Comparing the responses of grain fed feedlot cattle under moderate heat load and during subsequent recovery with those of feed restricted thermoneutral counterparts: metabolic hormones.

We set out to determine the impact of moderate heat load on the plasma concentrations of a suite of hormones involved in regulating energy metabolism and feed intake. The responses of the thermally challenged (TC) feedlot steers were compared to those of feed restricted thermoneutral (FRTN) steers. Two sequential cohorts of twelve 518 ± 23 kg Black Angus steers on finisher grain ration were housed in climate-controlled rooms (CCR) for 18 days and returned to outdoor pens for 40 days. The TC group was subjected to a diurnal range of 28-35 °C for 7 days (Challenge) but held in thermoneutral conditions beforehand (PreChallenge), and in Recovery (after Challenge). The FRTN group was held in thermoneutral conditions and feed restricted throughout. Blood was collected over the three periods in CCR and two periods in outdoor pens for 40 days (PENS and Late PENS). Plasma concentrations of prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone, insulin, leptin, adiponectin and thyroxine (T4) were determined during the five periods. Whilst the pituitary hormones were relatively stable, there were differences in plasma leptin, adiponectin and T4 between the two groups during Challenge and Recovery, and occasionally in PENS. The interaction of the plasma hormone concentrations and rumen temperature and DMI were also investigated. Whilst the positive relationship between DMI and leptin was confirmed, we found a strong negative relationship between adiponectin and rumen temperature, and a strong positive relationship between adiponectin and dry matter intake (DMI) in the TC steers only.

Goat as the ideal climate-resilient animal model in tropical environment: revisiting advantages over other livestock species.

In the agriculture sector, livestock are considered extremely resilient to climate change and are tipped to play a significant role in ensuring food security to meet the increased demands of growing human population by 2050. Compared to other domestic species, goats are considered the ideal animal model for climate change due to its high thermal and drought resilience, ability to survive on limited pastures, and high disease resistance. This review is therefore a revisit to the advantages of rearing goats over other livestock species under current and future trends of changes in climate, particularly to cope with recurrent multiple stressors such as heat load, and lack of water and feed. In summary, goats, also called as poor man's cow, are preferred by the small-scale landless farmers due to their low input and assured higher output system, as they require low initial investment, with minimum specialized facilities and labors. Furthermore, they perceive goats as better resilient animal to cope with multiple stressors such as heat load, and water and feed scarcity, and possess better skills to cope with bush, when compared with sheep and cattle. The unique capacity for employing behavioral plasticity and morphological features of goats gives them clear advantage over sheep and cattle, when coping with seasonal biotopes, and experiences of water and feed shortage. When facing with low-quality feed, they also are superior to cattle and sheep to digest dry matter and to recycle nitrogen. Additionally, goats have superior ability to desiccate feces and concentrate urine, when compared with sheep and cattle. These advantages make goat the go-to species for efficiently countering the adversities associated with climate change and to optimize appropriate economic return through sustained production. Therefore, goats are tipped to be the future animals with extreme potential to counter the projected alarming climate change impacts and expected to play a significant role in ensuring food security to meet the demands of the growing human population by the end of this century.

Influence of Local Variables and Landscape Metrics on Gerromorpha (Insecta: Heteroptera) Assemblages in Savanna Streams, Brazil.

Aquatic systems have been degraded by environmental changes aimed at increasing the productivity of farmland and ranches. These changes affect aquatic assemblages at both local and regional scales. The hypothesis of this study is that in-stream environmental conditions are more important determinants of species richness and composition of Gerromorpha assemblage, given that they are affected directly by changes that occur within the stream, rather than by landscape conditions. To test our hypothesis, we collected at 20 sites of agricultural and forested regions in the Brazilian Cerrado. We relate predictors of the landscape and sites, of the streams with the assemblages of Heteroptera. While landscape metrics play an important role in the formation of stream conditions, local and physico-chemical variables had a significant influence on the structure of the Gerromorpha assemblages in the study area. This indicates that these organisms are more dependent on the processes that occur within the stream than those that occur outside the area of the gallery forest, considering the spatial scale of this study.

Fiberoptic intubation in a child with previous unexpected difficult airway due to lingual tonsil hypertrophy. / Intubación con fibra óptica en un niño con dificultad de la vía no prevista previamente, debido a hipertrofia de amígdala lingual.

