Deformed wing virus prevalence and load in honeybees in South Africa

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is an emerging honeybee pathogen that has appeared across the globe in the past 40 years. When transmitted by the parasitic varroa mite, it has been associated with the collapse of millions of colonies throughout the Northern Hemisphere. However, despite the presence of the mite in the Southern Hemisphere, infested colonies survive. This study investigated the prevalence of DWV genotypes A, B and C along with their viral loads in South Africa and compared the fndings with recent data from Brazil, the UK and the USA. We found that DWV-B was the most prevalent genotype throughout South Africa, although the total DWV viral load was signifcantly lower (2.8E+07) than found in the Northern Hemisphere (2.8E+07 vs. 2.7E+10, p > 0.00001) and not signifcantly diferent to that found in Brazil (5E+06, p = 0.13). The diferences in viral load can be explained by the mite resistance in Brazil and South Africa, since mite-infested cells containing high viral loads are removed by the bees, thus lowering the colony’s viral burden. This behaviour is much less developed in the vast majority of honeybees in the Northern Hemisphere

Occurrence of deformed wing virus variants in the stingless Melipona subnitida and honey Apis mellifera bee populations in North Eastern Brazil

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is now a global insect pathogen. Brazilian stingless bees are a diverse group often managed in close proximity to honey bees. We investigated the prevalence and load of DWV in 33 stingless bees (Melipona subnitida) and 12 honey bees (Apis mellifera) colonies from NE Brazil. DWV was detected in all colonies with the A and C-variants dominating M. subnitida and A-variant in A. mellifera. Viral loads were 8.83E+07 and 7.19E+07 in M. subnitida and A. mellifera, respectively. On Fernando de Noronha island DWV is low (<1E+03) in honey bees, but we detected high loads (1.6E+08) in nine island M. subnitida colonies, indicating no viral spill-over of DWV has occurred during the past 34 years. Furthermore, the ubiquitous presence of the DWV-C variant in M. subnitida colonies, and rarity in A. mellifera, may suggest limited viral exchange between these two species

PHYSICAL QUALITY OF A YELLOW LATOSSOL UNDER INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEM

Soil physical quality is essential to global sustainability of agroecosystems, once it is related to processes that are essential to agricultural crop development. This study aimed to evaluate physical attributes of a Yellow Latossol under different management systems in the savanna area in the state of Piaui. This study was developed in Urucui southwest of the state of Piaui. Three systems of soil management were studied: an area under conventional tillage (CT) with disk plowi and heavy harrow and soybean crop; an area under no-tillage with soybean-maize rotation and millet as cover crop (NT + M); two areas under Integrated Crop. Livestock System, with five-month pasture grazing and soybean cultivation and then continuous pasture grazing (ICL + S and ICL + P, respectively). Also, an area under Native Forest (NF) was studied. The soil depths studied were 0.00-0.05, 0.05-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m. Soil bulk density, as well as porosity and stability of soil aggregates were analyzed as physical attributes. Anthropic action has changed the soil physical attributes, in depth, in most systems studied, in comparison to NF. In the 0.00 to 0.05 m depth, ICL + P showed higher soil bulk density value. As to macroporosity, there was no difference between the management systems studied and NF. The management systems studied changed the soil structure, having, as a result, a small proportion of soil in great aggregate classes (MWD). Converting native forest into agricultural production systems changes the soil physical quality. The Integrated Crop-Livestock System did not promote the improvement in soil physical quality.34371772

Reversion of Steatosis by SREBP-1c Antisense Oligonucleotide did not Improve Hepatic Insulin Action in Diet-induced Obesity Mice

