The gut microbiome: scourge, sentinel or spectator?

The gut microbiota consists of trillions of prokaryotes that reside in the intestinal mucosa. This long-established commensalism indicates that these microbes are an integral part of the eukaryotic host. Recent research findings have implicated the dynamics of microbial function in setting thresholds for many physiological parameters. Conversely, it has been convincingly argued that dysbiosis, representing microbial imbalance, may be an important underlying factor that contributes to a variety of diseases, inside and outside the gut. This review discusses the latest findings, including enterotype classification, changes brought on by dysbiosis, gut inflammation, and metabolic mediators in an attempt to underscore the importance of the gut microbiota for human health. A cautiously optimistic idea is taking hold, invoking the gut microbiota as a medium to track, target and treat a plethora of diseases

Burrowing Nematode on Anthurium: Recognizing Symptoms, Understanding the Pathogen, and Preventing Disease

Radopholus similis is a serious pathogen affecting a wide range of plants grown in Hawaii. This publication is a thorough discussion of the problem and possibilities for its control

Disease Index of the Rust Puccinia psidii on 'Ohi'a in Hawai'i

This rust disease of the native Meterosideros polymorpha and some other species has become a serious threat to Hawaii's forests since its first occurrence in 2005. The publication illustrates the symptoms and provides directions for assessing its severity and recording and reporting observations of it. Symptoms not associated with the rust are shown. A form for reporting observations is included

Quantitative methods for food allergens: a review.

The quantitative detection of allergens in the food chain is a strategic health objective as the prevalence of allergy continues to rise. Food allergenicity is caused by proteins either in their native form or in forms resulting from food processing. Progress in mass spectrometry greatly opened up the field of proteomics. These advances are now available for the detection and the quantification of traces of allergenic proteins in complex mixtures, and complete the set of biological tests used until now, such as ELISA or PCR. We review methods classified according to their ability to simultaneously quantify and identify allergenic proteins and underline major advances in the mass-spectrometric methods