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Clinical Case Reports Jan 2024Abdominal cocoon syndrome and Chilaiditi syndrome are rare etiologies of bowel obstruction which have to be considered in patients with obstructive symptoms. Patients...
KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE
Abdominal cocoon syndrome and Chilaiditi syndrome are rare etiologies of bowel obstruction which have to be considered in patients with obstructive symptoms. Patients can profit from surgical management rather than non-surgical approach.
ABSTRACT
Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis or abdominal cocoon syndrome (ACS) is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstructions associated with encapsulation of the small bowel by a fibro collagenous sac. Clinical presentations of ACS are unspecific and most patients are diagnosed intraoperatively. Moreover, Chilaiditi syndrome is another rare cause of bowel obstruction defined by interposition of colon and liver. There is no reported relation between these two conditions and surgical intervention is the suggested approach for severe bowel obstruction following them individually. We present a case with both conditions and describe our approach. A 47-year-old male presented with complaints of colic abdominal pain and distention, nausea and several attacks of bilious and nonbilious vomiting, anorexia, and constipation in the last 10 days before his admission. Laboratory data were normal and abdominal X-ray showed large dilation at the distal part of the bowel without air fluid level. The patient underwent explorative laparotomy and a mass-like lesion containing necrotic bowel and a whitish spleen accompanied by a complete anterior-rotated liver was found. The encapsulated bowel and the spleen were resected followed by the complete resolution of symptoms in the patient. The intestinal obstruction caused by ACS is mostly approached by surgery to prevent the fatal sequela of this condition.
PubMed: 38161623
DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.8363 -
Primates; Journal of Primatology Mar 2024In human speech, the close back rounded vowel /u/ (the vowel in "boot") is articulated with the tongue arched toward the dorsal boundary of the hard palate, with the...
In human speech, the close back rounded vowel /u/ (the vowel in "boot") is articulated with the tongue arched toward the dorsal boundary of the hard palate, with the pharyngeal cavity open. Acoustic and perceptual properties of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) hoo's are similar to those of the human vowel /u/. However, the vocal tract morphology of chimpanzees likely limits their phonetic capabilities, so that it is unlikely, or even impossible, that their articulation is comparable to that of a human. To determine how qualities of the vowel /u/ may be achieved given the chimpanzee vocal tract, we calculated transfer functions of the vocal tract area for tube models of vocal tract configurations in which vocal tract length, length and area of a laryngeal air sac simulacrum, length of lip protrusion, and area of lip opening were systematically varied. The method described is principally acoustic; we make no claim as to the actual shape of the chimpanzee vocal tract during call production. Nonetheless, we demonstrate that it may be possible to achieve the acoustic and perceptual qualities of back vowels without a reconfigured human vocal tract. The results, while tentative, suggest that the production of hoo's by chimpanzees, while achieving comparable vowel-like qualities to the human /u/, may involve articulatory gestures that are beyond the range of the human articulators. The purpose of this study was to (1) stimulate further simulation research on great ape articulation, and (2) show that apparently vowel-like phenomena in nature are not necessarily indicative of evolutionary continuity per se.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Pan troglodytes; Speech Acoustics; Speech; Phonetics; Tongue
PubMed: 38110671
DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01107-3 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023(MG) is recognized as a principal causative agent of avian chronic respiratory disease, inflicting substantial economic losses upon the poultry industry. However, the...
(MG) is recognized as a principal causative agent of avian chronic respiratory disease, inflicting substantial economic losses upon the poultry industry. However, the extensive use of conventional antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of drug resistance and various challenges in their clinical application. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify effective therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of mycoplasma-induced respiratory disease in avian species. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) holds significant importance as a regulator of cellular energy metabolism and possesses the capacity to exert an anti-inflammatory effect by virtue of its downstream protein, SIRT1. This pathway has shown promise in counteracting the inflammatory responses triggered by pathogenic infections, thus providing a novel target for studying infectious inflammation. Quercetin possesses anti-inflammatory activity and has garnered attention as a potential alternative to antibiotics. However, there exists a gap in knowledge concerning the impact of this activation on MG-induced inflammatory damage. To address this knowledge gap, we employed AlphaFold2 prediction, molecular docking, and kinetic simulation methods to perform a systematic analysis. As expected, we found that both quercetin and the AMPK activator AICAR activate the chicken AMPKγ1 subunit in a similar manner, which was further validated at the cellular level. Our project aims to unravel the underlying mechanisms of quercetin's action as an agonist of AMPK against the inflammatory damage induced by MG infection. Accordingly, we evaluated the effects of quercetin on the prevention and treatment of air sac injury, lung morphology, immunohistochemistry, AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway activity, and inflammatory factors in MG-infected chickens. The results confirmed that quercetin effectively inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, leading to improved respiratory inflammation injury. Furthermore, quercetin was shown to enhance the levels of phosphorylated AMPK and SIRT1 while reducing the levels of phosphorylated P65 and pro-inflammatory factors. In conclusion, our study identifies the AMPK cascade signaling pathway as a novel cellular mediator responsible for quercetin's ability to counter MG-induced inflammatory damage. This finding highlights the potential significance of this pathway as an important target for anti-inflammatory drug research in the context of avian respiratory diseases.
