Description of a new flower fly species of the Copestylum vagum group (Diptera: Syrphidae) from pristine Amazonian rainforests of Colombia and Suriname

The adult stage of a new flower fly species, Copestylum enriquei sp. nov. (Diptera: Syrphidae) is described based on a single male collected in pristine rainforest in the Amazonian region of Colombia (type-locality: Florencia, Caquetá) and two females from a conserved forest in Suriname (Para and Brokopondo). Copestylum enriquei sp. nov. belongs to the C. vagum species group and is similar in appearance to Copestylum vagum (Wiedemann), C. musicanum (Curran), C. tenorium Ricarte & Rotheray, and C. chapadensis (Curran) from which it differs by the gena and face separated by a very broad brown vitta; scutum orange except for the wide medial vitta, which is dark and metallic, ending before the prescutellar region, with the apical margin M-shaped; tibiae dark-brown, except yellow on basal 1/4. The male genitalia of C. enriquei sp. nov. are unique and striking among the C. vagum species group, characterized by the epandrium and cercus black, contrasting with the colour of hypandrium and surstylus, which are orange; epandrium with a dorsal extension, a novel character among this species group, in addition to the L-shaped surstylus, with two pairs of rounded ridges in the dorsal edge, similar to a small deer antler in velvet. Images of type material, including photographs of male genitalia are provided. A comparison of the diagnostic characters is provided as well as modifications to the previous keys to distinguish C. enriquei sp. nov. from the other species of the C. vagum group. The species Copestylum araceorum Ricarte & Rotheray and C. tenorium Ricarte & Rotheray are recorded for the first time in the Amazonian rainforest in Colombia.

Problems of Diagnosis, Conservative Treatment and Long-Term Results of “Mallet Finger” Fracture

Summary. Distal phalanx dorsal edge fracture is treated in a relatively simple closed manner during the first weeks after injury. The role of the distal interphalangeal joint in the upper extremity integral function reaches conventionally only a few percent. This may lead to insufficient attention and a large number of mistakes in diagnosis and treatment of such injuries, which in turn provokes complications that are much more difficult to treat than the primary injury. This article considers the most common problems of diagnosis and treatment of “mallet finger” fractures. Advantages and disadvantages of various techniques used in the treatment of such fractures in acute and neglected cases are considered and analyzed. Objective: to study the effect of distal phalanx dorsal edge avulsive fractures on function of the upper limb, quality of life, and depression rate in long term period after injury. Materials and Methods. Data from 11 patients (8 (88%) males and 3 (12%) females) with neglected cases of distal phalanx dorsal edge avulsive fractures were studied. QuickDASH questionnaire and visual analog scales were used to study impaired quality of life and depression rate in such patients. Indicators that lead to the need for surgery in long term period after injury have been identified. Results. It was determined that in long term period, in patients with a “mallet finger” fracture, function of the upper extremity suffered significantly and was 29.2±20.2 points (range 2.3-75) according to QuickDASH scale. This condition also significantly affected the general well-being of the patient. Average value of impaired quality of life was 43.6±24.6 (range 0-90 points), and depression rate due to upper extremity dysfunction was 44.6±22.7 (range 0-90 points). Conclusions. Despite the relatively minor injury, high rates of dysfunction, impact on quality of life and depression rate indicate the need to restore finger function even in long term period after injury.

The tetrapod fauna of the upper Permian Naobaogou Formation of China: 6. Turfanodon jiufengensis sp. nov. (Dicynodontia)

The dicynodont fossils from the Naobaogou Formation of Nei Mongol, China are abundant and diverse but poorly studied. In this article, one nearly complete skeleton and four cranial specimens from the Naobaogou Formation are referred to the dicynodontoid genus Turfanodon as a new species, T. jiufengensis. Previously, Turfanodon was known only from upper Permian sites in Xinjiang and Gansu. The new specimens are referred to Turfanodon based on the following characters: snout tall with steeply sloping profile, anterior tip of the snout squared off, facial region heavily pitted, nasal bosses present as paired swellings near the posterodorsal margin of the external nares, preparietal depressed, intertemporal bar long and narrow, premaxilla contacting frontal, palatal surface of premaxilla exposed in lateral view, and anterior pterygoid keel restricted to the anterior tip of the anterior ramus of the pterygoid. Turfanodon jiufengensis is differentiated from the type species, T. bogdaensis, by a contact of the lacrimal with the septomaxilla, discrete, raised nasal bosses, the dorsal edge of the erupted portion of the canine tusk slightly posterior to the anterior orbital margin, an anterior extension of the lacrimal distinctly shorter than that of the prefrontal, and a premaxillary dorsal surface with a median ridge. The holotype skeleton of T. jiufengensis includes a complete axial column with 50 vertebrae (six cervical, 23 dorsal, six sacral, and 15 caudal). Turfanodon represents the first confirmed tetrapod genus shared by the late Permian faunas of the Junggar and Ordos basins, and appears to be the first dicynodont genus distributed across both tropical and temperate zones (based on paleoclimate reconstructions). Based on tetrapod fossil content, the Naobaogou Formation can be roughly correlated to the Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone of South Africa (255–252 Ma in age).

