Lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis during human fetal pancreas development

Background: The complex endocrine and exocrine functionality of the human pancreas depends on an efficient fluid transport through the blood and the lymphatic vascular systems. The lymphatic vasculature has key roles in the physiology of the pancreas and in regulating the immune response, both important for developing successful transplantation and cell-replacement therapies to treat diabetes. However, little is known about how the lymphatic and blood systems develop in humans. Here, we investigated the establishment of these two vascular systems in human pancreas organogenesis in order to understand neovascularization in the context of emerging regenerative therapies. Methods: We examined angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis during human pancreas development between 9 and 22 weeks of gestation (W9-W22) by immunohistochemistry. Results: As early as W9, the peri-pancreatic mesenchyme was populated by CD31-expressing blood vessels as well as LYVE1- and PDPN-expressing lymphatic vessels. The appearance of smooth muscle cell-coated blood vessels in the intra-pancreatic mesenchyme occurred only several weeks later and from W14.5 onwards the islets of Langerhans also became heavily irrigated by blood vessels. In contrast to blood vessels, LYVE1- and PDPN-expressing lymphatic vessels were restricted to the peri-pancreatic mesenchyme until later in development (W14.5-W17), and some of these invading lymphatic vessels contained smooth muscle cells at W17. Interestingly, between W11-W22, most large caliber lymphatic vessels were lined with a characteristic, discontinuous, collagen type IV-rich basement membrane. Whilst lymphatic vessels did not directly intrude the islets of Langerhans, three-dimensional reconstruction revealed that they were present in the vicinity of islets of Langerhans between W17-W22. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the blood and lymphatic machinery in the human pancreas is in place to support endocrine function from W17-W22 onwards. Our study provides the first systematic assessment of the progression of lymphangiogenesis during human pancreatic development

Toxin profile of two Gymnodinium catenatum strains from Iberian Coastal Waters

Gymnodinium catenatum has been the main species responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning events along the Portuguese coast (Iberian Peninsula), causing bans on bivalve harvesting that result in huge economic losses. This work presents the characterization of two novel isolates of G. catenatum regarding their growth and toxin profiles. Laboratory growth experiments revealed that, although low growth rates were obtained during cultivation, the cell yields were high compared to those reported in the literature. Evaluation of the toxin profiles, by HPLC-FLD, essentially confirmed the typical composition of toxins of this regional population (Iberian Peninsula), namely, the absence or low representation of the toxins dcNEO, GTX1,4 and NEO and a higher ratio of the toxins C1,2, GTX6 and GTX5. However, the percentage of the identified toxins varied among the strains of this study (under the same isolation, growth, and analysis conditions), and also differed from that of other strains described in the literature. Interestingly, we found a comparatively high abundance of dcSTX in both strains, relative to the other toxins, and an unquantifiable amount of C3,4 toxins. In addition to the geographic relationship between toxin profiles, chemical conversions among toxins may explain some differences encountered in the toxin profiles of G. catenatum strains.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Subacromial bursitis related to HIV infection: case report

UNIFESP Centro de Traumatologia do Esporte Shoulder and ElbowSociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e TraumatologiaUNIFESP Centro de Traumatologia do Esporte Shoulder and Elbow SurgeryHCFMUSP IOTUSPABC Medical College Medical ClinicUNIFESP, Centro de Traumatologia do Esporte Shoulder and ElbowUNIFESP, Centro de Traumatologia do Esporte Shoulder and Elbow SurgerySciEL

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in penile carcinomas in Argentina: Analysis of primary tumors and lymph nodes

