Parasitic contamination of fresh vegetables sold in open markets: a public health threat

Vegetables eating raw are a leading source of transmission of infective forms of pathogenic internal parasites among human beings. This research was conducted from April to October, 2017 to assess the parasitic contamination of vegetables sold at main vegetable markets in districts Lower Dir and Peshawar, Pakistan. Eight hundred specimens of different vegetables were purchased and soaked in physiological saline solution, shaken with a mechanical shaker for 20 minutes and processed by sedimentation concentration method. Results revealed that only 19.7% (n=158/800) of the vegetables were found to be contaminated with single or multiple parasite species. Ascaris lumbricoides (the large round worm) 12.3% (n=99/800) was the most commonly detected pathogen and Taenia saginata (the beef tapeworm) 1.62% (n=13/800) was the least frequently detected one. Interestingly, significant p value (p>0.05 at 95%CI) between the number of examined and contaminated for all the variables studied including education status of the vendors, markets location, type of vegetables, means of display, washed before display, washing source of water and market type. The findings of this study evidenced that consumption of raw vegetables possesses great risk of getting parasitic infections in Lower Dir and Peshawar districts, Pakistan. Instructing the sellers and the public about parasitic disease transfer and their hygiene can reduce the infection rate of parasites of human origin.

Pulmonary tumor with Notochordal differentiation: a case report and morphologic, Immunohistochemical and molecular study of benign Notochordal cell tumor originating in the lung

Background Extraosseous benign notochordal cell tumor is extremely rare, and there are only five reported cases worldwide. The presented case of pulmonary primary benign notochordal cell tumor is the sixth case, but the first to report the deletion mutation of EGFR gene exon 19. Case presentation The patient was a 50-year-old asymptomatic woman, who had been followed up for 3 years for a nodule in the right lung. After ten months of the wedge resection, the patient is alive without evidence of recurrence or metastasis. The tumor was 7 mm in diameter and was well demarcated. The tumor was consisted of a sheet of large round vacuolated cells with small and bland nuclei. No connective tissue containing blood vessels or inflammatory cell infiltration was detected in the stroma. The tumor was positive for CK AE1/AE3, Vimentin, S100 and Brachyury. EGFR gene mutation and amplification were not detected. Conclusions We firstly reported the positive immunohistochemical staining for EGFR and the negative molecular results of EGFR gene of pulmonary primary benign notochordal cell tumor. Due to the rarity of this tumor, more reports are needed to explore pathological characteristics, especially the molecular characteristics, in order to better understand the nature of tumors.

Understanding children’s preference for park features that encourage physical activity: an adaptive choice based conjoint analysis

Background Parks are a key setting for physical activity for children. However, little is known about which park features children prefer and which features are most likely to encourage them to be active in parks. This study examined the relative importance of park features among children for influencing their choice of park for engaging in park-based physical activity. Methods Children (n = 252; 8-12 years, 42% male) attending three primary schools in Melbourne, Australia completed a survey at school. They were required to complete a series of Adaptive Choice-Based Conjoint analysis tasks, with responses used to identify the part-worth utilities and relative importance scores of selected park features using Hierarchical Bayes analyses within Sawtooth Software. Results For the overall sample and both boys and girls, the most important driver of choice for a park that would encourage them to be active was presence of a flying fox (overall conjoint analysis relative importance score: 15.8%; 95%CI = 14.5, 17.1), followed by a playground (13.5%; 95%CI = 11.9, 15.2). For the overall sample, trees for climbing had the third highest importance score (10.2%; 95%CI = 8.9, 11.6); however, swings had 3rd highest importance for girls (11.1, 95%CI = 9.3, 12.9) and an obstacle course/parkour area had the 3rd highest importance score for boys (10.7, 95%CI = 9.0, 12.4). For features with two levels, part-worth utility scores showed that the presence of a feature was always preferred over the absence of a feature. For features with multiple levels, long flying foxes, large adventure playgrounds, lots of trees for climbing, large round swings, large climbing equipment, and large grassy open space were the preferred levels. Conclusion To ensure parks appeal as a setting that encourages children to engage in physical activity, park planners and local authorities and organisations involved in park design should prioritise the inclusion of a long flying fox, large adventure playgrounds, lots of trees for climbing, large round swings and obstacle courses/parkour areas.

Effect of production environments on storage and physiological quality of maize seed

Storage is a factor that can affect seed quality as a function of latent damages. The losses that most contribute to the reduction in germination and vigor during storage are those caused by humidity, mechanical and temperature-related, that may interfere with seed quality throughout storage. The aim of this study was evaluating the physiological quality of maize seeds produced in two environments and classified in different formats compared to storage periods. The experiment was carried out in the 2016 harvest in two cultivation environments: Entre-Ijuís, RS and Pelotas, RS. Seeds were stratified by thickness through sieves with oblong holes and stratified into small round, large round, small flat and large flat. Growing environments influence the physiological characteristics of maize seeds. The flat and large format seeds have superior physiological quality for the measured physiological characters. The small and round seeds present lower values for germination, first germination count, emergence speed index, shoot dry matter of emergence seedlings and shoot dry matter of germination seedlings. Corn seeds when stored under controlled conditions remain for long periods without causing decreases in physiological quality.

