Hematological parameters, liver integrity and growth of Nile tilapia fingerlings fed diets supplemented with propolis extract

Aim of study: To assess the effects of propolis extract supplementation in diets for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings on growth performance, hematological and histological parameters. Area of study: The study was carried out in Paraná (Brazil). Material and methods: The experimental design was based on six treatments including the control diet and propolis supplementation (2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% in the diet). Three hundred Nile tilapia fingerlings, with an initial weight of 0.61± 0.02 g, were distributed in 30 plastic mesh hapas (0.15 m3 each) arranged in a concrete tank of 25 m3 of water volume. The duration of the experimental period was 90 days. Main results: The increasing levels of propolis did not influence the growth performance and proximate composition of fishes. Red blood cells and hematological indices were not affected by propolis supplementation. However, total leukocytes and thrombocytes were higher in fish fed on propolis diets, being significant in fish fed 2% and 8%, and 6% and 8% supplemented diets groups, respectively. Research highlights: The supplementation of propolis alcoholic extract in the range of 2, 4, 6 and 8% in the diet for Nile tilapia fingerlings promote healthier fish with increased immunity in the evaluated culture conditions

Heterotopic autotransplantation of ovarian tissue in a large animal model: Effects of cooling and VEGF.

Heterotopic and orthotopic ovarian tissue autotransplantation techniques, currently used in humans, will become promising alternative methods for fertility preservation in domestic and wild animals. Thus, this study describes for the first time the efficiency of a heterotopic ovarian tissue autotransplantation technique in a large livestock species (i.e., horses) after ovarian fragments were exposed or not to a cooling process (4°C/24 h) and/or VEGF before grafting. Ovarian fragments were collected in vivo via an ultrasound-guided biopsy pick-up method and surgically autografted in a subcutaneous site in both sides of the neck in each mare. The blood flow perfusion at the transplantation site was monitored at days 2, 4, 6, and 7 post-grafting using color-Doppler ultrasonography. Ovarian grafts were recovered 7 days post-transplantation and subjected to histological analyses. The exposure of the ovarian fragments to VEGF before grafting was not beneficial to the quality of the tissue; however, the cooling process of the fragments reduced the acute hyperemia post-grafting. Cooled grafts compared with non-cooled grafts contained similar values for normal and developing preantral follicles, vessel density, and stromal cell apoptosis; lower collagen type III fibers and follicular density; and higher stromal cell density, AgNOR, and collagen type I fibers. In conclusion, VEGF exposure before autotransplantation did not improve the quality of grafted tissues. However, cooling ovarian tissue for at least 24 h before grafting can be beneficial because satisfactory rates of follicle survival and development, stromal cell survival and proliferation, as well as vessel density, were obtained

Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial, Antinociceptive, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Two Chemotypes of Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus

Preparations from Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L.R. Landrum (Myrtaceae) have been widely used in Brazilian folk medicine. This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the crude ethanol extracts, fractions, semipurified substances, and essential oils obtained from leaves of two chemotypes of P. pseudocaryophyllus and to perform the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory screening. The ethanol extracts were purified by column chromatography and main compounds were spectrally characterised (1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR). The essential oils constituents were identified by GC/MS. The broth microdilution method was used for testing the antimicrobial activity. The abdominal contortions induced by acetic acid and the ear oedema induced by croton oil were used for screening of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, respectively. The phytochemical analysis resulted in the isolation of pentacyclic triterpenes, flavonoids, and phenol acids. The oleanolic acid showed the best profile of antibacterial activity for Gram-positive bacteria (31.2–125 μg mL−1), followed by the essential oil of the citral chemotype (62.5–250 μg mL−1). Among the semipurified substances, Ppm5, which contained gallic acid, was the most active for Candida spp. (31.2 μg mL−1) and Cryptococcus spp. (3.9–15.6 μg mL−1). The crude ethanol extract and fractions from citral chemotype showed antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects

Role of the Chemokine Receptors CCR1, CCR2 and CCR4 in the Pathogenesis of Experimental Dengue Infection in Mice

Dengue virus (DENV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is a public health problem in many tropical countries. Recent clinical data have shown an association between levels of different chemokines in plasma and severity of dengue. We evaluated the role of CC chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2 and CCR4 in an experimental model of DENV-2 infection in mice. Infection of mice induced evident clinical disease and tissue damage, including thrombocytopenia, hemoconcentration, lymphopenia, increased levels of transaminases and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and lethality in WT mice. Importantly, infected WT mice presented increased levels of chemokines CCL2/JE, CCL3/MIP-1α and CCL5/RANTES in spleen and liver. CCR1-/- mice had a mild phenotype with disease presentation and lethality similar to those of WT mice. In CCR2-/- mice, lethality, liver damage, levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ, and leukocyte activation were attenuated. However, thrombocytopenia, hemoconcentration and systemic TNF-α levels were similar to infected WT mice. Infection enhanced levels of CCL17/TARC, a CCR4 ligand. In CCR4-/- mice, lethality, tissue injury and systemic inflammation were markedly decreased. Despite differences in disease presentation in CCR-deficient mice, there was no significant difference in viral load. In conclusion, activation of chemokine receptors has discrete roles in the pathogenesis of dengue infection. These studies suggest that the chemokine storm that follows severe primary dengue infection associates mostly to development of disease rather than protection

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file