Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows Affected by Endometritis, Pododermatitis and Mastitis

The effects of endometritis, pododermatitis and clinical mastitis on the conception rate and calving-conception interval of multiparous and primiparous cows after fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) were evaluated. Clinical endometritis was diagnosed by ultrasonography 20-40 days postpartum upon observation of fluid in the uterine lumen. Cows with clinical endometritis were treated intramuscularly with 2 mg/kg ceftiofur hydrochloride over three consecutive days. Forty-five days after delivery, multiparous and primiparous cows with normal uteri according to ultrasonography were selected for the study, filed and inseminated by FTAI. To identify animals with hoof problems and clinical mastitis and to define their respective groups, the cows were observed daily during morning and nightly milking for up to 60 days after FTAI, and animals with hoof lesions were treated. Animals with clinical mastitis were treated with intramammary infusion containing 88 mg cefquinome sulphate every 12 h after milking for four days. The conception rate of multiparous cows with clinical endometritis at 30 and 60 days after FTAI was negatively affected compared with that of healthy cows with pododermatitis. However, clinical endometritis did not influence the primiparous category, whereas pododermatitis and clinical mastitis did not influence the conception rate of any category at 30 and 60 days after FTAI. Differences were not observed between primiparous or multiparous cows in the calving-conception interval. Keywords: Lactation, Pregnancy, Health, Fertilit

Street trees reduce the negative effects of urbanization on birds

The effects of streets on biodiversity is an important aspect of urban ecology, but it has been neglected worldwide. Several vegetation attributes (e.g. street tree density and diversity) have important effects on biodiversity and ecological processes. In this study, we evaluated the influences of urban vegetationÐrepresented by characteristics of street trees (canopy size, proportion of native tree species and tree species richness)Ðand characteristics of the landscape (distance to parks and vegetation quantity), and human impacts (human population size and exposure to noise) on taxonomic data and functional diversity indices of the bird community inhabiting streets. The study area was the southern region of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil), a largely urbanized city in the understudied Neotropical region. Bird data were collected on 60 point count locations distributed across the streets of the landscape. We used a series of competing GLM models (using Akaike's information criterion for small sample sizes) to assess the relative contribution of the different sets of variables to explain the observed patterns. Seventy-three bird species were observed exploiting the streets: native species were the most abundant and frequent throughout this landscape. The bird community's functional richness and Rao's Quadratic Entropy presented values lower than 0.5. Therefore, this landscape was favoring few functional traits. Exposure to noise was the most limiting factor for this bird community. However, the average size of arboreal patches and, especially the characteristics of street trees, were able to reduce the negative effects of noise on the bird community. These results show the importance of adequately planning the urban afforestation process: increasing tree species richness, preserving large trees and planting more native trees species in the streets are management practices that will increase bird species richness, abundance and community functional aspects and consequently improve human wellbeing and quality of life

Genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 influences susceptibility to papillary thyroid cancer

OBJECTIVE: Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes are widely polymorphic and confer interindividual variation in the ability to detoxify carcinogens or to activate pro-carcinogens. A common polymorphism of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) results in lack of enzyme activity and has been associated with an altered susceptibility to several cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the CYP2D6 poor metaboliser genotype and the risk of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. PATIENTS: One hundred and eighty-seven patients with PTC and 256 controls. MEASUREMENTS: Genotyping was performed by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis to detect the presence of the common CYP2D6*4 poor metaboliser allele. RESULTS: The frequency of individuals with the homozygous poor metaboliser genotype was lower in the patient group [1.6 vs. 5.5%, P = 0.037, OR = 0.28 (95% CI 0.09-0.93)]. The CYP2D6*4 allele frequency was also lower in the patient group [13.4 vs. 21.7%, P = 0.002, OR = 0.56 (95% CI 0.39-0.80)]. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the poor metaboliser genotype is associated with a protective effect against PTC. This could be explained by a possible role of CYP2D6 on the metabolic activation of putative environmental chemical thyroid carcinogens or by linkage to another cancer-causing gene. Further research may allow the identification of metabolic risk factors and contribute towards understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in thyroid carcinogenesis

Leprosy and Kaposi Sarcoma Presenting as an Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome in a Patient with AIDS

The simultaneous presence of infectious organisms within cutaneous lesions of Kaposi sarcoma in persons with AIDS has been demonstrated. We describe a patient with concurrent leprosy and Kaposi sarcoma presenting as an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in the setting of AIDS

Drug-drug interactions and adverse drug reactions in polypharmacy among older adults: an integrative review

