Search

La ascariasis es una enfermedad parasitaria que diezma la salud de cientos de miles de seres humanos, especialmente en los países en desarrollo. Sin embargo, la falta de profilaxis adecuada del parásito, asociado con un mayor riesgo de sufrir enfermedades inmunes, es un problema principalmente en los países desarrollados donde la prevalencia del parásito es muy baja. La relación evolutiva y los mecanismos por los cuales el parásito fue capaz de colonizar y establecerse en el huésped humano aún no se han descifrado. Del mismo modo, los mecanismos inmunes (proximales) de respuesta del huésped para eliminar o controlar el parásito no se entienden completamente. La comprensión de estos mecanismos nos permitirá establecer mejores tratamientos médicos, evitando efectos indeseables y más enfocados en el control de la parasitosis, así como para la terapia de estas enfermedades inmunológicas asociadas con la relación huésped-ascárido. Ascariasis is a debilitating parasitic disease that has decimated the health of hundreds of thousands of human beings, especially in developing countries. The lack of adequate prophylaxis of the parasite associated with an increased risk of immunological disease is a challenge mainly in developed countries where the prevalence of this parasite is very low. The evolutionary relationship and mechanisms by which the parasite was able to colonize and establish itself in human hosts have not yet been unraveled. In addition, the host immune response mechanisms to eliminate or control the parasite are not fully understood. Understanding these immunological mechanisms (proximates) will allow establishing better medical treatments for diseases related to the positive effects of parasitosis, thus also avoiding the undesirable effects of the parasitosis itself. A ascaridíase é uma doença parasitária que dizima a saúde de milhares de seres humanos, principalmente nos países em desenvolvimento. No entanto, a falta de profilaxia adequada do parasito, associada ao aumento do risco de doenças imunológicas, é um problema principalmente em países desenvolvidos onde a prevalência do parasito é muito baixa. A relação evolutiva e os mecanismos pelos quais o parasito foi capaz de colonizar e se estabelecer no hospedeiro humano ainda não tem sido decifrados. Da mesma forma, os mecanismos de resposta imune do hospedeiro para eliminar ou controlar o parasito não são totalmente compreendidos. A compreensão desses mecanismos permitirá estabelecer melhores tratamentos médicos, evitando efeitos indesejáveis e mais voltados para o controle das parasitoses, bem como para a terapia dessas doenças imunológicas associadas à relação hospedeiro-ascarídeo.

Context Early sown, annual ryegrass pastures and winter crops provide a high-quality feed for livestock and also have a high water content during autumn and early winter compared with typical temperate pastures. Aim We hypothesised that beef cattle grazing annual ryegrass or forage oats would not need additional access to drinking water to maintain their intake and growth. Methods In Experiment 1, 48 weaned, castrated male Hereford calves with liveweight 154 kg (±6.7 kg; s.d.) grazed Italian ryegrass at a daily allowance of 4.5 kg dry matter (DM)/100 kg liveweight in two treatments including with or without access to drinking water. In Experiment 2, 60 Hereford steers with liveweight 382 kg (±20.6 kg; s.d.) were offered a daily allowance of 5 kg DM/100 kg liveweight of forage oats in a 2 × 2 factorial design either with or without access to drinking water and with or without sorghum grain silage supplemented at 1% of liveweight. The experiments were analysed as a completely randomised design, with individual pasture plots as the experimental unit. Key results Daily growth rates of calves in the two treatments were similar (P > 0.05); however, calves with access to drinking water consumed 60% more water than did the calves without drinking water (P 0.05) on the daily growth rate of steers (P > 0.05); however, the daily growth rate of supplemented steers was 9% higher than that of the unsupplemented steers (P 0.05). Conclusions Both calves and steers derived no production benefits by having access to drinking water when grazing actively growing annual ryegrass pasture or forage oats. Nevertheless, livestock should be monitored closely so that appropriate interventions can be made if there are changes in the pasture availability or weather. Implications Grazing early sown winter forages by livestock can help circumvent the autumn–winter feed gap and these forages can be utilised more cost-effectively by not having to provide drinking water when the DM content is low.

