The global impact of scaling up HIV/AIDS prevention programs in low- and middle-income countries

A strong, global commitment to expanded prevention programs targeted at sexual transmission and transmission among injecting drug users, started now, could avert 28 million new HIV infections between 2005 and 2015. This figure is more than half of the new infections that might otherwise occur during that period in 125 low- and middle-income countries. Although preventing these new infections would require investing about U.S.$122 billion over this period, it would reduce future needs for treatment and care. Our analysis suggests that it will cost about U.S.$3900 to prevent each new infection, but that this will produce a savings of U.S.$4700 in forgone treatment and care costs. Thus, greater spending on prevention now would not only prevent more than half the new infections that would occur from 2005 to 2015 but would actually produce a net financial saving as future costs for treatment and care are averted.     

Comparative spatiotemporal analysis of the intrathecal immune response in natural listeric rhombencephalitis of cattle and small ruminants

This study examined the spatiotemporal immune response in listeric rhombencephalitis of ruminants in situ. Our data support the view that astrocytes facilitate the containment of infectious lesions. Results on the natural disease recapitulate observations in experimental rodent models and suggest that the mounted adaptive lymphocytic response of ruminants is effective in eliminating Listeria monocytogenes (LM). However, our data indicate earlier participation of the adaptive immune response, a stronger B lymphocyte contribution and a more protracted macrophage infiltration in the natural disease than it has been deduced from experimental models. Therefore, such models should be complemented by studies in natural host systems. Various macrophage and microglia subsets are involved in listeric rhombencephalitis and their differential contribution may account for species differences in clinical course and outcome of infection as might species differences in the B-cell response. Future functional ex vivo and in vitro studies are necessary to further investigate the findings obtained in the present study.     

Extract from the Zooxanthellate Jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata Modulates Gap Junction Intercellular Communication in Human Cell Cultures

On a global scale, jellyfish populations in coastal marine ecosystems exhibit increasing trends of abundance. High-density outbreaks may directly or indirectly affect human economical and recreational activities, as well as public health. As the interest in biology of marine jellyfish grows, a number of jellyfish metabolites with healthy potential, such as anticancer or antioxidant activities, is increasingly reported. In this study, the Mediterranean “fried egg jellyfish” Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri, 1778) has been targeted in the search forputative valuable bioactive compounds. A medusa extract was obtained, fractionated, characterized by HPLC, GC-MS and SDS-PAGE and assayed for its biological activity on breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKa). The composition of the jellyfish extract included photosynthetic pigments, valuable ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, and polypeptides derived either from jellyfish tissues and their algal symbionts. Extract fractions showed antioxidant activity and the ability to affect cell viability and intercellular communication mediated by gap junctions (GJIC) differentially in MCF-7and HEKa cells. A significantly higher cytotoxicity and GJIC enhancement in MCF-7 compared to HEKa cells was recorded. A putative action mechanism for the anticancer bioactivity through the modulation of GJIC has been hypothesized and its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential was discussed.     

Identification of the production chain of Asiago d'Allevo cheese by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and principal component analysis

In the present work, a rapid and simple NMR method to discriminate Asiago d'Allevo cheese samples from different production chains is described. A fast and reproducible extraction of the organic fraction was employed. By applying chemometric analysis to NMR data, it is possible to differentiate PDO Asiago cheese produced in alpine farms from that produced in lowland and mountain industrialized factories. PCA of both (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra showed a good separation of alpine farm products from the other ones, whereas the lowland and mountain industrialized cheeses are undistinguishable. The samples were differentiated on the basis of a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids, principally oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and conjugated linoleic acids for the alpine farm cheeses and a higher content of saturated fatty acids for the industrialized products. Conjugated linoleic acid and 1-pentene are also discriminating components.     

Flavonoids of white lupin roots participate in phosphorus mobilization from soil

The impact of flavonoids released by phosphorus-deficient white lupin roots on inorganic P and soil microorganisms is largely unknown. We report that flavonoids isolated from white lupin roots mobilized inorganic phosphorus and decreased soil microbial respiration, citrate mineralization, and soil phosphohydrolase activities, but did not reduce the soil ATP content. The results suggest that white lupin's release of flavonoids into the rhizosphere plays a significant role in its efficient P-acquisition strategy by solubilizing Fe-bound P and by limiting the microbial mineralization of citrate.     

