Ultraschalldiagnostik des nichttraumatischen akuten Abdomens: die Ursachen ausserhalb des Gastro-Intestinaltraktes [Ultrasound of non traumatic acute abdomen: extra-digestive causes]

In recent years, management of abdominal pain in emergency care units (ECU) has undergone a radical change. Chronic work overload of ECU and increase in severity and complexity of cases required an optimal medical imaging method, such as ultrasound, to establish an accurate diagnosis as quickly as possible. A great variety of causes may cause acute abdominal pain and the role of sonography is to accurately distinguish between these aetiologies. For the application of sonography, perhaps more so than with other imaging methods, a perfect knowledge of sonographical characteristics and technical possibilities is essential to achieve an optimal answer. The purpose of this review is to present and discuss the sonographic characteristics of extra-digestive causes of acute abdominal pain such as splenic infarction, thoracic pathologies, urinary and gynaecologic diseases or retroperitoneal pathologies.

Ueber die hautdruesen von Apiomerus nigrilobus Stal, 1872 (Reduviidae, Apiomerinae)

Die ersten beiden Beinpaare und die Unterseite des Abdomens von Apiomerus nigritobus sind dicht mit Borsten besetzt, zwischen denen sich ein klebriges Sekret befindet. Das Sekret hilft den Tieren, ihre Beute zu ueberwaeltigen. Es wird in Druesenzellen hergestellt, die unter der Hypodermis als Einzelzellen oder als kleine Zellgruppen liegen. Die Druesenzelle besitzt homogenes Protoplasma und einen zentral gelegenen Kern. Der Ausleitungsapparat besteht aus einem langen, in der Zelle stark gewunden verlaufenden Cuticularroehrchen von etwa 0,2μ. Dicke, das von besonderen Zellen der Hypodermis gebildet wird. Die Oeffnung auf der Cuticula besitzt keine Hilfsapparate. Ausstoss und Transport des Sekrets beruhen auf dem Sekretdruck der Druesenzelle.

Ueber das Zirkulationssystem einer Machilde (Thysanura)

Es werden Anatomie und Histologie des Zirkulations- und Bingegewebssytems der letzten Segmente und der Schwanzanhaenge einer nicht naeher bestimmten Machilide beschrieben. Es ergeben sich folgende Hauptergebnisse: a - Das Bindegewebssystem hat eine ausgedehnt Entwicklung erfahren und schliesst, abgesehen vom Respirationssystem und den Lymphzellen, alle Organe gegen die Lymphfluessigkeit des Mixocoels ab ("Diffusionsbarrieren"). Es wird der mixocoelomiale Raum dem intracoelomialen gegenueber gestellt. Dieser schliesst die Mehrzahl der Organe in sich ein und erfaehrt im aeussersten Ende des Abdomens (etwa vom Anus ab) und in den Schwanzanhaengen eine ausgedehnte Entwicklung. Abdomenende und Anhaenge werden durch eine mesodermale Quermembran gegen den mixocoelomialen Raum abgeschlossen. b - Das Zirkulationssystem besteht im hinterem Koerperteis aus dem Rueckengefaess, das sich bis zur Quermembran fortsetzt und vor dieser ein Rueckstromventil und eine Filterregion besitzt, durch die keine Lymphzellen hindurchfliessen koennen, - ferner aus einem Terminalgefaess, das in Fortsetzung des Rueckengefaesses das Terminalfilum bis zum Ende durchlaeuft; hier muendet es in den intracoelomialen Raum. Ausserdem besitzt jeder Cercus ein Gefaess, das an der Quermembran mit einer ein Ventil tragenden Oeffnung beginnt und an der Spitze des Cercus sich ebenfalls oeffnet. Es hat seitliche Eintrittsoeffnungen und Bindegewebsbaender, durch die waehrend der Pulsation des Rueckengefaesses der Querschnitt veraendert wird. Der Zirkulationsweg geht aus der Figur 4 hervor. Terminalgefaess und Cercusgefaesse haben keine Muskelelemente. Die Cercusgefaesse treten nicht mit dem Rueckengefaess in Verbindung. C - Die Lymphfluessigkeit des mixocoelomialen Raumes hat eine andere Zusammensetzung als die des Raumes hinter der Quermembran. d - Das Rueckengefaess besteht aus einer inneren Muskularis, die gegen das Gefaesslumen durch das Sarkolemm abgeschlossen ist, und aus einer bindegewebigen aeusseren "Adventitia". Die Gefaesse der Schwanzanhaenge werden ausschliesslich aus Bindegewebe gebildet. An der Basis der Schwanzanhaenge besitzt die Hypodermis umfangreiche Imaginalringe, die das imaginale Wachstum der Anhaenge ermoeglichen: Ebenso finden sich hier die "Membranoblasten", embryonale Bindegewebszellen, von denen beim Wachstum die Membranen weiter gebildet werden, und zwei grosse Lager von embryonalen Zellen mesodermalen Typs, von denen laufend Zellen auswandern, die sich als mesodermales Epithel zwischen die peritoneale Auskleidung der Anhaenge und die Hypodermis schieben. Hypodermis und Mesodermepithel durchdringen sich gegenseitig, entsprechend der Figur 24, zu einem "MIschepithel". e - Die mesodermale Komponente des Mischepithels besteht aus oktoploiden Zellen, die durch Endomitosen aus den diploiden Zellen der Embryonallager entstanden sind. Durch weitere Endomitosen und anschliessende amitose-aehnliche Kerndurchsnuerungen wird die Kernzahl der endodermalen Komponente auf ein Vielfaches vermehrt. Die basal im Mischepithel gelegenen 8-ploiden Kerne machen eine Individualisierung der Chromosome durch, doch kommt es zu keiner Endomitose, sondern zu zwei sich schnell folgenden Kernfragmentationen, durch die vier gleichwertige diploide Kerne entstehen (somatische Reduktion). Diese Kerne umgeben sich, jeder fuer sich, mit einer Portion von Cytoplasma, treten aus dem Mischepithel aus und gelangen, die peritoneale Membran durchbrechend, in den intracoelomialen Raum und werden zu Lymphzellen. Diese werden, infolge der Pulsationen des Dorsalgefaesses, durch die Gefaesse der Cerci in den mixocoelomialen Raum transportiert, wo sie gealterte Lymphzellen ersetzen. Mitotische Vermehrung von Lymphzellen des Mixocoela wurden nicht gefunden. f - Aehnliche Lymphzellen bildende Epithelien wurden bei einer Lepsmatide, der Pro-Imago einer Ephemeride, einer Ephemeridenlarve sowie bei einer isopoden Crustaceee gefunden.

