Optical properties of microstructured fibre tuned by filling with magnetic liquids

Alternative for adjust optical fiber light-guiding properties by bulk glass doping is provided by microstructured optical fibers, which allows access directly to the light guiding core via their microstructure. Following paper will report utilizing of suspended-core, so-called high-delta, microstructured optical fiber as an optimal medium for tuning and developing optical devices. Means of filling such fiber with variety of liquids will be presented and guided light affection in bare silica glass fiber will be demonstrated

Visualización de la fluorescencia de clorofila a: Una demostración práctica

Ali Ahmad – University of Granada - 0000-0001-5530-7374Santiago Atero Calvo – University of Granada - 0000-0001-8446-5515Begoña Blasco León – University of Granada - 0000-0001-8061-5141Safa Selmi – Association of Safeguard of Matmata - University of Gabes - 0000-0002-3389-6806Alessandro Candiani – DNAPhone SRL - 0000-0002-6200-7705Vanessa Martos Núñez – University of Granada - 0000-0001-6442-7968Recepción: 14.11.2022 | Aceptado: 18.11.2022Correspondencia a través de ORCID: Ali Ahmad - 0000-0001-5530-7374Área o categoría del conocimiento: Fisiología Vegetal – DocenciaAbstract: Chlorophylls are the principal components of plants for light harvesting. They utilize the energy retrieved from solar radiations to carry out the process of photosynthesis and produce reduced organic compounds such as carbohydrates. However, all of the incident light is not used in photosynthesis process, it confronts two other fates. A part of it is dissipated as heat, whereas the other is emitted as fluorescence. These processes occur simultaneously and whether one or the other occurs to a greater or lesser extent will depend both on the physiological status of the plant and the environmental conditions it faces. Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence is inversely proportional to the yield of photosynthesis and therefore is of prime importance in plant physiology. Furthermore, there are a lot of studies where Chl a fluorescence has been used as a probe for estimating photosynthetic yield, drought, salinity, vigor, and environmental effects on crop production yield. Therefore, this study was undertaken to demonstrate the visualization of the light emitted from Chl, commonly known as Chl a fluorescence. Plant leaves were dark adopted for 20 minutes before their exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Red glasses were used to visualize the emitted red light (fluorescence) from the leaves. This study may instill further interest in the plant physiology students to deepen and expand their learning by undertaking simple demonstrations like this.Resumen: Las clorofilas son los principales componentes de las plantas para recolectar la luz. Utilizan la energía procedente de la radiación solar para llevar a cabo el proceso de fotosíntesis y producir moléculas orgánicas reducidas como los hidratos de carbono. Sin embargo, el total de la utilización de la luz incidente no toda es aprovechada en el proceso de fotosíntesis, ya que esta se enfrenta a otros dos destinos. Una parte se disipa como calor, mientras que la otra se emite como fluorescencia. Estos procesos ocurren de forma simultánea y que se de uno u otro proceso en mayor o menor medida, va a depender tanto del estatus fisiológico de la planta como de las condiciones ambientales a las que se enfrente. La fluorescencia de la clorofila (Chl) es inversamente proporcional al rendimiento o la tasa de la fotosíntesis y, por lo tanto, tiene una importancia fundamental en los estudios de fisiología vegetal. Asimismo, hay muchos estudios en los que la fluorescencia de Chl a se ha utilizado como sonda para estimar el rendimiento fotosintético, la sequía, la salinidad, el vigor y los efectos ambientales en la producción y el rendimiento de los cultivos. Por lo tanto, este estudio se realizó para demostrar la visualización de la luz emitida por la Chl, comúnmente conocida como fluorescencia de Chl a. Las hojas de las plantas fueron adoptadas en la oscuridad durante 20 minutos antes de su exposición a la luz ultravioleta (UV). Se utilizaron gafas rojas para visualizar la luz roja emitida (fluorescencia) de las hojas. Este estudio puede infundir más interés en los estudiantes de fisiología vegetal para que profundicen y amplíen su aprendizaje realizando demostraciones sencillas como esta.This work was supported by the projects: “VIRTUOUS” funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2019. Ref. 872181, “SUSTAINABLE” funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020. Ref. 101007702, and the “Project of Excellence” from FEDER (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional)- Junta de Andalucía 2018. Ref. P18-H0-4700.University of GranadaAssociation of Safeguard of Matmata - University of GabesDNAPhone SR

The study of polyplex formation and stability by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy of SYBR Green I-stained DNA

