Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds from Tempered and Incubated Grain Mediate Attraction by a Primary but Not Secondary Stored Product Insect Pest in Wheat.

There has been a dearth of research elucidating the behavioral effect of microbially-produced volatile organic compounds on insects in postharvest agriculture. Demonstrating attraction to MVOC's by stored product insects would provide an additional source of unique behaviorally-relevant stimuli to protect postharvest commodities at food facilities. Here, we assessed the behavioral response of a primary (Rhyzopertha dominica) and secondary (Tribolium castaneum) grain pest to bouquets of volatiles produced by whole wheat that were untempered, or tempered to 12%, 15%, or 19% grain moisture and incubated for 9, 18, or 27 days. We hypothesized that MVOC's may be more important for the secondary feeder because they signal that otherwise unusable, intact grains have become susceptible by weakening of the bran. However, contrary to our expectations, we found that the primary feeder, R. dominica, but not T. castaneum was attracted to MVOC's in a wind tunnel experiment, and in a release-recapture assay using commercial traps baited with grain treatments. Increasing grain moisture resulted in elevated grain damage detected by near-infrared spectroscopy and resulted in small but significant differences in the blend of volatiles emitted by treatments detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In sequencing the microbial community on the grain, we found a diversity of fungi, suggesting that an assemblage was responsible for emissions. We conclude that R. dominica is attracted to a broader suite of MVOC's than T. castaneum, and that our work highlights the importance of understanding insect-microbe interactions in the postharvest agricultural supply chain.

Cardiovascular risk reduction over time in patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes undergoing bariatric surgery: data from a single-center retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is effective in remission of obesity comorbidities. This study was aimed at comparing CVD risk between morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes before and after bariatric surgery as well as assessing comorbidities. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study with 105 patients with type 2 diabetes (DMbaseline) and prediabetes (preDMbaseline) who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Data were collected preoperative and then at 3,6,12,18,24,36,48, and 60 months after surgery. Anthropometric, cardiovascular and glycemic parameters were assessed. CVD risk was calculated using the Framingham Risk Score. RESULTS: Prior to surgery, 48 patients had type 2 diabetes, while 57 had pre-diabetes. Mean age was 48 (9.2) and mean BMI was 52 (7.4). 26.1% of patients had a high CVD risk. CVD risk decreased in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes at month 12 after surgery compared to the baseline risk (p < 0.001). BMI, body fat percentage, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, c-peptide, HOMA-IR, LDL-c, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure decreased during the first year after surgery. From the 12th month until the 60th, they showed a flat trend, or a very mild increase in some cases. 3.2% of patients maintained high CVD risk at 60 months. Type 2 diabetes remission was 92%. No patient of the preDMbaseline group developed type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery reduces CVD risk in type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. Given that patients with type 2 diabetes benefit the most, more studies are necessary to consider pre-diabetes as a criterion for metabolic surgery in patients with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2.

Density-mediated foraging behavioral responses of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica are cosmopolitan, destructive postharvest pests. Although research has investigated how high densities of T. castaneum affect attraction to the aggregation pheromone by conspecifics, research into the behavioral response of both species to food cues after high density exposure has been lacking despite its importance to foraging ecology. Our goal was to manipulate and observe the effects of crowding on the behavioral response of both species to common food and pheromonal stimuli and to determine how the headspace emission patterns from grain differed under increasing densities. Densities of colonies for both species was altered (10-500 adults) on a fixed quantity of food (10 g of flour or whole wheat), then the behavioral response to common food and pheromonal cues was evaluated in a wind tunnel and release-recapture experiment, while volatiles were examined through gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Importantly, at least for T. castaneum, crowded conditions attenuate attraction to food-based stimuli, but not pheromonal stimuli. Crowding seemed to have no effect on R. dominica attraction to food and pheromonal stimuli in the wind tunnel, but exposure to high density cues did elicit 2.1-3.8-fold higher captures in traps. The relative composition and abundance of headspace volatiles emitted varied significantly with different densities of beetles and was also species-specific. Overall, our results have implications for expanding our understanding of the foraging ecology of two economically important pests.

Microbial vectoring capacity by internal- and external-infesting stored product insects after varying dispersal periods between novel food patches: An underestimated risk.

