Metagenome-enabled models improve genomic predictive ability and identification of herbivory-limiting genes in sweetpotato.

Plant-insect interactions are often influenced by host- or insect-associated metagenomic community members. The relative abundance of insects and the microbes that modulate their interactions were obtained from sweetpotato () leaf-associated metagenomes using quantitative reduced representation sequencing and strain/species-level profiling with the Qmatey software. Positive correlations were found between whitefly () and its endosymbionts (, , and spp) and negative correlations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that implicate nitric oxide in sweetpotato-whitefly interaction.

Enhancing Reniform Nematode Management in Sweetpotato by Complementing Host-Plant Resistance with Nonfumigant Nematicides.

The reniform nematode ( Linford and Oliveira) adversely impacts the quality and quantity of sweetpotato storage roots. Management of in sweetpotato remains a challenge because host plant resistance is not available, fumigants are detrimental to the environment and health, and crop rotation is not effective. We screened a core set of 24 sweetpotato plant introductions (PIs) against .

Representing true plant genomes: haplotype-resolved hybrid pepper genome with trio-binning.

As sequencing costs decrease and availability of high fidelity long-read sequencing increases, generating experiment specific genome assemblies becomes feasible. In many crop species, obtaining the genome of a hybrid or heterozygous individual is necessary for systems that do not tolerate inbreeding or for investigating important biological questions, such as hybrid vigor. However, most genome assembly methods that have been used in plants result in a merged single sequence representation that is not a true biologically accurate representation of either haplotype within a diploid individual.

Impact of non-fumigant nematicides on reproduction and pathogenicity of and disease severity in tobacco.

is a highly aggressive quarantine pathogen which threatens the multibillion-dollar tobacco industry and is not manageable with the currently available management methods in tobacco. There is currently no known host plant resistance in tobacco and previous studies have shown that the lower level of the currently recommended rate of non-fumigant nematicides does not provide satisfactory management of . The current study was conducted with the hypothesis that can be better managed using a single soil application of the maximum allowed rate of non-fumigant nematicides.

Genetic diversity, population structure, and selection of breeder germplasm subsets from the USDA sweetpotato () collection.

Sweetpotato () is the sixth most important food crop and plays a critical role in maintaining food security worldwide. Support for sweetpotato improvement research in breeding and genetics programs, and maintenance of sweetpotato germplasm collections is essential for preserving food security for future generations. Germplasm collections seek to preserve phenotypic and genotypic diversity through accession characterization.

Distinct Genomic Loci Underlie Quantitative Resistance to Galling and Reproduction in .

is a virulent species of root-knot nematode that threatens watermelon () production in the southeastern United States. There are no known sources of root-knot nematode resistance in cultivated . Specific genotypes of a wild watermelon relative, , are resistant against but the genetics that underly this resistance are still unknown and it is not clear that this same resistance will be effective against .

Non-fumigant Nematicides are Promising Alternatives to Fumigants for the Management of in Tobacco.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three currently available non-fumigant chemical nematicides (oxamyl, fluopyram, and fluensulfone) and a biological nematicide derived from against on tobacco in a growth room environment. The non-fumigant chemical nematicides greatly suppressed nematode egg production compared to the untreated control, the suppression being 99.9% for fluensulfone and oxamyl, and 93% for fluopyram.

Rooting Out the Mechanisms of Root-Knot Nematode-Plant Interactions.

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs; spp.) engage in complex parasitic interactions with many different host plants around the world, initiating elaborate feeding sites and disrupting host root architecture. Although RKNs have been the focus of research for many decades, new molecular tools have provided useful insights into the biological mechanisms these pests use to infect and manipulate their hosts.

Genomic variants affecting homoeologous gene expression dosage contribute to agronomic trait variation in allopolyploid wheat.

Allopolyploidy greatly expands the range of possible regulatory interactions among functionally redundant homoeologous genes. However, connection between the emerging regulatory complexity and expression and phenotypic diversity in polyploid crops remains elusive. Here, we use diverse wheat accessions to map expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and evaluate their effects on the population-scale variation in homoeolog expression dosage.

Identification of Sweet Potato Germplasm Resistant to Pathotypically Distinct Isolates of from the Carolinas.

(syn. is an emergent species of root-knot nematode that has become a serious threat to sweet potato () production in the southeastern United States. The most popular sweet potato cultivars grown in this region are highly susceptible to .

Characterization of Resistance to Major Tropical Root-Knot Nematodes ( spp.) in .

