Bovine brucellosis seroprevalence, farmers’ awareness, practices and animal health extension services inputs in Mpwapwa district, Tanzania

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by gram negative cocobacillus bacteria of the genus Brucella. In cattle, the disease is caused by Brucella abortus. One of the main symptoms of brucellosis is the induction of abortion in the late term of gestation and first trimester in humans, drop in milk production resulting in economic and public health. Livestock is a key agricultural sub sector in Tanzania, depended by over 80% of rural household and contribute 5.9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and cattle contribute 75% of all livestock in the country. In Mpwapwa District (Dodoma region), livestock keeping is one of the major means of economic activities, contribute 45% of district GDP and has significant contribution to the poverty reduction and food security. This district had sporadic cases of abortions in cattle and fever of unknown origin human possible related to brucellosis. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the current seroprevalence of brucellosis in this district where there is no history of vaccination against brucellosis. A total of 545 serum samples were collected from sexually active cows and heifers in extensive farming system to detect antibodies against Brucella abortus using Rose Bengal Plate test(RBPT) followed by competitive ELISA(cELISA). A questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) related to milk borne zoonosis (brucellosis) and efficiency of animal health extension services delivery was administered to 73 livestock keepers. Bovine brucellosis seroprevalence indicated that 57/545 (10.5%) cows tested were positive  reactors by RBPT as screening test of which 5/57 (0.92%) confirmed positive by cELISA. 45% of the farmers have experienced several abortions in their cows, 78% were not aware of milk born zoonosis, 43% drink raw milk, 7% eat uncooked meat and 91% are not aware of the zoonotic potential of raw milk consumption. As for animal health services delivery, only 52% of farmers had access to animal health extension services and 97% of farmers have never seen samples being taken from their animals for further laboratory analysis. The findings from this study suggest that both bovine and humans are at potential risk of contracting brucellosis because of the presence of the disease in cattle population, the habit of drinking raw milk, unawareness of the disease and its impact to humans and inadequate extension service delivery. Keywords: Rose Bengal Plate test, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Knowledge and Attitude

Accuracy of analytical-numerical solutions of the Michaelis-Menten equation

[EN] It is the aim of this paper to investigate a suitable approach to compute solutions of the powerful Michaelis-Menten enzyme reaction equation with less computational effort. We obtain analytical-numerical solutions using piecewise finite series by means of the differential transformation method, DTM. In addition, we compute a global analytical solution by a modal series expansion. The Michaelis-Menten equation considered here describes the rate of depletion of the substrate of interest and in general is a powerful approach to describe enzyme processes. A comparison of the numerical solutions using DTM, Adomian decomposition and Runge-Kutta methods is presented. The numerical results show that the DTM is accurate, easy to apply and the obtained solutions retain the positivity property of the continuous model. It is concluded that the analytic form of the DTM and global modal series solutions are accurate, and require less computational effort than other approaches thus making them more convenient.Authors are grateful to the reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions. Luis Acedo acknowledges financial support from the grant PAID-06-09 ref: 2588 of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.Gonzalez-Parra, G.; Acedo Rodríguez, L.; Arenas, A. (2011). Accuracy of analytical-numerical solutions of the Michaelis-Menten equation. Computational and Applied Mathematics. 30(2):445-461. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1807-03022011000200011S44546130

Effects of resistance training program on muscle mass and muscle strength and the relationship with cognition in Older Women

The aim of this study was to study the effects of a resistance training programme on Maximal Dynamic Strength (MDS) and muscle morphology of the upper limbs (UL) and lower limbs (LL), as well as to analyse their association with cognition, in a population of older women. The study had a duration of 24 months and a total of 93 Chilean older women participated. The participants were divided into two groups: The Physical Activity Group (PAG, n = 45, age (X ± SD) 77.93 ± 3.54 years), and the Sedentary Group (SG, n = 48, age (X ± SD) 77.71 ± 3.41 years). The PAG carried out a muscle strength training routine twice per week. The following variables were evaluated: Muscle function through maximal dynamic strength (1RM), muscle morphology through arm and calf circumference (AC and CC, respectively), and cognition (Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE). The results show that the SG recorded significant decreases (percent changes; p < 0.05) in the analysed variables: MMSE (-3.5%), MDS in UL (-3.3%), MDS in LL (-4.1%), AC (-4.5%), CC (-4.1%), and BMI (-3.1%). However, the PAG improved significantly in all the analysed variables except in BMI: MMSE (3.9%), MDS in UL (3.6%), MDS in LL (3.5%), AC (1.8%), and CC (2.5%). Moreover, there was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the changes in the muscle strength variables and the changes in cognition level. Therefore, it can be concluded that a two-year muscle strength training programme (load intensity between 30-55% 1RM) in older women improves Maximal Dynamic Strength in UL and LL, as well as muscle mass in arms and calves. Furthermore, it can be asserted that the changes in muscle strength levels could predict the changes in the levels of cognition in older women. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Protocolo y mapa de diversidad funcional.

