Symptomatic Capillaria plica infection in a young European cat

An 8-month-old owned European cat showing abdominal pain, fever, distended painful bladder and urinary blockage was presented. Intravenous fluids were immediately administered and, after sedation, a urinary catheter was applied. Blood and urine analysis revealed cystitis and a moderate-to-severe degree of renal failure. About 20 thread-like nematodes, identified as Capillaria plica larvae and fragments of adult stages, were found in the urine sediment. After treatment with an oral formulation of fenbendazole at 25 mg/kg q 12 h for 10 days, urinary signs and bladder worms disappeared. Cases of Capillaria species bladder worms in cats are rarely reported and most infected cats show no clinical signs, presumably because of a low parasite burden. In the present study, feline capillariosis was associated to urethral obstruction, severe difficulties in urination, cystitis and renal failures.     

Metabolic profiling of strawberry grape ( Vitis × labruscana cv. 'Isabella') components by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and evaluation of their antioxidant and antiproliferative properties

In the assessment of the antioxidant properties of edible plants, the widely consumed Vitis × labruscana cv. 'Isabella', known in Italy as "fragola" (strawberry) grape, was of interest. Phenol and flavonoid contents of the methanolic extracts of peel, pulp, seed, leaf, and stalk components of the plant were determined. The metabolic profile of the extracts was performed by 1D and 2D NMR. Quantitative analysis, obtained in the presence of 0.01% of internal standard trimethylsilyl propionate, evidenced the presence of catechins in both stalk and seed extracts, whereas caffeic acid and quercetin were the main metabolites of the leaf extract. Furthermore, the extracts were tested for their radical scavenging and reducing capacities by measuring their capacity to scavenge DPPH(?) and ABTS(?+) and to reduce Fe(III) and Mo(VI) salts. The antioxidant efficacy of the extracts in cell-free systems and their antiproliferative activity toward HepG2 and A549 cells were also evaluated. Seed and stalk components are able to reduce by 39.6 and 40.6%, respectively, the amount of the metabolically active HepG2 cells after only 24 h of exposure.     

TMEM16A, a membrane protein associated with calcium-dependent chloride channel activity

Calcium-dependent chloride channels are required for normal electrolyte and fluid secretion, olfactory perception, and neuronal and smooth muscle excitability. The molecular identity of these membrane proteins is still unclear. Treatment of bronchial epithelial cells with interleukin-4 (IL-4) causes increased calcium-dependent chloride channel activity, presumably by regulating expression of the corresponding genes. We performed a global gene expression analysis to identify membrane proteins that are regulated by IL-4. Transfection of epithelial cells with specific small interfering RNA against each of these proteins shows that TMEM16A, a member of a family of putative plasma membrane proteins with unknown function, is associated with calcium-dependent chloride current, as measured with halide-sensitive fluorescent proteins, short-circuit current, and patch-clamp techniques. Our results indicate that TMEM16A is an intrinsic constituent of the calcium-dependent chloride channel. Identification of a previously unknown family of membrane proteins associated with chloride channel function will improve our understanding of chloride transport physiopathology and allow for the development of pharmacological tools useful for basic research and drug development.     

Incidental captures of sea turtles by swordfish and albacore longlines in the Ionian sea

ABSTRACT:   Incidental catches in pelagic longline fishing pose a serious threat to sea turtle populations throughout the world's seas and oceans. In this work, carried out in the framework of the EC-DG-Fisheries 98/008 project, information on sea turtle catch rates from swordfish and albacore longline fishing activities observed in Italian waters off the Ionian Sea during 1999 and 2000, are reported. In addition, biometric data, health status, and tagging return rate of sea turtles captured are provided. A total of 200 sea turtles were caught (198 loggerhead turtles and 2 green turtles), comprising 0.5–15.7% of the total catch in number of individuals. The estimates of the sea turtles caught by the total fishing effort of both longlines in the whole study area were 1084 specimens in 1999 (95% CI = 667–1502) and 4447 specimens in 2000 (95% CI = 3189–5705). Although all sea turtles were released alive, nearly half of them had hooks that could not be removed and remained deeply embedded in the digestive tract.     

