Neuroprotective effects of amiodarone in a mouse model of ischemic stroke

Background

Ion channels play a crucial role in the development of ischemic brain injury. Recent studies have reported that the blockade of various types of ion channels improves outcomes in experimental stroke models. Amiodarone, one of the most effective drugs for life-threatening arrhythmia, works as a multiple channel blocker and its characteristics cover all four Vaughan-Williams classes. Although it is known that amiodarone indirectly contributes to preventing ischemic stroke by maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation, the direct neuroprotective effect of amiodarone has not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct effect of amiodarone on ischemic stroke in mice.

Methods

Focal cerebral ischemia was induced via distal permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult male mice. The amiodarone pre-treatment group received 50 mg/kg of amiodarone 1 h before MCAO; the amiodarone post-treatment groups received 50 mg/kg of amiodarone immediately after MCAO; the control group received vehicle only. In addition, the sodium channel opener veratrine and selective beta-adrenergic agonist isoprotelenol were used to elucidate the targeted pathway. Heart rate and blood pressure were monitored perioperatively. Infarct volume analysis was conducted 48 h after MCAO. The body asymmetry test and the corner test were used for neurological evaluation.

Results

Amiodarone pre-treatment and post-treatment reduced the heart rate but did not affect the blood pressure. No mice showed arrhythmia. Compared with the control group, the amiodarone pre-treatment group had smaller infarct volumes (8.9?±?2.1% hemisphere [mean?±?SD] vs. 11.2?±?1.4%; P?<?0.05) and improved functional outcomes: lower asymmetric body swing rates (52?±?17% vs. 65?±?18%; P?<?0.05) and fewer left turns (7.1?±?1.2 vs. 8.3?±?1.2; P?<?0.05). In contrast, amiodarone post-treatment did not improve the outcomes after MCAO. The neuroprotective effect of amiodarone pre-treatment was abolished by co-administration of veratrine but not by isoproterenol.

Conclusions

Amiodarone pre-treatment attenuated ischemic brain injury and improved functional outcomes without affecting heart rhythm and blood pressure. The present results showed that amiodarone pre-treatment has neuroprotective effects, at least in part, via blocking the sodium channels.

     

Association of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ACYP2</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">TSPYL6</Emphasis> Genetic Polymorphisms with Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Han Chinese Population

The development of ischemic stroke is associated with advanced age. Telomere length, as a marker of biological aging, has been reported to influence the risk of several age-related diseases, including ischemic stroke. Recent studies have identified the genetic variant within ACYP2 and TSPYL6 associated with shorter telomere length. The objective of this study is to investigate the putative association of ischemic stroke with common polymorphisms in ACYP2 and TSPYL6 genes in a Chinese Han population. We found that the risk alleles of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs11125529, rs12615793, rs843711, rs11896604, and rs843706 within both ACYP2 and TSPYL6, and rs17045754 in ACYP2 gene, were related with increased risk of ischemic stroke according to both allelic and genotype association analyses. The significant correlations between ACYP2 and TSPYL6 SNPs and ischemic stroke risk were also observed in dominant, recessive, and additive models, respectively. Two blocks in high linkage disequilibrium were identified in this study, and two haplotypes were associated with higher ischemic stroke susceptibility. In conclusion, the genetic polymorphisms of ACYP2 and TSPYL6 are associated with increased risk of developing ischemic stroke. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate our findings.     

Comparative study of daytime and nighttime sap flow of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus euphratica</Emphasis>

In order to quantify and characterize the variance in desert riparian forest tree sap flow, we measured the sap flow from Populus euphratica and compared the daytime and nighttime patterns and responses to environmental variables. Results showed that daytime sap flow velocity was significantly higher (P?<?0.05). Daytime and nighttime mean sap flow velocities were 7.65 and 4.01 cm h^?1 in spring, 21.38 and 9.60 cm h^?1 in summer, and 11.04 and 5.21 cm h^?1 in autumn, respectively. Moreover, results indicated that the stoma remained partially open (15% minimum) throughout the night, providing sufficient evidence for the existance of nighttime transpiration. The vapor pressure deficit (VPD), stomatal conductance (Cs), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), air temperature (Ta), wind speed (WS), and soil moisture (θ) all had significant positive effects on P. euphratica sap flow velocity (P?<?0.05). Furthermore, the relationship between daytime sap flow velocity and VPD showed clockwise hysteresis, while the relationship between nighttime sap flow velocity and VPD showed counter-clockwise hysteresis. It was evident that PAR and VPD were the key factors impacting daytime sap flow velocity, while Cs and θ were the key factors impacting nighttime sap flow velocity. Furthermore, linear regression results showed that daytime sap flow had a significant positive effect on nighttime sap flow throughout the growing season (P?<?0.05).     

