Susceptibility of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida albicans</Emphasis> from Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Candida albicans is a common microbe, colonizer and potential pathogen found in respiratory cultures of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Because of possible development of resistance in patient isolates resulting from residence in the abnormal milieu of CF patient airways, or from exposure to antifungals, and considering the possibility of patient-to-patient spread of microbes and reports of elevated resistance to other fungal pathogens, it was important to assay the susceptibility of isolates of Candida and compare that profile to isolates from the community. In our center, and unlike another fungal pathogen, no increase in resistance of Candida isolates of the CF cohort was found.     

The epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminth infections in children up to 8 years of age: Findings from an Ecuadorian birth cohort

BackgroundThere are few prospective longitudinal studies of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections during early childhood. We studied the epidemiology of and risk factors for soil-transmitted helminth infections from birth to 8 years of age in tropical Ecuador.Methods2,404 newborns were followed to 8 years of age with periodic stool sample collections. Stool samples were collected also from household members at the time of the child’s birth and examined by microscopy. Data on social, environmental, and demographic characteristics were collected by maternal questionnaire. Associations between potential risk factors and STH infections were estimated using generalized estimated equations applied to longitudinal binary outcomes for presence or absence of infections at collection times.ResultsOf 2,404 children, 1,120 (46.6%) were infected with at least one STH infection during the first 8 years of life. The risk of A. lumbricoides (16.2%) was greatest at 3 years, while risks of any STH (25.1%) and T. trichiura (16.5%) peaked at 5 years. Factors significantly associated with any STH infection in multivariable analyses included age, day-care (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.03–1.73), maternal Afro-Ecuadorian ethnicity (non-Afro vs. Afro, OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.43–0.70) and lower educational level (secondary vs. illiterate, OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.22–0.45)), household overcrowding (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.21–1.94)), having a latrine rather than a water closet (WC vs. latrine, OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62–0.95)), and STH infections among household members (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.59–2.58)). T. trichiura was more associated with poverty (high vs. low socioeconomic status, OR, 0.63, 95% CI 0.40–0.99)] and presence of infected siblings in the household (OR 3.42, 95% CI 2.24–5.22).ConclusionSTH infections, principally with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura, peaked between 3 and 5 years in this cohort of children in tropical Ecuador. STH infections among household members were an important determinant of infection risk and could be targeted for control and elimination strategies.     

Production of leafy biomass using temporary immersion bioreactors: an alternative platform to express proteins in transplastomic plants with drastic phenotypes

Chloroplast transformation technology is a promising approach for the production of foreign proteins in plants with expression levels of up to 70 % of total soluble protein (TSP) achieved in tobacco. However, expression of foreign protein in the chloroplast can lead to drastic or even lethal effects in transplastomic plants grown in soil, thereby potentially limiting the applicability of this technology. For instance, previous attempts to express the outer surface protein A (OspA) from Borrelia burgdorferi in tobacco chloroplasts led to plant death when expressed at 10 % TSP. We show here that this earlier transplastomic line, as well as a new plant line, OspA:YFP, expressing OspA fused to the yellow fluorescent protein, can be propagated in temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) using AlkaBurst? technology to produce leafy biomass that expressed OspA at levels of up to 7.6 % TSP, to give a maximum yield of OspA of about 108 mg/L. Our results show that TIBs provide an alternative method for the production of transplastomic biomass expressing proteins toxic for plants and is a particularly useful approach when ‘absolute’ containment is required.     

Biochemical evidence on the potential role of methyl mercury in hepatic glucose metabolism through inflammatory signaling and free radical pathways

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an extremely important environmental toxicant posing serious health risks to human health and a big source of environmental pollutant. Numerous evidence available showing a link between nervous system toxicity and MeHg exposure. Other forms of mercury are reason of metabolic toxic effects and alteration of DNA in the human body. The sources of exposure could be occupational or other environmental settings. In the present study MeHg was orally gavaged to mice, at doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Fasting hyperglycemia, activity of hepatic phoshphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose 6-phoshphate were reported high as compared to control group. Inflammatory markers like, tumor necrosis factor α, the actual end product of inflammatory mediators’ cascade pathway was also raised in comparison to control group. Hyperinsulinemia observed in serum showed clear understanding of mercury induced insulin resistance. Moreover, tissue damage due to increased oxidative stress markers like, hepatic lipid peroxidation, 8-deoxygunosine, reactive oxygen species, and carbonyl groups was significantly higher as compared to control group. MeHg caused a significant reduction in antioxidant markers like ferric reducing antioxidant power and total thiol molecules. The present study highlighted that activity of key enzymes involved in glucose metabolism is changed, owing to MeHg induced toxicity in the liver. Induction of similar toxic effects assumed to be stimulated by the production of high quantity free radicals.     