Effects of different cooking methods on antioxidant profile, antioxidant capacity, and physical characteristics of artichoke

In this study, the effects of three common cooking practices (i.e., boiling, steaming, and frying) on the artichoke phenolic compounds pattern were evaluated by LC-MS/MS analysis. The variation of carotenoids, antioxidant capacity, and artichoke physical properties after cooking was also investigated. The major phenolic compounds present in the raw sample were 5- O-caffeoylquinic and 1,5-di- O-caffeoylquinic acids; after cooking treatments, an increase of the overall caffeoylquinic acids concentration due to the formation of different dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers was observed. Steamed and fried samples showed similar patterns of dicaffeoylquinic concentrations, which were higher with respect to the boiled samples. On the other hand, all cooking practices, particularly frying, decreased flavonoid concentration. The antioxidant capacity of cooked artichokes, measured by three different assays, enormously increased after cooking, particularly after steaming (up to 15-fold) and boiling (up to 8-fold). The observed cooking effect on the artichoke antioxidant profile is probably due to matrix softening and increased extractability of compounds, but the increase of antioxidant capacity is much higher than the increase of antioxidant concentration. These results suggest that some common cooking treatments can be used to enhance the nutritional value of vegetables, increasing bioaccessibility of health-promoting constituents.     

Evaluation of different procedures for fertilization and larvae production in Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776) (Nereididae,Polychaeta)

Different experimental trials were performed to clarify some aspects of the biology of the polychaete Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776) as a further step towards the development of appropriate breeding protocols for indoor farming systems. In particular, the trials were addressed to evaluate the effectiveness of two fertilization conditions (in vitro and “natural‐like”); induce gamete spawning by exposing mature individuals to thermal shock or to tissue homogenates; estimate the density effects on larval growth and survival; and evaluate the most suitable parameters to be used as proxy for biomass assessment. The highest percentages of fertilized eggs and larvae were obtained by the in vitro fertilization condition. Mature organisms were induced to spawn by exposure to thermal shock although the spawned eggs revealed low rates of fertilization and hatching. The treatment with male tissue homogenates induced females to successful spawning, and the resulting eggs showed high fertilization and hatching rates. The density of larvae in the rearing phase had no effect on growth or on survival rates of juveniles. Finally, allometric evaluations showed that fresh weight and L3 length are the most reliable parameters to be used as proxy for biomass assessment of this species.     

Erratum to: Spatial and Temporal Heavy Metal Concentration (Cu,Pb, Zn,Hg, Fe,Mn, Ni) in Sediments of the Mar Piccolo in Taranto (Ionian Sea,Italy)

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution -     

Early forebrain wiring: genetic dissection using conditional Celsr3 mutant mice

Development of axonal tracts requires interactions between growth cones and the environment. Tracts such as the anterior commissure and internal capsule are defective in mice with null mutation of Celsr3. We generated a conditional Celsr3 allele, allowing regional inactivation. Inactivation in telencephalon, ventral forebrain, or cortex demonstrated essential roles for Celsr3 in neurons that project axons to the anterior commissure and subcerebral targets, as well as in cells that guide axons through the internal capsule. When Celsr3 was inactivated in cortex, subcerebral projections failed to grow, yet corticothalamic axons developed normally, indicating that besides guidepost cells, additional Celsr3-independent cues can assist their progression. These observations provide in vivo evidence that Celsr3-mediated interactions between axons and guidepost cells govern axonal tract formation in mammals.     

Trophic structure of a pond community dominated by an invasive alien species: Insights from stomach content and stable isotope analyses

1. Invaders affect native species across multiple trophic levels, influencing the structure and stability of freshwater communities. Based on the ‘trophic position hypothesis’, invaders at the top of the food web are more harmful to native species via direct and indirect effects than trophically analogous native predators are.
2. However, introduced and native predators can coexist, especially when non-native species have no ecological and behavioural similarities with natives, occupy an empty niche, or natives show generalist anti-predator strategies that are effective at the community level.
3. At present, conservation efforts are focused on eradicating invaders; however, their removal may lead to unwanted and unexpected outcomes, especially when invaders are well established and strongly interspersed with natives. This highlights the need to consider invaders in a whole-ecosystem context and to consider the evolutionary history and behavioural ecology of natives and invaders before active management is applied.
4. Here, stomach content and stable isotope analyses were combined to investigate a pond system dominated by invaders in order to understand the effects of the interactions among upper level predators and lower level members of the food web on the whole community structure.
5. Both diet and isotope analyses showed that several invaders contributed to the diet of natives and invaders. A significant isotope overlap was found among upper level predators. However, stomach content analysis suggested that predators reduced the potential competition differentiating the food spectrum by including additional prey in their diet. Both native and non-native upper level predators, by preying on invaders, seem not to exert a strong suppressive effect through predation and competition on native species.
6. This research confirms the importance of studying food webs to identify ecological conditions that forecast the potential for deleterious impacts before management is applied. In cases where invaders cannot be eradicated, management efforts should follow a conciliatory approach promoting the coexistence of native species with invaders.