Homeostasis in Immunity-Related Pupal Tissues of the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles gambiae and its regulation by the NF-kappaB-like Factor Rel2

Die Haut ist eine oft übersehene Komponente des angeborenen Immunsystems der Mücken. Die Haut der Mücke bildet eine physische Barriere, die die mikrobielle Homöostase aufrechterhält, das Eindringen von Toxinen wie Insektiziden verhindert und das Austrocknen verhindert. Die am meisten untersuchten Akteure des Immunsystems von Stechmücken sind das Fettgewebe und die Blutzellen, aber die Hauttalg-Fabriken, die Oenozyten, werden in Studien nur selten berücksichtigt. Mückenpuppen haben aktiv funktionierende immunitätsbezogene Organe, einschließlich derjenigen, die Hautbarrieren produzieren. Ihre biologische Rolle in diesem Entwicklungsstadium ist kaum bekannt, aber der Übergang von der Puppen- zur Erwachsenenhaut und die Auffälligkeit der talgproduzierenden Zellen machen dieses Stadium zu einem vielversprechenden Entwicklungsstadium für die Untersuchung der Hautbildung. Mit Hilfe der Transkriptomanalyse beschreiben wir die Rolle der Blutzellen bei der Entwicklung des chitinösen Teils der Insektenhaut, die Beteiligung des Fettkörpers an der Immunität und bestätigen die Rolle der talgproduzierenden Zellen im Lipidstoffwechsel. Darüber hinaus beschreiben wir talgsezernierende Zellen als einen bedeutenden Wirkungsort des NF-kappaB-ähnlichen IMD-Rel2-Pathway, in dem der Transkriptionsfaktor Rel2 die Retinoid-Homöostase reguliert. Schließlich bestätigen wir eine 100 Jahre alte Beobachtung, wonach sebumsezernierende Zellen der Stechmücke ihren Zellinhalt in einem Netzwerk von Vesikeln absondern. Wir beschreiben extrazelluläres Chromatin als Fracht in diesem Vesikelnetzwerk und sein antimikrobielles Potenzial.The skin is an often overlooked component of the mosquito's innate immune system. The mosquito skin provides a physical barrier that maintains microbial homeostasis, prevents the entry of toxins like insecticides, and avoids desiccation. The most studied players in the immune system of mosquitoes are the adipose tissue and blood cells, but studies rarely consider the skin sebum factories, oenocytes. Mosquito pupae have actively functional immunity-related organs, including those producing skin barriers. Their biological roles at this developmental stage are poorly understood, but the pupae-to-adult metamorphic skin transition and the conspicuity of sebum-secreting cells make it a promising developmental stage to study skin formation. We use transcriptomics to describe the role of blood cells in the development of the chitinous section of the insect skin, the involvement of the fat body in immunity, and confirm the lipid metabolism role of sebum-secreting cells. Furthermore, we describe sebum-secreting cells as a significant action site of the NF-kappaB-like IMD-Rel2 pathway where the transcription factor Rel2 regulates retinoid homeostasis. Finally, we confirm a 100-year-old observation of how mosquito sebum-secreting cells secrete their cellular contents in a network of vesicles. We describe extracellular chromatin as cargo inside this vesicle network and its antimicrobial potential

Use of Extracted Green Inhibitors as a Friendly Choice in Corrosion Protection of Low Alloy Carbon Steel

Mitigation of corrosion impact on environment is an important step in environmental protection. Use of environmentally friendly corrosion protection methods is very important. It is smart to choose cheap and safe to handle compounds as corrosion inhibitors. The use of green inhibitors (extracted inexpensively, from the seed endosperm of some Leguminosae plants), and investigation of their efficiency in corrosion protection is the aim of this study. As green inhibitor one kind of polysaccharides (galactomannan) from locust bean gum (also known as carob gum, carob bean gum) extracted from the seed of carob tree is used. Corrosion protection efficiency of these extracted green inhibitors was tested for carbon steel marked as: steel 39, steel 44, and iron B 500 (usually applied as reinforcing bars to concrete). Sulfuric acid solution in the presence of chloride ions was used as corrosion media. The composition of corrosion acid media used was 1 mol L^-1 H₂SO₄ and 10^-3 mol L^-1 Cl^- (in the form of NaCl). Electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization methods were used for inhibitor efficiency testing

Socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with failure in Helicobacter pylori eradication using the standard triple therapy

Aim: To evaluate the influence of socioeconomic and demographic factors on the eradication rate of H. pylori, using standard triple therapy Background: the efficacy of the standard triple therapy (STT) for H. pylori eradication has decreased with the rise of antibiotic resistance. Other factors could influence the eradication failure, although available results are conflicting. Methods: Retrospective study, including adults with H. pylori infection treated de novo with STT (proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin and clarithromycin). Eradication success was assessed by 13C-urea breath test. Demographic and socioeconomics variables were evaluated and correlated with eradication treatment outcome. The confounder variables were controlled by logistic regression analysis. Results: Out of 902 patients with H. pylori diagnosis, 693 met inclusion criteria (average age 53 years; females 55.2%). Nonsignificant differences were observed in relation to economics income between rural and urban areas (p=0.316). The eradication rate of H. pylori was 71.1%: male 78.9% vs female 65.9%, urban area 73.4% vs rural area 64.1%. With reference to age, income and nationality, the eradication rates were similar in all groups. According to logistic regression analysis, females had almost twice more likelihood of eradication failure in relation to males (OR 1.92; 95%CI: 1.38-2.72); and rural residents had OR 1.55 (95%CI: 1.03- 2.33) for having eradication failure in contrast with urban population. Conclusion: Female gender and rural residence are factors associated with H. Pylori eradication failure with standard triple therapy

Evaluación de la patogenicidad del nematodo Heterorhabditis bacteriophora en larvas de Cosmopolites sordidus

La necesidad de disminuir el excesivo número de aplicaciones de insecticidas por sus efectos adversos sobre el medio ambiente y la salud humana ha inducido a buscar otras alternativas en el combate a insectos-plaga,como es el uso de agentes de control biológico. Existen varias razones que limitan la aceptación por el agricultor el control biológico; entre ellas: los controladores biológicos son de lenta acción, el agricultor no ve resultados inmediatos, no son de fácil aplicación a diferencia de los pesticidas químicos. Actualmente, ha crecido el interés por hacer investigación en el control biológico y los resultados que se han obtenido son escasos aunque las perspectivas son enormes. Al respecto el Instituto Nacional Autónomo de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y el Centro Internacional de la Papa han aislado e identificado 28 poblaciones de nematodos entomo- patógenos La mayor parte corresponden a aislamientos de cultivo de papa en rotación con otro cultivo (Hernández et al.,2006)

Differential Stability of Aurein 1.2 Pores in Model Membranes of Two Probiotic Strains

Aurein 1.2 is an antimicrobial peptide from the skin secretion of an Australian frog. In the previous experimental work, we reported a differential action of aurein 1.2 on two probiotic strains Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (CIDCA 331) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis (CIDCA 133). The differences found were attributed to the bilayer compositions. Cell cultures and CIDCA 331-derived liposomes showed higher susceptibility than the ones derived from the CIDCA 133 strain, leading to content leakage and structural disruption. Here, we used molecular dynamics simulations to explore these systems at the atomistic level. We hypothesize that if the antimicrobial peptides organized themselves to form a pore, it will be more stable in membranes that emulate the CIDCA 331 strain than in those of the CIDCA 133 strain. To test this hypothesis, we simulated preassembled aurein 1.2 pores embedded into bilayer models that emulate the two probiotic strains. It was found that the general behavior of the systems depends on the composition of the membrane rather than the preassemble system characteristics. Overall, it was observed that aurein 1.2 pores are more stable in the CIDCA 331 model membranes. This fact coincides with the high susceptibility of this strain against antimicrobial peptide. In contrast, in the case of the CIDCA 133 model membranes, peptides migrate to the water-lipid interphase, the pore shrinks, and the transport of water through the pore is reduced. The tendency of glycolipids to make hydrogen bonds with peptides destabilizes the pore structures. This feature is observed to a lesser extent in CIDCA 331 due to the presence of anionic lipids. Glycolipid transverse diffusion (flip-flop) between monolayers occurs in the pore surface region in all the cases considered. These findings expand our understanding of the antimicrobial peptide resistance properties of probiotic strains.Fil: Balatti, Galo Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Domene, Carmen. University of Bath; Reino UnidoFil: Martini, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; ArgentinaFil: Pickholz, Mónica Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Benchmarking cow comfort on North American freestall dairies: Lameness, leg injuries, lying time, facility design, and management for high-producing Holstein dairy cows

In this paper, we describe a novel approach to corporate involvement in on-farm assessment, driven by the desire to provide a service for dairy producers and to create a vehicle for engagement on issues of dairy cow welfare. This program provides producers with feedback on animal-based (including gait score, leg injuries, and lying time) and facility-based (including freestall design, bedding practices, feed bunk design and management, and stocking density) measures that can be used to better address their management goals. The aim of this paper is to describe variation in the prevalence of lameness and leg injuries, lying behavior, facility design, and management practices for high-producing cows on freestall dairy farms in 3 regions of North America: British Columbia (BC; n = 42); California (CA; n = 39); and the northeastern United States (NE-US; n = 40). Prevalence of clinical lameness averaged (mean ± SD) 27.9 ± 14.1% in BC, 30.8 ± 15.5% in CA, and 54.8 ± 16.7% in NE-US; prevalence of severe lameness averaged 7.1 ± 5.4% in BC, 3.6 ± 4.2% in CA, and 8.2 ± 5.6% in NE-US. Overall prevalence of hock injuries was 42.3 ± 26.2% in BC, 56.2 ± 21.6% in CA, and 81.2 ± 22.5% in NE-US; prevalence of severe injuries was 3.7 ± 5.2% in BC, 1.8 ± 3.1% in CA, 5.4 ± 5.9% in NE-US. Prevalence of swollen knees was minimal in CA (0.3 ± 0.6%) but high (23.1 ± 16.3%) in NE-US (not scored in BC). Lying times were similar across regions (11.0 ± 0.7 h/d in BC, 10.4 ± 0.8 h/d in CA, 10.6 ± 0.9 h/d in NE-US), but individual lying times among cows assessed varied (4.2 to 19.5 h/d, 3.7 to 17.5 h/d, and 2.8 to 20.5 h/d in BC, CA, and NE-US, respectively). These results showed considerable variation in lameness and leg injury prevalence as well as facility design and management among freestall farms in North America. Each of the 3 regions had farms with a very low prevalence of lameness and injuries, suggesting great opportunities for improvement on other farms within the region

