From microalgae to gastropods: Understanding the kinetics and toxicity of silver nanoparticles in freshwater aquatic environment.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used in various consumer products and industrial applications, raising concerns about their environmental impact on aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the physicochemical stability, trophic transfer, and toxic effects of citrate-coated AgNPs in a freshwater food chain including the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana and the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. AgNPs remained stable in the exposure medium, with a minimal dissolution (<0.

Impact of inorganic mercury on carotenoids in freshwater algae: Insights from single-cell resonance Raman spectroscopy.

The influence of inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) exposure on photosynthetic microorganisms and their pigments remains understudied. Here, we employed resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy to investigate the responses of two freshwater phytoplankton species, the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana to Hg(II) exposure. We selectively recorded the spectral RR signature of carotenoids in intact cells exposed to concentrations of 10 nM and 100 nM of Hg(II), representative for contaminated environment and unexposed control cells.

En Bloc Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplantation Compared to the Traditional Technique: Results From a Single Center.

Background: Simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation is indicated for patients with concomitant end-stage liver disease and end-stage renal disease. The traditional technique involves separate implantations of the liver and the kidney. In the en bloc approach, the liver is recovered en bloc with the right kidney and the donor renal artery is anastomosed to the donor splenic artery.

Liver Transplantation for Adenomatosis: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Liver adenomatosis is characterized by multiple adenomas diffusely distributed throughout the liver parenchyma. Studies addressing liver transplantation for those cases are scarce, and the criteria used to indicate transplantation are still debatable.

Objective: To report a single-center experience of liver transplantation for diffuse adenomatosis.

Exploring the subcellular distribution of mercury in green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana: A comparative study.

Mercury (Hg) is a priority pollutant of global concern because of its toxicity, its ability to bioaccumulate throughout the food web and reach significant concentrations in top predators. Phytoplankton bioconcentrate large amounts of Hg and play a key role in the entry of Hg into the aquatic food web. However, the subcellular distribution of Hg in freshwater phytoplankton, known to affect it toxicity and trophic transfer is understudied.

Mercury species induce metabolic reprogramming in freshwater diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana.

Mercury is a hazardous pollutant of global concern. While advances have been made in identifying the detrimental effects caused by Hg species in phytoplankton, knowledge gaps remain regarding the metabolomic perturbations induced by inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) and monomethylmercury (MeHg) in these organisms. Diatoms represent a major phytoplankton group essential in various global biogeochemical cycles.

Simultaneous measurement of displacement and temperature using a balloon-like hybrid fiber sensor.

A fiber sensor based on a silica capillary in a balloon-like shape for simultaneous measurement of displacement and temperature is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The sensor is fabricated by splicing a segment of a hollow-core fiber between two single-mode fibers (SMF) and by creating a balloon shape with the capillary at the top-center position. The SMF-capillary-SMF configuration excites an antiresonant (AR) guidance, and the balloon shape enhances the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI).

Simple Acid Digestion Procedure for the Determination of Total Mercury in Plankton by Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

Plankton, at the bottom of the food web, play a central role in the entry of mercury into the aquatic biota. To investigate their role in mercury uptake, reliable analytical procedures for Hg analysis are highly sought. Wet digestion procedures for determining total mercury in different biological matrices have been established since years, however only few studies focused on planktonic samples.

Determination of the Intracellular Complexation of Inorganic and Methylmercury in Cyanobacterium sp. PCC 6803.

Understanding of mercury (Hg) complexation with low molecular weight (LMW) bioligands will help elucidate its speciation. In natural waters, the rate of this complexation is governed by physicochemical, geochemical, and biochemical parameters. However, the role of bioligands involved in Hg intracellular handling by aquatic microorganisms is not well documented.

The Response of Estuarine Ammonia-Oxidizing Communities to Constant and Fluctuating Salinity Regimes.

Aerobic nitrification is a fundamental nitrogen biogeochemical process that links the oxidation of ammonia to the removal of fixed nitrogen in eutrophicated water bodies. However, in estuarine environments there is an enormous variability of water physicochemical parameters that can affect the ammonia oxidation biological process. For instance, it is known that salinity can affect nitrification performance, yet there is still a lack of information on the ammonia-oxidizing communities behavior facing daily salinity fluctuations.

Correction to: Systemic Inflammation as a Driver of Brain Injury: the Astrocyte as an Emerging Player.

The givenname "Paola" of the author Paola Haack Amaral Roppa (Roppa, P.H.A.

Diversity of Bacterial Biosynthetic Genes in Maritime Antarctica.

Bacterial natural products (NPs) are still a major source of new drug leads. Polyketides (PKs) and non-ribosomal peptides (NRP) are two pharmaceutically important families of NPs and recent studies have revealed Antarctica to harbor endemic polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes, likely to be involved in the production of novel metabolites. Despite this, the diversity of secondary metabolites genes in Antarctica is still poorly explored.

Neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide leads to memory impairment and alterations in hippocampal leptin signaling.

