Transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders in infancy. / Trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia.

INTRODUCTION: Transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders in infancy encompass a group of disorders that appear during the neonatal period and in the first years of life, and that spontaneously disappear without leaving consequences. This article aimed to review the main transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders in infancy, focusing on recognition and diagnostic approach. DEVELOPMENT: Overall, it includes entities such as: jitteriness, benign neonatal sleep myoclonus, shuddering, benign myoclonus of early infancy, transient idiopathic dystonia in infancy, spasmus nutans, paroxysmal tonic upgaze of infancy, and benign paroxysmal torticollis. CONCLUSION: Transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders are non-epileptic paroxysmal episodes, and their diagnosis is eminently clinical. The correct recognition of these entities is crucial to avoid anxiety, unnecessary complementary exams, and treatments.

TITLE: Trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia.Introducción. Los trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia engloban un grupo de trastornos que aparecen durante el período neonatal y en los primeros años de vida, y que desaparecen espontáneamente sin dejar secuelas. El objetivo de este artículo fue revisar los principales trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia, centrándose principalmente en el enfoque utilizado para su reconocimiento y diagnóstico. Desarrollo. En general, estos trastornos presentan entidades como temblores, mioclonías neonatales benignas del sueño, estremecimientos, mioclonías benignas de la infancia temprana, distonía transitoria idiopática del lactante, espasmo nutans, desviación tónica paroxística de la mirada hacia arriba en la infancia y tortícolis paroxística benigna. Conclusiones. Los trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio son episodios paroxísticos no epilépticos, cuyo diagnóstico es eminentemente clínico. Es crucial reconocer correctamente estas entidades para evitar los estados de ansiedad y la necesidad de realizar exámenes complementarios y tratamientos innecesarios.

Trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia / Transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders in infancy

Introducción: Los trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia engloban un grupo de trastornos que aparecen durante el período neonatal y en los primeros años de vida, y que desaparecen espontáneamente sin dejar secuelas. El objetivo de este artículo fue revisar los principales trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio en la infancia, centrándose principalmente en el enfoque utilizado para su reconocimiento y diagnóstico. Desarrollo: En general, estos trastornos presentan entidades como temblores, mioclonías neonatales benignas del sueño, estremecimientos, mioclonías benignas de la infancia temprana, distonía transitoria idiopática del lactante, espasmo nutans, desviación tónica paroxística de la mirada hacia arriba en la infancia y tortícolis paroxística benigna. Conclusiones: Los trastornos paroxísticos del movimiento de carácter benigno y transitorio son episodios paroxísticos no epilépticos, cuyo diagnóstico es eminentemente clínico. Es crucial reconocer correctamente estas entidades para evitar los estados de ansiedad y la necesidad de realizar exámenes complementarios y tratamientos innecesarios.(AU)

Introduction: Transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders in infancy encompass a group of disorders that appear during the neonatal period and in the first years of life, and that spontaneously disappear without leaving consequences. This article aimed to review the main transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders in infancy, focusing on recognition and diagnostic approach. Development: Overall, it includes entities such as: jitteriness, benign neonatal sleep myoclonus, shuddering, benign myoclonus of early infancy, transient idiopathic dystonia in infancy, spasmus nutans, paroxysmal tonic upgaze of infancy, and benign paroxysmal torticollis. Conclusion: Transient benign paroxysmal movement disorders are non-epileptic paroxysmal episodes, and their diagnosis is eminently clinical. The correct recognition of these entities is crucial to avoid anxiety, unnecessary complementary exams, and treatments.(AU)

Eight new Halophytophthora species from marine and brackish-water ecosystems in Portugal and an updated phylogeny for the genus.