Understanding the ability of internal- and external-infesting stored product insects to vector microbes is important for estimating the relative risk that insects pose to postharvest commodities as they move between habitat patches and in the landscape. Thus, the aim of the current study was to evaluate and compare the microbial growth in novel food patches at different dispersal periods by different populations of Sitophilus oryzae (e.g., internal-infesting) and Lasioderma serricorne (e.g., external-infesting). Adults of both species collected from laboratory colonies or field-captured populations were either placed immediately in a novel food patch, or given a dispersal period of 24 or 72 h in a sterilized environment before entering a surrogate food patch. Vectored microbes in new food patches were imaged after 3 or 5 days of foraging, and microbial growth was processed using ImageJ while fungal species were identified through sequencing the ITS4/5 ribosomal subunit. We found that increasing dispersal time resulted in multiple-fold reductions in microbial growth surrogate food patches by L. serricorne but not S. oryzae. This was likely attributable to higher mobility by S. oryzae than L. serricorne. A total of 20 morphospecies were identified from 13 genera among the 59 sequences, with a total of 23% and 16% classified as Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. Our data suggest that there is a persistent risk of microbial contamination by both species, which has important food safety implications at food facilities.

Attraction, mobility, and preference by Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) to microbially-mediated volatile emissions by two species of fungi in stored grain.

Insects and microbes are known to interact in a variety of ways at food facilities, compounding damage. However, little research has explicated how specific common fungal species affect the behavior of the cosmopolitan secondary stored product pest, Lasioderma serricorne. Enhanced knowledge about attraction to microbially-produced volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) may be used to manipulate insect behavior. Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides are two common, widespread pre- and postharvest fungi on small cereals that produce aflatoxins and fumonisins, respectively, while directly competing with each other for nutrients. Our goals were to (1) characterize the volatile emissions from grain inoculated by A. flavus or F. verticillioides derived from the cuticle of L. serricorne compared to uninoculated and sanitized grain, and (2) understand how MVOCs from each fungal species affects mobility, attraction, and preference by L. serricorne. Headspace collection revealed that the F. verticillioides- and A. flavus-inoculated grain produced significantly different volatiles compared to sanitized grain or the positive control. Changes in MVOC emissions affected close-range foraging during an Ethovision movement assay, with a greater frequency of entering and spending time in a small zone with kernels inoculated with A. flavus compared to other treatments. In the release-recapture assay, MVOCs were found to be attractive to L. serricorne at longer distances in commercial pitfall traps. There was no preference shown among semiochemical stimuli in a still-air, four-way olfactometer. Overall, our study suggests that MVOCs are important for close- and long-range orientation of L. serricorne during foraging, and that MVOCs may have the potential for inclusion in behaviorally-based tactics for this species.

Grain Inoculated with Different Growth Stages of the Fungus, Aspergillus flavus, Affect the Close-Range Foraging Behavior by a Primary Stored Product Pest, Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Although some research has investigated the interactions among stored product insects and microbes, little research has examined how specific fungal life stages affect volatile emissions in grain and linked it to the behavior of Sitophilus oryzae, the cosmopolitan rice weevil. Thus, our goals were to 1) isolate, culture, and identify two fungal life stages of Aspergillus flavus, 2) characterize the volatile emissions from grain inoculated by each fungal morphotype, and 3) understand how microbially-produced volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) from each fungal morphotype affect foraging, attraction, and preference by S. oryzae. We hypothesized that the headspace blends would be unique among our treatments and that this will lead to preferential mobility by S. oryzae among treatments. Using headspace collection coupled with GC-MS, we found the sexual life stage of A. flavus had the most unique emissions of MVOCs compared to the other semiochemical treatments. This translated to a higher interaction with kernels containing grain with the A. flavus sexual life stage, as well as a higher cumulative time spent in those zones by S. oryzae in a video-tracking assay in comparison to the asexual life stage. While fungal cues were important for foraging at close-range, the release-recapture assay indicated that grain volatiles were more important for attraction at longer distances. There was no significant preference between grain and MVOCs in a four-way olfactometer. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of how fungal cues affect the close and longer range foraging ecology of a primarily stored product insect.

A Systematic Review of the Behavioral Responses by Stored-Product Arthropods to Individual or Blends of Microbially Produced Volatile Cues.

Microbes are ubiquitous and play important ecological roles in a variety of habitats. While research has been largely focused on arthropods and microbes separately in the post-harvest supply chain, less attention has been paid to their interactions with each other. Up to this point, there has been no attempt to systematically describe the patterns of behavioral responses by stored-product insects to microbially produced volatile organic compounds (MVOCs). Thus, our aims were to evaluate whether stored-product arthropods were primarily and significantly attracted, repelled, or had a net neutral effect (e.g., unaffected or mixed) by MVOCs presented as (1) complex headspace blends or (2) single constituents and known mixtures. In total, we found 43 articles that contained 384 sets of tests with different combinations of methodology and/or qualitative findings, describing the behavioral responses of 24 stored-product arthropod species from two classes, four orders, and 14 families to 58 individual microbial compounds and the complex headspace blends from at least 78 microbial taxa. A total of five and four stored-product arthropod species were significantly attracted and repelled by MVOCs across odor sources, respectively, while 13 were unaffected or exhibited mixed effects. We summarize the biases in the literature, including that the majority of tests have occurred in the laboratory with a limited subset of methodology and has largely only assessed the preference of adult arthropods. Finally, we identify foundational hypotheses for the roles that MVOCs play for stored-product arthropods as well as gaps in research and future directions, while highlighting that the behavioral responses to MVOCs are complex, context-, and taxon-dependent, which warrants further investigation.

