First report of Apple bitter rot caused by in Ontario.

Bitter rot is an emerging disease of apple () fruit in Ontario in part due to changing weather conditions. The disease was mostly documented in warm and humid regions such as the southern USA, and Central and South America. Thirteen Ontario orchards in the fall of 2019 and 15 in 2020 were scouted for bitter rot based on their previous history of the disease.

Influence of plant species, mycorrhizal inoculant, and soil phosphorus level on arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in onion and carrot roots.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ancient and ecologically important symbionts that colonize plant roots. These symbionts assist in the uptake of water and nutrients, particularly phosphorus, from the soil. This important role has led to the development of AMF inoculants for use as biofertilizers in agriculture.

Characterization of a virulence factor in Plasmodiophora brassicae, with molecular markers for identification.

Symptom severity on differential host lines is currently used to characterize and identify pathotypes of Plasmodiophora brassicae, which is an obligate, soil-borne chromist pathogen that causes clubroot disease on canola (Brassica napus) and other brassica crops. This process is slow, variable and resource intensive; development of molecular markers could make identification of important pathotypes faster and more consistent for deployment of cultivars with pathotype-specific resistance. In the current study, a variant of gene 9171 was identified in the whole-genome sequences of only the highly virulent pathotypes of P.

Beclometasone inhaler-induced recovery of refractory peri-ileostomy skin complications.

Unlabelled: Peristomal skin complications (PSCs) are relatively common in ostomy patients, particularly in those with ileostomies. Non-healing irritation presents a clinical challenge and leads to pain and impaired quality of life for patients.

Methods: The cases of four ileostomy patients experiencing severe, challenging PSCs refractory to appliance changes, conventional dressings and barrier creams are discussed.

Robust performance of a live bacterial therapeutic chassis lacking the colibactin gene cluster.

E. coli Nissle (EcN) is a non-pathogenic probiotic bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family that has been used for over a century to promote general gut health. Despite the history of safe usage of EcN, concerns have been raised regarding the presence of the pks gene cluster, encoding the genotoxin colibactin, due to its association with colorectal cancer.

Estimating the national carbon footprint of inhalers in healthcare.

Background: Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) contain greenhouse gases which have a disproportionate effect on the carbon footprint of healthcare. There are more environmentally friendly alternatives such as dry powder inhalers (DPIs) or soft mist inhalers (SMIs).

Aims: This study aims to approximate the carbon footprint of inhalers dispensed in Irish healthcare.

Omalizumab for the treatment of severe allergic asthma in children: A tale of two.

Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody which targets immunoglobulin E. It is approved as an add-on therapy for children with severe allergic asthma. Assessment of endotype and phenotype is necessary in order to correctly identify those patients who are most likely to respond to omalizumab.

Rapid cell counting and viability detection method of Escherichia coli Nissle using image cytometry.

The improvement of cell enumeration methods for the counting of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is important as E. coli gains in popularity as a basis for biopharmaceutical applications.

Stemphylium Leaf Blight: A Re-Emerging Threat to Onion Production in Eastern North America.

Stemphylium leaf blight (SLB), caused by , is a foliar disease of onion worldwide, and has recently become an important disease in the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada. The symptoms begin as small, tan to brown lesions on the leaves that can progress to defoliate plants. Crop loss occurs through reduced photosynthetic area, resulting in smaller, lower-quality bulbs.

Risk assessment of secondary metabolites produced by fungi in the genus .

The fungal genus (phylum Ascomycota, teleomorph ) includes plant pathogenic, endophytic, and saprophytic species with worldwide distributions. spp. produce prodigious numbers of airborne spores, so are a human health concern as allergens.

Entomopathogenic nematodes for control of carrot weevil: efficacy and longevity in muck and mineral soils.

Background: Carrot weevil is an important pest throughout carrot-producing regions in Canada. Pesticides to control carrot weevil adults require application when the majority of adults have emerged and often this occurs after oviposition has already commenced and damage will be realized. One alternative to conventional pesticides are entomopathogenic nematodes.

The Role of Ascospores and Conidia, in Relation to Weather Variables, in the Epidemiology of Stemphylium Leaf Blight of Onion.

Stemphylium leaf blight (SLB), caused by , is an important foliar disease of onion in northeastern North America. The pathogen produces conidia and ascospores, but the relative contributions of these spore types to epidemics in onion is not known. Determining the abundance of ascospores and conidia during the growing season could contribute to a disease forecasting model.

Oviposition, Feeding Preferences and Distribution of Species (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in Eastern Canadian Onions.

and are three root maggot species commonly considered pests in Eastern Canadian onions. The onion maggot, is considered the primary root maggot pest in onion but it remains unclear whether the other two species are also causing damage. In order to develop updated management strategies for root maggot, we tested adult oviposition and feeding preference by larvae on four growth stages of onion using bioassays and we determined the species composition across the four major onion growing regions in eastern Canada.

Cardiologists' Perspectives on Race-Based Drug Labels and Prescribing Within the Context of Treating Heart Failure.

