Adrenal response of male rats exposed to prenatal stress and early postnatal stimulation

Stress in pregnant rats caused by chronic immobilization alters the pattern of secretion of corticosterone and modifies the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) of the fetus. Early postnatal handling, however, may reverse the effects of increased secretion of corticosterone. We investigated the effects of prenatal stress and postnatal handling on the activity of the HPA axis of male offspring of stressed female rats. Male 90-day-old rats from four groups were investigated: prenatally stressed animals without postnatal handling, prenatally stressed animals with postnatal handling, unstressed control animals with postnatal handling, and unstressed control animals without postnatal handling. After sacrifice, the adrenal glands were weighed to determine the adrenal-somatic index. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL assay and active caspase-3 expression. We found that the adrenal gland cortex:medulla ratio increased in animals with prenatal stress and that eventually the stress caused apoptosis. Handling newborns to simulate maternal activity ameliorated some of the negative effects of prenatal stress.Fil: Liaudat, Ana Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, N.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Chen, S.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Romanini, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vivas, A.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Rolando, A.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Gauna, H.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Mayer, N.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentin

Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers holding a wound healing active compound and its effect in cell culture. A model for the study of surface mediated drug delivery systems

Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films holding a synthetic bioinspired wound healing active compound were used as drug-delivery platforms. Palmitic acid Langmuir monolayers were able to incorporate 2-methyltriclisine, a synthetic Triclisine derivative that showed wound healing activity. The layers proved to be stable and the nanocomposites were transferred to solid substrates. Normal human lung cells (Medical Research Council cell strain 5, MRC-5) were grown over the monomolecular Langmuir-Blodgett films that acted as a drug reservoir and delivery system. The proliferation and migration of the cells were clearly affected by the presence of 2-methyltriclisine in the amphiphilic layers. The methodology is proposed as a simple and reliable model for the study of the effects of bioactive compounds over cellular cultures.EEA Marcos JuárezFil: Fernández, Luciana. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Física y Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Reviglio, Ana Lucía. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Física y Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Reviglio, Ana Lucía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Heredia, Daniel A. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Física y Departamento de Química; Argentina.Fil: Heredia, Daniel A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Morales, Gustavo M. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Física y Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Morales, Gustavo M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Santo, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Física y Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Santo, Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Luis. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Física y Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alustiza, Fabrisio Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juárez; ArgentinaFil: Liaudat, Ana Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Bosch, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Departamento de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Larghi, Enrique L. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Bracca, Andrea B.J. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Kaufman, Teodoro S. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; Argentin

Factors controlling the water quality of rock glacier springs in European and American mountain ranges

Rock glaciers (RGs) provide significant water resources in mountain areas under climate change. Recent research has highlighted high concentrations of solutes including trace elements in RG-fed waters, with negative implications on water quality. Yet, sparse studies from a few locations hinder conclusions about the main drivers of solute export from RGs. Here, in an unprecedented effort, we collected published and unpublished data on rock glacier hydrochemistry around the globe. We considered 201 RG springs from mountain ranges across Europe, North and South America, using a combination of machine learning, multivariate and univariate analyses, and geochemical modeling. We found that 35 % of springs issuing from intact RGs (containing internal ice) have water quality below drinking water standards, compared to 5 % of springs connected to relict RGs (without internal ice). The interaction of ice and bedrock lithology is responsible for solute concentrations in RG springs. Indeed, we found higher concentrations of sulfate and trace elements in springs sourcing from intact RGs compared to water originating from relict RGs, mostly in specific lithological settings. Enhanced sulfide oxidation in intact RGs is responsible for the elevated trace element concentrations. Challenges for water management may arise in mountain catchments rich in intact RGs, and where the predisposing geology would make these areas geochemical RG hotspots. Our work represents a first comprehensive attempt to identify the main drivers of solute concentrations in RG water

Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients

BACKGROUND: Blood cultures are a gold standard specific test for diagnosing many infections. However, the low yield may limit their usefulness, particularly in low-risk populations. This study was conducted to assess the utility of blood cultures drawn from ambulatory outpatients. METHODS: Blood cultures drawn at community-based collection sites in the Calgary Health Region (population 1 million) in 2001 and 2002 were included in this study. These patients were analyzed by linkages to acute care health care databases for utilization of acute care facilities within 2 weeks of blood culture draw. RESULTS: 3102 sets of cultures were drawn from 1732 ambulatory outpatients (annual rate = 89.4 per 100,000 population). Significant isolates were identified from 73 (2.4%) sets of cultures from 51 patients, including Escherichia coli in 18 (35%) and seven (14%) each of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Compared to patients with negative cultures, those with positive cultures were older (mean 49.6 vs. 40.1 years, p < 0.01), and more likely to subsequently receive care at a regional emergency department, outpatient antibiotic clinic, or hospital (35/51 vs. 296/1681, p < 0.0001). Of the 331 (19%) patients who received acute care treatment, those with positive cultures presented sooner after community culture draw (median 2 vs. 3 days, p < 0.01) and had longer median treatment duration (6 vs. 2 days, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Blood cultures drawn in outpatient settings are uncommonly positive, but may define patients for increased intensity of therapy. Strategies to reduce utilization without excluding patients with positive cultures need to be developed for this patient population

