Helminth diversity of two anurans: Rhinella marina and Incilius valliceps (Anura: Bufonidae) from lagunas de Yalahau, Yucatán, Mexico

En México, las comunidades de helmintos en anfibios han recibido poca atención. Durante 2005 y 2006, un total de 52 individuos del sapo marino (Rhinella marina) y 54 del sapo de la costa del golfo (Incilius valliceps) fueron recolectados en las lagunas de Yalahau (Yucatán, México) para estudiar dichas comunidades. Para comparar entre sus comunidades, se produjeron curvas de rarefacción y extrapolación basadas en el tamaño de la muestra y se estimó la diversidad usando los números de Hill. Se calcularon los 3 primeros números que se asocian a los estimadores de riqueza y dominancia de especies y se construyeron las curvas de rarefacción y extrapolación respectivas. Los resultados mostraron que con el tamaño de la muestra obtenido se registró la mayor parte de las especies de parásitos en ambos hospederos. Una mayor diversidad de helmintos y número de especies se registraron en R. marina frente a I. valliceps. Sin embargo, la extrapolación mostró que al alcanzar los 50 individuos no hay diferencias estadísticas entre ambas comunidades. Las comunidades de estos anfibios en esta región del trópico se ajustan al patrón descrito en latitudes neárticas. Igualmente, el hábitat que ocupan es un factor importante en la estructuración de sus comunidades helmínticas. ABSTRACT Helminth communities in amphibians in Mexico have received little attention. During 2005 and 2006, we collected a total of 52 individuals of the marine toad (Rhinella marina) and 54 of the southern Gulf Coast toad (Incilius valliceps) in the Lagunas de Yalahau (Yucatán, Mexico), in order to study their helminth communities. We produced rarefaction and extrapolation sample-size-based and coverage-based curves to provide asymptotic diversity estimators based on Hill numbers to compare the communities. We calculated the first 3 Hill numbers, which are associated with estimators of species richness and species dominance. In general, all results showed that the sample size was large enough to register most of the species of parasites present in both host toad species. We found more helminth species and a higher diversity in the R. marina community than that in I. valliceps. However, extrapolation analysis showed that when a sample size of 50 individuals is reached, there are no statistical differences between the helminth communities. Our results suggest that amphibian communities in this part of the tropics follow the same pattern as described for Nearctic latitudes, equally the terrestrial habitat of the hosts is an important factor in the structure of its helminth communities

A review of early influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviors of preschool‐age children in high‐income countries

Purpose: Promoting physical activity (PA) is a key component of preventing and controlling childhood obesity. Despite well‐documented benefits of PA, globally, rates of PA among young children have declined over the past decades, and most children are not accruing sufficient PA daily. Helping children develop the foundation for PA habits early in life is critical for the promotion of health in childhood and prevention of chronic diseases later in life, and will ultimately promote longer and healthier lives for individuals and the general population. The purpose of this review is to provide a synthesis of current evidence on influences on PA and sedentary behaviors of preschool‐age children in high‐income countries. Design and Methods: A systematic review of three databases was performed. Studies conducted in high‐income countries and published from 2000 onward that addressed influences on PA and sedentary behaviors of preschool‐age children were identified and reviewed. Additionally, reference lists of identified articles and relevant published reviews were reviewed. Studies that met the following inclusion criteria were considered: (a) sample included preschoolers (age ≤5 years); (b) PA and/or sedentary behaviors or factors associated with PA and/or sedentary behaviors was assessed; (c) published in English; (d) used either quantitative or qualitative methods; and (e) conducted in a high‐income country. Data were extracted from selected studies to identify influences on PA and sedentary behaviors of preschool‐age children and organized using the social–ecological model according to multiple levels of influence. Results: Results from included studies identify multiple factors that influence PA and sedentary behaviors of young children in high‐income countries at the various levels of the social–ecological model including intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, organizational, and policy. Practice Implications: Given pediatric nurses’ role as primary care providers, and their frequent and continued contact with parents and their children throughout childhood through well‐child visits, immunization, and minor acute illnesses, they are well positioned to promote and support the development of early healthful PA habits of children starting in early childhood