Midgut of Lepidopteran pupae is a major depot of sequestered, mobilizable, ecdysteroids

Extirpation of endocrine organs - a classic maneuver in hormonal research - has been difficult or impossible in the case of the prothoracic glands (PG) of insects. In larval and pupal Lepidoptera the glands are virtually inaccessible unless one sacrifices the insect. Even then, the PG are not easy to remove in their entirety. Consequently, in order to obtain viable preparations lacking PG, one costomarily makes use of abdomens isolated by litigation or surgery.

Role of enhanced detoxication in a deltamethrin-resistant population of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) from Argentina

Deltamethrin and other pyrethroids have been extensively used in Argentina since 1980, for the chemical control of Triatoma infestans Klug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Recently, resistance to deltamethrin was detected in field populations by the survival of bugs exposed by topical application to the diagnostic dose estimated on the CIPEIN susceptible strain. Results of the current study showed low resistant ratios (RRs) to deltamethrin for the resistant populations (RR ranged from 2.0 for San Luis colony to 7.9 for Salta colony). Biochemical studies were made on the most resistant colony (Salta) and the susceptible strain (CIPEIN), in order to establish the importance of degradative mechanisms as a cause of the detected resistance. Esterase activity was measured on 3 days old first instars through phenylthioacetate and a-naphtyl acetate activities. The results showed a significant difference in no cholinesterase esterase activity from susceptible (7.6 ± 0,7 µM S./i.min.) and Salta resistant colony (9.5 ± 0.8 µM S./i.min.). Cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase (P450) activity was measured on individual insects through ethoxycoumarine deethylase (ECOD) activity using a fluorescence micro plate reader. The dependence of ECOD activity on age and body region of the nymphs, and pH and time of incubation were studied in order to optimize the measurement. As a result, comparative studies were performed on abdomens of 2 days old first instars at pH 7.2 and 4 h incubation time. ECOD activity of first nymphs was significantly lower in the susceptible colony (61.3 ± 9.08 pg ECOD/ insect) than in the resistant one (108.1± 5.7 pg ECOD/ insect). These results suggest that degradative esterases (no-cholinesterase) and mono-oxygenases cytochrome P450, play an important role in the resistance to deltamethrin in Salta colony from Argentina.

