Activity

This study investigated protection against Eimeria tenella following the vaccination of chicks with 5.3 × 106 E. tenella whole-sporozoites emulsified in the nanoparticle adjuvant IMS 1313 N VG Montanide™ (EtSz-IMS1313). One-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks were subcutaneously injected in the neck with EtSz-IMS1313 on the 1st and 10th days of age. Acquired immunity was assayed through a challenge with 3 × 104 homologous sporulated oocysts at 21 days of age. The anticoccidial index (ACI) calculated for every group showed the effectiveness of EtSz-IMS1313 as a vaccine with an ACI of 186; the mock-injected control showed an ACI of 18 and the unimmunized, challenged control showed an ACI of -28. In a comparison assay, antibodies from rabbits and SPF birds immunized with EtSz-IMS1313 recognized almost the same polypeptides in the blotting of E. tenella sporozoites and merozoites. However, rabbit antisera showed the clearest recognition pattern. Polypeptides of 120, 105, 94, 70, 38, and 19 kDa from both E. tenella life cycle stages were the most strongly recognized by both animal species. The E. tenella zoite-specific IgG antibodies from the rabbits demonstrated the feasibility for successful B cell antigen identification.The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer progression. Therefore, engineered TME models are being developed for fundamental research and anti-cancer drug screening. This paper reports the biofabrication of 3D-printed avascular structures that recapitulate several features of the TME. The tumor is represented by a hydrogel droplet uniformly loaded with breast cancer cells (106 cells/mL); it is embedded in the same type of hydrogel containing primary cells-tumor-associated fibroblasts isolated from the peritumoral environment and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Hoechst staining of cryosectioned tissue constructs demonstrated that cells remodeled the hydrogel and remained viable for weeks. Histological sections revealed heterotypic aggregates of malignant and peritumoral cells; moreover, the constituent cells proliferated in vitro. To investigate the interactions responsible for the experimentally observed cellular rearrangements, we built lattice models of the bioprinted constructs and simulated their evolution using Metropolis Monte Carlo methods. Although unable to replicate the complexity of the TME, the approach presented here enables the self-assembly and co-culture of several cell types of the TME. Further studies will evaluate whether the bioprinted constructs can evolve in vivo in animal models. If they become connected to the host vasculature, they may turn into a fully organized TME.The primary objective of the study was to compare a spiral breast computed tomography system (SBCT) to digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) for the detection of microcalcifications (MCs) in breast specimens. The secondary objective was to compare various reconstruction modes in SBCT. In total, 54 breast biopsy specimens were examined with mammography as a standard reference, with DBT, and with a dedicated SBCT containing a photon-counting detector. Three different reconstruction modes were applied for SBCT datasets (Recon1 = voxel size (0.15 mm)3, smooth kernel; Recon2 = voxel size (0.05 mm)3, smooth kernel; Recon3 = voxel size (0.05 mm)3, sharp kernel). Sensitivity and specificity of DBT and SBCT for the detection of suspicious MCs were analyzed, and the McNemar test was used for comparisons. Diagnostic confidence of the two readers (Likert Scale 1 = not confident; 5 = completely confident) was analyzed with ANOVA. Regarding detection of MCs, reader 1 had a higher sensitivity for DBT (94.3%) and Recon2 (94.9%) compared to Recon1 (88.5%; p 0.05). The diagnostic confidence of reader 1 was better with SBCT than with DBT (DBT 4.48 ± 0.88, Recon1 4.77 ± 0.66, Recon2 4.89 ± 0.44, and Recon3 4.75 ± 0.72; DBT vs. Recon1/2/3 p less then 0.05), while reader 2 found no differences. Sensitivity and specificity for the detection of MCs in breast specimens is equal for DBT and SBCT when a small voxel size of (0.05 mm)3 is used with an equal or better diagnostic confidence for SBCT compared to DBT.The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of administration of Camelina sativa oil (CO) as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on bone parameters in ovariectomized rats (OVX). Overall, 40 10-week-old healthy female Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups with 10 animals in each. Rats in the control group (SHO) were subjected to a sham operation, whereas experimental rats (OVX) were ovariectomized. After a 7-day recovery period, the SHO the rats received orally 1 mL of physiological saline for the next 6 weeks. The OVX rats received orally 1 mL of physiological saline (OVX-PhS), 5 g/kg BW (OVX-CO5), or 9 g/kg BW (OVX-CO9) of camelina oil. Dorsomorphin The use of camelina oil had a significant effect on body weight, lean mass, and fat mass. The camelina oil administration suppressed the decrease in the values of some densitometric, tomographic, and mechanical parameters of femur caused by estrogen deficiency. The CO treatment increased significantly the serum level of osteocalcin and decreased the serum level of C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in the OVX rats. In conclusion, camelina oil exerts a positive osteotropic effect by inhibiting ovariectomy-induced adverse changes in bones. Camelina oil supplementation can be used as an efficient method for improving bone health in a disturbed state. However, further research must be carried out on other animal species supplemented with the oil.The effect of relative humidity on the domain structure imaging and polarization switching process of Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-x%PbTiO3 (PZN-x%PT) ferroelectric single crystals has been investigated by means of the piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and piezoresponse force spectroscopy (PFS) techniques. It was found that the PFM amplitude increases with the relative humidity, and that the ferroelectric hysteresis loops at different relative humidity levels show that the coercive bias decreases with the increase in relative humidity. These observed phenomena are attributed to the existence of the water layer between the probe tip and the sample surface in a humid atmosphere, which could affect the effect of the electric field distribution and screening properties at the ferroelectric sample surface. These results provide a better understanding of the water adsorption phenomena at the nanoscale in regard to the fundamental understanding of ferroelectrics’ properties.