Histopathology findings in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus Linnaeus, 1758) with chronic weight loss associated with bile tract obstruction by infestation with Platynosomum (Loos, 1907)

Chronic weight loss in marmosets is often associated with wasting marmoset syndrome (WMS), an important disease that occurs in callitrichid colonies around the world. Even though its etiology is very difficult to determine, particular variables, such as weight loss, diarrhea and alopecia, associated or not with infestation in the pancreatic ducts with Trichospirura leptossoma (Nematoda: Thelazioidea), seem to be linked with the syndrome. This study investigated the histopathology of the lungs, duodenum, liver, gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts and pancreatic ducts of six common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) suffering from severe non-diarrheic weight loss. Three individuals died naturally and the other three were euthanized. Microscopic findings showed the presence of adult flukes (Platynosomum) in the liver. These flukes, which provoke common infection in cats, were also observed inside the gallbladder as well as in the intra and extrahepatic bile ducts in common marmosets. Portal fibrosis was observed in two animals, which developed chronic fibrosing hepatopathy (biliary pattern, grade 3). The disease progresses without diarrhea and without pancreatic lesions or infestation. With the rogression, the animals presented with ascending cholangitis, cholestasis and portal fibrosis, sometimes culminating in secondary biliary cirrhosis. Therefore, this nfirmity, associated with chronic weight loss in common marmosets, could be another tiological factor linked with WMS

No right to sext? A critical examination of media and legal debates about teenage girls' sexual agency in the digital age

Advances in digital photography and distribution technologies enable many people to produce and distribute images of their sex acts. When teenagers do this, the photos and videos they create can be legally classified as child pornography since the law makes no exception for youth who create sexually explicit images of themselves. The dominant discussions about teenage girls producing sexually explicit media (including sexting) are profoundly unproductive: (1) they blame teenage girls for creating private images that another person later maliciously distributed and (2) they fail to respect—or even discuss—teenagers’ rights to freedom of expression. Cell phones and the internet make producing and distributing images extremely easy, which provide widely accessible venues for both consensual sexual expression between partners and for sexual harassment. Dominant understandings view sexting as a troubling teenage trend created through the combination of camera phones and adolescent hormones and impulsivity, but this view often conflates consensual sexting between partners with the malicious distribution of a person’s private image as essentially equivalent behaviors. In this project, I ask: What is the role of assumptions about teen girls’ sexual agency in these problematic understandings of sexting that blame victims and deny teenagers’ rights? In contrast to the popular media panic about online predators and the familiar accusation that youth are wasting their leisure time by using digital media, some people champion the internet as a democratic space that offers young people the opportunity to explore identities and develop social and communication skills. Yet, when teen girls’ sexuality enters this conversation, all this debate and discussion narrows to a problematic consensus. The optimists about adolescents and technology fall silent, and the argument that media production is inherently empowering for girls does not seem to apply to a girl who produces a sexually explicit image of herself. Instead, feminist, popular, and legal commentaries assert that she is necessarily a victim: of a “sexualized” mass media, pressure from her male peers, digital technology, her brain structures or hormones, or her own low self-esteem and misplaced desire for attention. Why and how are teenage girls’ sexual choices produced as evidence of their failure or success in achieving Western liberal ideals of self-esteem, resistance, and agency? Since mass media and policy reactions to sexting have so far been overwhelmingly sexist and counter-productive, it is crucial to interrogate the concepts and assumptions that characterize mainstream understandings of sexting. I argue that the common sense that is co-produced by law and mass media underlies the problematic legal and policy responses to sexting. Analyzing a range of nonfiction texts including newspaper articles, talk shows, press releases, public service announcements, websites, legislative debates, and legal documents, I investigate gendered, racialized, age-based, and technologically determinist common sense assumptions about teenage girls’ sexual agency. I examine the consensus and continuities that exist between news, nonfiction mass media, policy, institutions, and law, and describe the limits of their debates. I find that this early 21st century post-feminist girl-power moment not only demands that girls live up to gendered sexual ideals but also insists that actively choosing to follow these norms is the only way to exercise sexual agency. This is the first study to date examining the relationship of conventional wisdom about digital media and teenage girls’ sexuality to both policy and mass media.