Differentiation of Traumatic Osteoporotic and Non-Osteoporotic Vertebral AO A3 Fractures by Analyzing the Posterior Edge Morphology—A Retrospective Feasibility Study

Background: Differentiation between traumatic osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic vertebral fractures is crucial for optimal therapy planning. We postulated that the morphology of the posterior edge of the cranial fragment of A3 vertebral fractures is different in these entities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a simple method to differentiate between osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic A3 vertebral fractures by morphological analysis. Methods: A total of 86 computer tomography scans of AO Type A3 (cranial burst) vertebral body fractures (52 non-osteoporotic, 34 osteoporotic) were included in this retrospective study. Posterior edge morphology was analyzed using the sagittal paramedian slice with the most prominent shaped bulging. Later, the degree of bulging of the posterior edge fragment was quantified using a geometric approach. Additionally, the Hounsfield units of the broken vertebral body, the vertebra above, and the vertebra below the fracture were measured. Results: We found significant differences in the extent of bulging comparing osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic fractures in our cohort. Using the presented method, sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 96%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 94%. In contrast, by evaluating the Hounsfield units, sensitivity was 94%, specificity 94% and the PPV was 91%. Conclusions: Our method of analysis of the bulging of the dorsal edge fragment in traumatic cranial burst fractures cases allows, in our cases, a simple and valid differentiation between osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic fractures. Further validation in a larger sample, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements, is necessary.

PSIX-31 The effect of days on feed and trenbolone acetate + estradiol-17β implants on the dimensional measurements of serially harvested steer carcasses

Charolais x Angus steers (n = 80) were serially harvested to evaluate the effect of days on feed and exogenous growth promotion on dimensional measurements of chilled carcasses. Steers were randomly distributed to treatment and harvest day in a 2 x 10 factorial design. Steers were paired by genetic similarity and randomly assigned one of two treatments; implanted with Revalor-XS (REV) on d 0 and d 190 or non-implanted control (CON). Four pairs were randomly assigned to market endpoints of 0, 42, 84, 126, 168, 210, 252, 294, 336, or 378 DOF. Forty-eight h after harvest, a digital image was obtained of the lateral aspect of the right side of each carcass in front of a grid containing 390 contrasting black and green squares (100 cm2 each). Images were individually calibrated to a common standard and digitally measured for 2-dimensional surface area and maximal carcass length and width. Maximal length was measured from the caudal tip of the hindshank to cranial edge of the foreshank and maximal width was measured from the dorsal edge of the crest to the ventral edge of the foreshank. Carcass dimensional measurements were analyzed using mixed models; fixed effects were implant treatment and DOF with d 0 BW as a covariate. No TRT x DOF interaction was observed (P ≥ 0.13) for any dependent variable. Steers administered REV yielded 516 cm2 greater (P < 0.01) surface area than CON; moreover, surface area increased 21.0 cm2 /day. No TRT effect (P = 0.57) was observed for maximal length, however maximal width was 3.9 cm greater (P < 0.01) for REV steers. Steer carcasses increased 0.16 cm/day in length and 0.07 cm/day in width. These data illustrate growth in carcass size following exogenous growth promotant administration and finishing steers for various lengths of time.