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The literature has associated hepatic insulin action with NAFLD. In this sense, treatments to revert steatosis and improve hepatic insulin action become important. Our group has demonstrated that inhibition of Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins-1c (SREBP-1c) reverses hepatic steatosis. However, insulin signals after NAFLD reversion require better investigation. Thus, in this study, we investigated if the reversal of NAFLD by SREBP-1c inhibitor results in improvement in the hepatic insulin signal in obesity mice. After installation/achievement of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, Swiss mice were divided into 3 groups: i) Lean, ii) D-IHS, diet-induced hepatic steatosis [no treatment with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)], and iii) RD-IHS, reversion of diet-induced hepatic steatosis (treated with ASO). The mice were treated with ASO SREBP-1c as previously described by our group. After ASO treatment, one set of animals was anesthetized and used for in vivo test, and another mice set was anesthetized and used for histology and Western blot analysis. Reversion of diet-induced hepatic steatosis did not change blood glucose, glucose decay constant (k(ITT)), body weight, or serum insulin levels. In addition, results showed that the protocol did not improve insulin pathway signaling, as confirmed by the absence of changes in IR, IRS1, Akt and Foxo1 phosphorylation in hepatic tissue. In parallel, no alterations were observed in proinflammatory molecules. Thus, our results suggest that the inhibition of SREBP-1c reverts steatosis, but without improving insulin hepatic resistance.4412885890Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC)Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Contribution of microscopy for understanding the mechanism of action against trypanosomatids

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has proved to be a useful tool to study the ultrastructural alterations and the target organelles of new antitrypanosomatid drugs. Thus, it has been observed that sesquiterpene lactones induce diverse ultrastructural alterations in both T. cruzi and Leishmania spp., such as cytoplasmic vacuolization, appearance of multilamellar structures, condensation of nuclear DNA, and, in some cases, an important accumulation of lipid vacuoles. This accumulation could be related to apoptotic events. Some of the sesquiterpene lactones (e.g., psilostachyin) have also been demonstrated to cause an intense mitochondrial swelling accompanied by a visible kinetoplast deformation as well as the appearance of multivesicular bodies. This mitochondrial swelling could be related to the generation of oxidative stress and associated to alterations in the ergosterol metabolism. The appearance of multilamellar structures and multiple kinetoplasts and flagella induced by the sesquiterpene lactone psilostachyin C indicates that this compound would act at the parasite cell cycle level, in an intermediate stage between kinetoplast segregation and nuclear division. In turn, the diterpene lactone icetexane has proved to induce the external membrane budding on T. cruzi together with an apparent disorganization of the pericellar cytoskeleton. Thus, ultrastructural TEM studies allow elucidating the possible mechanisms and the subsequent identification of molecular targets for the action of natural compounds on trypanosomatids.Fil: Lozano, Esteban Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Spina Zapata, Renata María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Barrera, Patricia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Tonn, Carlos Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Sosa Escudero, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin

CETACEAN RECORDS ALONG SAO PAULO STATE COAST, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The Sao Paulo state (SP) coast (23 degrees 18'S, 44 degrees 42'W; 25 degrees 14'S, 48 degrees 01'W) is of approximately 600 km in length, bordering the Western Atlantic Ocean, in southeastern Brazil. Cetacean sightings and strandings have long been observed throughout this area. Scattered data from scientific publications, skeletal remains in museums, photographs and articles from newspaper files, universities and aquaria have been organised and updated since 1993. Field investigations on strandings and sightings have also been conducted. A total of 29 cetacean species have been recorded, including 7 baleen whales (Mysticeti) and 22 toothed whales (Odontoceti), as follows: Balaenoptera physalus, B. borealis, B. edeni, B. acutorostrata, B. bonaerensis, Megaptera novaeangliae, Eubalaena australis, Physeter macrocephalus, Kogia breviceps, K. sima, Berardius arnuxii, Mesoplodon europaeus, M. mirus, Ziphius cavirostris, Orcinus orca, Feresa attenuata, Globicephala melas, G. macrorhynchus, Pseudorca crassidens, Delphinus capensis, Lagenodelphis hosei, Steno bredanensis, Tursiops truncatus, Stenella frontalis, S. longirostris, S. coeruleoalba, Lissodelphis peronii, Sotalia guianensis and Pontoporia blainvillei. Several species have been observed only once and include strays from their areas of common distribution, as well as species with known preferences for offshore distribution. Others, such as P. blainvillei and S. guianensis, are common coastal dwellers year-round. Z. cavirostris, P. crassidens and L. hosei are reported for the first time on the SP coast.582123142Cetacean International SocietyWhale & Dolphin Conservation SocietyWWF-Fundo Mundial para a NaturezaEarthwatch InstitutePetrobrasCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013

