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Abstract Monogeneans are a diverse group of flatworms, being ectoparasites of marine and freshwater fish, with great morphological and ecological variety. Analyzes of monogenetics in fish with great habitat diversity such as snappers are scarce in the literature, which already emphasizes the need for an update in this regard. The presente study found, morphologically characterized and mapped the geographic distribution and in known hosts the species Microcotyloides incisa and Microcotyloides impudicus, describing the first occurrence of these monogeneans for South America and in new hosts. The survey of hosts in the literature shows that M. incisa seems to have a greater Affinity with congener species of Lutjanidae and fish from other families, which may indicate a preference or specificity for fish of this family because they are congeners of their host type. The introduction of these parasites into South American waters may have occurred due to the migratory behavior of snappers, which are well distributed along the Mexican coast, where the parasites are usually reported. Here, we also bring the first occurrence of M. incisa for Lutjanus analis and Lutjanus jocu and M. impudicus for Ocyurus chrysurus and Lutjanus synagris, helping in the mapping and distribution of these monogenetic species in the Americas.

The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate the effects on development parameters in Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombaça of partially replacing the potassium (K) in fertilizer by sodium (Na)and the impacts of applying calcium (Ca). The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 replicates, in a 3 × 4 + 3 factorial arrangement. Three Ca sources (CaCO3, CaSO4 and CaCl2) were applied at 4 Ca doses (10, 20, 30 and 40 mg Ca/kg of soil) to the grass where 25% of the K fertilizer was replaced by NaCl. The 3 additional treatments were: application of standard fertilizer (N:P:K) with 100% of K recommendation; application of fertilizer with 25% of K replaced by Na but no Ca applied; and grass with no fertilizer of any kind as Control. The variables analyzed were: leaf area, leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate, relative growth rate and photosynthetic rate. Partial replacement of K by Na up to 25% of the K fertilizer recommendation did not cause significant change in the development of Mombaça grass or to any of the measured parameters. Addition of Ca had minimal impact on the analyzed variables regardless of level or source. These measurements helped to explain why dry matter yields of Mombaça grass were not significantly affected by partial replacement of K by Na up to 25% of the K fertilizer recommendation.

After its process of industrialization (1950s and first years of 1970s), the Brazilian industrial park became dominated by subsidiaries of large transnational companies that currently hold the control of productive value chains, especially medium and high technology. Neoliberal policies from the 1990s further contributed to internationalization of the industrial park by the privatization of state-owned enterprises, as well reinforcing foreign presence in value chains. Additionally, the “global outsourcing” system also promotes de-industrialization in some sectors. Those neoliberal policies are the result of the subordination of the interests of the national class to large transnational groups. Brazilian financial conglomerates also gain from the orthodox policy that supports neoliberalism. These interests prevent policies from creating a competitive and independent economy. Attempts to change this power structure are always blocked as disrespect to the economic orthodox thinking that serves as technical justification to neoliberalism. Is it still possible to break these relations of subordination and dependence towards real development?

Parasitic isopod species are poorly known in the northeastern coast of Brazil. In this sense, this study presents novel records of Isopoda of the families Aegidae, Cymothoidae, and Corallanidae. A total 69 specimens of Lutjanus analis and 19 of Lutjanus jocu, of which 46 isopods from 3 different species were collected, i.e. Rocinela signata, Cymothoa excisa, and Excorallana richardsoni. The species R. siganata and E. richardsoni are reported for the first time in L. jocu. A significant relationship between the parasite R. signata and the size of the fish L. jocu was also observed. The isopod C. excisa is considered an incidental finding in L. analis. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of this species in fish from Brazil. The three species of isopods are new occurrences in the State of Sergipe, northeast region of the country. An additional morphological characteristic observed in the dorsal setae of pleotelson in specimens of E. richardsoni was that one end of this structure wws bifid. This information contributes to the current body of knowledge of the morphology of this particular species.

