The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the entire world, and patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have been particularly affected. We aimed to evaluate predictors of mortality during the first 30 days of hospitalization in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and comorbid DM. This prospective study included 110 critically ill patients admitted with COVID-19 infection. Thirty-two (29%) patients had a previous diagnosis of DM. Clinical variables, laboratory tests, and vascular biomarkers, such as VCAM-1, syndecan-1, ICAM-1, angiopoietin-1, and angiopoeitin-2, were evaluated after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. A comparison was made between patients with and without DM. No difference in mortality was observed between the groups (48.7 vs 46.9%, P=0.861). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, VCAM-1 levels at ICU admission (HR: 1 [1-1.001], P<0.006) were associated with death in patients with DM. Among patients with DM, advanced age (HR 1.063 [1.031-1.096], P<0.001), increased Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio (HR: 4.515 [1.803-11.308] P=0.001), and need for dialysis (HR: 3.489 [1.409-8.642], P=0.007) were independent predictors of death. Higher levels of VCAM-1 in patients with DM was better at predicting death of patients with severe COVID-19 and comorbid DM, and their cut-off values were useful for stratifying patients with a worse prognosis. Vascular biomarkers VCAM-1 and Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio were predictors of death in patients with severe COVID-19 and comorbid DM and those without DM. Additionally, kidney injury was associated with an increased risk of death.

ABSTRACT Three new species of Urocleidoides Mizelle & Price, 1964 are described from the gills of characiform fishes in the Tocantins River and its tributaries. Urocleidoides boulengerellae sp. nov. is described from Boulengerella cuvieri (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) and differs from all its congeners by the dorsal bar with a long posteromedial projection; male copulatory organ with 2-3 counterclockwise rings and a base with a flange; an accessory piece comprising a robust Y-shaped unit and a sheath-like unit; and a highly sclerotized vaginal canal. Urocleidoides paratriangulus sp. nov., described from Psectrogaster amazonica Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889, Cyphocharax gouldingi Vari, 1992, Caenotropus labyrinthicus (Kner, 1858) and Mylesinus paucisquamatus Jégu & Santos, 1988, is most similar to Urocleidoides triangulus (Suriano, 1981) Rossin & Timi, 2016 based on the shape of the anchors and bars but differs from U. triangulus in the morphology of the projection of the dorsal bar, the number of rings of male copulatory organ, and by the smaller size of members of hook pairs 1 and 5 compared with those of the remaining pairs. Urocleidoides tocantinensis sp. nov. is easily distinguished from all other species of the genus by the morphology of the vagina, which present a vaginal vestibule with a membranous cap. Urocleidoides triangulus is reported from its type host in the Guandu River, state of Rio de Janeiro. The present study increases the number of Urocleidoides species to 37 recognized species that fit all the generic characters.

RESUMO A polinização é um fator essencial na produção agrícola mundial e existe a necessidade de aumentar o número de espécies de abelhas que podem ser criadas para a polinização na agricultura, como a abelha solitária coletora de óleo Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804). Aqui, os comportamentos de nidificação e reprodutivo dessa abelha sob condições tropicais foram estudados com o objetivo de produzir informações para o criatório e uso de C. analis na polinização agrícola. O estudo foi conduzido de maio a outubro de 2017 usando ninhos armadilhas e observações diárias das 5 as 18h sobre a ocupação e construção dos ninhos, viagens de forrageamento ao campo e interações entre os indivíduos e cleptoparistas. Os resultados mostraram que as abelhas colonizam e nidificam facilmente em ninhos-armadilha por um longo período do ano, sob condições tropicais, e a utilização desse tipo de ninho possibilita multiplicar populações dessa espécie visando seu uso potencial na polinização agrícola. No entanto, tanto as fontes de óleos vegetais como a disponibilidade de locais para nidificação se mostraram fatores limitantes ao crescimento populacional dessa espécie em criatórios.

ABSTRACT Pollination is a key factor in global agricultural production, and there is a need to increase the number of bee species that can be bred for pollination in agriculture, such as the oil-collecting solitary bee Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804). In this study, the nesting and reproductive behavior of the bee were studied under tropical conditions, with the aim of producing information for breeding and using C. analis for crop pollination. The study was conducted from May to October 2017, using trap nests and daily observations from 5.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. of nest occupation and building, foraging trips in the field and interactions between individuals and kleptoparasites. The results showed that the bees easily colonize and nest in trap nests for an extended period of the year under tropical conditions, and that the use of this type of nest makes it possible to multiply populations of this species for their potential use in crop pollination. However, sources of floral oil and the availability of nesting sites have both proved to be limiting factors to population growth in this species on bee farms.

The objective of the present study was to determine whether lesion of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) promoted by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) would rescue nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons after unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injection into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). Initially, 16 mg 6-OHDA (6-OHDA group) or vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid - aCSF; Sham group) was infused into the right MFB of adult male Wistar rats. Fifteen days after surgery, the 6-OHDA and SHAM groups were randomly subdivided and received ipsilateral injection of either 60 mM NMDA or aCSF in the right STN. Additionally, a control group was not submitted to stereotaxic surgery. Five groups of rats were studied: 6-OHDA/NMDA, 6-OHDA/Sham, Sham/NMDA, Sham/Sham, and Control. Fourteen days after injection of 6-OHDA, rats were submitted to the rotational test induced by apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg, ip) and to the open-field test. The same tests were performed again 14 days after NMDA-induced lesion of the STN. The STN lesion reduced the contralateral turns induced by apomorphine and blocked the progression of motor impairment in the open-field test in 6-OHDA-treated rats. However, lesion of the STN did not prevent the reduction of striatal concentrations of dopamine and metabolites or the number of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons after 6-OHDA lesion. Therefore, STN lesion is able to reverse motor deficits after severe 6-OHDA-induced lesion of the nigrostriatal pathway, but does not protect or rescue dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.

By describing 3 clinical cases of unusual testicular non germinal tumors, including an adenoma of the rete testis, an undifferenciated sex cord tumor and a mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis, we make a literature review of the unusual testicular tumors and testicular apendix, including their incidence and management. Also and as one of our conclusions, we expose the importance of the intraoperatory biopsy in the testicular cancer surgery, because even if it is infrecuent, the presence of this rare testicular tumors, in which if they are proven to be benign, the testicular unit could be preserved and the radical orquiectomy could be avoided.

A propósito de tres casos clínicos con tumores de histología infrecuente del testículo que incluyen el adenoma de la rete testis, el tumor indiferenciado de los cordones sexuales y el mesotelioma de la túnica vaginal, se realiza una revisión bibliográfica de los tumores inusuales del testículo y sus anexos, incluyendo su incidencia y manejo. Finalmente y a manera de conclusión, se explica la importancia de la biopsia rápida en el caso de los tumores testiculares dado que, aunque infrecuente, si ésta resultara benigna, podría evitarse la orquectomía radical y realizar una cirugía conservadora.

One hundred and two blood serum samples from dogs referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Alfenas University, were submitted to the agarose immune diffusion and to the fast serum-agglutination tests addressed to find antibodies anti- Brucella canis and B. abortus, respectively. Five samples (4.9%) were positives for B. canis and none for B. abortus. This prevalence is considered by some as an alert for an epidemiologic and public healthy problems, considering the serious zoonotic aspect of canine brucellosis