Influence of glyceryl guaiacolate ether on anesthetics in tilapia compared to benzocaine and eugenol

ABSTRACT Objective. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of glyceryl guaiacolate ether (GGE) and compare the times of induction, recovery, hematological changes, total protein and glycaemia among anesthetics in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Materials and methods. A total of 60 tilapia distributed in 3 aquariums (N=20) were used, which formed the group benzocaine (100 mg/L), eugenol (50 mg/L) and guaiacol glyceryl ether (9.000 mg/L). After the induction of anesthesia fish blood samples were collected to determine the complete hemogram and glycemia. Then the animals were placed in aquariums with running water for assessing the anesthesia recovery. Results. It was verified that GGE showed longer induction and recovery times as well a significant increase (p0.05). An increase in the number of monocytes in the group treated with benzocaine (p <0.05) was observed in the analysis of the hematological parameters with no difference between groups for other variables. Conclusions. Eugenol and benzocaine allow rapid induction and recovery in Nile tilapia, without evidence of stress during handling and GGE showed high induction and recovery times, being inadequate for anesthetic use in Nile tilapia

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Determining the association between genomic instability and prevalence of frailty syndrome in Portuguese older adults

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between genomic instability, via DNA damage and oxidative DNA damage, and the prevalence frailty syndrome in a group of older adults community-dwellers (≥ 65 years old).Solange Costa and Armanda Teixeira-Gomes are supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the grants SFRH/BPD/100948/2014 and SFRH/BD/121802/2016 respectivelyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of real time PCR technique to diagnosis of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in patients in the Hematologia da Fundação Hemope Hospital, in Northeastern Brazil Avaliação da técnica de PCR em tempo real para o diagnóstico do virus linfotrópico tipo I de células T humana (HTLV-I) em pacientes do Hospital de Hematologia da Fundação Hemope, no Nordeste do Brasil

As a high degree of homology exists between the proviral genomes of HTLV-I and HTLV-II, there is significant cross-reactivity. Therefore although detection of HTLV antibodies is characteristic of viral infection, it is not sufficient to confirm the presence of the viral type. Molecular tests used to diagnose the HTLV-I/II viruses are based on investigations of proviral genomic sequences, and allow for an infection to be diagnosed prior to the appearance of any sign or symptom. The HTLV proviral load in infected individuals can be determined using real-time PCR, a faster method with less risk of contamination than simple or nested PCR. We analyzed 63 samples from the Hemope Hospital, of which 33 were from HTLV seropositive individuals and 30 from blood donors, to determine the type of virus and the proviral load. The sensitivity of qualitative PCR in comparison to ELISA was 87.5% (95% IC: 70.1 - 95.9%) and the specificity was 100% (IC 95%: 85.9 - 100.0%). The sensitivity and specificity of real-time PCR in comparison to the serological test (ELISA) were 100% (95% IC: 86.7 - 100.0%) and 96.67% (95% IC: 80.9 - 99.8%) respectively. The proviral load in the seropositive individuals ranged from 13 to 343820 copies/106 PBMC cells. Our study also observed that individuals with TSP/HAM had a higher proviral load than those who showed no symptoms. The use of real time PCR for routine clinical testing of infected individuals will play a significant role in identifying the virus type and determining the proviral load, thereby providing more appropriate treatment.Como os genomas provirais do HTLV-I e HTLV-II exibem grande homologia, há uma expressiva sororeatividade cruzada. Assim, a detecção de anticorpos anti-HTLV-I/II embora caracterize infecção viral, não permite estabelecer distinção entre os agentes. Os testes moleculares empregados para o diagnóstico dos vírus HTLV-I/II, baseiam-se na pesquisa de seqüências genômicas provirais permitindo o diagnóstico da infecção antes de aparecer sinal ou sintoma. A carga proviral de HTLV pode ser determinada através da utilização da PCR em tempo real, uma técnica rápida e com menor risco de contaminação que a PCR simples ou nested PCR. Analisamos, 63 amostras do Hospital HEMOPE, das quais 33 foram de indivíduos com sorologia reagente para HTLV e 30 de doadores de sangue, para determinar o tipo de vírus e a carga proviral. A sensibilidade da PCR qualitativa em relação ao ELISA foi de 87,9% (IC 95%: 70,9-96,0%) e a especificidade foi de 100% (IC 95%: 85,9-100,0%). A sensibilidade e especificidade da PCR em tempo real foram de 100% (IC 95%: 86,7-100,0%) e 96,67% (IC 95%: 80,9-99,8%), respectivamente. A carga proviral variou entre 13 cópias/10(6) células PBMC e 343820 cópias/10(6) células PBMC. Nosso estudo também observou que os indivíduos com PET/MAH tiveram carga proviral mais elevada que a dos indivíduos assintomáticos. A utilização da PCR em tempo real na rotina clínica dos indivíduos infectados poderá desempenhar um papel relevante na identificação do vírus e na determinação da carga proviral, contribuindo para direcionar um tratamento adequado