Updated information of the dispersion dynamics of Chagas disease (CD) and a systemic analysis of these data will aid the early identification of areas that are vulnerable to transmission and enable efficient intervention. This work synthesized spatiotemporal information regarding triatomine fauna and analyzed this information in combination with the results from serological tests to elucidate the epidemiological panorama of CD in the state of Sergipe, Brazil. This is a retrospective analytical study that utilized information from the database of the National Chagas Disease Control Program. Between 2010 and 2016, 838 triatomines of eight species, namely, Panstrongylus geniculatus, which was first recorded in the state of Sergipe, Panstrongylus lutzi, P. megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, T. pseudomaculata, T. tibiamaculata, T. melanocephala, and Rhodnius neglectus, were collected. Optical microscopy revealed that 13.2% of triatomines examined were infected by Trypanosoma cruzi-like flagellates. The distribution of triatomines exhibits an expanding south-central to northern dispersion, with a preference for semiarid and agreste areas and occasional observations in humid coastal areas due to anthropogenic actions reflected in the environment. Of the human cases analyzed from 2012 to 2016, 8.3% (191/2316) presented positive serology for Trypanosoma cruzi, and this proportion showed a gradual increase in the southern center of the state and new notifications in coastal regions. There is a need for intensification and continuity of the measures adopted by the Chagas Disease Control Program in Sergipe, identifying new priority areas for intervention and preferential ecotopes of the vectors, considering the occurrence of positive triatomines intradomicilliary and a source of new triatomines in the peridomiciles.

O Estado se estrutura pela condensação de forças em disputa que constituem o bloco de poder hegemônico, bem como a ideologia que esse bloco carrega e que orienta a ação da sua burocracia de Estado, mesmo que temporariamente e em permanente conflito. Qual o espaço para a democracia a partir do momento em que a grande corporação transnacional consegue influenciar e ocupar os aparelhos de Estado? A democracia supõe que os indivíduos têm o poder de constituir o Estado e de interferir politicamente pelo voto, supondo poderes iguais quando há, na verdade, de um lado, indivíduos isolados e, de outro, corporações transnacionais organizadas em instituições supraestatais globais. Como é possível a democracia? A história demonstra que ela apenas se enfraquece.

The measurement of nuclear magnetic resonance parameters in an anisotropic media, such as residual dipolar coupling (RDC), has proven to be an excellent methodology for the refinement of chemical structures, being used as a complementary tool in the determination of the relative configuration, conformation, and constitution of organic compounds. In this study, we applied this methodology to determine the relative configuration of α-santonin, a natural product with four stereocenters, while assigning its prochiral methylene protons using only the RDCs obtained in a polyacrylonitrile polymer gel swollen in DMSO-d6.

In this article, we explore the idea that the current financial crisis is a manifestation of the exhaustion of the global capital accumulation process, a process that was established after World War II and based on the principle of globalization. The first signs of this exhaustion appeared in the 1970s. The liberalizing solutions the capital itself has imposed since then in order to maintain profitability have permitted, on one hand, a certain amount of global productive restructuring, but, on the other, have created many opportunities for the fictitious valorization of capital that is now erupting in crisis.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos na função ventricular esquerda do uso precoce e tardio de dopamina, em modelo experimental de coração isolado. MÉTODO: Foram utilizados 60 coelhos em modelo de coração isolado mantido por animal suporte. Um balão intraventricular foi locado no ventrículo esquerdo. Três grupos foram constituídos: grupo controle (GC); grupo que recebeu dopamina precoce (Dopa P) e grupo que recebeu dopamina tardia (após 20 minutos) (Dopa T). Foram realizadas leituras hemodinâmicas diretas e indiretas. RESULTADOS: Fluxo sangüíneo coronariano: GC(7,196 ± 1,275ml/min); Dopa P (9,477 ± 1,160ml/min); Dopa T (14,316 ± 2,308ml/min), com GC=Dopa P, GC ¹Dopa T e Dopa P¹Dopa T. Primeira derivada temporal da pressão intraventricular (dp/dt+): GC (719,61 ± 127,53ml/min); Dopa P (719,61 ± 127,53ml/min); Dopa T (1431,60 ± 230,87ml/min), p0,05, Dopa P=Dopa T=GC. Estresse sistólico desenvolvido: GC (27,273 ± 10,276g/cm²); Dopa P (55,219 ± 24,625g/cm²); Dopa T (79,152 ± 12,166g/cm²), Dopa P=Dopa T, Dopa P=GC e GC ¹ Dopa T.Dialdeído Malônico (MDA): GC (4,5 ± 0,527mmol/L); Dopa P (4,7 ± 1,16mmol/L); Dopa T (4,1 ± 0,7379mmol/L), p>0,05, Dopa P=Dopa T=GC. CONCLUSÕES: Concluiu-se que, no modelo experimental delineado, o uso precoce da dopamina foi deletério, segundo algumas variáveis hemodinâmicas.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect on the left ventricular function of the early and late use of dopamine in an experimental model of an isolated heart. METHOD: Were used 60 rabbits in an isolated heart model sustained by animal support. An intraventricular balloon was placed in the left ventricle. Three groups were constituted: a control group (CG); a group that received dopamine precociously (Dopa P) and a group that received dopamine after 20 minutes (Dopa T). Direct and indirect hemodynamic readings were taken. RESULTS: Coronary artery flow: CG (7.196 ± 1.275 mL/min); Dopa P (9.477 ± 1.160 mL/min); Dopa T (14.316 ± 2.308 mL/min), with CG = Dopa P, CG ¹ Dopa T and Dopa P ¹ Dopa T. First intraventricular positive derivative of the pressure (dp/dt+): CG (719.61 ± 127.53 mmHg/s); Dopa P (719.61 ± 127.53 mmHg/s); Dopa T (1431.60 ± 230.87 mmHg/s), p0.05, Dopa P = Dopa T = CG. Developed systolic stress: CG (27.273 ± 10.276 g/cm²); Dopa P (55.219 ± 24.625 g/cm²); Dopa T (79.152 ± 12.166 g/cm²), Dopa P=Dopa T, Dopa P = CG and CG ¹ Dopa T. Malonic Dialdehyde (MDA): CG (4.5 ± 0.527 mmol/L); Dopa P (4.7 ± 1.16 mmol/L); Dopa T (4.1 ± 0.7379 mmol/L), p>0.05, Dopa P=Dopa T=CG. CONCLUSION: We concluded that, in the delineated experimental model, the early use of the dopamine was deleterious as shown by some hemodynamic variables.

