Genotypic difference in secondary metabolism-related enzyme activities and their relative gene expression patterns, osmolyte and plant hormones in wheat.

Salinity and drought are the two most important and frequently co-occurring abiotic factors. A greenhouse pot experiment was carried out on two contrasting wheat genotypes (Jimai22, salt tolerant; Yangmai20, salt sensitive) to analyze the effect of drought (4% soil moisture content, D) and salinity (100 mM NaCl, S) either individually or combined on secondary metabolism-related enzyme activities and osmolytes. Results showed that drought, salinity and their combination (D + S) caused increases in phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.24) activities compared with controls with a greater enhancement in Jimai22 than Yangmai20. Polyphenol peroxidase (PPO, EC 1.14.18.1) and shikimate dehydrogenase (SKDH, EC 1.1.1.25) activities increased more in Jimai22 both under salinity alone and D + S stresses. The D + S combination increased cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD, EC 1.1.1.195) activity and glycine betaine (GB) under both 10 and 4% soil moisture contents (SMC), and elevated abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and flavonoid contents at 4% SMC in Jimai22, contents of the compounds remained unchanged in Yangmai20. The treatment with salinity alone at both SMCs significantly increased callose and flavonoid contents in Jimai22 more than in Yangmai20, as compared to controls. In addition, the total phenol content at 4% SMC increased in the salt-tolerant genotype more. Moreover, total tocopherol under salinity alone and D + S at 4% SMC and chitinase activity under salinity at both SMC remarkably increased in Jimai22 while non-significant change observed in Yangmai20. Also, the expression of genes related to secondary metabolism (PAL, PPO, CAD, SKDH, and GB) was more induced in Jimai22 than Yangmai20 under D + S, and lower accumulation of H2 O2 and O2 - also occurred. Our findings suggest that high tolerance to D + S stress in Jimai22 was closely related to enhanced secondary metabolism-related enzyme activities and osmolytes such as PAL, CAD, PPO, SKDH, GB, total tocopherol, callose, plant hormones and their transcript level, which may beneficial to lower the reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation.

Differences in physiological and biochemical characteristics in response to single and combined drought and salinity stresses between wheat genotypes differing in salt tolerance.

The combined drought and salinity stresses pose a serious challenge for crop production, but the physiological mechanisms behind the stresses responses in wheat remains poorly understood. Greenhouse pot experiment was performed to study differences in genotype response to the single and combined (D + S) stresses of drought (4% soil moisture, D) and salinity (100 mM NaCl, S) using two wheat genotypes: Jimai22 (salt tolerant) and Yangmai20 (salt-sensitive). Results showed that salinity, drought and/or D + S severely reduces plant growth, biomass and net photosynthetic rate, with a greater effect observed in Yangmai20 than Jimai22. A notable improvement in water use efficiency (WUE) by 239, 77 and 103% under drought, salinity and D + S, respectively, was observed in Jimai22. Moreover, Jimai22 recorded higher root K+ concentration in drought and salinity stressed condition and shoot K+ under salinity alone than that of Yangmai20. Jimai22 showed lower increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, but higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and guaicol peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), under single and combined stresses, and catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) under single stress. Our results suggest that high tolerance of Jimai22 in both drought and D + S stresses is closely associated with larger root length, higher Fv/Fm and less MDA contents and improved capacity of SOD and POD. Moreover, under drought Jimai22 tolerance is firmly related to higher root K+ concentration level and low level of Na+ , high-net photosynthetic rate and WUE as well as increased CAT and APX activities to scavenge reactive oxygen species.

Presence of obesity is associated with lower mortality in elderly patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

