Search

Rose rosette disease (RRD) is a common disease of roses, predominantly in North America. RRD is caused by the rose rosette virus (RRV), an emaravirus transmitted by the eriophyid mite Phyllocoptes fructiphilus Keifer. RRD characteristic symptoms include deformed leaves, abnormal thorns, and witches’ brooms. Roses are important cultivated plants around the world. Most Rosa spp. and cultivated varieties such as climbers, hybrid teas, floribundas, and miniature roses are susceptible to the disease. Rose rosette virus detection relies on molecular assays.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted researchers' ability to continue to deliver HIV prevention and treatment interventions face to face. Although telehealth has been an important strategy to maintain research operations during the current pandemic, participants at increased risk of or living with HIV are often at higher risk of also experiencing poverty, housing instability, and other challenges that may present obstacles to successful remote delivery. Methods: We provide descriptions of remote adaptations to two randomized controlled efficacy trials of behavioral interventions for primary and secondary HIV prevention with descriptive enrollment and retention data. Results and Conclusions: Best practices for implementing telemedicine and e-health procedures are discussed, including procedures for addressing remote participation barriers (economic, health literacy, etc.) and other challenges, such as building rapport and staff support (NCT03092531 and NCT03175159).

River-breeding foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) are endemic to California and Oregon. Across this wide geographic range, many populations have declined due habitat loss, non-native competitors and predators (e.g., American bullfrogs [Lithobates catesbeianus], Centrarchid fish), and disrupted water flow due to dams. Even when flow conditions are not extensively regulated, managers still require basic and region-specific information about the breeding biology of this species to prevent further decline. To document spatiotemporal dynamics of reproductive output during drought and high flow years, we surveyed a 13.5 km reach of the lower Mad River, Humboldt County, CA approximately 70 km downstream of Matthews Dam. We found relatively high densities of egg masses (39 to 59 masses / km). Egg masses were generally laid on small cobbles (mean ±SE diameter = 11 ± 0.24 cm) at depths between 0 and 20 cm, and 95% of egg masses were laid within 6 m of the wetted edge. Egg masses were disproportionately found in the tailouts of fast runs and glides, and found less often than expected in side arms, runs, and riffles than would be expected by chance. Breeding timing appeared to be more related to rapid decreases in stream flow variance than air temperature. Taken with previous information about the species, our results suggest that R. boylii rely on multiple cues to initiate breeding. Our results can be used to help inform breeding timing and habitat use by R. boylii breeding under natural flow regimes in Northern California. Our recommendations for future research include further investigating upland habitat use by post-metamorphic life stages factors that influence breeding site selection.

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have emerged as promising vectors for human gene therapy, but some variants have induced severe toxicity in Rhesus monkeys and piglets following high-dose intravenous (IV) administration. To characterize biodistribution, transduction, and toxicity among common preclinical species, an AAV9 neurotropic variant expressing the survival motor neuron 1 (

This study explores the development of Loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP) for detection of rose rosette emaravirus (RRV), a technique with the potential to be translated to rose nurseries. RRV is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA Emaravirus and causal agent of the rose rosette disease (RRD). Transmission of RRV is by Phyllocoptes fructiphilus, an eriophyid mite. Although RRV symptoms are characteristics, early visual diagnosis of RRD can be misleading and confusing since it may appear similar to herbicide damage. Two sets of RRV gene sequences composed of twenty-two accessions of RRV-P3 (RNA 3) and another twenty-four from RRV-P4 (RNA 4) were analyzed and two sets of four LAMP primers were designed for broad-range detection of RRV isolates. The direct antigen-capture method for direct trapping of RRV in plastic was used for RNA extraction followed by cDNA synthesis. LAMP reactions were optimized for Bst 2.0 DNA polymerase using the outer RRV-F3/RRV-B3 primers, and internal RRV-FIP/RRV-BIP primers. LAMP reactions were for 1 hour at 64°C (RRV-P3) and 66.5°C (RRV-P4) using either a thermocycler or a portable dry bath. LAMP was also optimized using DNA polymerase GspSSD LD using the same RRV sets of primers. RRV was detected in symptomatic and non-symptomatic RRD tissue from Oklahoma. The limit of detection (LoD) using Bst 2.0 LAMP was 1pg/μL and 1 fg/μL with GspSSD LD quantitative LAMP. The LoD of pre-reaction hydroxy naphthol blue (HNB, 120 μM) for colorimetric (visual) reactions was 10 pg/μL and 0.1 pg/μL using SYBR green I (1:10 dilution) in colorimetric post-reactions. No cross-reactivity was detected in LAMP reaction testing cDNAs of eight commonly co-infecting rose viruses (INSV, ArMV, MSpV, TSWV, ApMV, PNRSV, ToRSV, and TMV), and one virus taxonomically related to RRV (HPWMoV). RNA from healthy rose tissues and non-template controls (water) were included in all LAMP assays.

