Immuno-fluorescence staining patterns of leukocyte subsets in the skin of taurine and indicine cattle

The immuno-staining patterns of skin leukocytes were investigated in three breeds of cattle: Holstein-Friesian, Brahman and Santa Gertrudis of similar age before and after tick infestation. The antibodies specific for CD45 and CD45RO reacted with cells in the skin of all Holstein-Friesian cattle but did not react with cells in the skin of any Brahman cattle. The same antibodies reacted with cells from the skin of four (CD45) and seven (CD45RO) of twelve Santa Gertrudis cattle. The antibodies specific for T cells and γδ subset of T cells recognized cells from all three breeds of cattle. The antibody specific for MHC class II molecules labelled cells of mostly irregular shape, presumably dermal dendritic cells and/or macrophages and Langerhans cells. The antibody specific for granulocytes (mAb CH138) reacted with cells only in sections cut from skin with lesions. The antibody specific for CD25+ cells labelled regularly shaped cells that showed a wide range of intensities of staining

Stem cell therapy for Hirschprung disease

Boala Hirschsprung (HSCR) este o anomalie congenitală a colonului care rezultă din eșecul formării sistemului nervos enteric, care duce la un segment disfuncțional îngustat al colonului cu lungimi variabile și care necesită intervenție chirurgicală. Fiziopatologia de bază include un defect în migrarea, proliferarea și diferențierea celulelor crestei neurale, parțial explicate prin modificări genetice și epigenetice identificate. În ciuda ratei ridicate de succes a intervențiilor chirurgicale curative, acestea sunt asociate cu rezultate adverse semnificative, precum enterocolita, incontinența fecală și constipația cronică. În plus, unii pacienți suferă de variante letale extinse ale bolii, toate acestea justificând necesitatea unui tratament alternativ. În ultimii 5 ani, s-au înregistrat progrese considerabile în cercetarea terapiei bazate pe celule stem a HSCR. Cu toate acestea, multe probleme importante rămân nerezolvate. Această revizuire va oferi informații generale concise despre HSCR, va sublinia viitoarele abordări ale terapiei pe bază de celule stem a HSCR, va revizui publicațiile cheie recente, va discuta provocările tehnice și etice cu care se confruntă domeniul înainte de interpretarea clinică și va aborda aceste provocări propunând soluții și evaluând abordările existente pentru a progresa în continuare.Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a congenital anomaly of the colon that results from failure of enteric nervous system formation, leading to a constricted dysfunctional segment of the colon with variable lengths, and necessitating surgical intervention. The underlying pathophysiology includes a defect in neural crest cells migration, proliferation and differentiation, which are partially explained by identified genetic and epigenetic alterations. Despite the high success rate of the curative surgeries, they are associated with significant adverse outcomes such as enterocolitis, fecal soiling, and chronic constipation. In addition, some patients suffer from extensive lethal variants of the disease, all of which justify the need for an alternative cure. During the last 5 years, there has been considerable progress in HSCR stem cell-based therapy research. However, many major issues remain unsolved. This review will provide concise background information on HSCR, outline the future approaches of stem cell-based HSCR therapy, review recent key publications, discuss technical and ethical challenges the field faces prior to clinical translation, and tackle such challenges by proposing solutions and evaluating existing approaches to progress further

UXO Assessment on the Romanian Black Sea Coast

This paper aims to provide the reader with the results of the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) survey of the defensive historical naval minefields launched by the Romanian and German Navies on the Romanian Black Sea coast, during the Second World War. This UXO survey was carried out between 2015-2018 by the Romanian Navy’s hydrographic ship “Commander Alexandru Cătuneanu” and Romanian Mine Warfare Data Center, using towed side-scan sonar technology and oceanographic observations. After explaining the materials and methodology, the results are presented and discussed: mosaics of the minefields, side-scan images of UXO contacts, side-scan images of the wrecks that were sunk in the minefields and some visible natural geological features of the seafloor. It was concluded that most of the objects discovered are sinkers, wreck debris or parts of chains, which does not represent a danger to navigation.

