المكافحة الحيوية لمرض عين لطاووس المتسبب عن فطر Spilocaea oleagina على الزيتون باستخدام البكتيريا

The olive leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina(Cast.) Hughes (syn. Cycloconium oleagina) is one of the most destructive diseases on olive trees causing losses that may reach 20% of the yield. The disease is controlled by the application of chemical fungicides which is not always feasible in providing proper protection against the pathogen. In this work we report the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescencisolate ORS3 and Bascillus atrophaeusisolate BATin controlling the disease under field conditions. An Olive field in, Tulkarm governorate, Palestine was selected. The olive trees were 5-10 years old and were highly infected with the olive leaf spot. Trees were sprayed with bacteria formulated in oil. Control trees were sprayed with water. For evaluation of bacterial efficacy against the disease, olive leaves were collected before and after application of the bacteria. Germination of conidia latent infection and severity were deter-mined. In addition to that, bacterial viability was assessed. Results of the work revealed that the bacteria were able to inhibit conidial germination of the fungus. The percent of reduction in conidial germination (85.8 and 70.2%) in the presence of P. fluorescencisolate ORS3and B. atrophaeusisolate BAT, respectively was significantly lower than that in the control or in leaves sprayed with 10% oil (69.1 and 56.1%, respectively). After two weeks of spraying, the percent of latent infectoin was significantly (p\u3c0.05) lower on leaves sprayed with P. fluorescencisolate ORS3 and B. atrophaeusisolate BAT (5.1 and 3.8% latent infec-tion, respectively). However, bacterialshelf life on the surface of olive leaves was reduced after three days of spraying (i.e no bacteria were re-isolated). The results indicated that the bacteria can be used for control of the leaf spot disease. Further studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of the bacteria under different environmental conditions

The effect of local fungicides on conidial germination of Spilocaea oleagina in Palestine

Olive leaf spot (OLS) disease or peacock disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina, it is the most destructive disease on olive trees in most regions of Palestine. The disease is controlled by application of copper containing fungicides. Currently, there are more than 20 different fungicides sold in the Palestinian market. The efficacy of these fungicides was not tested on OLS in Palestine. The aim of this work was to test the efficacy of three major fungicides used against the disease. Fungicide solutions containing Fungran, Copper Antracol, and Kocide®101 were prepared by dissolving 0.5 g of each in 200 ml distilled water (DW) according to manufacturer instruction. Five leaves infected with OLS were soaked in each solution for 30 min. Control leaves were placed in 200 ml DW. Leaves were then placed in 9 cm petri dishes containing 3 ml DW to provide high humidity (\u3e 85%). Each day, one leaf was removed, washed in DW and cut into one-cm2 pieces. Leaf pieces holding OLS conidia were printed on olive leaf extract agar media. Results showed that after 24h of fungicide treatment, Kocide®101 was the most effective fungicide followed by Copper Antracol and Fungran with percent conidial germination 2.08, 2.9 and 25.5%, respectively. Interestingly, Fungran efficacy after 48h (2.8% germination) was higher but not significantly different than Kocide®101 and Copper Antracol. This study showed that the efficacy of the three commonly used fungicides against OLS disease in Palestine diminished after four days of treatment. Further studies are needed to test the efficacy of these fungicides under field conditions for a better control planning of peacock disease in Palestin

Bacterial inhibition of Orobanche aegyptiaca and Orobanche cernuaradical elongation

The ability of different bacteria to inhibit Orobanche radical elongation was examined. Seeds of Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. and O. cernua Loefl. were induced to germinate with the Growth Regulator GR24 in the presence or absence of test bacterium. Radical lengths were estimated microscopically on a scale relative to seed length (0 5 seed lengths) after 5 days of incubation at 258C. The results indicated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa QUBC1, P. fluorescens QUBC3, Bacillus atrophaeus QUBC16, and B. subtilis QUBC18 significantly inhibited radical elongation (P50.01) of both O. aegyptiaca and O. cernua relative to control radicals, whereas Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans QUBC11 and Ochrobactrum anthropi QUBC13 showed less inhibitory effects. Other bacterial isolates had no inhibitory effects. Bacterial isolates were identified using the universal method in addition to morphological and biochemical features. The establishment of the inhibitory effect of the most promising isolates, B. atrophaeus QUBC16 and P. aeruginosa QUBC1 on radical elongation of both Orobanche spp. is a step towards utilizing such bacteria as biocontrol agents against O. aegyptiaca, O. cernua, and potentially other Orobanche species.This work was supported by DFG grant 885-2341 and Al-Quds University

Role of Overwintering Forms of Erysiphe necator in Epidemiology of Grapevine Powdery Mildew in Palestinian Vineyards

The overwintering modes of E. necator were studied on Palestinian vineyards, through observations on the differentiation and maturation of cleistothecia and on the occurrence of flag-shoots (deriving from overwintering mycelium) in vineyards. Field surveys were carried out in 17 vineyards for the presence of Flag shoots and cleistothecia, both forms were not observed. Genetic structure and composition of E. necator populations were investigated by application of already available SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) primers specific for the flag-shoot and ascospore biotypes. These primers were used to evaluate the dynamics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the two biotypes, into fungal populations present in 8 vineyards, with different cultivars and spray histories, in various Palestinian districts (Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm). 397 samples were analyzed by the uses of the primer pairs UnE-UnF in PCR reactions. All samples were found to be of the ascospore biotypes. This finding shows that the “flag shoot” biotype, appears soon after bud breaking and disappears later, while the “ascospore” biotype is more frequently associated to later infections and bunches damages. Such information would be helpful to understand the reasons underlying possible temporal evolution of the pathogen\u27s populations in vineyards, and can have important implications for powdery mildew rationale control strategies