Abstract Background Despite its Gallic name, the French Bulldog is a breed of both British and French origin that was first recognised by The Kennel Club in 1906. The French Bulldog has demonstrated recent rapid rises in Kennel Club registrations and is now (2017) the second most commonly registered pedigree breed in the UK. However, the breed has been reported to be predisposed to several disorders including ocular, respiratory, neurological and dermatological problems. The VetCompass™ Programme collates de-identified clinical data from primary-care veterinary practices in the UK for epidemiological research. Using VetCompass™ clinical data, this study aimed to characterise the demography and common disorders of the general population of French Bulldogs under veterinary care in the UK. Results French Bulldogs comprised 2228 (0.49%) of 445,557 study dogs under veterinary care during 2013. Annual proportional birth rates showed that the proportional ownership of French Bulldog puppies rose steeply from 0.02% of the annual birth cohort attending VetCompass™ practices in 2003 to 1.46% in 2013. The median age of the French Bulldogs overall was 1.3 years (IQR 0.6–2.5, range 0.0–13.0). The most common colours of French Bulldogs were brindle (solid or main) (32.36%) and fawn (solid or main) (29.9%). Of the 2228 French Bulldogs under veterinary care during 2013, 1612 (72.4%) had at least one disorder recorded. The most prevalent fine-level precision disorders recorded were otitis externa (14.0%, 95% CI: 12.6–15.5), diarrhoea (7.5%, 95% CI: 6.4–8.7), conjunctivitis (3.2%, 95% CI: 2.5–4.0), nails overlong (3.1%, 95% CI% 2.4–3.9) and skin fold dermatitis (3.0%, 95% CI% 2.3–3.8). The most prevalent disorder groups were cutaneous (17.9%, 95% CI: 16.3–19.6), enteropathy (16.7%, 95% CI: 15.2–18.3), aural (16.3%, 95% CI: 14.8–17.9), upper respiratory tract (12.7%, 95% CI: 11.3–14.1) and ophthalmological (10.5%, 95% CI: 9.3–11.9). Conclusions Ownership of French Bulldogs in the UK is rising steeply. This means that the disorder profiles reported in this study reflect a current young UK population and are likely to shift as this cohort ages. Otitis externa, diarrhoea and conjunctivitis were the most common disorders in French Bulldogs. Identification of health priorities based on VetCompass™ data can support evidence–based reforms to improve health and welfare within the breed

Early epilepsy in children with Zika-related microcephaly in a cohort in Recife, Brazil: Characteristics, electroencephalographic findings, and treatment response.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of epilepsy in children with Zika-related microcephaly in the first 24 months of life; to characterize the associated clinical and electrographic findings; and to summarize the treatment responses. METHODS: We followed a cohort of children, born during the 2015-2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in Brazil, with congenital microcephaly and evidence of congenital ZIKV infection on neuroimaging and/or laboratory testing. Neurological assessments were performed at ≤3, 6, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months of life. Serial electroencephalograms were performed over the first 24 months. RESULTS: We evaluated 91 children, of whom 48 were female. In this study sample, the cumulative incidence of epilepsy was 71.4% in the first 24 months, and the main type of seizure was infantile spasms (83.1%). The highest incidence of seizures occurred between 3 and 9 months of age, and the risk remained high until 15 months of age. The incidence of infantile spasms peaked between 4 and 7 months and was followed by an increased incidence of focal epilepsy cases after 12 months of age. Neuroimaging results were available for all children, and 100% were abnormal. Cortical abnormalities were identified in 78.4% of the 74 children evaluated by computed tomography and 100% of the 53 children evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. Overall, only 46.1% of the 65 children with epilepsy responded to treatment. The most commonly used medication was sodium valproate with or without benzodiazepines, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, and vigabatrin. SIGNIFICANCE: Zika-related microcephaly was associated with high risk of early epilepsy. Seizures typically began after the third month of life, usually as infantile spasms, with atypical electroencephalographic abnormalities. The seizure control rate was low. The onset of seizures in the second year was less frequent and, when it occurred, presented as focal epilepsy