation prosthesis did not have. The flexible meniscus prosthesis significantly reduces the contact pressures on the medial tibial plateau after total meniscectomy. Although the biomechanical performance of the native meniscus could not be reproduced completely, the meniscus prosthesis may have the potential to relieve post-meniscectomy pain symptoms.

Sarcoma miofibroblástico posradioterapia / Radiation-induced myofibroblastic sarcoma

Paciente de 51 años, varón, fumador y alcohólico moderado, con síntomas de disfonía intermitente que debuta con una adenopatía cervical metastásica de carcinoma epidermoide, sin hallazgos del tumor primario. Es intervenido quirúrgicamente siéndole realizada una disección cervical unilateral y posteriormente es tratado con quimiorradioterapia concomitante. A los 4 años del final del tratamiento oncológico, sin recidiva local ni aparición del tumor primario, el paciente debuta con disnea de presentación subaguda. Tras la exploración física y pruebas diagnósticas, se constata una nueva tumoración en laringe que resulta ser un "sarcoma miofibroblástico de bajo grado". Según los criterios de Cahan, este tumor, de estirpe histológica poco frecuente en laringe, hace pensar que probablemente podría ser inducido por la radiación. Se discuten los criterios de causalidad entre radiación y oncogenesis y se resumen las características de los tumores radioinducidos.

We report a clinical case about a male patient, smoker and alcoholic, that debuts with a neck metastasis of an epidermoid carcinoma of unknown origin. He was submitted to a cervical dissection and treated with adjuvant combined chemo and radio therapy. Four years after finishing the oncologic treatment without tumor recurrence or appearence of the primary tumor, he begins with sub acute dyspnea. After physical examination and imaging, a new larynx tumor was found, "low grade myofibroblastic sarcoma". Under Cahan criteria, this tumoral kind, rare in larynx, was probably induced by the local radiotherapy. We discuss briefly the causality between radiation and oncogenesis and the characteristics of the radio induced tumors.

Comparative evaluation of total RNA extraction methods in Theobroma cacao using shoot apical meristems.

Theobroma cacao is a species of great economic importance with its beans used for chocolate production. The tree has been a target of various molecular studies. It contains many polyphenols, which complicate the extraction of nucleic acids with the extraction protocols requiring a large amount of plant material. These issues, therefore, necessitate the optimization of the protocols. The aim of the present study was to evaluate different methods for extraction of total RNA from shoot apical meristems of T. cacao 'CCN 51' and to assess the influence of storage conditions for the meristems on the extraction. The study also aimed to identify the most efficient protocol for RNA extraction using a small amount of plant material. Four different protocols were evaluated for RNA extraction using one shoot apical meristem per sample. Among these protocols, one that was more efficient was then tested to extract RNA using four different numbers of shoot apical meristems, subjected to three different storage conditions. The best protocol was tested for cDNA amplification using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; the cDNA quality was determined to be satisfactory for molecular analyses. The study revealed that with the best RNA extraction protocol, one shoot apical meristem was sufficient for extraction of high-quality total RNA. The results obtained might enable advances in genetic analyses and molecular studies using reduced amount of plant material.

Propylthiouracil induced pulmonary-renal syndrome: a case report.

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is known to induce antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibody (ANCA) seropositivity; however, small vessel vasculitis (SVV) with pulmonary and renal involvement is rare. We present the case of an 81-year-old woman on PTU treatment due to toxic nodular goitre who developed alveolar hemorrhage and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. The authors highlight the importance of early recognising drug-induced pulmonary-renal syndrome (PRS) in order to avoid unnecessary tests, a delay in the diagnosis and evolution to end-stage kidney disease or life-threatening conditions.

Recurrent blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae) in the Piraquê Channel, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, southeast Brazil.

Six blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae) were observed from March 2007 through March 2008 in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, a semi-confined eutrophic system located in Rio de Janeiro state, southeast Brazil. Vegetative cells of H. akashiwo analysed by optical and electron microscopy showed morphology as described in the literature. The blooms (2.8 × 10(4) to 4 × 10(8) cell.L(-1)) were restricted to the middle section of the Piraquê Channel, which is situated in the northeastern part of the lagoon and receives freshwater inflow. The salinity of subsurface water and the channel depth showed significant negative correlations with H. akashiwo abundances, and appeared to restrict the blooms to this compartment of the lagoon. No fish mortality was associated with the H. akashiwo blooms, nor were brevetoxins detected in a cell extract obtained from the bloom observed on 19 March 2007.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of ectomycorrhizal roots reveals genes associated with Piloderma-Pinus symbiosis: improved methodologies for assessing gene expression in situ.

Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi form symbiotic associations with plant roots that regulate nutrient exchange between forest plants and soil. Environmental metagenomics approaches that employ next-generation sequencing show great promise for studying EM symbioses; however, metatranscriptomic studies have been constrained by the inherent difficulties associated with isolation and sequencing of RNA from mycorrhizae. Here we apply an optimized method for combined DNA/RNA extraction using field-collected EM fungal-pine root clusters, together with protocols for taxonomic identification of expressed ribosomal RNA, and inference of EM function based on plant and fungal metatranscriptomics. We used transcribed portions of ribosomal RNA genes to identify several transcriptionally dominant fungal taxa associated with loblolly pine including Amphinema, Russula and Piloderma spp. One taxon, Piloderma croceum, has a publically available genome that allowed us to identify patterns of gene content and transcript abundance. Over 1500 abundantly expressed Piloderma genes were detected from mycorrhizal roots, including genes for protein metabolism, cell signalling, electron transport, terpene synthesis and other extracellular activities. In contrast, Piloderma gene encoding an ammonia transporter showed highest transcript abundance in soil samples. Our methodology highlights the potential of metatranscriptomics to identify genes associated with symbiosis and ecosystem function using field-collected samples.

Recurrent blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae) in the Piraquê Channel, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, southeast Brazil / Florações recorrentes de Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphydophyceae) no Canal do Piraquê, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, sudeste do Brasil

Six blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae) were observed from March 2007 through March 2008 in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, a semi-confined eutrophic system located in Rio de Janeiro state, southeast Brazil. Vegetative cells of H. akashiwo analysed by optical and electron microscopy showed morphology as described in the literature. The blooms (2.8 × 104 to 4 × 108 cell.L–1) were restricted to the middle section of the Piraquê Channel, which is situated in the northeastern part of the lagoon and receives freshwater inflow. The salinity of subsurface water and the channel depth showed significant negative correlations with H. akashiwo abundances, and appeared to restrict the blooms to this compartment of the lagoon. No fish mortality was associated with the H. akashiwo blooms, nor were brevetoxins detected in a cell extract obtained from the bloom observed on 19 March 2007.

Seis florações de Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae) foram observadas em março de 2007 a março de 2008 na Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, um sistema semi-confinado eutrófico localizado no Rio de Janeiro (Sudeste do Brasil). As células vegetativas de H. akashiwo analisadas por microscopia óptica e eletrônica mostraram morfologia como descrito em literatura. As florações (2.8 × 104 a 4 × 108 cel.L–1) foram restritas à zona intermédia do canal Piraquê, que se situa na parte nordeste da lagoa e recebe aporte de água doce. A salinidade da sub-superfície da água e a profundidade do canal apresentaram correlação negativa significativa com a abundância de H. akashiwo e parecem determinar a formação de florações restritas a este compartimento da lagoa. Não houve mortalidade de peixes durante as florações de H. akashiwo e não foi detectada a presença de brevetoxinas em um extrato celular obtido a partir da floração observada em 19 de março de 2007.

Spontaneous melanotic lesions in axillary seabream, Pagellus acarne (Risso).

In this article, we describe spontaneous melanotic lesions in the skin of axillary seabream, Pagellus acarne (Risso), from a defined area of the Portuguese Coast, located in Cabo da Roca and Foz do Arelho. The lesions corresponded to the black pigmentation spots on the skin of the head, fins, lips and conjunctiva and, additionally, black nodules on the skin of the head and lips. In some specimens, the nodular formations in the head changed their anatomical conformation. Histologically, there were melanophores scattered along the basement membrane or forming aggregates in the dermis, infiltrating the subcutaneous tissue but not invading the adjacent muscle tissue. The aim of this study was to characterize the macroscopic and microscopic features of the pigmented lesions. These fish show sessile hyperpigmented lesions (spots) that correspond to proliferative lesions of melanophores in the dermis and nodular lesions that correspond to neoplastic lesions, melanophoromas. The melanophores in such lesions showed high concentration of melanin in the cytoplasm, moderate pleomorphism and compact distribution throughout all of the dermis.