Testing the Possibility of Photochemical Synthesis of Chlorinated Phenols, Benzenes and Biphenyl: Pre-study Guide for Standards Synthesis

Since deuterium 2H (D) is an isotope of hydrogen 1H, the testing of the possibility of photochemical synthesis of marked chlorinated phenol, biphenyl and benzene using normal solvents was studied. The irradiation of full chlorinated compounds dissolved in normal solvents such as MeOH or n-hexane has led to a reaction substitution in which a chlorine atom was substituted by hydrogen atom forming less grade chlorinated chlorophenols, biphenyls and benzenes. The quantum yields of pentachlorophenol, decachlorobiphenyl and hexachlorobenzene under irradiation using polychromatic light were calculated and found to be 5.7 x 10-3, 1.6 x 10-2 and 1.2 x 10-2 Mol·Einstein-1, respectively. Depending on this study the production of marked chlorinated or non-chlorinated compounds using deuterated appropriate solvents such as MeOH d4 or n-hexane d14 is possible. However, more efforts should be made towards chromatographically separation of synthesized standards and byproducts in order to make the use of these marked compounds as standards in residue analysis feasible

Quantifying the Impact of Dust Sources on Urban Physical Growth and Vegetation Status: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia

Recently, dust has created many problems, including negative effects on health, and environmental and economic costs, for people who live both near to and far from sources of dust. The aim of this study is to evaluate and quantify the impact of dust sources located inside Saudi Arabia on the physical growth and vegetation status of cities. In order to do so, satellite data sets, simulated surface data, and soil data for Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2021 were used. In the first step, a dust sources map of the study area was generated using multi-criteria decision analysis. Land surface temperature (LST), vegetation cover, soil moisture, precipitation, air humidity, wind speed, and soil erodibility factors were considered as effective criteria in identifying dust sources. In the second step, built-up land and vegetation status maps of major cities located at different distances from dust sources were generated for different years based on spectral indicators. Then, the spatiaotemporal change of built-up land and vegetation status of the study area and major cities were extracted. Finally, impacts of major dust sources on urban physical growth and vegetation were quantified. The importance degrees of soil erodibility, wind speed, soil moisture, vegetation cover, LST, air humidity, and precipitation to identify dust sources were 0.22, 0.20, 0.16, 0.15, 0.14, 0.07, and 0.05, respectively. Thirteen major dust sources (with at least 8 years of repetition) were identified in the study area based on the overlap of the effective criteria. The identified major dust sources had about 300 days with Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) values greater than 0.85, which indicates that these dust sources are active. The location of the nine major dust sources identified in this study corresponds to the location of the dust sources identified in previous studies. The physical growth rates of cities located 400 km from a major dust source (DMDS) are 46.2% and 95.4%, respectively. The reduction rates of average annual normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in these sub-regions are 0.006 and 0.002, respectively. The reduction rate of the intensity of vegetation cover in the sub-region close to dust sources is three times higher than that of the sub-region farther from dust sources. The coefficients of determination (R2) between the DMDS and urban growth rate and the NDVI change rate are 0.52 and 0.73, respectively, which indicates that dust sources have a significant impact on the physical growth of cities and their vegetation status.Institutional Fund ProjectsPeer Reviewe

Staged hepatectomy for bilobar colorectal hepatic metastases

AbstractObjectivesThis study describes the management of patients with bilobar colorectal liver metastases (CRLM).MethodsA retrospective collection of data on all patients with CRLM who were considered for staged resection (n= 85) from January 2003 to January 2011 was performed. Patients who underwent one hepatic resection were considered to have had a failed staged resection (FSR), whereas those who underwent a second or third hepatic resection to produce a cure were considered to have had a successful staged resection (SSR). Survival was calculated from the date of diagnosis of liver metastases. Complete follow-up and dates of death were obtained from the Government of Quebec population database.ResultsMedian survival was 46months (range: 30–62months) in the SSR group and 22months (range: 19–29months) in the FSR group. Rates of 5-year survival were 42% and 4% in the SSR and FSR groups, respectively. Fifteen of the 19 patients who remained alive at the last follow-up date belonged to the SSR group.ConclusionsIn patients in whom staged resection for bilobar CRLM is feasible, surgery would appear to offer benefit

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Effects of a high-dose 24-h infusion of tranexamic acid on death and thromboembolic events in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (HALT-IT): an international randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0·9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0·9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124. Findings: Between July 4, 2013, and June 21, 2019, we randomly allocated 12 009 patients to receive tranexamic acid (5994, 49·9%) or matching placebo (6015, 50·1%), of whom 11 952 (99·5%) received the first dose of the allocated treatment. Death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation occurred in 222 (4%) of 5956 patients in the tranexamic acid group and in 226 (4%) of 5981 patients in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 0·99, 95% CI 0·82–1·18). Arterial thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were similar in the tranexamic acid group and placebo group (42 [0·7%] of 5952 vs 46 [0·8%] of 5977; 0·92; 0·60 to 1·39). Venous thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) were higher in tranexamic acid group than in the placebo group (48 [0·8%] of 5952 vs 26 [0·4%] of 5977; RR 1·85; 95% CI 1·15 to 2·98). Interpretation: We found that tranexamic acid did not reduce death from gastrointestinal bleeding. On the basis of our results, tranexamic acid should not be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding outside the context of a randomised trial