Evaluation of a Rapid Device for Serological Diagnosis of Leishmania infantum Infection in Dogs as an Alternative to Immunofluorescence Assay and Western Blotting

In this study, we compared a rapid immunochromatographic test (Speed Leish K; BVT Groupe Virbac, La Seyne sur Mer, France) with an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFAT) and Western blotting (WB) for the detection of Leishmania infantum antibodies in dogs. A total of 250 serum samples were collected from 125 L. infantum-positive and 125 L. infantum-negative dogs. Among the positive samples, 81 were strongly positive at low IFAT dilutions, while 44 were low-reactivity sera (IFAT titers, 1:40 to 1:80). The sensitivity and specificity of the Speed Leish K were 96.3% and 100%, respectively, compared with those of the IFAT. When IFAT low-reactivity sera (titers, 1:40 or 1:80) were tested with the Speed Leish K, using WB results as a reference, the sensitivities were 93.75% for sera with a 1:80 titer and 73.33% for sera with a 1:40 titer, and the specificity was 100%. The Speed Leish K is easy to use and performs well, so it can be considered a quick and reliable tool for the diagnosis of L. infantum infection in dogs

Functional connectome of arousal and motor brainstem nuclei in living humans by 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI

Brainstem nuclei play a pivotal role in many functions, such as arousal and motor control. Nevertheless, the connectivity of arousal and motor brainstem nuclei is understudied in living humans due to the limited sensitivity and spatial resolution of conventional imaging, and to the lack of atlases of these deep tiny regions of the brain. For a holistic comprehension of sleep, arousal and associated motor processes, we investigated in 20 healthy subjects the resting-state functional connectivity of 18 arousal and motor brainstem nuclei in living humans. To do so, we used high spatial-resolution 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI, as well as a recently developed in-vivo probabilistic atlas of these nuclei in stereotactic space. Further, we verified the translatability of our brainstem connectome approach to conventional (e.g. 3 Tesla) fMRI. Arousal brainstem nuclei displayed high interconnectivity, as well as connectivity to the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain and frontal cortex, in line with animal studies and as expected for arousal regions. Motor brainstem nuclei showed expected connectivity to the cerebellum, basal ganglia and motor cortex, as well as high interconnectivity. Comparison of 3 Tesla to 7 Tesla connectivity results indicated good translatability of our brainstem connectome approach to conventional fMRI, especially for cortical and subcortical (non-brainstem) targets and to a lesser extent for brainstem targets. The functional connectome of 18 arousal and motor brainstem nuclei with the rest of the brain might provide a better understanding of arousal, sleep and accompanying motor functions in living humans in health and disease

Expression of carbohydrate-antigen sialyl-Lewis a on colon cancer cells promotes xenograft growth and angiogenesis in nude mice

We investigated the role of carbohydrate antigen sialyl-Lewis a (sLea), an E-selectin ligand and epitope of tumor marker CA19.9, in the development of xenografts in nude mice. To this end, animals were inoculated with the human colon cancer cell line HCT-15, expressing no Lewis antigens, or with a clone expressing sLea (HCT-15-T5). The size of HCT-15-T5 xenografts appeared larger than those of HCT-15 and their average weight was over twice bigger. In both xenografts the mitotic index was found elevated, as determined by Ki-67 assay, and no apoptosis was detected in the tumor cells by both caspase 8 or TUNEL assays. Some apoptotic signals were instead detected in the vessels. Conversely, microvessel density, determined through CD-31 immunohistochemistry, was found 3.2-folds bigger in HCT-15-T5 xenografts (p < 0.012). Only the membranes of HCT-15-T5 cells grown as xenografts reacted intensively with the anti CA19.9 antibody 1116-NS-19-9 by immunofluorescence, but not by immunohistochemistry. Unknown structures were instead stained by such technique in both xenografts, as were in mouse tissues not expressing the antigen and in human colon adenocarcinoma. We conclude that expression of sLea on the surface of colon cancer cells improves xenograft growth and is associated with enhanced angiogenesis, while immunohistochemistry with 1116-NS-19-9 antibody appears not suitable to determine CA19.9 expression

