Skin Tumors in Patients Aged 90 Years and Older

Background: The aging of the population in the developed world is an accepted fact. Consequently, the number of patients aged 90 years or over with cutaneous cancer will increase in coming years. Objective: The objective was to determine the nature of skin lesions amenable to dermatologic surgery in patients aged 90 years or more. Methods: We studied the clinical histories of 52 outpatients in their 90 s, who had had histopathologic studies made of their skin tumors when attended in the Hospital General de Alicante (Spain) between January 1999 and July 2002. We studied sex, age, type of tumor, site, associated disorders, regular medications, type of anesthesia, and type of treatment given. Results: The average age of the patients was 92.4 years. Thirty-six patients were women and 16 were men. Altogether the 52 patients had a total of 72 lesions. The most frequent diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma with 36 lesions, followed by 20 squamous cell carcinomas. The overall ratio of basal cell carcinoma to squamous cell carcinoma was 1.8. Patients had an average of 1.5 comorbid medical conditions and were taking an average of 2.3 regular medications. Conclusion: Dermatologists often attend patients aged 90 years or over with nonmelanoma skin cancer. The most important decision is as to what is the best management of these patients

Diet digestibility in growing rabbits: effect of origin and oxidation level of dietary fat and vitamin e supplementation

[EN] The effects of the dietary inclusion of fats with different origin (lard or vegetal oil), fatty acid profile (linseed or sunflower), oxidation level (fresh, peroxidised: 11 d at 55ºC or oxidised: 31 h at 140ºC) and vitamin E supplementation (0 or 100 ppm) on the rabbit diet apparent digestibility were studied. Digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract and gross energy were determined in eight diets using 58 rabbits aged 49 d. Contrast analysis between groups of diets showed that lard, characterised by a greater saturated fatty acid content, compared with vegetal oils, rich in unsaturated fatty acid, reduced the apparent digestibility of ether extract (62.3 vs. 68.4%; P=0.0329). However, there were no significant differences in the nutrient digestibility when linseed or sunflower oils (rich in [omega]-3 or in [omega]-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively) were compared. The oxidation degree of the sunflower oil and the supplementation with 100 ppm of vitamin E to the diets did not modify the apparent digestibility values of any dietary fraction.This work was financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology (AGL2003-06559-C02-02)Casado, C.; Moya, V.; Fernández, C.; Pascual Amorós, JJ.; Blas, E.; Cervera, C. (2010). Diet digestibility in growing rabbits: effect of origin and oxidation level of dietary fat and vitamin e supplementation. World Rabbit Science. 18(2). https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2010.18.0818

Automated FISH spots counting in interphase nuclei

ABSTRACT NUMBER 197Work supported by grant CYCIT (TIC92-0922)

Genetic selection of maternal lines and digestive efficiency in rabbits: long term selection for litter size at weaning versus hyper selection for reproductive longevity

The objective of the present paper is to evaluate how long-term selection for litter size at weaning or short-term hyper selection for reproductive longevity, affect the digestive utilisation of growing and lactating rabbits. A digestibility trial was carried out during the 3rd week of lactation with a total of 27 multiparous does: 14 females came from a line selected for litter size at weaning over 32 generations (V), and 13 from a recently constituted, long lived-productive line (LP). Another digestibility trial was performed during the growing period with a total of 48 growing rabbits (24 from each line). After a 7 d adaptation period, faeces were collected individually for 4 d (from 13 to 16 d of lactation or from 49 to 53 d of age, respectively). Daily feed intake and weight gain recorded during the experimental growing period were similar for both lines (137 g of dry matter (DM)/d and 48 g/d, respectively). Growing rabbits from the V-line showed greater values for the digestibility of the DM and OM (+1 percentage point; P<0.10) and signifi cantly higher values for the acid detergent fi bre (+3 percentage points; P=0.03) than animals from the LP line. No signifi cant differences for the apparent digestibility coeffi cients of crude protein, neutral detergent fi bre, crude fi bre and gross energy were observed between lines, these being on average 65.7, 23.0, 10.7 and 52.6%, respectively. Females from the LP line were initially heavier (+258 g of live weight; P=0.06), and presented a signifi cantly greater daily feed intake (+22 g DM/d; P=0.04) and milk yield (+37 g/d; P=0.01) during the pre-experimental and faeces collection phases (from 6 to 16 d of lactation). V-line lactating does displayed greater values for digestibility for all those nutrients evaluated (from +0.9 and +3.7 percentage points for the crude protein and acid detergent fi bre) compared to the LP line females, although these were only signifi cant for the DM, organic matter and gross energy (+2.3, +2.5, +2.1 percentage points; P<0.05). In conclusion, rabbits selected for litter size at weaning seem to have greater effi ciency for digestive utilisation than those hyper selected for reproductive longevity.This study has been supported by the Spanish CICYT project AGL 2004-02710/GAN.Pascual Amorós, JJ.; Ródenas, L.; Martínez, E.; Cervera, C.; Blas, E.; Baselga, M. (2008). Genetic selection of maternal lines and digestive efficiency in rabbits: long term selection for litter size at weaning versus hyper selection for reproductive longevity. World Rabbit Science. 16(3). doi:10.4995/wrs.2008.62516

