Distribuição geográfica de pequenos mamíferos não voadores nas bacias dos rios Araguaia e Paraná, região centro-sul do Brasil

We collected small mammals in two hydrographic basins in central Brazil, namely the Paraná and Araguaia basins, with the aim of examining the composition of forest dwelling small mammal species and to compare their geographic distributions. Fourteen sites were sampled, eight in the Paraná basin and six in the Araguaia basin. A total of 20 species of small mammals was registered (8 marsupials and 12 rodents), 16 of them in live traps (5,253 trap-nights) and eight in pitfalls (224 trap-nights), adding to a total of 161 captures of 139 individuals. The Paraná basin showed 16 species (trap-nights: 3,115 and 104 respectively) and the Araguaia basin 11 species (trap-nights: 2,138 and 120 respectively), being both richness similar when the rarefaction method was applied. Seven (35%) out of the 20 species recorded occurred in both basins. The marsupial Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 was the most abundant species. The marsupials species recorded were D. albiventris, Caluromys philander (Linnaeus, 1758), Cryptonanus cf. agricolai Voss, Lunde & Jansa, 2005, Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister, 1854), G. microtarsus (Wagner, 1842), Lutreolina crassicaudata (Desmarest, 1804), Marmosa murina (Linnaeus, 1758), and Philander opossum (Linnaeus, 1758). The rodent species recorded were Akodon gr. cursor, Calomys tener (Winge, 1887), Nectomys rattus (Pelzen, 1883), N. squamipes (Brants, 1827), Oecomys bicolor (Tomes, 1860), Oryzomys maracajuensis Langguth & Bonvicino, 2002, Oryzomys cf. marinhus, O. megacephalus (Fischer, 1814), Oligoryzomys fornesi (Massoia, 1973), Oligoryzomys sp., Proechimys longicaudatus (Rengger, 1830) and P. roberti (Thomas, 1901). The range extension of some species is discussed, in addition to biogeographic considerations. The Caiapós Mountains may have been a geographic barrier for some small mammal species in the face of the retraction and expansion of forests in the past

Tumour brain: pre‐treatment cognitive and affective disorders caused by peripheral cancers

People that develop extracranial cancers often display co-morbid neurological disorders, such as anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment, even before commencement of chemotherapy. This suggests bidirectional crosstalk between non-CNS tumours and the brain, which can regulate peripheral tumour growth. However, the reciprocal neurological effects of tumour progression on brain homeostasis are not well understood. Here, we review brain regions involved in regulating peripheral tumour development and how they, in turn, are adversely affected by advancing tumour burden. Tumour-induced activation of the immune system, blood–brain barrier breakdown and chronic neuroinflammation can lead to circadian rhythm dysfunction, sleep disturbances, aberrant glucocorticoid production, decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and dysregulation of neural network activity, resulting in depression and memory impairments. Given that cancer-related cognitive impairment diminishes patient quality of life, reduces adherence to chemotherapy and worsens cancer prognosis, it is essential that more research is focused at understanding how peripheral tumours affect brain homeostasis

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Determination of mitochondrial genetic diversity in mammals

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is one of the most Popular population genetic markers. Its relevance as an indicator Of Population size and history has recently been questioned by several large-scale studies in animals reporting evidence for recurrent adaptive evolution, at least in invertebrates. Here we focus on mammals, a more restricted taxonomic group for which the issue of mtDNA near neutrality is crucial. By analyzing the distribution of mtDNA diversity across species and relating 4 to allozyme diversity, life-history traits, and taxonomy, we show that (i) mtDNA in mammals (toes not reject the nearly neutral model; (ii) mtDNA diversity, however, is unrelated to any of the 14 life-history and ecological variables that we analyzed, including body mass, geographic range, and The World Conservation Union (IUCN) categorization; (iii) mtDNA diversity is highly variable between mammalian orders and families; (iv) this taxonomic effect is most likely explained by variations of mutation rate between lineages. These results are indicative of a strong stochasticity of effective population size in mammalian species. They Suggest that, even in the absence of selection, mtDNA genetic diversity is essentially unpredictable, knowing species biology, and probably uncorrelated to species abundance

Incidence and pattern of technical complications in balloon-guided osteoplasty for depressed tibial plateau fractures: a pilot study in 20 consecutive patients

BACKGROUND: Inflation bone tamps are becoming increasingly popular as a reduction tool for depressed tibial plateau fractures. A number of recent publications have addressed the technical aspects of balloon inflation osteoplasty. However, no study has yet been published to describe the technical limitations, intraoperative complications, and surgical bailout strategies for this new technology. METHODS: Observational retrospective study of all patients managed with inflatable bone tamps for depressed tibial plateau fractures between October 1, 2010 and December 1, 2012. The primary outcome parameter was the rate of complications, which were stratified into “minor” and “major” depending on the necessity for altering the surgical plan intraoperatively, and based on the risk for patient harm. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the State of Colorado. RESULTS: A consecutive series of 20 patients were managed by balloon inflation osteoplasty for depressed tibial plateau fractures during the 15 months study period. The mean age was 42.8 years (range 20–79), with 9 females and 11 males. A total of 13 patients sustained an adverse intraoperative event (65%), with three patients sustaining multiple technical complications. Minor events (n = 8) included the burst of a balloon with extrusion of contrast dye, and the unintentional posterior wall displacement during balloon inflation. Major events (n = 5) included the intra-articular injection of calcium phosphate in the knee joint, and the inability to elevate the depressed articular fragment with the inflatable bone tamp. CONCLUSION: The observed intraoperative complication rate of 65% reflects a steep learning curve for the use of inflation bone tamps to reduce depressed tibial plateau fractures. Specific surgical bailout options are provided in this article, based on our early anecdotal experience in a pilot series of 20 consecutive cases. Patients should be advised on the benefits and risks of this new technology as part of the shared decision-making process during the informed consent

Relative importance of habitat and landscape scales on butterfly communities of urbanizing areas

Agricultural decline and urbanization entail rapid alterations of the patterns of organization of rural landscapes in Europe. The spread of the urban footprint to the adjacent countryside contributes to the development of new anthropogenic ecosystems in formerly rural hinterlands. In this study, butterflies are considered as biological indicators of these rapid environmental changes. Our purpose is to better understand changes in biodiversity related to the evolution of available habitats in a mutating landscape. In this study, we investigate butterfly communities of four land-use types (fallow lands, gardens, vineyards, woodlands) within different landscape contexts. Our results reveal that variations in structure and functional composition of these communities are related to different levels of human disturbance at both landscape scale and habitat scale