Heavy Metal Poisoning in a Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Background: In recent decades the demand for unconventional pets has been relatively increasing, a situation that increasingly causes veterinarians to encounter these animals in medical and surgical practice. Of these animals, the birds stand out. Animals of the order Psittaciform are known as very curious and active creatures that have the tendency to chew objectsin their environment. Among the several occurrences that lead this animal to attend the veterinary clinic, we highlight the poisoning by heavy metals, especially lead poisoning (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The objective of this work was to report a case of heavy metal intoxication in cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus).Case: A cockatiel was taken to the veterinarian with a history of apathy, motor incoordination, exacerbated water consumption and regurgitation. Complete anamnesis was instrumental in directing suspected heavy metal intoxication. Radiopaque particles were visualized through radiographic examination, suggesting heavy metal intoxication. The diagnosis wasconcluded through complementary examinations since the clinical symptoms are nonspecific. The treatment was intended to provide emergency intervention, avoid further absorption, use of antidotes, provide supportive measures and provide guidance to the owner. It can be concluded that the diagnosis and treatment were successful.Discussion: Metal poisoning can kill birds. The veterinarian should always seek the literature in order to perform the best support and treatment. For this, detailed history and detailed medical history must be taken into account, since the time of ingestion and the type of metal interfere with the therapeutic conduct. The use of imaging tests such as x-rays andultrasound are essential to assist the clinician, especially in cases where the tutor does not know whether or not the animal has ingested an object. In the radiographic examination, the heavy metal has the characteristic of having high radiopacity, which was evidenced in the case in question. Radiographic positions should be considered in order to avoid false negatives. In the literature, the treatment of chelation therapy is prioritized to remove the circulating heavy metal and thus act on the cause of the problem. In the case in question calcium EDTA was used intramuscularly, which showed clinical improvement in the animal after the second application. Calcium EDTA binds to metals and facilitates their transport and excretion. The use of fluid therapy is necessary as a supportive treatment to prevent kidney damage, since heavy metals are highlyharmful to nephrons. Especially in cases where the animal stops feeding and ingesting water. The use of antibiotics is essential because in many cases the animal, in addition to not feeding, becomes prone to infections due to metal toxicity, therefore, prophylactic use is essential for a better prognosis. In the case in question, the use of enrofloxacin was effective,as reported in the literature. It is recommended that the diagnosis of serum lead and zinc dosage should be made, however, due to the difficulties of obtaining the samples, and since other metals may also cause intoxication, in the case in question the treatment was started without these results. According to the results obtained in this work, the treatment described in the literature is effective and can be performed immediately to save animal life without subsequent sequelae.Keywords: bird, lead, zinc, calcium EDTA

Types and concentrations of cytokinins in the micropropagation of Anthurium maricense

Faced with the demand for plants potted for their foliage, Anthurium maricense is seen as a viable option. However, most of the studies on obtaining micropropagated plantlets are for A. andraeanum, with nothing yet reported for A. maricense. The aim of this study therefore, was to evaluate the effect of four cytokinins in different concentrations, on the in vitro induction of shoots from nodal segments of A. maricense. The experimental design was completely randomised in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme, with four cytokinins (BAP, ZEA, CIN and 2iP) and 4 concentrations (0, 2.22, 4.44 and 6.66 μM), for a total of 16 treatments, with 6 replications of five test tubes, and using one nodal segment. Cultures were kept in a growth room at 25 ± 2°C, a photoperiod of 16 h and a light intensity of 30 μmolm-2 s-1 for 60 days. After this period, the number of shoots formed per node was evaluated. The addition of a cytokinin to the culture medium was determinant for the in vitro regeneration of shoots in A. maricense. The greatest estimated number of shoot formations in A. maricense were obtained in the culture media containing ZEA (3.87) and BAP (3.30), both at concentration of 6.66 μM

Induction of somatic embryogenesis in two cultivars of anthurium analysed by scanning electron microscopy

Somatic embryogenesis is an advantageous tool in the commercial production of micropropagated anthurium plantlets. As such, the aim of this study was to establish a protocol for the induction of somatic embryogenesis in Jureia and Luau cultivars. Defoliated nodal segments, 1.0 cm in length and containing one bud, were used as explants. The experimental design was completely randomised, in a 2 x 3 x 5 factorial scheme (cultivar: Jureia and Luau x auxin: 2,4-D, NAA and Picloram x concentration: 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 μM), with 30 treatments in a scheme of plots split over time (15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 days). The anatomy and percentage of embryogenic callus formation were analysed. The structures formed, analysed by scanning electron microscopy, corresponded to embryogenic calli. The Luau cultivar was superior in forming embryogenic calli. For the two cultivars, among the auxins under study, NAA demonstrated a greater induction potential for somatic embryogenesis, with the concentration of 7.5 μM giving the highest mean values. The 90-day evaluation period showed the maximum formation of embryogenic calli; however, mean values were fairly similar to the 75-day evaluation period. To induce embryogenic calli, therefore, it is suggested that the nodal segments be inoculated into a culture medium with added NAA growth regulator at a concentration of 7.5 μM, and that the explants remain in this medium for 75 days after inoculation

