Conidial Germination and Infection by Diplocarpon Rosae on Susceptible and Resistant Rose Species

Conidial germination and infection by Dipplocarpon rosae, the causal organism of rose blackspot, were examined on two resistant species of roses, Rosa roxburghii and R. wichuraiana and two susceptible hybrid tea roses (R. hybrid cv. Chicago Peace and Garden Party). Fungal conidia germinated and gave rise to subcuticular mycelium that formed haustoria within epidermal cells of all four roses tested. On the resistant rose species, epidermal cells associated with the infection site became necrotic, indicating that a hypersensitive response is involved in conferring their resistance D. rosae

Are schools and alcohol a good mix? A qualitative study of school principals’ experiences of adults’ alcohol use in Australian secondary schools

Objective: Parents, schools and the broader community influence children’s socialisation to alcohol. In Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States there have been media reports of adults consuming alcohol at family focused school events such as fairs and graduations. The aim of this qualitative study was to describe school principals’ experiences of adults’ use of alcohol at school events, when children are present. Design/setting/participants: A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken. Publicly available lists were used to invite sixty principals from government and Catholic secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. In-depth interviews were conducted and analysed thematically and reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. Results: Fourteen principals (five female, nine male) participated. Most (10) of the participating principals reported adults’ use of alcohol at events when students were present. Regarding these events, most principals reported concerns regarding potential harms and responsibility for decision making about alcohol availability in schools. Some (4) principals believed alcohol should not be present at such events and this was their practice. Half of the participating schools had recently made changes to reduce the availability or management of alcohol at school functions. Conclusions: The findings confirm the common use of alcohol by adults at school events, the challenges this poses for school principals and suggests consideration needs to be given to identifying strategies for supporting schools and school principals in decision-making regarding the conduct of such events

A new bianthron glycoside as inhibitor of Trypanosoma cruzi glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity

A phytochemical investigation of the ethanolic extract of stalks of Senna martiana Benth. (Leguminoseae), native specie of northeast Brazil, resulted in the isolation and spectroscopic characterization of a new bianthrone glycoside, martianine 1 (10,10'-il-chrysophanol-10-oxi10,10'-bi-glucosyl). Its identification was established by HRMS, IR and 2D NMR experiments. The evaluation of martianine trypanocidal activity was carried out against gliceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme from Trypanosoma cruzi. Its inhibitory constant (Ki) is in the low micromolar concentration and it was determined by isothermal titration calorimetry to be 27.3 ± 2.47 µmol L-1. The non-competitive mechanism is asserted to be putative of the mode of action martianine displays against T. cruzi GAPDH. Results show that martianine has a great potential to become new lead molecule by inhibiting this key enzyme and for the development of new drugs against Chagas disease.A investigação fitoquímica do extrato etanólico do caule de Senna martiana Benth. (Leguminoseae), espécie nativa do nordeste do Brasil, permitiu o isolamento e caracterização espectroscópica de uma biantrona inédita denominada martianina (1), 10,10'-H-bicrisofanol10-ox-10,10'-biglucosil. Sua identificação estrutural inequívoca foi estabelecida por HRMS, IV e RMN de ¹H e 13C uni e bi-dimensional. A atividade tripanocida de martianina foi avaliada por seu comportamento frente à enzima GAPDH Tc através da obtenção de sua constante de inibição (Ki) determinada por titulação calorimétrica isotérmica (27,3 ± 2,47 µmol L-1). Estes resultados sugerem que esta classe de molécula tem potencial no desenvolvimento de novos fármacos a serem utilizados contra a doença de Chagas.Universidade de São Paulo (USP) - FCFRPFUNCAPFAPES

Can we continue research in splenectomized dogs? Mycoplasma haemocanis: Old problem - New insight

We report the appearance of a Mycoplasma haemocanis infection in laboratory dogs, which has been reported previously, yet, never before in Europe. Outbreak of the disease was triggered by a splenectomy intended to prepare the dogs for a hemorrhagic shock study. The clinical course of the dogs was dramatic including anorexia and hemolytic anemia. Treatment included allogeneic transfusion, prednisone, and oxytetracycline. Systematic follow-up (n=12, blood smears, antibody testing and specific polymerase chain reaction) gives clear evidence that persistent eradication of M. haemocanis is unlikely. We, therefore, had to abandon the intended shock study. In the absence of effective surveillance and screening for M. haemocanis, the question arises whether it is prudent to continue shock research in splenectomized dogs. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Information search in a professional context – exploring a collection of professional search tasks

Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a pluralist worl

Rates of retention of persons with a mental health disorder in outpatient smoking cessation and reduction trials, and associated factors: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Smoking among persons with a mental health disorder is associated with inequitable health, social and economic burden. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard design for the assessment of healthcare intervention efficacy/effectiveness. However, many RCTs of smoking interventions for persons with a mental health disorder lack rigour due to low participant retention. No systematic review has pooled retention rates in randomised trials of smoking interventions for persons with a mental health disorder or explored associated factors. The aims of the systematic review will therefore be to: (1) summarise overall rates of participant retention in smoking cessation and reduction trials involving persons with a mental health disorder (including for experimental and control groups separately) and (2) determine if retention rates vary according to participant, environmental, researcher and study factors. Methods and analysis PsycINFO, EMBASE, MEDLINE, CENTRAL and The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Review Group Specialised Register will be searched for reports of RCTs of outpatient smoking cessation or reduction interventions for adults with a mental health disorder. The search terms will include MeSH terms and free text words, and there will be no language or date restrictions. All databases will be searched from inception to present. Data will be analysed using the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model, and where substantial heterogeneity (I2 >50%) is detected, DerSimonian & Laird inverse-variance random effects model. Pooled estimates and 95% CIs will be calculated for overall participant retention rates and for intervention and control trial arms separately. Associations between participant retention and participant, environmental, researcher and study factors will be assessed via subgroup analyses and, where sufficient data are obtained, meta-regression. Ethics and dissemination This study does not require ethical approval. The findings of this review will be disseminated via publication in a peer-reviewed open access medical journal and presentations at international scientific meetings