Caracterización de genes implicados en la biosíntesis de estreptolidigina

La estreptolidigina es un antibiótico perteneciente a la familia de los ácidos tetrámicos (Schobert y Schlenk, 2008) producido por Streptomyces lydicus. Estudios biosintéticos usando precursores marcados han demostrado la incorporación de propionato, acetato, metionina y ácido glutámico (probablemente en forma de metil-aspártico) en la formación de la estructura principal del antibiótico (Chen y Harrison, 2004; Chen et al., 2006). Estos estudios apuntan a un sistema híbrido policétido sintasa-sintetasa de péptidos no ribosomales para la biosíntesis de estreptolidigina, lo cual se ha confirmado con el reciente aislamiento y caracterización del agrupamiento génico responsable de la biosíntesis del antibiótico (Ola- no et al., 2009). Dentro de la ruta se han identificado genes encargados de la regulación y secreción del antibiótico y otros genes que codifican proteínas involucradas en el aporte y modificación final del precursor aminoacídico. En esta comunicación se presentan los experimentos de inactivación y expresión de los genes slgZ y slgM, para demostrar o comprobar su participación en la biosíntesis del antibiótico estreptolidigina

Evaluation of high protein quality maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars in four localities in Costa Rica

Se evaluaron cuatro cultivares de maíz de endosperma blanco y tres cultivares de endosperma amarillo en cuatro localidades de Costa Rica: Alajuela, Orotina, Cañas y Quepos. El promedio anual de temperatura y precipitación, así como la altura sobre el nivel del mar, para Alajuela, Orotina, Cañas y Quepos es de 23 °C, 1916 mm, 843 m; 28,9 °C, 2496 mm, 170 m; 27,2 °C, 1648 mm, 90 m y 27,6 °C, 4468,8 mm, 10 m, respectivamente. Los cultivares evaluados de endosperma blanco fueron: Alajuela 8363, San Jerónimo 8140, San Jerónimo 8363, Tico V-7 (Testigo) y los de endosperma amarillo: San Jerónimo 8039, Pichilingue 8466 Y Guararé 7728 (Testigo). Se empleó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Entre los cultivares de endosperma blanco, el Alajuela 8363 mostró los rendimientos mas altos: 8,6; 8,2; 10,2 y 8,5 t/ha para las localidades de Alajuela, Orotina, Cañas y Quepos respectivamente, los cuales superaron al cultivar testigo Tico V-7. De los maíces amarillos de alta calidad de proteína evaluados, el cultivar Pichilingue 8466 presentó los mayores rendimientos: 7,0; 7,1; 9,5 y 9,1 t/ha para las localidades antes mencionadas, respectivamente. La localidad de Quepos presentó el mayor porcentaje de mazorcas podridas, 27,4 %; mientras que Orotina mostró el menor porcentaje, 11,8 %. Los cultivares de alta calidad de proteína se presentan como una alternativa más de producción para el agricultor.Four white endosperm and three yellow endosperm maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars were evaluated in Alajuela, Orotina, Cañas and Quepos, Costa Rica. A Randomized Complete Block Experimental Design with four replications was used. The white endosperm cultivars were: Alajuela 8363, San Jerónimo 8140, San Jerónimo 8363 and Tico V-7 (control) and the yellow endosperm cultivars were: San Jerónimo 8039, Pichilingue 8466 and Guarare 7728 (control). The annual average temperature and rainfall, as well as the altitude (mas1) for Alajuela, Orotina, Cañas and Quepos is : 23 °C, 1916 mm, 843 m; 28.9 °C, 2496 mm, 170 m; 27.2 °C, 1648 mm, 90 m and 27.6 °C, 4468.8 mm, 10 m; respectively. Among the white endosperm cultivars, Alajuela 8363 showed the highest yields: 8.6, 8.2, 10.2 and 8.5 t/ha for the localities of Alajuela, Orotina, Cañas and Quepos, respectively. All cultivars outyielded the control Tico V-7. Among the high protein quality yellow maize cultivars, Pichilingue 8466 yielded the highest: 7.0, 7.1, 9.5 and 9.1 t/ha for the above mentioned localities, respectively. The locality of Quepos showed the highest percentage of rotten ‘ears’ (27.4 %), while Orotina showed the lowest percentage (11.8 % ).UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM

Budgetary impact for the National Health System of Apixaban Prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing yotal knee or hip replacement

Fundamentos: Debido al elevado coste sanitario del tromboembolismo venoso (TEV) es necesario realizar análisis económicos que determinen la eficiencia de sus diferentes tratamientos farmacológicos. El objetivo del trabajo es estimar el impacto presupuestario para el Sistema Nacional de Salud (SNS) de la prevención del tromboembolismo venoso (TEV) con apixaban en artroplastia total de cadera (ATC) o rodilla (ATR). Métodos: Se consideraron los costes de los diferentes fármacos para la prevención del TEV (apixaban, dabigatrán, enoxaparina, fondaparinux, otras heparinas, rivaroxaban y warfarina) y los de las complicaciones del TEV a corto plazo (90 días) y a 5 años (trombosis venosa profunda, embolismo pulmonar, sangrados y síndrome postrombótico). La eficacia de la prevención se estimó mediante un metaanálisis. Las tasas de TEV y muerte con apixaban fueron inferiores en ATC y ATR a las observadas con enoxaparina (-3,5% y -10,0%, respectivamente) y tuvo menos acontecimientos hemorrágicos (-0,7% y -1,6%, respectivamente). Los datos poblacionales y los costes se obtuvieron de fuentes españolas. Horizonte temporal: 5 años. Todos los costes se descontaron anualmente un 3,5%. Se estimó que a los cinco años de su comercialización el consumo de apixaban supondría el 23% de la prevención del TEV y el de enoxaparina descendería del 60% hasta el 33%. Resultados: La introducción de apixaban para la prevención del TEV produciría un ahorro para el SNS de 547.422 € en un periodo de 5 años. En el caso de considerar sin coste la administración ambulatoria de las heparinas, el ahorro quinquenal para el SNS ascendería a 270.068 €. Conclusiones: La introducción de apixaban podría reducir la tasa de TEV y sangrados en comparación con enoxaparina, reduciéndose el gasto del SNS en la prevención del TEVDue to high health care costs of venous thromboembolism (VTE), economic analyses are needed to determine the efficiency of different drug treatments. Consequently, a study was conducted to estimate the budgetary impact for the National Health System (NHS) with apixaban for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in total hip (THR) or knee (TKR) replacement. Methods: Cost considered: the drugs for the prevention of VTE (apixaban, dabigatran, enoxaparin, fondaparinux, other heparins, rivaroxaban and warfarin) and the complications of VTE in the short term and in 5 years (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, bleedings and the post-thrombotic syndrome). The effectiveness of prophylaxis was estimated using a meta-analysis. The VTE rates and death with apixaban are lower in THR and TKR than enoxaparin (-3.5% and -10.0%, respectively) with less bleeding events (-0.7% and -1.6%, respectively). Population data and unit costs were obtained from Spanish sources. Time horizon: 5 years. All costs were discounted by 3.5% annually. Five years after commercialization, the use of apixaban was estimated to account for 23% of the prophylaxis of VTE and the use of enoxaparin decrease from the 60% to 33%. Results: Apixaban´s introduction for the prophylaxis of VTE would have a significant impact for the NHS, resulting in a saving of 547,422 over a period of 5 years. In the case of outpatient administration of heparin did not have a cost, the savings for the NHS five years amount to Due to high health care costs of venous thromboembolism (VTE), economic analyses are needed to determine the