Linoleic Acid Promotes Emission of Bark Beetle Semiochemicals by Fungal Symbionts

Tree-killing bark beetles in conifer forests vector symbiotic fungi that are thought to help the beetles kill trees. Fungal symbionts emit diverse volatile blends that include bark beetle semiochemicals involved in mating and host localization. In this study, all 12 tested fungal isolates emitted beetle semiochemicals when growing in medium amended with linoleic acid. These semiochemicals included the spiroacetals chalcogran, trans-conophthorin and exo-brevicomin, as well as 2-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, the main aggregation pheromone component of the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. The emission of these compounds was affected by the type of fatty acid present (linoleic vs. oleic acid). Accumulating evidence shows that the fatty acid composition in conifer bark can facilitate colonization by bark beetles and symbiotic fungi, whereas the fatty acid composition of non-host trees can be detrimental for beetle larvae or fungi. We hypothesize that beetles probe the fatty acid composition of potential host trees to test their suitability for beetle development and release of semiochemicals by symbiotic fungi.publishedVersio

Nonassociative strict deformation quantization of C*-algebras and nonassociative torus bundles

In this paper, we initiate the study of nonassociative strict deformation quantization of C*-algebras with a torus action. We shall also present a definition of nonassociative principal torus bundles, and give a classification of these as nonassociative strict deformation quantization of ordinary principal torus bundles. We then relate this to T-duality of principal torus bundles with $H$-flux. We also show that the Octonions fit nicely into our theory.Comment: 15 pages, latex2e, exposition improved, to appear in LM

Etablierung der homöopathischen Mastitistherapie in einem biologisch-dynamisch wirtschaftenden Milcherzeugerbetrieb unter Berücksichtigung ökologischer, epidemiologischer und ökonomischer Gesichtspunkte.

6 Summary The dairy cow mastitis as a disease with an immense economic impact is widely spread in organic as well as in conventional farms. Due to the lack of alternatives to antibiotic treatment, most therapeutical measures are based on antibiotics even in organic farms and against common regulations. In contrary to these procedures the EU regulations (Council Regulation EC 1804/99)as well as the consumer’s anticipation demand the possibly lowest levels of residual charges of dairy products and environment. A two and a half year study in a bio-dyn dairy herd in Brandenburg (Germany) with 300 dairy cows suffering from udder health problems was conducted to evaluate if clinical mastitis in dairy cows is to control successfully with homeopathic remedies to minimize antibiotic treatment. To assess the efficacy of the homeopathic treatment the investigations are made using a double blind placebo controlled study design (RCCT). Using a predetermined treatment protocol and a certain diagnostic pattern to match right remedies in the sense of the homeopathic remedy pictures, the intention of the chosen treatment schedule was to provide a very transparent concept which can be used also by unexperienced veterinarians. For treatment of acute mastitis the following remedies were used: Phytolacca D6, Bryonia D6 , Echinacea D6 and Belladonna D6. Aconitum D6 was added in case of fever at the beginning of disease. Cases of chronical and subclinical mastitis were treated by Echinacea D6, Phytolacca D6 and Hepar sulfuris D8. In the first part of the study nearly all mastitis cases were treated only with homeopathics avoiding antibiotics strictly. The unsatisfying results in this part lead to a modification in the second part in which in case of certain infections (S.aureus, Sc.spp.) a limited use of antibiotics was admitted. Furthermore, selected udders with subclinical and chronical infections with these kind of bacteria were dried off antibiotically. Simultaneously the farmer was engaged to intensify the efforts to optimize preventive and environmental measures in the herd. In the second part of the study 126 cows (148 quarters) suffered from clinical mastitis (Verum: n=60; Placebo: n=66). The cure rates were nearly identical. In the whole population the clinical cure rate (CCR) immediately after treatment was 95%, 7 to 8 weeks after treatment 65%. The 107 clinically affected quarters which were infected by pathogenic bacteria showed a bacteriological cure rate (BCR) of 55% each and a complete bacterio-cytological cure rate (BCCR) of 35% and 40% after 4-5 weeks and 7-8 weeks after treatment, respectively. During the observation time of 8 weeks a total of 12 cows in each of the treatment groups produced a homologous recurrent infection. 6 cows in the verum group and 4 cows in the placebo group developed a new infection in one of the other quarters. The treatment results seems to be satisfying while the enhanced but still not optimized environmental conditions in the herd are possibly responsible for the high amount of new infections and recurrences. Looking at the results of the study at all, the use of antibiotics could be decreased by 75% due to the therapy management (in spite of the change of it because of unsatisfying results) in combination with preventive measures. Additionally the herd udder health could be increased. So the mean herd somatic cell count decreased by 75.000 somatic cells/ml to 165.000 somatic cells/ml. Furthermore, the milk yield increased by 250 kg to 6.500 kg/cow/year. The count of infections with S. aureus in the herd decreased dramatically. The decreasing input of antibiotics in mastitis therapy in the project farm lead to a decrease of 36.000 kg antibiotically loaded milk compared to a hypothetic conventional mastitis management. Furthermore, the omission of withdrawal times after homeopathic treatment resulted in a benefit of additional production milk of 25.000 kg. The antibiotics minimizing therapy concept of the second part of this investigation which could be evaluated under practice conditions can be recommended for other farms too if simultaneous herd prevention measures can be assured by the farm manager to ensure good preconditions for the convalescence of the cows. The cure rates after placebo are unexpected high. Due to these results it is profoundly debatable whether the strategies of conventional therapy of bovine mastitis are suitable to ensure herd udder health. It should be evaluated which part of the cure rate is amounted by self cure and which other factors have an effect on the healing. The nearly identical cure rates in both treatment groups do not allow the proof of homeopathic efficacy at all. Indeed, comparing the bacteriologically caused mastitis cases (107 quarters), there is a significantly higher cure rate in the verum group (p < 0.05)

Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) Knockout Mice Exhibit Worse Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury than Wildtype Mice

Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) is an enzyme that catalyzes the successive transfer of 3 methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to generate phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC is vital for exporting fat out of the liver, ultimately preventing hepatic steatosis. Alcohol also induces steatosis partly through damaging this pathway, so the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between alcohol and PEMT in the liver. PEMT -/- (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were subjected to a chronic + binge alcohol treatment, and both serum and liver samples were analyzed. Triglyceride quantification, SAM and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) levels, and histological analyses were performed on liver samples, while ALT levels were determined from serum samples. Our study showed that ethanol-fed PEMT KO mice exhibited worse liver injury compared to other treatment groups. Our results show increased triglyceride levels, increased ALT levels, decreased SAM:SAH ratio, and increased liver to body weight ratio. From these findings, we conclude that additional liver damage is observed with the combination of alcohol feeding and absence of the PEMT enzyme. The mechanism by which these two factors affect one another is a key area of future study.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/surp2021/1016/thumbnail.jp

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Avian Pathogenic<i> Escherichia coli </i>Strains of Clinical Importance, E44 and E51

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains have remarkable impacts on animal welfare and the production economy in the poultry industry worldwide. Here, we present the draft genomes of two isolates from chickens (E44 and E51) obtained from field outbreaks and subsequently investigated for their potential for use in autogenous vaccines for broiler breeders

Elevated S-Adenosylhomocysteine Induces Adipocyte Dysfunction to Promote Alcohol-Associated Liver Steatosis

