Electrophysiological characterization of texture information slip-resistance dependent in the rat vibrissal nerve

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies in tactile discrimination agree that rats are able to learn a rough-smooth discrimination task by actively touching (whisking) objects with their vibrissae. In particular, we focus on recent evidence of how neurons at different levels of the sensory pathway carry information about tactile stimuli. Here, we analyzed the multifiber afferent discharge of one vibrissal nerve during active whisking. Vibrissae movements were induced by electrical stimulation of motor branches of the facial nerve. We used sandpapers of different grain size as roughness discrimination surfaces and we also consider the change of vibrissal slip-resistance as a way to improve tactile information acquisition. The amplitude of afferent activity was analyzed according to its Root Mean Square value (RMS). The comparisons among experimental situation were quantified by using the information theory.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that the change of the vibrissal slip-resistance is a way to improve the roughness discrimination of surfaces. As roughness increased, the RMS values also increased in almost all cases. In addition, we observed a better discrimination performance in the retraction phase (maximum amount of information).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The evidence of amplitude changes due to roughness surfaces and slip-resistance levels allows to speculate that texture information is slip-resistance dependent at peripheral level.</p

Pediatric pain : prevalence, assessment, and management in a teaching hospital

The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence, assessment and management of pediatric pain in a public teaching hospital. The study sample consisted of 121 inpatients (70 infants, 36 children, and 15 adolescents), their families, 40 physicians, and 43 nurses. All participants were interviewed except infants and children who could not communicate due to their clinical status. The interview included open-ended questions concerning the inpatients’ pain symptoms during the 24 h preceding data collection, as well as pain assessment and pharmacological/non-pharmacological management of pain. The data were obtained from 100% of the eligible inpatients. Thirty-four children/adolescents (28%) answered the questionnaire and for the other 72% (unable to communicate), the family/health professional caregivers reported pain. Among these 34 persons, 20 children/adolescents reported pain, 68% of whom reported that they received pharmacological intervention for pain relief. Eighty-two family caregivers were available on the day of data collection. Of these, 40 family caregivers (49%) had observed their child’s pain response. In addition, 74% reported that the inpatients received pharmacological management. Physicians reported that only 38% of the inpatients exhibited pain signs, which were predominantly acute pain detected during clinical procedures. They reported that 66% of patients received pharmacological intervention. The nurses reported pain signs in 50% of the inpatients, which were detected during clinical procedures. The nurses reported that pain was managed in 78% of inpatients by using pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological interventions. The findings provide evidence of the high prevalence of pain in pediatric inpatients and the under-recognition of pain by health professionals

Genotoxicidad del fungicida Carbendazim en Jenynsia multidentata y Bidens laevis, dos especies comunes en ecosistemas acuáticos de Argentina

El fungicida benzimidazólico carbendazim -CBZ- (Metilbenzimidazol-2-ilcarbamato) es un agroquímico frecuentemente utilizado para combatir un amplio espectro de patógenos fúngicos de manera sistémica. Se sabe que esta molécula se une a un sitio inespecífico de la tubulina e inhibe el ensamblaje de los microtúbulos durante la división celular. Además, dentro de sus efectos conocidos se destaca su capacidad para desregular el sistema reproductivo y la embriogénesis en especies modelo de experimentación tales como ratas y ratones, sin embargo sus potenciales efectos adversos en especies de ecosistemas acuáticos son escasamente estudiados. Estudios realizados en peces y anfibios muestran que el CBZ genera cambios en enzimas antioxidantes así como en la expresión de genes involucrados en la apoptosis y la regulación endócrina, pero se desconoce si es genotóxico en peces así como en plantas acuáticas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el potencial efecto genotóxico del CBZ mediante el análisis de la frecuencia de micronúcleos (MN) en el pez Jenynsia multidentata, y la frecuencia de aberraciones cromosómicas en anafase- telofase (ACAT) en células mitóticas de raíz de Bidens laevis, ambas especies expuestas experimentalmente a concentraciones de relevancia ambiental y más elevadas. En J. multidentata se observó un incremento de MN a 5, 10 y 100 µg/L CBZ (p0.05). También se analizaron otras anormalidades nucleares (AN), y se observó que se incrementaron en todo el rango de concentraciones testeado (0,05- 100 µg/L CBZ, p< 0,05), principalmente a expensas de núcleos dentados (“notched”). En la macrófita B. laevis se observó que no hubo variaciones en el índice mitótico ni en el índice de fases a las concentraciones ensayadas. Sin embargo, a 0,05 µg/L se observó un aumento de aberraciones en metafase (p<0,05) y a 500 µg/L un aumento de las ACAT de tipo clastogénico (p<0,05). A partir de los resultados obtenidos se puede afirmar que el CBZ es genotóxico, así sus efectos adversos no son exclusivos en hongos sino que alcanza también a especies no blanco de ecosistemas acuáticos.Fil: Lukaszewicz, Germán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Panzeri, Ana María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Gotte, J.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Amé, M. V.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Menone, Mirta Lujan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaVII Congreso Argentino de la Sociedad de Toxicología y Química Ambiental (SETAC ARG)San LuisArgentinaSociedad de Toxicología y Química Ambiental de Argentin

Imidacloprid Causes DNA Damage in Fish: Clastogenesis as a Mechanism of Genotoxicity