Molecular Epidemiology of Trypanosomatids and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trypanosoma cruzi</Emphasis> in Primates from Peru

We determined the prevalence rate and risk of infection of Trypanosoma cruzi and other trypanosomatids in Peruvian non-human primates (NHPs) in the wild (n = 126) and in different captive conditions (n = 183). Blood samples were collected on filter paper, FTA cards, or EDTA tubes and tested using a nested PCR protocol targeting the 24Sα rRNA gene. Main risk factors associated with trypanosomatid and T. cruzi infection were genus and the human–animal context (wild vs captive animals). Wild NHPs had higher prevalence of both trypanosomatids (64.3 vs 27.9%, P < 0.001) and T. cruzi (8.7 vs 3.3%, P = 0.057), compared to captive NHPs, suggesting that parasite transmission in NHPs occurs more actively in the sylvatic cycle. In terms of primate family, Pitheciidae had the highest trypanosomatid prevalence (20/22, 90.9%) and Cebidae had the highest T. cruzi prevalence (15/117, 12.8%). T. cruzi and trypanosomatids are common in Peruvian NHPs and could pose a health risk to human and animals that has not been properly studied.     

Chemical defences of native European coccinellid eggs against intraguild predation by the invasive Asian coccinellid, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Harmonia axyridis</Emphasis> (Pallas)

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) is a coccinellid of Asian origin that has recently invaded substantial parts of Europe and is suspected to affect native coccinellid populations through intraguild predation and competition for food. Previous work has shown that two species from the Calvia genus appeared to be well protected against H. axyridis predation. To deepen our understanding on chemical protection of Calvia spp. and the predation risk by H. axyridis, we tested for susceptibility and palatability of Calvia spp. and H. axyridis eggs against predation by H. axyridis neonate larvae. Results show that eggs of C. quatuordecimguttata were mostly not eaten by H. axyridis, while eggs of the congeneric C. decemguttata were found to be largely unprotected against predation by the invasive coccinellid. We also observed that H. axyridis first instars successfully cannibalized on conspecific eggs. Removing the surface chemicals from C. quatuordecimguttata eggs resulted in significantly reduced protection from being preyed upon by H. axyridis, while applying these extracts onto C. decemguttata and H. axyridis eggs resulted in increased protection against H. axyridis larvae. The importance of surface chemicals in the interactions between H. axyridis and native coccinellids was confirmed by GC–MS analysis, showing a high diversity of hydrocarbons located on the surface of C. quatuordecimguttata eggs, i.e. more than twice as many when compared to C. decemguttata. Survival of H. axyridis larvae feeding on eggs of C. quatuordecimguttata, C. decemguttata or conspecific eggs, from which surface chemicals were removed by washing them with hexane, was not different from survival on unwashed eggs.     

Detection and Quantification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio cholerae,Vibrio parahaemolyticus</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">and Vibrio vulnificus</Emphasis> in Coastal Waters of Guinea-Bissau (West Africa)

V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus are recognized human pathogens. Although several studies are available worldwide, both on environmental and clinical contexts, little is known about the ecology of these vibrios in African coastal waters. In this study, their co-occurrence and relationships to key environmental constraints in the coastal waters of Guinea-Bissau were examined using the most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR) approach. All Vibrio species were universally detected showing higher concentrations by the end of the wet season. The abundance of V. cholerae (ISR 16S-23S rRNA) ranged 0–1.2 × 10⁴ MPN/L, whereas V. parahaemolyticus (toxR) varied from 47.9 to 1.2 × 10⁵ MPN/L. Although the presence of genotypes associated with virulence was found in environmental V. cholerae isolates, ctxA+ V. cholerae was detected, by MPN-PCR, only on two occasions. Enteropathogenic (tdh+ and trh+) V. parahaemolyticus were detected at concentrations up to 1.2 × 10³ MPN/L. V. vulnificus (vvhA) was detected simultaneously in all surveyed sites only at the end of the wet season, with maximum concentrations of 1.2 × 10⁵ MPN/L. Our results suggest that sea surface water temperature and salinity were the major environmental controls to all Vibrio species. This study represents the first detection and quantification of co-occurring Vibrio species in West African coastal waters, highlighting the potential health risk associated with the persistence of human pathogenic Vibrio species.     

