An outbreak of Salmonella serogroup Saphra (S. saphra) infections was studied by laboratory-based surveillance, case-control and trace-back studies, and a survey of cantaloupe preparation practices. Twenty-four patients with S. saphra infections had illness onsets between 23 February and 15 May 1997; 75% were </=6 years old; 23% were hospitalized. Case patients were more likely than controls to...

Listeria monocytogenes has been extensively studied as a model facultative intracellular pathogen. While the roles of major virulence factors in host-pathogen interactions have been extensively characterized, recent work suggests that some of these factors can also contribute to environmental proliferation of this pathogen. In this study, we characterized two non-hemolytic transposon mutants of...

We combined two protein-marking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with a predator gut content ELISA to monitor the movement and feeding activity of commercially-purchased Hippodamia convergens Guèrin-Mèneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) under realistic field conditions during two field seasons in central Arizona. The proteinmarking ELISAs were used to differentiate released H. converg...

Fresh-cut cantaloupe is particularly susceptible to contamination with pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, development of rapid, yet accurate detection techniques is necessary to ensure food safety. In this study, a multiplex PCR system and propidium monoazide (PMA) concentration were optimized to detect all viable...

A viruses and silverleaf whitefly can completely devastate cantaloupe crops, causing serious economic losses to growers. The California Melon Research Advisory Board (2003) lists the management and control of aphid-borne viruses and whitefly as a top pest-management research priority. At the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center (KREC), we studied the use of reflective plastic mulch and stra...

Digital image processing is an emerging tool to predict fruit quality; therefore present study was carried out to develop an image processing technique for investigating the storage life of cantaloupe. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) impregnated materials were used to prolong the postharvest life of cantaloupe fruit and the effects of these treatments were evaluated by 3 image textural features ...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether individual fruits are differentially associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. DESIGN Prospective longitudinal cohort study. SETTING Health professionals in the United States. PARTICIPANTS 66,105 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2008), 85,104 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2009), and 36,173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up St...