Landscape scale habitat suitability modelling of bats in the Western Ghats of India: Bats like something in their tea

To conserve biodiversity it is imperative that we understand how different species respond to land use change, and determine the scales at which habitat changes affect species' persistence. We used habitat suitability models (HSMs) at spatial scales from 100-4000. m to address these concerns for bats in the Western Ghats of India, a biodiversity hotspot of global importance where the habitat requirements of bats are poorly understood. We used acoustic and capture data to build fine scale HSMs for ten species (Hesperoptenus tickelli, Miniopterus fuliginosus, Miniopterus pusillus, Myotis horsfieldii, Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Megaderma spasma, Hipposideros pomona, Rhinolophus beddomei, Rhinolophus indorouxii and Rhinolophus lepidus) in a tea-dominated landscape. Small (100-500. m) scale habitat variables (e.g. percentage tea plantation cover) and distances to habitat features (e.g. distance to water) were the strongest predictors of bat occurrence, likely due to their high mobility, which enables them to exploit even small or isolated foraging areas. Most species showed a positive response to coffee plantations grown under native shade and to forest fragments, but a negative response to more heavily modified tea plantations. Two species were never recorded in tea plantations. This is the first study of bats in tea plantations globally, and the first ecological Old World bat study to combine acoustic and capture data. Our results suggest that although bats respond negatively to tea plantations, tea-dominated landscapes that also contain forest fragments and shade coffee can nevertheless support many bat species

Colorectal cancer linkage on chromosomes 4q21, 8q13, 12q24, and 15q22

A substantial proportion of familial colorectal cancer (CRC) is not a consequence of known susceptibility loci, such as mismatch repair (MMR) genes, supporting the existence of additional loci. To identify novel CRC loci, we conducted a genome-wide linkage scan in 356 white families with no evidence of defective MMR (i.e., no loss of tumor expression of MMR proteins, no microsatellite instability (MSI)-high tumors, or no evidence of linkage to MMR genes). Families were ascertained via the Colon Cancer Family Registry multi-site NCI-supported consortium (Colon CFR), the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Memorial University of Newfoundland. A total of 1,612 individuals (average 5.0 per family including 2.2 affected) were genotyped using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism linkage arrays; parametric and non-parametric linkage analysis used MERLIN in a priori-defined family groups. Five lod scores greater than 3.0 were observed assuming heterogeneity. The greatest were among families with mean age of diagnosis less than 50 years at 4q21.1 (dominant HLOD = 4.51, α = 0.84, 145.40 cM, rs10518142) and among all families at 12q24.32 (dominant HLOD = 3.60, α = 0.48, 285.15 cM, rs952093). Among families with four or more affected individuals and among clinic-based families, a common peak was observed at 15q22.31 (101.40 cM, rs1477798; dominant HLOD = 3.07, α = 0.29; dominant HLOD = 3.03, α = 0.32, respectively). Analysis of families with only two affected individuals yielded a peak at 8q13.2 (recessive HLOD = 3.02, α = 0.51, 132.52 cM, rs1319036). These previously unreported linkage peaks demonstrate the continued utility of family-based data in complex traits and suggest that new CRC risk alleles remain to be elucidated. © 2012 Cicek et al

MOLA: a bootable, self-configuring system for virtual screening using AutoDock4/Vina on computer clusters

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Virtual screening of small molecules using molecular docking has become an important tool in drug discovery. However, large scale virtual screening is time demanding and usually requires dedicated computer clusters. There are a number of software tools that perform virtual screening using AutoDock4 but they require access to dedicated Linux computer clusters. Also no software is available for performing virtual screening with Vina using computer clusters. In this paper we present MOLA, an easy-to-use graphical user interface tool that automates parallel virtual screening using AutoDock4 and/or Vina in bootable non-dedicated computer clusters.</p> <p>Implementation</p> <p>MOLA automates several tasks including: ligand preparation, parallel AutoDock4/Vina jobs distribution and result analysis. When the virtual screening project finishes, an open-office spreadsheet file opens with the ligands ranked by binding energy and distance to the active site. All results files can automatically be recorded on an USB-flash drive or on the hard-disk drive using VirtualBox. MOLA works inside a customized Live CD GNU/Linux operating system, developed by us, that bypass the original operating system installed on the computers used in the cluster. This operating system boots from a CD on the master node and then clusters other computers as slave nodes via ethernet connections.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MOLA is an ideal virtual screening tool for non-experienced users, with a limited number of multi-platform heterogeneous computers available and no access to dedicated Linux computer clusters. When a virtual screening project finishes, the computers can just be restarted to their original operating system. The originality of MOLA lies on the fact that, any platform-independent computer available can he added to the cluster, without ever using the computer hard-disk drive and without interfering with the installed operating system. With a cluster of 10 processors, and a potential maximum speed-up of 10x, the parallel algorithm of MOLA performed with a speed-up of 8,64× using AutoDock4 and 8,60× using Vina.</p

Castanea sativa mill. flowers as potential chemopreventive agent against rat prostate cancer model

