Update on the challenging role of biofilms in peritoneal dialysis

Biofilms are commonly associated with an increased risk of patient infection. In peritoneal dialysis (PD), catheter associated infection, especially peritonitis, remains a clinically relevant problem. Although the presence of a biofilm is recognized in relapsing, repeat, and catheter-related peritonitis, it remains poorly characterized. In this review, an update on the role of biofilms in PD infections is presented. The emerging concept that host cells and tissue associated biofilms, in addition to the biofilms on the catheters themselves, contribute to the recalcitrance of infections is discussed. Furthermore, the evidence of biofilms on PD catheters, their developmental stages, and the possible influence of the PD environment are reviewed. The focus is given to ex vivo and in vitro studies that contribute to the elucidation of the interplay between host, microbial, and dialysis factors. The key issues that are still to be answered and the challenges to clinical practice are discussed.     

Spectrophotometric measurements of human tissues for the detection of subjacent blood vessels in an endonasal endoscopic surgical approach

Thin slices of human tissues are characterized concerning reflection and transmission in a wavelength range from 400 to 1700 nm. The results are primarily useful to find a wavelength for the detection of subjacent blood vessels during surgical procedures, especially neurological surgery. The measurements have been conducted using a customized measuring station, utilizing two halogen bulb lamps and two spectrometers. This paper focuses on creating a data base with the optical properties of artery, brain, bone, nasal mucosa, and nerve. The spectral distributions are compared among each other, similarities and differences are pointed out. Each tissue has got unique spectral characteristics, whereas typical absorption bands can be found in the overall tissues, especially hemoglobin and water absorption bands. The reflectivity maxima are typically located in the red or near‐infrared. All the transmission maxima are located between 1075 nm and 1100 nm. The measurements have been conducted at the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Leipzig. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Phytochemical Compounds from the Crop Byproducts of Tunisian Globe Artichoke Cultivars

The phytochemical composition in two Tunisian globe artichoke cultivars (bracts, leaves, and floral stems) was evaluated in the plant byproducts. The results indicated that the bracts contain the highest levels of total phenols, o‐diphenols, and flavonoids, whereas tannins seem to be more abundant in the leaves. Bracts from the ‘Violet d'Hyères’ cultivar possessed more total phenols (160.8 mg/g DW), flavonoids (64.9 mg/g DW), and anthocyanins (15.3 μg/g DW) than the ‘Blanc d'Oran’ bracts (134.5 mg/g DW, 51.2 mg/g DW, and 8.3 μg/g DW, resp.). Sixty‐four volatile compounds were identified in the headspace of globe artichoke material, particularly in the bracts. The volatile profile showed that sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and non‐terpene derivatives were the main volatiles emitted by the bracts in both cultivars. These results suggest that globe artichoke byproducts might represent a potential source of natural compounds, which could be used as nutraceuticals or as ingredients in the design of functional foods.     

Limitations of a morphological criterion of adaptive inference in the fossil record

Experimental analyses directly inform how an anatomical feature or complex functions during an organism's lifetime, which serves to increase the efficacy of comparative studies of living and fossil taxa. In the mammalian skull, food material properties and feeding behaviour have a pronounced influence on the development of the masticatory apparatus. Diet‐related variation in loading magnitude and frequency induce a cascade of changes at the gross, tissue, cellular, protein and genetic levels, with such modelling and remodelling maintaining the integrity of oral structures vis‐à‐vis routine masticatory stresses. Ongoing integrative research using rabbit and rat models of long‐term masticatory plasticity offers unique insight into the limitations of functional interpretations of fossilised remains. Given the general restriction of the palaeontological record to bony elements, we argue that failure to account for the disparity in the hierarchical network of responses of hard versus soft tissues may overestimate the magnitude of the adaptive divergence that is inferred from phenotypic differences. Second, we note that the developmental onset and duration of a loading stimulus associated with a given feeding behaviour can impart large effects on patterns of intraspecific variation that can mirror differences observed among taxa. Indeed, plasticity data are relevant to understanding evolutionary transformations because rabbits raised on different diets exhibit levels of morphological disparity comparable to those found between closely related primate species that vary in diet. Lastly, pronounced variation in joint form, and even joint function, can also characterise adult conspecifics that differ solely in age. In sum, our analyses emphasise the importance of a multi‐site and hierarchical approach to understanding determinants of morphological variation, one which incorporates critical data on performance.     

单芽狗脊营养器官的解剖学研究

采用离析法和石蜡切片法对单芽狗脊营养器官进行形态解剖研究。结果表明：单芽狗脊叶为异面叶,上、下表皮细胞均为不规则型,仅下表皮有气孔器分布;叶柄维管束有2~6个,自叶柄基部向上至叶轴仅有2个较大的维管束;根状茎薄壁细胞之间有多个维管束散生分布,且富含丰富的淀粉粒;皮层在根的横切结构中占比较大,木质部的发育方式为外始式;单芽狗脊珠芽的发育过程分为三个阶段,珠芽原基的形成期、珠芽原基的分化期、成熟期。     

A robust ex vivo method to evaluate the diffusion properties of agents in biological tissues

A robust method is presented for evaluating the diffusion properties of chemicals in ex vivo biological tissues. Using this method that relies only on thickness and collimated transmittance measurements, the diffusion properties of glycerol, fructose, polypropylene glycol and water in muscle tissues were evaluated. Amongst other results, the diffusion coefficient of glycerol in colorectal muscle was estimated with a value of 3.3 × 10^?7 cm²/s. Due to the robustness and simplicity of the method, it can be used in other fields of biomedical engineering, namely in organ cryoprotection and food industry.      

