Biomechanical insights into the dentition of megatooth sharks (Lamniformes: Otodontidae)

Abstract The evolution of gigantism in extinct otodontid sharks was paralleled by a series of drastic modifications in their dentition including widening of the crowns, loss of lateral cusplets, and acquisition of serrated cutting edges. These traits have generally been interpreted as key functional features that enabled the transition from piscivory to more energetic diets based on marine mammals, ultimately leading to the evolution of titanic body sizes in the most recent forms (including the emblematic Otodus megalodon). To investigate this hypothesis, we evaluate the biomechanics of the anterior, lateral, and posterior teeth of five otodontid species under different loading conditions by using two-dimensional finite element analysis. Stress distribution patterns are remarkably similar among all models under puncture and draw (i.e., when subjected to vertical and lateral forces, respectively). Contrary to expectation, higher average stress values are detected under both loading scenarios in more recent species. Altogether, this suggests little correlation between tooth morphology and key aspects of biomechanical behaviour in otodontids, making it difficult to frame the morphological trend of their dentitions within an adaptive scenario. We propose that this pattern most likely emerged as a non-functional by-product of heterochronic processes driven by selection towards larger body sizes

Evolutionary analysis of swimming speed in early vertebrates challenges the ‘New Head Hypothesis’

The ecological context of early vertebrate evolution is envisaged as a long-term trend towards increasingly active food acquisition and enhanced locomotory capabilities culminating in the emergence of jawed vertebrates. However, support for this hypothesis has been anecdotal and drawn almost exclusively from the ecology of living taxa, despite knowledge of extinct phylogenetic intermediates that can inform our understanding of this formative episode. Here we analyse the evolution of swimming speed in early vertebrates based on caudal fin morphology using ancestral state reconstruction and evolutionary model fitting. We predict the lowest and highest ancestral swimming speeds in jawed vertebrates and microsquamous jawless vertebrates, respectively, and find complex patterns of swimming speed evolution with no support for a trend towards more active lifestyles in the lineage leading to jawed groups. Our results challenge the hypothesis of an escalation of Palaeozoic marine ecosystems and shed light into the factors that determined the disparate palaeobiogeographic patterns of microsquamous versus macrosquamous armoured Palaeozoic jawless vertebrates. Ultimately, our results offer a new enriched perspective on the ecological context that underpinned the assembly of vertebrate and gnathostome body plans, supporting a more complex scenario characterized by diverse evolutionary locomotory capabilities reflecting their equally diverse ecologies

Extraperitoneal laparoscopic para-aortic lymph nodes dissection in obese patients

peer reviewe

Biomechanics of <i>Machaeracanthus</i> pectoral fin spines provide evidence for distinctive spine function and lifestyle among early chondrichthyans

Acanthodians are a major group of Paleaozoic jawed vertebrates that constitute a paraphyletic assemblage of stem-chondrichthyans (Brazeau and Friedman, 2015). Representatives of this group are characterized, among other traits, by the presence of bony spines in front of all paired and median fins except the caudal (Denison, 1979), which has given rise to their colloquial name of 'spiny sharks'. The occurrence of pectoral fin spines is recognized as a potential gnathostome synapomorphy (Miller et al., 2003) or symplesiomorphy (Coates, 2003), being also present in other major groups of Paleaozoic jawed vertebrates, including placoderms (Young, 2010), 'non-acanthodian' chondrichthyans (Miller et al., 2003), and osteichthyans (Zhu et al., 1999). However, this trait was independently lost in the later evolutionary history of these lineages and is absent in most living representatives (Coates, 2003; Miller et al., 2003), with the exception of catfishes (Siluriformes), that acquired pectoral fin spines as an evolutionary reversion (Price et al., 2015). As a consequence, the paucity of living analogsue precludes deriving functional interpretations of those structures and the role that they fulfilled in life remains unclear, despite this having the potential to enrich our understanding on the ecologies and lifestyles of groups of early jawed vertebrates. Machaeracanthus constitutes a genus of acanthodians that ranged from the Late Silurian to the Middle Devonian, which is known from fin spines, scales, and a few endoskeletal remains (Burrow et al., 2010; Botella et al., 2012). The spines of this genus differ from the fin spines of all other acanthodians and sharks in presenting a marked cross-sectional asymmetry and a totally enclosed central canal, which is usually open along the proximal end of the trailing edge in other taxa (Burrow et al., 2010). The description of wear patterns at the tips of pectoral fin spines of Machaeracanthus and their peculiar arrangement in pairs has led some authors to propose that these elements could have been used as 'snow-shoes' to lay on and prevent sinking into the substrate below or even to propel itself along the bottom (Südkamp and Burrow, 2007). Here, we test this hypothesis through beam theory analyses and provide evidence that the biomechanical properties of Machaeracanthus pectoral fin spines are compatible with this interpretation, thus shedding light on the diversity of the functions of these intriguing anatomical structures and the lifestyles of some of the earliest jawed vertebrates

Imaging benign inflammatory syndromes

AbstractBenign mastitis is a rare disease and its management is difficult. The diagnostic challenge is to distinguish it from carcinomatous mastitis. We make a distinction between acute mastitis secondary to an infection, to inflammation around a benign structure or to superficial thrombophlebitis, and chronic, principally plasma cell and idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Imaging is often non-specific but we need to know and look for certain ultrasound, mammogram or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signs to give a pointer as early as possible towards a benign aetiology. A biopsy should be undertaken systematically where there is the slightest diagnostic doubt, to avoid failing to recognise a carcinomatous mastitis