Among sexually transmitted diseases, infection by human papillomavirus (HPV) has become one of the most important. On the other hand, though epidemiological data show that some HPV types are closely associated with cervical cancer, few reports have been found with reference to penile carcinoma because of its rare occurrence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between HPV infection and penile cancer in Argentina. A retrospective study was carried out on 38 white men with penile squamous-cell carcinoma. Sixty-five archival fixed biopsies taken from 34 primary penile tumors, 25 nodal metastases, 1 skin “satellite” metastasis and 5 histologically normal lymph nodes were used as specimens. HPV detection and typing were carried out by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using generic primers, combined with single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. HPV DNA was found in 71% patients, corresponding 81% of them to “high risk” types, with predominance of HPV 18. Both primary tumors and metastases showed concordance of HPV occurrence and type in both lesions. In 3 patients, HPV 16 was detected not only in primary tumors and metastases, but also in histologically normal lymph nodes. Our data indicate that most penile carcinomas in Argentine patients are etiologically related to HPV, especially to “high risk” genital types. The agreement in HPV detection between primary tumors and metastases suggests a potential viral role in tumor progression. HPV detection in otherwise histologically normal lymph nodes might be useful as early marker of a metastatic process.Fil: Picconi, María A.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C.G. Malbrán”; ArgentinaFil: Eijan, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Distéfano, Angélica L.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C.G. Malbrán”; ArgentinaFil: Pueyo, Silvia. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Materno Infantil de San Isidro. Servicio de Dermatología; ArgentinaFil: Alonio, Lidia Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C.G. Malbrán”; ArgentinaFil: Gorostidi, Susana. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Teyssié, Angélica R.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C.G. Malbrán”; ArgentinaFil: Casabone, Bernardo Adalberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Assessment of potato peel and agro-forestry biochars supplementation on in vitro ruminal fermentation

UIDB/50006/2020 UIDB/04033/2020 grant ref. PDE/BDE/114434/2016 DL 57/2016 -Norma transitória.Background. The awareness of environmental and socio-economic impacts caused by greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector leverages the adoption of strategies to counteract it. Feed supplements can play an important role in the reduction of the main greenhouse gas produced by ruminants-methane (CH4). In this context, this study aims to assess the effect of two biochar sources and inclusion levels on rumen fermentation parameters in vitro. Methods. Two sources of biochar (agro-forestry residues, AFB, and potato peel, PPB) were added at two levels (5 and 10%, dry matter (DM) basis) to two basal substrates (haylage and corn silage) and incubated 24-h with rumen inocula to assess the effects on CH4 production and main rumen fermentation parameters in vitro. Results. AFB and PPB were obtained at different carbonization conditions resulting in different apparent surface areas, ash content, pH at the point of zero charge (pHpzc), and elemental analysis. Relative to control (0% biochar), biochar supplementation kept unaffected total gas production and yield (mL and mL/g DM, pD0.140 and pD0.240, respectively) and fermentation pH (p D 0.666), increased CH4 production and yield (mL and mL/g DM, respectively, pD0.001) and ammonia-N (NH3-N, pD0.040), and decreased total volatile fatty acids (VFA) production (p < 0.001) and H2 generated and consumed (p ≤ 0.001). Biochar sources and inclusion levels had no negative effect on most of the fermentation parameters and efficiency. Acetic.propionic acid ratio (pD0.048) and H2 consumed (pD0.019) were lower with AFB inclusion when compared to PPB. Biochar inclusion at 10% reduced H2 consumed (p < 0.001) and tended to reduce total gas production (pD0.055). Total VFA production (pD0.019), acetic acid proportion (pD0.011) and H2 generated (pD0.048) were the lowest with AFB supplemented at 10%, no differences being observed among the other treatments. The basal substrate affected most fermentation parameters independently of biochar source and level used. Discussion. Biochar supplementation increased NH3-N content, iso-butyric, iso-valeric and valeric acid proportions, and decreased VFA production suggesting a reduced energy supply for microbial growth, higher proteolysis and deamination of substrate N, and a decrease of NH3-N incorporation into microbial protein. No interaction was found between substrate and biochar source or level on any of the parameters measured. Although AFB and PPB had different textural and compositional characteristics, their effects on the rumen fermentation parameters were similar, the only observed effects being due to AFB included at 10%. Biochar supplementation promoted CH4 production regardless of the source and inclusion level, suggesting that there may be other effects beyond biomass and temperature of production of biochar, highlighting the need to consider other characteristics to better identify the mechanism by which biochar may influence CH4 production.publishersversionpublishe

Scenedesmus rubescens Heterotrophic Production Strategies for Added Value Biomass