Efeitos da vacina contra a circovirose suína sobre os parâmetros reprodutivos e produtivos em porcas reprodutoras e o seu impacto económico

Dissertação de mestrado apresentada na área Produção e Tecnologia Animal, na Escola Superior Agrária de Santarém, do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém.

Just Another Pelvic Mass?

Objectives: To describe the case of a patient presenting with weight loss and a pelvic mass. Materials and methods: We performed an advanced search in MEDLINE using the key words "wasting syndrome", "actinomycosis" and "pelvic mass". Results: A 63-year-old woman had a well-delimited and tender pelvic mass and was found to be anaemic. Before scans were performed, clinicians considered malignancy and other diagnoses. Conclusion: Actinomycosis is a chronic infection that usually affects the abdomen. Because of the lack of specificity of clinical and radiological findings, a multidisciplinary approach is the keypoint for making an accurate diagnosis.

Efeitos da vacina contra a circovirose suína sobre os parâmetros reprodutivos e produtivos em porcas reprodutoras e o seu impacto económico

Dissertação de mestrado apresentada na área Produção e Tecnologia Animal, na Escola Superior Agrária de Santarém, do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém.

Protein quality and distribution determines anabolic signaling, cellular energetics, and body composition

Building and maintaining muscle is critical to the quality of life for adults and elderly. Physical activity and nutrition are important factors for long-term muscle health. In particular, dietary protein – including protein distribution and quality – are under-appreciated determinants of muscle health for adults. The most unequivocal evidence for the benefit of optimal dietary protein at individual meals is derived from studies of weight management. During the catabolic condition of weight loss, higher protein diets attenuate loss of lean tissue and partition weight loss to body fat when compared with commonly recommended high carbohydrate, low protein diets. Muscle protein turnover is a continuous process in which proteins are degraded, and replaced by newly synthesized proteins. Muscle growth occurs when protein synthesis exceeds protein degradation. Regulation of protein synthesis is complex, with multiple signals influencing this process. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1) pathway has been identified as a particularly important regulator of protein synthesis, via stimulation of translation initiation. Key regulatory points of translation initiation effected by mTORC1 include assembly of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F) complex and phosphorylation of the 70 kilodalton ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K1). Assembly of the eIF4F initiation complex involves phosphorylation of the inhibitory eIF4E binding protein-1 (4E-BP1), which releases the initiation factor eIF4E and allows it to bind with eIF4G. Binding of eIF4E with eIF4G promotes preparation of the mRNA for binding to the 43S pre-initiation complex. Consumption of the amino acid leucine (Leu) is a key factor determining the anabolic response of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and mTORC1 signaling to a meal. Research from this dissertation demonstrates that the peak activation of MPS following a complete meal is proportional to the Leu content of a meal and its ability to elevate plasma Leu. Leu has also been implicated as an inhibitor of muscle protein degradation (MPD). In particular, there is evidence suggesting that in muscle wasting conditions Leu supplementation attenuates expression of the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway, which is the primary mode of intracellular protein degradation. However, this is untested in healthy, physiological feeding models. Therefore, an experiment was performed to see if feeding isonitrogenous protein sources with different Leu contents to healthy adult rats would differentially impact ubiquitin-proteosome (protein degradation) outcomes; and if these outcomes are related to the meal responses of plasma Leu. Results showed that higher Leu diets were able to attenuate total proteasome content but had no effect on ubiquitin proteins. This research shows that dietary Leu determines postprandial muscle anabolism. In a parallel line of research, the effects of dietary Leu on changes in muscle mass overtime were investigated. Animals consuming higher Leu diets had larger gastrocnemius muscle weights; furthermore, gastrocnemius muscle weights were correlated with postprandial changes in MPS (r=0.471, P<0.01) and plasma Leu (r=0.400, P=0.01). These results show that the effect of Leu on ubiquitin-proteosome pathways is minimal for healthy adult rats consuming adequate diets. Thus, long-term changes in muscle mass observed in adult rats are likely due to the differences in MPS, rather than MPD. Factors determining the duration of Leu-stimulated MPS were further investigated. Despite continued elevations in plasma Leu and associated translation initiation factors (e.g., S6K1 and 4E-BP1), MPS returned to basal levels ~3 hours after a meal. However, administration of additional nutrients in the form of carbohydrate, Leu, or both ~2 hours after a meal was able to extend the elevation of MPS, in a time and dose dependent manner. This effect led to a novel discovery that decreases in translation elongation activity was associated with increases in activity of AMP kinase, a key cellular energy sensor. This research shows that the Leu density of dietary protein determines anabolic signaling, thereby affecting cellular energetics and body composition.

