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While canine pets offer significant psychological and physical benefits to their owners, especially children, there are well-documented health risks associated with pathogens that can be transmitted to humans.To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites, with an emphasis on zoonotic ones, in children and their dogs, and to identify risk factors associated with infection, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in children from primary schools in the Cerro municipality, province of Havana. One hundred and three children (36 with dogs and 67 without pets) from fifth and sixth grades were selected. Three stool samples were collected on alternate days, and one stool sample was collected from their pets using conventional coproparasitological techniques between September and December 2023. The results showed a prevalence of 38.8% of intestinal parasites in the children studied. Blastocystis spp. (30.1%) and Giardia duodenalis (17.5%) were the most prevalent zoonotic species. Ancylostoma caninum (8.3%) was the most frequent zoonotic parasite in dogs. Male sex was the only variable that showed statistical significance, associated with a higher risk of infection. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of intestinal parasites in the group of children with dogs compared to those without pets, and no statistical association in the analyzed epidemiological variablesIt is important to develop a One Health approach for the control of these zoonoses, as dogs can act as important sentinels of public health.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) may be associated with peripheral neuropathy; however, IgG MGUS–associated chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is uncommon and generally follows a slowly progressive or relapsing course. We report a man in his early 40s who developed rapidly progressive sensorimotor weakness resulting in quadriparesis and inability to ambulate within eight weeks. Examination demonstrated severe proximal and distal weakness, glove-and-stocking sensory loss, and absent reflexes. Cerebrospinal fluid protein was markedly elevated, and nerve conduction studies/electromyography demonstrated acquired demyelination with secondary axonal loss. Evaluation identified IgG MGUS, supporting the diagnosis of MGUS-associated CIDP after alternative etiologies were excluded. Intravenous immunoglobulin was discontinued on day 3 following the development of a pulmonary embolism. The patient subsequently completed eight plasma-exchange sessions, with improvement in lower-extremity strength to 3/5, upper-extremity strength to 4/5, and sensory symptoms. He was discharged to rehabilitation with planned monthly plasma exchange.recognised clinical spectrum of IgG MGUS–associated CIDP and demonstrates that meaningful neurological improvement may occur with plasma exchange despite rapid progression and severe initial disability.

Fenvalerate is a widely used synthetic pyrethroid insecticide with recognised toxicity to aquatic organisms. This study evaluated its toxic effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio) by assessing mortality, biochemical alterations, and protein profile changes following exposure to 20–100 µg/L fenvalerate. Mortality increased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. At 20 µg/L, mortality increased from 55% at 24 h to 82% at 96 h, while 40 and 60 µg/L resulted in mortality rising from 62% to 94% and 71% to 99%, respectively. Exposure to 80 µg/L caused 79–100% mortality, and complete mortality was observed at 80 and 100 µg/L after 72 and 96 h, respectively. Sublethal (LC50) exposure induced significant biochemical changes in gill and muscle tissues. Gill protein content decreased from 120.0 ± 1.22 mg/g in controls to 110.0 ± 1.40 mg/g after 96 h, whereas muscle protein declined from 80.2 ± 1.3 to 60.0 ± 2.7 mg/g. Lipid reserves were also markedly reduced, with muscle lipid content decreasing from 4.0 ± 0.46% to 3.1 ± 0.12% and gill lipid content from 6.5 ± 0.22% to 2.5 ± 0.31% after 96 h. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed distinct alterations in protein banding patterns between control and treated fish, indicating fenvalerate-induced changes in protein expression. These findings demonstrate that fenvalerate causes severe concentration- and time-dependent toxicity, leading to increased mortality, depletion of proteins and lipids, and altered protein profiles, highlighting its ecological risk to aquatic organisms and the utility of zebrafish as a sensitive model for pesticide toxicity assessment.

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are two common conditions in aging men. Their association exceeds mere age-related coincidence and involves shared vascular, neurological, endocrine-metabolic and psychosexual mechanisms. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of ED in patients followed for symptomatic BPH, to identify factors associated with its severity, and to analyze the evolution of erectile function after medical treatment. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Urology Department A of Ibn Sina Hospital, Rabat, from August 1 to November 30, 2021. After excluding 37 records, 100 male patients aged 50 to 80 years followed for BPH were included. LUTS were assessed using the IPSS score and erectile function using the IIEF-5 score. Sociodemographic, clinical, biological, ultrasonographic, cardiovascular and therapeutic data were analyzed. The significance threshold was set at p < 0.05. Results: Mean age was 66 ± 15 years. The overall prevalence of ED was 72%, with 30% mild, 33% moderate, and 27% severe forms among interpretable cases. Only 25% of patients had spontaneously reported their sexual dysfunction. Factors significantly associated with ED were age (p < 0.001), LUTS severity by IPSS (p < 0.001), obesity (p < 0.001), and history of prostatic surgery (p < 0.01), arterial hypertension (p < 0.02) and nocturia (p < 0.05). Alpha-blocker–tadalafil combination therapy improved the IIEF-5 score by +4.3 to +5.2 points. Alpha-blockers alone did not significantly improve erectile function. Conclusion: ED is common and largely under-reported in patients with BPH. LUTS severity, particularly nocturia, is closely linked to erectile impairment. Systematic sexual assessment should be an integral part of BPH management, and the alpha-blocker–PDE5i combination represents a relevant therapeutic strategy in patients with associated ED.

Introduction: Few studies have explored the vulnerability of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to developing cervical cancer and its precursor lesions. Objective: To describe the clinical, metabolic, and endocrine characteristics of a series of women with cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions and polycystic ovary syndrome, aiming to generate hypotheses regarding the potential pathophysiological mechanisms linking both conditions.Methods: A descriptive and hypothesis-generating study was conducted. The series consisted of nine women with a cytological diagnosis of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) who also met the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS. Characterization included age, sexual behavior, toxic habits, history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), metabolic parameters (insulin resistance, dyslipidemia), serum hormone levels (testosterone, prolactin, estradiol), human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 infection, grade of the lesion, and PCOS phenotypes. Results: The mean age was 37,11 ± 12,8 years. Abdominal obesity was detected in 55,5% and insulin resistance in 44,4% of cases. Hyperprolactinemia was present in 33,3%. HPV 16/18 infection was identified in 77,7% of cases. Most patients presented high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and PCOS phenotype D. Conclusion: The presence of HSIL in more than a third of the women in this case series is compatible with the hypothesis that PCOS, particularly those with insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, or hyperprolactinemia, may act as a multifactorial risk factor for cervical lesions, either independently or synergistically through metabolic and hormonal pathways that interact with HPV. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary observations that warrant confirmation in larger, controlled studies.