The soil microbiome modulates the sorghum root metabolome and cellular traits with a concomitant reduction of Striga infection.

Sorghum bicolor is among the most important cereals globally and a staple crop for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 20% of sorghum yield is lost annually in Africa due to infestation with the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. Existing Striga management strategies are not singularly effective and integrated approaches are needed. Here, we demonstrate the functional potential of the soil microbiome to suppress Striga infection in sorghum. We associate this suppression with microbiome-mediated induction of root endodermal suberization and aerenchyma formation and with depletion of haustorium-inducing factors, compounds required for the initial stages of Striga infection. We further identify specific bacterial taxa that trigger the observed Striga-suppressive traits. Collectively, our study describes the importance of the soil microbiome in the early stages of root infection by Striga and pinpoints mechanisms of Striga suppression. These findings open avenues to broaden the effectiveness of integrated Striga management practices.

Vancomycin- and Poly(simvastatin)-Loaded Scaffolds with Time-Dependent Development of Porosity.

Biodegradable scaffolds are widely use in drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. The scaffolds can be modified to provide the necessary mechanical support for tissue formation and to deliver one or more drugs to stimulate tissue formation or for the treatment of a specific condition. In the current study, we developed biodegradable scaffolds that have the potential for dual drug delivery. The scaffolds consisted of simvastatin-containing prodrug, poly(simvastatin) entrapped in poly(ß-amino ester) (PBAE) porogen particles and vancomycin encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres, which were fused together around the PBAE porogens to create a slow-degrading matrix. Upon hydrolysis, poly(simvastatin) releases simvastatin acid, which has angiogenic and osteogenic properties, while the PLGA microspheres release vancomycin as an antibacterial agent. Degradation of PBAE porogens through hydrolysis of ester linkages led to the development of porosity in a controlled manner and led to water penetration that facilitated hydrolysis of PLGA. Higher porogen loading (~60% by weight) gave rise to ~70% interconnected porosity with pore spacing of ~180 µm. This open volume facilitated simvastatin acid release upon hydrolysis and entrapped vancomycin release via diffusion through and degradation of PLGA. During the study, ~162 µg of simvastatin acid and ~18 mg vancomycin were released from the highest porosity scaffolds. Bioactivity studies showed that released simvastatin acid stimulated preosteoblastic activity, indicating that scaffold fabrication did not damage the polymeric prodrug. Regarding mechanical properties, compressive modulus, failure strain, and failure stress decreased with increasing PBAE porogen content. These dual drug releasing scaffolds with controlled development of microarchitecture can be useful in bone tissue engineering applications.

Biodegradable Simvastatin-Containing Polymeric Prodrugs with Improved Drug Release.

Simvastatin was previously converted to a polymeric prodrug with higher drug loading, but the hydrophobic nature of the poly(simvastatin) component of the block copolymer led to slow release of the drug in vitro. In this study, we hypothesized that degradation could be accelerated by chemically modifying the polymer backbone by introducing glycolide and lactide comonomers. Copolymers were formed by ring-opening polymerization using 5 kDa monomethyl ether poly(ethylene glycol) as the microinitiator in presence of triazabicyclodecene catalyst. In addition to simvastatin, modified reaction mixtures contained lactide or glycolide. Incorporation of the less hydrophobic glycolide comonomer led to in vitro degradation of up to two times greater mass loss, release of up to ~7 times more simvastatin, and a 2-3 times increase in compressive modulus compared to the lactide-containing and parent polymers.

Chronic pain following abdominal free flap breast reconstruction: a prospective pilot analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain after breast reconstruction is an ill-defined process which can generate significant patient morbidity and disability. The purpose of this study was to examine chronic, persistent pain in a prospective study of free flap breast reconstruction patients, in an effort to identify possible points of intervention and counseling. METHODS: We performed a prospective study evaluating function, quality of life, and satisfaction in patients undergoing abdominally based autologous reconstruction between 2006 and 2010. Using the short form 36, we examined the presence of chronic body pain (>4 months) as well as overall mental and physical health. Patients with debilitating pain were compared to those without in a post hoc analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 399 women underwent reconstruction during the study period, with 149 enrolling and having long-term follow-up in this portion of the prospective study. Twenty-six (17%) of 149 patients experienced chronic body pain that was moderately debilitating after autologous reconstruction, making it one of the most common complications experienced in this cohort. No differences were noted in demographics, medical history, procedure type, history of axillary surgery, radiation treatment, surgical outcomes, or follow-up time between the cohorts. However, patients with chronic pain were found to have higher preoperative pain scores (P < 0.0001) and lower physical, mental, and overall health scores across time points. All scores significantly worsened with time in comparison to the cohort without pain, who, in contrast showed score improvement across all areas. Although pain issues trended toward being noted in postoperative visits more frequently in the chronic pain cohort (37% vs 19%, P = 0.051), only 1 (4.2%) patient was referred for pain service consultation. Additionally, satisfaction with reconstruction was significantly lower in patients who demonstrated chronic pain (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Factors contributing to chronic pain continue to be elusive and understudied. Our data demonstrate the importance of screening for chronic pain, as we determined that preoperative pain is linked to increased, moderately debilitating postoperative chronic pain. Persistent chronic pain, in turn, is associated with significant morbidity, disability, and dissatisfaction. Such patients with pain issues may benefit from additional preoperative counseling and early involvement of the pain service.

An alternative position for the BIS-Vista montage in frontal approach neurosurgical cases.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate placement of the bispectral index (BIS)-vista montage for frontal approach neurosurgical procedures is a neuromonitoring challenge. The standard bifrontal application interferes with the operative field; yet to date, no other placements have demonstrated good agreement. The purpose of our study was to compare the standard BIS montage with an alternate BIS montage across the nasal dorsum for neuromonitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors performed a prospective study, enrolling patients and performing neuromonitoring using both the standard and the alternative montage on each patient. Data from the 2 placements were compared and analyzed using a Bland-Altman analysis, a Scatter plot analysis, and a matched-pair analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 2567 minutes of data from each montage was collected on 28 subjects. Comparing the overall difference in score, the alternate BIS montage score was, on average, 2.0 (6.2) greater than the standard BIS montage score (P<0.0001). The Bland-Altman analysis revealed a difference in score of -2.0 (95% confidence interval, -14.1, 10.1), with 108/2567 (4.2%) of the values lying outside of the limit of agreement. The scatter plot analysis overall produced a trend line with the equation y=0.94x+0.82, with an R coefficient of 0.82. CONCLUSIONS: We determined that the nasal montage produces values that have slightly more variability compared with that ideally desired, but the variability is not clinically significant. In cases where the standard BIS-vista montage would interfere with the operative field, an alternative positioning of the BIS montage across the nasal bridge and under the eye can be used.