Induced plant-defenses suppress herbivore reproduction but also constrain predation of their offspring

Inducible anti-herbivore defenses in plants are predominantly regulated by jasmonic acid (JA). On tomato plants, most genotypes of the herbivorous generalist spider mite Tetranychus urticae induce JA defenses and perform poorly on it, whereas the Solanaceae specialist Tetranychus evansi, who suppresses JA defenses, performs well on it. We asked to which extent these spider mites and the predatory mite Phytoseiulus longipes preying on these spider mites eggs are affected by induced JA-defenses. By artificially inducing the JA-response of the tomato JA-biosynthesis mutant def-1 using exogenous JA and isoleucine (Ile), we first established the relationship between endogenous JA-Ile-levels and the reproductive performance of spider mites. For both mite species we observed that they produced more eggs when levels of JA-Ile were low. Subsequently, we allowed predatory mites to prey on spider mite-eggs derived from wild-type tomato plants, def-1 and JA-Ile-treated def-1 and observed that they preferred, and consumed more, eggs produced on tomato plants with weak JA defenses. However, predatory mite oviposition was similar across treatments. Our results show that induced JA-responses negatively affect spider mite performance, but positively affect the survival of their offspring by constraining egg-predation

Polypharmacy Among The Elderly In The City Of São Paulo, Brazil - Sabe Study [polifarmácia Entre Idosos Do Município De São Paulo - Estudo Sabe]

Polypharmacy for the elderly and associated factors were assessed. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the SABE Study (Health, Well-being and Aging), 2006. 1,115 individuals representing 422,377 elderly aged 65 or more, living in São Paulo City, were interviewed. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of five or more medications. A multivariate regression logistics was used. Polypharmacy prevalence was 36%. Female (OR = 1.7; IC 95%: 1.0; 2.9), age over 75 years (OR = 1.9; CI 95%: 1.3; 2.7), higher income (OR = 1.8; CI 95%: 1.2; 2.8), working (OR = 1.8; CI 95%: 1.1; 2.9), regular self assessed health (OR = 1.6; CI 95%: 1.1; 2.3) or poor (OR = 2.6; CI 95%: 1.4; 4.9), hypertension (OR = 2.0; CI 95%: 1.4; 2.9), diabetes (OR = 4.1; CI 95%: 2.2; 7.5), rheumatic diseases (OR = 2.3; CI 95%: 1.5; 3.6) and cardiac problems (OR = 2.9; CI 95%: 1.9; 4.5) were associated positively with polypharmacy. Using only the public health system (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3; 0.7) was inversely associated with polypharmacy. Medicines for the cardiovascular system and for the alimentary tract and metabolism were the most used. The knowledge of factors associated with polypharmacy, such as those identified in this study, may be useful to alert health professionals about the importance of identifying and monitoring the elderly groups most vulnerable to polypharmacy.154817827Ramos, L.R., Fatores determinantes do envelhecimento saudável em idosos residentes em centro urbano: Projeto Epidoso, São Paulo (2003) Cad Saúde Pública, 19, pp. 793-798(2002) Active Ageing. A Policy Framework, , http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf, World Health Organization, Geneva: WHO;,. Disponível em, [Acessado em 20 de fevereiro de 2006]Coelho Filho, J.M., Marcopito, L.F., Castelo, A., Medication use patterns among elderly people in urban area in Northeastern Brazil (2004) Rev Saude Publica, 38, pp. 557-564Qato, D.M., Alexander, G.C., Conti, R.M., Johnson, M., Schumm, P., Lindau, S.T., Use of prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements among older adults in the United States (2008) JAMA, 300, pp. 2867-2878Ribeiro, A.Q., Rozenfeld, S., Klein, C.H., César, C.C., Acurcio Fde, A., Survey on medicine use by elderly retirees in Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil (2008) Rev Saúde Pública, 42, pp. 724-732Flores, L.M., Mengue, S.S., Uso de medicamentos por idosos em região do sul do Brasil (2005) Rev Saúde Pública, 39, pp. 924-929Kaufman, D.W., Kelly, J.P., Rosenberg, L., Anderson, T.E., Michell, A.A., Recent patterns of medication use in the ambulatory adult population of the United States (2002) JAMA, 287, pp. 337-344Safran, D.G., Neuman, P., Schoen, C., Kitchman, M.S., Wilson, I.B., Cooper, B., Prescription drug coverage and seniors: Findings from a 2003 national survey (2005) Health Aff, , (Millwood),Suppl Web Exclusives: W5-152-W5-166Prybys, K.M., Melville, K., Hanna, J., Gee, A., Chyka, P., Polypharmacy in the elderly: Clinical challenges in emergency practice: Part 1 overview, etiology, and drug interactions (2002) Emerg Med Rep, 23, pp. 145-153Rozenfeld, S., Fonseca, M.J.M., Acurcio, F.A., Drug utilization and polypharmacy among the elderly: A survey in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil (2008) Pan Am J Public Health, 23, pp. 34-43Lebrão, M.L., Duarte, Y.A.O., (2003) SABE-Saúde, Bem Estar e envelhecimento-O projeto SABE no município de São Paulo:Uma abordagem inicial [livro na internet], , http://www.opas.org.br/sistema/arquivos/l_saber.pdf, Brasília: Athalaia Bureau;,. Disponível em, [Acessado em 20 de fevereiro de 2006](2006) Anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification index with defined daily doses (DDDs), , http://www.whocc.no/atcddd/index, World Health Organization, [homepage na Internet]. Genevac2007. Disponível em, [atualizado em 16 de dezembro de, e acessado em 16 de março de 2007]Rao, J.N.K., Scott, A.J., On chi-squared tests for multiway contingency tables with cell proportions estimated from survey data (1984) Annals of Statistics, 12, pp. 46-60(2009) Stata Statistical Software: Release 11, , StataCorp, College Station. Texas: StataCorp LPRollason, V., Vogt, N., Reduction of polypharmacy in the elderly. A systematic review of the role of the pharmacist (2003) Drugs Aging, 20, pp. 817-832Rochon, P.A., Gurwitz, J.H., Optimising drug treatment for elderly people: The prescribing cascade (1997) BMJ, 315, pp. 1096-1099Gurwitz, J.H., Polypharmacy: A new paradigm for quality drug therapy in the elderly? (2004) Arch Int Med, 164, pp. 1957-1959Loyola Filho, A.I., Uchoa, E., Lima-Costa, M.F., A population-based study on use of medication by the elderly in Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil (2006) Cad Saude Publica, 22, pp. 2657-2667Linjakumpu, T., Hartikainen, S., Klaukka, T., Veijola, J., Kivelä, S.L., Isoaho, R., Use of medications and polypharmacy are increasing among the elderly (2002) J Clin Epidemiol, 55, pp. 809-817Jörgensen, T., Johansson, S., Kennerfalk, A., Wallander, M.A., Svärdsudd, K., Prescription drug use, diagnoses, and healthcare utilization among the elderly (2001) Ann Pharmacother, 35, pp. 1004-1009Loyola Filho, A.I., Uchoa, E., Firmo, J.O., Lima-Costa, M.F., A population-based study on use of medications by elderly Brazilians: The Bambuí Health and Aging Study (BHAS) (2005) Cad Saúde Pública, 21, pp. 545-553Loyola Filho, A.I., Uchoa, E., Firmo, J.O., Lima-Costa, M.F., Influence of income on the association between cognitive impairment and polypharmacy: Bambuí Project (2008) Rev Saúde Pública, 42, pp. 89-99Rosholm, J.U., Christensen, K., Relationship between drug use and self-reported health in elderly Danes (1997) Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 53, pp. 179-183Parente, F., Cucino, C., Gallus, S., Bargiggia, S., Greco, S., Pastore, L., Bianchi Porro, G., Hospital use of acid-suppressive medications and its fall-out on prescribing in general practice: A 1-month survey (2003) Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 17, pp. 1503-1506Alves, L.C., Rodrigues, R.N., Determinantes da autopercepção de saúde entre idosos do Município de São Paulo, Brasil (2005) Rev Panam Salud Publica, 17 (5-6), pp. 333-341Woodward, M.C., Deprescribing: Achieving better health outcomes for older people through reducing medications (2003) J Pharm Pract Res, 33, pp. 323-328Stein, C., Moritz, I., (1999) A life course perspective of maintaining independence in older age, , http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1999/WHO_HSC_AHE_99.2_life.pdf, Geneva: WHO.,. Disponível em, [Acessado em 20 de fevereiro de 2006](2006) Dispõe sobre o salário mínimo a partir de 1o de abril de, , http://www010.dataprev.gov.br/sislex/paginas/42/2006/11321.htm, BRASIL, Lei no 11.321, de 7 de julho de 2006, Disponível em, [Acessado em 23 de outubro de 2011

