Pulmonary embolism response teams. A description of the first 36-month Australian experience.

Background: High/intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) confers increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. International guidelines recommend the formation of a PE response team (PERT) for PE management because of the complexity of risk stratification and emerging treatment options. However, there are currently no available Australian data regarding outcomes of PE managed through a PERT.

Comparative utility of hermetic and conventional grain storage bags for smallholder farmers: a meta-analysis.

Postharvest management is critical to attaining household food, nutrition, and income security. Hermetic grain storage bags offer an effective pesticide-free way to protect stored grain against fungal and insect infestation. We evaluated articles indexed in the Web of Science that included experiments comparing the storage efficacy of conventional and hermetic storage bags based on grain germination rate, insect infestation, physical damage, mycotoxin contamination, and changes in weight and moisture content.

Effects of Nitrate and Conductivity on Embryo-Larval Fathead Minnows.

Nitrate concentrations have been rising in surface waters over the last century and now frequently exceed drinking water standards and environmental safety benchmarks globally. Health-wise, these trends are concerning because nitrate has been shown to disrupt endocrine function and developmental outcomes. The present study investigated potential sublethal effects of nitrate on developing fathead minnows.

Catheter-directed therapies for the treatment of high risk (massive) and intermediate risk (submassive) acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a major cause of acute morbidity and mortality. APE results in long-term morbidity in up to 50% of survivors, known as post-pulmonary embolism (post-PE) syndrome.  APE can be classified according to the short-term (30-day) risk of mortality, based on a variety of clinical, imaging and laboratory findings.

Challenges in the interpretation of anticoagulant rodenticide residues and toxicity in predatory and scavenging birds.

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are part of the near billion-dollar rodenticide industry. Numerous studies have documented the presence of ARs in nontarget wildlife, with evidence of repeated exposure to second-generation ARs. While birds are generally less sensitive to ARs than target rodent species, in some locations predatory and scavenging birds are exposed by consumption of such poisoned prey and, depending on dose and frequency of exposure, exhibit effects of intoxication that can result in death.

Factors associated with outcome after successful radiological intervention in arteriovenous fistulas: A retrospective cohort.

Introduction: Arteriovenous fistulas are the best form of vascular access for haemodialysis. A radiological balloon angioplasty is the standard treatment for a clinically relevant stenosis, but the recurrence rate is high. Data on factors associated with recurrence are limited.

Metagenomic Analysis of Plant Virus Occurrence in Common Bean () in Central Kenya.

Two closely related potyviruses, bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV), are regarded as major constraints on production of common bean ( L.) in Eastern and Central Africa, where this crop provides a high proportion of dietary protein as well as other nutritional, agronomic, and economic benefits. Previous studies using antibody-based assays and indicator plants indicated that BCMV and BCMNV are both prevalent in bean fields in the region but these approaches cannot distinguish between these potyviruses or detect other viruses that may threaten the crop.

Viral metagenomics of aphids present in bean and maize plots on mixed-use farms in Kenya reveals the presence of three dicistroviruses including a novel Big Sioux River virus-like dicistrovirus.

Background: Aphids are major vectors of plant viruses. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and maize (Zea mays L.

Tools for Defusing a Major Global Food and Feed Safety Risk: Nonbiological Postharvest Procedures To Decontaminate Mycotoxins in Foods and Feeds.

Mycotoxin contamination of foods and animal feeds is a worldwide problem for human and animal health. Controlling mycotoxin contamination has drawn the attention of scientists and other food and feed stakeholders all over the world. Despite best efforts targeting field and storage preventive measures, environmental conditions can still lead to mycotoxin contamination.

In vitro experimental environments lacking or containing soil disparately affect competition experiments of Aspergillus flavus and co-occurring fungi in maize grains.

In vitro experimental environments are used to study interactions between microorganisms, and to predict dynamics in natural ecosystems. This study highlights that experimental in vitro environments should be selected to match closely the natural environment of interest during in vitro studies to strengthen extrapolations about aflatoxin production by Aspergillus and competing organisms. Fungal competition and aflatoxin accumulation were studied in soil, cotton wool or tube (water-only) environments, for Aspergillus flavus competition with Penicillium purpurogenum, Fusarium oxysporum or Sarocladium zeae within maize grains.

