Study of Macrophage Activity in Cats with FIP and Naturally FCoV-Shedding Healthy Cats

Coronavirus frequently infects humans and animals, showing the ability to recombine and cross over to different species. Cats can be considered a model for studying coronavirus infection, in which feline coronavirus (FCoV) represents a major enteric pathogen related to gastroenteric disease. In this animal, the virus can acquire tropism for macrophage cells, leading to a deadly disease called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). In this study, monocyte-derived macrophages were isolated by CD14-positive selection in venous whole blood from 26 cats with FIP and 32 FCoV-positive healthy cats. Phagocytosis and respiratory burst activities were investigated and compared between the groups. This is the first study comparing macrophage activity in cats affected by FIP and healthy cats positive for FCoV infection. Our results showed that in cats with FIP, the phagocytic and respiratory burst activities were significantly lower. Our results support the possible role of host immunity in Coronaviridae pathogenesis in cats, supporting future research on the immune defense against this systemic disease

LED Light Applied to the Feeder: Impact on Growth Performances of Chickens under Productive Conditions

This study assessed the use of feeders equipped with light‐emitting diodes and their effects on the productivity of broiler chickens under productive conditions. A total of 87,200 ROSS 308 chickens, 1‐day old, were housed in two poultry houses (CONTROL, F‐LED). In CONTROL, 20,000 females (mean body weight 41.12 ± 3 g) and 25,000 males (mean body weight 41.56 ± 3 g) were housed, while 19,200 females and 23,000 males of the same genetic make‐up and mean body weight were housed in F‐LED under the same environmental conditions. In F‐LED, to encourage chickens to feed and to redistribute more feed down the feeding line, a feeder equipped with a LED light has been installed at the end of each line. In CONTROL, no light was located on the feeders. At the end of the cycle, the average body weight never showed significant differences both for females (1345 g in CONTROL; 1359 g in F‐LED) and for males (2771 g in CONTROL; 2793 g in FLED). Uniformity improved in F‐LED, at 75.2% in females and 54.1% in males, compared to CONTROL, at 65.7% and 48.5%, respectively, for females and males. The feed conversion ratio followed the same trend, being more favorable in chickens reared in F‐LED (1.567) compared to those raised in CONTROL (1.608). The application of a single F‐LED at the end of each feeding line demonstrated its utility in improving size uniformity and feed conversion

Acquisitions and evaluation of beehive parameters through an electronic system

This study highlights the management of the hive superorganism, with the help of technology. Precision beekeeping is today a growing sector, used as apiary management strategy, based on the constant monitoring of families, minimization of consumption of resources and maximizing of productivity. Thanks to the scales and a probe placed inside each hive, we obtained data relating to winter 2021 and spring 2022, where we had flowerings 30 days in advance of the seasonality. The fluctuation of temperatures entailed the early start of laying of the queen with fresh brood to feed and heat, even when temperatures dropped drastically, having to draw on pollen and honey stocks massively. The role of the beekeeper becomes crucial, to avoid compromising the annual production and to help the survival of the colony. To know the situation inside the hive without opening it and administering an adequate nutrient supply at the right time is not always easy, and the death of beehives due to hunger is typical of the spring period. Climate changes are increasingly affecting the survival of bees and remote monitoring of beehives is becoming increasingly important to ensure their survival and productivity

Modulation of Morphology and Glycan Composition of Mucins in Farmed Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris) Intestine by the Multi-Strain Probiotic Slab51®

Probiotics have become highly recognized as supplements for poultry.Since gut health can be considered synonymous withanimal health, the effects of probiotic Slab51® on the morphology and the glycan composition of guineafowlintestine were examined. The probiotics were added in drinking water (2 x 1011 UFC/L) throughout the grow-out cycle.Birds were individually weighed andslaughtered after four months. Samples from the duodenum, ileum and caecum were collected and processed for morphological, morphometric, conventional and lectin glycohistochemical studies. The results were analyzed for statistical significance by Student’s t test. Compared with control samples, probiotic group revealed (1) significant increase in villus height (p < 0.001 in duodenum and ileum; p < 0.05 in caecum), crypt depth (p < 0.001 in duodenum and caecum; p < 0.05 in ileum) and goblet cells (GCs) per villus (p < 0.001) in all investigated tracts; (2) increase in galactosel,3Nacetylgalacyosamine( Gall,3GalNAc)terminating O-glycans and l,2-fucosylated glycans secretory GCs in the duodenum; (3) increase in 2,6-sialoglycans and high-mannose N-linked glycans secretory GCs but reduction in GCs-secreting sulfoglycans in the ileum; (4) increase in Gall,3GalNAc and high-mannose N-linked glycans secretory GCs and decrease in GCs-producing sulfomucins in the caecum; (5) increase in the numbers of crypt cells containing sulfate and non-sulfated acidic glycans. Overall, dietary Slab51® induces morphological and region-specific changes in glycoprotein composition of guinea fowl intestine, promoting gut health

La tradición laica en la “ciudad universitaria” : El movimiento librepensador en La Plata (1896-1919)