Peripheral inflammation promotes immune-to-brain communication, mediated by cytokines that affect brain activity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been widely used to mimic systemic inflammation, and the adipokine leptin, released in this condition, modulates hypothalamic leptin receptors (ObR), contributing to sickness behavior. In this study, we used the intracerebroventricular (ICV) route for LPS administration in an attempt to evaluate an acute and direct of this pathogen-associated molecular pattern on leptin-mediated signaling in the hippocampus, where ObR has been implicated in modulating cognitive response.

Analysis of Macrophage Activation Markers in an Experimental Model of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated with Photodynamic Therapy Mediated by 5-Aminolevulinic Acid.

In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and the profile of macrophages activation markers. Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus . CL is caused by in the old world and by in the Americas.

Ticks as potential vectors of Mycobacterium leprae: Use of tick cell lines to culture the bacilli and generate transgenic strains.

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and frequently resulting in irreversible deformities and disabilities. Ticks play an important role in infectious disease transmission due to their low host specificity, worldwide distribution, and the biological ability to support transovarial transmission of a wide spectrum of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and protozoa. To investigate a possible role for ticks as vectors of leprosy, we assessed transovarial transmission of M.

Potential of dissimilatory nitrate reduction pathways in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation.

This study investigates the potential of an indigenous estuarine microbial consortium to degrade two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), naphthalene and fluoranthene, under nitrate-reducing conditions. Two physicochemically diverse sediment samples from the Lima Estuary (Portugal) were spiked individually with 25 mg L of each PAH in laboratory designed microcosms. Sediments without PAHs and autoclaved sediments spiked with PAHs were run in parallel.

Systemic Inflammation as a Driver of Brain Injury: the Astrocyte as an Emerging Player.

Severe systemic inflammation has strong effects on brain functions, promoting permanent neurocognitive dysfunction and high mortality rates. Additionally, hippocampal damage seems to be directly involved in this process and astrocytes play an important role in neuroinflammation and in the neuroimmune response. However, the contribution of the astrocytes to the pathology of acute brain dysfunction is not well understood.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D prevents deleterious effects of homocysteine on mitochondrial function and redox status in heart slices.

Because homocysteine (Hcy) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and vitamin D deficiency can contribute to cardiovascular pathologies. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that Hcy could impair energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, and redox status in heart slices of Wistar rats and that 1,25-dihydroxivitamin D (calcitriol) treatment could prevent such effects. Heart slices were first pretreated with 3 different concentrations of calcitriol (50, 100, and 250nmol/L) for 30minutes at 37°C, after which Hcy was added to promote deleterious effects on metabolism.

Massive thymoma of the mid-posterior mediastinum: an unprecedented case in a young adult.

We report an unprecedented case of ectopic thymoma in a young adult. A 33-year-old male presented with a 10-day history of non-productive cough and fever. Investigation revealed mediastinal widening without pulmonary involvement.

A new species of the genus (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and redescription of five species from Neotropical region.

The genus Rhinoleucophenga Hendel comprises 29 nominal species with New World distribution. In the present study five species are redescribed: R. angustifrons Malogolowkin; R.

Apoptotic signaling pathways induced by acute administration of branched-chain amino acids in an animal model of maple syrup urine disease.

Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by a deficiency of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity. This blockage leads to accumulation of the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, as well as their corresponding α-keto acids and α-hydroxy acids. The affected patients present severe neurological symptoms, such as coma and seizures, as well as edema and cerebral atrophy.

DNA Sensing via TLR-9 Constitutes a Major Innate Immunity Pathway Activated during Erythema Nodosum Leprosum.

The chronic course of lepromatous leprosy may be interrupted by acute inflammatory episodes known as erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Despite its being a major cause of peripheral nerve damage in leprosy patients, the immunopathogenesis of ENL remains ill-defined. Recognized by distinct families of germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors, endogenous and pathogen-derived nucleic acids are highly immunostimulatory molecules that play a major role in the host defense against infections, autoimmunity, and autoinflammation.

Intracerebroventricular administration of okadaic acid induces hippocampal glucose uptake dysfunction and tau phosphorylation.

Intraneuronal aggregates of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), together with beta-amyloid plaques and astrogliosis, are histological markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The underlying mechanism of sporadic AD remains poorly understood, but abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau protein is suggested to have a role in NFTs genesis, which leads to neuronal dysfunction and death. Okadaic acid (OKA), a strong inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A, has been used to induce dementia similar to AD in rats.

Inclusion of Yucca schidigera extract in diets with different protein levels for dogs.

This study evaluated the effects of inclusion of Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) in two diets with different levels of crude protein (CP) for dogs on facal odour, nutrient digestibility, ammonia concentration in feces and hematological and serum biochemical profiles. Twenty adults Beagles were used, distributed in a randomized block design in a 2 × 4 factorial design (two diets, 25% and 34% CP, and four YSE levels: 0, 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg) with five replicates, obtained during two experimental periods. The fecal odour reduced (P < 0.