Mandibles of mastodonsaurid temnospondyls from the Upper Permian-Lower Triassic of Uruguay

Partially preserved temnospondyl mandibles from the Late Permian–Early Triassic Buena Vista Formation of Uruguay are referred to the basal stereospondyl taxon Mastodonsauridae. These represent the earliest known members of this group for South America. In most cases, this assignment was based on the characteristic morphology of the postglenoid (= postarticular) area of the lower jaw together with the presence of a hamate process. Comparisons with basal masto−donsaurids indicate that the Uruguayan specimens are phenetically similar to Gondwanan and Laurasian Early Triassic taxa, such as Watsonisuchus, Wetlugasarus, and Parotosuchus. Nevertherless, they display some characters which have not previously been described in Mesozoic temnospondyls. The Permo−Triassic Uruguayan mastodonsaurids support a Gondwanan origin for the group, an event which probably occurred sometime during the latest Permian.Fil: Piñeiro, Graciela. Departamento de Evolución de Cuencas, Sección Bioestratigrafía y Paleo-ecología, Facultad de Ciencias,; UruguayFil: Marsicano, Claudia Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Damiani, Ross. Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart; Alemani

Duração da vida da folha e conteúdo de nitrogênio em espécies arbóreas (Croton priscus e Hymenaea courbaril) de floresta semidecídua

In comparison to deciduous species, evergreen plants have lower leaf nutrient contents and higher leaf life span, important mechanisms for nutrient economy, allowing the colonization of low fertility soils. Strategies to conserve nitrogen in two semideciduous tropical forest tree species, with different leaf life spans were analyzed. The hypothesis was the fact that the two species would present different nitrogen conservation mechanisms in relation to chemical (total nitrogen, protein, chlorophyll, and proteolytic activity), functional (leaf life span, N-use efficiency, and N-resorption efficiency), morphological (specific leaf mass) leaf characteristics, and total nitrogen in the soil. Hymenaea courbaril L. presented lower nitrogen compounds in leaves, longer leaf life span, higher N-use efficiency, and higher specific leaf mass, while absorbing proportionally less nitrogen from the soil than Croton priscus Croizat. These characteristics can contribute for a better nitrogen economy strategy of H. courbaril. No relationship was found between leaf life span and N resorption efficiency, nor between leaf life span, protease activity and nitrogen mobilization. The electrophoretic profiles of proteolytic enzymes in young leaves of the two species presented more bands with enzymatic activity than other kinds of leaves.Comparadas a espécies decíduas, as sempre-verdes têm menos nutrientes nas folhas, que também são mais longevas. Estes mecanismos são importantes para economia de nutrientes, e permitem a colonização de solos com baixa fertilidade. Foram analisadas estratégias de conservação de nitrogênio em duas espécies de floresta semidecídua, que aparentemente apresentavam longevidades foliares diferentes. Para isto foram comparados mecanismos químicos (concentrações de nitrogênio total, de proteína e clorofila e atividade proteolítica), funcionais (duração de vida das folhas, eficiência do uso de nitrogênio e eficiência de redistribuição de nitrogênio) e morfológico (massa foliar específica) de conservação de nitrogênio nas folhas e a concentração de nitrogênio no solo. Hymenaea courbaril L. apresentou menor concentração de compostos nitrogenados nas folhas, maior longevidade foliar, maior eficiência do uso do nitrogênio e maior massa foliar específica, além de ter retirado proporcionalmente menos nitrogênio do solo do que Croton priscus Croizat. Estas características podem contribuir com uma melhor estratégia de conservação de nitrogênio em H. courbaril. Não foi encontrada relação entre a duração de vida da folha e a eficiência de redistribuição de nitrogênio, ou entre a duração de vida da folha, atividade de proteases e mobilização de nitrogênio. As folhas jovens das duas espécies apresentaram mais bandas com atividades enzimáticas nos perfís eletroforéticos de enzimas proteolíticas

Caracterización anatómica de las especies Bambusa vulgaris y Dendrocalamus asper provenientes de Oxapampa (Perú)

Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Departamento Académico de Industrias ForestalesLa finalidad del presente trabajo fue determinar y describir los diferentes elementos anatómicos que presentan los culmos de Bambusa vulgaris y Dendrocalamus asper; así como analizar y comparar su variación longitudinal en tres niveles (basal, media y apical) de las dos especies, con muestras provenientes de cinco individuos; colectadas en la Comunidad Nativa de Puerto Pascuala, distrito de Puerto Bermúdez, provincia de Paseo. La descripción de las características generales y macroscópicas de las muestras se realizó en muestras secas al aire. La descripción microscópica se realizó en base a lo descrito por la Norma de procedimientos en estudios de anatomía de Madera: I Angiospermae, II Gimnospermae del IBAMA (1991) y a la Lista de características microscópicas IAWA (1989). Los culmos recolectados presentaron una altura promedio de 24,40 m. para Bambusa vulgaris y 24,60 m para Dendrocalamus asper, el diámetro de los culmos disminuye desde la base hacia el ápice al igual que el espesor de pared del culmo. Transversalmente se distinguen diversos tejidos, entre los que destaca el área fibrovascular, en donde se observa el tejido parenquimático, los haces vasculares y las fibra. El tejido parenquimático es de color crema y visible a simple vista, es el tejido constituyente sobre el cual se insertan los demás elementos anatómicos. SU: distribución varía transversalmente; siendo escaso en la parte exterior de culmo y más abundante en la pared interna. Los haces vasculares son fácilmente diferenciados del tejido parenquimático debido a su color oscuro y forma característica; su concentración varía transversalmente dentro del culmo, siendo abundantes, pequeños y alargados en la parte externa, y grandes, ovalados y menos abundantes hacia el interior del culmo. Según la clasificación de Grosser y Liesse (1971), los haces V vasculares presentes en Bambusa vulgaris y Dendrocalamus asper son de tipo III y tipo IV variando en su distribución según la altura del culmo. Longitudinalmente se observa que el tejido parenquimático presenta alternancia de células cortas y largas, de paredes delgadas y con presencia de punteaduras simples dispuestas en forma alterna. Las fibras constituyen el tejido de soporte del culmo y se agrupan en haces formando paquetes insertos en el tejido parenquimático. Se caracterizan por ser delgadas, largas y ahusadas en ambos extremos; su longitud varía entre 3 219 y 4 111 J.Lm en Bambusa vulgaris y entre 4 071 y 4 377 J.LID en Dendrocalamus asper. Además se observó que el espesor de pared de las fibras disminuye conforme se incrementa en la altura del culmo. Los vasos se encuentran uno a continuación de otro formando el tejido conductivo y envuelto en paquetes de fibras, presentando punteaduras simples y alternas. El análisis cualitativo en los tres niveles del culmo, indicó que no existen diferencias en los elementos estructurales que conforman el culmo entre las especies en estudio; Además, cuantitativamente se han encontrado ligeras diferencias entre las especies estudiadas, de modo que en Bambusa vulgaris y Dendrocalamus asper se observa que los valores de longitud de fibras, espesor de pared y el diámetro disminuyen desde la sección basal hacia la apical del culmo. Sin embargo, a excepción de la longitud de fibra en Bambusa vulgaris los análisis realizados demuestran que no existe diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre las variables en estudio con los diversos tratamientos.Tesi

Mosquito/microbiota interactions: from complex relationships to biotechnological perspectives.

To date around 3500 different species of mosquito have been described, several tens of which are vectors of pathogens of remarkable interest in public health. Mosquitoes are present all around the world showing a great ability to adapt to very different types of habitats where they play relevant ecological roles. It is very likely that components of the mosquito microbiota have given the mosquito a great capacity to adapt to different environments. Current advances in understanding the mosquito-microbiota relationships may have a great impact in a better understanding of some traits of mosquito biology and in the development of innovative mosquito-borne disease-control strategies aimed to reduce mosquito vectorial capacity and/or inhibiting pathogen transmission

