New host and locality records for Tetrameres (Gynaecophila) spirospiculum Pinto & Vicente, 1995 (Nematoda: Tetrameridae), with new morphological data

We report the finding of Tetrameres spirospiculum Pinto & Vicente, 1995 from Theristicus melanopis melanopis (Threskiornithidae) from Patagonia, Argentina. These constitute new host and locality records. We propose the assignation of this species to the subgenus T. (Gynaecophila) Gubanov, 1950, based on the presence of labia and the absence of cuticular flanges at the anterior end. Some new morphological data are provided, such as the arrangement of cuticular spines and the presence of a pair of somatic papillae at beginning of posterior third of body length. T. (G.) spirospiculum may probably be regarded as specific to birds of the genus Theristicus.

DHSSPS & HPSS Statutory Equality Obligations (PDF 57 KB)

In the Department of Health, Social Services and Public safety (DHSSPS) Information and Statistics, and Research, are viewed as policies in their own right rather than support functions to other policies. This paper presents - in synoptic form - an overview of the information availability, quality and deficits required for DHSSPS and the HPSS to meet its statutory requirements, as known by Information and Analysis Unit (IAU) in the Department. åÊ

Risk Management Induction & Awareness (PDF 324 KB)

What You Need to Know

Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the tegument of Paranaella luquei Kohn, Baptista-Farias & Cohen, 2000 (Microcotylidae, Monogenea), parasite of a Brazilian catfish, Hypostomus regani

The surface topography and ultrastructure of the tegument of Paranaella luquei Kohn, Baptista-Farias & Cohen, 2000, a microcotylid monogenean parasite from the gills of Hypostomus regani (Ihering, 1905) (Loricariidae) was studied by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By SEM, it was observed that the tegument presents transversal ridges, forming folds in the ventral and dorsal surfaces and microvillous-like tegumental projections in the anterior and median regions of body. These projections were also observed by TEM. The tegument is made up of a syncytium delimited by apical and basal plasma membranes, containing inclusion bodies and mitochondria, connected to the nucleated region by means of cytoplasmatic processes. The tegumental cells present a well developed nucleus and cytoplasm containing inclusion bodies, similar to those found on the external layer, mitochondria, rough endoplasmatic reticulum and free ribossomes.

Nursing & Midwifery Workforce Planning - Final Report Sept 05 (PDF 239 KB)

Nursing & Midwifery Workforce Planning - Final Report Sept 05

Characteristics of the bological cycle of Lutzomyia evandroi Costa Lima & Antunes, 1936 (Diptera: Psychodidae) under experimental conditions

Lutzomyia evandroi Costa Lima and Antunes, 1936 is found in Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil, in areas of visceral and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and follows the same geographic distribution of L. longipalpis. The biological cycle, oviposition, morphological and behavioral characteristics of the species were studied under experimental conditions. The average number of eggs per wild caught female varied from 21 to 50 eggs along the year, with a peak occurring between January and March and another in August, with oviposition lasting for 4 to 12 days. The mean larval phase was 24 days. Ovipositing rates were influenced by rainfall and temperature indexes, with an increase of eggs per oviposition at the beginning and at the end of the rainy season, and a decrease at the peak of the rainy season.

Description of immature stages of Culex ocossa Dyar & Knab, Culex delpontei Duret and Culex pereyrai Duret of the Melanoconion subgenus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The larva and pupa of Culex (Melanoconion) ocossa Dyar & Knab are redescribed and those of Culex (Melanoconion) delpontei Duret and Culex (Melanoconion) pereyrai Duret are described from specimens collected in the states of São Paulo and Paraná, Brazil. The pupa of Cx. ocossa differs from those of the other two species in having seta 5-IV-VI dark with strongly aciculated branches, and caudolateral angle of segment VIII produced into sharp point, and seta 1-P present; Cx. delpontei can be distinguished from Cx. pereyrai in possessing paddle lightly tanned, trumpet flared, and wing and leg cases lightly tanned, without pattern of dark spots; Cx. pereyrai can be recognized by having wing case with pattern of dark, discontinuously pigmented, longitudinal lines, and trumpet cylindrical, not flared. The larvae of the three species share the presence of seta 2-C placed medially to seta 1-C.

Bone mineral density (BMD), micro-architecture estimation (TBS) and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) extracted from a single DXA device in combination with clinical risk factors improve significantly the identification of women at high risk of fracture

