Changes in click characteristics during ABR recording

SummaryManipulation of auditory stimuli affect the ABR evoked potentials and aid the diagnosis, particularly in auditory neuropathy patients. Some patients with auditory neuropathy lose evoked otoacoustic emissions over time; in these cases, comparing responses to rarefaction and condensation clicks, and decreasing the stimulus rate can show an extended cochlear microphonism or yield an improved electric potential record.AimTo analyze the effect of these click manipulations on the records of potentials of patients with hearing loss as a form of improving the diagnosis.Study designA clinical prospective study.Patients and Method59 patients with hearing loss underwent ABR recording using rarefaction and condensation clicks at a stimulus rate of 27.7/sec, and rarefaction clicks at a stimulus rate of 3.3/sec. The records were compared to the otoacoustic evoked emission.ResultsEight (13.53%) patients showed changes in the recorded ABR potentials as a result of manipulating the characteristics of clicks, such as extended cochlear microphonism or an improved record of electric potentials. Five patients had no otoacoustic evoked emissions.ConclusionManipulation of click stimuli can improve the topographic diagnosis of hearing loss, particularly in the group of auditory neuropathy patients with no otoacoustic evoked emissions, where usually, the diagnosis is only possible through the method described above

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preschool children and preschools in Portugal.

Problem Statement:The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the life routines of preschool children, both during lockdown and post-lockdown periods. Approach:An online survey completed by parents, in-loco assessment scales filled in by a researcherand semi-structured interviews with preschool teacherswere used to investigate the effects of the adjustments, which occurred in preschool children?s lives, in the lockdown and post lockdown periods.Purpose:To characterize the levels of physical activity that Portuguese children had during the lockdown period and to understand what changed in their school routines in the post-lockdown period, regarding the organization of school spaces and routines.Results:Parents reported that children aged 3 to 5spent most of their time during lockdownundertaking sedentary activities (72% of their daily activities). In the post-lockdown period,results indicate that in June there was an increase in the number of preschools with a poor quality of environment compared to the pre-pandemic period (October/November).Taking into account the measures implemented in preschools to prevent the COVID-19 transmission,teachers were of the opinion that limiting the number of children sharing material was the worst measure imposed, since it hampered children?s socialization. Conversely, increasing the use of the outdoor space was deemed positive because it improved children?s happiness and action possibilities outside.Conclusions: TheCOVID-19pandemic has had a clear impact on Portuguese children?s overall levels of physical activity during lockdown. In some schools, the implementation of health guidelines has also led to further negative effects on children?s play opportunities. However, many schools seem to be successful in finding strategies to ensure a healthy balance between promoting children?s physical activity and ensuring risk control.4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodriguesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of chitosan and Aloe Vera extract concentrations on the physicochemical properties of chitosan biofilms

Chitosan films have been extensively studied as dressings in formulations for the treatment of chronic wounds. The incorporation of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) into chitosan dressings could potentialize the healing process since aloe vera shows several pharmacological activities. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of aloe vera and chitosan concentrations on the physicochemical properties of the developed films. The films were obtained by casting technique and characterized with respect to their color parameters, morphology, barrier and mechanical properties, and thermal analysis. Results showed that the presence of aloe vera modified the films color parameters, changed barrier properties, increased fluid handling capacity (FHC), and decreased water-vapor permeability (WVP). The reduced elongation at break resulted in more rigid films. Aloe vera concentration did not significantly change film properties, but the presence of this gel increased the films stability at temperatures below 200 °C, showing similar behavior as chitosan films above 400 °C. The results suggest a crosslinking/complexation between chitosan and aloe vera, which combine appropriate physicochemical properties for application as wound dressing materials.This work was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (2010/17.721-4), Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) through the projects M-ERA-NET/0004/2015 (PAIRED) and UIDB/04469/2020 (strategic fund) funded by national funds, and co-financed Education (FCT/MEC) from national funds and FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT202info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cuidados de Enfermagem Veterinária a uma cria de doninha (Mustela nivalis) em Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens

A doninha (Mustela nivalis) é um pequeno carnívoro, de espécie autóctone e protegida1, cuja entrada em Centros de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens não é frequente. Desta forma, torna-se pertinente a descrição dos cuidados de enfermagem veterinária aplicados na recuperação de uma cria desta espécie, que deu entrada no CERAS – Centro de Estudos e Recuperação de Animais Selvagens – com cerca de 10 dias de idade e 20 gramas de peso. O acompanhamento do desenvolvimento da cria é um dos papéis a desempenhar pelo Enfermeiro Veterinário, sobretudo ao nível da alimentação (desde as refeições com leite de substituição, o desmame, a introdução gradual de novos alimentos e o treino de caça), higiene e desenvolvimento comportamental (prevenção de imprinting e estímulo sociocognitivo). A monitorização do crescimento da cria foi feita através de ferramentas como controlo do peso e da temperatura corporal, exame visual e exame coprológico. A evolução do peso corporal foi positiva, com um ganho médio diário de 1,21g e um peso final de 95g. O exame coprológico detetou a presença de oocistos de Eimeria spp. (1800 opg), ovos (1150 Opg) e formas larvares (50 Lpg) de Strongyloides spp. Uma das maiores exigências na prestação destes cuidados foi corresponder às elevadas necessidades energéticas características desta espécie2. Ainda assim, a recuperação foi bem-sucedida e culminou com a libertação da doninha, fisicamente saudável e exibindo os comportamentos naturais da espécie, apenas 2 meses após a entrada no CERAS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Structure of full-length wild-type human phenylalanine hydroxylase by small angle X-ray scattering reveals substrate-induced conformational stability

