Abstract
Although there are quantitative studies of the effect of formalin storage on copepod body size, no comparable data exist concerning storage in ethanol. We determined the degree of shrinkage ...of adult specimens of Parvocalanus crassirostris (Dahl, 1894) preserved in 96% ethanol for different periods of time. Measurements of the prosome of 50 females and 50 males were undertaken in fresh specimens and 7, 15, 30, and 60 days after initial preservation in ethanol. Despite variation among specimens, no significant shrinkage (P > 0.05) was detected on average males. For females, significant shrinkage (mean –4.2%; P < 0.05) was observed after seven days, with no further significant change thereafter.
The anthropogenic modification of natural landscapes, and the consequent changes in the environmental conditions and resources availability at multiple spatial scales can affect complex species ...interactions involving key-stone species such as bat-parasite interactions. In this study, we aimed to identify the drivers potentially influencing host-bat fly interactions at different spatial scales (at the host, vegetation stand and landscape level), in a tropical anthropogenic landscape. For this purpose, we mist-netted phyllostomid and moormopid bats and collected the bat flies (streblids) parasitizing them in 10 sites representing secondary and old growth forest. In general, the variation in fly communities largely mirrored the variation in bat communities as a result of the high level of specialization characterizing host-bat fly interaction networks. Nevertheless, we observed that: (1) bats roosting dynamics can shape bat-streblid interactions, modulating parasite prevalence and the intensity of infestation; (2) a degraded matrix could favor crowding and consequently the exchange of ectoparasites among bat species, lessening the level of specialization of the interaction networks and promoting novel interactions; and (3) bat-fly interaction can also be shaped by the dilution effect, as a decrease in bat diversity could be associated with a potential increase in the dissemination and prevalence of streblids.
Niño de 6 años edad, masculino con diagnóstico clínico e imagenológico de tumor de tallo cerebral que debuta con manifestaciones neurológicas y signos de hipertensión intracraneal. Comienza ...tratamiento con radioterapia, quimioterapia e inmunoterapia con CIMAher, Anticuerpo Monoclonal h-R3. La evolución clínica fue satisfactoria y actualmente se encuentra asintomático en remisión parcial.
Niño de 6 años edad, masculino con diagnóstico clínico e imagenológico de tumor de tallo cerebral que debuta con manifestaciones neurológicas y signos de hipertensión intracraneal. Comienza ...tratamiento con radioterapia, quimioterapia e inmunoterapia con CIMAher, Anticuerpo Monoclonal h-R3. La evolución clínica fue satisfactoria y actualmente se encuentra asintomático en remisión parcial.A 6 year - old boy suffering from a brainstem tumour presenting neurological manifestations and intracranial hypertension signs according to the clinical and imaging diagnosis is presented. Treatment starts with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy with CIMAher, Monoclonal antibody h-R3. Clinical course was satisfactory and patient is asymptomatic with partial remission at present.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced the modification of surgical practice worldwide. Medical centers have been adapted to provide an efficient arrangement of their economic ...and human resources. Although neurosurgeons are not in the first line of management and treatment of COVID-19 patients, they take care of patients with neurological pathology and potential severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Here, the authors describe their institutional actions against the pandemic and compare these actions with those in peer-reviewed publications.
The authors conducted a search using the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases from the beginning of the pandemic until July 11, 2020, using the following terms: "Neurosurgery," "COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2," "reconversion/modification," "practice," "academy," and "teaching." Then, they created operational guidelines tailored for their institution to maximize resource efficiency and minimize risk for the healthcare personnel.
According to the reviewed literature, the authors defined the following three changes that have had the greatest impact in neurosurgical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: 1) changes in clinical practices; 2) changes in the medical care setting, including modifications of perioperative care; and 3) changes in the academic teaching methodology.
The Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez" is one of the major referral centers for treating highly complex neurosurgical pathologies in Mexico. Its clinical and neurosurgical practices have been modified with the implementation of specific interventions against the spread of COVID-19. These practical and simple actions are remarkably relevant in the context of the pandemic and can be adopted and suited by other healthcare centers according to their available resources to better prepare for the next event.
This work is focused on making a correlation between results obtained by using spectroscopy and microscopy techniques from single and twofold-layer Silicon-Rich Oxide (SRO) films. SRO films ...single-layer and twofold-layer characterizations were compared considering the conditions as-grown and with thermal treatment at 1100 °C for 60 min in a nitrogen atmosphere. The thickness of the single-layer film is 324.7 nm while for the twofold-layer film it is 613.2 nm; after heat-treated, both thicknesses decreased until 28.8 nm. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy shows changes in the excess-silicon in single-layer SRO films, with 10% in as-grown films and decreases to 5% for the heat-treated films. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) exhibits three characteristic vibrational modes of SiO2, as well as, the vibrating modes associated with the Si-H bonds, which disappear after the heat treatment. With UV–Vis spectroscopy results we obtained the absorbance and the absorption coefficient for the SRO films in order to calculate the optical bandgap energy (Egopt), which increased with heat-treatment. The energy peaks of the photoluminescence spectra were used to calculate the silicon nanocrystal size, obtaining thus an average size of 1.89 ± 0.32 nm for the as-grown layer, decreasing the size to 1.64 ± 0.01 nm with the thermal treatment. On the other hand, scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images confirm the thickness of the twofold-layer SRO films as 628 nm for the as-grown layer and 540 nm for the layer with heat-treatment, and the silicon nanocrystal size of 2.3 ± 0.6 nm for the films with thermal treatment.