Context A frame score prediction equation developed specifically for Nellore cattle could be an auxiliary tool to improve mating decisions on the basis of feed resources and production-system objectives. Aims Estimate genetic parameters for frame by using a prediction equation developed for Nellore cattle and genetic associations between frame score (FRAME) and growth-, reproductive-, carcass- and feed efficiency-related traits, and five bioeconomic indexes. Methods Birth weight (BW), adjusted weight at 120 (W120), 210 (W210) and 450 (W450) days of age, adult weight (AW), age at first calving (AFC), probability of precocious calving (PPC30), stayability (STAY), accumulated cow productivity (ACP), adjusted scrotal circumference at 365 (SC365) and 450 (SC450) days of age, rib eye area (REA), subcutaneous backfat thickness (BFT), rump fat thickness (RFT), intramuscular fat percentage (IMF), residual feed intake (RFI) and dry-matter intake (DMI) were included in the analyses. Frame score was calculated using the multiple linear regression (MLR) prediction method. The estimation of genetic parameters was performed using a linear animal model, except for PPC30 and STAY, which were estimated through a threshold animal model. The correlated response in FRAME considering selection for growth-, reproductive-, carcass- and feed efficiency-indicator traits were obtained in the context of single-trait selection and a multiple-trait context. Key results Heritability estimated for FRAME was moderate (0.30 ± 0.09). Frame score showed moderate genetic correlations with growth traits, BW (0.51 ± 0.08), W120 (0.41 ± 0.07), W210 (0.35 ± 0.07) and W450 (0.29 ± 0.08). The genetic correlation estimates between FRAME and RFT was high (−0.84 ± 0.02), but low with ACP (0.25 ± 0.08) and RFI (0.10 ± 0.13). In the single-trait and multi-trait contexts, there was a lower correlated gain for FRAME when the selection was applied for traits commonly measured in beef cattle breeding programs. Conclusion Selection to increase growth traits would lead to an increase in frame size and herd nutritional requirements, and it would reduce the carcass fatness level and early heifer sexual precocity. FRAME could be an alternative trait to monitor calf birth weight. Implications Selection for FRAME is feasible, and the most suitable frame score value depends on the production system objectives and feed resources.

Humans perceive light in the visible spectrum (400-700 nm). Some night vision systems use infrared light that is not perceptible to humans and the images rendered are transposed to a digital display presenting a monochromatic image in the visible spectrum. We sought to develop an imaging algorithm powered by optimized deep learning architectures whereby infrared spectral illumination of a scene could be used to predict a visible spectrum rendering of the scene as if it were perceived by a human with visible spectrum light. This would make it possible to digitally render a visible spectrum scene to humans when they are otherwise in complete “darkness” and only illuminated with infrared light. To achieve this goal, we used a monochromatic camera sensitive to visible and near infrared light to acquire an image dataset of printed images of faces under multispectral illumination spanning standard visible red (604 nm), green (529 nm) and blue (447 nm) as well as infrared wavelengths (718, 777, and 807 nm). We then optimized a convolutional neural network with a U-Net-like architecture to predict visible spectrum images from only near-infrared images. This study serves as a first step towards predicting human visible spectrum scenes from imperceptible near-infrared illumination. Further work can profoundly contribute to a variety of applications including night vision and studies of biological samples sensitive to visible light.