La fundación de La Plata en 1882 y la instalación en esa ciudad de las autoridades de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, es un hecho mayor de la historia regional de la margen izquierda del Río de la Plata. La nueva ciudad será la sede administrativa del gobierno provincial y luego la cuna de la más progresista de las universidades argentinas en el período anterior a la reforma universitaria de 1918. Ciudad administrativa, ciudad universitaria y, en términos de la estructura social, ciudad en donde los sectores medios marcan el tono. Ciudad a la cual los cambios en la infraestructura y la red de transportes que habían revolucionado a Buenos Aires en las décadas anteriores llegan simultáneamente durante sus primeros años de vida. Esta urbe sin historia quería tomar la antorcha del progreso y relevar a la vieja Buenos Aires en la gran carrera de postas hacia la integración en el seno de la civilizacion que unificaría al mundo a instancias de los avances tecnológicos y los descubrimientos científicos. La ciudad fundada por Dardo Rocha se veía a sí misma como el agente de esta nueva civilización en la inmensidad de la pampa.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Epileptogenesis and Tumorigenesis in Glioblastoma: Which Relationship?

Epilepsy is reported in 29–52% of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and has an important role in the natural history of this tumor and patients’ life quality. Although GBM is less epileptogenic than lower-grade gliomas, seizures are usually more difficult to control with common antiseizure medications; drug resistance is found in 20% of cases. Recent studies suggest that seizures at the onset of GBM could be a possible favorable independent prognostic factor in patients. Moreover, a growing body of evidence shows that many molecular mechanisms that influence epileptogenesis often regulate GBM growth and invasiveness, sometimes favoring or counteracting the tumor, respectively. The better-characterized players include glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, aquaporin-4, and hypoxia-activated molecules. However, currently available data on the molecular basis of epileptogenesis, tumorigenesis, and their relationship is incomplete or discordant and further research is urgently needed on this topic

ROLE OF XENOSIALIZATION IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF COLITIS IN THE CANINE MODEL: POSSIBLE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF NEW PROBIOTICS BLENDS

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a heterogeneous state of chronic intestinal inflammation with no exact known cause. In dogs, IBD is expressed histologically with lymphoplasmacytic inflammation (LPL) of gastrointestinal tract. The study evaluates the possible correlation between microbiota, dietary absorption,enteric expression of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) (xenosialization) and intestinal inflammation (xenosialitis) in dogs with IBD. Neu5Gc is indeed synthesized from its N-acetyl precursor (Neu5Ac) by cytidine-5′-monophospho-N acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH), absent in humans, and polymorphic in dogs

Possible Role of Dietary N-glycolyneuraminic Acid and Dysbiosis in Canine Enteropathy Pathogenesis

N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) is synthesized from its N-acetyl precursor (Neu5Ac) by cytidine-50- monophospho-N acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH). Absent in humans and ferrets, it is polymorphic in dogs. Loss of the CMAH gene generate a change in the structural profile of glycans of all tissues inducing the production of antibodies against Neu5Gc-glycans..

Effects of a supplemented diet containing 7 probiotic strains (Honeybeeotic) on honeybee physiology and immune response: analysis of hemolymph cytology, phenoloxidase activity, and gut microbiome

Background In this study, a probiotic mixture (Honeybeeotic) consisting of seven bacterial strains isolated from a unique population of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) was used. That honeybee population was located in the Roti Abbey locality of the Marche Region in Italy, an area isolated from human activities, and genetic contamination from other honeybee populations. The aim was to investigate the effects of this probiotic mixture on the innate immunity and intestinal microbiome of healthy common honeybees in two hives of the same apiary. Hive A received a diet of 50% glucose syrup, while hive B received the same syrup supplemented with the probiotics, both administered daily for 1 month. To determine whether the probiotic altered the immune response, phenoloxidase activity and hemolymph cellular subtype count were investigated. Additionally, metagenomic approaches were used to analyze the effects on gut microbiota composition and function, considering the critical role the gut microbiota plays in modulating host physiology. Results The results revealed differences in hemocyte populations between the two hives, as hive A exhibited higher counts of oenocytoids and granulocytes. These findings indicated that the dietary supplementation with the probiotic mixture was safe and well-tolerated. Furthermore, phenoloxidase activity significantly decreased in hive B (1.75 +/- 0.19 U/mg) compared to hive A (3.62 +/- 0.44 U/mg, p < 0.005), suggesting an improved state of well-being in the honeybees, as they did not require activation of immune defense mechanisms. Regarding the microbiome composition, the probiotic modulated the gut microbiota in hive B compared to the control, retaining core microbiota components while causing both positive and negative variations. Notably, several genes, particularly KEGG genes involved in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) transport, were more abundant in the probiotic-fed group, suggesting an effective nutritional supplement for the host. Conclusions This study advocated that feeding with this probiotic mixture induces beneficial immunological effects and promoted a balanced gut microbiota with enhanced metabolic activities related to digestion. The use of highly selected probiotics was shown to contribute to the overall well-being of the honeybees, improving their immune response and gut health