Potential of Nano-Formulated Zinc Oxide for Control of Citrus Canker on Grapefruit Trees.

Antimicrobial activity of experimental formulations of two structurally different nano-zinc oxide materials, plate-like Zinkicide SG4 and particulate Zinkicide SG6, was evaluated against Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, the cause of citrus canker. In vitro assay demonstrated Zinkicide SG4 had a twofold lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Escherichia coli and X. alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis (62.5 to 250 µg/ml) compared with copper sulfate (250 µg/ml), copper hydroxide (250 to 500 µg/ml), or cuprous oxide/zinc oxide (125 to 250 µg/ml). Zinkicide SG6 had a sevenfold to eightfold lower MIC against Escherichia coli and X. alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis (31 to 250 µg/ml). Leaves of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and fruit of 'Ruby Red' grapefruit (C. paradisi) were evaluated for citrus canker disease control. A greenhouse assay with foliage demonstrated that spray treatment with Zinkicide reduced citrus canker lesion development after injection-infiltration of X. citri subsp. citri into the leaf intercellular space. In field trials conducted in Southeast Florida in 2014 and 2015, Zinkicide SG4 and SG6 reduction of grapefruit canker incidence exceeded that of cuprous oxide and cuprous oxide/zinc oxide bactericides. Zinkicide formulations were also effective against the fungal diseases, citrus scab (Elsinoe fawcetti) and melanose (Diaporthe citri), on grapefruit. No sign of phytotoxicity to the fruit rind was observed during either season. Antimicrobial activity of Zinkicide for protection of leaves and fruit against X. citri subsp. citri was comparable or exceeded that for commercial copper and zinc oxide formulations which may be attributed to translaminar movement of Zinkicide.

Selective cervical nerve root blockade: prospective study of immediate and longer term complications.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Selective cervical nerve root blockade (SCNRB) is a useful procedure for evaluating and treating patients with cervical radiculopathy. Reports of complications related to injections within the cervical nerve root foramen have raised serious doubts regarding the safety of this procedure. This study was performed to prospectively evaluate the safety of fluoroscopically guided outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic SCNRB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight hundred two consecutive fluoroscopically guided diagnostic and/or therapeutic SCNRBs in 659 patients were performed during a 14-month period (November 2006-December 2007) at affiliated outpatient imaging centers. Each examination was performed by 1 of 8 experienced procedural radiologists by using an anterior oblique approach, with the needle position confirmed with radiographic contrast before injection of an admixture of local anesthetic and steroid. All patients were assessed immediately and at 30 minutes following the procedure. Additionally, 460 patients were called by telephone 30 days following the procedure. All complications were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 802 attempted procedures, 799 were successfully completed. Three procedures were aborted due to anxiety, challenging body habitus, or persistent venous opacification observed during contrast injection and despite needle repositioning. There were no serious complications, such as stroke, spinal cord insult, permanent nerve root deficit, infection, or significant hematoma. There were 33 minor complications occurring within 30 minutes of the procedure; the most common was vasovagal symptoms. Three hundred forty-five patients were successfully contacted by telephone at 30 days postinjection, 9 of whom reported increased or new pain symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: With our technique, fluoroscopically guided SCNRB is a safe outpatient procedure with a low immediate and delayed complication rate.

The radiographic diagnosis and treatment of paraneoplastic central nervous system disease.

Paraneoplastic nervous system syndromes are being identified with increasing frequency because of greater physician awareness and the availability of serodiagnostic tests for some syndromes. Frequently, paraneoplastic syndromes develop in the setting of an indolent, limited stage, or otherwise occult malignancy. As a result, the paraneoplastic disorder often becomes the most disabling part of a patient's disease. Effective treatment appears to require early identification. For these reasons, the ability to diagnose a paraneoplastic syndrome, follow its course, and treat it successfully are important. The authors describe four patients with neurologic paraneoplastic syndromes and identical magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities. Three patients responded to immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory therapy, and in one, corresponding radiographic improvement was documented. Strategies for early diagnosis and options for treatment of paraneoplastic nervous system disorders are discussed.

Delegation of clinical dietetic tasks in military and civilian hospitals: implications for practice.

The purposes of our research were two-fold: to determine perceptions of the quality of task performance and to identify dietetic personnel currently performing clinical dietetic tasks in military and civilian hospitals. Questionnaires were returned from 309 dietitians and 208 dietetic support personnel at 151 military and civilian hospitals (73% response overall). For tasks completed by support personnel, no task was rated as having optimum quality, 1 was rated as highly acceptable, 6 as acceptable, 19 as somewhat unacceptable, and 4 as unacceptable. Current performance ratings indicated that 1 task was performed solely by dietitians, 21 were completed by dietitians with assistance, 6 were completed jointly by dietitians and support personnel, 2 were completed by support personnel with supervision by dietitians, and no task was completed independently by support personnel. Tasks were grouped into four categories: basic clinical dietetics (11 tasks), intermediate and in-depth clinical dietetics (12 tasks), outpatient nutrition clinic (5 tasks), and nutrition education (community) (4 tasks). Quality scores for the US Air Force (USAF) hospitals were higher for all task categories except intermediate and in-depth clinical dietetic tasks. The quality scores of support personnel were higher than those of dietitians for all task categories. The USAF performance scores indicated significantly more involvement of support personnel. Generally, the performance scores of dietitians increased with experience; the scores of support personnel decreased with experience. Correlations between quality and performance ratings for individual tasks revealed low to moderate relationships. Our results suggest that additional delegation of tasks to dietetic support personnel may be possible without negatively affecting perceptions of the quality of task outcome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)