Rationale: Mechanical ventilation is a mainstay of intensive care but contributes to the mortality of patients through ventilator induced lung injury. Extracellular Cyclophilin A is an emerging inflammatory mediator and metalloproteinase inducer, and the gene responsible for its expression has recently been linked to COVID-19 infection. Objectives: Here we explore the involvement of extracellular Cyclophilin A in the pathophysiology of ventilator-induced lung injury. Methods: Mice were ventilated with low or high tidal volume for up to 3 hours, with or without blockade of extracellular Cyclophilin A signalling, and lung injury and inflammation were evaluated. Human primary alveolar epithelial cells were exposed to in vitro stretch to explore the cellular source of extracellular Cyclophilin A, and Cyclophilin A levels were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from acute respiratory distress syndrome patients, to evaluate clinical relevance. Measurements and Main Results: High tidal volume ventilation in mice provoked a rapid increase in soluble Cyclophilin A levels in the alveolar space, but not plasma. In vivo ventilation and in vitro stretch experiments indicated alveolar epithelium as the likely major source. In vivo blockade of extracellular Cyclophilin A signalling substantially attenuated physiological dysfunction, macrophage activation and matrix metalloproteinases. Finally, we found that patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome showed markedly elevated levels of extracellular Cyclophilin A within bronchoalveolar lavage. Conclusions: Cyclophilin A is upregulated within the lungs of injuriously ventilated mice (and critically ill patients), where it plays a significant role in lung injury. Extracellular Cyclophilin A represents an exciting novel target for pharmacological intervention.

BackgroundDespite advances in understanding the pathophysiology of acute respiratory distress syndrome, effective pharmacological interventions have proven elusive. We believe this is a consequence of existing preclinical models being designed primarily to explore biological pathways, rather than predict treatment effects. Here, we describe a mouse model in which both therapeutic intervention and ventilation were superimposed onto existing injury and explored the impact of β-agonist treatment, which is effective in simple models but not clinically.MethodsMice had lung injury induced by intranasal lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which peaked at 48 hours post-LPS based on clinically relevant parameters including hypoxaemia and impaired mechanics. At this peak of injury, mice were treated intratracheally with either terbutaline or tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1-targeting domain antibody, and ventilated with moderate tidal volume (20 mL/kg) to induce secondary ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI).ResultsVentilation of LPS-injured mice at 20 mL/kg exacerbated injury compared with low tidal volume (8 mL/kg). While terbutaline attenuated VILI within non-LPS-treated animals, it was ineffective to reduce VILI in pre-injured mice, mimicking its lack of clinical efficacy. In contrast, anti-TNF receptor 1 antibody attenuated secondary VILI within pre-injured lungs, indicating that the model was treatable.ConclusionsWe propose adoption of a practical framework like that described here to reduce the number of ultimately ineffective drugs reaching clinical trials. Novel targets should be evaluated alongside interventions which have been previously tested clinically, using models that recapitulate the (lack of) clinical efficacy. Within such a framework, outperforming a failed pharmacologic should be a prerequisite for drugs entering trials.

Aim of the Study Barrett's esophagus (BE) could be a rare late complication in children with repaired esophageal atresia, partly due to a long-term history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the best endoscopic technique in adults with BE and dysplasia. Guidelines do not support this approach for non-dysplastic BE. Aim of this study is to present our experience as Tertiary Gastroenterology referral Centers in the treatment of children and young adults with BE using RFA. Methods A multicenter retrospective study conducted on children with BE, subjected to RFA at the Digestive Surgery and Endoscopy Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital and the Department of General Surgery ‘Paride Stefanini’, Sapienza University of Rome, between June 2012 and December 2017.Demographic and clinical data were collected. BE characteristics according to Prague classification, presence and grade of dysplasia, number of RFA treatments, complications, clinic and endoscopic outcomes were described. All patients were treated with HALO RF BARRXtm (HALO 360 Covidien, Sunnyvale, California, USA). Endoscopic evaluation and treatment were performed every 3 months until complete eradication. Endoscopic follow-up was: 6 months after eradication, and then annually. Results Five patients were evaluated (M:5). Mean age at diagnosis was 14.4 years (range: 9–17); mean age at first treatment was 23 years (range: 13–36). Two patients presented with repaired esophageal atresia (long gap, type 3 atresia), 3 with peptic strictures. All patients exhibited a long-term history of symptomatic GERD and PPI dependency. Four patients underwent Nissen fundoplication before BE diagnosis. All patients presented with long segment BE (mean baseline length was 8,8 cm, range 7–10 cm). According to the Prague classification, patients were classified as follows: C0M7, C0M17, C8M10, C0M9 and C4M8. One patient presented with LGD. Patients received a mean of 3 HALO treatments (range 1–4 sessions). Eradication was 100% during 2- to 6-year follow-up (mean 4.5 year). No complications occurred. Conclusions Pediatric patients with EA present an high risk to develop early BE, therefore endoscopic surveillance is mandatory. RFA represents a safe and effective treatment option in patients with early onset BE. Treatment of BE with this technique could be a useful and minimal invasive strategy for dysplasia and cancer prevention.

