Identification and Characterization of Isolates of Pythium and Phytophthora spp. from Snap Beans with Cottony Leak.

Cottony leak is an important disease of snap bean in Oklahoma and nearby states. Oomycete pathogens isolated from diseased pods collected from commercial fields and research plots consisted of both Pythium spp. (n = 131) and Phytophthora spp. (n = 46). Isolates were identified to species by morphological characteristics and by sequencing a portion of the internal transcribed spacer region of representative isolates. The most common Pythium spp. were Pythium ultimum var. ultimum; Pythium 'group HS', a self-sterile form of P. ultimum that produces hyphal swellings in lieu of sporangia (n = 74); and P. aphanidermatum (n = 50). Phytophthora spp. included Phytophthora drechsleri (n = 41) and P. nicotianae (n = 5). Nearly all of the isolates (95%) and all species were pathogenic on detached pods but Pythium ultimum var. ultimum and Pythium 'group HS' were most aggressive. Phytophthora drechsleri was most aggressive on seedlings, causing preemergence damping off and seed rot. Pythium ultimum var. ultimum, Pythium 'group HS', and P. aphanidermatum were intermediate in virulence to seedlings, causing root rot, stunting, and limited postemergence damping off. Phytophthora nicotianae and Pythium diclinum (n = 4) were not pathogenic on seedlings. Most (87%) isolates were sensitive to metalaxyl-M (concentration that caused a 50% reduction in mycelial growth [EC50] < 1 µg/ml) and the rest were intermediate in sensitivity (EC50 > 1 to < 100 µg/ml). Phytophthora drechsleri was the most sensitive species (EC50 = 0.06 µg/ml) compared with Pythium aphanidermatum, which was least sensitive (EC50 = 1.3 µg/ml). Cottony leak is a disease complex caused by several oomycete species that should include Phytophthora drechsleri, a newly reported pathogen of snap bean in the United States.

Making effective use of tumor registries for cancer survivorship research.

BACKGROUND: The growing number of cancer survivors has created an increased need for survivorship research; however, the identification and recruitment of cancer survivors present some challenges. This report describes how two hospital cancer registries were used to recruit a large sample of breast cancer survivors (BCS) for a study examining the late reproductive effects of breast cancer treatments. Limitations and opportunities associated with this type of recruitment strategy are described, and the overall success of recruitment using this approach is presented. METHODS: Tumor registries from a comprehensive cancer center and a community hospital were used to identify BCS who met the study screening criteria. Invitations and response forms were mailed to all potentially eligible women, and those who did not respond by mail also were contacted by telephone. Women who indicated interest and met the study requirements were asked to give written consent, were enrolled in the study, and were sent a self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy percent of the eligible women (n = 733 women) responded to the mailing. Seventy-seven percent of the 512 respondents indicated a willingness to participate and were sent a questionnaire. Of these, 78% (n = 368 women) completed questionnaires. BCS recruited from the cancer center registry were more likely than those from the community hospital registry to respond to the invitation form (P = 0.033) and were more likely to return a completed questionnaire (P = 0.001). However, the community hospital provided access to a more ethnically diverse sample of survivors. CONCLUSIONS: The two participating cancer registries were an excellent source for identifying a large sample of long-term BCS, and the different types of registries provided greater sample size and diversity. Although there are some limitations to this approach, including nonresponse of a significant number of BCS, tumor registries represent an important resource for the rapid identification of cancer survivors for research studies. Findings from this study suggest several enhancements for future studies that may increase the yield from registry recruitment.

Beneficial Effects of Solid Matrix Chemo-priming in Okra.

Two field trials at Stillwater and Bixby, OK, evaluated the efficacy of solid matrix priming techniques, alone or in combination with fungicide seed treatment on seedling emergence and reduction of damping-off of okra in field soil naturally infested with Pythium ultimum. The following treatments were evaluated: thiram + carboxin (chemo-primed) (commercially applied), biological seed treatment (bio-primed) (Trichoderma harzianum isolate OK-110, 1 g suspended in 1% carboxymethylcellulose [CMC]), untreated seed (control), and a 1% CMC control. Chemo-primed seeds had a more uniform and faster emergence compared with untreated seeds at both field sites. Within 3 days, 92 and 78% of chemo-primed seeds had emerged at Stillwater and Bixby, respectively, compared with 84 and 71% emergence in the untreated control. Mean emergence of chemo-primed seeds was lower (P ≤ 0.05) than the untreated control. Chemo-primed seeds had greater vigor (P≤ 0.05) at both locations compared with either fungicide-treated or priming alone, at both locations. There were no differences (P ≤ 0.05) in yield among treatments at both locations. P. ultimum was consistently isolated from damped-off seedlings and surrounding soil at both locations. Isolates of P. ultimum were more pathogenic on okra in laboratory tests than isolates of Rhizoctonia spp., Fusarium spp., and other Pythium spp. also isolated from seed or soil.

A comparison of isokinetic strength testing and gait analysis in patients with posterior cruciate-retaining and substituting knee arthroplasties.

Fourteen patients with a posterior-stabilized prosthesis in one knee and a posterior cruciate-retaining prosthesis in the contralateral knee and both scoring good or excellent on the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee scale were evaluated by isokinetic muscle testing and comprehensive gait analysis at a mean follow-up of 98 months after arthroplasty. The average HSS knee score (93 points) and the average Knee Society score (94 points) were the same for the cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilized knees. No differences were noted between the cruciate-retaining and the posterior stabilized knees with respect to isokinetic muscle testing parameters (peak torque, endurance, angle of peak torque, and torque acceleration energy) for both quadriceps and hamstrings. No significant differences were found between the cruciate-retaining and the posterior-stabilized knees with regard to gait parameters, knee range of motion, and electromyographic waveforms during level walking and stair climbing. Cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilized total knee prostheses perform equally well during level gait and stair climbing.