Efficiency of different types of biochars to mitigate Cd stress and growth of sunflower (Helianthus; L.) in wastewater irrigated agricultural soil

Cadmium contamination in croplands is recognized one of the major threat, seriously affecting soil health and sustainable agriculture around the globe. Cd mobility in wastewater irrigated soils can be curtailed through eco-friendly and cost effective organic soil amendments (biochars) that eventually minimizes its translocation from soil to plant. This study explored the possible effects of various types of plants straw biochar as soil amendments on cadmium (Cd) phytoavailability in wastewater degraded soil and its subsequent accumulation in sunflower tissues. The studied biochars including rice straw (RS), wheat straw (WS), acacia (AC) and sugarcane bagasse (SB) to wastewater irrigated soil containing Cd. Sunflower plant was grown as a test plant and Cd accumulation was recorded in its tissues, antioxidant enzymatic activity chlorophyll contents, plant biomass, yield and soil properties (pH, NPK, OM and Soluble Cd) were also examined. Results revealed that addition of biochar significantly minimized Cd mobility in soil by 53.4%, 44%, 41% and 36% when RS, WS, AC and SB were added at 2% over control. Comparing the control soil, biochar amended soil effectively reduced Cd uptake via plants shoots by 71.7%, 60.6%, 59% and 36.6%, when RS, WS, AC and SB. Among all the biochar, rice husk induced biochar significantly reduced oxidative stress and reduced SOD, POD and CAT activity by 49%, 40.5% and 46.5% respectively over control. In addition, NPK were significantly increased among all the added biochars in soil–plant system as well as improved chlorophyll contents relative to non-bioachar amended soil. Thus, among all the amendments, rice husk and wheat straw biochar performed well and might be considered the suitable approach for sunflower growth in polluted soil.     

Contained and high-level production of recombinant protein in plant chloroplasts using a temporary immersion bioreactor

Chloroplast transformation is a promising approach for the commercial production of recombinant proteins in plants. However, gene containment still remains an issue for the large-scale cultivation of transplastomic plants in the field. Here, we have evaluated the potential of using tobacco transplastomic cell suspensions for the fully contained production of a modified form of the green fluorescent protein (GFP+) and, a vaccine antigen, fragment C of tetanus toxin (TetC). Expression of these proteins in cell suspension cultures (and calli) was much less than in leaves, reaching 0.5%-1.5% of total soluble protein (TSP), but still produced 2.4-7.2 mg/L of liquid culture. Much better expression levels were achieved with a novel protein production platform in which transgenic cell suspension cultures were placed in a temporary immersion bioreactor in the presence of Thidiazuron to initiate shoot formation. GFP+ yield reached 660 mg/L of bioreactor (33% TSP), and TetC accumulated to about 95 mg/L (8% TSP). This new production platform, combining the rapid generation of transplastomic cell suspension cultures and the use of temporary immersion bioreactors, is a promising route for the fully contained low-cost production of recombinant proteins in chloroplasts.     

Dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus: a site for evoking simultaneous changes in crural diaphragm activity, lower esophageal sphincter pressure, and fundus tone

The sphincter mechanism at the esophagogastric junction includes smooth muscle of the lower esophagus and skeletal muscle of the crural diaphragm (CD). Smooth muscle is known to be under the control of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), while central nervous system (CNS) control of the CD is unknown. The main purposes of our study were to determine the CNS site that controls the CD and whether simultaneous changes in lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and CD activity occur when this site is activated. Experiments were performed on anesthetized male ferrets whose LES pressure, CD activity, and fundus tone were monitored. To activate DMV neurons, L-glutamate was microinjected unilaterally into the DMV at three areas: intermediate, rostral, and caudal. Stimulation of the intermediate DMV decreased CD activity (-4.8 +/- 0.1 bursts/min and -0.3 +/- 0.01 mV) and LES pressure (-13.2 +/- 2.0 mmHg; n = 9). Stimulation of this brain site also produced an increase in fundus tone. Stimulation of the rostral DMV elicited increases in the activity of all three target organs (n = 5). Stimulation of the caudal DMV had no effect on the CD but did decrease both LES pressure and fundus tone (n = 5). All changes in LES pressure, fundus tone, and some DMV-induced changes in CD activity (i.e., bursts/min) were prevented by ipsilateral vagotomy. Our data indicate that simultaneous changes in activity of esophagogastric sphincters and fundus tone occur from rostral and intermediate areas of the DMV and that these changes are largely mediated by efferent vagus nerves.