We present constraints on cosmological parameters from the Pantheon+ analysis of 1701 light curves of 1550 distinct Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) ranging in redshift from z = 0.001 to 2.26. This work features an increased sample size, increased redshift span, and improved treatment of systematic uncertainties in comparison to the original Pantheon analysis and results in a factor of 2 improvement in cosmological constraining power. For a FlatΛCDM model, we find Ω M = 0.338 ± 0.018 from SNe Ia alone. For a Flatw 0 CDM model, we measure w 0 = −0.89 ± 0.13 from SNe Ia alone, H 0 = 72.86 +0.94 −1.06 km s −1 Mpc −1 when including the Cepheid host distances and covariance (SH0ES), and w 0 = −0.978 +0.024 −0.031 when combining the SN likelihood with constraints from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO); both w 0 values are consistent with a cosmological constant. We also present the most precise measurements to date on the evolution of dark energy in a Flatw 0 w a CDM universe, and measure w a = −0.4 +1.0 −1.8 from Pantheon+ alone, H 0 = 73.40 +0.99 −1.22 km s −1 Mpc −1 when including SH0ES, and w a = −0.65 +0.28 −0.32 when combining Pan-theon+ with CMB and BAO data. Finally, we find that systematic uncertainties in the use of SNe Ia along the distance ladder comprise less than one third of the total uncertainty in the measurement of H 0 and cannot explain the present "Hubble tension" between local measurements and early-Universe predictions from the cosmological model.

Larval forms of the genus Anisakis were reported infecting several fish species from the North African coasts of central Mediterranean Sea. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was used to investigate the occurrence of larval forms of different Anisakis species in teleost fishes and squid from North African coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and to establish the geographical and host range of these parasites in this area. A total of 282 Anisakis larvae were identified by PCR-RFLP from 13 teleost fish species and one cephalopod species captured at different sites off the Algerian, Tunisian and Libyan coasts. The type I larvae were found with a frequency of 93.62% and were identified as belonging to the following species: Anisakis simplex s.str., Anisakis pegreffii, A. simplex s.str/A. pegreffii hybrids and Anisakis typica. The type II larvae were found to belong to Anisakis physeteris, with the frequency of 6.38%. The record of A. simplex s.str/A. pegreffii hybrids, previously recorded from the Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic coasts and the Alboran Sea, extends their geographic distribution to the Tunisian coasts. The occurrence of A. simplex s.str. and hybrids away from their known area of distribution may predict the successful use of Anisakis larvae for tagging Scomber scombrus fish stocks for fisheries management purposes. Moreover, the results reported provide valuable information regarding the diversity of Anisakis species in the study area, indicating that several Anisakis sibling and morphospecies coexist in the North African coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.