In the past few decades, Rose rosette disease (RRD) has spread from its source in western North America through the Mid-West to the East coast. It now threatens to decimate the US rose industry. Garden roses, which form the cornerstone of the multi-billion dollar landscape industry, annually generate wholesale US domestic bare root and container production valued at around $ 400 million. RRD is caused by an emaravirus, Rose rosette virus (RRV), which is transmitted by wind-blown eriophyid mites (Phyllocoptes fructiphilus). Unlike other rose diseases, it can kill a rose within two to three years of infection. In collaboration with scientists from 6 states, private rose breeders, the American Rose Society, AmericanHort, and the rose industry, a project was initiated to develop a multidisciplinary approach to control the disease. In the short term, the project team is working to develop Best Management Practices and educational materials based on host, virus, and vector biology to minimize the effects of RRD. Key to this effort is the development of efficient user-friendly diagnostic tools. In the long term, roses are being assessed for resistance to RRD using both replicated field trials and observational data from collaborators. Marker-trait associations for RRD resistance and consistent flower productivity are being identified to move RRD resistance efficiently into elite rose germplasm. Economic and marketing studies are being done to assess the economic effect of RRD on the rose industry, improve our understanding of consumer preferences, and identify barriers to rose sales.

Chrysanthemum (

Background Harm reduction services, which typically provide overdose education and prevention with distribution of naloxone and other supplies related to safer drug use, help reduce opioid-related overdose and infectious disease transmission. However, structural stigma and the ongoing criminalization of drug use have limited the expansion of harm reduction services into many non-urban communities in the United States that have been increasingly affected by the health consequences of opioid and polysubstance use. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews with 22 professionals working with people who use drugs in cities and towns across Rhode Island and Massachusetts to understand challenges and strategies for engaging communities in accepting harm reduction perspectives and services. Results Our thematic analysis identified several interrelated challenges to implementing harm reduction services in non-urban communities, including: (1) limited understandings of harm reduction practice and preferential focus on substance use treatment and primary prevention, (2) community-level stigma against people who use drugs as well as the agencies supporting them, (3) data reporting and aggregating leading to inaccurate perceptions about local patterns of substance use and related health consequences, and (4) a “prosecutorial mindset” against drug use and harm reduction. From key informants’ narratives, we also identified specific strategies that communities could use to address these challenges, including: (1) identifying local champions to advocate for harm reduction strategies, (2) proactively educating communities about harm reduction approaches before they are implemented, (3) improving the visibility of harm reduction services within communities, and (4) obtaining “buy-in” from a wide range of local stakeholders including law enforcement and local government. Conclusion These findings carry important implications for expanding harm reduction services, including syringe service programs and safe injection sites, into non-urban communities that have a demonstrated need for evidence-based interventions to reduce drug-related overdose and infectious disease transmission.