Burnt areas semantic segmentation from Sentinel data using the U-Net network trained with semi-automated annotations

The Pantanal biome is one of the most important wetlands on the planet, harboring a rich biodiversity whilst being critical in maintaining hydrological cycles and climate regulation. However, the occurrence of fires in the biome has represented a significant threat to this unique ecosystem and its multiple functions. Understanding the extent, intensity and environmental impacts caused by fires in the Pantanal, is of unique importance for the preservation of the biome's biodiversity. Remote sensing techniques have played an important role in detecting and mapping burnt areas, especially SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) orbital systems, that are able to collect data in regions with frequent cloud cover or during extreme fire events. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of the U-Net semantic segmentation network applied to SAR data in the detection of burnt areas in the Brazilian Pantanal. For this, a semi-automatic annotated dataset was generated and considered as ground truth to evaluate the result obtained by the network. Two input datasets were evaluated in the detection of burnt areas, one containing optical and SAR data whereas the other containing only SAR data. The predictions of the two datasets were consistent with the semi-automatically generated annotation, showing similar spatial distribution but presenting a greater number of burnt areas. The model using both optical and SAR data achieved IoU (Intersection of Union) of 0.69 whereas the SAR only model had 0.60. Considering the amount of available data and the complexity of burnt area detection, the predictions achieved were adequate

The first dinosaur remains from the Cretaceous of Ecuador

Yamanasaurus lojaensis gen. et sp. nov. is a new titanosaur (Saurischia, Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Alamor-Lancones Basin, southern Ecuador. The fossil remains were found in rocks of the Río Playas Formation, which is regarded as Campanian–Maastrichtian in age. Remains include a partial sacrum, a partial mid-caudal vertebra, and several associated limb bones. Yamanasaurus is characterized by: (1) anterior to mid-caudal vertebrae with a dorsoventrally compressed condyle, with the posterior tip elevated respect to the midline, no longitudinal ventral ridge, and spongy inner structure with absence of internal cavities (i.e., camellate bone, shared with Neuquensaurus); (2) last sacral centrum as long as tall, with small ovoid, shallow blind fossa on the lateral side; and (3) radius robust with flattened diaphysis and a marked neck or cingulum right under the epiphysis, with an heptagonal concave proximal surface. Morphology, size, and age suggest that Yamanasaurus is closely related to Neuquensaurus, being the northernmost saltasaurine known by far.Fil: Apesteguía, Sebastián. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Soto Luzuriaga, John E.. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; EcuadorFil: Gallina, Pablo Ariel. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara; ArgentinaFil: Granda, José Tamay. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; EcuadorFil: Guamán Jaramillo, Galo A.. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; Ecuador. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Primjena ekstrahiranih "zelenih" inhibitora pri zaštiti niskolegiranih ugljičnih čelika od korozije

Mitigation of corrosion impact on environment is an important step in environmental protection. Use of environmentally friendly corrosion protection methods is very important. It is smart to choose cheap and safe to handle compounds as corrosion inhibitors. The use of green inhibitors (extracted inexpensively, from the seed endosperm of some Leguminosae plants), and investigation of their efficiency in corrosion protection is the aim of this study. As green inhibitor one kind of polysaccharides (galactomannan) from locust bean gum (also known as carob gum, carob bean gum) extracted from the seed of carob tree is used. Corrosion protection efficiency of these extracted green inhibitors was tested for carbon steel marked as: steel 39, steel 44, and iron B 500 (usually applied as reinforcing bars to concrete). Sulfuric acid solution in the presence of chloride ions was used as corrosion media. The composition of corrosion acid media used was 1 mol L–1 H2SO4 and 10–3 mol L–1 Cl– (in the form of NaCl). Electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization methods were used for inhibitor efficiency testing.Ublažavanje utjecaja korozije na okoliš važan je korak u očuvanju okoliša, Posebno se ističu metode zaštite od korozije prihvatljive za okoliš. Treba upotrebljavati jeftine i okolišu prijateljske korozijske inhibitore. To su tzv. zeleni inhibitori. U ovom radu istraživan je inhibitor dobiven iz endosperma sjemena rogača (karuba guma). Djelotvornost u zaštiti od korozije ispitivana je na ugljičnim čelicima (čelik 39 i čelik 44) te željezu B 500. Korozijski medij bio je otopina sumporne kiseline, c(H2SO4) = 1 mol L-1, čista i uz dodatak i kloridnih iona c(NaCl) = 10-3 mol L-1. Primijenjena je elektrokemijska metoda potenciodinamičke polarizacije