Severe protein-calorie malnutrition after gastric bypass.

Bariatric surgery achieves lasting weight loss and improves the comorbidities associated with morbid obesity. After surgery, patients can develop complications, mainly mild nutritional alterations. However, in some patients, complications can be serious and lifethreatening. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman who developed severe protein-calorie malnutrition after bariatric surgery, which required surgical reversion. The factors leading to malnutrition in this patient and the treatment options are discussed.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Weight Loss on the Complement Component C3 After Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass in Obese Patients.

BACKGROUND: The C3 complement component (C3c) is increasingly recognized as a cardiometabolic risk factor, but how it is affected after weight loss through gastric bypass is a question yet to be answered. METHODS: A total of 66 obese patients underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass. Anthropometric parameters, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, liver enzymes, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and C3c levels were evaluated at baseline and at 1 and 5 years post-surgery. RESULTS: All anthropometric and biochemical parameters improved significantly after surgery, although a deterioration was detected with respect to the percentage of excess of weight loss, insulin, TC, LDLc, and lactate dehydrogenase 5 years post-surgery. Despite this, a remission rate of 84 % was observed in the presence of metabolic syndrome after 5 years follow-up. hsCRP and C3c were reduced significantly after surgery and maintained throughout the experimental period. In addition, C3c was correlated with BMI and insulin at all time points. The multivariate regression model, in which C3c was a dependent variable, revealed that aspartate aminotransferase and BMI were independent variables at baseline, alkaline phosphatase and insulin were independent at 1 year post-surgery, and insulin, BMI, and TC were independent at 5 years post-surgery. CONCLUSIONS: C3c may be a marker of the chronic inflammatory process underlying insulin resistance. Its association with BMI and liver enzymes supports a major role in metabolic activity, although future research is needed to clarify the nature of the molecular mechanisms involved and the physiological significance of these findings.

Insulin-induced normoglycemia reduces islet number needed to achieve normoglycemia after allogeneic islet transplantation in diabetic mice.

The Edmonton protocol established that insulin independence could be reached with the transplantation of an appropriate number of islet cells. However, to effect a cure, islets from two or three pancreases are needed. The aim of this study was to examine whether normoglycemia, with insulin treatment before and after transplantation, reduces the islet number needed to achieve normoglycemia in allogeneic islet transplantation. Swiss mice were used as donors and recipients. Diabetes was induced by i.p. administration of streptozotocin (180 mg/kg BW). Diabetic mice were transplanted with 300 (n = 16), 400 (n = 16), or 500 (n = 16) islets under the left kidney capsule. For every group, half the animals were kept normoglycemic with insulin treatment from day 4 before transplantation to day 10 after transplantation. At the end of the study, all normoglycemic mice were given an i.p. glucose tolerance test (IPGTT). For statistical analysis, paired or unpaired Student's t-test or ANOVA was used. Only insulin-treated mice achieved normoglycemia by the end of the study (37.5% of animals transplanted with 400 islets and 50% transplanted with 300 or 500 islets). At the end of the study, normoglycemic mice transplanted with 300 allogeneic islets showed better glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) than did normoglycemic mice transplanted with 500 islets (300 islets: 2.7 +/- 0.2%; 500 islets: 3.6 +/- 0.2%; p < 0.05). After the IPGTT, insulin-treated mice transplanted with 500 islets showed abnormal glucose tolerance; however, insulin-treated mice transplanted with 300 or 400 islets showed normal glucose tolerance. Insulin treatment reduced the islet number needed to achieve normoglycemia in allogeneic islet transplantation. The HbA1C and IPGTT results suggest that transplanting smaller numbers of allogeneic islets improves beta-cell function; some studies suggest that this may be due to lower immunogenicity, hypoxia, and inflammation.

