Are semi-terrestrial crabs threatened by human noise? Assessment of behavioural and biochemical responses of Neohelice granulata (Brachyura, Varunidae) in tank

This study examined the effects of human lab-generated noise (sweep tone) on the behaviour and biochemistry of a semi-terrestrial crab (Neohelice granulata). The experiment was carried out in tanks equipped with video- and audio-recording systems on a total of seventy-eight specimens. In total, 42 experimental trials with sweep-tone exposure and control conditions were performed using crabs in single and group layouts. After a habituation period of 30 min, the locomotor and acoustic (sound signals emitted by the crabs) behaviours were monitored for 30 min. During this time, the animals in sweep-tone conditions were exposed to ascending sweeps in a bandwidth range of 2.5–25 kHz. Exposure to sweep-tone noise produced significant changes in the number of signals emitted, locomotor behaviours and plasma parameters, such as haemolymph total haemocyte count and glucose, lactate and total protein concentrations, revealing that human noise could represent a disturbance for this crustacean species.Fil: Filiciotto, Francesco. National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment,Mesina; ItaliaFil: Sal Moyano, María Paz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: de Vincenzi, Giovanni. National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Messina; ItaliaFil: Hidalgo, Fernando Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Sciacca, Virginia. National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Messina; ItaliaFil: Bazterrica, Maria Cielo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Corrias, Valentina. National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Messina; ItaliaFil: Lorusso, Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Mazzola, Salvatore. National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment; ItaliaFil: Buscaino, Giuseppa. National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment; ItaliaFil: Gavio, Maria Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

Systemic Administration of Orexin a Loaded Liposomes Potentiates Nucleus Accumbens Shell Dopamine Release by Sucrose Feeding

Orexin neurons originate in the lateral and dorsomedial hypothalamus and perifornical area and produce two different neuropeptides: orexin A (OxA) and orexin B (OxB), which activate OxR1 and OxR2 receptors. In the lateral hypothalamus (LH) orexin neurons are involved in behavior motivated by natural rewards such as palatable food (sugar, high-fat food) and it has been demonstrated similarly that the orexin signaling in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is implicated in the intake of high-fat food. The VTA is an important area involved in reward processing. Given the involvement of nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell dopamine (DA) in motivation for food, we intended to investigate the effect of OxA on the basal and feeding-activated DA transmission in the NAc shell. OxA is a large peptide and does not cross the blood–brain barrier and for this reason was loaded on two kinds of liposomes: anti-transferrin-monoclonal antibodies (OX26-mAb) and lactoferrin-modified stealth liposomes. The effect of IV administration of both OxA liposomes on NAc shell DA was studied by microdialysis in freely moving rats. OxA, administered using both kinds of liposomes, produced a delayed and transitory increase in dialysate DA in the NAc shell, strongly and lastingly potentiated the increase in dialysate DA elicited by sucrose pellet consumption and increased the number of eaten pellets. These effects of OxA on DA transmission and feeding were prevented by the OxR1 antagonist SB 334867. Hence, OxA acting on VTA OxR1 can facilitate sucrose-stimulated NAc shell DA transmission directly by increasing the basal activity of VTA DA neurons that send their projections to the NAc shell

Altered erythropoiesis and decreased number of erythrocytes in children with neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric tumor presenting at diagnosis either as localized or metastatic disease, which mainly involves the bone marrow (BM). The physical occupancy of BM space by metastatic NB cells has been held responsible for impairment of BM function. Here, we investigated whether localized or metastatic NB may alter hematopoietic lineages' maturation and release of mature cells in the periphery, through gene expression profiling, analysis of BM smears, cell blood count and flow cytometry analysis. Gene ontology and disease-associated analysis of the genes significantly under-expressed in BM resident cells from children with localized and metastatic NB, as compared to healthy children, indicated anemia, blood group antigens, and heme and porphyrin biosynthesis as major functional annotation clusters. Accordingly, in children with NB there was a selective impairment of erythrocyte maturation at the ortho-chromic stage that resulted in reduced erythrocyte count in the periphery, regardless of the presence of metastatic cells in the BM. By considering all NB patients, low erythrocyte count at diagnosis associated with worse survival. Moreover, in the subset of metastatic patients, low erythrocyte count, hemoglobin and hematocrit and high red cell distribution width at follow-up also associated with worse outcome. These observations provide an alternative model to the tenet that infiltrating cells inhibit BM functions due to physical occupancy of space and may open a new area of research in NB to understand the mechanism(s) responsible for such selective impairment

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Whistle Modulation during a Trawl Bycatch Event in the Adriatic Sea

