Active surveillance of paratuberculosis in Alpine-dwelling red deer (Cervus elaphus).

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) is a globally widespread infectious disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The bacterium is excreted in the feces and is characterized by high environmental resistance. The new Animal Health Law (Regulation EU 2016/429) on transmissible animal diseases, recently in force throughout the European Union, includes paratuberculosis within the diseases requiring surveillance in the EU, listing some domestic and wild Bovidae, Cervidae, and Camelidae as potential reservoirs. Taking advantage of a culling activity conducted in the Stelvio National Park (Italy), this study investigated MAP infection status of red deer (Cervus elaphus) between 2018 and 2022, and evaluated the probability of being MAP-positive with respect to individual and sampling-level variables. A total of 390 subjects were examined macroscopically and tested for MAP, using different diagnostic tools: IS900 qPCR, culture, histopathology, and serology. Twenty-three of them were found positive for MAP by at least one test, with an overall prevalence of 5.9% (95% CI 4.0-8.7), that, respectively, ranged from 12.4% in the first culling season to 2.0 and 2.1% in the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 culling seasons. Quantitative PCR assay on ileocecal valve and mesenteric lymph nodes detected the highest number of MAP positive animals. The results of the study showed the increased probability of being MAP-positive with increasing age and that red deer with lower body mass values were more likely to be infected with MAP. Overall, the absence of signs of clinical paratuberculosis and gross lesions together with the low level of shedding witness early phases of the disease among the positive red deer and support an improvement of the paratuberculosis status of this population, as shown by the decreased prevalence of the disease over the years.

A Journey into Animal Models of Human Osteomyelitis: A Review.

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone characterized by progressive inflammatory destruction and apposition of new bone that can spread via the hematogenous route (hematogenous osteomyelitis (HO)), contiguous spread (contiguous osteomyelitis (CO)), and direct inoculation (osteomyelitis associated with peripheral vascular insufficiency (PVI)). Given the significant financial burden posed by osteomyelitis patient management, the development of new preventive and treatment methods is warranted. To achieve this objective, implementing animal models (AMs) of infection such as rats, mice, rabbits, avians, dogs, sheep, goats, and pigs might be of the essence. This review provides a literature analysis of the AMs developed and used to study osteomyelitis. Historical relevance and clinical applicability were taken into account to choose the best AMs, and some study methods are briefly described. Furthermore, the most significant strengths and limitations of each species as AM are discussed, as no single model incorporates all features of osteomyelitis. HO's clinical manifestation results in extreme variability between patients due to multiple variables (e.g., age, sex, route of infection, anatomical location, and concomitant diseases) that could alter clinical studies. However, these variables can be controlled and tested through different animal models.

Tuning of bending and torsional modes of bars used in mallet percussion instruments.

The present paper proposes a generic design-optimization procedure for the concomitant tuning of bending and torsional modes of bars used in mallet percussion instruments. The undercut model uses a series of discontinuous cuts aimed to facilitate the manufacturing process. Compared to one-dimensional beam models, the use of three-dimensional (3-D) finite element modeling not only allows for the calculation of torsional modes but also provides an increased accuracy in the prediction of modal frequencies, an important aspect when dealing with the demanding tuning tolerances required in a musical context. A global optimization problem is formulated and solved using a surrogate function algorithm, which enables fast computations even with the expensive function evaluations associated with 3-D finite element models. Modal identification of experimental bars demonstrates the potential of the proposed procedure, leading to bars with demanding tuning ratios (six target frequencies) at absolute tuning deviations typically below 15 cents. Measurements of the radiated sound from the experimental bars illustrate the benefits of the improved designs compared to those without torsional tuning. The proposed framework, aside from dealing with the comprehensive tuning of percussive musical bars, also accounts for important practical considerations regarding efficient optimization, modeling accuracy, and manufacturing complexity.

Quadricuspid aortic valve with a hidden left ostium: Case report and literature review.

Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital condition that frequently progresses to aortic regurgitation with clinical impact in adulthood. Surgical treatment is required in the fifth to sixth decade of life in about one fifth of patients. We describe the case of a 64-year-old woman with regular cardiological follow-up for severe aortic valve regurgitation who had suffered recent clinical and echocardiographic deterioration. Conventional open surgery was indicated. During the procedure, a QAV with leaflet retraction and central orifice was observed. The aortic valve was successfully replaced.

Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy Using an Automated Diagnostic System Based on Deep Learning: Diagnostic Accuracy Assessment.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a diagnostic system software for the automated screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on digital colour fundus photographs, the 2019 Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model with Inception-V3. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 295 fundus images were analysed by the CNN model and compared to a panel of ophthalmologists. Images were obtained from a dataset acquired within a screening programme. Diagnostic accuracy measures and respective 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the CNN model in diagnosing referable DR was 81% (95% CI 66-90%) and 97% (95% CI 95-99%), respectively. Positive predictive value was 86% (95% CI 72-94%) and negative predictive value 96% (95% CI 93-98%). The positive likelihood ratio was 33 (95% CI 15-75) and the negative was 0.20 (95% CI 0.11-0.35). Its clinical impact is demonstrated by the change observed in the pre-test probability of referable DR (assuming a prevalence of 16%) to a post-test probability for a positive test result of 86% and for a negative test result of 4%. CONCLUSION: A CNN model negative test result safely excludes DR, and its use may significantly reduce the burden of ophthalmologists at reading centres.

In Vitro Efficacy of Essential Oils from Melaleuca Alternifolia and Rosmarinus Officinalis, Manuka Honey-based Gel, and Propolis as Antibacterial Agents Against Canine Staphylococcus Pseudintermedius Strains.

Essential oils (EOs) and honeybee products (e.g., honey and propolis) are natural mixtures of different volatile compounds that are frequently used in traditional medicine and for pathogen eradication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial properties of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) EO (TTEO), Rosmarinus officinalis EO (ROEO), manuka-based gel, and propolis against 23 strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (SP) isolated from canine pyoderma. Antimicrobial resistance screening was assessed using a panel of nine antimicrobial agents coupled with a PCR approach. An aromatogram was done for both EOs, using the disk diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for all the compounds. Among the 23 SP strains, 14 (60.9%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR), 11 strains (47.8%) were methicillin-resistant (MRSP), and 9 (39.1%) were non-MDR. The mean diameter of the inhibition zone for Melaleuca and Rosmarinus were 24.5 ± 8.8 mm and 15.2 ± 8.9 mm, respectively, resulting as statistically different (p = 0.0006). MIC values of TTEO and ROEO were similar (7.6 ± 3.2% and 8.9 ± 2.1%, respectively) and no statistical significances were found. Honeybee products showed lower MIC compared to those of EOs, 0.22 ± 0.1% for Manuka and 0.8 ± 0.5% for propolis. These findings reveal a significant antibacterial effect for all the tested products.

IoT Sensing Platform as a Driver for Digital Farming in Rural Africa.

Small-scale farming can benefit from the usage of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve crop and soil management and increase yield. However, in order to introduce digital farming in rural areas, related ICT solutions must be viable, seamless and easy to use, since most farmers are not acquainted with technology. With that in mind, this paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT) sensing platform that provides information on the state of the soil and surrounding environment in terms of pH, moisture, texture, colour, air temperature, and light. This platform is coupled with computer vision to further analyze and understand soil characteristics. Moreover, the platform hardware is housed in a specifically designed robust casing to allow easy assembly, transport, and protection from the deployment environment. To achieve requirements of usability and reproducibility, the architecture of the IoT sensing platform is based on low-cost, off-the-shelf hardware and software modularity, following a do-it-yourself approach and supporting further extension. In-lab validations of the platform were carried out to finetune its components, showing the platform's potential for application in rural areas by introducing digital farming to small-scale farmers, and help them delivering better produce and increasing income.

