A Contactless Classification Method for Early Detection of Nematodes Using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) and TensorFlow

Soil-borne plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic, eellike roundworms. The root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus vulnus) are among the most damaging in California, which are difficult to control and can spread easily in soil on tools, boots, and infested plants. Root-knot nematodes can attack many different crops, including nut and fruit trees, usually cause unusual swellings, called galls, on affected plants’ roots. It is not easy to recognize the infestations of these nematodes. For instance, researchers need to dig up walnut trees with symptoms, wash or gently tap the soil from the roots, and examine the roots for galls. The nematode extraction procedures, identification, and enumeration under a microscope are tedious and time-consuming. Therefore, in this article, the authors proposed to use a low-cost contactless radio frequency tridimensional sensor “Walabot,” and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), to perform the early detection of nematodes in a walnut site. Radiofrequency reflectance of walnut leaves from different nematode infestation levels was measured. The hypothesis was that waveforms generated from walnut leaves can estimate the damage caused by nematodes. DNNs with Tensor-Flow were used to train and test the proposed method. Results showed that the Walabot predicted nematode infestation levels with an accuracy of 82%, which showed great potentials for early detection of nematodes.

A Study on the Optoelectronics Parameters of Natural Dyes Extracted From Beetroot, Cabbage, Walnut and Henna For Potential Applications in Organic Electronics

In this work, the optoelectronic parameters of natural dyes extracted from beetroot, red cabbage, walnut leaves, and henna are determined and investigated. These include optical energy gap (Eg), extinction coefficient (k), refractive index (n), dielectric constant ( εr ) and optical conductivity ( σr ). Results showed that cabbage dye exhibited a maximum values of n=6.08, εr = 37.18 and σr = 13.92 * 10-3S/cm, while henna dye presented the lowest values of n = 1.19, εr = 1.5 and σr = 0.039 * 10-3S/cm compared to the optoelectronic parameters of the other studied samples. The optical absorption in the dyes were found to obey a direct allowed transition between the molecular energy levels. The results presented here can be of a special importance for some potential applications in organic electronics such as organic photovoltaics and sensors.

Induced Volatile Emissions, Photosynthetic Characteristics, and Pigment Content in Juglans regia Leaves Infected with the Erineum-Forming Mite Aceria erinea

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L., Juglandaceae), one of the essential nut crops, is affected by different diseases, including mite attacks which result in gall and erineum formation. As the proportion of leaf area covered by mite galls or erineum is typically relatively low, the impact on tree photosynthetic productivity is often considered minor, and no pest control management is usually suggested. However, the effect of erineum-forming mites on walnut photosynthesis might be disproportionately larger than can be predicted from the leaf area impacted. In the present study, we studied how the foliage photosynthetic characteristics, pigment contents, and stress-induced volatile organic compounds scaled with the severity of infection varied from 0% (control trees) to 9.9%, by erineum-forming mite Aceria erinea in J. regia. Both leaf net assimilation rate (up to 75% reduction) and stomatal conductance (up to 82%) decreased disproportionately, increasing infection severity. Leaf total chlorophyll and β-carotene contents also decreased with infection severity, although the reduction was less than for photosynthetic characteristics (28% for chlorophyll and 25% for β-carotene). The infection induced significant emissions of green leaves volatiles ((Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and 1-hexanol), monoterpenes and the homoterpene 3-(E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, and these emissions scaled positively with the percentage of leaf area infected. These results collectively indicate that erineum-forming mite infection of walnut leaves results in profound modifications in foliage physiological characteristics that can significantly impact tree photosynthetic productivity.

Topical issues in the treatment of chronic tonsillitis

The article is devoted to the problem of chronic tonsillitis. The widespread prevalence of the disease, as well as the high risk of complications from vital organs, make this problem especially urgent. The article describes in detail the factors contributing to the formation of a focus of chronic inflammation in the amygdala. Special attention is paid to the microbiological aspects of the inflammatory process, anatomical, topographic and physiological features of the tonsils, as well as their immune function. The histological changes that form against the background of a long-term chronic inflammatory process in the tonsils are described. Changes in the parenchyma of the amygdala during inflammation can be expressed both by hyperplasia and by involution of follicles with the formation of infiltrates and the subsequent development of abscesses. In the final stages of an active inflammatory process, connective tissue grows, replacing lymphoid tissue. In the paratonsillar tissue and the capsule of the amygdala, an overgrowth of connective tissue is also observed, which is accompanied by the formation of nested infiltrates around small vessels, most pronounced at the upper pole of the amygdala. According to this classification, two clinical forms of chemotherapy are distinguished: simple and toxic-allergic of two degrees of severity. Further, in accordance with this classification, the basic principles of treatment are presented. Then the features of conservative therapy and the benefits of the herbal preparation are described. The composition of this drug includes marshmallow root, chamomile flowers, horsetail herb, walnut leaves, yarrow herb, oak bark and dandelion herb. The results of several clinical trials of the drug indicate its positive effect on the dynamics of both clinical and microbiological, immunological parameters in patients with chronic tonsillitis. All this allows us to recommend wider inclusion of this combined herbal medicinal product in the complex of treatment of chronic tonsillitis.

