The Equivocal Role of Th17 Cells and Neutrophils on Immunopathogenesis of Leishmaniasis.

Advances in the understanding of leishmaniasis progression indicate that cellular interactions more complex than the Th1/Th2 paradigm define the course of infection. Th17 cells are a crucial modulator of adaptive immunity against parasites acting mainly on neutrophil recruitment and playing a dual role at the site of infection. This review describes the roles of both these cell types in linking innate defense responses to the establishment of specific immunity.

Liver transplant recipients have a higher prevalence of anal squamous intraepithelial lesions.

Background: Anal squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASIL) are precancerous lesions of anal squamous cell carcinoma, with a higher prevalence in immunosuppressed patients. There are some studies in kidney transplant recipients, but there is no information regarding prevalence in liver transplantation. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of ASIL in this setting.

Spatial patterns of fish standing biomass across Brazilian reefs.

A large fish-count dataset from the Brazilian province was used to describe spatial patterns in standing biomass and test if total biomass, taxonomic and functional trophic structure vary across nested spatial scales. Taxonomic and functional structure varied more among localities and sites than among regions. Total biomass was generally higher at oceanic islands and remote or protected localities along the coast.

Application of bioelectrical impedance analysis in prediction of light kid carcass and muscle chemical composition.

Carcass data were collected from 24 kids (average live weight of 12.5±5.5 kg; range 4.

Nursing team's conceptions about the families of hospitalized children.

Objectives:: to describe nursing team care and discuss the nursing team's conception of companion families of hospitalized children. The study was based on the theoretical framework of Collière's theory of nursing care identity.

Method:: this was a qualitative study with 14 members of a nursing team, conducted through an unstructured group interview.

Osmotic dehydration with sorbitol combined with hot air convective drying of apple cubes.

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of the osmotic dehydration (OD) pre-treatment on the mass transfer kinetics and water activity (a) of apple cubes during hot air drying. The adequacy of different mathematical models to describe the moisture content of the product during this process was also evaluated. Apple cubes were osmotically dehydrated with sucrose or sorbitol solutions at 60 °C, and then dried by air at 25-80 °C.

Fetal sex alters maternal anti-Mullerian hormone during pregnancy in cattle.

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is expressed by both male and female fetuses during mammalian development, with males expressing AMH earlier and at significantly higher concentration. The aim of the current study was to explore the potential impact of pregnancy and fetal sex on maternal AMH and to determine if plasma (Pl) AMH or placenta intercotyledonary membrane and cotyledonary AMH receptor 2 (AMHR2) mRNA expression differ in pregnant cows carrying male vs. female fetuses.

Nucleus accumbens mediates the pronociceptive effect of sleep deprivation: the role of adenosine A2A and dopamine D2 receptors.

Sleep disorders increase pain sensitivity and the risk of developing painful conditions; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. It has been suggested that nucleus accumbens (NAc) influences sleep-wake cycle by means of a balance between adenosine activity at A2A receptors and dopamine activity at D2 receptors. Because the NAc also plays an important role in pain modulation, we hypothesized that the NAc and its A2A and D2 receptors mediate the pronociceptive effect of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation (SD).

Echocardiography for Intraoperative Decision Making in Mitral Valve Surgery-A Pilot Simulation-Based Training Module.

Echocardiographic assessment of the repaired or replaced mitral valve intraoperatively involves making a high-impact joint decision with the surgeon, in a time-sensitive manner, in a dynamic clinical situation. These decisions have to take into account the degree of imperfection if any, the likelihood of obtaining a better result, the underlying condition of the patient, and the impact of a longer cardiopulmonary bypass period if the decision is made to reintervene. Traditional echocardiography teaching is limited in its ability to provide this training.

Acute heart failure and rhabdomyolysis: a clue for the diagnosis of polymyositis with cardiac involvement.

Polymyositis is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, characterized by proximal muscle weakness and sometimes extramuscular manifestations. We report the case of a 51-year-old male, with history of complete heart block, which required pacemaker implantation, and subsequently heart failure, presenting to the emergency department with worsening of dyspnea and peripheral edema. He was admitted to the Internal Medicine ward with acute heart failure and started on diuretic therapy.

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in beef cattle slaughtered in the metropolitan region of Belém, Brazilian Amazon.

The relevance of consuming raw or undercooked beef in the transmission of toxoplasmosis is unclear due to the high resistance of cattle to infection. However, this possibility needs to be considered in endemic areas, such as the Amazon, where the consumption of beef is frequent. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in beef cattle slaughtered in the metropolitan region of Belem, Pará state, Brazil.