BACKGROUND: Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, yet an inverse relationship between obesity and survival after cardiovascular events has been described. It is unclear whether a similar relationship exists for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) at high risk for mortality. We aimed to assess the impact of BMI on mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization in patients with ICD. METHODS: Patients who underwent ICD implantation in 2010-2011 were divided into normal (<25 kg m-2), overweight (25-29.9 kg m-2) and obese (⩾30 kg m-2) groups based on BMI. Clinical parameters were compared and long-term outcomes were determined using χ2 test, Wilcoxon's rank-sum test, logistic regression models and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: Of 904 patients (mean age 67±13 years), 26% had normal BMI, 32% were overweight and 42% were obese. No significant baseline differences in ventricular ejection fraction, ICD for primary or secondary prevention, history of heart failure, syncope or cardiac arrest existed. Despite a greater prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and prior myocardial infarction, the obese and overweight groups had lower mortality (10.1% and 7.9%, respectively) than the normal group (22.9%, P<0.001). On multivariate logistic regression, BMI in the obese and overweight range (odds ratio (OR): 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-0.58 and OR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.13-0.40, respectively) was protective against mortality, whereas history of diabetes (OR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.30-3.09), myocardial infarction (OR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.11-2.80), heart failure (OR: 3.88; 95% CI: 1.56-9.66), stroke (OR: 3.19; 95% CI: 1.63-6.23) and history of cardiac arrest (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.37-5.15) were independent risk factors for higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A paradoxical relationship between BMI and mortality risk is present in elderly patients with ICD at high risk of sudden death with a lower mortality in obese or overweight patients than in those with normal BMI.

Visual field defects after selective amygdalohippocampectomy and standard temporal lobectomy.

BACKGROUND: Selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) is increasingly performed in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis. To determine whether visual field defects are less pronounced after SelAH than after standard temporal lobectomy (StTL), we retrospectively analyzed postoperative quantitative visual fields after the 2 procedures. METHODS: Humphrey visual field analysis was obtained postoperatively in 18 patients who had undergone SelAH and in 33 patients who had undergone StTL. The SelAH was performed via a transcortical approach through the middle temporal gyrus and included the amygdala, 3 cm of the hippocampus, and the parahippocampal gyrus. The visual field pattern deviation was used for analysis. We considered a defect clinically significant if there were 3 contiguous coordinates affected at the 5% level or 2 at the 1% level. RESULTS: All but 2 of 18 patients who had undergone SelAH had homonymous superior quadrantic visual field defects contralateral to the side of the surgery. One patient had no defects by our criteria, and one had a mild defect that reached significance only in the ipsilateral eye. The averaged defect affected mostly coordinates close to the vertical meridian with relative sparing of points close to the horizontal meridian. All but 3 of the 33 patients who had undergone StTL had homonymous superior quadrantic visual field defects. One patient had no defects; 2 had defects that reached significance in only one eye. The averaged defect involved all points in the affected quadrant, but was also greater near the vertical meridian. Of 13 tested visual field coordinates, 4 were significantly less affected by SelAH in the ipsilateral eye and 3 in the contralateral eye. The coordinates close to the horizontal meridian were significantly spared by SelAH. CONCLUSIONS: Visual field defects are very common after SelAH but are significantly less pronounced than after StTL. In particular, the visual field close to the horizontal meridian is relatively spared in SelAH.

Comparative efficacy and safety of chloroquine and alternative antimalarial drugs: a meta-analysis from six African countries.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the currently used antimalarial drugs in six African countries. DESIGN: A meta-analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The role of efficacy, safety and cost on the selection of antimalarial drugs. RESULTS: The comparative efficacy study showed that amodiaquine (with > 90% cure rate) was superior to chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine at seven days schedule. The efficacy of amodiaquine was also observed to be comparable to that of mefloquine and halofantrine. The parasite clearance time (PCT) of these drugs ranged between two days and a week and the fever clearance time (FCT) was within 48 hours. The recrudescence rate at D14-D21 was found to be 12-17% in chloroquine and amodiaquine, while sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine showed a trend similar to halofantrine and mefloquine (0-12% recrudescence rate). Similarly, a big difference was also noted in the cost of the different antimalarial drugs. The pharmacokinetic data, however, showed that they are of similar profile, except in adverse features and contraindications, and values like their half-life (t1/2) where the long (t1/2) in drugs like sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine endows them with suppressive-cure feature, especially against recrudescent strains. Nevertheless, as these data are obtained from resident population in Africa, who however naive are exposed to few malaria challenges in their life, the results should not be directly extrapolated to total non immunes such as visitors from Europe. CONCLUSION: The choice of alternative antimalarial drugs should be mainly based on their relative efficacy, safety and cost.

