Powdery Mildews on Vegetables

Powdery mildew is one of the most easily recognized fungal plant diseases. It is categorized by spots or patches of white-to-gray powder-like growth on foliage, stems, or fruit. Roughly 700 species exist that infect grasses, ornamentals, weeds, fruit trees, landscape trees, shrubs, and vegetables. The closely related species of fungi that cause powdery mildew are host-specific, meaning they cannot survive without the proper host. Powdery mildew fungi spread in conditions of low rainfall and hot temperatures, making Utah’s climate the perfect environment. This fact sheet provides information on powdery mildew and its management

Fusarium and Verticillium Wilts of Vegetables

Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt are soilborne plant diseases that attack vascular tissue. They cause similar symptoms in their hosts and are difficult to manage as they can survive in the soil for many years. Once a plant is infected, there is no treatment or cure. Therefore, management should focus on preventive and cultural control practices. This fact sheet identifies the many vegetables susceptible to these pathogens in Utah and reviews symptoms, diagnosis, and ways to prevent these diseases

Vegetable Diseases of Utah

This guide provides a list of vegetable crop diseases that have been documented in Utah along with some that are likely to occur. Plant diseases are caused by pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and fungal-like organisms. Diagnosing specific plant diseases takes careful observation of signs, symptoms, and sometimes culturing and molecular testing in a laboratory setting

Corn Smut (Ustilago maydis)

Corn smut is caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis. Smut rarely occurs in Utah and is not considered economically important for grain production. For home gardeners and small farms, serious smut infections on sweet corn can cause ears to be inedible. U. maydis spreads from plant to plant by wind-borne or water-splashed spores onto silks or through existing wounds. Therefore, keeping corn plants insect- and disease-free reduces the number of entry points for infections. This fact sheet reviews the disease cycle, identification, and management

Salt intake induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of the peritoneal membrane in rats

Methods. Twenty-eight Wistar rats were randomized to a normal salt (NS) or a high salt (HS) intake. NS and HS rats had free access to tap water or NaCl 2% as drinking water, respectively. After 2 weeks, samples of peritoneum were taken, and TGF-beta(1), Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression were quantified with qRT-PCR. Fibrosis and submesothelial PM thickness were scored. EMT was evaluated using fluorescence staining with cytokeratin and alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). Results. Dietary salt intake caused peritoneal fibrosis and thickening of the submesothelial layer and induced EMT as identified by colocalization of cytokeratin and alpha-SMA in cells present in the submesothelial layer. Peritoneal TGF-beta(1) and IL-6 mRNA expression were upregulated in the HS group. Conclusion. High dietary salt intake induces EMT and peritoneal fibrosis, a process coinciding with upregulation of TGF-beta 1

Positive del Pezzo Geometry

Real, complex, and tropical algebraic geometry join forces in a new branch of mathematical physics called positive geometry. We develop the positive geometry of del Pezzo surfaces and their moduli spaces, viewed as very affine varieties. Their connected components are derived from polyhedral spaces with Weyl group symmetries. We study their canonical forms and scattering amplitudes, and we solve the likelihood equations.Comment: 34 pages, 4 figure

The Men’s Safer Sex Trial: a feasibility randomised controlled trial of an interactive digital intervention to increase condom use in men

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the feasibility of an online randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the Men’s Safer Sex website, measuring condom use and sexually transmitted infection (STI). METHODS: For this study 159 men aged ≥16 with female sexual partners and recent condomless sex or suspected STI were recruited from three UK sexual health clinics. Participants were randomised to the intervention website plus usual clinic care (n = 84), or usual clinic care only (n = 75). Online outcome data were solicited at 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: Men were enrolled via tablet computers in clinic waiting rooms. Software errors and clinic Wi-Fi access presented significant challenges, and online questionnaire response rates were poor (36% at 3 months with a £10 voucher; 50% at 12 months with £30). Clinical records (for STI diagnoses) were located for 94% of participants. Some 37% of the intervention group did not see the intervention website (n = 31/84), and (as expected) there was no detectable difference in condomless sex with female partners (IRR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.96). New acute STI diagnoses were recorded for 8.8% (7/80) of the intervention group, and 13.0% (9/69) of the control group over 12 months (IRR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.90). CONCLUSIONS: It is likely to be feasible to conduct a future large-scale RCT to assess the impact of an online intervention using clinic STI diagnoses as a primary outcome. However, practical and technical challenges need to be addressed before the potential of digital media interventions can be realised in sexual health settings