Offline computer-aided diagnosis for Glaucoma detection using fundus images targeted at mobile devices.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Glaucoma, an eye condition that leads to permanent blindness, is typically asymptomatic and therefore difficult to be diagnosed in time. However, if diagnosed in time, Glaucoma can effectively be slowed down by using adequate treatment; hence, an early diagnosis is of utmost importance. Nonetheless, the conventional approaches to diagnose Glaucoma adopt expensive and bulky equipment that requires qualified experts, making it difficult, costly and time-consuming to diagnose large amounts of people. Consequently, new alternatives to diagnose Glaucoma that suppress these issues should be explored. METHODS: This work proposes an interpretable computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) pipeline that is capable of diagnosing Glaucoma using fundus images and run offline in mobile devices. Several public datasets of fundus images were merged and used to build Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that perform segmentation and classification tasks. These networks are then used to build a pipeline for Glaucoma assessment that outputs a Glaucoma confidence level and also provides several morphological features and segmentations of relevant structures, resulting in an interpretable Glaucoma diagnosis. To assess the performance of this method in a restricted environment, this pipeline was integrated into a mobile application and time and space complexities were assessed. RESULTS: Considering the test set, the developed pipeline achieved 0.91 and 0.75 of Intersection over Union (IoU) in the optic disc and optic cup segmentation, respectively. With regards to the classification, an accuracy of 0.87 with a sensitivity of 0.85 and an AUC of 0.93 were attained. Moreover, this pipeline runs on an average Android smartphone in under two seconds. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the potential that this method can have in the contribution to an early Glaucoma diagnosis. The proposed approach achieved similar or slightly better metrics than the current CAD systems for Glaucoma assessment while running on more restricted devices. This pipeline can, therefore, be used to construct accurate and affordable CAD systems that could enable large Glaucoma screenings, contributing to an earlier diagnose of this condition.

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Biological-Derived Silver Nanoparticles: Preliminary Data.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are promising alternatives to antibiotics. The aims of this study were to produce AgNPs using two biological methods and determine their antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. AgNPs were biosynthesized from an infusion of Curcuma longa (turmeric) and the culture supernatant of E. coli. Characterization was achieved by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial properties of NPs from C. longa (ClAgNPs) and E. coli (EcAgNPs), alone and in combination with carbenicillin and ampicillin, were investigated through the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Dimensions of NPs ranged from 11.107 ± 2.705 nm (ClAgNPs) to 27.282 ± 2.68 nm (EcAgNPs). Kirby-Bauer and MIC assays showed great antibacterial abilities for both NPs alone and in combination with antibiotics. EcAgNPs alone showed the most powerful antibacterial activities, resulting in MIC values ranging from 0.438 ± 0.18 µM (P. aeruginosa) to 3.75 ± 3.65 µM (S. pseudintermedius) compared to those of ClAgNPs: 71.8 ± 0 µM (P. aeruginosa) and 143.7 ± 0 µM (S. pseudintermedius). The antibiofilm abilities were strain-dependent, but no statistical differences were found between the two NPs. These results suggest the antibacterial potential of AgNPs for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of microcephaly in the state of Piauí, northeastern Brazil, 2015-20166 / Aspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos da microcefalia no Estado do Piauí, Nordeste do Brasil, 2015-2016

Abstract Objectives: To describe aspects of the microcephaly epidemic in the state of Piauí. Methods: All cases of congenital microcephaly confirmed in the state between 2015 and 2016 were included (n = 100). Investigation forms of the Regional Reference Center for Microcephaly were reviewed. Discarded cases (n = 63) were used as a comparison group. Results: In October, November, and December 2015 incidence rates reached 4.46, 6.33 and 3.86/1000 live births, respectively; 44 cases were reported in the state capital. Among the mothers of confirmed and discarded cases, the frequency of skin rash during pregnancy was 50/97 (51.5%) and 8/51 (15.7%), respectively (p < 0.001); 33 confirmed cases (35.9%) had a head circumference z-score between −2 and −3, 23 (25%) between −3 and −4, and 8 (8.7%) had a z-score of less than −4. Head computer tomography scans revealed calcifications in 78/95 (82.1%) cases. Lissencephaly, hydrocephalus and agenesis of the corpus callosum were also frequently observed. Ophthalmic findings included retinal pigment epithelium rarefaction and atrophy. Absence of otoacoustic emissions was observed in 21/70 cases. One newborn also presented lower limb muscle atrophy. There were no significant differences in vaccination rates for influenza, diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, and hepatitis B in either group. Conclusions: The state of Piauí, like others in the northeastern region, faced an epidemic of congenital microcephaly between 2015 and 2016, presumably related to congenital Zika virus infection, more intense in the capital. Current challenges include the improvement of vector control, basic research, scaling-up of diagnostic tools for pre-natal screening of Zika virus, vaccines, and health care for affected children.

Resumo Objetivos: Descrever os aspectos da epidemia de microcefalia no Estado do Piauí. Métodos: Foram incluídos todos os casos de microcefalia congênita confirmados no estado entre 2015-2016 (n = 100). Os formulários de investigação do Centro Regional de Referência em Microcefalia foram analisados. Os casos descartados (n = 63) foram usados como grupo de comparação. Resultados: Em outubro, novembro e dezembro de 2015, as taxas de incidência atingiram 4,46, 6,33 e 3,86/1.000 nascidos vivos, respectivamente; 44 casos foram relatados na capital do estado. Entre as mães de casos confirmados e descartados, a frequência de erupção cutânea durante a gravidez foi 50/97 (51,5%) e 8/51 (15,7%), respectivamente (p < 0,001); 33 casos confirmados (35,9%) apresentaram um escore z de perímetro cefálico entre -2 e -3, 23 (25%) entre -3 e -4 e 8 (8,7%) apresentaram escore z inferior a -4. As tomografias computadorizadas cerebrais revelaram calcificações em 78/95 (82,1%) dos casos. Lisencefalia, hidrocefalia e agenesia do corpo caloso também foram observadas com mais frequência. Os achados oftalmológicos incluíram rarefação e atrofia do epitélio pigmentar da retina. Foram observadas ausência de emissões otoacústicas em 21/70 casos. Um recém-nascido também apresentou atrofia muscular dos membros inferiores. Não houve diferenças significativas nas taxas de vacinação para gripe, vacina difteria tétano e coqueluche acelular e hepatite B em qualquer grupo. Conclusões: O Estado do Piauí, como outros na região Nordeste, enfrentou, entre 2015 e 2016, uma epidemia de microcefalia congênita, supostamente relacionada à infecção congênita pelo vírus Zika, mais intensa na capital. Os desafios atuais incluem melhora do controle de vetores, pesquisa básica, ampliação de ferramentas de diagnóstico para exame pré-natal do vírus Zika, vacinas e cuidados de saúde para crianças afetadas.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of microcephaly in the state of Piauí, northeastern Brazil, 2015-2016.

OBJECTIVES: To describe aspects of the microcephaly epidemic in the state of Piauí. METHODS: All cases of congenital microcephaly confirmed in the state between 2015 and 2016 were included (n=100). Investigation forms of the Regional Reference Center for Microcephaly were reviewed. Discarded cases (n=63) were used as a comparison group. RESULTS: In October, November, and December 2015 incidence rates reached 4.46, 6.33 and 3.86/1000 live births, respectively; 44 cases were reported in the state capital. Among the mothers of confirmed and discarded cases, the frequency of skin rash during pregnancy was 50/97 (51.5%) and 8/51 (15.7%), respectively (p<0.001); 33 confirmed cases (35.9%) had a head circumference z-score between -2 and -3, 23 (25%) between -3 and -4, and 8 (8.7%) had a z-score of less than -4. Head computer tomography scans revealed calcifications in 78/95 (82.1%) cases. Lissencephaly, hydrocephalus and agenesis of the corpus callosum were also frequently observed. Ophthalmic findings included retinal pigment epithelium rarefaction and atrophy. Absence of otoacoustic emissions was observed in 21/70 cases. One newborn also presented lower limb muscle atrophy. There were no significant differences in vaccination rates for influenza, diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, and hepatitis B in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The state of Piauí, like others in the northeastern region, faced an epidemic of congenital microcephaly between 2015 and 2016, presumably related to congenital Zika virus infection, more intense in the capital. Current challenges include the improvement of vector control, basic research, scaling-up of diagnostic tools for pre-natal screening of Zika virus, vaccines, and health care for affected children.