Neurocognitive and Psychopathological Predictors of Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery: A 4-Year Follow-Up Study

Twenty to thirty percent of patients experience weight regain at mid and long-term follow- up. Impaired cognitive functions are prevalent in people suffering from obesity and in those with binge eating disorder, thereby, affecting the weight-loss outcomes. The aim of our study was to investigate neurocognitive and psychopathological predictors of surgical efficacy in terms of percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) at follow-up intervals of one year and 4-year. Psychosocial evaluation was completed in a sample of 78 bariatric surgery candidates and included psychometric instruments and a cognitive battery of neuropsychological tests. A schedule of 1-year and 4-year follow-ups was implemented. Wisconsin Sorting Card Test total correct responses, scores on the Raven’s Progressive Matrices Test, and age predicted %EWL at, both, early and long-term periods after surgery while the severity of pre-operative binge eating (BED) symptoms were associated with lower %EWL only four years after the operation. Due to the role of pre-operative BED in weight loss maintenance, the affected patients are at risk of suboptimal response requiring ongoing clinical monitoring, and psychological and pharmacological interventions when needed. As a result of our findings and in keeping with the latest guidelines we encourage neuropsychological assessment of bariatric surgery candidates. This data substantiated the rationale of providing rehabilitative interventions tailored to cognitive domains and time specific to the goal of supporting patients in their post-surgical course

Functional connectome of brainstem nuclei involved in autonomic, limbic, pain and sensory processing in living humans from 7 Tesla resting state fMRI

Despite remarkable advances in mapping the functional connectivity of the cortex, the functional connectivity of subcortical regions is understudied in living humans. This is the case for brainstem nuclei that control vital processes, such as autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory functions. This is because of the lack of precise brainstem nuclei localization, of adequate sensitivity and resolution in the deepest brain regions, as well as of optimized processing for the brainstem. To close the gap between the cortex and the brainstem, on 20 healthy subjects, we computed a correlation-based functional connectome of 15 brainstem nuclei involved in autonomic, limbic, nociceptive, and sensory function (superior and inferior colliculi, ventral tegmental area-parabrachial pigmented nucleus complex, microcellular tegmental nucleus-prabigeminal nucleus complex, lateral and medial parabrachial nuclei, vestibular and superior olivary complex, superior and inferior medullary reticular formation, viscerosensory motor nucleus, raphe magnus, pallidus, and obscurus, and parvicellular reticular nucleus – alpha part) with the rest of the brain. Specifically, we exploited 1.1mm isotropic resolution 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI, ad-hoc coregistration and physiological noise correction strategies, and a recently developed probabilistic template of brainstem nuclei. Further, we used 2.5mm isotropic resolution resting-state fMRI data acquired on a 3 Tesla scanner to assess the translatability of our results to conventional datasets. We report highly consistent correlation coefficients across subjects, confirming available literature on autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory pathways, as well as high interconnectivity within the central autonomic network and the vestibular network. Interestingly, our results showed evidence of vestibulo-autonomic interactions in line with previous work. Comparison of 7 Tesla and 3 Tesla findings showed high translatability of results to conventional settings for brainstem-cortical connectivity and good yet weaker translatability for brainstem-brainstem connectivity. The brainstem functional connectome might bring new insight in the understanding of autonomic, limbic, nociceptive and sensory function in health and disease

Multiband Photometry Evolution in the First Weeks of SN 2023ixf, a possible II-L Subtype Supernova