During an oomycete survey in December 2015, 10 previously unknown Halophytophthora taxa were isolated from marine and brackish water of tidal ponds and channels in saltmarshes, lagoon ecosystems and river estuaries at seven sites along the Algarve coast in the South of Portugal. Phylogenetic analyses of LSU and ITS datasets, comprising all described Halophytophthora species, the 10 new Halophytophthora taxa and all relevant and distinctive sequences available from GenBank, provided an updated phylogeny of the genus Halophytophthora s.str. showing for the first time a structure of 10 clades designated as Clades 1-10. Nine of the 10 new Halophytophthora taxa resided in Clade 6 together with H. polymorphica and H. vesicula. Based on differences in morphology and temperature-growth relations and a multigene (LSU, ITS, Btub, hsp90, rpl10, tigA, cox1, nadh1, rps10) phylo-geny, eight new Halophytophthora taxa from Portugal are described here as H. brevisporangia, H. cele-ris, H. frigida, H. lateralis, H. lusitanica, H. macrosporangia, H. sinuata and H. thermoambigua. Three species, H. frigida, H. macrosporangia and H. sinuata, have a homothallic breeding system while the remaining five species are sterile. Pathogenicity and litter decomposition tests are underway to clarify their pathological and ecological role in the marine and brackish-water ecosystems. More oomycete surveys in yet undersurveyed regions of the world and population genetic or phylogenomic analyses of global populations are needed to clarify the origin of the new Halophytophthora species. Citation: Maia C, Horta Jung M, Carella G, et al. 2022. Eight new Halophytophthora species from marine and brackish-water ecosystems in Portugal and an updated phylogeny for the genus. Persoonia 48: 54 - 90. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2022.48.02..

In-situ technical study of modern paintings part 1: The evolution of artistic materials and painting techniques in ten paintings from 1889 to 1940 by Alessandro Milesi (1856-1945).

A complementary multi-analytical in-situ approach has been adopted for the investigation of a corpus of ten paintings dating from 1889 and 1940 by the Venetian painter Alessandro Milesi (1856-1945), from the collection of the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca' Pesaro in Venice. Analyses were performed in situ with digital imaging, elemental and spectroscopic analysis. The analysis of pigments and binding media and their possible deterioration patterns were studied with a combination of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectroscopy, External Reflection- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ER-FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopy. These analytical methods provide information regarding the evolution of the artist's palette and the painting techniques adopted in painting. Data suggest the widespread detection of zinc carboxylates, with implications for conservation and display.

Modulation Instability Induced Frequency Comb Generation in a Continuously Pumped Optical Parametric Oscillator.

Continuously pumped passive nonlinear cavities can be harnessed for the creation of novel optical frequency combs. While most research has focused on third-order "Kerr" nonlinear interactions, recent studies have shown that frequency comb formation can also occur via second-order nonlinear effects. Here, we report on the formation of quadratic combs in optical parametric oscillator (OPO) configurations. Specifically, we demonstrate that optical frequency combs can be generated in the parametric region around half of the pump frequency in a continuously driven OPO. We also model the OPO dynamics through a single time-domain mean-field equation, identifying previously unknown dynamical regimes, induced by modulation instabilities, which lead to comb formation. Numerical simulation results are in good agreement with experimentally observed spectra. Moreover, the analysis of the coherence properties of the simulated spectra shows the existence of correlated and phase-locked combs. Our results reveal previously unnoticed dynamics of an apparently well assessed optical system, and can lead to a new class of frequency comb sources that may stimulate novel applications by enabling straightforward access to elusive spectral regions, such as the midinfrared.

Time domain diffuse Raman spectrometer based on a TCSPC camera for the depth analysis of diffusive media.

We present a time domain diffuse Raman spectrometer for depth probing of highly scattering media. The system is based on, to the best of our knowledge, a novel time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) camera that simultaneously acquires both spectral and temporal information of Raman photons. A dedicated non-contact probe was built, and time domain Raman measurements were performed on a tissue mimicking bilayer phantom. The fluorescence contamination of the Raman signal was eliminated by early time gating (0-212 ps) the Raman photons. Depth sensitivity is achieved by time gating Raman photons at different delays with a gate width of 106 ps. Importantly, the time domain can provide time-dependent depth sensitivity leading to a high contrast between two layers of Raman signal. As a result, an enhancement factor of 2170 was found for our bilayer phantom which is much higher than the values obtained by spatial offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS), frequency offset Raman spectroscopy (FORS), or hybrid FORS-SORS on a similar phantom.

Inflammatory Markers as Prognostic Factors of Survival in Patients Affected by Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization.

