Development of Novel DNA Cleavage Systems Based on Copper Complexes. Synthesis and Characterisation of Cu(II) Complexes of Hydroxyflavones

Copper(II) complexes of several hydroxyflavones were prepared and characterised through their physico-chemical properties. The nuclease activity of three synthesised complexes is reported. These copper(II) complexes present more nuclease activity than the ligands and the copper(II) ion

Lymph node retrieval in abdominoperineal surgical specimen is radiation time-dependent

BACKGROUND: A low yield of lymph nodes (LN) in abdominoperineal resection (APR) specimen has been associated with preoperative radiation therapy (XRT) in population-based studies, which may preclude adequate staging of anorectal carcinomas. We hypothesized that the number of LN retrieved in APR specimen was correlated with the dose and the timing of pelvic irradiation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 102 patients who underwent APR in a single institution between 1980 and 2004. Pathological reports were reviewed and the number of lymph nodes retrieved in APR specimens was correlated with: 1) Preoperative radiation; 2) Dose of pelvic irradiation; and 3) Time interval between the end of XRT and surgery. RESULTS: There were 61 men and 41 women, with a median age of 66 (range 25–89) years. There were 12 patients operated for squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) and 90 for rectal cancer. 83% and 46% of patients with anal and rectal cancer respectively underwent radical/neoadjuvant radiotherapy. The mean ± SD number of LN in APR specimen was 9.2 ± 5.9. The mean number of LN in APR specimen was significantly lower in patients who underwent preoperative XRT (8 ± 5.5 vs. 10.5 ± 6.1, Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.02). The mean number of LN was not significantly different after XRT in patients with SCCA than in patients with rectal cancer (6.2 ± 5.3 vs. 7.8 ± 5.3, p = 0.33). Finally, there was an inverse correlation between the yield of LN and the time elapsed between XRT and surgery (linear regression coefficient r = -0.32, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that: 1) radiation therapy affects the yield of LN retrieval in APR specimen; 2) this impact is time-dependent. These findings have important implications with regard to anatomic-pathological staging of anal and rectal cancers and subsequent decision-making regarding adjuvant chemotherapy

Functional additives in a selected european sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) genotype: effects on the stress response and gill antioxidant response to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment.

Husbandry practices in aquaculture production may lead to stress processes and oxidative stress damages on fish tissues. Functional ingredients have profiled as suitable candidates for reinforcing the fish antioxidant response and stress tolerance. In addition, selective breeding strategies have also demonstrated a correlation between fish growth and stress reactiveness, which may be a key component in species domestication. The present study evaluates the potential of three different functional additives for gill endogenous antioxidant capacity and stress relief in a growth selected genotype of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles fed low-FM/FO diets. For this purpose, after 72 days of a feeding trial, all fish were subjected to an oxidative stress challenge consisting of a 1 h bath exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 ) at a total concentration of 50 ppm. The functional additives induced a better recovery from the stress process, with a higher reduction in fish circulating plasma cortisol 24 h after oxidative stress. In addition, the functional additives induced higher catalase gill gene expression in response to the oxidative stress insult

Genotype x nutrition interactions in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): effects on gut health and intestinal microbiota

One of the main objectives of the present study was an effective replacement of dietary fishmeal/fish oil (FM/FO) by new raw materials without negatively affecting European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) performance and health status within a selection breeding context. The genomic selection of this species is still in its infancy if compared to salmonids and in particular, the role of D.labrax genome in shaping the gut microbiome, has been scarcely investigated. Wildtype (WT) and selected (GS) sea bass were fed with two diets: a control (20% FM/ 5–9% FO), and a “future” (F) diet, in which FM was decreased to 10% being replaced by poultry meal, whereas FO was completely replaced by a blend of rapeseed, poultry, and algae oils. The morphological evaluation of the intestine revealed a well-organized folding pattern and a conserved gut epithelial barrier for all fish groups. Despite a basal level of inflammation in the proximal intestine of WT fish, no differences were observed neither in the morphometric characteristics of goblet cells nor in the expression of GALT-related genes in response to fish genotype or diet. At distal intestine, WT fish showed a higher inflammatory status and larger goblet cells than GS fish and within the same genotype, fish fed the F diet had in general larger goblet cells. In distal intestine, a significant effect was found on the expression of 3 out of 7 target GALT genes. In particular, the expression of cytokines il-1β, tnf-α, and il-10 was different, showing an interaction effect diet x genotype. Diet had a lower influence upon gut bacterial composition than genotype. Indeed, regardless of the diet, WT fish showed higher species richness than GS genotype and this could be a direct consequence of selective breeding for multiple traits selection including growth, external morphology for lower abdominal fat deposition and adaptation to multiple and successive feed sources and composition across generations of selection. Furthermore, the gut microbiota of GS fish shared a reduced individual variability, indicating an enhanced capacity to cope with changes in diet composition. The less changes of GS sea bass at the level of gut bacterial composition in cumulating data collected with the feeds, demonstrate a capacity to reshape their microbiota thus better adapting to the diet, but with no negative impact on their growth performances, and even a better growth. A significant genotype effect was found for specific bacterial taxa, such as Paracoccus genus and other genera belonging to Moraxellaceae family, which were enriched in WT fish, regardless of the diet. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Paracoccus genus was positively correlated with higher proinflammatory cytokine il-1β expression found in distal intestine of wildtype sea bass

Nutritional innovations in superior European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) genotypes: implications on fish performance and feed utilization.

