Strip Cropping: A Potential IPM Tool for Reducing Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Infestations in Cassava

Insect pests and diseases are a major limiting factor to cassava production in Africa. The cassava mosaic virus disease (CMVD), caused by cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) (Geminiviridae: Begomovirus) and transmitted by whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, threatens the production of the crop in Africa, causing an estimated annual yield loss of over 1.5 billion US dollars. A 6-month field experiments were conducted to explore the potential of using strip cropping to reduce whitefly infestations in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae). Five rows each of cassava, Jatropha and cotton were grown around a 10-row (1 m row width) × 25 m cassava plots in a randomized complete block design. At weekly intervals, the levels of whiteflies infestations (number of eggs, nymphs and adults) per plot were determined. A significantly lower numbers of immature (egg and nymph) and adult Bemisia tabaci were found in cassava plots surrounded on all sides by five rows of both cotton and Jatropha curcas, clearly demonstrating the potential of strip cropping as a management option for the suppression of Bemisia tabaci populations

Nutrition Strategies for Triathlon

Contemporary sports nutrition guidelines recommend that each athlete develop a personalised, periodised and practical approach to eating that allows him or her to train hard, recover and adapt optimally, stay free of illness and injury and compete at their best at peak races. Competitive triathletes undertake a heavy training programme to prepare for three different sports while undertaking races varying in duration from 20 min to 10 h. The everyday diet should be adequate in energy availability, provide CHO in varying amounts and timing around workouts according to the benefits of training with low or high CHO availability and spread high-quality protein over the day to maximise the adaptive response to each session. Race nutrition requires a targeted and well-practised plan that maintains fuel and hydration goals over the duration of the specific event, according to the opportunities provided by the race and other challenges, such as a hot environment. Supplements and sports foods can make a small contribution to a sports nutrition plan, when medical supplements are used under supervision to prevent/treat nutrient deficiencies (e.g. iron or vitamin D) or when sports foods provide a convenient source of nutrients when it is impractical to eat whole foods. Finally, a few evidence-based performance supplements may contribute to optimal race performance when used according to best practice protocols to suit the triathlete’s goals and individual responsiveness

Osmoregulators proline and glycine betaine counteract salinity stress in canola

Salt inundation leads to increased salinization of arable land in many arid and semi-arid regions. Until genetic solutions are found farmers and growers must either abandon salt-affected fields or use agronomic treatments that alleviate salt stress symptoms. Here, field experiments were carried out to study the effect of the osmoregulators proline at 200 mg L-1 and glycine betaine at 400 mg L-1 in counteracting the harmful effect of soil salinity stress on canola plants grown in Egypt. We assessed growth characteristics, yield and biochemical constituents. Results show first that all growth characters decreased with increasing salinity stress but applied osmoregulators alleviated these negative effects. Second, salinity stress decreased photosynthetic pigments, K and P contents, whilst increasing proline, soluble sugars, ascorbic acid, Na and Cl contents. Third, application of osmoregulators without salt stress increased photosynthetic pigments, proline, soluble sugars, N, K and P contents whilst decreasing Na and Cl contents. It is concluded that the exogenously applied osmoregulators glycine betaine and proline can fully or partially counteract the harmful effect of salinity stress on growth and yield of canola.© INRA and Springer-Verlag, France 2012

Activation of Type 1 Cannabinoid Receptor (CB1R) promotes neurogenesis in murine subventricular zone cell cultures

The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the modulation of adult neurogenesis. Here, we describe the effect of type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) activation on self-renewal, proliferation and neuronal differentiation in mouse neonatal subventricular zone (SVZ) stem/progenitor cell cultures. Expression of CB1R was detected in SVZ-derived immature cells (Nestin-positive), neurons and astrocytes. Stimulation of the CB1R by (R)-(+)-Methanandamide (R-m-AEA) increased self-renewal of SVZ cells, as assessed by counting the number of secondary neurospheres and the number of Sox2+/+ cell pairs, an effect blocked by Notch pathway inhibition. Moreover, R-m-AEA treatment for 48 h, increased proliferation as assessed by BrdU incorporation assay, an effect mediated by activation of MAPK-ERK and AKT pathways. Surprisingly, stimulation of CB1R by R-m-AEA also promoted neuronal differentiation (without affecting glial differentiation), at 7 days, as shown by counting the number of NeuN-positive neurons in the cultures. Moreover, by monitoring intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+](i)) in single cells following KCl and histamine stimuli, a method that allows the functional evaluation of neuronal differentiation, we observed an increase in neuronal-like cells. This proneurogenic effect was blocked when SVZ cells were co-incubated with R-m-AEA and the CB1R antagonist AM 251, for 7 days, thus indicating that this effect involves CB1R activation. In accordance with an effect on neuronal differentiation and maturation, R-m-AEA also increased neurite growth, as evaluated by quantifying and measuring the number of MAP2-positive processes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CB1R activation induces proliferation, self-renewal and neuronal differentiation from mouse neonatal SVZ cell cultures.Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia - Portugal [POCTI/SAU-NEU/68465/2006, PTDC/SAU-NEU/104415/2008, PTDC/SAU-NEU/101783/2008, POCTI/SAU-NEU/110838/2009]; Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian [96542]; Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologiainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clinical presentation, demographics and outcome of Tuberculosis (TB) in a low incidence area: a 4-year study in Geneva, Switzerland