It has been previously shown that chronic ethanol administration-induced increase in adipose tissue lipolysis and reduction in the secretion of protective adipokines collectively contribute to alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) pathogenesis. Further studies have revealed that increased adipose S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) levels generate methylation defects that promote lipolysis. Here, we hypothesized that increased intracellular SAH alone causes additional related pathological changes in adipose tissue as seen with alcohol administration. To test this, we used 3-deazaadenosine (DZA), which selectively elevates intracellular SAH levels by blocking its hydrolysis. Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated in vitro for 48 h with DZA and analysed for lipolysis, adipokine release and differentiation status. DZA treatment enhanced adipocyte lipolysis, as judged by lower levels of intracellular triglycerides, reduced lipid droplet sizes and higher levels of glycerol and free fatty acids released into the culture medium. These findings coincided with activation of both adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone sensitive lipase. DZA treatment also significantly reduced adipocyte differentiation factors, impaired adiponectin and leptin secretion but increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, TNF and MCP-1. Together, our results demonstrate that elevation of intracellular SAH alone by DZA treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes induces lipolysis and dysregulates adipokine secretion. Selective elevation of intracellular SAH by DZA treatment mimics ethanol\u27s effects and induces adipose dysfunction. We conclude that alcohol-induced elevations in adipose SAH levels contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of ALD

Successful resuscitation from prolonged hypothermic cardiac arrest without extracorporeal life support: a case report.

BACKGROUND We report a case of successful prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (5 hours and 44 minutes) following severe accidental hypothermia with cardiac arrest treated without rewarming on extracorporeal life support. CASE PRESENTATION A 52-year-old Italian mountaineer, was trapped in a crevasse and rescued approximately 7 hours later by a professional rescue team. After extrication, he suffered a witnessed cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation. Immediate defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were started. His core temperature was 26.0 °C. Due to weather conditions, air transport to an extracorporeal life support center was not possible. Thus, he was rewarmed with conventional rewarming methods in a rural hospital. Auto-defibrillation occurred at a core temperature of 29.8 °C after 5 hours and 44 minutes of continued cardiopulmonary resuscitation. With a core temperature of 33.4 °C, he was finally admitted to a level 1 trauma center and extracorporeal life support was no longer required. Seven weeks following the accident, he was discharged home with complete neurological recovery. CONCLUSIONS Successful rewarming from severe hypothermia without extracorporeal life support use as performed in this case suggests that patients with primary hypothermic cardiac arrest have a chance of a favorable neurological outcome even after several hours of cardiac arrest when cardiopulmonary resuscitation and conventional rewarming are performed continuously. This may be especially relevant in remote areas, where extracorporeal life support rewarming is not available

Acute Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury is Prevented by Betaine Administration

Binge drinking is the most common form of excessive alcohol use. Repeated episodes of binge drinking cause multiple organ injuries, including liver damage. We previously demonstrated that chronic ethanol administration causes a decline in the intrahepatic ratio of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). This decline causes impairments in essential methylation reactions that result in alcohol-induced fatty liver (steatosis) and other features of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Co-treatment with betaine during chronic ethanol feeding, normalizes hepatocellular SAM:SAH ratio and alleviates many features of liver damage including steatosis. Here, we sought to examine whether betaine treatment similarly protects against liver injury in an alcohol binge-drinking model. We hypothesized that ethanol binge with prior or simultaneous betaine administration would prevent or attenuate acute alcohol-induced liver damage. Male C57Bl/6 mice were gavaged twice, 12 h apart, with either 6 g ethanol/kg BW or with an equal volume/kg BW of 0.9% NaCl. Two separate groups of mice (n = 5/group) were gavaged with 4 g betaine/kg BW, either 2 h before or simultaneously with the ethanol or saline gavages. All mice were sacrificed 8 h after the last gavage and serum and liver parameters were quantified. Ethanol binges caused a 50% decrease in hepatic SAM:SAH ratio and a \u3e3-fold rise in liver triglycerides (p ≤ 0.05). These latter changes were accompanied by elevated serum AST and ALT activities and blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) that were ∼three-times higher than the legal limit of intoxication in humans. Mice that were treated with betaine 2 h before or simultaneously with the ethanol binges exhibited similar BAC as in mice given ethanol-alone. Both betaine treatments significantly elevated hepatic SAM levels thereby normalizing the SAM:SAH ratio and attenuating hepatic steatosis and other injury parameters, compared with mice given ethanol alone. Simultaneous betaine co-administration with ethanol was more effective in preventing or attenuating liver injury than betaine given before ethanol gavage. Our findings confirm the potential therapeutic value of betaine administration in preventing liver injury after binge drinking in an animal model