Endovascular Approach in Treating Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency: A Systematic Review.

Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) is a significant medical condition that results from a lack of adequate blood flow to the posterior circulation of the brain. The first-line treatment involves the use of antiplatelet therapy, but in cases where patients are not responsive to drug therapy, surgical management is the next viable option. In the past, open endarterectomy was the preferred surgical approach for treating critical VBI patients. However, due to its high mortality rates and severe peri-procedural complications, its usage has decreased. Instead, the endovascular approach has emerged as an alternative surgical option for resolving VBI. This review explores the current literature to assess the effectiveness of endovascular interventions in treating VBI patients. It also highlights potential complications and adverse effects associated with these treatments while identifying gaps in the current research that warrant further investigation. The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to extensively search relevant literature on endovascular approaches for treating VBI patients on PubMed, BioMed Central, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The findings suggest that endovascular treatments have demonstrated significant technical success in treating VBI, with low mortality rates and minor adverse effects, such as intracranial hemorrhage and restenosis. The overall incidence of these complications is relatively low. Combining medical therapies with endovascular interventions has improved outcomes and reduced restenosis rates. However, there are methodological limitations and inconsistencies in the current literature that necessitate further investigation. Future research should focus on larger, randomized clinical trials and direct comparisons with other treatment options to obtain more conclusive evidence.

Characteristics and utility of combined duplex color-coded ultrasonography in the cervical rotational position with head MRI and MRA in the differential diagnosis of apogeotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus.

Objective: To determine whether cervical ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) are useful in the differential diagnosis of etiology and understanding the pathophysiology in cases of apogeotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus (DCPN). Methods: Thirty patients with apogeotropic DCPN were classified into 11 cases of central disease, seven cases of mixed central and peripheral disease, and 12 cases of peripheral disease by differential diagnosis based on various balance function, neuro-otological, and imaging tests.Cervical ultrasonography using the cervical rotation method and MRI and MRA of the head and neck were performed in most patients with apogeotropic DCPN. We reviewed the presence of abnormal imaging findings according to the disease etiology. Results: Of the 30 patients with apogeotropic DCPN, 23 showed vascular abnormalities or central lesions on imaging. Vascular lesions were found in six of the 12 patients with peripheral disease. Cervical ultrasonography with cervical rotation detected blood flow disturbance in the vertebral artery in eight patients in whom the disturbance could not be detected by MRI or MRA of the head and neck. Discussion: We hypothesize that the causative disease of apogeotropic DCPN may be strongly associated with circulatory insufficiency of the vertebrobasilar and carotid arteries, and that impaired blood flow in these vessels may affect peripheral vestibular and central function. In patients with apogeotropic DCPN, examinations of vestibular function, central nervous system symptoms, and brain hemodynamics are valuable for differential diagnosis.

Recurrent Subclavian Steal Syndrome: A Novel Case of Vasculopathy.

Subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) refers to the phenomenon of retrograde flow in an ipsilateral branch of the subclavian artery due to hemodynamically significant stenosis or occlusion of the ipsilateral proximal subclavian artery. While SSS is usually asymptomatic, it can manifest as vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI), ischemia of the affected extremity, or cardiac angina when an internal mammary artery (IMA) is used as a bypass graft. The underlying etiology is most often atherosclerosis but can include Takayasu arteritis, thoracic outlet syndrome, cervical rib, and stenosis secondary to surgical repair of aortic coarctation or tetralogy of Fallot. There are several case reports describing unique presentations of SSS as well as limited reports of double SSS, where the brachiocephalic steno-occlusive disease causes flow reversal in both the ipsilateral vertebral and carotid arteries. We report herein the first documented case, to our knowledge, of a patient with SSS previously treated with left subclavian artery stenting and left common carotid-subclavian bypass who developed recurrent SSS in conjunction with orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome (OCHOS) secondary to severe vasculopathy. She presented with recurrent, paroxysmal vertigo and near-syncope associated with left upper extremity paresthesias that would only abate with sitting in the context of left subclavian artery stent restenosis and occlusion of her left common carotid-subclavian bypass graft. Interestingly, her initial presentation entailed retrograde flow from the left vertebral artery to the left subclavian artery, classic for SSS, but recurrence of her SSS involved retrograde flow from the left common carotid artery to the left subclavian artery, a phenomenon which has also not been described in the literature to our knowledge. As her symptoms of VBI appeared to be triggered by standing and not left arm movement, they were considered to be primarily secondary to OCHOS. Consequently, her primary treatment was to increase salt and fluid intake and thus increase intravascular volume for improved cerebral perfusion as she was not deemed to be a suitable candidate for regrafting of the left subclavian artery.