OBJETIVO: Analisar, comparativamente, a obtenção minimamente invasiva com o uso do MINI-HARVEST® e com instrumental tradicional adaptado. MÉTODO: De junho de 1996 a janeiro de 1999, 63 pacientes submetidos à cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio tiveram suas veias safenas retiradas segundo técnica minimamente invasiva. Nos 30 primeiros pacientes da série utilizou-se método de visão direta com auxílio de dois afastadores de Langenbeck, e nos 33 restantes utilizou-se o MINI-HARVEST®. RESULTADOS: A idade média dos pacientes era de 61 ± 8,75 anos, sendo 52 homens e 11 mulheres. Quarenta e cinco pacientes eram diabéticos, 45 apresentavam sobrepeso/obesidade, 25 eram tabagistas ativos, 32 apresentavam história pregressa de infarto do miocárdio. O tempo médio de retirada da veia safena com afastadores Langenbeck foi de 34,2 ± 8,14 minutos e com o MINI-HARVEST® de 39,20 ± 9,12 minutos. A extensão de veia retirada foi similar nos dois grupos, variando de 10 a 30 cm. Houve uma deiscência superficial no grupo com afastadores de Langenbeck. Houve necessidade de reversão para m��todo tradicional de retirada em dois casos do grupo MINI-HARVEST® e um do grupo Langenbeck. A incidência de infarto transoperatório foi 4,5% (três) no grupo Langenbeck e 3,1%(dois) no grupo MINI-HARVEST®. CONCLUSÕES: Podemos concluir que o método de obtenção de veia safena minimamente invasivo sob visão direta é efetivo e seguro, tanto com o uso de instrumentos tradicionais adaptados para este fim, como com afastadores especialmente constituídos, ressaltando-se que o MINI-HARVEST® dispensa a presença de um auxiliar.OBJECTIVE: To comparatively analyze minimally invasive procurement of saphenous veins using Mini-Harvest® system and a technique using adapted traditional instruments. METHOD: From June 1996 to January 1999, 63 patients who were submitted to Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery had their saphenous veins resected using minimally invasive techniques. In the first 30 patients of the series, a direct visualization method employing two Langenbeck's retractors was utilized and for the 33 remaining patients the Mini-Harvest® technique was utilized. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 61 ± 8.75 years old. Fifty-two patients were male and 11 female. Forty-five patients were diabetics, 45 were overweight or obese, 25 were smokers and 32 presented history of myocardial infarction. The mean time to resect the saphenous vein using the Langenbeck's retractors was 34.2 ± 8.14 minutes and using the Mini-Harvest® it was 39.20 ± 9.12 minutes. The lenghts of the extracted veins were similar in both groups, varying between 10 and 30 cm. There was one case of superficial dehiscence in the Langenbeck group. With two patients in the Mini-Harvest® group and one in Langenbeck's group it was necessary to revert to the traditional method of procurement. The incidence of tran-soperative infarction was 4.5% (three patients) in Langenbeck's group and 3.1% (two patients) in the Mini-Harvest® group. CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that the minimally invasive procurement methods of the saphenous vein by direct visualization are effective and safe, both when employing adapted traditional instruments and using purpose-made retractors. We stress, however, that the Mini-Harvest® method does not require an assistant.