Late reproductive senescence in a rabbit line hyper selected for reproductive longevity, and its association with body reserves

The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in reproductive and body traits during successive parities between two genetic lines. The LP line was constituted by means of selection of animals having an extremely high number of parities (at least 25) and an average reproductive performance compared to the V line selected for litter size at weaning during 31 generations. The two lines were found to have an equal reproductive performance in the first three parities, but the LP line had higher reproductive performance from the fourth parturition onwards. The low reproductive performance after the third parity in the V line was suggested to be caused by constrained environmental conditions in the test station. A line by parity interaction was also observed for body weight, since body weight declined going from the third to the fourth parity in the LP line but not the V line. Thus, it was concluded that hyper selection for reproductive longevity and average prolificacy successfully delayed reproductive senescence, and that this newly founded line showed less environmental sensitivity, which might have been mediated by a higher body reserve

Antidepressant Effects of High and Low Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) has antidepressant effects in patients withmajor depressive disorder. The mechanisms of ac-tion and optimal stimulation parameters remainunclear. To test the hypothesis that rTMS exertsantidepressant effects either by enhancing left dor-solateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) excitability orby decreasing right DLPFC excitability, the au-thors studied 45 patients with unipolar recurrentmajor depressive disorder in a double-blind, ran-domized, parallel group, sham-controlled trial. Pa-tients were randomized to receive 1 Hz or 10 HzrTMS to the left DLPFC, 1 Hz to the rightDLPFC or sham TMS. Left 10 Hz and right 1 HzrTMS showed similar significant antidepressanteffects. Other parameters led to no significantantidepressant effectThis study was supported in part by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion y Cienca (DGICYT), the Milton Fund, the Stanley Vada NAMI Foundation, the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression, and NIMHMedicin

Epidemiologic and Clinical Impact of Acinetobacter baumannii Colonization and Infection: A Reappraisal

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important antibiotic-resistant nosocomial bacteria. We investigated changes in the clinical and molecular epidemiology of A. baumannii over a 10-year period. We compared the data from 2 prospective multicenter cohort studies in Spain, one performed in 2000 (183 patients) and one in 2010 (246 patients), which included consecutive patients infected or colonized by A. baumannii. Molecular typing was performed by repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The incidence density of A. baumannii colonization or infection increased significantly from 0.14 in 2000 to 0.52 in 2010 in medical services (p<0.001). The number of non-nosocomial health careassociated cases increased from 1.2% to 14.2%, respectively (p<0.001). Previous exposure to carbapenems increased in 2010 (16.9% in 2000 vs 27.3% in 2010, p¼0.03). The drugs most frequently used for definitive treatment of patients with infections were carbapenems in 2000 (45%) and colistin in 2010 (50.3%). There was molecular-typing evidence of an increase in the frequency of A. baumannii acquisition in non-intensive care unit wards in 2010 (7.6% in 2000 vs 19.2% in 2010, p¼0.01). By MSLT, the ST2 clonal group predominated and increased in 2010. This epidemic clonal group was more frequently resistant to imipenem and was associated with an increased risk of sepsis, although not with severe sepsis or mortality. Some significant changes were noted in the epidemiology of A. baumannii, which is increasingly affecting patients admitted to conventional wards and is also the cause of non-nosocomial health care-associated infections. Epidemic clones seem to combine antimicrobial resistance and the ability to spread, while maintaining their clinical virulence.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIEuropean Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe” ERDFSpanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases REIPI RD06/0008FIS PI 10/00056 and PI 11/0204

Reproductive robustness differs between generalist and specialist maternal rabbit lines: the role of acquisition and allocation of resources