Seedling Establishment of Tall Fescue Exposed to Long-Term Starvation Stress

In germinating seeds under unfavorable environmental conditions, the mobilization of stores in the cotyledons is delayed, which may result in a different modulation of carbohydrates balance and a decrease in seedling vigor. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) caryopses grown at 4˚C in the dark for an extended period in complete absence of nutrients, showed an unexpected ability to survive. Seedlings grown at 4˚C for 210 days were morphologically identical to seedlings grown at 23˚C for 21 days. After 400 days, seedlings grown at 4˚C were able to differentiate plastids to chloroplast in just few days once transferred to the light and 23˚C. Tall fescue exposed to prolonged period at 4˚C showed marked anatomical changes: cell wall thickening, undifferentiated plastids, more root hairs and less xylem lignification. Physiological modifications were also observed, in particular related to sugar content, GA and ABA levels and amylolytic enzymes pattern. The phytohormones profiles exhibited at 4 and 23˚C were comparable when normalized to the respective physiological states. Both the onset and the completion of germination were linked to GA and ABA levels, as well as to the ratio between these two hormones. All plants showed a sharp decline in carbohydrate content, with a consequent onset of gradual sugar starvation. This explained the slowed then full arrest in growth under both treatment regimes. The analysis of amylolytic activity showed that Ca2+ played a central role in the stabilization of several isoforms. Overall, convergence of starvation and hormone signals meet in crosstalk to regulate germination, growth and development in tall fescue

Molecular Diagnosis of Malaria Infection: A Survey in a Hospital in Central Italy

Malaria is a dramatic disease caused by the protozoan parasites Plasmodium. The diagnosis is mainly based on microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT). Molecular approaches based on PCR techniques may be an alternative tool particularly favourable in regions with declining prevalence. This work aimed to assess pros and cons of molecular diagnosis of malaria in a district of Central Italy were several tens of imported malaria cases are diagnosed every year. Thirty-three blood samples were analysed by microscopy, RDT and molecular techniques to monitor the relative efficiency in malaria diagnosis. Molecular analysis and microscopy diagnosed 32 out of 33 samples as positive for malaria, while RDT only 29. More differences concerned the diagnosis of mixed infections. Our findings remark the importance of the molecular approach in supporting and improving malaria diagnosis. In the cases here presented, the molecular analysis was particularly useful to unveil parasites presence in infections not detectable by blood smear analysis and to additionally solve real and/or presumed mixed infections

NUTRITION IN IBD PATIENT'S: WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS?

Summary: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder characterized by a relapsing-remitting course, which alternates between active and quiescent states, ultimately impairing a patients quality of life. The two main types of IBD are Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). In physiological conditions the gut is costantly exposed to various antigens, commensal microflora and pathogens and the inflammatory response is finely balanced. It is thought that a vast number of environmental risk factors may be implicated in the development of IBD, including smoking factors, dietary factors, psycological stress, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptives, appendicectomy, breastfeeding, as well as infections. Nutritional support, as a primary therapy, has a crucial role in the management of patients with IBD. The gut microbiota is clearly manipulated by dietary components such as n-3 polyunsatured fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and coniugated linoleic acid (CLA) which favorably reduce endotoxin load via shifts in the composition and metabolic activity of the microbial community. in particular, the beneficial effect of n-3 PUFAs and fermentable fiber, during the remission/quiescent phase of both CD and UC is Highlighted. In fact, PUFAs are associated with a less grade of inflammation since they are metabolized to 3-series prostagliandins and thromboxanes and 5-series leukotrienes and, in addition, exert antiinflammatory effects when compared with their n-6 PUFA counterparts. In similar action to dietary n-3 PUFA, coniugated linoleic acid (CLA) have been reported to ameliorate intestinal inflammation in animal models of IBD. Currently, is still unclear the role of the fibers in helping the remission of the disease. Data about the consumption of fiber are controversial. On one hand, dietary fibers can act as effective prebiotics by altering the intestinal microbial composition and promoting the growth of beneficial bacterial communities within the large intestine. On the other hand, fibers can promote diarrhea, pain and gas aggravating the clinical sate. Cocnclusion: We suggest that the consumption of fermentable fibers may have a good impact on patient's health

Genetic Diversity, Latency and Co-Infections

Alphaherpesviruses are highly prevalent in equine populations and co- infections with more than one of these viruses’ strains frequently diagnosed. Lytic replication and latency with subsequent reactivation, along with new episodes of disease, can be influenced by genetic diversity generated by spontaneous mutation and recombination. Latency enhances virus survival by providing an epidemiological strategy for long-term maintenance of divergent strains in animal populations. The alphaherpesviruses equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and 9 (EHV-9) have recently been shown to cross species barriers, including a recombinant EHV-1 observed in fatal infections of a polar bear and Asian rhinoceros. Little is known about the latency and genetic diversity of EHV-1 and EHV-9, especially among zoo and wild equids. Here, we report evidence of limited genetic diversity in EHV-9 in zebras, whereas there is substantial genetic variability in EHV-1. We demonstrate that zebras can be lytically and latently infected with both viruses concurrently. Such a co- occurrence of infection in zebras suggests that even relatively slow-evolving viruses such as equine herpesviruses have the potential to diversify rapidly by recombination. This has potential consequences for the diagnosis of these viruses and their management in wild and captive equid populations. View Full- Tex

