Brain transcriptome of gobies inhabiting natural CO2 seeps reveal acclimation strategies to long-term acidification

Ocean acidification (OA) is known to affect the physiology, survival, behaviour and fitness of various fish species with repercussions at the population, community and ecosystem levels. Some fish species, however, seem to acclimate rapidly to OA conditions and even thrive in acidified environments. The molecular mechanisms that enable species to successfully inhabit high CO2 environments have not been fully elucidated especially in wild fish populations. Here, we used the natural CO2 seep in Vulcano Island, Italy to study the effects of elevated CO2 exposure on the brain transcriptome of the anemone goby, a species with high population density in the CO2 seep and investigate their potential for acclimation. Compared to fish from environments with ambient CO2, gobies living in the CO2 seep showed differences in the expression of transcripts involved in ion transport and pH homeostasis, cellular stress, immune response, circadian rhythm and metabolism. We also found evidence of potential adaptive mechanisms to restore the functioning of GABAergic pathways, whose activity can be affected by exposure to elevated CO2 levels. Our findings indicate that gobies living in the CO2 seep may be capable of mitigating CO2-induced oxidative stress and maintaining physiological pH while meeting the consequent increased energetic costs. The conspicuous difference in the expression of core circadian rhythm transcripts could provide an adaptive advantage by increasing the flexibility of physiological processes in elevated CO2 conditions thereby facilitating acclimation. Our results show potential molecular processes of acclimation to elevated CO2 in gobies enabling them to thrive in the acidified waters of Vulcano Island

Closed-aperture unbounded acoustics experimentation using multidimensional deconvolution

In physical acoustic laboratories, wave propagation experiments often suffer from unwanted reflections at the boundaries of the experimental setup. We propose using multidimensional deconvolution (MDD) to post-process recorded experimental data such that the scattering imprint related to the domain boundary is completely removed and only the Green's functions associated with a scattering object of interest are obtained. The application of the MDD method requires in/out wavefield separation of data recorded along a closed surface surrounding the object of interest, and we propose a decomposition method to separate such data for arbitrary curved surfaces. The MDD results consist of the Green's functions between any pair of points on the closed recording surface, fully sampling the scattered field. We apply the MDD algorithm to post-process laboratory data acquired in a two-dimensional acoustic waveguide to characterize the wavefield scattering related to a rigid steel block while removing the scattering imprint of the domain boundary. The experimental results are validated with synthetic simulations, corroborating that MDD is an effective and general method to obtain the experimentally desired Green's functions for arbitrary inhomogeneous scatterers

A kinetic binding study to evaluate the pharmacological profile of a specific leukotriene C-4 binding site not coupled to contraction in human lung parenchyma

We report the identification of a novel pharmacological profile for the leukotriene (LT)C-4 binding site we previously identified in human lung parenchyma (HLP). We used a series of classic cysteinyl-LT (CysLT)(1) receptor antagonists belonging to different chemical classes and the dual CysLT(1)-CysLT(2) antagonist BAY u9773 for both binding and functional studies. Because the presence of (S)-decyl-glutathione interfered with cysteinyl-LT binding, with a kinetic protocol we avoided the use of this compound. By means of heterologous dissociation time courses, we demonstrated that zafirlukast, iralukast, and BAY u9773 selectively competed only for H-3-LTD4 binding sites, whereas pobilukast, pranlukast, and CGP 57698 dissociated both H-3-LTC4 and H-3-LTD4 from their binding sites. Thus, with binding studies, we have been able to identify a pharmacological profile for LTC4 distinct from that of LTD4 receptor (CysLT(1)) in HLP. On the contrary, in functional studies, all of the classic antagonists tested were able to revert both LTC4- and LTD4-induced contractions of isolated HLP strips. Thus, LTD4 and LTC4 contract isolated HLP strips through the same CysLT1 receptor. The results of kinetic binding studies, coupled to a sophisticated data analysis, confirm our hypothesis that HLP membranes contain two cysteinyl-LT high-affinity binding sites with different pharmacological profiles. In functional studies, however, LTD4- and LTC4-induced contractions are mediated by the same CysLT(1) receptor. In conclusion, the specific LTC4 high-affinity binding site cannot be classified as one of the officially recognized CysLT receptors, and it is not implicated in LTC4-induced HLP strip contractions

Percutaneous ethanol injection of hepatic tumors : single-session therapy with general anesthesia

