Blue light (470 nm) effectively inhibits bacterial and fungal growth

Blue light (470 nm) LED antimicrobial properties were studied alone against bacteria and with or without the food grade photosensitizer, erythrosine (ERY) against filamentous fungi. Leuconostoc mesenteroides (LM), Bacillus atrophaeus (BA) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) aliquots were exposed on nutrient agar plates to Array 1 (AR1, 0•2 mW cm-2) or Array 2 (AR2, 80 mW cm-2), which emitted impure or pure blue light (0–300 J cm-2), respectively. Inoculated control (room light only) plates were incubated (48 h) and colonies enumerated. The antifungal properties of blue light combined with ERY (11•4 and 22•8 µmol l-1) on Penicillium digitatum (PD) and Fusarium graminearum (FG) conidia were determined. Conidial controls consisted of: no light, room light-treated conidia and ERY plus room light. Light-treated (ERY + blue light) conidial samples were exposed only to AR2 (0–100 J cm-2), aliquots spread on potato dextrose agar plates, incubated (48 h, 30°C) and colonies counted. Blue light alone significantly reduced bacterial and FG viability. Combined with ERY, it significantly reduced PD viability. Blue light is lethal to bacteria and filamentous fungi although effectiveness is dependent on light purity, energy levels and microbial genus

Volatile profiles and aflatoxin productionby toxigenic and non-toxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus grown on sterile and non-sterile cracked corn Anthony J.

Aspergillus flavus is a saprophytic fungus which can grow on corn and produce aflatoxins which render it unsafe for consumption as food and feed. In this study, aflatoxin and non-aflatoxin producing isolates of A. flavus were grown separately on wet (20% water added), sterile or non-sterile cracked corn. Wet and dry cracked corn controls were included as needed. Secondary metabolic volatiles were identified and aflatoxin concentrations determined over a 12-day period. Volatiles unique to the toxigenic A. flavus isolates were determined by comparison with volatiles produced by the respective corn controls and the non-toxigenic A. flavus isolate. The number and identity of the volatiles produced by these A. flavus isolates varied by isolate, whether sterile or non-sterile corn was the substrate, and the sampling day. Overall, most of the volatiles were produced before day 8 after inoculation. Aflatoxin production was 10-fold lower on the sterile corn, compared to the nonsterile corn. Volatiles unique to the aflatoxin producing isolates were identified on both substrates after comparison with those produced by the non-aflatoxin producing isolate, as well as the corn control samples. Results indicate that several factors (substrate, fungal isolate, culture age) affect volatile and aflatoxin production by A. flavus

The preoperative prognostic nutritional index is an independent predictor of survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Accurate postoperative stratification of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in distinct prognostic groups is essential for tailoring follow-up, medical therapy, and inclusion in clinical trials. Increasing evidence suggests that Onodera׳s prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a stage- and grade-independent predictor of poor outcomes in patients with cancer, but there are no data in RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 1,344 patients with RCC who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy at the Medical University of Vienna and the University of California-Los Angeles between 1991 and 2012. Associations with cancer-specific survival were assessed with univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Discrimination was measured with the C-index. RESULTS: The median postoperative follow-up was 40 months. An increase of PNI by 1 unit was associated with a decrease in the risk of death from RCC by 7% (hazard ratio = 0.93, P<0.001). In multivariable analyses, the PNI was an independent prognostic factor (P<0.001). Adding the PNI improved the discrimination of a base model by 0.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The PNI is an independent prognostic factor in patients with RCC. Its use increases the accuracy of established prognostic factors. PNI may be a meaningful adjunct for tailoring surveillance, medical therapy, and clinical trial design

Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. from HIV infected patients from an urban area of Brazil Caracterização molecular de Cryptosporidium spp. de pacientes de área urbana do Brasil infectados por HIV

Cryptosporidium spp. are important cause of enteric disease in humans, but may also infect animals. This study describes the relative frequency of several Cryptosporidium species found in human specimens from HIV infected patients in the São Paulo municipality obtained from January to July 2007. Sequence analysis of the products of nested-PCR based on small subunit rRNA and Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein coding genes revealed 17 (63.0%) isolates of C. hominis, four (14.8%) C. parvum, five (18.5%) C. felis and one (3.7%) C. canis. These findings suggest that, in urban environments of Brazil, the cat adapted C. felis may play a potential role in the zoonotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis whereas the anthroponotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis caused by C. hominis seems to predominate.<br>Cryptosporidium spp. são importantes causas de doenças entéricas em humanos, mas podem também ser encontrados em animais. O presente estudo descreve a frequência relativa de diversas espécies de Cryptosporidium em amostras de humanos da cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, obtidas de janeiro a julho de 2007. Análises de sequências de produtos de nested PCR direcionadas ao genes codificadores da menor unidade ribosomal e da proteina de parede de oocistos revelaram 17 (63,0%) isolados de C. hominis, quatro (14,8%) C. parvum, cinco (18,5%) C. felis, e um (3,7%) C. canis. Estes resultados sugerem que, em ambientes urbanos no Brasil, o genótipo adaptado ao gato pode desempenhar potencial papel na transmissão zoonótica de criptosporidiose, enquanto a transmissão antroponótica da criptosporidiose causada pelo C. hominis parece predominar

Yield stability in maize (Zea mays L.) and correlations among the parameters of the Eberhart and Russell, Lin and Binns and Huehn models

