Tirisporella gen. nov., an ascomycete from the mangrove palm Nypa fruticans

Tirisporella beccariana comb.nov. is redescribed from decomposing leaf petiole (or rachis) bases of Nypa fruticans recently collected in Malaysia and the Philippiines. The superficial ascomata bear bitunicate asci with (3-)5(-7)-septate ascospores that are brown and verrucose, except for the prominent hyaline basal cell, and furnished with a distinctive apical appendage that arises from the spore wall. Te ultrastructure of the fungus is contrasted with that of species of Corollospora and Corallicola, with particular reference to the mode of ascospore appendage formation. The species was originally described from a Sarawak collection as Sphaeria becariana and later transferred to Melanomma and given the new name Melanomma cesatianum. Gibberidea nipae is a synonym. The recent collections were compared with type specimens. The fungus is not properly placed in Melanomma or Gibberidea or other known genera and a new genus Tiriporella is described.published_or_final_versio

TEMPRANILLO is a regulator of juvenility in plants

Many plants are incapable of flowering in inductive daylengths during the early juvenile vegetative phase (JVP). Arabidopsis mutants with reduced expression of TEMPRANILLO (TEM), a repressor of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) had a shorter JVP than wild-type plants. Reciprocal changes in mRNA expression of TEM and FT were observed in both Arabidopsis and antirrhinum, which correlated with the length of the JVP. FT expression was induced just prior to the end of the JVP and levels of TEM1 mRNA declined rapidly at the time when FT mRNA levels were shown to increase. TEM orthologs were isolated from antirrhinum (AmTEM) and olive (OeTEM) and were expressed most highly during their juvenile phase. AmTEM functionally complemented AtTEM1 in the tem1 mutant and over-expression of AmTEM prolonged the JVP through repression of FT and CONSTANS (CO). We propose that TEM may have a general role in regulating JVP in herbaceous and woody species

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

The effects of orthodontic treatment on periodontal health among the orthodontic patients attending Kulliyyah Of Dentistry (KOD) IIUM specialist clinic

Background: Orthodontic treatment requires remodeling of the periodontal tissues, including the periodontal ligament fibers and alveolar bone in order to straighten the misaligned teeth. The effect of orthodontic treatment is apparent esthetically but the effect to theperiodontal health is still in debate. Objective:To investigate the effect of orthodontic treatment on the periodontal condition among the orthodontic patients attending Kulliyyah of Dentistry (KOD), IIUM. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was done among 11 patients scheduled for orthodontic treatment (sample group) at the Orthodontic Specialist Clinic, KOD. Those that fulfill the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected; 11 patients who are waiting for orthodontic treatment were included as control (control group).The periodontal health of each patient was examined clinically using WHO 621 probe around the teeth and scored by using the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE) method. The BPE readings were taken again 6 months after the beginning of orthodontic treatment.Baseline risk ratio(RR) before orthodontic treatment and that of six months after treatment were measured and compared. Results:The baseline RR between the sample group and the control group are: Sextant1 (S1): 0.562; Sextant2 (S2): 0.421; Sextant3 (S3): 2.250; Sextant4 (S4): 5.000; Sextant5 (S5): 3.600; Sextant6 (S6): 2.857. Conclusion: After 6 months of undergoing orthodontic treatment, there is no significant difference in the effect of orthodontic treatment on periodontal condition, except in Sextant 2. Keywords :BPE, Orthodontic treatment, WHO 621 probe, Periodontium, OR

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

An overview of tissue engineering approaches for management of spinal cord injuries

Severe spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to devastating neurological deficits and disabilities, which necessitates spending a great deal of health budget for psychological and healthcare problems of these patients and their relatives. This justifies the cost of research into the new modalities for treatment of spinal cord injuries, even in developing countries. Apart from surgical management and nerve grafting, several other approaches have been adopted for management of this condition including pharmacologic and gene therapy, cell therapy, and use of different cell-free or cell-seeded bioscaffolds. In current paper, the recent developments for therapeutic delivery of stem and non-stem cells to the site of injury, and application of cell-free and cell-seeded natural and synthetic scaffolds have been reviewed

Biodiversity and distribution of fungi associated with decomposing Nypa fruticans

Fungi associated with the decomposition of Nypa fruticans in Malaysia are under investigation. Forty-one fungi have been identified including 35 ascomycetes, four mitosporic fungi and two basidiomycetes. The distribution of intertidal fungi on palm structures including leaves, leaf veins, rachides, petiole bases, and inflorescences, and fungi on terrestrial parts have also been examined. No fungi were found on the leaf material, although several fungi were found on the leaf midribs, and possible reasons for this are given. Very few taxa developed on the inflorescences, but those that were present were abundant. The greatest density of fruiting structures occurred on the rachides, and the greatest diversity of fungal species occurred on the petiole bases. The terrestrial fungi differed from the intertidal fungi, although Linocarpon nipae occurred in both habitats. Reasons for the differences in fungal numbers and diversity on the various palm parts are discussed. The diversity of fungi at Morib mangrove was low when compared to previous studies on fungi on Nypa palm at Kampong Api Api in Brunei and in this study at Kuala Selangor mangrove in Malaysia

Flood preparedness module for Malaysian Higher Education students via Metaverse Environment

Abstract In Malaysia, the severity of natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and earthquakes have increased in recent years, making disaster preparedness a crucial aspect of students’ lives. In the context of flood preparedness, accessibility to materials on flood is still in deficit and a future-ready learning approach is required. This is parallel to Sustainable Development Goals Goal 4 in promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The objective of this research is twofold: to study flood preparedness among Malaysian higher education students and to propose a flood preparedness module for Malaysian higher education students via Metaverse environment. The module is developed using Spatial.io, an immersive shared AR platform. For this research, the module addresses flood which is presented via a 3-D virtual learning space. This beta version will opt for multiple-stage sampling method via a focus group comprising 10 PPSSAAS students. Then, UX Testing, and post-test are conducted to gauge the module usability and latent potentials. Based on the research, the use of metaverse for the flood preparedness module shows significant impact amongst the respondents. The finding from this research is hoped to enhance students’ knowledge and awareness of flood preparedness so students can care for themselves and be of help to others during an emergency.</jats:p