Efficacy,cost, and aspects to take into account in the treatment of osteoporosis in the elderly

Age is one of the principal risk factors for development of frailty fractures. Age pyramids show a population that is becoming increasingly more elderly, with an increasing incidence of fractures, and the forecasts for the future are truly alarming. Adequate handling of these patients who are especially at risk, at both the preventive and care levels, with a well-defined orthogeriatric model is necessary to respond to this clinical challenge. The objective of this review is to analyze the efficacy of the different strategies for the handling of geriatric patients with fracture risk.     

Evidence of a species complex within the food-borne trematode Opisthorchis viverrini and possible co-evolution with their first intermediate hosts

The food-borne trematodes, Opisthorchis viverrini, O. felineus and Clonorchis sinensis, have long been recognized as the cause of major human health problems, with an estimated 40 million infected persons. Of the three species of liver fluke, only O. viverrini is classified as a type 1 carcinogen because of its role as an initiator of chronic inflammation and the subsequent development of cholangiocarcinoma. At present, there are no techniques for the early diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma and it is fatal for most patients. There is considerable variation in parasite prevalence and disease presentation in different geographical areas, the latter of which may be associated with genetic differences among parasites. In the present study, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to provide a comprehensive genetic characterization of O. viverrini from different geographical localities in Thailand and the Peoples' Democratic Republic of Laos. Parasites from different localities were compared genetically at 32 enzyme loci. The results of the genetic analyses are sufficient to reject the null hypothesis that O. viverrini represents a single species. Therefore, O. viverrini consists of at least two genetically distinct, yet morphologically similar (i.e. cryptic) species. Moreover, there was also separation of the different populations of snails (i.e. the first intermediate hosts) into two distinct genetic groups that corresponded with the delineation of O. viverrini into two species. This suggests that there may be a history of co-evolution in this host-parasite lineage. Additionally, five distinct genetic groups of parasites were detected, each of which occurred within a different and independent river wetland system. Our findings have major implications for the implementation of effective control and surveillance programs targeted to these medically important food-borne parasites.     

Occurrence of Amblycerus species in Cordia trichotoma seeds and their influence on germination

Forest species can have their seeds damaged by granivorous insects, especially by those in their larval stage. In this context, this study aims to report the occurrence of Amblycerus species in Cordia trichotoma seeds, to describe their main damage to seeds and effects on germination, as well as their associated hymenopteran parasitoids. Therefore, seven trees were selected in the municipality of Taquaruçu do Sul, RS, Brazil. Fruits were collected weekly from the medium third of the tree crown, from the beginning of their formation until total dehiscence. To examine the damage caused by granivorous insects within the fruits, 15 fruits from each tree were sectioned with a scalpel. Furthermore, 10 fruits from each tree were stored individually in clear plates to verify the occurrence and identification of granivorous insect species. Evidence of the damage caused to seeds was verified through the germination test by comparing preserved and damaged seeds, with four repetitions of 25 seeds each. The species Amblycerus longesuturalis and Amblycerus profaupar (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) were found associated with fruits of C. trichotoma. Female insects predominantly laid eggs on the superior part between the marcescent calyx and the fruit, and larvae perforated the fruit tegument to start consuming seed embryos and reserves. Bruquine larvae are parasitized by Hymenoptera of Bracon, Mirax, Omeganastatus and Triapsis genera. In conclusion, the germination of C. trichotoma seeds is significantly affected by emergence orifices caused by granivorous species.     

Development of indazole mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and investigation into their selective late-stage functionalization

The derivatization of pharmaceuticals is a core activity in the discovery and development of new medicines. Late-stage functionalization via modern CH functionalization chemistry has emerged as a powerful technique with which to diversify advanced pharmaceutical intermediates. We report herein a case study in late-stage functionalization towards the development of a new class of indazole-based mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA). An effort to modify the electronics of the core indazole heterocycle inspired the use of modern CH borylation chemistry. New reactivity patterns were revealed and studied computationally. Ultimately, a de novo synthesis delivered a key 6-fluoroindazole compound 26, a potent MRA with excellent metabolic stability.     

