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Chinese tallowtree, Triadica sebifera (L.) Small (Euphorbiaceae), is one of the worst invasive weeds of the southeastern USA impacting coastal wetlands, forests, and natural areas. A proposed biological control candidate, the defoliating moth Gadirtha fusca Pogue (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) shows high specificity for the target weed Chinese tallowtree. A total of 13 field sites were sampled in the native range of this herbivore species. To determine if all individuals were the same taxon, molecular DNA analyses were conducted of these collections. These included collections from 2012, 2015 and 2016, from three regions and two adult color morphs. Molecular COI analysis was performed on thirty colonized individuals from these collections. The results of this analysis arranged all taxa into a single clade with average genetic divergence values of 0.3%. Comparison of these G. fusca sequences and those from other Gadirtha spp. all had divergence values that were equal to or exceeded 5%. These results indicate that all the G. fusca collections were a single species and they were distinct from other known members of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host range of larvae ofHymenomimanr.memor(Lepidoptera: Geometridae) was examined in quarantine to evaluate its suitability as a biological control of Brazilian peppertree,Schinus terebinthifolia. Brazilian peppertree,S. terebinthifoliais an environmental and agricultural weed from South America that had invaded many subtropical and tropical areas of the world including Florida and Hawaii, USA. Laboratory life history and quarantine host range studies ofH.memorwere conducted with no-choice feeding tests. These tests included eight species of the Anacardiaceae and one species of Sapindaceae. Larvae ofH. memorhad five to six instars with each head capsule width increasing by 1.68-X. Development time from neonate to adult was 46.7 ± 2.2 days. In host range tests, neonates completed development to the adult stage on all non-target species, exceptToxicodendron radicans. Moreover, developmental times were delayed and pupal weights were reduced for larvae fedSpondias purpurealeaves. Due to the broad host range exhibited byH. memorlarvae, this species will not be considered as a biological control agent ofS. terebinthifoliain the continental U.S.A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) is becoming a surgical treatment alternative of transurethral resection of the prostate for male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). We evaluated the outcome and postoperative complications of PVP performed by 80-W KTP and 120-W HPS GreenLight lasers (AMS®) over a 4-year period. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective monocentric study that included all patients who underwent PVP. They had routine follow-up at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and every year until the fourth postoperative year. Listed data were maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), post-void residual (PVR) volume, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate volume. We collected the postoperative complications. Results: From September 2005 to May 2008, 77 patients out of a 409 patients cohort underwent surgery and were followed during 4 years. At 4 years mean Qmax increase was 82.5%; mean IPSS, PVR volume, PSA and prostate volume decreases were 79.1, 69.8, 43.8 and 22.9%, respectively. The main side effects observed were storage LUTS. A urinary catheter was replaced after a first withdrawal failure in 10 patients (15.6%) after surgery. Conclusions: PVP showed a sustainable efficacy and an appealing tolerance profile during a 4-year period in patients with LUTS secondary to BPO. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae) is an invasive weed of natural and agricultural areas of Florida, Hawaii, and Texas (USA). A thrips, Pseudophilothrips ichini (Hood) is being developed as a potential agent for biological control of this invasive weed. As field releases are planned, methods are needed for the mass production and to predict the impact of the thrips. Brazilian peppertree seedlings were grown in potting media amended with three fertilizer (24N-8P-16K) levels: low (0 g/l water), medium (1.8 g/l water) or high (3.6 g/l water). The greatest number of P. ichini thrips developed on the medium fertilized plants. To measure P. ichini thrips impact, we compared growth of these fertilized seedlings with or without thrips. While maintaining the number of P. ichini thrips adults constant (20 adults), we measured the impact of one or two generations of feeding. Fertilizer level had a significant effect on all plant responses. Both one and two generations of thrips significantly decreased plant height, number of branches, leaflets, leaves, and tips. Two generations of thrips feeding caused significant reductions in branch, leaf, and total biomass. Thrips feeding increased percent nitrogen in roots and decreased percent nitrogen in branches at the medium and high fertilizer levels. Percent nitrogen of field collected stems and leaves matched that of the low fertilizer level. These results suggest a medium fertilizer application is best for mass production of P. ichini thrips. Moreover, sustained damage for more than one generation of thrips feeding will have a significant impact on total biomass of S. terebinthifolia seedlings. The use of fertilized