Topics: Animals; NF-kappa B; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Quercetin; Mycoplasma gallisepticum; Sirtuin 1; Molecular Docking Simulation; Chickens; Inflammation; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37959807
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217388 -
Heliyon Nov 2023This paper investigates the effectiveness of an indirect solar dryer (ISD) specifically designed for the geographical and climatic conditions of Meknes (Morocco). The...
This paper investigates the effectiveness of an indirect solar dryer (ISD) specifically designed for the geographical and climatic conditions of Meknes (Morocco). The constructed ISD system incorporates a solar air collector (SAC) inclined at 34° to the ground, reaching a maximum outlet temperature of 58 °C. During the drying process, banana slices experienced a substantial reduction in mass, decreasing from 549.76 g to 138.41 g. The calculated mean efficiency of both the SAC and the dryer stood at 23.37 % and 18.8 %, respectively. In terms of moisture removal, ISD outperformed open solar drying (OSD), achieving a substantial moisture reduction of 74.83 %, whereas OSD yielded a reduction of 39.08 %. The process of drying resulted in a decrease in the moisture content (MC) of banana slices from an initial value of 3.5771 kg/kg (db) to a final value of MC varied depending on the tray used for drying, with values of 0.0397, 0.1292, 0.1745, and 0.2597 kg/kg (db) recorded for trays 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. By focusing on the development and evaluation of an ISD system optimized for the local conditions, this research contributes valuable insights into efficient and sustainable food drying.
PubMed: 37954255
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21299 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023The lack of data on the species-specific Target Strength (TS) on ancillary species limits the application of acoustic surveys in assessing their abundance and...
The lack of data on the species-specific Target Strength (TS) on ancillary species limits the application of acoustic surveys in assessing their abundance and distribution worldwide. The TS values of Scomber colias and Trachurus mediterraneus in use in the Mediterranean Sea rely on studies conducted on other species in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Nevertheless, the application of backscattering models offers the possibility to overcome the absence of empirical data handling the parameters that most affect the TS. X-ray scans were performed on 82 specimens to get digital representations of the swimbladder and the fish body which were used as input for the application of the Kirchhoff Ray Mode model to measure the TS as a function of frequency and tilt angle. The morphometric differences between the two species produced divergent relative frequency responses and broadband TS patterns. Moreover, comparing the results with one ex-situ experiment, we found a good agreement considering a mean tilt angle of - 10°, standard deviation = 12°. Our results provide the first theoretical insights into the use of backscattering models as a tool to distinguish between species in the Mediterranean Sea by acoustic method, increasing the knowledge of the acoustic reflectivity of ancillary species.
Topics: Animals; Fishes; Acoustics; Air Sacs; Knowledge; Mediterranean Sea
PubMed: 37704690
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42326-4 -
Nature Communications Sep 2023The six species of lungfish possess both lungs and gills and are the closest extant relatives of tetrapods. Here, we report a single-cell transcriptome atlas of the West...
The six species of lungfish possess both lungs and gills and are the closest extant relatives of tetrapods. Here, we report a single-cell transcriptome atlas of the West African lungfish (Protopterus annectens). This species manifests the most extreme form of terrestrialization, a life history strategy to survive dry periods that can last for years, characterized by dormancy and reversible adaptive changes of the gills and lungs. Our atlas highlights the cell type diversity of the West African lungfish, including gene expression consistent with phenotype changes of terrestrialization. Comparison with terrestrial tetrapods and ray-finned fishes reveals broad homology between the swim bladder and lung cell types as well as shared and idiosyncratic changes of the external gills of the West African lungfish and the internal gills of Atlantic salmon. The single-cell atlas presented here provides a valuable resource for further exploration of the respiratory system evolution in vertebrates and the diversity of lungfish terrestrialization.
Topics: Animals; Acclimatization; Respiratory System; Gills; Air Sacs; Ascomycota; Salmo salar
PubMed: 37699889
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41309-3 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Aug 2023This study aims to report the clinical signs, therapeutic strategy, necropsy results, and histopathological findings of airsacculitis caused by enterobacteria and the...
This study aims to report the clinical signs, therapeutic strategy, necropsy results, and histopathological findings of airsacculitis caused by enterobacteria and the occurrence of eggs from the superfamily Diplotriaenoidea in the feces of in the Amazon biome. A tropical screech owl nestling was rescued and admitted for hand-rearing. The animal was kept hospitalized for five months. It was fed a diet based on larvae and thawed chicken breast meat with vitamin and mineral supplements. On the 37th day of hacking training for release, the owl showed weakness, lack of appetite, regurgitation, cachexia, dyspnea, ruffled feathers, dry droppings in the vent and pericloaca, and diarrhea. The parasitological examination showed eggs of the Diplotriaenoidea superfamily in the feces. The therapy employed included oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, mebendazole, Potenay, sodium chloride 0.9%, and Mercepton. However, five days after starting the treatment, the bird died. Upon necropsy, prominence of the keel, pieces of undigested food in the oral cavity and proventriculus, intestinal gas, and thickened and turbid air sacs were found. The microbiological analysis of air sacs identified , , and . Histopathological examination showed heterophilic bacterial airsacculitis.
