Congenital Zika Virus Infection: Beyond Neonatal Microcephaly

Recent studies have reported an increase in the number of fetuses and neonates with microcephaly whose mothers were infected with the Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy. To our knowledge, most reports to date have focused on select aspects of the maternal or fetal infection and fetal effects. OBJECTIVE To describe the prenatal evolution and perinatal outcomes of 11 neonates who had developmental abnormalities and neurological damage associated with ZIKV infection in Brazil. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We observed 11 infants with congenital ZIKV infection from gestation to 6 months in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Ten of 11 women included in this study presented with symptoms of ZIKV infection during the first half of pregnancy, and all 11 had laboratory evidence of the infection in several tissues by serology or polymerase chain reaction. Brain damage was confirmed through intrauterine ultrasonography and was complemented by magnetic resonance imaging. Histopathological analysis was performed on the placenta and brain tissue from infants who died. The ZIKV genome was investigated in several tissues and sequenced for further phylogenetic analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Description of the major lesions caused by ZIKV congenital infection. RESULTS Of the 11 infants, 7 (63.6%) were female, and the median (SD) maternal age at delivery was 25 (6) years. Three of 11 neonates died, giving a perinatal mortality rate of 27.3%. The median (SD) cephalic perimeter at birth was 31 (3) cm, a value lower than the limit to consider a microcephaly case. In all patients, neurological impairments were identified, including microcephaly, a reduction in cerebral volume, ventriculomegaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, lissencephaly with hydrocephalus, and fetal akinesia deformation sequence (ie, arthrogryposis). Results of limited testing for other causes of microcephaly, such as genetic disorders and viral and bacterial infections, were negative, and the ZIKV genome was found in both maternal and neonatal tissues (eg, amniotic fluid, cord blood, placenta, and brain). Phylogenetic analyses showed an intrahost virus variation with some polymorphisms in envelope genes associated with different tissues. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Combined findings from clinical, laboratory, imaging, and pathological examinations provided a more complete picture of the severe damage and developmental abnormalities caused by ZIKV infection than has been previously reported. The term congenital Zika syndrome is preferable to refer to these cases, as microcephaly is just one of the clinical signs of this congenital malformation disorder.73121407141

EFEITO ANALGÉSICO DO BUTORFANOL NA DOR SOMÁTICA EM GATOS ANESTESIADOS COM PROPOFOL ANALGESIC EFFECT OF BUTORPHANOL ON SOMATIC PAIN IN CATS ANESTHETIZED WITH PROPOFOL

O propofol é um agente anestésico intravenoso usado para indução e manutenção da anestesia, mas produz analgesia limitada, havendo a necessidade do uso concomitante de analgésicos. Avaliou-se o efeito analgésico do butorfanol na dor somática em gatos anestesiados com doses fracionadas de propofol. Foram utilizados 16 animais, distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos. Os animais do grupo controle foram pré-tratados com 0,2mg/kg de acepromazina por via IM e, após 15 minutos, receberam 6mg/kg de propofol por via IV. Os animais do grupo tratamento foram pré-medicados com uma combinação de acepromazina (0,2mg/kg) e butorfanol (0,8mg/kg), administrados na mesma seringa por via IM, e, após 15 minutos, receberam 6mg/kg de propofol por via IV. Em ambos os grupos, a manutenção da anestesia foi feita com administrações de propofol, na dose de 3mg/kg, por via IV, sempre que necessário, durante 60 minutos. A necessidade de readministração de propofol foi verificada pela resposta apresentada ao pinçamento cutâneo, através de uma pinça de Kocher. Avaliaram-se também as freqüências cardíaca e respiratória, pressão arterial média, saturação de oxiemoglobina e temperatura retal. A administração de butorfanol causou apenas redução nas freqüências cardíaca e respiratória e na saturação de oxiemoglobina, em comparação com o grupo controle,sem exercer influência significativa sobre o período hábil, a dose total administrada e o período de recuperação do propofol. Concluiu-se que a adição de butorfanol não produziu analgesia somática em gatos anestesiados com doses fracionadas de propofol.<br>Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic agent used for induction and maintenance of anesthesia but produces limited analgesia, and concomitant use of analgesics is necessary. The analgesic effect of butorphanol in somatic pain in cats anesthetized with intermittent doses of propofol was evaluated. Sixteen animals were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Control group animals were premedicated with IM acepromazine (0,2mg/kg) and after 15 minutes IV propofol (6mg/kg) was administered. Treatment group animals were premedicated with IM acepromazine (0,2mg/kg) and butorphanol (0,8mg/kg), mixed in the same syringe and after 15 minutes IV propofol (6mg/kg) was administered. In both groups anesthesia was maintained with repeated injections of propofol (3mg/kg) as needed, during 60 minutes. The need to complement propofol doses was determined by reactions to a skin pinch with a Kocher hemostatic forceps.Heart rate, respiratory rate, mean blood pressure, rectal body temperature and oxyhemoglobin saturation were also recorded. Administration of butorphanol caused minimal changes in cardiopulmonary variables compared to control group and did not affect duration of anesthesia and total dose of propofol or recovery period. We concluded that addition of butorphanol did not produce somatic analgesia during anesthesia maintained with repeated injections of propofol in cats