Usefulness of procalcitonin serum level for the diagnosis of bacteremia

The predictive value of procalcitonin serum levels to detect or rule out bacteremia was investigated prospectively in a case-control study with 200 hospitalized adults from whom blood samples were taken for culture. Fifty bacteremic patients (cases) had higher procalcitonin serum levels than the 150 controls with sterile blood cultures (11.7 vs. 0.7 ng/ml; P=0.0001), a difference that remained significant after controlling for potential confounders in multivariate analysis. At cut-off values of 0.5 and 0.2 ng/ml, the sensitivity of procalcitonin was 56 and 92%, and the specificity was 83 and 43%, respectively. These results yielded low positive (22 and 12%) and high negative predictive values (96 and 99%), reflecting primarily the low prevalence of bacteremia among patients who undergo blood cultures in hospitals (low pretest probability). Although caution is mandatory when using such markers at the individual level, procalcitonin, possibly together with other parameters, could nonetheless prove useful in future studies to rapidly rule out bacteremia

Adrenal response of male rats exposed to prenatal stress and early postnatal stimulation

Stress in pregnant rats caused by chronic immobilization alters the pattern of secretion of corticosterone and modifies the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) of the fetus. Early postnatal handling, however, may reverse the effects of increased secretion of corticosterone. We investigated the effects of prenatal stress and postnatal handling on the activity of the HPA axis of male offspring of stressed female rats. Male 90-day-old rats from four groups were investigated: prenatally stressed animals without postnatal handling, prenatally stressed animals with postnatal handling, unstressed control animals with postnatal handling, and unstressed control animals without postnatal handling. After sacrifice, the adrenal glands were weighed to determine the adrenal-somatic index. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL assay and active caspase-3 expression. We found that the adrenal gland cortex:medulla ratio increased in animals with prenatal stress and that eventually the stress caused apoptosis. Handling newborns to simulate maternal activity ameliorated some of the negative effects of prenatal stress.Fil: Liaudat, Ana Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, N.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Chen, S.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Romanini, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vivas, A.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Rolando, A.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Gauna, H.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Mayer, N.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria; Argentin

Multi-CCD modelling of the point spread function

This work is based on data obtained as part of the Canada-France Imaging Survey, a CFHT large program of the National Research Council of Canada and the French CNRS. Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA Saclay, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Science de l’Univers (INSU) of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii.International audienceContext. Galaxy imaging surveys observe a vast number of objects, which are ultimately affected by the instrument’s point spread function (PSF). It is weak lensing missions in particular that are aimed at measuring the shape of galaxies and PSF effects represent an significant source of systematic errors that must be handled appropriately. This requires a high level of accuracy at the modelling stage as well as in the estimation of the PSF at galaxy positions.Aims. The goal of this work is to estimate a PSF at galaxy positions, which is also referred to as a non-parametric PSF estimation and which starts from a set of noisy star image observations distributed over the focal plane. To accomplish this, we need our model to precisely capture the PSF field variations over the field of view and then to recover the PSF at the chosen positions.Methods. In this paper, we propose a new method, coined Multi-CCD (MCCD) PSF modelling, which simultaneously creates a PSF field model over the entirety of the instrument’s focal plane. It allows us to capture global as well as local PSF features through the use of two complementary models that enforce different spatial constraints. Most existing non-parametric models build one model per charge-coupled device, which can lead to difficulties in capturing global ellipticity patterns.Results. We first tested our method on a realistic simulated dataset, comparing it with two state-of-the-art PSF modelling methods (PSFEx and RCA) and finding that our method outperforms both of them. Then we contrasted our approach with PSFEx based on real data from the Canada-France Imaging Survey, which uses the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. We show that our PSF model is less noisy and achieves a ∼22% gain on the pixel’s root mean square error with respect to PSFEx.Conclusions. We present and share the code for a new PSF modelling algorithm that models the PSF field on all the focal plane that is mature enough to handle real data

Propiedades insecticidas de la ceniza del complejo volcánico Puyehue-Cordón Caulle y su posible impacto ambiental

