BluePort: A Platform to Study the Eosinophilic Response of Mice to the Bite of a Vector of Leishmania Parasites, Lutzomyia longipalpis Sand Flies

transmission in residents of endemic areas has been attributed to the acquisition of immunity to sand fly salivary proteins. One theoretical way to accelerate the acquisition of this immunity is to increase the density of antigen-presenting cells at the sand fly bite site. Here we describe a novel tissue platform that can be used for this purpose. sand flies. Results presented indicate that a shift in the inflammatory response, from neutrophilic to eosinophilic, is the main histopathological feature associated with the immunity acquired through repeated exposure to the bite of sand flies, and that the BluePort tissue compartment could be used to accelerate this process. In addition, changes observed inside the BluePort parenchyma indicate that it could be used to study complex immunobiological processes, and to develop ectopic secondary lymphoid structures.Understanding the characteristics of the dermal response to the bite of sand flies is a critical element of strategies to control leishmaniasis using vaccines that target salivary proteins. Finding that dermal eosinophilia is such a prominent component of the anti-salivary immunity induced by repeated exposure to sand fly bites raises one important consideration: how to avoid the immunological conflict derived from a protective Th2-driven immunity directed to sand fly saliva with a protective Th1-driven immunity directed to the parasite. The BluePort platform is an ideal tool to address experimentally this conundrum

Prevalencia y factores morfofuncionales en ancianos institucionalizados en una ciudad colombiana (Pereira)

Objective: Sarcopenia was recently classified as a geriatric syndrome and is a great challenge for healthy aging. Affected patients tend to have poorer clinical outcomes and higher mortality than those without sarcopenia. The present study evaluated prevalence and morphofunctional factors in institutionalized elderly people in a Colombian city (Pereira). Materials and methods: Cross-sectional, observational, descriptive and retrospective study carried out with elderly people of both sexes interned in a geriatric home, in december 2017, located in the city of Pereira, Colombia. Sarcopenia was determined through muscle mass (Men:Objetivo: La sarcopenia fue clasificada recientemente como síndrome geriátrico y es un gran desafío para el envejecimiento saludable. Los pacientes afectados tienden a tener peores resultados clínicos y mayor mortalidad que aquellos sin sarcopenia. El presente estudio evaluó prevalencia y factores morfofuncionales en ancianos institucionalizados en una ciudad colombiana (Pereira). Materiales y métodos: Estudio transversal, observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo realizado con ancianos de ambos sexos internados en un hogar geriátrico, en diciembre de 2017, ubicado la ciudad de Pereira- Colombia. Se determinó la sarcopenia a través de la masa muscular (Hombres: < 30 kg para hombres y < 20 kg para mujeres) y rendimiento físico (velocidad de marcha < 11 segundos). Entre las variables de asociación, se consideró la edad y variables morfofuncionales. La tabulación y análisis de los datos se realizaron por medio del paquete estadístico SPSS versión 19. Resultados: La muestra se compuso de 61 pacientes, con promedio de edad de 80,4 (DS 7,9) años, en la que se determinó una prevalencia de sarcopenia del 54,1%. La sarcopenia fue más prevalente en hombres (p < 0,001), y en los ancianos con Índice de Masa Muscular Esquelética deficiente (p < 0,001), no se presentaron asociaciones con la edad, y las demás variables morfofuncionales. Conclusiones: La población estudiada presenta una alta prevalencia de sarcopenia y es mayor a la descrita por otros autores, encontrándose asociación con el sexo y el Índice de Masa Muscular Esquelétic

Pigment contents among the seven coral species studied.

<p>Variability in concentration of pigment groups among species. Coral species abbreviations: <i>A cerv—Acropora cervicornis; C nat—Colpophyllia natans; O ann—Orbicella annularis; P astr—Porites astreoides; P furc—Porites furcata; P stri—Pseudodiploria strigosa; S side—Siderastrea siderea</i>. Error bars indicate ±1SD.</p

Concentration of symbiont cells per coral tissue area per species.

<p>Coral species abbreviations: <i>A cerv—Acropora cervicornis; C nat—Colpophyllia natans; O ann—Orbicella annularis; P astr—Porites astreoides; P furc—Porites furcata; P stri—Pseudodiploria strigosa; S side—Siderastrea siderea</i>. Error bars indicate ±1SD.</p

Remote sensing reflectance for all seven species.

<p>The blue line represents the average Rrs with ±1SD shown as the black shadow. n = 5 for each species.</p

Summary of symbiont clades found in the literature for the seven coral species sampled during the present study.

<p>* = Intragenomic specificity not mentioned in the reference.</p><p>** = Florida Keys, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Honduras, Navassa and St. Thomas.</p><p>^# = identified as <i>Montastraea annularis</i> in the mentioned references.</p><p>^## = identified as <i>Diploria strigosa</i> in the mentioned reference.</p><p>Summary of symbiont clades found in the literature for the seven coral species sampled during the present study.</p

Coral species studied.

<p>A) <i>Acropora cervicornis</i>; B) <i>Colpophyllia natans</i>; C) <i>Orbicella annularis</i>; D) <i>Porites astreoides</i>; E) <i>Porites furcata</i>; F) <i>Pseudodiploria strigosa</i>; G) <i>Siderastrea siderea</i>.</p

Relationship between the area under the reflectance curve and total pigment concentration (symbiont + other contributors).

<p>The x-axis represents the integration of the reflectance curve from 400–700 nm. The lower right graph shows the pooled data from all seven species.</p

Relationship between the area under the reflectance curve and total symbiont pigment concentration.

<p>The x-axis represents the integration of the reflectance curve from 400–700 nm. The lower right graph shows the pooled data from all seven species.</p