Retrospective canine skin peripheral nerve sheath tumors data with emphasis on histologic, immunohistochemical and prognostic factors

Abstract: In this retrospective study was determined the frequency of canine skin peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) in cases diagnosed by the Setor de Patologia Veterinária of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (SPV-UFRGS), Brazil, between the years 2000 and 2012. The canine profiles, as well as histological, immunohistochemical and prognostic aspects of the tumors were based on 70 samples, comprising 40 females, 29 males and one unspecified sample. Between 2000 and 2012, 2,984 skin tumors of dogs were diagnosed in the SPV-UFRGS, totaling 2.34% of skin neoplasms in dogs. Animals that comprised the largest amount of samples (43%) were those with no breed (SRD), followed by German Shepherds (10%). Females were more affected than males (40/70 - 57% and 29/70 - 41% respectively). Skin PNST of this research showed predominant localization on the limbs (40% in the forelimbs and 29% in the hindlimbs); affecting adult dogs, mostly aged between 8 and 11 years (54%). The samples were routinely processed for hematoxylin and eosin, and were also evaluated by toluidine blue and Masson's trichrome staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) anti-vimentin, -S-100, -GFAP, -actin, von Willebrand factor and neurofilament. Anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, mitotic index, intratumoral necrosis, invasion of adjacent tissues, tumor location, local recurrence and metastasis were related to the diagnosis of benign (49/70) or malignant tumor (21/70). The Antoni A histological pattern was observed more frequently in benign tumors. The immunohistochemistry helped to diagnose PNST, and anti-vimentin and anti-protein S-100 showed the highest rates of immunostaining. Throughout statistical analysis of animals with tumor recurrence, it was found that the chance of an animal with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor to develop recurrence is 4.61 times higher than in an animal that had a benign tumor.

Degenerative rotator cuff tear – Results and prognostic factors of arthroscopic repair

Factors affecting outcome after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are unclear and there is still insufficient evidence of efficacy of any treatment modality for rotator cuff tears. The purpose of the current study was to determine in a prospective randomized multicenter trial whether there is a difference in clinical outcome between three different treatment modalities in the treatment of degenerative, atraumatic supraspinatus tendon tear in elderly patients. 180 shoulders were randomized into three treatment groups: 1) physiotherapy, 2) arthroscopic acromioplasty and physiotherapy, 3) arthroscopic rotator cuff reconstruction, acromioplasty and physiotherapy. The objective of this study was also to evaluate retrospectively the effect of trauma, the size of the rotator cuff tear, smoking habits and glenohumeral osteoarthritis on the clinical treatment outcome after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in a consecutively prospectively collected series of patients. The patient data was gathered to the electronic database. The Constant score was used as a primary outcome measure. The follow‐up time was one year. The main finding was that operative treatment did not provide benefit over conservative regimen in elderly patients with atraumatic supraspinatus tear. Trauma did not affect on the clinical outcome and there was neither difference in the age of patients with traumatic vs. non‐traumatic rotator cuff tears. The size of the rotator cuff tear correlated significantly with the clinical results. The outcome was significantly poorer in tears with infraspinatus involvement compared to anterosuperior tears. Operatively treated rotator cuff tear patients who smoked were significantly younger than non‐smokers, and smoking was associated with poorer clinical outcome. Concomitant osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint was found to be a relatively common finding in supraspinatus tear patients. Osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint in operatively treated supraspinatus tear patients predicted poorer clinical results comparing to patients without osteoarthritis.

Born Global: Challenges and success factors

This Bachelor's thesis takes an outlook on the success factors and the challenges that Born Globals face.

Influence of seed size and ecological factors on the germination and emergence of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

An understanding of seed germination ecology of weeds can assist in predicting their potential distribution and developing effective management strategies. Influence of environmental factors and seed size on germination and seedling emergence of Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed) was studied in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Germination occurred over a wide range of constant temperatures, between 15 and 40 ºC, with optimum germination between 20 and 25 ºC. Time to start germination, time to 50% germination and mean germination time increased while germination percentage and germination index decreased with an increase in temperature from 20 ºC, salinity and osmotic stress. However, germination was tolerant to low salt (25 mM) or osmotic stress (0.2 MPa), but as salinity and osmotic stress increased, germination percentage and germination index decreased. Seeds of C. arvensis placed at soil surface showed maximum emergence and decreased as seeding depth increased. Seeds of C. arvensis germinated over a wide range of pH (4 to 9) but optimum germination occurred at pH 6 to 8. Under highly alkaline and acidic pH, time to start germination, time to 50% germination and mean germination time increased while germination percentage and germination index decreased. Increase in field capacity caused decreased time to start germination, time to 50% germination and mean germination time but increased germination percentage and germination index. Bigger seeds had low time to start germination, time to 50% germination and mean germination time but high germination percentage and germination index. Smaller seeds were more sensitive to environmental factors as compared to larger or medium seeds. It can be concluded that except for pH, all environmental factors and seed sizes adversely affect C. arvensis as regards seed germination or emergence and germination or emergence traits, and larger seeds result in improved stand establishment and faster germination than small seeds, regardless of moisture stress or deeper seeding depth.