En este documento se exploran los patrones espaciales de la diversidad taxonómica y funcional de aves en ecosistemas alto andinos y humedales de Colombia y se discuten las consecuencias teóricas, de manejo y conservación del acoplamiento/desacoplamiento de ambas dimensiones de la biodiversidad. Este producto es elaborado por el Programa de Ciencias de la Diversidad en el marco del convenio 005 (13-014) entre el Instituto Humboldt y el Fondo Adaptación.BogotáSubdirección de Servicios Científicos y Proyectos Especiale

Pranlukast Antagonizes CD49f and Reduces Sternness in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Introduction: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive the initiation, maintenance, and therapy response of breast tumors. CD49f is expressed in breast CSCs and functions in the maintenance of stemness. Thus, blockade of CD49f is a potential therapeutic approach for targeting breast CSCs. In the present study, we aimed to repurpose drugs as CD49f antagonists. Materials and Methods: We performed consensus molecular docking using a subdomain of CD49f that is critical for heterodimerization and a collection of pharmochemicals clini-cally tested. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to further characterize drug-target binding. Using MDA-MB-231 cells, we evaluated the effects of potential CD49f antagonists on 1) cell adhesion to laminin; 2) mammosphere formation; and 3) cell viability. We analyzed the effects of the drug with better CSC-selectivity on the activation of CD49f-downstream signaling by Western blot (WB) and co-immunoprecipitation. Expressions of the stem cell markers CD44 and SOX2 were analyzed by flow cytometry and WB, respectively. Transactivation of SOX2 promoter was evaluated by luciferase reporter assays. Changes in the number of CSCs were assessed by limiting-dilution xenotransplantation. Results: Pranlukast, a drug used to treat asthma, bound to CD49f in silico and inhibited the adhesion of CD49f+ MDA-MB-231 cells to laminin, indicating that it antagonizes CD49f-containing integrins. Molecular dynamics analysis showed that pranlukast binding induces con-formational changes in CD49f that affect its interaction with β1-integrin subunit and constrained the conformational dynamics of the heterodimer. Pranlukast decreased the clonogenicity of breast cancer cells on mammosphere formation assay but had no impact on the viability of bulk tumor cells. Brief exposure of MDA-MB-231 cells to pranlukast altered CD49f-dependent signaling, reducing focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation. Further, pranlukast-treated cells showed decreased CD44 and SOX2 expression, SOX2 promoter transacti-vation, and in vivo tumorigenicity, supporting that this drug reduces the frequency of CSC. Conclusion: Our results support the function of pranlukast as a CD49f antagonist that reduces the CSC population in triple-negative breast cancer cells. The pharmacokinetics and toxicology of this drug have already been established, rendering a potential adjuvant therapy for breast cancer patients

Network meta‐analysis of post‐exposure prophylaxis randomized clinical trials

Objectives: We performed a network meta‐analysis of PEP randomized clinical trials to evaluate the best regimen. / Methods: After MEDLINE/Pubmed search, studies were included if: (1) were randomized, (2) comparing at least 2 PEP three‐drug regimens and, (3) reported completion rates or discontinuation at 28 days. Five studies with 1105 PEP initiations were included and compared ritonavir‐boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) vs. atazanavir (ATV) (one study), cobicistat‐boosted elvitegravir (EVG/c) (one study), raltegravir (RAL) (one study) or maraviroc (MVC) (two studies). We estimated the probability of each treatment of being the best based on the evaluation of five outcomes: PEP non‐completion at day 28, PEP discontinuation due to adverse events, PEP switching due to any cause, lost to follow‐up and adverse events. / Results: Participants were mostly men who have sex with men (n = 832, 75%) with non‐occupational exposure to HIV (89.86%). Four‐hundred fifty‐four (41%) participants failed to complete their PEP course for any reason. The Odds Ratio (OR) for PEP non‐completion at day 28 in each antiretroviral compared to LPV/r was: ATV 0.95 (95% CI 0.58–1.56; EVG/c: OR 0.65 95% CI 0.30–1.37; RAL: OR 0.68 95% CI 0.41–1.13; and MVC: OR 0.69 95% CI 0.47–1.01. In addition, the rankogram showed that EVG/c had the highest probability of being the best treatment for the lowest rates in PEP non‐completion at day 28, switching, lost to follow‐up or adverse events and MVC for PEP discontinuations due to adverse events. / Conclusions: Our study shows the advantages of integrase inhibitors when used as PEP, particularly EVG as a Single‐Tablet Regimen

OPA1 mutations induce mitochondrial DNA instability and optic atrophy ‘plus’ phenotypes

