Healthy Portion Research Articles

Diagnosis and management of Canine Renal Cell Carcinoma with special reference to Shear Wave Elastography

This report focuses on the diagnosis and surgical management of unilateral renal cell carcinoma in a 7-year-old male intact German Shepherd dog. The dog was presented with fever, haematuria, inappetence, infrequent bouts of emesis, and progressive weight loss. Palpation revealed a hard, round mass in the right cranial abdomen. A presumptive diagnosis of unilateral renal neoplasm was made based on clinical signs, haematobiochemical analysis, and radiography. B-mode ultrasound examination demonstrated an enlarged right kidney extending up to the ventral midline. The kidney exhibited heterogenous echotexture, loss of renal architecture, and only a small healthy portion at the caudal pole. Point Shear Wave Elastography analysis revealed elevated values both in terms Shear Wave Velocity (m/sec) and Young’s Modulus Stiffness Value (kPa), indicating the presence of renal malignancy. To treat the condition, unilateral nephroureterectomy was performed under general anaesthesia. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Consequently, it can be concluded that B-mode ultrasonography, Point Shear Wave Elastography, and nephroureterectomy played crucial roles in the successful diagnosis and surgical management of unilateral renal cell carcinoma.

Abstract B053: A pilot study of a digital weight loss program for cancer prevention among obese individuals from four diverse cohorts

Abstract Background: Obesity and physical inactivity increase the risk of many types of cancer. Effective weight management, healthy diet, and physical activity are critical to reduce cancer risk. This pilot study of a technology-based weight loss program evaluated the program feasibility, weight loss, and improvement of healthy behaviors and quality of life among minority and medically underserved participants with obesity for cancer prevention. Methods: Participants in this pilot study were included from four cohorts: 1) Mano a Mano Mexican American Cohort (MAC; family dyads) 2) Project CHURCH (African-American men), 3) High- Risk Breast Cohort (HRBC; women), and 4) Mammography Cohort (women who participated in mammography screening). A 16-week weight loss program using the Diabetes Prevention Program was provided for healthy eating, physical activity, and portion control. Participants received program materials, text messages, Fitbit, and Wi-Fi connected scale. Weight, physical activity, dietary intake, weight-related health behaviors, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Program feasibility including retention and satisfaction were assessed after the program. Changes in outcomes from pre- to post- program were examined using paired t-tests and chi-squared tests. Results: Among 48 enrolled participants, 37 participants completed the program (total=77%; MAC=59%; Project CHURCH=90%; HRBC=90%; Mammography=90%). During the program, 46% participants measured and recorded their weights at least one day per week (MAC=17%; Project CHURCH=60%; HRBC=80%; Mammography=50%); 65% wore the Fitbit at least 2 days per week (MAC=44%; Project CHURCH=90%; HRBC=80%; Mammography=60%); 77% responded to text messages 15 out of 30 times (MAC=61%; Project CHURCH=90%; HRBC=90%; Mammography=80%); and 92% were satisfied with the program (MAC=100%; Project CHURCH=100%; HRBC=78%; Mammography=89%). After the program, we observed about 2% weight loss in average (self- report: p=0.009; scale measured: p=0.010). There were significant improvements in weight- related eating behaviors (routine restraint: +0.55, p=0.001; compensatory restraint: +0.49, p=0.001; susceptibility to external cues: -0.41, p=0.026; and emotional eating: -0.57, p=0.001). Stage of change for weight control showed significant shifts from action to maintenance stage (p=0.012). Furthermore, dietary habits significantly changed after the intervention with decreased 30% of total energy intake (p<0.001), increased 14% protein intake (p=0.044), and decreased 56% added-sugar intake (p<0.001). Conclusions: This digital weight loss program was determined as feasible and effective for weight loss and improving eating behaviors and dietary intake among minority and medically underserved individuals with obesity. The MAC showed a higher drop-out rate and less engaged in the program compared to other cohort, and therefore, this cohort may need adapted and more support that a low touch digital weight loss program can provide to improve the feasibility. Citation Format: Che Young Lee, Thuan Le, Carrie R Daniel, Larkin L. Strong, Scherezade K Mama, Lorna H McNeill, Abenaa Brewster, Samir Hanash, Karen Basen-Engquist. A pilot study of a digital weight loss program for cancer prevention among obese individuals from four diverse cohorts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B053.