Relation between the bowel electromyogram and the intestinal pressure wave. An experimental study in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: A linear regression study is made of the parameters identifying the electrical activity of the small bowel, with the aim of determining those variables most closely related to the type I pressure waves. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A computer system was used for the simultaneous and real time acquisition of the manometric activity (using microballoons implanted in the bowel mucosa) and electromyogram of the intestine (employing bipolar electrodes implanted in the intestinal serosa) in dogs. RESULTS: Of the electromyogram intestinal parameters studied, those determining signal energy (root mean square voltage and energy) yielded the highest correlation coefficients (0.71 +/- 0.08 in the jejunum and 0.78 +/- 0.06 in the duodenum) to bowel pressure. Peak-to-peak voltage also shows good correlation, though to a lesser degree. The rest of the parameters studied, such as those that measure the duration of the action potential or its number of peaks, yielded poor correlations to pressure. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the energy of the intestinal electromyogram represents the mechanical activity of the small bowel, reflecting intestinal motility, and that the recording of this parameter is not subjected to subjective cutoff values or threshold levels. On the other hand, and unlike in the case of manometric recordings, the signal obtained is free of background interference and noise.

[Unusual metastasis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma]. / Metástasis poco habituales del carcinoma diferenciado de tiroides.

Distant metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer are usually localised in the lung and bone; less common sites of metastases are the brain, liver, and skin. To find it in other sites it is exceptional. This work shows the clinical, histological and therapeutical characteristic of primary tumour in three cases of non-typical distant metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer. Follicular thyroid carcinoma was displayed in two cases, the first presented one metastases in right adrenal gland and the second in left kidney. Both cases were initially treated only with hemithyroidectomy, without posterior radioiodine. In one case, elevated serum thyroglobulin did not receive radioiodine treatment because Whole-Body Scintigraphy was negative. The thirst case was a papillary thyroid carcinoma treated with total thyroidectomy, ablative radioiodine and suppressor therapy with levothyroxine. However, posterior evolution was unfavourable and tumour presented metastases in common and less common sites like choroid. Histological study showed tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. In summary, when the initial treatment of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma it is inaccurate, it is possible to find common and less common sites metastases. Some variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma, like tall cell, have a worse prognosis and they can present metastases in less common sites.

The optimal age for performing surgery on patients with MEN 2B syndrome.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes are characterized by the association of various endocrine neoplasias. Prophylactic thyroidectomy is the treatment of choice for patients with RET gene mutations. The age at which patients undergo prophylactic thyroidectomy may vary depending on the position of the RET gene codon. In cases of MEN 2B, when the mutation is carried in codons 883, 918 or 922, prophylactic thyroidectomy is performed prior to 6 months of age, due to the increased aggressiveness of these heterozygosities, which are capable of determining the onset of medullary cancer during the first months of life. We present two heterozygous twin patients with MEN 2B syndrome who were born 32 weeks premature, and who underwent prophylactic thyroidectomy at 7 months of age. The patients were carriers of the mutation at codon 918. We suggested the early surgery at 7 months as, due to their prematurity, the patients were required to gain weight to improve their condition prior to surgery. The two patients had medullary thyroid carcinoma without lymph node involvement. In conclusion, for a truly prophylactic thyroidectomy, such patients should undergo surgery within the first month of life, particularly if these patients are carriers of the mutation in codons 883, 918 or 922.

Insulin-Induced Normoglycemia Reduces Islet Number Needed to Achieve Normoglycemia after Allogeneic Islet Transplantation in Diabetic Mice.

The Edmonton protocol established that insulin independence could be reached with the transplantation of an appropriate number of islet cells. However, to effect a cure, islets from two or three pancreases are needed. The aim of this study was to examine whether normoglycemia, with insulin treatment before and after transplantation, reduces the islet number needed to achieve normoglycemia in allogeneic islet transplantation. Swiss mice were used as donors and recipients. Diabetes was induced by IP administration of streptozotocin (180 mg/kg BW). Diabetic mice were transplanted with 300 (n = 16), 400 (n = 16), or 500 (n = 16) islets under the left kidney capsule. For every group, half the animals were kept normoglycemic with insulin treatment from day 4 before transplantation to day 10 after transplantation. At the end of the study, all normoglycemic mice were given an IP glucose tolerance test (IPGTT). For statistical analysis, paired or unpaired Student's t-test or ANOVA was used. Only insulin-treated mice achieved normoglycemia by the end of the study (37.5% of animals transplanted with 400 islets and 50% transplanted with 300 or 500 islets). At the end of the study, normoglycemic mice transplanted with 300 allogeneic islets showed better glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) than did normoglycemic mice transplanted with 500 islets (300 islets: 2.7 ± 0.2%; 500 islets: 3.6 ± 0.2%; p < 0.05). After the IPGTT, insulin-treated mice transplanted with 500 islets showed abnormal glucose tolerance; however, insulin-treated mice transplanted with 300 or 400 islets showed normal glucose tolerance. Insulin treatment reduced the islet number needed to achieve normoglycemia in allogeneic islet transplantation. The HbA1C and IPGTT results suggest that transplanting smaller numbers of allogeneic islets improves ß-cell function; some studies suggest that this may be due to lower immunogenicity, hypoxia, and inflammation.