Macroscopic Anatomy and Brain Vascularization in the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana americana)

Background: The Rhea americana americana is a wild bird belonging to the group of Ratites, and is important from the scientific point of view given their adaptability to captivity. Considering that information about its morphology is important for the viability of domesticating the species, the aim of this study was to macroscopically identify the brain regions, as well as the cerebral arteries and the cerebral arterial circuit in order to establish the cerebral vascular pattern and systematization.Materials, Methods & Results: Twenty one brains from young and adult Greater Rheas of both sexes were used from animals that had died due to natural causes and were then kept in a freezer. The specimens were thawed and incised in the cervical region to allow exposure of the left common carotid artery, which was cannulated. The vascular system was rinsed with 0.9% saline solution, then perfused with latex Neoprene 650 stained with red pigment. The animals were subsequently fixed in 3.7% aqueous formaldehyde solution for 72 h, and then they were dissected by removing the bones from the skull cap. The brains were analyzed, and the structures were identified, photographed, schematized and denominated. Morphometric measurements were performed on the basilar and cerebellar ventral caudal arteries, recording the values of length and width in millimeters with the aid of a digital caliper. The brain was divided into: telencephalon, diencephalon, brainstem and cerebellum; while externally, the observed structures are: olfactory bulbs, optical lobes, optic nerves, optic chiasm, pituitary and pineal glands. Vascularization was performed by the following arteries: ventral spinal artery, basilar artery, ventricular cerebellar arteries, medium ventricular cerebellar arteries, caudal branches of the carotid arteries of the brain, ventral mesencephalic artery, cerebral caudal arteries, rostral branches of the carotid arteries of the brain, middle cerebral arteries, cerebroethmoidal arteries, rostral intercerebral anastomosis, rostral cerebral arteries, ethmoidal arteries, internal ophthalmic arteries, inter-hemispheric artery, pituitary arteries, dorsal mesencephalic tectal arteries, dorsal cerebellar arteries, occipital, pineal and dorsal hemispherical branches. The cerebral arterial circuit was both caudally and rostrally closed in 100.0% of the samples, being composed of the arteries: basilar artery, caudal branches of the carotid brain, rostral branches of the brain carotid, cerebroethmoidal arteries and rostral intercerebral anastomosis.Discussion: Encephalon classification regarding the presence or absence of gyri is a characteristic associated to evolutionary aspects among vertebrates, being respectively considered as lisencephalon or girencecephalus when it presents or does not present convolutions. In Greater Rheas, the telencephalon was quite developed, with a relatively rounded shape and the absence of sulci and convolutions in the cortex, which allowed it to be classified as a lisencephalon. Such findings resemble those described for the ostrich and in a comparative study involving kiwis, emus, owls and pigeons, although different sizes and forms of telencephalon development were observed in the latter. Regarding the cerebral arterial circuit, this structure in Rheas was complete and both caudally and rostrally closed in 100.0% of the specimens. Our findings differ from those observed for ostriches, in which a rostrally open behavior has been described, while it is caudally closed in 20.0% of cases and opened in 80.0%. Regarding the vascular type of the brain, in the Rhea it was observed that there was only contribution of the carotid system, similar to that found for birds such as ostriches and turkeys which confer a type I encephalic vascularization

Análise qualitativa do estabelecimento da espermatogênese em cutias (Dasyprocta aguti) criadas em cativeiros

A determinação do estabelecimento da puberdade é bastante estudada em animais domésticos e roedores, no entanto, são escassas as pesquisas com a finalidade de estabelecer parâmetros para a biologia reprodutiva em cutias. Foram utilizadas 31 cutias machos da espécie Dasyprocta agouti, oriundas da Universidade Federal do Piauí, Estado do Piauí, e da Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró, Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Imediatamente após a orquiectomia foram retirados fragmentos e estes foram processados histologicamente, os tecidos foram corados com hematoxilina-eosina e analisou-se os parâmetros seguintes: aspectos de luminação dos túbulos seminíferos; presença de espermatócitos primários; presença de espermátides e formação dos primeiros estágios do ciclo do epitélio seminífero (CES) segundo o método da morfologia tubular. O período desde o nascimento até os cinco meses de idade correspondeu à fase impúbere; dos seis aos oito meses de idade a fase de transição da pré-puberdade à puberdade; dos nove aos dez meses de idade à fase da puberdade; e dos doze aos quartoze meses de idade à fase da pós-puberdade. A puberdade da cutia (Dasyprocta aguti), ocorreu em animais a partir dos sete meses de idade, e o estabelecimento da puberdade foi constatado em todos os animais estudados aos nove meses de idade.The determination of the puberty beginning is widely studied in domestic animals and rodents. However, there are scarce researches with the purpose to establish parameters for the reproductive biology in Agoutis. Thirty-one male Agoutis, Dasyprocta agouti species had been used, originated from the Universidade Federal do Piauí - PI, and from the Mossoró Superior Scholl of Agriculture - RN. Immediately after the orchiectomy, histological sections were made, the tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosine and analyzed for the following parameters: aspects of the seminiferous tubule lumen; presence of primary spermatocytes; presence of spermatid cells and formation of the first stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle (SEC), in accordance with the tubular morphology method. The period from the birth up to five months of age corresponded to the impuberal phase; from six to eight months, to the transition from the prepuberal phase to puberty; from nine to ten months, to the puberty; and, from twelve to fourteen months of age to the after-puberty phase. The puberty of the Agouti (Dasyprocta aguti), occurred since seven months of age, being the establishment puberty beginning evidenced at nine months of age

