scholarly journals Autochthonous, zoonotic Onchocerca lupi in a South Texas dog, United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme G. Verocai ◽  
Caroline Sobotyk ◽  
Allegra Lamison ◽  
Mindy M. Borst ◽  
Erin E. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Animal Movement ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Onchocerca Lupi ◽  
Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Hidalgo County ◽  
The Right ◽  
Haplotype 1 ◽  
Pcr Targeting

Abstract Background Onchocerca lupi is an emerging, zoonotic filarioid nematode associated with ocular disease in companion animals in North America and the Old World. The areas where this parasite is assumed to be endemic in the USA comprise southwestern states. Thus far, all cases reported outside of the southwest are associated with travel or animal movement. Methods An 11-year-old, castrated male Pitbull dog from McAllen, Hidalgo County, southern Texas, with no travel history, was diagnosed with a perforating corneal ulceration of the right eye. Enucleation was performed and tissues submitted for histopathology. Results Histologically, sections of two filarioid nematodes were observed. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue using a commercial kit. We performed PCR targeting the cox1 gene of the mitochondrial DNA, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Altogether, these results confirmed the identification of the nematode specimens as O. lupi, phylogenetically belonging to haplotype 1. Conclusion We report the first autochthonous case of O. lupi in a dog from Hidalgo County, southern Texas, USA. Our finding suggests Texas as an additional state where this zoonotic nematode is endemic. Further investigations are required to understand the epidemiology of this parasite along the USA/Mexico border. Graphic abstract

The silent presence of Mycoplasma hominis in patients with prostate cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saman Saadat ◽  
Pezhman Karami ◽  
Mohammad Jafari ◽  
Mahdi Kholoujini ◽  
Zahra Rikhtegaran Tehrani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Mycoplasma Hominis ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Prostate Tissue ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Retrospective Case ◽  
Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded ◽  
Pcr Targeting

ABSTRACT Background Mycoplasma hominis, an opportunistic pathogen in human genitourinary tract, can cause chronic infection in the prostate. Intracellular survival of M. hominis leads to a prolonged presence in the host cells that can affect the cell's biological cycle. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of M. hominis DNA in prostate tissue of Iranian patients with prostate cancer (PCa) in comparison to a control group with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods This research was a retrospective case-control study using 61 archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks of prostate tissue from patients with PCa and 70 FFPE blocks of patients with BPH. Real-time PCR, targeting two different genes, 16S rRNA and yidC, in the M. hominis genome was performed for all specimens. Results Out of 61 blocks of prostate biopsy from patients with PCa, eight samples (13%) were positive for M. hominis, while the bacterium was not detected in any of the 70 blocks of patients with BPH (P value, 0.002). Conclusions The high frequency of M. hominis in patients with PCa likely shows a hidden role of the organism in prostate cancer during its chronic, apparently silent and asymptomatic colonization in prostate.

Trial by Triad: substituted judgment, mental illness and the right to die

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-107154
Author(s):  
Jacob M Appel
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Substituted Judgment ◽  
Diminished Capacity ◽  
Accepted Standard ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Aid In Dying ◽  
Incapacitated Patients ◽  
The Right

Substituted judgment has increasingly become the accepted standard for rendering decisions for incapacitated adults in the USA. A broad exception exists with regard to patients with diminished capacity secondary to depressive disorders, as such patients’ previous wishes are generally not honoured when seeking to turn down life-preserving care or pursue aid-in-dying. The result is that physicians often force involuntary treatment on patients with poor medical prognoses and/or low quality of life (PMP/LQL) as a result of their depressive symptoms when similarly situated incapacitated patients without such depressive symptoms would have their previous wishes honoured via substituted judgment. This commentary argues for reconsidering this approach and for using a substituted judgment standard for a subset of EMP/LQL patients seeking death.

scholarly journals A systematic review of potential habitat suitability for the jaguar Panthera onca in central Arizona and New Mexico, USA

Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Eric W. Sanderson ◽  
Kim Fisher ◽  
Rob Peters ◽  
Jon P. Beckmann ◽  
Bryan Bird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
New Mexico ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Panthera Onca ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Conservation Plan

