Occurrence, distribution and population size of Malassezia pachydermatis on skin and mucosae of atopic dogs

Aim of the present study was to determine the distribution and quantification of Malassezia yeasts on a wide number of cutaneous sites in atopic dogs by means of a semiquantitative swab technique. A possible relationship between the presence of clinical signs and the occurrence and population size of yeasts was attempted. Forty-one privately owned atopic dogs of different age and breed were sampled. Results were expressed as colony forming units per swab. Malassezia colonies obtained from each plate were counted, scored and typed. All dogs yielded Malassezia pachydermatis from at least one skin area. Yeast population mean size by site was 6.98 (S.D.=3.47) as compared to other body areas. The frequence of isolation was higher from interdigital areas (70.7%), ears (63.4%), nail folds (35.7%), mouth (33.3%), groin (30.9%), conjunctiva and axillae (23.8%), perineum and anus (19%), perianal glands (9.5%). Ears, anus, interdigital areas, perianal glands and groin yielded the largest mycotic amount. M. pachydermatis was the sole species of yeast to colonize canine skin in examined animals. No statistical correlation between the presence of cutaneous alterations and Malassezia isolation was detected. Highest scores were not exclusively found on affected areas, but also on lesion-free sites, demonstrating that atopic animals can be heavily colonized also in apparently healthy areas.     

Wild artichoke prevents the age-associated loss of vasomotor function

Endothelial dysfunction, which is more often observed in conduit arteries such as the aorta, carotid, femoral, and brachial arteries, is largely due to alterations in cellular signal transduction initiated by an escalating cycle of damage triggered by oxidative stress. This phenomenon is exacerbated in the elderly, where a progressive loss of vascular endothelial function and concurrent loss of vasomotor control is frequent. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the wild artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is able to increase the production of the vasorelaxant factor nitric oxide by cultured aortic endothelial cells. We now extended that study to verify (1) the vasorelaxant potential of C. cardunculus on isolated rat aortic rings and (2) whether the vasomodulating properties of C. cardunculus are maintained in vivo, after administration to aged rats. The results demonstrate that the wild artichoke and its main components, namely, luteolin and apigenin, improve aortic relaxation when added to the incubation bath. Moreover, the feeding of wild artichoke [10 mg (kg of polyphenols)(-1) day(-1)] to aged rats significantly restores proper vasomotion, to a degree similar to that observed in young animals. This study provides further justification to the advice to consume wild greens as part of a balanced diet and suggests that close attention should be paid to the diet of the elderly, because it can effectively modulate important parameters of cardiovascular risk.     

Effects of age and season on conception rate of Mediterranean Italian Dairy Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) following oestrus synchronization and fixed-time artificial insemination

The objective of this project was to report the effects of season and age on conception rate amongst Italian Mediterranean Buffalo subjected to an Ovsynch/Resynch (O/R) reproductive management protocol. The study utilized nulliparous (heifers), primiparous buffalo cows (PBC) and multiparous buffalo cows (MBC). The primiparous and multiparous groups were subjected to the synchronization protocol throughout the entire year, but heifers were synchronized and inseminated only during the spring/summer seasons. The conception rate obtained following the OvSynch oestrus synchronization protocol, applied during spring, was 68.4% for heifers, 83.3% for PBC and 67.7% for MBC. The overall total conception rates following the complete O/R protocol were 84.27%, 94.4% and 79%. Conception rates achieved during summer were heifers 52%, PBC 47.2% and MBC 49%, whilst overall conception rates following the full O/R protocol were 72%, 69.8% and 58.2% respectively. In the autumn seasons, PBC conceived 58.9% and MBC 52.1% following initial Ovsynch, which improved to total overall conception rates of 87.5% and 78.7% following the full O/R protocol. Similarly, in the winter season, PBC experienced a conception rate of 47.5% following Ovsynch and 72.5% after a follow-up Resynch. MBC experienced 60.0% and 74.4% conception following Ovsynch and full O/R, respectively, during winter. Total conception rates during all seasons were quite acceptable following the O/R protocol. There was a significant decrease from spring to summer in conception rate for all parity groups, but heifers were not a severely affected as older buffalo cows. This finding agrees with that of other investigators indicating that heifer fertility is not as negatively impacted by long photoperiod and higher ambient temperature as that of older animals. The O/R protocol as utilized in this study is an effective means of reproductive management for dairy buffalo cows and is effective for improving fertility during out-of-season breeding.     

Drape behaviour of seamed fabrics

Clothe drape depends, on the one hand, on the mechanical and constructional properties of the textile materials and, on the other hand, on the form — construction of the cloth, and their connected positions at the seams. This article analyses the influence of seam types and directions on fabric drape. The drape coefficient together with the number and distribution of folds were determined using a Cusick Drape meter with a video camera and Drape Analyser. The results of our investigation showed that the number of folds on the samples with seams was greater, or in some cases, equal to samples without seams. The distribution and form of the folds also changed. Drape coefficient was, in most cases, greater on samples with seams than samples without seams. Furthermore it was discovered that by measurement repetition the angle values are similar even when the folds on the samples are not distributed in the same manner.     

