Frequent Oomycotic Infections in Eggs of Cultured Species

In aquaculture farms, incubation is a one crucial stage, as frequently shows high percentage of mortality. In fish and amphibians, egg oomycosis is a common infection during the early stages of embryonic development. Infection is usually promoted by unfertilized or damaged eggs that provide a medium for the zoospores to establish and grow, resulting in colonization and spread of the infection to nearby viable eggs. Numerous essential oils have been shown to have anti-oomycotic activity and to inhibit production and spore germination of Oomycetes species of the order Saprolegniales.Fil: Di Cesare, Luca Sebastian Guido. LABORATORIO DE HISTOLOGIA Y EMBRIOLOGIA DESCRIPTIVA, EXPERIMENTAL Y COMPARADA (LHYEDEC) ; DEPARTAMENTO DE CS.BASICAS ; FACULTAD DE CS.VETERINARIAS ; UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA PLATA; . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Plaul, Silvia Elena. LABORATORIO DE HISTOLOGIA Y EMBRIOLOGIA DESCRIPTIVA, EXPERIMENTAL Y COMPARADA (LHYEDEC) ; DEPARTAMENTO DE CS.BASICAS ; FACULTAD DE CS.VETERINARIAS ; UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA PLATA

Ultra-thin clay layers facilitate seismic slip in carbonate faults

Many earthquakes propagate up to the Earth's surface producing surface ruptures. Seismic slip propagation is facilitated by along-fault low dynamic frictional resistance, which is controlled by a number of physico-chemical lubrication mechanisms. In particular, rotary shear experiments conducted at seismic slip rates (1 ms(-1)) show that phyllosilicates can facilitate co-seismic slip along faults during earthquakes. This evidence is crucial for hazard assessment along oceanic subduction zones, where pelagic clays participate in seismic slip propagation. Conversely, the reason why, in continental domains, co-seismic slip along faults can propagate up to the Earth's surface is still poorly understood. We document the occurrence of micrometer-thick phyllosilicate-bearing layers along a carbonate-hosted seismogenic extensional fault in the central Apennines, Italy. Using friction experiments, we demonstrate that, at seismic slip rates (1 ms(-1)), similar calcite gouges with pre-existing phyllosilicate-bearing (clay content ≤3 wt.%) micro-layers weaken faster than calcite gouges or mixed calcite-phyllosilicate gouges. We thus propose that, within calcite gouge, ultra-low clay content (≤3 wt.%) localized along micrometer-thick layers can facilitate seismic slip propagation during earthquakes in continental domains, possibly enhancing surface displacement

The Diagnosis and Management of Cutaneous Metastases from Melanoma

Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin tumors, accounting for almost 90% of skin cancer mortality. Although immune therapy and targeted therapy have dramatically changed the prognosis of metastatic melanoma, many patients experience disease progression despite the currently available new treatments. Skin metastases from melanoma represent a relatively common event as first sign of advanced disease or a sign of recurrence. Skin metastases are usually asymptomatic, although in advanced stages, they can present with ulceration, bleeding, and superinfection; furthermore, they can cause symptoms related to compression on nearby tissues. Treatments vary from simple surgery resections to topical or intralesional local injections, or a combination of these techniques with the most recent systemic immune or target therapies. New research and studies should focus on the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of the cutaneous metastases of melanoma in order to shed light on the mechanisms underlying the different behavior and prognoses of different patients

Organs on chip approach: A tool to evaluate cancer-immune cells interactions

In this paper we discuss the applicability of numerical descriptors and statistical physics concepts to characterize complex biological systems observed at microscopic level through organ on chip approach. To this end, we employ data collected on a micro uidic platform in which leukocytes can move through suitably built channels toward their target. Leukocyte behavior is recorded by standard time lapse imaging. In particular, we analyze three groups of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC): heterozygous mutants (in which only one copy of the FPR1 gene is normal), homozygous mutants (in which both alleles encoding FPR1 are loss-of-function variants) and cells from ‘wild type’ donors (with normal expression of FPR1). We characterize the migration of these cells providing a quantitative con rmation of the essential role of FPR1 in cancer chemotherapy response. Indeed wild type PBMC perform biased random walks toward chemotherapy-treated cancer cells establishing persistent interactions with them. Conversely, heterozygous mutants present a weaker bias in their motion and homozygous mutants perform rather uncorrelated random walks, both failing to engage with their targets. We next focus on wild type cells and study the interactions of leukocytes with cancerous cells developing a novel heuristic procedure, inspired by Lyapunov stability in dynamical systems