The sustainable development of the aquaculture industry relies on the use of alternative conventional and emergent raw materials that contributes to a circular economy and to reduce the dependency on fish meals and fish oils coming from oceanic fish populations. Additionally, the genetic selection of farmed fish that can display higher growth and feed utilization when fed alternative feeds, is pointed out to be a complementary valuable tool to facilitate the implementation of circular economy approaches. The main purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of genetic selection for growth in European sea bass, in response to a challenge with an alternative diet that aimed to partially replaced fishmeal (FM) by poultry meal (PM) and totally replace fish oil (FO) by a blend of poultry oil (PO) with a novel microalgae oil. The two families of fish juveniles were obtained by in vitro fertilization of selected for a multi-trait including high growth (genetically selected, GS) or nonselected (wild type, WT) broodstocks and then were nutritionally challenged with a control diet that mirrored a standard commercial diet with fishmeal (20%) and fish oil (7%), or a Future diet that partially replaced the FM by PM and totally replaced the FO by a blend of rapeseed oil, PO, and a novel DHA rich-algal oil. From the second month of feeding until the end of the trial, European sea bass that was selected since for 7 generations performed better in terms of growth than the wild-type genotype, possibly related with an apparent favored feed and nutrient utilization. Furthermore, selection decreased the perivisceral fat and increased the nutritional value of flesh by increasing DHA (in g/ 100 g flesh) and ARA contents. In contrast, the dietary treatment showed little effect on fish growth performance, denoting the successful partial replacement of FM by PM and the total replacement of FO by a blend of poultry oil and an emergent microalgal oil. However, Future diet tended to reduce the ADCs of some amino acids, as well as showed an additive effect to genotype in increasing the n-3 PUFA of flesh. Altogether, our data demonstrate that multi-trait genetic selection of European sea bass improve fish plasticity to cope with the variations of ingredients in alternative feeds with low FM/FO

An assessment of population fluctuations of citrus pest woolly whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell, 1896) (Homoptera, Aleyrodidae) and its parasitoid Cales noacki Howard, 1907 (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae): A case study from Northwestern Algeria

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the parasitoid Cales noacki Howard, 1907 (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae) in the biological control of the citrus pest woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell,1896) in Northwestern Algeria. In particular the pest and parasitoid population fluctuations under different environmental conditions were investigated. The study was conducted by examination and sampling of whitefly adult populations on young shoots and catches as well as its parasitoid during a 12-month period by counting the parasite and infested-live larvae. Results showed remarkable variations in abundance indices and infestation rates of larvae and adults that depended on the growth flush in foliage and meteorological conditions of the region. The woolly whitefly manifested three flight periods coinciding with three growth flushes of orange sap; in autumn towards the end of September followed by mid-November with the highest average abundance of 10 individuals per branch and a third flight period in mid-May. Phases of growth flush seemed to have an effect on the temporal distribution of adults over the sampling period from July to June. Pest emergence appeared favorable at 12-20 °C as the minimum interval temperature whereas the maximum varied between 25-33 °C with humidity levels of 50 % and 75 %. As for the incidence of natural enemies on whiteflies, despite their abundance, their impact was not optimum due to the large fluctuations in number of whiteflies. Although the pest-parasitoid complex appears to be important in the orchard, the biological regulation exerted by C. noacki while effective is insufficient for the complete neutralization of citrus woolly whitefly A. floccosus. An integrated approach is needed using additional natural enemies associated with the woolly whitefly

Simultaneous free-volume modeling of the self-diffusion coefficient and dynamic viscosity at high pressure

International audienceA free-volume model of the dynamic viscosity and the self-diffusion coefficients was discussed. The temperature-pressure variations of the dynamic viscosity and the self-diffusion coefficients of small molecules were predicted. The compounds, carbon tetrachloride, cyclohexane, benzene, chlorotrifluoromethane, tetramethylsilane and methylcyclohexane were used for the investigation. The relation between microstructure, free volume and different complex thermophysical properties were emphasized by the model

Essential Oils of Three Aromatic Plant Species as Natural Herbicides for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture

[EN] Natural herbicides based on essential oils (EOs) extracted from aromatic plants are gaining relevance in contemporary agriculture. Due to their allelopathic properties, they have an inhibitory effect on the germination and growth of different species, having, in general, the advantage of high specificity. For this reason, the analysis of the effects of these natural compounds on noxious weeds is continuously increasing. In the present study, three commercial EOs extracted from Mentha piperita L., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Santolina chamaecyparissus L. were tested on two invasive weeds with an increasing presence in southern Europe, Erigeron bonariensis L. and Araujia sericifera Brot. Five concentrations (0.125, 0.25, 0.50, 1 and 2 mu L mL(-1)) were tested in a randomized manner for each essential oil and five replicates with 20 seeds each for E. bonariensis and 10 replicates with 10 seeds each for A. sericifera. Two higher concentrations of 4 and 8 mu L mL(-1) of the three EOs were applied with irrigation on the plants of the two species at the vegetative growth stage. The number of replicas for each treatment and species was 7. The results obtained confirmed the significant inhibitory effects on seed germination and early seedling development, especially in E. bonariensis; of the three EOs, peppermint had the strongest effect, completely preventing germination in both species. Multivariate analysis, performed on several morphological traits scored after one month of treatment in young plants, showed a different pattern: the highest inhibition was recorded in A. sericifera and the greatest reduction in growth in the treatment with the highest dose of Santolina EO. The results obtained revealed the efficacy of these natural compounds and the specificity of their toxicity according to the species and stage of development.Bellache, M.; Torres-Pagan, N.; Verdeguer Sancho, MM.; Benfekih, LA.; Vicente, O.; Sestras, RE.; Sestras, AF.... (2022). Essential Oils of Three Aromatic Plant Species as Natural Herbicides for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture. Sustainability. 14(6):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1406359612214