Albugo occidentalis Albugo occidentalis Albugo occidentalis, the causal agent of Spinach White Rust, is an oomycete plant pathogen, although some discussions still treat it as a fungal organism. "Albugo occidentalis" is one of the most important spinach diseases in North America, found throughout the United States east of the rocky mountains. The economically important host of "Albugo occidentalis" is spinach (Spinacia oleracea); although the oomycete has also been reported to affect plants of the genus Chenopodium, the genus including the crop plant quinoa. This pathogen causes white rust or white blister of spinach. It is unrelated to the basidiomycete rusts biologically, but
Vulnerability of nuclear plants to attack Vulnerability of nuclear plants to attack The vulnerability of nuclear plants to deliberate attack is of concern in the area of nuclear safety and security. Nuclear power plants, civilian research reactors, certain naval fuel facilities, uranium enrichment plants, fuel fabrication plants, and even potentially uranium mines are vulnerable to attacks which could lead to widespread radioactive contamination. The attack threat is of several general types: commando-like ground-based attacks on equipment which if disabled could lead to a reactor core meltdown or widespread dispersal of radioactivity; and external attacks such as an aircraft crash into a reactor complex, or cyber attacks.