PIP: A meta-analysis study evaluating the efficacy and safety of chloroquine and alternative antimalarial drugs used in six African countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Cote D'Ivoire, Gambia and Nigeria is presented. Findings from the six countries showed a higher efficacy of amodiaquine and quinine (over 90%) in malaria treatment compared to chloroquine, which was found to be 70% or more effective. The efficacy of amodiaquine can also be compared to other antimalarial drugs such as mefloquine and halofantrine. Data showed that fever clearance time of these drugs was less than 2 days, but parasite clearance time ranged from 2.5 days to 1 week. Recrudescence rate also varied among the different drugs. This is a very important indicator in determining which drug can be used for prophylactic or suppressive treatment of malaria. Pharmacokinetic profile demonstrates that all these drugs have similar therapeutic effects, but differ in their adverse reactions, contraindications, and half-life. A significant difference was also noted in the cost of these antimalarial drugs; chloroquine was the cheapest, while halofantrine was the most expensive among the drugs. Based on these results, the study recommends that different aspects of antimalarial drugs have to be considered before deciding which drug is the best alternative treatment.

Parasight-F dipstick antigen test in the diagnosis of falciparum malaria in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the shelf life, rapidity and diagnostic performance of ParaSight-F. DESIGN: Prospective randomised study. SETTINGS: Malaria diagnostic and treatment posts and health centres in central-southern part of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eighty two subjects randomly selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Double blind evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of PFT versus CBF. RESULTS: The point prevalence was found to be 29.7% with species dominance of P. falciparum to P. vivax in the ratio of 4:1. The ParaSight-F test showed, considering P. falciparum only, a sensitivity of 92.5% and specificity of 93%. A remarkably high positive predictive value (PPV) of 82% as well as a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99% was obtained. Considering all species of Plasmodium, sensitivity was 78.6% and specificity 93%, with PPV and NPV of 82% and 91% respectively. Moreover, PFT was found to be rapid with a batch of ten-strips--a rack completed in 30 to 50 minutes, which was five to six times faster than CBF reading. In shelf-life studies, after one year of storage at room temperature, results were found similar to the original readings, indicating the stability and long durability of the test strips. CONCLUSION: In their durability and high diagnostic performances, both the microscopic slide readings and PFT were found comparable and interchangeable, and advantage in endemic areas where laboratory facilities are not available. The rapidity of PFT may be of greater value during malaria epidemics. But during non-epidemic seasons, the inability of PFT not to detect all forms of malaria remains a draw back.

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: a case report.

A 45 year old male patient presented with shock and abdominal mass to emergency medical Out Patient Department of the Police Force General Hospital in March 1996. This patient was diagnosed to have ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and died shortly after admission. There have been, to our knowledge, no published data from Ethiopia regarding rupture of aortic aneurysm. We therefore present the first case. The clinical presentation, course and literature review will be presented.

Stiffness of desiccating insect wings.

The stiffness of insect wings is typically determined through experimental measurements. Such experiments are performed on wings removed from insects. However, the wings are subject to desiccation which typically leads to an increase in their stiffness. Although this effect of desiccation is well known, a comprehensive study of the rate of change in stiffness of desiccating insect wings would be a significant aid in planning experiments as well as interpreting data from such experiments. This communication presents a comprehensive experimental analysis of the change in mass and stiffness of gradually desiccating forewings of Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui). Mass and stiffness of the forewings of five butterflies were simultaneously measured every 10 min over a 24 h period. The averaged results show that wing mass declined exponentially by 21.1% over this time period with a time constant of 9.8 h, while wing stiffness increased linearly by 46.2% at a rate of 23.4 µN mm(-1) h(-1). For the forewings of a single butterfly, the experiment was performed over a period of 1 week, and the results show that wing mass declined exponentially by 52.2% with a time constant of 30.2 h until it reached a steady-state level of 2.00 mg, while wing stiffness increased exponentially by 90.7% until it reached a steady-state level of 1.70 mN mm(-1).

Parametric structural modeling of insect wings.

Insects produce thrust and lift forces via coupled fluid-structure interactions that bend and twist their compliant wings during flapping cycles. Insight into this fluid-structure interaction is achieved with numerical modeling techniques such as coupled finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics, but these methods require accurate and validated structural models of insect wings. Structural models of insect wings depend principally on the shape, dimensions and material properties of the veins and membrane cells. This paper describes a method for parametric modeling of wing geometry using digital images and demonstrates the use of the geometric models in constructing three-dimensional finite element (FE) models and simple reduced-order models. The FE models are more complete and accurate than previously reported models since they accurately represent the topology of the vein network, as well as the shape and dimensions of the veins and membrane cells. The methods are demonstrated by developing a parametric structural model of a cicada forewing.