Phase Separation Prevents the Synthesis of VBi2Te4 by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (IMTIs) have a non-trivial band topology in combination with magnetic order. This potentially leads to fascinating states of matter, such as quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators and axion insulators. One of the theoretically predicted IMTIs is VBi2Te4, but experimental evidence of this material is lacking so far. Here, we report on our attempts to synthesise VBi2Te4 by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). X-ray diffraction reveals that in the thermodynamic phase space reachable by MBE, there is no region where VBi2Te4 is stably synthesised. Moreover, scanning transmission electron microscopy shows a clear phase separation to Bi2Te3 and VTe2 instead of the formation of VBi2Te4. We suggest the phase instability to be due to either the large lattice mismatch between VTe2 and Bi2Te3 or the unfavourable valence state of vanadium.

Severe Bilateral Vertebral Arterial Disease Masquerading as Vertigo.

Vertebral artery stenosis (VAS), manifesting as vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI), results from the narrowing of the vertebral artery's lumen because of diverse vascular pathological processes, leading to various clinical presentations. We present the case of a 71-year-old male who experienced vertigo for almost two years and was ultimately diagnosed with severe bilateral VAS. Despite initial management for vertigo, the patient's symptoms persisted, prompting a referral to a cardiologist. Several assessments were performed, including an MRI of the brain, which ruled out acute intracerebral hemorrhage or infarction. After some visits to the cardiologist's office, the patient was referred to a neurologist who conducted a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the neck, which showed an occlusion of the left vertebral artery at the origin and a patent right vertebral artery. Because of worsening symptoms of vertigo and the results of the MRA, the patient underwent invasive angiography that confirmed the occlusion of the left vertebral artery and also revealed severe stenosis of the right vertebral artery. This case report discusses an unusual presentation of VAS with vertigo as the primary symptom, emphasizing the importance of recognizing seemingly minor symptoms as manifestations of the underlying vascular pathology that requires careful evaluation. Furthermore, this case emphasizes the limitation of relying solely on noninvasive imaging for diagnosis as, in this instance, noninvasive imaging failed to detect the severe stenosis of the right vertebral artery, which was revealed by invasive angiography. Finally, this case report underscores the significance of collaboration across several disciplines, such as cardiology, neurology, and radiology, as well as endovascular medicine in diagnosing and managing atypical manifestations of complex conditions.

Video-based instruction in enhancing functional living skills of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and their transition to independent living: a review.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) deal with impairments in functional living skills. Video-based instruction (VBI) has been used for teaching and enhancing functional living skills for adolescents and young adults with ASD. This literature review of 19 relevant reports investigates various different types of VBI used in the studies. It explores the utilization and efficacy of VBI in enhancing the functional living capabilities of adolescents and young adults with ASD. Social skills were taught in most of the included studies. Only two studies focused on workplace social skills, three on vocational skills, and one on academic skills. The findings demonstrate that video modeling (VM) alone or in conjunction with other methods or strategies, is the method most often used in enhancement of functional living skills in adolescents and young adults with ASD.

Nonlinear point-process estimation of neural spiking activity based on variational Bayesian inference.

