bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chalara fraxinea Isolated from Diseased Ash in Norway
Authors: Talgø V. , Sletten A. , Brurberg M. B. , Solheim H. , Stensvand A.
Published: April 2009

European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), also known as common ash, occurs naturally inland in lower areas of southeastern Norway and along the southern coast of the country. It is important both as a forest and ornamental tree. During the last decade, dieback has become a disastrous disease on F. excelsior in many European countries. The anamorphic fungus Chalara fraxinea T. Kowalski (1), described for the first time from dying ash trees in Poland, is now considered the cause of ash dieback (2). In May of 2008, C. fraxinea was isolated from 1.5 m high diseased F. excelsior in a nursery in Østfold County in southeastern Norway. Symptoms included wilting, necrotic lesions around leaf scars and side branches, and discoloration of the wood. From symptomatic branches, small pieces (approximately 1 cm3) were excised in the transition area between healthy and discolored wood. After surface sterilization (10 s in 70% ethanol + 90 s in NaOCl), the pieces were air dried for 1 min in a safety cabinet, cut into smaller pieces, and placed on media. The fungus was isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and water agar (WA). On PDA, the cultures were tomentose, light orange, and grew slowly (21 mm mean colony diameter after 2 weeks at room temperature). Typical morphological features of C. fraxinea developed in culture. Brownish phialides (14.8 to 30.0 [19.5] × 2.5 to 5.0 [4.1] μm, n = 50) first appeared in the center of the colonies on the agar plugs that had been transferred. The agar plugs were 21 days old when phialides were observed. Abundant sporulation occurred 3 days later. Conidia (phialospores) extruded apically from the phialides and formed droplets. Conidia measured 2.1 to 4.0 (3.0) × 1.4 to 1.9 (1.7) μm (n = 50). The first-formed conidia from each phialide were different in size and shape from the rest by being longer (6 μm, n = 10) and more narrow in the end that first appeared at the opening of the phialide. Internal transcribed spacer sequencing confirmed that the morphological identification was correct (Accession No. EU848544 in GenBank). A pathogenicity test was carried out in June of 2008 by carefully removing one leaf per plant on 10 to 25 cm high F. excelsior trees (18 trees) and placing agar plugs from a 31-day-old C. fraxinea culture (isolate number 10636) on the leaf scars and covering with Parafilm. After 46 days, isolations were carried out as described above from discolored wood that had developed underneath necrotic lesions in the bark and subsequently caused wilting of leaves. All the inoculated plants showed symptoms, and C. fraxinea was successfully reisolated. No symptoms were seen on uninoculated control plants (eight trees) that had received the same treatment except that sterile PDA agar plugs had been used.

References: (1) T. Kowalski. For. Pathol. 36:264, 2006. (2) T. Kowalski and O. Holdenrieder, For. Pathol. Online publication, doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0329.2008.00565.x, 2008.
Identification of Lettuce big-vein associated virus and Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus Associated with Lettuce Big-Vein Disease in Slovenia
Authors: Mavrič Pleško I. , Viršček Marn M. , Žerjav M.
Published: April 2009

Lettuce big-vein disease (LBVD) is an important disease of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) worldwide. Two viruses are reported to be associated with the disease, Lettuce big-vein associated virus (LBVaV) and Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus (MLBVV). The majority of publications shows that MLBVV is the causal agent of LBVD, but two plants with big-vein symptoms and infected only with LBVaV were found by Roggero et al. (2). Lettuce plants with big-vein symptoms were observed in a greenhouse in Ljubljana and in a private garden near Sežana. Chlorotic vein banding with deformations of leaves were observed and the plants were generally smaller than those without symptoms. The seedlings at the first location were grown in sterilized soil and showed no such symptoms. Six symptomatic plants and two seedlings without symptoms from the first location and three symptomatic plants from the second location were analyzed for the presence of LBVaV and MLBVV. Total RNA was isolated from 50 mg of lettuce leaf tissue with a RNeasy plant mini kit (Qiagen, Chatsworth, CA). Multiplex reverse transcription-PCR with primers VP248 (5′-CGCCAGGATCTTTGATCCATCTG-3′) and VP249 (5′-TTGCGACATGTTCCTCCTCATCG-3′) for LBVaV, VP286 (5′-TATCAGCTCACATACTCCCTATCG-3′) and VP287 (5′-CAACTAGCTCAGAATACATGCAG-3′) for MLBVV, and VP383 and VP389 for internal control (1), was performed. Mixed infections with MLBVV and LBVaV were detected in four plants and only MLBVV was detected in two plants from the first location. None of the viruses was detected in the two seedlings without symptoms. Mixed infections with MLBVV and LBVaV were detected in all analyzed plants from the second location. According to these results, only MLBVV could be correlated with observation of disease symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first reported association of MLBVV and LBVaV with big-vein disease in Slovenia. MLBVV was the only virus found in all samples with big-vein symptoms.

References: (1) J. A. Navarro et al. Phytopathology 94:470. 2004. (2) P. Roggero et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 109:261, 2003.
First Report of Botrytis Blight Caused by Botrytis cinerea on Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Bertetti D. , Gullino M. L.
Published: April 2009

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L., Cornaceae), is a small deciduous tree whose showy inflorescences, clusters of bright red fruits and red and purple leaves in autumn, make it a much appreciated ornamental. In June of 2008, severe outbreaks of a previously unknown blight were observed in several private gardens near Biella (northern Italy) after a rainy spring with temperatures that ranged from 7 to 25°C. Dogwoods in the gardens were 10 to 15 years old, and the disease was observed on 20 to 30% of 30 trees. First symptoms consisted of blighted leaves and then shoot dieback. As the disease progressed, entire leaves became necrotic and were covered by an abundant, soft, gray, sporulating mycelium. Tissue fragments of 1 mm2 were excised from the margins of the lesions, immersed in a solution containing 1% sodium hypochlorite, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and incubated under constant fluorescent light at 22 ± 1°C for 10 days. Conidiophores were slender and branched with enlarged apical cells bearing smooth, ash-colored conidia 6 to 10 × 6 to 8 (average 9 × 7) μm on short sterigmata. A few, black, irregularly shaped sclerotia (3 to 5 × 1 to 2 mm) were produced on PDA plates incubated for 20 days at 8 ± 1°C. These morphological characteristics identified the fungus as Botrytis cinerea (2). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified using primers ITS4/ITS6 and sequenced. BLAST analysis (1) of the 491-bp segment showed a 100% homology with the sequence of Botryotinia fuckeliana (perfect stage of B. cinerea). The nucleotide sequence has been assigned GenBank Accession No. FJ 572049. Pathogenicity tests were performed twice by placing mycelium fragments (1 cm2) of PDA cultures on 30 leaves of 6 healthy 3-year-old potted C. florida plants. Six plants inoculated with PDA alone served as controls. Plants were maintained outdoors at temperatures ranging between 15 and 22°C, spraying leaves with water three times a day. The first foliar lesions similar to those observed in the gardens developed 10 days after inoculation on 23 inoculated leaves, whereas control plants remained healthy. B. cinerea was consistently reisolated from these lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of B. cinerea on C. florida in Italy. The disease has been reported in the United States (4) as well as in Japan (3). At this time, the economic importance of Botrytis blight to flowering dogwoods in Italy is undetermined.

References: (1) S. F. Altschul et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 25:3389, 1997. (2) H. L. Barnett and B. B. Hunter. Illustrated Genera of Imperfect Fungi. Burgess Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN, 1972. (3) T. Kobayashi. Ann. Phytopathol. Soc. Jpn. 50:528, 1984. (4) C. Westcott. Plants Gard. 7:136, 1951.
Bacterial Stem Rot of Oncidium Orchid Caused by a Dickeya sp. (ex Pectobacterium chrysanthemi) in Mainland China
Authors: Li B. , Qiu W. , Fang Y. , Xie G. L.
Published: April 2009