Microenterprise success and failure factors

The purpose of this study is to identify factors contributory to success or failure of a microenterprise. Microenterprise is an enterprise with less than10 employees. About 99 % of all Finnish enterprises fall in this category. Earlier studies do not provide a comprehensive view on microenterprise success and failure factors. The theoretical part discusses the definition of success and failure, previous research and results already established about the topic and categories of business environment. The empirical part is founded on quantitative survey results from 204 Finnish microenterprises. The questions of the survey were based on previous surveys, literature and intuition. Both success and failure factors were enquired. Summary of the results was made and the results were compared among successful and unsuccessful enterprises. In open-end questions, the most important factors mentioned to affect enterprise performance positively were "Employees", "Customers" and "Skills, knowledge, education and experience." The most important factors affecting enterprise performance negatively were "Economical situation", "Employees availability and attitudes" as well as "Political decisions and passed laws". In Likert-scale set of questions, the most significant factors from the point of view of enterprise performance were "Product and / or service good quality", "Good reputation of the company" and "Staff's strong skills". The least significant factors were "Effect of marketing and promotion", "Conflicts" and "Differences of points of views of different generations". By Likert-scale set of questions, it was also tested which operations the enterprises perform, and according to the results, successful enterprises found "Performing a market research", "Use of distribution channel in sales" and "Expanding to new markets" less important than unsuccessful enterprises. The tests proved that the age of the enterprise correlates with the level of success of the enterprise: The younger the enterprise, the more successful it is. In addition, the results show that if the enterprise is family based, the less successful it is. In addition, there was also slight correlation between success and the level of growth, indicating that higher the level of growth the more successful the enterprise is. From the business environment point of view, the key finding was that internal factors affect more on the success of an enterprise than external factors, and that external factors affect more on the failure of an enterprise than internal factors.

Environmental and physiological factors that affect the efficacy of herbicides that inhibit the enzyme protoporphyrinogen oxidase: a literature review

Herbicides that inhibit the enzyme protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PROTOX) are usually effective to control dicotyledonous weeds and their agronomic efficacy is affected by environmental and physiological factors. The objective of this review is to summarize the knowledge of those factors available in the scientific literature in the last decade. Environmental factors that influence PROTOX inhibitors include temperature, irradiance and relative humidity. The most relevant physiological factors are the activity of enzymes that can detoxify herbicides and also of enzymes that mitigate the effects of oxidative stress in plants. The study also suggests some possible management strategies that could optimize the activity of PROTOX-inhibiting herbicides.

Cypsela or achene? Refining terminology by considering anatomical and historical factors

The worry about the indiscriminate use of the terms cypsela and achene for the fruits of Asteraceae has been frequently detached by specialists in this family. The present work was developed aiming to verify the existence of arguments to justify the adoption of a term against the other. After historical and anatomical analysis, we concluded that there is technical basis to consider cypsela and achene as different types of fruits. For Asteraceae, the correct is to call cypsela; achenes are only derived from superior ovaries, as in Plumbaginaceae.

Prevalence and risk factors for HBV, HCV and HDV infections among injecting drug users from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Viral hepatitis constitutes a major health issue, with high prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs). The present study assessed the prevalence and risk determinants for hepatitis B, C and D viruses (HBV, HCV and HDV) infections among 102 IDUs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Serological markers and HCV-RNA were detected by enzyme immunoassay and nested PCR, respectively. HCV genotyping was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP). HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs were found in 7.8, 55.8 and 24.7% of IDUs, respectively. In the final logistic regression, HBV infection was independently associated with male homosexual intercourse within the last 5 years (odds ratio (OR) 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-8.8). No subject presented anti-delta (anti-HD). Anti-HCV was detected in 69.6% of subjects, and was found to be independently associated with needle sharing in the last 6 months (OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.3-9.2) and with longer duration of iv drug use (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.1-8.7). These data demonstrate that this population is at high risk for both HBV and HCV infection. Among IDUs from Rio de Janeiro, unprotected sexual intercourse seems to be more closely associated with HBV infection, whereas HCV is positively correlated with high risk injecting behavior. Comprehensive public health interventions targeting this population and their sexual partners must be encouraged.

