Isolation, characterization and interactions of soil microorganisms involved in the enhanced biodegradation of non-fumigant organophosphate nematicides

The most widely used pesticides utilized for the management of plant-parasitic nematodes belong to the organophosphorus group. Their efficacy may be reduced in areas where adapted microorganisms accumulate that are capable of rapidly degrading the active ingredients. The enhanced biodegradation process of non-fumigant nematicides is of particular concern in intensive agriculture. However, it remains unclear which microorganisms play the most important role in the rapid metabolization and how and why this process develops. Furthermore little is known as to whether the biodegradation process may be slowed down, stopped or reversed. Studies using soils with different nematicide history collected in four banana fields in the Atlantic region of Costa Rica demonstrated that the non-fumigant organophosphate nematicide terbufos had lower levels of efficacy and shorter effective activity against the burrowing nematode Radopholus similis when the soil had a prolonged terbufos application history. Lower levels of efficacy were related to the microorganisms capable of rapidly degrading the active ingredient. The analysis of soils collected in Germany with different nematicide application history demonstrated that fenamiphos, another organophosphate non-fumigant nematicide, was not rapidly biodegraded in soil with no previous pesticide exposure. This study also demonstrated that Pseudomonas spp. does not accumulate upon fenamiphos applications and may not be involved at all in fenamiphos degradation. The lack of surfactant production of the isolated Pseudomonas spp. could be a reason for their absence in the biodegradation process. Bacteria capable of degrading fenamiphos were isolated from another German soil with a large fenamiphos-history. These bacteria utilized fenamiphos as a sole carbon source. By comparison of the partial sequences of their 16S rRNA coding genes with those genes present in the GenBank sequence database, a fully resolved phylogenetic tree could be generated, showing that these fenamiphos degrading (Fd) isolates belonged to closely related Microbacterium, Sinorhizobium, Brevundimonas, Ralstonia, or Cupriavidus species. The Fd bacteria did not cross-degrade the novel organophosphate nematicide fosthiazate, thus suggesting that they are fenamiphosspecific. However, a combination of all microorganisms of the same soil from which the fenamiphos-degrading bacteria was isolated, was capable of degrading fosthiazate, thus demonstrating that there are other microorganisms capable of degrading nematicides even in the absence of an application history. This also revealed that the nematicide-history of one organophosphate nematicide does not intrinsically influence the degradation of another pesticide of this same chemical group. The application of plant revitalizers enhanced soil microbial biomass over time which resulted in an enhanced biocontrol activity against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and a delayed biodegradation process of fenamiphos. In conclusion, this research demonstrated that many different soil bacteria can adapt when frequently exposed to a particular nematicide, thus offering them an alternative carbon source to grow. This effect can be slowed down by altering the microbial soil diversity through the application of natural plant enhancers that benefit nematicide non-degrading strains and simultaneously reduce nematode damage.Isolierung, Charakterizierung und Wechselwirkungen von Bödenmikroorganismen verantworlich für den beschleunigten biologischen Abbau von nicht gas förmigen organophosphatishce Nematiziden Die weitverbreitesten Pestizide gehören zur Wirkstoffgruppe der Organophosphate. Jedoch kann deren Wirkung durch das verstärkt Auftreten von Mikroorganismen, welche in der Lage sind diesen Wirkstoff zu degradieren, gemindert werden. Die verstärkte Degradierung von nicht gasförmigen Nematiziden betrifft vor allem Anbaugebiete mit intensiver Landwirtschaft. Bis heute ist ungeklärt welche Mikroorganismen bei dem Prozess der beschleunigten Metabolisierung von nicht gasförmigen organophosphatischen Nematiziden eine wichtige Rolle spielen oder wie und warum diese Prozess entsteht. Auch gibt es wenige Erkenntinsse darüber ob der Prozess der Bio-Degradierung verzögert, gestoppt oder umgekehrt werden kann. In diesen Untersuchungen wurden Böden von vier Bananenfeldern Costa Ricas, die zuvor mit verschiedenen Nematiziden behandelt wurden, genauer betrachtet. Es zeigte sich das die Behandlung mit dem Nicht-Begasungs Organophosphate Nematizid Terbufos einen Bekämpfungserfolg gegen den Nematoden Radopholus Similis zur Folge hatte sofern die Böden zuvor nicht so häufig mit dem Nematizid Terbufos behandelt wurden. Dieser Effekt konnte auf den hohen Anteil von Mikroorganismen in den Böden zurückgeführt werden, die den Wirkstoff im Boden schnell