In December 2007, stem rot symptoms on orchids (Oncidium Gower Ramsey) were observed at a flower nursery in the Zhejiang Province of China. Initial symptoms were water-soaked lesions starting at the base of the stem. As these lesions expanded and elongated, the stem and leaf tissues became soft and watery. When examined with a microscope, cut edges of symptomatic stem and leaf tissues consistently exhibited bacterial streaming. The bacteria were isolated by streaking on nutrient agar (3). All isolates were gram-negative, facultative, anaerobic rods with peritrichous flagella. Infiltration of tobacco leaves (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun) with the bacterial suspension of 108 CFU/ml resulted in typical hypersensitivity reactions within 24 h. Five representative isolates were further characterized by the Biolog Microbial Identification System, version 4.2 (Biolog Inc., Hayward, CA) and gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by the Microbial Identification System (MIDI Inc., Newark, DE) with aerobic bacterial library (TSBA50). The five isolates were identified as Erwinia chrysanthemi (Pectobacterium chrysanthemi) with a Biolog and FAME similarity index of 0.81 to 0.88 and 0.62 to 0.75, respectively. The transfer of P. chrysamthemi to a novel genus, Dickeya gen. nov., was recently proposed (2). The almost complete 16S rDNA sequence from Oncidium isolate SCH-01 (1,604 bp; EMBL Accession No. FM946179) was determined according to the method of Li et al. (1). A subsequent GenBank search showed that this isolate is 98% identical to that of type strain CFBP 1269T of Dickeya dadantii (EMBL Accession No. AF520707) and CFBP 1200T of Dickeya dianthicola (EMBL Accession No. AF520708). Nevertheless, species identification within genus Dickeya is still difficult since only a limited number of strains of each species have been characterized fully. Koch's postulates were completed with the inoculation of Oncidium seedlings with cell suspensions (108 CFU/ml) by a pinprick at the base of the stem. All five representative isolates induced stem rot similar to that observed in natural infections. No symptoms were noted on the control plants inoculated with sterilized distilled water by the same method. The bacterium was reisolated from symptomatic stems of Oncidium plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of stem rot on Oncidium orchid in Mainland China caused by the bacterium formerly referred to as P. chrysanthemi, now proposed as Dickeya sp.

References: (1) B. Li et al. J. Phytopathol. 154:711, 2006. (2) R. Samson et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 55:1415, 2005. (3) N. W. Schaad et al. Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. 3rd ed. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 2001.
First Report of Cercospora beticola as a Pathogen of German Statice (Goniolimon tataricum) in Bulgaria
Authors: Bobev S. G. , Groenewald J. Z. , Crous P. W.
Published: April 2009

German statice (Goniolimon tataricum) is a protected, herbaceous, perennial plant species that occurs sporadically throughout Bulgaria. Some varieties, however, are cultivated outdoors because of their dry flowers, which are widely utilized by florists. For the past 3 years, a severe leaf disease has been observed on the lower and middle leaves of German statice plants growing in fields in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Symptoms consisted of brown, round to elliptical leaf spots (as much as 15 mm in diameter) that led to leaf yellowing and death. Similar sunken lesions were also observed on leaf petioles and flower bases. A cercosporoid fungus was consistently associated with disease symptoms. Conidiophores were fasciculate, unbranched, brown, and smooth. Conidiogenous cells were predominantly terminal, but also lateral, and had darkened, thickened, refractive scars. Conidia were solitary, hyaline, smooth, acicular, slightly curved, multiseptate, with subtruncate bases and acutely rounded apices, 30 to 105 × 2.5 to 4 (average 64.5 × 3.5) μm, in vivo (n = 30), with thickened, darkened, refractive hila. Colonies derived from single conidial isolates were established on potato dextrose agar (PDA). To confirm Koch's postulates, colonized mycelial plugs (5 mm in diameter) from 10-day-old PDA cultures were used to inoculate 3-month-old German statice pot plants (three replicates per treatment, three leaves per plant). Control plants were inoculated with uncolonized agar plugs. Healthy leaves were surface disinfested with 70% ethanol, wounded with a sterile needle, and covered with an agar plug. Inoculated plants were incubated at 20°C in a humidified chamber with a 12-h day/night light cycle. Eight to ten days after inoculation, small necrotic lesions developed around the points of inoculation, leading to necrosis and lesions (8 to 10 mm in diameter). The pathogen was successfully reisolated from all inoculated leaves, while control plants remained healthy. Five isolates (CPC 14616–14620) were subjected to multilocus sequence typing as described by Groenewald et al. (1) and the ITS, translation elongation factor 1-alpha, actin, calmodulin, and histone H3 gene sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. FJ473422–FJ473446) were found to be identical to that of the ex-type strain of Cercospora beticola Sacc. (GenBank Accession Nos. AY840527, AY840494, AY840458, AY840425 and AY840392, respectively). Two strains from Goniolimon were deposited in the CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands (CBS 123907 and 123908). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. beticola occurring on and being destructive to Goniolimon tataricum under field conditions.

