Corrective shoeing as the only treatment of a congenital flexural deformity of the distal interphalangeal joint in the hind limb of a Spanish filly

En el presente artículo se describe el caso de una potra PRE, de 18 meses de edad, con una deformación flexural congénita de la articulación interfalangiana distal del miembro pelviano derecho, que respondió a una serie de herrados correctivos. Existen diversas opciones terapéuticas en una deformación flexural en la articulación interfalangiana distal en potros: tratamiento conservador (modificación de la dieta, ejercicio controlado, oxitetraciclina y control del dolor), quirúrgico (desmotomía del ligamento accesorio del tendón del flexor digital profundo y tenotomía del flexor digital profundo) y herrado terapéutico. En este caso, debido a la larga duración del proceso y a la negativa del propietario a someter a la potra a cirugía, se optó por un tratamiento ortopédico podológico. En el primer herrado, se aplicó una herradura de tamaño superior al casco, con extensión craneal, sin recortar los talones. Además, se hicieron claveras alternativas en las cuartas partes y talones. En el segundo herrado, 45 días después, se colocó una herradura sin compensar en las lumbres, del mismo tamaño que la utilizada en el primer herrado. Debido al crecimiento del casco, se recortaron los talones. En el tercer herrado, 45 días tras el segundo, las lumbres habían crecido, ocupando la extensión craneal de la herradura. Se mantuvieron las claveras alternativas para evitar clavar en hombros, favoreciendo así la expansión del casco en esta zona. Además, para mejorar la sujeción al caso se usó una herradura con pestañas en los hombros. Tras la serie de tres herrados, se apreció una notable mejoría clínica en esta potra. En conclusión, la deformación flexural congénita de la articulación interfalangiana distal puede responder a una serie de herrados correctores en algunos casos, sin necesidad de tratamientos adicionales.In the present article, we describe a congenital flexural limb deformity affecting the distal interphalangeal joint of the right hind limb in an 18-months old Spanish filly which positively responded to serial corrective shoeing procedures. There are different therapeutic options for the treatment of flexural limb deformity in the distal interphalangeal joint in horses: conservative treatment (changes in diet, controlled exercise intensity, oxytetracycline and medical pain management), surgical (inferior check ligament desmotomy and deep digital flexor tenotomy) and therapeutic shoeing. In the case presented here, because of the long duration of the process and because the owner refused the surgical option, we selected the orthopedic shoeing. In the first shoeing, we used a shoe bigger than the hoof, with cranial toe extensions. Additionally, we use alternative nail holes in quarters and heels. In the second shoeing, carried out 45 days after the first shoeing, we used a non-compensated shoe of the same size those used in the first shoeing. Furthermore, and because of the growth of the hoof, the heels were lowered. In the third shoeing, performed 45 days after the second, we observed that the toe grew up in the cranial toe extensions. We kept the alternative nail holes in order to avoid the holes in the toes promoting the growth of the hoof in the toes. Moreover, and in order to hold better the shoe, we applied with clicks in the toes. After 3 shoeing procedures, the filly underwent a marked improvement. It is concluded that a congenital flexural deformity affecting the distal interphalangeal joint might favorably respond in some cases to a series of corrective shoeing procedures without the necessity of additional treatments

Enhancing the Pierre Auger Observatory to the 10^{17} to 10^{18.5} eV Range: Capabilities of an Infill Surface Array

The Pierre Auger Observatory has been designed to study the highest-energy cosmic rays in nature (E > 10^{18.5} eV). The determination of their arrival direction, energy and composition is performed by the analysis of the atmospheric showers they produce. The Auger Surface Array will consist of 1600 water Cerenkov detectors placed in an equilateral triangular grid of 1.5 km spacing. The aim of this paper is to show that the addition of a "small" area of surface detectors at half or less the above mentioned spacing would allow a dramatic increase of the physical scope of this Observatory, reaching lower energies at which the transition from galactic to extragalactic sources is expected.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Nucl. Instr. & Meth. in Phys. Res.

