Antimicrobial Properties of a Venom Alkaloid in a new species of Panamanian Ant

Alkaloids are employed throughout multiple kingdoms, with one of the most well-known applications being defense. However, social organisms like ants have evolved a broader array of usages for these compounds, such as communication, resource monopolization, and as hygienic agents against microbial pathogens. Megalomyrmex, a small neo-tropical ant genus, produce a diversity of alkaloids for a variety of applications to aid them in defense and parasitism, yet the use of these substances as antimicrobials have not yet been documented in this group. For this study, we tested for the presence of trans-2-butyl-5-heptylpyrrolidine, a venom-derived alkaloid found in multiple ant genera and in or on the workers and brood of Megalomyrmex c.f. wallacei. We assessed the antimicrobial properties of this alkaloid using six diverse bacterial species and determined the minimum inhibitory concentration of the alkaloid for each using broth microdilution in a 96-well microtiter plate. This alkaloid inhibits the bacterial growth of six species (three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative strains). We also determined that trans-2-butyl-5-heptylpyrrolidine was the only alkaloid found in the venom of this ant species, and it can be detected on brood, suggesting possible transmission between workers and offspring. These findings suggests that Megalomyrmex c.f. wallacei may transfer the alkaloid-containing venom onto the brood to combat microbial pathogens, as has been shown in other ant species.A three-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Evolution and Ecolog

Histological findings in direct inguinal hernia : Investigating the histological changes of the herniated groin looking forward to ascertain the pathogenesis of hernia disease.

Abstract BACKGROUND: The study is focused on recognizing the histological changes of the structures close to and around the hernia opening in patients having direct inguinal hernia. METHODS: In 15 patients with primary bilateral direct inguinal hernia who underwent a Stoppa open posterior inguinal hernia repair, tissue specimens from the abdominal wall surrounding a direct hernia border were excised for histological examination. These findings in patients with direct inguinal hernia were compared with tissue specimens excised from the fossa inguinalis media of cadavers without hernia. RESULTS: Significant degenerative modifications such as fibrohyaline degeneration and fatty substitution of the muscle fibers were seen in the biopsy samples. Inflammatory infiltration with lympho-histiocitary elements, artery sub-occlusion and vascular congestion were also constantly identified. Noteworthy injuries of the nervous structures such as edema, degenerative fibrosis and atrophy were also detected. No comparable tissue damage was witnessed in the control samples. CONCLUSION: Presence of inflammatory infiltration, vascular damage and regressive nerve lesions, as well as fibrohyaline degeneration and fatty dystrophy of the muscle fibers are the features seen within the examined structures surrounding the direct hernia opening. These findings could represent a reason for a structural and functional weakening of the inguinal region. Consequently, the described results lead the authors to depict these changes as a plausible cause of direct inguinal hernia protrusion

Modified fixation free plug technique using a new 3D multilamellar implant for inguinal hernia repair: A retrospective study of a single operator case series

Aim: Implant fixation, mesh shrinkage and poor quality of tissue ingrowth are unresolved issues in modern hernia repair. Many complications reported in the literature such as bleeding, nerve entrapment, hematoma, pain, discomfort, and testicular complications, are considered to be a direct results of implant fixation. This article describes the outcomes of a procedure carried out using a handcrafted implant that addresses the issues consequent to point fixation. Methods: This was a retrospective study on the short, medium and long-term results of placing a-modified, fixation free three-dimensional polypropylene implant in 61 patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair using a novel delivery technique. The follow up length was at least 36 months postop. Results: Only minor adverse events and a low complication rate of the procedure were observed in this patient sample. There were no long- term complications. Postoperative pain was very low in both the short and long term. No chronic pain was reported. No recurrences occurred. Conclusion: The results of this retrospective study on a new method of inguinal hernia repair using a three dimensional handcrafted multilamellar implant delivered with a modified placement technique are promising. The short-, medium- and long-term complications were notably low. No recurrences were noticed but, more importantly, no chronic pain and extremely low discomfort rates were observed even in the long term. \ua9 2013 Springer-Verlag France

Plantar fascia evaluation with a dedicated magnetic resonance scanner in weight-bearing position: our experience in patients with plantar fasciitis and in healthy volunteers.

