Lagged Population Growth in a Termite Host Colony: Cause or Consequence of Inquilinism?

The presence of foreign organisms in the colonies of social insects could affect energy allocation to growth and reproduction of these hosts. Highly specialized invaders of such long-lived hosts, however, can be selected to be less harmful. After all, it pays for these symbionts to keep their host's good health thereby prolonging cohabitation in the homeostatic environment of the termite colony. Here, we investigated such a hypothesis, focusing on populational parameters of a termite host sharing its nest with an obligatory termite inquiline. To this end, 19 natural colonies of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvestri, 1901) (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) were sampled and the (i) number of individuals, (ii) proportion of soldier/workers in the colonies, and (iii) presence/absence of obligatory inquiline Inquilinitermes microcerus (Silvestri, 1901) (Termitidae: Termitinae) were measured. Results revealed a negative correlation between the number of individuals and the proportion of soldier/workers in the host colonies with the presence of I. microcerus colonies. In search of causal mechanisms for such a correlation, we inspected life history traits of both, inquilines and hosts, hypothesizing that such a result could indicate either (i) a dampening effect of the inquiline upon its host population or (ii) the coincidence of the moment of inquiline infiltration with the natural reduction of C. cyphergaster populational growth at the onset of its reproductive phase.

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis: a case report

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a rare idiopathic inflammatory disease that affects mainly children and young adults. The clinical signs and symptoms are nonspecific, hindering and delaying diagnosis. Radiological and histopathological tests are essential for its definition. A case of CRMO is reported, demonstrating the importance of clinical, laboratory, and radiological data for diagnosis.

Fratura diafisária do fêmur: reprodutibilidade das classificações AO-ASIF e Winquist

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a reprodutibilidade interobservadores das classificações AO/ASIF e de Winquist para as fraturas diafisárias do fêmur no adulto. MÉTODOS: foram selecionadas aleatoriamente 50 radiografias de pacientes adultos portadores de fratura diafisária do fêmur nas incidências em antero-posterior e perfil. As radiografias foram analisadas por 5 observadores, sendo um membro da Sociedade Brasileira de Trauma Ortopédico, um radiologista, um residente do terceiro ano de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, um do segundo e um do primeiro. Para avaliar a concordância interobservadores destas classificações, foi utilizado o índice estatístico Kappa (K). RESULTADOS: Em todas as análises, observou-se um coeficiente de concordância entre observadores estatisticamente significativo (valor p < 0,05) e classificado como bom (valores de 0,61 a 0,80) ou muito bom (valores acima de 0,80), segundo os critérios de Landis e Koch. CONCLUSÃO: As classificações AO e Winquist apresentam alto índice de concordância interobservadores para as fraturas diafisárias do fêmur no adulto.