Lingual tonsils are normal components of the oropharynx localized at the base of the tongue, which sometimes can become enlarged by inflammation. This may be a cause of unexpected difficult airway, considering most patients are asymptomatic and this supraglottic mass is not usually detected during a routine preoperative airway assessment. Commonly described in adults, there are limited reports in pediatric patients. We describe a case of a 12 years old boy diagnosed with a cerebellar brain tumor that was scheduled for a resection. The first surgery was postponed because of respiratory complications as a result of unexpected difficult airway due to lingual tonsil hypertrophy. His surgery was rescheduled and a plan for airway management was laid out: fibroscopic intubation with spontaneous ventilation. Considering this is a problem that cannot be identified by regular airway examination, we should be aware of the most effective ways to manage the situation as it arises.

Continuous erector spinae plane block for analgesia in pediatric thoracic surgery: A case report. / Bloqueo continuo en el plano del músculo erector del espinal para analgesia en cirugía torácica pediátrica: informe de un caso.

Erector spinae plane block has been recently described and it appears as a very promising regional analgesia technique. We report the first continuous erector spinae plane block performed in a pediatric patient for thoracic surgery. A 15-month-old boy, diagnosed with a paracardiac teratoma was scheduled for a tumor resection with a thoracotomy approach. After general anesthesia induction, a continuous erector spinae plane block at T5 level was performed with ropivacaine 0.2%. After surgery, a continuous thoracic interfascial infusion of ropivacaine 0.1% along with multimodal rescue analgesia was initiated. The patient tolerated the procedure well with no complications. It appears that this is a good alternative to thoracic epidural and paravertebral block, given the simple reproducibility and potential greater safety of this technique.

Abiotrofia cerebelar em um gato: relato de caso / Cerebellar abiotrophy in a feline: case report

Um caso de abiotrofia cerebelar em um gato com 45 dias de idade foi diagnosticado no Laboratório de Patologia Animal, Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande. O animal apresentava, havia 15 dias, apatia, anorexia, desidratação, ataxia, hipermetria, espasticidade dos membros torácicos e pélvicos, tremores de intenção, nistagmo, opistótono, déficit proprioceptivo e ausência de resposta de ameaça. Clinicamente, havia a suspeita de hipoplasia cerebelar, e, devido ao prognóstico desfavorável, o animal foi eutanasiado. Na necropsia, não foram observadas alterações macroscópicas. Microscopicamente, as lesões estavam restritas ao cerebelo e caracterizavam-se por alterações neurodegenerativas e necróticas, com desaparecimento segmentar dos neurônios de Purkinje. Nessas áreas, também se verificaram espaços em branco, denominado aspecto de cesto vazio, resultantes da perda dos neurônios de Purkinje, além de raros esferoides axonais e proliferação dos astrócitos de Bergmann. Em algumas áreas, a camada granular estava hipocelular e havia moderada gliose multifocal na camada molecular. O diagnóstico de abiotrofia cerebelar foi realizado com base nos dados epidemiológicos, clínicos e, principalmente, pelas alterações histopatológicas dos neurônios de Purkinje características da doença.(AU)

The aim of this report was to describe a case of cerebellar abiotrophy in cat with 45-year-old diagnosed at the Animal Pathology Laboratory, Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Campina Grande. The animal had presented 15-day apathy, anorexia, dehydration and neurological signs, characterized by ataxia, hypermetria, spasticity of fore and hindlimbs, intention tremor, nystagmus, opisthotonos, proprioceptive deficits, and absence of threat response. Clinically, cerebellar hypoplasia was suspected and the animal was euthanized due to poor prognosis. During necropsy, gross lesions were not observed. Microscopically the lesions were restricted to the cerebellum and were characterized by neurodegenerative and necrotic damage with segmental disappearance of the Purkinje cells. In these areas, there were also empty spaces, called the empty basket aspect, resulting from the loss of Purkinje cells, as well as rare axonal spheroids and proliferation of Bergmann's astrocytes. In some areas, the granular layer was hypocellular and there was moderate multifocal gliosis in the molecular layer. The diagnosis of cerebellar abiotrophy was based on epidemiological, clinical and mainly on histopathological changes in neurons of Purkinje disease characteristics.(AU)

