Critical roles of calpastatin in ischemia/reperfusion injury in aged livers

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury unavoidably occurs during hepatic resection and transplantation. Aged livers poorly tolerate I/R during surgical treatment. Although livers have a powerful endogenous inhibitor of calpains, calpastatin (CAST), I/R activates calpains, leading to impaired autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hepatocyte death. It is unknown how I/R in aged livers affects CAST. Human and mouse liver biopsies at different ages were collected during in vivo I/R. Hepatocytes were isolated from 3-month- (young) and 26-month-old (aged) mice, and challenged with short in vitro simulated I/R. Cell death, protein expression, autophagy, and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) between the two age groups were compared. Adenoviral vector was used to overexpress CAST. Significant cell death was observed only in reperfused aged hepatocytes. Before the commencement of ischemia, CAST expression in aged human and mouse livers and mouse hepatocytes was markedly greater than that in young counterparts. However, reperfusion substantially decreased CAST in aged human and mouse livers. In hepatocytes, reperfusion rapidly depleted aged cells of CAST, cleaved autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5), and induced defective autophagy and MPT onset, all of which were blocked by CAST overexpression. Furthermore, mitochondrial morphology was shifted toward an elongated shape with CAST overexpression. In conclusion, CAST in aged livers is intrinsically short-lived and lost after short I/R. CAST depletion contributes to age-dependent liver injury after I/R

Manual examination in the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache: A systematic literature review

Design: Systematic literature review. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic validity of manual examination techniques used to diagnose cervicogenic headache (CGH). Background: Cervicogenic headache is a specific type of headache that originates from the cervical spine and is typically chronic in nature. Diagnostic criteria for CGH have been established by the International Headache Society (IHS) and are cited extensively in the literature. Diagnosis of CGH through manual examination is a more recent practice. To our knowledge, no systematic review of manual diagnosis of CGH has been performed. Methods: Searches of electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, PEDro, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) were conducted for research studies from July 2003 to February 2014. The GRADE approach was used to determine the quality of each paper. Results: Twelve papers that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified (12 observational studies). The level of evidence ranged from very low to low, and recommendations for use of specific manual techniques ranged from weak to strong. Conclusions: Despite low levels of evidence, manual examination of the cervical spine appears to aid the diagnostic process related toCGHand can be implemented by both experienced and inexperienced examiners

Cross-Fostering as a Conservation Tool to Augment Endangered Carnivore Populations

Cross-fostering offspring with nonbiological parents could prove useful to augment populations of endangered carnivores. We used cross-fostering to augment captive-born and wild-born litters for the endangered red wolf (Canis rufus). Between 1987 and 2016, 23 cross-fostering events occurred involving captive-born pups fostered into captive litters (n = 8 events) and captive-born pups fostered into wild recipient litters (n = 15 events). Percentage of pups surviving 3 and 12 months was 91.7% for captive-born pups fostered into captive recipient litters. For pups fostered into wild litters, percentage of pups surviving 5 months was \u3e 94% among fostered pups (pups fostered into a wild red wolf litter or replaced a hybrid litter), pups in recipient litters (wild-born litters receiving fostered pups), and pups in control litters (wild-born litters not in a fostering event) when using pups with known fates. Including pups with unknown fates as deaths, percentage of pups surviving 5 months was \u3e 54% among fostered pups, pups in recipient litters, and pups in control litters. Among wild litters, percentage of pups surviving 12 months was \u3e 82% among fostered pups, pups in recipient litters, and pups in control litters when using pups with known fates. Including pups with unknown fates as deaths, percentage of pups surviving 12 months was \u3e 48% among fostered pups, pups in recipient litters, and pups in control litters. Although survival to 12 months was similar among the groups, average life span was different with pups in control litters living 3.3 years, pups in recipient litters living 4.6 years, and fostered pups living 5.6 years. Of fostered pups surviving \u3e 12 months in the wild, 9 animals whelped or sired 26 litters. Cross-fostering was successful at augmenting litter size for red wolves without any deleterious effects on recipient litters, illustrating fostering as a tool for increasing populations of endangered carnivores

6) Tolerância de perdas de terras para alguns solos amazônicos.