Canthigaster aziz, a new deep-dwelling toby fish (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from the Red Sea

A new species of toby fish, Canthigaster aziz, is described based on a single specimen collected from the northern Red Sea off Saudi Arabia. The holotype was trawled from a depth of 315 m, the second deepest record for the genus. The new species is distinguished from other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: 8 dorsal-fin rays; 8 anal-fin rays; 15 pectoral-fin rays; dorsal-fin origin opposite to anal-fin origin; five diffuse, saddle-like, black blotches along dark yellowish dorsal edge of body between nape and dorsal-fin origin; dorsal half of body light brown with concentrated dark pigments just behind eye and with a longitudinal, irregular, pale golden stripe running from area just behind eye to dorsal side of caudal peduncle; ventral half of posterior part of body pinkish with tiny subcutaneous black spots; head and ventral half of body before anus white; and all fins uniformly pale grey. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI barcoding region resulted in a new and unique evolutionary lineage for the new species that is sister to a clade composed of C. leoparda, C. pygmaea and C. valentini. It also shows C. aziz to be evolutionary deeply divergent from its closest congeners. In addition to the description of the new species, comparisons with congeners and a revised key to the Indo-Pacific species are provided.

Glossidiella peruensis sp. nov., a new digenean (Plagiorchiida: Plagiorchiidae) from the lung of the brown ground snake Atractus major (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Peru

During a survey of helminth parasites of the brown ground snake, Atractus major Boulenger, 1894 (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Moyobamba, region of San Martin (northeastern Peru), a new species of Glossidiella Travassos, 1927 (Plagiorchiida: Plagiorchiidae) was found and is described herein based on morphological and ultrastructural data. The digeneans found in the lung were measured and drawings were made with a drawing tube. The ultrastructure was studied using scanning electron microscope. Glossidiella peruensissp. nov. is easily distinguished from the type- and only species of the genus, Glossidiella ornata Travassos, 1927, by having an oblong cirrus sac (claviform in G. ornata), distinctly ovate testes (rounded testes in G. ornata) and button-like papillae on the dorsal edge of the oral sucker region (absent in G. ornata). In addition, G. peruensissp. nov. differs from G. ornata by possessing a longer distance between testes and substantially wider oral and ventral suckers. This is the first time that a species of digenean is described and reported parasitizing snakes in Peru.

Pelvimetry in the Teramana goat breed: a comparison between radiography and ultrasound

Radiography is routinely used for pelvimetry, but it is not easily accessible for farm animals, while ultrasonographic pelvimetry could be used due to the better accessibility and lack of radiation hazard. Radiographic and ultrasonographic pelvimetry in goats were compared, and three diameters of the pelvis were measured; the narrowest transverse pelvic diameter at the level of the acetabula, from the pecten pubis to the sacral promontorium and from the dorsal edge of the pubis to the coccygeal vertebra. The measurement was performed three times by one observer on both modalities. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analyses were performed. The intraobserver agreement was excellent for all the measurements and modalities in the study. Excellent agreement (ICC 0.96) was achieved for the transverse pelvic diameter. The agreement for the other two diameters was poor. We can conclude that the ultrasonographic pelvimetry of a goat is reliable only in the transverse pelvic diameter just cranial to the pecten pubis.

Wnt Signaling in Neural Crest Ontogenesis and Oncogenesis

Neural crest (NC) cells are a temporary population of multipotent stem cells that generate a diverse array of cell types, including craniofacial bone and cartilage, smooth muscle cells, melanocytes, and peripheral neurons and glia during embryonic development. Defective neural crest development can cause severe and common structural birth defects, such as craniofacial anomalies and congenital heart disease. In the early vertebrate embryos, NC cells emerge from the dorsal edge of the neural tube during neurulation and then migrate extensively throughout the anterior-posterior body axis to generate numerous derivatives. Wnt signaling plays essential roles in embryonic development and cancer. This review summarizes current understanding of Wnt signaling in NC cell induction, delamination, migration, multipotency, and fate determination, as well as in NC-derived cancers.

Cladistic analysis and description of a new species of the Brazilian genus Atlantodesmus Hoffman, 2000 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae)

A cladistic analysis of the genus Atlantodesmus Hoffman, 2000 is presented. With a total of 11 taxa and 30 morphological characters, and under implied weighting (k = 3), two equally most parsimonious trees (length = 58 steps; total fit = 23.150; CI = 0.64; RI = 0.64) recovered the monophyly of the genus. The resulting synapomorphies are: absence of a ventral projection on the post-gonopodal sternites; presence of folds on the dorsal edge of the prefemoral region of the gonopod; and one homoplastic transformation: presence of a cingulum. In addition, Atlantodesmus sierwaldae sp. nov. is described from the state of Minas Gerais, in the Brazilian Cerrado, and a key to the males of the genus is provided.