Investigation on Antibiotic-Resistance, Biofilm Formation and Virulence Factors in Multi Drug Resistant and Non Multi Drug Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a commensal bacterium frequently isolated from canine skin and recognized as a zoonotic agent especially for dog-owners. This study focused on (a) the antibiotic-resistance phenotypes; (b) the ability to produce biofilm (slime); and (c) the dissemination of virulence factors in S. pseudintermedius strains. Seventy-three S. pseudintermedius strains were screened for antibiotic-resistance against 22 different molecules by means of Kirby-Bauer assay. The ability to produce biofilm was investigated using the microtiter plate assay (MtP) and the amplification of icaA and icaD genes. Virulence factors such as cytotoxins (lukI), enterotoxins (seC), and exfoliative toxins (siet, expA, and expB) were evaluated. The antibiotic-resistance profiles revealed 42/73 (57%) multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains and 31/73 (43%) not-MDR. All the MDR strains and 8/31 (27%) of not-MDR resulted in biofilm producers. Leukotoxin LukI was found in 70/73 (96%) of the isolates. Moreover, the enterotoxin gene seC was detected in 47/73 (64%) of the strains. All the isolates carried the siet gene, whereas expA and expB were found in 3/73 (4%) and 5/73 (7%), respectively. In conclusion, S. pseudintermedius should be considered a potential zoonotic and human agent able to carry different virulence determinants and capable of producing biofilm which facilitates horizontal gene transfer.

[Single versus multiple bypass grafts to each diseased coronary territory: impact on survival and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events].

BACKGROUND: Complete revascularization is the gold standard of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the rationale for revascularization of all diseased vessels is questionable. We aimed at evaluating the impact of multiple versus single grafts in each diseased coronary territory in the long-term survival and incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). METHODS: From January/00 to November/15, 5.694 consecutive patients were submitted to isolated CABG, of whom 4.243 (74.5%) had complete anatomical revascularization and constituted the study population. Patients were divided into two groups: multiple grafts to each major territory (RCA, LAD, Cx, n=755) a single graft to each territory (n=3.488). Mean follow-up time was 8.5±4.4 years and complete for 96.4% of patients. RESULTS: No differences were found concerning major immediate postoperative complications (cardiogenic shock, acute myocardial infarction or stroke) and thirty-day mortality was similar (0.7%; p=0.871). Long-term survival was 64.4±1.3% vs. 67.7±2.9%, p=0.232. Older age (HR:1.07; 1.06-1.08, p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (HR:1.44; 1.24-1-66, p<0.001), peripheral vascular disease (HR: 1.52; 1.29-1.81, p<0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR:1.38; 1.01-1.89, p=0.042), moderate/ severe cardiac dysfunction (HR:1.95; 1.60-2.38, p<0.001) and moderate/severe renal impairment (HR:1.65; 1.40-1.94, p<0.001) were independent predictors for late mortality. Freedom from MACCE was higher in multiple graft group (79.4±2.0% vs. 90.7±2.7%; p=0.026, respectively) at 4 years. CONCLUSION: Isolated CABG can be performed safely and with very low mortality. The number of bypass grafts did not adversely affect the perioperative results and long-term survival. However, implantation of multiple grafts was associated with lower incidence of major adverse events.

Introdução: A revascularização completa representa o gold standard para a cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica. No entanto, a pontagem de todas as artérias com doença significativa no mesmo território coronário é controversa. Deste modo, objetivamos avaliar o impacto, na sobrevivência a longo e na incidência de eventos cardio e cerebrovascular major (MACCE), da colocação de um enxerto único versus múltiplos enxertos coronários no mesmo território. Métodos: de Janeiro/00 a Novembro15, 5.694 doentes foram consecutivamente submetidos a CABG isolada, dos quais 4.243 (74.5%) tiveram revascularização anatómica completa, constituindo a população em estudo. Os doentes foram dividos em dois grupos: os que receberam enxertos múltiplos para cada território (CD, DA, CX, n=755) e os que receberam um enxerto único (n=3.488). O tempo médio de seguimento foi de 8.5±4.4 anos e completo em 96.4% dos doentes. Resultados: não foram observadas diferenças no que respeita às complicações major pós-operatórias (choque cardiogénico, enfarte agudo do miocárdio ou acidente vascular cerebral) bem como na mortalidade aos 30 dias (0.7%; p=0.871). A sobrevivência a longo prazo foi 64.4±1.3% vs. 67.7±2.9%, p=0.232. A idade avançada (HR:1.07; 1.06-1.08, p<0.001), diabetes (HR:1.44; 1.24-1-66, p<0.001), doença vascular periférica (HR:1.52; 1.29-1.81, p< 0.001), doença pulmonar crónica obstrutiva (HR:1.38; 1.01-1.89, p=0.042), disfunção cardíaca moderada/severa (HR:1.95; 1.60-2.38, p< 0.001) e disfunção renal moderada/severa (HR:1.65; 1.40-1.94, p< 0.001) foram preditores de mortalidade a longo prazo. A taxa livre de MACCE foi superior no grupo com múltiplos enxertos aos 4 anos (79.4±2.0% vs. 90.7±2.7%; p=0.026, respetivamente). Conclusão: a CABG é realizada com segurança e com baixa mortalidade. O número de enxertos não afetou os resultados perioperatorios e a sobrevivência a longo prazo. No entanto, a confecção de múltiplos enxertos foi associada a menor incidência de MACCE.