Aspectos neurológicos e funcionais do Alzheimer em idosos na perspectiva da terapia ocupacional/ Neurological and functional aspects of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly from the occupational therapy´s perspective

A Doença de Alzheimer (DA) é uma disfunção neurodegenerativa progressiva e irreversível que compromete aspectos neurológicos e funcionais dos indivíduos. É a forma de demência mais comum entre idosos e possui aumento gradual junto ao envelhecimento populacional. Em pacientes com DA, o comprometimento neurológico afeta o funcionamento ocupacional e social do indivíduo, também causando perda de funcionalidade. Nessa perspectiva, o objetivo deste estudo é identificar os aspectos neurológicos e funcionais nos idosos com DA, analisar a influência da condição na funcionalidade dos idosos e demonstrar possíveis intervenções da Terapia Ocupacional. Trata-se de uma revisão narrativa de literatura. O levantamento dos estudos foi feito por meio de bases de dados específicas da Terapia Ocupacional, Gerontologia e Neurologia. Dentre os vários tipos de demência, a DA é prevalente na maioria dos casos e gera déficits cognitivos, neurológicos, funcionais e sociais, deteriorando a qualidade de vida e o desempenho ocupacional das pessoas acometidas. Nesse sentido, a Terapia Ocupacional surge como meio para a ressignificação do cotidiano do idoso, melhorando seu desempenho ocupacional por meio de atividades antes tão significativas. Esse tipo de Terapia possui manejos terapêuticos que integram fatores neurológicos e funcionais, a fim de proporcionar uma melhor qualidade de vida e a potencialização ou manutenção do desempenho ocupacional. Portanto, as intervenções da Terapia Ocupacional junto a idosos com DA melhora o desempenho ocupacional, promovendo ganhos na autonomia, independência, socialização e funcionalidade por meio do uso da Terapia de Reminiscência, das Tecnologias Assistivas, da abordagem cognitiva e orientação a familiares e cuidadores

Erythrina velutina Willd. alkaloids : piecing biosynthesis together from transcriptome analysis and metabolite profiling of seeds and leaves

Introduction: Natural products of pharmaceutical interest often do not reach the drug market due to the associated low yields and difficult extraction. Knowledge of biosynthetic pathways is a key element in the development of biotechnological strategies for plant specialized metabolite production. Erythrina species are mainly used as central nervous system depressants in folk medicine and are important sources of bioactive tetracyclic benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), which can act on several pathology-related biological targets. Objectives: In this sense, in an unprecedented approach used with a non-model Fabaceae species grown in its unique arid natural habitat, a combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses (seeds and leaves) is presented. Methods: The Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome (de novo RNA sequencing) was carried out in a NextSeq 500 platform. Regarding metabolite profiling, the High-resolution Liquid Chromatography was coupled to DAD and a micrOTOF-QII mass spectrometer by using electrospray ionization (ESI) and Time of Flight (TOF) analyzer. The tandem MS/MS data were processed and analyzed through Molecular Networking approach. Results: This detailed macro and micromolecular approach applied to seeds and leaves of E. velutina revealed 42 alkaloids, several of them unique. Based on the combined evidence, 24 gene candidates were put together in a putative pathway leading to the singular alkaloid diversity of this species. Conclusion: Overall, these results could contribute by indicating potential biotechnological targets formodulation of erythrina alkaloids biosynthesis as well as improve molecular databases with omic data from a non-model medicinal plant, and reveal an interesting chemical diversity of Erythrina BIA harvested in Caatinga

Erythrina velutina Willd. alkaloids: Piecing biosynthesis together from transcriptome analysis and metabolite profiling of seeds and leaves