Purpose. This study assessed the usefulness of upright weight-bearing examination of the ankle/hind foot performed with a dedicated magnetic resonance (MR)imaging scanner in the evaluation of the plantar fascia in healthy volunteers and in patients with clinical evidence of plantar fasciitis. Materials and methods. Between January and March 2009, 20 patients with clinical evidence of plantar fasciitis (group A) and a similar number of healthy volunteers (group B) underwent MR imaging of the ankle/hind foot in the upright weight-bearing and conventional supine position. A 0.25-Tesla MR scanner (G-Scan, Esaote SpA, Genoa, Italy) was used with a dedicated receiving coil for the ankle/hind foot. Three radiologists, blinded to patients’ history and clinical findings, assessed in consensus morphological and dimensional changes and signal intensity alterations on images acquired in both positions, in different sequences and in different planes.Results. In group A, MR imaging confirmed the diagnosis in 15/20 cases; in 4/15 cases, a partial tear of the plantar fascia was identified in the upright weight-bearing position alone. In the remaining 5/20 cases in group A and in all cases in group B, the plantar fascia showed no abnormal signal intensity. Because of the increased stretching of the plantar fascia, in all cases in group A and B, thickness in the proximal third was significantly reduced (p<0.0001) under upright weight-bearing compared with the supine position Conclusions. Imaging the ankle/hind foot in the upright weight-bearing position with a dedicated MR scanner and a dedicated coil might enable the identification of partial tears of the plantar fascia, which could be overlooked in the supine position

Comparison between local and regional anesthesia in arteriovenous fistula creation.

PURPOSE: Assessment of the effectiveness of Brachial Plexus Block (BPB) via axillary approach compared to regional anesthesia for arteriovenous fistula surgery in patients affected by end-stage renal disease. METHODS: We compared forty patients randomly divided into two groups. Group A underwent BPB procedure with 15 mL ropivacaine 1% and 10 mL of saline (0.9% NaCl) via axillary approach. Group B received local anesthesia with lidocaine 2%. The forearm blood vessels were assessed by Doppler ultrasonography before and after the intervention. RESULTS: BPB performed on Group A was associated with a considerable venous dilation and a significant decrease (48.7%, P<.05) in pulsatility index (PI) measured by Doppler ultrasound. In Group B, PI and venous dilation remained unaltered in the postoperative phase. No complications such as thrombosis or occlusion were encountered among patients who underwent BPB. CONCLUSIONS: The axillary-approached BPB was more advantageous than local anesthesia. Its effectiveness was because of venous dilation and the decrease in the PI, consequent to the reduction in peripheral resistances and the increase in local blood flow, thus offering an ideal background for fistula creation and short-term patency

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Comorbidities on Elderly Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine Wards: Data from the RePoSi Registry

Background: Currently, diabetes represents the seventh leading cause of death worldwide, with a significant economic burden. The number and severity of comorbidities increase with age, and are identified as important determinants that influence the prognosis. We aimed to investigate comorbidities and outcomes in a cohort of hospitalized elderly patients affected by diabetes. Methods: In this observational study, we retrospectively analyzed data collected from the REgistro dei pazienti per lo studio delle POlipatologie e politerapie in reparti della rete Simi (RePoSi) reg-istry. Socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory findings were considered. The association between variables and in-hospital and 1-year follow-up were analyzed. Results: Among 4708 in-patients, 1378 (29.3%) had a diagnosis of diabetes. Patients with diabetes had more previous hospitalization, a clinically significant disability, and more need for a urinary catheter in comparison with subjects without diabetes. Patients affected by diabetes took more drugs, both at admission, at in-hospital stay, at discharge, and at 1-year follow-up. Thirty-five comorbidities were more frequent in patients with diabetes, and the first five were hypertension (57.1%), ischemic heart disease (31.4%), chronic renal failure (28.8%), atrial fibrillation (25.6%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22.7%). Heart rate was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. At 1-year follow-up, cancer and male sex were strongly independently associated with mortality. Conclusions: Our findings showed the severity of the impact of diabetes and its comorbidities in the real life of internal medicine and geriatric wards, and provide data to be used for a better tailored management of elderly in-patients with diabetes

A Highly Contiguous and Annotated Genome Assembly of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)

