Symptomatology and range of the blood disease bacterium A2 HR MARDI strain (Ralstonia syzygii subsp. celebensis) on selected hosts

Bacterial wilt disease is one of the major diseases in banana. In Malaysia, banana blood disease (BBD) is caused by the blood disease bacterium (BDB) A2 HR MARDI (Ralstonia syzygii subsp. celebensis). This disease bears similarities in symptomatology with Moko disease which caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and BBD in Indonesia, which caused by BDB R229. To determine the symptoms and host range of BDB, a pathogenicity test and host range study were carried out. In this study, there are four stages of external and internal symptoms which were observed. The pathogenicity of the bacterium cultures was then tested on banana, tomato and heliconia plantlets to determine the host range for BDB. To reconfirm that the banana was infected with BDB, re-isolation of BDB from the infected banana plants and Koch’s postulates test were performed. The results showed that there were symptoms of wilting and yellowing of leaves, which eventually caused plants death in the banana plantlets but no symptoms appeared in tomato and heliconia. The results indicate that BDB A2 HR MARDI is host-specific pathogen, only infecting banana similar to BDB R229 and is not as a broad range pathogen as R. solanacearum

Significant increase in azithromycin “resistance” and susceptibility to ceftriaxone and cefixime in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in 26 European countries, 2019

Euro-GASP network: Claudia Eder, Sonja Pleininger, Steliana Huhlescu, Irith de Baetselier, Blaženka Hunjak, Tatjana Nemeth Blažić, Panagiota Maikanti-Charalampous, Despo Pieridou, Hana Zákoucká, Helena Žemličková, Steen Hoffmann, Susan Cowan, Rita Peetso, Jelena Viktorova, Ndeindo Ndeikoundam, Beatrice Bercot, Anu Patari Sampo, Vesa Kirjavainen, Susanne Buder, Klaus Jansen, Vivi Miriagou, Eszter Balla, Mária Dudás, Guðrún Sigmundsdóttir, Lena Ros Asmundsdottir, Sinead Saab, Brendan Crowley, Anna Carannante, Paola Stefanelli, Gatis Pakarna, Violeta Mavcutko, Robert Cassar, Christopher Barbara, Francesca Vella, Alje Van Dam, Ineke Linde, Dominique Caugant, Hilde Kløvstad, Beata Mlynarczyk-Bonikowska, Maria-José Borrego, Peter Pavlik, Irena Klavs, Tanja Kustec, Julio Vazquez, Asuncion Diaz, Raquel Abad Torreblanca, Inga Velicko, Magnus Unemo, Helen Fifer, Kate TempletonBackground: The European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP) performs annual sentinel surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility to therapeutically relevant antimicrobials across the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). We present the Euro-GASP results from 2019 (26 countries), linked to patient epidemiological data, and compared with data from previous years. Methods: Agar dilution and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) gradient strip methodologies were used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility (using EUCAST clinical breakpoints, where available) of 3239 N. gonorrhoeae isolates from 26 countries across the EU/EEA. Significance of differences compared with Euro-GASP results in previous years was analysed using Z-test and the Pearson's χ2 test was used to assess significance of odds ratios for associations between patient epidemiological data and antimicrobial resistance. Results: European N. gonorrhoeae isolates collected between 2016 and 2019 displayed shifting MIC distributions for; ceftriaxone, with highly susceptible isolates increasing over time and occasional resistant isolates each year; cefixime, with highly-susceptible isolates becoming increasingly common; azithromycin, with a shift away from lower MICs towards higher MICs above the EUCAST epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF); and ciprofloxacin which is displaying a similar shift in MICs as observed for azithromycin. In 2019, two isolates displayed ceftriaxone resistance, but both isolates had MICs below the azithromycin ECOFF. Cefixime resistance (0.8%) was associated with patient sex, with resistance higher in females compared with male heterosexuals and men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM). The number of countries reporting isolates with azithromycin MICs above the ECOFF increased from 76.9% (20/26) in 2016 to 92.3% (24/26) in 2019. Isolates with azithromycin MICs above the ECOFF (9.0%) were associated with pharyngeal infection sites. Following multivariable analysis, ciprofloxacin resistance remained associated with isolates from MSM and heterosexual males compared with females, the absence of a concurrent chlamydial infection, pharyngeal infection sites and patients ≥ 25 years of age. Conclusions: Resistance to ceftriaxone and cefixime remained uncommon in EU/EEA countries in 2019 with a significant decrease in cefixime resistance observed between 2016 and 2019. The significant increase in azithromycin "resistance" (azithromycin MICs above the ECOFF) threatens the effectiveness of the dual therapy (ceftriaxone + azithromycin), i.e., for ceftriaxone-resistant cases, currently recommended in many countries internationally and requires close monitoring.The study was funded by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Framework Contract No. ECDC/2017/004).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Photometry of the Didymos System across the DART Impact Apparition