Human phenylalanine hydroxylase (hPAH) hydroxylates l-phenylalanine (l-Phe) to l-tyrosine, a precursor for neurotransmitter biosynthesis. Phenylketonuria (PKU), caused by mutations in PAH that impair PAH function, leads to neurological impairment when untreated. Understanding the hPAH structural and regulatory properties is essential to outline PKU pathophysiological mechanisms. Each hPAH monomer comprises an N-terminal regulatory, a central catalytic and a C-terminal oligomerisation domain. To maintain physiological l-Phe levels, hPAH employs complex regulatory mechanisms. Resting PAH adopts an auto-inhibited conformation where regulatory domains block access to the active site. l-Phe-mediated allosteric activation induces a repositioning of the regulatory domains. Since a structure of activated wild-type hPAH is lacking, we addressed hPAH l-Phe-mediated conformational changes and report the first solution structure of the allosterically activated state. Our solution structures obtained by small-angle X-ray scattering support a tetramer with distorted P222 symmetry, where catalytic and oligomerisation domains form a core from which regulatory domains protrude, positioning themselves close to the active site entrance in the absence of l-Phe. Binding of l-Phe induces a large movement and dimerisation of regulatory domains, exposing the active site. Activated hPAH is more resistant to proteolytic cleavage and thermal denaturation, suggesting that the association of regulatory domains stabilises hPAH.publishe

Portuguese Hosts for Ornithodoros erraticus Ticks

The hematophagous soft tick Ornithodoros erraticus feeds nocturnally on multiple warm-blooded vertebrate hosts. This tick is often found living buried in the soil of traditional pigpens. O. erraticus is an important infectious disease vector both for humans and animals. In the Iberian Peninsula, this tick serves as the vector of human tick-borne relapsing fever caused by the spirochete Borrelia hispanica. The natural ecosystems maintaining this spirochete are not well understood, with details of competent vertebrate reservoirs and tick–host interactions poorly understood. Investigation of arthropod blood meal composition provides evidence linking the vector to specific hosts, providing insights into possible disease reservoirs. Ticks collected from two pigpens located in southern Portugal were subjected to blood meal analysis. PCR amplification of vertebrate cytochrome b was used to disclose the original host from which 349 ticks had derived their previous blood meal. Host origins for blood meal analysis from 79 of 349 ticks revealed that 46.8% had previously fed from pigs, 35.4% human, 13.9% bovine, 5.1% sheep, 1.3% rodent, and 1.3% from birds. Three samples revealed mixed blood meals, namely, human–pig (1.3%), sheep–pig (1.3%), and bovine–pig (1.3%). The major role of pigs as hosts is consistent with fieldwork observations and underlines the importance of pigs for maintaining O. erraticus tick populations. Humans serve as accidental hosts, frequently confirmed by reports from both producers and veterinarians. Other livestock species and wildlife prevalent in the region appear only to have a minor role in maintaining this tick. The results demonstrate the importance of blood meal analysis to determine tick hosts providing a tool for investigation of sylvatic cycle for Borrelia hispanica

IKZF1 Deletions with COBL Breakpoints Are Not Driven by RAG-Mediated Recombination Events in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

IKZF1 deletion (ΔIKZF1) is an important predictor of relapse in both childhood and adult B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Previously, we revealed that COBL is a hotspot for breakpoints in leukemia and could promote IKZF1 deletions. Through an international collaboration, we provide a detailed genetic and clinical picture of B-ALL with COBL rearrangements (COBL-r). Patients with B-ALL and IKZF1 deletion (n = 133) were included. IKZF1 ∆1-8 were associated with large alterations within chromosome 7: monosomy 7 (18%), isochromosome 7q (10%), 7p loss (19%), and interstitial deletions (53%). The latter included COBL-r, which were found in 12% of the IKZF1 ∆1-8 cohort. Patients with COBL-r are mostly classified as intermediate cytogenetic risk and frequently harbor ETV6, PAX5, CDKN2A/B deletions. Overall, 56% of breakpoints were located within COBL intron 5. Cryptic recombination signal sequence motifs were broadly distributed within the sequence of COBL, and no enrichment for the breakpoint cluster region was found. In summary, a diverse spectrum of alterations characterizes ΔIKZF1 and they also include deletion breakpoints within COBL. We confirmed that COBL is a hotspot associated with ΔIKZF1, but these rearrangements are not driven by RAG-mediated recombination

Hospital Readmission for Heart Failure in a Teaching Hospital in the State of São Paulo-SP

Retrospective descriptive study of patients readmitted for chronic heart failure, aiming to quantify the rates of unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days and factors possibly associated with readmission. Hospital readmission rates in 2010 and 2011 were 3.91% and 2.41%, respectively, the average time until readmission being 14.5±7.1 days. The most frequent heart failure etiology was valve disease, followed by hypertension. Most were women and 96% were readmitted as a result of the persistence or recurrence of the episode that prompted the initial admission. No satisfactory data regarding the possible causes of persistence or recurrence of the disease were found.Estudo descritivo retrospectivo de pacientes readmitidos por insuficiência cardíaca crônica, com o objetivo de quantificar as taxas de readmissão hospitalar não planejada em até 30 dias e fatores possivelmente associados à readmissão. As taxas de readmissão hospitalar em 2010 e 2011 foram de 3,91% e 2,41%, respectivamente, sendo a média de tempo até a readmissão de 14,5±7,1 dias. A etiologia mais frequente da insuficiência cardíaca foi a doença valvar, seguida da hipertensão arterial. As mulheres foram mais acometidas e 96% dos pacientes foram readmitidos em decorrência da persistência ou recorrência do episódio que motivou a admissão inicial. Não foram obtidos dados satisfatórios quanto às possíveis causas que teriam levado à persistência ou recorrência do episódio de doença