Identification and frequency of consumption of wild edible plants over a year in central Tunisia: a mixed-methods approach

Objective: To identify wild plants used as food and assess their frequency of consumption over a year in a region of Tunisia where agriculture is undergoing a major transformation from smallholder farming to an intensive high-input agricultural system. Design: Qualitative ethnobotanical study followed by a survey of women's frequency of consumption of wild plants conducted using FFQ at quarterly intervals. Setting: Sidi Bouzid governorate of central Tunisia. Participants: Mixed-gender group of key informants (n 14) and focus group participants (n 43). Survey sample of women aged 20-49 years, representative at governorate level (n 584). Results: Ethnobotanical study: thirty folk species of wild edible plants corresponding to thirty-five taxa were identified by key informants, while twenty folk species (twenty-five taxa) were described by focus groups as commonly eaten. Population-based survey: 98 % of women had consumed a wild plant over the year, with a median frequency of 2 d/month. Wild and semi-domesticated fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Anethum graveolens) was the most frequently consumed folk species. Women in the upper tertile of wild plant consumption frequency were more likely to be in their 30s, to live in an urban area, to have non-monetary access to foods from their extended family and to belong to wealthier households. Conclusions: In this population, wild edible plants, predominantly leafy vegetables, are appreciated but consumed infrequently. Their favourable perception, however, offers an opportunity for promoting their consumption which could play a role in providing healthy diets and mitigating the obesity epidemic that is affecting the Tunisian population

The Oxalate-Carbonate Pathway of Brosimum alicastrum Sw.; Moraceae

The oxalate - carbonate pathway (OCP) is a biogeochemical process involving plants, fungi and bacteria that transforms atmospheric CO 2 into CaCO 3 . However, until now the process has only been studied in acidic soil environments adjacent to species that have limited food - production potential . This study used an experimental approach to evaluate an OCP associated with Brosimum alicastrum , a Neotropical species that produces significant quantites of food ( ca. 70 – 200 kg - seeds yr −1 ), in the calcareous soils of Haiti and Mexico. Enzymatic analysis of various tissues from B. alicastrum indicated that the species produces significant amounts of calcium oxalate (5.97 % D.W.) at all sample sites. Oxalotroph y , the bacterial metabolism of calcium oxalate that leads to the precipitation of CaCO 3 , was also confirmed with microbiological analyses in both countries. T he typical localised alkalinisation and identification of secondary carbonate associated with the OCP was obscured at most sample sites by h igh concentrations of lithogenic carbonate and total cal cium (>7 g kg −1 ), except at Ma Rouge, Haiti. Soils adjacent to subjects in Ma Rouge presented a localised increase in CaCO 3 concentration (5.9 %) and pH (0.63) . F indings in Ma Rouge , coupled with observations of root - like secondary carbonate deposits in Me xico, strongly impl y that the OCP can also occur in calcareous soils. Th us, this study confirms that the OCP acts in calcareous soils, adjacent to species with significant food - production potential, and could play a fundamental and un - accounted role in the global calcium - carbon coupled cycl

Skeletal maturation in relation to ethnic background in children of school age: The Generation R Study

Ethnicity is a well-established determinant of pediatric maturity, but the underlying genetic and environmental contributions to these ethnic differences are poorly comprehended. We aimed to evaluate the influence of ethnicity on skeletal age (SA), an assessment of pediatric maturation widely used in clinical settings. We included children from the Generation R Study, a multiethnic population-based pregnancy cohort, assessed at a mean age of 9.78 (±0.33) years. SA was evaluated by a trained observer on hand DXA scans using the Greulich and Pyle method. Ethnic background was defined as geographic ancestry (questionnaire-based assessment) (N = 5325) and genetic ancestry (based on admixture analysis) (N = 3413). Associations between the ethnic background and SA were investigated separately in boys and girls, using linear regression models adjusted for age, height and BMI. Based on geographic ancestry, 84% of the children were classified as European, 6% as Asian and 10% as African. Children of European background had on average younger SA than those of Asian or African descent. Asian boys had 0.46 (95% CI 0.26–0.66, p-value < 0.0001) and African boys 0.36 years (95% CI 0.20–0.53, p-value < 0.0001) older SA as compared to European boys. Similarly, Asian girls showed 0.64 (95% CI 0.51–0.77, p-value < 0.0001) and African girls 0.38 years (95% CI 0.27–0.48, p-value < 0.0001) older SA as compared to European girls. A similar pattern was observed in the analysis with genetically-defined ancestry. Furthermore, an increase in the proportion of Asian or African component was associated with older SA in both boys (log[Non-European/European]proportion = 0.10, 95% CI 0.06–0.13, p-value < 0.0001) and girls (log[Non-European/European]proportion = 0.06, 95% CI 0.04–0.08, p-value < 0.0001). In summary, children of Asian and African backgrounds have on average older SA as compared to children of European descent, partially explained by a genetic com

The evolution of nest site use and nest architecture in modern birds and their ancestors

