Sustained antigen delivery improves germinal center reaction and increases antibody responses in neonatal mice.

Neonates and young infants are known to have limited responses to pediatric vaccines due to reduced germinal center formation. Extended vaccine antigen dosing was previously shown to expand germinal center formation and improve humoral responses in adult mice. We report that sustained antigen delivery through sequential dosing overcomes neonatal limitations to form germinal center reactions and improves humoral immunity.

IL6 suppresses vaccine responses in neonates by enhancing IL2 activity on T follicular helper cells.

The inability of neonates to develop CD4FoxP3CXCR5PD-1 T follicular helper (T) cells contributes to their weak vaccine responses. In previous studies, we measured diminished IgG responses when IL-6 was co-injected with a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in neonatal mice. This is in sharp contrast to adults, where IL-6 improves vaccine responses by downregulating the expression of IL-2Rβ on T cells and protecting them from the inhibitory effect of IL-2.

Virulence Profiles and Genome-Wide Association Study for Isolates Collected from Australian Lentil-Growing Regions.

, the causal organism of Ascochyta blight (AB) of lentil (), has been shown to produce an avirulence effector protein that mediates AB resistance in certain lentil cultivars. The two known forms of the effector protein were identified from a biparental mapping population between isolates that have reciprocal virulence on 'PBA Hurricane XT' and 'Nipper'. The effector AlAvr1-1 was described for the PBA Hurricane XT-avirulent isolate P94-24 and AlAvr1-2 characterized in the PBA Hurricane XT-virulent isolate Kewell.

De Novo Long-Read Whole-Genome Assemblies and the Comparative Pan-Genome Analysis of Ascochyta Blight Pathogens Affecting Field Pea.

Ascochyta Blight (AB) is a major disease of many cool-season legumes globally. In field pea, three fungal pathogens have been identified to be responsible for this disease in Australia, namely , and . Limited genomic resources for these pathogens have been generated, which has hampered the implementation of effective management strategies and breeding for resistant cultivars.

Field Pea () Germplasm Screening for Seedling Ascochyta Blight Resistance and Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal Loci Associated with Resistance to and .

Ascochyta blight is a damaging disease that affects the stems, leaves, and pods of field pea () and impacts yield and grain quality. In Australia, field pea Ascochyta blight is primarily caused by the necrotrophic fungal species and . In this study, we screened 1,276 spp.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Diversity of Populations in Southern Australia.

Speg. is a serious foliar fungal disease of faba bean and a constraint to production worldwide. This study investigated the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of the pathogen population in southern Australia and the pathogenic variability of the population was examined on a differential set of faba bean cultivars.

The novel avirulence effector AlAvr1 from Ascochyta lentis mediates host cultivar specificity of ascochyta blight in lentil.

Ascochyta lentis is a fungal pathogen that causes ascochyta blight in the important grain legume species lentil, but little is known about the molecular mechanism of disease or host specificity. We employed a map-based cloning approach using a biparental A. lentis population to clone the gene AlAvr1-1 that encodes avirulence towards the lentil cultivar PBA Hurricane XT.

Current population structure and pathogenicity patterns of in Australia.

Ascochyta blight disease, caused by the necrotrophic fungus , is a major biotic constraint to chickpea production in Australia and worldwide. Detailed knowledge of the structure of the pathogen population and its potential to adapt to our farming practices is key to informing optimal management of the disease. This includes understanding the molecular diversity among isolates and the frequency and distribution of the isolates that have adapted to overcome host resistance across agroecologically distinct regions.

Agroinfiltration for transient gene expression and characterisation of fungal pathogen effectors in cool-season grain legume hosts.

Modified pEAQ-HT-DEST1 vectors were used for agroinfiltration in legumes. We demonstrate protein expression and export in pea, lentil, and faba bean; however, the method for chickpea was not successful. Agroinfiltration is a valuable research method for investigating virulence and avirulence effector proteins from pathogens and pests, where heterologous effector proteins are transiently expressed in plant leaves and hypersensitive necrosis responses and other effector functions can be assessed.

Reference genome assembly for Australian Ascochyta lentis isolate Al4.

Ascochyta lentis causes ascochyta blight in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and yield loss can be as high as 50%. With careful agronomic management practices, fungicide use, and advances in breeding resistant lentil varieties, disease severity and impact to farmers have been largely controlled.

Identification of Novel Sources of Resistance to Ascochyta Blight in a Collection of Wild Accessions.

Chickpea production is constrained worldwide by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen , the causal agent of Ascochyta blight (AB). To reduce the impact of this disease, novel sources of resistance are required in chickpea cultivars. Here, we screened a new collection of wild accessions for AB resistance and identified accessions resistant to multiple, highly pathogenic isolates.

Reference Genome Assembly for Australian Isolate ArME14.

is the causal organism of ascochyta blight of chickpea and is present in chickpea crops worldwide. Here we report the release of a high-quality PacBio genome assembly for the Australian isolate ArME14. We compare the ArME14 genome assembly with an Illumina assembly for Indian isolate, ArD2.

Military Life Stressors, Family Communication and Satisfaction: Associations with Children's Psychosocial Outcomes.

Families experience multiple stressors as a result of military service. The purpose of this study was to examine facets of military life and family factors that may impact child psychosocial and mental health functioning. Using baseline data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study, this study examined family demographics and composition (age, number of children), military life stressors (injury, family, and deployment stressors), family communication and satisfaction as assessed by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-IV, parental social functioning assessed via the Short Form Health Survey-36, and child mental health and behavioral functioning (parental reports of clinician-diagnosed mental health conditions such as depression) and an adapted version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Characterization of Growth Morphology and Pathology, and Draft Genome Sequencing of , the Causal Organism of Chocolate Spot of Faba Bean ( L.).