Características da madeira de Populus sp. e Platanus sp.

bitstream/CNPF-2009-09/30393/1/com_tec52.pd

Protective effect of tomato-oleoresin supplementation on oxidative injury recoveries cardiac function by improving &#946;-adrenergic response in a diet-obesity induced model

The system redox imbalance is one of the pathways related to obesity-related cardiac dysfunction. Lycopene is considered one of the best antioxidants. The aim of this study was to test if the tomato-oleoresin would be able to recovery cardiac function by improving \u3b2-adrenergic response due its antioxidant effect. A total of 40 animals were randomly divided into two experimental groups to receive either the control diet (Control, n = 20) or a high sugar-fat diet (HSF, n = 20) for 20 weeks. Once cardiac dysfunction was detected by echocardiogram in the HSF group, animals were re- divided to begin the treatment with Tomato-oleoresin or vehicle, performing four groups: Control (n = 6); (Control + Ly, n = 6); HSF (n = 6) and (HSF + Ly, n = 6). Tomato oleoresin (10 mg lycopene/kg body weight (BW) per day) was given orally every morning for a 10-week period. The analysis included nutritional and plasma biochemical parameters, systolic blood pressure, oxidative parameters in plasma, heart, and cardiac analyses in vivo and in vitro. A comparison among the groups was performed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The HSF diet was able to induce obesity, insulin-resistance, cardiac dysfunction, and oxidative damage. However, the tomato-oleoresin supplementation improved insulin-resistance, cardiac remodeling, and dysfunction by improving the \u3b2-adrenergic response. It is possible to conclude that tomato-oleoresin is able to reduce the oxidative damage by improving the system\u2019s \u3b2-adrenergic response, thus recovering cardiac function

Urban landscape and infection risk in free-roaming cats

Altres ajuts: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) CEECIND/01428/2018. FEDER UID/AMB/50017/2019Despite public concern on the role of free-roaming cats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, little is known about the influence of urban and peri-urban landscapes on the exposure risk. We evaluated the seroprevalence of three zoonotic agents (Chlamydia felis, Coxiella burnetii and Toxoplasma gondii) in domestic cats (Felis catus). Two hundred and ninety-one free-roaming cats were trapped in Murcia municipality (Southeast Spain), and their sera were tested for specific antibodies against T. gondii using a modified agglutination test (MAT), and for C. felis, C. burnetii and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibodies with ELISA technique. Pathogen seroprevalence at 95% CI was calculated for each sex and age category (up to and over 12 months) and compared with a chi-squared test. The role of human population density and urban landscape characteristics on the risk of pathogen exposure in the cat population was explored using generalized linear models. Seropositivity against a single pathogen was found in 60% of the cats, while 19% was seropositive for two or three pathogens. Seroprevalence of C. felis was 8% (CI: 5-11), 37% (CI: 31-42) for C. burnetii and 42% (CI: 36-47) for T. gondii. In addition to these three pathogens, FIV seropositivity was low (1%, CI: −0.1 to 2) and adult cats were more likely to be seropositive to C. burnetii than young individuals (OR: 2.3, CI: 1.2-4.2). No sex or age class differences in seroprevalence were observed for the rest of the pathogens. Seropositivity was correlated with water surface areas for C. felis, and not with crop areas. Coxiella burnetii seropositivity was correlated with the percentage of urban areas (continuous with only buildings and discontinuous, that include buildings, parks, and pedestrian and urban green areas), human population size and peri-urban areas with shrubs, and not correlated with other agricultural landscapes (orchards and crop areas). However, the seroprevalence of T. gondii was only associated with agricultural landscapes such as orchards. The detection of hotspot areas of high pathogen exposure risk is the basis for municipal services to implement surveillance and risk factor control campaigns in specific-risk areas, including (a) efficient health management of urban cat colonies by geographical location, population census and health status monitoring of the components of each cat colony, (b) improvement of hygiene and sanitary conditions at the feeding points of the cat colony and (c) free-roaming cat trapping for health monitoring and, in the long term, to know the evolution of the health status of their populations

Trials

BACKGROUND: An international workshop on population health intervention research (PHIR) was organized to foster exchanges between experts from different disciplines and different fields. This paper aims to summarize the discussions around some of the issues addressed: (1) the place of theories in PHIR, (2) why theories can be useful, and (3) how to choose and use the most relevant of them in evaluating PHIR. METHODS: The workshop included formal presentations by participants and moderated discussions. An oral synthesis was produced by a rapporteur to validate, through an expert consensus, the key points of the discussion and the recommendations. All discussions were recorded and have been fully transcribed. RESULTS: The following recommendations were generated through a consensus in the workshop discussions: (i) The evaluation of interventions, like their development, could be improved through better use of theory. (ii) The referenced theory and framework must be clarified. (iii) An intervention theory should be developed by a partnership of researchers and practitioners. (iv) More use of social theory is recommended. (v) Frameworks and a common language are helpful in selecting and communicating a theory. (vi) Better reporting of interventions and theories is needed. CONCLUSION: Theory-driven interventions and evaluations are key in PHIR as they facilitate the understanding of mechanisms of change. There are many challenges in developing the most appropriate theories for interventions and evaluations. With the wealth of information now being generated, this subject is of increasing importance at many levels, including for public health policy. It is, therefore, timely to consider how to build on the experiences of many different disciplines to enable the development of better theories and facilitate evidence-based decisions

EP-1408: Adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas of the limbs: an effective strategy

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