Fungi predatory activity on embryonated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxocara canis</Emphasis> eggs inoculated in domestic chickens (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gallus gallus domesticus</Emphasis>) and destruction of second stage larvae

The objective of this study was to evaluate the infectivity of Toxocara canis eggs after interacting with isolated nematophagous fungi of the species Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) and Pochonia chlamydosporia (VC4), and test the predatory activity of the isolated AC001 on T. canis second stage larvae after 7 days of interaction. In assay A, 5000 embryonated T. canis eggs previously in contact with the AC001 and VC4 isolated for 10 days were inoculated into domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), and then these animals were necropsied to collect material (digested liver, intestine, muscles and lungs) at 3-, 7-, 14-, and 21-day intervals after inoculation. In assay A, the results demonstrated that the prior interaction of the eggs with isolated AC001 and VC4 decreases the amount of larvae found in the collected organs. Difference (p?<?0.01) was observed in the medium larvae counts recovered from liver, lung, intestine, and muscle of animals in the treated groups when compared to the animals in the control group. At the end of assay A, a percentage reduction of 87.1 % (AC001) and 84.5 % (VC4) respectively was recorded. In the result of assay B, the isolated AC001 showed differences (p?<?0.01) compared to the control group, with a reduction of 53.4 % in the recovery of L₂. Through these results, it is justified to mention that prior interaction of embryonated T. canis eggs with the tested fungal isolates were efficient in reducing the development and migration of this parasite, in addition to the first report of proven predatory activity on L₂.     

Flow cytometric DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction correlate with histopathologic indicators of tumor behavior in colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The clinical behavior of colorectal carcinoma is highly variable without reliable predictive biomarkers. Previous reports have shown that flow cytometric DNA analysis may provide valuable prognostic information in these tumors. PURPOSE AND METHODS: This study evaluates the DNA ploidy and the S-phase fraction (SPF) on frozen samples obtained from 61 patients with colorectal carcinoma by using flow cytometry, and it correlates the data with histopathologic features known to affect disease prognosis. Tumors were classified using the World Health Organization's histologic criteria and were staged according the American Joint Committee on Cancer's classification system. Grade of the neoplasm, vascular invasion, and perineural tumor spread were evaluated in every case. RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent of tumors were aneuploid and showed statistically significant higher S-phase values than diploid tumors (22.5 vs. 11.2 percent; P < 0.00001). Mean SPF of the whole series was 17.9 (range, 4.2–44.2) percent. A statistically significant association was found between SPF values and histologic grade (P < 0.0016), nodal status (P <0.0007), distant metastasis(P < 0.0001), tumor stage (P <0.0001), venous invasion (P < 0.0002), and lymphatic permeation (P < 0.01) but not with perineural growth and infiltration of the neoplasm through the bowel wall (T). DNA ploidy correlated positively with tumor stage (P <0.03), and the association between aneuploidy and advanced stages of the disease was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that flow cytometric DNA ploidy and SPF, evaluated in fresh samples, are potentially useful parameters to estimate colorectal carcinoma biopathology. Aneuploidy and high replicative neoplastic activity correlated with histopathologic features that are commonly associated with the prognosis of colorectal carcinoma, being SPF-related to disease dissemination and, therefore, an indicator of clinical relevance.     

Seasonal reproduction in the mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus. II. Testicular responsiveness to luteinizing hormone

The male mongoose is a seasonal breeder and displays a distinct seasonal pattern in serum androgen levels. In this series of experiments testicular responsiveness to luteinizing hormone (LH) was evaluated during the breeding (active) and inactive seasons. The responsiveness of testes to LH was assessed by measuring [¹²⁵I]hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) binding to dispersed interstitial cells and by measuring in vitro LH-stimulated androgen release by dispersed interstitial cells. The binding data indicated that there was a significantly greater concentration of $\text{LH}\text{hCG}$ binding sites/Leydig cell during the active season than during the inactive season. In contrast, dispersed interstitial cells prepared from animals trapped during the active and inactive seasons were equally responsive to small doses (“physiological”) of ovine LH (oLH); however, higher doses of oLH produced a significant depression in the interstitial cell output of androgen during the inactive season but not during the active season. These results indicate that there are seasonal differences in the responses of the testis to LH. Whether the seasonal pattern of serum androgen levels in the male mongoose is directed by seasonal changes in serum gonadotropin levels or changes in testicular responsiveness to LH is discussed.     

Fibroblasts as maestros orchestrating tissue regeneration

Fibroblasts constitute a dynamic and versatile population of cells of mesenchymal origin, implicated in both regenerative strategies and pathological conditions. Despite being frequently associated to disease development, particularly through the establishment of fibrotic tissue, fibroblasts hold great potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. They are responsible for synthesizing and depositing extracellular matrix components, allowing other cells to settle and migrate along a three‐dimensional support and thereby generating an organ‐specific architecture. Additionally, they produce bioactive molecules that are involved in several physiological processes, including angiogenesis and tissue repair. Although there seems to be much still to unveil about these fascinating cells they have been attracting increasing interest and are now being intensively explored as a cell source to develop bioengineered tissue constructs or to improve stem cell‐based technologies. This review intends to highlight the potential of fibroblasts in orchestrating tissue regeneration, as well as to contribute to uncover uncharted prospective applications of these cells. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Can demographic and anthropometric characteristics predict clinical improvement in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain?