Reference: (1) M. Groenewald et al. Phytopathology 95:951, 2005.
First Report of Verticillium Wilt of Gold Kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis Cv. Hort 16A, Caused by Verticillium albo-atrum in Chile
Authors: Auger J. , Pérez I. , Fullerton R. A. , Esterio M.
Published: April 2009

Gold kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis Planch cv. Hort 16A, was first planted in Chile in 2003 and vines started dying within 2 years. By the end of the 2007–2008 growing season, as much as 80% of the plants in several orchards had died. The disease was characterized by a conspicuous reddish brown discoloration of the xylem and the sudden wilting and dieback of plants any time during the growing season. In the spring, entire plants or parts of plants failed to break buds. In others, the buds broke, but juvenile leaf clusters then wilted and died. On severely affected plants, scion watershoots wilted and died. The disease was often accompanied by shallow cracking of the bark and slight sponginess of the underlying cortex. The disease was apparently most severe in sites that had been planted to Gold kiwifruit immediately after removal of apple, pear, citrus, or grape. Orchards planted following long-term maize, wheat, or grass culture were almost disease free. A fungus was consistently isolated from symptomatic vascular tissue disinfected in 1% sodium hypochlorite and plated on potato dextrose agar. Conidiogenous cells were arranged in verticels; conidia were hyaline, elliptical, single celled, and measured 3.5 to 8.5 × 1.8 to 4.3 μm (average 5.5 × 2.5 μm). Dark, resting mycelium developed after 1 to 2 weeks of incubation. On the basis of these morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berthier. Identification was confirmed by sequencing part of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region with primers ITS1 and ITS4. The sequence of a representative isolate showed high homology (98% identity over a length of 494 bp) with a DNA fragment (NCBI Accession No. 108476) of V. albo-atrum from alfalfa. To complete pathogenicity tests, 20 healthy, 1-year-old Hort 16A kiwi vines grafted on Hayward kiwifruit (A. deliciosa Chevalier) seedlings were inoculated by injection of 20 μl of 106 conidia/ml into stems of the scion. Twenty control plants were injected with an equal volume of sterile distilled water. Plants were held in a controlled environment facility at 24°C with 16 h of light per day. Eight weeks after inoculation, typical wilting and dieback symptoms developed on 90% of the plants. Control plants injected with water remained healthy. Verticillium wilt has never been reported on kiwifruit (A. deliciosa) in Chile. V. albo-atrum has a rather narrow host range and is mainly reported as a pathogen on alfalfa, hop, soybean, tomato, and potato (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of V. albo-atrum causing wilt and dieback on Gold kiwifruit (A. chinensis) cv. Hort 16A. The fungal isolates have been deposited in the Plant Pathology Laboratory of the Sanidad Vegetal Department of Agricultural Sciences Faculty of University of Chile under the name Actinidia chinensis/V. albo-atrum No. 1 to 8.

Reference: (1) E. K. Ligoxigakis et al. Phytoparasitica 30:511, 2002.
First Report of Botrytis Blight Caused by Botrytis cinerea on Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Bertetti D. , Gullino M. L.
Published: April 2009

Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle), a perennial plant belonging to the Apocynaceae family, is grown as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. This species is characterized by a long flowering period and prized for its white-to-dark pink flowers. In October of 2008, 15% of C. roseus plants in a public garden located in Torino (northern Italy) showed symptoms of a previously unknown blight. When the disease developed, temperatures ranged between 10 and 24°C (average 17.3°C) and plants were being watered through sprinkle irrigation. Necrosis developed on the stems first, eventually spreading to leaf stalks, and the the entire leaf. Subsequently, the pathogen developed a scant, delicate, gray mycelium on affected tissues, particularly diffused on the stems. Severely infected leaves and stems eventually became completely rotted and desiccated. Tissues were excised from diseased leaves, immersed in a solution containing 1% sodium hypochlorite for 10 s, and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The fungus produced abundant mycelium on PDA medium when incubated under constant fluorescent light at 22 ± 1°C. Numerous sclerotia were produced on PDA plates incubated for 20 days at 8 ± 1°C. Sclerotia were dark and irregular, measuring 0.5 to 2.8 × 0.5 to 2.2 (average 1.4 × 1.1) mm. Conidia were smooth, ash colored, ovoid, measuring 8 to 16 × 6 to 10 (average 10 × 7) μm, and similar to those described for Botrytis cinerea (2). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with primers ITS4/ITS6 and sequenced. BLAST analysis (1) of the 780-bp segment showed a 100% homology with the sequence of Botryotinia fuckeliana (perfect stage of B. cinerea). The nucleotide sequence has been assigned GenBank Accession No. FJ486271. Pathogenicity tests were performed by placing numerous fragments of PDA cultures on leaves of healthy, potted, 8-month-old C. roseus plants. Plants inoculated with PDA alone served as controls. Three plants per treatment were used. Plants were covered with plastic bags for 5 days after inoculation and maintained in a greenhouse at temperatures ranging between 18 and 25°C. The first foliar lesions developed on leaves 5 days after inoculation, whereas control plants remained healthy. B. cinerea was consistently reisolated from these lesions. The pathogenicity test was completed twice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of B. cinerea on C. roseus in Italy. The same disease was previously reported in many countries including the United States (3) and Taiwan (4).

References: (1) S. F. Altschul et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 25:3389, 1997. (2) H. L. Barnett and B. B. Hunter. Illustrated Genera of Imperfect Fungi. Burgess Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN, 1972. (3) M. L. Daughtrey et al. Compendium of Flowering Potted Plant Diseases. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, MN, 1995. (4) W. Ou-Yang and W. S. Wu. Plant Pathol. Bull. 7:147, 1998.
First Report of Tomato torrado virus Infecting Tomato in Hungary
Authors: Alfaro-Fernández A. , Bese G. , Córdoba-Sellés C. , Cebrián M. C. , Herrera-Vásquez J. A. , Forray A. , Jordá C.
Published: April 2009

During the growing seasons of 2007 and 2008, in commercial greenhouses of tomato crops (Solanum lycopersicum L.) located in Szeged, Öcsöd, and Csongrád (southeastern regions of Hungary), unusual disease symptoms were observed, including necrotic spots in defined areas at the base of the leaflet, necrosis in the stems, and necrotic lines on the fruits surface. Affected plants appeared inside the greenhouses with a random distribution and the incidence recorded was at least 40%. These symptoms resembled those described for Tomato torrado virus (ToTV) infection in Spain (1) and Poland (3). To verify the identity of the disease, three symptomatic plants from commercial greenhouses of each geographic location were selected and analyzed by double-antibody sandwich-ELISA using polyclonal antibodies specific to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Loewe Biochemica, Sauerlach, Germany), and Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). Total RNA was extracted and tested by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with three pair of specific primers: one pair used to amplify the coat protein (CP) gene of PepMV (2) and the other two pairs specific to ToTV that amplify 580 bp of the polyprotein (4) and a fragment of 574 bp in the CP Vp23 (3). Nonisotopic dot-blot hybridization using a digoxygenin-labeled RNA probe complementary to the aforementioned fragment of the polyprotein was also performed. Tomato samples were negative for all the viruses tested by serological analysis and for PepMV by RT-PCR. However, all three samples were positive for ToTV by molecular hybridization and RT-PCR. RT-PCR products were purified and directly sequenced. The amplified fragments of the three Hungarian isolates, ToTV-H1, ToTV-H2, and ToTV-H3, for the polyprotein (GenBank Accession Nos. EU835496, FJ616995, and FJ616994, respectively) and the CP Vp23 (GenBank Accession Nos. FJ616996, FJ616997, and FJ616998, respectively) showed 99 to 98% nt identity with the polyprotein and the coat protein regions of ToTV from Spain and Poland (GenBank Accession Nos. DQ3888880 and EU563947, respectively). Whiteflies, commonly found in Hungarian greenhouses, have been reported to transmit ToTV (3), although the efficiency of transmission is unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ToTV in Hungary.