Polyplexes are nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly of DNA/RNA and cationic polymers specifically designed to deliver exogenous genetic material to cells by a process called transfection. There is a general consensus that a subtle balance between sufficient extracellular protection and intracellular release of nucleic acids is a key factor for successful gene delivery. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop suitable tools and techniques for enabling the monitoring of the stability of polyplexes in the biological environment they face during transfection. In this work we propose time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with SYBR Green I-DNA dye as a reliable tool for the in-depth characterization of the DNA/vector complexation state. As a proof of concept, we provide essential information on the assembly and disassembly of complexes formed between DNA and each of three cationic polymers, namely a novel promising chitosan-graft-branched polyethylenimine copolymer (Chi-g-bPEI), one of its building block 2 kDa bPEI and the gold standard transfectant 25 kDa bPEI. Our results highlight the higher information content provided by the time-resolved studies of SYBR Green I/DNA, as compared to conventional steady state measurements of ethidium bromide/DNA that enabled us to draw relationships among fluorescence lifetime, polyplex structural changes and transfection efficiency

Case Report: A Peculiar Case of Inflammatory Colitis After SARS-CoV-2 Infection

open14noWe report a case of inflammatory colitis after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient with no additional co-morbidity who died within three weeks of hospitalization. As it is becoming increasingly clear that SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause immunological alterations, we investigated the expression of the inhibitory checkpoint PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 to explore the potential role of this axis in the break of self-tolerance. The presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in colon tissue was demonstrated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical localization of the nucleocapsid protein. Expression of lymphocyte markers, PD-1, and PD-L1 in colon tissue was investigated by IHC. SARSCoV- 2-immunoreactive cells were detected both in the ulcerated and non-ulcerated mucosal areas. Compared to healthy tissue, where PD-1 is weakly expressed and PD-L1 is absent, PD-1 and PD-L1 expression appears in the inflamed mucosal tissue, as expected, but was mainly confined to non-ulcerative areas. At the same time, these markers were virtually undetectable in areas of mucosal ulceration. Our data show an alteration of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and suggest a link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and an aberrant autoinflammatory response due to concomitant breakdown of the PD-1/ PD-L1 interaction leading to early death of the patient.openRutigliani, Mariangela; Bozzo, Matteo; Barberis, Andrea; Greppi, Marco; Anelli, Emanuela; Castellaro, Luca; Bonsignore, Alessandro; Azzinnaro, Antonio; Pesce, Silvia; Filauro, Marco; Rollandi, Gian Andrea; Castagnola, Patrizio; Candiani, Simona; Marcenaro, EmanuelaRutigliani, Mariangela; Bozzo, Matteo; Barberis, Andrea; Greppi, Marco; Anelli, Emanuela; Castellaro, Luca; Bonsignore, Alessandro; Azzinnaro, Antonio; Pesce, Silvia; Filauro, Marco; Rollandi, Gian Andrea; Castagnola, Patrizio; Candiani, Simona; Marcenaro, Emanuel

Differential composition of vaginal microbiome, but not of seminal microbiome, is associated with successful intrauterine insemination in couples with idiopathic infertility: A prospective observational study

Background Vaginal and seminal microbiomes have gained increasing interest for their involvement in reproductive health and fertility. However, their role in reproductive outcome is not fully understood yet. In this study, we aimed to correlate the vaginal and the seminal microbiome of 23 couples with idiopathic infertility to the clinical pregnancy rate after intrauterine insemination (IUI). Methods Vaginal swabs and seminal fluids were collected on the day of IUI procedure and analyzed through polymerase chain reaction amplification of variable regions 3 and 4 (V3–V4) of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The taxonomic data were then correlated to IUI success. Results Idiopathic infertile women showed a different average composition of vaginal microbiome compared with control sequences, whereas for seminal counterpart no relevant differences were observed. Furthermore, among idiopathic infertile women, different patterns of Lactobacillus species dominations were observed, with a predominance either of Lactobacillus crispatus, a marker of a healthy vaginal ecosystem, or of Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus gasseri, associated with a more dysbiosis-prone environment. More important, considering all investigated variables, vaginal L crispatus domination was the only factor strongly associated to IUI success (P = .0002). Conclusions Our results strengthen the potential role of L crispatus in promoting a favorable environment for pregnancy and suggest that microbiome characterization could be useful, together with standard clinical and laboratory assessments, in the pre-IUI evaluation of infertile couples

Chitosan-Graft-Branched Polyethylenimine Copolymers: Influence of Degree of Grafting on Transfection Behavior

