Chitosan is a cationic polymer obtained by deacetylation of chitin, found abundantly in crustacean, insect, arthropod exoskeletons, and molluscs. The process of obtaining chitin by the chemical ...extraction method comprises the steps of deproteinization, demineralization, and discoloration. To obtain chitosan, the deacetylation of chitin is necessary. These polymers can also be extracted through the biological extraction method involving the use of microorganisms. Chitosan has biodegradable and biocompatible properties, being applied in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, biomedical, chemical, and textile industries. Chitosan and its derivatives may be used in the form of gels, beads, membranes, films, and sponges, depending on their application. Polymer blending can also be performed to improve the mechanical properties of the bioproduct. This review aims to provide the latest information on existing methods for chitin and chitosan recovery from marine waste as well as their applications.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a central role in atherosclerosis and inflammation. It may improve risk prediction in patients at intermediate cardiovascular risk.
To analyze the impact of serum IL-6 in ...predicting early angiographic coronary artery disease in patients at intermediate cardiovascular risk with chest pain.
In a cross-sectional study, patients referred for coronary angiography due to suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) were included. Coronary artery disease was defined as the presence of at least 30% stenosis in one or more coronary artery. Severity of CAD was classified by the anatomic burden score. Performance of serum IL-6 assay was compared with ACC/AHA atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score and hs-CRP through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
We have included 48 patients with a mean 10-year ASCVD risk of 10.0 ± 6.8%. The prevalence of CAD was 72.9%. The presence of CAD was associated with higher mean levels of IL-6 (p = 0.025). Patients with CAD had significantly more overweight than subjects without CAD. In 27% of patients, IL-6 was >1.0 pg/mL and 100% of these patients had CAD, while only 64% in those with IL-6 <1.0 pg/mL, corresponding to a positive predictive value of 100% (p = 0.015). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of IL-6, hs-CRP and ASCVD were respectively 0.72, 0.60 and 0.54. Intermediate risk patients with IL-6 >1.0 pg/mL were further reclassified into ASCVD high risk due to the presence of coronary lesions.
In intermediate risk patients referred for coronary angiography, a serum IL-6 level above 1 pg/mL is predictive of significant CAD. IL-6 determination may be useful to reclassify ASCVD intermediate risk patients into higher risk categories.
•Keds are disregarded ectoparasites of mammals and birds•Most ked species are associated to wildlife, being poorly studied•Keds biology and behavior make them important vectors of pathogens•Studies ...on the biology, vectorial role and control of these hippoboscids are advocated
Hippoboscid flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), commonly known as keds or louse flies, have been for long time overlooked by the scientific community, and their vector role of infectious agents to humans and domestic animals has been scantly investigated. This is partly due to the fact that the host range for most species is primarily restricted to wildlife, being rarely reported on domestic animals and humans. This led to a scarce scientific knowledge about their biology, ecology, behaviour, epidemiology as well as vector competence. However, the life history of some hippoboscid species, e.g., Melophagus ovinus, Lipoptena cervi and Hippobosca equina, suggests that these ectoparasites are important candidates to vector infectious disease agents (e.g., Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Theileria ovis). Indeed, the peculiar biological and behavioural traits (i.e., obligatory blood sucking and reproductive physiology) of many ked species make them a suitable pabulum for pathogen's multiplication and for their transmission to receptive hosts. Therefore, studies focusing on the ked bio-ecological aspects as well as on their vector role are advocated along with the control of keds affecting different animal species. This review discusses current information on keds, highlighting their importance as vectors of pathogens of medical and veterinary concern to all animal species, with a special focus on mammals.
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The use of gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) is of great interest to build high-performing rechargeable lithium metal batteries (LMBs) owing to the combination of good electrochemical properties and ...improved safety. Herein, we report a facile and scalable one-pot preparation method of a GPE based on highly safe polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME) plasticizer in a poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) polymer matrix. The prepared GPE exhibits excellent safety (nonflammability and thermal stability up to 250 °C) and outstanding electrochemical properties at room temperature (high ionic conductivity of 3.4 × 10–4 S cm–1 and high lithium transference number). Moreover, high loading LiFePO4 (6–7 mg cm–2) LMB using such GPE delivers a good C-rate response and high capacity (ca. 1 mAh cm–2 at C/10) with an excellent retention of 98% after 60 cycles in coin cell configuration. Notably, the prototype pouch cell (ca. 19 mAh at C/10) provides remarkable safety, mechanical flexibility, and strong tolerance toward bending and cutting. These results suggest that the prepared GPE is a promising candidate for the development of high performance, flexible, and safe LMBs that operate at room temperature, as well as for other energy storage systems beyond lithium-ion technologies.
Caffeic acid (CA) is a plant metabolite acting as a carcinogenic inhibitor, and exhibits a high antioxidant effect and some antimicrobial activity. Besides, this compound can be useful in the ...prevention of heart diseases and atherosclerosis, among others. The present study aims to determine the in vitro antioxidant activity of CA in order to increase the frequency of its use and reliability in the prevention of damage caused by free radicals and other reactive species. The tests performed were as follows: Radical anion superoxide capture; crocin bleaching assay; capturing ability of hypochlorous acid; H2O2 capture; capturing capacity of the ABTS•+/DPPH•; and SOD-like activity. The values of the CA antioxidant activity were very close to the values of standards in all tests. Besides, CA presented an antioxidant activity greater than that of ascorbic acid and trolox, and its advantages include higher stability than ascorbic acid and extraction from natural sources, as opposed to trolox.
