Seroprevalence of zoonotic pathogens in stray cats in an urban area of northeast Spain.

The feline population is extensive in urban areas worldwide, comprising stray and domestic cats. Cats, acting as reservoirs, can transmit various zoonotic organisms to humans, which can cause significant public health issues. We evaluated the seroprevalence of zoonotic pathogens in stray cats in an urban area of northeast Spain (the city of Zaragoza) to assess potential risks to human health.

Hamartoma of mature cardiac myocytes presenting as a polypoid epicardial tumor in the interatrial groove and with gene fusions by copy number anomalies of chromosome 7.

Hamartoma of mature cardiac myocytes (HMCM) is an extremely rare cardiac tumor characterized by benign growth of differentiated mature striated cardiac myocytes, and usually involves the ventricular myocardium. We describe the case of a 15-year-old female who presented with a short history of atrial fibrillation and a polypoid epicardial tumor that was attached to the interatrial groove by a short pedicle. The resected specimen showed features consistent with HMCM.

High level of novelty under the hood of convergent evolution.

Little is known about the extent to which species use homologous regulatory architectures to achieve phenotypic convergence. By characterizing chromatin accessibility and gene expression in developing wing tissues, we compared the regulatory architecture of convergence between a pair of mimetic butterfly species. Although a handful of color pattern genes are known to be involved in their convergence, our data suggest that different mutational paths underlie the integration of these genes into wing pattern development.

Halo sign in fetal cytomegalovirus infection: cerebral imaging abnormalities and postmortem histopathology in 35 infected fetuses.

Objective: To evaluate the correlation of periventricular echogenic halo (halo sign) with histopathological findings and its association with other brain imaging abnormalities in fetuses with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of fetuses diagnosed with severe CMV infection based on central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities seen on ultrasound, which had termination of pregnancy (TOP) or fetal demise at a single center from 2006 to 2021. All included cases had been evaluated by conventional complete fetal autopsy.

Case report: Challenges in immune reconstitution following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for CTLA-4 insufficiency-like primary immune regulatory disorders.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) haploinsufficiency is a T-cell hyperactivation disorder that can manifest with both immunodeficiency and immune dysregulation. Approximately one-third of patients may present mild symptoms and remain stable under supportive care. The remaining patients may develop severe multiorgan autoimmunity requiring lifelong immunosuppressive treatment.

Pesticide dose adjustment in fruit and grapevine orchards by DOSA3D: Fundamentals of the system and on-farm validation.

Agricultural productivity cannot be sustained without the application of plant protection measures. Within the framework of integrated pest management (IPM), the use of chemical pesticides should be limited to the last option among the available practices. Even though their use remains common, it carries associated environmental and human health risks.

Bases for pesticide dose expression and adjustment in 3D crops and comparison of decision support systems.

Authorities around the world have committed to limiting the use of chemical pesticides by reducing doses, among other strategies. Nevertheless, different dose expression models and decision support systems (DSSs) for dose adjustment coexist for high growing crops (3D crops). Among them, leaf wall area (LWA) and tree row volume (TRV) models have recently been proposed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) for pre-registration trials.

Extra-axial sacral soft tissue giant cell ependymoma affecting a child: Case report and review of the literature.

An otherwise healthy eight-year-old girl presented with a mass in the soft tissue of the sacral region. The lesion was diagnosed as a vascular malformation on imaging studies, for which percutaneous sclerotherapy was attempted. The mass continued to grow and a complete resection was performed after four years.

Dermatoglyphic fluctuating asymmetry and total a-b ridge count as biomarkers of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome: Analysis in children adopted from Eastern Europe.

Background: Dermatoglyphics, formed mainly during the second trimester of pregnancy have been used as markers of developmental disturbances. The aim of this study was to examine if dermatoglyphic variation in children adopted from Eastern European countries with differential prenatal alcohol exposure, could be associated with diagnosis of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Methods: Total a-b ridge count (TABRC), total ATD angle (TATD), palpebral fissure asymmetry and fluctuating asymmetry of the a-b ridge count (FA) and ATD angle (FA) were obtained from NO FASD (n = 40) and FASD (n = 145; FAS = 54, pFAS = 64; ARND = 13; ARBD = 14) individuals.