Characterization of the blastogenic response to LPS of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Mitogens are diverse compounds of plant and microbial origin, widely employed to test immunocompetence in animals. The blastogenic response of bovine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) to lypopolysaccharides (LPS) has been investigated in our laboratories for a long time. In particular, a possible correlation between blastogenic response to LPS and disease resistance of periparturient dairy cows had been observed in previous studies. Most important, low responder cows presented a higher frequency of disease cases after calving, compared with high responder animals. Owing to the above, different aspects of the blastogenic response to LPS were investigated on PBMC of healthy Friesian cows, using a 72-hour Bromodeoxyuridin (BrDU) cell proliferation assay. Stimulation with LPS induced little if any replication of bovine PBMC over 72 hours despite consistent BrDU detection in all the PBMC samples under study. Poor replication of LPS-stimulated PBMC was confirmed by cell cycle and cell growth flow cytometry analyses. In particular, LPS stimulation gave rise to very low percentages of S phase cells, sometimes lower than in control, unstimulated cells, as opposed to Concanavalin A-stimulated PBMC. Magnetic separation and analysis of BrDU-treated bovine PBMC after exposure to LPS showed that both B and CD4 T cells are involved in the blastogenic response to LPS, in contrast with current data based on human and murine models. Finally, LPS caused an early, specific up-regulation of TNF-α and TLR4 genes in bovine PBMC, and significant correlations were shown between the expression of inflammatory cytokine and Indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) genes. On the whole, our data indicate that differences in the blastogenic response to LPS could be partly accounted for by heterogenicity of responding cells (B and T lymphocytes), which might also have an impact on induction and regulation of inflammatory responses and endotoxin tolerance.

3D lacunarity in multifractal analysis of breast tumor lesions in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) of the breast is especially robust for the diagnosis of cancer in high-risk women due to its high sensitivity. Its specificity may be, however, compromised since several benign masses take up contrast agent as malignant lesions do. In this paper, we propose a novel method of 3D multifractal analysis to characterize the spatial complexity (spatial arrangement of texture) of breast tumors at multiple scales. Self-similar properties are extracted from the estimation of the multifractal scaling exponent for each clinical case, using lacunarity as the multifractal measure. These properties include several descriptors of the multifractal spectra reflecting the morphology and internal spatial structure of the enhanced lesions relatively to normal tissue. The results suggest that the combined multifractal characteristics can be effective to distinguish benign and malignant findings, judged by the performance of the support vector machine classification method evaluated by receiver operating characteristics with an area under the curve of 0.96. In addition, this paper confirms the presence of multifractality in DCE-MR volumes of the breast, whereby multiple degrees of self-similarity prevail at multiple scales. The proposed feature extraction and classification method have the potential to complement the interpretation of the radiologists and supply a computer-aided diagnosis system.

