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The sunflower cake and palm cake are two by-products of the biodiesel industry with different profiles of fatty acids (FA). The sunflower cake has 60% of unsaturated FA and the palm cake is rich in medium-chain fatty acids. Feeding both sources to ruminants may increase FA digestibility and improve energy intake. Here, an abstract of an article by de Souza et al evaluating the interaction of the dietary supplementation of sunflower cake and palm cake on DMI and blood parameters of feedlot lambs is presented.

Brazil ranked second only to the United States in hectares planted to genetically modified crops in 2013. Recently corn producers in the Cerrado region reported that the control of Spodoptera frugiperda with Bt corn expressing Cry1Fa has decreased, forcing them to use chemicals to reduce the damage caused by this insect pest. A colony of S. frugiperda was established from individuals collected in 2013 from Cry1Fa corn plants (SfBt) in Brazil and shown to have at least more than ten-fold higher resistance levels compared with a susceptible colony (Sflab). Laboratory assays on corn leaves showed that in contrast to SfLab population, the SfBt larvae were able to survive by feeding on Cry1Fa corn leaves. The SfBt population was maintained without selection for eight generations and shown to maintain high levels of resistance to Cry1Fa toxin. SfBt showed higher cross-resistance to Cry1Aa than to Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac toxins. As previously reported, Cry1A toxins competed the binding of Cry1Fa to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) from SfLab insects, explaining cross-resistance to Cry1A toxins. In contrast Cry2A toxins did not compete Cry1Fa binding to SfLab-BBMV and no cross-resistance to Cry2A was observed, although Cry2A toxins show low toxicity to S. frugiperda. Bioassays with Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod show that they are highly active against both the SfLab and the SfBt populations. The bioassay data reported here show that insects collected from Cry1Fa corn in the Cerrado region were resistant to Cry1Fa suggesting that resistance contributed to field failures of Cry1Fa corn to control S. frugiperda.

Treatment for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in Sudan is currently recommended only for patients with persistent or severe disease, mainly because of the limitations of current therapies, namely toxicity and long hospitalization. We assessed the safety and efficacy of miltefosine combined with paromomycin and liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) for the treatment of PKDL in Sudan. An open-label, phase II, randomized, parallel-arm, non-comparative trial was conducted in patients with persistent (stable or progressive disease for ≥ 6 months) or grade 3 PKDL, aged 6 to ≤ 60 years in Sudan. The median age was 9.0 years (IQR 7.0-10.0y) and 87% of patients were ≤12 years old. Patients were randomly assigned to either daily intra-muscular paromomycin (20mg/kg, 14 days) plus oral miltefosine (allometric dose, 42 days)-PM/MF-or LAmB (total dose of 20mg/kg, administered in four injections in week one) and oral miltefosine (allometric dose, 28 days)-LAmB/MF. The primary endpoint was a definitive cure at 12 months after treatment onset, defined as clinical cure (100% lesion resolution) and no additional PKDL treatment between end of therapy and 12-month follow-up assessment. 104/110 patients completed the trial. Definitive cure at 12 months was achieved in 54/55 (98.2%, 95% CI 90.3-100) and 44/55 (80.0%, 95% CI 70.2-91.9) of patients in the PM/MF and AmB/MF arms, respectively, in the mITT set (all randomized patients receiving at least one dose of treatment; in case of error of treatment allocation, the actual treatment received was used in the analysis). No SAEs or deaths were reported, and most AEs were mild or moderate. At least one adverse drug reaction (ADR) was reported in 13/55 (23.6%) patients in PM/MF arm and 28/55 (50.9%) in LAmB/MF arm, the most frequent being miltefosine-related vomiting and nausea, and LAmB-related hypokalaemia; no ocular or auditory ADRs were reported. The PM/MF regimen requires shorter hospitalization than the currently recommended 60-90-day treatment, and is safe and highly efficacious, even for patients with moderate and severe PKDL. It can be administered at primary health care facilities, with LAmB/MF as a good alternative. For future VL elimination, we need new, safe oral therapies for all patients with PKDL. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03399955, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03399955 ClinicalTrials.gov ClinicalTrials.gov.

Two key biological features distinguish Trypanosoma evansi from the T. brucei group: independence from the tsetse fly as obligatory vector, and independence from the need for functional mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast or kDNA). In an effort to better understand the molecular causes and consequences of these differences, we sequenced the genome of an akinetoplastic T. evansi strain from China and compared it to the T. b. brucei reference strain. The annotated T. evansi genome shows extensive similarity to the reference, with 94.9% of the predicted T. b. brucei coding sequences (CDS) having an ortholog in T. evansi, and 94.6% of the non-repetitive orthologs having a nucleotide identity of 95% or greater. Interestingly, several procyclin-associated genes (PAGs) were disrupted or not found in this T. evansi strain, suggesting a selective loss of function in the absence of the insect life-cycle stage. Surprisingly, orthologous sequences were found in T. evansi for all 978 nuclear CDS predicted to represent the mitochondrial proteome in T. brucei, although a small number of these may have lost functionality. Consistent with previous results, the F1FO-ATP synthase γ subunit was found to have an A281 deletion, which is involved in generation of a mitochondrial membrane potential in the absence of kDNA. Candidates for CDS that are absent from the reference genome were identified in supplementary de novo assemblies of T. evansi reads. Phylogenetic analyses show that the sequenced strain belongs to a dominant group of clonal T. evansi strains with worldwide distribution that also includes isolates classified as T. equiperdum. At least three other types of T. evansi or T. equiperdum have emerged independently. Overall, the elucidation of the T. evansi genome sequence reveals extensive similarity of T. brucei and supports the contention that T. evansi should be classified as a subspecies of T. brucei.

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people living with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the COVID-19 risk factors and outcomes of HTLV-1-infected individuals. A retrospective study of seropositive HTLV-1 outpatients seen during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–2022) was conducted in a Tertiary Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We compared the demographic and comorbidity/risk factors in patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 diagnoses. In addition, the clinical features of COVID-19 and vaccination status were also investigated in 51 HTLV-1-infected individuals. The majority (88.2%) had COVID-19 comorbidity/risk factors. Seven cases were vaccinated against COVID-19. Overall, 19 out of 51 (37.3%) individuals were diagnosed with COVID-19. We found differences only in the frequency of anxiety in both groups: 57.9% in the COVID-19 group vs. 15.6% in the non-COVID-19 (p < 0.05) group. Thirteen out of nineteen (68%) of the COVID-19 cases progressed to mild/moderate illness, one remained asymptomatic, and 26.3% progressed to severe illness. All of the individuals recovered at home, but the majority (57.9%) developed post-COVID-19 symptoms: anosmia and ageusia (31.6%), worsening anxiety (15.8%), and a feeling of pain in the legs (15.8%). The patients with post-COVID-19 conditions were unvaccinated. Our findings show that HTLV-1 did not increase the risk of lethal COVID-19 and underline the importance of promoting mental health in HTLV-1-infected individuals.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of natural phytosanitary products (NPs) on spores and crystals of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki S-1905 (Btk S-1905). For the spore assay, NPs and bacteria were applied in combination and individually. For the combined application, Btk S-1905 + NP mixtures were inoculated on nutrient agar (NA), and for the separate applications, the NPs were spread on NA plates, which were later inoculated with the pathogen. The number of colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter was quantified after 18 h of incubation. For the crystal protein degradation assay, the Btk S-1905 + NP mixtures were added to the diet of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), and mortality was evaluated at the following time points: 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Scanning electron microscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis were carried out. Biogermex and Ecolife® reduced the CFU ml−1 in both combined and separate applications. Biogermex, Ecolife®, and Planta Clean were antagonistic to the action of bacterial toxins, and no product affected the morphology or resulted in the degradation of the crystal proteins. The remaining products evaluated did not reduce the CFU ml−1 and had additive effect when combined with the crystal toxin.

The study adapted the Family Gene Toolkit and developed a customized web application for Swiss and Korean families harboring BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants to support family communication of genetic testing results and promote cascade genetic testing among at-risk relatives. In the first step, narrative data from 68 women with BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic variants and clinician feedback informed a culturally sensitive adaptation of the content consistent with current risk management guidelines. In the second step, the Information Technology team developed the functions and the interface of the web application that will host the intervention. In the third step, a new sample of 18 women from families harboring BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic variants tested the acceptability and usability of the intervention using “think-aloud” interviews and a questionnaire. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. They provided positive feedback for the information regarding active coping, strategies to enhance family communication, interactive elements, and illustrative stories. They reported that the information was useful and the web application was easy to navigate. Findings suggest that the Family Gene Toolkit is well-designed and can increase rates of cascade testing among at-risk relatives. Its efficacy will be tested in a subsequent randomized trial.

Abstract Disclosure: S. Lustenberger: None. S. Monnerat: None. C.A. Bizzozero: None. F.A. Chapman: None. J. Santos de Jesus: None. E. Kustos-Toth: None. N. Schärer: None. J.J. Maguire: None. A.P. Davenport: None. J. Refardt: None. N. Dhaun: None. M. Christ-Crain: None. Introduction: Most cases of hyponatremia result from inappropriate arginine vasopressin (AVP) activity, leading to free water retention. The hormone apelin, secreted by the posterior pituitary, antagonizes AVP in salt and water homeostasis. Observational data in hyponatremic patients have not only shown an elevation in copeptin, a surrogate marker for AVP, but also a relative apelin deficit. The subcutaneous administration of apelin analogs in hyponatremic rodent models led to an increase in urine output and sodium levels, but data in humans are lacking. We hypothesized that restoring a physiological AVP/apelin ratio by intravenously administering exogenous [Pyr1]apelin-13 would increase urinary excretion in healthy in healthy participants with artificially-induced syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD). Methods: This is a double-blind randomized placebo controlled cross-over study involving 15 healthy adults who presented for a total of three visits. SIAD was induced with intravenous 4 µg desmopressin, oral water intake of 30 ml/kg body weight and subsequent infusion of 300 ml hypotonic (0.45%) saline. Thereafter, the study infusion with [Pyr1]apelin-13 in a concentration of 10 nmol/ml (high dose) or 1 nmol/ml (low dose) or placebo was administered during three hours in random order. Blood samples were taken every 30 minutes during the study infusion and every 60 minutes thereafter. Urine output was assessed every 60 minutes. The primary endpoint was the total urinary volume excreted from start to one hour after the end of infusion (4 hours in total). Secondary endpoints were changes in plasma sodium during the observation period of 9 hours. The analysis was conducted by fitting mixed effect models. Results: Seven of 15 participants were female (47%). Median [IQR] age was 26 years [24, 29] and median [IQR] body mass index was 23.2 kg/m2 [20.6, 27.5]. The primary analysis showed no difference in 4-hour urine output after infusion of either dose of apelin compared to placebo, i.e. mean 4-hour urine output was the highest during infusion of placebo with 173 ml (95% CI: 136 - 209) and 17 ml lower (95% CI: -52 - 19; p = 0.36) during low dose apelin and 15 ml lower (95% CI: -51 - 20; p = 0.40) during high dose apelin. In contrast, plasma sodium adjusted for sodium levels at the start of infusion significantly increased upon infusion of high dose apelin with +0.7 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.2 - 1.1, p < 0.01) over 4 hours and +1 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.5 - 1.4, p < 0.01) over the entire observation period. No differences in sodium were observed between placebo and low dose apelin. Conclusion: Intravenous apelin increases sodium levels in healthy volunteers with artificially induced SIAD, establishing it as a potential novel therapeutic option for SIAD. Presentation: Monday, July 14, 2025

An increased frequency of nontyphoidal salmonellosis is well established in cancer patients, but it is unclear whether this represents increased susceptibility to exogenous infection or opportunistic, endogenous reactivation of asymptomatic carriage. In a retrospective study, a simple case definition was used to identify the probable presence of reactivation salmonellosis in five cancer patients between 1996 and 2002. Reactivation salmonellosis was defined as the development of nosocomial diarrhea >72 h after admission and following the administration of antineoplastic chemotherapy in an HIV-seronegative cancer patient who was asymptomatic on admission, in the absence of epidemiological evidence of a nosocomial outbreak. Primary salmonellosis associated with unrecognized nosocomial transmission or community acquisition and an unusually prolonged incubation period could not entirely be ruled out. During the same time period, another opportunistic infection, Pneumocystis pneumonia, was diagnosed in six cancer patients. Presumably, asymptomatic intestinal Salmonella colonization was converted to invasive infection by chemotherapy-associated intestinal mucosal damage and altered innate immune mechanisms. According to published guidelines, stool specimens from patients hospitalized for longer than 72 h should be rejected unless the patient is neutropenic or >or=65 years old with significant comorbidity. However, in this study neutropenia was present in only one patient, and four patients were <65 years old. Guidelines should thus be revised in order not to reject stool culture specimens from such patients. In cancer patients, nosocomial salmonellosis can occur as a chemotherapy-triggered opportunistic reactivation infection that may be similar in frequency to Pneumocystis pneumonia.