Functional and Structural Investigation of Songbird Brain Projection Neurons with Shuttle and Find

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, August 7-August 11, 201

Reproductive capacity of the red cusk-eel genypterus chilensis (Guichenot, 1848) in captivity

Indexación: Scopus.This work was supported by the FONDEF Project D06I 1024 “Development of technologies for the production of red cusk-eel fingerlings (Genypterus chilensis)”.Genypterus chilensis is a marine fish of high gastronomic demand, whose capture has declined in recent years due to overfishing. In the development of the farming technology, high mortalities were obtained during egg incubation. The objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of fecundity and eggs viability of G. chilensis in captivity. The spawns of G. chilensis were analyzed over a period of 2 years and 3 months. The total fecundity was estimated by counting the masses and eggs produced monthly throughout the period. The results confirm that G. chilensis is a partial spawner, since a female may more than two masses of eggs per day, due to a large amount of mass spawned per season (621 average). The total production of masses of the Farming Centre during the period was 2,290; of these, only 7% (166) corresponding to 15,330,517 eggs were incubated. Because of its high fecundity, G. chilensis produces numerous masses of eggs, of which only a small percentage reaches incubation, as well as it occurs in other marine fish. © 2018, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar. All rights reserved.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-560X201800020048

Cirrhosis Diagnosis and Liver Fibrosis Staging: Transient Elastometry Versus Cirrhosis Blood Test.

INTRODUCTION: Elastometry is more accurate than blood tests for cirrhosis diagnosis. However, blood tests were developed for significant fibrosis, with the exception of CirrhoMeter developed for cirrhosis. We compared the performance of Fibroscan and CirrhoMeter, and classic binary cirrhosis diagnosis versus new fibrosis staging for cirrhosis diagnosis. METHODS: The diagnostic population included 679 patients with hepatitis C and liver biopsy (Metavir staging and morphometry), Fibroscan, and CirrhoMeter. The prognostic population included 1110 patients with chronic liver disease and both tests. RESULTS: Binary diagnosis: AUROCs for cirrhosis were: Fibroscan: 0.905; CirrhoMeter: 0.857; and P=0.041. Accuracy (Youden cutoff) was: Fibroscan: 85.4%; CirrhoMeter: 79.2%; and P<0.001. Fibrosis classification provided 6 classes (F0/1, F1/2, F2±1, F3±1, F3/4, and F4). Accuracy was: Fibroscan: 88.2%; CirrhoMeter: 88.8%; and P=0.77. A simplified fibrosis classification comprised 3 categories: discrete (F1±1), moderate (F2±1), and severe (F3/4) fibrosis. Using this simplified classification, CirrhoMeter predicted survival better than Fibroscan (respectively, χ=37.9 and 19.7 by log-rank test), but both predicted it well (P<0.001 by log-rank test). Comparison: binary diagnosis versus fibrosis classification, respectively, overall accuracy: CirrhoMeter: 79.2% versus 88.8% (P<0.001); Fibroscan: 85.4% versus 88.2% (P=0.127); positive predictive value for cirrhosis by Fibroscan: Youden cutoff (11.1 kPa): 49.1% versus cutoffs of F3/4 (17.6 kPa): 67.6% and F4 classes (25.7 kPa): 82.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Fibroscan\u27s usual binary cutoffs for cirrhosis diagnosis are not sufficiently accurate. Fibrosis classification should be preferred over binary diagnosis. A cirrhosis-specific blood test markedly attenuates the accuracy deficit for cirrhosis diagnosis of usual blood tests versus transient elastometry, and may offer better prognostication

On-sky results of the adaptive optics MACAO for the new IR-spectrograph CRIRES at VLT

The adaptive optics MACAO has been implemented in 6 focii of the VLT observatory, in three different flavors. We present in this paper the results obtained during the commissioning of the last of these units, MACAO-CRIRES. CRIRES is a high-resolution spectrograph, which efficiency will be improved by a factor two at least for point-sources observations with a NGS brighter than R=15. During the commissioning, Strehl exceeding 60% have been observed with fair seeing conditions, and a general description of the performance of this curvature adaptive optics system is done.Comment: SPIE conference 2006, Advances in adaptive optics, 12 pages, 11 figure

Hemodynamic and antifibrotic effects of a selective liver nitric oxide donor V-PYRRO/NO in bile duct ligated rats.

AIM: To assess whether a liver specific nitric oxide (NO) donor (V-PYRRO/NO) would prevent the development of portal hypertension and liver fibrosis in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL). METHODS: Treatment (placebo or V-PYRRO/NO 0.53 micromol/kg per hour) was administered i.v. to rats 2 d before BDL (D-2) and maintained until the day of hemodynamic measurement (D26). Intra-hepatic NO level was estimated by measuring liver cGMP level. Effects of V-PYRRO/NO on liver fibrosis and lipid peroxidation were also assessed. RESULTS: Compared to placebo treatment, V-PYRRO/NO improved splanchnic hemodynamics in BDL rats: portal pressure was significantly reduced by 27% (P<0.0001) and collateral circulation development was almost completely blocked (splenorenal shunt blood flow by 74%, P=0.007). Moreover, V-PYRRO/NO significantly prevented liver fibrosis development in BDL rats (by 30% in hepatic hydroxyproline content and 31% in the area of fibrosis, P<0.0001 respectively), this effect being probably due to a decrease in lipid peroxidation by 44% in the hepatic malondialdehyde level (P=0.007). Interestingly, we observed a significant and expected increase in liver cGMP, without any systemic hemodynamic effects (mean arterial pressure, vascular systemic resistance and cardiac output) in both sham-operated and BDL rats treated with V-PYRRO/NO. This result is in accordance with studies on V-PYRRO/NO metabolism showing a specific release of NO in the liver. CONCLUSION: Continuous administrations of V-PYRRO/NO in BDL rats improved liver fibrosis and splanchnic hemodynamics without any noxious systemic hemo-dynamic effects

