UNASSIGNED: Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis caused by fungi of the genus Sporothrix sp. Phenotypic and genotypic differences have been associated with their geographic distribution, virulence, or clinical manifestation of sporotrichosis. In the past decade, the interest in identifying species of the Sporothrix sp. has been increasing, due to its epidemiological importance and, in consequence, is important to know how to preserve them for future studies, in culture collection.
UNASSIGNED: The purposes of this study were to analyze the global distribution of environmental isolates and/or causal agents of sporotrichosis identified by polyphasic taxonomy, with mandatory use of molecular identification, and to evaluate the percentages and distribution of isolates stored in culture collections.
UNASSIGNED: A systematic review of articles on animal and human sporotrichosis and/or environmental isolation of the fungus, from 2007 to 2023, was done. Results: Our results demonstrated that, S. globosa, S. schenckii, and S. brasiliensis were the most identified species. With respect to the deposit and maintenance of species, we observed that only 17% of the strains of Sporothrix sp. isolated in the world are preserved in a culture collection.
UNASSIGNED: This systematic review confirmed a difficulty in obtaining the frequency of Sporothrix species stored in culture collection and insufficient data on the molecular identification mainly of animal sporotrichosis and isolation of Sporothrix sp. in environmental samples.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) procedures are designed to lessen dimensional changes in the alveolar ridge after tooth extraction. Wound healing after ridge preservation involves the formation of new vital bone in the former socket, and this vital bone is important in the osseointegration of dental implants.
METHODS: A series of ARP studies have been performed to help clinicians better understand the wound-healing events that occur following tooth extraction and ridge preservation. Different protocols have been examined using various materials and periods of healing time prior to implant placement. The primary aim of these studies was to ascertain the relative percentage of vital bone formation, residual graft material, and connective tissue (CT)/other at the healing site using histomorphometric examination of bone core biopsies obtained during osteotomy preparation.
RESULTS: For allografts, the use of demineralized bone alone or in combination with mineralized is associated with more vital bone formation than the use of mineralized allograft alone. For mineralized allografts, the use of cortical versus cancellous bone has only minimal impact on new bone formation. Xenografts from bovine and porcine sources appear to have similar vital bone formation. Longer healing times prior to implant placement are associated with increased vital bone formation and decreased residual graft material. The most stable component in most studies is the percentage of CT/other.
CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of vital bone and residual graft at ARP sites is dependent on the materials used and the length of healing time prior to obtaining core biopsies.
CONCLUSIONS: What factors may affect the amount of new bone at the ARP site? At a time point about 4 months after ARP, the type of graft material used for ARP plays a large role in new bone formation. Studies focus on means and standard deviations, but patients often do not \"follow the mean.\" Even if a single ARP protocol is used for all patients, there is great interindividual variability in new bone formation, and there is often variability between sites within a single patient. How long after ARP with an allograft should I wait to place an implant? Longer healing times such as 4-5 months generally provide higher amounts of vital bone formation than shorter healing times like 2-3 months. Differences in vital bone formation between ARP protocols tend to decrease with longer healing time. FDBA that contains demineralized bone, either alone or combined with mineralized FDBA, often provides higher amounts of new bone formation than 100% mineralized allograft, especially at shorter healing periods. Even a year after ARP with an allograft, residual graft material is often still present at the ARP site.

Here, we aimed to compare the effects of different preservation methods on outcomes of fecal microbiota. We evaluated the effects of different preservation methods using stool sample preservation experiments for up to 1 year. The stool samples from feces of healthy volunteers were grouped based on whether absolute ethanol was added and whether they were hypothermically preserved. Besides, we performed a systematic review to combine current fecal microbiota preservation evidence. We found that Proteobacteria changed significantly and Veillonellaceae decreased significantly in the 12th month in the room temperature + absolute ethanol group. The four cryopreservation groups have more similarities with fresh sample in the 12 months; however, different cryopreservation methods have different effects on several phyla, families, and genera. A systematic review showed that the Shannon diversity and Simpson index of samples stored in RNAlater for 1 month were not statistically significant compared with those stored immediately at -80°C (P = 0.220 and P = 0.123, respectively). The -80°C refrigerator and liquid nitrogen cryopreservation with 10% glycerine can both maintain stable microbiota of stool samples for long-term preservation. The addition of absolute ethanol to cryopreserved samples had no significant difference in the effect of preserving fecal microbial characteristics. Our study provides empirical insights into preservation details for future studies of the long-term preservation of fecal microbiota. Systematic review and meta-analysis found that the gut microbiota structure, composition, and diversity of samples preserved by storage methods, such as preservation solution, are relatively stable, which were suitable for short-term storage at room temperature. IMPORTANCE The study of gut bacteria has become increasingly popular, and fecal sample preservation methods and times need to be standardized. Here, we detail a 12-month study of fecal sample preservation, and our study provides an empirical reference about experimental details for long-term high-quality storage of fecal samples in the field of gut microbiology research. The results showed that the combination of -80°C/liquid nitrogen deep cryopreservation and 10% glycerol was the most effective method for the preservation of stool samples, which is suitable for long-term storage for at least 12 months. The addition of anhydrous ethanol to the deep cryopreserved samples did not make a significant difference in the preservation of fecal microbiological characteristics. Combined with the results of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, we believe that, when researchers preserve fecal specimens, it is essential to select the proper preservation method and time period in accordance with the goal of the study.

The dating of organic findings is a fundamental task for many scientific fields. Radiocarbon dating is currently the most commonly used method. For wood, dendrochronology is another state-of-the-art method. Both methods suffer from systematic restrictions, leading to samples that have not yet been able to be dated. Molecular changes over time are reported for many materials under different preservation conditions. Many of them are intrinsically monotonous. These monotonous molecular decay (MD) patterns can be understood as clocks that start at the time when a given molecule was formed. Factors that influence these clocks include input material composition and preservation conditions. Different wood species, degrees of pyrolysis, and pretreatments lead to different prediction models. Preservation conditions might change the speed of a given clock and lead to different prediction models. Currently published models for predicting the age of wood, paper, and parchment depend on infrared spectroscopy. In contrast to radiocarbon dating, dating via MD does not comprise a single methodology. Some clocks may deliver less precise results than the others. Ultimately, developing a completely different, new dating strategy-such as MD dating-will help to bring to light a treasure trove of information hidden in the darkness of organic findings.

Melatonin (MLT) is a versatile biological signal that is involved in a number of plant processes, including germination, development, flowering, photosynthesis and defence. The need to develop new methodologies for enhancing crop yields and extending fruit postharvest preservation, together with the beneficial effects of dietary MLT, have stimulated the study of the availability and biological roles of MLT in fruit. Here, we are reviewing for the first time the effects of endogenous and exogenous MLT on fruit production and postharvest preservation. The signalling pathways implicated in MLT response and the applications of MLT in fruit decay, abiotic stress and pathogen infection have been traced in order to provide new insights on the biological significance of MLT in fruit.

This paper highlights possible effects of physical and chemical mechanisms of formalin fixation and preservation on biological tissue and reviews the consequent potential inaccuracies on estimates of body mass of small fishes fixed and preserved in formalin. Twenty-six papers including 65 independent experiments with 35 species which examine effects of formalin on body mass estimates on small fishes are included. The effect of the formalin on the specimens depends on the salinity of the water used to dilute the commercial formalin (usually 1:9 formalin: water) before being used to fixate and preserve fish. Mean wet body mass of the specimens from the studies using seawater or fresh water diluted formalin deceases by 13% and increases by 7%, respectively, from before to after being immersed in formalin. The same trend is found with condition factor in the few papers that report this parameter. Body length decreases on average by c. 2% in fixated and preserved fish regardless of whether the formalin is diluted in seawater or fresh water.

Cosmetics, like any product containing water and organic/inorganic compounds, require preservation against microbial contamination to guarantee consumer’s safety and to increase their shelf-life. The microbiological safety has as main goal of consumer protection against potentially pathogenic microorganisms, together with the product’s preservation resulting from biological and physicochemical deterioration. This is ensured by chemical, physical, or physicochemical strategies. The most common strategy is based on the application of antimicrobial agents, either by using synthetic or natural compounds, or even multifunctional ingredients. Current validation of a preservation system follow the application of good manufacturing practices (GMPs), the control of the raw material, and the verification of the preservative effect by suitable methodologies, including the challenge test. Among the preservatives described in the positive lists of regulations, there are parabens, isothiasolinone, organic acids, formaldehyde releasers, triclosan, and chlorhexidine. These chemical agents have different mechanisms of antimicrobial action, depending on their chemical structure and functional group’s reactivity. Preservatives act on several cell targets; however, they might present toxic effects to the consumer. Indeed, their use at high concentrations is more effective from the preservation viewpoint being, however, toxic for the consumer, whereas at low concentrations microbial resistance can develop.