Microalgae attract interest worldwide due to their potential for several applications. Scenedesmus is one of the first in vitro cultured algae due to their rapid growth and handling easiness. Within this genus, cells exhibit a highly resistant wall and propagate both auto- and heterotrophically. The main goal of the present work is to find scalable ways to produce a highly concentrated biomass of Scenedesmus rubescens in heterotrophic conditions. Scenedesmus rubescens growth was improved at the lab-scale by 3.2-fold (from 4.1 to 13 g/L of dry weight) through medium optimization by response surface methodology. Afterwards, scale-up was evaluated in 7 L stirred-tank reactor under fed-batch operation. Then, the optimized medium resulted in an overall productivity of 8.63 g/L/day and a maximum biomass concentration of 69.5 g/L. S. rubescens protein content achieved approximately 31% of dry weight, similar to the protein content of Chlorella vulgaris in heterotrophy.publishedVersio

Seaweed extracts to control postharvest phytopathogenic fungi in Rocha pear

This study was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) to MARE (UID/MAR/04292/2020), the Associate Laboratory ARNET (LA/P/0069/2020), through national funds, and the grants to Tânia Vicente (2020.06230.BD) and Rafael Félix (SFRH/BD/139763/2018). The authors also acknowledge the support of project ORCHESTRA—add-value to ORCHards through thE full valoriSaTion of macRoalgAe (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-070155) co-funded by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional da União Europeia, Portugal 2020, through COMPETE 2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização, through FCT and COSMOS: Valorização biotecnológica da alga invasora Asparagopsis armata da Costa de Peniche (MAR-04.03.01-FEAMP-0370), and MACAU: Diversidade Macroalgas da reserva natural das Berlengas e costa adjacente, do conhecimento à utilização (MAR-04.03.01-FEAMP-0128) through GAL PESCA OESTE and MAR2020 in the framework of PORTUGAL2020 and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. C. Félix was supported by an FCT researcher contract (2021.03113.CEECIND).Fungal infections cause losses amounting to between 20 and 25% of the fruit industry’s total outcome, with an escalating impact on agriculture in the last decades. As seaweeds have long demonstrated relevant antimicrobial properties against a wide variety of microorganisms, extracts from Asparagopsis armata, Codium sp., Fucus vesiculosus, and Sargassum muticum were used to find sustainable, ecofriendly, and safe solutions against Rocha pear postharvest fungal infections. Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium expansum mycelial growth and spore germination inhibition activities were tested in vitro with five different extracts of each seaweed (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, aqueous, ethanolic, and hydroethanolic). An in vivo assay was then performed using the aqueous extracts against B. cinerea and F. oxysporum in Rocha pear. The n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanolic extracts from A. armata showed the best in vitro inhibitory activity against B. cinerea, F. oxysporum, and P. expansum, and promising in vivo results against B. cinerea using S. muticum aqueous extract were also found. The present work highlights the contribution of seaweeds to tackle agricultural problems, namely postharvest phytopathogenic fungal diseases, contributing to a greener and more sustainable bioeconomy from the sea to the farm.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of restraint stress on the daily rhythm of hydrolysis of adenine nucleotides in rat serum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) and its breakdown products ADP and adenosine can act as extracellular messengers in a range of biological processes. Extracellular adenine nucleotides are metabolized by a number of enzymes including NTPDases and 5'-nucleotidase, which are considered to be the major regulators of purinergic signaling in the blood. Previous work by our group demonstrated that ATPase and ADPase activities in rat serum exhibit a 24-h temporal pattern, with higher enzyme activity during the dark (activity) phase. It was found that stress can cause disruptions in biological circadian rhythms and in the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the influence of acute stress exposure upon temporal patterns of NTPDase and 5-nucleotidase enzyme activities in rat blood serum.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: ZT0, ZT6, ZT12 and ZT18. Each group was subdivided in 4 groups: control, immediately, 6 h and 24 h after one hour of restraint stress. ATP, ADP and AMP hydrolysis were assayed in the serum.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All stressed groups showed significant decreases in all enzyme activities at ZT 12 and ZT 18 when compared with control.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Acute stress provokes a decrease in nucleotidase activities dependent on the time that this stress occurs and this effect appears to persist for at least 24 hours. Stress can change levels of nucleotides, related to increased frequency of cardiovascular events during the activity phase. Altered levels of nucleotides in serum may be involved in cardiovascular events more frequent during the activity phase in mammals, and with their etiology linked to stress.</p

