A “Wear and Tear” Hypothesis to Explain Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death among USA infants under 1 year of age accounting for ~2,700 deaths per year. Although formally SIDS dates back at least 2,000 years and was even mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Kings 3:19), its etiology remains unexplained prompting the CDC to initiate a sudden unexpected infant death case registry in 2010. Due to their total dependence, the ability of the infant to allostatically regulate stressors and stress responses shaped by genetic and environmental factors is severely constrained. We propose that SIDS is the result of cumulative painful, stressful, or traumatic exposures that begin in utero and tax neonatal regulatory systems incompatible with allostasis. We also identify several putative biochemical mechanisms involved in SIDS. We argue that the important characteristics of SIDS, namely male predominance (60:40), the significantly different SIDS rate among USA Hispanics (80% lower) compared to whites, 50% of cases occurring between 7.6 and 17.6 weeks after birth with only 10% after 24.7 weeks, and seasonal variation with most cases occurring during winter, are all associated with common environmental stressors, such as neonatal circumcision and seasonal illnesses. We predict that neonatal circumcision is associated with hypersensitivity to pain and decreased heart rate variability, which increase the risk for SIDS. We also predict that neonatal male circumcision will account for the SIDS gender bias and that groups that practice high male circumcision rates, such as USA whites, will have higher SIDS rates compared to groups with lower circumcision rates. SIDS rates will also be higher in USA states where Medicaid covers circumcision and lower among people that do not practice neonatal circumcision and/or cannot afford to pay for circumcision. We last predict that winter-born premature infants who are circumcised will be at higher risk of SIDS compared to infants who experienced fewer nociceptive exposures. All these predictions are testable experimentally using animal models or cohort studies in humans. Our hypothesis provides new insights into novel risk factors for SIDS that can reduce its risk by modifying current infant care practices to reduce nociceptive exposures

Endophytic Bacillus bacteria with RNase activity in the resistance of potato plants to viruses

Viral diseases annually cause significant crop losses and significantly reduce the quality of products, including potatoes, some of the most important crops. Currently, viruses cannot be controlled with chemical pesticides, since known antiviral compounds are teratogenic and hazardous to people’s health. Biocontrol agents based on endophytic microorganisms may be an alternative to them. Many strains of Bacillus produce ribonucleases (RNases). Our laboratory possesses a collection of bacteria that produce various metabolites and have RNase activity. The results showed that the inoculation of potato with B. subtilis 26D and B. thuringiensis increased the grain yield by 32–43 %. In addition, the treatment of potato plants with Bacillus spp. significantly reduced the infection of potato plants with virus M. The prevalence of the disease in potato plants was significantly reduced from 60 % in the control to 18 % (B. subtillis 26D) and 25–33 % (B. thuringiensis) in the inoculated plants. Similarly, the infection index decreased from 14 in the control to 1 in the inoculated plants. The further study of molecular mechanisms related to bacterial induction of plant defense reactions in response to viral infections will lead to a better understanding of stress resistance problems. The endophytic microorganisms studied in this report may become the basis for the creation of biological agents for plant protection

Comparing very low birth weight versus very low gestation cohort methods for outcome analysis of high risk preterm infants

© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Compared to very low gestational age (<32 weeks, VLGA) cohorts, very low birth weight (<1500 g; VLBW) cohorts are more prone to selection bias toward small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants, which may impact upon the validity of data for benchmarking purposes. Method: Data from all VLGA or VLBW infants admitted in the 3 Networks between 2008 and 2011 were used. Two-thirds of each network cohort was randomly selected to develop prediction models for mortality and composite adverse outcome (CAO: mortality or cerebral injuries, chronic lung disease, severe retinopathy or necrotizing enterocolitis) and the remaining for internal validation. Areas under the ROC curves (AUC) of the models were compared. Results: VLBW cohort (24,335 infants) had twice more SGA infants (20.4% vs. 9.3%) than the VLGA cohort (29,180 infants) and had a higher rate of CAO (36.5% vs. 32.6%). The two models had equal prediction power for mortality and CAO (AUC 0.83), and similarly for all other cross-cohort validations (AUC 0.81-0.85). Neither model performed well for the extremes of birth weight for gestation (<1500 g and ≥32 weeks, AUC 0.50-0.65; ≥1500 g and <32 weeks, AUC 0.60-0.62). Conclusion: There was no difference in prediction power for adverse outcome between cohorting VLGA or VLBW despite substantial bias in SGA population. Either cohorting practises are suitable for international benchmarking

Endophytic Strain Bacillus subtilis 26DCryChS Producing Cry1Ia Toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis Promotes Multifaceted Potato Defense against Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary and Pest Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say

Novel properties of a previously obtained Bacillus subtilis 26DCryChS strain are described. The B. subtilis 26DCryChS strain is able to produce Cry1Ia &delta;-endotoxin from B. thuringiensis B-5351 and to exist in internal plant tissues of potato plants in the same manner as the endophytic B. subtilis 26D source strain (487 &plusmn; 53 and 420 &plusmn; 63 CFU*103/g, respectively). B. subtilis 26DCryChS, as much as the original B. subtilis 26D strain, inhibited mycelium growth of oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary and reduced late blight symptoms development on plants by 35% compared with non-treated ones, as well as showed insecticidal activity against Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Production of the fluorescent GFP protein in the B. subtilis 26D genome allowed visualizing the endophytes around damaged sites on beetle intestines. Bacillus strains under investigation induced systemic resistance to P. infestans and L. decemlineata through the activation of the transcription of PR genes in potato plants. Thus, the B. subtilis 26DCryChS strain was able to induce transcription of jasmonate-dependent genes and acquired the ability to promote transcription of a salicylate-dependent gene (PR1) in plants infected with the late blight agent and damaged by Colorado potato beetle larvae. The B. subtilis 26DCryChS strain could be put forward as a modern approach for biocontrol agents design

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Rates with Limited Use of Palivizumab for Infants Born at 29 to 31+6/7 Weeks Gestational Age