Cardiologists are known to consider patients' race when treating heart failure, but their views on the benefits and harms of this practice are largely undocumented. We set out to explore cardiologists' perspectives on the benefits and harms of race-based drug labels and guidelines. Specifically, we focused on isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine hydrochloride (sold in a patented form as BiDil), a combination of drugs recommended for the treatment of black patients receiving optimal medical therapy for symptomatic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.

Acceptability of two- versus three-dose human papillomavirus vaccination schedule among providers and mothers of adolescent girls: a mixed-methods study in five countries.

Purpose: The World Health Organization revised its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination recommendations to include a two (2-) dose schedule for girls aged ≤ 15 years. We investigated acceptability of 2- versus 3-dose schedule among adolescent vaccination providers and mothers of adolescent girls in five countries.

Methods: Adolescent vaccination providers (N = 151) and mothers of adolescent girls aged 9-14 years (N = 118) were recruited from Argentina, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain.

Evaluation of the TOM-CAST Forecasting Model in Asparagus for Management of Stemphylium Leaf Spot in Ontario, Canada.

In the last 5 years, asparagus acreage in Canada has increased by over 25%. Stemphylium leaf spot, caused by Stemphylium vesicarium, has emerged as the predominant foliar pathogen of asparagus. Typically, contact fungicides are applied every 14 days; however, regardless of the number of applications, growers are not achieving adequate control of the disease.

Implementation of the NCAA Sickle Cell Trait Screening Policy: A Survey of Athletic Staff and Student-athletes.

Objective: To describe the perspectives and experiences of athletic trainers, coaches, and student-athletes approximately three years post-implementation of the NCAA sickle cell trait (SCT) screening policy.

Participants: Two-hundred and eight student-athletes, 32 athletic trainers, and 43 coaches from 10 NCAA Division I (DI) institutions in North Carolina from January to June 2014.

Methods: Two online surveys were used to assess knowledge, perspectives, and experiences.

The Impact of the Carrot Rust Fly and Carrot Weevil Integrated Pest Management Program on the Ground-Dwelling Beetle Complex in Commercial Carrot Fields at the Holland Marsh, Ontario, Canada.

Carrot rust fly (CRF), Psila rosae (Fabricius, 1794) (Psilidae: Diptera) and carrot weevil (CW), Listronotus oregonensis (Le Conte, 1857) (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) are economic pests of carrot; larval tunneling on roots results in direct damage rendering the carrot unmarketable. The Holland Marsh in Ontario, Canada, is a major carrot production area. The ground-dwelling beetle (Coleoptera) fauna in commercial carrot fields in this region has not been described.

Proteomic Profiles of Adipose and Liver Tissues from an Animal Model of Metabolic Syndrome Fed Purple Vegetables.

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a complex disorder that predisposes an individual to Cardiovascular Diseases and type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Proteomics and bioinformatics have proven to be an effective tool to study complex diseases and mechanisms of action of nutrients. We previously showed that substitution of the majority of carbohydrate in a high fat diet by purple potatoes (PP) or purple carrots (PC) improved insulin sensitivity and hypertension in an animal model of MetS (obese Zucker rats) compared to a control sucrose-rich diet.

The Effect of Anthocyanin-Rich Purple Vegetable Diets on Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Zucker Rats.

Consumption of highly colored fruits and vegetables rich in anthocyanins has been associated with numerous health benefits. Purple carrots (PC) and purple potatoes (PP) have higher anthocyanin concentrations and higher biological activities compared with less pigmented cultivars. We hypothesized that substitution of the majority of carbohydrate in a high fat diet with PP or PC, for 8 weeks, would improve insulin resistance and hypertension, major components of metabolic syndrome, compared with orange carrots (OC), white potatoes (WP) or a control, high fat, sucrose-rich diet (HFD) in obese Zucker rats.

Fine Mapping of a Clubroot Resistance Gene in Chinese Cabbage Using SNP Markers Identified from Bulked Segregant RNA Sequencing.

Clubroot, caused by , is an important disease of canola () in western Canada and worldwide. In this study, a clubroot resistance gene () was identified and fine mapped in Chinese cabbage cv. "Jazz" using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers identified from bulked segregant RNA sequencing (BSR-Seq) and molecular markers were developed for use in marker assisted selection.

Perspectives and Practices of Athletic Trainers and Team Physicians Implementing the 2010 NCAA Sickle Cell Trait Screening Policy.

Sickle cell trait (SCT) is usually benign. However, there are some conditions that may lead to SCT-related problems and put athletes with the trait at particular risk. In 2010 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) issued a policy that required all Division I (DI) student-athletes to confirm their SCT status or sign a liability waiver to opt out of testing.

Propidium Monoazide Improves Quantification of Resting Spores of Plasmodiophora brassicae with qPCR.

Plasmodiophora brassicae, which causes clubroot of Brassica crops, persists in soil as long-lived resting spores. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis is often used to quantify resting spores but does not distinguish between DNA of viable and nonviable spores. The impact of pretreating spores with propidium monoazide (PMA), which inhibits amplification of DNA from nonviable microorganisms, was assessed in several experiments.