Babesia microti-like en un perro inmunocompetente

La babesiosis canina es una enfermedad infecciosa de distribución mundial causada por parásitos intraeritrocitarios transmitidos por garrapatas. Si bien ha sido tradicionalmente asumido que sólo dos de las 73 especies de babesias identificadas causan enfermedad en la especie canina, Babesia canis y Babesia gibsoni, recientes publicaciones demuestran que una tercera especie (Babesia microti-like) también puede parasitar a perros. Este último parásito, genéticamente relacionado con Babesia microti, es el origen de una enfermedad endémica entre la población canina del noroeste de España. Este trabajo presenta un caso no experimental de esta forma de Babesia microti-like en un perro cocker spaniel de 9 años, sin antecedentes de inmunodeficiencia ni de esplenectomía, que se presenta en la clínica veterinaria con signos de hipertermia, hemoglobinuria, escalofríos y apatía. Una muy intensa parasitemia (24%), junto con trombopenia y una acusada anemia hemolítica regenerativa fueron los hallazgos más caractéristicos. En la extensión de sangre periférica se visualizaron múltiples merozoitos intraeritrocitarios (parasitemia de un 24%) de pequeño tamaño (1-2 um) y presentación única en cada hematíe. Cuarenta y ocho horas después del comienzo de los síntomas, y tras tratamiento específico con dipropionato de imidocarb el perro evolucionó hacia la curación

Development and use of touch-screen computer-assisted self interviewing in Portuguese patients with chronic immune diseases: Evaluation of an electronic version of SF-36v2

Abstract Aim:The major purpose of this study was to evaluate alternative automated methods of collecting data on health related quality of life (HR-QoL). In order to achieve this, we developed a study with the following objectives: (1) to evaluated the feasibility of electronic version in patients with different chronic pathologies of the immune system using Short Form 36version2 (SF-36v2), (2) to evaluate the construct validity of SF-36v2 using the electronic data capture, and (3) to compare electronic version questionnaires with paper questionnaires in terms of patients ´ acceptance, data quality, and reliability. Methods:Out-patients with chronic immune diseases (HIV infection, lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, Behçet and Sjögren), were randomly selected to completed electronic and paper SF- 36v2 (n=50) before consultation in Clinical Immunology Unit, in Hospital Santo António-Centro Hospitalar do Porto (CI-HGSA). Results: There were very high correlations in SF- 36v2 responses (p< .001) between the paper and electronic forms. Internal reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s a) showed good internal consistency for all reported responses in either, computer and paper. There were no missing data in electronic version or paper. About 84% of the patients prefer to use the computer version in future. Conclusion: The electronic HR-QoL assessment is technically possible and it can provide reliable and valid clinically significant information which can either be used in routine care appointments

Avoiding Interference in Planar Arrays through the Use of Artificial Neural Networks

[Abstract] This article implements an artificial neural network to find, through computer simulation, the excitations of a square planar array. The array is composed of 52 uniformly spaced subarrays, and has a quasi- in its radiation diagram. This simulation model includes the reduction of any signal interference in the shaped radiating zone after its position has been determined

Determination of Diffusible Hydrogen in Weldments by the RPI Silicone-Oil Extraction Method A reliable, rapid, safe and inexpensive technique for determining diffusible H 2 contents in weldments is developed and qualified

ABSTRACT. The control of the hydrogen content in weldments is necessary to prevent hydrogen-induced cracking in high-yield-strength steels. Because a critical amount of diffusible hydrogen must be present for hydrogen-induced cracking, it is essential to determine the amount of hydrogen introduced by various welding procedures. In this investigation, the RPI silicone-oil-extraction method for the determination of diffusible hydrogen content in weldments was developed and qualified. In this method, diffusible hydrogen in a sample is extracted at 100°C (212°F) in hydrogen-saturated silicone oil and is collected in a buret. This method is a reliable, rapid, safe and inexpensive technique for the determination of diffusible-hydrogen content in weldments. The use of the composite-zone weight, rather than the deposited weld-metal weight, yielded a better consistency of results and a better correlation between these results and those obtained by the BWRA/IIW mercury extraction technique

Phylogenetic analysis of apicomplexan parasites infecting commercially valuable species from the North-East Atlantic reveals high levels of diversity and insights into the evolution of the group

Background: The Apicomplexa from aquatic environments are understudied relative to their terrestrial counterparts, and the seminal work assessing the phylogenetic relations of fish-infecting lineages is mostly based on freshwater hosts. The taxonomic uncertainty of some apicomplexan groups, such as the coccidia, is high and many genera were recently shown to be paraphyletic, questioning the value of strict morphological and ecological traits for parasite classification. Here, we surveyed the genetic diversity of the Apicomplexa in several commercially valuable vertebrates from the NorthEast Atlantic, including farmed fish. Results: Most of the sequences retrieved were closely related to common fish coccidia of Eimeria, Goussia and Calyptospora. However, some lineages from the shark Scyliorhinus canicula were placed as sister taxa to the Isospora, Caryospora and Schellakia group. Additionally, others from Pagrus caeruleostictus and Solea senegalensis belonged to an unknown apicomplexan group previously found in the Caribbean Sea, where it was sequenced from the water column, corals, and fish. Four distinct parasite lineages were found infecting farmed Dicentrarchus labrax or Sparus aurata. One of the lineages from farmed D. labrax was also found infecting wild counterparts, and another was also recovered from farmed S. aurata and farm-associated Diplodus sargus. Conclusions: Our results show that marine fish apicomplexans are diverse, and we highlight the need for a more extensive assessment of parasite diversity in this phylum. Additionally, parasites recovered from S. canicula were recovered as basal to their piscine counterparts reflecting hosts phylogeny