Entomological and ecological studies in a new potential zoonotic leishmaniasis focus in Torres Novas municipality, Central Region, Portugal.

In Portugal human and canine leishmaniasis are caused by Leishmania infantum, and Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. ariasi are the proven vectors. Three main foci were identified in eighty's decade: Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro region, Lisbon region and Algarve region, but according to OnLeish observatory data, canine leishmaniasis cases have been reported from several other regions, for which sand fly species and their infection rates are unknown. This study is the first phlebotomine survey in Torres Novas municipality, Santarém District, Portugal. The main objectives were to identify the phlebotomine species, their bioecological aspects, Leishmania infection rate and the risk factors for the presence of phlebotomine species in the municipality. From June to November, 2010, 275 biotopes were surveyed with CDC light-traps. Captures covered the 17 parishes of the municipality and included domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic biotopes. Specimens were identified morphologically and females were used for molecular detection of Leishmania and bloodmeal identification. Simple and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for phlebotomine presence. Nonparametric tests were used to compare densities of independent groups. A total of 1262 sand flies were captured and identified, and four species detected: P. perniciosus (73.69%), P. ariasi (8.16%), P. sergenti (6.58%) and Sergentomyia minuta (11.57%). In 71.4% localities at least one L. infantum proven vector species was present. Risk factors were identified as: high average temperatures and low relative humidities, sheltered locations and absence of strong wind, presence of pine trees as dominant vegetation, peridomestic biotopes, particularly sheep pens or proximity of sheep, poultry and house martin nests. L. infantum infection rate was 4% for P. ariasi and 0.48% for the total of Larroussius females. P. perniciosus females exhibited an opportunistic behavior, feeding in a wide variety of vertebrate hosts. The high abundance and distribution of proven vector species, together with a canine leishmaniasis seroprevalence of 7.93% in the District, and the capture of a gravid infective sand fly female, suggests that Torres Novas municipality is a potential zoonotic leishmaniasis focus in the country.

Pooled samples bias fungal community descriptions.

We tested the accuracy of molecular analyses for recovering the species richness and structure of pooled fungal communities of known composition. We constructed replicate pools of 2-20 species and analysed these pools by two separate pooling-DNA extraction procedures and three different molecular analyses (Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA), terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone library-sequencing). None of the methods correctly described the known communities. Only clone library-sequencing with high sequencing per pool (∼100 clones) recovered reasonable estimates of richness. Frequency data were skewed with all procedures and analyses. These results indicate that the error introduced by pooling samples is significant and problematic for ecological studies of fungal communities.

Report on the occurrence of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in southern Brazil, in a new intermediate host from the genus Sarasinula (Veronicellidae, Gastropoda).

Veronicellid slugs are the main intermediate hosts for Angiostrongylus costaricencis. In a rural locality in Nova Itaberaba (SC, southern Brazil) Sarasinula linguaeformis was identified as a crop pest. The parasitological examination revealed A. costaricencis infection in 43 out ot 50 slugs. The prevalence of 86% and the individual parasitic burdens are the highest sofar reported in Brazil and S. linguaeformis is the first species from the genus Sarasinula to be identified as intermediate host for A. costaricencis in southern Brazil.

Report on the occurrence of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in southern Brazil, in a new intermediate host from the genus Sarasinula (Veronicellidae, Gastropoda)

Veronicellid slugs are the main intermediate hosts for Angiostrongylus costaricencis. In a rural locality in Nova Itaberaba (SC, southern Brazil) Sarasinula linguaeformis was identified as a crop pest. The parasitological examination revealed A. costaricencis infection in 43 out ot 50 slugs. The prevalence of 86% and the individual parasitic burdens are the highest sofar reported in Brazil and S. linguaeformis is the first species from the genus Sarasinula to be identified as intermediate host for A. costaricencis in southern Brazil.

Lesmas veronicelídeas são os principais hospedeiros intermediários de Angiostrongylus costaricencis. Em uma localidade rural de Nova Itaberaba (SC, no sul do Brasil) Sarasinula linguaeformis apresenta-se como peste agrícola. O exame parasitológico das lesmas demonstrou infecção pelo A. costaricencis em 43 de 50 animais. A prevalência de 86% e as cargas parasitárias são as mais altas registradas até o momento no Brasil e S. linguaeformis é a primeira espécie do gênero Sarasinula a ser identificado como hospedeiro intermediário do A. costaricencis no sul do país.