Mutual Avoidance in the Spectacled Salamander and Centipede: A Discrepancy between Exploratory Field and Laboratory Data

Interactions between amphibians and arthropods encompass a wide range of ecological relationships, predominantly characterized by predator–prey dynamics, with adult amphibians as the predators. In some instances, the roles are reversed. This study focuses on the potential predator-prey relationship between the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata) and the centipede Scolopendra cingulata in Central Italy. Building upon previous research on chemical cue perception in amphibians, we investigated potential olfactory cue-mediated avoidance behaviours exhibited by S. perspicillata towards the potential predator S. cingulata through field observations and manipulative experiments. In a natural site, we estimated the degree of negative co-occurrence between the study species under shelters and found an avoidance pattern between S. perspicillata and S. cingulata in refuges. However, when the study species were forced to choose between sharing or not sharing a given shelter, through a manipulative experiment, the avoidance pattern was not confirmed. Potential determinants contributing to the avoidance pattern observed in nature are discussed. Our exploratory results represent a good example of how what often appears to be a strong observation-based pattern in natural settings needs to be carefully scrutinized. Hypotheses testing through experiments in controlled environments remains a valuable approach to exclude potentially misleading processes

Simple top-down preparation of magnetic Bi0.9_{0.9}Gd0.1_{0.1}Fe1−x_{1-x}Tix_xO3_3 nanoparticles by ultrasonication of multiferroic bulk material

We present a simple technique to synthesize ultrafine nanoparticles directly from bulk multiferroic perovskite powder. The starting materials, which were ceramic pellets of the nominal compositions of Bi$_{0.9}$Gd$_{0.1}$Fe$_{1-x}$Ti$_x$O$_3$ (x = 0.00-0.20), were prepared initially by a solid state reaction technique, then ground into micrometer-sized powders and mixed with isopropanol or water in an ultrasonic bath. The particle size was studied as a function of sonication time with transmission electron microscopic imaging and electron diffraction that confirmed the formation of a large fraction of single-crystalline nanoparticles with a mean size of 11-13 nm. A significant improvement in the magnetic behavior of Bi$_{0.9}$Gd$_{0.1}$Fe$_{1-x}$Ti$_x$O$_3$ nanoparticles compared to their bulk counterparts was observed at room temperature. This sonication technique may be considered as a simple and promising route to prepare ultrafine nanoparticles for functional applications.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Teratogenic effects of environmental concentration of plastic particles on freshwater organisms

Given the widespread presence of plastics, especially in micro- and nanoscale sizes, in freshwater systems, it is crucial to identify a suitable model organism for assessing the potential toxic and teratogenic effects of exposure to plastic particles. Until now, the early life stage of freshwater organisms and the regeneration capacity in relation to plastic particles exposure is a still poorly investigated topic. In this study, we examine the teratogenic effect on diatom Cocconeis placentula and cnidarian Hydra vulgaris under controlled exposure conditions of poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (P(S-co-MMA)) particles. Significant effects were observed at the lowest concentrations (0.1 μg/L). A significant increase in the teratological frequency in C. placentula and a significant decrease in the regeneration rate in H. vulgaris were found at the lowest concentration. The delay in hydra regeneration impaired the feeding capacity and tentacles reactivity at 96 h of exposure. No effects on diatom growth were observed upon exposure to P(S-co-MMA) particles (0.1, 1, 100, 10,000 μg/L) for 28 days and these findings agree with other studies investigating algal growth. The application of the Teratogenic Risk Index, modified for diatoms, highlighted a moderate risk for the lowest concentration evaluating C. placentula and low risk at the lowest and the highest concentrations considering H. vulgaris. This study suggests the importance of testing organisms belonging to different trophic levels as diverse teratogenic effects can be found and the need to evaluate environmentally relevant concentrations of plastic particles

Comparing extraction method efficiency for high-throughput palaeoproteomic bone species identification

High-throughput proteomic analysis of archaeological skeletal remains provides information about past fauna community compositions and species dispersals in time and space. Archaeological skeletal remains are a finite resource, however, and therefore it becomes relevant to optimize methods of skeletal proteome extraction. Ancient proteins in bone specimens can be highly degraded and consequently, extraction methods for well-preserved or modern bone might be unsuitable for the processing of highly degraded skeletal proteomes. In this study, we compared six proteomic extraction methods on Late Pleistocene remains with variable levels of proteome preservation. We tested the accuracy of species identification, protein sequence coverage, deamidation, and the number of post-translational modifications per method. We find striking differences in obtained proteome complexity and sequence coverage, highlighting that simple acid-insoluble proteome extraction methods perform better in highly degraded contexts. For well-preserved specimens, the approach using EDTA demineralization and protease-mix proteolysis yielded a higher number of identified peptides. The protocols presented here allowed protein extraction from ancient bone with a minimum number of working steps and equipment and yielded protein extracts within three working days. We expect further development along this route to benefit large-scale screening applications of relevance to archaeological and human evolution research