Foi desenvolvido o modelo bioeconômico nominado de Beef Management System para a obtenção de valores econômicos em quatro sistemas de recria e engorda de bovinos. Dos modelos analisados, dois utilizaram machos inteiros da raça Nelore e os outros dois machos inteiros cruzados (½ sangue taurino; ½ sangue zebu). Para cada grupamento genético estipulou-se dois modelos de produção, um 100 % a pasto e o outro com recria em pastagem e posterior confinamento. O estudo foi conduzido por meio de simulações em planilhas eletrônicas interligadas do programa Microsoft Office Excel. Os valores econômicos foram estimados para as características de ganho médio diário (GMD), rendimento de carcaça (RC), consumo alimentar (CA) e energia de mantença (EM), para cada um dos modelos propostos. Para obtenção dos valores econômicos, estipulou-se um aumento de 1 % no GMD e RC, e diminuiu-se 1 % da EM e CA. Com o aumento de 1 % no RC e no GMD, o custo de produção diminuiu 14,69 kg de carne (1 unidade de arroba) em todos os modelos estudados. A redução de 1 % na EM dos animais resultou em uma diminuição de 0,45 % no custo de produção de 14,69 kg de carne em ambos os modelos a pasto com confinamento e 0,55 % em ambos os modelos 100 % a pasto. Com a redução de 1 % na CA, o custo de produção de 14,69 kg de carne diminuiu 0,83 e 0,84 % nos modelos a pasto com confinamento de animais Nelores e cruzados e 0,85 e 0,83 % nos modelos 100 % a pasto de animais Nelores e cruzados. Essas características possuem um grande impacto econômico nos sistemas de recria e engorda, com grande vantagem para a característica de RC, uma vez que esta proporcionou os maiores valores econômicos para todos os sistemas estudados. Por meio das variáveis que compuseram os modelos estudados tornou-se possível mensurar a real importância do impacto genético das características e seus respectivos valores econômicos.

Currently, the increasing interest in polymer nanocomposites has been motivated by their potential to significantly improve the properties of obtainable products, thus accomplishing high design flexibility. In this work, experiments have been performed to analyze the filling ability of nanocomposite materials, in particular: Polyamide 6 (PA6) polymer matrix filled with Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and Montmorillonite (MMT) as nanofillers. After compounding the pristine polymer, the resulting composite materials have been processed via micro injection molding. Different process conditions have been adopted to evaluate their filling ability in two mold designs, plates and ribs. The experimental results show that the compounded materials exhibit the same moldability characterizing the pristine polymer. This characteristic has been observed for all compounds regarding plate samples and only for MMT compounds regarding ribs. Moreover, a preliminary calorimetric characterization of PA6 plates and ribs has been also performed.

The PRAME gene plays an important role on reproduction function in cattle and that gene almost present in high copy number in the mammalian genome. Copy number variation (CNV) states have been used in population genetics studies to identify population divergences due to alterations in copy number regions or genes and to identify their impact on economic interest traits, including reproductive traits. The aim of this study was to identify the copy number differences of the PRAME gene within the Gir, Holstein, and Girolando breeds. We analyzed two whole genome sequencing datasets from Girolando bulls, 13 from Gir and five from Holstein. A read depth method was performed using the CNVnator software to detect the CNVs in each sample. To identify the population differentiation among the breeds, the Vst statistic was used. The Vst value (0.77) for the PRAME gene (BTA17:51252501-51660000) indicated a high level of population differentiation among the breeds. The average of the copy number on the PRAME region for the Gir bulls was 14.51 per animal, whereas Girolando and Holstein animals did not exhibit copy number variation in this specific region. Our findings suggested that the PRAME region is copy number variable only in the indicine lineage.This study identified positive selection on the PRAME gene in Gir cattle that may have originated from the domestication process.

