Biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum strain FA 1132 as an enhancer of oil palm growth

Agricultural products are mostly and adversely affected by environmental pollution caused by chemicalresidues of pesticides which are used for plant disease management. Consequently, researchers look foralternative approaches of disease control such as biocontrol agents. The results of this study showed thatconidial suspension of the soil borne fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain FA 1132 can control Ganodermaboninense which causes basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm. The conidial suspension treatment wasapplied by using Trichoderma-incorporated surface mulch. The disease severity index value (DSI) showedthat Ganoderma infected the root as early as at week 5, with a DSI value of 8.3%, while physical symptomsappeared in leaf at week 8. However, no disease symptom was observed in T. harzianum strain FA1132 treatedplants and it also markedly increased oil palm root and leaf weights

Minimally invasive versus transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects:a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Limited data exists demonstrating the efficacy of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to transcatheter (TC) closure of atrial septal defects (ASD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare post-operative outcomes of MIS versus TC repair in ASD closure. METHODS: PubMed, Medline and EMBASE were searched from inception until June 2018 for randomised and observational studies comparing post-operative outcomes for MIS and TC repair. The studies were reviewed for bias using the ROBINS-I Score and pooled in a meta-analysis using STATA (version 15). RESULTS: Six observational studies, involving 1524 patients assessing three primary and five secondary outcomes were included. Evidence suggests TC repair yielded shorter hospital stay (MD = 3.32, 95% CI 1.04–5.60) and lower rates of transient atrial fibrillation (AF) (RR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.20–1.15). TC repair patients also had fewer pericardial effusions (RR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.05–1.54, I(2) = 0.0%) and pneumothoraxes (RR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.04–0.80, I(2) = 0.0%). However, TC repair results in more minor residual shunts (RR = 6.04, 95% CI 1.69–21.63 in favour of MIS, I(2) = 39.0%). No differences were found for incidences of strokes (RR = 1.58, 95% CI 0.23–10.91, I(2) = 19.3%), unexpected bleeding (RR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.19–1.04, I(2) = 0.0%) and blood transfusion (RR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.09–1.59, I(2) = 0.0%). CONCLUSIONS: MIS closure for ASD has similar outcomes compared to TC repair. However, the lack of randomised literature related to MIS versus TC repair for ASD closure warrants further evidence in the form of RCTs to further support these findings

Predictors of Long‐term Adherence to Evidence‐based Cardiovascular Disease Medications in Outpatients With Stable Atherothrombotic Disease: Findings From the REACH Registry

Background Despite overall improvements in cardiovascular‐disease therapies and outcomes, medication nonadherence remains an important barrier to effective secondary prevention of atherothrombotic disease. Hypothesis Long‐term medication adherence in outpatients with stable atherothrombotic disease is impacted by demographic and clinical factors. Methods We examined data from the prospective international Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health ( REACH ) Registry. Analyses were derived from 25 737 patients with established atherothrombotic disease with complete adherence data at enrollment and at year 4. Adherence was defined as patients' self‐report of taking medications based on class I American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for secondary prevention as defined, including antiplatelet agents, statins, and antihypertensive medications. Results Among patients with atherothrombotic disease, 12 500 (48.6%) were deemed adherent to guideline‐recommended medications. Adherent patients were younger, white, and had less polyvascular disease. Hispanic and East Asian patients were less likely to be adherent as compared with white patients (odds ratio [ OR ]: 0.72, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 0.59‐0.88; and OR : 0.67, 95% CI : 0.53‐0.83, respectively). Patients who had a nonfatal MI or underwent coronary angioplasty/stenting during follow‐up were more likely to be adherent compared with patients without these events ( OR : 1.73, 95% CI : 1.25‐2.38; and OR : 2.15, 95% CI : 1.72‐2.67, respectively). On the other hand, nonfatal stroke during follow‐up was inversely associated with adherence ( OR : 0.77, 95% CI : 0.61‐0.97). Conclusions Using a large international registry of outpatients with atherothrombotic disease, we found that age, region, race/ethnicity, and incident cardiovascular events were predictive of long‐term guideline adherence for secondary prevention, suggesting that certain patient groups may benefit from targeted interventions to improve adherence.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102180/1/clc22217.pd

Giant Vertebral Notochordal Rest: Magnetic Resonance and Diffusion Weighted Imaging Findings

A giant vertebral notochordal rest is a newly described, benign entity that is easily confused with a vertebral chordoma. As microscopic notochordal rests are rarely found in adult autopsies, the finding of a macroscopic vertebral lesion is a new entity with only seven previously presented cases. We report here radiological findings, including diffusion weighted images, of a patient with a giant notochordal remnant confined to the L5 vertebra, with an emphasis on its distinction from a chordoma

Characterization of Anisotropic Damage Behaviour of Recycled Aluminium Alloys AA6061 Undergoing High Velocity Impact

It is impossible to ignore the realm of the topics related recycling aluminium scraps. The recycled form of this material can be a good replacement for the primary resources due to the economic and environmental benefits. Numerous investigation must be conducted to establish the mechanical behaviour before the specific applications can be identified. In this research, Taylor Cylinder Impact tests used to investigate anisotropic damage behaviour in recycled aluminium alloy is presented. To be specific, by performing Taylor Cylinder Impact test at velocities ranging from 190m/s to 300m/s, anisotropic and damage characteristics can be observed in the samples as a function of the large stress, strain, and strain-rate gradient. The application of Taylor Cylinder Impact test as a technique to validate both the constitutive and dynamic fracture responses in such materials is also discussed. The structure of recycled aluminium AA6061 including the damage initiation and evolution are observed under optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results revealed that the damage evolution of the material change with the increasing impact velocity. Further, the digitised footprint analysis showed a pronounced anisotropic characteristic of the recycled aluminium AA6061