Article asserts that the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC) is an iconic North American prairie grouse, renowned for ornate and spectacular breeding season displays, a species that has been declining in population across much of its historical range, with corresponding precipitous declines in contemporary population abundance, largely due to climatic and anthropogenic factors. The authors describe an annotated reference genome that was generated from a LEPC sample collected from the southern DPS

Beta-Blocker Use in Older Hospitalized Patients Affected by Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Italian Survey From the REPOSI Register

Beta (β)-blockers (BB) are useful in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the use of BBs could induce bronchoconstriction due to β2-blockade. For this reason, both the ESC and GOLD guidelines strongly suggest the use of selective β1-BB in patients with HF and COPD. However, low adherence to guidelines was observed in multiple clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate the BBs use in older patients affected by HF and COPD, recorded in the REPOSI register. Of 942 patients affected by HF, 47.1% were treated with BBs. The use of BBs was significantly lower in patients with HF and COPD than in patients affected by HF alone, both at admission and at discharge (admission, 36.9% vs. 51.3%; discharge, 38.0% vs. 51.7%). In addition, no further BB users were found at discharge. The probability to being treated with a BB was significantly lower in patients with HF also affected by COPD (adj. OR, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.37-0.67), while the diagnosis of COPD was not associated with the choice of selective β1-BB (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.33, 0.76-2.34). Despite clear recommendations by clinical guidelines, a significant underuse of BBs was also observed after hospital discharge. In COPD affected patients, physicians unreasonably reject BBs use, rather than choosing a β1-BB. The expected improvement of the BB prescriptions after hospitalization was not observed. A multidisciplinary approach among hospital physicians, general practitioners, and pharmacologists should be carried out for better drug management and adherence to guideline recommendations

Pain and Frailty in Hospitalized Older Adults

Introduction: Pain and frailty are prevalent conditions in the older population. Many chronic diseases are likely involved in their origin, and both have a negative impact on quality of life. However, few studies have analysed their association. Methods: In light of this knowledge gap, 3577 acutely hospitalized patients 65&nbsp;years or older enrolled in the REPOSI register, an Italian network of internal medicine and geriatric hospital wards, were assessed to calculate the frailty index (FI). The impact of pain and some of its characteristics on the degree of frailty was evaluated using an ordinal logistic regression model after adjusting for age and gender. Results: The prevalence of pain was 24.7%, and among patients with pain, 42.9% was regarded as chronic pain. Chronic pain was associated with severe frailty (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.38–2.07). Somatic pain (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.23–2.07) and widespread pain (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 0.93–2.78) were associated with frailty. Osteoarthritis was the most common cause of chronic pain, diagnosed in 157 patients (33.5%). Polymyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases causing chronic pain were associated with a lower degree of frailty than osteoarthritis (OR = 0.49, 95%CI 0.28–0.85). Conclusions: Chronic and somatic pain negatively affect the degree of frailty. The duration and type of pain, as well as the underlying diseases associated with chronic pain, should be evaluated to improve the hospital management of frail older people

Sex-Differences in the Pattern of Comorbidities, Functional Independence, and Mortality in Elderly Inpatients: Evidence from the RePoSI Register

Background: The RePoSi study has provided data on comorbidities, polypharmacy, and sex dimorphism in hospitalised elderly patients. Methods: We retrospectively analysed data collected from the 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 data sets of the RePoSi register. The aim of this study was to explore the sex-differences and to validate the multivariate model in the entire dataset with an expanded follow-up at 1 year. Results: Among 4714 patients, 51% were women and 49% were men. The disease distribution showed that diabetes, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, and malignancy were more frequent in men but that hypertension, anaemia, osteoarthritis, depression, and diverticulitis disease were more common in women. Severity and comorbidity indexes according to the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS-s and CIRS-c) were higher in men, while cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and disability in daily life measured by the Barthel Index (BI) were worse in women. In the multivariate analysis, BI, CIRS, and malignancy significantly increased the risk of death in men at the 1-year follow-up, while age was independently associated with mortality in women. Conclusions: Our study highlighted the relevance and the validity of our previous predictive model in the identification of sex dimorphism in hospitalised elderly patients underscoring the need of sex-personalised health-care