The Role of Food Science in Combating Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders

Obesity and related metabolic disorders have emerged as major global health challenges, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The prevalence of these conditions has reached epidemic proportions, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Food science plays a crucial role in addressing this complex issue by developing innovative strategies and interventions to promote healthier eating habits and prevent the development of obesity and its associated comorbidities. This comprehensive review explores the multifaceted role of food science in combating obesity and related metabolic disorders, focusing on key areas such as food formulation, processing, preservation, and fortification. We discuss the development of functional foods and ingredients that target specific metabolic pathways, as well as the application of novel technologies to enhance the nutritional quality and sensory appeal of food products. Additionally, we highlight the importance of consumer education and behavior change strategies in promoting healthy food choices and portion control. The review also examines the potential of personalized nutrition approaches, which leverage advances in nutrigenomics and metabolomics to tailor dietary interventions based on individual genetic and metabolic profiles. Furthermore, we explore the role of food science in developing sustainable and equitable food systems that ensure access to nutritious foods for all populations. By synthesizing the latest research findings and identifying gaps in current knowledge, this review provides valuable insights and recommendations for future research and policy initiatives aimed at harnessing the power of food science to combat obesity and related metabolic disorders on a global scale.

The impact of packaging attributes on portion decisions: Consumer values are important.

Research shows that features of food packaging can help to promote healthy food choices. Laboratory-based studies demonstrate that smart design of packaging facilitates portion control. However, the extent to which consumers notice packaging features for portion control is not known. Therefore, this study investigated how individuals interact with food packaging, how they utilise the on-pack serving-size guidelines and how they make portion decisions. To do this, 25 adult participants were recruited to participate in an online semi-structured interview. Data were analysed using thematic analysis until saturation was achieved. Participants reported that they rarely attend to on-pack serving recommendations and indicated some resistance to them. Some structural features (small/single serving, pre-portioned and resealable packaging) were identified as facilitators of portion control. In contrast, the healthiness evaluation of the product from packaging cues was described as a permissive cue to eat more of the product. Participants in this study value their autonomy and control, preferring convenient behavioural choices over recommended portion servings. They also reported future concerns about the effects of their diet on health, but that current context (hunger, convenience) sometimes presented a barrier to healthy eating. Packaging does more than protect its contents, packaging can affect eating decisions to support portion control, and for some, offers permission to overconsume. This study identified ways that participants use packaging to make portion decisions, revealing the role of habits, current context and future health considerations. The interviews revealed the importance of consumer values on food choice in general and portion control in particular. In conclusion, smart food packaging design could use these findings to nudge healthy portion decisions by incorporating consumer values and by recognising consumer needs for habitual, current and future concerns.

CSP2023: 428 - Slicing through sedentary time with a healthy portion of activity: Are there benefits for hip extension?

CSP2023: 428 - Slicing through sedentary time with a healthy portion of activity: Are there benefits for hip extension?

Google.org study shows lots of upside for generative AI in philanthropic sector

New research from Google.org shows that a healthy portion of nonprofit organizations are already making use of artificial intelligence, and in particular, what's known as generative AI.

Development of a bio-inspired wound model for debridement training

Wound debridement is commonplace in expediting wound healing in the clinic. Despite this, there are limited resources available for simulation training for practitioners prior to facing real-life patients. Typically, citrus peels or porcine skin are employed in a vain attempt to improve debridement proficiency, yet these fail to provide a realistic experience of the textures and consistencies of wounds. Therefore, there is a clear unmet need for a safe and effective tool that can facilitate hands-on learning under the instruction of an experienced debrider. To fill this niche, a life-like wound model was designed and developed, featuring leathery necrotic eschar, an intermediary sloughy layer, and a rough granulation tissue in the bottommost layer, all within a healthy skin base. The healthy tissue portion of the model was designed to exhibit similar mechanical properties to those found in human skin. Likewise, the sloughy layer was viscous enough to remain within the model under static conditions yet could be removed using any appropriate debriding tool synonymous with real slough. Mechanical testing of the necrotic eschar revealed brittle fracture behaviour, akin to what is observed in patients. Each layer of the wound model provided the visual and haptic feedback of how it would look and feel to debride a patient’s wound in the clinic, giving invaluable experience for potential trainees in a safe and effectual way. It is envisaged that these models can be developed in a personalised way to suit the individual needs of the user, such as incorporating underlying models of bone or tendon, while retaining the key elements of the wound, which make it successful. This model is proposed as an important step forward in bridging the gap between becoming a newly qualified debriding practitioner and encountering the first wound in the clinic, subsequently improving the confidence of the debrider and enhancing patient outcomes.

