Salivary Glucose Oxidase from Caterpillars Mediates the Induction of Rapid and Delayed-Induced Defenses in the Tomato Plant

Caterpillars produce oral secretions that may serve as cues to elicit plant defenses, but in other cases these secretions have been shown to suppress plant defenses. Ongoing work in our laboratory has focused on the salivary secretions of the tomato fruitworm, Helicoverpa zea. In previous studies we have shown that saliva and its principal component glucose oxidase acts as an effector by suppressing defenses in tobacco. In this current study, we report that saliva elicits a burst of jasmonic acid (JA) and the induction of late responding defense genes such as proteinase inhibitor 2 (Pin2). Transcripts encoding early response genes associated with the JA pathway were not affected by saliva. We also observed a delayed response to saliva with increased densities of Type VI glandular trichomes in newly emerged leaves. Proteomic analysis of saliva revealed glucose oxidase (GOX) was the most abundant protein identified and we confirmed that it plays a primary role in the induction of defenses in tomato. These results suggest that the recognition of GOX in tomato may represent a case for effector-triggered immunity. Examination of saliva from other caterpillar species indicates that saliva from the noctuids Spodoptera exigua and Heliothis virescens also induced Pin2 transcripts

Risk factors associated with failing pre-transmission assessment surveys (pre-TAS) in lymphatic filariasis elimination programs: Results of a multi-country analysis.

Achieving elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem requires a minimum of five effective rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) and demonstrating low prevalence in subsequent assessments. The first assessments recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are sentinel and spot-check sites-referred to as pre-transmission assessment surveys (pre-TAS)-in each implementation unit after MDA. If pre-TAS shows that prevalence in each site has been lowered to less than 1% microfilaremia or less than 2% antigenemia, the implementation unit conducts a TAS to determine whether MDA can be stopped. Failure to pass pre-TAS means that further rounds of MDA are required. This study aims to understand factors influencing pre-TAS results using existing programmatic data from 554 implementation units, of which 74 (13%) failed, in 13 countries. Secondary data analysis was completed using existing data from Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Haiti, Indonesia, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda. Additional covariate data were obtained from spatial raster data sets. Bivariate analysis and multilinear regression were performed to establish potential relationships between variables and the pre-TAS result. Higher baseline prevalence and lower elevation were significant in the regression model. Variables statistically significantly associated with failure (p-value ≤0.05) in the bivariate analyses included baseline prevalence at or above 5% or 10%, use of Filariasis Test Strips (FTS), primary vector of Culex, treatment with diethylcarbamazine-albendazole, higher elevation, higher population density, higher enhanced vegetation index (EVI), higher annual rainfall, and 6 or more rounds of MDA. This paper reports for the first time factors associated with pre-TAS results from a multi-country analysis. This information can help countries more effectively forecast program activities, such as the potential need for more rounds of MDA, and prioritize resources to ensure adequate coverage of all persons in areas at highest risk of failing pre-TAS

Revisiting ‘place’ in a realist novel: ‘Thinking space’ in Galdós’s Torquemada en la hoguera (1889)

Departing from the premise that Galdós’s close engagement with space and place deserves to be at the forefront of scholarly attention, this article provides an in-depth study of their significance in Torquemada en la hoguera. It begins by analysing the relationship between the novel’s locations and the real world, demonstrating that the author codes the city of Madrid to express social concerns and promote reader engagement. It then proceeds to examine the public and private spheres, before highlighting the “place of the imagination” in the novel. It reveals that, as in Galdós’s press articles, reality is used as a springboard in Torquemada en la hoguera and, drawing upon recent theories, it posits that places serve as a framework for engaging readers with contemporary concerns and as an imaginative springboard for Galdós. They trigger what is effectively a “thinking space” for the author and it is through unravelling their significance that we can fully appreciate Galdós’s psychological sensitivity, the novel’s modernity, its symbolic value, and imaginative depth. The article concludes by proposing that Galdós’s works deserve to be re-examined as “Novels of the Geographical Imagination” and urges readers to revisit the significance of space and place therein

Pediatric Patients with Behavioral Emergencies: Who’s Coming in and What Happens While They’re Here?