BACKGROUND: Successful non-viral gene delivery currently requires compromises to achieve useful transfection levels while minimizing toxicity. Despite high molecular weight (MW) branched polyethylenimine (bPEI) is considered the gold standard polymeric transfectant, it suffers from high cytotoxicity. Inversely, its low MW counterpart is less toxic and effective in transfection. Moreover, chitosan is a highly biocompatible and biodegradable polymer but characterized by very low transfection efficiency. In this scenario, a straightforward approach widely exploited to develop effective transfectants relies on the synthesis of chitosan-graft-low MW bPEIs (Chi-g-bPEI(x)) but, despite the vast amount of work that has been done in developing promising polymeric assemblies, the possible influence of the degree of grafting on the overall behavior of copolymers for gene delivery has been largely overlooked. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: With the aim of providing a comprehensive evaluation of the pivotal role of the degree of grafting in modulating the overall transfection effectiveness of copolymeric vectors, we have synthesized seven Chi-g-bPEI(x) derivatives with a variable amount of bPEI grafts (minimum: 0.6%; maximum: 8.8%). Along the Chi-g-bPEI(x) series, the higher the degree of grafting, the greater the ζ-potential and the cytotoxicity of the resulting polyplexes. Most important, in all cell lines tested the intermediate degree of grafting of 2.7% conferred low cytotoxicity and higher transfection efficiency compared to other Chi-g-bPEI(x) copolymers. We emphasize that, in transfection experiments carried out in primary articular chondrocytes, Chi-g-bPEI(2.7%) was as effective as and less cytotoxic than the gold standard 25 kDa bPEI. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This work underlines for the first time the pivotal role of the degree of grafting in modulating the overall transfection effectiveness of Chi-g-bPEI(x) copolymers. Crucially, we have demonstrated that, along the copolymer series, the fine tuning of the degree of grafting directly affected the overall charge of polyplexes and, altogether, had a direct effect on cytotoxicity

New miRNA Signature Heralds Human NK Cell Subsets at Different Maturation Steps: Involvement of miR-146a-5p in the Regulation of KIR Expression

Natural killer cells are cytotoxic innate lymphoid cells that play an important role for early host defenses against infectious pathogens and surveillance against tumor. In humans, NK cells may be divided in various subsets on the basis of the relative CD56 expression and of the low-affinity FcγRIIIA CD16. In particular, the two main NK cell subsets are represented by the CD56bright/CD16−/dim and the CD56dim/CD16bright NK cells. Experimental evidences indicate that CD56bright and CD56dim NK cells represent different maturative stages of the NK cell developmental pathway. We identified multiple miRNAs differentially expressed in CD56bright/CD16− and CD56dim/CD16bright NK cells using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Among these, we found a few miRNAs with a consistent differential expression in the two NK cell subsets, and with an intermediate expression in the CD56bright/CD16dim NK cell subset, representing a transitional step of maturation of NK cells. These analyses allowed us to establish the existence of a miRNA signature able to efficiently discriminate the two main NK cell subsets regardless of their surface phenotype. In addition, by analyzing the putative targets of representative miRNAs we show that hsa-miR-146a-5p, may be involved in the regulation of killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) expression. These results contribute to a better understanding of the physiologic significance of miRNAs in the regulation of the development/function of human NK cells. Moreover, our results suggest that hsa-miR-146a-5p targeting, resulting in KIR down-regulation, may be exploited to generate/increment the effect of NK KIR-mismatching against HLA-class I+ tumor cells and thus improve the NK-mediated anti-tumor activity

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429):infestation with Varroa spp. (varroosis)

Abstract Borna disease has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on the eligibility of Borna disease to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation of Borna disease according to disease prevention and control rules as in Annex IV and Article 8 on the list of animal species related to Borna disease. The assessment has been performed following a methodology composed of information collection and compilation, expert judgement on each criterion at individual and, if no consensus was reached before, also at collective level. The output is composed of the categorical answer, and for the questions where no consensus was reached, the different supporting views are reported. Details on the methodology used for this assessment are explained in a separate opinion. According to the assessment performed, Borna disease cannot be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention as laid down in Article 5(3) of the AHL because there was no compliance on criterion 5 A(v). Consequently, the assessment on compliance of Borna disease with the criteria as in Annex IV of the AHL, for the application of the disease prevention and control rules referred to in Article 9(1) is not applicable, as well as which animal species can be considered to be listed for Borna disease according to Article 8(3) of the AHL