efficiency of different drug treatments. Consequently, a study was conducted to estimate the budgetary impact for the National Health System (NHS) with apixaban for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in total hip (THR) or knee (TKR) replacement. Methods: Cost considered: the drugs for the prevention of VTE (apixaban, dabigatran, enoxaparin, fondaparinux, other heparins, rivaroxaban and warfarin) and the complications of VTE in the short term and in 5 years (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, bleedings and the post-thrombotic syndrome). The effectiveness of prophylaxis was estimated using a meta-analysis. The VTE rates and death with apixaban are lower in THR and TKR than enoxaparin (-3.5% and -10.0%, respectively) with less bleeding events (-0.7% and -1.6%, respectively). Population data and unit costs were obtained from Spanish sources. Time horizon: 5 years. All costs were discounted by 3.5% annually. Five years after commercialization, the use of apixaban was estimated to account for 23% of the prophylaxis of VTE and the use of enoxaparin decrease from the 60% to 33%. Results: Apixaban´s introduction for the prophylaxis of VTE would have a significant impact for the NHS, resulting in a saving of 547,422 over a period of 5 years. In the case of outpatient administration of heparin did not have a cost, the savings for the NHS five years amount to 270,068. Conclusions: According to this study, the introduction of apixaban may reduce the rate of VTE and bleeding compared with enoxaparin, decreasing the expenditure of NHS in VTE prophylaxis Due to high health care costs of venous thromboembolism (VTE), economic analyses are needed to determine the efficiency of different drug treatments. Consequently, a study was conducted to estimate the budgetary impact for the National Health System (NHS) with apixaban for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in total hip (THR) or knee (TKR) replacement. Methods: Cost considered: the drugs for the prevention of VTE (apixaban, dabigatran, enoxaparin, fondaparinux, other heparins, rivaroxaban and warfarin) and the complications of VTE in the short term and in 5 years (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, bleedings and the post-thrombotic syndrome). The effectiveness of prophylaxis was estimated using a meta-analysis. The VTE rates and death with apixaban are lower in THR and TKR than enoxaparin (-3.5% and -10.0%, respectively) with less bleeding events (-0.7% and -1.6%, respectively). Population data and unit costs were obtained from Spanish sources. Time horizon: 5 years. All costs were discounted by 3.5% annually. Five years after commercialization, the use of apixaban was estimated to account for 23% of the prophylaxis of VTE and the use of enoxaparin decrease from the 60% to 33%. Results: Apixaban´s introduction for the prophylaxis of VTE would have a significant impact for the NHS, resulting in a saving of € 547,422 over a period of 5 years. In the case of outpatient administration of heparin did not have a cost, the savings for the NHS five years amount to 270,068. Conclusions: According to this study, the introduction of apixaban may reduce the rate of VTE and bleeding compared with enoxaparin, decreasing the expenditure of NHS in VTE prophylaxis € 270,068. Conclusions: According to this study, the introduction of apixaban may reduce the rate of VTE and bleeding compared with enoxaparin, decreasing the expenditure of NHS in VTE prophylaxisEstudio financiado, sin restricciones, por Bristol-Myers Squibb y Pfize

