Multidisciplinary approach to Cheetahs affected by gastrointestinal disease: study of the immune profile and of the fecal proteome

“One Health” concept links human health, animal health and the environment with a great potential to mutually influence the health of all species. Infectious diseases associated with wildlife can worse negative public perceptions of wild animals and public support for conservation requiring conscientious effort and urgency to avoid an undesirable outcome 2 . The exponential growth of the human population led to ecologic drastic changes related to human encroachment on wildlife habitats 3 . During the 20th century, growth of human population, invasion of wildlife habitats, changes in agricultural practices, domestication of wild animals and ecotourism have damaged the conservation of wildlife 4,5 . Establishing and maintaining protected areas are key tools for biodiversity conservation. However, this approach is insufficient for wide-ranging species. Protected areas, created for conservation purposes, do not always adequately conserve biodiversity, many terrestrial protected areas within human-dominated systems are isolated from one another increasing the risk of species extinctions 6 . The relationship between isolation and extinction is the basis of the “metapopulation theory” that many spatially distinct subpopulations reconnected by movement of individuals, leading to genetic exchange and the possibility of re- establishing extirpated subpopulations 7 . Numerous emerging infectious diseases have arisen from, or have been identified in, wildlife with implications for human health. For this reason, wildlife conservation can be considered an important resource of protection8 . Since 1960 the IUCN Red List has made multiple lists for a compendium of animals and plants conservation. To date, more than 134000 species have been assessed for The IUCN Red List, of these 26% are mammals 9 . In thisthesis, different aspectsrelated to an animal classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, the cheetah, will be focused. The aim is to investigate the gastrointestinal physiopathology of cheetahs, with a morbidity rate of 95% in captive animals, correlating it with the immune response. Different studies compared diseases in captive and free-ranging cheetahs showing the prevalence of stress-induced pathologies 10. The reduction of the population has led several cheetahs to be housed in zoos, in conditions that do not allow carrying the physiological behaviors of the species 10. For this reason, some pathologies are defined as probably stress-induced. The present research project is based on a multidisciplinary approach to the physiopathology of “cheetahs” GI diseases. In the first part of the study, starting from a common viral disease of cats (feline infectious peritonitis - FIP) in which the immune system plays a key role in disease progression, methods of monocytes’ isolation from peripheral blood were investigated, and then macrophages were studied regarding phagocytosis and respiratory burst activities. The method was firstly performed from samples of cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and cats’ samples positive for Feline coronavirus but not FIP, and then performing the same evaluations in samples from healthy cheetahs and from subjects with GI disease associated to Helicobacter spp. In the second part of project, the study of the cytokines profile on the same samples was performed, comparing results between animal populations (healthy vs diseased cheetahs). In the third line of research, fecal proteomics to investigate possible differences in healthy and diseased cheetahs was performed

Actividad inhibidora de la tintura de conyza bonariensis (L.) cronquist contra hongos y bacterias causantes de infecciones superficiales

Introducción: Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist es una planta herbácea de distribución mundial que forma parte del grupo de las malezas y es utilizada para tratar diversas afecciones de la piel. Objetivo: Evaluar la actividad inhibitoria in vitro de la tintura de las hojas de C. bonariensis contra hongos y bacterias causantes de infecciones superficiales. Métodos: La tintura se obtuvo mediante maceración alcohólica de las hojas secas de C. bonariensis. La concentración inhibitoria mínima (MIC) de la tintura se determinó en 53 aislados de pacientes con lesiones superficiales y en 6 cepas de referencia; 20 Malassezia (7 M. sympodialis, 7 M. furfur, 6 M. globosa), 16 Candida (8 C. albicans, 8 C. parapsilosis), 17 dermatofitos (6Trichophyton rubrum, 6 Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 5 Microsporum canis) y 6 Staphylococcus aureus. Resultados: Se obtuvo una marcada reducción de la viabilidad de la mayoría de los microorganismos evaluados con bajas concentraciones (menores a 10 % v/v) de la tintura de C. bonariensis. Conclusiones: Los resultados permitieron concluir que la tintura de C. bonariensis tiene actividad antibacteriana contra Staphylococcus aureus y actividad antifúngica contra los principales hongos que causan infecciones superficiales como dermatofitos, Candida y Malassezia. Se observaron variaciones de las MIC entre género y entre especies, pero no se observaron variaciones de las MIC dentro de las especies. Estos resultados contribuyen a dar una explicación científica del uso empírico del extracto de C. bonariensis en el tratamiento de varias infecciones cutáneas y a revalorizar el conocimiento etnomédico tradicional.Introduction: Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist is a herbaceous plant of the underbrush group. It is distributed worldwide and is used to treat a variety of skin conditions.Objective: Evaluate the in vitro inhibitory activity of the tincture from C. bonariensis leaves against fungi and bacteria causing superficial infections. Methods: The tincture was obtained by alcoholic maceration of dry leaves of C. bonariensis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tincture was determined against 53 isolates from patients with superficial lesions and 6 reference strains; 20 Malassezia (7 M. sympodialis, 7 M. furfur, 6 M. globosa), 16 Candida (8 C. albicans, 8 C. parapsilosis), 17 dermatophytes (6 Trichophyton rubrum, 6 Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 5 Microsporum canis) and 6 Staphylococcus aureus. Results: A notable reduction in the viability of most of the microorganisms evaluated was obtained at low concentrations (under 10 % v/v) of the C. bonariensis tincture.Conclusions: Results allow to conclude that the C. bonariensis tincture displays antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and antifungal activity against the main fungi causing superficial infections, such as dermatophytes, Candida and Malassezia. MIC variations were found between genera and species, but not within each species. These results may help experts find a scientific explanation for the empirical use of the C. bonariensis extract to treat various skin infections and revalue traditional ethnomedical knowledge.Fil: Mussin, Javier Esteban. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Manzano, Patricia. Universidad de Guayaquil; EcuadorFil: Mangiaterra, Magdalena Leonilda. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; ArgentinaFil: Giusiano, Gustavo Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentin

DISTRIBUCION ALTITUDINAL DE HONGOS QUERATINOFILOS, EPIFITOS Y ENDOFITOS EN SUELOS SEMIARIDOS DEL NOROESTE ARGENTINO (PROV. DE JUJUY, 23ºL.S Y 66ºL.W)

En zonas semidesérticas del noreste argentino, entre los 200 y 3700 m de altura y en época veraniega, se colectaron mediante anzuelo queratínico y vegetal (epífitos y endófitos), 26 muestras de suelos y 41 de flora autóctona, obteniéndose un total de 555 aislamientos fúngicos repartidos en 60 géneros y 100 especies. Los géneros con mayor número de especies correspondieron a: Acremonium, Aspergillus, Chae-tomium, Fusarium, Phoma y Ulocladium. En las 3 metodologías y entre los 2000 y 3000m, se obtuvo el mayor número de taxa y los mayores aislamientos en todas las altitudes, correspondieron a los epífitos y a los endófitos, donde los Hyphomycetes constituyeron el grupo más representativo en géneros y especies.Los Onygenales fueron poco representados en el sustrato queratínico, y la mayor presencia correspondió a Chrysosporium keratinophilum, Gymna-scella aurantiaca y Aphanoascus fulvescens, mientras en otros grupos taxonómicos, la especie más frecuente fue Paecilomyces lilacinus. Debe destacarse la capacidad de este substrato para detectar la presencia de Fonsecaea pedrosoi un importante agente de cromoblastomicosis en Argentina. En los epífitos, el 41,8% de los aislamientos fueron representados por: Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporio-ides, Epicoccum nigrum, Penicillium spp.y Ulocla-dium atrum complex. En los endófitos, los integrantes de los géneros Chaetomium, Aspergillus, Phoma y Fusarium, presentaron la mayor diversidad de especies bajo los 3000m, a mayor altitud, sólo Phoma mantuvo una alta diversidad.A.alternata complex, fue la especie con mayor capacidad adaptativa en las 3 metodologías y en las 2 altitudes. En el área estudiada, la altitud parece no afectar la diversidad de especies sobre los substratos analizados, donde la flora autóctona de la región, más que el suelo, parece representar el reservorio y hábitat más propicio

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

Base de datos estadísticos de las bibliotecas de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata : una experiencia cooperativa