Digitonin-sensitive LHCII enlarges the antenna of Photosystem I in stroma lamellae of Arabidopsis thaliana after far-red and blue-light treatment

Light drives photosynthesis. In plants it is absorbed by light-harvesting antenna complexes associated with Photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII). As PSI and PSII work in series, it is important that the excitation pressure on the two photosystems is balanced. When plants are exposed to illumination that overexcites PSII, a special pool of the major light-harvesting complex LHCII is phosphorylated and moves from PSII to PSI (state 2). If instead PSI is over-excited the LHCII complex is dephosphorylated and moves back to PSII (state 1). Recent findings have suggested that LHCII might also transfer energy to PSI in state 1. In this work we used a combination of biochemistry and (time-resolved) fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the PSI antenna size in state 1 and state 2 for Arabidopsis thaliana. Our data shows that 0.7 ± 0.1 unphosphorylated LHCII trimers per PSI are present in the stroma lamellae of state-1 plants. Upon transition to state 2 the antenna size of PSI in the stroma membrane increases with phosphorylated LHCIIs to a total of 1.2 ± 0.1 LHCII trimers per PSI. Both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated LHCII function as highly efficient PSI antenna.     

Synthesis of eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using Allium sp. and their antimicrobial potential on selected vaginal bacteria

Allium cepa and garlic Allium sativa plants were used to evaluate their potential synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial effect on Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Transmission electron microscopy (SEM) was used to distinguish the morphology of the nanoparticles attained from plant extracts. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer established the existence of elemental sign of the silver and homogenous allocation of silver nanoparticles. Diffraction by using X ray (XRD) analysis for the formed AgNPs revealed spherical plus cubical shapes structure with different planes ranged between 111 and 311 planes. The antibacterial action of AgNPs against vaginal pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recognized. Our work showed a rapid, eco-safety and suitable method for the synthesis of AgNPs from Allium cepa and garlic Allium sativa extracts and can be used in biomedical applications.     

From lignocellulosic residues to market: Production and commercial potential of xylooligosaccharides

The updated definition of prebiotic expands the range of potential applications in which emerging xylooligosaccharides (XOS) can be used. It has been demonstrated that XOS exhibit prebiotic effects at lower amounts compared to others, making them competitively priced prebiotics. As a result, the industry is focused on developing alternative approaches to improve processes efficiency that can meet the increasing demand while reducing costs. Recent advances have been made towards greener and more efficient processes, by applying process integration strategies to produce XOS from costless lignocellulosic residues and using genetic engineering to create microorganisms that convert these residues to XOS. In addition, collecting more in vivo data on their performance will be key to achieve regulatory claims, greatly increasing XOS commercial value.     

Knockdown of dorsal/relish increases larvae susceptibility to microbes in Spodoptera litura

The tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura has developed high levels of resistance to frequently-used insecticides, and failures of chemical control has frequently been reported in China. Moreover, the control efficiency of biological control agents was not satisfactory by farmers, and thus the development of novel or combined techniques for such pest control becomes an imperative requirement. In this study the potential application of innate immune-related genes in insect control was investigated. Sldorsal and Slrelish were identified from S. litura. Sldorsals were mainly expressed in epidermal and fatbody of larvae, and Slrelish highly expressed in fatbody and haemolymph of larvae. Their expression characteristic suggests potential roles in defense against fungi or bacteria. The expression of Sldorsal was up-regulated by the challenge of entomogenous fungi Isaria javanica and Beauveria bassiana, however, the expression of Slrelish could only be induced by Escherichia coli challenge. Injection of Sldorsal or Slrelish dsRNA down-regulated the expression level of the corresponding gene and broke specific signaling transduction pathway of innate immunity in S. litura. Knockdown of Sldorsal by RNAi significantly increased the mortality of S. litura larvae caused by I. javanica and B. bassiana, and Slrelish RNAi highly increased the mortality caused by E. coli. Sldorsal and Slrelish are essential genes for innate immunity, their knockdown by RNAi increases S. litura susceptibility to insect pathogens, therefore enhances the mortalities caused by I. javanica, B. bassiana and E. coli respectively.     