To analyse the characteristics and predictors of death in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Spain.
A retrospective observational study was performed of the first ...consecutive patients hospitalized with COVID-19 confirmed by real-time PCR assay in 127 Spanish centres until 17 March 2020. The follow-up censoring date was 17 April 2020. We collected demographic, clinical, laboratory, treatment and complications data. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with death.
Of the 4035 patients, male subjects accounted for 2433 (61.0%) of 3987, the median age was 70 years and 2539 (73.8%) of 3439 had one or more comorbidity. The most common symptoms were a history of fever, cough, malaise and dyspnoea. During hospitalization, 1255 (31.5%) of 3979 patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, 736 (18.5%) of 3988 were admitted to intensive care units and 619 (15.5%) of 3992 underwent mechanical ventilation. Virus- or host-targeted medications included lopinavir/ritonavir (2820/4005, 70.4%), hydroxychloroquine (2618/3995, 65.5%), interferon beta (1153/3950, 29.2%), corticosteroids (1109/3965, 28.0%) and tocilizumab (373/3951, 9.4%). Overall, 1131 (28%) of 4035 patients died. Mortality increased with age (85.6% occurring in older than 65 years). Seventeen factors were independently associated with an increased hazard of death, the strongest among them including advanced age, liver cirrhosis, low age-adjusted oxygen saturation, higher concentrations of C-reactive protein and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate.
Our findings provide comprehensive information about characteristics and complications of severe COVID-19, and may help clinicians identify patients at a higher risk of death.
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Pituitary adenomas (PAs) can be unpredictable and aggressive tumors. No reliable markers of their biological behavior have been found. Here, a proteomic analysis was applied to identify proteins in ...the expression profile between invasive and non-invasive PAs to search for possible biomarkers. A histopathological and immunohistochemical (adenohypophyseal hormones, Ki-67, p53, CD34, VEGF, Flk1 antibodies) analysis was done; a proteomic map was evaluated in 64 out of 128 tumors. There were 107 (84%) invasive and 21 (16%) non-invasive PAs; 80.5% belonged to III and IV grades of the Hardy-Vezina classification. Invasive PAs (
= 56) showed 105 ± 43 spots; 86 ± 32 spots in non-invasive PAs (
= 8) were observed. The 13 most prominent spots were selected and 11 proteins related to neoplastic process in different types of tumors were identified. Hint1 (Histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1) high expression in invasive PA was found (11.8 ± 1.4,
= 0.005), especially at high index (>10;
= 0.0002). High Hint1 expression was found in invasive VEGF positive PA (13.8 ± 2.3,
= 0.005) and in Flk1 positive PA (14.04 ± 2.28,
= 0.006). Hint1 is related to human tumorigenesis by its interaction with signaling pathways and transcription factors. It could be related to invasive behavior in PAs. This is the first report on Hint expression in PAs. More analysis is needed to find out the possible role of Hint in these tumors.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of saliva sampling as a non-invasive and safer tool to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and ...to compare its reproducibility and sensitivity with nasopharyngeal swab samples (NPS). The use of sample pools was also investigated.
A total of 2107 paired samples were collected from asymptomatic healthcare and office workers in Mexico City. Sixty of these samples were also analyzed in two other independent laboratories for concordance analysis. Sample processing and analysis of virus genetic material were performed according to standard protocols described elsewhere. A pooling analysis was performed by analyzing the saliva pool and the individual pool components.
The concordance between NPS and saliva results was 95.2% (kappa 0.727, p = 0.0001) and 97.9% without considering inconclusive results (kappa 0.852, p = 0.0001). Saliva had a lower number of inconclusive results than NPS (0.9% vs 1.9%). Furthermore, saliva showed a significantly higher concentration of both total RNA and viral copies than NPS. Comparison of our results with those of the other two laboratories showed 100% and 97% concordance. Saliva samples are stable without the use of any preservative, and a positive SARS-CoV-2 sample can be detected 5, 10, and 15 days after collection when the sample is stored at 4 °C.
The study results indicate that saliva is as effective as NPS for the identification of SARS-CoV-2-infected asymptomatic patients. Sample pooling facilitates the analysis of a larger number of samples, with the benefit of cost reduction.
Cadmium (Cd) is toxic to the skeletal system resulting in bone loss and pain. We aimed at determining the effect of chronic Cd exposure on bone density and microarchitecture along with changes in the ...density of a subset of sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers innervating the developing rat femur. Newborn male Wistar rats were injected daily for 49 days with CdCl
2
(1 mg/kg i.p.) or saline solution (control group). At the day of sacrifice, levels of Cd in the right femur, liver and kidney were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Additionally, microCT followed by immunohistochemical analyses were performed in the left femur. Results showed Cd accumulation in trabecular bone neared levels seen in liver and kidney. Cd concentration in cortical bone was significantly lower versus trabecular bone. MicroCT analysis revealed that Cd-exposed rats had a significant decrease in trabecular bone parameters at the distal femoral metaphysis; however, most of the cortical bone parameters were not significantly affected. Cd-exposed rats showed a significant loss of TH
+
sympathetic nerve fibers, but not of CGRP
+
sensory nerve fibers, at the level of bone marrow of the femoral diaphysis as compared to control rats. This study shows that Cd negatively affects bone density and microarchitecture of trabecular bone and decreases the density of sympathetic nerve fibers innervating rat femur. Future studies are warranted to determine the toxigenic mechanisms of Cd on sympathetic nerves and how sympathetic denervation influences bone loss in animals exposed to Cd.
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