BACKGROUND: The estimated 2.2 million people who inject drugs (PWID) in the USA experience significant gaps in preventive healthcare and a high burden of infectious, psychiatric, and other chronic diseases. Many PWID rely on emergency medical services, which are costly and not designed to deliver preventive services, manage chronic conditions, or address social needs. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to primary care utilization from the perspectives of PWID in New England, a region highly affected by the overdose crisis. DESIGN: Participants completed semi-structured qualitative interviews exploring substance use and healthcare utilization patterns. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 78 PWID through community-based organizations (e.g., syringe service programs) in 16 urban and non-urban communities throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. APPROACH: Thematic analysis identified barriers and facilitators to primary care utilization at the individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels. KEY RESULTS: Among 78 PWID, 48 described recent primary care experiences; 33 had positive experiences and 15 described negative experiences involving discrimination or mistrust. Individual-level barriers to primary care utilization included perceived lack of need and competing priorities (e.g., avoiding opioid withdrawal, securing shelter beds). Interpersonal-level barriers included stigma and perceived low quality of care for PWID. Systemic-level barriers included difficulty navigating healthcare systems, inadequate transportation, long wait times, and frequent provider turnover. Participants with positive primary care experiences explained how appointment reminders, flexible hours, addiction medicine–trained providers, case management services, and transportation support facilitated primary care utilization and satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Findings regarding the multilevel barriers and facilitators to accessing primary care among PWID identify potential targets for programmatic interventions to improve primary care utilization in this population. Based on these findings, we make recommendations for improving the engagement of PWID in primary care as a means to advance individual and public health outcomes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11606-020-06201-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Polysubstance use (i.e., using ≥2 psychoactive substances concomitantly) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and complicates drug treatment needs among people who inject drugs (PWID). We explored patterns, contexts, motivations, and perceived consequences of polysubstance use among PWID in small cities and towns in the U.S. Northeast. Methods Between October 2018 and March 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 PWID living outside of the capital cities of Rhode Island and Massachusetts recruited online and through community-based organizations. Written transcripts were coded inductively and deductively using a team-based approach and analyzed thematically. Results All participants reported recent polysubstance use, with most using five or more classes of substances in the past three months. Polysubstance use often followed long personal drug use histories (i.e., years or decades of occasional drug use). Reasons for polysubstance use included obtaining synergistic psychoactive effects as a result of mixing drugs (i.e., using drugs to potentiate effects of other drugs) and managing undesirable effects of particular drugs (e.g., offsetting the depressant effects of opioids with stimulants or vice-versa). Polysubstance use to self-medicate poorly managed physical and mental health conditions (e.g., chronic pain, anxiety, and depression) was also reported. Inadequately managed cravings and withdrawal symptoms prompted concomitant use of heroin and medications for opioid use disorder, including among individuals reporting cocaine or crack as their primary “issue” drugs. Polysubstance use was perceived to increase overdose risks and to be a barrier to accessing healthcare and drug treatment services. Conclusion Healthcare services and clinicians should acknowledge, assess, and account for polysubstance use among patients and promote harm reduction approaches for individuals who may be using multiple drugs. Comprehensive healthcare that meets the social, physical, mental health, and drug treatment needs of PWID may decrease the perceived need for polysubstance use to self-medicate poorly managed health conditions and symptoms.

Rose rosette disease (RRD) whose causal agent, the Emaravirus Rose rosette virus (RRV), was only recently identified has caused widespread death of roses in the midwestern and eastern sections of the United States. A national research team is working on the detection and best management practices for this highly damaging disease. Unfortunately, little is known about the host plant resistance to either the causal viral agent or its vector, the eriophyid mite Phyllocoptes fructiphilus. Thus far, the only confirmed resistance is among Rosa species. Of the over 600 rose cultivars observed, only 7% have not exhibited symptoms of RRD. Replicated trials are in progress to confirm resistance and/or susceptibility of ≈300 rose accessions in Tennessee and Delaware. Rose is a multispecies cultivated complex that consists of diploid, triploid, and tetraploid cultivars. The basic breeding cycle is 4 years with a 3-year commercial trial coupled with mass propagation before release. Thus, if only one breeding cycle is needed, a new cultivar could be produced in 7 years. Unfortunately, for the introgression of a new trait such as disease resistance from a related species into the commercial rose germplasm, multiple generations are required which can easily take two decades from the first cross to cultivar release. Research is ongoing to develop a rapid selection procedure for resistance to RRD with the aid of molecular markers associated with the resistance. Such an approach has the potential of reducing the breeding cycle time by 50% and increasing the efficiency of seedling and parental selection manifold, leading to commercially acceptable rose cultivars with high RRD resistance in less time and with less expense.