Effect of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program on the levels of anxiety and depression and on the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program (PRP) on the levels of anxiety and depression and the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHOD: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who completed the PRP of 3 weekly sessions of 60 min duration for 12 weeks, a total of 36 sessions, were assessed using Beck Inventory (BAI and BDI) and Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). RESULTS: A total of 125 individuals, with an average age of 63.7 ± 8.8 years, FEV1: 1.17 ± 0.57L (43.18 ± 18.79% predicted), 61.6% male and 38.4% female, were analyzed. The BAI and BDI before and after PRP were, respectively, 10.15 ± 6.32 vs. 7.67 ± 7.21; p=0.0041 and 12.60 ± 7.99 vs. 8.96 ± 7.29; p=0.00016. The results of the SGRQ domains were, respectively, Before and After symptoms (48.53 ± 20.41 vs. 32.58 ± 18.95), Activity (69.15 ± 20.79 vs. 52.42 ± 23.70), Impact (32.92 ± 18.29 vs. 20.27 ± 16.70), Total (46.69 ± 16.90 vs. 32.07 ± 16.96). When correlating the BDI to the domains of the SGRQ, weak correlations were observed (Symptoms r=0.22; p=0.01; Activity r=0.28; p=0.001; Impact r=0.52; p=2.72; Total r=0.44; p=0.17). In the same way, weak correlations were observed when correlating the BAI to the SGRQ (Symptoms r=0.28; p=0.0009; Activity r=0.32; p=0.0005; Impact r=0.42; p=7.33; Total r=0.43; p=0.74). CONCLUSION: Although the PRP improves levels of depression and anxiety as well as the quality of life in patients with COPD, no significant correlation of these analyzed variables was observed.

Seasonal influence on biochemical profile and serum protein electrophoresis for Boa constrictor amarali in captivity.

Similarly to other reptiles, snakes are ectothermic animals and depend exclusively on the environment for the maintenance of their physiological, biochemical and immunological processes. Thus, changes in biochemical values can be expected due to seasonal influence. Twenty-two adult specimens of Boa constrictor amarali kept in captivity were used. Blood collections were done in two different seasons: winter (July 2004) and summer (January 2005) for the following assays: uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucose, cholesterol, total protein, and serum protein electrophoresis. The mean biochemical results found in summer and winter, respectively, were: 6.3 ± 3.4 and 11.3 ± 6.2 mg/dL for uric acid; 28.7 ± 12.4 and 20.7 ± 16.2 UI/L for AST; 26.3 ± 17 and 17.4 ± 6.8 mg/dL for glucose; 67.3 ± 30.2 and 69.7 ± 38.5 mg/dL for cholesterol; and 5.9 ± 1.6 and 5.9 ± 1.4 g/dL for total protein. Results regarding electrophoresis in summer and winter, respectively, were: 1.9 ± 0.7 and 2.4 ± 0.6 g/dL for albumin; 0.7 ± 0.2 and 0.5 ± 0.2 g/dL for α-globulin; 1.5 ± 0.5 and 1.7 ± 0.6 g/dL for ß-globulin; and 1.8 ± 0.5 and 1.5 ± 0.5 g/dL for γ-globulin. In the summer, there was a significant increase in AST and a decrease in uric acid (p < 0.05). Serum protein electrophoresis showed a significant increase in α-globulin fraction (p < 0.05) in the same season. There were not significant differences between seasons for the remaining variables. Based on these results, the period of the year must be considered in the interpretation of some biochemical values for these animals.

Toad poisoning in three dogs: case reports

Toad poisoning is frequent in dogs, but has been infrequently addressed in published case reports and review articles. Dogs can be poisoned when they bite a toad or otherwise ingest the venom. The venom effects manifest soon after the accident, since the toxin is rapidly absorbed by the mucous membrane of the digestive system. Hospital records of three dogs, diagnosed with toad poisoning, were retrospectively reviewed from January 2005 to July 2007. Poisoned dogs may present only local irritation or systemic signs in the gastrointestinal, cardiac and neurological systems. All three cases presented herein had clinical signs of gastrointestinal alterations including vomiting, sialorrhea and diarrhea. Two dogs developed abnormal cardiac rhythm and two exhibited neurological signs. A poisoned animal requires emergency care and symptomatic therapy with intense monitoring of its clinical parameters. Although there have been reports on the low mortality of dogs poisoned by toads, one animal died even after appropriate therapy. The severity of clinical signs and the risk of death must be considered by the veterinarian.

Modeling trophoblast differentiation using equine chorionic girdle vesicles.