On 2022 September 26, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft impacted Dimorphos, the satellite of binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos. This demonstrated the efficacy of a kinetic impactor for planetary defense by changing the orbital period of Dimorphos by 33 minutes. Measuring the period change relied heavily on a coordinated campaign of lightcurve photometry designed to detect mutual events (occultations and eclipses) as a direct probe of the satellite’s orbital period. A total of 28 telescopes contributed 224 individual lightcurves during the impact apparition from 2022 July to 2023 February. We focus here on decomposable lightcurves, i.e., those from which mutual events could be extracted. We describe our process of lightcurve decomposition and use that to release the full data set for future analysis. We leverage these data to place constraints on the postimpact evolution of ejecta. The measured depths of mutual events relative to models showed that the ejecta became optically thin within the first ∼1 day after impact and then faded with a decay time of about 25 days. The bulk magnitude of the system showed that ejecta no longer contributed measurable brightness enhancement after about 20 days postimpact. This bulk photometric behavior was not well represented by an HG photometric model. An HG 1 G 2 model did fit the data well across a wide range of phase angles. Lastly, we note the presence of an ejecta tail through at least 2023 March. Its persistence implied ongoing escape of ejecta from the system many months after DART impact

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Pathogenicity of banana blood disease bacterium HR2 Mardi and characterization of its virulent proteins

In Malaysia, bacterial wilt has been identified as one of the main constraints for banana production. Blood Disease Bacterium (BDB) is a gram negative bacteria that caused Banana Blood Disease (BBD) which identified as one of the most important pathogen of banana (Musa sp.) which could infect almost all cultivated banana varieties. On the other hand, BDB is grouped into Phylotype IV which placed in a subgroup of the R. solanacearum species complex. BDB was reported to be pathogenic to a single host, banana. Hence, the first objectives of this study is to determine the host range and symptomatology study of BDB on selected hosts. Results from this study showed that BDB only pathogenic to banana not to other tested hosts such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and heliconia (Heliconia sp.) and confirmed to be virulence and able to infect banana. The disease symptoms were wilting of leaves, discoloration of vascular tissues and eventually leads to plant death. The second objectives of this study is to identify and quantify effector protein(s) of BDB in selected media. From this study, findings indicated that 17 potential virulent proteins were obtained from virulence inducing media (M63). Prediction of virulence characteristics shows that the only five proteins were found to be effector proteins of BDB. The proteins were Signal peptidase, Lipoprotein, Uncharacterized protein, Membrane protein and Serine protease. In conclusion, BDB was confirmed to be a single host-pathogen to banana (Musa sp.) plant, and confirmed to be virulence for the proteomics study and based on proteomics analysis revealed five virulent proteins, namely Signal peptidase, Lipoprotein, Uncharacterized protein, Membrane protein and Serine protease associated with the virulence of BDB

Baseline inventory of the UBC food system : healthy food situation assessment and action plan

Snacks are an integral part of a university student’s diet given that schedules do not always allow enough time for students to sit down for a regular meal. This means that the to-go items that are offered at the main campus locations play a key role in determining student health. At the University of British Columbia campus, UBC Food Services is the primary food provider as they run and maintain several central dining locations such as Totem Park Residence Dining Hall, Place Vanier Residence Dining Hall, Ike’s Café and the Loop. To assess the healthy snack options on campus from a consumer’s perspective, a baseline inventory of all snack items available at the four locations was compiled and a survey of students was administered. Each inventory item was given a categorized as “choose most”, “choose sometimes”, “choose least”, and “not recommended” according to B.C. Food Sales Guidelines and labeling such as whether the snack was gluten-free was recorded. The Loop and Place Vanier had the most items under the ‘choose most’ category, and therefore, had the healthiest choices. Totem Park and Ike’s Cafe showed lower numbers of snack items belonging to the ‘choose most’ category. The combined survey results showed that 59% of consumers felt that the location they frequented had enough healthy options. At several locations, consumers voiced the desire for more vegan options as well as a greater variety of fruit. This was inconsistent with our inventory and led us to conclude that, although UBC Food Services is actively pursuing its local, fair trade, and organic procurement goals, consumers are often unaware of their procurement policies and the nature of the goods they provide. Therefore, our recommendations for UBC Food Services includes increasing the amount of ‘choose most’ options at both Totem and Ike’s Cafe, improving the labeling of dietary facts on snack items to increase awareness among consumers, as well as increasing the number of vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free snack alternatives. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Land and Food Systems, Faculty ofUnreviewedUndergraduat

