Skull and mandible formation in the cuckoo (Aves, Cuculidae): Contributions to the nomenclature in avian osteology and systematics

The study of the contributions of different bones to the formation of the skeleton in birds is necessary: (1) to establish homologies in comparative anatomy; (2) to delimit each bone structure correctly, mainly in relation to the skull and mandible where the bones are fused to each other in adults; and (3) to standardize nomenclature in avian osteology. In this paper at least one young specimen belonging to each sub-family of Cuculidae was examined in order to identify each bone in terms of boundaries and contributions to skull and mandible formation. These cuckoos specimens were also compared with adults and young of turacos and hoatzin. The results show little variation of skull and jaw among the young cuckoos studied compared with the variations among adult specimens. However, it provides new suggestions for the boundaries and nomenclature of certain osseous structures in the skull and mandible of birds, specifically fissura zona flexoria craniofacialis, prominetia frontoparietalis, crista temporalis transversa, processus squamosalis, fossa laterosphenoidalis, tuberculum laterosphenoidale and processus retroangularis. This study also provides more reliable homologies for use in cladistic analysis and above all it contributes to the phylogenetic position of Cuculidae within Neognathae, specifically the skull formation suggest that turacos and hoatzin are more similar to each other than either is to the cuckoos. © 2005 Taylor & Francis.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor of the kidney mimicking wilms tumor: A case report and review of the literature

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare, aggressive, malignant neoplasm usually present with the widespread abdominal serosal involvement and affects mainly adolescents and young adults. When presenting within visceral organs, as kidney, the diagnosis of DSRCT imposes significant difficulties. We present a case of primary DSRCT of the kidney in a 10-year-old boy mimicking clinically and pathologically Wilms tumor. The tumor showed morphologic and immunohistochemical features of DSRCT and the presence of the Ewing sarcoma and Wilm tumor 1 fusion transcripts resulting from the t(11;22) (p13;q12) reciprocal translocation. DSRCT should be considered in the differential diagnosis of Wilm tumor and other small blue-round cell tumors of the kidney. © 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Age-related differences in time-limit performance and force platform-based balance measures during one-leg stance

Poor posture control has been associated with an increased risk of falls and mobility disability among older adults. This study was conducted to assess the test-retest reliability and sensitivity to group differences regarding the time-limit (TLimit) of one-leg standing and selected balance parameters obtained with a force platform in older and young adults. A secondary purpose was to assess the relationship between TLimit and these balance parameters. Twenty-eight healthy older adults (age: 69±5years) and thirty young adults (age: 21±4years) participated in this study. Two one-leg stance tasks were performed: (1) three trials of 30s maximum and (2) one TLimit trial. The following balance parameters were computed: center of pressure area, RMS sway amplitude, and mean velocity and mean frequency in both the anterio-posterior and medio-lateral directions. All balance parameters obtained with the force platform as well as the TLimit variable were sensitive to differences in balance performance between older and young adults. The test-retest reliability of these measures was found to be acceptable (ICC: 0.40-0.85), with better ICC scores observed for mean velocity and mean frequency in the older group. Pearson correlations coefficients (r) between balance parameters and TLimit ranged from -0.16 to -0.54. These results add to the current literature that can be used in the development of measurement tools for evaluating balance in older and young adults. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of fasting and refeeding on the metabolic functions of the turtle kinosternon scorpioides (linnaeus, 1766) raised in captivity

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Age-related differences in postural control: effects of the complexity of visual manipulation and sensorimotor contribution to postural performance

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Intraoperative Cardiac Arrest and Mortality in Trauma Patients. A 14-Yr Survey from a Brazilian Tertiary Teaching Hospital

Background: Little information on the factors influencing intraoperative cardiac arrest and its outcomes in trauma patients is available. This survey evaluated the associated factors and outcomes of intraoperative cardiac arrest in trauma patients in a Brazilian teaching hospital between 1996 and 2009.Methods: Cardiac arrest during anesthesia in trauma patients was identified from an anesthesia database. The data collected included patient demographics, ASA physical status classification, anesthesia provider information, type of surgery, surgical areas and outcome. All intraoperative cardiac arrests and deaths in trauma patients were reviewed and grouped by associated factors and also analyzed as totally anesthesia-related, partially anesthesia-related, totally surgery-related or totally trauma patient condition-related.Findings: Fifty-one cardiac arrests and 42 deaths occurred during anesthesia in trauma patients. They were associated with male patients (P<0.001) and young adults (18-35 years) (P = 0.04) with ASA physical status IV or V (P<0.001) undergoing gastroenterological or multiclinical surgeries (P<0.001). Motor vehicle crashes and violence were the main causes of trauma (P<0.001). Uncontrolled hemorrhage or head injury were the most significant associated factors of intraoperative cardiac arrest and mortality (P<0.001). All cardiac arrests and deaths reported were totally related to trauma patient condition.Conclusions: Intraoperative cardiac arrest and mortality incidence was highest in male trauma patients at a younger age with poor clinical condition, mainly related to uncontrolled hemorrhage and head injury, resulted from motor vehicle accidents and violence.