Rose rosette disease (RRD) is incited by a negative-sense RNA virus (genus Emaravirus), which is vectored by a wind-transported eriophyid mite (Phyllocoptes fructiphilus). Symptoms include witches broom/rosette-type growth, excessive prickles (thorns), discolored and distorted growth, and, unlike most other rose diseases, usually results in plant death. RRD is endemic to North America and was first described in Manitoba, Wyoming, and California in the 1940s. It has spread east with the aid of a naturalized rose species host and has become epidemic from the Great Plains to the East Coast of North America on garden roses in home and commercial landscapes where losses have been high. The disease was suggested to be incited by a virus from the beginning, but only recently has this been confirmed and the virus identified. The presence of the vector mite on roses has been associated with RRD since the first symptoms were described. However, more recently, the mite was demonstrated to be the vector of the disease and confirmed to transmit the virus itself. As a result of the RRD epidemic in North America and its effects on the national production and consumer markets for roses, a research team comprising five major universities (Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Delaware), a dozen growers and nurseries (all regions), six rose breeding programs (California, Wisconsin, Texas, and Pennsylvania), the major rose testing programs (Earth-Kind and AGRS), the major rose organization (American Rose Society), and the major trade organization AmericanHort has formed. This research project has been funded by the Specialty Crops Research Initiative through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with the short-term objective of improving and disseminating best management practices (BMPs) and the long-term goal of identifying additional sources of resistance and developing the genetic tools to quickly transfer resistance into the elite commercial rose germplasm.

Natural disasters and COVID-19 likely add complexity to caregiving efforts, yet little is known about these effects. We will discuss our findings exploring additional needs and challenges experienced by caregivers during hurricanes, floods, and COVID focused on US Gulf Coast states. We interviewed caregivers of both Veterans (n=13) and non-Veterans (n=11). The presentation will include an overview of 1) types of resources needed or used related to storms and to COVID, including social support and access to information for both emergency planning and recovery; 2) caregiver experience before, during, and after the disaster including psychological effects on caregivers and addressing special health needs; 3) comparisons of challenges during storms versus COVID including emotional impact and access to health and specialty care; and 4) additional resources used by caregivers of Veterans. We will also address how these data are informing national caregiver support programs.

Rose rosette disease, caused by Rose rosette virus (RRV; genus Emaravirus) is a major threat to the rose industry in the U.S. The only strategy currently available for disease management is early detection and eradication of the infected plants, thereby limiting its potential spread. Current RT-PCR based diagnostic methods for RRV are time consuming and are inconsistent in detecting the virus from symptomatic plants. Real-time RT-qPCR assay is highly sensitive for detection of RRV, but it is expensive and requires well-equipped laboratories. Both the RT-PCR and RT-qPCR cannot be used in a field-based testing for RRV. Hence a novel probe based, isothermal reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-exoRPA) assay, using primer/probe designed based on the nucleocapsid gene of the RRV has been developed. The assay is highly specific and did not give a positive reaction to other viruses infecting roses belonging to both inclusive and exclusive genus. Dilution assays using the in vitro transcript showed that the primer/probe set is highly sensitive, with a detection limit of 1 fg/μl. In addition, a rapid technique for the extraction of viral RNA (

Rose rosette disease (RRD) was first reported on the North American continent in the early 1940s. In 2011, the causal agent of this disease was identified and described—the Rose rosette virus (RRV). In the last 10 years, RRD has gained widespread notoriety because of disease symptoms appearing on many roses which are used frequently in landscape plantings, both commercial and residential. Much of the prior scientific work on this disease was carried out on the multiflora rose. Currently, the disease issues are on cultivated roses within which no cultivar has been confirmed to be resistant. There is an information gap in our knowledge of the pathogen, vector, and the disease on cultivated roses. Our goals for this project are to seek and identify potential disease tolerance or resistance in roses and increasing public awareness and knowledge of RRD with the purpose of reducing the disease spread with best management practices. Outreach and volunteer recruitment are key activities used to provide scientifically sound information, to establish the current disease range and to actively gather observational reports of RRD to identify resistant rose sources. Elements of these activities include educational meetings, factsheets, posters, and workshops where RRD symptoms recognition is emphasized. A web-based reporting tool was developed to capture observations from volunteers while continually keeping them engaged. It is hoped that through outreach and the collective monitoring effort, researchers will have access to information that contributes to a better understanding of RRD and will find disease-resistant roses that could be used in breeding programs for the continued enjoyment of roses.

Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, ISSN:1662-453X, ISSN:1662-4548

Rose rosette disease is a disorder associated with infection by Rose rosette virus (RRV), a pathogen of roses that causes devastating effects on most garden cultivated varieties, and the wild invasive rose especially Rosa multiflora. Reliable and sensitive detection of this disease in early phases is needed to implement proper control measures. This study assesses a single primer-set based detection method for RRV and demonstrates its application in three different chemistries: Endpoint RT-PCR, TaqMan-quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and SYBR Green RT-qPCR with High Resolution Melting analyses. A primer set (RRV2F/2R) was designed from consensus sequences of the nucleocapsid protein gene p3 located in the RNA 3 region of RRV. The specificity of primer set RRV2F/2R was validated in silico against published GenBank sequences and in-vitro against infected plant samples and an exclusivity panel of near-neighbor and other viruses that commonly infect Rosa spp. The developed assay is sensitive with a detection limit of 1fg from infected plant tissue. Thirty rose samples from 8 different states of the United States were tested using the developed methods. The developed methods are sensitive and reliable, and can be used by diagnostic laboratories for routine testing and disease management decisions.

In the United States, problematic stimulant use is a prevalent and difficult to treat problem among men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as a major driver of HIV transmission through the large number of sexual partners and concomitant condomless anal sex (CAS). Evidence-based behavioral studies that address problematic stimulant use in MSM at risk for HIV infection are also lacking. In this paper, we describe the design of a behavioral intervention trial to reduce sexual risk behavior and stimulant use in HIV-uninfected MSM. This study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing an integrated HIV risk reduction and behavioral activation counseling intervention (IMPACT) for HIV-uninfected, stimulant using MSM in Boston, MA, and Miami, FL. Participants are randomized (2:2:1) to either (1) the IMPACT intervention; (2) a relaxation condition, an active therapy time- and intensity-matched control; or (3) a standard of care risk reduction counseling comparison. At enrollment, all participants receive an HIV test and pre- and post-test counseling. The primary outcome is the difference in the rate of change in the number of self-reported condomless anal sex acts without the protection of consistent Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use, as well as reductions in stimulant use during the prior 4-months. Major assessments are conducted at baseline, 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up visits. Effective and sustainable behavioral interventions are sorely needed to reduce HIV acquisition in stimulant using MSM at risk for HIV infection. In this study, we will evaluate the evidence of efficacy of the IMPACT intervention to reduce HIV acquisition in HIV-uninfected, stimulant-using MSM. If found effective, the intervention tested here holds promise for being readily integrated into real-world clinical settings. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03175159 , registered June 5, 2017.

HIV infection among youth in the United States is on the rise. A high level of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is crucial to treatment success and can minimize the population burden of the disease. However, the overall rate of ART adherence among youth is generally suboptimal and no published efficacious interventions exist to address the specific needs of this population. This paper describes the design of a stepped-care, “adaptive” ART adherence intervention protocol for HIV-infected adolescents and young adults. This is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to establish the efficacy of “Positive STEPS,” a behavioral and technology-based intervention to optimize ART adherence and viral suppression among HIV-infected youth, ages 16 to 29. Participants are equally randomized to 1) the Positive STEPS intervention, which begins with two-way daily text messaging as a reminder system to take their medications; participants progress to a more intensive in-person counseling intervention if text messaging is not sufficient to overcome barriers; or 2) or standard of care (SOC). At randomization, all participants receive standardized ART adherence education. During the 4 major study assessment visits (baseline, 4-, 8-, and 12-months), participants have their blood drawn to measure HIV viral load and complete a mix of computer-based self-administered and interviewer-administered behavioral and psychosocial measures. The primary outcomes are improvements in viral load and ART adherence measured via a medication-tracking device (i.e., Wisepill) and self-report. Behavioral interventions are greatly needed to improve ART adherence among HIV-infected adolescents and young adults and prevent onward transmission. If effective, the intervention tested here will be one of the first rigorously-designed efficacy trials to promote ART adherence in this population, using an approach that holds promise for being readily integrated into real-world clinical settings. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03092531 , registered March 28, 2017.

Since the introduction of the Bologna Process, learning outcomes (LOs) have gradually become a crucial issue in European higher education (Adam 2006). At the same time, there is still considerable debate on the role and function of LOs in higher education. Scholars are debating, among other things, the origin of LOs (Proitz 2010); whether it is possible to use LOs as a generic term across disciplinary, institutional, and national boundaries (Caspersen et al. 2014; Sin 2014; Sweetman et al. 2014); and in what ways LOs are used as educational and instructional planning tools versus tools for measuring accountability (Proitz 2010) or promoting employability (Knight and Yorke 2004).

Objective—To determine prevalence of histologic abnormalities in cats suspected, on the basis of compatible clinical signs and ultrasonographic findings, to have chronic small bowel disease; identify the most common underlying causes in affected cats; and compare methods for differentiating among the various causes of chronic small bowel disease. Design—Retrospective case series. Animals—300 client-owned domestic cats suspected to have chronic small bowel disease. Procedures—Medical records were reviewed to identify cats evaluated because of chronic vomiting, chronic small bowel diarrhea, or weight loss that also had ultrasonographic evidence of thickening of the small intestine. Cats were included in the study if full-thickness biopsy specimens had been obtained from ≥ 3 locations of the small intestine by means of laparotomy and biopsy specimens had been examined by means of histologic evaluation and, when necessary to obtain a diagnosis, immunohistochemical analysis and a PCR assay for antigen receptor rearrangement. Results—Chronic small bowel disease was diagnosed in 288 of the 300 (96%) cats. The most common diagnoses were chronic enteritis (n = 150) and intestinal lymphoma (124). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results indicated that a high percentage of cats with clinical signs of chronic small bowel disease and ultrasonographic evidence of thickening of the small intestine had histologic abnormalities. Furthermore, full-thickness biopsy specimens were useful in differentiating between intestinal lymphoma and chronic enteritis, but such differentiation was not possible with ultrasonography or clinicopathologic testing alone.

Background Deletion of the recurrent ~600 kb BP4-BP5 chromosomal region 16p11.2 has been associated with a wide range of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Methods To clarify the phenotype of 16p11.2 deletion, we examined the psychiatric and developmental presentation of predominantly clinically referred individuals, with a particular emphasis on broader autism phenotype characteristics in individuals with recurrent ~600 kb chromosome 16p11.2 deletions. Using an extensive standardized assessment battery across three clinical sites, 85 individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion and 153 familial control subjects were evaluated for symptom presentation and clinical diagnosis. Results Individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion presented with a high frequency of psychiatric and developmental disorders (>90%). The most commonly diagnosed conditions were developmental coordination disorder, phonologic processing disorder, expressive and receptive language disorders (71% of individuals >3 years old with a speech and language–related disorder), and autism spectrum disorder. Individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion not meeting diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder had a significantly higher prevalence of autism-related characteristics compared with the familial noncarrier control group. Individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion had a range of intellectual ability, but IQ scores were 26 points lower than noncarrier family members on average. Conclusions Clinically referred individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion have high rates of psychiatric and developmental disorders and provide a genetically well-defined group to study the emergence of developmental difficulties, particularly associated with the broader autism phenotype.