Context Aware Browser

I will present the Context Aware Browser, a novel paradigm for context-aware access to Web contents with mobile devices. The idea is to allow automatic download of Web pages, and even automatic execution of Web applications, on user\u27s own mobile device. The Web resources are not simply pushed on the mobile device; rather, they are selected on the basis of the context the user is in: context data (mainly location, but not only) are used to build a query sent to an external search engine, that selects the most relevant Web content. I will describe the idea, provide some examples, show a video of a recently built prototype, present implementation issues, discuss our specific evaluation methodology and the results, and sketch future work and problems. This is an ongoing project, started about five years ago; it is joint work with the Context Aware and Mobile Systems laboratory (smdc.uniud.it) and the MoBe spinoff (www.mobe.it) at Udine University

Correction: Conformational features of 4-(N)-squalenoyl-gemcitabine in solution: a combined NMR and molecular dynamics investigation

Correction for 'Conformational features of 4-(N)-squalenoyl-gemcitabine in solution: a combined NMR and molecular dynamics investigation' by Ceruti Maurizio et al., New J. Chem., 2015, 39, 3484–3496

Explaining factors leading to community acceptance of wind energy. Results of an expert assessment

The present article deals with two key drivers of social acceptance of wind energy: procedural justice and distributional justice. It is based on a comparative expert assessment carried out in the frame of the Horizon 2020 project WinWind covering six European countries. The focus of the paper is on procedural and financial participation of citizens and local stakeholders in wind energy projects. The first part covers institutional arrangements for public engagement in two areas of the decision-making process—wind turbine zoning/siting in spatial plans and authorization procedures. Here, three levels of public involvement—information, consultation and participation—were analyzed. The second part examines active and financial participation of citizens and local stakeholders. Here, we distinguish between two different modes of governance: institutionalized forms of public governance and voluntary forms of corporate governance. The outcomes suggest that concrete paths to the social acceptance of wind energy are fostered via appropriate institutional spaces for public engagement. Furthermore, missing opportunities for active and passive financial participation can have strong negative consequences for community acceptance

An Italian Study

The literature provides some evidence that the use of violent video games increases the risk for young people to develop aggressive cognitions and even behaviors. We aimed to verify whether exposure to violent video games is linked to problems of aggression in a sample of Italian children. Four questionnaires were administered to 346 children between 7 and 14 years of age, attending primary and secondary schools in Northern Italy. Variables measured were externalization, quality of interpersonal relationships, aggression, quality of coping strategies, and parental stress. Participants who preferred violent games showed higher scores for externalization and aggression. The use of violent video games and age were linked to higher levels of aggression, coping strategies, and the habitual video game weekly consumption of participants. Our data confirm the role of violent video games as risk factors for problems of aggressive behavior and of externalization in childhood and early adolescence

ESTUDIO DE LOS ASCOCOTYLE PRESENTES EN LAS TALLAS ADULTAS Y JUVENILES DE TELEÓSTEOS AUTÓCTONOS CON UN ENFOQUE EN EL POTENCIAL ZOONÓTICO DE ESTE GÉNERO EN PECES FRESCOS Y AHUMADOS