Composição bromatológica, consumo e digestibilidade in vivo de dietas com diferentes níveis de feno de catingueira (Caesalpinea bracteosa), fornecidas para ovinos Morada Nova Bromatological composition, intake and in vivo digestibility of the diets with different levels of "catingueira" hay (Caesalpinea bracteosa), fed to Morada Nova sheep

Com objetivo de determinar o consumo e a digestibilidade in vivo, bem como a composição química de dietas com níveis crescentes (0, 50 e 100%) de feno de catingueira (FC), utilizaram-se 15 ovinos Morada Nova, durante um período de 22 dias. Foi usado delineamento inteiramente casualizado com três tratamentos e cinco repetições. O FC apresentou 91,5% de matéria seca (MS), 93,89% de matéria orgânica (MO), 11,25% de proteína (PB), 4,31% de extrato etéreo (EE), 45,47% de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), 37,08% de fibra em detergente ácido (FDA), 8,39% de hemicelulose (HE), 24,37% de celulose (CE), 12,52% de lignina e 6,30% de tanino condensado. Os consumos de MO e MS, em g/dia, g/kg0,75 e %PV; energia bruta (EB), em kcal/kg/dia e kcal/kg0,75; e dos componentes da parede celular foram reduzidos linearmente pelo aumento de FC na dieta. Os consumos de PB, proteína digestível (PD) e EE aumentaram linearmente com o aumento do FC na dieta. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade da MS, MO, PB e EB das dietas não foram afetados pela inclusão do FC. No entanto, observou-se redução linear para os coeficientes de digestibilidade da FDN, FDA, CE e EE e efeito quadrático para o coeficiente de digestibilidade da HE. Os consumos médios de MS e PB verificados nos níveis intermediários de FC atenderam as exigências de mantença dos animais.<br>Fifteen male castrated sheep were used during a period of 22 days to determine the bromatological composition, intake and in vivo digestibility of diets with increasing levels (0, 50 and 100%) of "catingueira" hay (CH). A completely randomized experimental design with three treatment and five replications was used. "Catingueira" hay presented a 91.5% dry matter (DM), 93.89% organic matter (OM), 11.25% crude protein (CP), 4.31% ether extract (EE), 45.47% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 37.08% acid detergent fiber (ADF), 8.39% hemicellulose (HE), 24.37% cellulose (CE), 12.52% lignin, 1.86% silica and 6.30% condensed tannin. The increased CH levels in the diet linearly reduced the intakes of OM and DM (express in g/day, g/kg.75 and %LW), of gross energy (GE) (express in kcal/kg.day and kcal/kg0,75) and of the cell wall components were. The intakes of CP, digestible protein (DP) and EE linearly increased as CH levels increased in the diet. The coefficients of digestibility of the DM, OM, CP and CE were not affected ed by inclusion of CH. However, a negative linear effect was observed for the coefficients digestibility of the NDF, ADF, CE and EE and a quadratic effect for the coefficient of digestibilities of HE. The average intake of DM and CP observed in the intermediate levels of CH attained the maintenance requirements of the animals

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora