Diversity and Distribution of Whiteflies Colonizing Cassava in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The present study characterizes Bemisia tabaci and Bemisia afer from cassava in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Mitochondrial COI sequencing revealed the occurrence of six cassava B. tabaci mitotypes, which were designated into four haplogroups (SSA-ECA, SSA-CA, SSA2, and SSA-ESA) using KASP SNP genotyping. SSA-ECA (72%) was the most prevalent and occurred in the northern part of the surveyed area, in the Ituri and Nord/Sud-Kivu provinces, whilst SSA-CA (21%) was present in the south, primarily in Haut-Katanga. SSA-ECA was predominant in the areas of north-eastern DRC most severely affected by cassava brown streak disease and was also reported in the new outbreak area in Pweto territory, Haut-Katanga, in the south. Bemisia afer comprised two major clusters with 85.5% of samples in cluster one, while the rest were in cluster two, which has no reference sequence in GenBank. This study provides important information on the genetic diversity of B. tabaci and B. afer in eastern DRC. This knowledge will be used as a basis for further studies to understand and to identify the role of whitefly haplogroups, their population densities and consequences for virus epidemics and spread as well as leading to improved vector and virus management strategies.

Genotype by environment cultivar evaluation for cassava brown streak disease resistance in Tanzania.

Cassava brown steak disease (CBSD), caused by Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV), is the most important biotic constraint to cassava production in East and Central Africa. Concerted efforts are required to prevent further spread into West Africa as well as to reduce losses in areas already affected. The study reported here was part of a five-country (Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda) programme that aimed to identify superior cassava cultivars resistant to CBSD and to disseminate them widely in the region. Seventeen tissue-cultured and virus-tested cultivars were evaluated in Tanzania across nine sites with diverse CBSD inoculum conditions. Experiments were planted using an alpha-lattice design and assessments were made of surrounding inoculum pressure, CBSD foliar and root incidence and root yield at harvest. There were large differences in CBSD infection between sites, with greatest spread recorded from the north-western Lake (Victoria) zone. Differences were driven by Bemisia tabaci whitefly vector abundance and CBSD inoculum pressure. Both CBSV and UCBSV were almost equally represented in cassava fields surrounding experimental plots, although CBSV predominated in the north-west whilst UCBSV was more frequent in coastal and southern sites. However, the incidence of CBSV was much greater than that of UCBSV in initially virus-free experimental plots, suggesting that CBSV is more virulent. Cultivars could be categorised into three groups based on the degree of CBSD symptom expression in shoots and roots. The seven cultivars (F10_30R2, Eyope, Mkumba, Mkuranga1, Narocass1, Nase3 and Orera) in the most resistant category each had shoot and root incidences of less than 20%. Fresh root yield differed between sites and cultivars, but there was no genotype by environment interaction for this trait, probably attributable to the large fertility and soil moisture differences between sites. Susceptible cultivars and the local check performed well in the absence of CBSD pressure, highlighting the importance of exploiting quality and yield traits of local landraces in breeding programmes. Overall, our results emphasized the importance of applying a balanced strategy for CBSD management. This should use both improved and local germplasm resources to generate high yielding cultivars for specific end-user traits, and combine the deployment of improved cultivars with phytosanitary control measures including the use of healthy planting material and planting during periods of reduced CBSD infection.

Assessing the Degeneration of Cassava Under High-Virus Inoculum Conditions in Coastal Tanzania.

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), caused by cassava brown streak ipomoviruses (CBSIs), has become the most debilitating biotic stress to cassava production in East and Central Africa. Lack of CBSD-resistant varieties has necessitated the search for alternative control measures. Most smallholder farmers reuse stems from previous crops for planting in the new season. Recycling planting material in this way can lead to "degeneration" owing to the compounding effects of disease. In this study, degeneration was defined as the increase in CBSD incidence and reduction in marketable root yield over time. An experiment was established to study the rates of degeneration in selected cassava varieties Chereko, KBH2002_135, Kipusa, Kizimbani, and Mkuranga1 and cultivars Kiroba and Kikombe under high-CBSD inoculum conditions in Bagamoyo, Tanzania from 2013 to 2017. The experiment was replicated across two seasons: the first planted during the long rains (Masika) between March and June and the second planted during the short rains (Vuli) between October and December. Mean abundance of the whitefly vector (Bemisia tabaci) was much greater during the Vuli season (>19 insects per plant) than the Masika season (<2 insects per plant). CBSD shoot symptoms occurred naturally and were observed only on Kikombe, Kiroba, and Kipusa. New materials had overall lower CBSD shoot incidences (1.5%) compared with recycled materials (6.9%) in Masika, although no significant differences were obvious in Vuli. However, Masika (8.7%) had an overall lower CBSD shoot incidence than Vuli (16.5%) in the varieties that had shoot symptoms. CBSD root incidences were higher in Vuli (10.3%) than Masika (4.4%), and root yields in Masika (29.4 t/ha) were significantly greater than those in Vuli (22.5 t/ha). The highest percentage of roots rendered unusable owing to CBSD was observed in Vuli. There was significantly higher unusable root incidence in recycled materials (3.7%) than in new materials (1.4%) in Masika but not in Vuli. Overall root yield was similar between recycled and new materials in either season. Significant reductions in root yield over the course of the experiment were observed both in Masika and Vuli, whereas changes in marketable yield were significant only in Masika. Differences in the response of varieties to degeneration led to the identification of four degeneration patterns, namely "strong," "moderate," "mild," and "delayed" degeneration. The strongest effects of degeneration were most obvious in the susceptible cultivar (Kikombe), which also had the lowest marketable yield in either season. Seasonal differences were a key driver of degeneration, because its effects were much greater in Vuli than Masika. To the best of our knowledge, this work reports the first study of degeneration caused by cassava viruses.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.

Genome of the African cassava whitefly Bemisia tabaci and distribution and genetic diversity of cassava-colonizing whiteflies in Africa.

The whitefy Bemisia tabaci, a species complex consisting of many morphologically indistinguishable species divided into distinct clades, is one of the most globally important agricultural pests and plant virus vectors. Cassava-colonizing B. tabaci transmits viruses that cause cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). Half of all cassava plants in Africa are affected by these viral diseases, resulting in annual production losses of more than US$ 1 billion. Here we report the draft genome of the cassava whitefly B. tabaci Sub-Saharan Africa - East and Central Africa (SSA-ECA), the super-abundant population that has been associated with the rapid spread of viruses causing the pandemics of CMD and CBSD. The SSA-ECA genome assembled from Illumina short reads has a total size of 513.7 Mb and a scaffold N50 length of 497 kb, and contains 15,084 predicted protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that SSA-ECA diverged from MEAM1 around 5.26 million years ago. A comprehensive genetic analysis of cassava-colonizing B. tabaci in Africa was also conducted, in which a total of 243 whitefly specimens were collected from 18 countries representing all major cassava-growing regions in the continent and genotyped using NextRAD sequencing. Population genomic analyses confirmed the existence of six major populations linked by gene flow and inferred the distribution patterns of these populations across the African continent. The genome of SSA-ECA and the genetic findings provide valuable resources and guidance to facilitate whitefly research and the development of strategies to control cassava viral diseases spread by whiteflies.

[Management of multiresistant bacteria in urology]. / Management multiresistenter Erreger in der Urologie.

Contamination and infection with extensive drug resistant (XDR) bacteria are increasing in urology with the exception of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (stabilization). They often lead to logistic and therapeutical problems. Only 30-50% of XDR cases are of exogenous origin. To slow this trend, screening, hygiene programs, isolation, decontamination, targeted therapy of symptomatic infections, education programs, and success controls should be applied. Furthermore, all regulatory and legal instructions should be followed. Local hygiene networks help to find apt measures for XDR control. It is important to balance hygiene measures against hygiene hysteria. To prepare urological instruments, a local instrument preparation plan that takes into consideration all legal instructions should be followed. The efforts in health system general prophylactic measures should be supported. Only with consistent implementation in all areas of daily life (health care, local environment, animal husbandry, and soil contaminated within the framework of animal husbandry) can a substantial reduction of XDR bacteria be achieved in the long term.

Absolute quantification of cassava brown streak virus mRNA by real-time qPCR.

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is the most important virus disease of cassava and a major food security threat in Africa. Yearly economic losses of up to $100 million USD have been attributed to CBSD. The lack of information on plant-virus interactions has restricted progress in breeding for CBSD resistance. Virus quantification is becoming a major tool for the quick and reliable assessment of plant host resistance. Therefore, a protocol for specific absolute quantification of Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) was developed. CBSV and UCBSV coat protein (CP) specific standard templates: CBSV (pFer2, 826bp) and UCBSV (pUF1-R1-1, 732) respectively were generated and maintained in a TA cloning vector. These were used to construct standard curves using a TaqMan qPCR assay. Standard curves with acceptable amplification efficiencies (90-105%) and coefficients of determination (R2) greater than 0.99 were obtained. Infected cassava plants were sampled from a screenhouse and the field and used to validate this assay. Results obtained by testing several screenhouse and field samples revealed consistent absolute quantification assays for different CBSV and UCBSV isolates. This study presents the first protocol for absolute quantification of CBSVs and is expected to accelerate screening for CBSD resistance and hence breeding for CBSD resistance. The use of the method presented here should improve the clarity of virus quantification data as the results obtained are not influenced by varietal, host, seasonal or environmental conditions. Screening efficiency will also be greatly improved as there is no need for the use of reference genes consequently allowing for a larger number of samples to be analyzed. This will increase experimental precision in a timely and cost effective manner.

Marine fungi isolated from Chilean fjord sediments can degrade oxytetracycline.

Salmon farming is the main economic activity in the fjords area of Southern Chile. This activity requires the use of antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline, for the control and prevention of diseases, which have a negative impact on the environment. We analyzed the abilities of endemic marine fungi to biodegrade oxytetracycline, an antibiotic used extensively in fish farming. We isolated marine fungi strains from sediment samples obtained from an area of fish farming activity. The five isolated strains showed an activity on oxytetracycline and were identified as Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma deliquescens, Penicillium crustosum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and Talaromyces atroroseus by a scanning electron microscopy and characterized by molecular techniques. Results showed significant degradation in the concentration of oxytetracycline at the first 2 days of treatment for all strains analyzed. At 21 days of treatment, the concentration of oxytetracycline was decreased 92 % by T. harzianum, 85 % by T. deliquescens, 83 % by P. crustosum, 73 % by R. mucilaginosa, and 72 % by T. atroroseus, all of which were significantly higher than the controls. Given these results, we propose that fungal strains isolated from marine sediments may be useful tools for biodegradation of antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline, in the salmon industry.

Weight change later in life and colon and rectal cancer risk in participants in the EPIC-PANACEA study.

BACKGROUND: A moderate association exists between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal cancer. Less is known about the effect of weight change. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relation between BMI and weight change and subsequent colon and rectal cancer risk. DESIGN: This was studied among 328,781 participants in the prospective European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol, Cessation of Smoking, Eating study (mean age: 50 y). Body weight was assessed at recruitment and on average 5 y later. Self-reported weight change (kg/y) was categorized in sex-specific quintiles, with quintiles 2 and 3 combined as the reference category (men: -0.6 to 0.3 kg/y; women: -0.4 to 0.4 kg/y). In the subsequent years, participants were followed for the occurrence of colon and rectal cancer (median period: 6.8 y). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to study the association. RESULTS: A total of 1261 incident colon cancer and 747 rectal cancer cases were identified. BMI at recruitment was statistically significantly associated with colon cancer risk in men (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.07). Moderate weight gain (quintile 4) in men increased risk further (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.68), but this relation did not show a clear trend. In women, BMI or weight gain was not related to subsequent risk of colon cancer. No statistically significant associations for weight loss and colon cancer or for BMI and weight changes and rectal cancer were found. CONCLUSIONS: BMI attained at adulthood was associated with colon cancer risk. Subsequent weight gain or loss was not related to colon or rectal cancer risk in men or women.

[Asymptomatic Renal Stones: Do they really Exist?]. / Gibt es den symptomlosen Nierenstein?

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic renal calculi without any history of colic, hematuria or infection can be found as an incidental finding during preven-tive check-ups. The aim of our study was to eval-uate whether these stones provoke symptoms with the need for further treatment during the follow-up and whether they cause cortical defects which may consecutively affect the renal func-tion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective study we evaluated 104  patients with renal calculi. The -medical history, radiological findings and functional imaging as well as urine and blood analyses were recorded and evaluated. The influence of stone size and localisation on the development of acute stone-related symptoms, renal function and renal scarring were evaluated. Furthermore, we analysed whether localised pathological findings in radiographic or functional imaging may influence the creatinine level. The follow-up was be-tween 12 and 48  months (median: 25  months). RESULTS: During the study period 27 / 104 of our patients (26 %) developed symptomatic events (renal colic, hematuria, infection) in which patients with middle pole calculi with a mean -cumulative stone diameter of 9.8  mm had the -highest risk. A localised renal scarring could be found in 36.6 %. These patients had a significantly higher risk in presenting an increased creatinine level. Increasing stone size was diagnosed in 39  cases (37.5 %). CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic renal stones have to be controlled regularly in order to prevent the -patient from loss of renal function and hypertension caused by increasing stones or urinary tract infection.

A novel TWO-STEP renaturation procedure for efficient production of recombinant BMP-2.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) stimulate bone formation and thus constitute important protein therapeutics. Here, a novel procedure is presented which allows fast and efficient production of biologically active BMP-2 via a TWO-STEP procedure: the conditions are designed such that the first step favors formation of monomeric species with the correct intramolecular disulfide bridges, the conditions of the second folding reaction stimulate the formation of the intermolecular disulfide bridge. The short processing times and increased yields compared to previously published procedures allow low-cost production of this important protein drug.

Functional characterization of the in vitro folded human y(1) receptor in lipid environment.

We describe the recombinant production of the human Y(1) receptor from inclusion bodies of E. coli cultures. The in vitro refolding was carried out in the presence of lipids from bovine brain extracts. Y(1) receptors in brain lipids compete for cellular receptors in competitive binding experiments.

Educación de la salud bucodental etnia mapuche de Chile: proyecto Maranai / Oral health education Mapuche ethnic of Chile: project Maranai

La salud, es decir ese estado de bienestar general a que hace mención la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), puede ser logrado a través de diversas actividades entre las que cabe destacar: cuidado de la salud, desarrollo de hábitos de vida, acceso verdadero a la salud, entre otras. Con ese argumento la FDI (Federación Dental Internacional), ahora con su residencia en Ferney Voltaire, Francia, muy cerca de Ginebra, Suiza, plasma su convicción y una larga y firme ambición de promover y llevar los beneficios de la salud oral a todos los pueblos. Evidentemente incluye las necesidades de los países en desarrollo, pero sin excluir las comunidades necesitadas de otras poblaciones desarrolladas o no. Esta labor pone su énfasis en la incorporación de la salud oral en la atención primaria de salud, además de introducir, por medio del intercambio de información y ejemplos, una promoción efectiva de la salud oral en comunidades necesitadas. En esta tarea se debe también admitir la responsabilidad social que tiene la profesión dental de tratar de reducir las inequidades de la salud oral donde quiera que existan. En Chile y actuando como agencia de ayuda, la Sociedad Odontológica de Chile, se implica en estas actividades comunitarias asumiendo acciones en lugares más desprotegidos del país con el propósito de asistir las deficiencias dentales de sus habitantes. La Sociedad Odontológica de Chile, aplica el concepto de promoción y prevención en salud bucal a todo el territorio nacional, especialmente a aquellos grupos de personas que posean necesidades especiales.

Ambient elemental, reactive gaseous, and particle-bound mercury concentrations in New Jersey, U.S.: measurements and associations with wind direction.

Two and a half years of data of ambient concentrations of elemental mercury (Hg(0)), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and particle-bound mercury (Hg(p)) were collected at measurement sites at Elizabeth, New Jersey and New Brunswick, New Jersey with Tekran sampling units. The data were processed, summarized, and analyzed from a variety of perspectives. Data quality control and quality assurance procedures are described. Wind direction and wind speed data for each of the sites were also collected. Significant temporal variations in concentrations of all three species were observed. Some significant directional variations were also seen. The sporadic nature of many of the temporal variations is consistent with and could reflect highly variable emissions patterns from anthropogenic mercury sources. Overall mean concentrations of all species were determined. These were, for Hg(0), Hg(p), and RGM respectively; 2.25 +/- 0.04 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m(3)), 8.21 +/- 0.39 picograms per cubic meter (pg/m(3)), and 8.93 +/- 0.31 pg/m(3) (arithmetic means and 95% confidence intervals) at Elizabeth, and 2.15 +/- 0.02 ng/m(3), 10.73 +/- 0.45 pg/m(3), and 6.04 +/- 0.30 pg/m(3) at New Brunswick. Mean concentrations were determined for 16 different sectors representing wind directions. The impact of one known large source is suggested by these data. Reasons for some directional variations are not apparent and suggest a need for further investigation.

Safety and feasibility of long-term temozolomide treatment in patients with high-grade glioma.

