LESÕES RADIOGRÁFICAS DE OSTEOARTRITE NA EXTREMIDADE DISTAL E NO TARSO DE CAVALOS DE DESPORTO.

Introdução e objetivos A avaliação radiológica do sistema locomotor faz atualmente parte da avaliação de rotina em equinos, com o objetivo de diagnosticar alterações que possam comprometer a vida desportiva do cavalo. Presentemente existem alguns estudos sobre os achados radiográficos em cavalos de desporto, sendo que, os mais comuns são relacionados com a presença de osteoartrite (OA). O objetivo deste estudo foi i) identificar as alterações radiográficas mais comuns, associadas a OA, nas articulações do tarso e da extremidade distal, em cavalos de desporto; ii) avaliar a existência de correlações entre as articulações com alterações. Metodologia e resultados Neste estudo foram incluídos 113 cavalos com idades compreendidas entre os 3 e os 25 anos, das raças Puro Sangue Lusitano, Cruzado Português e Puro Sangue Árabe. As articulações avaliadas foram as interfalângicas distal (IFD) e proximal (IFP), metacarpo-falângica (MCF), metatarso-falângica (MTF), tarso-metatársica (TMT) e intertársicas distal (ITD) e proximal (ITP) e tíbio-társica (TT). As alterações radiográficas foram classificadas utilizando uma escala baseada na severidade das lesões (0-4) (adaptada de Kellgren and Lawrence, 1957 e de Grauw et al., 2006). Os dados foram avaliados com o programa SAS. As articulações mais afetadas foram a TMT (score≥1 em 91% e 87% das articulações do membro posterior direito (MPD) e membro posterior esquerdo (MPE), respetivamente) e a ITD (score≥1 em 73% e 63% das articulações do MPD e MPE). Nos membros anteriores a articulação mais afetada foi a IFP (66% com score≥1). Alterações mais severas (grau 3 ou 4) foram encontradas apenas em casos pontuais, sobretudo nas articulações MCF (4%) e TMT (5%). Verificou-se uma forte correlação entre articulações de membros contralaterais, sendo que a existência de alterações numa articulação está correlacionada com a existência de alteração na mesma articulação contralateral (p<0,001; correlação 0,40 e 0,44 para IFD e MCF e MTF). Conclusão As articulações mais afetadas nos membros posteriores foram as articulações do tarso, o que está de acordo com o descrito por outros autores. Nos membros anteriores a articulação mais frequentemente afetada foi a IFP, sendo este um achado frequente em exames radiológicos de rotina e de significado clínico questionável, para muitos médicos veterinários. De realçar que, neste estudo, a maioria dos achados radiográficos foram classificados com score 1, pelo que poderão ser considerados como uma variante de normalidade, sendo questionável a sua importância clínica. Salienta-se ainda a forte correlação existente entre articulações de membros contralaterais, que nos indica a possível existência da influência de particularidades de conformação da extremidade distal na existência de lesões radiológicas. Financiamento: Projeto Novas metodologias no diagnóstico de doença articular em equinos, ALT20-03-0246-FEDER-00001

Temperature Sensing Using Colloidal-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber

We report on a temperature sensor based on the monitoring of the luminescence spectrum of CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals, dispersed in mineral oil and inserted into the core of a photonic crystal fiber. The high overlap between the pump light and the nanocrystals as well as the luminescence guiding provided by the fiber geometry resulted in relatively high luminescence powers and improved optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). Also, both core end interfaces were sealed so as to generate a more stable and robust waveguide structure. Temperature sensitivity experiments indicated a 70 pm/degrees C spectral shift over the 5 degrees C to 90 degrees C range

Galactic Halos of Fluid Dark Matter

Dwarf spiral galaxies - and in particular the prototypical DDO 154 - are known to be completely dominated by an unseen component. The putative neutralinos - so far the favored explanation for the astronomical dark matter - fail to reproduce the well measured rotation curves of those systems because these species tend to form a central cusp whose presence is not supported by observation. We have considered here a self-coupled charged scalar field as an alternative to neutralinos and investigated whether a Bose condensate of that field could account for the dark matter inside DDO 154 and more generally inside dwarf spirals. The size of the condensate turns out to be precisely determined by the scalar mass m and self-coupling lambda of the field. We find actually that for m^4 / lambda = 50 - 75 eV^4, the agreement with the measurements of the circular speed of DDO 154 is impressive whereas it lessens for larger systems. The cosmological behavior of the field is also found to be consistent - yet marginally - with the limits set by BBN on the effective number of neutrino families. We conclude that classical configurations of a scalar and self-coupled field provide a possible solution to the astronomical dark matter problem and we suggest further directions of research.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures; one reference added, version to be published in PR