Characterization and engineering of the biosynthesis gene cluster for antitumor macrolides PM100117 and PM100118 from a marine actinobacteria: generation of a novel improved derivative

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sequence alignment of the cluster PKS domains active sites. LD, loading domain; M1-M20, extension modules. Polyketide synthase domains are as follows: KS, ketosynthase; AT, acyltransferase; KR, ketoreductase; DH, dehydratase; ER, enoilreductase; ACP, acyl carrier protein; CAL, CoA-ligase. Figure S2. Genetic complementation of mutant strains. UPLC analysis of PM100117 (1) and PM100118 (2) production in strains GUA-pS, CPgonP8, CPgonM4, CPgonMT, CPgonSL, CPgonS1, CPgonS2, CPgonCP, CPgonMR and CPgonL1. Figure S3. Antibiotic activity test of compound 5. Diffusion disc assay against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Micrococcus luteus. The length (cm) of the inhibition-growth halo is indicated by numbers and yellow lines. Methods S2. Antibiotic activity assay. Format: PDF

The gut microbiota metabolism of pomegranate or walnut ellagitannins yields two urolithin-metabotypes that correlate with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers: Comparison between normoweight, overweight-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Background & aims: Urolithins are microbial metabolites produced after consumption of ellagitannincontaining foods such as pomegranates and walnuts. Parallel to isoflavone-metabolizing phenotypes, ellagitannin-metabolizing phenotypes (urolithin metabotypes A, B and 0; UM-A, UM-B and UM-0, respectively) can vary among individuals depending on their body mass index (BMI), but correlations between urolithin metabotypes (UMs) and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors are unexplored. We investigated the association between UMs and CMR factors in individuals with different BMI and health status. Methods: UM was identified using UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS in individuals consuming pomegranate or nuts. The associations between basal CMR factors and the urine urolithin metabolomic signature were explored in 20 healthy normoweight individuals consuming walnuts (30 g/d), 49 healthy overweightobese individuals ingesting pomegranate extract (450 mg/d) and 25 metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients consuming nuts (15 g-walnuts, 7.5 g-hazelnuts and 7.5 g-almonds/d). Results: Correlations between CMR factors and urolithins were found in overweight-obese individuals. Urolithin-A (mostly present in UM-A) was positively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I (P 0.05) and intermediate-HDL-cholesterol (P 0.05) while urolithin-B and isourolithin-A (characteristic from UM-B) were positively correlated with total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (P 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P 0.01), VLDL-cholesterol, IDL-cholesterol, oxidized-LDL and apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A-I ratio (P 0.05). In MetS patients, urolithin-A only correlated inversely with glucose (P 0.05). Statin-treated MetS patients with UM-A showed a lipid profile similar to that of healthy normoweight individuals while a poor response to lipid-lowering therapy was observed in MB patients. Conclusions: UMs are potential CMR biomarkers. Overweight-obese individuals with UM-B are at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas urolithin-A production could protect against CMR factors. Further research is warranted to explore these associations in larger cohorts and whether the effect of lipidlowering drugs or ellagitannin-consumption on CMR biomarkers depends on individuals' UM

Searching for glycosylated natural products in actinomycetes and identification of novel macrolactams and angucyclines

Many bioactive natural products are glycosylated compounds in which the sugar components usually participate in interaction and molecular recognition of the cellular target. Therefore, the presence of sugar moieties is important, in some cases essential, for bioactivity. Searching for novel glycosylated bioactive compounds is an important aim in the field of the research for natural products from actinomycetes. A great majority of these sugar moieties belong to the 6-deoxyhexoses and share two common biosynthetic steps catalyzed by a NDP-D-glucose synthase (GS) and a NDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase (DH). Based on this fact, seventy one Streptomyces strains isolated from the integument of ants of the Tribe Attini were screened for the presence of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for glycosylated compounds. Total DNAs were analyzed by PCR amplification using oligo primers for GSs and DHs and also for a NDP-D-glucose-2,3-dehydratases. Amplicons were used in gene disruption experiments to generate non-producing mutants in the corresponding clusters. Eleven mutants were obtained and comparative dereplication analyses between the wild type strains and the corresponding mutants allowed in some cases the identification of the compound coded by the corresponding cluster (lobophorins, vicenistatin, chromomycins and benzanthrins) and that of two novel macrolactams (sipanmycin A and B). Several strains did not show UPLC differential peaks between the wild type strain and mutant profiles. However, after genome sequencing of these strains, the activation of the expression of two clusters was achieved by using nutritional and genetic approaches leading to the identification of compounds of the cervimycins family and two novel members of the warkmycins family. Our work defines a useful strategy for the identification new glycosylated compounds by a combination of genome mining, gene inactivation experiments and the activation of silent biosynthetic clusters in Streptomyces strains