This study assesses the accumulation and toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/L) of polystyrene MPs (1 µm) in Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) for 14 days. ...The results showed that 1 µm PS-MPs accumulated in the intestine, gills, liver, spleen, muscle, gonad and brain. RBC, Hb and HCT showed a significant decline, while WBC and PLT showed a significant increase after the exposure. Glucose, total protein, A/G ratio, SGOT, SGPT and ALP showed significant increments in 0.1 and 1 mg/L of PS-MPs treated groups. The increase in cortisol level and upregulation of HSP70 gene expression in response to MPs exposure indicate MPs-mediated stress in tilapia. MPs-induced oxidative stress is evident from reduced SOD activity, increased MDA levels and upregulated P53 gene expression. The immune response was enhanced by inducing respiratory burst activity, MPO activity and serum TNF-α and IgM levels. MPs exposure also led to down-regulation of CYP1A gene and decreased AChE activity, GNRH and vitellogenin levels, indicating the toxicity of MPs on the cellular detoxification mechanism, nervous and reproductive systems. The present study highlights the tissue accumulation of PS-MP and its effects on hematological, biochemical, immunological and physiological responses in tilapia with low environmentally relevant concentrations.
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•14 days PS MPs exposure on tilapia at environmentally relevant concentrations.•PS MPs accumulation in the intestine, gills, liver, spleen, muscle, gonad and brain.•No histopathological alterations in the gills, intestine, liver and spleen.•Altered hematological, serum biochemical, immune and stress parameters.•Failure of oxidative, nervous, reproductive and cellular detoxification systems.
The ATLAS experiment at LHC is carrying on a wide programme to study the production properties of conventional and exotic quarkonium, beauty, and charm bound states. The latest results on J/ψ, ψ(2s) ...and X(3872) production at 7, 8, and 13 TeV, together with D meson production with Run-1 are presented. Studies of associated production of charmonium with vector bosons, searches for exotic states in the bottomonium sector and a new measurement of the ratio of b-quark fragmentation functions are also briefly presented.
Intensification of aquaculture practices resulted in increased ammonia production in the culture systems. Lack of proper management of the culture system will result in elevated ammonia, which ...adversely affects the culture species. Moreover, with the ongoing global warming, fish metabolism and ammonia excretion are expected to increase. This, coupled with the hypoxic condition, exacerbates the severity of ammonia toxicity. Ammonia toxicity can alter the growth and the biochemical, physiological and immunological responses of fish. Several factors such as pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, species and life stages of fish, physical activity, feeding and stress influence the toxicity of ammonia in fish. A proper understanding of these factors is a prerequisite for successful aquaculture. The physiological changes caused by the elevated ammonia hinder homeostasis that eventually increases their susceptibility to diseases. This review discusses ammonia toxicity in fish, factors affecting the toxicity and various physiological, haematological, histological and immunological responses induced by the elevated ammonia. Furthermore, the review summarizes various management and dietary interventions to mitigate ammonia and ammonia induced stress in aquaculture.
We present a new limit on the production of a light dark-force mediator with the KLOE detector at DAΦNE. This boson, called U, has been searched for in the decay ϕ→ηU, U→e+e−, analyzing the decay ...η→π0π0π0 in a data sample of 1.7 fb−1. No structures are observed in the e+e− invariant mass distribution over the background. This search is combined with a previous result obtained from the decay η→π+π−π0, increasing the sensitivity. We set an upper limit at 90% C.L. on the ratio between the U boson coupling constant and the fine structure constant of α′/α<1.7×10−5 for 30<MU<400 MeV and α′/α⩽8×10−6 for the sub-region 50<MU<210 MeV. This result assumes the Vector Meson Dominance expectations for the ϕηγ⁎ transition form factor. The dependence of this limit on the transition form factor has also been studied.
Bacillus
species are Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacteria having a vital role in the sustainable aquaculture production.
Bacillus
as gut probiotic significantly enhances growth, immune response, ...and disease resistance in several aquatic cultured organisms. The supplementation of
Bacillus
as pond probiotics or bioremediator aids to improve water quality by degrading the organic detritus and reducing the nitrogenous waste. Several species of
Bacillus
also act as quorum-quenching bacteria that can degrade AHL (N-acyl homoserine lactones), which is responsible for the expression of virulence factor mediated by quorum sensing in several aquatic Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. This article reviews the application and mode of action of
Bacillus
as probiotic, bioremediator, bioaugmenter, and quorum-quenching bacteria in aquaculture. The review, further discusses the modes of delivery of
Bacillus
, its interaction with other beneficial microbes, and its integration into various aquaculture systems such as recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), biofloc, and aquaponics.