Prevalence of retinopathy in Caucasian type 2 diabetic patients from the South of Brazil and relationship with clinical and metabolic factors

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a sight-threatening chronic complication of diabetes mellitus and is the leading cause of acquired blindness in adults. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence of and the factors associated with DR in an analysis of 210 consecutive and unrelated Brazilian Caucasians with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Retinopathy was evaluated by ophthalmoscopy and/or biomicroscopy through dilated pupils. The relationship between clinical and metabolic variables and the presence of DR was assessed by logistic regression analysis. DR was detected in 99 of the 210 patients (47%). In the univariate logistic regression analyses, male sex, duration of diabetes, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, C-peptide, LDL cholesterol, smoking, and albumin excretion rate were found to be associated with the presence of DR. However, the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only duration of diabetes (odds ratio (OR) = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09-1.22; P < 0.001), glycated hemoglobin (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.01-1.46; P = 0.047) and albumin excretion rate >100 µg/min (OR = 12.72, 95% CI = 3.89-41.56; P < 0.001) were independently associated with DR. Although DR was found to be frequent among Brazilian type 2 diabetic patients, its prevalence was within the range observed in other Caucasian populations. Our findings emphasize the need for good glycemic control in order to prevent or delay the onset of DR, since the most well-known risk factors for the development of this complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus, such as duration of diabetes, glycated hemoglobin and albumin excretion rate were independently related to DR.

Incidence, risk factors and prognostic factors of acute renal failure in patients admitted to an intensive care unit

The objective of the present study was to assess the incidence, risk factors and outcome of patients who develop acute renal failure (ARF) in intensive care units. In this prospective observational study, 221 patients with a 48-h minimum stay, 18-year-old minimum age and absence of overt acute or chronic renal failure were included. Exclusion criteria were organ donors and renal transplantation patients. ARF was defined as a creatinine level above 1.5 mg/dL. Statistics were performed using Pearsons' chi2 test, Student t-test, and Wilcoxon test. Multivariate analysis was run using all variables with P < 0.1 in the univariate analysis. ARF developed in 19.0% of the patients, with 76.19% resulting in death. Main risk factors (univariate analysis) were: higher intra-operative hydration and bleeding, higher death risk by APACHE II score, logist organ dysfunction system on the first day, mechanical ventilation, shock due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)/sepsis, noradrenaline use, and plasma creatinine and urea levels on admission. Heart rate on admission (OR = 1.023 (1.002-1.044)), male gender (OR = 4.275 (1.340-13642)), shock due to SIRS/sepsis (OR = 8.590 (2.710-27.229)), higher intra-operative hydration (OR = 1.002 (1.000-1004)), and plasma urea on admission (OR = 1.012 (0.980-1044)) remained significant (multivariate analysis). The mortality risk factors (univariate analysis) were shock due to SIRS/sepsis, mechanical ventilation, blood stream infection, potassium and bicarbonate levels. Only potassium levels remained significant (P = 0.037). In conclusion, ARF has a high incidence, morbidity and mortality when it occurs in intensive care unit. There is a very close association with hemodynamic status and multiple organ dysfunction.

The impact of industrial context and institutional factors on innovation and internationalization of Russian companies

Innovation and internationalization nowadays play significant role in formation of the competitive advantage for the companies and it is important to explore these processes deeply and use their potential. Such parameters, as industrial context and institutional factors, are essential parts of the business life and their influence may be crucial for the company’s performance. The Master’s Thesis explores impact of industrial context and institutional factors on innovation and internationalization of Russian companies. This research is quantitative and based on the analysis of the relevant scientific literature and results of the survey, conducted among Russian manufacturing companies. Findings show positive influence of industrial context factor “international threat” and institutional environment factor “lack of resources and the market imperfections” on internationalization of innovative Russian companies.

Bacterial ecology of tilapia fresh fillets and some factors that can influence their microbial quality

The purpose of research was to investigate the bacterial ecology of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fresh fillets and some factors that can influence its microbial quality. Samples of fish cultivation water (n = 20), tilapia tegument and gut (n = 20) and fresh fillets (n = 20) were collected in an experimental tilapia aquaculture located in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Staphylococcus spp., Aeromonas spp., Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were quantified using selective plating. For the enumeration of Pseudomonas spp., the most probable number technique (MPN) was utilized. Bacterial colonies (n = 198) were identified by Gram strain and biochemical tests. Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were found in the cultivation water (water from a fishpond cultivation), tegument, gut, and fresh fillets. Staphylococcus spp. was not isolated in the cultivation water. Salmonella spp. was not detected. The count variable of 10 to 10³ CFU or MPN.(g or mL)-1. Associated to freshwater tilapia fillet processing, there is a large variety of microorganisms related to foodborne illnesses and fish products deterioration.