Role of the Galanin N--terminal fragment (1-15) in anhedonia: involvement of the dopaminergic mesolimbic system

Anhedonia is a core feature of depressive disorders. The galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) plays a role in mood regulation since it induces depression and anxiogenic-like effects in rats. In this study, we analysed galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) actions in anhedonic-like behaviours in rats using operant and non-operant tests and the areas involved with these effects. Galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) effects were analysed in saccharin self-administration, sucrose preference, novelty-suppressed feeding and female urine sniffing tests. The areas involved in galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15)-mediated effects were studied with positron emission tomography for in vivo imaging, and we analysed the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens. Galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) had effects on the mRNA expression of the dopamine transporters Dat and Vmat2; the C-Fos gene; the dopamine receptors D1, D2, D3, D5; and the galanin receptors 1 and 2. Galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) at a concentration of 3 nmol induced a strong anhedonia-like phenotype in all tests. The involvement of galanin receptor 2 was demonstrated with the galanin receptor 2 antagonist M871 (3 nmol). The 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography images indicated the action of galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) over several nuclei of the limbic system. Galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15)-mediated effects also involved changes in the expression of Dat, Vmat2, D3 and galanin receptors in the ventral tegmental area as well as the expression of C-Fos, D1, D2 and D3 and TH immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens. Our results indicated that galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) exerts strong anhedonic-like effects and that this effect was accompanied by changes in the dopaminergic mesolimbic system. These results may provide a basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies using galanin N-terminal fragment (1-15) analogues for the treatment of depression and reward-related diseases

Galanin (1-15) - Fluoxetine interaction in the novel object recognition test involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in the prefrontal cortex of the rats

Galanin (1-15) [GAL(1-15)] participates in mood regulation and depression. GAL(1-15) is also able to enhance the antidepressant effects induced by Fluoxetine (FLX) in the forced swimming test through interaction between GALR1-GALR2 and 5-HT1A receptors that induced changes in the binding characteristics and mRNA of the 5-HT1AR in the hippocampus. Since the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a core region for the interaction between emotional processing and cognition with a high density of 5-HT1AR and GALR1 and GALR2, we have analyzed the binding characteristics and mRNA levels of 5-HT1AR in the mPFC after GAL(1-15)-FLX administration in the rats. GAL(1-15) increased the Kd and the Bmax of the 5HT1AR agonist binding in the mPFC as well as the mRNA levels of 5-HT1AR in mPFC. Moreover, GAL(1-15) reversed the effects of memory impairment induced by FLX(10 mg/kg) in the Novel Object Recognition task. GALR2 was involved in these effects, since the specific GALR2 antagonist M871 blocked GAL(1-15) mediated actions at behavioral level. On the contrary GAL(1-15) did not reverse the effect of FLX in the Object Location Memory task. In conclusion, our results describe an interactions between GAL(1-15) and FLX in the mPFC involving interactions at the 5-HT1AR receptor level in the plasma membrane with changes at the transcriptional level with implications also at functional level. The GALR1-GALR2-5-HT1A heteroreceptor could be postulated to be used to reverse some of the adverse effects of FLX on memory processes

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Estimación del carbono arbóreo en el área de manejo forestal de Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, México

Los bosques son claves para mitigar el cambio climático global, y con un adecuado manejo pueden conciliar la producción de madera con la captura de carbono. Este estudio usó una metodología general que a partir de información del programa de manejo forestal de Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca consistente en los volúmenes existentes y extraídos de pino y encino y el incremento corriente anual, permitió estimar el potencial de captura, el almacén y la dinámica del carbono en el área de manejo forestal (AMF). En esta, el potencial de captura fue de 58 577.24 MgCO e año-1, con un promedio de 1.36 MgC ha-1año-1 (± 0.31). El almacén de carbono en las 2 zonas de reservas comerciales y de conservación fue de 2 942 558.22 MgCO2e. No obstante en 1 211.00 ha se removió 63.0 % del carbono inicial, ocho años después ya se había recuperado 1.7 % del carbono extraído. Los resultados mostraron que en el AMF, a la par del aprovechamiento de madera, se captura y mantiene un importante almacén de carbono. Lo anterior constituye una línea base de carbono forestal, con la cual se podría implementar un proyecto de captura, para que la comunidad pudiese recibir ingresos adicionales para mejorar el manejo del bosque, y generar información para afinar la estimación del carbono. La metodología empleada fue práctica y los valores obtenidos coincidieron, en orden de magnitud, con los citados para otros bosques mexicanos. La aproximación propuesta es posible implementarla en otras comunidades, con programas de manejo forestal para extracción de madera

Actualización del sistema para el cálculo de combustibles forestales (SICCO v3.0)

Los problemas que enfrentan los bosques son muy diversos, de ellos, los incendios es uno de los más importantes. Para que un evento de estos ocurra se requiere de tres factores básicos: material combustible, condiciones ambientales favorables y un elemento de inicio. El combustible es de especial importancia, debido a que determina, en gran medida, el peligro de siniestros catastróficos. En el programa de incendios forestales del INIFAP se ha desarrollado una herramienta que estima la cantidad de combustibles en una unidad de área, de forma rápida, práctica y sencilla, denominada Sistema para el Cálculo de Combustibles forestales (SICCO). Este se fundamenta en la metodología basada en intersecciones planares, para el levantamiento de combustibles forestales. La nueva versión del SICCO permite actualizaciones dinámicas de información referentes a gravedad específica, densidad aparente y diámetro cuadrático promedio, mediante el uso de bases de datos relacionales. Cuenta con librerías que extraen dicha información desde bases de datos contenidas en el mismo sistema, mediante las coordenadas de ubicación de las zonas de estudio. De igual forma, el usuario está en posibilidad de personalizar esos valores acorde a sus necesidades específicas. Con el SICCO es posible estimar cargas de combustibles forestales de manera sencilla y transparente. Así, los usuarios, concentran más sus esfuerzos en la calidad de los datos recolectados, que en el uso de las ecuaciones y procesos requeridos para los cálculos de los pesos por unidad de área