The chorionic girdle of the equine conceptus is comprised of specialized trophoblast cells which, at day 36-38 of equine pregnancy, gain an invasive phenotype and invade the endometrium to form endometrial cups. Studies of equine endometrial cups remain difficult to perform because of the invasive techniques required to obtain cup tissue and because sampling requires termination of the pregnancy. In this study we developed a system to model trophoblast differentiation and trophoblast-immune interactions in vitro and in vivo. We utilized a method of culturing chorionic girdle pieces in serum-free medium to promote spontaneous formation of vesicle structures enriched for terminally differentiated binucleate cells that secreted equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG). Immunohistochemical staining and scanning electron microscopy showed that the cells of the vesicles closely resembled the outer layers of chorionic girdle immediately prior to invasion. Chorionic girdle vesicles were harvested after 72h in culture and ectopically transplanted via injection into the vulvar mucosa of recipient mares. At 7, 14, 21 and 28days after transplantation, biopsies of the injection sites were obtained. Immunohistochemical labeling of cryostat sections of the biopsies with a panel of monoclonal antibodies to horse trophoblast molecules demonstrated survival, differentiation, and presence of trophoblast cells for at least 21days. Serial sections of the biopsies labeled with antibodies to the equine lymphocyte surface markers CD4 and CD8, together with lymphocyte microcytotoxicity assays, revealed that the recipients mounted both cellular and humoral antibody immune responses to the transplanted trophoblast cells. This new method for culturing equine chorionic girdle trophoblast cells, and for transplanting trophoblast vesicles to ectopic sites, should allow identification of key aspects of trophoblast differentiation and the interactions that occur between invasive trophoblast and the maternal immune system.

Erosive effect of an antihistamine-containing syrup on primary enamel and its reduction by fluoride dentifrice.

AIM: This study evaluated the action of an antihistamine-containing syrup (Claritin D) on enamel that was subsequently submitted or not to applications of fluoride dentifrice. METHODS; Two hundred sixty-four slices (n=44 per subgroup) prepared from exfoliated primary molars were evaluated in hardness tests. Six subgroups were submitted to different treatments for 10 days. The controls underwent pH cycling with (positive control) or without (negative control) three daily immersions in fluoride dentifrice/distilled water slurry. The test subgroups related to daytime use of the antihistamine syrup underwent pH cycling and two 5-min applications of Claritin D, coupled or not to the three daily immersions in the fluoride slurry. The subgroups related to nocturnal use of the syrup were submitted to the same procedures of daytime subgroups, respectively, but with one of the applications of Claritin D lasting for 8 h. RESULTS: The median hardness values obtained after use of the syrup were significantly lower than the initial ones. Equivalent values for subgroups submitted to fluoride applications in addition to treatment with the syrup were significantly higher. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the antihistamine-containing syrup reduced the hardness of primary enamel and that, in this experiment, the use of fluoride dentifrice was able to diminish this erosive effect.

October 2000: a 47 year old man with long-standing progressive tetraparesis.

A 47-year-old man with a six-month history of progressive tetraparesis and sphincter disturbances developed tetraplegy after two years and died. A cervical MRI revealed an ill-defined, enhancing lesion from C1 to C6, internally attached to the dura mater and compressing the spinal cord. At necropsy, eight whitish nodes and diffuse thickening of the dura mater from C1 to C6 were found. Histological studies revealed multiple en plaque lymphoplasmacyte-rich meningiomas. The radiologic and pathologic aspects of lymphoplasmacyte-rich meningioma are reviewed and the atypical features of this case, such as macroscopic appearance and the histological variant, are described.

Plaque removal by manual and electric toothbrushing among children.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of plaque control performed with electric and manual toothbrushes. Fifteen children with primary dentition and 14 children with mixed dentition were divided in two groups and randomly assigned to utilize a manual or an electric toothbrush. In the first session, professional plaque removal was performed, and the children spent 24 hours without brushing their teeth. In the second session, plaque was disclosed and assessed on all facial and lingual surfaces. After that, all children brushed their teeth with the predetermined toothbrush. The next procedure was the disclosure and measurement of residual plaque. After a period of 7 days, the children switched the kind of toothbrush, and the same procedures were repeated. According to the statistical analysis of the results, there were no significant differences concerning plaque removal when the toothbrushes were utilized by children with mixed dentition. On the other hand, the electric toothbrush promoted significantly greater plaque removal on the lingual surfaces of teeth from children with primary dentition.