PubMed: 37685014
DOI: 10.3390/ani13172750 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic (APEC), is an important infectious disease in chickens and a major cause of mortality in young chicks. Therefore, protecting...
Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic (APEC), is an important infectious disease in chickens and a major cause of mortality in young chicks. Therefore, protecting young chickens from colibacillosis is important for improving welfare and productivity in the poultry industry. Recently, we developed a novel enterobactin (Ent) conjugate vaccine that could induce high titers of anti-Ent immunoglobulin Y (IgY) in chicken serum and consequently mitigate the organ lesions caused by APEC infection. Considering that maternal immunization is a practical approach to confer instant immune protection to the hatchlings, in this study, we immunized breeder hens with the Ent conjugate vaccine and evaluated the maternal immune protection on the progenies challenged with APEC. Three doses of the vaccine induced high titers of anti-Ent IgY in the hens (about 16- and 64-fold higher than the control group in the sera and egg yolks, respectively), resulting in an eight-fold of increase in anti-Ent IgY in the sera of progenies. However, the anti-Ent maternal immunity did not display significant protection against APEC challenge in the young chicks as there was no significant difference in APEC load (in liver, lung, and spleen) or organ lesions (in heart, liver, spleen, lung, and air sac) between the vaccinated and control groups. In future studies, the APEC infection model needs to be optimized to exhibit proper pathogenicity of APEC, and the maternal immunization regimen can be further improved to boost the maternally derived anti-Ent IgY in the hatchlings.
PubMed: 37623962
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081002 -
NPJ Vaccines Aug 2023Mycoplasma synoviae (M. synoviae) is a serious avian pathogen that causes significant economic losses to chicken and turkey producers worldwide. The currently available...
Mycoplasma synoviae (M. synoviae) is a serious avian pathogen that causes significant economic losses to chicken and turkey producers worldwide. The currently available live attenuated and inactivated vaccines provide limited protection. The objective of this study was to identify potential subunit vaccine candidates using immunoproteomics and reverse vaccinology analyses and to evaluate their preliminary protection. Twenty-four candidate antigens were identified, and five of them, namely RS01790 (a putative sugar ABC transporter lipoprotein), BMP (a substrate-binding protein of the BMP family ABC transporter), GrpE (a nucleotide exchange factor), RS00900 (a putative nuclease), and RS00275 (an uncharacterized protein), were selected to evaluate their immunogenicity and preliminary protection. The results showed that all five antigens had good immunogenicity, and they were localized on the M. synoviae cell membrane. The antigens induced specific humoral and cellular immune responses, and the vaccinated chickens exhibited significantly greater body weight gain and lower air sac lesion scores and tracheal mucosal thicknesses. Additionally, the vaccinated chickens had lower M. synoviae loads in throat swabs than non-vaccinated chickens. The protective effect of the RS01790, BMP, GrpE, and RS00900 vaccines was better than that of the RS00275 vaccine. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the potential of subunit vaccines as a new approach to developing M. synoviae vaccines, providing new ideas for controlling the spread of M. synoviae worldwide.
PubMed: 37582795
DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00721-y -
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms Aug 2023One possible reason for the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) population decline is the neozoan eel swim bladder nematode Anguillicola crassus. To investigate whether the...
One possible reason for the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) population decline is the neozoan eel swim bladder nematode Anguillicola crassus. To investigate whether the prevalence of A. crassus and the associated swim bladder pathology is related to eel habitat, growth rate, and age, 728 yellow eels from 6 habitats differing in salinity and located along the German Baltic coast were examined between 2005 and 2009. The prevalence of A. crassus varied between habitats, ranging from 9 to 57%. Infection prevalence and the percentage of eels with a damaged swim bladder were significantly higher in inner coastal waters compared to more saline open coastal water. In infected eels, 1 to 32 adult and preadult individuals of A. crassus were observed. The mean infection intensity varied between habitats from 2 to 7 nematodes per eel but did not significantly differ between inner and open coastal waters. Infection prevalence and intensity decreased significantly with age when all open coastal waters and all habitats were combined. Both the lower prevalence of A. crassus and the swim bladder damage of older eels and of eels originating from open coastal water habitats suggest that these eels have a higher fitness for spawning migrations than eels from inner coastal waters. The present study underlines the importance of eel screening on a sufficiently small geographical scale for the accurate estimation of eel recruitment and the identification of priority areas that are likely to produce healthy silver eels.
Topics: Animals; Anguilla; Urinary Bladder; Fish Diseases; Air Sacs; Dracunculoidea; Ecosystem; Water
PubMed: 37534719
DOI: 10.3354/dao03739