Determination of spray drift and buffer zones in 3D crops using the ISO standard and new LiDAR methodologies.

Spray drift generated in the application of plant protection products in tree crops (3D crops) is a major source of environmental contamination, with repercussions for human health and the environment. Spray drift contamination acquires greater relevance in the EU Southern Zone due to the crops structure and the weather conditions. Hence, there is a need to evaluate spray drift when treating the most representative 3D crops in this area.

Assessment of spray drift potential reduction for hollow-cone nozzles: Part 2. LiDAR technique.

Pesticide spray drift poses health hazards to humans and causes a significant impact on the environment. In this work the capacity of an ad hoc light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system to differentiate spray nozzles according to their potential drift risk is evaluated for the first time. A total of 23 drift potential tests using 10 hollow-cone nozzles were carried out with the sprayer kept in a static position.

Assessment of spray drift potential reduction for hollow-cone nozzles: Part 1. Classification using indirect methods.

Spray drift is one of the main pollution sources identified when pesticides are sprayed on crops. In this work, in order to simplify the evaluation of hollow-cone nozzles according to their drift potential reduction, several models commonly used were tested by three indirect methods: phase Doppler particle analyser (PDPA) and two different wind tunnels. The main aim of this study is then to classify for the first time these hollow-cone nozzle models all of them used in tree crop spraying (3D crops).

Dermatoglyphics in children prenatally exposed to alcohol: Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as a biomarker of alcohol exposure.

Background: Dermatoglyphics alterations have been demonstrated to be an effective complement in the diagnosis of developmental disorders and a marker of prenatal stress. Several genetic and environmental factors can modify their morphology. Once defined, dermatoglyphics remain constant throughout life, being considered fossilized markers of the intrauterine development.

Feasibility of a Miniature Esophageal Heat Exchange Device for Rapid Therapeutic Cooling in Newborns: Preliminary Investigations in a Piglet Model.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after neonatal encephalopathy, commonly provided by 72 hours of whole-body cooling using a wrap, limits parents' physical contact with their infants affecting bonding and may not be suitable for encephalopathic preterm infants with fragile skin. Alternative cooling methods are unavailable for this population. We investigated in a neonatal pig model the feasibility of achieving a 3.

Association of ventricular noncompaction and histiocytoid cardiomyopathy: case report and review of the literature.

We report an association between ventricular noncompaction and histiocytoid cardiomyopathy. Both entities are rare, and only 2 cases of their association have been reported previously in the medical literature. Ventricular noncompaction is believed to be caused by an arrest of the normal endomyocardial development, resulting in a thin and compacted epicardial layer and a thickened noncompacted endocardial layer.

Occlusion of modified Blalock-Taussig shunt after clopidogrel cessation.

It has been suggested previously that rebound hypercoagulability may be responsible for morbidity and mortality following clopidogrel cessation in adults with acute coronary syndrome. We report a case of acute occlusion of a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in an infant after clopidogrel discontinuation.

Performance of an ultrasonic ranging sensor in apple tree canopies.

Electronic canopy characterization is an important issue in tree crop management. Ultrasonic and optical sensors are the most used for this purpose. The objective of this work was to assess the performance of an ultrasonic sensor under laboratory and field conditions in order to provide reliable estimations of distance measurements to apple tree canopies.

Pathological findings in the complete trisomy 9 syndrome: three case reports and review of the literature.

The term "complete trisomy 9" is used to indicate trisomy of the entire chromosome 9 without evidence of mosaicisms. It is a relatively rare chromosomal abnormality because the vast majority of affected pregnancies result in 1st trimester spontaneous abortions. The purpose of this paper is to delineate the complete trisomy 9 syndrome, based on autopsy findings.