Prevalence, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia in diabetic participants of two Brazilian cohorts: a place far from heaven

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular mortality. Over the last years, mortality has decreased significantly, more in individuals with diabetes than in healthy ones. That is mostly due to the control of other cardiovascular risk factors. The objective of our study was to analyze the dyslipidemia control in two diabetes cohorts. Patients from two distinct cohorts were studied, 173 patients from the BHS (Brasilia Heart Study) and 222 patients from the BDS (Brazilian Diabetes Study). The data on dyslipidemia control were studied in both different populations. All patients had diabetes. There are significant differences concerning comorbidities between the LDL-C and BDS groups. The average glycated hemoglobin is of 8.2 in the LDL-C > 100 group in comparison with 7.7 and 7.5 in the 70-100 and 100 groups (54.3% and 54.9%, respectively; p = 0.005). Diastolic pressure is higher in the group with LDL > 100, with an average of 87 mmHg, in comparison with 82.6 mmHg and 81.9 mmHg in the 70-100 and 100 has the greatest percentage of smokers (8.7%) in comparison with the groups with LDL between 70-100 and 100 groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The data in our study have shown that the dyslipidemia control in diabetic patients is inadequate and there is a tendency of direct association between lack of blood glucose control and lack of dyslipidemia control, in addition to the association with other cardiovascular risk factors, such as diastolic hypertension and smoking. This worsened control might be related to the plateau in the descending curve of mortality, and investments in this regard can improve the cardiovascular health in diabetic patients.6513

Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia in sexagenary patient

A displasia arritmogênica de ventrículo direito (DAVD) é uma das principais causas de morte súbita em indivíduos jovens. Suas manifestações e consequente diagnóstico costumam ser precoces ainda na adolescência ou no adulto jovem. Nesse contexto, o diagnóstico em doente sexagenário sem história familiar sugestiva ou sintomas prévios e com possibilidade de tratamento torna esse caso único na literatura.Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is one of the major causes of death in younger patients and its manifestations and diagnosis used to be early. In this context, diagnosis in a sexagenary patient without famylial history or previous symptoms and with possibility of correct treatment make this case unique

Muography in the university and in the museum

The LouMu team joins together specialists in particle detectors and in cosmic ray analyses, geophysicists and science communicators to muograph an underground gallery of an old mine, now open to visitors of a science museum. The muon telescope is made of Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) developed to operate stably and with low consumption at remote locations, and it has been tested in the Coimbra University, before being moved to an underground gallery in the Lousal Cieˆncia Viva Science Center, in Portugal. In parallel to the scientific goals of surveying the geological faults around the gallery, comparing and combining the information from muography and other techniques, and testing and possibly upgrading these detectors for muography, the project aims to engage students at several levels and the public at large. The telescope was thought to operate in front of visitors, all the project phases will be documented, and the muographic data collected in the university building and the mine gallery will be made available for educational use. Providing an almost online update of simple and complex muographies is a challenge but provides an opportunity for a valued interaction of the public with our usually distant work.The LouMu project would not be possible without the support of the Mine of Science, Centro Cieˆncia Viva do Lousal. LIP sup- ported the first steps of the project with funding and human resources from several groups, in particular from the Education, Communication, and Outreach group. The project is partially funded by Fundac ̧a ̃o para a Cieˆncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, EXPL/FIS-OUT/1185/2021