An online survey capturing the views of stakeholders on primary school food systems across the four UK nations

BackgroundIn 2020, the Generating Excellent Nutrition in UK Schools (GENIUS) Network was established to develop an understanding of the school food system across the four UK nations. This study explores stakeholders’ views (headteachers, teachers, parents and pupils) on what works well, the challenges, and what an ideal primary school food system includes.MethodsAn online ‘School Food Survey’ was created in Qualtrics XM including closed and open-ended questions about the primary school food system. The Qualtrics link was distributed to stakeholders with an interest in school food through key contacts and networks across the four UK nations (21st June to 21st July and September 2021). Responses from the open-ended questions were exported from Qualtrics into Excel and analysed using SPSS. Aspects of qualitative content analysis were applied to summarise, code and quantify responses. Identified codes were entered by stakeholder, for example, parents and their response to the question into a Matrix table to allow identification of categories, themes and interpretation.ResultsA total of 509 participants completed the survey: most participants were from Scotland (n = 281; 55%) and England (n = 213; 42%) and were parents (n = 394). There were some consistent views across stakeholder responses, for example, the range of healthy options, costs, and portion sizes offered to pupils. Parents views varied, with some expressing the range of healthy options worked well and others reporting too many unhealthy choices. The cost of school food and school food funding presented challenges for both parents and schools. For parents, an ideal school food system would include a wide variety of fresh healthy food choices that were made on site, use quality produce, be inclusive for all cultures and diets, and provide food portion sizes appropriate for pupils ages.ConclusionsThe findings iterate the diversity and some inconsistencies between stakeholders, emphasising the complexity and competing tensions school food systems encounter. Parental involvement and consideration of school-level and national factors are important when identifying challenges, what works well and describing an ideal primary school food system.

Which is the best diet to reduce cardiometabolic risk: dietary counseling or home-delivered diet?

Non-compliance with medical nutrition therapy can lead to an increase in cardiometabolic risk factors, resulting in an increase in the frequency of morbidity and mortality. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two different medical nutrition therapies designed to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors. The study was conducted on voluntary overweight and obese women who sought services at a specialized Nutrition and Dietary Counseling Clinic. The clinic offered dietary counseling (n = 47) and home-delivered diet (n = 53) services, and the participants themselves decided which method they preferred. Both groups were followed for a period of 4 weeks. The general information, physical activity (PA) status, biochemical findings, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) of the voluntary participants were evaluated. Taking into consideration the participants' dietary habits and health status, an appropriate dietary plan (55-60% carbohydrates, 15-20 protein%, 25-30% fat) was prepared. The anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters of overweight and obese individuals who received dietary counseling and home-delivered diet services were evaluated before and after the diet. In both groups, cardiometabolic risk factors were found to decrease. It was determined that those who received the home-delivered diet service had a greater reduction in body weight, Body Mass Index values, body fat percentages, and waist circumferences compared to those who received dietary counseling (P < 0.001). Similarly, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, and blood pressure values were found to decrease more significantly in individuals receiving the home-delivered diet service (P < 0.001). Additionally, both groups showed an increase in High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, with a greater increase observed in those receiving the home-delivered diet service (P < 0.001). According to the findings of this study, participants who received the home-delivered diet service, which is particularly beneficial for individuals who struggle with healthy meal preparation and portion control, exhibited better adherence to medical nutrition therapy and experienced a greater reduction in cardiometabolic risk factors compared to those who received dietary counseling.

