Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to improve
survival of cardiomyocytes (CMCs) and overall regeneration of
cardiac tissue. Despite promising preclinical results, interactions
of MSCs and CMCs, both direct and indirect, remain unclear. In
this study, porcine bone marrow MSCs and freshly isolated
porcine primary adult CMCs were used for non-contact co-culture
experiments. Morphology, viability and functional parameters of
CMCs were measured over time and compared between CMCs
cultured alone and CMCs co-cultured with MSCs. In non-contact
co-culture, MSCs improved survival of CMCs. CMCs co-cultured
with MSCs maintained CMCs morphology and viability in
significantly higher percentage than CMCs cultured alone. In
viable CMCs, mitochondrial respiration was preserved in both
CMCs cultured alone and in CMCs co-cultured with MSCs.
Comparison of cellular contractility and calcium handling,
measured in single CMCs, revealed no significant differences
between viable CMCs from co-culture and CMCs cultured alone.
In conclusion, non-contact co-culture of porcine MSCs and CMCs
improved survival of CMCs with a sufficient preservation of
functional and mitochondrial parameters.
In the Pyrenees, brown bear population abundance is estimated from non-invasive genetic analyses of scat and hair samples. Although such analyses are highly beneficial for population monitoring and research, it can be especially difficult for humans to locate bear scats in the field. To address this, we have incorporated a dog (trained from an early age to detect bear scats) into these efforts since 2014. Here, we compared the effectiveness of the scat-detection dog/handler and human-only teams to locate bear scats using our work in the Pyrenees as a case study. A species validation was systematically carried out, either genetically or visually using a microscope, based on the presence of bear hair, for all scats collected from 2010 to 2019. From 2014 to 2019, the use of the dog/handler team in addition to human-only teams increased the average number of bear scats collected annually by four times in comparison with the 2010-2013 period when only humans were searching for scats. This temporal augmentation could not be explained by the increase in bear population size. From 2014 to 2019, the annual percentage of outings during which at least one bear scat was found was 17 times higher for the dog than for humans. The use of the dog also resulted indirectly in a better genotyping success and genetic identification of more individuals due to a larger choice of viable samples that could be sent to the molecular laboratory, as well as a larger number of cub scats detected by the dog. We found that even the use of a single scat-detection dog can greatly improve the efficiency of detecting target scats in challenging monitoring conditions.
Cíl: Přezkoumání benefitů metody klokánkování pro nedonošené novorozence, to znamená najít dostatek důkazů pro opodstatnění používání metody klokánkování na Jednotce intenzivní péče pro novorozence. Metodika: Vyhledávání validních indikátorů pozitivního vlivu metody klokánkování prostřednictvím metody praxe založené na důkazech. Pro získání relevantních zdrojů byly využity licencované databáze a volně přístupné databáze - Medline, Bibliomedica, Nursing: Best Evidence for Nursing care, Google Scholar. Výsledky: Analýza výsledků prokázala jednoznačně pozitivní vliv metody klokánkování na nedonošené novorozence umístěné na Jednotce intenzivní péče, a to zejména v oblasti vnímání bolesti u invazivních výkonů, efektivního kojení, zvýšení váhového přírůstku, delšího a klidnějšího spánku, pozitivnější interakce matka – dítě, udržení nebo zvýšení tělesné teploty, zkrácení doby hospitalizace, růstu do délky, růstu obvodu hlavičky a aktivace centrální nervové soustavy. Závěry: Výzkumné studie (n = 34) a jeden systematický přehled ukazují pozitivní vliv metody klokánkování na nedonošeného novorozence umístěného na Jednotce intenzivní péče v oblastech biopsychosociálních. V podmínkách českého zdravotnictví chybí vypracované platné standardy pro využívání metody v praxi., Objective: To review benefits of kangaroo care method for premature babies, it means finding enough evidence to justify using the kangaroo care method in the Intensive care unit for newborns. Methods: Searching for valid indicators of a positive influence method of kangaroo care through method evidence-based practice. To obtain relevant sources were used licensed databases and freely available databases - Medline, Bibliomedica, Nursing: Best Evidence for Nursing care, Google Scholar. Results: Analysis of results showed a clearly positive impact of the kangaroo care methods on premature infants placed in intensive care, especially in the perception of pain in invasive procedures, effective breastfeeding, increased weight gain, longer and quieter sleep, more positive interactions of mother - child, maintaining or increasing body temperature, reduced hospitalization, growth in length, head circumference growth and activation of the CNS. Conclusions: The research studies (n = 34) and one systematic review have shown a positive influence of the kangaroo care methods on premature newborns placed in intensive care in the areas of bio-psycho-social. In terms of the Czech healthcare system lacks established standards for the use of valid methods in practice., Lucie Sikorová, Monika Suszková, and Literatura
The genus Berchmansus Navás, which was previously assigned to the tribe Leucochrysini, consists of three very rare species, all described from the Neotropics and all poorly known. Our report (1) provides the first description of a Berchmansus larva, the first instar of Berchmansus elegans (Guérin Méneville), (2) illustrates and redescribes the B. elegans adult, with emphasis on male and female genitalia, and (3) examines the larval and adult characters vis-à-vis the tribal affiliation of the genus. Given that the B. elegans adult and first instar share many apomorphies with other belonopterygine genera, this species belongs in the cosmopolitan tribe Belonopterygini, rather than the New World tribe Leucochrysini. Although Berchmansus larvae have not been collected in the field, we suspect that, like other belonopterygines, they are associated with ant nests. B. elegans exhibits a number of highly modified and unusual structures, some of which (#1 to #5) are not reported for any other chrysopids. Specifically: Males have (1) a unique, quadrate, dome-like hood above the gonarcus and (2) large, coiled parameres on the gonosaccus. First instars have (3) a greatly enlarged subapical seta on the flagellum, (4) a transverse row of long, hooked setae along the dorso-anterior margin of the pronotum, and (5) setose laterodorsal tubercles on the meso- and metathorax, with (6) multi-pronged, hooked setae.