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•Investigation of caffeic acid antioxidant activity.•Caffeic acid for prevention of damage caused by free radicals.•Caffeic acid antioxidant activity was very close to the standards in all tests.•Caffeic acid presented antioxidant activity greater then ascorbic acid and trolox.
Fish have evolved a biological clock to cope with environmental cycles, so they display circadian rhythms in most physiological functions including stress response. Photoperiodic information is ...transduced by the pineal organ into a rhythmic secretion of melatonin, which is released into the blood circulation with high concentrations at night and low during the day. The melatonin rhythmic profile is under the control of circadian clocks in most fish (except salmonids), and it is considered as an important output of the circadian system, thus modulating most daily behavioral and physiological rhythms. Lighting conditions (intensity and spectrum) change in the underwater environment and affect fish embryo and larvae development: constant light/darkness or red lights can lead to increased malformations and mortality, whereas blue light usually results in best hatching rates and growth performance in marine fish. Many factors display daily rhythms along the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis that controls stress response in fish, including corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh) and its binding protein (Crhbp), proopiomelanocortin A and B (Pomca and Pomcb), and plasma cortisol, glucose, and lactate. Many of these circadian rhythms are under the control of endogenous molecular clocks, which consist of self-sustained transcriptional-translational feedback loops involving the cyclic expression of circadian clock genes (
, and
) which persists under constant light or darkness. Exposing fish to a stressor can result in altered rhythms of most stress indicators, such as cortisol, glucose, and lactate among others, as well as daily rhythms of most behavioral and physiological functions. In addition,
and
expression profiles can be affected by other factors such as light spectrum, which strongly influence the expression profile of growth-related (
) genes. Additionally, the daily cycle of water temperature (warmer at day and cooler at night) is another factor that has to be considered. The response to any acute stressor is not only species dependent, but also depends on the time of the day when the stress occurs: nocturnal species show higher responses when stressed during day time, whereas diurnal fish respond stronger at night. Melatonin administration in fish has sedative effects with a reduction in locomotor activity and cortisol levels, as well as reduced liver glycogen and dopaminergic and serotonergic activities within the hypothalamus. In this paper, we are reviewing the role of environmental cycles and biological clocks on the entrainment of daily rhythms in the HPI axis and stress responses in fish.
Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are mosquito‐borne filarioids of zoonotic concern, which primarily cause canine heartworm disease (HWD) and subcutaneous dirofilariosis, respectively. The ...geographical distribution of these nematodes is constantly changing, due to many factors such as the colonization by new invasive mosquito species, the increased movement of animals and the absence of chemoprophylactic strategies in non‐endemic regions. Although HWD has always been considered endemic in northern Italy, an increase in the prevalence of this disease has been recorded in the last decades in central and southern regions. We describe the southernmost hyperendemic European focus of heartworm disease in the Pelagie archipelagos. From June to November 2020, 157 dogs and 46 cats were sampled in Linosa and Lampedusa islands for the detection of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens by modified Knott's, rapid antigen and molecular tests. Mosquitoes were collected using CDC light and BG sentinel‐2 traps and aspirators, and tested for host blood meal and Dirofilaria spp. DNA. Out of 56 dogs in Linosa and 101 in Lampedusa, 33 (i.e. 58.9%) and 8 (i.e. 7.9%) were positive to D. immitis and D. repens, respectively. Three cats scored positive to D. immitis (i.e. 17.6%) in Linosa. Six mosquito species were identified, and the abdomen of a non‐engorged Aedes albopictus was positive for D. immitis and human DNA. The results suggest that D. immitis infection could spread to new previously non‐endemic territories in southern Europe, representing a real threat to animal and human health.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are defense mechanisms that trap and kill microorganisms and degrade cytokines. However, excessive production, dysregulation of suppression mechanisms, or ...inefficient removal of NETs can contribute to increased inflammatory response and the development of pathological conditions. Therefore, research has focused on identifying drugs that inhibit or delay the NET release process. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a significant role in NET release, we aimed to investigate whether resveratrol (RSV), with a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties, could modulate NET release in response to different stimuli. Thus, human neutrophils were pretreated with RSV and subsequently stimulated with PMA, LPS, IL-8, or Leishmania. Our findings revealed that RSV reduced the release of NETs in response to all tested stimuli. RSV decreased hydrogen peroxide levels in PMA- and LPS-stimulated neutrophils, inhibited myeloperoxidase activity, and altered the localization of neutrophil elastase. RSV inhibition of NET generation was not mediated through A2A or A2B adenosine receptors or PKA. Based on the observed effectiveness of RSV in inhibiting NET release, our study suggests that this flavonoid holds potential as a candidate for treating NETs involving pathologies.
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