Parasitism Rate of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Habrobracon hebetor</Emphasis> to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ephestia kuehniella</Emphasis> Larvae: Residual Effect of Deltamethrin,Fenvalerate and Azadirachtin

Sublethal concentrations of chemical insecticides may cause changes in some behavioral characteristics of natural enemies such as functional responses. The residual effect of three synthetic insecticides including deltamethrin, fenvalerate and azadirachtin were studied on functional response of Habrobracon hebetor Say to Ephestia kuehniella Zeller larvae. Seven host densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 96) were used during a 24 h period. The resulting data were appropriately fit to Type II functional response models in all treatments: (1) control (0.0916 h^?1; and T _h  = 0.2011 h); (2) deltamethrin (a = 0.0839 h^?1; and T _h  = 0.3560 h); (3) fenvalerate (a = 0.0808 h^?1 and T _h  = 0.3623 h); and (4) azadirachtin (a = 0.0900 h^?1 and T _h  = 0.2042 h). Maximum theoretical parasitism rate (T/T _h ) was 119.34 estimated for control wasps. There was no significant difference between the values of attack rates (a and a + D _a ) in all treatments while the handling time was statistically affected in female wasps treated with fenvalerate. Our findings will be useful in safe application of these insecticides in pest management programmes.     

Chemical and molecular identification of the invasive termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zootermopsis nevadensis</Emphasis> (Isoptera: Archotermopsidae) in Japan

Numerous termite species have been introduced outside their native ranges by human transport, and some have become invasive. The dampwood termite Zootermopsis nevadensis (Hagen), which is native to western North America, has been introduced to and become established in Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Zootermopsis nevadensis is subdivided into two subspecies based on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) phenotypes: Z. nevadensis nevadensis and Z. nevadensis nuttingi (Haverty and Thorne). Here, we identified Z. nevadensis in Japan as hybrids between the two subspecies. Chemical analysis showed the presence of 7,15-dimethylhenicosane and 5,17-dimethylhenicosane in the CHCs of Z. nevadensis in Japan, corresponding to the CHC phenotype of Z. n. nevadensis. Conversely, all mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences of Z. nevadensis in Japan were identical to sequences from Z. n. nuttingi and hybrids between the two subspecies from a native hybrid zone in California, USA. In addition, phylogenetic analysis showed that Z. nevadensis in Japan formed a clade with Z. n. nuttingi and hybrids between the two subspecies. Our results show discordance between the chemical and genetic features of Z. nevadensis in Japan, indicating that individuals of Z. nevadensis in Japan are hybrids between the two subspecies.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aeromonas</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plesiomonas</Emphasis> species from scarlet ibis (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eudocimus ruber</Emphasis>) and their environment: monitoring antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence

The present study aimed at evaluating the role of captive scarlet ibises (Eudocimus ruber) and their environment as reservoirs of Aeromonas spp. and Plesiomonas spp., and analyzing the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence of the recovered bacterial isolates. Thus, non-lactose and weak-lactose fermenting, oxidase positive Gram-negative bacilli were recovered from cloacal samples (n = 30) of scarlet ibises kept in a conservational facility and from water samples (n = 30) from their environment. Then, the antimicrobial susceptibility, hemolytic activity and biofilm production of the recovered Aeromonas spp. and Plesiomonas shigelloides strains were assessed. In addition, the virulence-associated genes of Aeromonas spp. were detected. Ten Aeromonas veronii bv. sobria, 2 Aeromonas hydrophila complex and 10 P. shigelloides were recovered. Intermediate susceptibility to piperacillin-tazobactam and cefepime was observed in 2 Aeromonas spp. and 1 P. shigelloides, respectively, and resistance to gentamicin was observed in 4 P. shigelloides. The automated susceptibility analysis revealed resistance to piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem among Aeromonas spp. and intermediate susceptibility to gentamicin among P. shigelloides. All Aeromonas isolates presented hemolytic activity, while 3 P. shigelloides were non-hemolytic. All Aeromonas spp. and 3/10 P. shigelloides were biofilm-producers, at 28 °C, while 10 Aeromonas spp. and 6/10 P. shigelloides produced biofilms, at 37 °C. The most prevalent virulence genes of Aeromonas spp. were asa1 and ascV. Scarlet ibises and their environment harbour potentially pathogenic bacteria, thus requiring monitoring and measures to prevent contamination of humans and other animals.     