Engaging communities to inform the development of a diverse cohort of cancer survivors: formative research for the eat move sleep study (EMOVES)

BackgroundThere are more than 18 million cancer survivors in the United States. Yet, survivors of color remain under-represented in cancer survivorship research (Saltzman et al. in Contemp Clin Trials Commun 29:100986, 2022; Pang et al. in J Clin Oncol 34:3992–3999, 2016; Lythgoe et al. in Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 24:1208–1211, 2021). Our long-term goal is to enroll and follow a cohort of historically under-represented cancer survivors, to better understand modifiable risk factors that influence clinical and quality of life outcomes in these populations. Towards that goal, we describe herein how we applied community-based participatory research approaches to develop inclusive study materials for enrolling such a cohort.MethodsWe implemented community engagement strategies to inform and enhance the study website and recruitment materials for this cohort including: hiring a dedicated engagement coordinator/community health educator as a member of our team; working with the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Office of Community Engagement (OCE) and Community Advisory Board members; presenting our educational, research, and study recruitment materials at community events; and establishing a community advisory group specifically for the study (4 individuals). In parallel with these efforts, 20 semi-structured user testing interviews were conducted with diverse cancer survivors to inform the look, feel, and usability of the study website.ResultsEngagement with community members was a powerful and important approach for this study’s development. Feedback was solicited and used to inform decisions regarding the study name (eat move sleep, EMOVES), logo, study website content and imagery, and recruitment materials. Based on community feedback, we developed additional educational materials on healthy groceries and portion size in multiple languages and created a study video.ConclusionsIncluding an engagement coordinator as a permanent team member, partnering with the institutional community outreach and engagement resources (i.e., OCE), and allocating dedicated time and financial support for cultivating relationships with stakeholders outside the university were critical to the development of the study website and materials. Our community guided strategies will be tested as we conduct enrollment through community advisor networks and via the state cancer registry.

Revision Surgery for Recurrent Morton Neuroma with Use of a Collagen Conduit.

Revision Surgery for Recurrent Morton Neuroma with Use of a Collagen Conduit.

Vascular Interventions in Oncology

Vascular interventions are an important and established tool in the management of the oncology patient. The goal of these procedures may be curative, palliative or adjunctive in nature. Some of the common vascular interventions used in oncology include transarterial embolisation or chemoembolisation, selective internal radiation therapy, chemosaturation, venous access lines, superior vena cava stenting and portal vein embolisation. We provide an overview of the principles, technology and approach of vascular techniques for tumour therapy in both the arterial and venous systems. Arterial interventions are currently mainly used in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Transarterial embolisation, chemoembolisation and selective internal radiation therapy deliver targeted catheter-delivered treatments with the aim of reducing tumour burden, controlling tumour growth or increasing survival in patients not eligible for transplantation. Chemosaturation is a regional chemotherapy technique that delivers high doses of chemotherapy directly to the liver via the hepatic artery, while reducing the risks of systemic effects. Venous interventions are more adjunctive in nature. Venous access lines are used to provide a means of delivering chemotherapy and other medications directly into the bloodstream. Superior vena cava stenting is a palliative procedure that is used to relieve symptoms of superior vena cava obstruction. Portal vein embolisation is a procedure that allows hypertrophy of a healthy portion of the liver in preparation for liver resection.Interventional radiology-led vascular interventions play an essential part of cancer management. These procedures are minimally invasive and provide a safe and effective adjunct to traditional cancer treatment methods. Appropriate work-up and discussion of each patient-specific problem in a multidisciplinary setting with interventional radiology is essential to provide optimum patient-centred care.

First report of Colletotrichum fructicola causing anthracnose on Carya cathayensis Sarg. in China.