Introduction: Children and adolescents evaluated in the emergency department (ED) represent a vulnerable population, especially when presenting for psychiatric symptoms. For these patients the ED environment may be stressful and lacking in needed resources. Data describing children seen within the ED are currently limited; this study aims to describe the pediatric patient population treated for mental health concerns within one ED, which may promote better-tailored treatment and support resources in the future.Methods: The study describes 339 visits generated over two months in 2017 at LAC+USC Medical Center. We reviewed charts to determine each child’s stated age and gender, as well as whether the patient belonged to one or more vulnerable subpopulations. The factors of interest included involvement with the social services and legal systems, history of psychological trauma, diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and whether the patient required a “behavioral code” during his or her visit.Results: The study determined that 76.1% of the charts included at least one risk factor assessed during our review. Males were more likely than females to present by the age of 11, while the opposite was true for patients age 12-17. We also determined that 38% of patients had been involved with child protective services, or a regional center (system for individuals with developmental disabilities), or the juvenile justice system, and that 5.6% were involved with multiple systems. Two hundred twenty-five patients had experienced psychological trauma, with 30 patients carrying an official diagnosis of PTSD. Of behavior codes called, 23% were for ASD patients, with these patients being far more likely to display dangerous behaviors in the ED compared with neurotypical children.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a majority of children evaluated in our ED for psychiatric concerns also belonged to at least one vulnerable subpopulation. Especially striking was that behavioral codes were far more likely to be called for ASD patients than neurotypical patients, implying that EDs that work with this population may benefit from extra training in preventing and managing agitated behavior in children with ASD

Pediatric Patients with Behavioral Emergencies: Who’s Coming in and What Happens While They’re Here?

Introduction: Children and adolescents evaluated in the emergency department (ED) represent a vulnerable population, especially when presenting for psychiatric symptoms. For these patients the ED environment may be stressful and lacking in needed resources. Data describing children seen within the ED are currently limited; this study aims to describe the pediatric patient population treated for mental health concerns within one ED, which may promote better-tailored treatment and support resources in the future.Methods: The study describes 339 visits generated over two months in 2017 at LAC+USC Medical Center. We reviewed charts to determine each child’s stated age and gender, as well as whether the patient belonged to one or more vulnerable subpopulations. The factors of interest included involvement with the social services and legal systems, history of psychological trauma, diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and whether the patient required a “behavioral code” during his or her visit.Results: The study determined that 76.1% of the charts included at least one risk factor assessed during our review. Males were more likely than females to present by the age of 11, while the opposite was true for patients age 12-17. We also determined that 38% of patients had been involved with child protective services, or a regional center (system for individuals with developmental disabilities), or the juvenile justice system, and that 5.6% were involved with multiple systems. Two hundred twenty-five patients had experienced psychological trauma, with 30 patients carrying an official diagnosis of PTSD. Of behavior codes called, 23% were for ASD patients, with these patients being far more likely to display dangerous behaviors in the ED compared with neurotypical children.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a majority of children evaluated in our ED for psychiatric concerns also belonged to at least one vulnerable subpopulation. Especially striking was that behavioral codes were far more likely to be called for ASD patients than neurotypical patients, implying that EDs that work with this population may benefit from extra training in preventing and managing agitated behavior in children with ASD

Flipping a Single Lecture in a Survey Course to Active Learning: Do the Benefits Justify the Costs?

Health education has seen a surge of interest in active learning strategies like the flipped classroom. In response to the need for physical distancing in the age of COVID-19, schools are rapidly shifting to web-based and video technology, sometimes without being able to predict the outcomes of this change. The objectives of this pilot experiment were to (1) compare active learning (AL) methods versus traditional lecture for transmitting and retaining knowledge in the introductory pre-clinical medical school curriculum and (2) weigh whether the costs required to flip instruction were justified by learning gains. The authors took a 2 h lecture for first-year medical students and converted half of it into an AL format. In-person lecture and active learning groups were compared in terms of student knowledge at pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. Costs for first-time delivery and anticipated costs for repeat delivery of each format were calculated. Students' gains in knowledge increased in both groups, though more by lecture (control) than via AL. Delivering a single hour of new AL costs 3.4 times that of a new lecture. Repeat offerings of the AL intervention were estimated to cost 5.4 times that of the repeat lecture. The 1 h AL session was less effective than the 1 h lecture for knowledge acquisition and retention at 6-month follow-up. The AL was more expensive to produce and to repeat. Future research needs to evaluate the impact of AL with a larger N, control group, structured faculty/resident procedures, and assessment of gaining and applying attitudes and skills in addition to knowledge

Relative expression of <i>Pin2</i> on different MicroTom tissues 24 and 48

<p> <b>h after wounding and treatment application. </b><b>A:</b> Wounded leaf; <b>B:</b> Green fruit; <b>C:</b> red fruit, <b>D:</b> Flower receptacle. Error bars represent ±SE.</p

Relative expression of <i>Pin2</i> in MicroTom leaves 24 and 48

<p> <b>h after </b><b><i>H.zea</i></b><b> feeding (Fisher's P<0.05 following ANOVA).</b> Error bars represent mean ±SE.</p