Objective.Understanding neural encoding and decoding processes are crucial to the development of brain-machine interfaces (BMI). Higher decoding speed of neural signals is required for the large-scale neural data and the extremely low detection delay of closed-loop feedback experiment.Approach.To achieve higher neural decoding speed, we proposed a novel adaptive higher-order nonlinear point-process filter based on the variational Bayesian inference (VBI) framework, called the HON-VBI. This algorithm avoids the complex Monte Carlo random sampling in the traditional method. Using the VBI method, it can quickly implement inferences of state posterior distribution and the tuning parameters.Main results.Our result demonstrates the effectiveness and advantages of the HON-VBI by application for decoding the multichannel neural spike trains of the simulation data and real data. Compared with traditional methods, the HON-VBI greatly reduces the decoding time of large-scale neural spike trains. Through capturing the nonlinear evolution of system state and accurate estimating of time-varying tuning parameters, the decoding accuracy is improved.Significance.Our work can be applied to rapidly decode large-scale multichannel neural spike trains in BMIs.

Physiological Functions of Thiol Peroxidases (Gpx1 and Prdx2) during Xenopus laevis Embryonic Development.

Glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) and peroxiredoxin 2 (Prdx2) belong to the thiol peroxidase family of antioxidants, and have been studied for their antioxidant functions and roles in cancers. However, the physiological significance of Gpx1 and Prdx2 during vertebrate embryogenesis are lacking. Currently, we investigated the functional roles of Gpx1 and Prdx2 during vertebrate embryogenesis using Xenopus laevis as a vertebrate model. Our investigations revealed the zygotic nature of gpx1 having its localization in the eye region of developing embryos, whereas prdx2 exhibited a maternal nature and were localized in embryonic ventral blood islands. Furthermore, the gpx1-morphants exhibited malformed eyes with incompletely detached lenses. However, the depletion of prdx2 has not established its involvement with embryogenesis. A molecular analysis of gpx1-depleted embryos revealed the perturbed expression of a cryba1-lens-specific marker and also exhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the eye regions of gpx1-morphants. Additionally, transcriptomics analysis of gpx1-knockout embryos demonstrated the involvement of Wnt, cadherin, and integrin signaling pathways in the development of malformed eyes. Conclusively, our findings indicate the association of gpx1 with a complex network of embryonic developmental pathways and ROS responses, but detailed investigation is a prerequisite in order to pinpoint the mechanistic details of these interactions.

Atypical presentation of rotational vertebral artery insufficiency: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Rotational vertebral artery insufficiency (RVAI), also known as bow hunter's syndrome, is an uncommon cause of vertebrobasilar insufficiency that leads to signs of posterior circulation ischemia during head rotation. RVAI can be subdivided on the basis of the anatomical location of vertebral artery compression into atlantoaxial RVAI (pathology at C1-C2) or subaxial RVAI (pathology below C2). Typically, RVAI is only seen with contralateral vertebral artery pathologies, such as atherosclerosis, hypoplasia, or morphological atypia. OBSERVATIONS: The authors present a unique case of atlantoaxial RVAI due to rotational instability, causing marked subluxation of the C1-C2 facet joints. This case is unique in both the mechanism of compression and the lack of contralateral vertebral artery pathology. The patient was successfully treated with posterior C1-C2 instrumentation and fusion. LESSONS: When evaluating patients for RVAI, neurosurgeons should be aware of the variety of pathological causes, including rotational instability from facet joint subluxation. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the pathologies causing RVAI, care must be taken to decide if conservative management or surgical correction is the right course of action. Because of this heterogeneous nature, there is no set guideline for the treatment or management of RVAI.