Biology and distribution of Orchis purpurea subsp. caucasica (Regel) B. Baumann et al. (Orchidaceae Juss.) in the Sochi Black Sea region

Orchis purpurea subsp. caucasica (Regel) B. Baumann, H. Baumann, R. Lorenz et Ruedi Peter is widespreadin the Sochi Black Sea region. It occurs on forest edges and in secondary woodlands of the lower mountain zone. Thenumber in individual populations is from 3 individuals to several dozen, occasionally there are clusters of up to 400individuals. The abundance varies greatly depending on the weather conditions and other factors. The species is winterlate-spring-green with a summer-winter dormant period. The growing season lasts 4–4.5 months. The criterion foridentifying ontogenetic states is the number and size of leaves, the number of leaf veins. Ontogenetic spectra of populationsare single-peaked with a predominance of adults; in more favorable growing conditions, two-peaked with a maximum ofjuveniles. Populations are full-member, normal type, stable. Seed renewal. Fruit formation is about 37.3 %. The numberof seeds in one capsule is from 6 to 28 thousand, one individual produces up to 80 thousand complete seeds per season.Orchis-type seeds, club-shaped, about 0.4 mm long; the embryo is large, round in projection. The species is protected inthe Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve and the Sochi National Park.

Multiple cavitating cannon ball metastasis with primary adenocarcinoma lung: a rare case report

Multiple large round well circumscribed pulmonary nodules in lungs are known as cannon ball secondaries. There are malignant and non-malignant causes of cannon ball secondaries. In case of malignancy, they represent classical haematogenous dissemination to the lungs of a primary malignant tumor. Secondaries to lung from renal cell carcinoma and choriocarcinoma are necrotic. The less common primary tumors causing cannon ball secondaries to lung includes prostate carcinoma, synovial sarcoma, endometrial carcinoma and some gastrointestinal malignancies. Here we presented a very rare case, maybe first of its kind of multiple cavitating cannon ball secondaries where primary malignancy was in lung itself which was EGFR positive adenocarcinoma lung. This case was also rare as cavitation is largely a feature of squamous cell carcinoma lung both of primary and metastatic lung malignancy.

Scanning electron microscopic study of ovary and oviduct of crossbred dairy cows with ovarian hypoplasia

Hypoplasia of ovary is one of the major causes of infertility in dairy cattle, which is characterized by absence of oestrus cycle, affecting livestock productivity and economics to a great extent. This study was conducted on the female genitalia collected from 100 dairy cows/heifers from the Meat Technology Unit, Mannuthy which included six animals culled on account of factors other than infertility with normal genitalia (control group) and remaining animals with a known history of infertility. Two animals of 22 months and 24 months of age showed bilateral ovarian hypoplasia. The history revealed that the animals were healthy, but had not shown oestrus. Grossly ovaries of the first animal appeared as pink-coloured, small, wrinkled, flattened, elongated structures without any follicles or CL. Second animal showed inactive, small, flat, streak-like left ovary without any cyclical structures. But the right ovary showed a single large corpus haemorrhagicum on the caudal end. Then ovarian tissue was fixed in 2 percent gluteraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.3. Under scanning electron microscopy, the ovary exhibited an uneven surface with clefts and grooves. The surface cells lost their normal appearance without any microvilli. Large round smooth germ cells were also observed on the ovarian surface. In the oviduct, the mucosa was lined by nonciliated cells having rounded surface interspersed among shrunken cells. The epithelial cell surface was covered with bulbous processes. Ciliated cells were not observed in the present study. Ovarian abnormality is reported to be the main cause of altered morphology of the surface epithelial cells and change in the ultrastructure of oviductal mucosa.

Spontaneous (Hashimoto-like) chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis in a rhesus macaque (<i>Macaca mulatta</i>)

A case of a female, 10-year-old rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) with spontaneous chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is presented. At necropsy, the thyroid gland was slightly enlarged, with up to 2 mm large, round, confluent, beige foci on the surface of both lobes. Histopathologic features resembled human Hashimoto's thyroiditis: multifocally, the interstitium was infiltrated by lymphocytes and variably sized lymphoid follicles. In the pituitary gland, there were increased numbers of large, basophilic cells throughout the adenohypophysis. Using a human electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), no autoantibodies against thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, or thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor were detected.

Malakoplakia in the Urinary Bladder of 4 Puppies

Malakoplakia in humans most often affects the urinary bladder and is characterized by inflammation with von Hansemann–type macrophages, with or without Michaelis-Gutmann bodies, and is frequently associated with Escherichia coli infection. We describe the microscopic features of malakoplakia in the urinary bladder of 4 puppies. In all cases, the lamina propria of the urinary bladder was markedly expanded by sheets of large, round to polygonal macrophages with intracytoplasmic, periodic acid-Schiff-positive granules and granular inclusions, and rare Prussian blue–positive inclusions. Macrophages were positive for CD18 and Iba1. In 2 cases, Michaelis-Gutmann bodies were detected with hematoxylin and eosin stain and were best demonstrated with von Kossa stain. E. coli infection was confirmed in 2 cases with bacterial culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Transmission electron microscopy of one case demonstrated macrophages with abundant lysosomes, phagolysosomes, and rod-shaped bacteria. Microscopic features were similar to human cases of malakoplakia. In dogs, the light microscopic characteristics of malakoplakia closely resemble granular cell tumors and histiocytic ulcerative colitis.