Echinococcus granulosus infection in two free-ranging Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) from the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland

Abstract: Infection with the larval stage of the cestode, Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), causes hydatid disease (hydatidosis) in a range of hosts, including macropods and other marsupials, cattle, and humans. Wild macropods are an important sylvatic reservoir for the life cycle of E. granulosus (s.l.) in Australia, and so provide a conduit for transmission of hydatid disease to domestic animals and humans. Two Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) from the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland were recently found to have hydatid cysts in both liver and lung tissues. Tree-kangaroos may travel across the ground between patches of forest but are primarily arboreal leaf-eating macropods. The finding of hydatid cysts in an arboreal folivore may indicate that the area has a high level of contamination with eggs of E. granulosus (s.l.). This finding may be of significance to human health as well as indicating the need for further investigation into the prevalence of hydatid disease in domestic stock, wildlife and humans living in this rapidly urbanizing region

VERO CELL LINES EXPRESSING NUCLEAR LOCATION SIGNALS OF Penaeus merguiensis HEPANDENSOVIRUS: AN EARLY STUDY

Aims: Penaeus merguiensis hepandensovirus (PmeHDV) (GenBank No. DQ458781) is a shrimp hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV), belonging to subfamily Densovirinae. Transportation of Densovirinae into and out of nucleus is allowed by the binding of nuclear location signals (NLSs) to importins (Imp). PmeHDV has putative NLSs that need to be experimentally tested. The aims of this study is to determine if the three putative NLSs of PmeHDV are functioning by transfecting NLS-inserted-plasmid DNAs into Vero cell lines using a transfection reagent.Place and Duration of the Study: Data for this study was collected from the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Laboratories at James Cook University (JCU) during the duration from May 2015 to December 2016. Methodology: Each plasmid has been synthetically inserted with each sequence of the putative NLSs and afluorescent protein. The presence of the NLS in the cell nucleus and cytoplasm was screened. The overlay of visualization of transfected plasmids is presented.Results: It appears the NLSs are not functioning well as that the proteins are blocked at the nuclear membrane, probably linked to importin beta-1 and not frequently entering the nucleus. Our study demonstrated small noticeable differences in the outer nuclei within transfected-Vero cells with the experimental NLSs genes.Conclusion: In conclusion, our fluorescent study was not sufficiently sensitive to be confident of the detection in NLS-transfected cells under different filters. The study of crustacean virus-host interactions using proxy cell cultures as models remains a major challenge