Vibrational spectroscopy studies of formalin-fixed cervix tissues

Optical histopathology is fast emerging as a potential tool in cancer diagnosis. Fresh tissues in saline are ideal samples for optical histopathology. However, evaluation of suitability of ex vivo handled tissues is necessitated because of severe constraints in sample procurement, handling, and other associated problems with fresh tissues. Among these methods, formalin-fixed samples are shown to be suitable for optical histopathology. However, it is necessary to further evaluate this method from the point of view discriminating tissues with minute biochemical variations. A pilot Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopic studies of formalin-fixed tissues normal, malignant, and after-2-fractions of radiotherapy from the same malignant cervix subjects were carried out, with an aim to explore the feasibility of discriminating these tissues, especially the tissues after-2-fractions of radiotherapy from other two groups. Raman and FTIR spectra exhibit large differences for normal and malignant tissues and subtle differences are seen between malignant and after-2-fractions of radiotherapy tissues. Spectral data were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and it provided good discrimination of normal and malignant tissues. PCA of data of three tissues, normal, malignant, and 2-fractions after radiotherapy, gave two clusters corresponding to normal and malignant + after-2-fractions of radiotherapy tissues. A second step of PCA was required to achieve discrimination between malignant and after-2-fractions of radiotherapy tissues. Hence, this study not only further supports the use of formalin-fixed tissues in optical histopathology, especially from Raman spectroscopy point of view, it also indicates feasibility of discriminating tissues with minute biochemical differences such as malignant and after-2-fractions of radiotherapy.     

Responses to nutrients in farm animals: implications for production and quality

It is well known that any quantitative (energy and protein levels) and qualitative (nature of the diet, nutrient dynamic) changes in the feeding of animals affect metabolism. Energy expenditure and feed efficiency at the whole-body level, nutrient partitioning between and within tissues and organs and, ultimately, tissue and organ characteristics are the major regulated traits with consequences on the quality of the meat and milk produced. Recent progress in biology has brought to light important biological mechanisms which explain these observations: for instance, regulation by the nutrients of gene expression or of key metabolic enzyme activity, interaction and sometimes cross-regulation or competition between nutrients to provide free energy (ATP) to living cells, indirect action of nutrients through a complex hormonal action, and, particularly in herbivores, interactions between trans-fatty acids produced in the rumen and tissue metabolism. One of the main targets of this nutritional regulation is a modification of tissue insulin sensitivity and hence of insulin action. In addition, the nutritional control of mitochondrial activity (and hence of nutrient catabolism) is another major mechanism by which nutrients may affect body composition and tissue characteristics. These regulations are of great importance in the most metabolically active tissues (the digestive tract and the liver) and may have undesirable (i.e. diabetes and obesity in humans) or desirable consequences (such as the production of fatty liver by ducks and geese, and the production of fatty and hence tasty meat or milk with an adapted fatty acid profile).     

An easy‐to‐run method for routine analysis of eumelanin and pheomelanin in pigmented tissues

A procedure for analysis of melanin‐pigmented tissues based on alkaline hydrogen peroxide degradation coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ultraviolet determination of pyrrole‐2,3,5‐tricarboxylic acid (PTCA) for eumelanin and 6‐(2‐amino‐2‐carboxyethyl)‐2‐carboxy‐4‐hydroxybenzothiazole (BTCA) and 1,3‐thiazole‐2,4,5‐tricarboxylic acid for pheomelanin was recently developed. Despite advantages related to the degradation conditions and sample handling, a decrease of the reproducibility and resolution was observed after several chromatographic runs. We report herein an improved chromatographic methodology for simultaneous determination of PTCA and BTCA as representative markers of eumelanin and pheomelanin, respectively, based on the use of an octadecylsilane column with polar end‐capping with 1% formic acid (pH 2.8)/methanol as the eluant. The method requires conventional HPLC equipments and gives very good peak shapes and resolution, without need of ion pair reagents or high salt concentrations in the mobile phase. The intra‐assay precision of the analytical runs was satisfactory with CV values ≤4.0% (n = 5) for the two markers which did not exceed 8% after 50 consecutive injections on the column over 1 week. The peak area ratios at 254 and 280 nm (A₂₈₀/A₂₅₄: PTCA = 1.1, BTCA = 0.6) proved a valuable parameter for reliable identification of the structural markers even in the most complex degradation mixtures. The method can be applied to various eumelanin and pheomelanin pigmented tissues, including mammalian hair, skin and irides, and is amenable to be employed in population screening studies.