Composition and structure of an aquatic vascular plant assemblage of a highland andean Dam (Santander), Colombia

ABSTRACT: The aquatic flora of the Berlin dam reservoir (Santander) Colombia, located in an area of dry páramo at an altitude of 3214 m, was studied to observe the effects that dam construction would have on it. Three samples were collected in transects that ran from the shore to the center of the reservoir during three different climate periods. A total of 28 species of aquatic plants were recorded, distributed in 17 families, most of them exhibiting an emergent life form. The family with the greatest number of species was Poaceae with ve species; however, the species with the highest relative abundance (coverage) was Myriophyllum aquaticum (halogaraceae). There were no signi cant differences in species richness during the three sampling seasons. In analyzing the spatial composition along the transects, the dynamics of this assemblage of vascular acuatic plants was observed, with a turnover of seven species in the three sampling periods. Spatial changes were most evident, with the transects in the coastal zones showing not only more changes in composition but also in species richness, while the limnetic zone retained its original composition. Conductivity was the factor that showed the greatest in uence on richness.RESUMEN: (Colombia), altitud de 3.214 m, fue estudiada para observar los efectos que la construcción de esta represa podía tener. Se realizaron tres muestreos en transectos desde la orilla hacia el centro de la represa en tres diferentes temporadas climáticas. Se recolectaron en total 28 especies de plantas acuáticas, distribuidas en 17 familias; la mayoría de ellas de hábito emergente. La familia con mayor número de especies fue Poaceae con cinco; sin embargo, la familia Haloragaceae presentó la especie con mayor abundancia relativa (cobertura), Myriophyllum aquaticum. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la riqueza de especies entre las tres temporadas de muestreo. Al analizar la composición espacial de los transectos se observó la dinámica del ensamble de plantas acuáticas vasculares evidenciando un recambio de siete especies en las tres temporadas de muestreo. Los cambios espaciales fueron más evidentes, encontrándose que los transectos de las zonas litorales mostraron, no solo cambios en la composición sino también en la riqueza, mientras que la zona limnética mantuvo su composición original. La conductividad fue el factor que mostró mayor influencia en la riqueza

The Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Cinbotolide: A Revision of the Original Structure

The structure 3,4-dihydroxy-2,4,6,8-tetramethyldec-8-enolide (<b>1</b>) was assigned to a metabolite of <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, but the spectra of several synthetic analogues had significant differences from that of <b>1</b>. Examination of the constituents of a <i>B. cinerea</i> mutant that overproduces polyketides gave sufficient quantities of <b>1</b>, now named cinbotolide, for chemical transformations. These led to a revised γ-butyrolactone structure for the metabolite. This structure has been confirmed by an asymmetric total synthesis, which also established its absolute configuration

Efficient Biofunctionalization of Polysilicon Barcodes for Adhesion to the Zona Pellucida of Mouse Embryos

Cell tracking is an emergent area in nanobiotechnology, promising the study of individual cells or the identification of populations of cultured cells. In our approach, microtools designed for extracellular tagging are prepared, because using biofunctionalized polysilicon barcodes to tag cell membranes externally avoids the inconveniences of cell internalization. The crucial covalent biofunctionalization process determining the ultimate functionality was studied in order to find the optimum conditions to link a biomolecule to a polysilicon barcode surface using a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as the connector. Specifically, a lectin (wheat germ agglutinin, WGA) was used because of its capacity to recognize some specific carbohydrates present on the surface of most mammalian cells. Self-assembled monolayers were prepared on polysilicon surfaces including aldehyde groups as terminal functions to study the suitability of their covalent chemical bonding to WGA. Some parameters, such as the polysilicon surface roughness or the concentration of WGA, proved to be crucial for successful biofunctionalization and bioactivity. The SAMs were characterized by contact angle measurements, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOF MS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The biofunctionalization step was also characterized by fluorescence microscopy and, in the case of barcodes, by adhesion experiments to the zona pellucida of mouse embryos. These experiments showed high barcode retention rates after 96 h of culture as well as high embryo viability to the blastocyst stage, indicating the robustness of the biofunctionalization and, therefore, the potential of these new microtools to be used for cell tagging

Concurrent Improvement in Photogain and Speed of a Metal Oxide Nanowire Photodetector through Enhancing Surface Band Bending via Incorporating a Nanoscale Heterojunction

The surface effect on the photodetection of metal oxide nanostructures acting as a double-edged sword achieves ultrahigh photogain but unavoidably prolongs the response time due to slow oxygen adsorption/desorption processes. In this study, we break the compromise to enhance the UV photogain by 3 orders of magnitude as well as increase the photoresponse speed by 5 times via incorporating open-circuit p–n nanoscale heterojunctions (NHJs) by forming single-crystalline p-NiO nanoparticles on n-ZnO nanowires. This is because the formation of NHJs enhances surface band bending of ZnO nanowires, improving the spatial separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, and passivates the ZnO surfaces by minimizing the interaction of photocarriers with chemisorbed oxygen molecules. The concept using NHJs explores a new pathway toward ultrafast and supersensitive photodetection