Cis-regulation of IRF5 expression is unable to fully account for systemic lupus erythematosus association: analysis of multiple experiments with lymphoblastoid cell lines

INTRODUCTION: Interferon regulatory factor 5 gene (IRF5) polymorphisms are strongly associated with several diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The association includes risk and protective components. They could be due to combinations of functional polymorphisms and related to cis-regulation of IRF5 expression, but their mechanisms are still uncertain. We hypothesised that thorough testing of the relationships between IRF5 polymorphisms, expression data from multiple experiments and SLE-associated haplotypes might provide useful new information. METHODS: Expression data from four published microarray hybridisation experiments with lymphoblastoid cell lines (57 to 181 cell lines) were retrieved. Genotypes of 109 IRF5 polymorphisms, including four known functional polymorphisms, were considered. The best linear regression models accounting for the IRF5 expression data were selected by using a forward entry procedure. SLE-associated IRF5 haplotypes were correlated with the expression data and with the best cis-regulatory models. RESULTS: A large fraction of variability in IRF5 expression was accounted for by linear regression models with IRF5 polymorphisms, but at a different level in each expression data set. Also, the best models from each expression data set were different, although there was overlap between them. The SNP introducing an early polyadenylation signal, rs10954213, was included in the best models for two of the expression data sets and in good models for the other two data sets. The SLE risk haplotype was associated with high IRF5 expression in the four expression data sets. However, there was also a trend towards high IRF5 expression with some protective and neutral haplotypes, and the protective haplotypes were not associated with IRF5 expression. As a consequence, correlation between the cis-regulatory best models and SLE-associated haplotypes, regarding either the risk or protective component, was poor. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis indicates that although the SLE risk haplotype of IRF5 is associated with high expression of the gene, cis-regulation of IRF5 expression is not enough to fully account for IRF5 association with SLE susceptibility, which indicates the need to identify additional functional changes in this gene

Bordetella spp. block eosinophil recruitment to suppress the generation of early mucosal protection

Bordetella spp. are respiratory pathogens equipped with immune evasion mechanisms. We previously characterized a Bordetella bronchiseptica mutant (RB50DbtrS) that fails to suppress host responses, leading to rapid clearance and long-lasting immunity against reinfection. This work revealed eosinophils as an exclusive requirement for RB50DbtrS clearance. We also show that RB50DbtrS promotes eosinophil-mediated B/T cell recruitment and inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) formation, with eosinophils being present throughout iBALT for Th17 and immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses. Finally, we provide evidence that XCL1 is critical for iBALT formation but not maintenance, proposing a novel role for eosinophils as facilitators of adaptive immunity against B. bronchiseptica. RB50DbtrS being incapable of suppressing eosinophil effector functions illuminates active, bacterial targeting of eosinophils to achieve successful persistence and reinfection. Overall, our discoveries contribute to understanding cellular mechanisms for use in future vaccines and therapies against Bordetella spp. and extension to other mucosal pathogens.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2020/02Xunta de Galicia | Ref.ED481A-2018/23

Parasitación por Babesia canis en Galicia

Un estudio analítico llevado a cabo sobre 213 perros, infectados por el piroplasma Babesia canis en Galicia durante el año 1996, sugiere que una intensa anemia hemolítica regenerativa junto con una trombocitopenia son las características constantes de la infección, además de observarse en algunos casos una evolución a insuficiencia renal

La autoestima como variable protectora del burnout en estudiantes de fisioterapia

En los últimos años existe un creciente interés por determinar los factores que inciden en el origen y el mantenimiento del burnout académico. En este contexto, en el presente trabajo se analiza la posible existencia de diferencias signifi cativas en el burnout experimentado por los estudiantes universitarios en función de su nivel de autoestima. La muestra está compuesta por 487 estudiantes de Fisioterapia de diversas universidades españolas, 354 mujeres (72.68%) y 133 varones (27.32%), con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 47 años (M = 21.28 y DT = 4.32). Para medir la autoestima, se utilizó la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg; para evaluar el burnout, se usó el Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Como procedimiento de análisis de datos, se efectuó un ANOVA de un factor, así como la d de Cohen. Los resultados de este trabajo ponen de manifi esto que, cuando los estudiantes tienen una baja autoestima, aparecen manifestaciones más claras de burnout. En cambio, cuanto mayor es la valoración que hacen de sí mismos, menores síntomas de agotamiento y despersonalización y mayores niveles de realización personal manifi estan los estudiantes. Dado el rol protector de la autoestima sobre el burnout, se incide en la importancia de potenciar la autoestima de los estudiantes como estrategia para prevenir la aparición del síndrome.What variables are implicated in burnout appearance and maintenance among university students is one of the facts that has raised lately a greater attention in burnout investigation. In this context, our work assesses if students’ self-esteem level causes meaningful differences in students’ burnout. The sample comprised a total of 487 students selected among different Spanish universities of Physiotherapy, 354 women (72.68%) and 133 men (27.32%), aged between 18 and 47 years old (M = 21.28; SD = 4.32). We measure self-esteem by using Rosenberg’s Self- Esteem Scale. Burnout was evaluated by using Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). One-way ANOVA was calculated in order to estimate statistical differences in students’ burnout according to their level of self-esteem. Furthermore, Cohen’s d was used in order to establish the effect sizes of those differences. Our results show that burnout syndrome appears when students’ self-esteem is low. Nevertheless, higher levels of selfesteem show lower levels of emotionally exhaustion and despersonalization, and higher levels of personal accomplishment. In view that self-esteem works as a protector factor of burnout, we highlight that enhancing students’ self esteem is one of the better ways to prevent this syndrome