Se examina el efecto insecticida de las cenizas volcánicas en general y sus efectos ambientales, con especial énfasis en las cenizas acumuladas como consecuencia de la erupción del complejo volcánico Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, que actualmente afecta un área de más de 7,5 millones de hectáreas en la Patagonia Argentina. Se determinó la composición química de las cenizas provenientes del complejo Puyehue- Cordón Caulle por EDS, y se comprobó que los componentes mayoritarios son el O, Si, Al, Fe, Na y K. A través de bioensayos de laboratorio, utilizando dos especies de insectos como modelo biológico, se determinó que las cenizas se adhieren profusamente a la superficie corporal y resultan tóxicas para ambas especies cuando se mezclan con el sustrato en baja concentración. La susceptibilidad a las cenizas difirió entre ambas especies en bioensayos de siete días de exposición continua [CL99(Oryzaephilus surinamensis L.) = 10.25 mg.g-1; CL99((Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)) = 4.96 mg.g-1]. De estos resultados, se desprende que el impacto de la ceniza del complejo Puyehue- Cordón Caulle sobre la comunidad de artrópodos puede ser radical en la fase aguda de la deposición, y que sus efectos podrían ser substancialmente cualitativos en la fase crónica de la exposición. Así también, la recuperación de las poblaciones afectadas por la ceniza en las zonas con clima desértico, donde persiste la ceniza seca, será más lenta, hecho que tendrá consecuencias tangibles a largo plazo para las plantas hospederas de insectos, para la polinización y sobre el desarrollo de las poblaciones de vertebrados insectívoros. En contraste, en las regiones húmedas, la presencia de cenizas representa un cambio manifiesto en el ecosistema debido al aporte de nutrientes, que en combinación con la retención de agua por las cenizas, llevará a la recuperación cuali y cuantitativa de las poblaciones bajo condiciones favorables

Propiedades insecticidas de la ceniza del complejo volc\ue1nico Puyehue-Cord\uf3n Caulle y su posible impacto ambiental: Insecticidal properties of ashes from the volcanic complex Puyehue-Caulle Range and their possible environmental impact

Se examina el efecto insecticida de las cenizas volcánicas en general y sus efectos ambientales, con especial énfasis en las cenizas acumuladas como consecuencia de la erupción del complejo volcánico Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, que actualmente afecta un área de más de 7,5 millones de hectáreas en la Patagonia Argentina. Se determinó la composición química de las cenizas provenientes del complejo Puyehue-Cordón Caulle por EDS, y se comprobó que los componentes mayoritarios son el O, Si, Al, Fe, Na y K. A través de bioensayos de laboratorio, utilizando dos especies de insectos como modelo biológico, se determinó que las cenizas se adhieren profusamente a la superfi cie corporal y resultan tóxicas para ambas especies cuando se mezclan con el sustrato en baja concentración. La susceptibilidad a las cenizas difi rió entre ambas especies en bioensayos de siete días de exposición continua [CL99(Oryzaephilus surinamensis L.) = 10.25 mg.g-1; CL99 ((Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)) = 4.96 mg.g-1]. De estos resultados, se desprende que el impacto de la ceniza del complejo Puyehue-Cordón Caulle sobre la comunidad de artrópodos puede ser radical en la fase aguda de la deposición, y que sus efectos podrían ser substancialmente cualitativos en la fase crónica de la exposición. Así también, la recuperación de las poblaciones afectadas por la ceniza en las zonas con clima desértico, donde persiste la ceniza seca, será más lenta, hecho que tendrá consecuencias tangibles a largo plazo para las plantas hospederas de insectos, para la polinización y sobre el desarrollo de las poblaciones de vertebrados insectívoros. En contraste, en las regiones húmedas, la presencia de cenizas representa un cambio manifi esto en el ecosistema debido al aporte de nutrientes, que en combinación con la retención de agua por las cenizas, llevará a la recuperación cuali y cuantitativa de las poblaciones bajo condiciones favorables.<br>This paper discusses the insecticidal effect of volcanic ash and its environmental impact, focusing on the ash accumulated as a result of the eruption of the volcanic complex Puyehue- Caulle Range currently affecting an area of over 7.5 million hectares in the Argentine Patagonia. The chemical composition of ashes from the Puyehue-Caulle Range was analyzed by EDS showing that its major components are O, Si, Al, Fe, Na and K. Laboratory bioassays using two species of insects as a biological model, found that the ashes thoroughly adhere to the insect body surface and are toxic to both species tested, when mixed into the substrate at low concentrations. Susceptibility to ashes differs between the two species when tested in a seven day continuous exposure bioassay [CL99(Oryzaephilus surinamensis L.) = 10.25 mg.g-1; CL99((Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)) = 4.96 mg.g-1]. These results agree with those reported in the literature on effects of volcanic eruptions and suggest that the impact of the ashes from the Puyehue-Caulle Range volcanic complex on the insect community may be radical in the acute deposition phase, with substantial qualitative effects in the chronic phase of exposure. Also, the recovery of populations affected by ash in desert areas where dry ash persists will be slower, and this will have tangible and long-term consequences for insect host plants, pollination and on the development of populations of vertebrate insectivores. By contrast, the presence of ash in humid regions will impact the ecosystem by the addition of nutrients, which in combination with water retention by the ash will lead to a qualitative and quantitative recovery of the populations under favorable conditions