Surgery in postoperator alkaline desease

Clinica de Chirurgie Generală şi Esofagiană, Spitalul Clinic “Sfânta Maria” Bucureşti, România, Al XI-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova și cea de-a XXXIII-a Reuniune a Chirurgilor din Moldova „Iacomi-Răzeșu” 27-30 septembrie 2011Introducere: Se analizează retrospectiv experienţa clinicii pe 30 de ani (1981-2010) privind diversia duodenală totală Y-Roux (DDT) în tratamentul bolii alcaline de reflux postoperator(BARP). Materiale şi metodă, rezultate: Din 89 de pacienţi cu gastrojejunostomie Y-Roux după rezecţie gastrică distală cu diverse indicaţii, am selecţionat 29 de pacienţi la care procedeul s-a folosit în tratamentul BARP. Am exclus 9 cazuri cu DDT pentru patologie primară de reflux alcalin. În 20 cazuri DDT a fost practicată ca o modalitate reconstructivă pe “stomac operat”: degastrogastrectomie sau conversie a montajului anastomotic preexistent (la bolnavi cu 1-3 operaţii în antecedente, cu tulburări severe de motilitate). Se constată o scădere a numărului de cazuri în ultimii ani. La 9 pacienţi DDT a fost utilizată ca intenţie curativă antireflux după chirurgia biliară:colecistectomie ± coledocoduodenostomie, constatând creşterea numărului de cazuri în ultima perioadă. Criteriile de indicaţie chirurgicală: clinice, radiologice, endoscopice, histologice au selecţionat pentru intervenţie cazurile severe. Se prezintă particularităţile tehnice ca şi consecinţele morfofuncţionale ale DDT. Rezultatele imediate sunt foarte bune: morbiditate minimă (o reintervenţie precoce pentru ocluzie digestivă înaltă) şi mortalitate postoperatorie zero. Rezultatele la distanţă –evaluate clinic, radiologic, endoscopic şi histologic- arată o ameliorare postoperatorie certă, cu excepţia anumitor forme histologice. Concluzii: Incidenţa BARP după chirurgia gastrică a scăzut, prin scăderea drastică a indicaţiei operatorii pentru boala ulceroasă; în schimb creşte relativ incidenţa acestei entităţi după chirurgia biliară. DDT este o procedură eficientă dar de rezervă, indicată în cazuri bine selecţionate. Se constată o ameliorare postoperatorie certa clinică, endoscopică şi histologică, cu excepţia gastritei atrofice şi a metaplaziei intestinale, care se ameliorează în mică măsură.Introduction. We analyzed the experience of the Clinic on past 30 years (1981-2010) regarding total duodenal diversion (TDD) with Roux- en- Y gastrectomy for postoperator alkaline reflux disease (PARD). Materials and method, results: Among 89 patients presenting Y-Roux gastrojejunostomy after gastric distal resection for various indications, we selected 29 patients in which the procedure was used as treatment of PARD. We excluded 9 patients with TDD for primary alkaline reflux disease. In 20 cases TDD was used as a reconstructive procedure on “operated stomach” : degastrogastrectomy or conversion of the existing anastomotic assembly (at patients with history of 1-3 gastric operations, with severe motility disorders). It is ascertained a decrease in the number of such cases in recent years. At another 9 patients TDD was used as an antireflux cure after biliary surgery: colecistectomy ± choledocoduodenostomy, noting the increase number of such cases lately. The criteria for surgery indication: clinicals, radiologycals, endoscopicals, histologicals selected for intervention severe cases. There are presentated techniques particularities and morfofunctional consequences of TDD. Immediate results were very good: minimal morbidity ( one early reintervention for acute digestive occlusion) and no postoperator mortality. Long time results – clinical, radiological, endoscopic and histological evaluated- showed a certain postoperator improvement, excepting some definite histological forms. Conclusions: PARD incidence after gastric surgery has decreased through drastically decrease of surgical indication for patients with gastroduodenal ulcer; after biliar surgery. TDD is an efficient procedure but as a backup, being indicated only in cases very carefully selected. It is observed a definite clinical, endoscopic and histological postoperator improvement excepting atrophic gastritis which is less improved

Mapping polyclonal antibody responses to bacterial infection using next generation phage display

Mapping polyclonal antibody responses to infectious diseases to identify individual epitopes has the potential to underpin the development of novel serological assays and vaccines. Here, phage-peptide library panning coupled with screening using next generation sequencing was used to map antibody responses to bacterial infections. In the first instance, pigs experimentally infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was investigated. IgG samples from twelve infected pigs were probed in parallel and phage binding compared to that with equivalent IgG from pre-infected animals. Seventy- seven peptide mimotopes were enriched specifically against sera from multiple infected animals. Twenty-seven of these peptides were tested in ELISA and twenty-two were highly discriminatory for sera taken from pigs post-infection (P < 0.05) indicating that these peptides are mimicking epitopes from the bacteria. In order to further test this methodology, it was applied to differentiate antibody responses in poultry to infections with distinct serovars of Salmonella enterica. Twenty-seven peptides were identified as being enriched specifically against IgY from multiple animals infected with S. Enteritidis compared to those infected with S. Hadar. Nine of fifteen peptides tested in ELISA were highly discriminatory for IgY following S. Enteritidis infection (p < 0.05) compared to infections with S. Hadar or S. Typhimurium

