Mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 transmission at a large public university.

In Fall 2020, universities saw extensive transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among their populations, threatening health of the university and surrounding communities, and viability of in-person instruction. Here we report a case study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where a multimodal "SHIELD: Target, Test, and Tell" program, with other non-pharmaceutical interventions, was employed to keep classrooms and laboratories open. The program included epidemiological modeling and surveillance, fast/frequent testing using a novel low-cost and scalable saliva-based RT-qPCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 that bypasses RNA extraction, called covidSHIELD, and digital tools for communication and compliance.

Microbial Load and Prevalence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in Macadamia Nut Production Systems.

Abstract: This study evaluated the potential impact of environmental factors and harvesting practices on the microbial load of macadamia nuts. Three farms located in primary macadamia nut production regions, the Mbombela (A), Barberton (B) and White River (C) areas in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, were sampled over a 2-year period. A total of 264 irrigation water (54), soil (30), and macadamia nut (180) samples were collected and evaluated for microbial load.

[Risk factors for disseminated herpes zoster].

Background: When skin abnormalities in patients extend over several dermatomes, disseminated herpes zoster should be suspected. This complication is most often seen in immunocompromised patients.

Case Description: An 87-year-old patient came to the dermatology outpatient clinic with several vesicles scattered over her body.

Inheritance of phenotypic traits in the progeny of a Ceratocystis interspecific cross.

Ceratocystis fimbriata is a fungal plant pathogen that causes black rot on Ipomoea batatas. Based on inoculation studies on numerous tree species, the pathogen is known to be host specific. The closely related species, Ceratocystis manginecans, causes severe wilt on a broad range of tree hosts, including Mangifera indica, Acacia mangium and other leguminous tree species.

A promising azeotrope-like mosquito repellent blend.

Topical repellents play a key role in reducing the outdoor transmission of mosquito-borne diseases by reducing human-vector contact. Excellent repellents are available, but there is always room for improvement. This article reports on a particularly effective binary repellent blend of ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate and nonanoic acid.