The mammals of Angola

Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mammal research, and provide brief information on each species known to occur in the country. Particular attention is given to endemic and near endemic species. We also provide a zoogeographic outline and information on the conservation of Angolan mammals. We found confirmed records for 291 native species, most of which from the orders Rodentia (85), Chiroptera (73), Carnivora (39), and Cetartiodactyla (33). There is a large number of endemic and near endemic species, most of which are rodents or bats. The large diversity of species is favoured by the wide range of habitats with contrasting environmental conditions, while endemism tends to be associated with unique physiographic settings such as the Angolan Escarpment. The mammal fauna of Angola includes 2 Critically Endangered, 2 Endangered, 11 Vulnerable, and 14 Near-Threatened species at the global scale. There are also 12 data deficient species, most of which are endemics or near endemics to the countryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Induction of interleukin-8 production via nuclear factor-κB activation in human intestinal epithelial cells infected with Vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio vulnificus, a Gram-negative estuarine bacterium, is a causative agent of food-borne diseases, such as life-threatening septicaemia and wound infection disease. V. vulnificus penetrating into the epithelial barrier stimulates an inflammatory response in the adjacent mucosa. Therefore, interaction between V. vulnificus and epithelial cells is important for understanding of both the immunology of mucosal surfaces and V. vulnificus. In this study, we investigated the effect and action mechanism of V. vulnificus infection on production of interleukin (IL)-8, a proinflammatory cytokine, in human intestinal epithelial INT-407 cells. V. vulnificus infection significantly induced IL-8 production in a time- and multiplicity of infection (MOI)-dependent manner, as determined by human IL-8 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, V. vulnificus infection significantly increased IL-8 mRNA levels in INT-407 cells, indicating that the increased IL-8 production by V. vulnificus occurred at the transcriptional level. V. vulnificus infection also enhanced IL-8 gene promoter activity in INT-407 cells transiently transfected with IL-8 promoter constructs, but this effect was impaired in INT-407 cells transfected with IL-8 promoter constructs deleted or mutated of a κB site. V. vulnificus infection increased the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) binding activity to a κB site and the degradation of ΙκB-α protein in a time- and a MOI-dependent manner. Furthermore, BAY11-7082, an inhibitor of NF-κB activation, significantly reduced the IL-8 production, NF-κB binding activity and ΙκB-α degradation induced by V. vulnificus infection. Taken together, these results indicate clearly that V. vulnificus infection significantly induces IL-8 production in human intestinal epithelial cells via NF-κB activation

Factors Affecting Sports-Related Orofacial Injuries and the Importance of Mouthguards

Sports dentistry is one of the most recent and upcoming fields in dentistry. It includes mainly the prevention and management of sports-related orofacial injuries and associated oral diseases or traumas. The dentist can play a critical role in informing athletes, coaches, and patients and their parents about the importance of prevention, treatment, and diagnosis for orofacial injuries in sports. The most significant aspect in preventing sports-related orofacial injuries is wearing basic protective devices such as properly fitting helmets, face masks, and/or mouthguards. A properly fitted mouthguard prevents violent contact between the upper and lower dentition. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials, there are three types of mouthguards: custom-fabricated mouthguards, mouth-formed guards, and stock mouthguards. Essential properties of the various materials used in the manufacture of mouthguards include water absorption, density, and thickness as well as temperature transmission, energy absorption, and drawing strength (tensile strength) of custom-made mouthguards. Currently, a variety of materials is being used for mouthguards, most commonly polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene copolymer or ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and polyvinyl chloride. Mouthguard use is significant for athletes, since dentists play an important role in the design and application of these in clinical practice. The purpose of this article is to review the importance of mouthguard use, the incidence and location of orofacial sports injuries, the risk factors for such injuries, and the types of mouthguards and their roles in the prevention of sports-related orofacial injuries

A paradox revealed: karyotype evolution in the four-horned antelope occurs by tandem fusion (Mammalia, Bovidae, Tetracerus quadricornis)

The four-horned antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis, is a karyotypic novelty in Bovidae since chromosomal evolution in this species is driven by tandem fusions in contradiction to the overwhelming influence of Robertsonian fusions in other species within the family. Using a combination of differential staining and molecular cytogenetic techniques, we provide the first description of the species' karyotype, draw phylogenetic inferences from the cytogenetic data and discuss possible mechanisms underlying the formation of the tandem fusions in this species. We show (a) that pairs 1-6 of Tetracerus correspond to a combination of Bos taurus orthologous chromosomes that are tandemly fused head to tail, (b) the presence of interstitial centromeric satellite DNA at the junctions of orthologous blocks defined by the crossspecies painting data and (c) that in some instances, residual telomeric sequences persist at these sites. We conclude that the attendant result of each fusion is an enlarged acrocentric fusion element comprising a single functional centromere and two terminal telomeres that, collectively, led to a reduction of the 2n=58 bovid ancestral acrocentric chromosomal complement to the 2n=38 detected in the four-horned antelope.Articl