When the environment on which the animals are raised is very diverse, selecting the best sires for different environments may require the use of models that account for genotype by environment interaction (G × E). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the existence of G × E for yearling weight (YW) in Nellore cattle using reaction norm models with only pedigree and pedigree combined with genomic relationships. Additionally, genomic regions associated with each environment gradient were identified. A total of 67,996 YW records were used in reaction norm models to calculate EBV and genomic EBV. The method of choice for genomic evaluations was single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP). Traditional and genomic models were tested on the ability to predict future animal performance. Genetic parameters for YW were obtained with the average information restricted maximum likelihood method, with and without adding genomic information for 5,091 animals. Additive genetic variances explained by windows of 200 adjacent SNP were used to identify genomic regions associated with the environmental gradient. Estimated variance components for the intercept and the slope in traditional and genomic models were similar. In both models, the observed changes in heritabilities and genetic correlations for YW across environments indicate the occurrence of genotype by environment interactions. Both traditional and genomic models were capable of identifying the genotype by environment interaction; however, the inclusion of genomic information in reaction norm models improved the ability to predict animals’ future performance by 7.9% on average. The proportion of genetic variance explained by the top SNP window was 0.77% for the regression intercept (BTA5) and 0.82% for the slope (BTA14). Single-step GBLUP seems to be a suitable model to predict genetic values for YW in different production environments.

The Rama Amerindians from southern Nicaragua are one of few indigenous populations inhabiting the east coast and lowlands of southern Central America. Early-eighteenth-century ethnohistorical accounts depicted the Rama as a mobile hunter-gatherer and horticulturalist group dispersed in household units along southern Nicaraguan rivers. However, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Rama settlement patterns changed to aggregated communities because of increased competition for local resources resulting from nonindigenous immigration. The objective of this study was to discern the degree of relatedness between and within subdivisions of seven of these communities based on patterns of surname variation and genealogical data. We applied surname analyses (n = 592) to evaluate inter- and intrapopulation variation, consanguinity and substructure estimates, and isolation by distance and used a genealogically based marital migration matrix obtained during fieldwork in 2007 and 2009 to better understand internal migration. Our evaluation indicates a pattern of geographic distribution linking kinships in major subpopulations to nearby family-based villages. Mantel tests provide a correlation (r = 0.4; p < 0.05) between distance matrices derived from surname and geography among Rama communities. Genealogical analysis reveals a pattern of kin networks within both peripheral and central populations, consistent with previous genetic investigations, where the Amerindian mitochondrial DNA haplogroup B2 is commonly found among peripheral communities and A2 is frequent in central subpopulations. Marital migration and genealogies provide additional information regarding the influx of non-Ramas to communities near populated villages. These results indicate that the disruption of the Rama’s traditional way of life has had significant consequences on their population structure consistent with population fissions and aggregations since the eighteenth century. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Sociales::Escuela de Antropología UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biología

Objective This research examines the coevolution of languages and uniparental genetic marker (mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA] and nonrecombining Y-chromosome [NRY]) variation within five Lower Central American (Rama, Chorotega, Maleku, Zapaton-Huetar, and Abrojo-Guaymi) Amerindian groups. This pattern occurred since European contact. Methods We examined mtDNA sequence variation from the hypervariable region 1 (HVS-1) and NRY genetic variation using short tandem repeat (STR) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, and DYS439) and NRY haplogroups (Q1a3a, Q1a3*, C3b, R1b1b2, E1b1, G2a2, and I) identified through single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Phylogenetic analysis included multidimensional scaling (MDS), heterozygosity versus rii, and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). Results Eighteen mtDNA haplotypes were characterized in 131 participants with 94.6% of these assigned to the Amerindian mtDNA subclades, A2 and B2. The Amerindian NRY haplogroup, Q1a3a, was present in all five groups and ranged from 85% (Zapaton-Huetar) to 35% (Chorotega). Four populations (Rama, Chorotega, Zapaton-Huetar, and Abrojo-Guaymi) were also characterized by the presence of NRY haplogroup R1b1b2 indicative of western European admixture. Seventy NRY STR haplotypes were identified of which 69 (97%) were population specific. MDS plots demonstrated genetic similarities between Mesoamericans and northern Chibchan Amerindian populations, absent in mtDNA analyses, which is further supported by heterozygosity versus rii results. Conclusions We conclude that although these linguistically related populations in geographic proximity demonstrate a high degree of paternal genetic differentiation, recent demographic events have dramatically altered the paternal genetic structure of the regions Amerindian populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 25:480–490, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Rama are a coastal population from Southern Nicaragua who in large part were able to resist, at least for a time, the cultural changes and social reorganization brought on by colonial and modern influences. Historical information leaves the Rama origins and biological relationships to nearby extinct and extant groups ambiguous. The objective of this study is to examine the internal genetic microdifferentiation based on the first hipervariable region of the mtDNA from a sample of approximately 20% of the population, and to expand the few available historical and anthropological data on the Rama by exploring the effects of cultural practices and historical events on genetic structure, providing an integrative perspective on the Rama genetic history. When considering differences in the spatial distribution and genetic diversity of the mtDNA haplotypes together with historical information on the Rama, a noteworthy pattern emerges: first, haplotypes are differentially distributed among a central Rama community (Punta Águila) from the other five peripheral communities (AMOVA: Fct = 0.10, p < 0.001) and their distribution is consistent with the historical relocation of this population after their split from Punta Gorda in the 18th century; second, differential genetic signatures found among central and peripheral Rama communities resemble two population histories: one of stability (haplogroup A2) and other of expansion (haplogroup B2), supporting the possibility that these patterns of genetic microdifferentiation between central and peripheral populations resulted from the 18th century unification in southern Nicaragua of the Rama and a group of Voto migrants from Costa Rica that later split and hived off to the Bay of Bluefields. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Sociales::Escuela de Antropología

Cardiac arrest (CA) is not a uniform condition and its pathophysiology strongly depends on its cause. In this work we have used a metabolomics approach to study the dynamic metabolic changes occurring in the plasma samples of a swine model following two different causes of CA, namely asphyxia (ACA) and ventricular fibrillation (VFCA). Plasma samples were collected at baseline and every minute during the experimental phases. In order to identify the metabolomics profiles characterizing the two pathological entities, all samples were analysed by 1H NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS/MS spectrometry.The metabolomics fingerprints of ACA and VFCA significantly differed during the peri-arrest period and the resuscitation phase. Major alterations were observed in plasma concentrations of metabolites related to tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, urea cycle, and anaplerotic replenishing of TCA. ACA animals showed significant metabolic disturbances during the asphyxial and CA phases, while for VFCA animals this phenomenon resulted shifted at the resuscitation phase. Interestingly, starting from the asphyxial phase, the ACA animals were stratified in two groups based on their metabolomics profiles that resulted to be correlated with the clinical outcome. Succinate overproduction was observed in the animals with the worse outcome, suggesting a potential prognostic role for this metabolite. © 2017 The Author(s).

