First Report of Natural Infection of Garlic with Iris yellow spot virus in the United States

Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV; family Bunyaviridae, genus Tospovirus) is an important constraint to onion bulb and seed production in several onion-growing regions of the United States (1,3). While garlic (Allium sativum) was reported to be infected with IYSV in Réunion Island (4), there have been no confirmed reports of natural infection of garlic in the United States. Garlic plants showing near-diamond-shaped lesions were found in August of 2008 in Marion County, Oregon. The 0.4046-ha (1-acre) field plot consisted of various true-seeded garlic varieties and was adjacent to three onion fields that showed IYSV symptoms. Symptoms were observed on 5% of the garlic plants with most of the symptomatic plants displaying small and diffuse straw-colored spots. Seven of these symptomatic plants were selected for testing. Of these, two showed characteristic diamond-shaped, elongated, straw-colored lesions on garlic scapes. However, the lesions were more diffuse with less-defined edges compared with the characteristic diamond-shaped lesions that are often associated with IYSV infection (1). All symptomatic plants were positive for IYSV by double-antibody sandwich-ELISA with a commercially available kit (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN). To verify IYSV infection, total nucleic acid extracts from the symptomatic parts of the leaves were prepared and tested for the presence of IYSV by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with primers 5'-TAAAACAAACATTCAAACAA-3' and 5'-CTCTTAAACACATTTAACAAGCAC-3', which flank the nucleocapsid (N) gene coded by the small RNA of IYSV (2). An approximate 1.1-kb amplicon was obtained from all symptomatic plants and cloned and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence comparisons using BLAST showed that a consensus of three clones derived from the amplicon from garlic (No. FJ514257) was 85 to 99% identical with IYSV sequences available in GenBank (Nos. AF001387, AB180918, and AB286063), confirming the identity of IYSV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infection of IYSV infection of garlic in the United States. Additional surveys and testing are needed to obtain a better understanding of IYSV incidence in garlic to evaluate its impact on garlic production. References: (1) D. Gent et al. Plant Dis. 90:1468, 2006. (2) H. R. Pappu et al. Arch. Virol. 151:1015, 2006. (3) H. R. Pappu et al. Virus Res. 141:219, 2009. (4) I. Robène-Soustrade et al. Plant Pathol. 55:288, 2006.

The impact of care on carers of patients treated for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

Over the last decade there has been an increasing awareness that psychosocial problems may persist in patients who have made apparently good recoveries after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (ASAH). The caregivers of these patients are often relatives and it is becoming apparent that these carers frequently suffer psychosocial stress with associated morbidity. Previous studies have looked primarily at patients and few have included carers. We exclusively studied carers using simple validated questionnaires. We measured the effect on general and psychosocial health of the carers of patients treated for ASAH, 2-3 years after discharge. The majority of the carers (88.1%) were close relatives; 53.8% were experiencing social or emotional stress and 46.4% of these felt completely overwhelmed. The level of stress correlated positively with management complications, but not site of aneurysm or other aspects of treatment. We conclude that there is an argument for priority assistance for those carers predicted to be vulnerable to stress.

The effect of IVX-0142, a heparin-derived hypersulfated disaccharide, on the allergic airway responses in asthma

BACKGROUND

IVX-0142 is a heparin-derived hypersulfated disaccharide devoid of anticoagulant activity while possessing anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activity in preclinical studies. In a proof-of-concept study, the allergen inhalation challenge model was used to investigate the effect of IVX-0142 in mild atopic asthma.

METHODS

Nineteen subjects, not on controller medications, were randomized to an evaluator-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. The effect of a single nebulized dose of IVX-0142 (80 mg) or placebo administered 30 min prior to allergen inhalation was evaluated on the allergic airway responses, airway responsiveness, and airway inflammation.

RESULTS

When compared with placebo, 14 and 13 subjects experienced a relatively smaller maximum fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (maxFEV(1)%) for the early airway response (EAR) and late airway response (LAR) with IVX-0142, respectively (P < 0.01). The degree of attenuation in the EAR [maxFEV(1)% (mean +/- SE) 26.5 +/- 2.8%vs placebo 31.0 +/- 2.8%, P = 0.059] and LAR (15.6 +/- 2.9%vs placebo 19.0 +/- 2.9%, P = 0.24) with IVX-0142, however, was small and did not reach statistical significance compared with placebo. Similarly, a trend in the attenuation of allergen-induced increase in the absolute sputum cell counts was also observed. No difference in the allergen-induced increase in airway hyper-responsiveness and exhaled nitric oxide was noticed.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of mild atopic asthmatics demonstrated a reduction in the EAR and LAR to IVX-0142. However, the treatment effect observed with a single prechallenge dose of IVX-0142 was small and heterogeneous. The potential anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects using multiple higher doses need to be evaluated.