nursery sites may help in initial establishment and field mass production of P. ichini thrips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies assessing the hypothesis that the construct of 'aberrant salience' is associated with psychosis and psychotic symptoms showed conflicting results. For this reason, the association between measures to index aberrant salience and subclinical psychotic symptoms in a general population sample was analysed. In addition, genetic vulnerability was added to the analysis as a modifier to test the hypothesis that modification by genetic vulnerability may explain variability in the results., Methods: The TwinssCan project obtained data from general population twins (N = 887). CAPE (Community Assessment of Psychic Experience) scores were used to index psychotic experiences. Aberrant salience was assessed with white noise task and ambiguous situations task., Results: Measures of aberrant salience were not associated with psychotic experiences, nor was there evidence for an interaction with genetic predisposition in this association (Z = 1.08, p = 0.282)., Conclusions: Various studies including the present could not replicate the association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population samples. The conflicting findings might be explained by moderation by genetic vulnerability, but results are inconsistent. If there was evidence for a main effect or interaction, this was in the positive symptom scale only. On the other hand, the association was more robust in so-called 'ultra-high risk' patients and first episode psychosis patients. Thus, this association may represent a state-dependent association, present only at the more severe end of the psychosis spectrum., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Careful hand hygiene of healthcare workers is recommended to reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients. Mobile phones are commonly used during work shifts and may act as vehicles of pathogens., Objective: To assess the colonizsation rate of intensive care unit healthcare workers' mobile phones before and after work shifts., Methods: Prospective observational study conducted in an academic, tertiary-level intensive care unit. Healthcare workers (including doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants) had their mobile phones sampled for microbiology before and after work shifts. Samples were taken with a swab in a standardizsed modality., Results: Fifty healthcare workers participated in the study (91% of the department staff). One hundred swabs were taken from 50 mobile phones. Forty-three healthcare workers (86%) reported a habitual use of their phones during the work shift. All phones (100%) were positive for bacteria. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Coagulase Negative Staphylococci, Bacillus sp. and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (97%, 56%, 17%, respectively). No patient admitted to the intensive care unit during the study period was positive for bacteria found on healthcare workers' mobile phones. No difference in bacteria types and burden was found between the beginning and the end of work shifts., Conclusion: Healthcare workers' mobile phones are colonized even before the work shift and irrespective of the patients' microbiological flora., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: We observed in our department at 3 months two episodes of bacteremia postoperatively to photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP). We decided to compare the frequency of postoperative urinary tract infections (POUTIs) in patients with preoperative bacterial colonization of urine between PVP and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)., Materials and Methods: From January 2010 to December 2011, we studied patients who underwent PVP or TURP for benign prostatic obstruction in our department. Preoperative urine culture (UC) was carried out for all patients and we included those with preoperative bacterial colonization of the urinary tract. Patients were treated preoperatively with an appropriate antibiotic treatment and/or inductive prophylactic antibiotics. Patients were diagnosed with POUTI if they had clinical signs of infections (e.g., fever) and a positive UC during the month after surgery., Results: Patients were treated by PVP in 49 cases and TURP in 62 cases. A preoperative indwelling urinary catheter was inserted in 80% of the patients. During the postoperative period, eight episodes of fever were identified in the PVP group (16%), five (8%) in the TURP group (P = 0.18). We then studied the subgroup of patients with multiple bacteria strains present in the preoperative UC and identified significant differences. The risk of POUTI was significantly higher in patients treated by PVP than in those treated by TURP (P = 0.018)., Conclusions: We found significant differences between subgroups of patients with positive preoperative cultures (containing various bacterial strains). The risk of POUTI was significantly higher in patients treated by PVP., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Taurine-containing water-soluble peptidomimetics were designed and synthesized. N-terminal taurine acylations allowed synthesis of a number of taurine-containing peptides. N-protection of taurine with Cbz and SO2-activation with benzotriazole followed by coupling with various amino esters, dipeptides and nucleophiles provided taurine N- and O-conjugates and sulfonopeptides.