Correction to: A randomized, open-label, multicentre, comparative study of therapeutic efficacy, preventive potential and tolerability of BNO 1030 extract, containing Althea root, Chamomile flowers, horsetail herb, walnut leaves, yarrow herb, oak bark, dandelion herb in the treatment of acute non-bacterial tonsillitis in children aged 6 to 18 years

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Xanthomonas euroxanthea sp. nov., a new xanthomonad species including pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of walnut

We describe a novel species isolated from walnut (Juglans regia) which comprises non-pathogenic and pathogenic strains on walnut. The isolates, obtained from a single ornamental walnut tree showing disease symptoms, grew on yeast extract–dextrose–carbonate agar as mucoid yellow colonies characteristic of Xanthomonas species. Pathogenicity assays showed that while strain CPBF 424T causes disease in walnut, strain CPBF 367 was non-pathogenic on walnut leaves. Biolog GEN III metabolic profiles disclosed some differences between strains CPBF 367 and CPBF 424T and other xanthomonads. Multilocus sequence analysis with seven housekeeping genes (fyuA, gyrB, rpoD, atpD, dnaK, efp, glnA) grouped these strains in a distinct cluster from Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis and closer to Xanthomonas prunicola and Xanthomonas arboricola pv. populi. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis results displayed similarity values below 93 % to X. arboricola strains. Meanwhile ANI and digital DNA–DNA hybridization similarity values were below 89 and 50 % to non-arboricola Xanthomonas strains, respectively, revealing that they do not belong to any previously described Xanthomonas species. Furthermore, the two strains show over 98 % similarity to each other. Genomic analysis shows that strain CPBF 424T harbours a complete type III secretion system and several type III effector proteins, in contrast with strain CPBF 367, shown to be non-pathogenic in plant bioassays. Taking these data altogether, we propose that strains CPBF 367 and CPBF 424T belong to a new species herein named Xanthomonas euroxanthea sp. nov., with CPBF 424T (=LMG 31037T=CCOS 1891T=NCPPB 4675T) as the type strain.

The role of herbal medicine in the treatment of chronic tonsillitis

The article presents our own research data on systemic immunity status in patients with chronic tonsillitis (CT) and microbiological profile of the flora isolated from the tonsils in CT. The study showed that phagocytic index in neutrophils decreased by 81.9% and the phagocytosis in neutrophils reduced by 67.2% in patients with CT. We studied microbial flora of the tonsils and its persistent properties in CT. The steps for that were as follows: we evaluated the antilysocyme (ALA), anti-interferon (AIA), anticomplementary (ACA) activities of the isolated microorganisms as possible ways to stand against the oxygen-independent mechanism of phagocytosis. Most strains of Staphylococcus aureus had ALA, AIA and AСA, while most strains of Streptococcus pyogenes had ALA, less frequently AСA and did not show AIA. We found antibacterial polyresistance in 56.0% of pathogens among the selected strains in the examined patients with CT. A comparative analysis of species antibiotic resistance showed that the largest number of multiresistant strains were S.aureus - 62.0%. The set of revealed persistent properties of chronic tonsillitis pathogens serves as underlying rationale for the search for new methods of therapy using drugs of non-antibacterial origin, affecting the factors of bacteria resistance to inborn and acquired immunity. It is possible, and necessary that attention be paid to phytotherapy in the search for such new methods. Tonsilgon N is one of the complex phytotherapeutic products, which efficacy and safety has been proven in clinical trials, and the main pharmacological properties are confirmed in in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies. It contains marshmallow root, chamomile flowers, horsetail grass, walnut leaves, yarrow grass, oak bark, and dandelion grass. The clinical studies revealed that it has positive effect on the dynamics of both clinical and microbiological, immunological parameters in patients with chronic tonsillitis. All these things allow us to recommend that this complex herbal product be more often included into the comprehensive treatment of chronic tonsillitis.