Bow hunter syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently features degeneration and instability of the cervical spine. Rarely, this degeneration manifests as symptoms of bow hunter syndrome (BHS), a dynamic cause of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. OBSERVATIONS: The authors reviewed the literature for cases of RA associated with BHS and present a case of a man with erosive RA with intermittent syncopal episodes attributable to BHS as a result of severe extrinsic left atlantooccipital vertebral artery compression from RA-associated cranial settling. A 72-year-old man with RA-associated cervical spine disease who experienced gradual, progressive functional decline was referred to a neurosurgery clinic for evaluation. He also experienced intermittent syncopal events and vertiginous symptoms with position changes and head turning. Vascular imaging demonstrated severe left vertebral artery compression between the posterior arch of C1 and the occiput as a result of RA-associated cranial settling. He underwent left C1 hemilaminectomy and C1-4 posterior cervical fusion with subsequent resolution of his syncope and vertiginous symptoms. LESSONS: This is an unusual case of BHS caused by cranial settling as a result of RA. RA-associated cervical spine disease may rarely present as symptoms of vascular insufficiency. Clinicians should consider the possibility, though rare, of cervical spine involvement in patients with RA experiencing symptoms consistent with vertebral basilar insufficiency.

Vehicle-Assisted Techniques for Health Monitoring of Bridges.

Bridges are designed to withstand different types of loads, including dead, live, environmental, and occasional loads during their service period. Moving vehicles are the main source of the applied live load on bridges. The applied load to highway bridges depends on several traffic parameters such as weight of vehicles, axle load, configuration of axles, position of vehicles on the bridge, number of vehicles, direction, and vehicle's speed. The estimation of traffic loadings on bridges are generally notional and, consequently, can be excessively conservative. Hence, accurate prediction of the in-service performance of a bridge structure is very desirable and great savings can be achieved through the accurate assessment of the applied traffic load in existing bridges. In this paper, a review is conducted on conventional vehicle-based health monitoring methods used for bridges. Vision-based, weigh in motion (WIM), bridge weigh in motion (BWIM), drive-by and vehicle bridge interaction (VBI)-based models are the methods that are generally used in the structural health monitoring (SHM) of bridges. The performance of vehicle-assisted methods is studied and suggestions for future work in this area are addressed, including alleviating the downsides of each approach to disentangle the complexities, and adopting intelligent and autonomous vehicle-assisted methods for health monitoring of bridges.

Plant Cell Lines in Cell Morphogenesis Research: From Phenotyping to -Omics.

Here we provide an overview of procedures for long-term cultivation, phenotyping, genotyping, and genetic transformation of cell cultures of tobacco cell lines BY-2 and VBI-0, and of A. thaliana, ecotype Landsberg erecta (LE) cell line. Notably, we present an improved protocol for BY-2 transformation and cloning and extend the available plant cell lines methodology toward high-throughput technologies like fluorescent-based cell sorting and transcriptomics.

The oculomotor-tentorial triangle. Part 2: a microsurgical workspace for vascular lesions in the crural and ambient cisterns.