Objective

To identify potential prognostic factors that may predict clinical improvement of patients treated with different physical therapy interventions in the short-term.

Practice-Based Research Priorities for Palliative Care: Results From a Research-to-Practice Consensus Workshop

We employed the research-to-practice consensus workshop (RTP; workshops held in New York City and Tompkins County, New York, in 2013) model to merge researcher and practitioner views of translational research priorities in palliative care. In the RTP approach, a diverse group of frontline providers generates a research agenda for palliative care in collaboration with researchers. We have presented the major workshop recommendations and contrasted the practice-based research priorities with those of previous consensus efforts. We uncovered notable differences and found that the RTP model can produce unique insights into research priorities. Integrating practitioner-identified needs into research priorities for palliative care can contribute to addressing palliative care more effectively as a public health issue.Over the past 2 decades, palliative care has become established as a promising approach for addressing the needs of individuals with life-threatening illnesses from a holistic, interdisciplinary perspective. For this project, we defined palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and families facing the problems encountered in life-threatening illness by preventing and relieving suffering. Core components of palliative care include providing relief from pain and other distressing symptoms, affirming dying as a normal process, integrating psychological and spiritual aspects of care, enhancing the quality of life of patients, and offering support systems to patients and their families to help them live as fully as possible until death occurs.Research suggests that palliative care results in positive patient outcomes, greater patient and family satisfaction, and significant cost savings.1,2 The American Public Health Association, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine3–6 have identified the development of a robust palliative care delivery system as a key public health issue because of the documented ability of palliative care to deliver effective and efficient patient- and symptom-focused care to a growing population in need.In its 2013 report the American Public Health Association specifically detailed the public health implications of palliative care, acknowledged the growing burden of advanced chronic illness and disease in older adults, and recommended key steps to address the problem. This policy statement called for federal, state, and local efforts to promote effective symptom management in populations with serious illness or at the end of life. Other recommended initiatives included the development of a palliative care workforce, educational programs to improve uptake and use of palliative and hospice care, and research funding to support the expansion of palliative care initiatives. Achieving these goals will require moving beyond traditional medical practices to include both policies and initiatives at the public health level.Despite the potential of palliative care to address the mental and physical health needs of individuals with advanced illness, significant knowledge gaps impede its reach and effectiveness. Reports from scientific bodies and consensus workshops have highlighted weaknesses in the literature and called for more research on palliative care and improved research methods.7–10 Thus, although both interest in and demand for palliative care are increasing, reviews of the knowledge base continue to lament the lack of research on many key issues.11,12Especially urgent is a research agenda that fits most closely with the needs of providers who deliver palliative care. The systematic engagement of community practitioners in a consensus process can lead to particularly useful and actionable recommendations for research,13–15 which are greatly needed at this stage in the development of the field. Therefore, to shed new light on research priorities in palliative care, we used a structured, participatory method designed to solicit practitioner input on research priorities: the research-to-practice consensus workshop (RTP) model.16We employed the RTP approach to identify knowledge gaps and types of studies that should be conducted to improve providers’ ability to deliver palliative care most effectively. This model harnesses practice wisdom by engaging clinicians, agency staff, and other practitioners with researchers in a process of articulating and refining research questions and research priorities that honors scientific expertise and practice wisdom.     

Association of frailty with short-term outcomes,organ support and resource use in critically ill patients

Purpose

Frail patients are known to experience poor outcomes. Nevertheless, we know less about how frailty manifests itself in patients’ physiology during critical illness and how it affects resource use in intensive care units (ICU). We aimed to assess the association of frailty with short-term outcomes and organ support used by critically ill patients.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of prospective collected data from 93 ICUs in Brazil from 2014 to 2015. We assessed frailty using the modified frailty index (MFI). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were discharge home without need for nursing care, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), and utilization of ICU organ support and transfusion. We used mixed logistic regression and competing risk models accounting for relevant confounders in outcome analyses.

Results

The analysis consisted of 129,680 eligible patients. There were 40,779 (31.4%) non-frail (MFI?=?0), 64,407 (49.7%) pre-frail (MFI?=?1–2) and 24,494 (18.9%) frail (MFI?≥?3) patients. After adjusted analysis, frailty was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.89–3.08), particularly in patients admitted with lower SOFA scores. Frail patients were less likely to be discharged home (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.54–0.79) and had higher hospital and ICU LOS than non-frail patients. Use of all forms of organ support (mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, vasopressors, dialysis and transfusions) were more common in frail patients and increased as MFI increased.

Conclusions

Frailty, as assessed by MFI, was associated with several patient-centered endpoints including not only survival, but also ICU LOS and organ support.

     

A review of potential pharmacogenetic effects on catecholamine responses

Considerably, variability in the clinical response to inotropic agents is observed and could be explained partially by the genetic variants, such as single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in genes encoding for enzymes implicated in catecholamines synthesis, metabolism, storage and release or in the signaling pathway. This review highlights the potential effect of pharmacogenetics studies in hemodynamic response and identified 11 SNPs that could be relevant to explain the high variability drug response for a same dose. Cardiovascular instability, such as hypotension, is one of the premature birth complications. The pharmacogenetics studies evaluating these SNP may be useful to better understand the clinical outcome, particularly in this population.