Fire up Biosensor Technology to Assess the Vitality of Trees after Wildfires.

The development of tools to quickly identify the fate of damaged trees after a stress event such as a wildfire is of great importance. In this context, an innovative approach to assess irreversible physiological damage in trees could help to support the planning of management decisions for disturbed sites to restore biodiversity, protect the environment and understand the adaptations of ecosystem functionality. The vitality of trees can be estimated by several physiological indicators, such as cambium activity and the amount of starch and soluble sugars, while the accumulation of ethanol in the cambial cells and phloem is considered an alarm sign of cell death.

Microbial Polysaccharides Extracted from Different Mature Muds of the Euganean Thermal District Show Similar Anti-Inflammatory Activity In Vivo.

The Euganean Thermal District, situated in North-East Italy, is one of Europe's largest and oldest thermal centres. The topical application of its therapeutic thermal muds is recognised by the Italian Health System as a beneficial treatment for patients suffering from arthro-rheumatic diseases. Polysaccharides produced by the mud microbiota have been recently identified as anti-inflammatory bioactive molecules.

Sensitivity and specificity of COVID-19 screening by detection dogs: Results of the C19-Screendog multicenter study.

Trained dogs can recognize the volatile organic compounds contained in biological samples of patients with COVID-19 infection. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 screening by trained dogs. We recruited five dog-handler dyads.

Oral Palatability and Owners' Perception of the Effect of Increasing Amounts of Spirulina () in the Diet of a Cohort of Healthy Dogs and Cats.

The nutraceutical supplementation of Spirulina () in dogs and cats has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the dietary supplementation of increasing amounts of Spirulina for 6 weeks is palatable to pets and to assess the owner's perception of such supplementation. The owners of the 60 dogs and 30 cats that participated in this study were instructed to daily provide Spirulina tablets starting with a daily amount of 0.

Preliminary observations of the urbanization and domiciliation of the American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Rio Branco, Acre, Western Amazon.

Background: The American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is expanding in peri-urban environments.

Methods: An entomological survey was conducted in the area of the occurrence of an autochthonous urban case of ACL. Sandflies and a parasitological slide of the human case were submitted for molecular diagnosis.

Visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is mainly caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) donovani and Leishmania (L.) infantum; however, other Leishmania species have been associated with VL. We report a case of a patient simultaneously diagnosed with VL caused by Leishmania (L.

In vivo anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of microbial polysaccharides extracted from Euganean therapeutic muds.

Therapeutic thermal mud produced by spas of the Euganean Thermal District (Italy) is used as a treatment for arthro-rheumatic diseases. Its production involves the growth of a specific microbiota embedded in a polysaccharidic matrix. Polysaccharides (Microbial-PolySaccharides, M-PS) released in the mud by the resident microorganisms were extracted and analyzed.

Neurotoxic, biotransformation, oxidative stress and genotoxic effects in Astyanax altiparanae (Teleostei, Characiformes) males exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of diclofenac and/or caffeine.

The present study evaluated neurotoxic, biotransformation, genotoxic and antioxidant responses to relevant environmental concentrations of diclofenac (0.4 μg L) and caffeine (27.5 μg L), separate and combined, in adult males of the freshwater fish Astyanax altiparanae after a subchronic exposure (14 days).

Plant-Based Systems for Vaccine Production.

Plant systems have been used as biofactories to produce recombinant proteins since 1983. The huge amount of data, collected so far in this framework, suggests that plants display several key advantages over existing traditional platforms when they are intended for therapeutic uses, including safety, scalability, and the speed in obtaining the final product.Here, we describe a method that could be applied for the expression and production of a candidate subunit vaccine in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by transient expression, defining all the protocols starting from plant cultivation to target recombinant protein purification.

Endocrine disruption caused by the aquatic exposure to aluminum and manganese in Astyanax altiparanae (Teleostei: Characidae) females during the final ovarian maturation.

Aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) can be toxic to aquatic biota and cause endocrine disruption in fish, affecting reproduction. This study evaluates the physiological responses of the ray-finned teleost fish Astyanax altiparanae vitellogenic females after acute exposure (96 h) to Al and Mn (alone and combined) in acid pH followed by the same period of exposure to metal-free water in neutral pH. The aim of this second period of exposure was to assess the recovery capacity from the toxic effects these metals.

miR-548d-3p Alters Parasite Growth and Inflammation in Infection.

American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) is an endemic disease in Latin America, mainly caused in Brazil by . Clinical manifestations vary from mild, localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) to aggressive mucosal disease. The host immune response strongly determines the outcome of infection and pattern of disease.

Molecular tools confirm natural Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis/L. (V.) shawi hybrids causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Seven isolates from patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil were phenotypically suggestive of Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis/L. (V.) shawi hybrids.

Aluminum bioconcentration in female Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Perciformes: Cichlidae) and the effects on pituitary gonadotropins.

In this study, we measured aluminum (Al) bioconcentration in the brain, ovaries, and liver of Oreochromis niloticus females, and analyzed the effects of exposure to Al and acidic pH on the gene expression of follicle-stimulating hormone (βfsh) and luteinizing hormone (βlh) in these animals. Mature females were divided into 4 groups, thus being maintained for 96 h in one of the following conditions: control at neutral pH (Ctr); Al at neutral pH (Al); acidic pH (Ac), and Al at acidic pH (Al-Ac). pH alone did not influence Al bioconcentration in the brain.