OBJECTIVEPathology in the region of the basilar quadrifurcation, anterolateral midbrain, medial tentorium, and interpeduncular and ambient cisterns may be accessed anteriorly via an orbitozygomatic (OZ) craniotomy. In Part 1 of this series, the authors explored the anatomy of the oculomotor-tentorial triangle (OTT). In Part 2, the versatility of the OTT as a surgical workspace for treating vascular pathology is demonstrated.METHODSSixty patients with 61 vascular pathologies treated within or via the OTT from 1998 to 2017 by the senior author were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped together based on pathology/surgical procedure and included 1) aneurysms (n = 19); 2) posterior cerebral artery (PCA)/superior cerebellar artery (SCA) bypasses (n = 24); 3) brainstem cavernous malformations (CMs; n = 14); and 4) tentorial region dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs; n = 4). The majority of patients were approached via an OZ craniotomy, wide sylvian fissure split, and temporal lobe mobilization to widen the OTT.RESULTSAneurysm locations included the P1-P2 junction (n = 7), P2A segment (n = 9), P2/3 (n = 2), and basilar quadrification (n = 1). Aneurysm treatments included clip reconstruction (n = 12), wrapping (n = 3), proximal occlusion (n = 2), and trapping with (n = 1) or without (n = 1) bypass. Pathologies in the bypass group included vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI; n = 3) and aneurysms of the basilar trunk (n = 13), basilar apex (n = 4), P1 PCA (n = 2), and s1 SCA (n = 2). Bypasses included M2 middle cerebral artery (MCA)-radial artery graft (RAG)-P2 PCA (n = 8), M2 MCA-saphenous vein graft (SVG)-P2 PCA (n = 3), superficial temporal artery (STA)-P2 PCA (n = 5) or STA-s1 SCA (n = 3), s1 SCA-P2 PCA (n = 1), V3 vertebral artery (VA)-RAG-s1 SCA (n = 1), V3 VA-SVG-P2 PCA (n = 1), anterior temporal artery-s1 SCA (n = 1), and external carotid artery (ECA)-SVG-s1 SCA (n = 1). CMs were located in the midbrain (n = 10) or pontomesencephalic junction (n = 4). dAVFs drained into the tentorial, superior petrosal, cavernous, and sphenobasal sinuses. High rates of aneurysm occlusion (79%), bypass patency (100%), complete CM resection (86%), and dAVF obliteration (100%) were obtained. The overall rate of permanent oculomotor nerve palsy was 8.3%. The majority of patients in the aneurysm (94%), CM (93%), and dAVF (100%) groups had stable or improved modified Rankin Scale scores.CONCLUSIONSThe OTT is an important anatomical triangle and surgical workspace for vascular lesions in and around the crural and ambient cisterns. The OTT can be used to approach a wide variety of vascular pathologies in the region of the basilar quadrifurcation and anterolateral midbrain.

Neuropathology correlates of cognitive assessments.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are the fourth largest contributors to neurological disability and the second largest contributor to deaths from neurological disease. Described in the 1980s as 'the silent epidemic' these disorders principally, though not exclusively, affect persons 80 years or older, and in developed countries, this 'old old' population continues to grow. Definitive diagnosis of the underlying cause of the neurodegenerative disease relies on neuropathological evaluation.` AIMS: Herein, we review the sampling methods, analysis and interpretation of both pathological and immunocytochemical techniques in the diagnostic assessment of neurodegenerative disease. FINDINGS: Neurodegenerative disorders are characterised by accumulation of pathologically altered protein in the human brain, and in some cases, in the peripheral tissues. Whilst it is suggested that a comprehensive review of the patient's clinical history, cognition and behaviour, together with a full clinical examination and radiological analysis, should lead to a high degree of confidence in the clinical diagnosis, the view persists that underlying pathology can only be predicted on clinical grounds especially in Alzheimer's disease, vascular brain injury and diffuse Lewy body disease with only limited accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropathological assessment of well characterised clinical cases provides accurate data on the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. This will aid future biomarker, neuroimaging studies and clinical trials focussed on population based cohorts.

Analysis of synonymous codon usage in spike protein gene of infectious bronchitis virus.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is responsible for causing respiratory, renal, and urogenital diseases in poultry. IBV infection in poultry leads to high mortality rates in affected flocks and to severe economic losses due to a drop in egg production and a reduced gain in live weight of the broiler birds. IBV-encoded spike protein (S) is the major protective immunogen for the host. Although the functions of the S protein have been well studied, the factors shaping synonymous codon usage bias and nucleotide composition in the S gene have not been reported yet. In the present study, we analyzed the relative synonymous codon usage and effective number of codons (Nc) using the 53 IBV S genes. The major trend in codon usage variation was studied using correspondence analysis. The plot of Nc values against GC3 as well as the correlation between base composition and codon usage bias suggest that mutational pressure rather than natural selection is the main factor that determines the codon usage bias in the S gene. Interestingly, no association of aromaticity, degree of hydrophobicity, and aliphatic index was observed with the codon usage variation in IBV S genes. The study represents a comprehensive analysis of IBV S gene codon usage patterns and provides a basic understanding of the codon usage bias.

Wake-up stroke in a young woman with rotational vertebral artery occlusion due to far-lateral cervical disc herniation.

Wake-up stroke is most likely to be caused by small-vessel disease, and is related to snoring. The authors present a rare case of far-lateral cervical disc herniation with neck rotation, resulting in wake-up stroke in a young woman. The patient, a 31-year-old woman, was admitted to the hospital because of dysarthria and confusion when she awoke in the morning. Brain MRI showed acute infarction in the posterior fossa. Cerebral angiography showed thrombus in the distal top of the basilar artery and the bilateral posterior cerebral arteries. During angiography, the thrombus size decreased with heparinization. There was severe stenosis of the right vertebral artery (VA) at C5-6, and head rotation to the right resulted in complete occlusion of the right VA. Neck MRI showed far-lateral intervertebral disc herniation. Surgical decompression of the VA was performed via the anterior cervical approach. Histological examination showed a degenerative intervertebral disc. Postoperative angiography confirmed successful decompression of the VA.

Are there any novel radiological diagnostic clues in magnetic resonance imaging for vertebrobasilar insufficiency?

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether signal intensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) views and radiological findings on Doppler ultrasonography may have a diagnostic value for vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI). METHODS: This case-control study was performed on demographic and radiologic data derived from 18 VBI patients and 58 healthy controls in the radiology department of a tertiary care center. The blood flow characteristics including peak systolic and end diastolic flow rates, resistance and pulsatility indices, mean velocities, flow rates, diameters and intensity pattern of vertebral arteries on cervical and cranial MRI sequences were noted. The association between blood flow characteristics and signal patterns on MRI views was investigated in VBI patients and controls. RESULTS: Blood flow and vessel diameter were significantly decreased in VBI patients compared to controls on both sides (P<0.001). In contrast, other parameters did not exhibit any remarkable difference between VBI and control groups. The distribution of hypo- or hyperintense signals in VBI and control groups was similar. No remarkable variabilities were detected in blood flow characteristics of cases presenting with signals having different intensities on MRI sequences. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, results of the current study have demonstrated that assessment of blood flow and vascular diameter may be important for ruling in VBI. Nevertheless, the intensity of signals derived from vessels seems not reveal any data of diagnostic significance in these cases. Further studies on larger populations may allow development and exploration of newer diagnostic techniques and clues for VBI.

Rotational vertebral artery occlusion secondary to adjacent-level degeneration following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Rotational vertebral artery occlusion (RVAO), or bow hunter's syndrome, most often occurs at the C1-2 level on physiological head rotation. It presents with symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI). Several previously published studies have reported on subaxial sites of vertebral artery (VA) compression by head rotation. The authors report a case of subaxial spine RVAO due to adjacent-segment degeneration. A 52-year-old man presented with dizziness when rotating his head to the left. Twenty years earlier, he had undergone a C4-5 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for a herniated disc. Imaging studies including a dynamic CT angiography and dynamic catheter angiography revealed occlusion of the left VA at the C3-4 level when the patient turned his head to the left, in the setting of an aberrant vertebrobasilar system. Successful treatment was achieved by surgical decompression of the left VA and C3-4 ACDF. Expedited diagnosis and treatment are dependent on the recognition of this unusual manifestation of RVAO, especially when patients present with nonspecific symptoms of VBI.

Reappraisal of spontaneous stereotypy in the deer mouse as an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): response to escitalopram treatment and basal serotonin transporter (SERT) density.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent thoughts and repetitive motor actions. Hyposerotonergic signalling in the cortico-striatal circuitry is believed to be central to the pathology of OCD, while many patients only respond to chronic treatment with high dose selective serotonin (5HT) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Confined deer mice spontaneously develop two forms of stereotypy, namely vertical jumping and pattern running. The purpose of this investigation was to reappraise these behaviours and strengthen the validity of deer mouse stereotypy as an animal model of OCD within a framework of three study questions: (1) can the time spent executing stereotypical behaviours be employed as a measure of extent of stereotypy, (2) does deer mouse stereotypy only respond to chronic, but not sub-chronic treatment with a high-dose SSRI, and (3) is deer mouse stereotypy associated with altered cortico-striatal 5HT transporter (SERT) binding? The current study demonstrates that treatment naïve high stereotypical (HS) deer mice spend significantly more time executing stereotypical behaviours while significantly less time is spent indulging in stereotypy following chronic, but not sub-chronic, treatment with escitalopram. Furthermore, HS deer mice present with a significant decrease in striatal SERT density compared to non-stereotypical (NS) controls. Building on previous validation studies, we conclude that deer mouse stereotypy is a valid naturalistic animal model of OCD with robust face, construct and predictive validity.