Neonicotinoids are one of the most widely used insecticides in the world. DNA damage is considered an early biological effect which could lead to reproductive and carcinogenic effects. The present study aimed to evaluate DNA damage and bases oxidation as a mechanism of genotoxicity, on the freshwater fish Australoheros facetus acutely exposed to imidacloprid (IMI). The Comet assay with the nuclease ENDO III enzyme was performed for detecting pyrimidine bases oxidation using blood samples. Micronucleus and other nuclear abnormalities frequencies were also quantified. A significant increase of damage index at 100 and 1000 µg/L IMI was detected; while ENDO III score increased from 1 to 1000 µg/L IMI; varying both in a linear concentration-response manner. MN frequency increased in fish exposed to 1000 µg/L IMI. These results show that short-term exposures to environmentally relevant concentrations of IMI could affect the genetic integrity of fishes through oxidative damage.Fil: Iturburu, Fernando Gastón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Simoniello, Maria Fernanda. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Medici, Sandra Karina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Panzeri, Ana M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Menone, Mirta Lujan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

Oxidative stress and genotoxicity in the South American Cichlid, Australoheros facetus, after short-term sublethal exposure to endosulfan

Short-term responses at the antioxidant enzymatic systems, together with genotoxic effects were studied in the freshwater fish Australoheros facetus, exposed to endosulfan (ES) (0.02, 0.5, 5, 10 lg/L) for 24 h. Brain was the most responsive organ, showing inhibition of the enzymatic systems together with an increase of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content. Concentration-dependent inhibition was observed for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) with IC25 values of 0.012, 0.017, 0.018 lg/L, respectively. In liver, a similar behavior was observed for SOD with IC25 values of 2.22 lg/L. In addition, increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) at 5 lg/L and H2O2 at 5 and 10 lg/L were observed. No effects were evidenced on ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), GR and CAT activities. In gills, only H2O2 decreased at 0.5 and 5 lg/L ES. Genotoxic effects were detected by the increase of the frequency of both, nuclear abnormalities (NA) at 0.02 lg/L and micronucleus (MN) at 5 lg/L. Environmentally realistic concentrations of ES exerted toxic responses in A. facetus, encouraging the further field validation of the observed pattern (tissue specificity, sensitiveness and concentration-response relationship) as a potential suit of biomarkers for assessing acute sublethal effects in A. facetus under short-term pulsed exposure to ES.Fil: Crupkin, Andrea Carina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Marinas. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología; ArgentinaFil: Carriquiriborde, Pedro. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Química. Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Mendieta, Julieta Renee. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Panzeri, Ana M.. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biologia. Laboratorio de Genetica; ArgentinaFil: Ballesteros, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal; ArgentinaFil: Miglioranza, Karina Silvia Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Marinas. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Menone, Mirta Lujan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Marinas. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología; Argentin

Predictors of embolism and death in left-sided infective endocarditis: the European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme European Infective Endocarditis registry

International audienceBackground and Aims Even though vegetation size in infective endocarditis (IE) has been associated with embolic events (EEs) and mortality risk, it is unclear whether vegetation size associated with these potential outcomes is different in left-sided IE (LSIE). This study aimed to seek assessing the vegetation cut-off size as predictor of EE or 30-day mortality for LSIE and to determine risk predictors of these outcomes. Methods The European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme European Infective Endocarditis is a prospective, multicentre registry including patients with definite or possible IE throughout 2016–18. Cox multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess variables associated with EE or 30-day mortality. Results There were 2171 patients with LSIE (women 31.5%). Among these affected patients, 459 (21.1%) had a new EE or died in 30 days. The cut-off value of vegetation size for predicting EEs or 30-day mortality was &gt;10 mm [hazard ratio (HR) 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–1.69, P = .0015]. Other adjusted predictors of risk of EE or death were as follows: EE on admission (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.54–2.33, P &lt; .0001), history of heart failure (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.21–1.93, P = .0004), creatinine &gt;2 mg/dL (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.25–2.03, P = .0002), Staphylococcus aureus (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08–1.70, P = .008), congestive heart failure (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12–1.75, P = .003), presence of haemorrhagic stroke (HR 4.57, 95% CI 3.08–6.79, P &lt; .0001), alcohol abuse (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.04–2.03, P = .03), presence of cardiogenic shock (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.29–3.34, P = .003), and not performing left surgery (HR 1.30 95% CI 1.05–1.61, P = .016) (C-statistic = .68). Conclusions Prognosis after LSIE is determined by multiple factors, including vegetation size

Reduced Cancer Incidence in Huntington's Disease: Analysis in the Registry Study

Background: People with Huntington's disease (HD) have been observed to have lower rates of cancers. Objective: To investigate the relationship between age of onset of HD, CAG repeat length, and cancer diagnosis. Methods: Data were obtained from the European Huntington's disease network REGISTRY study for 6540 subjects. Population cancer incidence was ascertained from the GLOBOCAN database to obtain standardised incidence ratios of cancers in the REGISTRY subjects. Results: 173/6528 HD REGISTRY subjects had had a cancer diagnosis. The age-standardised incidence rate of all cancers in the REGISTRY HD population was 0.26 (CI 0.22-0.30). Individual cancers showed a lower age-standardised incidence rate compared with the control population with prostate and colorectal cancers showing the lowest rates. There was no effect of CAG length on the likelihood of cancer, but a cancer diagnosis within the last year was associated with a greatly increased rate of HD onset (Hazard Ratio 18.94, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Cancer is less common than expected in the HD population, confirming previous reports. However, this does not appear to be related to CAG length in HTT. A recent diagnosis of cancer increases the risk of HD onset at any age, likely due to increased investigation following a cancer diagnosis