Tension pneumocephalus: the neurosurgical emergency equivalent of tension pneumothorax.

Tension pneumocephalus (TP) is the intracranial equivalent of tension pneumothorax. It is an unusual but life-threatening neurosurgical emergency, which has been described following head trauma, epidural injections or complicating neurological, spinal, craniofacial or sinus surgery. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of TP are non-specific and the diagnosis must be made by prompt recognition of the classic imaging signs of TP, allowing lifesaving emergency decompression.

Recreational Diving Impacts on Coral Reefs and the Adoption of Environmentally Responsible Practices within the SCUBA Diving Industry.

Recreational diving on coral reefs is an activity that has experienced rapidly growing levels of popularity and participation. Despite providing economic activity for many developing coastal communities, the potential role of dive impacts in contributing to coral reef damage is a concern at heavily dived locations. Management measures to address this issue increasingly include the introduction of programmes designed to encourage environmentally responsible practices within the dive industry.

Transcatheter Embolization of Type IA Endoleak after Nellix Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Sealing with N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate: Technique in Three Patients.

The successful transcatheter treatment of a type IA endoleak after endovascular aortic aneurysm sealing with the Nellix EndoVascular Aneurysm Sealing system (Endologix Inc, Irvine, California) using proximal covered stent extension and transarterial N-butyl cyanoacrylate sac embolization is described. Three patients were treated using the same technique with a mean interval between the index procedure and reintervention of 9.3 months (range, 3-15 mo).

Comparative analytical evaluation of the respiratory TaqMan Array Card with real-time PCR and commercial multi-pathogen assays.

In this study, a multicenter evaluation of the Life Technologies TaqMan(®) Array Card (TAC) with 21 custom viral and bacterial respiratory assays was performed on the Applied Biosystems ViiA™ 7 Real-Time PCR System. The goal of the study was to demonstrate the analytical performance of this platform when compared to identical individual pathogen specific laboratory developed tests (LDTs) designed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), equivalent LDTs provided by state public health laboratories, or to three different commercial multi-respiratory panels. CDC and Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) LDTs had similar analytical sensitivities for viral pathogens, while several of the bacterial pathogen APHL LDTs demonstrated sensitivities one log higher than the corresponding CDC LDT.

Bean Common Mosaic Virus and Bean Common Mosaic Necrosis Virus: Relationships, Biology, and Prospects for Control.

The closely related potyviruses Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and Bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV) are major constraints on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production. Crop losses caused by BCMV and BCMNV impact severely not only on commercial scale cultivation of this high-value crop but also on production by smallholder farmers in the developing world, where bean serves as a key source of dietary protein and mineral nutrition. In many parts of the world, progress has been made in combating BCMV through breeding bean varieties possessing the I gene, a dominant gene conferring resistance to most BCMV strains.

Genetic diversity of Kenyan native oyster mushroom (Pleurotus).

Members of the genus Pleurotus, also commonly known as oyster mushroom, are well known for their socioeconomic and biotechnological potentials. Despite being one of the most important edible fungi, the scarce information about the genetic diversity of the species in natural populations has limited their sustainable utilization. A total of 71 isolates of Pleurotus species were collected from three natural populations: 25 isolates were obtained from Kakamega forest, 34 isolates from Arabuko Sokoke forest and 12 isolates from Mount Kenya forest.

Imaging of the aortic valve with MRI and CT angiography.

The aortic valve may be affected by a wide range of congenital and acquired diseases. Echocardiography is the main non-invasive imaging technique for assessing patho-anatomical alterations of the aortic valve and adjacent structures and in many cases is sufficient to establish a diagnosis and/or guide treatment decisions. Recent technological advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) have enabled these techniques to play a complimentary role in certain clinical scenarios and as such can be useful problem-solving tools.

Physiological and molecular characterization of drought responses and identification of candidate tolerance genes in cassava.

Cassava is an important root crop to resource-poor farmers in marginal areas, where its production faces drought stress constraints. Given the difficulties associated with cassava breeding, a molecular understanding of drought tolerance in cassava will help in the identification of markers for use in marker-assisted selection and genes for transgenic improvement of drought tolerance. This study was carried out to identify candidate drought-tolerance genes and expression-based markers of drought stress in cassava.