INTRODUCTION: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a good choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment when surgery and liver transplantation are not feasible. Few studies reported the value of prognostic factors influencing survival after chemoembolization. In this study, we evaluated whether preoperative inflammatory factors such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio affected our patient survival when affected by hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a total of 72 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma that underwent TACE. We enrolled patients with different etiopathogeneses of hepatitis and histologically proven HCC not suitable for surgery. The overall study population was dichotomized in two groups according to the median NLR value and was analyzed also according to other prognostic factors. RESULTS: The global median overall survival (OS) was 28 months. The OS in patients with high NLR was statistically significantly shorter than that in patients with low NLR. The following pretreatment variables were significantly associated with the OS in univariate analyses: age, Child-Pugh score, BCLC stage, INR, and NLR. Pretreated high NLR was an independently unfavorable factor for OS. CONCLUSION: NLR could be considered a good prognostic factor of survival useful to stratify patients that could benefit from TACE treatment.

Human NDE1 splicing and mammalian brain development.

Exploring genetic and molecular differences between humans and other close species may be the key to explain the uniqueness of our brain and the selective pressures under which it evolves. Recent discoveries unveiled the involvement of Nuclear distribution factor E-homolog 1 (NDE1) in human cerebral cortical neurogenesis and suggested a role in brain evolution; however the evolutionary changes involved have not been investigated. NDE1 has a different gene structure in human and mouse resulting in the production of diverse splicing isoforms. In particular, mouse uses the terminal exon 8 T, while Human uses terminal exon 9, which is absent in rodents. Through chimeric minigenes splicing assay we investigated the unique elements regulating NDE1 terminal exon choice. We found that selection of the terminal exon is regulated in a cell dependent manner and relies on gain/loss of splicing regulatory sequences across the exons. Our results show how evolutionary changes in cis as well as trans acting signals have played a fundamental role in determining NDE1 species specific splicing isoforms supporting the notion that alternative splicing plays a central role in human genome evolution, and possibly human cognitive predominance.

Nothophytophthora gen. nov., a new sister genus of Phytophthora from natural and semi-natural ecosystems.

During various surveys of Phytophthora diversity in Europe, Chile and Vietnam slow growing oomycete isolates were obtained from rhizosphere soil samples and small streams in natural and planted forest stands. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences from the nuclear ITS, LSU, ß-tubulin and HSP90 loci and the mitochondrial cox1 and NADH1 genes revealed they belong to six new species of a new genus, officially described here as Nothophytophthora gen. nov., which clustered as sister group to Phytophthora. Nothophytophthora species share numerous morphological characters with Phytophthora: persistent (all Nothophytophthora spp.) and caducous (N. caduca, N. chlamydospora, N. valdiviana, N. vietnamensis) sporangia with variable shapes, internal differentiation of zoospores and internal, nested and extended (N. caduca, N. chlamydospora) and external (all Nothophytophthora spp.) sporangial proliferation; smooth-walled oogonia with amphigynous (N. amphigynosa) and paragynous (N. amphigynosa, N. intricata, N. vietnamensis) attachment of the antheridia; chlamydospores (N. chlamydospora) and hyphal swellings. Main differing features of the new genus are the presence of a conspicuous, opaque plug inside the sporangiophore close to the base of most mature sporangia in all known Nothophytophthora species and intraspecific co-occurrence of caducity and non-papillate sporangia with internal nested and extended proliferation in several Nothophytophthora species. Comparisons of morphological structures of both genera allow hypotheses about the morphology and ecology of their common ancestor which are discussed. Production of caducous sporangia by N. caduca, N. chlamydospora and N. valdiviana from Valdivian rainforests and N. vietnamensis from a mountain forest in Vietnam suggests a partially aerial lifestyle as adaptation to these humid habitats. Presence of tree dieback in all forests from which Nothophytophthora spp. were recovered and partial sporangial caducity of several Nothophytophthora species indicate a pathogenic rather than a saprophytic lifestyle. Isolation tests from symptomatic plant tissues in these forests and pathogenicity tests are urgently required to clarify the lifestyle of the six Nothophytophthora species.

Sub-kilohertz linewidth narrowing of a mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator idler frequency by direct cavity stabilization.

We stabilize the idler frequency of a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator directly to the resonance of a mid-infrared Fabry-Perot reference cavity. This is accomplished by the Pound-Drever-Hall locking scheme, controlling either the pump laser or the resonant signal frequency. A residual relative frequency noise power spectral density below 10(3) Hz(2)/Hz is reached on average, with a Gaussian linewidth of 920 Hz over 100 ms, which reveals the potential for reaching spectral purity down to the hertz level by locking the optical parametric oscillator against a mid-infrared cavity with state-of-the-art superior performance.