Influence of He-Ne laser therapy on the dynamics of wound healing in mice treated with anti-inflammatory drugs

We determined the effects of helium-neon (He-Ne) laser irradiation on wound healing dynamics in mice treated with steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Male albino mice, 28-32 g, were randomized into 6 groups of 6 animals each: control (C), He-Ne laser (L), dexamethasone (D), D + L, celecoxib (X), and X + L. D and X were injected im at doses of 5 and 22 mg/kg, respectively, 24 h before the experiment. A 1-cm long surgical wound was made with a scalpel on the abdomens of the mice. Animals from groups L, D + L and X + L were exposed to 4 J (cm²)-1 day-1 of He-Ne laser for 12 s and were sacrificed on days 1, 2, or 3 after the procedure, when skin samples were taken for histological examination. A significant increase of collagen synthesis was observed in group L compared with C (168 ± 20 vs 63 ± 8 mm²). The basal cellularity values on day 1 were: C = 763 ± 47, L = 1116 ± 85, D = 376 ± 24, D + L = 698 ± 31, X = 453 ± 29, X + L = 639 ± 32 U/mm². These data show that application of L increases while D and X decrease the inflammatory cellularity compared with C. They also show that L restores the diminished cellularity induced by the anti-inflammatory drugs. We suggest that He-Ne laser promotes collagen formation and restores the baseline cellularity after pharmacological inhibition, indicating new perspectives for laser therapy aiming to increase the healing process when anti-inflammatory drugs are used.

Morphomettic changes on honeybee Apis mellifera L. workers fat body cells after juvenile hormone topic application at emergence

The effect of topical application of juvenile hormone (JH) over the lifetime of worker bees was evaluated in Apis mellifera, by measuring the area of the two cell types, trophocytes and oenocytes, found in the fat body. Topical application of 1 mu l of a 1 mu g/mu l solution of JH in acetone to the abdomens of newly emerged workers produced an increase in cell size, in both types of cell of 5-day-old treated workers in relation to the untreated control. The treatment was more effective on the oenocytes, since there were significant differences compared to the averages of the treatments and the interaction of the treatments with the age of the workers. The developmental pattern seemed to differ from the treated group. However, subsequent effects were probably dependent on different, natural variations in hormonal levels. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Record of a gregarine (Apicomplexa : Neogregarinida) in the abdomen of the termite Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)

Coptotermes gestroi is an exotic species of termite that is a pest of great economical importance in Brazil. This paper relates the occurrence of a coelomic gregarine (Apicomplexa: Neogregarinida) in the abdomen of the foraging workers recently collected from field colonies of this termite. The termite hosts presented large, white abdomens because they carried 1 up to 3 cysts of gregarines filled with numerous lemon-shaped spores. Earlier developmental stages of this gregarine were not observed in the scanning microscope preparations nor in the histological slides of the infected termites. However, the lemon-shaped spores suggest a parasite gregarine of Mattesia genus, family Lipotrophidae. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relative growth of spider crab Acanthonyx scutiformis (Dana, 1851) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Majidae)

The dimensions of chelar propodus and abdomen were utilized for the morphometric analysis about the relative growth studies of Acanthonyx scutiformis (Dana, 1851). A total of 297 specimens (114 males and 183 females), was collected in Ubatuba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The animals were sexed and soarted to maturation phase (immature and mature). The following measurements were made: carapace (length and width), abdomen width and chelar propodus (length and height). In this study was applicated the power function (y= a.x(b)), in which the growth was considered positive allometric with isometric with b=1, and negative allometric with b<1. The alometry becomes isometric, when the results concerning immature and mature females and males are analysed. In the Brachyura male chelipeds are utilized in territorial defense, fight, display and courtship and female abdomens are utilized as a chamber that protect and incubate the eggs.

Biologia comportamental de Synoeca surinama: enxameio e interações socias (Vespidae, Polistinae: Epiponini)

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Determinação da seqüência de cDNA da enzima hialuronidase do veneno de Polybia paulista (Hymenoptera : vespidae)

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Periphoba hircia (lepidoptera: saturniidae) defoliating plants of acacia mangium in the state of roraima, Brazil

Larvae of Periphoba hircia (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) defoliated Acacia mangium in the state of Roraima, Brazil. This is the first report of this species defoliating A. mangium in Brazil. The damage to the foliage was substantial and P. hircia should be monitored to ascertain its significance as pest of this plant. The larval stage of this species had 6 instars. Its cocoons were woven either on A. mangium leaves or in the soil. The pupal period of P. hiricia reared on A. mangium lasted 6 months. Its adults were dimorphic with females larger and having more prominent abdomens than males.

Study of the external female genitalia of 14 Rhodnius species (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) using scanning electron microscopy

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Biological associations of color variation in the Indo-Pacific swimming crab Charybdis hellerii

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