Prevalence and factors associated with anthropometric failure, vitamin A and iron deficiency among adolescents in a Nigerian urban community.

Background: Under nutrition is a problem of severe magnitude in low income countries like Nigeria. Adolescent school children might also be vulnerable. The dearth of data hinders planning of school health and nutrition programmes for school children. Objective: To determine the prevalence of stunting, thinness; vitamin A and iron deficiencies among adolescent students in Nsukka urban, Nigeria and to determine factors that are associated with these nutritional problems. Methods: A total of 400 participants were randomly selected from 717 students aged 12 – 18 years in 3 randomly selected secondary schools. Questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and blood analyses were the data collection methods employed. Results: The prevalence of stunting was 33.3% and thinness 31.0%. Neither overweight nor obesity was observed. While 64.0% were anaemic; 44.0% had vitamin A deficiency (VAD). A total of 48.0% had both anaemia and stunting, 42% had VAD + thinness; while 40% had anaemia + VAD. Household income was a predictor of vitamin A status. Children from medium/ high income households had higher odds of having VAD than those from low income households (AOR=0.14; 95% CI=0.031, 0.607; P=0.009). Household income (AOR=0.12; 95% CI=0.021, 0.671; P=0.016), and age (AOR=0.09; 95% CI=0.014, 0.587; P=0.012) were independent determinants of height-for-age status. Conclusion: Among urban adolescent students in Nigeria, stunting, thinness, anaemia and VAD were problems of public health significance. Age and household monthly income played major roles.

Aportación de la bioimpedancia espectroscópica en el estado nutricional y de hidratación del paciente en hemodiálisis: impacto en la morbi-mortalidad