Introduction: Natural products of pharmaceutical interest often do not reach the drug market due to the associated low yields and difficult extraction. Knowledge of biosynthetic pathways is a key element in the development of biotechnological strategies for plant specialized metabolite production. The scarce studies regarding non-model plants impair advances in this field. Erythrina spp. are mainly used as central nervous system depressants in folk medicine and are important sources of bioactive tetracyclic benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, which can act on several pathology-related biological targets. Objective: Herein the purpose is to employ combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses (seeds and leaves) of a non-model medicinal Fabaceae species grown in its unique arid natural habitat. The study tries to propose a putative biosynthetic pathway for the bioactive alkaloids by using an omic integrated approach. Methods: The Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome (de novo RNA sequencing) was carried out in a Illumina NextSeq 500 platform. Regarding the targeted metabolite profiling, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a micrOTOF-QII, High Resolution Mass Spectrometer, were used. Results: This detailed macro and micromolecular approach applied to seeds and leaves of E. velutina revealed 42 alkaloids by metabolome tools. Based on the combined evidence, 24 gene candidates were put together in a putative pathway leading to the singular alkaloid diversity of this species. Conclusion: These results contribute by indicating potential biotechnological targets Erythrina alkaloids biosynthesis as well as to improve molecular databases with omic data from a non-model medicinal plant. Furthermore, they reveal an interesting chemical diversity in Erythrina velutina harvested in Caatinga. Last, but not least, this data may also contribute to tap Brazilian biodiversity in a rational and sustainable fashion, promoting adequate public policies for preservation and protection of sensitive areas within the Caatinga

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

Diretrizes Brasileiras de Medidas da Pressão Arterial Dentro e Fora do Consultório – 2023