Root-knot nematodes ( spp.) are important contributors to yield reduction in tomato. Though resistant cultivars to common species (, , and ) are available, they are not effective against other major species of root-knot nematodes.

Persistent Opioid Use After Combat Injury and Subsequent Long-term Risk of Abuse: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To determine whether persistent opioid use after injury is associated with subsequent long-term development of clinically recognized opioid abuse.

Summary Background Data: Opioid abuse is an epidemic in the United States and trauma can initiate persistent use; however, it remains unclear whether persistent opioid use contributes to the subsequent development of opioid abuse. The care of combat casualties by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs uniquely allows investigation of this long-term outcome.

Impact of total body weight on rate of acute kidney injury in patients treated with piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin.

Purpose: Results of a study to determine whether obesity is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) among patients receiving combination therapy with piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin are reported.

Methods: A retrospective, single-center cohort study of patients who received combination therapy for at least 48 hours was conducted using data from the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science's Enterprise Data Trust. Patients with chronic kidney disease, baseline creatinine clearance of less than 30 mL/min, cystic fibrosis, or missing height or weight information were excluded.

Resistant Pepper Carrying , , and have Different Effects on Penetration and Reproduction of Four Major species.

Root-knot nematode ( spp.) exhibits a substantial problem in pepper production, causing reduction in yield throughout the world. Continued assessment for root-knot resistance is important for developing new resistance cultivars.

Cucurbit Rootstocks Resistant to f. sp. Remain Resistant When Coinfected by in the Field.

Interspecific hybrid squash ( × ) rootstocks used to graft watermelon ( var. ) are resistant to f. sp.

Re-targeting of a plant defense protease by a cyst nematode effector.

Plants mount defense responses during pathogen attacks, and robust host defense suppression by pathogen effector proteins is essential for infection success. 4E02 is an effector of the sugar beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing the effector-coding sequence showed altered expression levels of defense response genes, as well as higher susceptibility to both the biotroph H.

Effect of increasing meropenem MIC on the killing activity of meropenem in combination with amikacin or polymyxin B against MBL- and KPC-producing Enterobacter cloacae.

Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a growing threat worldwide. Infections caused by these organisms have exhibited high rates of mortality (50%) for which there is no standard of care and a dearth of clinical trials. Most in vitro data on CRE focus on Klebsiella pneumoniae, but it is known that effective therapy may depend on species or even strain.

Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury among Patients Treated with Piperacillin-Tazobactam or Meropenem in Combination with Vancomycin.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) increases during empirical antimicrobial therapy with the combination of piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) and vancomycin (VAN) compared to the number of incidences with monotherapy or the combination of cefepime and VAN. Limited data regarding the impact of meropenem (MEM) combined with VAN exist. This study examined the AKI incidence among patients treated with MEM plus VAN (MEM+VAN) or TZP+VAN.

Variation in the gene determines resistance against wheat stem rust race Ug99.

f. sp. () causes wheat stem rust, a devastating fungal disease.

Influence of β-Lactam Infusion Strategy on Acute Kidney Injury.

Limited literature is available assessing nephrotoxicity with prolonged β-lactam infusions. This study compared the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with a prolonged β-lactam infusion or an intermittent infusion. This was a retrospective, matched-cohort study at an academic medical center from July 2006 to September 2015.

Divergent and convergent modes of interaction between wheat and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici isolates revealed by the comparative gene co-expression network and genome analyses.

Background: Two opposing evolutionary constraints exert pressure on plant pathogens: one to diversify virulence factors in order to evade plant defenses, and the other to retain virulence factors critical for maintaining a compatible interaction with the plant host. To better understand how the diversified arsenals of fungal genes promote interaction with the same compatible wheat line, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of two North American isolates of Puccinia graminis f. sp.

Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Treated with IV Beta-Lactam/Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations.

Study Objective: Increased acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence has been reported in patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ) therapy compared with other β-lactams. The authors sought to determine if the addition of β-lactamase inhibitors impacts AKI incidence by comparing patients treated with PTZ or ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Acute kidney injury in patients treated with vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam: A retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Empiric antimicrobial therapy often consists of the combination of gram-positive coverage with vancomycin (VAN) and gram-negative coverage, specifically an antipseudomonal beta-lactam such as piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ). Nephrotoxicity is commonly associated with VAN therapy; however, recent reports show higher nephrotoxicity rates among patients treated with the combination of VAN and PTZ.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of the VAN/PTZ combination on acute kidney injury (AKI) compared to VAN and PTZ monotherapies.