Marine and Semi-Synthetic Hydroxysteroids as New Scaffolds for Pregnane X Receptor Modulation

In recent years many sterols with unusual structures and promising biological profiles have been identified from marine sources. Here we report the isolation of a series of 24-alkylated-hydroxysteroids from the soft coral Sinularia kavarattiensis, acting as pregnane X receptor (PXR) modulators. Starting from this scaffold a number of derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their ability to activate the PXR by assessing transactivation and quantifying gene expression. Our study reveals that ergost-5-en-3β-ol (4) induces PXR transactivation in HepG2 cells and stimulates the expression of the PXR target gene CYP3A4. To shed light on the molecular basis of the interaction between these ligands and PXR, we investigated, through docking simulations, the binding mechanism of the most potent compound of the series, 4, to the PXR. Our findings provide useful functional and structural information to guide further investigations and drug design.     

Predominance of Dehalococcoides in the presence of different sulfate concentrations

Urban stormwater runoff is contaminated by nutrients that wash off of roadways, parking lots and lawns during storms. In-ground permeable filter systems that consist of carefully selected filter material have the potential to remove these nutrients from the run-off. In this paper, four filter materials, calcite, zeolite, sand and iron filings, were investigated using laboratory batch tests to evaluate their efficiency in the removal of nitrate and phosphate from the simulated stormwater at different initial concentrations under the same 24-h exposure time period. The range of removal for nitrate was from 39 % to 65 % for calcite, from 42 % to 77 % for zeolite, from 40 % to 70 % for sand, and from 74 % to 100 % for iron filings. The removal of phosphate ranged from 35 % to 41 % for calcite, 59 % to 100 % for zeolite, 49 % to 100 % for sand, and 73 % to 100 % for iron filings. The removal of nitrate is mainly attributed to electrostatic adsorption, except when iron filings were used as a filter material where additional processes such as electrochemical reduction, ligand complexation and precipitation may have contributed to the higher nitrate removal. Phosphate removal is also attributed to electrostatic adsorption in all filter materials; however, at higher phosphate concentrations, the precipitation process may be the dominant process for all of the filter materials except calcite. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms fitted the observed nonlinear adsorption results, but the mechanism of removal of phosphate changed from adsorption to precipitation at concentrations higher than 1 mg/l in zeolite, sand, and iron filings; therefore, the adsorption models are valid below this concentration limit. A typical application of these batch adsorption test results is presented in the design of a field in-ground permeable filter system.     

Induction of hypericins in Hypericum perforatum in response to chromium

Seedlings of Hypericum perforatum were grown with 0.01 and 0.1 mM of chromium added to the nutrient media. A treatment with 0.01 mM Cr(VI) for seven days resulted in an increased production of protopseudohypericin (+135%), hypericin (+38%) and pseudohypericin (+5%). Treatment with 0.1 mM Cr(VI) for two days also caused an increase of protopseudohypericin (+167%), hypericin (25%) and pseudohypericin (+5%). The greatest effect of chromium treatment was observed at a concentration of 0.1 mM for seven days: protopseudohypericin increased +404% and pseudohypericin to +379%. Hypericin was not affected by this treatment.     

Host-suitability of black medick (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago lupulina</Emphasis> L.) and additional molecular markers for identification of the pea cyst nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterodera goettingiana</Emphasis>

A survey was conducted in 16 fields cultivated with broad bean (Vicia faba L.) and garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) in nine localities of Apulia, southern Italy, to determine whether annual weeds were susceptible to the pea cyst nematode (PEACN), Heterodera goettingiana, and could therefore serve as alternate host for the nematode. The results of this study showed that black medick (Medicago lupulina L.) is a good host for the nematode increasing its population levels in the soil in the absence of the primary hosts. The identity of the PEACN was confirmed by integrative taxonomic approaches (classical, and molecular), resulting identical in all cases (broad bean and garden pea, as well as the spontaneous black medick infections). The phylogenetic analyses using ITS and coxI gene regions strongly support the identification of the populations of H. goettingiana from Italy. Also, ITS and coxI gene sequences were obtained from the same cyst, confirming the species identity in comparison to other nematodes and populations in the Goettingiana group, demonstrating that ITS and coxI gene regions of the PEACN are suitable molecular markers for accurate and unequivocal identification of the PEACN. Reproduction and histopathological analyses demonstrated a good host-suitability of black medick to the PEACN. This record enlarges the relatively narrow host-range of the pea cyst nematode and indicates the need to control M. lupulina to avoid the increase of the nematode population in the absence of the main host crop.