Assessment of the stability and adaptability of a genotype to different environments is useful for recommending cultivars for known conditions of cultivation and should be a requirement in breeding programs. Twenty maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars were tested at eight locations in Minas Gerais by the National Center for Maize and Sorghum Research (CNPMS) of the Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural Research (EMBRAPA) for two years. The experiments involved a randomized complete block design in which three procedures were used to analyze cultivar stability and adaptability. The level of association among the parameters obtained by the three methods was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation. Hybrids 'DINA 170', 'G-96C', 'C 505', 'DINA 70' and 'C 435' had a mean yield greater than 6,000 kg/ha. Eberhart and Russell's regression coefficient (betai) was negative and correlated significantly (P < 0.01) with Lin and Binn's superiority index (Pi), indicating that the most responsive cultivars tended to have smaller Pi. Pi did not correlate with Huehn's nonparametric measurements Si(2) and Si(3) nor with Eberhart and Russell's sigmadi² (P > or = 0.05), but correlated positively with Si(1) (P < 0.05), indicating that superior genotypes (with lower Pi) could also be stable, a finding not commonly reported in the literature. The stability parameters, Si(1), Si(2), Si(3) and sigmadi², correlated positively among each other (P < 0.01), indicating that the stability estimates of the Huehn's nonparametric model did not add important information to those obtained by the Eberhart and Russell's method. Estimates from the Huehn's method, however, showed that stability estimates from nonparametric models are useful alternatives to parametric models. 'DINA 170', which had a greater general mean, was characterized as a cultivar adapted to favorable environments, and was among the most productive in the different environments assessed. The cultivar 'G-96C' showed medium adaptation to all environments (ideal cultivar) and had good stability. Cultivars 'C 505' and 'C435' were alternatives for 'G-96C'. 'DINA 70' showed good adaptability but had low stability.<br>O conhecimento sobre a estabilidade e adaptabilidade de comportamento de genótipos contém informações muito úteis para a recomendação de cultivares para condições de cultivo conhecidas a priori, de modo que a avaliação da resposta dos genótipos às variações ambientais deve ser etapa obrigatória em programas de melhoramento. Para caracterizar 20 cultivares de milho, foram realizados dez ensaios (oito localidades do Estado de Minas Gerais, em dois anos) no delineamento de blocos ao acaso, pelo Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Milho e Sorgo (CNPMS) da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa). Três procedimentos estatísticos foram adotados para a análise da estabilidade e adaptabilidade dos cultivares e avaliou-se o grau de associação entre os parâmetros dos três métodos por meio da correlação classificatória de Spearman. 'DINA 170', 'G-96C', 'C 505', 'DINA 70' e 'C 435' destacaram-se com produtividades médias superiores a 6.000 kg/ha. O coeficiente de regressão (betai) de Eberhart e Russell foi negativo e significativamente correlacionado (P < 0,01) com o índice de superioridade (Pi) de Lin e Binns, indicando que os cultivares mais responsivos tenderam a apresentar menor Pi. Pi não se correlacionou com as medidas não-paramétricas Si(2) e Si(3) de Huehn e com sigma²di de Eberhart e Russell (P > ou = 0,05), mas correlacionou-se positiva e significativamente com Si(1) (P < 0,05), indicando que genótipos mais produtivos e responsivos (com menor Pi) também podem ser estáveis (com menor Si(1)), embora tal situação não seja comumente observada na literatura. Huehn afirma que as estimativas de Si(1) indicam somente estabilidade, quando os dados são corrigidos. Os parâmetros de estabilidade Si(1), Si(2), Si(3) e sigma²di correlacionaram-se positiva e significativamente entre si (P < 0,01), indicando que as estimativas de estabilidade do modelo não-paramétrico de Huehn não acrescentaram maiores informações, além das obtidas pelo método de Eberhart e Russell, ao mesmo tempo que mostram que estimativas de estabilidade de modelos não-paramétricos são alternativas úteis às estimativas de modelos paramétricos. 'DINA 170', com maior média geral, caracterizou-se como um cultivar adaptado para ambientes favoráveis e permaneceu entre os mais produtivos no conjunto de ambientes avaliados. 'G-96C' comportou-se como um cultivar de média adaptação a todos os ambientes (cultivar ideal) e estável, enquanto 'C 505' e 'C 435' podem ser considerados alternativos para a 'G-96C'. 'DINA 70', também de adaptabilidade geral, caracterizou-se como de baixa estabilidade

Comparison of biophysical and biologic properties of α-helical enantiomeric antimicrobial peptides

In our previous study (Chen et al. J Biol Chem 2005, 280:12316-12329), we utilized an α-helical antimicrobial peptide V681 as the framework to study the effects of peptide hydrophobicity, amphipathicity, and helicity on biologic activities where we obtained several V681 analogs with dramatic improvement in peptide therapeutic indices against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In the present study, the D-enantiomers of three peptides - V681, V13AD and V13KL were synthesized to compare biophysical and biologic properties with their enantiomeric isomers. Each D-enantiomer was shown by circular dichroism spectroscopy to be a mirror image of the corresponding L-isomer in benign conditions and in the presence of 50% trifluoroethanol. L- and D-enantiomers exhibited equivalent antimicrobial activities against a diverse group of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates, various gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and a fungus. In addition, L- and D-enantiomeric peptides were equally active in their ability to lyse human red blood cells. The similar activity of L- and D-enantiomeric peptides on prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell membranes suggests that there are no chiral receptors and the cell membrane is the sole target for these peptides. Peptide D-V13KD showed significant improvements in the therapeutic indices compared with the parent peptide V681 by 53-fold against P. aeruginosa strains, 80-fold against gram-negative bacteria, 69-fold against gram-positive bacteria, and 33-fold against Candida albicans. The excellent stability of D-enantiomers to trypsin digestion (no proteolysis by trypsin) compared with the rapid breakdown of the L-enantiomers highlights the advantage of the D-enantiomers and their potential as clinical therapeutics