Carcass traits measured after slaughter are economically relevant traits in beef cattle. In general, the slaughter house payment system is based on HCW. Ribeye area (REA) is associated with the amount of the meat in the carcass, and a minimum of backfat thickness (BFT) is necessary to protect the carcass during cooling. The aim of this study was to identify potential genomic regions harboring candidate genes affecting those traits in Nellore cattle. The data set used in the present study consisted of 1,756 Nellore males with phenotype records. A subset of 1,604 animals had both genotypic and phenotypic information. Genotypes were generated based on a panel with 777,962 SNPs from the Illumina Bovine HD chip. The SNP effects were calculated based on the genomic breeding values obtained by using the single-step GBLUP approach and a genomic matrix re-weighting procedure. The proportion of the variance explained by moving windows of 100 consecutive SNPs was used to assess potential genomic regions harboring genes with major effects on each trait. The top 10 non-overlapping SNP-windows explained 8.72%, 11.38%, and 9.31% of the genetic variance for REA, BFT, and HCW, respectively. These windows are located on chromosomes 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 20, and 29 for REA; chromosomes 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, and 24 for BFT; and chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 8, 14, 16, 17, and 21 for HCW. For REA, there were identified genes ( and ) involved in the cell cycle biological process which affects many aspects of animal growth and development. The and genes, both from AA transporter family, was also associated with REA. The AA transporters are essential for cell growth and proliferation, acting as carriers of tissue nutrient supplies. Various genes identified for BFT (, , , , , and ) have been associated with lipid metabolism in different mammal species. One of the most promising genes identified for HCW was the . There is evidence, in the literature, that this gene is located in putative QTL affecting carcass weight in beef cattle. Our results showed several genomic regions containing plausible candidate genes that may be associated with carcass traits in Nellore cattle. Besides contributing to a better understanding of the genetic control of carcass traits, the identified genes can also be helpful for further functional genomic studies.

Hand joint involvement in rheumatic diseases is often precocious and predominant as compared to other skeletomuscular regions. Clinical examination not always allows for easy detection of fluid outpouring and synovial involvement, and undoubtedly does not allow to diagnose pathognomonic bone alterations of several rheumatic conditions. Articular ultrasonography is an innocuous methodology, easily reproducible and directly applied by a rheumatologist. The aim of this vignette is to present ultrasonography elementary lesions of the hand for a prompt diagnosis.

The objective of this study was to identify important biological pathways involved in carcass and meat quality traits that are affected by genes regulated by eQTLs in Nelore cattle. Sample data were acquired from longissimus thoracis of 80 Nelore bulls. RNA sequencing was performed using an Illumina HiSeq 2500 System (2 × 100 base pair paired-end reads). Genotyping was carried out using Illumina BovineHD Infinium Assay ® (777,992 SNPs). After sample outlier removal and genotype filtering, 70 samples were suitable for further analysis with genotypes available for 247,161 SNPs. The eQTL analyses were performed using the R package ‘MatrixEQTL’ under an additive linear model and included multiple-testing correction with a false discovery rate (FDR) of 5%. Reactome pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to the regulated genes. The eQTL analysis identified 1,638 regulated genes that participate in several important biological pathways that may be involved in carcass and meat quality traits in beef cattle, including fatty acid metabolism, B Cell receptor signaling, PPAR signaling, AMPK signaling, non-canonical NF-κB, cytokine signaling, striated muscle contraction, transmission across chemical synapses, apoptosis, receptor tyrosine kinases signaling, GPCR signaling, Wnt signaling, Hedgehog signaling, MAPK signaling, PIP3 activates AKT signaling, Rho GTPases signaling, mTOR signaling, and TNF signaling. Moreover, many genes that have been associated with carcass and meat quality traits in beef cattle are been regulated by eQTLs, such as ACOX1, CAPN2, CAPN7, CASP9, FGF1, HSD17B12, KCNIP4, MYH8, MYL6, MYO5A, SCD5, SLC27A6, and STAT2. These findings show that important biological pathways and genes that affect carcass and meat quality traits are influenced by eQTLs in Nelore cattle, suggesting that eQTL may provide insight into molecular mechanisms underlying economically important traits in beef cattle. Supported by FAPESP #2009/16118-5, #2011/21241-06, #2016/02366-0, and #2017/21757-3.