References: (1) A. Alfaro-Fernández et al. Plant Dis. 91:1060, 2007. (2) I. Pagán et al. Phytopathology 96:274, 2006. (3) H. Pospieszny et al. Plant Dis. 91:1364, 2007. (4) J. Van der Heuvel et al. Plant Virus Designated Tomato Torrado Virus. Online publication. World Intellectual Property Organization. WO/2006/085749, 2006.
First Record of Oidiopsis taurica Causing Powdery Mildew of Capparis spinosa in Egypt
Authors: Abdel-Azeem A. M. , Abdel-Moneim T. S.
Published: April 2009

Powdery mildew infections were observed on Capparis spinosa plants in Wadi El-Arbaein, Saint Katherine Protectorate, Egypt (28°32′43.1″N, 33°57′81″E, altitude 1,663 m) in the early fall to the end of winter of 2007 and 2008 when temperatures vary from the lowest mean value of 2.8°C to the highest mean value of 26.5°C. Symptoms first appeared as white, circular patches on the adaxial leaf surface (<1.3 cm in diameter), and as the disease progressed, both leaf surfaces were infected and these chlorotic areas eventually turned to necrotic lesions. Light microscopy revealed that the disease was caused by the anamorph stage of a powdery mildew fungus. Mycelium is predominantly endophytic with the presence of conidiophores emerging through leaf stomata. Conidiophores were simple or branched one or two times at random positions, 55 to 140 × 4.5 to 6 μm, producing conidia singly, and followed by two to three straight cells. Primary conidia were pyriform (68.9 × 18.5 μm) with a tapering end while secondary conidia were more cylindrical (59.1 × 18.0 μm). Mature conidia were hyaline, without distinct fibrosin bodies, and with angular/reticulated wrinkling of the outer walls. On the basis of these characteristics, the causal agent was identified as Oidiopsis taurica (1,3). The teleomorphic stage of the fungus was not observed. Pathogenicity tests were performed by inoculating three, potted, healthy C. spinosa plants with a fresh conidial suspension collected from powdery mildew colonies found on the infected plants (1 × 104 conidia/ml) under the same field conditions. After 15 to 17 days, symptoms and signs of powdery mildew developed on the foliage of inoculated plants. Herbarium specimens of C. spinosa leaves infected with O. taurica were deposited at the Herbarium of Botany Department (SCU), Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Egypt. To our knowledge, this is the first record of a powdery mildew disease on C. spinosa in Egypt. Recently, Leveillula taurica, the teleomorph stage of O. taurica, was reported from C. spinosa in Turkey (2).

References: (1) U. Braun. Beih. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987. (2) H. Kavak. Plant Pathol. 53:809, 2004. (3) J. Palti. Bot. Rev. 54:423, 1988.
Factors influencing movement behaviour and home range size in ide Leuciscus idus
Authors: Kulíšková P. , Horký P. , Slavík O. , Jones J. I.
Published: April 2009

Seventeen individuals of ide Leuciscus idus were radio‐tracked weekly from September 2003 to September 2004 in the River Elbe, Czech Republic, to examine migration patterns and the influence of environmental factors on their diurnal behaviour. Of the 10 environmental factors measured, L. idus were significantly influenced by turbidity, which increased diurnal movement and the home range size of the species. The peak of longitudinal movement occurred in the spring, indicating pre‐spawning migration. Migrating fish moved downstream and later returned upstream to the vicinity of their original locations, displaying a homing behaviour.
Combined effects of chemical and visual information in eliciting antipredator behaviour in juvenile Atlantic salmonSalmo salar
Authors: Kim J.‐W. , Brown G. E. , Dolinsek I. J. , Brodeur N. N. , Leduc A. O. H. C. , Grant J. W. A.
Published: April 2009

Under natural conditions, both young‐of‐the‐year (YOY; 0+ year) and parr (1+ year) Atlantic salmonSalmo salarexhibited strong antipredator behaviour (e.g.increase in latency to resume foraging) following the exposure to damage‐released chemical alarm cues relative to a stream water control. Subsequent exposure to a novel visual stimulus had contrasting results. Parr increased their reactive distance to the visual stimulus if they had been previously exposed to a chemical alarm cue, whereas YOY did not. On the other hand, both YOY and parr took significantly longer to resume foraging when exposed to a visual stimulus if they had been previously exposed to a chemical alarm cue than control groups. While YOY and parr differed in the type and intensity of antipredator responses to both chemical and visual stimuli, perhaps due to differential costs and benefits associated with age, both used the chemical and the visual information in a combined manner.
Over‐summering behaviour of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar returning to rivers in the Cromarty Firth, north–east Scotland
Authors: Stewart D. C. , Middlemas S. J. , Mackay S. , Armstrong J. D.
Published: April 2009

