Evaluation of the elastic properties and topography of leukocytes’ surface in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using atomic force microscope

The aim of study was to examine some morphometrical parameters (height, diameter) of the leukocytes (white blood cells - WBCs), their specific surface morphology (globular prominences and depression in WBCs) as well as their local elastic properties (Young’s modulus) in healthy persons and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by means of the atomic force microscopy (AFM). Morphological and morphometrical parameters of human leukocytes were evaluated by AFM in tapped mod

A morphometrical study on the skull of Padovana chicken

A trial was carried out to study the head and skull characteristics in a crested chicken breed with cerebral hernia located in a frontal bony protuberance, an uncrested chicken hybrid strain and their relative crosses. Males and females from five genotypes were used: two Padovana breed varieties (two colour plumages: Padovana argentata, silver -PA- and Padovana camosciata, chamois -PC-), the relative cross (PCxPA), a commercial single comb medium-growing strain (Berlanda gaina - B) and the cross between PC and B (PCxB). As regards skull dimensions B showed heavier, longer, and wider skull than Padovana group (P<0.001); the cross PCxB had skulls heavier than Padovana purebreds (P<0.05). In the Padovana purebreds the frontal bone height varied from 9.2 to 16.2 mm, whereas in the groups with B component the height ranged from 4.2 to 6.8 mm. The frontal bone height was higher in PC and PCxPA than in PA (P<0.01), whereas B and PCxB did not show any bony protuberance. No correlation resulted in Padovana groups between the frontal bone height and the skull length and width. A positive relationship between frontal bone height and skull height was significant only in PCxPA. For the skull characters of PCxPA both the two genotypes seems to be involved and no predominant and relevant effect of only one genotype was seen. The PCxB cross showed relevant differences in the skull morphometry, particularly in the absence of frontal bony protuberance and in the presence of comb

HyperSpectral Imaging based approach for monitoring of micro-plastics from marine environment

The possibility to develop a sensor based procedure in order to monitor plastic presence in the marine environment was explored in this work. More in detail, this study was addressed to detect and to recognize different types of microplastics coming from sampling in different sea areas adopting a new approach, based on HyperSpectral Imaging (HSI) sensors. Moreover, a morphological and morphometrical particle characterization was carried by digital image processing. Morphological and morphometrical parameters, combined with hyperspectral imaging information, give a full characterization of each investigated particle, concurring to explain all the transportation, alteration and degradation phenomena suffered by each different polymer particle. Obtained results can represent an important starting point to develop, implement and set up monitor strategies to characterize marine microplastics. Moreover, the procedure developed in this work is fast, not expensive and reliable, making its utilization very profitable

Consequences of the Lack of IL-10 in Different Endotoxin Effects and its Relationship With Glucocorticoids

Sepsis constitutes one of the major causes of death in ICUs. In sepsis induced by gram-negative, although lipopolysaccharide (LPS) initially induces an exacerbated secretion of proinflammatory cytokines leading to endotoxic shock and death resembling a septic shock, it is also capable of inducing refractoriness to subsequent challenge with LPS, a state known as endotoxin tolerance, which is considered the initial step of the immunosuppression found in septic patients. As we previously demonstrated the importance of glucocorticoids in endotoxin tolerance, the aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of Interleukin-10 (IL-10) both in the endotoxic shock and in the development of the tolerance and its relationship with glucocorticoids. Our results show that, upon LPS challenge, IL-10 knockout mice (KO) mice had an enhanced LPS sensitivity, along with elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines as tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-12 and interferon-γ, and enhanced tissue damage, despite the high levels of glucocorticoids. This effect may be because, in part, of the higher expression of tumor necrosis factor receptors in IL-10 KO mice. Further, the injection of dexamethasone did not protect IL-10 KO mice from a LPS lethal challenge. Although tolerance was achieved in the absence of IL-10, it was weaker and the elevated levels of glucocorticoids were not able to reverse the high sensitivity of IL-10 KO mice to LPS. Nevertheless, glucocorticoids would play a pivotal role in the establishment and maintenance of this partial tolerance in IL-10 KO mice. Finally, our results show that IL-10 and glucocorticoids could act in a bidirectional way influencing the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory periods.Fil: Córdoba Moreno, Marlina Olyissa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Todero, Maria Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Fontanals, Adriana Mirta. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Pineda, Gonzalo Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Montagna, Daniela Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Yokobori, Noemí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Ramos, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Barrientos, Gabriela Laura. Hospital Alemán. Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Toblli, Jorge Eduardo. Hospital Alemán. Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Isturiz, Martín Amadeo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rearte, María Bárbara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; Argentin