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic associations between scrotal circumference obtained at 12 (SC12; mean of 21.46 ± 2.74 cm), 15 (SC15; mean of 25.31 ± 3.19 cm), and 18 mo of age (SC18; mean of 26.77 ± 2.95 cm) and reproductive traits measured directly in heifers (age at first calving [AFC]: mean of 1,062.06 ± 114.79 d; heifer pregnancy at 16 mo of age [HP]: mean of 15.4 ± 0.36%; and subsequent rebreeding of primiparous heifers [HR]: mean of 27.1 ± 0.44%) using Bayesian inference to evaluate the possible inclusion of these traits as selection criteria in beef cattle breeding programs. Genetic gains comparisons were also estimated. A total of 53,683 data of Nelore animals born between 1990 and 2006, obtained from the livestock archive of Agropecuária Jacarezinho Ltda. (Valparaíso, São Paulo, Brazil), were analyzed. Two-trait analysis provided heritability estimates of 0.35 ± 0.08, 0.40 ± 0.04, 0.37 ± 0.03, 0.21 ± 0.01, 0.55 ± 0.03, and 0.17 ± 0.03 for SC12, SC15, SC18, AFC, HP, and HR, respectively. The genetic correlations between scrotal circumference and AFC, HP, and HR were -0.42 ± 0.12, 0.43 ± 0.13, and -0.13 ± 0.17, respectively, for SC12; -0.25 ± 0.07, 0.26 ± 0.07, and -0.11 ± 0.10, respectively, for SC15; and -0.22 ± 0.06, 0.39 ± 0.06, and 0.11 ± 0.09, respectively, for SC18. The direct selection response for HP was 0.12%, but when HP is indirectly selected based on the scrotal circumferences, the gains on these correlated responses were higher (0.16, 0.16, and 0.22%) for selection based on SC12, SC15, and SC18, respectively. These findings suggest that the selection of animals for larger scrotal circumference, particularly at 12 mo of age, should result in higher rates of HP and younger AFC of Nelore females.

To study heel fat pad (HFP) inflammatory-oedematous lesions in selected patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using ultrasonography (US) and power Doppler US (PDUS), to describe and compare US features of these lesions with those obtained with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to describe changes in the lesions after a short-term follow-up with conventional or anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) therapy.Twelve heels of eight RA outpatients with HFP inflammatory-oedematous lesions were studied by US, PDUS, and unenhanced MRI. All the patients were followed up and US was performed after 3 months. Five patients started on anti-TNFalpha therapy.HFP lesions appeared at US as a heterogeneous and hypoechoic subcalcaneal mass, with loss of normal lobular structure and increased thickness of HFP, because of focal rupture of fibrous septae with oedema and fluid. PDUS showed peripheral vascularization of HFP lesions in 9/12 heels. In 3/12 heels some vascular signals was also detectable inside the lesion, always along the residual echoic septa. No detectable flow was observed within the central fluid-filled spaces. MRI of the HFP lesions showed areas of mean intensity in T1-weighted sequences and high intensity in T2-weighted sequences, with poorly or well-defined margins. After 3 months, PDUS showed reduction in HFP lesion vascularity (associated with reduction in pain) in 10/12 heels, while poor regression of grey-scale US abnormalities was observed.Both US and MRI are capable of demonstrating structural abnormalities in the HFP. PDUS is useful to assess and monitor inflammatory vascularization of the HFP lesions.

Heel fat pad inflammation and degeneration have been frequently proved to cause talalgia. Painful heel fat pad is often confused with plantar fasciitis, and only magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasonography (US) can differentiate these conditions. Scanty data are available about heel fat pad involvement in the course of chronic polyarthritis.To investigate with US the heel fat pad involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathies (SpA); to describe and compare the clinical and sonographic features of this lesion in the two groups.The heels of 181 consecutive outpatients with RA and 160 with SpA were studied by US and radiography. A control group of 60 healthy subjects was examined by US.Two different patterns of involvement of the heel fat pad were observed. The inflammatory-oedematous pattern was more frequent in patients with RA (6.6%) than in those with SpA (1.8%), and was associated with talalgia--even if it was not associated with plantar fasciitis or enthesophyte (bony spur). The degenerative-atrophic pattern was less frequent (1.1% in RA, 1.9% in SpA), and was associated with plantar fasciitis and subcalcaneal enthesophyte.The inflammatory-oedematous lesion of the heel fat-pad is relatively frequent in RA and causes subcalcaneal pain. Degenerative-atrophic changes of the heel fat pad can be observed in RA and SpA, and seem to be associated with chronic abnormalities of the plantar fascia and of its enthesis.