Ministério da Educação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias do Pará e Serviço de Documentação e Informação.1) Trabalho realizado em espectrofotômetro de absorção atômica, espectrografia e colorimetria, com a finalidade de analisar quantitativamente os elementos químicos presentes no molusco Teredo sp. (Turú), onde a quantificação relativamente abundante de cálcio comprova a utilização pela população interiorana como elemento auxiliar na nutrição. Caracteriza a presença de carbonato de cálcio na utilização para composição das conchas, "paletas" e túneis calcáreos na madeira, e os outros elementos químicos, sódio, potássio, silício, titânio, magnésio, ferro e fósforo, detectados, são importantes para o desenvolvimento estrutural do molusco.2) Trabalho realizado em aparelho Phillips para difração fluorescência, obtendo-se através de difratogramas e espectros de raios X, análise qualitativa do conteúdo cristalino e elementar do molusco Teredo sp. (Turu) onde foi evidenciado que a constituição da cabeça é quase exclusivamente de aragonita e calcita, e massa visceral e manto, constituídos por Ca, K, S, P, Cl, Si, Fe e Ti diferenciáveis apenas entre si pela abundância relativa de referidos elementos.3) Um estudo realizado durante 12 meses no ano de 1987, envolvendo o abate de 9442 suínos em Belém, Estado do Pará, demonstrou a ocorrência de estefanurose entre animais com características raciais definidas, procedentes de criações intensivas e entre animais sem características raciais definidas, oriundos de criações domiciliares. A prevalência de estefanurose foi de 9,9% variando entre 1,3% e 19,9%. As alterações observadas foram hepatite, cirrose hepática, peri-hepatite, flebite e distúrbios circulatórios dos rins, espessamento e aderência da cápsula renal, pielite, uretrite, hidronefrose, nódulos, cistos e abcessos nos tecidos perirenais. Os aspectos higiênico-sanitários relacionados com a parasitose eram traduzidos pelas características do conteúdo de nódulos e abcessos.4) Em cortes histológicos de corações de bubalinos abatidos para consumo foram observados cistos de protozoários que apresentavam características morfológicas indistinguíveis daquela do gênero Sarcocystis; os cistos eram de forma fusiforme e rodeados por fina membrana, contendo trofozoítos no interior de câmaras delimitadas por septos da parede. O presente achado constitui um dos raros casos da protozoose em bubalinos no país e na região amazônica.5) Em um estudo compreendendo 600 bubalinos (400 machos e 200 fêmeas), registrou-se uma prevalência de 65.5% de patologias renais, sendo que do total 0.99% constituíram-se de hidronefrose, caracterizadas por dilatação excessiva dos cálices e ureter por líquido, atrofia do parênquima com estreitamento córtico medular, com a cápsula em geral espessada e aderente ao órgão. Todas as ocorrências foram unilaterais, com hipertrofia vicária do órgão contralateral. Em dois dos quatro achados em que foi possível examinar o ureter, verificou - se que o fator causai foi estenose, uma de natureza cicatricial e outra congênita. Em três casos a lesão encontrava-se associada a nefrite intersticial e em outro predominantemente observou-se fibrose. Microscopicamente, além da inflamação e fibrose, foram observadas hipertrofia de vasos arteriais, dilatação de túbulos contornados e coletores, com formação de áreas micropolicísticas.6) Utilizando dados disponíveis foi feita uma tentativa de estabelecer os padrões dos limites de tolerância à erosão para os solos amazônicos, levando-se em conta a profundidade, a relação textural, a escolha dos horizontes a densidade do solo, bem como os critérios adotados para a relação textural. Os valores de tolerância média de perdas de terras para os solos variam de 10,43 a 16,80 t/ha/ano para solos com B latossólico e de 7,79 a 9,33 t/ha/ano para os solos com B textural. O uso e o manejo a serem adotados poderão ser adequadamente estabelecidos pelos valores de tolerância de perdas de terra por erosão determinados de acordo com as características dos solos.1) This work was realised by atomic absorption flame emission spectrophotometer, speclrograph and photoeletric colorimeter, in order to make a quantitative analysis of the chemical elements of the mollusc Teredo sp (Turú), in which the relatively abundant calcium quantification confirms its use by country people as an auxiliary element in their nutrition. Is characterizes the use of calcium carbonate in the shell, "paletles" and calcareos tunnels composition on wood. Sodium, potassium and olher elements such as Si, Ti, Mg, Fe and P, detected, are importam for the structural developmenl of the mollusc.2) This work was realised by diffraction and fluorescence Phillips equipments, by getting through diffractogram and X-ray spectra, qualitative analysis of the crystalline and elementary content of the Teredo sp (Turú), in which it was shown that head constitution is almost exclusively formed by aragonite and calcite, visceral mass and coat, formed by Ca, K, S, P, Cl, Si, Fe and Ti. They differ from each other in terms of the relative amount of lhe chemical elements above.3) Slephanuriasis: occurence, prevalence and macroscopic alterations in swines from Pará and Maranhão State. A study involving 9442 slaughtered swines from intensive husbandry establishments and from small-scale farms in Belém, Pará States showed the occurence of the Stephanurus dentatus in booth types of animais. The slephanuriasis prevalence was 9,9%, wich ranged from 1,3% to 19,9%. The observed alterations were hepatitis, hephatic cirrhosis, peri-hepatilis, flebitis nephritis and circulatory disturbances of kidncy, fibrosis and adherence os kidney capsule, pyelitis, ureterilis, hydronephrosis, cysts nodules and abcess in the peri-renal tissues. Hygienic and sanitary aspects relaled to the parasitism were those of the contents of the nodules and abcess.4) Cistis of a protozoan which has morphological characteristics from Sarcocystis were observed in cardiac muscle of water buffalo; the cists were fusiform and runded by a thin membrane with trophozots inside cameras delimited by septs of wall. Tha't a rare case of this trophozoits in water buffalo from Brazil.5) In a study of 600 water buffaloes (400 male and 200 female) was found a prevalence of 65.5% of renal pathology and within 0.99% were hydronephrosis which showed an excessive dilalation of the calyces and ureter by liquid associated with parenquimal atrophy and cortico medular constriction, with a general thickeness of capsule which was completely adhered. All the findings were unilateral with compensatory hypertrophy of lhe contralateral organ. In two cases which was possible to examine lhe ureter, it was found stenosis, one of cicatricial aspect and other of congenital origin. In three cases it was found a predominance of intersticial nephritis and in another one fibrosis. Microscopycally, beyond of inflamation and fibrosis, it was observed hypertrophy of the blood vassels, dilatalion of the convulted tubules and formation of micropolycysticareas.6) Utilizing disponible data its was made a tentative os stablish standards of limits of tolerance to the erosin for the amazon sotls, taking in account the depth, the texture relation, the choice of the horizons, the bulk density, as well as the criteria adopted for the textural relation. The values of medium tolerance of loss of earth for the sotls vary from 10,43 to 16,80 t/ha/year to soils with latossolic B and from 7,79 to 9,33 t/ha/year for the soils with textural B. The use and the management to be adopted can be adequately stablished by the values of loss of earth by erosion determinned according to the characteristics of the soils