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Diversidade e Atividade de Voo de Himenópteros Parasitóides em Pomar de Macieira em Vacaria, RS

The objective of this work was to evaluate the diversity of parasitoids Hymenoptera and the period of flight activity in apple trees. Insects were sampled with Malaise traps weekly for a period of 24 hours, being removed from the trap in the following times 1, 7, 13 and 19 hours. A total of 1,249 individual parasitoids from 25 families were collected. The most abundant families was Ichneumonidae (318), Bethylidae (199), Figitidae (Eucoilinae) (183), Braconidae (90) and Scelionidae (86). With the exception of Ichneumonidae (Ophioninae), parasitoids were most commonly collected during daylight.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a diversidade de himenópteros parasitóides e o período de atividade de voo em macieira. Os insetos foram amostrados com armadilha Malaise, semanalmente, por um período de 24h, sendo retirados do frasco coletor nos seguintes horários: 1, 7, 13 e 19 h. Foram coletados 1.249 himenópteros parasitóides distribuídos em 25 famílias com maior abundância de Ichneumonidae (318), Bethylidae (199), Figitidae (Eucoilinae) (183), Braconidae (90) e Scelionidae (86). Com exceção de Ichneumonidae (Ophioninae) a maioria dos parasitóides mostrou atividade de voo diurna

Ocorrência e flutuação populacional de insetos-praga em pomares de macieira da região norte do Paraná

O presente estudo teve o objetivo de identificar as principais espécies presentes em pomares da região Norte do Paraná e acompanhar a flutuação das populações. O estudo foi realizado em quatro pomares de macieira ‘Eva’, nos municípios de Cambé, Londrina, São Sebastião da Amoreira e Uraí. Utilizou-se armadilhas delta com feromônio sexual para Grapholita molesta e Bonagota salubricola; armadilhas Jackson com feromônio de Ceratitis capitata; e armadilhas McPhail com proteína hidrolisada a 5% e suco de uva a 25% para moscas-das-frutas e mariposas. G. molesta foi a espécie mais frequente com ocorrência  durante todo o período estudado. B. salubricola não foi capturada em todas as áreas avaliadas. A espécie de mosca-das-frutas predominante foi Ceratitis capitata, já Anastrepha fraterculus esteve presente em pequeno número. Foram identificadas 12 espécies de mariposas consideradas “grandes lagartas”, sendo Chabuata major (Noctuidae) a mais abundante.

Aphid parasitoids that occur on wheat crops of Northeast of the Parana State with recovery of Aphidius rhopalosiphi in Brazil<br>Parasitoides de pulgões-do-trigo que ocorrem no Norte do estado do Paraná e recaptura de Aphidius rhopalosiphi no Brasil