Microbiota of the Therapeutic Euganean Thermal Muds with a Focus on the Main Cyanobacteria Species.

The Euganean Thermal District has been known since Roman times for the therapeutic properties of peloids, obtained from natural clays that have undergone a traditional maturation process. This leads to the growth of a green microbial biofilm with Cyanobacteria and the target species sp. ETS-05 as fundamental components for their ability to synthetize anti-inflammatory molecules.

One Health Approach to Leishmaniases: Understanding the Disease Dynamics through Diagnostic Tools.

Leishmaniases are zoonotic vector-borne diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus that affect millions of people around the globe. There are various clinical manifestations, ranging from self-healing cutaneous lesions to potentially fatal visceral leishmaniasis, all of which are associated with different species. Transmission of these parasites is complex due to the varying ecological relationships between human and/or animal reservoir hosts, parasites, and sand fly vectors.

Dual transcriptome analysis reveals differential gene expression modulation influenced by arginase and host genetic background.

The outcome of infection is strongly influenced by the host's genetic background. BALB/c mice are susceptible to infection, while C57BL/6 mice show discrete resistance. Central to the fate of the infection is the availability of l-arginine and the related metabolic processes in the host and parasite.

Updating the Debate on Behavioral Competency Development: State of the Art and Future Challenges.

Emotional, social, and cognitive intelligence competencies have been recognized as the most critical capabilities for organizations to acquire at all levels. For this reason, a wide body of research since the 1980s has demonstrated their positive impact on individual performance, career success, and wellbeing across sectors and professional roles, and a large number of theoretical contributions on how these competencies can be effectively developed has emerged over time. We focus attention on the developmental and learning processes of emotional, social, and cognitive intelligence competencies that occur after formal training or educational courses provided by universities or certified organizations and directed to students or practitioners.

Identification of Leishmania species by high-resolution DNA dissociation in cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background: American cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious dermatosis caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which comprises a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations depending on the parasite species involved in the infections and the immunogenetic response of the host. The use of techniques for amplification of the parasites DNA based on polymerase chain reaction polymerase chain reaction and the recent application of combined techniques, such as high-resolution DNA dissociation, have been described as a viable alternative for the detection and identification of Leishmania spp. in biological samples.

Prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases with plant virus nanoparticles.

Plant viruses are natural, self-assembling nanostructures with versatile and genetically programmable shells, making them useful in diverse applications ranging from the development of new materials to diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, we describe the design and synthesis of plant virus nanoparticles displaying peptides associated with two different autoimmune diseases. Using animal models, we show that the recombinant nanoparticles can prevent autoimmune diabetes and ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Exopolysaccharides from sp. ETS05, the Most Abundant Cyanobacterium of the Therapeutic Euganean Thermal Muds, Using the Zebrafish Model.

The Euganean Thermal District (Italy) represents the oldest and largest thermal center in Europe, and its therapeutic mud is considered a unique product whose beneficial effects have been documented since Ancient Roman times. Mud properties depend on the heat and electrolytes of the thermal water, as well as on the bioactive molecules produced by its biotic component, mainly represented by cyanobacteria. The investigation of the healing effects of compounds produced by the Euganean cyanobacteria represents an important goal for scientific validation of Euganean mud therapies and for the discovering of new health beneficial biomolecules.

In Vivo Infection with Leishmania amazonensis to Evaluate Parasite Virulence in Mice.

Leishmania spp. are protozoan parasites that cause leishmaniases, diseases that present a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations from cutaneous to visceral lesions. Currently, 12 million people are estimated to be infected with Leishmania worldwide and over 1 billion people live at the risk of infection.

Author Correction: Differential immune response modulation in early Leishmania amazonensis infection of BALB/c and C57BL/6 macrophages based on transcriptome profiles.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Plant Virus Nanoparticles for Vaccine Applications.

In the rapidly evolving field of nanotechnology, plant virus nanoparticles (pVNPs) are emerging as powerful tools in diverse applications ranging from biomedicine to materials science. The proteinaceous structure of plant viruses allows the capsid structure to be modified by genetic engineering and/or chemical conjugation with nanoscale precision. This means that pVNPs can be engineered to display peptides and proteins on their external surface, including immunodominant peptides derived from pathogens allowing pVNPs to be used for active immunization.

Differential immune response modulation in early Leishmania amazonensis infection of BALB/c and C57BL/6 macrophages based on transcriptome profiles.

The fate of Leishmania infection can be strongly influenced by the host genetic background. In this work, we describe gene expression modulation of the immune system based on dual global transcriptome profiles of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis. A total of 12,641 host transcripts were identified according to the alignment to the Mus musculus genome.

Metabolomic Profile of BALB/c Macrophages Infected with : Deciphering L-Arginine Metabolism.

Background: Leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases that are caused by , being endemic worldwide. L-arginine is an essential amino acid that is required for polyamines production on mammal cells. During infection of macrophages, L-arginine is used by host and parasite arginase to produce polyamines, leading to parasite survival; or, by nitric oxide synthase 2 to produce nitric oxide leading to parasite killing.