Spatial and temporal variation of microplastic in mussels from intertidal and subtidal banks in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

The objective of this study was to identify the presence of MPs in M. platensis tissues and evaluate the spatial and temporal variation of MPs in this species between different zones (Intertidal and Subtidal) and years (2012 and 2019) in Buenos Aires province Villa Gesell, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Our hypothesis is that the Intertidal zone will have a greater number of MPs than the Subtidal zone, and this trend will also be observed in 2019 compared to 2012.

Hydrogen Sulfide Modulates Astrocytic Toxicity in Mouse Spinal Cord Cultures: Implications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS), a known inhibitor of the electron transport chain, is endogenously produced in the periphery as well as in the central nervous system, where is mainly generated by glial cells. It affects, as a cellular signaling molecule, many different biochemical processes. In the central nervous system, depending on its concentration, it can be protective or damaging to neurons.

Trophic guilds and niche segregation among marine megafauna in the Bay of Biscay.

The structure and functioning of ecosystems are largely determined by the interactions between species within a biological community. Among these interactions, species exhibiting similar vertical and spatial prey preferences can be identified, thereby belonging to the same trophic guild. Our study explored some trophic characteristics of a diverse megafaunal community (cetaceans, tunas, seabirds) in the Bay of Biscay (BoB).

α-Fetoprotein, α-Fetoprotein-L3, and Des-γ-Carboxy Prothrombin Stratify Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment Response and Progression Risk.

Background And Aims: Assessing aggressive biology at early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis remains challenging. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the only clinical biomarker of aggressive HCC. In this study, AFP, agglutinin-reactive AFP (AFP-L3), and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) were measured at diagnosis prior to transplant evaluation and first cycle liver-directed therapy (LDT).

Development of a new accurate lateral flow immunoassay for diagnosis of human leptospirosis.

Purpose: The current diagnostic methods for leptospirosis diagnosis are technically complex and expensive, with limited applicability to specialized laboratories. Furthermore, they lack diagnostic accuracy in the acute stage of the disease, which coincides with a period when antibiotics are highly effective. New simple and accurate tests are mandatory to decentralize and improve diagnosis.

Yttrium-90 Induces an Effector Memory Response with Neoantigen Clonotype Expansion: Implications for Immunotherapy.

Unlabelled: Yttrium-90 (90Y) transarterial radioembolization can safely and effectively treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Clinical trials combining 90Y with immunotherapy are aimed at improving treatment response rates. The impact of transient 90Y-induced lymphopenia on T-cell homeostasis and functional dynamics is unknown.

Microplastic characterization in the stomachs of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) from the western Mediterranean Sea.

In this study, we aimed to quantify the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the stomachs of large pelagic fish (swordfish, Xiphias gladius, Linnaeus, 1758) sampled in the western Mediterranean Sea, and assess temporal trends (2011-2012 vs. 2017-2019) in MP ingestion. MPs were extracted from stomachs and characterized by μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Using Voxel-Based Dosimetry to Evaluate Sphere Concentration and Tumor Dose in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Yttrium-90 Radiation Segmentectomy with Glass Microspheres.

Purpose: To utilize voxel-based dosimetry following radiation segmentectomy (RS) to understand microsphere distribution and validate current literature regarding radiologic and pathologic outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective, single-center analysis of patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (N = 56) treated with yttrium-90 (Y) RS with glass microspheres (Therasphere; Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts) from 2020 to 2022 was performed. Posttreatment voxel-based dosimetry was evaluated using Mirada DBx Build 1.

Assessment of coastal pollutants and health status of Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) in the Bahía Blanca Estuary and adjacent beaches (Argentina).

This study assessed the effects of pollutants on Magallana gigas along a coastal zone with different levels of human activity: a highly impacted zone in the Bahía Blanca Estuary and a less impacted zone on the adjacent sandy beaches. Oysters collected in 2021 were analyzed for various factors, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, microplastics, oxidative stress and histology. Oysters of both environments exhibited detectable concentrations of all these pollutants in their tissues.

Macular vessel density in the superficial plexus is not a proxy of cerebrovascular damage in non-demented individuals: data from the NORFACE cohort.

Introduction: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel tool that allows the detection of retinal vascular changes. We investigated the association of macular vessel density (VD) in the superficial plexus assessed by OCT-A with measures of cerebrovascular pathology and atrophy quantified by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in non-demented individuals.

Methods: Clinical, demographical, OCT-A, and brain MRI data from non-demented research participants were included.

Climate and human stressors on global penguin hotspots: Current assessments for future conservation.

As charismatic and iconic species, penguins can act as "ambassadors" or flagship species to promote the conservation of marine habitats in the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, there is a lack of reliable, comprehensive, and systematic analysis aimed at compiling spatially explicit assessments of the multiple impacts that the world's 18 species of penguin are facing. We provide such an assessment by combining the available penguin occurrence information from Global Biodiversity Information Facility (>800,000 occurrences) with three main stressors: climate-driven environmental changes at sea, industrial fisheries, and human disturbances on land.