Keratosis pilaris and prevalence of acne vulgaris: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris has an important genetic predisposition, as well as keratosis pilaris. Clinical observations suggest that patients with keratosis pilaris have less frequent or less severe acne breakouts; however, we found no studies on this regard OBJECTIVE: To determine if the presence of keratosis pilaris is associated with lower prevalence and severity of acne. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with dermatology outpatients aged between 14 and 35 years. We evaluated history and clinical grade of acne, demographic variables, history of atopy, smoking, and use of hormonal contraceptives. Two groups were defined by the presence or absence of moderate to severe keratosis pilaris on the arms and were compared by bivariate analysis and by conditional multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: We included 158 patients (66% women), with a median age of 23 +/- 11 years. Twenty-six percent of them had keratosis pilaris, which was associated with a history of atopy (odds ratio [OR]=2.80 [1.36 to 5.75]; p<0.01). Acne was present in 66% of subjects, and was related to family history of acne (OR=5.75 [2.47 to 13.37]; p<0.01). In bivariate and multivariate analysis, the group with keratosis pilaris had a less frequent history of acne (OR=0.32 [0.14 to 0.70]; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The presence of moderate to severe keratosis pilaris on the arms was associated with lower prevalence of acne vulgaris and lower severity of facial lesions in adolescents and young adults.

Lower limb muscle coactivation levels in healthy younger and older adults during functional dual-task gait

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of daily cognitive task on stiffness of old and young female adults during the gait. The study included 17 physically active younger and 18 older women, with low risk of falls. The volunteers were asked to walk on the treadmill at two different gait conditions: normal gait and functional dual-task gait. The electromyographic signals were collected of the lower limb muscles. The percentage of coactivation for the tibialis anterior/gastrocnemius lateralis and tibialis anterior/soleus were significantly higher in elderly than in younger in the normal gait and dual-task gait. Our results suggest that the elderly have a greater stiffness in the ankle joint during gait normal and daily dual task gait. Thus, we conclude that challenging cognitively situations during the gait may increase the risk of falls in this population.

Influence of monomeric and polymeric structure on the physical properties of thermoplastic polyesters derived from hydroxy fatty acids

The physical properties of three vegetable oil derived medium and long chain poly(-hydroxy fatty ester)s (P(Me--OHFA)s), namely poly(-hydroxynonanoate) [P(Me--OHC9)], poly(-hydroxytridecanoate) [P(Me--OHC13)] and poly(-hydroxyoctadecanoate) [P(Me--OHC18)] (n = 8, 12 and 17, respectively), of the [-(CH2)(n)-COO-](x) polyester homologous series are presented. The effect of M-n (M-n 10-40 kg mol(-1)) and n on the crystal structure and thermal and mechanical properties of the P(Me--OHFA)s were investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), TGA, DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile analysis and are discussed in the context of the [-(CH2)(n)-COO-](x) polyester homologous series, contrasted with linear polyethylene (PE). For all P(Me--OHFA)s the WAXD data indicated an orthorhombic crystal phase reminiscent of linear PE with crystallinity (X-c = 50%-80%) depending strongly on M-n. The glass transition temperature and Young's modulus for P(Me--OHFA)s increased with X-c. The DSC, DMA and TGA studies for P(Me--OHFA)s (n = 8, 12 and 17) indicated strong correlations between the melting, glass transition and thermal degradation behavior and n. The established predictive structure relationships can be used for the custom engineering of polyester materials suitable for specialty and commodity applications. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Early influence of auditory stimuli on upper-limb movements in young human infants: an overview