Advances and innovations in thoracic esophageal cancer surgery

Cancerul esofagian este o afecțiune malignă agresivă cu o incidență în continuă creștere și un prognostic nefavorabil. Tratamentul cancerului esofagian a devenit mai eficient in prezent prin abordarea multidisciplinară și prin crearea unor centre de excelență cu un volum mare de patologie esofagiană. Progresele în stadializare, tehnologia chirurgicală, terapia neoadjuvantă și îngrijirea perioperatorie au determinat reducerea morbidității și a mortalității. Principiul de bază actual al tratamentului curativ pentru boala localizată este intervenția chirurgicală, asociată cu radi-ochimioterapia neoadjuvantă pentru stadiile avansate local. Pentru a reduce morbiditatea postoper-atorie, au fost introduse în urmă cu 32 de ani, în arsenalul terapeutic al cancerului esofagian și tehnicile chirurgicale minim invazive. Există însă controverse legate de utilizarea abordului min-im invaziv în practică deoarece necesită o bază tehnică pretențioasă și dificil de accesat, o tehnică operatorie laborioasă și are o curbă lungă de învățare. Utilizarea tehnicilor chirurgicale minim invazive în tratamentul cancerului esofagian toracic, a avut totuși un impact important asupra morbidității și mortalității post-esofagectomie.Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy with an increasing incidence and an unfavorable prognosis. The treatment of esophageal cancer has become more effective nowadays through the multidisciplinary approach and the creation of centers of excellence with a large volume of esoph-ageal pathology. Advances in staging, surgical technology, neoadjuvant therapy, and perioperative care have reduced morbidity and mortality. The current basic principle of curative treatment for localized disease is surgery, associated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced stages. To reduce postoperative morbidity, minimally invasive surgical techniques and surgical techniques were introduced 32 years ago in the therapeutic arsenal of esophageal cancer. However, there is controversy about the use of the minimally invasive approach in practice because it re-quires a demanding and difficult to access technical basis, a laborious surgical technique and a long learning curve. The use of minimally invasive surgical techniques in the treatment of thoracic esophageal cancer, however, had a significant impact on post-esophagectomy morbidity and mortality

Prevalence of canine heartworm infection in Queensland, Australia: comparison of diagnostic methods and investigation of factors associated with reduction in antigen detection

Background: The prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs is increasing globally and spreading into new areas. Prevalence of dirofilariosis in the state of Queensland, Australia, was as high as 90% before the introduction of macrocyclic lactones. Limited research on prevalence of D. immitis infection in dogs in Queensland has been reported in the last 30 years. Antigen testing is the most common method for detection of dirofilariosis but its accuracy is reduced by antigen getting trapped (blocked antigen) in immune complexes (ICs). The objectives of this research were to determine the prevalence of D. immitis infection in dogs from two geographical areas (Brisbane and Townsville) in Queensland, to determine the extent to which blocked antigen affects the validity of antigen testing, and to explore whether this was associated with microfilaraemia, location, age or sex. Methods: Blood samples from Brisbane (sub-tropical climate) and Townsville (tropical climate) shelter dogs were evaluated for the presence of D. immitis antigen before (conventional antigen testing, CAT) and after dissociation of ICs by heat treatment (antigen testing after heat treatment, ATHT), using a commercially available test. Microfilariae were detected using modified Knott’s test (MKT). Test proportions were compared with McNemar’s test and the association between antigen test-discordant results (positive for antigen after dissociation of ICs) and microfilaraemia, location, sex and age was modelled using logistic regression. Results: Dirofilaria immitis prevalence in dogs from Townsville (22% by CAT, 32.1% by ATHT and 16.7% by MKT) was significantly higher than in dogs from Brisbane (1.1% by CAT and MKT and 1.7% by ATHT) (P<0.001). Dissociation of ICs allowed detection of significantly more D. immitis infected dogs than either conventional antigen testing or microfilariae detection, or the combined antigen and microfilariae detection (P<0.001). The odds of dogs being positive for antigen after dissociation of ICs were significantly higher for microfilaraemic, 3–4-year-old female dogs from Townsville. Conclusions: The high prevalence of infection with D. immitis in dogs from Townsville poses a health risk for local susceptible host species, including humans. Dissociation of ICs increases antigen detection and should be considered in dogs suspected of D. immitis infection but negative on routine testing