Avaliaçäo dos vasos, da agregaçäo plaquetária e do mecanismo da anticoagulaçäo natural nas doenças coronarianas / Vessels, platelet aggregation and natural anticoagulation mechanism evaluations in coronarian diseases

Este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a presença de lesäo e seu efeito sobre a competência funcional do mecanismo da anticoagulaçäo natural. Foram analizadas 45 amostras de sangue de pacientes com angina de peito (n=11), indivíduos com alto risco para desenvolverem essas doenças, porém, assintomáticos (n=16) e de indivíduos sadios empregados como controle (n=10). Foram realizadas a avaliaçäo de trombomodulina (marcador de lesäo endotelial), da agregaçäo plaquetária, do fibrinogênio, do fator VIII e da proteína C, essa envolvida no sistema da anticoagulaçäo natural. Os níveis de trombomodulina, fator VIII e fibrinogênio se mostraram elevados nos pacientes com infarto e angina, ao contrário da proteína C, que se mostrou diminuída nesses pacientes, quando comparados ao controle. Diferenças entre os grupos controle e de risco foram observadas apenas para o teste da agregaçäo plaquetária, cujos resultados foram similares para os grupos de risco, angina e infarto, sugerindo que este teste pode ser utilizado como um parâmetro preditivo de risco para doença coronariana. Uma interpretaçäo dos resultados permite estabelecer a ocorrência de lesäo endotelial e sua consequência sobre a competência funcional do sistema da anticoagulaçäo em pacientes com tais doenças, resultando em um desequilíbrio entre procoagulantes e anticoagulantes, o que favorece a formaçäo de trombo.

Dynamic changes of plasma acylcarnitine levels induced by fasting and sunflower oil challenge test in children.

The dynamic changes of plasma acylcarnitine levels in 1- to 7-y-old children during fasting and after the ingestion of sunflower oil were studied. Glucose, 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, FFA, and individual plasma acylcarnitine levels were monitored in both conditions. Fasting experiments lasted for 20 h, and acylcarnitine concentrations were analyzed at 0, 15, and 20 h of fasting. During the fat load, acylcarnitine levels were analyzed at 0, 60, 120, and 180 min. In both tests, a generalized increase of all plasma straight-chain acylcarnitines was observed. Acetylcarnitine contributed the most to the increase of total esterified carnitine. In addition, we demonstrated that the relative increase of each individual acylcarnitine during enhanced fatty acid oxidation is tightly related to its molecular structure and chain length. Fasting as well as the fat load primarily resulted in an increase of unsaturated acylcarnitines. During fasting, C(12:1) and C(14:1) showed a relatively high increase, whereas after the fat load C(16:2) and C(14:2), metabolites of linoleic acid (66% of the fat load), were the main acylcarnitines that increased.

The role of the mouse macrophage scavenger receptor in myelin phagocytosis.

Myelin phagocytosis during Wallerian degeneration and immune-mediated demyelination depends on the action of mononuclear cells of the monocyte/macrophage system. The present study investigated the role of the macrophage scavenger receptor, a trimeric membrane glycoprotein, in myelin uptake by macrophages. Two in vitro models of myelin phagocytosis were used: an organ culture model of mouse peripheral nerves exposed to cocultured macrophages and a quantitative flow cytometric assay. Different concentrations of the monoclonal rat anti-mouse scavenger receptor antibody (2F8) were applied to these systems to selectively block the macrophage scavenger receptor. Concentration-dependent effects on macrophage migration and myelin uptake were seen when the macrophage scavenger receptor was blocked by the antibody 2F8. Low concentrations reduced myelin phagocytosis by the invading macrophages; higher concentrations completely abolished macrophage invasion of the nerves. Using a quantitative flow cytometric assay it was also shown that the 2F8 antibody inhibits phagocytosis of myelin in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicate that the macrophage scavenger receptor is involved in myelin phagocytosis by macrophages.

3-, 6- and 7-hydroxyoctanoic acids are metabolites of medium-chain triglycerides and excreted in urine as glucuronides.

Three new metabolites of medium-chain fatty acid oxidation, 3-, 6- and 7-hydroxyoctanoyl beta-D-glucuronide, were identified in the urine of six infants who were fed a diet enriched in medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Glucuronides were extracted from the urine by organic solvent extraction with ethyl acetate and by solid-phase extraction on Sep-Pak C18 cartridges. The compounds of interest were also purified from the organic solvent extract by preparative one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Cleavage of the glucuronides was achieved by either alkaline hydrolysis or enzymatic hydrolysis with beta-D-glucuronidase. The analyses of the trimethylsilylated derivatives were performed both by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The structure of the hydroxyoctanoic acids was proved by comparison of their mass spectra with those of reference substances. Authentic 6-hydroxyoctanoic acid was synthesized. The presence of 6-hydroxyoctanoyl glucuronide shows that in addition to beta-oxidation, omega-oxidation and (omega-1)-hydroxylation, medium-chain fatty acids can be oxidized at the omega-2 position. The conjugation of medium-chain hydroxy-monocarboxylic acids with glucuronic acid has not been described in humans before.