Carya cathayensis Sarg. (Chinese hickory) is one of the important economic forest plants, mainly distributed in Zhejiang and Anhui provinces in China. In September 2020, leaf spot disease occurred on 90% C. cathayensis in a 2.6 km2 plantation with 500 hickorys in Shangshu Village (30°26'N, 119°32'E), Huzhou, Zhejiang, China. Symptoms initially appeared as small brown spots. Later, the spots became dark brown, and joined into irregular shapes. Twenty diseased leaves with typical symptoms were collected and used to isolate the pathogen. The leaf tissues (5 × 5 mm) at junction of diseased and healthy portion were cut and surface-sterilized with 75% ethanol for 15 s, 0.1% NaClO for 2 min, and rinsed 3 times in sterile water, then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates and incubated at 25°C in the darkness for 3 days. Eight isolates with similar morphological characterizations were obtained after pure cultures by transferring hyphal tips. The colony growing on PDA for 7 days was circular, dense, white cotton-like hyphae, and light gray-black hyphae can be seen inside. The conidia were cylindrical, aseptate, hyaline, with rounded ends, and 12.5 to 20.0 × 5.0 to 7.5 µm (n = 50). The appressoria were brown to dark brown, ovoid to clavate, slightly irregular to irregular, and were in the range of 6.4 to 10.2 × 5.0 to 6.7 µm (n = 50). The morphologies of the isolates were consistent with the genus description of Colletotrichum (Fuentes-Aragón et al. 2018; Liu et al. 2015). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), calmodulin (CAL), chitin synthase (CHS-1), beta-tubulin 2 (TUB2) and actin (ACT) genes were amplified from genomic DNA for the isolates using the primers described by Weir et al. (2012). The sequences of eight isolates were consistent and the representative isolate CFZJ-64 were deposited in GenBank under the following accession numbers: ITS, OK145563; ACT, OK216738; CAL, OK216739; CHS-1, OK216740; GAPDH, OK216741; and TUB2, OK216742. A phylogenetic tree was generated by combining ITS, ACT, CAL, CHS-1, TUB2, and GAPDH sequences in MEGA11. Three representative isolates CFZJ-42, CFZJ-53 and CFZJ-64 clustered in the C. fructicola clade with 90% bootstrap support. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, the isolates were identified as C. fructicola. To confirm pathogenicity, 9 detached healthy leaves and 9 healthy leaves on 3-year-old C. cathayensis seedlings were inoculated with conidial suspension of each isolate (20 µL, 1 × 106 conidia/mL). The control leaves were treated with distilled water (20 µL). Each tested leaf was covered with a clean ziplock bag and incubated for 48h at about 27°C, and 14h photoperiod. After five days, 7 of 8 isolates caused on all detached leaves or part of the leaves on the seedlings developed lesions similar to those observed in the field, whereas controls were asymptomatic. The same fungus was re-isolated from all the diseased leaves and identified by sequencing, confirming Koch's postulates. As far as we know, this is the first report of C. fructicola causing anthracnose on C. cathayensis. This study not only expands the knowledge on this important pathogen of C. cathayensis in China, but also provides the foundation to further investigate the biology, epidemiology, and control of the disease.

Predictors of coronary artery injury after orbital atherectomy as assessed by optical coherence tomography

Purpose: The association between the extent of the wire and device bias as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the healthy portion of the vessel and the risk of coronary artery injury after orbital atherectomy (OA) has not been fully elucidated. Thus, purpose of this study is to investigate the association between pre-OA OCT findings and post-OA coronary artery injury by OCT. Methods: We enrolled 148 de novo lesions having calcified lesion required OA (max Ca angle > 90°) in 135 patients who underwent both pre- and post-OA OCT. In pre-OA OCT, OCT catheter contact angle and the presence or absences of guide-wire (GW) contact with the normal vessel intima were assessed. Also, in post-OA OCT, we assessed there was post-OA coronary artery injury (OA injury), defined as disappearance of both of intima and medial wall of normal vessel, or not. Results: OA injury was found in 19 lesions (13%). Pre-PCI OCT catheter contact angle with the normal coronary artery was significantly larger (median 137°; inter quartile range [IQR] 113–169 vs. median 0°; IQR 0–0, P < 0.001) and more GW contact with the normal vessel was found (63% vs. 8%, P < 0.001). Pre-PCI OCT catheter contact angle > 92° and GW contact with the normal vessel intima were associated with post-OA vascular injury (Both: 92% (11/12), Either: 32% (8/25), Neither: 0% (0/111), P < 0.001). Conclusion: Pre-PCI OCT findings, such as catheter contact angle > 92° and guide-wire contact to the normal coronary artery, were associated with post-OA coronary artery injury.