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The present study was conducted to investigate whether the combined treatment with Se and Zn offers more beneficial effects than that provided by either of them alone in reversing Cd-induced oxidative stress in the kidney of rat. For this purpose, 30 adult male Wistar albino rats, equally divided into control and four treated groups, received either 200 ppm Cd (as CdCl(2)), 200 ppm Cd + 500 ppm Zn (as ZnCl(2)), 200 ppm Cd + 0.1 ppm Se (as Na(2)SeO(3)), or 200 ppm Cd + 500 ppm Zn + 0.1 ppm Se in their drinking water for 35 days. The results showed that Cd treatment decreased significantly the catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, whereas the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the renal levels of lipid peroxidation (as malondialdehyde, MDA) were increased compared to control rats. The treatment of Cd-exposed rats with Se alone had no significant effect on the Cd-induced increase in the MDA concentrations but increased significantly the CAT activities and reversed Cd-induced increase in SOD activity. It also partially prevented Cd-induced decrease in GSH-Px activity. The treatment of Cd-exposed animals with Zn alone increased significantly the CAT activity and partially protected against Cd-induced increase in the MDA concentrations, whereas it had no significant effect on the Cd-induced increase in SOD activity and decrease in GSH-Px activity. The combined treatment of Cd-exposed animals with Se and Zn was more effective than that with either of them alone in reversing Cd-induced decrease in CAT and GSH-Px activities and Cd-induced increase in MDA concentrations. Results demonstrated beneficial effects of combined Se and Zn treatment in Cd-induced oxidative stress in kidney and suggest that Se and Zn can have a synergistic role against Cd toxicity.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential benefit of combined treatment with zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) in reversing cadmium (Cd)-induced thyroid dysfunction compared to Se or Zn treatment alone in rats exposed to Cd. For this purpose, 30 adult male Wistar albino rats were equally divided into control and four treated groups receiving either 200 ppm Cd (as CdCl2), 200 ppm Cd + 500 ppm Zn (as ZnCl2), 200 ppm Cd + 0.1 ppm Se (as Na2SeO3), or 200 ppm Cd + 500 ppm Zn + 0.1 ppm Se in their drinking water for 35 days. The results showed that Cd exposure increased significantly the relative thyroid weight (RTW), the thyroid Cd concentration, and the serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level, whereas the serum thyroxine (T4) level was decreased compared to control rats. The treatment of Cd-exposed rats with Se alone only partially protected from the Cd-induced decrease in serum T4 level. The treatment of Cd-exposed animals with Zn alone partially protected against Cd-induced thyroid dysfunction by maintaining normal RTW and by decreasing Cd concentration in the thyroid. It also partially prevents Cd-induced decrease in serum T4 level. The combined treatment of Cd-exposed animals with Se and Zn induced a more significant decrease in the thyroid Cd concentration than the Zn supplement and a total correction of the RTW. This treatment was also more effective than that with Se or Zn alone in reversing Cd-induced decrease in serum T4 level and Cd-induced increase in serum TSH level. Se and Zn can have a synergistic role against Cd-induced thyroid dysfunction.

Starfish can regenerate entire arms following their loss by both autotomic and traumatic amputation. Although the overall regenerative process has been studied several times in different asteroid species, there is still a considerable gap of knowledge as far as the detailed aspects of the repair phase at tissue and cellular level are concerned, particularly in post‐traumatic regeneration. The present work is focused on the arm regeneration model in the Mediterranean red starfish Echinaster sepositus; to describe the early cellular mechanisms of arm regeneration following traumatic amputation, different microscopy techniques were employed. In E. sepositus, the repair phase was characterized by prompt wound healing by a syncytial network of phagocytes and re‐epithelialisation followed by a localized subepidermal oedematous area formation. Scattered and apparently undifferentiated cells, intermixed with numerous phagocytes, were frequently found in the wound area during these first stages of regeneration and extensive dedifferentiation phenomena were seen at the level of the stump, particularly in the muscle bundles. A true localized blastema did not form. Our results confirm that regeneration in asteroids mainly relies on morphallactic processes, consisting in extensive rearrangement of the existing tissues which contribute to the new tissues through cell dedifferentiation, redifferentiation, and/or migration.

The present study was designed to elucidate the protective effect mechanism of Zinc (Zn) and Selenium (Se) on cadmium (Cd)-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish. For this purpose we investigate the response of oxidative stress markers, metallothionein accumulation and gene expression in liver and ovary of female zebrafish exposed to 0,4 mg/l Cd in water and supplemented with Zn (5 mg kg(-1)) and/or Se (2 mg kg(-1)) for 21 days in their diet. Liver and ovary Cd uptake was evaluated after the exposure period. Cd exposure significantly inhibited the antioxidant enzyme activities termed as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxydase (GPx) and caused a pronounced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation in both organs. Co-administration of Zn and Se reversed the Cd-induced toxicity in liver and ovary measured as MDA accumulation. Interestingly, gene expression patterns of Cat, CuZnSod and Gpx were up-regulated when related enzymatic activities were altered. Zebrafish metallothionein transcripts (zMt) significantly decreased in tissues of fish supplemented with Zn and/or Se when compared to Cd-exposed fish. Our data would suggest that Zn and Se protective mechanism against Cd-induced oxidative stress is more depending on the correction of the proteins biological activities rather than on the transcriptional level of related genes.

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