Aportación de la bioimpedancia espectroscópica en la valoración del estado de nutrición e hidratación del paciente en hemodiálisis. Impacto en la morbimortalidad. Los pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica tienen una mortalidad muy superior a la población general, siendo la principal causa la cardiovascular (Foley et al. 2005; Locatelli et al. 2004). Como consecuencia del gran impacto que tienen el estado nutricional ( Pifer et al. 2002; Gracia Iguacel et al. 2013) y la sobrehidratación (Kalantar Zadeh et al. 2009; Wizemann et al. 2009; Agarwal et al. 2010; Chazot et al. 2012) en la mortalidad, en los ultimos años se han desarrollado distintos métodos de análisis de la composición corporal, entre los cuales se encuentra la Bioimpedancia Espectroscópica (BIS). Esta herramienta permite cuantificar los diversos compartimentos del cuerpo (fundamentalmente masa magra, masa grasa y agua corporal) proporcionando al clínico información útil para la toma de decisiones, fundamentalmente en lo que respecta a la sobrecarga de volumen, aspecto fundamental en el manejo del paciente en hemodiálisis (López Gómez et al. 2011). La justificación de esta investigación se basa en existen pocos estudios longitudinales que analicen la evolución en el tiempo de marcadores nutricionales bioquímicos clásicos así como parámetros de bioimpedancia y su asociación con la morbimortalidad; no existiendo aún consenso sobre si los distintos marcadores pronósticos son mas predictivos con medidas basales o con medidas de seguimiento en el tiempo, por lo que nuestro trabajo puede contribuir a clarificar este aspecto. Además, existe un desconocimiento sobre el estado inflamatorio, la prevalencia de DPE y de sobrehidratación en la población en hemodiálisis de nuestro entorno por lo que consideramos importante analizarla para saber dónde estamos y en qué podemos mejorar. Objetivos: 1.- Impacto de la composición corporal así como de marcadores nutricionales bioquímicos e inflamatorios seguidos en el tiempo, sobre la morbimortalidad (evento compuesto muerte-hospitalización). 2.- Prevalencia del Síndrome de Desgaste Proteico Energético en función de distintas herramientas utilizadas para su valoración (criterios ISRNM, score MIS, y bioimpedancia).3.-Correlación entre los parámetros de bioimpedancia y parámetros bioquímicos nutricionales e inflamatorios. 4.- Análisis de la evolución en el tiempo de los parámetros bioquímicos, antropométricos y de bioimpedancia en el global de la muestra y en distintos grupos atendiendo al sexo, presencia de diabetes y grado de inflamación.. Diseño: Estudio observacional prospectivo de 15 meses de duración (Octubre/2013-Dic/2014) en pacientes prevalentes en hemodiálisis. Se ha realizado un corte transversal con los datos del primer mes de inclusión del paciente en el estudio (basal), a partir del cual se ha iniciado el seguimiento en el tiempo cada 2 meses. La mediana de seguimiento del estudio ha sido de 12 meses (RI 10-13 m). Pacientes y métodos: el nº de pacientes incluidos en el estudio fue de 169. Se incluyeron los pacientes estables, con mas de 3 meses en HD, excluyendose pacientes con ingreso reciente, proceso infeccioso o inflamatorio en 3 meses previos, neoplasia activa, marcapasos unipolar o con umbral de sensibilidad desconocido. Todos los pacientes firmaron el consentimiento informado. La prevalencia de DPE se analizó en el momento inicial y final del estudio. Para el análisis de la morbimortalidad se consideraron todos los ingresos de causa no programada, así como los éxitus por cualquier causa. Las funciones de supervivencia se calcularon mediante el análisis de Kaplan-Meier Para la identificación de las variables predictoras independientes del evento compuesto (muerte y / u hospitalización) se realizó un modelo de Cox univariante con las variables analíticas ( basal, media, mediana, máximo y mínimo) y demográficas y un modelo de Cox ajustado por edad,sexo e IMC con los parámetros de bioimpedancia . Las variables que dieron significativas en estos modelos (P < 0,05) se introdujeron en un modelo de Cox multivariante. Resultados. La prevalencia de DPE según criterios del ISRNM fue del 9.3 % en el momento basal, y del 4,3% en el momento de finalización del estudio. La prevalencia de sobrehidratación medida como AvROH fue del 20,1%. Durante el periodo de seguimiento se produjeron cambios significativos fundamentalmente en el índice de tejido graso (ITG) y en la sobrehidratación en los meses de verano (AvROH y TAFO). El 26% de la población de estudio tuvo al menos un ingreso hospitalario. 21 pacientes fallecieron durante el seguimiento (12,4% de la población). La principal causa de ingreso y éxitus fue la cardiovascular; consituyendo el 35% de los ingresos y el 57% de los éxitus. Los parámetros que presentaron asociación con el evento compuesto fueron: TAFO mínimo (HR 1.319: IC 95% 1.029-1.691; p= 0.029), PCR mediana (HR 1.032; IC 95% 1.014-1.050; p=0.001), albúmina máxima (HR 0.286; IC95% 0.085-0.966), colesterol total (HR 1.011; IC 95% 1.003-1.019; p=0.007) y nivel de 25 OH vit D (HR 0.947; IC 95% 0.915-0.981); p= 0.002). Conclusiones: El principal resultado de nuestro trabajo fue que la sobrehidratación, (medida como TAFO) se asoció de forma independiente con la morbimortalidad, y que las medidas seguidas en el tiempo (TAFO mínimo) tuvieron un mayor poder predictivo que las medidas basales. Adicionalmente; el estado nutricional e inflamatorio, medido mediante parámetros individuales, supuso un mayor impacto en la morbimortalidad que parámetros agrupados, como el score MIS o el síndrome DPE según criterios ISRNM. En nuestro estudio hemos encontrado importantes diferencias en la prevalencia de DPE en función de la herramienta utilizada (criterios ISRNM, MIS y parámetros de bioimpedancia). Finalmente, la periodicidad de la medición de las diferentes variables a lo largo del seguimiento nos ha permitido apreciar los cambios estacionales en los parámetros de bioimpedancia, los cuales se han acompañado de cambios en sentido inverso de algunos de los parámetros bioquímicos nutricionales.