Relative abundance of heat shock proteins and clusterin transcripts in spermatozoa collected form boar routinely utilised in an artificial insemination centre: preliminary results

It is widely accepted that mature sperm contains RNA. The first hypothesis was that sperm RNAs have no functions of their own but are simply residues of spermatogenesis reflecting the events that occurred during their formation in the testes. More recently new discoveries have essentially expanded these views, showing that sperm mRNAs constitute a population of stable full-length transcripts, many of which are selectively retained during spermatogenesis and delivered to oocytes contributing to early embryo development. It is well known that semen quality can be influenced by occasional physical stress, infection, and variation in temperature and the definition of new markers for evaluation of semen could offer knowledge about the fertility potential of a semen sample. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence and the relative quantity of transcripts and protein of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), 90 (HSP90) and clusterin (CLU) in Percoll-selected spermatozoa collected from seven adult boars of proven fertility routinely employed for artificial insemination. Our results showed the presence of HSP70, HSP90 and CLU transcripts with different level of expression: high for HSPs and low for CLU transcripts. The transcript level of both HSPs are similar among selected spermatozoa derived from high quality sperm with the exception of one boar that showed a reduced content of HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA together with a lower semen quality. At protein level, both HSPs were detected with similar amount among all seven boars whilst no band was evidenced for CLU protein

Evaluation of swine fertilisation medium (SFM) efficiency in preserving spermatozoa quality during long-term storage in comparison to four commercial swine extenders

In pig production, artificial insemination is widely carried out and the use of fresh diluted semen is predominant. For this reason, there are increasing interests in developing new extenders and in establishing the optimal storage conditions for diluted spermatozoa. In the last few decades, we utilised a homemade diluent (swine fertilisation medium (SFM)) for spermatozoa manipulation and biotechnological application as the production of transgenic pigs utilising the sperm-mediated gene transfer technique. The purpose of the present study is therefore to analyse the ability of SFM, in comparison to four commercial extenders, in preserving the quality of diluted boar semen stored at 16.58C till 15 days. We utilised some of the main predictive tests as objectively measured motility, acrosome and sperm membrane integrity, high mitochondrial membrane potential and pH. Based on our in vitro study, SFM could be declared as a good long-term extender, able to preserve spermatozoa quality as well as Androhep Enduraguard for up to 6 to 9 days and more

Metabolomics Fingerprint Induced by the Intranigral Inoculation of Exogenous Human Alpha-Synuclein Oligomers in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is considered a synucleinopathy because of the intraneuronal accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein (αSyn). Recent evidence points to soluble αSyn-oligomers (αSynO) as the main cytotoxic species responsible for cell death. Given the pivotal role of αSyn in PD, αSyn-based models are crucial for the investigation of toxic mechanisms and the identification of new therapeutic targets in PD. By using a metabolomics approach, we evaluated the metabolic profile of brain and serum samples of rats infused unilaterally with preformed human αSynOs (HαSynOs), or vehicle, into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Three months postinfusion, the striatum was dissected for striatal dopamine (DA) measurements via High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and mesencephalon and serum samples were collected for the evaluation of metabolite content via gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Multivariate, univariate and correlation statistics were applied. A 40% decrease of DA content was measured in the HαSynO-infused striatum as compared to the contralateral and the vehicle-infused striata. Decreased levels of dehydroascorbic acid, myo-inositol, and glycine, and increased levels of threonine, were found in the mesencephalon, while increased contents of fructose and mannose, and a decrease in glycine and urea, were found in the serum of HαSynO-infused rats. The significant correlation between DA and metabolite content indicated that metabolic variations reflected the nigrostriatal degeneration. Collectively, the metabolomic fingerprint of HαSynO-infused rats points to an increase of oxidative stress markers, in line with PD neuropathology, and provides hints for potential biomarkers of PD

Maternal amoxicillin affects piglets colon microbiota: microbial ecology and metabolomics in a gut model