Alterations in herbage yield, antioxidant activities, phytochemical contents, and bioactive compounds of Sabah Snake Grass (Clinacanthus Nutans L.) with regards to harvesting age and harvesting frequency

Sabah snake grass or Clinacanthus nutans has drawn public interest having significant economic benefits attributable to the presence of phytochemicals and several interesting bioactive constituents that may differ according to harvesting age and harvesting frequency. The current study was aimed to evaluate the effect of harvesting age and harvesting frequency towards herbal yield, antioxidant activities, phytochemicals synthesis, and bioactive compounds of C. nutans. A factorial randomized completely block design with five replications was used to illustrate the relationship between herbal yield, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, total phenolic and flavonoid content affected by harvesting age (week 8, 12, and 16 after transplanting), and harvesting frequency (harvest 1, 2, and 3). The bioactive compounds by HPLC were also determined to describe the interaction effect between both harvesting age and harvesting frequency. The yield, antioxidant activities, and phytochemical contents were gradually increased as the plant grew, with the highest recorded during week 16. However, the synthesis and activities of phytochemicals were reduced in subsequent harvests despite the increment of the herbal yield. All bioactive compounds were found to be influenced insignificantly and significantly by harvesting age and harvesting frequency, respectively, specifically to shaftoside, iso-orientin, and orientin. Among all constituents, shaftoside was the main compound at various harvesting ages and harvesting frequencies. These results indicated that harvesting at week 16 with 1st harvest frequency might enhance the yield while sustaining the high synthesis of polyphenols and antioxidant activities of C. nutans

Recombinant Protein Foliar Application Activates Systemic Acquired Resistance and Increases Tolerance Against Papaya Dieback Disease

Similar to animals, plants possess ‘immune memory’ in response to invading pathogens that lead to enhanced defense reaction following pathogen exposure. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a well-characterized type of plant immunity and is associated with coordinated expression of a set of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and proteins also known as SAR markers. Induction of SAR in plants was shown to be initiated by group of chemicals and biological compounds known as SAR inducers that can be used for the management of important plant diseases. Elucidation and characterization of potential SAR inducers as potential elicitors that can protect papaya from the papaya dieback disease pathogen were carried out using HRPX protein, which was produced as a recombinant protein in an Escherichia coli system. Disease severity analysis in a glasshouse experiment indicated lower disease infection rates in the HRPX-treated plants than in water-treated plants. Selected SAR-associated defense gene expression was also shown to increase in treated plants, via quantitative real-time PCR analysis, confirming enhanced disease response through SAR activation. In this report, the selected recombinant protein was shown to activate the SAR mechanism in papaya for increased tolerance against papaya dieback disease, which was proven via physiological and molecular analysis

Recombinant Protein Foliar Application Activates Systemic Acquired Resistance and Increases Tolerance Against Papaya Dieback Disease

Similar to animals, plants possess ‘immune memory’ in response to invading pathogens that lead to enhanced defense reaction following pathogen exposure. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a well-characterized type of plant immunity and is associated with coordinated expression of a set of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and proteins also known as SAR markers. Induction of SAR in plants was shown to be initiated by group of chemicals and biological compounds known as SAR inducers that can be used for the management of important plant diseases. Elucidation and characterization of potential SAR inducers as potential elicitors that can protect papaya from the papaya dieback disease pathogen were carried out using HRPX protein, which was produced as a recombinant protein in an Escherichia coli system. Disease severity analysis in a glasshouse experiment indicated lower disease infection rates in the HRPX-treated plants than in water-treated plants. Selected SAR-associated defense gene expression was also shown to increase in treated plants, via quantitative real-time PCR analysis, confirming enhanced disease response through SAR activation. In this report, the selected recombinant protein was shown to activate the SAR mechanism in papaya for increased tolerance against papaya dieback disease, which was proven via physiological and molecular analysis