RNA interference mediated knockdown of juvenile hormone esterase gene in Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius): Effects on adults and their progeny

Juvenile hormone is responsible for regulating metamorphosis and reproduction in insects. Analysis of key elements of juvenile hormone regulation would enhance the understanding of this complex mechanism. Juvenile hormone esterase plays an important role in maintaining juvenile hormone titres in insects. In this study, effects of knockdown of juvenile hormone esterase gene (jhe) in Bemisia tabaci were studied using RNA interference (RNAi) technique. dsRNA corresponding to two conserved regions of jhe gene, substrate binding pocket site (jhe1), catalytic triad site (jhe2), green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) as control were synthesized. dsRNAs incorporated in artificial diet (20% sucrose solution) @ 2.5, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.1 μg/μl were fed to adult whiteflies for 48 h, followed by shifting whiteflies to live plants for next generation biology study. Based on qRT-PCR analyses, reduced jhe gene expression was observed in adult whiteflies after dsRNA feeding @ 2.5 and 1.0 μg/μl. jhe gene knockdown affects the survival and reproduction of whiteflies adversely in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, oral feeding of dsRNA to adult whiteflies @ 2.5 and 1.0 μg/μl showed adverse effects on next generation of whitefly viz., lower egg hatchability and shortened egg incubation period. Minimum number of viable eggs (1.04 and 1.80 eggs/female) were observed when whiteflies were fed with highest concentration of dsjhe1 and dsjhe2 as compared to control (16.58 eggs/female). These data suggest that jhe gene acts as a major biological player in whitefly and its progeny and further indicate to be potential target for managing whitefly population.     

Insectary production and synopsis of Fopius caudatus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), parasitoid of tephritid fruit flies indigenous to Africa

Fopius caudatus (Szépligeti) is an endophagous koinobiont egg-larval parasitoid native to Africa. It has recently been noted as a candidate for augmentative biological control of several Dacinae fruit fly pests (Diptera: Tephritidae), due to its ability to parasitize the egg stage. Previous attempts to establish this parasitoid in Hawaii, Guatemala, and Costa Rica were unsuccessful due to inability to maintain parasitoid colonies under laboratory conditions. A cohort of F. caudatus collected from Kenyan fruit flies infesting Coffea arabica was successfully colonized in Hawaii at 28 °C and 60–80% RH, resulting in the development of a laboratory-adapted colony amenable for mass production. The parasitoid was successfully developed from eggs of Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera latifrons as a factitious host. The wasps were propagated for 15 weeks until the rearing stabilized, at which point >10,500 adults were produced with an overall sex ratio of 0.52 females and a mean host parasitism rate of 17.3%. It could parasitize Medfly eggs in fruits other than coffee, including papaya, mango, pear, squash, and sweet pepper. Female F. caudatus oviposited mainly in 24–48 h old Medfly eggs, although occasionally a few individuals eclosed when first instar fly larvae were exposed. Mean developmental time from egg to adult was 19.8 d for males and 21.5 d for females. Mean longevity was 5.2 d for males and 14.2 d for host-deprived females. This study enabled us to maintain a colony of F. caudatus for research and redistribution to other countries for biocontrol programs against Medfly.     

Assessment of farmers on their knowledge regarding pesticide usage and biosafety

PurposeInappropriate application of pesticides is quite common in the study area, causing health issues and in some cases fatalities. The intent of the current study is to gauge the farmers’ level of knowledge on the safe usage of pesticides and biosafety to keep the famers healthy through the focused extension programs.MethodologyThe study is carried out in 41 union councils of Tehsil Sahiwal, District Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan. Data are collected through a cluster sampling technique by conducting face-to-face interviews. Statistical analysis is used to determine relationships and interpret them.ResultsThe findings show that the majority of farmers (87.2%) earn their livelihoods from farming and 2.1% are traders. More than half of the respondents (51.8%) own small land-holdings with an area of 4–8 ha, with only 16.4% having a land area of more than 12 ha. The results also reveal that the majority of respondents obtain information from private agents and only about one third (34.4%) respondents get information on the safe usage of pesticides from the Department of Agriculture (Extension). The internet has emerged as a fast and reliable source of information in the new paradigm; however, only 14.4% of the respondents take advantage of this economical and fast information tool/medium. The findings also reveal that the farmers employ unhealthy and poor practices by not following the recommendations regarding the safe usage of pesticides. The study also reveals that more than half of the farmers (54.4%) use unsafe storage practices on their farms, and about 48.2% do not follow the instructions.ConclusionsInappropriate application of pesticides can have negative effects on human health and the adoption safety measures are necessary to avoid the harmful effects of pesticides. Due to high illiteracy in the area, farmers mainly seek advice of neighboring farmers, having ignorance on the biosafety issues. Variables like education level, land ownership, total land size and the trainings on safe pesticide usage significantly influence the knowledge level of farmers on the safe usage of pesticides.RecommendationsFarmers do not follow the recommendations of the extension department or the instructions printed on pesticide bottles/containers, therefore educational (formal and informal) and training programs are necessary on the safe pesticide usage to upgrade their skills and expertise on safe usage of pesticides and the importance of biosafety.     