The first weeks of life represent a crucial stage for microbial colonization of the piglets’ gastrointestinal tract. Newborns’ microbiota is unstable and easily subject to changes under stimuli or insults. Nonetheless, the administration of antibiotics to the sow is still considered as common practice in intensive farming for pathological conditions in the postpartum. Therefore, transfer of antibiotic residues through milk may occurs, affecting the piglets’ colon microbiota. In this study, we aimed to extend the knowledge on antibiotic transfer through milk, employing an in vitro dedicated piglet colon model (MICODE— Multi Unit In vitro Colon Model). The authors’ focus was set on the shifts of the piglets’ microbiota composition microbiom- ics (16S r-DNA MiSeq and qPCR—quantitative polymerase chain reaction) and on the production of microbial metabolites (SPME GC/MS—solid phase micro-extraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) in response to milk with different concentrations of amoxicillin. The results showed an effective influence of amoxicillin in piglets’ microbiota and metabolites production; however, without altering the overall biodiversity. The scenario is that of a limitation of pathogens and opportun- istic taxa, e.g., Staphylococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, but also a limitation of commensal dominant Lactobacillaceae, a reduction in commensal Ruminococcaceae and a depletion in beneficial Bifidobactericeae. Lastly, an incremental growth of resistant species, such as Enterococcaceae or Clostridiaceae, was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first evaluating the impact of antibiotic residues towards the piglets’ colon microbiota in an in vitro model, opening the way to include such approach in a pipeline of experiments where a reduced number of animals for testing is employed

Changing the Landscape of the City Outskirts. Bon Pastor (Barcelona)

The paper presents the territorial and axiological context and the peculiarities of the participatory project developed by the Polis Research Centre and the Bon Pastor Neighbourhood Association, as well as the first steps in the design of two interventions. The first intervention, the Wall and Party Walls in Rodriguez de la Fuente Square, is proposed within the framework of the sustainable development strategies of Barcelona City Council. Its main objective is to achieve thermal insulation of the affected dwellings, thus contributing to the well being of the residents and to the reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Besides, it is aimed to solve landscape discontinuity. In the lower part of the party walls, there is a wall, a kind of plinth that the residents have chosen as a site for the expansion of the work on the civic remembrance of the neighbourhood. There, the “Living Memory” space will be set up, reserved for interventions by children from the quarter’s schools through a work programme run in cooperation with them. The second intervention is the case of the centennial Mulberry Tree classified as a tree of local interest. In 2018, the mulberry tree suffered some damage from thugs who threw firecrackers inside. Therefore, the need was pointed out to reorganise the space around the tree in order to create dissuasive effects and preserve its integrity. These are preliminary studies to be discussed by the agents involved in the project: the Sant Andreu District, the IMPUQV (Institut Municipal del Paisatge Urbài la Qualitat de Vida), and the Bon Pastor Neighbourhood Association

Visão geral das meta-análises sobre prevenção e tratamento da obesidade infantil

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the quality of systematic reviews on prevention and non-pharmacological treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Data source: A search was done in electronic databases (Medline via PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, the Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trials), including only systematic reviews with meta-analysis. Reviews were selected by two researchers, and a third one solved the divergences. PRISMA statement and checklist were followed. Summary of data: A total of 4574 records were retrieved, including 24 after selection. Six reviews were on obesity prevention, 17 on obesity treatment, and one on mixed interventions for prevention and treatment of obesity. The interventions were very heterogeneous and showed little or no effects on weight or body mass index. Mixed interventions that included dieting, exercise, actions to reduce sedentary behavior, and programs involving the school or families showed some short-term positive effects. Reviews that analyzed cardiovascular risk factors demonstrated significant improvements in the short-term. Conclusion: The systematic reviews of interventions to prevent or reduce obesity in children and adolescents generally showed little or no effects on weight or body mass index, although cardiovascular profile can be improved. Mixed interventions demonstrated better effects, but the long-term impact of obesity treatments of children and adolescents remains unclear.Objetivos: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade das revisões sistemáticas sobre prevenção e tratamento não farmacológico do sobrepeso e da obesidade em crianças e adolescentes. Fontes de dados: Foi realizada uma busca em bases de dados eletrônicas (Medline via Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, The Cochrane Library e Ensaios Clínicos), incluindo apenas revisões sistemáticas com meta-análise. As revisões foram selecionadas por dois pesquisadores e um terceiro resolveu as divergências. A lista de recomendações do PRISMA foi seguida. Síntese dos dados: Foram identificados 4.574 publicações, e 24 foram incluídas após a seleção. Seis publicações eram sobre prevenção da obesidade, 17 sobre tratamento da obesidade e 1 sobre intervenções mistas para prevenção e tratamento da obesidade. As intervenções eram muito heterogêneas e mostraram pouco ou nenhum efeito sobre o peso ou índice de massa corporal. Intervenções mistas que incluíam dieta, exercícios, ações para reduzir o comportamento sedentário e programas que envolviam a escola ou as famílias mostraram alguns efeitos positivos de curto prazo. Revisões que analisaram fatores de risco cardiovascular demonstraram melhoras significativas em curto prazo. Conclusão: As revisões sistemáticas de intervenções para prevenir ou reduzir a obesidade em crianças e adolescentes geralmente mostraram pouco ou nenhum efeito sobre o peso ou índice de massa corporal, embora o perfil cardiovascular possa ter melhorado. Intervenções mistas demonstraram melhores efeitos, mas o impacto em longo prazo dos tratamentos da obesidade de crianças e adolescentes ainda não está claro

