S-Nitroso-N-Acetylcysteine Ameliorates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury In The Steatotic Liver

BACKGROUND: Steatosis is currently the most common chronic liver disease and it can aggravate ischemia-reperfusion (IR) lesions. We hypothesized that S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC), an NO donor component, can ameliorate cell damage from IR injury. In this paper, we report the effect of SNAC on liver IR in rats with normal livers compared to those with steatotic livers. METHODS: Thirty-four rats were divided into five groups: I (n=8), IR in normal liver; II (n=8), IR in normal liver with SNAC; III (n=9), IR in steatotic liver; IV (n=9), IR in steatotic liver with SNAC; and V (n=10), SHAN. Liver steatosis was achieved by administration of a protein-free diet. A SNAC solution was infused intraperitoneally for one hour, beginning 30 min. after partial (70%) liver ischemia. The volume of solution infused was 1 ml/100 g body weight. The animals were sacrificed four hours after reperfusion, and the liver and lung were removed for analysis. We assessed hepatic histology, mitochondrial respiration, oxidative stress (MDA), and pulmonary myeloperoxidase. RESULTS: All groups showed significant alterations compared with the group that received SHAN. The results from the steatotic SNAC group revealed a significant improvement in liver mitochondrial respiration and oxidative stress compared to the steatotic group without SNAC. No difference in myeloperoxidase was observed. Histological analysis revealed no difference between the non-steatotic groups. However, the SNAC groups showed less intraparenchymal hemorrhage than groups without SNAC (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that SNAC effectively protects against IR injury in the steatotic liver but not in the normal liver

Retention of progenitor cell phenotype in otospheres from guinea pig and mouse cochlea

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Culturing otospheres from dissociated organ of Corti is an appropriate starting point aiming at the development of cell therapy for hair cell loss. Although guinea pigs have been widely used as an excellent experimental model for studying the biology of the inner ear, the mouse cochlea has been more suitable for yielding otospheres in vitro. The aim of this study was to compare conditions and outcomes of otosphere suspension cultures from dissociated organ of Corti of either mouse or guinea pig at postnatal day three (P3), and to evaluate the guinea pig as a potential cochlea donor for preclinical cell therapy.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Organs of Corti were surgically isolated from P3 guinea pig or mouse cochlea, dissociated and cultivated under non-adherent conditions. Cultures were maintained in serum-free DMEM:F12 medium, supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) plus either basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα). Immunofluorescence assays were conducted for phenotype characterization.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud The TGFα group presented a number of spheres significantly higher than the bFGF group. Although mouse cultures yielded more cells per sphere than guinea pig cultures, sox2 and nestin distributed similarly in otosphere cells from both organisms. We present evidence that otospheres retain properties of inner ear progenitor cells such as self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation into hair cells or supporting cells.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud Dissociated guinea pig cochlea produced otospheres in vitro, expressing sox2 and nestin similarly to mouse otospheres. Our data is supporting evidence for the presence of inner ear progenitor cells in the postnatal guinea pig. However, there is limited viability for these cells in neonatal guinea pig cochlea when compared to the differentiation potential observed for the mouse organ of Corti at the same developmental stage

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Updated international tuberous sclerosis complex diagnostic criteria and surveillance and management recommendations

Background Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease affecting multiple body systems with wide variability in presentation. In 2013, Pediatric Neurology published articles outlining updated diagnostic criteria and recommendations for surveillance and management of disease manifestations. Advances in knowledge and approvals of new therapies necessitated a revision of those criteria and recommendations. Methods Chairs and working group cochairs from the 2012 International TSC Consensus Group were invited to meet face-to-face over two days at the 2018 World TSC Conference on July 25 and 26 in Dallas, TX, USA. Before the meeting, working group cochairs worked with group members via e-mail and telephone to (1) review TSC literature since the 2013 publication, (2) confirm or amend prior recommendations, and (3) provide new recommendations as required. Results Only two changes were made to clinical diagnostic criteria reported in 2013: “multiple cortical tubers and/or radial migration lines” replaced the more general term “cortical dysplasias,” and sclerotic bone lesions were reinstated as a minor criterion. Genetic diagnostic criteria were reaffirmed, including highlighting recent findings that some individuals with TSC are genetically mosaic for variants in TSC1 or TSC2. Changes to surveillance and management criteria largely reflected increased emphasis on early screening for electroencephalographic abnormalities, enhanced surveillance and management of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, and new medication approvals. Conclusions Updated TSC diagnostic criteria and surveillance and management recommendations presented here should provide an improved framework for optimal care of those living with TSC and their families

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Phylogeny Of Frogs From The Genus Physalaemus (anura, Leptodactylidae) Inferred From Mitochondrial And Nuclear Gene Sequences.

Although some species groups have been recognized in the leiuperine genus Physalaemus, no phylogenetic analysis has previously been performed. Here, we provide a phylogenetic study based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from 41 of the 46 species of Physalaemus. We employed the parsimony criterion using the software TNT and POY and the Bayesian criterion using the software MrBayes. Two major clades were recovered inside the monophyletic Physalaemus: (i) the highly supported Physalaemus signifer Clade, which included P. nattereri and the species previously placed in the P. deimaticus and P. signifer Groups; and (ii) the Physalaemus cuvieri Clade, which included the remaining species of Physalaemus. Five species groups were recognized in the P. cuvieri Clade: the P. biligonigerus Group, the P. cuvieri Group, the P. henselii Group, the P. gracilis Group and the P. olfersii Group. The P. gracilis Species Group was the same as that previously proposed by Nascimento et al. (2005). The P. henselii Group includes P. fernandezae and P. henselii, and was the sister group of a clade that comprised the remaining species of the P. cuvieri Clade. The P. olfersii Group included P. olfersii, P. soaresi, P. maximus, P. feioi and P. lateristriga. The P. biligonigerus Species Group was composed of P. biligonigerus, P. marmoratus, P. santafecinus and P. riograndensis. The P. cuvieri Group inferred here differed from that recognized by Nascimento et al. (2005) only by the inclusion of P. albifrons and the exclusion of P. cicada. The paraphyly of P. cuvieri with respect to P. ephippifer was inferred in all the analyses. Distinct genetic lineages were recognized among individuals currently identified as P. cuvieri and they were congruent with cytogenetic differences reported previously, supporting the hypothesis of occurrence of formally unnamed species.92204-21

Phylogeny of frogs from the genus Physalaemus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences

Although some species groups have been recognized in the leiuperine genusPhysalaemus, no phylogenetic analysis has previously been performed. Here, weprovide a phylogenetic study based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from 41 of the 46 species of Physalaemus. We employed the parsimony criterion using the software TNT and POY and the Bayesian criterion using the software MrBayes. Two major clades were recovered inside the monophyletic Physalaemus: i) the highly supported Physalaemus signifer Clade, which included P. nattereri and the species previously placed in the P. deimaticus and P. signifer Groups; and ii) the Physalaemus cuvieri Clade, which included the remaining species of Physalaemus. Five species groups were recognized in the P. cuvieri Clade: the P. biligonigerus Group, the P. cuvieri Group, the P. henselii Group, the P. gracilis Group and the P. olfersii Group. The P. gracilis Species Group was the same as that previously proposed by Nascimento et al. (2005). The P. henselii Group includes P. fernandezae and P. henselii, and was the sister group of a clade that comprised the remaining species of the P. cuvieri Clade. The P. olfersii Group included P. olfersii, P. soaresi, P. maximus, P. feioi and P. lateristriga. The P. biligonigerus Species Group was composed of P. biligonigerus, P. marmoratus, P. santafecinus and P. riograndensis. The P. cuvieri Group inferred here differed from that recognized by Nascimento et al. (2005) only by the inclusion of P. albifrons and the exclusion of P. cicada. The paraphyly of P. cuvieri with respect to P. ephippifer was inferred in all the analyses. Distinct genetic lineages were recognized among individuals currently identified as P. cuvieri and they were congruent with cytogenetic differences reported previously, supporting the hypothesis of occurrence of formally unnamed species.Fil: Lourenço, Luciana B.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Targueta, Cíntia P.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Baldo, Juan Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Nascimento, Juliana. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Garcia, Paulo C. A.. Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Andrade, Gilda V.. Universidade Federal do Maranhão; BrasilFil: Haddad, Célio F. B.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Recco Pimentel, Shirlei M.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Motion Control with Fuzzy Tuning of Cascaded-PID Gains

One of the main challenges of maneuvering an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to keep a stabilized flight is dealing with its fast and highly coupled nonlinear dynamics. There are several solutions in the literature, but most of them require fine-tuning of the parameters. In order to avoid the exhaustive tuning procedures, this work employs a Fuzzy Logic strategy for online tuning of the PID gains of the UAV motion controller. A Cascaded-PID scheme is proposed, in which velocity commands are calculated and sent to the flight control unit from a given target desired position (waypoint). Therefore, the flight control unit is responsible for the lower control loop. The main advantage of the proposed method is that it can be applied to any UAV without the need of its formal mathematical model. Robot Operating System (ROS) is used to integrate the proposed system and the flight control unit. The solution was evaluated through flight tests and simulations, which were conducted using Unreal Engine 4 with the Microsoft AirSim plugin. In the simulations, the proposed method is compared with the traditional Ziegler-Nichols tuning method, another Fuzzy Logic approach, and the ArduPilot built-in PID controller. The simulation results show that the proposed method, compared to the ArduPilot controller, drives the UAV to reach the desired setpoint faster. When compared to Ziegler-Nichols and another different Fuzzy Logic approach, the proposed method demonstrates to provide a faster accommodation and yield smaller errors amplitudes