Analyzing Market-based Opportunities in the Mango Supply Chain of Davao City: A Rapid Market Assessment

Products and services become meaningful when available and positioned from the customer’s perspective. Exploring the supply chain of mango in Davao City, Southern Philippines, unveils different nodes having different characteristics and buying requirements. We analyzed market-based opportunities in the mango supply chain to inform mango producers which attractive markets they should prioritize as well as identified opportunities for improvement in production and marketing. We utilized a rapid market assessment (RMA) approach to identify the different market nodes and their characteristics. Snowball sampling was used to determine the respondents for this study. A total of 28 face-to-face interviews were done using a semi-structured questionnaire. From the producers’ point of view, we assess the relative attractiveness of the nodes by employing a simple scoring method on the data on volume of requirement, buying price (at the time of interview), support services provided to farmers, and stage of node life cycle. Results show that the exporters’ node has the highest attractiveness score followed by direct wholesalers, primary wholesalers, and processors. We recommend the following practical suggestions for producer groups to target these attractive markets: (1) improve overall quality of mangoes; (2) perform sorting and grading; (3) adopt cost-effective postharvest technology; and (4) develop cost-effective off-season production farming system

Involvement of Noradrenergic Transmission in the PVN on CREB Activation, TORC1 Levels, and Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity during Morphine Withdrawal

Experimental and clinical findings have shown that administration of adrenoceptor antagonists alleviated different aspects of drug withdrawal and dependence. The present study tested the hypothesis that changes in CREB activation and phosphorylated TORC1 levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) after naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal as well as the HPA axis activity arises from α1- and/or β-adrenoceptor activation. The effects of morphine dependence and withdrawal on CREB phosphorylation (pCREB), phosphorylated TORC1 (pTORC1), and HPA axis response were measured by Western-blot, immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay in rats pretreated with prazosin (α1-adrenoceptor antagonist) or propranolol (β-adrenoceptor antagonist). In addition, the effects of morphine withdrawal on MHPG (the main NA metabolite at the central nervous system) and NA content and turnover were evaluated by HPLC. We found an increase in MHPG and NA turnover in morphine-withdrawn rats, which were accompanied by increased pCREB immunoreactivity and plasma corticosterone concentrations. Levels of the inactive form of TORC1 (pTORC1) were decreased during withdrawal. Prazosin but not propranolol blocked the rise in pCREB level and the decrease in pTORC1 immunoreactivity. In addition, the HPA axis response to morphine withdrawal was attenuated in prazosin-pretreated rats. Present results suggest that, during acute morphine withdrawal, NA may control the HPA axis activity through CREB activation at the PVN level. We concluded that the combined increase in CREB phosphorylation and decrease in pTORC1 levels might represent, in part, two of the mechanisms of CREB activation at the PVN during morphine withdrawal

Antimicrobial residue assessment in 5, 357 commercialized meat samples from the Spain-France cross-border area: A new approach for effective monitoring

Although antimicrobials are valuable allies in animal production, their extended use has led to unexpected threats associated with the emergence and propagation of antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, when withdrawal periods in food-producing animals are not observed, antimicrobial residues can access the food chain, causing direct toxicity, allergies, and/or intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in consumers. Given that Spain and France are the largest meat producers in the EU and also count among the top consumers of meat, our study''s aim was to investigate the presence of antimicrobials in commercialized meat purchased in the Spain-France cross-border area (POCTEFA region). 5, 357 meat samples were collected from different animal species and a variety of different retailer types in Spain (Zaragoza, Bilbao, and Logroño) as well as in France (Toulouse and Perpignan). Meat samples were analysed by a screening method (Explorer®+QuinoScan®), yielding 194 positive samples, which were further evaluated by UPLC-QTOF (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight) for confirmation. Chromatographic analyses found antimicrobial residues in 30 samples, although only 5 of them (0.093% of initial samples) were non-compliant according to the current legislation. Further studies suggested that this mismatch between screening and confirmatory analyses might be due to the presence of biologically active metabolites derived from degradation of antimicrobials that were not identified by the targeted UPLC-QTOF method, but which might play a decisive role in the inhibition of the biological Explorer® test. Although chromatographic techniques detect the marker compounds determined by European and national regulations, and although they are the methods selected for official control of antimicrobials in food, certain unknown metabolites might escape their monitoring. This thus suggests that biological tests are the most adequate ones in terms of ideal consumer health protection