Antimicrobial Biomasses from Lactic Acid Fermentation of Black Soldier Fly Prepupae and Related By-Products

Worldwide, thousands of insect species are consumed as food or are used as feed ingredients. Hermetia illucens, ‘black soldier fly’, is one of them, and a large amount of puparia and dead adults flies are accumulated during rearing. These materials represent important wastes but no studies are still present in the literature regarding their functional properties and potential reuse. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a heterogeneous group of bacteria contributing to various industrial applications, ranging from food fermentation, chemicals production to pharmaceuticals manufacturing. A LAB feature of industrial interest is their ability to produce antimicrobial metabolites. Considering the scientific and commercial interest in discovering novel antimicrobials, this work will be direct towards fermentation of insect-derived biomasses: puparia and adults insect at the end of life cycle. To the best of our knowledge, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of fermented insects is tested for the first time. This study aimed also to evaluate differences in the composition between fermented and unfermented insects, and to study whether the fermentation and the type of LAB used played a crucial role in modifying the composition of the substrate. Results firstly highlighted fermentability of this species of insects, showed that fermented black soldier flies puparium possess a high antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens. Moreover, result of chemical composition showed that fermented biomass had a higher percentage of fat and a more complex fatty acids profile

Nutritional status of Kaingáng Indians enrolled in 12 indigenous schools in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Caracterizar o estado nutricional de 3.254 Kaingáng de escolas indígenas de 12 terras indígenas do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Transversal de base escolar. Obtidas medidas de peso (P), estatura (E) e circunferência da cintura (CC) conforme Organização Mundial da Saúde - OMS (1995). Classificação do estado nutricional: crianças: índices E/I, P/I e P/E, de acordo com o National Center for Health Statistics (WHO, 1995) e E/I, P/I e índice de massa corporal/idade (IMC/I) de acordo com OMS (2006); adolescentes: IMC/I (OMS, 1995 e 2006) e E/I (OMS, 2006); adultos: IMC (OMS, 1995) e CC (OMS, 2003). Adolescentes representaram 56% dos avaliados, crianças 42,5%, adultos 1,4% e idosos 0,1%. Deficit estatural de 15,1% (OMS, 1995) e 15,5% (OMS, 2006) entre as crianças e de 19,9% entre adolescentes. Freqüências de excesso de peso foram: crianças: 11% (OMS, 1995) e 5,7% (OMS, 2006); adolescentes: 6,7%; adultos: 79,2%. Entre adultos, 45,3% estavam em risco aumentado para doenças metabólicas. Observada a transição nutricional no segmento, caracterizada por prevalências importantes de baixa estatura na infância e adolescência e sobrepeso proeminente em todas as faixas etárias.The study's objective was to characterize the nutritional status of 3,254 Kaingáng Indians in indigenous schools in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. This was a school-based study. Weight (W), height (H), and waist circumference (WC) were measured according to World Health Organization guidelines (1995). Children's nutritional status classification included H/A, W/A, and W/H according to the National Center for Health Statistics (WHO, 1995) and H/A, W/A, and body mass index/age (BMI/A) according to WHO (2006). Adolescents were classified for BMI/A (WHO, 1995 and 2006) and H/A (WHO, 2006). Adults were classified for BMI (WHO, 1995) and WC (WHO, 2003). Adolescents represented 56% of the sample, children 42.5%, adults 1.4%, and elderly 0.1%. Prevalence rates for stunting were 15.1% (WHO, 1983) and 15.5% (WHO, 2006) in children and 19.9% in adolescents. Prevalence rates for overweight were 11% (WHO, 1983) and 5.7% (WHO, 2006) in children, 6.7% in adolescents, and 79.2% in adults. 45.3% of adults were at increased risk of metabolic diseases. A nutritional transition was observed in the group, characterized by significant prevalence of stunting in children and adolescents and prominent overweight in all age groups