Too much tolerance for hyperoxemia in mechanically ventilated patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia? Report from an Italian intensive care unit

Background: In COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, the administration of high oxygen (O2) doses for prolonged time periods may be necessary. Although life-saving in most cases, O2 may exert deleterious effects if administered in excessive concentrations. We aimed to describe the prevalence of hyperoxemia and excessive O2 administration in mechanically ventilated patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and determine whether hyperoxemia is associated with mortality in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or the onset of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Materials and methods: Retrospective single-center study on adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia requiring invasive mechanical ventilation for ≥48 h. Patients undergoing extracorporeal respiratory support were excluded. We calculated the excess O2 administered based on the ideal arterial O2 tension (PaO2) target of 55–80 mmHg. We defined hyperoxemia as PaO2 > 100 mmHg and hyperoxia + hyperoxemia as an inspired O2 fraction (FiO2) > 60% + PaO2 > 100 mmHg. Risk factors for ICU-mortality and VAP were assessed through multivariate analyses. Results: One hundred thirty-four patients were included. For each day of mechanical ventilation, each patient received a median excess O2 of 1,121 [829–1,449] L. Hyperoxemia was found in 38 [27–55]% of arterial blood gases, hyperoxia + hyperoxemia in 11 [5–18]% of cases. The FiO2 was not reduced in 69 [62–76]% of cases of hyperoxemia. Adjustments were made more frequently with higher PaO2 or initial FiO2 levels. ICU-mortality was 32%. VAP was diagnosed in 48.5% of patients. Hyperoxemia (OR 1.300 95% CI [1.097–1.542]), time of exposure to hyperoxemia (OR 2.758 [1.406–5.411]), hyperoxia + hyperoxemia (OR 1.144 [1.008–1.298]), and daily excess O2 (OR 1.003 [1.001–1.005]) were associated with higher risk for ICU-mortality, independently of age, Sequential Organ failure Assessment score at ICU-admission and mean PaO2/FiO2. Hyperoxemia (OR 1.033 [1.006–1.061]), time of exposure to hyperoxemia (OR 1.108 [1.018–1.206]), hyperoxia + hyperoxemia (OR 1.038 [1.003–1.075]), and daily excess O2 (OR 1.001 [1.000–1.001]) were identified as risk factors for VAP, independently of body mass index, blood transfusions, days of neuromuscular blocking agents (before VAP), prolonged prone positioning and mean PaO2/FiO2 before VAP. Conclusion: Excess O2 administration and hyperoxemia were common in mechanically ventilated patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. The exposure to hyperoxemia may be associated with ICU-mortality and greater risk for VAP

Impact of hospital mergers. A systematic review focusing on healthcare quality measures

Background Despite mergers have increasingly affected hospitals in the recent decades, literature on the impact of hospitals mergers on healthcare quality measures (HQM) is still lacking. Our research aimed to systematically review evidence regarding the impact of hospital mergers on HQM focusing especially on process indicators and clinical outcomes. Methods The search was carried out until January 2020 using the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome model, querying electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web Of Science) and refining the search with hand search. Studies that assessed HQM of hospitals that have undergone a merger were included. HQMs were analyzed through a narrative synthesis and a strength of the evidence analysis based on the quality of the studies and the consistency of the findings. Results The 16 articles, included in the narrative synthesis, reported inconsistent findings and few statistically significant results. All indicators analyzed showed an insufficient strength of evidence to achieve conclusive results. However, a tendency in the decrease of the number of beds, hospital staff and inpatient admissions and an increase in both mortality and readmission rate for acute myocardial infarction and stroke emerged in our analysis. Conclusions In our study, there is no strong evidence of improvement or worsening of HQM in hospital mergers. Since a limited amount of studies currently exists, additional studies are needed. In the meanwhile, hospital managers involved in mergers should adopt a clear evaluation framework with indicators that help to periodically and systematically assess HQM ascertaining that mergers ensure and primarily do not reduce the quality of care