In 2005, a high percentage (50%) of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fitted with acoustic transmitters, which entered rivers in the Cromarty Firth area of north–east Scotland dropped back to the estuary and ascended adjacent rivers after 33–80 days of freshwater residence. Fish residing in non‐natal rivers generate mixed stock fisheries, and movements of fish between rivers could increase the risk of disease transmission between catchments.
Thermally induced phenotypic plasticity of swimming performance in European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax juveniles
Authors: Koumoundouros G. , Ashton C. , Sfakianakis D. G. , Divanach P. , Kentouri M. , Anthwal N. , Stickland N. C.
Published: April 2009

The vulnerability of embryonic and larval stages of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax to environmental temperature and the longer‐term consequences for the early juveniles was demonstrated. This phenotypic plasticity was highlighted by subjecting D. labrax at 15·2 ± 0·3 or 20·0 ± 0·4° C (mean ±s.d.) up to metamorphosis and then at the same temperature (18·5 ± 0·7° C). After 4–6 weeks at the same temperature, the measurement of critical swimming speed at four exercise temperatures (15, 20, 25 and 28° C) showed a significantly higher swimming capacity in the fish initially reared at 15° C than for fish initially reared at 20° C. This performance was correlated with significant differences in the phenotype of red muscle. Thermally induced phenotypic plasticity was clearly demonstrated as an important mechanism controlling swimming performance in early juveniles of D. labrax.
Physiological, energetic and behavioural correlates of successful fishway passage of adult sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka in the Seton River, British Columbia
Authors: Pon L. B. , Hinch S. G. , Cooke S. J. , Patterson D. A. , Farrell A. P.
Published: April 2009

Electromyogram (EMG) radio telemetry was used in conjunction with physiological biopsy to relate prior physiological condition and subsequent swimming energetics and behaviours to passage success of 13 wild adult sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka at a vertical‐slot fishway on the Seton River, British Columbia. At the time of capture, plasma lactate, glucose and cortisol levels indicated that fish were not exhibiting unusually high levels of physiological stress. Very few differences existed between successful and unsuccessful fish in body size, initial plasma physiology and energy state and mean swim speed and energy use during passage. Generally, fish did not employ burst swimming during successful or failed attempts at passage, indicating that failure was probably not related to metabolic acidosis. Plasma Na+ concentration was significantly lower in unsuccessful fish (P < 0·05), which is suggestive of a depressed ionic state or a possible stress component, although values in all fish were within an expected range for migrant adult O. nerka. Nevertheless, six of 13 fish failed to reascend the fishway and remained in the tailrace of the dam for more than a day on average before moving downstream and away from the dam. During this time, fish were observed actively seeking a means of passage, suggesting that there may have been other, undetermined causes of passage failure.
Changes in physical activity in pre‐schoolers and first‐grade children: longitudinal study in the Czech Republic
Authors: Sigmund E. , Sigmundová D. , Ansari W. El
Published: April 2009

Background  The transition from kindergarten to first year at school is associated with a variety of psychosocial changes in children. The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify the changes in children's physical activity (PA) upon entry to first year at school; and to identify the days of the school week that exhibit low PA.

Methods  We monitored the PA levels of 176 children twice: initially in kindergarten and again in first‐year classes at school. The age (mean ± standard deviation) of children at kindergarten was 5.7 ± 0.5 years and 6.7 ± 0.5 years at the first year of elementary school. We evaluated PA employing the activity energy expenditure (AEE – kcal/kg/day) from Caltrac accelerometer and daily amount of steps (STEPS) from Yamax pedometer. Participants were monitored over 7 days to include a weekend.

Results  The mean AEE was 11.5 in pre‐school girls and 12.9 kcal/kg/day in boys; and STEPS were 9923 steps/day in girls and 11 864 in boys on weekdays. At weekends, it was 11.5 kcal/kg/day in girls and 12.7 kcal/kg/day in boys and 10 606 steps/day in girls and 11 182 steps/day in boys. The mean AEE and STEPS in first‐grade girls and boys was 9.9 and 9.8 kcal/kg/day respectively, and 7911 and 8252 steps/day respectively on weekdays, and 8.8 and 9.0 kcal/kg/day and 6872 and 7194 steps/day respectively at weekends. First‐grade school children had significantly lower PA than pre‐school children on weekdays (P < 0.0001) and at weekends (P < 0.0001). Decline in PA on weekdays was during time spent at school (P < 0.0001) and not during after‐school children's leisure time.