Molecular analyses in a post-mortem setting are becoming increasingly common, particularly in cases of sudden unexplained death, with the aim of identifying genetic mutations which may be responsible for causing death. In retrospective investigations, the access to suitable autopsy biological samples may be limited, and often formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue is the only sample available. The preservation of tissue in formalin is known to damage DNA through crosslinking activity. This results in the extraction of severely fragmented DNA of variable yields, which subsequently reduces the ability to perform downstream molecular analyses. Numerous studies have investigated possible improvements to various aspects of the DNA extraction and amplification procedures from FFPE tissue and this review aims to collate these optimization steps in a cohesive manner. A systematic review was performed of three major databases, which identified 111 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Five main areas for optimization and improvements were identified in the workflow: (1) tissue type, (2) fixation process, (3) post-fixation, (4) DNA extraction procedure and (5) amplification. It was found that some factors identified, for example tissue type and fixation process, could not be controlled by the researcher when conducting retrospective analyses. For this reason, optimization should be performed in other areas, within the financial means of the laboratories, and in accordance with the purposes of the investigation. Implementation of one or more of the optimization measures described here is anticipated to assist in the extraction of higher quality DNA. Despite the challenges posed by FFPE tissue, it remains a valuable source of DNA in retrospective molecular forensic investigations.

Serious mycological work requires a reliable source of cultures that are maintained under safe long-term storage. In this study, 1186 clinical fungal isolates consisting of molds (20 species in 11 genera) and yeasts (21 species in seven genera) maintained in water, under mineral oil at room temperature and cryopreserved at -80 °C for periods ranging from 1 to 12 years, were evaluated for their viabilities and stabilities. The strains were subcultured onto either Sabouraud dextrose agar or potato dextrose agar to determine the viabilities and purities. The stabilities of the dermatophytes were investigated using urease test medium, the Trichophyton agar test and morphological examination. The stabilities of yeasts were evaluated by microscopic morphology and by determining the antifungal susceptibilities of random samples of yeasts (n = 120). Additionally, 365 strains (dermatophytes, n = 115; yeasts, n = 250) were further characterized by \"matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.\" After 12 years of preservation, the survival rates with the three different preservation techniques, i.e., in water, under mineral oil and by freezing, were assessed as 94.7, 82.0 and 97.4 %, respectively. Viability was generally unrelated to the duration of storage. More stable and consistent growth was achieved after storage in water and freezing compared with mineral oil preservation. Our results demonstrate that the procedure for maintaining fungal cultures in water is a simple and inexpensive method, next to cryopreservation, and that both can be reliably used for the long-term preservation of most fungal isolates.

The aim of this brief review is to clarify the role of melatonin in the production and preservation of mammalian gametes and embryos. Melatonin is an indoleamine synthesized from tryptophan in the pineal gland and other organs that operates as a hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis modulator and regulates the waxing and waning of seasonal reproductive competence in photoperiodic mammals. A major function of the melatonin rhythm is to transmit information about the length of the daily photoperiod to the circadian and circannual systems in order to provide time-of-day and time-of-year information, respectively, to the organism. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and anti-apoptotic agent, which is due to its direct scavenging of toxic oxygen derivatives and its ability to reduce the formation of reactive species. Mammalian gametes and embryos are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress due to the presence of high lipid levels; during artificial breeding procedures, these structures are exposed to dramatic changes in the microenvironment, which have a direct bearing on their function and viability. Free radicals influence the balance between oxidation-reduction reactions, disturb the transbilayer-phospholipid asymmetry of the plasma membrane and enhance lipid peroxidation. Melatonin, due to its amphiphilic nature, is undoubtedly useful in tissues by protecting them from free radical-mediated oxidative damage and cellular death. The supplementation of melatonin to semen extender or culture medium significantly improves sperm viability, oocyte competence and blastocyst development in vitro.