This retrospective study examined cats after initiation of benazepril therapy to determine the frequency of systemic hypotension or elevations in serum creatinine and/or potassium. Medical records review identified azotemic and non-azotemic cats prescribed benazepril. Blood pressure was recorded at the first available time after initiation of therapy. No cats experienced documented systolic systemic hypotension (30% increases in creatinine from baseline was not statistically different from the survival of those that did not experience these increases, which suggests this finding may not be a reason to discontinue therapy. Benazepril appeared safe in a heterogeneous population of cats.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Hosta virus X (HVX), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) are a few of the major viruses that infect ornamental and nursery plants. These viruses cause significant losses that impact growers and the ornamental industry. Often, a single ornamental plant is co-infected by more than one virus, which makes identification and discrimination of these viruses a difficult task, thus creating delays and limiting regulatory measures for effective quarantine. The aim of this study is to develop a sensitive, rapid, economic, and reliable multiplex Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-PCR) for simultaneous detection and discrimination of these five viruses. Specific PCR primers were designed using the consensus sequences of corresponding capsid protein (CP) genes of HVX and CMV, the nucleocapsid protein (NP) genes of TSWV and INSV, and the movement protein (MP) and CP genes of TMV. The primers were validated in vitro using single and multiplex RT-PCR assays. The detection limit of each primer set in multiplex RT-PCR was 100 fg (TMV), 1 fg (HVX), 10 fg (CMV), 10 pg (TSWV) and 10 pg (INSV). Forty-six infected nursery samples collected from different locations in the USA were screened for virus infections using this multiplex RT-PCR. The multiplex RT-PCR has a potential for its application in routine diagnostics, quarantine, and epidemiological studies. The developed method is reliable, sensitive, and economic for testing a wide range of ornamental and nursery plants for detection of these viruses.

This discussion addresses the changing policy landscape of German higher education, including a shift from development aid to a focus on competition and highly skilled migration; changes in student mobility patterns; and goals and priorities at the federal, state, and institutional levels that have supported internationalization efforts. The discussion concludes with a brief look at anticipated financial and thematic challenges.

In the span of three decades the notion of the “internationalization of higher education” expanded from a collection of uncoordinated, individual projects and programs to an all-encompassing, conceptually ambiguous, complex and fluid term. Despite its widespread use, ‘internationalization’ is far from a clearly defined concept. Under its auspices we find a collection of practices ranging from intercultural language exchanges to construction of branch or foreign-backed campuses in other countries. In looking at these new internationalization activities it is evident that many are gradually incorporating an economic rationale alongside, and in some cases in place of, the traditional emphasis on education as a common good. The mechanisms used to incorporate a more economic rationale are often aligned with market or market-like practices that allow for academic capitalist perspectives to gain ground. This chapter explores how the emergence and promotion of an international student marketing initiative in the context of the German higher education system opens up opportunities for practices that share similar elements to those higher education systems that follow a more academic capitalist approach. In the German case, however, aspects of academic capitalism come forth in a more coordinated manner due to the work of federal-level organizations that are organizing change in a collective and scripted manner.

Background The recurrent ∼600 kb 16p11.2 BP4-BP5 deletion is among the most frequent known genetic aetiologies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Objective To define the medical, neuropsychological, and behavioural phenotypes in carriers of this deletion. Methods We collected clinical data on 285 deletion carriers and performed detailed evaluations on 72 carriers and 68 intrafamilial non-carrier controls. Results When compared to intrafamilial controls, full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) is two standard deviations lower in carriers, and there is no difference between carriers referred for neurodevelopmental disorders and carriers identified through cascade family testing. Verbal IQ (mean 74) is lower than non-verbal IQ (mean 83) and a majority of carriers require speech therapy. Over 80% of individuals exhibit psychiatric disorders including ASD, which is present in 15% of the paediatric carriers. Increase in head circumference (HC) during infancy is similar to the HC and brain growth patterns observed in idiopathic ASD. Obesity, a major comorbidity present in 50% of the carriers by the age of 7 years, does not correlate with FSIQ or any behavioural trait. Seizures are present in 24% of carriers and occur independently of other symptoms. Malformations are infrequently found, confirming only a few of the previously reported associations. Conclusions The 16p11.2 deletion impacts in a quantitative and independent manner FSIQ, behaviour and body mass index, possibly through direct influences on neural circuitry. Although non-specific, these features are clinically significant and reproducible. Lastly, this study demonstrates the necessity of studying large patient cohorts ascertained through multiple methods to characterise the clinical consequences of rare variants involved in common diseases.