Our understanding of obligate biotrophic pathogens is limited by lack of knowledge concerning the molecular function of virulence factors. We established Arabidopsis host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) to explore gene functions of Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, including CYSTEINE-RICH PROTEIN (HaCR)1, a potential secreted effector gene of this obligate biotrophic pathogen. HaCR1 HIGS resulted in H. arabidopsidis-induced local plant cell death and reduced pathogen reproduction. We functionally characterized HaCR1 by ectopic expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. HaCR1 was capable of inhibiting effector-triggered plant cell death. Consistent with this, HaCR1 expression in N. benthamiana led to stronger disease symptoms caused by the hemibiotrophic oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici, but reduced disease symptoms caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Expressing HaCR1 in transgenic Arabidopsis confirmed higher susceptibility to H. arabidopsidis and to the bacterial hemibiotrophic pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Increased H. arabidopsidis infection was in accordance with reduced PATHOGENESIS RELATED (PR)1 induction. Expression of full-length HaCR1 was required for its function, which was lost if the signal peptide was deleted, suggesting its site of action in the plant apoplast. This study provides phytopathological and molecular evidence for the importance of this widespread, but largely unexplored class of non-RxLR effectors in biotrophic oomycetes.
  Swedish eldercare is strained by an increased administrative workload, which draws time away from individual care of and interaction with older people. This study explores how eldercare staff, working closely with residents in Swedish special housing (nursing homes), make accounts for how they prioritize work tasks.
 
  Openly structured, thematic interviews were conducted with twelve permanently employed, female assistant nurses, including a group interview with three of them. Positioned accounts (small stories) concerning prioritizations due to insufficient resources were analyzed, using Bamberg's three level positioning analysis.
 
  The analysis shows that the staff take a favorable position toward the older people by distinguishing between care and "the other things." They also justify prioritizations at odds with their care values. The assistant nurses present themselves as doing the best they can in organizationally restricted situations. Organizational demands limit the space for care, giving rise to an idealization of "icing on the cake". Morale is complex in residential care. A narration of "the torn carer" was found as a co-constructed storyline explaining why the staff did not perform eldercare consistent their care values.
 
  When ideals and practice differ, interaction in the peer group becomes important in order to maintain a positive professional identity. "The torn carer" is a way for the staff to escape blame for not living up to care values, but it also victimizes them. Staff could be empowered by a working environment characterized by a reflective practice.
 When ideals and practice differ, interaction in the peer group becomes important in order to maintain a positive professional identity. "The torn carer" is a way for the staff to escape blame for not living up to care values, but it also victimizes them. Staff could be empowered by a working environment characterized by a reflective practice.
  Some, but not all, studies suggest that menthol cigarette smokers have more difficulty quitting than non-menthol cigarette smokers. Inconsistent findings may be a result of differences in smoker characteristics (e.g.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sulbactam-pivoxil.html  daily vs. non-daily smokers) across studies. This study examines the relationship between menthol cigarette use, cessation and relapse in a longitudinal, nationally representative study of tobacco use in the United States.
 
  Data come from four waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Waves 1-4 were conducted approximately annually from September 2013 to January 2018. Generalized estimating equation models were used to prospectively examine the relationship between menthol cigarette use, cessation, and relapse in non-daily and daily adult (18+) smokers. Cessation was defined as smokers who had not used cigarettes within the past 30 days at their subsequent assessment. Relapse was defined as cessation followed by past 30-day smoking in the next assessment.
 
  Among daily smes from the market may improve cessation rates.At the start of the UK COVID-19 epidemic, this rare point prevalence study reveals ⅓ of patients in a London inpatient rehabilitation unit were found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, but asymptomatic (n=15/45). We report on eight patients in detail, including their clinical stability, the evolution of their nasopharyngeal viral RT-PCR burden and their antibody levels over time revealing the infection dynamics by RT-PCR and serology during the acute phase. Notably, a novel serological test for antibodies against the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 (anti-RBD) showed 100% of our asymptomatic cohort remained seropositive between 3 to 6 weeks post-diagnosis.The virulence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the aggressive nature of the disease has transformed the universal pace of research in the desperate attempt to seek effective therapies to halt the morbidity and mortality of this pandemic. The rapid sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus facilitated identification of the receptor for angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the high affinity binding site that allows virus endocytosis. Parallel evidence that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease evolution shows greater lethality in patients with antecedent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or even obesity questioned the potential unfavorable contribution of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor blockers as facilitators of adverse outcomes due to the ability of these therapies to augment the transcription of Ace2 with consequent increase in protein formation and enzymatic activity. We review, here, the specific studies that support a role of these agents in altering the expression and activity of ACE2 and underscore that the robustness of the experimental data is associated with weak clinical long-term studies of the existence of a similar regulation of tissue or plasma ACE2 in human subjects.