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in developed countries has decreased since the 1990s, reflecting worldwide efforts to identify and treat TB according to WHO recommendations. However TB remains an important public health problem in industrialized countries with a high proportion of cases occurring among subjects originating from high prevalence countries. The aim of this study was to describe clinical and social characteristics of patients with TB and their outcome in a low incidence area with a high immigration rate.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Four-year retrospective study based on a computerized database and subsequent review of medical records of all patients with TB followed at the outpatient section of the Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>252 patients (84% foreigners, 25% asylum seekers) aged 38 ± 19 yrs were studied (11% co-infected with HIV). TB was intrapulmonary (TBP) in 158 cases (63%), extrapulmonary (TBE) in 137 (54%), and both in 43 cases (17%). TBP was smear (S)+/culture (C)+ in 59%, S-/C+ in 37%, S-/C- in 4%. Smoking was significantly associated with cavitary disease.</p> <p>Time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 2.1 ± 3.1 months. Initially, 10% were asymptomatic; 35% had no general symptoms. Despite systematic sputum analysis (induced or spontaneous), TBP was confirmed only by bronchoscopy in 38 subjects (24% of TBP). Side effects requiring changes in treatment occurred in 38 cases (11%).</p> <p>Treatment was completed in 210 (83%) patients. In 42 cases, follow up was unsuccessful; causes were: failure (n = 2; 0.8%), defaulters (n = 8; 3%), transfer out (n = 28; 11%) and death (n = 4; 1.6%). Relapse rate was 0.24 per 100 patient-years. Considering S+ TBP only, success rate was 87%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TB in our area is predominantly a disease of young foreign-born subjects. Smoking appears as a possible risk factor for cavitary TBP. Time to diagnosis remains long. Compliance to treatment is satisfactory. Success rate for S+ TBP is within WHO objectives.</p

Internet-based medical education: a realist review of what works, for whom and in what circumstances

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The Medical Action Ontology: A tool for annotating and analyzing treatments and clinical management of human disease

\ua9 2023Background: Navigating the clinical literature to determine the optimal clinical management for rare diseases presents significant challenges. We introduce the Medical Action Ontology (MAxO), an ontology specifically designed to organize medical procedures, therapies, and interventions. Methods: MAxO incorporates logical structures that link MAxO terms to numerous other ontologies within the OBO Foundry. Term development involves a blend of manual and semi-automated processes. Additionally, we have generated annotations detailing diagnostic modalities for specific phenotypic abnormalities defined by the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO). We introduce a web application, POET, that facilitates MAxO annotations for specific medical actions for diseases using the Mondo Disease Ontology. Findings: MAxO encompasses 1,757 terms spanning a wide range of biomedical domains, from human anatomy and investigations to the chemical and protein entities involved in biological processes. These terms annotate phenotypic features associated with specific disease (using HPO and Mondo). Presently, there are over 16,000 MAxO diagnostic annotations that target HPO terms. Through POET, we have created 413 MAxO annotations specifying treatments for 189 rare diseases. Conclusions: MAxO offers a computational representation of treatments and other actions taken for the clinical management of patients. Its development is closely coupled to Mondo and HPO, broadening the scope of our computational modeling of diseases and phenotypic features. We invite the community to contribute disease annotations using POET (https://poet.jax.org/). MAxO is available under the open-source CC-BY 4.0 license (https://github.com/monarch-initiative/MAxO). Funding: NHGRI 1U24HG011449-01A1 and NHGRI 5RM1HG010860-04

RadioImmunotherapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma: a single-institution series of combined treatment with cetuximab

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Local control in adjuvant/definitive RT of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is largely dose-dependent. However, some clinical situations do not allow application of tumouricidal doses (i.e. re-irradiation) hence radiation sensitization by exploitation of high endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expression in ACC seems beneficial. This is a single-institution experience of combined radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with the EGFR-inhibitor cetuximab.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between 2006 and 2010, 9 pts received RIT for advanced/recurrent ACC, 5/9 pts as re-irradiation. Baseline characteristics as well as treatment parameters were retrieved to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of the combination regimen were evaluated. Control rates (local/distant) and overall survival were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median dose was 65 Gy, pts received a median of 6 cycles cetuximab. RIT was tolerated well with only one °III mucositis/dysphagia. Overall response/remission rates were high (77,8%); 2-year estimate of local control was 80% hence reaching local control levels comparable to high-dose RT. Progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years and median overall survival were only 62,5% and 22,2 mo respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>While local control and treatment response in RIT seems promising, PFS and overall survival are still hampered by distant failure. The potential benefit of RIT with cetuximab warrants exploration in a prospective controlled clinical trial.</p

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Rice LRR-Kinases

LRR-kinases constitute the largest subfamily of receptor-like kinases in plants and regulate a wide variety of processes related to development and defense. Through a reiterative process of sequence analysis and re-annotation, we identified 309 LRR-kinase genes in the rice genome (Nipponbare). Among them, 127 genes in the Rice Annotation Project Database and 85 in Refseq of NCBI were amended (in addition, 62 LRR-kinase genes were not annotated in Refseq). The complete set of LRR-kinases was characterized. These LRR-kinases were classified into five groups according to phylogenetic analysis, and the genes in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 usually have fewer introns than those in group 5. The introns in the LRR domain, which are highly conserved in regards to their positions and configurations, split the first Leu or other amino residues at this position of the ‘xxLxLxx’ motif with phase 2 and usually separate one or more LRR repeats exactly. Tandemly repeated LRR motifs have evolved from exon duplication, mutation and exon shuffling. The extensive distribution and diversity of the LRR-kinase genes have been mainly generated by tandem duplication and mutation after whole genome duplication. Positive selection has made a limited contribution to the sequence diversity after duplication, but positively selected sites located in the LRR domain are thought to involve in the protein-protein interaction