Teores séricos e hepáticos de cobre, ferro, molibdênio e zinco em ovinos e caprinos no estado de Pernambuco / Serum and liver concentrations of copper, iron, zinc and molybdenum in sheep and goats in the state of Pernambuco

O trabalho objetivou conhecer os teores de Cu, Mo, Fe e Zn em soro e fígado de ovinos e caprinos criados na região semiárida do estado de Pernambuco e abatidos nas épocas da chuva e seca, e estabelecer se a carência de Cu é causada por deficiência primária de Cu ou secundária à ingestão de quantidades excessivas de Fe ou Mo. Amostras de soro e fígado de 141 ovinos e 141 caprinos foram submetidas à digestão úmida em ácido nítrico-perclórico e, posteriormente, analisados em espectrofotômetro de absorção atômica indutivamente acoplado (ICPOES). A concentração sérica de Cu em caprinos teve uma média de 9,85±2,71µmol/L e em caprinos de 11,37±2,57µmol/L, enquanto que a concentração hepática média foi de 158,45±83,05mg/kg para ovinos e 152,46±79,58mg/kg para caprinos. Os teores séricos de Fe foram de 35,58± 14,89µmol/L em ovinos e de 25,06±8,10µmol/L em caprinos e as concentrações no fígado foram de 156,10±55,99mg/ kg em ovinos e 210,53±121,99mg/kg em caprinos. As concentrações médias séricas de Mo foram de 0,28±0,11µmol/ L em caprinos e 0,31±0,16µmol/L em ovinos, enquanto que no fígado sua concentração foi de 6,53±4,13mg/kg e 8,10± 4,01mg/kg, respectivamente. A concentração sérica de Zn foi de 11,9±6,07µmol/L em ovinos e 11,79±7,42µmol/ L em caprinos e a concentração no fígado foi de 126,43 ±51,50mg/kg e 132,91±55,28mg/kg em ovinos e caprinos, respectivamente. Verificou-se variação na concentração destes minerais considerando os fatores de variação, como o período sazonal, espécie e sexo. Baseado nos valores observados, considerados marginais, e na ocorrência de surtos de ataxia enzoótica em caprinos e ovinos na região, recomenda-se a suplementação com Cu em animais a campo, tanto na seca quanto na chuva. Considerando as concentrações séricas e hepáticas de Fe e Mo, sugerese que as concentrações marginais de Cu não estejam diretamente relacionadas com o excesso destes minerais. Não foram encontradas diferenças significantes nas concentrações séricas e hepáticas...

The aim of this research was to determine serum and liver concentrations of Cu, Mo, Fe and Zn in sheep and goats slaughtered in the semiarid region of the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, during the rainy and dry seasons, and to establish if Cu deficiency which occurs in the region is primary or secondary to high levels of Mo and/or Fe. Serum and liver samples from 141 goats and 141 sheep were submitted to wet digestion in nitric-perchloric acid and analyzed by coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrophotometry (ICPOES). The mean serum concentrations of Cu were 9.85±2.71µmol/L in sheep and 11.37±2.57µmol/L in goats. Mean Cu liver concentrations were 158.45±83.05mg/kg in sheep and 152.46±79.58mg/ kg in goats. Mean serum concentrations of Fe were 35.58±14.89µmol/L in sheep and 25.06±8.10µmol/L in goats. Mean liver concentrations of Fe were 156.10±55.99mg/kg in sheep and 210.53±121.99mg/kg in goats. Mean serum concentrations of Mo were 0.28±0.11µmol/L in goats and 0.31±0.16µmol/L in sheep. Mean liver concentrations of Mo were 6.53±4.13mg/kg in goats and 8.10±4.01mg/kg in sheep. Mean serum concentrations of Zn were 11.9±6.07µmol/L in sheep and 11.79±7.42µmol/L in goats. Mean liver concentrations of Zn were 126.43±51.50mg/kg in sheep and 132.91±55.28mg/kg in goats. Based on Cu serum and liver concentrations and on the sporadic occurrence of enzootic ataxia, Cu supplementation is recommended for grazing sheep and goats during the dry and the rainy seasons. Considering that serum and hepatic concentrations of Fe and Mo are within normal ranges or are marginal, it is suggested that the low Cu concentrations are not related with high Fe or Mo ingestion. Non significant differences were observed between serum and liver concentrations of Cu and Mo, and between serum concentrations of Fe in samples collected during the rainy season and the dry season. Liver concentrations of Fe and serum and liver concentrations of Zn were significantly higher during...