Diversity of ferns and lycophytes in Brazil

This compilation of ferns and lycophytes in Brazil is an update of the one published in 2010 in Catálogo de Plantas e Fungos do Brasil. The methodology consisted in collecting data from regional checklists, taxonomic revisions, and selected databases. Invited specialists improved the list accessing a website housed at the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. The results show 1,253 species: 1,111 of ferns and 142 of lycophytes. This number is 6.5% higher than the previous one (1,176 spp.). The percentage of endemic species decreased from 38.2% to 36.7%. We recognized 36 families and 133 genera (vs. 33 families, 121 genera in 2010). The 10 most diverse families are Pteridaceae (196 spp.), Dryopteridaceae (179), Polypodiaceae (164), Hymenophyllaceae (90), Thelypteridaceae (86), Aspleniaceae (78), Lycopodiaceae (64), Selaginellaceae (55), Anemiaceae (51), and Cyatheaceae (45). The three most diverse genera are still Elaphoglossum (87 spp.), Thelypteris (85), and Asplenium (74). The richest phytogeographic domain continues to be in the Atlantic Rainforest with 883 species which also has the largest number of endemic and threatened species, followed by the Amazon Rainforest (503), Cerrado (269), Pantanal (30), Caatinga (26), and Pampa (eight). Minas Gerais remains as the richest state (657 spp. vs. 580 in 2010).Esta compilação de samambaias e licófitas do Brasil é uma atualização daquela de 2010, no Catálogo de Plantas e Fungos do Brasil. A metodologia consistiu na reunião de dados de listas regionais, revisões de grupos e bancos de dados selecionados. Especialistas convidados melhoraram a lista através do acesso a um sítio da web do Jardim Botânico do Rio Janeiro. Os resultados apontam uma diversidade de 1.253 espécies, sendo 1.111 samambaias e 142 licófitas. Este número é 6,5% maior que o anterior (1.176 espécies). As espécies endêmicas decresceram de 38,2% para 36,7%. Foram reconhecidas 36 famílias e 133 gêneros (vs. 33 famílias, 121 gêneros em 2010). As dez famílias mais diversas são: Pteridaceae (196 espécies), Dryopteridaceae (179), Polypodiaceae (164), Hymenophyllaceae (90), Thelypteridaceae (86), Aspleniaceae (78), Lycopodiaceae (64), Selaginellaceae (55), Anemiaceae (51) e Cyatheaceae (45). Os três gêneros mais diversos continuam sendo Elaphoglossum (87 espécies), Thelypteris (85) e Asplenium (74). O Domínio Fitogeográfico mais rico continua sendo a Mata Atlântica (883 espécies) e também com mais espécies endêmicas e ameaçadas, seguido pela Amazônia (503 espécies), Cerrado (269), Pantanal (30), Caatinga (26) e Pampa (oito). Minas Gerais permanece como o estado com maior riqueza (657 espécies vs. 580 em 2010)

A Guide to Carrying Out a Phylogenomic Target Sequence Capture Project

High-throughput DNA sequencing techniques enable time- and cost-effective sequencing of large portions of the genome. Instead of sequencing and annotating whole genomes, many phylogenetic studies focus sequencing effort on large sets of pre-selected loci, which further reduces costs and bioinformatic challenges while increasing coverage. One common approach that enriches loci before sequencing is often referred to as target sequence capture. This technique has been shown to be applicable to phylogenetic studies of greatly varying evolutionary depth. Moreover, it has proven to produce powerful, large multi-locus DNA sequence datasets suitable for phylogenetic analyses. However, target capture requires careful considerations, which may greatly affect the success of experiments. Here we provide a simple flowchart for designing phylogenomic target capture experiments. We discuss necessary decisions from the identification of target loci to the final bioinformatic processing of sequence data. We outline challenges and solutions related to the taxonomic scope, sample quality, and available genomic resources of target capture projects. We hope this review will serve as a useful roadmap for designing and carrying out successful phylogenetic target capture studies. © Copyright © 2020 Andermann, Torres Jiménez, Matos-Maraví, Batista, Blanco-Pastor, Gustafsson, Kistler, Liberal, Oxelman, Bacon and Antonelli

A Guide to Carrying Out a Phylogenomic Target Sequence Capture Project

High-throughput DNA sequencing techniques enable time- and cost-effective sequencing of large portions of the genome. Instead of sequencing and annotating whole genomes, many phylogenetic studies focus sequencing effort on large sets of pre-selected loci, which further reduces costs and bioinformatic challenges while increasing coverage. One common approach that enriches loci before sequencing is often referred to as target sequence capture. This technique has been shown to be applicable to phylogenetic studies of greatly varying evolutionary depth. Moreover, it has proven to produce powerful, large multi-locus DNA sequence datasets suitable for phylogenetic analyses. However, target capture requires careful considerations, which may greatly affect the success of experiments. Here we provide a simple flowchart for designing phylogenomic target capture experiments. We discuss necessary decisions from the identification of target loci to the final bioinformatic processing of sequence data. We outline challenges and solutions related to the taxonomic scope, sample quality, and available genomic resources of target capture projects. We hope this review will serve as a useful roadmap for designing and carrying out successful phylogenetic target capture studies. © Copyright © 2020 Andermann, Torres Jiménez, Matos-Maraví, Batista, Blanco-Pastor, Gustafsson, Kistler, Liberal, Oxelman, Bacon and Antonelli