Plasma lactate and purine derivatives accumulation after exercise of increasing intensity in standardbred horses

The aim of the experiment was to study the relationship between plasma lactate and allantoin accumulation in horses undergoing five exercises differing in intensity and length. Twenty-five adult trotter horses were used (18 males, two castrated, and five females), housed in three training centers. The horses were assigned to five groups: slow trot, over 2000 m (Group 1); slow trot over 1600 m (Group 2); fast trot over 1600 m (Group 3); fast trot over 2000 m (Group 4); fast trot over 2400 m (Group 5). Plasma was obtained from blood sampled at rest, at the end of the bout of exercise and after 15 and 45 minutes from the end of the bout of exercise and analyzed for glucose, lactate, uric acid, free fatty acids (FFA) and allantoin concentrations. Accumulations of plasma lactate and allantoin (mmol/sec) were calculated as difference between end of exercise and rest and between 45 minutes sample and rest, respectively.Ranking the intensity of exercise using the lactate concentrations at the end of exercise, the level of exertion was highest for Group 3 horses and lowest for Group 5 horses (20.9 and 2.8 mmol/l, respectively). At the end of exercise, glucose concentrations were much higher for horses undertaking the more intensive exercise (Groups 3 and 4 compared to Group 2). FFA concentrations were highest at the end of exercise for Groups 2 and 3 and after 15 minutes for Groups 4 and 5. Plasma uric acid and allantoin concentrations peaked 15 and 45 minutes from the end of exercise, respectively, independently of exercise intensity. The relationship between accumulation of plasma allantoin (y, dependent variables) and lactate (x, independent variable) was non-linear: y=0.15−2.61^*x+68.3^*x² (r²=0.900; se=0.19). This suggests that allantoin accumulation could be used together with plasma lactate to calibrate the workload to muscle conditions to prevent muscle injury.     

Effects of breed and different lipid dietary supplements on beef quality

Focus of this study was to evaluate the most suitable breed/crossbred and the appropriate nutritional strategies to increase marbling in beef muscle and to improve its healthy properties, in particular the n‐3 fatty acids content. One hundred and seventy‐six heifers of three crossbreed commonly reared by Emilia‐Romagna farmers: 48 Bleu Belge × Freisian (ITA), 48 Charolais × Aubrac (FRA), and 80 Angus (ANG) were used. Animals of each breed were randomly subdivided in two experimental groups that received two diets, differing for the dietary lipid source. Control group (C) received a basal diet containing protected vegetable fats, whereas treated one (T) received the same basal diet supplemented with 0.9 kg/head/day of extruded flaxseed. After slaughtering, a sample of Longissimus thoracis was collected from each animal for meat quality analysis. Our results demonstrated that, in a shorter fattening period, ANG animals obtained the best dry matter intake, average daily gain and the best fattening scores. ITA and ANG meat presented the highest marbling scores. ANG breed had the highest amount of C18:1, the highest unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio and the lowest n‐6/n‐3 ratio. The T animals, independently from breed, showed the highest amount of α‐linolenic acid (ALA). In addition, ANG‐T meat presented the highest ALA content.     

Corneal epithelial inclusion cyst in a Llama

A 13-year-old, female Llama presented for evaluation of a limbal based corneal mass involving the OD of 4 months duration. The mass was excised en bloc by a nonpenetrating keratectomy, followed by placement of a conjunctival advancement flap covering the keratectomy site. The mass was submitted for histological evaluation. Histopathology identified the mass to be a corneal epithelial inclusion cyst filled with necrotic squamous and neutrophilic debris. Surgical excision was complete and considered curative with no signs of recurrence 3 months postoperatively. There was no known prior ocular trauma; however, a previously performed corneal biopsy for evaluation of recurrent epithelial erosions may have been an initiating cause.