First record of a pregnant female little sleeper shark Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1826) on the Spanish Mediterranean coast

This present paper records the catch of a pregnant female little sleeper shark Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1826) in the waters of the Catalan continental slope (Spain). Eight embryos were found inside the animal. This is the first record of a pregnant female S. rostratus in the western Mediterranean.Se señala la captura de una hembra de tiburón dormilón Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1826) frente a las costas de Cataluña (España). Dicho ejemplar estaba grávido y era portador de ocho embriones. éste es el primer registro de una hembra preñada de esta especie en el Mediterráneo occidental.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Partial remission and early stages of pediatric type 1 diabetes display immunoregulatory changes. A pilot study

Altres ajuts: This work has been funded by the European Regional Development funds (FEDER), and by DiabetesCero Foundation. CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) is an initiative from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain). SRF is supported by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic metabolic disease of unknown etiology that results from β-cell destruction. The onset of the disease, which arises after a long asymptomatic period of autoimmune attack, may be followed by a relapsing and remitting progression, a phenomenon that is most evident during the partial remission phase (PR). This stage lasts for a few months, shows minor requirements of exogenous insulin and could be explained by a recovery of immunological tolerance. This study aims to identify new biomarkers at early stages of pediatric T1D that reflect immunoregulatory changes. To that end, pediatric patients with T1D (n = 52) and age-related control subjects (n = 30) were recruited. Immune response-related molecules and lymphocyte subsets were determined starting at T1D onset and until the second year of progression. Results showed that circulating TGF-β levels decreased during PR, and that betatrophin concentration was increased in all the considered stages without differing among studied checkpoints. Moreover, an increase of regulatory T, B and NK subsets was found during T1D progression, probably reflecting an attempt to restore self-tolerance. By contrast, a reduction in monocyte levels was observed at the early stages of diabetes. The results reveal significant changes in immunological parameters during the different early stages of T1D in children, which could ultimately serve as potential biomarkers to characterize the progression of T1D

A highly selective colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor for Cr2+ in aqueous solutions

A new rhodamine-based chemosensor was synthetized through a modified copper-catalyzed [3+2]-cycloaddition of an azidocoumarin with an alkynyl-rhodamine. Its sensing properties toward various metal cations in aqueous solutions were investigated by colorimetric changes, UV vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. The sensor exhibited a high selectivity for Cr2+ over Cr3+ and other divalent cations such as Cu2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Hg2+. and Ni2+. The linear range of detection by fluorescence spectroscopy is 0.07-3.5 mM, with a detection limit of ca. 64 mu M. The binding mode of Cr2+ with the sensor was rationalized through experimental evidences. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Photoresponsive cellulose paper as a molecular printboard for covalent printing

This contribution unveils and defines the concept of covalent printing onto cellulose paper through the support of a simple and efficient strategy. A photoresponsive cellulose paper bearing disulfide functional groups was created as a molecular printboard for spatio-temporal writing through thiol-X ligation of functional inks upon light irradiation. This strategy using molecular inks in a modular way culminated with the creation of patterns with a high resolution. Hidden covalent writing to the naked eyes was developed through the use of coumarin-based inks while the use of colored inks containing a rhodamine backbone established an uncovered pH-responsive covalent printing, both strategies can potentially find applications in the formation of anti-counterfeiting devices

Writing and erasing hidden optical information on covalently modified cellulose paper

An unprecedented strategy for preparing photoresponsive cellulose paper enabling the storage of short-lived optical data by covalent photopatterning is disclosed. An ab initio design hinting that the covalent grafting of coumarins on the paper could yield valuable photoresponsive units was first performed. Second, light sensitive paper that can be reversibly altered upon irradiation at a specific wavelength was prepared by covalent surface functionalization with coumarins. Third, the validity of this strategy is demonstrated using the photolithography of several gripping patterns such as a dynamic QR code