The Endocrine Glands in the Dog: From the Cell to Hormone

Animal bodies represent one of the more complex and perfect systems of nature but despite its complexity and functionality, the control of its basic functions is performed by only two systems: the nervous system and the endocrine system. Reproduction, gestation, muscle contraction, nutrient digestion and absorption, hydroelectrolytic balance, haematopoiesis and so many other bodily functions, are directly or indirectly controlled by these systems. In a simplistic way, we can say that the nervous system is responsible for rapid organic activities, while the endocrine system is responsible for a slower, more durable activity, the metabolic functions of the organism. The endocrine system is essential for growth and development, sexual function, reproductive processes and metabolism. In the present work the authors describe the main endocrine glands in the dog, namely anterior and posterior pituitary gland, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas and adrenal glands, referring their location, macroscopic and histologic features, using original figures. Main endocrine hormones and hormonal functions will also be addressed in a simple, straightforward and original manner, using cutting-edge, innovative schemes that will contribute for an easy and direct understanding of the complex endocrine mechanisms. The endocrine system is often subjected to pathological changes. Improving knowledge in the field of endocrinology will allow for a better clinical approach to animal patients, enhancing, without doubt, the provision of better medical veterinary care and its advancement towards excellence.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and Center for Studies in Education, Technologies and Health

FRET−-Calc: A Free Software and Web Server for F\"orster Resonance Energy Transfer Calculation

F\"{o}rster Resonance Energy Transfer Calculator (FRET$-$Calc) is a program and web server that analyzes molar extinction coefficient of the acceptor, emission spectrum of the donor, and the refractive index spectrum of the donor/acceptor blend. Its main function is to obtain important parameters of the FRET process from experimental data, such as: (i) effective refractive index, (ii) overlap integral, (iii) F\"{o}rster radius, (iii) FRET efficiency and (iv) FRET rate. FRET$-$Calc is license free software that can be run via dedicated web server (nanocalc.org) or downloading the program executables (for Unix, Windows, and macOS) from the FRET$-$Calc repository on GitHub. The program features a user$-$friendly interface, making it suitable for materials research and teaching purposes. In addition, the program is optimized to run on normal computers and is lightweight. An example will be given with the step by step of its use and results obtained.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Epidemiology and Emergence of Schmallenberg Virus Part 2: Pathogenesis and Risk of Viral Spread

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a novel Orthobunyavirus causing mild clinical signs in cows and malformations in aborted and neonatal ruminants in Europe. SBV belongs to the family Bunyaviridae and is transmitted by biting midges. This new virus was identified for the first time in blood samples of cows in the city of Schmallenberg in North-Rhine Westphalia in November 2011. Since then, the virus spread to several European countries. Here, we describe the pathogenesis and the risk of viral spread in the Portuguese territory

Epidemiology and Emergence of Schmallenberg Virus Part 1: Origin, Transmission and Differential Diagnosis

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a novel Orthobunyavirus causing mild clinical signs in cows and malformations in aborted and neonatal ruminants in Europe. SBV belongs to the family Bunyaviridae and is transmitted by biting midges. This new virus was identified for the first time in the blood samples of cows in the city of Schmallenberg in NorthRhine-Westphalia in November 2011. Since then the virus spread to several European countries. Here we describe the origin and emergence, as well as the transmission and the differential diagnosis of this virus, now known to be a serious threat to Veterinary Public Health

Changes in albumin-to-creatinine ratio at 12-month follow-up in patients undergoing renal denervation

Introduction: Sympathetic renal denervation (RDN) was developed as a treatment for the management of patients with resistant hypertension. This procedure may have a positive impact on hypertension-related target organ damage, particularly renal disease, but the evidence is still limited. Objective: To assess the impact of RDN on the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) at 12-month follow-up. Methods and Results: From a single-center prospective registry including 65 patients with resistant hypertension undergoing renal denervation, 31 patients with complete baseline and 12-month follow-up blood pressure (BP) measurements (both office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring [ABPM]) and ACR were included in the present study. Mean age was 65±7 years, 52% were female, most (90%) had been diagnosed with hypertension for more than 10 years, 71% had type 2 diabetes and 33% had vascular disease in at least one territory. Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 73.6±25.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 15 patients (48%) had an ACR >30 mg/g. After 12 months, 22 patients were considered BP responders (73%). ACR decreased significantly from a median of 25.8 mg/g (interquartile range [IQR] 9.0-574.0 mg/g) to 14.8 mg/g (IQR 4.5-61.0 mg/g, p=0.007). When the results were split according to systolic BP responder status on ABPM, we found a significant reduction in responders (from 25.6 mg/g [IQR 8.7-382.8 mg/g] to 15.9 mg/g [IQR 4.4-55.0 mg/g], p=0.009), and a numerical decrease in the non-responder subgroup (from 165.0 mg/g [IQR 8.8-1423.5 mg/g] to 13.6 mg/dl [IQR 5.7-1417.0 mg/g], p=0.345). Conclusions: Besides significant reductions in blood pressure (both office and 24-h ABPM), renal denervation was associated with a significant reduction in ACR, a recognized marker of target organ damage.publishersversionpublishe

Novel Norovirus in Dogs with Diarrhea

To identify the prevalence and genetic variability of noroviruses in dogs, we tested fecal samples by using reverse transcription–PCR. We found canine norovirus in 40% and 9% of dogs with and without diarrhea, respectively. The virus was genetically unrelated to other noroviruses and constitutes a tentative new genogroup

Hipermídia educativa em acolhimento e classificação de risco obstétrico: validação de conteúdo e usabilidade

Objetivo: Validar o conteúdo e usabilidade de hipermídia educativa sobre acolhimento e classificação de risco obstétrico.Métodos: Estudo metodológico, desenvolvimento pelo modelo de design instrucional básico, realizado em cinco etapas. Participaram 22 juízes para validar conteúdo e usabilidade. Para a análise, foram utilizados o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo a System Usability Scale e o teste binomial.Resultados: No conteúdo obtiveram um Índice de Validade de Conteúdo de 0,96 e para e usabilidade obteve-se 91,9. Na avaliação global, todos os requisitos obtiveram 0,98 de índice.Conclusão: A hipermídia educativa desenvolvida apresenta evidência de validade e se constitui como recurso inovador para o processo de ensino e aprendizagem em Enfermagem. Palavras-chave: Complicações na gravidez. Educação em enfermagem. Tecnologia educacional. Estudo de validação