The effect of losartan therapy on ventricular function in Marfan patients with haploinsufficient or dominant negative <Emphasis Type="Italic">FBN1</Emphasis> mutations

Background

Mild biventricular dysfunction is often present in patients with Marfan syndrome. Losartan has been shown to reduce aortic dilatation in patients with Marfan syndrome. This study assesses the effect of losartan on ventricular volume and function in genetically classified subgroups of asymptomatic Marfan patients without significant valvular regurgitation.

Methods

In this predefined substudy of the COMPARE study, Marfan patients were classified based on the effect of their FBN1 mutation on fibrillin-1 protein, categorised as haploinsufficient or dominant negative. Patients were randomised to a daily dose of losartan 100 mg or no additional treatment. Ventricular volumes and function were measured by magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up.

Results

Changes in biventricular dimensions were assessed in 163 Marfan patients (48?% female; mean age 38 ± 13 years). In patients with a haploinsufficient FBN1 mutation (n = 43), losartan therapy (n = 19) increased both biventricular end diastolic volume (EDV) and stroke volume (SV) when compared with no additional losartan (n = 24): left ventricular EDV: 9 ± 26 ml vs. ?8 ± 24 ml, p = 0.035 and right ventricular EDV 12 ± 23 ml vs. ?18 ± 24 ml; p < 0.001 and for left ventricle SV: 6 ± 16 ml vs. ?8 ± 17 ml; p = 0.009 and right ventricle SV: 8 ± 16 ml vs. ?7 ± 19 ml; p = 0.009, respectively. No effect was observed in patients with a dominant negative FBN1 mutation (n = 92), or without an FBN1 mutation (n = 28).

Conclusion

Losartan therapy in haploinsufficient Marfan patients increases biventricular end diastolic volume and stroke volume, furthermore, losartan also appears to ameliorate biventricular filling properties.

     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bothriocephalus</Emphasis> Rudolphi, 1808 (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidea) from marine fish off Australia and New Caledonia

Two new species of bothriocephalidean tapeworms, Bothriocephalus australis n. sp. from the flatheads Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier (type host) and P. aurimaculatus Knapp off southern Australia and B. celineae n. sp. from a hybrid serranid Cephalopholis aurantia (Val.) × C. spiloparaea (Val.) from off New Caledonia, are described. B. australis is unique in the possession of the combination of the three characters: an elongate, obliquely situated cirrus-sac; a wide genital atrium surrounded by chromophilic cells; and a well-developed apical disc. B. celineae is typified by the presence of a low number of testes per segment (14–26), forming one or two incomplete longitudinal bands on each side of segment, and the small size of the strobila (total length 24 mm) which consists of less than 100 segments.     

Toxin Gene Contents and Activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> Strains Against Two Sugarcane Borer Species, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diatraea saccharalis</Emphasis> (F.) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">D. flavipennella</Emphasis> (Box)

Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) bears essential characteristics in the control of insect pests, such as its unique mode of action, which confers specificity and selectivity. This study assessed cry gene contents from Bt strains and their entomotoxicity against Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and Diatraea flavipennella (Box) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Bioassays with Bt strains were performed against neonates to evaluate their lethal and sublethal activities and were further analyzed by PCR, using primers to identify toxin genes. For D. saccharalis and D. flavipennella, 16 and 18 strains showed over 30% larval mortality in the 7th day, respectively. The LC₅₀ values of strains for D. saccharalis varied from 0.08 × 10⁵ (LIIT-0105) to 4104 × 10⁵ (LIIT-2707) spores + crystals mL^?1. For D. flavipennella, the LC₅₀ values of strains varied from 0.40 × 10⁵ (LIIT-2707) to 542 × 10⁵ (LIIT-2109) spores + crystals mL^?1. For the LIIT-0105 strain, which was the most toxic to D. saccharalis, the genes cry1Aa, cry1Ab, cry1Ac, cry1B, cry1C, cry1D, cry1F, cry1I, cry2Aa, cry2Ab, cry8, and cry9C were detected, whereas for the strain LIIT-2707, which was the most toxic to D. flavipennella, detected genes were cry1Aa, cry1Ab, cry1Ac, cry1B, cry1D, cry1F, cry1I, cry2Aa, cry2Ab, and cry9. The toxicity data and toxin gene content in these strains of Bt suggest a great variability of activity with potential to be used in the development of novel biopesticides or as source of resistance genes that can be expressed in plants to control pests.     

