Chitosan-Based Films with 2-Aminothiophene Derivative: Formulation,Characterization and Potential Antifungal Activity

In this study, films of chitosan and 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carbonitrile (6CN), a 2-aminothiophene derivative with great pharmacological potential, were prepared as a system for a topical formulation. 6CN-chitosan films were characterized by physicochemical analyses, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the antifungal potential of the films was evaluated in vitro against three species of Candida (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. parapsilosis). The results of the FTIR and thermal analysis showed the incorporation of 6CN in the polymer matrix. In the diffractogram, the 6CN-chitosan films exhibited diffraction halos that were characteristic of amorphous structures, while the micrographs showed that 6CN particles were dispersed in the chitosan matrix, exhibiting pores and cracks on the film surface. In addition, the results of antifungal investigation demonstrated that 6CN-chitosan films were effective against Candida species showing potential for application as a new antifungal drug.     

Effect of Fucoidan on the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨm) of Leukocytes from Patients with Active COVID-19 and Subjects That Recovered from SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for COVID-19 recovery. This work aimed to determine the ex-vivo effects of treatment with fucoidan (20 µg/mL) on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm, using a cationic cyanine dye, 3,3′-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC₆(3)) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HPBMC) isolated from healthy control (HC) subjects, COVID-19 patients (C-19), and subjects that recently recovered from COVID-19 (R1, 40 ± 13 days after infection). In addition, ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan (20 and 50 µg/mL) was evaluated on ΔΨm loss induced by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP, 150 µM) in HPBMC isolated from healthy subjects (H) and recovered subjects at 11 months post-COVID-19 (R2, 335 ± 20 days after infection). Data indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces HPBMC loss of ΔΨm, even 11 months after infection, however, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered subjects. Therefore, fucoidan may be a potential treatment to diminish long-term sequelae from COVID-19, using mitochondria as a therapeutic target for the recovery of cellular homeostasis.     

Multilocus sequence typing detects new Piscirickettsia salmonis hybrid genogroup in Chilean fish farms: Evidence for genetic diversity and population structure

Piscirickettsia salmonisis the causative bacterial pathogen of piscirickettsiosis, a salmonid disease that causes notable mortalities in the worldwide aquaculture industry. Published research describes the phenotypic traits, virulence factors, pathogenicity and antibiotic‐resistance potential for various P. salmonisstrains. However, evolutionary and genetic information is scarce for P. salmonis. The present study used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to gain insight into the population structure and evolution of P. salmonis. Forty‐two Chilean P. salmonisisolates, as well as the type strain LF‐89^T, were recovered from diseased Salmo salar, Oncorhynchus kisutchand Oncorhynchus mykissfrom two Chilean Regions. MLST assessed the loci sequences of dnaK, efp, fumC, glyA, murG, rpoD and trpB. Bioinformatics analyses established the genetic diversity among P. salmonis isolates (H = 0.5810). A total of 23 sequence types (ST) were identified, 53.48% of which were represented by ST1, ST5 and ST2. Population structure analysis through polymorphism patterns showed few polymorphic sites (218 nucleotides from 4,010 bp), while dN/dS ratio analysis indicated purifying selection for dnaK, epf, fumC, murG, and rpoD but neutral selection for the trpB loci. The standardized index of association indicated strong linkage disequilibrium, suggesting clonal population structure. However, recombination events were detected in a group of seven isolates. Findings included genogroups homologous to the LF‐89^T and EM‐90 strains, as well as a seven‐isolate hybrid genogroup recovered from both assessed regions (three O. mykiss and four S. salar isolates). The presented MLST scheme has comparative potential, with promising applications in studying distinct P. salmonis isolates (e.g., from different hosts, farms, geographical areas) and in understanding the epidemiology of this pathogen.     

Accuracy of pairwise methods in the reconstruction of family relationships, using molecular information from turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

Many estimators and algorithms have been developed to infer the genealogical relationships from molecular marker data when there is no pedigree information. Most pairwise methods provide estimates in a continuous range that needs to be converted into genealogical relationships (namely full-sibs, half-sibs and unrelated) if there is a previous knowledge of the population structure. Transformations are usually based on arbitrary thresholds, but the possibility of correcting the coancestry estimates via explicit pedigree reconstruction methods has been suggested. Using molecular data for ten highly polymorphic microsatellite loci on a population of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) with a known genealogy, the behaviour of four pairwise marker-based coancestry estimators and the molecular coancestry has been evaluated. The population consisted on 138 families with 4 full-sib individuals each and one family with 8 full-sib individuals (up to 15 half-sib families were also present due to the sharing of parents between some of the full-sibs families). Our results suggested that transforming the pairwise estimators and the molecular coancestry to family relationships through the establishment of thresholds performs slightly better than the explicit pedigree reconstruction method, when accuracy is measured in a pairwise basis. However, if joint relationships between more than two individuals were tested at a time, the threshold methods led to a high percentage of incongruous triads of full-sib individuals, with Mendelian incompatibilities appearing in congruous full-sib families (more than 70% and 60% in our study, respectively). The explicit pedigree reconstruction approach, due to its nature, is free from such problems. Therefore, the pedigree reconstruction approach seems to be a valuable tool to provide a congruent and compatible pedigree when the pairwise marker-based coancestry matrices or the molecular coancestry need to be transformed.     