We surveyed neuro-oncologists regarding patients treated with temozolomide for at least 12 cycles or 12 months. Patients receiving first-line temozolomide for a median 13 cycles had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 14 months. Patients with recurrent disease receiving a median 14 cycles had a median PFS of 15.5 months. A small percentage of patients experienced grade III to IV toxicity. These results suggest that long-term treatment with temozolomide is feasible and well tolerated.

Assessment of cytological criteria for diagnosing osteosarcoma in dogs.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the specific cytological criteria of osteosarcomas in dogs. METHODS: Significant cytological characteristics of osteosarcoma and benign mesenchymal bone proliferations were determined from imprint smears of 25 dogs with osteosarcoma (group 1) and 20 dogs admitted for removal of surgical bone implants after uncomplicated healing of bone fractures (group 2). RESULTS: Mild to moderate cellular necrosis occurred frequently in patients with osteosarcoma. The cytoplasm of osteoblasts was pale blue to blue with a more pronounced basophilia in group 2. In 48 per cent of the patients in group 1, but none in group 2, osteoblasts showed a slight to moderate eosinophilic cytoplasmic granulation. In both groups, osteoblasts contained one red to pale blue nucleus with one or two grey-red to blue nucleoli in group 2. Forty-four per cent of animals in group 1 had osteoblasts with more than two nucleoli per nucleus. The median nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio was higher in group 1 (1:2.0) than in group 2 (1:3.5). Osteoblasts in group I were frequently seen to have a clumped chromatin pattern and showed significantly more criteria of malignancy (median six criteria per patient) than those in group 2 (median two criteria per patient). In group 1, mitoses of osteoblasts were detectable in 23 of 25 dogs, whereas only one dog in group 2 had evidence of mitotic osteoblasts. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Cytological criteria can be helpful in the diagnosis of canine osteosarcoma.

Achieving remission from depression with venlafaxine and venlafaxine extended release: a literature review of comparative studies with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate data supporting the ability of venlafaxine, an antidepressant with a dual mechanism of action, to produce remission from depression. METHOD: Review of multicentre, double-blind, randomized studies comparing venlafaxine or venlafaxine extended release (XR) with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale total scores in the range of < or = 7 and < 10 as the final outcome measure, to evaluate the ability of venlafaxine/venlafaxine XR to produce full remission from depression. RESULTS: Venlafaxine/venlafaxine XR demonstrated higher rates of remission than did the SSRIs and placebo. CONCLUSION: With full remission rather than response as the measure of outcome, venlafaxine/venlafaxine XR demonstrated more robust antidepressant efficacy than the SSRIs and placebo. This finding suggests that venlafaxine/venlafaxine XR are appropriate standard-of-care therapies for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder.

Portal vein thrombosis after hematopoietic cell transplantation: frequency, treatment and outcome.

Patients who develop veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver may have low plasma levels of the natural anticoagulants protein C and antithrombin III, but large vessel thromboses are not commonly reported in these patients. We reviewed the records of 1847 consecutive patients for evidence of portal vein thrombosis. Eight patients (0.4%) developed portal vein thrombosis (PVT) at a median of day +28 (range 3-58). All patients had clinical evidence of VOD with ascites, a median total serum bilirubin 11.9 mg/dl, and median weight gain from baseline of 7.9%. Median plasma levels of antithrombin III and protein C were low (36% and 21%, respectively). Four patients with PVT died of severe VOD and multi-organ failure, but PVT did not contribute to death. We conclude that PVT is a rare complication of hematopoietic cell transplant and is associated with hepatic VOD. We speculate that PVT resulted from diminished portal venous flow (related to hepatic sinusoidal obstruction to blood flow) and a hypercoagulable state (related to low circulating antithrombin III and protein C levels). Prognosis depended on the severity of the underlying VOD and not PVT per se, suggesting that treatments directed solely toward dissolution of portal vein thrombi should be used with caution in this setting.

Binding of external ligands onto an engineered virus capsid.

The development of novel delivery systems for therapeutic substances includes targeting of the carriers to a specific site or tissue within the body of the recipient. This can be accomplished by appropriate receptor-binding domains and requires linking of these domains to the carrier. We have used recombinantly expressed polyomavirus-like particles as a model system and inserted the sequence of a WW domain into different surface loops of the viral capsid protein VP1. In one variant, the WW domain maintained its highly selective binding properties of proline-rich ligands and showed an increased affinity but also an accelerated association/dissociation equilibrium compared to the isolated WW domain, thus allowing a short-term coupling of external ligands onto the surface of the virus-like particles.