Comparison of the effectiveness of different mechanical tools for the termination of cover crops using a modular prototype

Cover crops are crops that occupy the soil between the end of a cash crop and the beginning of the next one, providing both agronomic and environmental benefits. To allow for the subsequent cultivation of the cash crop, cover crops must undergo an appropriate termination process based on winter frost, herbicide chemical treatments, or mechanical methods. For this latter approach, previous published research has only examined the effectiveness of termination obtained with individual mechanical tools without considering the possible synergistic effects of multiple tools with complementary actions. To address this gap, a modular multi-tool prototype has been developed in this work. It allows for the evaluation of the effects of different types of tools, both individually and in combination. The working modules of the prototype include: 1) tine cultivator; 2) disk harrow; and 3) crimper roller. Field trials were carried out in 2021 and 2022 on three fields of approximately 6000 m2, which were divided into 60 plots each and sown with vetch and barley. The plots were mechanically terminated with the prototype in different configurations, and the effectiveness of the different modules and their combinations was subsequently evaluated by measuring the NDVI index using ground sensing technology. The results indicate that the disk harrow 15°, used alone and in combination with other tools considered (crimper roller and tine cultivator for barley, crimper roller for vetch), offered the best termination effectiveness for both barley and vetch, with a termination rate of greater than or equal to 85%

Improved fibrosis staging by elastometry and blood test in chronic hepatitis C.

AIMS: Our main objective was to improve non-invasive fibrosis staging accuracy by resolving the limits of previous methods via new test combinations. Our secondary objectives were to improve staging precision, by developing a detailed fibrosis classification, and reliability (personalized accuracy) determination. METHODS: All patients (729) included in the derivation population had chronic hepatitis C, liver biopsy, 6 blood tests and Fibroscan. Validation populations included 1584 patients. RESULTS: The most accurate combination was provided by using most markers of FibroMeter and Fibroscan results targeted for significant fibrosis, i.e. \u27E-FibroMeter\u27. Its classification accuracy (91.7%) and precision (assessed by F difference with Metavir: 0.62 ± 0.57) were better than those of FibroMeter (84.1%, P < 0.001; 0.72 ± 0.57, P < 0.001), Fibroscan (88.2%, P = 0.011; 0.68 ± 0.57, P = 0.020), and a previous CSF-SF classification of FibroMeter + Fibroscan (86.7%, P < 0.001; 0.65 ± 0.57, P = 0.044). The accuracy for fibrosis absence (F0) was increased, e.g. from 16.0% with Fibroscan to 75.0% with E-FibroMeter (P < 0.001). Cirrhosis sensitivity was improved, e.g. E-FibroMeter: 92.7% vs. Fibroscan: 83.3%, P = 0.004. The combination improved reliability by deleting unreliable results (accuracy <50%) observed with a single test (1.2% of patients) and increasing optimal reliability (accuracy ≥85%) from 80.4% of patients with Fibroscan (accuracy: 90.9%) to 94.2% of patients with E-FibroMeter (accuracy: 92.9%), P < 0.001. The patient rate with 100% predictive values for cirrhosis by the best combination was twice (36.2%) that of the best single test (FibroMeter: 16.2%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The new test combination increased: accuracy, globally and especially in patients without fibrosis, staging precision, cirrhosis prediction, and even reliability, thus offering improved fibrosis staging

Deregulation, Privatisation and Marketisation of Nordic Comprehensive Education : Social Changes Reflected in Schooling

Peer reviewe

Identification, characterisation and expression analysis of natural killer receptor genes in Chlamydia pecorum infected koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)

BACKGROUND: Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), an iconic Australian marsupial, are being heavily impacted by the spread of Chlamydia pecorum, an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen. Koalas vary in their response to this pathogen, with some showing no symptoms, while others suffer severe symptoms leading to infertility, blindness or death. Little is known about the pathology of this disease and the immune response against it in this host. Studies have demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells, key components of the innate immune system, are involved in the immune response to chlamydial infections in humans. These cells can directly lyse cells infected by intracellular pathogens and their ability to recognise these infected cells is mediated through NK receptors on their surface. These are encoded in two regions of the genome, the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) and the natural killer complex (NKC). These two families evolve rapidly and different repertoires of genes, which have evolved by gene duplication, are seen in different species. METHODS: In this study we aimed to characterise genes belonging to the NK receptor clusters in the koala by searching available koala transcriptomes using a combination of search methods. We developed a qPCR assay to quantify relative expression of four genes, two encoded within the NK receptor cluster (CLEC1B, CLEC4E) and two known to play a role in NK response to Chalmydia in humans (NCR3, PRF1). RESULTS: We found that the NK receptor repertoire of the koala closely resembles that of the Tasmanian devil, with minimal genes in the NKC, but with lineage specific expansions in the LRC. Additional genes important for NK cell activity, NCR3 and PRF1, were also identified and characterised. In a preliminary study to investigate whether these genes are involved in the koala immune response to infection by its chlamydial pathogen, C. pecorum, we investigated the expression of four genes in koalas with active chlamydia infection, those with past infection and those without infection using qPCR. This analysis revealed that one of these four, CLEC4E, may be upregulated in response to chlamydia infection. CONCLUSION: We have characterised genes of the NKC and LRC in koalas and have discovered evidence that one of these genes may be upregulated in koalas with chlamydia, suggesting that these receptors may play a role in the immune response of koalas to chlamydia infection