Background: Despite the growing number of elderly kidney transplant (Ktx) recipients, few studies have examined the effects of immunosuppression on their lymphocyte profiles. Methods: We evaluated the early conversion from mycophenolate sodium (MPS) to everolimus (EVL) after rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) 2 mg/kg induction in elderly kidney recipients. Three groups of KTx patients were compared: (a) Young (n=20, 36 ± 7 y) receiving standard immunosuppression (Group A1) (prednisone, tacrolimus, and MPS), (b) Elderly (n=35, 65 ± 3 y) receiving standard immunosuppression (Group B1), and (c) Elderly (n=16, 65 ± 3 y) with early (mean 30 d) conversion from MPS to EVL (Group B2). Naive, memory, and regulatory peripheral blood TCD4+ lymphocytes were quantified at 0, 30, and 365 d. Results: Results are reported as [mean(p25–p75)]. Young recipients had higher lymphocyte counts at baseline [2,100(1,630–2,400) vs. 1,310 (1,000–1,600)/mm3, p<0.0001] maintained higher counts within 365 d [1,850(1,590–2,120) vs. 1,130 (460–1,325)/mm3, p=0.018 and vs. 1,410(805–1,895)/mm3, p=0.268]. Elderly recipients showed a decrease in lymphocytes within 30 d [1,310(1,000–1,600) vs. 910(700–1,198)/mm3, p=0.0012] with recovery within 365 d. The same pattern was observed in total lymphocytes and TCD4+ counts. Rabbit antithymocyte globulin induced a reduction in central memory T-cell percentages at 30 d in both young recipients [6.2(3.77–10.8) vs. 5.32(2.49–7.28)% of CD4+, p=0.036] and in elderly recipients [8.17(5.28–12.88) vs. 6.74(4.36–11)% of CD4+, p=0.05] on standard immunosuppression, returning to baseline at 365 d in elderly recipients but not in young recipients. Regulatory T CD39+ cells (Treg) percentages decreased at 30 d in elderly recipients [2.1(1.23–3.51) vs. 1.69(0.8–2.66)% of CD4+, p=0.0028] and in young recipients [1.29(0.45–1.85) vs. 0.84(0.18–1.82)% of CD4+, p=0.0038], returning to baseline at 365 d in elderly recipients [2.1(1.23– 3.51) vs. 2.042(0.88–2.42)% of CD4+], but not in young recipients [1.29(0.45–1.85) vs. 0.86(0.7–1.34) % of CD4+]. The elderly everolimus conversion group did not show significant changes in cell profile over time or compared to elderly recipients with standard immunosuppression. Conclusion: Aging favored the maintenance of Treg during the late transplantation period despite ongoing immunosuppression. Lymphocyte depletion due to rATG was more prominent in elderly recipients and affected memory subsets with a temporary reduction in central memory T cells. However, conversion to everolimus did not impact Treg profile. Reducing the dose of rATG in elderly recipients seems necessary for the expected lymphocyte changes with EVL to occur. Clinical trial registration: nEverOld Trial, identifier NTC01631058. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lutjanids are marine fish and commonly inhabit coral reefs, which have migratory habits and feed in a general way, due to these characteristics, are susceptible to infections by parasites, such as cuculanid nematodes. This work aimed to report for the first time, the occurrence of Dichelyne (Dichelyne) bonacii in Brazil, in two new hosts, Lutjanus analis and Rhomboplites aurorubens, acquired from local artisanal fishermen at the Aracaju city public fishing terminal (10 ° 54’17 “S37 ° 2’56” W), northeast coast of Brazil. Adult nematodes were collected from the intestinal tract of the hosts, clarified in Aman’s Lactophenol and were briefly described here. Three adult males and five gravid females were found, indicating that the two species of fish acted as definitive hosts. Currently, this species of parasite has been reported only from fish collected in the coast of Mexico, which makes this work the first record of this parasite in Brazilian coastal waters. The results show that probably the range of hosts and the distribution of D. (Dichelyne) bonacii is not as restricted as data pointed in the literature, being a little wider, extending also to waters that bathe the Brazilian coast.