Introduction: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer among men, having a huge impact in their health [1]. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of a decoction extract obtained from C. sativa flowers (CF) on chemically and hormonally induced rat prostate cancer animal model. Material & Methods: All the animal experiments were approved by the Institutional Animals Ethics Committee and by Portuguese national authorities (DGAV no 021326). Forty male Wistar Unilever rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group (n=10), induced group (n=15), CF control group (n=5) and CF induced group (n=10). Animals from induced groups received a multistep induction protocol, which consisted of sequential administration of flutamide, testosterone propionate, the carcinogenic agent MNU and crystalline testosterone. The CF extract, rich in ellagitannins especially trigalloy-HHDP- glucose, was administered in the drinking water (3 mg/animal/day) for 49 weeks. Animals were sacrificed at 61 weeks of age and organs were collected, weighed and processed for light microscopy. Data were analysed using SPSS and GraphPad Prism software. Results: There were no significant differences in relative mean liver weight among groups exposed and not exposed to the CF extract and no animals developed severe hepatic changes. Animals from CF induced group developed less prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia than induced group. Also, animals exposed to the CF extract did not present areas of inflammation of the dorsolateral prostate lobe greater than 50% unlike the groups not exposed (p<0.05). The administration of CF in induced animals was able to decrease the activity of CAT and GST by 36% and 20%, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that CF extract was well tolerate by the animals and did not cause severe hepatic and renal toxicity. C. sativa flowers extract may be used as chemopreventive agent against prostate cancer and seems to have an antioxidant role

Of all foods bread is the most noble: Carl von Linné (Carl Linneaus) on bread1

Carl von Linné was interested in dietetics, which in his time covered all aspects of a healthy life. As a utilitarian he understood the importance of private economy and paid attention to bread in many of his publications. Two texts, Ceres noverca arctoum and De pane diaetetico, were wholly devoted to bread and bread-making. Linné classified different types of bread, and described their nutritional value and health-related aspects, as well as milling, baking and storing, in detail. While discussing the food habits of social classes Linné accepted as a fact that the peasants and the poor should eat less tasty bread than the rich. The less palatable bread had, however, many nutritional and health advantages. Linné paid much attention to substitutes for grain to be used in times of famine, an important topic in eighteenth century Sweden. He regarded flour made of pine bark or water arum roots as excellent famine food, was enthusiastic about the new plant, maize, but considered potato only as a poor substitute for grain. Linné and his followers praised bread not only as the core component of diet, but also for its versatile role both in health and in disease

Use of oil-in-water emulsions to control fungal deterioration of strawberry jams

[EN] This work aimed to control the fungal deterioration of strawberry jams. The antifungal activity of the clove, cinnamon leaf, lemon and mandarin essential oils and their effectiveness in oil-in-water emulsions were evaluated. According to the results obtained, only clove and cinnamon leaf oils were selected to prepare emulsions. All the tested emulsions were stable, independently the amount of polymer and essential oil used. Essential oil loss was affected by the amount of polymer employed to prepare the emulsions. The oil-in-water emulsions with 5.0 mg/g xanthan gum, and with 0.55 mg/g clove or 0.65 mg/g cinnamon leaf essential oil, were used for the in vivo tests. The jams prepared with the oil-in-water emulsions showed a lower fungal decay compared with jams without emulsion. The present work demonstrated that emulsions can be employed to prevent strawberry jam mould spoilage.Author S. Ribes is grateful to the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) for a FPI grant.Ribes-Llop, S.; Fuentes López, A.; Talens Oliag, P.; Barat Baviera, JM. (2016). Use of oil-in-water emulsions to control fungal deterioration of strawberry jams. Food Chemistry. 211:92-99. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.05.040S929921

Helminth and Intestinal Protozoa Infections, Multiparasitism and Risk Factors in Champasack Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic

Multiparsitism is a general public health concern in tropical countries, and is of particular importance in the Mekong River basin of Southeast Asia. Here, we report results obtained from an in-depth study of hepato-biliary and intestinal multiparasitism and associated risk factors in three settings of the most southern province of Lao People's Democratic Republic. Multiple species intestinal parasite infections were very common: more than 80% of the study participants harbored at least two and up to seven different intestinal parasites concurrently. Of particular concerns are the high prevalence of the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini (64.1%) and the moderate prevalence of the blood fluke Schistosoma mekongi (24.2%), as these fluke infections are responsible for severe hepato-biliary morbidity, including the bile duct cancer cholangiocarcinoma. Hookworm was the most common nematode infection (76.8%). We conclude that given the very high prevalence rates of parasite infections and the extent of multiparasitism, regular deworming is warranted and that this intervention should be coupled with health education and improved assess to clean water and adequate sanitation to consolidate morbidity control and ensure long-term sustainability

Epidemiology and interactions of Human Immunodeficiency Virus - 1 and Schistosoma mansoni in sub-Saharan Africa.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1/AIDS and Schistosoma mansoni are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and co-infection occurs commonly. Since the early 1990s, it has been suggested that the two infections may interact and potentiate the effects of each other within co-infected human hosts. Indeed, S. mansoni infection has been suggested to be a risk factor for HIV transmission and progression in Africa. If so, it would follow that mass deworming could have beneficial effects on HIV-1 transmission dynamics. The epidemiology of HIV in African countries is changing, shifting from urban to rural areas where the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni is high and public health services are deficient. On the other side, the consequent pathogenesis of HIV-1/S. mansoni co-infection remains unknown. Here we give an account of the epidemiology of HIV-1 and S. mansoni, discuss co-infection and possible biological causal relationships between the two infections, and the potential impact of praziquantel treatment on HIV-1 viral loads, CD4+ counts and CD4+/CD8+ ratio. Our review of the available literature indicates that there is evidence to support the hypothesis that S. mansoni infections can influence the replication of the HIV-1, cell-to-cell transmission, as well as increase HIV progression as measured by reduced CD4+ T lymphocytes counts. If so, then deworming of HIV positive individuals living in endemic areas may impact on HIV-1 viral loads and CD4+ T lymphocyte counts.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are