Dieback of Pinus nigra Seedlings Caused by a Strain of Trichoderma viride.

Four different fungi (Trichoderma viride, T. harzianum, Phomopsis sp., and Mortierella sp.) were isolated from 6-year-old Pinus nigra plants showing stunting and high incidence of mortality in a reforestation area of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise (central Italy). Tests conducted on P. nigra revealed the pathogenic behavior of T. viride isolates with 30 to 80% mortality in artificially inoculated 2-year-old seedlings. The pathogenicity of these isolates was also observed in 10-year-old P. nigra trees and on lemon fruit. This result, in agreement with the constant isolation of T. viride from diseased plants, suggests the possible role of this fungus in the decline of P. nigra plants. T. harzianum and two reference isolates of T. viridarium and T. trixiae did not cause any symptoms, while Phomopsis sp. and Mortierella sp. caused limited necroses around the inoculation point in a few seedlings. Their role in the decline of P. nigra seedlings was considered irrelevant. According to phylogenetic analyses, pathogenic isolates of T. viride clustered in a very uniform group containing strains from different geographic origin and hosts, but none previously reported as a biocontrol agent.

Whole-exome sequencing broadens the phenotypic spectrum of rare pediatric epilepsy: a retrospective study.

Whole-exome sequencing (WES) has transformed our ability to detect mutations causing rare diseases. FORGE (Finding Of Rare disease GEnes) and Care4Rare Canada are nation-wide projects focused on identifying disease genes using WES and translating this technology to patient care. Rare forms of epilepsy are well-suited for WES and we retrospectively selected FORGE and Care4Rare families with clinical descriptions that included childhood-onset epilepsy or seizures not part of a recognizable syndrome or an early-onset encephalopathy where standard-of-care investigations were unrevealing. Nine families met these criteria and a diagnosis was made in seven, and potentially eight, of the families. In the eight families we identified mutations in genes associated with known neurological and epilepsy disorders: ASAH1, FOLR1, GRIN2A (two families), SCN8A, SYNGAP1 and SYNJ1. A novel and rare mutation was identified in KCNQ2 and was likely responsible for the benign seizures segregating in the family though additional evidence would be required to be definitive. In retrospect, the clinical presentation of four of the patients was considered atypical, thereby broadening the phenotypic spectrum of these conditions. Given the extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity associated with epilepsy, our findings suggest that WES may be considered when a specific gene is not immediately suspected as causal.

The superior horizontal pancreatic artery of Popova: a review and an anatomoradiological study of an important morphological variant of the pancreatica magna artery.

PURPOSE: The superior horizontal pancreatic artery was described in 1910, and after a few years, it was forgot by most investigators. This research is aimed to revive the description of this artery, describing course, pattern of branching and frequency. METHODS: More than 1,000 of angiographies including studies of the superior mesenteric artery, celiac trunk and its branches, were selected from the angiographic archives of the ex-institutes of Radiology of Siena, Rome (University of Sacro Cuore) and Perugia, and the arterial anatomy of the pancreas was studied. RESULTS: A pancreatic branch of the splenic artery running along the superior border of the pancreatic body and tail was observed in 25.93% of cases. This branch matched the description of the superior horizontal pancreatic artery and, when existing, replaced the pancreatica magna artery. For this reason, we considered the superior horizontal pancreatic artery as a variant of the pancreatica magna artery. Variable in caliber and importance, in most cases the superior horizontal pancreatic artery gave off descending branches that anastomosed with the inferior pancreatic artery. CONCLUSIONS: A superior horizontal pancreatic artery could be visualized more easily by selective angiography of the splenic artery. When coupled with the inferior pancreatic artery, the presence of the superior horizontal pancreatic artery outlined a longitudinally arranged pattern of blood supply of the distal pancreas that should be known. In particular circumstances, extended resections of the gland cutting both longitudinal arteries might jeopardize the surviving of the pancreas remnant.