Underutilization of gastroprotection for at-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: Spain compared with the United States

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 689–695Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the preferred agents for the prevention of aspirin-associated upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Data are limited to determine whether PPIs are being used to reduce UGIB risk.To evaluate the implementation of PPI treatment to reduce the GI risk in two cardiology centres from Europe and the United States.A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out at the University of Michigan and University Hospital-Zaragoza in 429 consecutive patients hospitalized for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on dual antiplatelet therapy.Admission for PPI co-therapy was similar (34% vs. 30%) in both centres. At discharge, the proportion of high-risk patients receiving PPI therapy in the Spanish centre (75.4%) was higher than their American peers (55.6%) (OR: 2.5; 95% CI; 1.3–4.7). No differences in PPI prescription rates were found among Spanish patients with/without GI risk factors. The opportunity to initiate PPI co-therapy in high-risk patients was missed in 81.8% (36/44) of those not on PPI at admission in US patients vs. 24.1% (19/79) ( P  <   0.0001) in Spanish patients.There are important differences concerning PPI prescription and risk stratification in the two centres when managing PCI patients. Efforts to stratify risks and utilize appropriate strategies for UGIB prophylaxis in high-risk patients are warranted.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79078/1/j.1365-2036.2010.04393.x.pd

Suspected caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) in a Boer cross kid: a case report

A 1 week old male Boer cross breed goat weighing 3 kg was managed intensively in a cemented enclosure. The case was presented to the Ambulatory Unit of the Large Animal Ward, University Veterinary Hospital (UVH), Universiti Putra Malaysia. The kid was fed with colostrum. The patient was presented with swollen knee joint on both forelimbs, series of intermittent seizures, paddling, opisthotonus and torticollis. There was also loss of menace response and pupillary light reflex which indicates loss of sight of both eyes. The kid died and post mortem was conducted with the findings of severe congestion of the brain and spinal cord, mild congestion of the lung, kidney, liver and gastrointestinal tract. There were swelling of the knee joint of both forelimbs and suppurative synovial fluids. Histology revealed there were severe generalised congestion of the lung, brain and spinal cord. There were thickening of the intra-alveolar septa with some inflammatory cells and evidence of spongiosis in the central nervous system

Cloning transcripts encoding chitinases from Elaies guineensis Jacq. and their expression profiles in response to fungal infections

We have cloned three cDNAs encoding chitinases from oil palm, EgCHI1, EgCHI2, and EgCHI3. The abundance of transcripts encoding all three chitinases was relatively higher in oil palm root tissues treated with either Ganoderma boninense or Trichoderma harzianum singly compared to that of untreated oil palm root tissues at 5 week post inoculation (wpi). The expression of EgCHI1 and EgCHI2 was also up-regulated in oil palm roots treated with a combination of G. boninense and T. harzianum at 2, 5 and 8 wpi. The up-regulation of chitinases understudied was likely a universal response of host plant to fungal attack

Spatiotemporal droplet dispersion measurements demonstrate face masks reduce risks from singing

COVID-19 has restricted singing in communal worship. We sought to understand variations in droplet transmission and the impact of wearing face masks. Using rapid laser planar imaging, we measured droplets while participants exhaled, said ‘hello’ or ‘snake’, sang a note or ‘Happy Birthday’, with and without surgical face masks. We measured mean velocity magnitude (MVM), time averaged droplet number (TADN) and maximum droplet number (MDN). Multilevel regression models were used. In 20 participants, sound intensity was 71 dB for speaking and 85 dB for singing (p  85% reduction wearing face masks. Droplet transmission varied widely, particularly for singing. Masks decreased TADN by 99% (p < 0.001) and MDN by 98% (p < 0.001) for singing and 86–97% for other tasks. Masks reduced variance by up to 48%. When wearing a mask, neither singing task transmitted more droplets than exhaling. In conclusion, wide variation exists for droplet production. This significantly reduced when wearing face masks. Singing during religious worship wearing a face mask appears as safe as exhaling or talking. This has implications for UK public health guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Elucidation of Musa acuminata cv. Berangan root infection by FOC (Tropical Race 4) by RNA sequencing and analysis

Musa acuminata cv. Berangan (AAA) is a type of banana locally grown in Malaysia. These bananas as well as Musa acuminata cv. Cavendish (AAA) are also facing a major threat from a typical soil borne fungus identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (FocR4). Its characteristics as a complex pathogen manifesting as subtypes or races are the main reasons its infections are difficult to control. Genome sequence availability of the double haploid Musa acuminata originating from Pahang has become very useful to analyse RNA-seq reads and to identify the transcriptome profile of the host response between different groups was accomplished using RNA-Seq technology based on the Illumina HiSeqTm 2000 platform. Three sets of libraries derived from infected and mock infected plants (experimental groups) between different time points (0, 48, 96 h) shows over forty million reads were generated, each corresponding to coverage of >4,000,000,000 to <8,000,000,000 bases. About 0.10-66% reads were mapped to Musa acuminata DH Pahang genome sequence. This study provides the statistical analysis of the sequence reads. Based on this information, further analysis on gene expression patterns influenced by Foc race infection within the tested groups and time points will help in the understanding of the host pathogenic responses. In future discovery on many new genes for diagnosis of plant infection could be achieved through excessive transcriptomic data