Chocolate spot is a major fungal disease of faba bean caused by the ascomycete fungus, . is also implicated in botrytis gray mold disease in lentils, along with . Here we have isolated and characterized two isolates from chocolate spot lesions on faba bean leaves.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and expression of GFP in Ascochyta lentis to characterize ascochyta blight disease progression in lentil.

The plant immune system is made up of a complex response network that involves several lines of defense to fight invading pathogens. Fungal plant pathogens on the other hand, have evolved a range of ways to infect their host. The interaction between Ascochyta lentis and two lentil genotypes was explored to investigate the progression of ascochyta blight (AB) in lentils.

Near-Infrared Imaging of Artificial Enamel Caries Lesions with a Scanning Fiber Endoscope.

Several studies have shown that near-infrared imaging has great potential for the detection of dental caries lesions. A miniature scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) operating at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths was developed and used in this study to test whether the device could be used to discriminate demineralized enamel from sound enamel. Varying depths of artificial enamel caries lesions were prepared on 20 bovine blocks with smooth enamel surfaces.

The Association between Caregiver Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems and Outcomes for Trauma-Exposed Youth.

Trauma-exposed youth with impaired caregivers (i.e., due to substance use and/or mental health problems) may be at particular risk for negative outcomes.

Near-infrared multispectral endoscopic imaging of deep artificial interproximal lesions in extracted teeth.

Background And Objective: A safer alternative method to radiographic imaging is needed. We present a multispectral near-infrared scanning fiber endoscope (nirSFE) for dental imaging which is designed to be the smallest imaging probe with near-infrared (NIR) imaging (1200-2000 nm).

Materials And Methods: The prototype nirSFE is designed for wide-field forward viewing of scanned laser illumination at 1310, 1460, or 1550 nm.

IL-6 Impairs Vaccine Responses in Neonatal Mice.

The inability of infants to mount proper follicular helper T (T) cell response renders this age group susceptible to infectious diseases. Initial instruction of T cells by antigen presenting cells and subsequent differentiation into T cells are controlled by T cell receptor signal strength, co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-21. In immunized adults, IL-6 promotes T development by increasing the expression of CXCR5 and the T master transcription factor, B cell lymphoma 6.

Mental Health of Children of Deployed and Nondeployed US Military Service Members: The Millennium Cohort Family Study.

Objective: Families experience multiple stressors as a result of military service. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among service member deployment experiences, family and military factors, and children's mental health using baseline data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study, a study designed to evaluate the health and mental health effects of military service on families, including children.

Method: This study examined administrative data on deployment status (combat, noncombat, and no deployments), as well as service member- and spouse-reported data on deployment experiences and family functioning in relation to the mental health of children in the family who were aged 9 to 17 years.

The Dissociative Subtype of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Among Adolescents: Co-Occurring PTSD, Depersonalization/Derealization, and Other Dissociation Symptoms.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociation in a clinical sample of trauma-exposed adolescents by evaluating evidence for the depersonalization/derealization dissociative subtype of PTSD as defined by the DSM-5 and then examining a broader set of dissociation symptoms.

Method: A sample of treatment-seeking, trauma-exposed adolescents 12 to 16 years old (N = 3,081) from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Core Data Set was used to meet the study objectives. Two models of PTSD/dissociation co-occurrence were estimated using latent class analysis, one with 2 dissociation symptoms and the other with 10 dissociation symptoms.

Influence of multi-wavelength laser irradiation of enamel and dentin surfaces at 0.355, 2.94, and 9.4 μm on surface morphology, permeability, and acid resistance.

Objective: Ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) lasers can be used to specifically target protein, water, and mineral, respectively, in dental hard tissues to produce varying changes in surface morphology, permeability, reflectivity, and acid resistance. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of laser irradiation and topical fluoride application on the surface morphology, permeability, reflectivity, and acid resistance of enamel and dentin to shed light on the mechanism of interaction and develop more effective treatments.

Methods: Twelve bovine enamel surfaces and twelve bovine dentin surfaces were irradiated with various combinations of lasers operating at 0.

Influence of Multi-Wavelength Laser Irradiation of Enamel and Dentin Surfaces on Surface Morphology and Permeability.

UV and IR lasers can be used to specifically target protein, water, and the mineral phase of dental hard tissues to produce varying changes in surface morphology. In this study, we irradiated enamel and dentin surfaces with various combinations of lasers operating at 0.355, 2.

Assessment of radicular dentin permeability after irradiation with CO laser and endodontic irrigation treatments with thermal imaging.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the permeability changes due to the surface modification of dentin can be quantified via thermal imaging during dehydration. The CO laser has been shown to remove the smear layer and disinfect root canals. Moreover, thermal modification via CO laser irradiation can be used to convert dentin into a highly mineralized enamel-like mineral.

Near-infrared imaging of enamel hypomineralization due to developmental defects.

The increasing prevalence of mild hypomineralization due to developmental defects on tooth surfaces poses a challenge for caries detection and caries risk assessment and reliable methods need to be developed to discriminate such lesions from active caries lesions that need intervention. Previous studies have demonstrated that areas of hypomineralization are typically covered with a relatively thick surface layer of highly mineralized and transparent enamel similar to arrested lesions. Seventy-six extracted human teeth with mild to moderate degrees of suspicious fluorosis were imaged using near-infrared reflectance and transillumination.