Prophylactic arterial catheterization in the management of high risk patients for obstetric haemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES: Post-partum haemorrhage still remains one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. In case of abnormal placentation it is possible to carry out preventive and therapeutic actions. To maintain fertility in reproductive-aged women and to avoid a more radical surgery, embolization has been introduced in patients at high risk for haemorrhage. To describe a new option in the management of patients with abnormal placentation by an elective, preventive arterial catheterization and selective embolization of pelvic arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study including thirty six patients with abnormal placental invasion. All patients were prepared in the angiographic room and preventive arterial catheterization was performed before elective caesarean delivery. Materials for interventional angiography were transferred to the operating room. During surgery, selective embolization of pelvic arteries was realized in case of uncontrolled bleeding. RESULTS: Thirty-six elective arterial catheterizations were performed: 4 cases (11.1%) required embolization, haemorrhage was stopped in 2 patients. Hysterectomy was performed in two cases (5.5%). No death was reported. Two humeral thrombosis (5.5%) were registered. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic arterial catheterization appears to be safe. The main advantage is the reduction of the interval between the onset of bleeding and the embolization. This new option of management may contribute to reduce the risk of hysterectomy and maternal death.

Evaluation of the measurement uncertainty in automated long-term sampling of PCDD/PCDFs.

Since the publication of the first version of European standard EN-1948 in 1996, long-term sampling equipment has been improved to a high standard for the sampling and analysis of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD)/polychlorodibenzofuran (PCDF) emissions from industrial sources. The current automated PCDD/PCDF sampling systems enable to extend the measurement time from 6-8 h to 15-30 days in order to have data values better representative of the real pollutant emission of the plant in the long period. EN-1948:2006 is still the European technical reference standard for the determination of PCDD/PCDF from stationary source emissions. In this paper, a methodology to estimate the measurement uncertainty of long-term automated sampling is presented. The methodology has been tested on a set of high concentration sampling data resulting from a specific experience; it is proposed with the intent that it is to be applied on further similar studies and generalized. A comparison between short-term sampling data resulting from manual and automated parallel measurements has been considered also in order to verify the feasibility and usefulness of automated systems and to establish correlations between results of the two methods to use a manual method for calibration of automatic long-term one. The uncertainty components of the manual method are analyzed, following the requirements of EN-1948-3:2006, allowing to have a preliminary evaluation of the corresponding uncertainty components of the automated system. Then, a comparison between experimental data coming from parallel sampling campaigns carried out in short- and long-term sampling periods is realized. Long-term sampling is more reliable to monitor PCDD/PCDF emissions than occasional short-term sampling. Automated sampling systems can assure very useful emission data both in short and long sampling periods. Despite this, due to the different application of the long-term sampling systems, the automated results could not be directly compared with manual results, not even in terms of measurement uncertainty. This investigation focuses on both uncertainty and repeatability of the automated sampling method. The standard 20988, developed by Internarional Organization of Standardization (ISO) can be used to estimate the measurement uncertainty. The results confirm that the uncertainties of manual and automated methods are comparable. At the same time, it is not appropriate to consider the manual method as a reference for the evaluation of the uncertainty of the automated sampling system, due to the high variability of both systems.

Long-term automated sampling of PCDD/PCDF flue gas: current status and critical issues.

After entry into force of the Stockholm Convention and Aarhus Protocol and in order to implement the upcoming European legal background, the European countries are asked to apply control measures to reduce the release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins and furans (PCDD/PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls as well as to establish POPs release inventories. In this perspective, development of measuring techniques of emissions is a focal issue in acquiring useful information. In this paper, results of various measurement campaigns at different municipal waste incineration (MWI) plants using long-term automated sampling of PCDD/PCDF are presented. The samples collected from both manual and automated campaigns were analyzed following the European Standard EN-1948:2006 by high-resolution gas chromatograph/high-resolution mass spectrometer. Performances of two different commercial systems have been investigated. Anomalous values occurred during one long-term campaign (22.16 pg I-toxic equivalent (TEQ)/Nm(3)), compared to average values (4-5 pg I-TEQ/Nm(3)) of the MWI. At this maximum value, a main occurrence of abnormal and instable operating conditions has been found. Sampling based on long-term basis was found to be more reliable to monitor PCDD/PCDF emissions than occasional short-term sampling. Nevertheless, the results of long-term campaigns demonstrate that emission levels detected in 15-30 days campaigns, when unsteady operating conditions can occur, as start-up and shut down, are not immediately comparable to the typical levels in a 6-8 h, when operating conditions are generally stable. Moreover, there are often differences observed in the congener profiles between short- and long-term campaigns.

