Probiotics in gnotobiotic mice: Short-chain fatty acids production in vitro and in vivo

Several bacterial strains are currently used as probioties. Sixteen of them belonging to the genera: Bifidobacterium. Enterococcus. Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, were selected to test short-ehain fatty acids (StJFAs) production in w‘tm and/‘er in viva. The probiotic strains were monoeultivated in specific media and/or monoassoeiated with NMRl-Kl germfree (GF) mice. The individual and total amounts of SCFAs were measured in the media and in the large intestinal content of the ex-GF mice. All the samples were assayed by gas-liquid chromatography. We found that commercially available media contain detectable amounts of acetic and propionic acids. When cultivated in vitro. none of the probiotie strains was able to increase the amounts of SCFAS present in the medium. Rather, a tendency to lowering the concentration of SCFAs following cultivation. was observed. We also found that commercially available laboratory rodents chow contained detectable amount of all SCFAs. When the probiotics were monoinoculated t0 GF animals, nine out of sixteen groups of mice showed higher amount of intestinal SCFAS than in the GF control group. Acetic acid was the dominant one. In all eases. however, the values of the SCFAs were far from those found in conventional mice.The results clearly underline the importance of working with laboratory animals with a known flora. i. e. gnotobiotie animals, when the biochemical “profile" eta prohiotie is worked out

Time-Dependent Effects of CX3CR1 in a Mouse Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation is an important secondary mechanism that is a key mediator of the long-term consequences of neuronal injury that occur in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Microglia are highly plastic cells with dual roles in neuronal injury and recovery. Recent studies suggest that the chemokine fractalkine (CX3CL1, FKN) mediates neural/microglial interactions via its sole receptor CX3CR1. CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling modulates microglia activation, and depending upon the type and time of injury, either protects or exacerbates neurological diseases. METHODS: In this study, mice deficient in CX3CR1 were subjected to mild controlled cortical impact injury (CCI), a model of TBI. We evaluated the effects of genetic deletion of CX3CR1 on histopathology, cell death/survival, microglia activation, and cognitive function for 30 days post-injury. RESULTS: During the acute post-injury period (24 h-15 days), motor deficits, cell death, and neuronal cell loss were more profound in injured wild-type than in CX3CR1-/- mice. In contrast, during the chronic period of 30 days post-TBI, injured CX3CR1-/- mice exhibited greater cognitive dysfunction and increased neuronal death than wild-type mice. The protective and deleterious effects of CX3CR1 were associated with changes in microglia phenotypes; during the acute phase CX3CR1-/- mice showed a predominant anti-inflammatory M2 microglial response, with increased expression of Ym1, CD206, and TGFβ. In contrast, increased M1 phenotypic microglia markers, Marco, and CD68 were predominant at 30 days post-TBI. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these novel data demonstrate a time-dependent role for CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling after TBI and suggest that the acute and chronic responses to mild TBI are modulated in part by distinct microglia phenotypes

Metabolitos secundarios y efectos antivirales de algunas especies de la familia euphorbiaceae

Extractos de especies de la familia Euphorbiaceae fueron sometidos a evaluación de su actividad antiviral frente al virus de la influenza A/PR/8/34 y rhinovirus humano 14(1059). La fracción metanólica del látex de Codiaeum variegatum mostró ser altamente activa y no citotóxica frente al primero de ellos; de esta planta se aisló un glicósido cianogénico. De otro lado del látex de Euphorbia tirucalli se ais ló un triterpeno, que presentó actividad frente a rhinovirus. Las estructuras de los compuestos fueron establecidas por espectroscopia de RMN (HMQC, HMBC y COSY) y aspectos biogenéticos

In-beam spectroscopy of 215Rn86

The yrast level structure of 215Rn has been studied by means of in-beam spectroscopy α-γ-γ coincidence techniques through the 207Pb(18O,2α2n) reaction at 93 MeV bombarding energy, using the 8π GASP-ISIS spectrometer at Legnaro. New spectroscopic information has been obtained. The deduced low-lying level scheme of 215Rn does not exhibit the alternating parity structure observed in the heavier known isotones 216Fr, 217Ra, 218Ac, and 219Th. From this result, the lightest nucleus showing evidence for octupole collectivity is 216Fr, defining the lowest-mass corner for this kind of phenomenon as N≥129 and Z≥87.Fil: Debray, M. E.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Davidson, Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Davidson, Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Kreiner, Andres Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Cardona, Maria Angelica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Hojman, Daniel Leonardo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Napoli, D. R.. No especifíca;Fil: Lenzi, S.. Università di Padova; ItaliaFil: De Angelis, G.. No especifíca;Fil: De Poli, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Gadea, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Bazzacco, D.. Università di Padova; ItaliaFil: Rossi Alvarez, C.. Università di Padova; ItaliaFil: Medina, N.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Ur, C. A.. Università di Padova; Itali

Ebola Preparedness and Risk in Latin America

Until today, February 22, 2016, no confirmed Ebola cases have been diagnosed in Americas (except USA, four cases with one death). Confusion, lack of knowledge, and fear have led to quickly misclassify cases as suspected, when in fact most of them are false alarms. Nevertheless, European governments summoned to mobilize resources to attend the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. And also Latin American governments should contribute to halt this humanitarian crisis and to be prepared for the potential arrival of this deadly virus in the Caribbean, Central, and South American mainland. In this chapter, we described the experience of preparedness as well as risk assessment done in Latin America regarding the threat of Ebola for the region

Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variant transitions using differences in diagnostic cycle threshold values of target genes

Monitoring the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants is important to detect potential risks of increased transmission or disease severity. We investigated the identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants from real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) routine diagnostics data. Cycle threshold (Ct) values of positive samples were collected from April 2021 to January 2022 in the Northern Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (n = 15,254). Viral lineage identification from whole genome sequencing (WGS) was available for 4618 (30.3%) of these samples. Pairwise differences in the Ct values between gene targets (ΔCt) were analyzed for variants of concern or interest circulating in our area. A specific delay in the Ct of the N-gene compared to the RdRp-gene (ΔCt) was observed for Alpha, Delta, Eta and Omicron. Temporal differences in ΔCt correlated with the dynamics of viral replacement of Alpha by Delta and of Delta by Omicron according to WGS results. Using ΔCt, prediction of new variants of concern at early stages of circulation was achieved with high sensitivity and specificity (91.1% and 97.8% for Delta; 98.5% and 90.8% for Omicron). Thus, tracking population-wide trends in ΔCt values obtained from routine diagnostics testing in combination with WGS could be useful for real-time management and response to local epidemics

An overview of monitoring methods for assessing the performance of nature-based solutions against natural hazards

To bring to fruition the capability of nature-based solutions (NBS) in mitigating hydro-meteorological risks (HMRs) and facilitate their widespread uptake require a consolidated knowledge-base related to their monitoring methods, efficiency, functioning and the ecosystem services they provide. We attempt to fill this knowledge gap by reviewing and compiling the existing scientific literature on methods, including ground-based measurements (e.g. gauging stations, wireless sensor network) and remote sensing observations (e.g. from topographic LiDAR, multispectral and radar sensors) that have been used and/or can be relevant to monitor the performance of NBS against five HMRs: floods, droughts, heatwaves, landslides, and storm surges and coastal erosion. These can allow the mapping of the risks and impacts of the specific hydro-meteorological events. We found that the selection and application of monitoring methods mostly rely on the particular NBS being monitored, resource availability (e.g. time, budget, space) and type of HMRs. No standalone method currently exists that can allow monitoring the performance of NBS in its broadest view. However, equipments, tools and technologies developed for other purposes, such as for ground-based measurements and atmospheric observations, can be applied to accurately monitor the performance of NBS to mitigate HMRs. We also focused on the capabilities of passive and active remote sensing, pointing out their associated opportunities and difficulties for NBS monitoring application. We conclude that the advancement in airborne and satellite-based remote sensing technology has signified a leap in the systematic monitoring of NBS performance, as well as provided a robust way for the spatial and temporal comparison of NBS intervention versus its absence. This improved performance measurement can support the evaluation of existing uncertainty and scepticism in selecting NBS over the artificially built concrete structures or grey approaches by addressing the questions of performance precariousness. Remote sensing technical developments, however, take time to shift toward a state of operational readiness for monitoring the progress of NBS in place (e.g. green NBS growth rate, their changes and effectiveness through time). More research is required to develop a holistic approach, which could routinely and continually monitor the performance of NBS over a large scale of intervention. This performance evaluation could increase the ecological and socio-economic benefits of NBS, and also create high levels of their acceptance and confidence by overcoming potential scepticism of NBS implementations

El primer año de la pandemia – ¿Qué hemos aprendido del SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19?

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Nature-based solutions efficiency evaluation against natural hazards: modelling methods, advantages and limitations

Nature-based solutions (NBS) for hydro-meteorological risks (HMRs) reduction and management are becoming increasingly popular, but challenges such as the lack of well-recognised standard methodologies to evaluate their performance and upscale their implementation remain. We systematically evaluate the current state-of-the art on the models and tools that are utilised for the optimum allocation, design and efficiency evaluation of NBS for five HMRs (flooding, droughts, heatwaves, landslides, and storm surges and coastal erosion). We found that methods to assess the complex issue of NBS efficiency and cost-benefits analysis are still in the development stage and they have only been implemented through the methodologies developed for other purposes such as fluid dynamics models in micro and catchment scale contexts. Of the reviewed numerical models and tools MIKE-SHE, SWMM (for floods), ParFlow-TREES, ACRU, SIMGRO (for droughts), WRF, ENVI-met (for heatwaves), FUNWAVE-TVD, BROOK90 (for landslides), TELEMAC and ADCIRC (for storm surges) are more flexible to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of specific NBS such as wetlands, ponds, trees, parks, grass, green roof/walls, tree roots, vegetations, coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses, oyster reefs, sea salt marshes, sandy beaches and dunes. We conclude that the models and tools that are capable of assessing the multiple benefits, particularly the performance and cost-effectiveness of NBS for HMR reduction and management are not readily available. Thus, our synthesis of modelling methods can facilitate their selection that can maximise opportunities and refute the current political hesitation of NBS deployment compared with grey solutions for HMR management but also for the provision of a wide range of social and economic co-benefits. However, there is still a need for bespoke modelling tools that can holistically assess the various components of NBS from an HMR reduction and management perspective. Such tools can facilitate impact assessment modelling under different NBS scenarios to build a solid evidence base for upscaling and replicating the implementation of NBS