Obesity and Weight Control Practices in 2000 Among Veterans Using VA Facilities

Objective: To examine obesity prevalence and weight control practices among veterans who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities (VA users). Research Methods and Procedures: Data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a telephone survey of 184, 450 adults, were analyzed. Outcome measures included BMI, weight control practices (the intent to manage weight, and diet and physical activity patterns), and receipt of professional weight control advice. Results: Of VA users, 44% were overweight and 25% were obese. After controlling for demographic factors, VA users were somewhat less likely to be overweight (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.00) but equally likely to be obese (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.27), compared with non‐VA users. Among obese VA users, 75% reported trying to lose weight, and another 17% reported trying to maintain weight. Of these, only 40% decreased both calorie and fat intake. Only 27% of obese VA users who reported increasing exercise to lose weight followed recommendations for regular and sustained physical activity. Of obese VA users, 59% were inactive or irregularly active. Only 51% of obese VA users received professional advice to lose weight. Obese VA users were more likely than obese non‐VA users to report trying to lose weight, modifying diet to lose weight by decreasing both calories and fat intake, and receiving professional weight control advice. Discussion: Interventions for weight management programs in VA facilities need to take into account the high prevalence of overweight/obesity among VA users and should emphasize effective weight control practices.     

Demonstration of plasminogen activators in the saliva of a predatory insect of the family of Reduviidae (Heteroptera)

The study of digestive and salivary proteases of Rhapactor biparticeps, has shown that the salivary glands of this insect are rich in proteolytic enzymes, however, the gut has none. The characterisation of these enzymes on different substrates showed that they are only active on fibrinogen and plasmatic proteins which are involved in the coagulation system. Among these fibrinolytic enzymes that has been identified and characterized, are the plasminogen activators. Their unexpected presence in the entomophagic insect is discussed.     

Performance evaluation of a novel conceptual bioprocess for clinically-required mass production of hematopoietic cells

Objective

The novel engineered bioprocess, which was designed and modeled to provide the clinically relevant cell numbers for different therapies in our previous work (Kaleybar et al. Food Bioprod Process 122:254–268, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2020.04.012, 2020), was evaluated by using U937 as hematopoietic model cells.

Results

The culture system showed a 30-fold expansion of U937 cells in one-step during a 10-day culture period. The cell growth profile, the substrate and oxygen consumptions, and byproduct formations were all in agreement with the model predications during 7 days. The cell proliferation decrease after 7 days was attributed to optional oxygen limiting condition in the last days of culture. The bioreactor culture system revealed also a slight enhancement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) production as compared to the 2D conventional culture system, indicating the low impact of shear stress on cellular damage in the dynamic system.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated that the conceptual bioprocess for suspended stem cell production has a great potential in practice although additional experiments are required to improve the system.

     

Monitoring Bacterial Communities in Raw Milk and Cheese by Culture-Dependent and -Independent 16S rRNA Gene-Based Analyses

The diversity and dynamics of bacterial populations in Saint-Nectaire, a raw-milk, semihard cheese, were investigated using a dual culture-dependent and direct molecular approach combining single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) fingerprinting and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The dominant clones, among 125 16S rRNA genes isolated from milk, belonged to members of the Firmicutes (58% of the total clones) affiliated mainly with the orders Clostridiales and the Lactobacillales, followed by the phyla Proteobacteria (21.6%), Actinobacteria (16.8%), and Bacteroidetes (4%). Sequencing the 16S rRNA genes of 126 milk isolates collected from four culture media revealed the presence of 36 different species showing a wider diversity in the Gammaproteobacteria phylum and Staphylococcus genus than that found among clones. In cheese, a total of 21 species were obtained from 170 isolates, with dominant species belonging to the Lactobacillales and subdominant species affiliated with the Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes (Chryseobacterium sp.), or Gammaproteobacteria (Stenotrophomonas sp.). Fingerprinting DNA isolated from milk by SSCP analysis yielded complex patterns, whereas analyzing DNA isolated from cheese resulted in patterns composed of a single peak which corresponded to that of lactic acid bacteria. SSCP fingerprinting of mixtures of all colonies harvested from plate count agar supplemented with crystal violet and vancomycin showed good potential for monitoring the subdominant Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes (Flavobacteria) organisms in milk and cheese. Likewise, analyzing culturable subcommunities from cheese-ripening bacterial medium permitted assessment of the diversity of halotolerant Actinobacteria and Staphylococcus organisms. Direct and culture-dependent approaches produced complementary information, thus generating a more accurate view of milk and cheese microbial ecology.     

Spectral and kinetic investigation on oxidation and reduction of water soluble porphyrin-manganese(III) complex

In this work the oxidation and reduction reactions of Mn^III-Coproporphyrin-I (Mn^III-CPI) have been studied and four forms of manganese-CPI complexes have been characterized. This complex was observed to be highly reactive (at basic pH) towards Mn(II), hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide and oxone, forming [Mn^IV(O)CPI(OH)]⁻ that was unstable and, after a short time, formed again [Mn^IIICPI(OH)₂]⁻. With an excess of NaClO, a further oxidation of the complex [Mn^IV(O)CPI(OH)]⁻, provoked a significant spectral change for the [Mn^V(O)CPI(OH)] formation that showed, in the time, a partial polymerization. [Mn^IIICPI(OH)₂]⁻ was reduced by sodium dithionite to form the very unstable complex of [Mn^IICPI(OH)]⁻ that successively degraded with Mn(II) release.     

Phytophthora nicotianae transformants lacking dynein light chain 1 produce non-flagellate zoospores

Biflagellate zoospores of the highly destructive plant pathogens in the genus Phytophthora are responsible for the initiation of infection of host plants. Zoospore motility is a critical component of the infection process because it allows zoospores to actively target suitable infection sites on potential hosts. Flagellar assembly and function in eukaryotes depends on a number of dynein-based molecular motors that facilitate retrograde intraflagellar transport and sliding of adjacent microtubule doublets in the flagellar axonemes. Dynein light chain 1 (DLC1) is one of a number of proteins in the dynein outer arm multiprotein complex. It is a 22 kDa leucine-rich repeat protein that binds to the catalytic motor domain of the dynein γ heavy chain. We report the cloning and characterization of DLC1 homologues in Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora nicotianae (PcDLC1 and PnDLC1). PcDLC1 and PnDLC1 are single copy genes that are more highly expressed in sporulating hyphae than in vegetative hyphae, zoospores or germinated cysts. Polyclonal antibodies raised against PnDLC1 locallized PnDLC1 along the length of the flagella of P. nicotianae zoospores. RNAi-mediated silencing of PnDLC1 expression yielded transformants that released non-flagellate, non-motile zoospores from their sporangia. Our observations indicate that zoospore motility is not required for zoospore release from P. nicotianae sporangia or for breakage of the evanescent vesicle into which zoospores are initially discharged.     

Chromosomes of Theridiidae spiders (Entelegynae): Interspecific karyotype diversity in Argyrodes and diploid number intraspecific variability in Nesticodes rufipes

Theridiidae is a derived family within the Araneoidea clade. In contrast to closely related groups, the 2n(male) = 20+X(1) X (2) with acro/telocentric chromosomes is the most widespread karyotype among the theridiid spiders. In this work, the cytogenetic analysis of Argyrodes elevatus revealed original chromosome features different from those previously registered for Theridiidae, including the presence of 2n(male) = 20+X with meta/submetacentric chromosomes. Most individuals of Nesticodes rufipes showed family conserved karyotype characteristics. However, one individual had a 2n(male) = 24 due to the presence of an extra chromosome pair, which exhibited regular behavior and reductional segregation during meiosis. After silver staining, mitotic cells exhibited NORs localized on the terminal regions of the short arms of pairs 2, 3, and 4 of A. elevatus and on the terminal regions of long arms of pair 4 of N. rufipes. The comparative analysis with data from phylogenetically related species allowed the clarification of the origin of the interspecific and intraspecific chromosome variability observed in Argyrodes and in N. rufipes, respectively.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">POLG1</Emphasis> p.R722H mutation associated with multiple mtDNA deletions and a neurological phenotype

Background  

The c.2447G>A (p.R722H) mutation in the gene POLG1 of the catalytic subunit of human mitochondrial polymerase gamma has been previously found in a few occasions but its pathogenicity has remained uncertain. We set out to ascertain its contribution to neuromuscular disease.     

Dynamic life and death interactions between Mycobacterium smegmatis and J774 macrophages

After internalization into macrophages non-pathogenic mycobacteria are killed within phagosomes. Pathogenic mycobacteria can block phagosome maturation and grow inside phagosomes but under some conditions can also be killed by macrophages. Killing mechanisms are poorly understood, although phago-lysosome fusion and nitric oxide (NO) production are implicated. We initiated a systematic analysis addressing how macrophages kill 'non-pathogenic'Mycobacterium smegmatis. This system was dynamic, involving periods of initial killing, then bacterial multiplication, followed by two additional killing stages. NO synthesis represented the earliest killing factor but its synthesis stopped during the first killing period. Phagosome actin assembly and fusion with late endocytic organelles coincided with the first and last killing phase, while recycling of phagosome content and membrane coincided with bacterial growth. Phagosome acidification and acquisition of the vacuolar (V) ATPase followed a different pattern coincident with later killing phases. Moreover, V-ATPase localized to vesicles distinct from classical late endosomes and lysosomes. Map kinase p38 is a crucial regulator of all processes investigated, except NO synthesis, that facilitated the host for some functions while being usurped by live bacteria for others. A mathematical model argues that periodic high and low cellular killing activity is more effective than is a continuous process.