No evidence of adverse effects on germination, emergence, and fruit yield due to space exposure of tomato seeds.

Seeds of 'Rutgers California Supreme' tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were exposed to outer space conditions aboard the long duration exposure facility (LDEF) satellite in the space exposed experiment developed for students (SEEDS) project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Seeds aboard the LDEF were packed in dacron bags forming four layers per sealed canister. Some of these seeds were used in Oklahoma and Florida for studies of germination, emergence, and fruit yield. Among all measured variables in three experiments, there was only one significant main effect of canister 2 versus canister 7 (for mean time to germination) and only one main effect of layer (for seedling shoot dry weight). There also were only two inconsistent canister x layer interactions in the germination tests. The contrast of Earth-based control seed versus space-exposed seed was significant four times: in Oklahoma in 1991 the mean time to germination of space-exposed seeds and the days to 50% of final germination were 0.7 days less than for Earth-based seeds, and in Florida in 1992 seedling percent emergence and shoot dry weight were increased by space exposure. Fruit yield and marketability were unaffected in plants grown from space-exposed seeds. These results support student findings from the SEEDS project, and provide evidence that tomato seeds can survive in space for several years without adverse effects on germination, emergence, and fruit yield.

Perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange improves oxygenation, lung mechanics, and survival in a model of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange to volume controlled positive pressure breathing in supporting gas exchange, lung mechanics, and survival in an acute lung injury model. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized study. SETTING: A university medical school laboratory approved for animal research. SUBJECTS: Neonatal piglets. INTERVENTIONS: Eighteen piglets were randomized to receive perfluorcarbon-associated gas exchange with perflubron (n=10) or volume controlled continuous positive pressure breathing (n=8) after acute lung injury was induced by oleic acid infusion (0.15 mL/kg iv). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Arterial and venous blood gases, hemodynamics, and lung mechanics were measured every 15 mins during a 3-hr study period. All animals developed a metabolic and a respiratory acidosis during the infusion of oleic acid. Following randomization, the volume controlled positive pressure breathing group developed a profound acidosis (p<.05), while pH did not change in the perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange group. Within 15 mins of initiating perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange, oxygenation increased from a PaO2 of 52 +/- 12 torr (6.92 +/- 1.60 kPa) to 151 +/- 93 torr (20.0 +/- 12.4 kPa) and continued to improve throughout the study (p<.05). Animals that received volume controlled positive pressure breathing remained hypoxic with no appreciable change in PaO2. Although both groups developed hypercarbia during oleic acid infusion, PaCO2, steadily increased over time in the control group (p<.01). Static lung compliance significantly increased postrandomization (60 mins) in the animals supported by perflurocarbon-associated gas exchange (p<.05), whereas it remained unchanged over time in the volume controlled positive pressure breathing group. However, survival was significantly higher in the perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange group with eight (80%) of ten animals surviving the entire study period. Only two (25%) of the eight animals in the volume controlled positive pressure breathing group were alive at the end of the study period (log-rank statistic, p=.013). CONCLUSIONS: Perflurocarbon-associated gas exchange enhanced gas exchange, pulmonary mechanics, and survival in this model of acute lung injury.

The DRG hospital payment system, surgical readmissions and cost containment.

We analyzed all adult surgical patients requiring readmission to the surgical service of an acute care academic hospital for a four-year period (1/1/85-12/31/88). We stratified surgical readmissions by the number of times the patient was readmitted to surgery (from one to five times). For surgical patients 41.1 per cent of the readmission population was readmitted more than once, only 4.4 per cent were readmitted five or more times. Patients requiring three or more admissions generally had the greatest hospital resource utilization, financial risk under DRG payment, and mortality, compared with other surgical readmissions. This analysis suggests that within the surgical readmission population resource parameters may differ by the number of readmissions per patient. Factors were identified which corresponded to a greater likelihood of surgical readmission, and possibly allow the focus of outpatient services which may reduce hospital inpatient costs in the future.

Hospital readmissions, otolaryngology, and the diagnosis related group hospital payment system.

An analysis of otolaryngologic patients requiring readmission was conducted at our institution during a 4-year period to determine the number of readmissions per patient and the time between discharge and hospital readmission. Readmitted otolaryngologic patients were found to have had greater hospital resource utilization, financial risk under diagnosis-related group payment, and mortality, compared with those patients not readmitted to our facility. For patients readmitted to otolaryngologic services (21.2% of total otolaryngologic patients), 20.4% of the readmissions occurred within 30 days of hospital discharge. Of these, 39.3% required one hospital readmission, 16.3% required two readmissions, and 46.4% of the patients called for three or more hospital admissions. Clinical factors were identified that resulted in a greater incidence of otolaryngologic readmission. Otolaryngologic patients readmitted to other clinical services were also studied. This analysis loads to the conclusion that inequities exist within the diagnosis related group hospital payment system vis-à-vis otolaryngologic readmissions. The results of these data also demonstrate leverage points in which we will be able to focus outpatient services for otolaryngologic patients requiring readmission and potentially decrease inpatient hospital expenditures in the days ahead.