Concentration of organic micropollutants in the atmosphere of Trieste, Italy.

PURPOSE: PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PAHs, ubiquitous environmental pollutants which are part of the POPs, are mainly produced by anthropogenic activities as well as by natural processes. Occurrences of these pollutants in different sites in Trieste are presented. PCDD/Fs distribution and their possible emission sources are discussed. METHODS: Air samples were collected in different sites near the industrial area, in the city center, and in a background area, using a high-volume sampler equipped with a quartz fiber filter and a PUF. Each sampling lasted a week. RESULTS: The concentrations of the organochlorinated pollutants are consistent with literature data (ΣPCDD/Fs and Σdl-PCBs were 5-38 fg TEQ/Nm(3) and 4-31 fg TEQ/Nm(3), respectively), and an apparent seasonal trend was found with slightly higher concentrations in the winter and lower levels in both summer campaigns. Moreover, the isomer profile of each sampling campaign was compared to the fingerprint of a sintering plant, a cement plant, and an incinerator, the main industrial activities in Trieste. CONCLUSIONS: The organic micropollutants were detected in levels consistent with literature data. The results show that the pollutants are uniformally distributed in the atmosphere of Trieste. PCDD/F fingerprints in each site remained almost identical during summer and winter, confirming the yearly prevalence of the emissions from the nearby sintering plant.

Frequency-comb-referenced singly-resonant OPO for sub-Doppler spectroscopy.

We present a widely-tunable, singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator, emitting more than 1 W between 2.7 and 4.2 µm, which is phase locked to a self-referenced frequency comb. Both pump and signal frequencies are directly phase-locked to the frequency comb of a NIR-emitting fs mode-locked fibre laser, linked, in turn, to the caesium primary standard. We estimate for the idler frequency a fractional Allan deviation of ∼ 3 × 10⁻¹²τ⁻½ between 1 and 200 s. To test the spectroscopic performance of the OPO, we carried out saturation spectroscopy of several transitions belonging to the ν1 rovibrational band of CH3I, resolving their electronic quadrupole hyperfine structure, estimating a linewidth better than 200 kHz FWHM for the idler, and determining the absolute frequency of the hyperfine components with a 50-kHz-uncertainty.

High resistance to lipid peroxidation of bird heart mitochondria and microsomes: Effects of mass and maximum lifespan.

The aim of this investigation was to study the connection between body size, fatty acid composition and sensitivity to lipid peroxidation of heart mitochondria and microsomes isolated from different size bird species: manon (Lonchura striata), quail (Coturnix coturnix var japonica), pigeon (Columba livia), duck (Cairina moschata) and goose (Anser anser), representing a 372-fold range of body mass. Fatty acids of total lipids were determined using gas chromatography and lipid peroxidation was evaluated with a chemiluminescence assay. The fatty acids present in heart organelles of the different bird species analyzed showed a small number of significant allometric trends. In mitochondria, from the individual fatty acid data, palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n7) increased allometrically (r=0.878), while stearic acid (C18:0) was negatively related to body mass (r=-0.903). Interestingly, none of the calculated fatty acid variables, the average fatty acid saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated (PUFA) and the unsaturation index (UI) was established to show significant body size-related variations. In heart microsomes, the content of C18:0 was significantly smaller (r=-0.970) in the birds of greater size. A significant allometric increase in linoleic acid (C18:2 n6) (r=0.986), polyunsaturated (r=0.990) and UI (r=0.904) was observed in the larger birds. The total n6 fatty acids of heart mitochondria did not show significant differences when it was correlated to body mass of the birds. Moreover, positive allometric relationships were shown for microsomes. The total n3 fatty acids of heart mitochondria and microsomes indicated no significant correlations to body mass of birds. The C16:1 n7, C18:0 in mitochondria and C18:0, C18:2 n6, PUFA, UI and PUFA n6 in microsomes showed significant differences when they were correlated to maximum life span (MLSP) of birds. As light emission=chemiluminescence originated from heart organelles was not statistically significant, a lack of correlation between the sensitivity to lipid peroxidation and body size or maximum life span was obtained. These results indicate that the high resistance of bird hearts to the attack by free radicals is body size-independent and would be related to the preservation of cardiac function.