Simple and promising paper-based electrochemical platform for serological detection of American tegumentary leishmaniasis.

Background: American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is an endemic neglected tropical disease (NTD), its conventional treatment is toxic, slow, and invasive. Rapid diagnosis is crucial for the clinical management of suspected patients, so the development and use of low-cost, miniaturised and portable devices could be the key.

Objectives: This work aimed to develop a simple paper-based electrochemical platform for the serological detection of ATL.

Smartphone-Based Biosensor Devices for Healthcare: Technologies, Trends, and Adoption by End-Users.

Smart biosensors are becoming an important support for modern healthcare, even more so in the current context. Numerous smartphone-based biosensor developments were published in recent years, some highly effective and sensitive. However, when patents and patent applications related to smart biosensors for healthcare applications are analyzed, it is surprising to note that, after significant growth in the first half of the decade, the number of applications filed has decreased considerably in recent years.

Nanostructures in Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing.

In recent years, several devices have been developed for the direct measurement of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a key compound in biological processes and an important chemical reagent in industrial applications. Classical enzymatic biosensors for H2O2 have been recently outclassed by electrochemical sensors that take advantage of material properties in the nano range. Electrodes with metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as Pt, Au, Pd and Ag have been widely used, often in combination with organic and inorganic molecules to improve the sensing capabilities.

New Insights Into the Role of β-NGF/TrKA System in the Endometrium of Alpacas During Early Pregnancy.

One striking reproductive feature in South American camelids is that more than 90% of gestations are established in the left uterine horn (LUH). This phenomenon could be related to a differential vascular irrigation of the LUH. An increase of vascularization in llama endometrium was observed after systemic administration of Beta Nerve Growth Factor (β-NGF), a neurotrophin present in the uterus and placenta of various mammals that is involved in pregnancy development.

Modifications of extracellular matrix features in the left and right uterine horns during the embryo pre-implantation period in Vicugna pacos.

More than 98% of the pregnancies in South American camelids is carried out in the left uterine horn (LUH). Hence, embryos originated from right-ovary ovulations have to migrate to the contralateral or left uterine horn (LUH) to implant and survive. A reason for this unique pattern of embryo implantation has not been elucidated yet.

Embryo presence regulates NODAL/LEFTY2 system in the rat oviduct in vivo.

To gain further insight in the mechanisms of the embryo-maternal dialog in the oviduct, expression of members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, NODAL, its inhibitor, LEFTY2, and their coreceptor, CFC1, were studied in the oviduct of 3-day post copula (3 dpc) females with and without embryos (E and NE), pseudopregnant rats (SP3), and in 3-day embryos. Nodal transcripts in SP3 oviducts showed a steady-state relative abundance when compared with proestrus stage and the 3 dpc. In contrast, Lefty2 and Cfc1 relative abundance levels in proestrus and 3 dpc were higher.

Expression of β-NGF and high-affinity NGF receptor (TrKA) in llama (Lama glama) male reproductive tract and spermatozoa.

β-Nerve growth factor (β-NGF) is a seminal plasma element, responsible for inducing ovulation in camelids. The main organ of β-NGF production remains nondescript. The aims of this study were to (a) characterize gene expression and protein localization of β-NGF and its main receptor tyrosine kinase receptor A (TrKA) in the llama male reproductive tract, and (b) determine whether the seminal β-NGF interacts with ejaculated sperm by localizing β-NGF and TrKA in epididymal, ejaculated, and acrosome-reacted (AR) sperms and, additionally, by identifying β-NGF presence in sperm-adsorbed proteins (SAP).

Changes in mucins and matrix metalloproteases in the endometrium of early pregnant alpacas (Vicugna pacos).

South American Camelids (SAC) have unique reproductive features, one of which is that 98% of the pregnancies develop in the left uterine horn. Furthermore, early pregnancy is an uncharacterized process in these species, especially in regard to the ultrastructural, biochemical and genetic changes that the uterine epithelial surface undergoes to allow embryo implantation. The present study describes the uterine horn luminal surface and the characteristics of the mucinous glycocalyx in non-pregnant and early pregnant (15 days) female alpacas.

Mating induces production of MMP2 in the llama oviduct: Analysis of MMP2 effect on semen.

Ovulation of South American Camelids is induced by mating. After copulation, sperm are stored into the oviduct to be released near ovulation time. To study whether copulation induces matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) secretion in the oviduct, the occurrence of MMP2 in oviductal tissue and oviductal fluid (OF) from 24 h post-mated was compared with non-mated llama females.