The existence of a light dark force mediator has been tested with the KLOE detector at DAΦNE. This particle, called U, is searched for using the decay chain ϕ→ηU, η→π+π−π0, U→e+e−. No evidence is ...found in 1.5 fb−1 of data. The resulting exclusion plot covers the mass range 5<MU<470 MeV, setting an upper limit on the ratio between the U boson coupling constant and the fine structure constant, α′/α, of ⩽2×10−5 at 90% C.L. for 50<MU<420 MeV.
The ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has endorsed the resistive-strip micromegas technology for the high luminosity upgrade of the first muon station in the high-rapidity ...region, the so called “New Small Wheel” project. It requires detectors with a spatial resolution of ∼100μm, fully efficient up to a particle rate of ∼20kHz/cm2. In order to demonstrate that the resistive-strip micromegas technology fulfils these requirements, small resistive bulk micromegas have been studied with radioactive sources and with high energy beams. The micromegas chambers were operated with an Ar+7%CO2 gas mixture and read out using the APV25 chip. Results on the detection efficiency and the position resolution are presented for track impact angles from 0° to 40°. A position reconstruction method has been developed for inclined tracks, called the “micro-TPC method”. A description of the method along with performance studies is presented. In addition, the impact of the unavoidable presence of pillars and the relative alignment of readout and resistive strips on the micromegas performance has been quantified. In view of the fact that the micromegas detectors will also contribute to the trigger in ATLAS their time response has been studied.
The association of recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH in 2:1 ratio may be used not only to induce ovulation in anovulatory women with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism but also to achieve multiple ...follicular developments in human IVF. The aim of this analysis was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) with recombinant FSH (rFSH) plus recombinant LH (rLH) in comparison with highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HP-hMG) in the woman undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Italy.
A probabilistic decision tree was developed to simulate patients undergoing IVF, either using r-FSH + r-LH or HP-hMG to obtain COS. The model considers the National Health System (NHS) perspective and a time horizon equal to two years. Simulations were reported considering the number of retrieved oocytes (5-9, 10-15 and > 15) and transition probabilities were estimated through specific analyses carried out on the population of 848 women enrolled in the real-life.
The model estimated that patients undertaking therapeutic protocol with r-FSH + r-LH increase the general success rate (+ 6.6% for pregnancy). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of r-FSH + r-LH was below the willingness to pay set at €20,000 for all the considered scenarios.
The cost-utility analysis demonstrated that the r-FSH + r-LH is a cost-effective option for the Italian National Health System (NHS).
Cannabis sativa is the most used controlled substance in Europe. With the advent of new and less restrictive European laws on cannabis sale for recreational use (including in Italy), an increase in ...indoor cannabis crops were observed. This increase was possible due to the availability of cannabis seeds through the internet market. Genetic identification of cannabis can link seizures and if in possession then might aid in an investigation. A 13-locus multiplex STR method was previously developed and validated by Houston et al. A collaborative exercise was organized by the Italian Forensic Geneticists – International Society of Forensic Genetics (Ge.F.I. – ISFG) Working Group with the aim to test the reproducibility, reliability and robustness of this multiplex cannabis STR kit. Twenty-one laboratories from three European countries participated in the collaborative exercise and were asked to perform STR typing of two cannabis samples. Cannabis DNA samples and the multiplex STR kit were provided by the University of Barcelona and Sam Houston State University. Different platforms for PCR amplification, capillary electrophoresis (CE) and genotyping software were selected at the discretion of the participating laboratories. Although the participating laboratories used different PCR equipment, CE platforms and genotyping software, concordant results were obtained from the majority of the samples. The overall genotyping success ratio was 96%. Only minor artifacts were observed. The mean peak height ratio was estimated to be 76.3% and 78.1% for sample 1 and sample 2, respectively. The lowest amount of −1 / + 1 stutter percentage produced, when the height of the parent allele was higher than 8000 RFU, resulted to be less than 10% of the parent allele height. Few common issues were observed such as a minor peak imbalance in some heterozygous loci, some artifact peaks and few instances of allelic drop-out. The results of this collaborative exercise demonstrated the robustness and applicability of the 13-locus system for cannabis DNA profiling for forensic purposes.
•A collaborative exercise was carried out between 2020 and 2021 within ISFG-Ge.F.I.•The exercise was focused on a 13-locus multiplex Cannabis sativa STR kit.•The outcome was that typing success percentage varied from 69.2% to 100%.•Some training on this new Forensic Plant STRs will be necessary.
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