Grid Integration Issues of Photovoltaic Systems and Islanding Detection

This paper investigates the challenges in the grid caused by high penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems and measures to achieve efficient islanding detection during grid abnormalities. To achieve this an islanding classification approach is developed by using a multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) to train with the possible islanding scenarios that can occur in a grid. The proposed approach aids the grid-connected system to isolate the healthy portion from the faulty portion of the system and ensure uninterrupted operations of the system even in the case of fault and grid maintenance. The performance of the proposed method was tested on the data obtained for different grid abnormalities simulated on a grid-connected photovoltaic system using a Typhoon-HIL environment. The obtained results depicted 95.6% training efficiency and 98.3% testing efficiency, and the trained approach can effectively detect an islanding scenario in 0.02 s with 1.7% misclassification error.

Correlation of meal timing and interval with glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Background: Eating is very essential for life. The timing of food can set all the organs and tissues in the body which relates to food digestion, absorption, and metabolism. Much research performed on many animals proves that food intake is very important which will integrate the peripheral clocks. Consequently, traditional eating habits with a good meal, timing, and interval should be ideal, and not skipping breakfast is very much important in maintaining glucose homeostasis. To make people aware of the meal timing, healthy portion of food components that have to be consumed and the time interval between food, and the importance of morning meals, this study helps to give the same. Aims and Objectives: The study of meal timing and the interval was between the meals in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Materials and Methods: Five hundred known cases of Type 2 diabetes patients were enrolled in the study. Reports necessary for glycemic status are collected. Diet history obtained from the patients. Results: Individuals who had their meals at an earlier time and the less time gap between their meals had good control of Diabetes when compared to the persons who had late meals and the increased time gap between the meals. Conclusion: Early or correct meal timings and fewer time intervals between meals will help in the control of Type 2 diabetes. Unhealthy timings of taking the food can lead to a severance in normal homeostasis which can result in unhealthy events. This study helps to be aware of the morbidity associated with their lifestyle habits. Further, it also helps in changing their lifestyle to a healthy eating habit which will help in reducing glycemic index and comorbidities.

Multisectoral Strategies Needed to Establish Healthy Portion Size Norms That Disincentivize Hyperpalatable, Energy-Dense Foods and Sugary Beverages in Food Environments Linked to Obesity and Diet-Related Chronic Diseases in the United States

Over 40 y, Americans have consumed larger portions of hyperpalatable, energy-dense foods, sugary beverages, and meals prepared at home and away from home, which have contributed to obesity and diet-related chronic diseases in the United States (US). This perspective article explores synergies between the portion size and food matrix effects, and their associated biological, physiological, environmental, and cultural susceptibilities for populations. Thereafter, we describe evidence of US public- and private-sector initiatives to reduce, standardize, and incentivize portion size norms to align with recommended servings to promote a healthy weight for children, adolescents, and adults. Practitioners could use the Individual plus Policy, System, and Environment (I + PSE) Framework to implement multisectoral strategies for the US government, businesses, and civil society organizations to establish healthy portion size norms aligned with servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, and to disincentivize overconsumption of hyperpalatable products to reduce obesity and chronic disease risks.