Effect of a lactate-guided conditioning program on heart rate variability obtained using 24-Holter electrocardiography in Beagle dogs.

The dogs' responses to training exercise are seldom monitored using physiological variables, and cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR) is a relevant determinant of endurance-training adaptation. There are studies in the literature establishing that regular exercise could interfere with CAR in dogs, measured by heart rate and vagal-derived indexes of heart-rate-variability (HRV). However, few studies were found using a prescribed training program based on the lactate threshold (LT) to determine HRV by a 24-h Holter analysis. The purpose of this study was to test whether an endurance-training program (ETP) guided individually by LT raises time-domain measures of HRV in healthy Beagle dogs. Twenty dogs were assigned to two groups: control (C) and trained (T). The dogs from group T underwent an incremental exercise test (IET) to determine their LT. Both LT and velocity corresponding to the LT (VLT) was determined by visual inspection. T group performed an eight-week endurance-training program consisting of treadmill runs set to 70-80% of the VLT. Next, dogs from the group T have submitted to IET again. The maximal velocities (Vmax) at which achieved by the trained dogs in both IETs were determined. The group S did not undergo IETs or ETP. HRV was determined by the 24-hour-Holter at rest, before and on the 2°, 4°, 6° and 8° training weeks. To examine the HR impact on HRV, standard HRV variables were normalized to prevailing HR. VLT and Vmax rose in group T, indicating an improvement of dogs' aerobic and anaerobic capacity. The normalized standard HRV indexes were relatively attenuated since these variables had a reduction in the degree of correlation concerning an average HR. The ETP resulted in decreased resting heart rate and increased time-domain indices, highlighting the log-transformed square root of the mean sum of the squared differences between R-R intervals (Ln rMSSD). The lactate-guided endurance-training program could lead to better parasympathetic cardiac modulation in Beagle dogs

Sugarcane fibre may prevents hairball formation in cats

Hair ingested by licking during cat grooming can eventually coalesce into solid masses in cat gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that dietary fibre might reduce formation of these trichobezoars (hairballs). The effects of two insoluble fibre sources added to kibble diets were evaluated with respect to trichobezoar faecal excretion. Thirty-two cats and four diets were used in a randomised block design: a control diet without additional fibre, 10 % added sugarcane fibre, 20 % added sugarcane fibre or 10 % added cellulose. Animals were fed for 42 d and during three separate periods (days 15-17, 25-27 and 40-42), the cats were housed individually in metabolic cages and their faeces were totally collected. The faeces were evaluated and the trichobezoars were isolated and classified into small (2·1 cm). Means were evaluated by repeated measures ANOVA and contrasts (P < 0·05). Cats fed sugarcane fibre shown a linear reduction of small and medium trichobezoar excretion (number per cat per day; P = 0·004) as well as a reduction in trichobezoar mass excretion (mg per cat per day; P < 0·01). The control group showed increased faecal excretion of large trichobezoars (P = 0·003), which were not present in the high sugarcane fibre group (P < 0·006). No effect of cellulose was observed for any evaluated trait. Therefore, long fibres (sugarcane fibre) may cause greater peristaltic stimulation, increasing the propulsion of hair through the gut, but further research is needed to validate this mechanism. In conclusion, sugarcane fibre reduced faecal hairball elimination in cats, which may have clinical applications for the prevention of health problems related to trichobezoars