Synthesis of carbazoloquinone derivatives and their antileukemic activity via modulating cellular reactive oxygen species

Carbazoloquinone alkaloids are of great interest as privileged structures for anticancer drug molecules. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure-activity relationships of carbazoloquinone derivatives as anticancer agents. A series of carbazoloquinones including murrayaquinone A, koeniginequinones A and B, and related analogues were therefore prepared. Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization reaction mechanism was well elucidated by DFT calculations. Treatment of the synthesized derivatives showed cytotoxicity on human leukemia HL-60 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, murrayaquinone A and β-brazanquinone elevated cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby triggering apoptosis. Our findings emphasize the excellent potential of carbazoloquinone derivatives as ROS-inducing anticancer agents.     

Disentangling the effect of host genetics and gut microbiota on resistance to an intestinal parasite

Resistance to infection is a multifactorial trait, and recent work has suggested that the gut microbiota can also contribute to resistance. Here, we performed a fecal microbiota transplant to disentangle the contribution of the gut microbiota and host genetics as drivers of resistance to the intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. We transplanted the microbiota of a strain of mice (SJL), resistant to H. polygyrus, into a susceptible strain (CBA) and vice-versa. We predicted that if the microbiota shapes resistance to H. polygyrus, the FMT should reverse the pattern of resistance between the two host strains. The two host strains had different microbiota diversities and compositions before the start of the experiment, and the FMT altered the microbiota of recipient mice. One mouse strain (SJL) was more resistant to colonization by the heterologous microbiota, and it maintained its resistance profile to H. polygyrus (lower parasite burden) independently of the FMT. On the contrary, CBA mice harbored parasites with lower fecundity during the early stage of the infection, and had an up-regulated expression of the cytokine IL-4 (a marker of H. polygyrus resistance) after receiving the heterologous microbiota. Therefore, while host genetics remains the main factor shaping the pattern of resistance to H. polygyrus, the composition of the gut microbiota also seems to play a strain-specific role.     

Association mapping of loci linked to copper,phosphorus, and potassium concentrations in the seeds of C. arietinum and C. reticulatum

Due to its high nutritional value, chickpea is one of the most important and cost-effective legumes for human diet. Nutrient elements, such as Cu, P, K have numerous essential functions for the human metabolism. In this study, association mapping of loci linked to the seed Cu, P and K concentrations were performed on a population consisting of 107 Cicer reticulatum and 73 Cicer arietinum individuals in four environments (two locations x two years). A total of 121,840 SNPs were genotyped across 180 individuals by GBS analysis. The association mapping between the SNP markers and the seed Cu, P, K concentrations were identified and eight SNPs were found to be significantly associated with variations in three nutrient elements in more than two environments This research suggests that association mapping is a useful methodology for the identification of loci controlling the Cu, P and K uptake in chickpea seeds for further association mapping, molecular breeding, and marker-assisted selection and plant breeding studies and provides a broader understanding of the relationship between the investigated Cicer species and the effects of environmental conditions.     

Modified Adamek's medium renders high yields of Metarhizium robertsii blastospores that are desiccation tolerant and infective to cattle-tick larvae

Blastospores are yeast-like cells produced by entomopathogenic fungi that are infective to arthropods. The economical feasible production of blastospores of the insect killing fungus Metarhizium spp. must be optimized to increase yields. Moreover, stabilization process is imperative for blastospore formulation as a final product. In this sense, our goal was to increase blastospore production of two Metarhizium isolates (ESALQ1426 and ESALQ4676) in submerged liquid cultures. A modified Adamek's medium was supplemented with increased glucose concentrations and the fermentation time was accelerated by using a blastospore pre-culture as inoculum. Virulence of air-dried stable blastospores was compared with conidia toward larvae of the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus. Our results revealed that blastospore production of Metarhizium is isolate- and species-dependent. Glucose-enriched cultures (140 g glucose/L) inoculated with pre-cultures improved yields with optimal growth conditions attained for Metarhizium robertsii ESALQ1426 that rendered as high as 5.9 × 10⁸ blastospores/mL within 2 d. Resultant air-dried blastospores of ESALQ1426 were firstly proved to infect and quickly kill cattle tick larvae with comparable efficiency to conidia. Altogether, we argue that both osmotic pressure, induced by high glucose titers, and isolate selection are critical to produce high yields of blastospores that hold promise to control cattle-tick larvae.     