Methamphetamine withdrawal induces activation of CRF neurons in the brain stress system in parallel with an increased activity of cardiac sympathetic pathways.

Methamphetamine (METH) addiction is a major public health problem in some countries. There is evidence to suggest that METH use is associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular problems. Here, we investigated the effects of chronic METH administration and withdrawal on the activation of the brain stress system and cardiac sympathetic pathways. Mice were treated with METH (2 mg/kg, i.p.) for 10 days and left to spontaneous withdraw for 7 days. The number of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), c-Fos, and CRF/c-Fos neurons was measured by immunohistochemistry in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the oval region of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (ovBNST), two regions associated with cardiac sympathetic control. In parallel, levels of catechol-o-methyl-transferase (COMT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) were measured in the heart. In the brain, chronic-METH treatment enhanced the number of c-Fos neurons and the CRF neurons with c-Fos signal (CRF+/c-Fos+) in PVN and ovBNST. METH withdrawal increased the number of CRF+neurons. In the heart, METH administration induced an increase in soluble (S)-COMT and membrane-bound (MB)-COMT without changes in phospho (p)-TH, Hsp27, or pHsp27. Similarly, METH withdrawal increased the expression of S- and MB-COMT. In contrast to chronic treatment, METH withdrawal enhanced levels of (p)TH and (p)Hsp27 in the heart. Overall, our results demonstrate that chronic METH administration and withdrawal activate the brain CRF systems associated with the heart sympathetic control and point towards a METH withdrawal induced activation of sympathetic pathways in the heart. Our findings provide further insight in the mechanism underlining the cardiovascular risk associated with METH use and proposes targets for its treatment

Mannose-binding lectin-deficient genotypes as a risk factor of pneumococcal meningitis in infants

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate to evaluate the role of mannose-binding-lectin deficient genotypes in pneumococcal meningitis (PM) in children. METHODS: We performed a 16-year retrospective study (January 2001 to March 2016) including patients ≤ 18 years with PM. Variables including attack rate of pneumococcal serotype (high or low invasive capacity) and MBL2 genotypes associated with low serum MBL levels were recorded. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included in the study. Median age was 18.5 months and 17/48 episodes (35.4%) occurred in children ≤ 12 months old. Serotypes with high-invasive disease potential were identified in 15/48 episodes (31.2%). MBL2 deficient genotypes accounted for 18.8% (9/48). Children ≤ 12 months old had a 7-fold risk (95% CI: 1.6-29.9; p 12 months old. A sub-analysis of patients by age group revealed significant proportions of carriers of MBL2 deficient genotypes among those ≤ 12 months old with PM caused by opportunistic serotypes (54.5%), admitted to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) (46.7%) and of White ethnicity (35.7%). These proportions were significantly higher than in older children (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that differences in MBL2 genotype in children ≤12 months old affects susceptibility to PM, and it may have an important role in the episodes caused by non-high invasive disease potential serotypes