Detecção molecular de vírus da bronquite infecciosa em plantéis de avós, matrizes e frangos de corte no Rio Grande do Sul e Mato Grosso / Molecular detection of infectious bronchitis virus in flocks of grandmothers, mothers and broiler chicken in Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso

O vírus da Bronquite Infecciosa das galinhas (VBI) pertence ao grupo 3 da família Coronaviridae e é o causador de desordens respiratórias e renais em frangos de corte. A vacinação com vacinas vivas é praticada em matrizes e avós e muitas vezes também nos plantéis destinados ao abate. As vacinas utilizadas no Brasil são usualmente do sorogrupo Massachusetts e baseadas nas amostras H120 e H52. É comum que após a vacinação o vírus vacinal seja detectado por isolamento em ovos embrionados ou por métodos moleculares por até 4 semanas. Após essa data, normalmente, não há detecção de vírus e o VBI, quando encontrado, pode representar recirculação do vírus vacinal no plantel ou a introdução de uma nova cepa do vírus. No presente estudo, para avaliar a circulação do vírus em plantéis de frangos e reprodutoras nos estados do Rio Grande do Sul e Mato Grosso do Sul, foram coletadas 240 traqueias e rins de aves de 48 plantéis, sendo (20 exemplares/4 plantéis) de avós, (80 exemplares/16 plantéis) de matrizes e (140 exemplares/28 plantéis) de frangos de corte, as quais foram analisadas em misturas de cinco amostras. Todos os animais eram vacinados e as amostras foram coletadas ao redor de 2 a 48 semanas após a vacinação. A presença de VBI foi determinada com auxílio de uma reação em cadeia da polimerase tipo nested, direcionada ao gene da proteína S1, padronizada neste estudo. Das 48 amostras testadas, 14 resultaram positivas: cinco foram oriundas de aves vacinadas há menos de quatro semanas na data da coleta e nove eram de amostras de aves vacinadas há mais de quatro semanas, o que pode ser devido à recirculação do vírus vacinal ou mesmo introdução de vírus selvagem nos plantéis.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV, Avian Coronavirus) from chickens belongs to group 3 of the family Coronaviridae and causes respiratory and renal disorders in broilers. Vaccination using live vaccines is generally performed in mothers and grandmothers, as well as often in flocks for slaughter. The vaccines used in Brazil are usually from serogroup Massachusetts and based on standard samples of the virus at passages H120 and H52. It is common that after vaccination the vaccine virus is detected by isolation in embryonated eggs or by molecular methods for up to four weeks. After, there is usually no virus detection and any IBV found may represent recirculation of the vaccine virus in the flock or the introduction of a new strain. In this study, to evaluate the circulation of the virus in poultry flocks and breeders in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul, 240 samples were collected from tracheas and kidneys of birds from 48 flocks, and (20 biological samples / 4 flocks) from grandmothers (80 samples/16 flocks) and mothers (140 samples/28 flocks) from broilers, which were analyzed in pools of five samples. All animals were vaccinated and samples were collected around 2-48 weeks after vaccination. The presence of IBV was determined with the aid of a polymerase chain reaction "nested" gene-directed protein S1, standardized in this study. From the 48 samples tested, 14 were positive: 5 were from birds vaccinated after less than 4 weeks and 9 were from birds vaccinated more than four weeks should be wild viruses or represent the recirculation of the vaccine virus.