OBJECTIVE: To identify and summarize studies examining both drug-drug interactions (DDI) and adverse drug reactions (ADR) in older adults polymedicated. METHODS: An integrative review of studies published from January 2008 to December 2013, according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, in MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases were performed. RESULTS: Forty-seven full-text studies including 14,624,492 older adults (≥ 60 years) were analyzed: 24 (51.1%) concerning ADR, 14 (29.8%) DDI, and 9 studies (19.1%) investigating both DDI and ADR. We found a variety of methodological designs. The reviewed studies reinforced that polypharmacy is a multifactorial process, and predictors and inappropriate prescribing are associated with negative health outcomes, as increasing the frequency and types of ADRs and DDIs involving different drug classes, moreover, some studies show the most successful interventions to optimize prescribing. CONCLUSIONS: DDI and ADR among older adults continue to be a significant issue in the worldwide. The findings from the studies included in this integrative review, added to the previous reviews, can contribute to the improvement of advanced practices in geriatric nursing, to promote the safety of older patients in polypharmacy. However, more research is needed to elucidate gaps

Susceptibility of Candida glabrata biofilms to echinocandins: alterations in the matrix composition

Candidiases are the most recurrent fungal infections, especially among immunosuppressed patients. Although Candida albicans is still the most widespread isolated species, non-Candida albicans Candida species have been increasing. The goal of this work was to determine the susceptibility of C. glabrata biofilms to echinocandins and to evaluate their effect on the biofilm matrix composition, comparing the results with other Candida species. Drug susceptibilities were assessed through the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of caspofungin (Csf) and micafugin (Mcf). The -1,3 glucans content of the matrices was assessed after contact with the drugs. The data suggest that, generally, after contact with echinocandins, the concentration of -1,3 glucans increased. These adjustments in the matrix composition of C. glabrata biofilms and the chemical differences between Csf and Mcf, seem responsible and may determine the effectivity of the drug responses.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 [POCI-01–0145-FEDER-006684] and BioTecNorte operation [NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000004] funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte, Célia F. Rodrigues’ [SFRH/BD/93078/2013] PhD grant and M. Elisa Rodrigues [SFRH/BPD/95401/2013] post-doctoral grant.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multiple gestation epidemiology--15 years survey

Between January of 1987 and December of 2001 were born 1243 twins related to 609 multiple pregnancies, in Maternidade Bissaya-Barreto. Data were grouped in periods of three years and several parameters were studied. The rate of multiple gestation has increased probably due to the contribution of the assisted conception techniques, and to the increase of the number of multiple fetal pregnancies (two or more) and to the increase of the mother age. These more frequent obstetric problems were preterm birth, gestational hypertension and abnormal sonographic data of fetal growth. The average age of delivery was 34 weeks and the birth weight has decreased. The most important factors for neonatal morbidity were hyaline membranous disease, intraventricular haemorrhage and the twin-twin transfusion syndrome. The neonatal mortality decreased in the last studied period

Serum Levels of Vitamin D and Dental Caries in 7-Year-Old Children in Porto Metropolitan Area

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with significant changes in dental structures. In children, it can induce enamel and dentin defects, which have been identified as risk factors for caries. This study aimed to assess the association between low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) levels ( 0), and advanced caries (d3–6mft/D3–6MF > 0). Serum 25(OH) D was measured using a competitive electrochemiluminescence immunoassay protein-binding assay. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used. Advanced caries in permanent teeth was significantly associated with children’s vitamin D levels <30 ng/mL, gastrointestinal disorders, higher daily intake of cariogenic food, and having had a dental appointment at ≤7 years old. Optimal childhood levels of vitamin D may be considered an additional preventive measure for dental caries in the permanent dentition.Generation XXI was funded by Programa Operacional de Saúde (Regional Department of Ministry of Health). It has support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Ana Cristina Santos holds a FCT Investigator contract info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Investigador FCT/IF/01060/2015/CP1319/CT0001/PT. The authors received no specific funding for this work

Clinical and genetic analysis of 29 Brazilian patients with Huntington’s disease-like phenotype

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by chorea, behavioral disturbances and dementia, caused by a pathological expansion of the CAG trinucleotide in the HTT gene. Several patients have been recognized with the typical HD phenotype without the expected mutation. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of diseases such as Huntington’s disease-like 2 (HDL2), spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA7, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) and choreaacanthocytosis (ChAc) among 29 Brazilian patients with a HD-like phenotype. In the group analyzed, we found 3 patients with HDL2 and 2 patients with ChAc. The diagnosis was not reached in 79.3% of the patients. HDL2 was the main cause of the HD-like phenotype in the group analyzed, and is attributable to the African ancestry of this population. However, the etiology of the disease remains undetermined in the majority of the HD negative patients with HD-like phenotype. Key words: Huntington’s disease, Huntington’s disease-like, chorea-acanthocytosis, Huntington’s disease-like 2