Biodiversity and Taxonomy of the Parasitic Crustacea

Crustaceans have independently adopted a parasitic mode of life on numerous occasions, and this chapter reviews the classification and species richness of each of the parasitic clades, which lie within two major pancrustacean lineages, the Multicrustacea and the Oligostraca. Tabulated data are presented on the genera, species richness and host usage of the whale lice (Cyamidae); the generic and species richness of the families of hyperiidean amphipods; the generic and species richness and the host usage of the families and subfamilies of epicaridean isopods; the species richness, salinity regime and host taxon of cymothoid isopods; the generic and species richness and the host usage of the families of Ascothoracida and Rhizocephala; the species of Tantulocarida and their hosts; the generic and species richness and the host usage of the families and family-level groupings of cyclopoid and siphonostomatoid copepods; the species richness and salinity regimes of the genera of Branchiura; and the species richness and host usage of the genera of tongue worms (Pentastomida). Parasitic crustaceans use a total of 15 different phyla as hosts

Alkali‐free processing of advanced open‐celled sinter‐crystallized glass‐ceramics

The cooling of a melt corresponding to the eutectic between wollastonite (CaSiO3) and diopside (CaMgSi2O6) determines the synthesis of an interesting example of alkali-free bioactive glass, easily converted into glass-ceramics featuring two silicate phases, coupled also with åkermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7), by sinter-crystallization of fine glass powders at 1000°C. The fabrication of scaffolds by digital light processing of glass powders suspended in a photo-curable, sacrificial binder, is a well-established technique; the present paper aims at disclosing novel approaches, concerning the topology of scaffolds, offering components with remarkable strength, especially in bending conditions. As an alternative, glass-ceramic foams were fabricated by the firing of porous precursors derived from the gelation of suspensions of glass powders in alkali-free basic aqueous solution

Multi-compartment scaffold fabricated via 3D-printing as in vitro co-culture osteogenic model.

The development of in vitro 3D models to get insights into the mechanisms of bone regeneration could accelerate the translation of experimental findings to the clinic, reducing costs and duration of experiments. This work explores the design and manufacturing of multi-compartments structures in poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) 3D-printed by Fused Filament Fabrication technique. The construct was designed with interconnected stalls to host stem cells and endothelial cells. Cells were encapsulated within an optimised gellan gum (GG)-based hydrogel matrix, crosslinked using strontium (Sr2+) ions to exploit its bioactivity and finally, assembled within compartments with different sizes. Calcium (Ca2+)-crosslinked gels were also used as control for comparison of Sr2+ osteogenic effect. The results obtained demonstrated that Sr2+ ions were successfully diffused within the hydrogel matrix and increased the hydrogel matrix strength properties under compressive load. The in vitro co-culture of human-TERT mesenchymal stem cells (TERT- hMSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), encapsulated within Sr2+ ions containing GG-hydrogels and inter-connected by compartmentalised scaffolds under osteogenic conditions, enhanced cell viability and supported osteogenesis, with a significant increase of alkaline phosphatase activity, osteopontin and osteocalcin respect with the Ca2+-crosslinked GG-PCL scaffolds. These outcomes demonstrate that the design and manufacturing of compartmentalised co-culture of TERT-hMSCs and HUVEC populations enables an effective system to study and promote osteogenesis