Non-native liana, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euonymus fortunei</Emphasis>, associated with increased soil nutrients,unique bacterial communities,and faster decomposition rate

Invasive plants have wide-ranging impacts on native systems including reducing native plant richness and altering soil chemistry, microbes, and nutrient cycling. Increasingly, these effects are found to linger long after removal of the invader. We examined how soil chemistry, bacterial communities, and litter decomposition varied with cover of Euonymus fortunei, an invasive evergreen liana, in two central Kentucky deciduous forests. In one forest, E. fortunei invaded in the late 1990s but invasion remained patchy and we paired invaded and uninvaded plots to examine the associations between E. fortunei cover and our response variables. In the second forest, E. fortunei had completely invaded the forest by 2005; areas where it had been selectively removed by 2010 were paired with an adjacent invaded plot. Where E. fortunei had patchily invaded, E. fortunei patches had up to 3.5× nitrogen, 2.7× carbon, and 1.9× more labile glomalin in soils than uninvaded plots, whereas there were no differences in soil characteristics between invaded and removal plots. In the patchily invaded forest, bacterial community composition varied among invaded and non-invaded plots, whereas bacterial communities did not vary among invaded and removal plots. Finally, E. fortunei leaf litter decomposed faster (k = 4.91 year^?1) than the native liana (k = 3.77 year^?1), Vitis vulpina; decomposition of both E. fortunei and V. vulpina was faster in invaded (k = 7.10 year^?1) than removal plots (k = 4.77 year^?1). Our findings suggest that E. fortunei invasion increases the rate of leaf litter decomposition via high-quality litter, alters the decomposition environment, and shifts in the soil biotic communities associated with a dense mat of wintercreeper. Land managers with limited resources should target the densest mats for the greatest restoration potential and remove wintercreeper patches before they establish dense mats.     

High-yield expression,purification, characterization,and structure determination of tag-free <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida utilis</Emphasis> uricase

We report the successful high-yield expression of Candida utilis uricase in Escherichia coli and the establishment of an efficient three-step protein purification protocol. The purity of the recombinant protein, which was confirmed to be C. utilis uricase by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer analysis, was >98% and the specific activity was 38.4 IU/mg. Crystals of C. utilis uricase were grown at 18°C using 25% polyethylene glycol 3350 as precipitant. Diffraction by the crystals extends to 1.93 Å resolution, and the crystals belong to the space group P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell parameters a?=?69.16 Å, b?=?139.31 Å, c?=?256.33 Å, and α?=?β?=?γ?=?90°. The crystal structure of C. utilis uricase shares a high similarity with other reported structures of the homologous uricases from other species in protein database, demonstrating that the three-dimensional structure of the protein defines critically to the catalytic activities.     

A novel NADPH-dependent reductase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sulfobacillus acidophilus</Emphasis> TPY phenol hydroxylase: expression,characterization, and functional analysis

The reductase component (MhpP) of the Sulfobacillus acidophilus TPY multicomponent phenol hydroxylase exhibits only 40 % similarity to Pseudomonas sp. strain CF600 phenol hydroxylase reductase. Amino acid sequence alignment analysis revealed that four cysteine residues (Cys-X ₄ -Cys-X ₂ -Cys-X _29-35 -Cys) are conserved in the N terminus of MhpP for [2Fe-2S] cluster binding, and two other motifs (RXYS and GXXS/T) are conserved in the C terminus for binding the isoalloxazine and phosphate groups of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Two motifs (S/T-R and yXCGp) responsible for binding to reduce nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) are also conserved in MhpP, although some residues differ. To confirm the function of this reductase, MhpP was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and purified. UV-visible spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that MhpP contains a [2Fe-2S] cluster. MhpP mutants in which the four cysteine residues were substituted via site-directed mutagenesis lost the ability to bind the [2Fe-2S] cluster, resulting in a decrease in enzyme-specific oxidation of NADPH. Thin-layer chromatography revealed that MhpP contains FAD. Substrate specificity analyses confirmed that MhpP uses NADPH rather than NADH as an electron donor. MhpP oxidizes NADPH using cytochrome c, potassium ferricyanide, or nitro blue tetrazolium as an electron acceptor, with a specific activity of 1.7 ± 0.36, 0.78 ± 0.13, and 0.16 ± 0.06 U/mg, respectively. Thus, S. acidophilus TPY MhpP is a novel NADPH-dependent reductase component of phenol hydroxylase that utilizes FAD and a [2Fe-2S] cluster as cofactors.     

Association between <Emphasis Type="Italic">cagA</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">vacAi</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">dupA</Emphasis> genes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis> and gastroduodenal pathologies in Chilean patients

In addition to the already known cagA gene, novel genetic markers have been associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) virulence: the dupA and vacAi genes. These genes might play an important role as specific markers to determine the clinical outcome of the disease, especially the vacAi gene, which has been expected to be a good marker of severe pathologies like gastric adenocarcinoma. In the present study, the association of cagA, dupA, and vacAi genes with gastroduodenal pathologies in Chilean patients was studied. One hundred and thirty-two patients positive for H. pylori were divided into two groups—non-severe and severe gastric pathologies—and investigated for the presence of cagA, dupA, and vacAi H. pylori virulence genes by PCR. The cagA gene was detected in 20/132 patients (15.2%), the vacAi1 gene was detected in 54/132 patients (40.9%), the vacAi2 gene was detected in 26/132 patients (19.7%), and the dupA gene was detected in 50/132 (37.9%) patients. Logistic regression model analysis showed that the vacAi1 isoform gene in the infected strains and the severity of the diseases outcome were highly associated, causing severe gastric damage that may lead to gastric cancer (p < 0.0001; OR = 8.75; 95% CI 3.54–21.64). Conversely, cagA (p = 0.3507; OR = 1.62; 95% CI 0.59–4.45) and vacAi2 (p = 0.0114; OR = 3.09; 95% CI 1.26–7.60) genes were not associated with damage, while the dupA gene was associated significantly with non-severe clinical outcome (p = 0.0032; OR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.09–0.65). In addition, dupA gene exerts protection against severe gastric pathologies induced by vacAi1 by delaying the outcome of the disease by approximately 20 years.     

Impact of Chemical,Organic and Bio-Fertilizers Application on Bell Pepper, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> L. and Biological Parameters of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Myzus persicae</Emphasis> (Sulzer) (Hem.: Aphididae)

Myzus persicae (Sulzer) is a polyphagous aphid that causes chlorosis, necrosis, stunting, and reduce growth rate of the host plants. In this research, the effects of Zinc sulfate and vermicompost (30%), Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Glomus intraradices, G. intraradices × B. subtilis, and G. intraradices × P. fluorescens compared to control was investigated on the growth characters of Capsicum annuum L. and biological parameters of M. persicae. Different fertilizers caused a significant effect on growth characters of C. annuum and biological parameters of M. persicae. The highest plant growth was observed on Zinc sulfate and B. subtilis treated plants, and the lowest was on control. Increase in the amount of specific leaf area (SLA) (0.502 mm² mg^?1) was significantly higher in the B. subtilis than other fertilizer treatments. The longest (10.3 days) and the shortest (5.3 days) developmental times of M. persicae nymphs were observed on 30% vermicompost and Zinc sulfate treatments, respectively. The lowest adult longevity periods of M. persicae (11.2 and 11.3 days) were observed on G. intraradices × B. subtilis and 30% vermicompost treatments, respectively, and the longest ones (16.4 days) on Zinc sulfate. The highest rate of nymphal mortality and the lowest amount of nymphal growth index (NGI) were recorded on 30% vermicompost. The nymphs reared on Zinc sulfate treatment had the lowest rate of nymphal mortality and the highest amount of NGI. Thus, amending the soil with 30% vermicompost had a significantly negative effect on the biological parameters of M. persicae that can be used as an ecological control tactic for this pest.