Abstract In April 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released its recovery plan for the jaguar Panthera onca after several decades of discussion, litigation and controversy about the status of the species in the USA. The USFWS estimated that potential habitat, south of the Interstate-10 highway in Arizona and New Mexico, had a carrying capacity of c. six jaguars, and so focused its recovery programme on areas south of the USA–Mexico border. Here we present a systematic review of the modelling and assessment efforts over the last 25 years, with a focus on areas north of Interstate-10 in Arizona and New Mexico, outside the recovery unit considered by the USFWS. Despite differences in data inputs, methods, and analytical extent, the nine previous studies found support for potential suitable jaguar habitat in the central mountain ranges of Arizona and New Mexico. Applying slightly modified versions of the USFWS model and recalculating an Arizona-focused model over both states provided additional confirmation. Extending the area of consideration also substantially raised the carrying capacity of habitats in Arizona and New Mexico, from six to 90 or 151 adult jaguars, using the modified USFWS models. This review demonstrates the crucial ways in which choosing the extent of analysis influences the conclusions of a conservation plan. More importantly, it opens a new opportunity for jaguar conservation in North America that could help address threats from habitat losses, climate change and border infrastructure.

scholarly journals Untapped research opportunities in China: promising future avenues and potential concerns for aging companion animals

GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Hoffman ◽  
Shanshan Song ◽  
Katharina Brugger ◽  
Teresa G. Valencak
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Agricultural Animal ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Laboratory Models

AbstractCompanion animals have recently been proposed as ideal translational models of human aging due to their shared susceptibility for certain diseases, similar environments, and sophisticated veterinary medicine diagnostics, all of which are not possible in rodent laboratory models. Here, we introduce and propose the study of companion animals in China as a largely untapped resource in academic and veterinary aging research. Pet ownership rates along with economic gains in the pet industry have skyrocketed over the last decade in China. Yet, the majority of research institutions still focus on agricultural animal research, not companion animals. In this perspective, we compare available pet ownership rates between the USA, the European Union, and China before focusing on the potential of companion animal aging research in China. In addition, we highlight some ethical considerations that must be addressed before large-scale companion animal aging research can be completed.

Chalastospora gossypii in a Maine Coon cat: case report and literature review

2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872110222
Author(s):  
Samantha M. Norris ◽  
Paula A. Schaffer ◽  
Noah B. Bander
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Tissue Mass ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Formalin Fixed Paraffin ◽  
Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded ◽  
Soft Tissue Masses ◽  
Subcutaneous Mass ◽  
The Right ◽  
A Minor

A 15-y-old castrated male Maine Coon cat was evaluated for an ulcerated soft tissue mass on the right hindlimb that had been observed for 4 mo and had grown rapidly. A 3 × 3 cm soft, raised, amorphous, and ulcerated subcutaneous mass was observed on the lateral right metatarsus. In-house cytology via fine-needle aspiration was nondiagnostic. Incisional biopsy of the mass and further staging was declined, and amputation was elected. The amputated limb was submitted for histopathology, which revealed severe chronic nodular granulomatous dermatitis and multifocal granulomatous popliteal lymphadenitis with large numbers of intralesional fungal hyphae. Fungal PCR and sequencing on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue identified Chalastospora gossypii. No adjunctive therapy was elected at the time. The patient has done well clinically 1 y post-operatively. C. gossypii is a rare microfungus found worldwide and is considered a minor pathogen of several plants. To our knowledge, infection by this fungus has not been reported previously in veterinary species. Features in our case are comparable to other mycotic infections. Nodular granulomatous mycotic dermatitis and cellulitis, although uncommon, should be a differential for soft tissue masses in veterinary species; C. gossypii is a novel isolate.

scholarly journals Structural vulnerability: migration and health in social context