First report of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum siamense in north-east India.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) has been commonly cultivated as a spice crop in northeast India. In August 2021, anthracnose leaf spot was observed on black pepper vines with 50 to 60% of disease incidence in Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat (26.7509° N, 94.2037° E), Assam, India. On average, 80% of the leaves per individual vine were affected by this disease. Foliar symptoms initially appeared as chlorotic circular spots, which then coalesced into larger irregular lesions. The centers of the spots were brown, papery in texture, and surrounded by a yellow halo. Numerous acervuli at the center of the spots were observed. Ten vines from the orchard were sampled to identify the causal agent. Symptomatic leaves along with some healthy portion were cut (3 to 4.5 mm2), surface-sterilized in 70% ethanol for 30 s, rinsed in sterile distilled water twice, dried on sterilized filter paper, aseptically plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with Streptomycin sulphate (30 mg/L), and then incubated at 25°C for four days. Two Colletotrichum isolates were recovered from infected tissues and purified by the hyphal tip method. Fungal colonies on PDA were cottony, dense, white to gray in color, and with salmon pink conidial masses. Conidia (n = 50) were 13.6 to 19.8 × 4.2 to 6.4 μm, cylindrical, hyaline, single-celled, smooth-walled, and with rounded ends. Conidiophores were aseptate, hyaline, short and branched. Based on morphological features, the isolates were identified in the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (Weir et al. 2012). For accurate identification of two isolates, the DNA was extracted from pure culture. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, actin (ACT), β-tubulin 2 (TUB2) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (Weir et al. 2012) and sequenced. The sequences were deposited in the GenBank database (ITS: OP297054 and OP296876; ACT: OP327082 and OP327081; TUB2; OP327086 and OP327085; GAPDH: OP327084 and OP327083). A BLAST analysis of ITS, ACT, TUB2 and GAPDH sequences revealed 99.5-100%, 99.9-100%, 99.9-100% and 99.8-100% similarity respectively to C. siamense for both isolates in NCBI database. The pathogenicity tests were carried out on potted four months old vine cuttings of P. nigrum L., which were kept in a greenhouse. Ten healthy plants were sprayed with 50 µl of conidial suspension of each isolate (107 conidia ml-1, 10 ml/plant). Five control plants were sprayed with sterile distilled water. The plants were covered with sterilized plastic bags after inoculation to maintain humidity and kept in a greenhouse at day/night temperatures of 25 ± 2°C and 17 ± 2°C (Zhang et al., 2021). Within eight days, all the inoculated plants showed symptoms similar to those observed in the field, whereas control plants were asymptomatic. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice. C. siamense was consistently reisolated from the lesions and was confirmed by morphological characterization and molecular assays as described above in this note, whereas no fungus was isolated from control leaves. To our knowledge this is the first report of C. siamense causing black pepper anthracnose in northeast India. The pathogen has significant potential for causing high losses in black pepper production. These data will help researchers to develop effective management strategies for this disease.

Effect of stomach size on organs at risk in pancreatic stereotactic body radiotherapy

BackgroundIn clinical practice, the organs at risk (OARs) should be carefully determined when performing pancreatic stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). We conducted a simulation study to examine the effect of the stomach size on the radiation dose to the OARs when performing pancreatic SBRT.MethodsTwenty-five cases were included in this study. Pancreatic head and body tumors were 2-cm-sized pseudotumors, which were included as gross target volume (GTV) contours. The stomach, pancreas, small intestine, liver, kidneys, and spinal cord were considered as the OARs. The prescription dose for planning target volume (PTV) was 40 Gy/5fx, and the dose limit for the OARs was determined. The dose to X% of the OAR volume at X values of 0.1, 5.0, and 10.0 cc (DX) and the percentage of the OAR volume that received more than X Gy were recorded.ResultsIn terms of the radiation dose to the pancreatic body tumors, the stomach size was positively correlated with a dose of D10cc [correlation coefficient (r) = 0.5516) to the stomach. The r value between the radiation dose to the pancreatic head tumor and the stomach size was 0.3499. The stomach size and radiation dose to the head and body of the pancreas were positively correlated (pancreatic head D10cc: r = 0.3979, pancreatic body D10cc: r = 0.3209). The larger the stomach, the larger the radiation dose to the healthy portion of the pancreas outside the PTV.ConclusionsWhen performing pancreatic SBRT, the dose to the OARs depends on the stomach size. Reducing the dose to the stomach and pancreas can be achieved by shrinking the stomach.

First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Colletotrichum fructicola on Myrica rubra in China.