Standardization and evaluation of a duplex real-time quantitative PCR for the detection of Leishmania infantum DNA: a sample quality control approach.

Introduction:: Molecular techniques have been shown to be alternative methods for the accurate detection of infectious and parasitic diseases, such as the leishmaniases. The present study describes the optimization and evaluation of a duplex real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) protocol developed for the simultaneous detection of Leishmania infantum DNA and sample quality control.

Methods:: After preliminary tests with the newly designed TaqMan® probes for the two targets ( L.

Antagonistic regulation of spermatogonial differentiation in zebrafish (Danio rerio) by Igf3 and Amh.

Fsh-mediated regulation of zebrafish spermatogenesis includes modulating the expression of testicular growth factors. Here, we study if and how two Sertoli cell-derived Fsh-responsive growth factors, anti-Müllerian hormone (Amh; inhibiting steroidogenesis and germ cell differentiation) and insulin-like growth factor 3 (Igf3; stimulating germ cell differentiation), cooperate in regulating spermatogonial development. In dose response and time course experiments with primary testis tissue cultures, Fsh up-regulated igf3 transcript levels and down-regulated amh transcript levels; igf3 transcript levels were more rapidly up-regulated and responded to lower Fsh concentrations than were required to decrease amh mRNA levels.

Comparison of two methods of seminal plasma removal on buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) sperm cryopreservation.

Cryopreservation causes damage to spermatozoa, and methods minimizing this damage are therefore needed. Although much discussed, seminal plasma removal has become an alternative to improve sperm quality and viability after freezing and has been applied to different species in attempt to obtain good results. The objective of this study was to evaluate semen quality in buffaloes submitted to two methods for seminal plasma removal (filtration and centrifugation).

DNA agarose gel electrophoresis for antioxidant analysis: Development of a quantitative approach for phenolic extracts.

Most of the fast in vitro assays proposed to determine the antioxidant capacity of a compound/extract lack either biological context or employ complex protocols. Therefore, the present work proposes the improvement of an agarose gel DNA electrophoresis in order to allow for a quantitative estimation of the antioxidant capacity of pure phenolic compounds as well as of a phenolic rich extract, while also considering their possible pro-oxidant effects. The result obtained demonstrated that the proposed method allowed for the evaluation of the protection of DNA oxidation [in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (HO) and an HO/iron (III) chloride (FeCl) systems] as well as for the observation of pro-oxidant activities, with the measurements registering interclass correlation coefficients above 0.

Predictive factors of short-term mortality in ischaemic colitis and development of a new prognostic scoring model of in-hospital mortality.

Background: Ischaemic colitis (IC) is the most common form of intestinal ischaemia with a wide spectrum of severity, with possible risk of death.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate predictive factors of in-hospital and short-term mortality, in a cohort of patients with IC.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of IC cases diagnosed between 2008-2013 in a single tertiary centre, with assessment of factors at the time of diagnosis associated with in-hospital and 90-day mortality.

Stent-assisted coiling of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms with a branch incorporated in the aneurysm base: long-term follow-up in 49 patients with 53 aneurysms.

Purpose: Wide-neck bifurcation intracranial aneurysms (WNBA) with a branch incorporated in the aneurysm base remain difficult to treat by embolization. We aim to report our long-term follow-up of stent-assisted coiling (SAC) in this subgroup of patients.

Methods: This study was approved by our local ethical committee.

The impact of automated hippocampal volumetry on diagnostic confidence in patients with suspected Alzheimer's disease: A European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium study.

Introduction: Hippocampal volume is a core biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, its contribution over the standard diagnostic workup is unclear.

Methods: Three hundred fifty-six patients, under clinical evaluation for cognitive impairment, with suspected AD and Mini-Mental State Examination ≥20, were recruited across 17 European memory clinics.

An immobile postsurgical nasojejunal tube: a case for King Arthur!

A patient was referred to an Endoscopy Unit for removal of a nasojejunal feeding tube that was previously inserted one week before during gastric surgery. Upper endoscopy revealed the nasojejunal tube sutured to the gastric wall and it was then removed with hot biopsy forceps. This case represents an uncommon complication of gastric surgery and highlights that a nasojejunal feeding tube should only be positioned after the suturing procedures and the mobility of the tube should always be tested during surgery.