Hypertension is one of the primary modifiable risk factors for morbidity and mortality worldwide, being a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Furthermore, it is highly prevalent, affecting more than one-third of the global population. Blood pressure measurement is a MANDATORY procedure in any medical care setting and is carried out by various healthcare professionals. However, it is still commonly performed without the necessary technical care. Since the diagnosis relies on blood pressure measurement, it is clear how important it is to handle the techniques, methods, and equipment used in its execution with care. It should be emphasized that once the diagnosis is made, all short-term, medium-term, and long-term investigations and treatments are based on the results of blood pressure measurement. Therefore, improper techniques and/or equipment can lead to incorrect diagnoses, either underestimating or overestimating values, resulting in inappropriate actions and significant health and economic losses for individuals and nations. Once the correct diagnosis is made, as knowledge of the importance of proper treatment advances, with the adoption of more detailed normal values and careful treatment objectives towards achieving stricter blood pressure goals, the importance of precision in blood pressure measurement is also reinforced. Blood pressure measurement (described below) is usually performed using the traditional method, the so-called casual or office measurement. Over time, alternatives have been added to it, through the use of semi-automatic or automatic devices by the patients themselves, in waiting rooms or outside the office, in their own homes, or in public spaces. A step further was taken with the use of semi-automatic devices equipped with memory that allow sequential measurements outside the office (ABPM; or HBPM) and other automatic devices that allow programmed measurements over longer periods (HBPM). Some aspects of blood pressure measurement can interfere with obtaining reliable results and, consequently, cause harm in decision-making. These include the importance of using average values, the variation in blood pressure during the day, and short-term variability. These aspects have encouraged the performance of a greater number of measurements in various situations, and different guidelines have advocated the use of equipment that promotes these actions. Devices that perform HBPM or ABPM, which, in addition to allowing greater precision, when used together, detect white coat hypertension (WCH), masked hypertension (MH), sleep blood pressure alterations, and resistant hypertension (RHT) (defined in Chapter 2 of this guideline), are gaining more and more importance. Taking these details into account, we must emphasize that information related to diagnosis, classification, and goal setting is still based on office blood pressure measurement, and for this reason, all attention must be given to the proper execution of this procedure.La hipertensión arterial (HTA) es uno de los principales factores de riesgo modificables para la morbilidad y mortalidad en todo el mundo, siendo uno de los mayores factores de riesgo para la enfermedad de las arterias coronarias, el accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) y la insuficiencia renal. Además, es altamente prevalente y afecta a más de un tercio de la población mundial. La medición de la presión arterial (PA) es un procedimiento OBLIGATORIO en cualquier atención médica o realizado por diferentes profesionales de la salud. Sin embargo, todavía se realiza comúnmente sin los cuidados técnicos necesarios. Dado que el diagnóstico se basa en la medición de la PA, es claro el cuidado que debe haber con las técnicas, los métodos y los equipos utilizados en su realización. Debemos enfatizar que una vez realizado el diagnóstico, todas las investigaciones y tratamientos a corto, mediano y largo plazo se basan en los resultados de la medición de la PA. Por lo tanto, las técnicas y/o equipos inadecuados pueden llevar a diagnósticos incorrectos, subestimando o sobreestimando valores y resultando en conductas inadecuadas y pérdidas significativas para la salud y la economía de las personas y las naciones. Una vez realizado el diagnóstico correcto, a medida que avanza el conocimiento sobre la importancia del tratamiento adecuado, con la adopción de valores de normalidad más detallados y objetivos de tratamiento más cuidadosos hacia metas de PA más estrictas, también se refuerza la importancia de la precisión en la medición de la PA. La medición de la PA (descrita a continuación) generalmente se realiza mediante el método tradicional, la llamada medición casual o de consultorio. Con el tiempo, se han agregado alternativas a través del uso de dispositivos semiautomáticos o automáticos por parte del propio paciente, en salas de espera o fuera del consultorio, en su propia residencia o en espacios públicos. Se dio un paso más con el uso de dispositivos semiautomáticos equipados con memoria que permiten mediciones secuenciales fuera del consultorio (AMPA; o MRPA) y otros automáticos que permiten mediciones programadas durante períodos más largos (MAPA). Algunos aspectos en la medición de la PA pueden interferir en la obtención de resultados confiables y, en consecuencia, causar daños en las decisiones a tomar. Estos incluyen la importancia de usar valores promedio, la variación de la PA durante el día y la variabilidad a corto plazo. Estos aspectos han alentado la realización de un mayor número de mediciones en diversas situaciones, y diferentes pautas han abogado por el uso de equipos que promuevan estas acciones. Los dispositivos que realizan MRPA o MAPA, que además de permitir una mayor precisión, cuando se usan juntos, detectan la hipertensión de bata blanca (HBB), la hipertensión enmascarada (HM), las alteraciones de la PA durante el sueño y la hipertensión resistente (HR) (definida en el Capítulo 2 de esta guía), están ganando cada vez más importancia. Teniendo en cuenta estos detalles, debemos enfatizar que la información relacionada con el diagnóstico, la clasificación y el establecimiento de objetivos todavía se basa en la medición de la presión arterial en el consultorio, y por esta razón, se debe prestar toda la atención a la ejecución adecuada de este procedimiento.A hipertensão arterial (HA) é um dos principais fatores de risco modificáveis para morbidade e mortalidade em todo o mundo, sendo um dos maiores fatores de risco para doença arterial coronária, acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) e insuficiência renal. Além disso, é altamente prevalente e atinge mais de um terço da população mundial. A medida da PA é procedimento OBRIGATÓRIO em qualquer atendimento médico ou realizado por diferentes profissionais de saúde. Contudo, ainda é comumente realizada sem os cuidados técnicos necessários. Como o diagnóstico se baseia na medida da PA, fica claro o cuidado que deve haver com as técnicas, os métodos e os equipamentos utilizados na sua realização. Deve-se reforçar que, feito o diagnóstico, toda a investigação e os tratamentos de curto, médio e longo prazos são feitos com base nos resultados da medida da PA. Assim, técnicas e/ou equipamentos inadequados podem levar a diagnósticos incorretos, tanto subestimando quanto superestimando valores e levando a condutas inadequadas e grandes prejuízos à saúde e à economia das pessoas e das nações. Uma vez feito o diagnóstico correto, na medida em que avança o conhecimento da importância do tratamento adequado, com a adoção de valores de normalidade mais detalhados e com objetivos de tratamento mais cuidadosos no sentido do alcance de metas de PA mais rigorosas, fica também reforçada a importância da precisão na medida da PA. A medida da PA (descrita a seguir) é habitualmente feita pelo método tradicional, a assim chamada medida casual ou de consultório. Ao longo do tempo, foram agregadas alternativas a ela, mediante o uso de equipamentos semiautomáticos ou automáticos pelo próprio paciente, nas salas de espera ou fora do consultório, em sua própria residência ou em espaços públicos. Um passo adiante foi dado com o uso de equipamentos semiautomáticos providos de memória que permitem medidas sequenciais fora do consultório (AMPA; ou MRPA) e outros automáticos que permitem medidas programadas por períodos mais prolongados (MAPA). Alguns aspectos na medida da PA podem interferir na obtenção de resultados fidedignos e, consequentemente, causar prejuízo nas condutas a serem tomadas. Entre eles, estão: a importância de serem utilizados valores médios, a variação da PA durante o dia e a variabilidade a curto prazo. Esses aspectos têm estimulado a realização de maior número de medidas em diversas situações, e as diferentes diretrizes têm preconizado o uso de equipamentos que favoreçam essas ações. Ganham cada vez mais espaço os equipamentos que realizam MRPA ou MAPA, que, além de permitirem maior precisão, se empregados em conjunto, detectam a HA do avental branco (HAB), HA mascarada (HM), alterações da PA no sono e HA resistente (HAR) (definidos no Capítulo 2 desta diretriz). Resguardados esses detalhes, devemos ressaltar que as informações relacionadas a diagnóstico, classificação e estabelecimento de metas ainda são baseadas na medida da PA de consultório e, por esse motivo, toda a atenção deve ser dada à realização desse procedimento

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