Introduction: Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by a low bone mineral density (BMD) and a micro-architectural (MA) deterioration. Clinical risk factors (CRF) are often used as a MA approximation. MA is yet evaluable in daily practice by the Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) measure. TBS is a novel grey-level texture measurement reflecting bone micro-architecture based on the use of experimental variograms of 2D projection images. TBS is very simple to obtain, by reanalyzing a lumbar DXA-scan. TBS has proven to have diagnosis and prognosis value, partially independent of CRF and BMD. The aim of the OsteoLaus cohort is to combine in daily practice the CRF and the information given by DXA (BMD, TBS and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA)) to better identify women at high fracture risk. Method: The OsteoLaus cohort (1400 women 50 to 80 years living in Lausanne, Switzerland) started in 2010. This study is derived from the cohort COLAUS who started in Lausanne in 2003. The main goals of COLAUS is to obtain information on the epidemiology and genetic determinants of cardiovascular risk in 6700 men and women. CRF for OP, bone ultrasound of the heel, lumbar spine and hip BMD, VFA by DXA and MA evaluation by TBS are recorded in OsteoLaus. Preliminary results are reported. Results: We included 631 women: mean age 67.4±6.7 y, BMI 26.1±4.6, mean lumbar spine BMD 0.943±0.168 (T-score -1.4 SD), TBS 1.271±0.103. As expected, correlation between BMD and site matched TBS is low (r2=0.16). Prevalence of VFx grade 2/3, major OP Fx and all OP Fx is 8.4%, 17.0% and 26.0% respectively. Age- and BMI-adjusted ORs (per SD decrease) are 1.8 (1.2- 2.5), 1.6 (1.2-2.1), 1.3 (1.1-1.6) for BMD for the different categories of fractures and 2.0 (1.4-3.0), 1.9 (1.4-2.5), 1.4 (1.1-1.7) for TBS respectively. Only 32 to 37% of women with OP Fx have a BMD < -2.5 SD or a TBS < 1.200. If we combine a BMD < -2.5 SD or a TBS < 1.200, 54 to 60% of women with an osteoporotic Fx are identified. Conclusion: As in the already published studies, these preliminary results confirm the partial independence between BMD and TBS. More importantly, a combination of TBS subsequent to BMD increases significantly the identification of women with prevalent OP Fx which would have been miss-classified by BMD alone. For the first time we are able to have complementary information about fracture (VFA), density (BMD), micro- and macro architecture (TBS &amp; HAS) from a simple, low ionizing radiation and cheap device: DXA. Such complementary information is very useful for the patient in the daily practice and moreover will likely have an impact on cost effectiveness analysis.

Determinants of Residential &amp; Foster Care Placements (199KB)

Research Report

Ixodes (Haemixodes) longiscutatum Boero (new status) and I. (H.) uruguayensis Kohls &amp; Clifford, a new synonym of I. (H.) longiscutatum (Acari: Ixodidae)

Females of Ixodes (Haemixodes) uruguayensis Kohls &amp; Clifford, 1967, a species whose adults were unknown until the present, were obtained in the laboratory from engorged nymphs collected on rodents (Scapteromys tumidus and Oxymycterus nasutus) in the counties of Maldonado and San José, Uruguay. Morphological characters of these females were identical to those given in the description of the female of Ixodes longiscutatum Boero, 1944. I. uruguayensis is, thus, relegated to a junior subjective synonym of I. longiscutatum. However, because of the unique morphological characters of the immature stages, the validity of the subgenus Haemixodes Kohls &amp; Clifford, 1967 is not questioned. Therefore, the new status of Ixodes (Haemixodes) uruguayensis Kohls &amp; Clifford, 1967 is Ixodes (Haemixodes) longiscutatum Boero, 1944.

Ultrastructural features of the midgut epithelium of females Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz &amp; Neiva, 1912) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

A morphological study of the midgut of Lutzomyia intermedia, the primary vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis, in southeast Brazil, was conducted by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The midgut is formed by a layer of epithelium of columnar cells on a non-cellular basal lamina, under which there is a musculature, which consists of circular and longitudinal muscular fibers. A tracheolar network is observed surrounding and penetrating in the musculature. Females were examined 12, 24, 48, 72 h and 5 days following a blood meal and were analyzed comparatively by transmission electron microscopy with starved females. In starved females, the epithelium of both the anterior and posterior sections of the midgut present whorl shaped rough endoplasmic reticulum. The posterior section does not present well-developed cellular structures such as mitochondria. Observations performed at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after the blood meal showed morphological changes in the cellular structures in this section, and the presence of the peritrophic matrix up to 48 h after the blood meal. Digestion is almost complete and a few residues are detected in the lumen 72 h after blood feeding. Finally, on the 5th day after the blood meal all cellular structures present the original feature resembling that seen in starved sand flies. Morphometric data confirmed the morphological observations. Mitochondria, nuclei and microvilli of midgut epithelial cells are different in starved and blood fed females. The mitochondria present a similar profile in the epithelium of both the anterior and posterior section of the midgut, with higher dimension in starved females. The cell microvilli in the posterior section of the midgut of starved females are twice the size of those that had taken a blood meal. We concluded that there are changes in the midgut cellular structures of L. intermedia during the digestion of blood, which are in agreement with those described for other hematophagous diptera.

Registration &amp; Inspection Units 2003 (pdf 620 kb)

Summary of Statistical Results

GLUT4, AMP kinase, but not the insulin receptor, are required for hepatoportal glucose sensor-stimulated muscle glucose utilization.

Recent evidence suggests the existence of a hepatoportal vein glucose sensor, whose activation leads to enhanced glucose use in skeletal muscle, heart, and brown adipose tissue. The mechanism leading to this increase in whole body glucose clearance is not known, but previous data suggest that it is insulin independent. Here, we sought to further determine the portal sensor signaling pathway by selectively evaluating its dependence on muscle GLUT4, insulin receptor, and the evolutionarily conserved sensor of metabolic stress, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). We demonstrate that the increase in muscle glucose use was suppressed in mice lacking the expression of GLUT4 in the organ muscle. In contrast, glucose use was stimulated normally in mice with muscle-specific inactivation of the insulin receptor gene, confirming independence from insulin-signaling pathways. Most importantly, the muscle glucose use in response to activation of the hepatoportal vein glucose sensor was completely dependent on the activity of AMPK, because enhanced hexose disposal was prevented by expression of a dominant negative AMPK in muscle. These data demonstrate that the portal sensor induces glucose use and development of hypoglycemia independently of insulin action, but by a mechanism that requires activation of the AMPK and the presence of GLUT4.