Real-Time Nanoparticle–Cell Interactions in Physiological Media by Atomic Force Microscopy

Particle–cell interactions in physiological media are important in determining the fate and transport of nanoparticles and biological responses to them. In this work, these interactions are assessed in real time using a novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) based platform. Industry-relevant CeO2 and Fe2O3 engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) of two primary particle sizes were synthesized by the flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) based Harvard Versatile Engineering Nanomaterials Generation System (Harvard VENGES) and used in this study. The ENPs were attached on AFM tips, and the atomic force between the tip and lung epithelia cells (A549), adhered on a substrate, was measured in biological media, with and without the presence of serum proteins. Two metrics were used to assess the nanoparticle cell: the detachment force required to separate the ENP from the cell and the number of bonds formed between the cell and the ENPs. The results indicate that these atomic level ENP–cell interaction forces strongly depend on the physiological media. The presence of serum proteins reduced both the detachment force and the number of bonds by approximately 50% indicating the important role of the protein corona on the particle cell interactions. Additionally, it was shown that particle to cell interactions were size and material dependent

The effect of high intensity combined training on functional capacity, muscle strength, body composition, agility and dynamic balance in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction There is still controversy regarding the exercise characteristics that are more effective for improving peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), cardiac and metabolic function. High- intensity interval exercise training (HIIT) has been shown to elicit comparable and/or superior performance on endurance capacity (EC), ventricular function (VF) and quality of life. By other side, there is robust evidence that combined endurance and strength training is significantly more effective than endurance training only for improving EC, muscle mass and muscle strength. There is no enough information if the combination of HIIT with high strength training (HST) could enhance the physical conditions of these patients. Purpose The purpose of our study was to analyze the combination of HIIT + HST and its effect on physical performance compared to different types of combined training: HIIT and MCT with low load resistance training (RT) and HIIT or MCT only. Methods We evaluated 140 male patients (p) with CAD documented by angiographic studies, clinically stables with medical treatment and sinus rhythm. All of them performed a stress testing in treadmill without handrail support using a ramp protocol until maximal effort. VO2 peak (ml/kg/min) was measured indirectly through ACSM formula. We used YMCA´s method of estimating body fat with measurement of skinfolds in four sites (BF %), 30-second chair stand test (CST), 8-foot up and go test (FUGT), six-minute walk test (T6min) and one maximum repetition for quadriceps extension (1RMq) .Training intervention: p were randomly allocated to HIIT + RT (n=30), MCT + RT (n=30), HIIT (n=30), MCT (n=30) and HIIT + HST (n=20) during 3 month period of training. HIIT: 4 x 4 (85-95% peak heart rate) and 60-70% during active breaks. (36 min) MCT: 70-75% peak heart rate.(36 min) RT: 40-50% 1RM for lower body with 12-15 repetitions in 2 sets HST: ≥ 70% 1RM for lower body with low number of repetitions. Statistical analysis: all data were analyzed using IBM SPSS V.24. Comparisons were performed by following one-way ANOVA(parametric distribution) with post-hoc Tuckey or Kruskal-Wallis(non parametric distribution). The level of statistical significance was P&amp;lt; 0.05. Results Analyzing values pretraining (PRE) vs. postraining (POST), VO2 peak increased significantly by 27,52% for HIIT + HST P&amp;lt; 0,03 vs. HIIT + RT- MCT + RT and MCT. A positive effect in HIIT + HST with FUGT P&amp;lt; 0,001 and CST P&amp;lt; 0,005 between group changes and favourable observations in relation to 1RMq (PRE 60,00 ± 9,07 vs. POST 73,00 ± 9,86) and %BF(PRE 26,60 ± 3,21 vs. POST 24,80 ± 3,72) compared to MCT and HIIT P &amp;lt; 0,05. We didn´t find statistical significant differences with both modalities of combined training (low workloads) and HIIT for T6min. Conclusions High intensity combined training (HIIT + HST) had an additional effect related to others aerobic and resistance exercises attributed to neuromuscular adaptations, increased power and muscle strength. </jats:sec