Contribution of limbic norepinephrine to cannabinoid-induced aversion

RATIONALE: The cannabinoid system has risen to the forefront in the development of novel treatments for a number of pathophysiological processes. However, significant side effects have been observed in clinical trials raising concerns regarding the potential clinical utility of cannabinoid-based agents. Understanding the neural circuits and neurochemical substrates impacted by cannabinoids will provide a better means of gaging their actions within the central nervous system that may contribute to the expression of unwanted side effects. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we investigated whether norepinephrine (NE) in the limbic forebrain is a critical determinant of cannabinoid receptor agonist-induced aversion and anxiety in rats. METHODS: An immunotoxin lesion approach was combined with behavioral analysis using a place conditioning paradigm and the elevated zero maze. RESULTS: Our results show that the non-selective CB1/CB2 receptor agonist, WIN 55,212-2, produced a significant place aversion in rats. Further, NE in the nucleus accumbens was critical for WIN 55,212-2-induced aversion but did not affect anxiety-like behaviors. Depletion of NE from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis was ineffective in altering WIN 55,212-2-induced aversion and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that limbic, specifically accumbal, NE is required for cannabinoid-induced aversion but is not essential to cannabinoid-induced anxiety.This works was supported by PHS grant DA 020129. Ana Franky Carvalho was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/33236/2007)

Functional Analysis of Ficolin-3 Mediated Complement Activation

The recognition molecules of the lectin complement pathway are mannose-binding lectin and Ficolin -1, -2 and -3. Recently deficiency of Ficolin-3 was found to be associated with life threatening infections. Thus, we aimed to develop a functional method based on the ELISA platform for evaluating Ficolin-3 mediated complement activation that could be applicable for research and clinical use. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was acetylated (acBSA) and chosen as a solid phase ligand for Ficolins in microtiter wells. Binding of Ficolins on acBSA was evaluated, as was functional complement activation assessed by C4, C3 and terminal complement complex (TCC) deposition. Serum Ficolin-3 bound to acBSA in a calcium dependent manner, while only minimal binding of Ficolin-2 and no binding of Ficolin-1 were observed. No binding to normal BSA was seen for any of the Ficolins. Serum C4, C3 and TCC deposition on acBSA were dependent only on Ficolin-3 in appropriate serum dilutions. Deposition of down stream complement components correlated highly significantly with the serum concentration of Ficolin-3 but not with Ficolin-2 in healthy donors. To make the assay robust for clinical use a chemical compound was applied to the samples that inhibited interference from the classical pathway due to the presence of anti-BSA antibodies in some sera. We describe a novel functional method for measuring complement activation mediated by Ficolin-3 in human serum up to the formation of TCC. The assay provides the possibility to diagnose functional and genetic defects of Ficolin-3 and down stream components in the lectin complement pathway

Genome Wide Association Identifies PPFIA1 as a Candidate Gene for Acute Lung Injury Risk Following Major Trauma

Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a syndrome with high associated mortality characterized by severe hypoxemia and pulmonary infiltrates in patients with critical illness. We conducted the first investigation to use the genome wide association (GWA) approach to identify putative risk variants for ALI. Genome wide genotyping was performed using the Illumina Human Quad 610 BeadChip. We performed a two-stage GWA study followed by a third stage of functional characterization. In the discovery phase (Phase 1), we compared 600 European American trauma-associated ALI cases with 2266 European American population-based controls. We carried forward the top 1% of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at p<0.01 to a replication phase (Phase 2) comprised of a nested case-control design sample of 212 trauma-associated ALI cases and 283 at-risk trauma non-ALI controls from ongoing cohort studies. SNPs that replicated at the 0.05 level in Phase 2 were subject to functional validation (Phase 3) using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses in stimulated B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) in family trios. 159 SNPs from the discovery phase replicated in Phase 2, including loci with prior evidence for a role in ALI pathogenesis. Functional evaluation of these replicated SNPs revealed rs471931 on 11q13.3 to exert a cis-regulatory effect on mRNA expression in the PPFIA1 gene (p = 0.0021). PPFIA1 encodes liprin alpha, a protein involved in cell adhesion, integrin expression, and cell-matrix interactions. This study supports the feasibility of future multi-center GWA investigations of ALI risk, and identifies PPFIA1 as a potential functional candidate ALI risk gene for future research