Hepatozoonosis canina

Se diagnosticó hepatozoonosis en cuatro perras de raza beagle que habían sufrido una infestación masiva por garrapatas. Se describe el cuadro clínico, protocolo laboratorial, diagnóstico diferencial, tratamiento y evolución. Tras eliminar la presencia de otros procesos patológicos, concluimos que Hepatozoon canis produce una reacción leucoeritroblástica, que remite con el tratamiento.The study diagnosed canine hepatozoonosis in four Beagles, that become infested with ticks. It describes the clinical signs, laboratory protocol, diferential diagnosis, treatment and evolution. After eliminate the presence of other pathology, we conclude what Heparozoon canis causes a leucoeritroblastic reaction, that remit with treatment

Tolerability of inhaled N-chlorotaurine in the pig model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>N-chlorotaurine, a long-lived oxidant produced by human leukocytes, can be applied in human medicine as an endogenous antiseptic. Its antimicrobial activity can be enhanced by ammonium chloride. This study was designed to evaluate the tolerability of inhaled N-chlorotaurine (NCT) in the pig model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anesthetized pigs inhaled test solutions of 1% (55 mM) NCT (n = 7), 5% NCT (n = 6), or 1% NCT plus 1% ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) (n = 6), and 0.9% saline solution as a control (n = 7), respectively. Applications with 5 ml each were performed hourly within four hours. Lung function, haemodynamics, and pharmacokinetics were monitored. Bronchial lavage samples for captive bubble surfactometry and lung samples for histology and electron microscopy were removed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) decreased significantly over the observation period of 4 hours in all animals. Compared to saline, 1% NCT + 1% NH₄Cl led to significantly lower PaO₂values at the endpoint after 4 hours (62 ± 9.6 mmHg vs. 76 ± 9.2 mmHg, p = 0.014) with a corresponding increase in alveolo-arterial difference of oxygen partial pressure (AaDO₂) (p = 0.004). Interestingly, AaDO₂was lowest with 1% NCT, even lower than with saline (p = 0.016). The increase of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) over the observation period was smallest with 1% NCT without difference to controls (p = 0.91), and higher with 5% NCT (p = 0.02), and NCT + NH₄Cl (p = 0.05).</p> <p>Histological and ultrastructural investigations revealed no differences between the test and control groups. The surfactant function remained intact. There was no systemic resorption of NCT detectable, and its local inactivation took place within 30 min. The concentration of NCT tolerated by A549 lung epithelial cells <it>in vitro </it>was similar to that known from other body cells (0.25–0.5 mM).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The endogenous antiseptic NCT was well tolerated at a concentration of 1% upon inhalation in the pig model. Addition of ammonium chloride in high concentration provokes a statistically significant impact on blood oxygenation.</p

Metabolic constituents of grapevine and grape-derived products

The numerous uses of the grapevine fruit, especially for wine and beverages, have made it one of the most important plants worldwide. The phytochemistry of grapevine is rich in a wide range of compounds. Many of them are renowned for their numerous medicinal uses. The production of grapevine metabolites is highly conditioned by many factors like environment or pathogen attack. Some grapevine phytoalexins have gained a great deal of attention due to their antimicrobial activities, being also involved in the induction of resistance in grapevine against those pathogens. Meanwhile grapevine biotechnology is still evolving, thanks to the technological advance of modern science, and biotechnologists are making huge efforts to produce grapevine cultivars of desired characteristics. In this paper, important metabolites from grapevine and grape derived products like wine will be reviewed with their health promoting effects and their role against certain stress factors in grapevine physiology

Doctorates and nurses

There is a plethora of routes to obtaining a doctorate in nursing and this arises due to international differences in the modes of study, preparation of the final submission and examination systems. The variety of pathways and outcomes leads to some confusion over the status and purpose of doctorates in nursing. In this discursive paper we review the historical development of the doctorate in nursing and describe the various routes to doctorate in Europe, Australia and the United States. There is much in common between the various routes with increasing evidence of formal elements across the countries studies and, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, evidence that the fitness for purpose of the doctorate in nursing is being examined and changes being introduced

Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin on Pain in Stroke Patients Suffering from Upper Limb Spastic Dystonia

open11noThis observational study aimed at investigating pain in stroke patients with upper limb spastic dystonia. Forty-one consecutive patients were enrolled. A 0–10 numeric rating scale was used to evaluate pain at rest and during muscle tone assessment. Patients were asked to indicate the most painful joint at passive mobilization (shoulder, elbow, wrist-fingers). The DN4 questionnaire was administered to disclose neuropathic pain. All patients were assessed just before and 1 month after incobotulinumtoxin-A treatment. Pain was present in 22 patients, worsened or triggered by passive muscle stretching. DN4 scored &lt; 4 in 20 patients. The most painful joints were wrist–fingers in 12 patients, elbow in 5 patients and shoulder in the remaining 5 patients. Both elbow and wrist– fingers pain correlated with muscle tone. BoNT-A treatment reduced pain in all the joints, including the shoulder. We discussed that nociceptive pain is present in a vast proportion of patients with upper limb spastic dystonia. BoNT-A treatment reduced both spastic dystonia and pain in all the joints but the shoulder, where the effect on pain could be mediated by the reduction of pathological postures involving the other joints.openTrompetto C.; Marinelli L.; Mori L.; Puce L.; Avanti C.; Saretti E.; Biasotti G.; Amella R.; Cotellessa F.; Restivo D.A.; Curra A.Trompetto, C.; Marinelli, L.; Mori, L.; Puce, L.; Avanti, C.; Saretti, E.; Biasotti, G.; Amella, R.; Cotellessa, F.; Restivo, D. A.; Curra, A

Transcription factor binding sites downstream of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transcription start site are important for virus infectivity.

When transcriptionally active, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) promoter contains a nucleosome-free region encompassing both the promoter/enhancer region and a large region (255 nucleotides [nt]) downstream of the transcription start site. We have previously identified new binding sites for transcription factors downstream of the transcription start site (nt 465 to 720): three AP-1 sites (I, II, and III), an AP3-like motif (AP3-L), a downstream binding factor (DBF) site, and juxtaposed Sp1 sites. Here, we show that the DBF site is an interferon-responsive factor (IRF) binding site and that the AP3-L motif binds the T-cell-specific factor NF-AT. Mutations that abolish the binding of each factor to its cognate site are introduced in an infectious HIV-1 molecular clone to study their effect on HIV-1 transcription and replication. Individual mutation of the DBF or AP3-L site as well as the double mutation AP-1(III)/AP3-L did not affect HIV-1 replication compared to that of the wild-type virus. In contrast, proviruses carrying mutations in the Sp1 sites were totally defective in terms of replication. Virus production occurred with slightly delayed kinetics for viruses containing combined mutations in the AP-1(III), AP3-L, and DBF sites and in the AP3-L and DBF-sites, whereas viruses mutated in the AP-1(I,II,III) and AP3-L sites and in the AP-1(I,II,III), AP3-L, and DBF sites exhibited a severely defective replicative phenotype. No RNA-packaging defect could be measured for any of the mutant viruses as determined by quantification of their HIV genomic RNA. Measurement of the transcriptional activity of the HIV-1 promoter after transient transfection of the HIV-1 provirus DNA or of long terminal repeat-luciferase constructs showed a positive correlation between the transcriptional and the replication defects for most mutants

24-h pH-metry and multichannel intraluminal impedance monitoring in obese patients with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms

BACKGROUND: The 24-h ambulatory pH-metry with multichannel intraluminal impedance monitoring (24-h pH-metry+MII) allows the simultaneous assessment of chemical and physical properties of esophageal refluxes and the detection of its proximal migration. METHODS: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) was investigated in obese symptomatic (obese gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD) and asymptomatic (obese non-GERD) patients. The data were compared with those obtained from non-obese GERD patients and a control group. Thirty-five (20 non-GERD, 15 GERD) obese patients and 15 non-obese GERD were investigated with 24-h pH-metry+MII. Ten normal weight subjects with normal 24-h pH-metry+MII were used as control group. RESULTS: The percent time acid exposure was significantly higher in obese non-GERD than controls (p = 0.007). Acid reflux episodes were increased vs. controls in obese non-GERD (p = 0.005) and obese GERD (p = 0.034). Upright position showed a significant increase of reflux episodes in non-obese GERD (p = 0.034) and in obese non-GERD (p = 0.027) vs. controls. Recumbent position showed reflux episodes significantly increased vs. controls in obese non-GERD (p = 0.002), obese GERD (p = 0.021), and non-obese GERD (p = 0.033). In obese non-GERD, waist circumference (WC) correlated negatively with upright position episodes (r = -0.53; p = 0.043) and with proximal migration episodes, i.e., total (r = -0.60; p = 0.018), acid (r = -0.55; p = 0.033), and weakly acidic refluxes (r = -0.56; p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Obese patients showed an increased number of refluxes with acid content. Refluxes with proximal extent were significantly higher in obese non-GERD than in controls and non-obese GERD patients. No difference was observed between the two obese patient groups. In asymptomatic obese patients, the WC correlated with proximal extent episodes