Remarks on the type locality and current status of the foraminiferal species Rzehakina epigona (Rzehak, 1895)

A likely topotype locality is proposed for Rzehakina epigona. As the type specimen of Silicina epigona Rzehak, 1895 is assumed to be lost, we undertook a search for new material in the type area, Zdounky village in Moravia. A single locality provided a total of 138 Rzehakina specimens. The greenish grey marly clays sampled here contain a rich fauna of both planktonic and benthic foraminifers belonging to the Abathomphalus mayaroensis Zone. In addition to R. epigona, rare specimens attributable to R. inclusa, R. lata, R. minima and even a typical form of R. fissistomata are present at the Zdounky locality. Biometrical analysis was carried out on 52 complete specimens using the involution value "Z" and the length/breadth ratio. Most of the Rzehakina epigona topotypes form a tight cluster with "Z" values between 4 and 15%, although forms that appear transitional to R. lata have Z values of around 20%. The length/breadth ratio is more variable, with values ranging between 1.2 and 2.0. However, the Z value measured from Rzehak's type figure is significantly higher and outside the range of variability of this cluster of specimens. We conclude that Rzehak's drawing may be imprecise. Unfortunately, we were not able to study the inner structure of these specimens owing to the lack of internal filling in these specimens. The unfavourable preservation and low abundance of specimens from the type locality do not enable a proper revision of the species Rzehakina epigona at this time

Pulmonary giant cells and traumatic asphyxia

A morphometrical analysis was performed to elucidate the significance of pulmonary polynuclear giant cells as a histological sign of asphyxiation. A total of 13 cases of homicidal strangulation of throttling, 8 cases of traumatic asphyxia due to chest compression and 10 control cases (cause of death: severe head injury, no signs of aspiration or other relevant pulmonary alterations, smokers and non-smokers) were investigated. The number of alveolar macrophages containing 1 or 2 nuclei and of polynuclear giant cells per microscopic field (0.000025 cm2) was estimated and a statistical evaluation was carried out. A considerable individual variation was observed in all groups with a tendency to higher numbers of cells in cases of smokers or advanced individual age. However, no significant differences were detectable in the content of alveolar macrophages and in particular of polynuclear giant cells between the asphyxiated individuals and the controls. Since polynuclear giant cells occurred in similar amounts in healthy, functionally normal lungs of non-asphyxiated individuals, the detection of such cells cannot be regarded as a reliable indicator for asphyxiation

Alveolar macrophages and the diagnosis of drowning

In the present study, we examined the number of alveolar macrophages in lung tissue from 17 cases of fresh water drowning, 22 cases of acute death and 6 cases of lung emphysema. When counting only the number of alveolar macrophages per alveolus without consideration of the alveolar size we found no relevant differences between the groups investigated. To exclude any influence of the alveolar size on the results the surface density of the alveolar macrophages and interstitial tissue was estimated and compared in the different groups. In cases of drowning, the lungs showed significantly lower values in both categories. The ratio of ‘alveolar macrophages/interstitial tissue’ was also reduced in cases of drowning in comparison to the other groups, however, without significant differences. These morphometrical results characterizing the ‘emphysema aquosum’ with almost ‘empty’ and dilated alveoli could be explained by a wash-out effect of the drowning fluid leading to a partial removal of the macrophages from the alveoli. This hypothesis was confirmed by the detection of alveolar macrophages in the drowning froth by immunohistochemical analysis. Even though alveolar macrophages were unambiguously identified in advanced putrefied lungs in HE-stained sections as well as by immunohistochemical staining, an estimation of the number of these cells cannot provide further information for the diagnosis of drowning in putrefied corpses due to the autolytic destruction of the lung architecture providing no reliable values