A hierarchy of distress: Mokken scaling of the GHQ-30

BACKGROUND

Hierarchical cumulative scales are common and informative in psychology. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) does not appear to have been subjected to an analysis that examines the hierarchical and cumulative nature of its items. We report an analysis of data from the 30-item GHQ (GHQ-30) as part of the Health and Lifestyle Survey (HALS).

METHOD

Data from 6317 participants who completed the GHQ-30 as part of the HALS were analysed using the Mokken Scaling Procedure (MSP), which is a computer program that searches polychotomous data for hierarchical and cumulative scales on the basis of a range of diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS

A final scale consisting of nine items from the GHQ-30 was obtained that, according to the criteria for a Mokken scale, was a reliable and very strong scale. The least difficult item in the scale is 'been (un)able to face up to your problems?' and the most difficult item is 'felt that life isn't worth living?'

CONCLUSIONS

Items from the GHQ-30 form a short hierarchical and cumulative scale. The majority of these items also appear in the GHQ-12. The nine-item GHQ shows better distribution properties than the GHQ-30 and compares very favourably with the GHQ-12.

Current usage and future development of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system

Progress in the development and adoption of the Meat Standards Australia system has encouraged substantial change and an improved consumer awareness at all points of the Australian beef production chain. The system is moving from niche to mainstream market application with the exciting potential to transform many industry practices and build a more direct consumer focus. The system aims to accurately predict consumer satisfaction levels for individual cooked beef portions. This is a major advance on grading systems that classify carcasses into groups of like appearance. A prediction model was developed based on consumer testing and has proved to be useful in categorising a wide range of beef into consumer grades within cooking methods. These provide a basis to ensure a predictable eating quality result for the consumer and a mechanism to align product description and pricing throughout the production chain. When used in value-based marketing systems financial reward can be directly linked to consumer satisfaction encouraging a consumer-focussed industry. Research is proceeding to extend and improve the accuracy of the prediction model encompassing additional cattle types and cooking methods. Several projects in other countries are adding insights into the relative response of consumers from varied cultural backgrounds. It is hoped that further international collaboration will facilitate use of the developed technology to improve consumer value and industry returns through improved product consistency in global markets.

Effect of hormonal growth promotants on palatability and carcass traits of various muscles from steer and heifer carcasses from a Bos indicus - Bos taurus composite cross

The effect of several different hormonal growth promotant (HGP) implant strategies on the palatability and carcass traits of different muscles in beef carcasses was investigated using samples from heifer and steer carcasses from a Bos indicus composite breed. In experiment 1, there were seven different implant strategies evaluated in heifers that were given different combinations of up to three implants (implanted at weaning, during backgrounding and at feedlot entry). A total of 112 heifers were slaughtered and 11 muscles or portions were collected from both sides [Mm. adductor femoris, gracilus, semimembranosus, longissimus dorsi lumborum, triceps brachii caput longum, semispinalis capitis, serratus ventralis cervicis, spinalis dorsi, biceps femoris (syn. gluteobiceps), tensor fasciae latae, gluteus medius (both the ‘D’ and the ‘eye’ portions) rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis]. These muscles were used to prepare a total of 1030 sensory samples which were aged for either 7 or 21 days and frozen. Thawed samples were cooked using different cooking methods (grill, roast and stir frying) before being evaluated by a consumer taste panel that scored samples for tenderness, juiciness, like flavour and overall liking. Experiment 2 used the steer portion from the same calving, which were treated to a similar array of HGP strategies, except that they were given up to four implants between weaning and slaughter at ~3 years of age. In experiment 2, there was a total of 12 different HGP implant strategies tested. At boning, three muscles (Mm. psoas major, longisimuss dorsi thoracis and lumborum portions) were collected from each of 79 carcasses with a total of 237 steak samples that consumers tested as grilled steaks. For both experiments, the mean of the HGP implant strategies resulted in increased ossification scores (P < 0.05) and decreased marbling scores (P < 0.05) compared with the controls, with the effect on ossification being much larger in the older steer groups. In both experiments, the different HGP strategies decreased (P < 0.05) all sensory scores compared with the controls, for all cooking method and muscle combinations. In experiment 1, there was no interaction between the mean HGP effect and muscle (P > 0.05), and aging rates differed among the muscles (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, there was a significant (P < 0.05) muscle × HGP treatment interaction, with a decrease in tenderness score due to HGP implant strategies in the M. longisimuss thoracis and lumborum portions, compared with no significant effect in the M. psoas major. For both experiments, there were no significant differences among the different implantation strategies on sensory scores (P > 0.05).

Development of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) prediction model for beef palatability

In this paper, the statistical aspects of the methodology that led to the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) prediction model for beef palatability are explained and described. The model proposed here is descriptive: its intention is to describe the large amounts of data collected by MSA. The model is constrained to accord with accepted meat science principles. The combined dataset used in development of the prediction model reported is around 32 000 rows × 140 columns. Each row represents a sample tasted by 10 consumers; each column specifies a variable relating to the sample tested. The developed model represents the interface between experimental data, scientific evaluation and commercial application. The model is used commercially to predict consumer satisfaction, in the form of a score out of 100, which in turn determines a grade outcome. An important improvement of the MSA model relative to other beef grading systems is that it assigns an individual consumer-based grade result to specific muscle portions cooked by designated methods; it does not assign a single grade to a carcass.