Effect of Density at Harvest on the Growth Performance and Profitability of Hatchery‐reared Spotted Rose Snapper,Lutjanus guttatus,Cultured in Floating Net Cages

This study evaluated the effect of the density at harvest on the performance and profitability of hatchery‐reared spotted rose snapper cultured in cages. The fish were stocked at harvest densities of 15, 20, and 22 kg/m³ in cages of 222 and 286 m³. More than 39,000 snapper fingerlings with an initial weight of 14 g were stocked. The fish were fed an extruded diet and cultured over a 360 d period. The thermal growth coefficient ranged from 0.04 to 0.05 and survival was 95% for all treatments, with the highest final weight (436.8 g) observed for fish reared at a density of 20 kg/m³. The allometric value b indicated that hatchery‐raised, cage‐cultured snapper were heavier than their wild counterparts. The major costs were feed (ranging from 44.7–45.9%), labor (22.4–32.6%), and seed costs (20.2–26.1%). The total production cost ranged from US$ 6.5 to US$ 7.5/kg. The baseline scenario was not economically feasible. However, a 10% increase in the sales price resulted in increases in the internal rate of return (183%) and net present value (US$ 97,628.9). These results suggest that L. guttatus has the potential for commercial production in cages.     

Effects of a plastic cover on soil moisture change in a Mediterranean climatic regime

Water deficit is a serious problem for most agricultural crops, especially in arid–semiarid regions, and limits sustainable development. Production can be improved by reducing evapotranspiration and loss of infiltrated water by the use of a plastic cover. We monitored soil moisture fortnightly over 1 yr using a neutron probe near four trees in an olive grove (Olea europaea, var. Arbequina), two of which had a plastic cover buried in the topsoil around them. These trees were monitored using three neutron probe access tubes per tree to compare the behaviour of soil moisture over time with two other identically instrumented and nearby trees with no cover. Analysis was based on the resultant moisture profiles. The plastic cover retained moisture and increased soil water residence time. During the dry season, the amount of water retained in the plots was at most 15–20% greater in the mid‐season and at least 5–6% greater at the end of season than in the central part of the plots near the trunk. The plastic cover was effective to ca. 50 cm with maximum water content near the soil surface. During the wet season, the cover did not affect soil water. Soil moisture was greater near the tree trunk as a result of stemflow and throughfall.     

Corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) by scanning electron microscopy.

The corneal endothelium is essential for the maintenance of the corneal transparency. The aim of this study was to examine the morphology of the endothelial surface and perform morphometric analysis of the normal corneal endothelial cells of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) using scanning electron microscopy. The present work demonstrates that the corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin is similar to those described in other vertebrates.     

Serological tests in relation to the viability,fertility and localization of hydatid cysts in cattle,sheep, goats and swine

A serological study of intermediate hosts (cattle, sheep, goats and swine) of Echinococcus granulosus was carried out by means of the indirect haemaglutination (IHA) and flocculation with latex (LA) tests, relating them with the organs invaded, and the fertility and viability of the cysts.In cattle a sensitivity of 75% and 21.05% of non-specific reactions was given by IHA, while the LA gave 66.7 and 17.54%, respectively. In the sheep, the IHA gave 79.16 and 20%, and the LA, 75 and 15%. In the goat, the IHA gave 76 and 22%, and the LA 71.43 and 16%. Finally, in the pig, the IHA gave 75 and 22%, and the LA, 66.6 and 14.16%.The IHA was more sensitive in detecting hepatic cysts in the cow, and pulmonary cysts in the goat, while in the sheep and the pig there were no significant differences. The LA was more sensitive in detecting hepatic cysts in the cow, goat and pig, while there were no significant differences in sheep.The differences in serum titers by the IHA and the LA tests with respect to the viability and the fertility of the cysts in the hosts, were not significant.     

Simulation of rotational grazing to evaluate integrated pest management strategies for Boophilus microplus (Acari: ixodidae) in Venezuela

Ranchers in Venezuela historically have controlled the cattle-fever tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini), with acaricide treatments of cattle but no technical planning. We developed a simulation model to evaluate cattle-tick population dynamics in systematic pasture rotation systems and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to managing ticks in the tropical dry-forest ecological zone of Venezuela. Model output showed five generations of cattle-ticks produced each year throughout the dry and rainy seasons that occur in this zone. Sensitivity analyses showed disproportionately large changes in on-host B. microplus populations in response to small changes in larval mortality rates, such as those resulting from differences in the innate resistance of cattle to tick parasitism. Simulation results with 1-6 pasture systems suggest that adjusting the graze:rest sequence with systematic rotation among 4-6 pastures could suppress, but not eradicate, tick populations.