Participatory Research and Gender Analysis in Agricultural and Natural Resource Management Research

This selected bibliography provides a snapshot of reported research in participatory research and gender analysis, and as a prototype for an ongoing resource for researchers

Heart rot of Australian pineapples caused by Dickeya zeae

Pineapple plants (hybrid MD2) with bacterial heart rot were detected in a commercial plantation at Glasshouse Mountains, Queensland, in November 2015. The bacterial strain BRIP64263 isolated from infected tissue was shown to be a Gram negative soft-rotting bacterium capable of growth at 41 ºC, and based on its culture properties was provisionally identified as Dickeya. This strain was compared with other putative Dickeya strains affecting banana (BRIP64262) and potato (BRIP29490). Sequence analysis of the recombinase A genes of the pineapple strain placed it in phylotype I of D. zeae, whereas the banana strain was placed in phylotype II. This was confirmed by sequence comparisons for the phosphofructose kinase, RNA polymerase and aconitase genes which showed that the pineapple strain BRIP64263 is distinct from other strains that infect pineapples and other hosts in Australia and overseas. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the replication initiation factor gene showed that strains affecting pineapples were distributed among both phylotypes of D. zeae, indicating multiple acquisitions or opportunistic infections of pineapple from this group of pathogens. The potato isolate, BRIP29490, was shown to be Rahnella aquatica, and is not likely to be pathogenic. It is not known whether the new isolate represents an incursion or whether it has long been associated with pineapples in Australia. Further study is required to determine the epidemiological characteristics of this strain, and what threat it poses to Australian pineapple production

Heart rot of Australian pineapples caused by Dickeya zeae

Pineapple plants (hybrid MD2) with bacterial heart rot were detected in a commercial plantation at Glasshouse Mountains, Queensland, in November 2015. The bacterial strain BRIP64263 isolated from infected tissue was shown to be a Gram negative soft-rotting bacterium capable of growth at 41 ºC, and based on its culture properties was provisionally identified as Dickeya. This strain was compared with other putative Dickeya strains affecting banana (BRIP64262) and potato (BRIP29490). Sequence analysis of the recombinase A genes of the pineapple strain placed it in phylotype I of D. zeae, whereas the banana strain was placed in phylotype II. This was confirmed by sequence comparisons for the phosphofructose kinase, RNA polymerase and aconitase genes which showed that the pineapple strain BRIP64263 is distinct from other strains that infect pineapples and other hosts in Australia and overseas. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the replication initiation factor gene showed that strains affecting pineapples were distributed among both phylotypes of D. zeae, indicating multiple acquisitions or opportunistic infections of pineapple from this group of pathogens. The potato isolate, BRIP29490, was shown to be Rahnella aquatica, and is not likely to be pathogenic. It is not known whether the new isolate represents an incursion or whether it has long been associated with pineapples in Australia. Further study is required to determine the epidemiological characteristics of this strain, and what threat it poses to Australian pineapple production

Chronic Stress-Induced Neuroinflammation: Relevance of Rodent Models to Human Disease.

The brain is the central organ of adaptation to stress because it perceives and determines threats that induce behavioral, physiological, and molecular responses. In humans, chronic stress manifests as an enduring consistent feeling of pressure and being overwhelmed for an extended duration. This can result in a persistent proinflammatory response in the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS), resulting in cellular, physiological, and behavioral effects. Compounding stressors may increase the risk of chronic-stress-induced inflammation, which can yield serious health consequences, including mental health disorders. This review summarizes the current knowledge surrounding the neuroinflammatory response in rodent models of chronic stress-a relationship that is continually being defined. Many studies investigating the effects of chronic stress on neuroinflammation in rodent models have identified significant changes in inflammatory modulators, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and toll-like receptors (TLRs), and cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. This suggests that these are key inflammatory factors in the chronic stress response, which may contribute to the establishment of anxiety and depression-like symptoms. The behavioral and neurological effects of modulating inflammatory factors through gene knockdown (KD) and knockout (KO), and conventional and alternative medicine approaches, are discussed

The ELAIS deep X-ray survey - I. Chandra source catalogue and first results

We present an analysis of two deep (75 ks) Chandra observations of the European Large Area Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Survey (ELAIS) fields N1 and N2 as the first results from the ELAIS deep X-ray survey. This survey is being conducted in well-studied regions with extensive multiwavelength coverage. Here we present the Chandra source catalogues along with an analysis of source counts, hardness ratios and optical classifications. A total of 233 X-ray point sources are detected in addition to two soft extended sources, which are found to be associated with galaxy clusters. An overdensity of sources is found in N1 with 30 per cent more sources than N2, which we attribute to large-scale structure. A similar variance is seen between other deep Chandra surveys. The source count statistics reveal an increasing fraction of hard sources at fainter fluxes. The number of galaxy-like counterparts also increases dramatically towards fainter fluxes, consistent with the emergence of a large population of obscured sources

Voluntary wheel running promotes resilience to the behavioral effects of unpredictable chronic mild stress in male and female mice.

Besides significant benefits to physical health, exercise promotes mental health, reduces symptoms of mental illness, and enhances psychological development. Exercise can offset the impact of chronic stress, which is a major precursor to the development of mental disorders. The effects of exercise on chronic stress-induced behaviors are contradictory in preclinical studies, primarily due to the lack of data and sex-specific investigations. We sought to evaluate the effects of exercise on chronic stress-induced behavioral changes in both male and female mice. Mice were subjected to an Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS) paradigm with accessibility to running wheels for 2 h daily. Physiological and behavioral evaluations were conducted throughout the stress paradigm to determine if exercise blunts the effects of UCMS. Chronic stress induced voluntary wheel running (VWR) and weight loss in male and female mice. Compared to males, increased VWR was reported in females who also regained their weight lost by the end of the UCMS protocol. Exercise promoted resilience to stress-induced hyponeophagia in the novelty-suppressed feeding test and increased sucrose consumption. Exercise induced a sex-specific reduction in immobility and avoidance behavior in the tail suspension and open field tests and increased exploratory behavior in the light-dark test. These results indicate that exercise can promote resilience to the behavioral effects of chronic stress in males and females, and can affect behavior independent of chronic stress