Myrica rubra is an important fruit tree with high nutritional and economic value, which is widely cultivated in multiple regions of China. In January 2021, an unknown disease which caused leaf spot with approximately 20% (n=100 investigated plants) of incidence was discovered on the leaves of M.rubra in Jiujiang City of Jiangxi Province (29.71° N, 115.97° E). The initial symptoms were small pale brown spots (1 to 2 mm diameter) on the leaves, which gradually expanded into round or irregular dark brown spots with the occurrence of the disease, and the lesion developed necrotic tissues in the center at later stages, eventually leading the leaves to chlorotic and wilted. Ten diseased leaves with typical symptoms were collected and the leaf tissue (5 × 5 mm) at junction of diseased and healthy portion were cut. The surfaces were disinfected with 75% ethanol for 45 s, 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, and rinsed in sterile water for 3 times then transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28 ± 1 ℃ for 3 days. Five fungal single isolates with similar morphology were purified from single spores. On PDA medium, the colonies initially appeared white with numerous aerial hyphae, and the center of the colony turned gray at later stages, less sporulation. While on modified czapek-dox medium (Peptone 3g, K2HPO4 1g, MgSO4·7H2O 0.5g, KCl 0.5g, FeSO4 0.01g, Maltose 30g, Agar 15g, Distilled water 1000 mL, pH=7.0), the mycelia of the colony were sparse and produced a large number of small bright orange particles (conidial masses). Conidia were single-celled, transparent, smooth-walled, 1-2 oil globule, cylindrical with slightly blunt rounded ends, 14.45-18.44 × 5.54-6.98 μm (av=16.27 μm × 6.19 μm, n=50) in size. These morphological characteristics of the pathogen were similar to the descriptions of Colletotrichum fructicola (Ruan et al, 2017; Yang et al, 2021). To further confirm the identity of the pathogen, genomic DNA from a representative isolate was extracted with DNA Extraction Kit (Yeasen, Shanghai, China), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase (GAPDH), calmodulin gene (CAL), actin (ACT) and chitin synthase 1 (CHS 1) were amplified by using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (Gardes et al, 1993), GDF/GDR (Templeton et al, 1992), CL1C/CL2C (Weir et al, 2012), ACT-512F/ACT-783R and CHS-79F/CHS-345R (Carbone et al, 1999), respectively. The PCR amplified sequences were submitted to GenBank (GenBank Accession No. ITS, MW740334; GAPDH, MW759805; CAL, MW759804; ACT, MW812384; CHS-1, MW759803) and aligned with GenBank showed 100% identity with C. fructicola (GenBank Accession No. ITS, MT355821.1 (546/546 bp); GAPDH, MT374664.1 (255/255 bp); CAL, MK681354.1 (741/741 bp); ACT, MT364655.1 (262/262 bp); CHS, MT374618.1 (271/271 bp)). Phylogenetic tree using the maximum likelihood methods with Kimura 2-parameter model and combined ITS-ACT-GAPDH-CHS-CAL concatenated sequences, bootstrap nodal support for 1000 replicates in MEGA7.0, revealed that the isolate was assigned to C. fructicola strain (ICMP 18581 and CBS 125397) (Yang et al. 2021) with 98% bootstrap support. Pathogenicities of were tested on fifteen healthy M. rubra plants (five for wounded inoculation, five for nonwounded inoculation, and five for controls) in the orchard. Twenty leaves were marked from each plant, and disinfected the surface with 75% ethanol. Ten μL spore suspension (1.0 × 106 conidia/ml) of each isolate from 7-day-old culture were inoculated on the surface of 20 needle-wounded and 20 nonwounded leaves, respectively. Healthy leaves were inoculated with sterile water as controls by the same method. All inoculated leaves were sprayed with sterile water and covered with plastic film to remained humidification. After 5 days, all the wounded leaves which were inoculated with C. fructicola showed similar symptoms to those observed on the original leaves. Symptoms of nonwounded leaves were milder than the wounded inoculated leaves, while control leaves remained healthy. Finally, the C. fructicola was re-isolated from the inoculated leaves. C. fructicola has been reported on Juglans regia, Peucedanum praeruptorum, Paris polyphylla var. Chinensis in China (Wang et al, 2017; Ma et al, 2020; Zhou et al, 2020). As far as we know, this is the first report of C. fructicola causing leaf spot on M.rubra in China. This result contributes to better understand the pathogens causing diseases of M.rubra in this region of China and develop effective control strategies.