ABSTRACT Parasites are important components of communities and constitute great part of the biological diversity found in ecosystems, providing valuable information about their hosts and the environment in which they live. However, despite its importance, parasitic diversity is still not well known in some regions of Brazil, especially with respect to fish parasites in the Northeast Region. The present study aims to perform the survey of gill parasites of fish from two tropical estuaries located in northeastern Brazil: Paraíba and Mamanguape rivers. Two collections were made in each estuary, one during the dry period (November / 2013) and the other during the rainy season (July / 2014). The fish were caught using a beach seine net, dragged along the main channel margin. After the identification, biometry and necropsy of the fish, their parasites were collected, stored and identified. For each species of parasite, the values of prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance were calculated. Of the 882 examined fish, belonging to four species, 145 were parasitized by at least one species of parasite. In total, 18 taxa of parasites of the groups Monogenea, Digenea, Nematoda, Copepoda and Isopoda were recorded, being the copepod Acusicola brasiliensis the most abundant species of parasite.

Computer vision system (CVSs) are effective tools that enable large‐scale phenotyping with a low‐cost and non‐invasive method, which avoids animal stress. Economically important traits, such as rib and loin yield, are difficult to measure; therefore, the use of CVS is crucial to accurately predict several measures to allow their inclusion in breeding goals by indirect predictors. Therefore, this study aimed (1) to validate CVS by a deep learning approach and to automatically predict morphometric measurements in tambaqui and (2) to estimate genetic parameters for growth traits and body yield. Data from 365 individuals belonging to 11 full‐sib families were evaluated. Seven growth traits were measured. After biometrics, each fish was processed in the following body regions: head, rib, loin, R + L (rib + loin). For deep learning image segmentation, we adopted a method based on the instance segmentation of the Mask R‐CNN (Region‐based Convolutional Neural Networks) model. Pearson's correlation values between measurements predicted manually and automatically by the CVS were high and positive. Regarding the classification performance, visible differences were detected in only about 3% of the images. Heritability estimates for growth and body yield traits ranged from low to high. The genetic correlations between the percentage of body parts and morphometric characteristics were favorable and highly correlated, except for percentage head, whose correlations were unfavorable. In conclusion, the CVS validated in this image dataset proved to be resilient and can be used for large‐scale phenotyping in tambaqui. The weight of the rib and loin are traits under moderate genetic control and should respond to selection. In addition, standard length and pelvis length can be used as an efficient and indirect selection criterion for body yield in this tambaqui population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Para acompañar los procesos de innovación y transformación se requiere de un equipo directivo actualizado y al tanto de lo que acontece, abierto a promover las implementaciones de proyectos que incluyan Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC). También se necesita acomodar tiempos y espacios institucionales que favorezcan el trabajo en red y la colaboración. El objetivo del artículo es reflexionar sobre la superación profesional de directivos en la modalidad a distancia. Se utilizaron diferentes métodos del nivel teórico que permitieron interpretar hechos y datos, analizar la información y precisar diferentes enfoques que permitan llegara un nivel de generalización acerca de la superación profesional, particularmente de los directivos

Nile tilapia is the main farmed fish in Brazilian aquaculture. Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is responsible for high mortality rates in fish farms. Genetic improvement is considered an effective alternative for producing resistant animals in aquaculture. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for resistance to GBS infection in a breeding population of Nile tilapia from Brazil, based on disease challenge using a circulating serotype (Ib and ST-NT). Furthermore, genetic correlations between resistance to GBS and average daily gain (ADG) were estimated to determine whether these traits can be included in selective breeding programs. Survival (SS) and time until death (TD) were the evaluated traits. The survival of the most resistant families was approximately 30%, indicating high phenotypic variation in resistance to the infection. Low to moderate heritability values for resistance traits in the Nile tilapia population were estimated, ranging from 0.14 to 0.27. Heritability for ADG was moderate to high (0.40) based on a growth trial involving 43 families (735 animals). Phenotypic correlations between the resistance traits (SS and TD) and ADG were positive and low, ranging from 0.09 to 0.18, whereas genetic correlations were close to zero. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between SS and TD were considered high and positive, ranging from 0.38 to 0.72. The results suggest that selection for resistance against GBS does not negatively affect juvenile weight gain in Nile tilapia.