Multiband photometric observations and their evaluation to instrumental magnitudes were performed using standard Johnson-Cousins filters (B, V, Rc) as well r and g Sloan filters, and not standard ones (R, G, B, and Clear filters). These were recorded from 9 observatories and from the MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network. The results describe the rapid ascent towards the maximum (2.5 magnitudes about in five days in the B filter) and the slow decrease after the maximum (0.0425 +/- 0.02 magnitudes/day in the B filter). The results highlight the strong variation of the B-V colour indices during the first 50 days (from -0.20 +/- 0.02 to +0.85 +/- 0.02) and V-R (from 0 +/- 0.01 to +0.50 +/- 0.01) after the explosion, presumably corresponding to the cooling of the stellar photosphere. At 50 days after the explosion the magnitude decrease from the maximum was observed to continue where it faded by 2.5 magnitudes (B filter), thus we propose SN 2023ixf is a Type II, subtype L, supernova (SNe)

Bone fragility in gastrointestinal disorders

Osteoporosis is a common systemic disease of the skeleton, characterized by compromised bone mass and strength, consequently leading to an increased risk of fragility fractures. In women, the disease mainly occurs due to the menopausal fall in estrogen levels, leading to an imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation and, consequently, to bone loss and bone fragility. Moreover, osteoporosis may affect men and may occur as a sequela to different diseases or even to their treatments. Despite their wide prevalence in the general population, the skeletal implications of many gastrointestinal diseases have been poorly investigated and their potential contribution to bone fragility is often underestimated in clinical practice. However, proper functioning of the gastrointestinal system appears essential for the skeleton, allowing correct absorption of calcium, vitamins, or other nutrients relevant to bone, preserving the gastrointestinal barrier function, and maintaining an optimal endocrine-metabolic balance, so that it is very likely that most chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and even gastrointestinal dysbiosis, may have profound implications for bone health. In this manuscript, we provide an updated and critical revision of the role of major gastrointestinal disorders in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Stop stereotyping.

Restraining the expression of stereotypes is a necessary requirement for harmonious living, yet surprisingly little is known about the efficacy of this process. Accordingly, in two experiments, here we used a stop-signal task to establish how effectively stereotype-related responses can be inhibited. In Experiment 1, following the presentation of gender-typed occupational contexts, participants reported the sex of target faces (i.e., Go trials) unless an occasional auditory tone indicated they should withhold their response (i.e., Stop trials). In Experiment 2, following the presentation of male and female faces, participants made either stereotypic or counter-stereotypic judgments, unless a stop signal was presented. Regardless of whether stereotyping was probed indirectly (Experiment 1) or directly (Experiment 2), a consistent pattern of results was observed; inhibition was faster for stereotypic compared with counter-stereotypic responses. These findings demonstrate that stopping stereotyping may be less challenging than has widely been assumed

Transdermal administration of melatonin coupled to cryopass laser treatment as noninvasive therapy for prostate cancer

Melatonin, a pineal gland hormone, exerts oncostatic activity in several types of human cancer, including prostate, the most common neoplasia and the third most frequent cause of male cancer death in the developed world. The growth of androgen-sensitive LNCaP prostate cancer cells in mice is inhibited by 3 mg/kg/week melatonin (0.09 mg/mouse/week) delivered by i.p. injections, which is equivalent to a dose of 210 mg/week in humans. The aim of this study is to test an alternative noninvasive delivery route based on transdermal administration of melatonin onto the tumor area followed by cryo-pass-laser treatment. Two groups of immunodepressed mice were studied, one ( n = 10) subjected to 18 cryopass-laser therapy sessions and one ( n = 10) subjected to the same treatment without melatonin. These groups were compared with mice treated with i.p.-administered melatonin or vehicle with the same time schedule. We found that cryopass-laser treatment is as efficient as i.p. injections in reducing the growth of LNCaP tumor cells, affecting plasma melatonin and redox balance. Furthermore, both delivery routes share the same effects on the involved biochemical pathway driven by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 a . However, cryopass-laser, as used in the present experimental setup, is less efficient than i.p delivery route in increasing the melatonin content and Nrf2 expression in the tumor mass. We conclude that cryopass-laser treatment may have impact for melatonin-based therapy of prostate cancer, by delivering drugs transdermally without causing pain and targeting directly on the site of interest, thereby potentially making long-term treatments more sustainable