The evolution of nest site use and nest architecture in the non-avian ancestors of birds remains poorly understood because nest structures do not preserve well as fossils. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that the earliest dinosaurs probably buried eggs below ground and covered them with soil so that heat from the substrate fuelled embryo development, while some later dinosaurs laid partially exposed clutches where adults incubated them and protected them from predators and parasites. The nests of euornithine birds—the precursors to modern birds—were probably partially open and the neornithine birds—or modern birds—were probably the first to build fully exposed nests. The shift towards smaller, open cup nests has been accompanied by shifts in reproductive traits, with female birds having one functioning ovary in contrast to the two ovaries of crocodilians and many non-avian dinosaurs. The evolutionary trend among extant birds and their ancestors has been toward the evolution of greater cognitive abilities to construct in a wider diversity of sites and providing more care for significantly fewer, increasingly altricial, offspring. The highly derived passerines reflect this pattern with many species building small, architecturally complex nests in open sites and investing significant care into altricial young. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’

Fetal and childhood growth patterns associated with bone mass in school-age children: The generation R study

Low birth weight is associated with lower bone accrual in children and peak bone mass in adults. We assessed how different patterns of longitudinal fetal and early childhood growth influence bone properties at school age. In 5431 children participating in a population-based prospective cohort study, we measured fetal growth by ultrasound at 20 and 30 weeks gestation, and childhood growth at birth, 1, 2, 3, and 4 years of age. We analy

Ancestry and dental development: A geographic and genetic perspective

Objective: In this study, we investigated the influence of ancestry on dental development in the Generation R Study. Methods: Information on geographic ancestry was available in 3,600 children (1,810 boys and 1,790 girls, mean age 9.81±0.35 years) and information about genetic ancestry was available in 2,786 children (1,387 boys and 1,399 girls, mean age 9.82±0.34 years). Dental development was assessed in all children using the Demirjian method. The associations of geographic ancestry (Cape Verdean, Moroccan, Turkish, Dutch Antillean, Surinamese Creole and Surinamese Hindustani vs Dutch as the reference group) and genetic content of ancestry (European, African or Asian) with dental development was analyzed using linear regression models. Results: In a geographic perspective of ancestry, Moroccan (β=0.18; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.28), Turkish (β=0.22; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.32), Dutch Antillean (β=0.27; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.41), and Surinamese Creole (β=0.16; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.30) preceded Dutch children in dental development. Moreover, in a genetic perspective of ancestry, a higher proportion of European ancestry was associated with decelerated dental development (β=-0.32; 95% CI: -.44, -.20). In contrast, a higher proportion of African ancestry (β=0.29; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.43) and a higher proportion of Asian ancestry (β=0.28; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.48) were associated with accelerated dental development. When investigating only European children, these effect estimates increased to twice as large in absolute value. Conclusion: Based on a geographic and genetic perspective, differences in dental development exist in a population of heterogeneous ancestry and should be considered when describing the physiological growth in children

Melting of a colloidal crystal

A melting transition for a system of hard spheres interacting by a repulsive Yukawa potential of DLVO form is studied. To find the location of the phase boundary, we propose a simple theory to calculate the free energies for the coexisting liquid and solid. The free energy for the liquid phase is approximated by a virial expansion. The free energy of the crystalline phase is calculated in the spirit of the Lenard-Jonnes and Devonshire (LJD) theory. The phase boundary is found by equating the pressures and chemical potentials of the coexisting phases. When the approximation leading to the equation of state for the liquid breakes down, the first order transition line is also obtained by applying the Lindemann criterion to the solid phase. Our results are then compared with the Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 7 pages, Revtex (using twocolumn style), four figures and postscript file. Submitted to Physica

Genetic polymorphism of miR-196a-2 is associated with bone mineral density (BMD)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate the translation of messenger RNAs. Given the crucial role of miRNAs in gene expression, genetic variants within miRNA-related sequences may affect miRNA function and contribute to disease risk. Osteoporosis is characterized by reduced bone mass, and bone mineral density (BMD) is a major diagnostic proxy to assess osteoporosis risk. Here, we aimed to identify miRNAs that are involved in BMD using data from recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on femoral neck, lumbar spine and forearm BMD. Of 242 miRNA-variants available in the GWAS data, we found rs11614913:C > T in the precursor miR-196a-2 to be significantly associated with femoral neck-BMD (p-value = 9.9 × 10-7, β = −0.038) and lumbar spine-BMD (p-value = 3.2 × 10-11, β = −0.061). Furthermore, our sensitivity analyses using the Rotterdam study data showed a sex-specific association of rs11614913 with BMD only in women. Subsequently, we highlighted a number of miR-196a-2 target genes, expressed in bone and associated with BMD, that may mediate the miRNA function in BMD. Collectively, our results suggest that miR-196a-2 may contribute to variations in BMD level. Further biological investigations will give more insights into the mechanisms by which miR-196a-2 control expression of BMD-related genes