Objetivo: Analisar as vulnerabilidades e as condições de saúde em comunidades quilombolas sergipanos durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Método: Estudo seccional com abordagem quantitativa, com análise da percepção dos quilombolas sobre a COVID-19, condições de saúde, socioeconômicas e ambiental. Resultados: As comunidades apresentaram uma infraestrutura relativamente adequada, com abastecimento de água e energia elétrica ligados à rede geral. A rede de captação de esgoto é incipiente nas comunidades, a prevalência da Covid-19 foi maior nas comunidades do município de Pirambu, as quais apresentam 66,96% do esgoto recolhido em fossa rudimentar, enquanto que nas comunidades do município de Capela, a fossa rudimentar está presente em 53,24% das residências. Conclusão: Ações que apoiem e fortaleçam as condições sanitárias, de moradia e acesso frequente a águas tratada as comunidades quilombolas são de suma importância, especialmente em tempos de pandemia.

This paper presents two key data sets derived from the Pomar Urbano project. The first data set is a comprehensive catalog of edible fruit-bearing plant species, native or introduced to Brazil. The second data set, sourced from the iNaturalist platform, tracks the distribution and monitoring of these plants within urban landscapes across Brazil. The study includes data from the capitals of all 27 federative units of Brazil, focusing on the ten cities that contributed the most observations as of August 2023. The research emphasizes the significance of citizen science in urban biodiversity monitoring and its potential to contribute to various fields, including food and nutrition, creative industry, study of plant phenology, and machine learning applications. We expect the data sets presented in this paper to serve as resources for further studies in urban foraging, food security, cultural ecosystem services, and environmental sustainability.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the use of periodontal probing and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images in the diagnosis of furcation involvement (FI) in patients with chronic generalized severe periodontitis. Method and Materials: Fifteen patients with chronic generalized severe periodontitis were included in this study. In total, 174 furcation sites (all in molar teeth) were analyzed. FI was assessed at three sites (buccal, mesiopalatal, and distopalatal) of maxillary molars, and at two sites (buccal and oral) of mandibular molars. FI was assessed both clinically (periodontal probing) and on CBCT images, using a dichotomous scale (present/absent). The agreement between clinical and CBCT-based findings was calculated. Results: FI were more often detected by means of CBCT than by means of clinical examination. Agreement between the evaluation methods was present in 46.9% of cases (63.3% in maxilla, 45.0% in mandible). FI detected clinically was confirmed by means of CBCT in 24% of the evaluated sites. The largest agreement (73.7%) in FI detection was found in the distopalatal maxillary sites between CBCT and clinical probing. The smallest agreement (36.6%) was found in the buccal sites of the mandibular molars, in which 63.3% of FI were detected using CBCT only, but not clinically. Conclusion: The number of FI detected by means of CBCT was larger than by means of periodontal probing. In those cases in which chronic generalized severe periodontitis is clinically diagnosed, and surgical treatment is necessary, CBCT may be suggested as an adjunct tool for FI assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thixotropic yield stress materials show a shear-induced solid-liquid transition at the yielding point, characterized by yield stress and yield strain. It is well known in the literature that the elastic modulus and the yield stress of thixotropic materials increase with aging time. In the current work, we propose a discussion on the brittleness of a suspension of swollen bentonite in water, focusing mainly on the role of aging times on the yield strain and on the critical strain at the linear to nonlinear viscoelastic transition of the material. The yield strain was measured in creep and constant shear rate start-up experiments, whereas the linear to nonlinear viscoelastic transition was evaluated from Fourier transforms on transient data in oscillatory shear stress amplitude sweeps. We show that aging increases material brittleness since the yield strain decreases with the resting time. On the other hand, the linear to nonlinear viscoelastic transition strain is surprisingly unaffected by the aging process. Other thixotropic systems were also investigated: 8 and 10 wt. % suspensions of bentonite in water and a 2 wt. % suspension of Laponite® in tap water. These lead to similar observations, showing constant linear to nonlinear viscoelastic strains and decreasing yield strains over increasing aging times. These findings bring relevant information to the intricate open-discussion issue on how to describe the behavior of thixotropic materials below the yield stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Abdominal angiostrongyliasis (AA) is a severe parasitic infection caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus costaricensis. This disease is characterized by abdominal pain, a strong inflammatory eosinophilic response in the blood and tissues, and eventually intestinal perforation. Diagnosis of AA is challenging since there are no commercially available serological kits for A. costaricensis, and thus, histopathological analysis remains the gold standard. Herein we provide a decision flowchart for clinicians to improve the diagnosis of AA based on a patient’s clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, macroscopic observations of the gut lesions, as well as characteristic microscopic alterations in biopsies. A brief discussion of the available polymerase chain reaction and in-house serological methods is also presented. The aim of this mini-review is to improve the diagnosis of AA, which should lead to prompt detection of cases and better estimates of the epidemiology and geographical distribution of A. costaricensis. Graphical Abstract