abbauten. Weiter Versuche mit verschiedenen Böden aus Deutschland zeigten, dass Böden die erstmals mit dem Nicht-Begasungs Organophosphate Nematizid Fenamiphos behandelt wurden, den Wirkstoff im Boden nicht ausreichend schnell biologisch abgebauen konnten. Verschiedene Bakterien der Gattung Pseudomonas konnten den Wirkstoff hier nicht metabolisieren. Ein Anstieg der Pseudomonas Population wurde nach einer Fenamiphos Behandlung nicht ermittelt. Der Mangel der Surfactant Produktion der bodenbürtigen Bakterien könnte ein Grund für den fehlenden biologischen Abbau sein. Folglich, könnten nur vereinzelte Pseudomonas spp. Stämme Nematizide abbauen. In weiteren Versuchen wurden aus deutschen Böden, die zuvor häufig mit Fenamiphos behandelt wurden, 17 Fenamiphos abbauende Bakterienstämme isoliert. Diese Bakterien bauten den Fenamiphos schnell ab. Weitere Versuche zeigten, dass ein Bakterienstamm den Wirkstoff als Kohlenstoffquelle für sein Wachstum nutzte. DNA Profile der Fenamiphos abbauenden Bakterienstämme wiesen 5 verschiedene RFLP Muster auf. Diese Bakterien wurden als Microbacterium, Sinorhizobium, Brevundimonas, Ralstonia oder Cupriavidus Spezies anhand ihrer partiellen 16S rRNA Gensequenzen identifiziert. Phylogenetische Analysen mit die Bakterien zeigten enge Verwandtschaft mit einander und haben gezeigt dass die Bakterien stammten von dem gleichen Vorfahren ab. Multiple Sequenz Analyse von den Fenamiphos abbauenden Bakterien ergaben identische Nucleotide Regionen mit Bakterien von ein Genebank. Die Fenamiphos abbauenden Bakterien bauten das neuartige Organophosphate Nematizid Fosthiazate nicht ab wodurch eine Fenamiphos Spezifizierung der Bakterien nachgewiesen werden konnte. Jedoch, in den Böden, in denen zuvor die Fenamiphos abbauenden Bakterien isoliert wurden, wurde der Wirkstoff Fosthiazate, aufgrund des hohen Mikroorganismen Anteil im Boden, abgebaut. Applikationen von Pflanzen revitalisierenden Mitteln erhöhte die mikrobielle Biomasse im Boden. Das frühe Eindringen des Wurzelgallen Nematoden Meloidogyne incognita wurde gehemmt. Der Abbau von Fenamiphos wurde verzögert. Zusammenfassend zeigte diese Arbeit, dass spezifische bodenbürtige Bakterien sich an bestimmte Nematizide anpassen und deren Wirkstoff als Kohlenstoffquelle für sich nutzen können. Dieser Effekt verlangsamte sich mit veränderter Populationsdichte der Mikroorganismen. Die Diversität durch Applikation von biologischen Pflanzenfördern hemmte den Nematodenbefall selbst wenn nicht Nematizid abbauende Stämme im Boden vorkommen

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries(1,2). However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world(3) and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health(4,5). However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol-which is a marker of cardiovascular riskchanged from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million-4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.Peer reviewe

Global variations in diabetes mellitus based on fasting glucose and haemogloblin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but may identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening had elevated FPG, HbA1c, or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardised proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed, and detected in survey screening, ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the agestandardised proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global gap in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance.peer-reviewe

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30–79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. Findings The number of people aged 30–79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306–359) million women and 317 (292–344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584–668) million women and 652 (604–698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55–62) of women and 49% (46–52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43–51) of women and 38% (35–41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20–27) for women and 18% (16–21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. Interpretation Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings

Global variation in diabetes diagnosis and prevalence based on fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c

: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but these measurements can identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening, had elevated FPG, HbA1c or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardized proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed and detected in survey screening ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the age-standardized proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c was more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global shortfall in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions