A Preliminary Account on the Sanitary Status of Stone Fruits at the Clonal Genebank in Harrow, Canada

Field observations and laboratory tests were carried out in Harrow to evaluate the sanitary status of the Clonal Genebank collection of stone fruit. The presence of viruses and viroids was determined by ELISA, tissueprinting hybridization and GF305 woody indexing. A total of 645 trees (197 peach and nectarine, 183 sweet and sour cherries, 106 plum, 106 apricot, and 53 other cherries) were tested by ELISA for the presence of Plum pox virus (PPV), Prunus necrotic ring spot virus (PNRSV) and Prune dwarf virus (PDV). No evidence of PPV infection was found in the collection. PNRSV and PDV were frequently detected in single and mixed infections. The overall average of virus infection rate was 20.3%. A total of 336 trees (116 peach and nectarine, 84 sweet and sour cherries, 54 plum, 44 apricot, and 38 other cherries) were tested by tissue printing hybridization for the presence of Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd). Thirty samples were infected, 28 peaches and nectarines with PLMVd and 2 apricots with HSVd. This is the first report to date, of HSVd presence in Canada. Finally, 114 (38.4%) out of 297 tested accessions were found infected with at least one virus and/or viroid

Pome fruit viruses in Bosnia and Herzegovina

During autumn 2005 and summer 2006, field surveys were carried out to assess the sanitary status of pome fruit trees in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inspections were done in the main pome fruit growing areas including 10 orchards, 2 nurseries and one varietal collection. A total of 65 apple and 50 pear cultivars were tested by biological indexing for the presence of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) and Apple mosaic virus (ApMV). The average infection level was 81%. Both species showed a similar infection rate (83% for apple and 78% for pear). The most frequent viruses of apple were ACLSV (72%) and ASPV (69%), and of pear ASGV (69%) and ACLSV (64%). The same samples were also tested by ELISA, with a lower virus detection rate compared to the biological indexing. Multiplex RT-PCR results of 20 randomly selected apple cultivars were in line with biological indexing. Results of our surveys report for the first time th e presence of ACLSV, ASPV, ASGV and ApMV on pome fruits in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Keywords: Malus, biological indexing, ELISA, multiplex RT-PCR, sanitary statu

Perceived clinician-patient communication in the emergency department and subsequent post-traumatic stress symptoms in patients evaluated for acute coronary syndrome

Objectives: Evaluation for a potentially life-threatening cardiac event in the emergency department (ED) is a stressful experience that can result in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which are associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients. No study has tested whether good clinician–patient communication in the ED is associated with better psychological outcomes in these individuals and whether it can mitigate other risk factors for post-traumatic stress symptoms (PSS) such as perception of life threat and vulnerability in the ED. Methods: Data were analysed from 474 participants in the Reactions to Acute Care and Hospitalization (REACH) study, an observational cohort study of ED predictors of medical and psychological outcomes after evaluation for suspected acute coronary syndrome. Participants were recruited from November 2013 to January 2015 at a single-site academic medical centre (New York-Presbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center). Participants reported threat perceptions in the ED and provided information on their perceptions of clinician–patient communication using the Interpersonal Process of Care Survey. PSS were assessed using the Acute Stress Disorder Scale during follow-up. Results: 474 subjects were enrolled in the study. Median length of follow-up was 3 days after ED presentation, range 0–30 days, 80% within 8 days. Perceptions of good clinician–patient communication in the ED were associated with lower PSS, whereas increased threat perception was associated with higher PSS. A significant interaction between clinician–patient communication and threat perception on PSS suggested that patients with higher threat perception benefited most from good clinician–patient communication. Conclusion: Our study found an association between good clinician–patient communication in the ED during evaluation of potentially life-threatening cardiac events and decreased subsequent post-traumatic stress reactions. This association is particularly marked for patients who perceive the greatest degree of life threat and vulnerability during evaluation

Occurrence of Stone Fruit Viroids in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tissue-imprint hybridization (TIH) assays were used to determine the occurrence and incidence of Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) in stone fruit trees in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our collections included trees of plum, peach, cherries, apricot, myrobalan and blackthorn from 33 commercial orchards and 2 nurseries, in the areas of Banja Luka, Gradacac, Sarajevo and Mostar. Of the 410 trees assayed, 44 (11%) tested positive by TIH assays. PLMVd was detected in 39 peach trees, including two old (seed grown) vineyard peach trees (Prunus persica subsp. vulgaris). Tests for HSVd were positive in 3 apricot and 2 plum trees. PLMVd was widely distributed throughout the country. In contrast, HSVd was found only in the northern part of the country. Both native and imported cultivars of Prunus were infected. This is the first record of PLMVd and HSVd in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a separate experiment, peach trees with PLMVd were monitored in the autumn, winter and spring seasons, with tissue imprints of leaf petioles, dormant cuttings and forced sprouts from dormant cuttings. Irrespective of the tissues assayed, nearly all samples tested positive for PLMVd

Control of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita and Weeds in Protected Cucumber with Dimethyl Disulfide (DMDS) over Two Crop Cycles: The First Results in Hungary

The effectiveness of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) to control root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and weeds was tested for the first time in Hungary in two consecutive protected cucumber crops with application made only before the first crop. The treatments were Accolade EC (DMDS 94.1%) at 400 l/ha applied by driplines, Nemathorin 10 G (fosthiazate) at 30 kg/ha, and an untreated control. During the first cucumber cycle vigour-index, yield, root-gall index, Meloidogyne juveniles in the soil and germination of weeds were evaluated. All considered parameters were significantly improved by using DMDS compared respectively to the chemical standard and untreated control: (i) vigour-index of 7.0, 4.3 and 3.6; (ii) cumulative yield/sample of 45.1 kg, 30.9 kg, and 16.6 kg; root-gall index (RGI) of 1.2, 4.9, and 5.9; (iii) M. incognita J2/25 g soil of 0.25, 48.5 and 78.0, and (iv) number of weed seedlings/sample in the 20–30 cm soil profile of 1.1, 2.6, and 4.2. During the second cucumber crop, only root-gall index was evaluated. Results showed that a single DMDS treatment applied before the first crop had a prolonged beneficial effect on the following crop. In the second crop cycle, root gall indices were 5.58, 9.18, and 8.44 for DMDS treated plots, chemical control and untreated control, respectively

Simultaneous detection of the three ilarviruses affecting stone fruit trees by nonisotopic molecular hybridization and multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction

[EN] The three most economically damaging ilarviruses affecting stone fruit trees on a worldwide scale are the related Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), Prune dwarf virus (PDV), and Apple mosaic virus (ApMV). Nonisotopic molecular hybridization and multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methodologies were developed that could detect all these viruses simultaneously. The latter technique was advantageous because it was discriminatory. For RT-PCR, a degenerate antisense primer was designed which was used in conjunction with three virus-specific sense primers. The amplification efficiencies for the detection of the three viruses in the multiplex RT-PCR reaction were identical to those obtained in the single RT-PCR reactions for individual viruses. This cocktail of primers was able to amplify sequences from all of the PNRSV, ApMV, and PDV isolates tested in five Prunus spp. hosts (almond, apricot, cherry, peach, and plum) occurring naturally in single or multiple infections. For ApMV isolates, differences in the electrophoretic mobilities of the PCR products were observed. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified products of two representative ApMV isolates was determined, and comparative analysis revealed the existence of a 28-nucleotide deletion in the sequence of isolates showing the faster electrophoretic mobility. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the simultaneous detection of three plant viruses by multiplex RT-PCR in woody hosts. This multiplex RT-PCR could be a useful time and cost saving method for indexing these three ilarviruses, which damage stone fruit tree yields, and for the analysis of mother plants in certification programs.We thank Drs. P.H. Berger and P.J. Shield for providing the ApMV clone and Dr. S. Scott for the PDV clone. We also thank P. Thomas and M.W. van der Heidjen for help with the English version of the manuscript. This work was supported by grant BIO99-0854 from the Spanish granting agency DGICYT. F.A. and J.A. S-N. were the recipients of fellowships from the Ministerio de Educacion y Cultura of Spain. M. S. was supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CIHEAM/IAMB.Saade, M.; Aparicio Herrero, F.; Sánchez-Navarro, JA.; Herranz Gordo, MC.; Myrta, A.; Di Terlizzi, B.; Pallás Benet, V. (2000). Simultaneous detection of the three ilarviruses affecting stone fruit trees by nonisotopic molecular hybridization and multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Phytopathology. 90(12):1330-1336. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO.2000.90.12.133013301336901

Detection by tissue printing hybridization of Pome fruit viroids in the mediterranean basin

Available data on the incidence and biodiversity of pome fruit viroids in the Mediterranean basin are limited. Before starting a research survey to fill this gap, a tissue-printing hydridization (TPH) method to detect Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd), Pear blister canker viroid (PBCVd) and Apple dimple fruit viroid (ADFVd) has been developed and validated. Afterward, TPH was used in large-scale indexing of pome fruit viroids in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malta, Lebanon and Turkey. A total of about 1,000 trees was randomly collected and tested. Positive results obtained by TPH were confirmed by at least one additional detection method (RT-PCR and/or Northern-blot hybridization) and viroids were finally identified by sequencing full-length cDNA clones. PBCVd was detected in 13%, 12.4% and 5.4% of the tested pear trees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malta and Turkey, respectively, showing a wider diffusion of this viroid than expected. In contrast, ASSVd was never detected and ADFVd was only found in symptomatic trees (cv. Starking Delicious) in Lebanon, confirming a restricted presence of these viroids in the Mediterranean basin. Altogether, these data support the use of TPH as an easy and valuable tool for exploring pome fruit viroid spread. Keywords: Viroid disease, viroid spread, pome fruit trees, detection methods, molecular hybridizatio

Ubiquitous neurocognitive dysfunction in familial adenomatous polyposis: proof-of-concept of the role of APC protein in neurocognitive function

Background: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by germline mutations in the APC gene. Patients with FAP have multiple extraintestinal manifestations that follow a genotype-phenotype pattern; however, few data exist characterizing their cognitive abilities. Given the role of the APC protein in development of the central nervous system, we hypothesized that patients with FAP would show differences in cognitive functioning compared to controls. Methods: Matched case-control study designed to evaluate cognitive function using the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-4, the Bateria III Woodcock-Munoz, and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions-Adult. Twenty-six individuals with FAP (mean age = 34.2 +/- 15.0 years) and 25 age-gender and educational level matched controls (mean age = 32.7 +/- 13.8 years) were evaluated. Results: FAP-cases had significantly lower IQ (p = 0.005). Across all tasks of the Bateria III Woodcock-Munoz, FAP-cases performed significantly lower than controls, with all of the summary scores falling in the bottom quartile compared to controls (p \u3c 0.0001). Patients with FAP scored within the deficient range for Long-Term Retrieval and Cognitive Fluency. Conclusion: APC protein has an important role in neurocognitive function. The pervasive nature of the observed cognitive dysfunction suggests that loss or dysfunction of the APC protein impacts processes in cortical and subcortical brain regions. Additional studies examining larger ethnically diverse cohorts with FAP are warranted

First Report on «Hop Stunt Viroid» (HSVd) from Some Mediterranean Countries

Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) has a very wide host range including most stone fruit trees. Among them, apricot is one of the most important host crops in the Mediterranean basin. In this study non-isotopic molecular hybridisation revealed, for the first time, the presence of HSVd on apricot in four Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Greece, Morocco and Turkey). The results obtained by this technique were confirmed by northern-blot and RT-PCR analyses. The data presented in this work indicate a wider geographical distribution of this viroid than hitherto known and emphasise the need for this kind of study as part of the control effort