Imaging Delay Following Liver-Directed Therapy Increases Progression Risk in Early- to Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Patients with early-stage HCC are treated with liver-directed therapies to bridge or downstage for liver transplantation (LT). In this study, the impact of HCC care delay on HCC progression among early-stage patients was investigated.

Assessing mercury contamination in Southern Hemisphere marine ecosystems: The role of penguins as effective bioindicators.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant known for its significant bioaccumulation and biomagnification capabilities, posing a particular threat to marine environments. Seabirds have been recognized as effective bioindicators of marine pollution, and, among them, penguins present a unique opportunity to serve as a single taxonomic group (Sphenisciformes) for monitoring Hg across distinct marine ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review of Hg concentrations, and performed a meta-analysis that took into account the various sources of uncertainty associated with Hg contamination in penguins.

Effects of global and climate change on the freshwater-seawater interface movement in a Mediterranean karst aquifer of Mallorca Island.

Karst aquifers are globally prized freshwater sources, posing a significant preservation challenge. These aquifers typically exhibit dual or even triple porosities, encompassing matrix, fractures-fissures and conduits, rendering them highly responsive to variations in chemical characteristics and hydraulic head. In coastal regions, these aquifers often possess extensive subsurface conduit networks intricately linked to the rock matrix, facilitating groundwater discharge into the sea.

Sources of persistent organic pollutants and their physiological effects on opportunistic urban gulls.

Urbanization is associated with drastic shifts in biodiversity. While some species thrive in urban areas, the impact of inhabiting these human-altered environments on organism physiology remains understudied. We investigated how exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) affects the physiology of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) inhabiting a densely populated, industrialized city.

Lineage-specific regulation of PD-1 expression in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma following 90yttrium transarterial radioembolization - Implications in treatment outcomes.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Liver-directed therapies, including Yttrium (Y) radioembolization, play an integral role in the management of HCC with excellent response rates. This has led to clinical trials of immunotherapy in combination with Y.

[Prevalence and geographical distribution of bovine sexually transmitted diseases in the province of Formosa, Argentina].

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC) and bovine trichomonosis (BT) are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that affect bovine breeding herds, decreasing their reproductive efficiency. The objective of this work was to estimate the prevalence of these diseases and their temporal-spatial distribution in the province of Formosa, Argentina. The cross-sectional study conducted between 2018 and 2021 included a total of 15,571 bulls, inter-herd prevalence being 29.

Retrospective analysis of the pelagic ecosystem of the Western Mediterranean Sea: Drivers, changes and effects.

In the Western Mediterranean Sea, forage fishes have changed in abundance, body condition, growth, reproduction, and distribution in the last decades. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain these changes, including increase in fishing mortality; changes in environmental conditions affecting species fitness, and planktonic productivity and quality; recovery of top predators; and increase in competitors. We investigated the main drivers and changes of the pelagic ecosystem and their effects using an ecosystem-based modelling approach.

Assessing juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) diet as an indicator of marine ecosystem changes in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

To preserve marine biodiversity, we need reliable early warning indicators that inform changes in marine ecosystems. As reliable samplers of mid-trophic level communities, studying the trophodynamics of large pelagic fish can contribute to monitoring these changes. Here, we combined stomach content and stable isotope analyses to reconstruct the diet of juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, in a time-lapse of almost a decade (2012 and 2020).

TDP-43 Epigenetic Facets and Their Neurodegenerative Implications.

Since its initial involvement in numerous neurodegenerative pathologies in 2006, either as a principal actor or as a cofactor, new pathologies implicating transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) are regularly emerging also beyond the neuronal system. This reflects the fact that TDP-43 functions are particularly complex and broad in a great variety of human cells. In neurodegenerative diseases, this protein is often pathologically delocalized to the cytoplasm, where it irreversibly aggregates and is subjected to various post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, polyubiquitination, and cleavage.

Encounter rate and relative abundance of eight cetaceans off the central Catalan coast (Northwestern Mediterranean sea).

This study provides information on cetacean occurrence in the central Catalan coast (NE Iberian Peninsula), an area characterised by an underwater canyon system. Encounter rates (ER), relative abundances (RA) and seasonality were assessed for eight species. This information was combined with physiographic features of the seafloor to understand their influence on cetacean distribution.

Synaptic and transcriptomic features of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predict inefficient fear extinction.

Fear-related disorders arise from inefficient fear extinction and have immeasurable social and economic costs. Here, we characterize mouse phenotypes that spontaneously show fear-independent behavioral traits predicting adaptive or maladaptive fear extinction. We find that, already before fear conditioning, specific morphological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic patterns of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predispose to fear-related disorders.