Given that the auditory system is rather well developed at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy, it is likely that couplings between acoustics and motor activity can be integrated as early as at the beginning of postnatal life. The aim of the present mini-review was to summarize and discuss studies on early auditory-motor integration, focusing particularly on upper-limb movements (one of the most crucial means to interact with the environment) in association with auditory stimuli, to develop further understanding of their significance with regard to early infant development. Many studies have investigated the relationship between various infant behaviors (e.g., sucking, visual fixation, head turning) and auditory stimuli, and established that human infants can be observed displaying couplings between action and environmental sensory stimulation already from just after birth, clearly indicating a propensity for intentional behavior. Surprisingly few studies, however, have investigated the associations between upper-limb movements and different auditory stimuli in newborns and young infants, infants born at risk for developmental disorders/delays in particular. Findings from studies of early auditory-motor interaction support that the developing integration of sensory and motor systems is a fundamental part of the process guiding the development of goal-directed action in infancy, of great importance for continued motor, perceptual, and cognitive development. At-risk infants (e.g., those born preterm) may display increasing central auditory processing disorders, negatively affecting early sensorymotor integration, and resulting in long-term consequences on gesturing, language development, and social communication. Consequently, there is a need for more studies on such implications.

Heparin and dextran sulfate: their role on rsv infectivity

Respiratory syncytial virus is the major cause of acute lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children. Because there is currently no licensed vaccine for RSV, there is a substantial interest in the identification and development of RSV specific inhibitory agents. There are clinical evidences that glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are potential inhibitors of viral infection. In this study, the performance of two GAGs (heparin and dextran sulfate) were compared for their antiviral and virucidal activities on RSV. Analysis was performed using an in vitro infection model where, previously to infection, Hep-2 cells or RSV were incubated with heparin or dextran sulfate. The presence of viral particles was analyzed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polimerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA). The results showed that viral infection was more efficiently inhibited when Hep-2 cells were pre-incubated with heparin or, when viral particles were pre-incubated with dextran sulfate. Our study suggest that, in the absence of cellular death, heparin and dextran sulfate reduce RSV infection by different mechanisms, antiviral and virucidal ones, respectively. These data contribute for recent medical, microbiology and biochemical studies which suggest that the use of antiviral and virucidal compounds as more effective treatment to control virus infections.

Effects of resistance training in older women with knee osteoarthritis and total knee arthroplasty

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to analyze the effects of resistance training on functional performance, lower-limb loading distribution and balance in older women with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and osteoarthritis (OA) in the contralateral knee. In addition, this older knee OA and TKA group (OKG) was compared to older (OG) and young women (YG) without musculoskeletal diseases who underwent the same resistance training program.METHODS: Twenty-three women divided into OKG (N = 7), OG (N = 8) and YG (N = 8) had their functional performance, lower-limb loading distribution and balance compared before and after 13 weeks of a twice-weekly progressive resistance training program.RESULTS: At baseline, the OKG showed lower functional performance and unilateral balance, and impaired lower-limb loading distribution compared to the OG and the YG (p<0.05). After resistance training, the OKG showed improvements in functional performance (similar to 13% in sit-to-stand and rising from the floor, similar to 16% in stair-climbing and similar to 23% in 6-minute walking (6 MW)), unilateral balance (similar to 72% and,78% in TKA and OA leg, respectively) and lower-limb loading distribution, which were greater than those observed in the OG and the YG. The OKG showed post-training 6 MW performance similar to that of the OG at baseline. Sit-to-stand performance and unilateral stand balance were further restored to post-training levels of the OG and to baseline levels of the YG.CONCLUSIONS: Resistance training partially restored functional, balance and lower-limb loading deficits in older women with TKA and OA in the contralateral knee. These results suggest that resistance training may be an important tool to counteract mobility impairments commonly found in this population.

Impact of functional training on cardiac autonomic modulation, cardiopulmonary parameters and quality of life in healthy women

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamentode Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A genomewide association mapping study using ultrasound-scanned information identifies potential genomic regions and candidate genes affecting carcass traits in Nellore cattle

The aim of this study was to identify candidate genes and genomic regions associated with ultrasound-derived measurements of the rib-eye area (REA), backfat thickness (BFT) and rumpfat thickness (RFT) in Nellore cattle. Data from 640 Nellore steers and young bulls with genotypes for 290 863 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used for genomewide association mapping. Significant SNP associations were explored to find possible candidate genes related to physiological processes. Several of the significant markers detected were mapped onto functional candidate genes including ARFGAP3, CLSTN2 and DPYD for REA; OSBPL3 and SUDS3 for BFT; and RARRES1 and VEPH1 for RFT. The physiological pathway related to lipid metabolism (CLSTN2, OSBPL3, RARRES1 and VEPH1) was identified. The significant markers within previously reported QTLs reinforce the importance of the genomic regions, and the other loci offer candidate genes that have not been related to carcass traits in previous investigations.