The role of stress factors in severity of Cytospora plurivora in greenhouse and field plantings of 13 peach (Prunus persica) cultivars.

Understanding the host-pathogen-environmental interactions in a pathosystem is essential for management of diseases and diminished crop yields. Abiotic stressors such as cold damage, water deficit, and high pH soils can be major limiting factors to tree fruit production. Along with decreased yields, these abiotic factors can have direct implications for disease severity within orchards. Cytospora plurivora is a ubiquitous fungal canker pathogen in western Colorado, USA and is a major focus in integrated pest management strategies. This research evaluated the influence of biotic and abiotic stress factors on peach tree health. Thirteen peach cultivars were placed under abiotic stress and inoculated with C. plurivora in greenhouse and field conditions. Under deficit irrigation, C. plurivora infections were significantly larger and more severe in both the greenhouse and field trials when compared with those under the full-irrigation controls. In controlled greenhouse conditions, a positive correlation between lesion size and water potential was evident, but no trend of cultivar tolerance was observed. Furthermore, increase in irrigation water pH, through additions of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, in the greenhouse trials resulted in decreased leaf water potentials and increased pathogen necrotic tissue volumes (mm3). In field trials, there was no positive relationship between lesion size and water potential; trees with the most negative water potentials had the smallest lesions sizes that did not correspond to cultivar, suggesting that other abiotic or biotic factors may be shielding water stressed trees from increased pathogen aggression. This research highlights the importance of proper irrigation and soil pH management as tools for the management of Cytospora canker in peach orchards.

Evaluation of cell viability dyes in antiviral assays with RNA viruses that exhibit different cytopathogenic properties.

Studies were conducted to determine the performance of four dyes in assessing antiviral activities of compounds against three RNA viruses with differing cytopathogenic properties. Dyes included alamarBlue® measured by absorbance (ALB-A) and fluorescence (ALB-F), neutral red (NR), Viral ToxGlo™ (VTG), and WST-1. Viruses were chikungunya, dengue type 2, and Junin, which generally cause 100, 80-90, and 50% maximal cytopathic effect (CPE), respectively, in Vero or Vero 76 cells Compounds evaluated were 6-azauridine, BCX-4430, 3-deazaguanine, EICAR, favipiravir, infergen, mycophenolic acid (MPA), ribavirin, and tiazofurin. The 50% virus-inhibitory (EC50) values for each inhibitor and virus combination did not vary significantly based on the dye used. However, dyes varied in distinguishing the vitality of virus-infected cultures when not all cells were killed by virus infection. For example, VTG uptake into dengue-infected cells was nearly 50% when visual examination showed only 10-20% cell survival. ALB-A measured infected cell viability differently than ALB-F as follows: 16% versus 32% (dengue-infected), respectively, and 51% versus 72% (Junin-infected), respectively. Cytotoxicity (CC50) assays with dyes in uninfected proliferating cells produced similar CC50 values for EICAR (1.5-8.9µM) and MPA (0.8-2.5µM). 6-Azauridine toxicity was 6.1-17.5µM with NR, VTG, and WST-1, compared to 48-92µM with ALB-A and ALB-F (P<0.001). Curiously, the CC50 values for 3-deazaguanine were 83-93µM with ALB-F versus 2.4-7.0µM with all other dyes including ALB-A (P<0.001). Overall, ALB minimized the toxicities detected with these two inhibitors. Because the choice of dyes affected CC50 values, this impacted on the resulting in vitro selectivity indexes (calculated as CC50/EC50 ratio).

Who develops carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy: An analysis of obesity, gestational weight gain, and parity.

PURPOSE: To examine the prevalence, onset, and risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy. METHODS: Maternal electronic medical records were linked to birth certificate records using social security number. The outcome of carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy was defined as ICD9 code 354.0 given at a prenatal visit. Chi-square, t-test, and adjusted logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: We analyzed 17,623 prenatal visits from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 1/2003-12/2007. Mean maternal age was 26.4 (6.5) years, with 21% white, 69% black, and 46% overweight or obese. Ninety-one (2.8%) mothers participated in 765 prenatal visits given a carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis code. Compared to mothers without carpal tunnel syndrome, mothers with carpal tunnel syndrome were older (29.72 (5.42) versus 26.04 (6.37) years, p = 0.005), gained more weight during pregnancy (40.65 (10.13) pounds versus 34.2 (9.41) pounds, p = 0.04), and more likely to have college education (69.9% versus 44.5%, p = 0.03). Average onset (SD) of carpal tunnel syndrome was 18.1 (8.4) weeks' gestation. CONCLUSION: Mothers with carpal tunnel syndrome had high rates of overweight, obesity, and excessive gestational weight gain. Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome was rare but often occurred in the first and second trimesters, earlier than the frequently reported third trimester onset seen in literature. When looking at predictors of carpal tunnel syndrome, obese prepregnancy body mass index (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) and excessive gestational weight gain, greater than two previous live births, higher level of maternal education and more prenatal care (>10 visits) were associated with increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Higher maternal age was not associated with carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis after adjusting for weight and parity, suggesting mediation by these covariates.

Management of axillary burn contractures.

This article will review the basic principles and techniques of managing axillary burn contractures in both industrialized and developing nations. Surgeons specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery should be adept in treating axillary soft tissue deficits secondary to burn contractures. The focus of this article will be to provide suggestions for performing skin grafts and latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps, as well as illustrate guidelines for postoperative rehabilitation.

Recollection-like memory retrieval in rats is dependent on the hippocampus.

Recognition memory may be supported by two independent types of retrieval, conscious recollection of a specific experience and a sense of familiarity gained from previous exposure to particular stimuli. In humans, signal detection techniques have been used to distinguish recollection and familiarity, respectively, in asymmetrical and curvilinear components of their receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, standard curves that represent item recognition across different levels of confidence or bias. To determine whether animals also employ multiple processes in recognition memory and to explore the anatomical basis of this distinction, we adapted these techniques to examine odour recognition memory in rats. Their ROC curve had asymmetrical and curvilinear components, indicating the existence of both recollection and familiarity in rats. Furthermore, following selective damage to the hippocampus the ROC curve became entirely symmetrical and remained curvilinear, supporting the view that the hippocampus specifically mediates the capacity for recollection.