Antler mineral composition of Iberian red deer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphus hispanicus</Emphasis> is related to mineral profile of diet

Previous studies have suggested that antlers are costly bone structures whose mineral composition may change depending on physiological and other factors. This study examined whether nutrition variation associated with deer management influences antler mineral composition and structural characteristics of whole antler. Mineral distribution and bone structure were examined in antlers from two groups of adult Iberian red deer Cervus elaphus hispanicus Hilzheimer, 1909. They were kept under different feeding regimes at an experimental deer farm and a game estate in southeastern Spain. Protein and mineral contents differed between the diet of captive deer and that of deer in the wild. Significant differences were found for Na, Mg, K and protein. Antler composition seems to reflect the diet, as antlers of deer differed in protein, Na, Mg and K, but not in total mineral content, Ca, Fe or Zn. Thus, management conditions related to nutrition are reflected on antler composition.     

60-kDa heat shock protein of Chlamydia pneumoniae promotes a T helper type 1 immune response through IL-12/IL-23 production in monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Infection, in particular by Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp), has been associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Immune reactions to heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been advocated to link infection to atherosclerosis and its acute sequelae based on molecular mimicry with host HSPs. We have here evaluated the role played by recombinant Cp-HSP60 and Cp-HSP10 for their ability to induce maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) and T cell polarization. Cp-HSP60, but not Cp-HSP10, induced a strong MDCC maturation, as assessed by the expression of co-stimulatory molecules and other markers. Secretion of regulatory cytokines and enhancement of antigen presenting ability of mature (m)MDDC toward a clear T helper (Th) 1 pattern were also induced by Cp-HSP60. An analysis of the IL-12 cytokine family demonstrated that Cp-HSP60-matured MDDC were able to express p35 and p40 mRNA subunits to form IL-12, and p19 and p40 subunits to form IL-23. Thus, preferential Th1 polarization of immune response induced by Cp-HSP60-matured MDDC appears to be due to the concomitant expression of IL-12 and IL-23. Our data suggest that Cp-HSP60-matured DC may contribute to T-cell mediated immunopathology of atherosclerosis via a chronic stimulation of Th1 immune responses.     

Critical behaviour of the stochastic Wilson-Cowan model

Spontaneous brain activity is characterized by bursts and avalanche-like dynamics, with scale-free features typical of critical behaviour. The stochastic version of the celebrated Wilson-Cowan model has been widely studied as a system of spiking neurons reproducing non-trivial features of the neural activity, from avalanche dynamics to oscillatory behaviours. However, to what extent such phenomena are related to the presence of a genuine critical point remains elusive. Here we address this central issue, providing analytical results in the linear approximation and extensive numerical analysis. In particular, we present results supporting the existence of a bona fide critical point, where a second-order-like phase transition occurs, characterized by scale-free avalanche dynamics, scaling with the system size and a diverging relaxation time-scale. Moreover, our study shows that the observed critical behaviour falls within the universality class of the mean-field branching process, where the exponents of the avalanche size and duration distributions are, respectively, 3/2 and 2. We also provide an accurate analysis of the system behaviour as a function of the total number of neurons, focusing on the time correlation functions of the firing rate in a wide range of the parameter space.     

Clinical efficacy of antiparasite treatments against intestinal helminths and haematic protozoa in Gallotia caesaris (lizards)

Intestinal helminths and blood protozoa are common parasites of lizards. In captivity they can be a serious problem, but no information on treatments is available. In this study, several antiparasitic drugs were studied in Gallotia caesaris (Lacertida) from La Gomera, the Canary Islands, Spain. A lack of efficacy of chloroquine, and a decrease in haemogregarine (Apicomplexa) infection by atovaquone-proguanil was demonstrated. Furthermore, a positive effect of fenbendazole against intestinal nematode infection was observed. In the Canary Islands, Gallotia bravoana and Gallotia simonyi (Lacertida) are included in a captive breading recovery plan. The present results are useful in order to keep these animals in good condition and to control their parasites. Moreover, these results are important for reptiles kept as pets, due to the previous lack of knowledge of parasite management.     

High-throughput evaluation of pulmonary surfactant adsorption and surface film formation

The assessment of new therapeutic strategies to cure surfactant-associated lung disorders would greatly benefit from assay systems allowing routine evaluations of surfactant functions. We present a method to measure surfactant adsorption kinetics into interfacial air-liquid interfaces based on fluorescence microplate readers. The principle of measurement is simple, robust, and reproducible: Wells of a microtiter plate contain an aqueous solution of a light-absorbing agent. Fluorescence is excited and collected from the top of the wells so that fluorescently labeled surfactant injected into the bulk can be detected only once adsorbed into the air-liquid interface. Mass transfer from the bulk to the interface is achieved by orbital shaking implemented in the plate reader instrument. The method has been tested and validated by using phospholipids or surfactants of different origins, by using albumin as surfactant inhibitor, and by comparison of results with Wilhelmy balance measurements. The method is suited for implementation in high-throughput screening routines for conditions affecting, or improving, surfactant film formation. In contrast to surface tension measurements, our method gives a direct readout of the amount of surfactant adsorbing into the interface, including the functionally important amount of material firmly associating with the interfacial film.