Effects of hydropeaking on the behaviour, fine-scale movements and habitat selection of an Iberian cyprinid fish

Hydropeaking is widely known for changing the quantity and quality of the available habitat downstream of hydroelectric facilities, thus affecting all stages of fish life cycles. Hydropeaking impacts on salmonids are widely studied, but knowledge of its effects on cyprinids, which are dominant in Mediterranean areas, is scarce. In this study, 11 Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei, Steindachner 1864) were tagged with radio transmitters equipped with ElectroMyoGram (EMG) sensors, aiming: to (a) assess the behaviour, fine-scale movements and habitat selection of the target species in response to periods of artificial and abrupt flow variations (i.e., hydropeaking); and (b) identify, which environmental variables and, in particular, flow components can influence the species behaviour. Results from the six barbel that provided analysable data indicate that fish were more active during the day and in periods of ecological flow. Moreover, during hydropeaking, especially during the increase in flow magnitude, fish activity decreased with the tagged fish showing a refuge-seeking behaviour. This information can be used to minimize the changes caused in the aquatic habitat and fish communities occurring downstream of hydroelectric dams

Exploring the potential of biomass-derived carbons for the separation of fluorinated gases with high global warming potential

Funding Information: The single-component adsorption isotherms of R-32, R-125, R-134a, SF6 and N2 on the four biomass-derived porous carbons were measured by gravimetry in an ISOSORP high-pressure magnetic-suspension balance (MSB, Rubotherm GmbH, Germany). Approximately 0.30\u20130.40 g of the solid porous materials were loaded into the adsorption cells and then degasified at 373.15 K for 9 h under vacuum. After degassing, the sample was put into contact with the gas at a given pressure and temperature until the recorded mass stabilized. An adsorption point is under thermodynamic equilibrium when there are no discernible changes in weight, pressure, and temperature. This process is repeated continuously until the maximum pressure is reached. Finally, depressurization is performed to measure desorption points and check that the desorption branch of the isotherm coincides with the adsorption branch. The process is completed when the difference between the initial weight and the weight of the material after degassing is equal to zero. The adsorption equilibrium data are reported as excess adsorption, qex [28,30]; the corresponding values of total adsorption, q, determined from the experimental are reported in Tables S1\u2013S3 in the Supporting Information, SI. Finally, the adsorption-desorption equilibrium data were fitted using the isothermal dual-site Langmuir (DSL) model [ 54\u201356]. The parameters of the DSL model are shown in Tables S4 and S5 of SI.The authors acknowledge the financial support from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101082048\u2013- the MAR2PROTECT project. This work was also financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (Portugal) through CEECIND/004431/2022 (I.M.), and the Norma Transitória DL 57/2016 Program Contract (R.P.P.L.R. and M.B.). Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The AuthorsThe development of advanced and innovative biomaterials with porous structural characteristics for the capture of fluorinated gases (F-gases) is important to contribute to the reduction of emissions of these gases with very high global warming potential. In this work, four biocarbons (CC-1:3H3PO4, CC-1:1H3PO4, CC-K2CO3 and CC-CO2) were produced by chemical and physical activation of corn cob biomass (CC). The adsorption equilibria of difluoromethane (R-32), pentafluoroethane (R-125), 1,1,1-tetrafluoroethane (R-125), 1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen (N2) on these biocarbons were determined at 303.15 K. The highest adsorption capacities were obtained for CC-K2CO3 and CC-CO2 and a full characterization was also performed for these biomaterials at 283.15 and 323.15 K. On the other hand, the selectivities of SF6/N2 and the commercial refrigerants R-410A, R-407C, and R-407F were estimated using the Ideal Adsorption Solution theory (IAST). The results obtained for SF6/N2 show that the biocarbon CC-K2CO3 stands out from the other materials. In addition, the CC-CO2 shows a preference for R-32 over R-125 for the separation of the R-410A. Finally, CC-K2CO3 has a greater preference for R-134a over R-32 and R-125 in the R-407C and R-407F blends. Overall, these novel biocarbons improve the separation and purification of the F-gases under study, facilitating their application on a pilot scale.publishersversionpublishe