Mutations in OPA1, a dynamin-related GTPase involved in mitochondrial fusion, cristae organization and control of apoptosis, have been linked to non-syndromic optic neuropathy transmitted as an autosomal-dominant trait (DOA). We here report on eight patients from six independent families showing that mutations in the OPA1 gene can also be responsible for a syndromic form of DOA associated with sensorineural deafness, ataxia, axonal sensory-motor polyneuropathy, chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia and mitochondrial myopathy with cytochrome c oxidase negative and Ragged Red Fibres. Most remarkably, we demonstrate that these patients all harboured multiple deletions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in their skeletal muscle, thus revealing an unrecognized role of the OPA1 protein in mtDNA stability. The five OPA1 mutations associated with these DOA ‘plus’ phenotypes were all mis-sense point mutations affecting highly conserved amino acid positions and the nuclear genes previously known to induce mtDNA multiple deletions such as POLG1, PEO1 (Twinkle) and SLC25A4 (ANT1) were ruled out. Our results show that certain OPA1 mutations exert a dominant negative effect responsible for multi-systemic disease, closely related to classical mitochondrial cytopathies, by a mechanism involving mtDNA instability

CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori infection is not associated with decreased risk of Barrett's esophagus in a population with high H. pylori infection rate

BACKGROUND & AIM: The role that H. pylori infection plays in the development of and Barrett's esophagus (BE) is uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that infection with cagA+ Helicobacter pylori strains protects against the development of BE. METHODS: We studied 104 consecutive patients, residents in an area with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection, with BE and 213 sex- and age-matched controls. H. pylori infection and CagA antibody status were determined by western blot serology. RESULTS: H. pylori prevalence was higher in patients with BE than in controls (87.5% vs. 74.6%; OR. 2.3; 95% CI: 1.23–4.59). Increasing age was associated with a higher prevalence of H. pylori (p < 0.05). The prevalence of CagA+ H. pylori serology was similar in patients with BE and controls (64.4% vs. 54.5%; NS). Type I H. pylori infection (CagA+ and VacA+) was similar in patients with BE and controls (44.2% vs. 41.3%; NS). Logistic regression analysis identified alcohol (O.R. 7.09; 95% CI 2.23–22.51), and H. pylori infection (OR: 2.41; 95%CI: 1.20–4.84) but not CagA+ serology as independent factors. CONCLUSION: Neither H. pylori infection nor H. pylori infection by CagA+ strains reduce the risk of BE in a population with high prevalence of H. pylori infection

Redrawing the Map of Great Britain from a Network of Human Interactions

Do regional boundaries defined by governments respect the more natural ways that people interact across space? This paper proposes a novel, fine-grained approach to regional delineation, based on analyzing networks of billions of individual human transactions. Given a geographical area and some measure of the strength of links between its inhabitants, we show how to partition the area into smaller, non-overlapping regions while minimizing the disruption to each person's links. We tested our method on the largest non-Internet human network, inferred from a large telecommunications database in Great Britain. Our partitioning algorithm yields geographically cohesive regions that correspond remarkably well with administrative regions, while unveiling unexpected spatial structures that had previously only been hypothesized in the literature. We also quantify the effects of partitioning, showing for instance that the effects of a possible secession of Wales from Great Britain would be twice as disruptive for the human network than that of Scotland.National Science Foundation (U.S.)AT & TAudi AGUnited States. Dept. of Defense (National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship Program

DNA Barcoding Bromeliaceae: Achievements and Pitfalls

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>DNA barcoding has been successfully established in animals as a tool for organismal identification and taxonomic clarification. Slower nucleotide substitution rates in plant genomes have made the selection of a DNA barcode for land plants a much more difficult task. The Plant Working Group of the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) recommended the two-marker combination <em>rbcL</em>/<em>matK</em> as a pragmatic solution to a complex trade-off between universality, sequence quality, discrimination, and cost.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>It is expected that a system based on any one, or a small number of plastid genes will fail within certain taxonomic groups with low amounts of plastid variation, while performing well in others. We tested the effectiveness of the proposed CBOL Plant Working Group barcoding <em>markers</em> for land plants in identifying 46 bromeliad species, a group rich in endemic species from the endangered Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Although we obtained high quality sequences with the suggested primers, species discrimination in our data set was only 43.48%. Addition of a third marker, <em>trnH–psbA</em>, did not show significant improvement. This species identification failure in Bromeliaceaecould also be seen in the analysis of the GenBank's <em>matK</em> data set. Bromeliaceae's sequence divergence was almost three times lower than the observed for Asteraceae and Orchidaceae. This low variation rate also resulted in poorly resolved tree topologies. Among the three Bromeliaceae subfamilies sampled, Tillandsioideae was the only one recovered as a monophyletic group with high bootstrap value (98.6%). Species paraphyly was a common feature in our sampling.</p> <h3>Conclusions/Significance</h3><p>Our results show that although DNA barcoding is an important tool for biodiversity assessment, it tends to fail in taxonomy complicated and recently diverged plant groups, such as Bromeliaceae. Additional research might be needed to develop markers capable to discriminate species in these complex botanical groups.</p> </div