Effects of hormonal growth promotants (HGP) on growth, carcass characteristics, the palatability of different muscles in the beef carcass and their interaction with aging

Effects of hormonal growth promotant (HGP) implantation on liveweight, carcass and meat quality measurements were examined using 80 Angus yearling cattle. After entry to the feedlot, 40 steers and 40 heifers were implanted with Revalor-S (28 mg oestradiol and 140 mg trenbolone acetate) and Revalor-H (20 mg oestradiol, 200 mg trenbolone acetate), respectively. Cattle were slaughtered after 55 and 65 days on feed. Samples from the Mm. longissimus dorsi, biceps femoris (the cap and body portions), gluteus medius (the eye and D portions), infraspinatus and triceps brachii were prepared for sensory testing after aging for 5 and 21 days after slaughter. A total of 854 muscle samples were cooked by grill (601) or roast (253) methods and served to consumers using the Meat Standards Australia taste panel protocols. When adjusted to the same initial liveweight, implantation with Revalor-H and Revalor-S resulted in a 4 and 7% increase in slaughter weight, respectively. Implantation resulted in an increased ossification score in steers (P < 0.05), but not in heifers. There was a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between HGP implantation and days aged for shear force. There was a small effect of HGP implants on compression (P < 0.05), but not on cook loss and intramuscular fat percentage. Muscles differed in their response to HGP implantation (P < 0.05) for tenderness, overall liking and palatability scores. Muscles also differed in their aging rates after slaughter (P < 0.05). The greatest response in sensory scores to HGP implantation was found in those muscles that had the highest aging rates. Possible mechanisms by which muscles differed in their response to HGP implantation are discussed.

Evolution of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) beef grading system

The Australian Beef Industry identified variable eating quality as a major contributor to declining beef consumption in the early 1990s and committed research funding to address the problem. The major issue was the ability to predict the eating quality of cooked beef before consumption. The Meat Standards Australia (MSA) program developed a consumer testing protocol, which led to MSA grading standards being defined by consumer score outcomes. Traditional carcass grading parameters proved to be of little value in predicting consumer outcomes. Instead a broader combination of factors forms the basis of an interactive prediction model that performs well. The grading model has evolved from a fixed parameter ‘Pathway’ approach, to a computer model that predicts consumer scores for 135 ‘cut by cooking method’ combinations for each graded carcass. The body of research work conducted in evaluating critical control points and in developing the model predictions and interactions has involved several Australian research groups with strong support and involvement from the industry.

Consumer assessment of eating quality - development of protocols for Meat Standards Australia (MSA) testing

Meat Standards Australia sought a consistent measure of the beef eating experience to the consumer. Rather than objective measurements or trained panel sensory assessment, it was decided to proceed with direct consumer assessment. Consumer-based assessment has much greater variation, but it has the decided advantage of validity. This paper summarises the path taken to obtain consistent consumer assessment. What meat samples to present to consumers? What responses to ask for? What to do with these responses when they were obtained? The answers to these questions have led to the MQ4 measure of consumer assessment of meat eating quality, which now forms the basis of the MSA predictive model.

Effect of repeated implants of oestradiol-17β on beef palatability in Brahman and Braham cross steers finished to different market end points

The effect of repeated implantation with 20 mg oestradiol-17β (Compudose 100) on carcass and meat quality traits was investigated using 478 Bos indicus and B. indicus × Bos taurus cross steers finished on either pasture or grain to achieve carcass weight for one of three market end points (domestic, 220 kg; Korean, 280 kg; or Japanese, 340 kg). In the oestradiol-17β treatment group, animals were administered implants at ~100-day intervals, with the number of implants administered to any steer ranging from one to eight. Cattle were slaughtered and at boning the anterior portion of the M. longissimus lumborum was removed and frozen after aging for 1 day for later objective meat quality measurements (shear force, compression and cook loss %). The adjoining portion was aged for 14 days before consumer sensory testing using the Meat Standards Australia protocols. Each sample was scored for tenderness, juiciness, like flavour and overall liking by 10 untrained consumers. Implanting increased carcass weights and ossification scores (P < 0.05) and reduced marbling scores in comparison to non-implanted carcasses. For tenderness, like flavour, overall liking and MQ4 scores there was a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between B. indicus content and oestradiol-17β treatment, whereby high B. indicus content cattle that were implanted with oestradiol-17β had the lowest sensory scores. The number of implants administered did not affect carcass weights or marbling scores, whereas ossification scores increased in carcasses as the number of implants increased. The number of implants administered had no effect (P > 0.05) on sensory scores, or objective meat tenderness.