OBJECTIVE: We studied the feasibility and the effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection, performed with general anesthesia in a single session, for treating malignant hepatic lesions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We treated 30 patients with sonographically guided percutaneous injection of ethanol. Twenty had hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis, and 10 had hepatic metastases, principally from colon cancer. The mean volume of ethanol injected was 57 ml (range, 6-165 ml). RESULTS: CT showed complete necrosis (up to 8.2 cm) in seven of 10 patients with encapsulated hepatocellular carcinoma and about 90% necrosis in the remaining three patients. In four of these patients, the alpha-fetoprotein level fell from more than 200 ng/ml to less than 20 ng/ml during treatment. In 10 patients with infiltrating hepatocellular carcinoma, about 70-90% necrosis was achieved; in six of these patients, the alpha-fetoprotein level, which had been more than 200 ng/ml, decreased during treatment. In the 10 patients with metastases, more than 50% necrosis was always achieved. Levels of carcinoembryonic antigen decreased after treatment in all patients. In three patients who had cirrhosis with superficial hepatocellular carcinoma, peritoneal hemorrhage occurred but did not require transfusion. CONCLUSION: Our results show that percutaneous injection of ethanol in a single session with general anesthesia is feasible and effective and has several advantages over multisession therapy. These include shorter treatment time and the ability to treat larger and more numerous lesions

Healing of bronchopleural fistula using a modified Dumon stent: a case report

BACKGROUND: Brochopleural fistula following lung resection is a therapeuric challenge for thoracic surgeons. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of late bronchopleural fistula after right extrapleural pneumonectomy for malignant mesothelioma. Bronchoscopic attempts to repair it were unsuccessful. CONCLUSION: The use of a modified Y Dumon stent associated with glue apposition on the bronchial stump allowed us to close the fistula without the need of any surgical repair

Genomes of coral dinoflagellate symbionts highlight evolutionary adaptations conducive to a symbiotic lifestyle.

Despite half a century of research, the biology of dinoflagellates remains enigmatic: they defy many functional and genetic traits attributed to typical eukaryotic cells. Genomic approaches to study dinoflagellates are often stymied due to their large, multi-gigabase genomes. Members of the genus Symbiodinium are photosynthetic endosymbionts of stony corals that provide the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Their smaller genome sizes provide an opportunity to interrogate evolution and functionality of dinoflagellate genomes and endosymbiosis. We sequenced the genome of the ancestral Symbiodinium microadriaticum and compared it to the genomes of the more derived Symbiodinium minutum and Symbiodinium kawagutii and eukaryote model systems as well as transcriptomes from other dinoflagellates. Comparative analyses of genome and transcriptome protein sets show that all dinoflagellates, not only Symbiodinium, possess significantly more transmembrane transporters involved in the exchange of amino acids, lipids, and glycerol than other eukaryotes. Importantly, we find that only Symbiodinium harbor an extensive transporter repertoire associated with the provisioning of carbon and nitrogen. Analyses of these transporters show species-specific expansions, which provides a genomic basis to explain differential compatibilities to an array of hosts and environments, and highlights the putative importance of gene duplications as an evolutionary mechanism in dinoflagellates and Symbiodinium

A Mechanistic Model of PCR for Accurate Quantification of Quantitative PCR Data

Background: Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a workhorse laboratory technique for measuring the concentration of a target DNA sequence with high accuracy over a wide dynamic range. The gold standard method for estimating DNA concentrations via qPCR is quantification cycle (Cq) standard curve quantification, which requires the time- and labor-intensive construction of a Cq standard curve. In theory, the shape of a qPCR data curve can be used to directly quantify DNA concentration by fitting a model to data; however, current empirical model-based quantification methods are not as reliable as Cq standard curve quantification. Principal Findings: We have developed a two-parameter mass action kinetic model of PCR (MAK2) that can be fitted to qPCR data in order to quantify target concentration from a single qPCR assay. To compare the accuracy of MAK2-fitting to other qPCR quantification methods, we have applied quantification methods to qPCR dilution series data generated in three independent laboratories using different target sequences. Quantification accuracy was assessed by analyzing the reliability of concentration predictions for targets at known concentrations. Our results indicate that quantification by MAK2-fitting is as reliable as Cq standard curve quantification for a variety of DNA targets and a wide range of concentrations. Significance: We anticipate that MAK2 quantification will have a profound effect on the way qPCR experiments are designed and analyzed. In particular, MAK2 enables accurate quantification of portable qPCR assays with limited sampl