Marine mammal vocal elements have been investigated for decades to assess whether they correlate with stress levels or stress indicators. Due to their acoustic plasticity, the interpretation of dolphins’ acoustic signals of has been studied most extensively. This work describes the acoustic parameters detected in whistle spectral contours, collected using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), in a bycatch event that involved three Bottlenose dolphins during midwater commercial trawling. The results indicate a total number of 23 upsweep whistles recorded during the bycatch event, that were analyzed based on the acoustic parameters as follows: (Median; 25th percentile; 75th percentile) Dr (second), total duration (1.09; 0.88; 1.24); fmin (HZ), minimum frequency (5836.4; 5635.3; 5967.1); fmax (HZ), maximum frequency, (11,610 ± 11,293; 11,810); fc (HZ), central frequency; (8665.2; 8492.9; 8982.8); BW (HZ), bandwidth (5836.4; 5635.3; 5967.1); Step, number of step (5; 4; 6). Furthermore, our data show that vocal production during the capture event was characterized by an undescribed to date combination of two signals, an ascending whistle (upsweep), and a pulsed signal that we called “low-frequency signal” in the frequency band between 4.5 and 7 kHz. This capture event reveals a novel aspect of T. truncatus acoustic communication, it confirms their acoustic plasticity, and suggests that states of discomfort are conveyed through their acoustic repertoire

Lab experimental setting for analysis of Mytilus galloprovincialis’ behaviour after wave-generated sounds exposure

The present paper proposes an experimental lab setting and an innovative method in order to evaluate the behavioural reactions of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) exposed to different acoustic stimuli. Ninety mussels were exposed for 30 minutes to one of five acoustic tones repeated in continuous or to the control condition. The tones lasted 1 s and differed in frequency band: Low frequencies-sweep (L, 0.1 - 5 kHz); Mid-Low frequencies-sweep (ML, 5 - 10 kHz); Mid frequencies-sweep (M, 10 - 20 kHz); Mid-High frequencies-sweep (MH, 20 - 40 kHz); High frequencies-sweep (H, 40 - 60 kHz). Experimental test sweeps were produced using a signal generator connected to underwater loudspeakers and a calibrated hydrophone was used to obtain acoustic recordings of sweeps and experimental tank background noise. An underwater camera, placed overhead the animals, recorded the mussels’ behaviours. A continuous visual sampling procedure, performed by an observatory, was adopted to detect the mussel gape rate and the outpouching of the muscular foot while an automatic analysis was performed using EthoVision XT 9.0 software. The behavioural parameters assessed automatically included changes in mobility status, movement, velocity and turn angle that are usually estimated in vertebrates and higher invertebrates

Correction of tuberous breast with small volume asymmetry by using a new adjustable implant

BACKGROUND: The tuberous breast syndrome is a rare anomaly of breast shape, which can be associated to volume breast asymmetry. We report our caseload in the correction of tuberous breasts with small volume asymmetry by using the Muti's technique associated to the implantation of a new adjustable implant. AIM: Purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of treating tuberous breast deformity with two different types of implants (a textured round high profile cohesive I implant in the larger breast and a Spectra T implant in the smaller breast). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Since May 2008, patients affected by tuberous breast combined to small breast volume asymmetry were enrolled in a prospective study. After gland deformity correction, the adjustable implant was positioned in the smaller breast. A textured round implant was positioned in the contralateral breast. Standard pictures were taken before surgery and during follow-up visits over one year. A visual analogue scale (VAS) scale was used to evaluate patients' and external physicians' judgment. Standardized objective measurements of breast and chest were also taken. Statistical significance of any value variation was assessed with the Wilconxon's rank sum test. RESULTS: Eleven patients were treated with the proposed surgical approach. VAS scores from patients and external physicians were high. Deformity correction was obtained in all patients as evidenced by the significant modifications of objective measurements. No major late complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The new adjustable implant provides a reliable corrective option for hypoplastic tuberous breasts with small volume asymmetry. This device allows intra-operative modification of implant volume according to breast volume discrepancy. Although our findings are satisfying, a longer follow-up is required to evaluate long term results

Effect of High-Pressure Processing on Fresh Sea Urchin Gonads in Terms of Shelf Life, Chemical Composition, and Microbiological Properties

Paracentrotus lividus is a widespread sea urchin species appreciated worldwide for the taste of its fresh gonads. High-pressure processing (HPP) can provide a thermal equivalent to pasteurization, maintaining the organoleptic properties of the raw gonads. This study evaluated HPP technology's effect at 350 MPa and 500 MPa on microbial inactivation and biochemical characteristics of P. lividus gonads. HPP at 350 MPa resulted in a higher decrease in protein and free amino acids associated with a loss of olfactory, color, and gustatory traits and a visual alteration of the texture. On the other hand, gonad samples stored for 40 days after treatments at 500 MPa showed a good organoleptic profile similar to fresh gonads. Furthermore, only 500 MPa effectively reduced mesophilic bacteria contamination among the two HPP treatments carried out. Total lipids increased during storage; however, the SAFA/PUFA rate was homogeneous during HPP trials ranging from 2.61-3.91 g/100 g. Total protein decreased more than 40% after HPP at 350 MPa, whereas, after 500 MPa, it remained stable for 20 days. The amount of free amino acid constantly decreased during storage after HPP at 350 MPa and remained constant at 500 MPa. HPP can effectively remove the bacterial flora and inactivate enzymes, maintaining the properties of the fresh sea urchin gonads