Una amplia variedad de parásitos en su estado larvario puede infectar a los peces, pero un número reducido es considerado zoonótico. Entre ellos se encuentra el género Ascocotyle cuyas metacercarias se enquistan en los órganos y tejidos de peces de todos los ambientes. Estos parásitos están asociados a factores socioculturales y comportamentales como el hábito de comer pescado crudo o deficientemente cocido. El riesgo de infección en los animales domésticos es importante, ya que las vísceras son ofrecidas a las mascotas. En varios países, incluido el nuestro, se están utilizando los subproductos y desperdicios de la pesca para la alimentación de cerdos y aves de producción, porque son una fuente calórica/proteica de bajo costo. Actualmente, varios actores, incluidos organismos estatales, fomentan el consumo de carne y subproductos de la pesca, pero existe escasa información y concientización en la población de los posibles riesgos sanitarios de su ingesta. El objetivo del presente proyecto es identificar las especies de Ascocotyle presentes en peces de diferentes ambientes, analizar las lesiones producidas por las metacercarias y su posible potencial zoonótico. Para ello, se obtendrán ejemplares juveniles y adultos de peces autóctonos de los cuerpos de agua de la ciudad de La Plata, de las lagunas situadas en Chascomús y Lezama, en Punta Lara y dos sitios de la bahía de Samborombóm. Los peces de menor tamaño serán trasladados al laboratorio en bolsas plásticas con agua y O2. Los peces de tallas mayores se obtendrán de la pesca artesanal y comercial, todos los ejemplares serán fijados en formaldehido al 10%. Luego se procederá a la inspección externa de los peces bajo microscopio estereoscópico o a ojo desnudo en busca de lesiones y se realizará la necropsia para examinar la presencia de endoparásitos en la musculatura y órganos internos. Los parásitos se identificarán utilizando marcadores nucleares y mitocondriales. El procesamiento de las muestras para microscopía óptica se realizará según la técnica tradicional de inclusión en parafina. Los cortes se colorearán con técnicas histológicas e histoquímicas y además, se determinará el índice de proliferación celular y muerte celular. Por último, se inspeccionará la musculatura de peces frescos y ahumados de tallas comerciales en búsqueda de metacercarias, aquellas que presenten movimientos serán administradas junto con el alimento a ratones de laboratorio (hospedadores definitivos). A la semana, se revisarán los ratones para evaluar la eficacia de la infección experimental. A partir de los resultados se realizarán charlas de divulgación sobre la importancia de los parásitos de la fauna silvestre y la necesidad de cocinar bien los alimentos y de no alimentar a las mascotas, a las aves de corral y porcinos con vísceras crudas en economías familiares o de subsistencia. &nbsp

HERG1 positivity and Glut-1 negativity identifies high-risk TNM stage I and II colorectal cancer patients, regardless of adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: The identification of early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) with high risk of progression is one major clinical challenge, mainly due to lack of validated biomarkers. The aims of the present study were to analyze the prognostic impact of three molecular markers belonging to the ion channels and transporters family: the ether-à-go-go-related gene 1 (hERG1) and the calcium-activated KCa3.1 potassium channels, as well as the glucose transporter 1 (Glut-1); and to define the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy in conjunction with the abovementioned biomarkers, in a cohort of radically resected stage I–III CRC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expressions of hERG1, KCa3.1, and Glut-1 were tested by immunohistochemistry on 162 surgical samples of nonmetastatic, stage I–III CRC patients. The median follow-up was 32 months. The association between biological markers, clinicopathological features, and survival outcomes was investigated by evaluating both disease-free survival and overall survival. RESULTS: Although no prognostic valence emerged for KCa3.1, evidence of a negative impact of hERG1 expression on survival outcomes was provided. On the contrary, Glut-1 expression had a positive impact. According to the results of the multivariate analysis, patients were stratified in four risk groups, based on TNM stage and hERG1/Glut-1 expression. After adjusting for adjuvant therapy, stage I and II, Glut-1-negative, and hERG1-positive patients showed the worst survival experience. CONCLUSION: This study strongly indicates that the combination of hERG1 positivity and Glut-1 negativity behaves as a prognostic biomarker in radically resected CRC patients. This combination identifies a group of stage I and II CRC patients with a bad prognosis, even worse than that of stage III patients, regardless of adjuvant therapy accomplishment