In October 2001, there were formed the Interlibraries Task Forces (ITF) in the field of libraries of the UNLP with the idea of moving in various joint projects and form a network, whose face visible is Portal ROBLE (www.roble.unlp.edu.ar). Among the teams, the ITF Evaluation of Information Units, was established with the aim of developing "management indicators applicable to all libraries of the UNLP in order to measure and diagnose them, facilitating decision making and processes of continuous improvement". Within this framework, we developed a standardized statistical survey of libraries basic data, which took into account the existing international norms and standards on the issue, as well as developments implemented in various countries for the realization of university libraries statistics. Among others, were consulted developments of SCONUL (UK), REBIUN (Spain), CAUL (Australia) and ASIBU (France). The statistical form was applied to all participating libraries in the network ROBLE in 2001 and 2004, and its results were published in two separate statistical yearbooks. In both cases, the survey data was performed based on a spreadsheet that libraries completed and sent to the task force for central processing and analysis. Although the methodology reached the expected results, there were presented the following problems: manual processing of the data was extremely cumbersome and prone to human errors in typing, tailoring and subsequent publication of the Statistical Yearbooks delayed a minimum of two years of work, since there was no staff dedicated exclusively to this task, processed data were not registered in a public place or were easily accessible, so any subsequent study was difficult to implement, and, because of the excesive delay in processing, there was no time to move on comparative or more developed studies among libraries (benchmarking, second-level indicators, impact indicators, etc.). For these reasons, during 2007 funds were managed to develop a Web application that would allow us to automate the statistical survey and generate a data base with all the data of the UNLP libraries collected since 2001. While the application is still in a state of development, the first phase (data loading and viewing performance indicators) is being used in beta-test mode. Part of this work was presented at the Workshop Indicators for Assessing Libraries (Taller de Indicadores de Evaluación de Bibliotecas, http://tieb.fahce.unlp.edu.ar) held in La Plata at December 2007 with the aim of extending its application to others university libraries in Argentina. This paper describes the experience of the team UNLP in collecting standardized statistical data, analysis and processing, the WEB application designed, the problems encountered and future lines of work for the implementation of the Project “Library Statistics Database of Argentine University Libraries”

Presentación del taller

Presentación del Taller a cargo de la directora del departamento de Bibliotecplogía donde expone los objetivos y las instituciones participantes: Objetivos: • Desarrollar una metodología/modelo de evaluación de bibliotecas. • Transferir conocimientos y tecnología al grupo latinoamericano. • Localizar buenas prácticas y benchmarking. • Avanzar en mediciones de impacto/beneficio. • Desarrollar métodos e indicadores para la evaluación de bibliotecas digitales. Instituciones participantes: • Roble (Red de Bibliotecas de la UNLP). • Fahce (Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Información). • SECABA (Sistema de evaluación de calidad de Bibliotecas Andaluzas).Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Parámetros para el monitoreo de la biota fúngica interior en un área subtropical

En la práctica médica tienen cada vez más importancia las enfermedades causadas por hongos oportunistas adquiridas en ambientes hospitalarios. La mayor gravedad se presenta en lugares de alto riesgo, como guarderías, residencias de ancianos, quirófanos y Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTI)(1) . En los ambientes internos la proliferación de los contaminantes biológicos (principalmente hongos) se da en las zonas húmedas como floreros, humedad de las paredes, humidificadores, macetas con plantas y en las fibras capaces de retenerlos, a saber, filtros de aire, alfombras, cortinas de tela, pinturas porosas, etc. Estos contaminantes son transportados por visitantes, personal hospitalario, alimentos contaminados, sondas urinarias, equipos de terapia intravenosa e instrumentos mal esterilizados (2,3,4) . Entre los agentes más destacados se encuentran los mohos, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaría, Cladosporiutn, Acremonium, Stachybotrys, Curvularia y Photna y las levaduras Candida, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula y Geotrichum(1,5) . Por lo tanto, la vigilancia epidemiológica en los hospitales es necesaria para evitar infecciones fúngicas. Para ello, es imprescindible conocer la calidad del aire confinado, realizando un recuento selectivo de levaduras y de mohos, como el más elemental mecanismo de prevención de enfermedades.Fil: Fernández, Mariana Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; ArgentinaFil: Mangiaterra, Magdalena Leonilda. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; ArgentinaFil: Giusiano, Gustavo Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina. Cátedra de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología; Argentin

Malaria in pregnancy: challenges for control and the need for urgent action

Malaria in pregnancy has a devastating effect on the health of mothers and their babies, and is an important cause of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.1 The greatest effect of malaria in pregnancy is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and is associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection. However, pregnant women are also at risk of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Although its burden seems to be lower than that of P falciparum, P vivax malaria is still associated with harmful consequences for maternal and infant health

Therapeutic approaches to coronavirus infection according to “One Health” concept

Coronaviridae constantly infect human and animals causing respiratory, gastroenteric or systemic diseases. Over time, these viruses have shown a marked ability to mutate, jumping over the human-animal barrier, thus becoming from enzootic to zoonotic. In the last years, numerous therapeutic protocols have been developed, mainly for severe acute respiratory syndromes in humans. The aim of this review is to summarize drugs or other approaches used in coronavirus infections focusing on different roles of these molecules or bacterial products on viral adhesion and replication or in modulating the host's immune system. Within the "One Health" concept, the study of viral pathogenic role and possible therapeutic approaches in both humans and animals is essential to protect public health