ABSTRACTBackground: Immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab can reduce respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections and hospitalizations. Criteria in British Columbia limit the use of palivizumab to infants born at 29 to 31+6/7 weeks gestational age, which differ from guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS).Objective: To determine whether the limited use of palivizumab affected the frequency of hospital visits by RSV-positive infants (termed “RSV-positive hospital visits”) who received approval for palivizumab and those who met the AAP/CPS criteria but did not receive approval for palivizumab.Methods: Data sets were generated for the period May 1, 2008, to April 30, 2011, to identify infants with gestational age of 29 to 31+6/7 weeks who were born in or transferred to the Fraser Health authority, RSVpositive results for infants less than 12 months of age who had visited Fraser Health sites and BC Children’s Hospital, and palivizumab approvals. Infants were matched across these 3 data sets through their personal health numbers.Results: The study included 359 infants born at 29 to 31+6/7 weeks, of whom 297 met the AAP/CPS criteria. However, only 46 of these 297 received approval for palivizumab according to the BC criteria. Sixteen (4.5%) of the 359 infants had RSV-positive hospital visits during the RSV season (November through March). Of the 46 infants who received approval for palivizumab, 2 (4.3%) had RSV-positive hospital visits, and of the 251 who met the AAP/CPS criteria but did not receive palivizumab approval, 14 (5.6%) had RSV-positive hospital visits. Of the 359 infants, 6 (1.7%) had RSV-positive results while admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and 10 (2.8%) tested positive for RSV during a subsequent hospital visit.Conclusions: The frequency of RSV-positive hospital visits did not differ between infants who received and those who did not receive approval for palivizumab in the Fraser Health authority. Limited use of palivizumab for RSV prophylaxis led to reasonable rates of RSV-positive hospital visits in the study population.RÉSUMÉContexte : L’immunoprophylaxie à l’aide du palivizumab peut permettre de réduire le nombre de cas d’infection par le virus respiratoire syncytial (VRS) et d’hospitalisation qui en résulte. Les critères de la Colombie-Britannique restreignent l’utilisation du palivizumab aux nourrissons dont l’âge gestationnel se situait entre 29 semaines et 31 semaines et 6 jours. En cela, ils diffèrent des lignes directrices de l’American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) et de la Société canadienne de pédiatrie (SCP).Objectif : Vérifier si l’utilisation restreinte du palivizumab a eu un effet sur la fréquence des visites à l’hôpital de nourrissons séropositifs pour le VRS pour lesquels on a autorisé la prescription de palivizumab et de ceux qui ont satisfait aux critères de l’AAP et de la SCP, mais pour lesquels la prescription de palivizumab n’était pas autorisée.Méthodes : Des ensembles de données ont été produits pour la période s’étendant du 1er mai 2008 au 30 avril 2011 afin d’identifier : les nourrissons nés dans les établissements de la Régie de la santé du Fraser ou y ayant été transférés dont l’âge gestationnel se situait entre 29 semaines et 31 semaines et 6 jours; les résultats positifs pour le VRS chez les nourrissons de moins de 12 mois ayant visité les établissements de la Régie de la santé du Fraser et l’Hôpital pour enfants de la Colombie-Britannique; et les cas où l’on a autorisé la prescription de palivizumab. On a assorti les données des nourrissons entre les trois ensembles à l’aide de leur numéro d’assurance-maladie personnel.Résultats : L’étude a recensé 359 nourrissons dont l’âge gestationnel se situait entre 29 semaines et 31 semaines et 6 jours. Parmi eux, 297 répondaient aux critères de l’AAP et de la SCP. Or, le traitement par palivizumab n’a été accordé qu’à 46 de ces 297 nourrissons selon les critères de la Colombie-Britannique. Seize (4,5 %) des 359 nourrissons qui avaient visité l’hôpital au cours de la saison du VRS (novembre à mars) se sont révélés séropositifs pour le VRS. Parmi les 46 nourrissons admissibles au traitement par palivizumab, deux (4,3 %) ont visité l’hôpital et se sont avérés séropositifs pour le VRS. Parmi les 251 autres enfants répondant aux critères de l’AAP et de la SCP, mais n’ayant pas été autorisés à recevoir du palivizumab, 14 (5,6 %) ont visité l’hôpital et se sont révélés séropositifs pour le VRS. Parmi les 359 nourrissons, 6 (1,7 %) se sont avérés séropositifs pour le VRS alors qu’ils étaient admis à l’unité de soins intensifs néonatals et 10 (2,8 %) ont été déclarés séropositifs pour le VRS lors d’une visite subséquente à l’hôpital.Conclusions : La fréquence des visites de nourrissons séropositifs pour le VRS aux établissements de la Régie de la santé du Fraser n’était pas différente entre ceux qui étaient autorisés à recevoir du palivizumab et ceux qui n’y étaient pas autorisés. Une utilisation restreinte du palivizumab pour la prophylaxie du VRS a donné des taux raisonnables de visites à l’hôpital par les nourrissons séropositifs pour le VRS dans la population de l’étude

Endophytic bacteria Bacillus subtilis 26D reduce the damage to potato plants by late blight, stimulating the transcriptional activity of jasmonate-dependent genes

Bacillus subtilis 26D stimulated transcriptional activity of jasmonic acid biosynthesis genes and jasmonate-dependent protective genes, including anionic peroxidase involved in lignification, which increased their resistance to late blight pathogen.</jats:p

Endophytic Strain Bacillus subtilis 26D Increases Levels of Phytohormones and Repairs Growth of Potato Plants after Colorado Potato Beetle Damage

Plant damage caused by defoliating insects has a long-term negative effect on plant growth and productivity. Consequently, the restoration of plant growth after exposure to pathogens or pests is the main indicator of the effectiveness of the implemented defense reactions. A short-term Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say attack on potato tube-grown plantlets (Solanum tuberosum L.) led to a reduction of both the length and mass of the shoots in 9 days. The decrease of the content of phytohormones—indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), zeatin and zeatin–riboside—in shoots of damaged potato plants was found. Endophytic strain Bacillus subtilis 26D (Cohn) is capable of secreting up to 83.6 ng/mL IAA and up to 150 ng/mL cytokinins into the culture medium. Inoculation of potato plants with cells of the B. subtilis 26D increases zeatin–riboside content in shoots and the mass of roots of undamaged plants, but does not influence content of IAA and ABA and growth of shoots. The presence of B. subtilis 26D in plant tissues promoted a rapid recovery of the growth rates of shoots, as well as the wet and dry mass of roots of plants after the pest attack, which we associate with the maintenance of a high level of IAA, ABA and cytokinins in their tissues.</jats:p