Novel ssDNA viruses discovered in yellow-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus auriceps) nesting material

During routine monitoring of yellow-crowned parakeets in the Poulter Valley of the South Island of New Zealand, a dead parakeet chick was discovered in a nest. Known parrot-infecting viruses, such as beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), avian polyomavirus (APV), and parrot hepatitis B virus (PHBV), were not detected in the nesting material. However, we recovered two novel single-stranded DNA viruses (ssDNA), CynNCXV (2308 nt) and CynNCKV (2087 nt), which have genome architectures similar to those of circoviruses, characterised by circular genomes with two large bidirectional open reading frames (ORFs). Both contain a stem-loop element with a conserved nonanucleotide motif, known to be required for rolling-circle replication. The full genomes had no BLASTn similarity to known ssDNA viruses. However, in both genomes the larger ORFs have BLAST similarity to known replication-associated proteins (Reps). CynNCKV has 30 % similarity to picobiliphyte nano-like virus (Picobiliphyte M5584-5) with 66-88 % coverage (e-value of 5×10^?33), whereas CynNCXV has 33 % similarity to rodent stool-associated virus (RodSCV M-45) with 92-94 % coverage (e-value of 5 × 10^?31). Found within these ORFs were the rolling-circle replication motifs I, II, III and the helicase motifs Walker A and Walker B. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis of the Reps reveals that these are two novel ssDNA viruses. At this point, we are unable to attribute the death of the parakeet to these two new novel ssDNA viruses.     

Beyond physiotherapy and pharmacological treatment for fibromyalgia syndrome: tailored tACS as a new therapeutic tool

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience - Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex pain disorder, characterized by diffuse pain and cognitive disturbances. Abnormal cortical...     

High microvessel density in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is associated with high grade

The objectives of this work are to study angiogenesis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using computerized morphometric and image analysis and to compare the microvascular density in intratumoral and peritumoral areas and normal pancreatic tissue. Microvascular density was analyzed in 60 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and 30 samples of normal pancreatic tissue using an avidin–biotin immunoperoxidase technique with an anti-CD31 antibody. Microvascular density (MVD) was analyzed through digital microimaging and computerized analysis. The blood vessel density in the tumor was significantly higher than in peritumoral areas and in normal pancreatic tissue. Well differentiated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas contained higher MVD than poorly differentiated carcinomas. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, MVD is higher than in peritumoral tissue or normal pancreatic tissue.     

Stability and marginal bone loss in implants placed using piezoelectric osteotomy versus conventional drilling: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The main objective of this systematic review was to compare primary and secondary implant stability between placement with piezoelectric osteotomy and conventional drilling, comparing marginal bone losses as a secondary objective. Material and Methods An electronic search was conducted using PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Cochrane Library (Wiley) databases, besides a manual search. Results A total of 153 articles were retrieved, 39 from Pubmed, 44 from Scopus, and 70 from the Cochrane Library. After removing duplicates, 112 articles (1 from the manual search) were screened, and 9 were finally selected for qualitative and statistical analyses. Conclusions Piezoelectric surgery is a predictable alternative to conventional drilling for dental implant placement. Medium/long-term survival rates and marginal bone losses are similar between piezoelectric osteotomy and conventional drilling, and there is no difference in ISQ values for primary stability. However, implants placed with ultrasound showed a lower decrease in implant stability quotient (ISQ) during the osseointegration period and a higher ISQ value for secondary stability. This study contributes further information on peri-implant bone tissue at 3 and 6 months after implant placement with piezoelectric osteotomy or conventional drilling and provides an updated meta-analysis of comparative studies. Key words:Piezosurgery, piezoelectric surgery, conventional drill, implant site preparation, dental implant, implant stability, marginal bone loss.     

Hippocampal Insulin Resistance Impairs Spatial Learning and Synaptic Plasticity

Insulin receptors (IRs) are expressed in discrete neuronal populations in the central nervous system, including the hippocampus. To elucidate the functional role of hippocampal IRs independent of metabolic function, we generated a model of hippocampal-specific insulin resistance using a lentiviral vector expressing an IR antisense sequence (LV-IRAS). LV-IRAS effectively downregulates IR expression in the rat hippocampus without affecting body weight, adiposity, or peripheral glucose homeostasis. Nevertheless, hippocampal neuroplasticity was impaired in LV-IRAS–treated rats. High-frequency stimulation, which evoked robust long-term potentiation (LTP) in brain slices from LV control rats, failed to evoke LTP in LV-IRAS–treated rats. GluN2B subunit levels, as well as the basal level of phosphorylation of GluA1, were reduced in the hippocampus of LV-IRAS rats. Moreover, these deficits in synaptic transmission were associated with impairments in spatial learning. We suggest that alterations in the expression and phosphorylation of glutamate receptor subunits underlie the alterations in LTP and that these changes are responsible for the impairment in hippocampal-dependent learning. Importantly, these learning deficits are strikingly similar to the impairments in complex task performance observed in patients with diabetes, which strengthens the hypothesis that hippocampal insulin resistance is a key mediator of cognitive deficits independent of glycemic control.     

Clinical efficacy of amiodarone as an antiarrhythmic agent

Amiodarone, administered orally in doses of 200 to 600 mg/day, was remarkably effective in the treatment and prevention of a wide variety of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Total suppression and control was provided in 98 (92.4 percent) of 106 patients with supraventricular arrhythmias and in 119 (82 percent) of 145 patients with ventricular arrhythmias. The rates of total control of the arrhythmia were: 96.6 percent in 30 patients with recurrent atrial flutter or fibrillation, 96.6 percent in 59 patients with repetitive supraventricular tachycardia, 100 percent in 27 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and 77.2 percent in 44 patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia unsuccessfully treated with other drugs. Excellent results were obtained in 6 of 8 patients with repetitive ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation related to postinfarction ventricular aneurysm and in 12 of 14 patients with ventricular extrasystoles and ventricular tachycardia related to Chagasic myocarditis. Amiodarone proved safe in patients with severe congestive heart failure and severe myocardial damage. Its clinical efficacy was related to its electrophysiologic properties and to two unique properties: its wide safety margin and its cumulative effect. The latter liberates patients from a rigid hourly schedule and provides for continuous antiarrhythmic control, days and even weeks after treatment is discontinued.     

Steroid hyperglycemia: Prevalence,early detection and therapeutic recommendations: A narrative review

Steroids are drugs that have been used extensively in a variety of conditions. Although widely prescribed for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, glucocorticoids have several side effects, being hyperglycemia one of the most common and representative. In the present review, we discuss the main epidemiologic characteristics associated with steroid use, with emphasis on the identification of high risk populations. Additionally we present the pathophysiology of corticosteroid induced hyperglycemia as well as the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics associated with steroid use. We propose a treatment strategy based on previous reports and the understanding of the mechanism of action of both, the different types of glucocorticoids and the treatment options, in both the ambulatory and the hospital setting. Finally, we present some of the recent scientific advances as well as some options for future use of glucocorticoids.