Variations in carotenoid content and acyl chain composition in exponential,stationary and biofilm states of Staphylococcus aureus,and their influence on membrane biophysical properties

Bacteria are often found in close association with surfaces, resulting in the formation of biofilms. In Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), biofilms are implicated in the resilience of chronic infections, presenting a serious clinical problem world-wide. Here, S. aureus biofilms are grown under flow within clinical catheters at 37 °C. The lipid composition and biophysical properties of lipid extracts from these biofilms are compared with those from exponential growth and stationary phase cells. Biofilms show a reduction in iso and anteiso branching compensated by an increase in saturated fatty acids compared to stationary phase. A drastic reduction in carotenoid levels is also observed during biofilm formation. Thermotropic measurements of Laurdan GP and DPH polarization, show a reduction of lipid packing at 37 °C for biofilms compared to stationary phase. We studied the effects of carotenoid content on DMPG and DPPG model membranes showing trends in thermotropic behavior consistent with those observed in bacterial isolates, indicating that carotenoids participate in modulating lipid packing. Additionally, bending elastic constant (k_c) measurements using vesicle fluctuation analysis (VFA) show that the presence of carotenoids can increase membrane bending rigidity. The antimicrobial peptide Magainin H2 was less activity on liposomes composed of stationary phase compared to biofilms or exponential growth isolates. This study contributes to an understanding of how Staphylococcus aureus modulates the composition of its membrane lipids, and how those changes affect the biophysical properties of membranes, which in turn may play a role in its virulence and its resistance to different membrane-active antimicrobial agents.     

Prevalence and species richness of trematode parasites only partially recovers after the 2011 Tohoku,Japan, earthquake tsunami

Trematode parasites have complex life cycles and use a variety of host species across different trophic levels. Thus, they can be used as indicators of disturbance and recovery of coastal ecosystems. Estuaries on the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan were heavily affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami. To evaluate the effect of the tsunami on the trematode community, we examined trematodes in the mud snail, Batillaria attramentaria, at five study sites (three sites severely exposed to the tsunami and two sites sheltered from the tsunami) in Sendai Bay for 2 years prior to and 8 years after the tsunami. While the trematode prevalence decreased at all study sites, the species richness decreased only at the sites exposed to the tsunami. Although parasitism increased over the study period post-tsunami, the community had not fully recovered 8 years after the event. Trematode community structure has changed every year since the tsunami and has not stabilised. This could be explained by the alteration of first and second intermediate host communities. Our study suggests that it will take more time for the recovery of the trematode community and the associated coastal ecosystem in the Tohoku region.     

Fungal communities associated with species of Fraxinus tolerant to ash dieback,and their potential for biological control

Ash dieback, caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, has threatened ash trees in Europe for more than two decades. However, little is known of how endophytic communities affect the pathogen, and no effective disease management tools are available. While European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is severely affected by the disease, other more distantly related ash species do not seem to be affected. We hypothesise that fungal endophytic communities of tolerant ash species can protect the species against ash dieback, and that selected endophytes have potential as biocontrol agents. These hypotheses were tested by isolating members of the fungal communities of five tolerant ash species, and identifying them using ITS regions. Candidate endophytes were tested by an in vitro antagonistic assay with H.fraxineus. From a total of 196 isolates we identified 9 fungal orders, 15 families, and 40 species. Fungi in orders Pleosporales, such as Boeremia exigua and Diaporthe spp., and Hypocreales (e.g., Fusarium sp.), were recovered in most communities, suggesting they are common taxa. The in vitro antagonistic assay revealed five species with high antagonistic activity against H. fraxineus. These endophytes were identified based on ITS region as Sclerostagonospora sp., Setomelanomma holmii, Epicoccum nigrum, B. exigua and Fusarium sp. Three of these taxa have been described previously as antagonists of plant pathogenic microbes, and are of interest for future studies of their potential as biological control agents against ash dieback, especially for valuable ash trees in parks and urban areas.