[EN] Background: Farm animals are normally selected under highly controlled, non-limiting conditions to favour the expression of their genetic potential. Selection strategies can also focus on a single trait to favour the most specialized animals. Theoretically, if the environment provides enough resources, the selection strategy should not lead to changes in the interactions between life functions such as reproduction and survival. However, highly specialized farm animals can be required for breeding under conditions that differ largely from selection conditions. The consequence is a degraded ability of specialized animals to sustain reproduction, production and health, which leads to a reduced lifespan. This study was designed to address this issue using maternal rabbit lines. A highly specialized line with respect to numerical productivity at weaning (called V) and a generalist line that originated from females with a long reproductive life (called LP) were used to study the strategies that these lines develop to acquire and use the available resources when housed in different environments. In addition, two generations of line V, generations 16 and 36, were available simultaneously, which contributed to better understand how selection criteria applied in a specific environment changed the interplay between functions related to reproduction and survival. Results: We show that, under constrained conditions, line LP has a greater capacity for resource acquisition than line V, which prevents excessive mobilization of body reserves. However, 20 generations of selection for litter size at weaning did not lead to an increased capacity of nutrient (or resource) acquisition. For the two generations of line V, the partitioning of resources between milk production, body reserves preservation or repletion or foetal growth differed. Conclusions: Combining foundational and selection criteria with a specific selection environment resulted in female rabbits that had a different capacity to deal with environmental constraints. An increased robustness was considered as an emergent property of combining a multiple trait foundational criterion with a wide range of environmental conditions. Since such a strategy was successful to increase the robustness of female rabbits without impairing their productivity, there is no reason that it should not be applied in other livestock species.The authors thank Juan Carlos Moreno Pardo, Luis Rodenas Martinez and Eugenio Martinez Paredes for their technical support, and Doctors Manuel Baselga Izquierdo, Enrique Blas Ferrer and Concha Cervera Fras for their valuable comments in the first version of this work. We also thank the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Project AGL2011-30170-C02-01) for the economic support.Savietto, D.; Friggens, NC.; Pascual Amorós, JJ. (2015). Reproductive robustness differs between generalist and specialist maternal rabbit lines: the role of acquisition and allocation of resources. Genetics Selection Evolution. 47(2):1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-014-0073-5S111472Knap, P. W. (2005). Breeding robust pigs. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 45(8), 763. doi:10.1071/ea05041Havenstein, G., Ferket, P., & Qureshi, M. (2003). Growth, livability, and feed conversion of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets. Poultry Science, 82(10), 1500-1508. doi:10.1093/ps/82.10.1500Havenstein, G., Ferket, P., & Qureshi, M. (2003). Carcass composition and yield of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets. Poultry Science, 82(10), 1509-1518. doi:10.1093/ps/82.10.1509Hansen, L. B. (2000). Consequences of Selection for Milk Yield from a Geneticist’s Viewpoint. Journal of Dairy Science, 83(5), 1145-1150. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(00)74980-0Poggenpoel, D. G., Ferreira, G. F., Hayes, J. P., & du Preez, J. J. (1996). Response to long‐term selection for egg production in laying hens. British Poultry Science, 37(4), 743-756. doi:10.1080/00071669608417904Estany, J., Camacho, J., Baselga, M., & Blasco, A. (1992). Selection response of growth rate in rabbits for meat production. Genetics Selection Evolution, 24(6), 527. doi:10.1186/1297-9686-24-6-527Garcı́a, M. L., & Baselga, M. (2002). Estimation of genetic response to selection in litter size of rabbits using a cryopreserved control population. Livestock Production Science, 74(1), 45-53. doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(01)00280-9Horan, B., Dillon, P., Faverdin, P., Delaby, L., Buckley, F., & Rath, M. (2005). The Interaction of Strain of Holstein-Friesian Cows and Pasture-Based Feed Systems on Milk Yield, Body Weight, and Body Condition Score. Journal of Dairy Science, 88(3), 1231-1243. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(05)72790-9Lucy, M. C. (2001). Reproductive Loss in High-Producing Dairy Cattle: Where Will It End? Journal of Dairy Science, 84(6), 1277-1293. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(01)70158-0Felver-Gant, J. N., Mack, L. A., Dennis, R. L., Eicher, S. D., & Cheng, H. W. (2012). Genetic variations alter physiological responses following heat stress in 2 strains of laying hens. Poultry Science, 91(7), 1542-1551. doi:10.3382/ps.2011-01988Vicente, J. S., Llobat, L., Viudes-de-Castro, M. P., Lavara, R., Baselga, M., & Marco-Jiménez, F. (2012). Gestational losses in a rabbit line selected for growth rate. Theriogenology, 77(1), 81-88. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.07.019Lavara, R., Vicente, J. S., & Baselga, M. (2012). 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Noninvasive Modalities Used in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

In the past three decades, research on plasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI) has led to a gradual shift in SCI rehabilitation: the former focus on learning compensatory strategies changed to functional neurorecovery, that is, promoting restoration of function through the use of affected limbs. This paradigm shift contributed to the development of technology-based interventions aiming to promote neurorecovery through repetitive training. This chapter presents an overview of a range of noninvasive modalities that have been used in rehabilitation after SCI. Among others, we present repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), surface electrical stimulation tools such as transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tcSCS), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and functional electrical stimulation (FES), as well as its integration with cycling training and assistive robotic devices. The most recent results attained and the potential relevance of these new techniques to strengthen the efficacy of the residual neuronal pathways and improve spasticity are also presented. Future efforts toward the widespread clinical application of these modalities include more advances in the technology, together with the knowledge obtained from basic research and clinical trials. This can ultimately lead to novel customized interventions that meet specific needs of SCI patients