Balanced scorecard performance assessment in a medical imaging department

The authors present and discuss the development of a strategic management model based on the Balanced Scorecard by Kaplan and Norton to implement in an imaging ward and the relations with Performance Measurement System that allows for the monitoring of the service's evolution, the alignment of objectives, and the evaluation of individual employees within the strategy of the ward and the hospital

Evidence based practice in radiology: the radiographer perspective

This study is included in the exploratory-descriptive type, since it aims to analyze the applicability of knowledge and evidence based radiology by radiographers during their daily work and their academic education

Transmission of Xylella fastidiosa by naturally infected Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae) to different host plants.

© 2016 The Authors. Journal of Applied Entomology Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH. The recent establishment of Xylella fastidiosa subspecies pauca in the southern Italian region of Apulia threatens agricultural crops and the environment. Olive is an important and widespread ancient crop in Italy and, so far, the most impacted host. The meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae) has been identified as a vector of X. fastidiosa in southern Italy; this species is one of the most common potential vectors in Europe. To generate disease management strategies, data on X. fastidiosa transmission by P. spumarius are necessary. Therefore, we carried out transmission experiments by using field-collected spittlebugs in 2014 and 2015 (5 and 11 collection dates, respectively), and transferring groups of insects immediately on to recipient plants. Various host plant species were tested: olive, oleander, sweet orange, grapevine and the stone fruit rootstock GF677 (Prunus persica × Prunus amygdalus). Xylella fastidiosa was detected in all the host plants after insect plant access except for grapevine; infections to sweet orange and stone fruit were not systemic. In 2015, estimates of insect X. fastidiosa infectivity were obtained; the number of PCR-positive P. spumarius on each plant was positively correlated with the plant infection status. The proportion of P. spumarius infected with X. fastidiosa ranged from 25% to 71% during the entire survey period. The number of X. fastidiosa cells detected in P. spumarius heads ranged from 3.5 × 10 to 4.0 × 102(CFU equivalents), which is lower than that reported for leafhopper vectors in the Americas. These data show that field-collected P. spumarius have high rates of X. fastidiosa infection and are competent vectors

Transmission parameters for Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus by Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae).

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate acquisition and inoculation (together, transmission) efficiency of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the pathogen associated with citrus huanglongbing (HLB) by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). In laboratory studies, nymphs reared on Las infected plants were more likely to acquire the bacterium than adults. Acquisition by nymphs ranged from 60 to 100%, whereas acquisition by adults only reached 40% after 5 wk of feeding on Las-infected plants. Similar rates of pathogen acquisition by psyllids after nymphal and adult feeding were observed in the field. Transmission of Las from parent to offspring (transovarial) occurred at a rate of 2-6%. One year after psyllid inoculations, successful transmission by individual D. citri ranged from 4 to 10%, whereas groups of 100 or more D. citri transmitted the pathogen at a rate of approximately 88%. In addition, the proportion of Las-positive adult psyllids, determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, decreased over time when held on healthy plants. Due to the low rate of pathogen acquisition and long time period required for successful inoculation by adult D. citri, experiments designed to determine the latent period required for replication and successful inoculation of Las by D. citri did not result in Las-infected plants after >1 yr of incubation after inoculation. Collectively, these results indicate that adult D. citri which acquire the HLB pathogen as adults are poor vectors of the pathogen compared with adults that acquired the pathogen as nymphs

Host colonization differences between citrus and coffee isolates of Xylella fastidiosa in reciprocal inoculation Diferenças em colonização do hospedeiro por isolados de Xylella fastidiosa de citros e cafeeiro em inoculações recíprocas

Citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and coffee stem atrophy (CSA) are important diseases in Brazil associated with closely-related strains of Xylella fastidiosa, but little is know about host aoverlappingnd importance of citrus and coffee as inoculum sources of these strains. In this study, reciprocal-inoculation experiments were performed to determine if CVC and CSA isolates are biologically similar within citrus and coffee plants. These two hosts were mechanically inoculated with a CVC and a CSA isolate of X. fastidiosa at four concentrations ranging between10³ and 10(9) colony forming units CFU mL-1. At two, four and eight months after inoculation, the infection efficiency and bacterial populations of the isolates in each host were determined by culturing. The CVC isolate infected both citrus and coffee plants, but developed lower populations in coffee. The CSA isolate did not colonize citrus. Inoculation of coffee plants with the CVC isolate resulted in low rates of infection and required an inoculum concentration ten-fold higher than that necessary to obtain a similar (25%) rate of infection in citrus. The relatively low infection rates and bacterial numbers of the CVC isolate in coffee plants compared with those observed in citrus suggest that coffee is not a suitable host to serve as a source of inoculum of the CVC strain for primary spread to citrus or within coffee plantations.<br>Clorose variegada dos citros (CVC) e atrofia dos ramos do cafeeiro (ARC) são doenças importantes no Brasil, associadas a estirpes de Xylella fastidiosa que são geneticamente próximas. Entretanto, pouco se sabe a respeito de plantas hospedeiras em comum e da importância de citros e cafeeiro como fontes de inóculo dessas estirpes. Neste estudo, realizaram-se experimentos de inoculação recíproca para determinar se isolados de X. fastidiosa de CVC e de ARC são biologicamente semelhantes em plantas de citros e café. Estes dois hospedeiros foram mecanicamente inoculados com um isolado de CVC e um isolado de ARC, em quatro concentrações que variaram de 10³ a 10(9) unidades formadoras de colônias UFC mL-1. Aos dois, quatro e oito meses após a inoculação, a eficiência de infecção e a população bacteriana dos isolados em cada hospedeiro foram determinadas por cultura. O isolado de CVC infectou tanto plantas de citros quanto de café, mas desenvolveu populações mais baixas em cafeeiro. O isolado de ARC não colonizou citros. A inoculação de plantas de café com o isolado de CVC resultou em baixas taxas de infecção e exigiu uma concentração de inóculo dez vezes mais alta que a necessária para obter uma taxa de infecção semelhante (25%) em citros. A reduzida taxa de infecção e a baixa população bacteriana do isolado de CVC em cafeeiro em relação a citros sugerem que cafeeiro não é um hospedeiro adequado para atuar como fonte de inóculo da estirpe de CVC para disseminação deste patógeno para pomares de laranja ou dentro de cafezais

Identification of a non-host plant of Xylella fastidiosa to rear healthy sharpshooter vectors Identificação de uma planta não-hospedeira de Xylella fastidiosa para criação de insetos vetores sadios

Rearing leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) vectors free of Xylella fastidiosa is a requirement for studies of various aspects of vector-pathogen interactions. The selection of a plant that allows vector development but not bacterial multiplication is desirable to produce healthy vectors. In this study, two leafhopper hosts, Vernonia condensata ('boldo') and Aloysia virgata ('lixeira') were needle inoculated with citrus and coffee strains of X. fastidiosa to evaluate if these plants support pathogen colonization. The inoculated plants did not present symptoms and the pathogen was not detected by culture and PCR tests, neither soon after inoculation (7-14 days) nor later, at 1, 4, 6 and 12 months after inoculation. To obtain healthy adults of the leafhopper vectors Acrogonia citrina, Bucephalogonia xanthophis, Dilobopterus costalimai, Homalodisca ignorata and Oncometopia facialis, early-instar nymphs were reared on V. condensata. X. fastidiosa was not detected in any of 175 adults obtained. V. condensata and A. virgata are nonpropagative hosts of X. fastidiosa and enable the production of healthy leafhoppers for vector studies.<br>A obtenção de cigarrinhas (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) livres de Xylella fastidiosa é importante para estudos de interação entre essa bactéria e seus vetores, sendo desejável a seleção de uma planta que permita a criação desses insetos, mas não a multiplicação da bactéria. Neste estudo, duas plantas hospedeiras de cigarrinhas, Vernonia condensata (boldo) e Aloysia virgata (lixeira), foram inoculadas por agulha com as estirpes de citros e de cafeeiro de X. fastidiosa, para avaliar a possibilidade deste patógeno colonizá-las. Não foram observados sintomas, nem se detectou a bactéria por isolamento em meio de cultura e/ou PCR em períodos curtos (7 e 14 dias) ou longos (1, 4, 6 e 12 meses) após a inoculação. Para obtenção de adultos sadios das cigarrinhas vetoras, Acrogonia citrina, Bucephalogonia xanthophis, Dilobopterus costalimai, Homalodisca ignorata e Oncometopia facialis, ninfas de primeiros ínstares foram criadas em plantas de boldo. Não foi detectada X. fastidiosa em nenhum de 175 adultos obtidos da criação. V. condensata e A. virgata não permitem a colonização de X. fastidiosa, possibilitando assim a obtenção de cigarrinhas sadias para estudos com vetores