Trichothecenes and zearalenone production by fusarium species isolated from Argentinean black beans

Isolates of Fusarium species obtained from freshly harvested bean grains for human consumption collected from different Argentinean regions, were investigated for their ability to biosynthesise trichothecenes and zearalenone either on rice grains or beans. Low incidence of toxigenic fungi was observed. These mycotoxigenic species produced several toxins when grown on rice but none or little amount when cultured on beans. The results of this report suggest that contamination of Argentinean beans with Fusarium mycotoxins will not be common and therefore people would be at low mycotoxicosis risk through consumption of beans.     

An association between the acute phase response and patterns of antigen induced T cell proliferation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The aim of this research was to determine whether all memory T cells have the same propensity to migrate to the joint in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Paired synovial fluid and peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferative responses to a panel of antigens were measured and the results correlated with a detailed set of laboratory and clinical data from 39 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Two distinct patterns of proliferative response were found in the majority of patients: a diverse pattern, in which synovial fluid responses were greater than peripheral blood responses for all antigens tested; and a restricted pattern, in which peripheral blood responses to some antigens were more vigorous than those in the synovial fluid compartment. The diverse pattern was generally found in patients with a high acute phase response, whereas patients without elevated acute phase proteins were more likely to demonstrate a restricted pattern. We propose that an association between the synovial fluid T cell repertoire and the acute phase response suggests that proinflammatory cytokines may influence recruitment of memory T cells to an inflammatory site, independent of their antigen specificity. Additionally, increased responses to enteric bacteria and the presence of αEβ7 T cells in synovial fluid may reflect accumulation of gut associated T cells in the synovial compartment, even in the absence of an elevated acute phase response. This is the first report of an association between the acute phase response and the T cell population recruited to an inflammatory site.     

Beaver alter stable carbon isotope ratios of benthic particulate organic matter

Beaver are well known to influence the geomorphology and geochemistry of boreal waters, in addition to being prominent vectors in the selective import of deciduous coarse woody debris (CWD). Because the stable carbon isotope ratios of deciduous trees are lower than those of coniferous trees, the possibility exists that the ¹³C values of particulate organic matter near beaver lodges may differ from those characteristic for littoral regions without beaver activity. In agreement with this supposition, ¹³C was found to significantly increase in progressively smaller size fractions of CWD collected from near lodges, probably due to the more rapid breakdown, decomposition and disappearance of deciduous material.     

On the two-compartment model for estimating the rate and extent of feed degradation in the rumen

An analysis of the compartmental scheme used to determine the rate and extent of ruminal degradation of feeds is presented. Attention is given to the kinetic representation of the degradation of the potentially degradable fraction. Changing the kinetic order of the rate, and introducing indigestible substrate inhibition and microbial activity into its representation, are investigated. This leads to response functions such as the Gompertz and logistic for describing the cumulative disappearance of potentially degradable substrate during in-sacco and in-vitro incubation.     

Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas fluorescens Species Group Recovery from Human Homes Varies Seasonally and by Environment

By shedding light on variation in time as well as in space, long-term biogeographic studies can help us define organisms’ distribution patterns and understand their underlying drivers. Here we examine distributions of Pseudomonas in and around 15 human homes, focusing on the P. putida and P. fluorescens species groups. We describe recovery from 10,941 samples collected during up to 8 visits per home, occurring on average 2.6 times per year. We collected a mean of 141 samples per visit, from sites in most rooms of the house, from the surrounding yards, and from human and pet occupants. We recovered Pseudomonas in 9.7% of samples, with the majority of isolates being from the P. putida and P. fluorescens species groups (approximately 62% and 23% of Pseudomonas samples recovered respectively). Although representatives of both groups were recovered from every season, every house, and every type of environment sampled, recovery was highly variable across houses and samplings. Whereas recovery of P. putida group was higher in summer and fall than in winter and spring, P. fluorescens group isolates were most often recovered in spring. P. putida group recovery from soils was substantially higher than its recovery from all other environment types, while higher P. fluorescens group recovery from soils than from other sites was much less pronounced. Both species groups were recovered from skin and upper respiratory tract samples from healthy humans and pets, although this occurred infrequently. This study indicates that even species that are able to survive under a broad range of conditions can be rare and variable in their distributions in space and in time. For such groups, determining patterns and causes of stochastic and seasonal variability may be more important for understanding the processes driving their biogeography than the identity of the types of environments in which they can be found.     

Association between Mindfulness and Weight Status in a General Population from the NutriNet-Santé Study

Background

Mindfulness is defined as non-judgmental awareness of the present moment. There is some evidence of the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in weight loss. However, this psychological concept has only been rarely explored in observational studies, and no study to date has examined the association between dispositional mindfulness and weight status in a large population-based sample.

Objective

We aimed to examine the relationship between mindfulness scores and weight status in a large sample of the adult general population in France.

Design and Methods

A total of 14,400 men and 49,228 women aged ≥18 y participating in the NutriNet-Santé study were included in this cross-sectional analysis. We collected mindfulness data using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire as well as self-reported weight and height. The association between weight status and dispositional mindfulness, as well as its subscales (observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging and non-reactivity), was assessed using multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors.

Results

Women with higher dispositional mindfulness scores were less likely to be overweight (excluding obesity) (OR quartile 4 vs. 1 = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.79-0.90) and obese (OR quartile 4 vs. 1 = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.65-0.78). In addition, overall, in this group, all subscales were inversely associated with weight status, with the strongest association found for the “observing” subscale. In men, higher mindfulness was associated only with lower odds of obesity (OR quartile 4 vs. 1 = 0.81 (0.69, 0.96)), and only the “observing” and “non-reactivity” subscales were significantly inversely associated with weight status.

Conclusion

Results support the interest of a shift in perspective that takes into account positive psychological and cognitive factors such as dispositional mindfulness in the investigation of obesity and its associated factors.