Whole genome sequencing of Shigella sonnei through PulseNet Latin America and Caribbean: advancing global surveillance of foodborne illnesses

Objectives Shigella sonnei is a globally important diarrhoeal pathogen tracked through the surveillance network PulseNet Latin America and Caribbean (PNLA&C), which participates in PulseNet International. PNLA&C laboratories use common molecular techniques to track pathogens causing foodborne illness. We aimed to demonstrate the possibility and advantages of transitioning to whole genome sequencing (WGS) for surveillance within existing networks across a continent where S. sonnei is endemic. Methods We applied WGS to representative archive isolates of S. sonnei (n = 323) from laboratories in nine PNLA&C countries to generate a regional phylogenomic reference for S. sonnei and put this in the global context. We used this reference to contextualise 16 S. sonnei from three Argentinian outbreaks, using locally generated sequence data. Assembled genome sequences were used to predict antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes and identify AMR determinants. Results S. sonnei isolates clustered in five Latin American sublineages in the global phylogeny, with many (46%, 149 of 323) belonging to previously undescribed sublineages. Predicted multidrug resistance was common (77%, 249 of 323), and clinically relevant differences in AMR were found among sublineages. The regional overview showed that Argentinian outbreak isolates belonged to distinct sublineages and had different epidemiologic origins. Conclusions Latin America contains novel genetic diversity of S. sonnei that is relevant on a global scale and commonly exhibits multidrug resistance. Retrospective passive surveillance with WGS has utility for informing treatment, identifying regionally epidemic sublineages and providing a framework for interpretation of prospective, locally sequenced outbreaks

Genetic diversity analysis of common beans based on molecular markers

A core collection of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), representing genetic diversity in the entire Mexican holding, is kept at the INIFAP (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias, Mexico) Germplasm Bank. After evaluation, the genetic structure of this collection (200 accessions) was compared with that of landraces from the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz (10 genotypes from each), as well as a further 10 cultivars, by means of four amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) +3/+3 primer combinations and seven simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci, in order to define genetic diversity, variability and mutual relationships. Data underwent cluster (UPGMA) and molecular variance (AMOVA) analyses. AFLP analysis produced 530 bands (88.5% polymorphic) while SSR primers amplified 174 alleles, all polymorphic (8.2 alleles per locus). AFLP indicated that the highest genetic diversity was to be found in ten commercial-seed classes from two major groups of accessions from Central Mexico and Chiapas, which seems to be an important center of diversity in the south. A third group included genotypes from Nueva Granada, Mesoamerica, Jalisco and Durango races. Here, SSR analysis indicated a reduced number of shared haplotypes among accessions, whereas the highest genetic components of AMOVA variation were found within accessions. Genetic diversity observed in the common-bean core collection represents an important sample of the total Phaseolus genetic variability at the main Germplasm Bank of INIFAP. Molecular marker strategies could contribute to a better understanding of the genetic structure of the core collection as well as to its improvement and validation