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. e005109
Author(s):  
Lauren Carruth ◽  
Carlos Martinez ◽  
Lahra Smith ◽  
Katharine Donato ◽  
Carlos Piñones-Rivera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Care ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Structural Vulnerability ◽  
Global Migration ◽  
Humanitarian Interventions ◽  
Care Models ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Training And Support

Based on the authors’ work in Latin America and Africa, this article describes and applies the concept ‘structural vulnerability’ to the challenges of clinical care and healthcare advocacy for migrants. This concept helps consider how specific social, economic and political hierarchies and policies produce and pattern poor health in two case studies: one at the USA–Mexico border and another in Djibouti. Migrants’ and providers’ various entanglements within inequitable and sometimes violent global migration systems can produce shared structural vulnerabilities that then differentially affect health and other outcomes. In response, we argue providers require specialised training and support; professional associations, healthcare institutions, universities and humanitarian organisations should work to end the criminalisation of medical and humanitarian assistance to migrants; migrants should help lead efforts to reform medical and humanitarian interventions; and alternative care models in Global South to address the structural vulnerabilities inherent to migration and asylum should be supported.

scholarly journals 0836 BORN IN THE USA OR BORN IN MEXICO? IMPLICATIONS FOR SLEEP DURATION, SLEEP QUALITY, SLEEP DISORDERS SYMPTOMS AT THE US-MEXICO BORDER

SLEEP ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. A309-A310
Author(s):  
A Okuagu ◽  
K Granados ◽  
P Alfonso-Miller ◽  
O Buxton ◽  
S Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
The Us ◽  
Quality Sleep ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Us Mexico Border

scholarly journals Legal Status Of The Caspian Sea: History And Present

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardak Kapyshev
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Oil Fields ◽  
Present Stage ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Interstate Relations ◽  
The Usa ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Right ◽  
Near Future

At  the  present  stage  one  of  the  unsolved   problems in  interstate relations of  Caspian bordering countries is defining international­legal status of the Caspian Sea. It is noted in the article that this problem is not a new one at all. The history of “division” of the Caspian Sea begins in the ancient age, namely in VIII century. It is underlined that the basic stumbling block  is the position of Iran on the right to use the Caspian Sea, and also occurrence of extra regional players, such as  the USA, China, etc. First of  all, it is connected with rich oil fields and other minerals, and also with convenient geopolitical and geostrategic position. The only way to worry out the international­legal delimitation of the Caspian Sea problem is a negotiating process. By now, despite of  certain disagreements on  legal status of  the Caspian Sea, five Caspian bordering countries managed to achieve certain progress, admitting the possibility of applying the principle of sectorial sectioning on the Caspian Sea.  Clear proof  of  it is the agreements on  division of ground on the northern part of Caspian Sea signed between Kazakhstan, Russia and Azerbaijan. It is important that Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan clearly stated their positions and agreed to make a compromise in their official statements. More than likely, in the near future Iran will soften its position, considering its present  situation and   strained relations with the USA. It has been alleged that the constructive  dialog  already  started; everything depends on  the mobility,  concurrency and rationality of actions of all Caspian bordering countries.

scholarly journals Board Diversity: More Than a Gender Issue?

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Adams
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Share Price ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Right

There has been extensive research conducted on the importance of corporate governance around the world. The research seems to demonstrate that, regardless of whether corporations are based in common law or civil code systems, their longevity and sustainability arise from good corporate governance. However, the evidence does not clearly demonstrate a correlation between a particular organisation’s governance structure and practices and its share price. Around the world the question of board diversity is gaining in importance. The beginning of the debate in the 1960s centred on gender. While it is essential to conduct a debate on gender diversity, other aspects of diversity should also be considered. Race, culture and even age may have a direct impact on the performance of a board. Australian companies, particularly those listed on the ASX, have a poor record of instituting any type of diversity. The USA and European Union have a much wider range of policies to promote diversity on corporate boards. The key question is how best to regulate to promote diversity across gender, race, culture and age. The historical approach of regulating diversity by setting targets and requiring disclosure does not seem to have delivered substantial change. Is it the right time to impose mandatory requirements, or are there other alternative strategies? Without doubt change is required, but there will be opposition.

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