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are the main pest of wheat (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in several countries. In Brazil, the Biological Control of Wheat Aphids released millions of aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae and Aphelinidae) on wheat fields and in the present moment the chemical control is rarely necessary. However, since the 80’s few studies was carried out to evaluate the species established in Brazil. For this reason, the aim of this study was to record the species of aphid parasitoids that occur in wheat in the northern region of Parana state, Brazil. Four commercial wheat fields were investigated in the agricultural years of 2008 and 2009. The aphid parasitoids were captured with traps (Moericke and Malaise) and aphid mummified were collected. In total, six species of parasitoids were found, Aphidius colemani, A. uzbekistanicus, A. ervi, Aphidius rhopalosiphi, Diaeretiella rapae e Lysiphlebus testaceipes. These results contribute with the register of three exotic species in Parana, and confirm the establishment of A. rhopalosiphi in the country. We emphasize the need for further studies in other regions of the country, as other species introduced also need to have their establishment confirmed.<p><p>Os pulgões (Hemiptera: Aphididae) são pragas de extrema importância em cereais de inverno no mundo todo. No Brasil, o programa Controle Biológico de Pulgões do Trigo liberou milhões de parasitoides (Hymenoptera: Braconidae e Aphelinidae) nas áreas tritícolas, reduzindo expressivamente a população da praga, e atualmente raramente o controle químico se faz necessário. Entretanto, desde a década de 80 poucos trabalhos de campo tem sido realizados para verificar as espécies efetivamente estabelecidas no País. Por esta razão, este estudo objetivou registrar as espécies de parasitoides de pulgões ocorrentes em lavouras de trigo na região Norte no Paraná. O trabalho foi realizado em quatro áreas comerciais de trigo, durante as safras 2008 e 2009. A captura dos parasitoides ocorreu com uso de armadilhas (Moericke e Malaise) e coleta de pulgões mumificados. No total foram encontradas seis espécies de parasitoides, Aphidius colemani, A. uzbekistanicus, A. ervi, Aphidius rhopalosiphi, Diaeretiella rapae e Lysiphlebus testaceipes. Esses resultados contribuem com a comprovação do estabelecimento de três espécies exóticas de parasitoides de pulgões no Paraná, e confirma o estabelecimento de A. rhopalosiphi no País. Ressalta-se a necessidade de estudos complementares em outras regiões do País, pois outras espécies introduzidas necessitam ter o estabelecimento comprovado

Ecological aspects of Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) on the Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) population in wheat culture in Medianeira, PR./ <br> Aspectos ecológicos de Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) sobre a população de Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphidiidae) na cultura de trigo em Medianeira, PR

Aphids were the main winter-cereal problem in the 70’s in southern Brazil and it was necessary to use chemical control to avoid losses. Based in the weak performance of native parasites, 14 species of exotic parasites were introduced in 1978, and in 1984 the West of Paranà’s Biological Control Program was implanted. This program propitiated the reduction of the Aphid population as well as chemical applications in the field. However, no bibliographic study was found referring to the ecological aspects of the parasites nor about Aphid’s biological control in Western Paraná´s region wheat production motivating the development of this study. Week evaluations in 25 parcel of 25 m2 were performed where 100 wheat plants were collected, from which aphid and bugs were taken out. It was observed the presence of an Aphid specie, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemyptera: Aphididae), the primary parasite Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae), and hyper parasitoids, and also the presence of predators. S. avenae population zenith occurred in the beginning of budding and bugs appeared a week after the aphids. Aphid control was considered efficient at 95% total parasitism. Population zenith of A. colemani occurred in the beginning of August, while hyper parasitoids zenith occurred the following week. Aphid population growth was significantly influenced by the air relative humidity, whereas parasite population was influenced by temperature and aphid population density.<p><p>Os afídeos foram o principal problema dos cereais de inverno na década de 70, no Sul do Brasil, havendo necessidade de controle químico para evitar as perdas. Com base no fraco desempenho dos parasitóides nativos, em 1978 foram introduzidas 14 espécies de parasitóides exóticos no Brasil e em 1984, implantou-se o Programa de Controle Biológico no Oeste do Estado do Paraná, que proporcionou redução das populações de afídeos e da aplicação de produtos químicos. No entanto, não foram encontrados na bibliografia estudos referentes aos aspectos ecológicos dos parasitóides e de controle biológico de afídeos na região Oeste do Paraná, na cultura de trigo, motivo pelo qual se desenvolveu este estudo. Foram realizadas avaliações semanais em 25 parcelas com 25m2, coletando-se 100 plantas de trigo, retirando-se das mesmas os afídeos e as múmias. Verificou-se a presença de uma única espécie de afídeo, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemyptera: Aphididae), o parasitóide primário Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) e hiperparasitóides, verificando-se também a presença de predadores. O pico populacional de S. avenae ocorreu no início da floração e as múmias apareceram uma semana após aos afídeos. O controle dos afídeos foi considerado eficiente com 95% de parasitismo. O pico populacional de A. colemani ocorreu no início de agosto, enquanto dos hiperparasitóides ocorreu na semana seguinte. O crescimento da população de afídeos foi influenciado significativamente pela umidade relativa do ar, enquanto que a população de parasitóide foi influenciada pela temperatura e pela densidade populacional dos pulgões