Prevalences of Tobamovirus Contamination in Seed Lots of Tomato and Capsicum.

Seed lots of tomato and capsicum ( and , respectively) are required to be free of quarantine pests before their entry to Australia is permitted. Testing of samples from 118 larger seed lots in the period 2019-2021 revealed that 31 (26.3%) carried one or more of four species, including tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV), which is a quarantine pest for Australia.

Prevalences of Pospiviroid Contamination in Large Seed Lots of Tomato and Capsicum, and Related Seed Testing Considerations.

Analyses of pospiviroids in commercial seed lots of tomato and capsicum, determined by testing of 12,000 to 40,000 seeds per lot, have enabled the development of empirically-derived distribution curves for the observed prevalences of viroids in those commodities. Those distribution curves can be considered in conjunction with statistically-based estimates of detection that would be achieved using other sample sizes. Statistical calculations using binomial distributions show that sample sizes of 3000 and 9400 seeds allow detection of viroid prevalences as low as 0.

Viroid-infected Tomato and Capsicum Seed Shipments to Australia.

Pospiviroid species are transmitted through capsicum and tomato seeds. Trade in these seeds represents a route for the viroids to invade new regions, but the magnitude of this hazard has not been adequately investigated. Since 2012, tomato seed lots sent to Australia have been tested for pospiviroids before they are released from border quarantine, and capsicum seed lots have been similarly tested in quarantine since 2013.

Noninvasive embryo assessment technique based on buoyancy and its association with embryo survival after cryopreservation.

Embryo cryopreservation offers many benefits by allowing genetic preservation, genetic screening, cost reduction, global embryo transport and single embryo transfer. However, freezing of embryos decreases embryo viability, as intracellular ice crystal formation often damages embryos. Success rates of frozen embryo transfer are expected to be 15-20% less than fresh embryo transfer.

Influence of Sex Education on Condom Knowledge and Condom Use Skills Among Texas College Students.

Condoms have proven effective when used correctly; however, few studies have examined the relationship between a student's previous sex education and his or her general condom knowledge and ability to use a condom correctly. Educational systems in Texas provide a myriad of types of sexual education to their student populations. The objective of the present study was to compare the type of previous sex education with the condom knowledge and condom use skills among students attending college.

Responding to Requests for Assisted Reproductive Technology Intervention Involving Women Who Cannot Give Consent.

One of the plots of the Canadian science fiction thriller Orphan Black involves a scheme to create dozens of siblings by harvesting the eggs of one woman, fertilizing them with the sperm of a single man, and implanting them for gestation in dozens of apparently willing surrogates.¹ The casualness of the procedure speaks to how comfortable we have all become with reproduction by technology. Yet there are still aspects of this process that remain outside the normative boundaries of most of our worldviews.

Responding to Requests for Assisted Reproductive Technology Intervention Involving Women Who Cannot Give Consent.

One of the plots of the Canadian science fiction thriller Orphan Black involves a scheme to create dozens of siblings by harvesting the eggs of one woman, fertilizing them with the sperm of a single man, and implanting them for gestation in dozens of apparently willing surrogates.¹ The casualness of the procedure speaks to how comfortable we have all become with reproduction by technology. Yet there are still aspects of this process that remain outside the normative boundaries of most of our worldviews.

An incremental approach to improving scholarly activity.

Background: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires scholarly activity for both faculty and residents in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn). There is little evidence on the most effective method to train, recruit, and retain research faculty who can mentor resident researchers at small programs.

Innovation: To address this problem, we created the "Baby Steps" program for a small university-based Ob-Gyn program.