Eficácia e Segurança do Blinatumomabe no Tratamento da Leucemia Linfoblástica Aguda: Revisão Sistemática da Literatura

Introdução: As opções de tratamento convencionais para leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) são a quimioterapia, a transfusão de sangue e o transplante de medula óssea. O blinatumomabe é uma forma mais recente de tratamento que utiliza a tecnologia de um anticorpo biespecífico para o combate da LLA. Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia e a segurança do blinatumomabe para tratamento de pacientes com LLA por meio de uma revisão sistemática. Método: Estudos sobre a temática foram pesquisados nas bases de dados Cochrane, Embase, LILACS e PubMed. Foram utilizadas as ferramentas Rayyan e EndNote para o gerenciamento de referências. Etapas de seleção, extração e avaliação da qualidade foram conduzidas em dupla e as divergências foram resolvidas por consenso. A qualidade das evidências obtidas e o risco de viés foram avaliados com as ferramentas GRADE e RoB 2 da Cochrane. Resultados: Foram incluídos para análise cinco artigos científicos referentes a três ensaios clínicos randomizados multicêntricos e internacionais. Os resultados relacionados à sobrevida global, à sobrevida livre de progressão e a eventos adversos foram superiores no grupo blinatumomabe comparado com a quimioterapia convencional. A análise de risco de viés mostrou algumas preocupações para os desfechos sobrevida livre de progressão e eventos adversos, principalmente em razão do cegamento dos participantes, o que também determinou que o grau de certeza das evidências fosse classificado como moderado. Conclusão: Aumento da sobrevida e menor taxa de eventos adversos foram observados para o grupo blinatumomabe, sugerindo que o medicamento é mais eficaz e seguro quando comparado à quimioterapia convencional para o tratamento da LLA

A precarização do trabalho e a desumanização psicossocial em produções cinematográficas

Neste artigo, questiona-se o futuro de uma ilusão de modernidade, estabelecida nos avanços tecnológicos e na dinâmica neoliberal de organização do trabalho, por meio da análise interpretativa de duas produções cinematográficas que expõem a dinâmica de exploração humana instrumentalizada pela defesa de uma modernização dos modos de (re)produção do trabalho. Consideram-se imagens provenientes de um futuro hipotético vindo do passado, retratados no filme Tempos modernos, em contraposição a um registro contemporâneo do trabalho precarizado no documentário Estou me guardando para quando o carnaval chegar. Objetiva-se evidenciar criticamente as transformações ocorridas no mundo do trabalho, os avanços tecnológicos e o ideal de modernização, bem como suas implicações para a dimensão psicossocial. Adota-se o percurso metodológico da análise de núcleos de significação, em articulação com a Psicologia Sócio-histórica. Os resultados indicam a organização da cidade como expressão da (re)ordenação psicossocial a partir dos modos de produção; o ritmo desumanizante das esteiras de operários e das máquinas de costura dos empreendedores; a precarização do trabalho na contemporaneidade que produz apagamentos (aparentes) nas tensões sociais decorrentes da organização social do trabalho, (re)produzindo uma internalização de coordenadas neoliberais como modos de organização do próprio psiquismo. Conclui-se que a (re)produção de modelos de precarização/desumanização psicossocial esvaziam e individualizam a dimensão ético-política do sofrimento decorrente dessa (des)organização do trabalho, subjetividade e saúde mental