Conclusion  The parts of the week when first‐grade school children show low PA are the times spent in lessons and in after‐school nursery and at weekends. PA needs to be promoted using intervention programmes mainly during the after‐school nursery programmes and at weekends.
Objectively measured habitual physical activity in a highly obesogenic environment
Authors: McLure S. A. , Summerbell C. D. , Reilly J. J.
Published: April 2009

Background  While the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children continues to grow nationally, prevalence in the North‐East of England is among the highest in the UK. The objective of this study was to investigate the habitual physical activity levels in a particularly obesogenic environment in the North‐East of England.

Methods  Eight primary schools were selected using a stratified random sampling frame ranking average deprivation levels. Participating children (n = 246, mean age 10 years) wore an accelerometer (Actigraph, GT‐256) over five consecutive days (weekend plus three weekdays). Total daily moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity was calculated using thresholds by Puyau and colleagues.

Results  Only 7% (17/246) of children were sufficiently active. Boys were more physically active than girls (766 ± 268 vs. 641 ± 202 counts/min, 95% CI for the difference 63–186 cpm.). Total physical activity was not influenced significantly by deprivation levels or weight status, and there were no significant differences in physical activity between school or weekend days.

Conclusions  The North‐East of England is a recognized ‘hot spot’ for paediatric obesity and the present study shows that low levels of habitual physical activity are typical. Choice of accelerometry threshold affects both the apparent amount of physical activity and the ability to detect groups with particularly low levels of physical activity.
Understanding the medically unexplained: emotional and familial influences on children's somatic functioning
Authors: Gilleland J. , Suveg C. , Jacob M. L. , Thomassin K.
Published: April 2009

Background  Many youth experience impairing, unexplained somatic complaints. Psychosocial models of child somatization have primarily focused on parent somatic functioning. Although helpful in understanding child somatization, this narrow focus on parental factors leaves a large proportion of the variance unaccounted for when explaining children's general somatic functioning. The goal of this investigation is to extend current models of child somatization by collectively examining the influence of parent somatization and child emotional functioning.

Methods  Forty‐two children (50% male; M age = 9.11) reported on their somatic symptoms, emotion awareness skills, and negative affect. Parents reported on their own somatic symptoms and their child's somatic symptoms and emotion regulation skills.

Results  Regression analyses indicated that poor awareness of emotional experiences and frequency of negative effect predicted child‐reported somatic symptoms. Parental somatic symptoms and parent reports of children's emotion regulation difficulties predicted mother‐reported child somatic symptoms. Only parental somatic symptoms significantly predicted father‐reported child somatic symptoms.

Conclusions  These results suggest that models of child somatization should consider both family – (e.g. parent somatization) and child‐level (e.g. emotional functioning) variables. The discrepancies between parent and child report of youth somatic symptoms underscore the importance of including multiple reporters on symptomatology in research and clinical settings. Suggestions for future research are provided.
Health risks for older US adolescents in foster care: the significance of important others' health behaviours on youths' health and health behaviours
Authors: Farruggia S. P. , Sorkin D. H.
Published: April 2009

Background  Little research to date has examined older foster care youths' physical health and the associated health behaviours of the youth and important people in their lives (parents, peers and important non‐parental adults).

Methods  Older US foster care youth (n= 188) completed surveys on multiple indicators of self‐report physical health, including number of chronic health problems, overall health and sick symptoms, as well as their own health‐compromising behaviours and the health‐compromising behaviours of important others.

Results  The findings suggested that boys, particularly those placed in non‐kin foster homes and group homes, appeared to have poorer health than did boys in these placement settings. Girls, however, engaged in similar levels of health‐compromising behaviours as boys. Furthermore, the health‐compromising behaviours of peers and important non‐parental adults (VIPs), but not parents, were associated with youths' health behaviours, which, in turn, were associated with the physical health status of the foster care youth.

Conclusion  Youth report high levels of health‐related problems and involvement in health‐compromising behaviours. Healthcare practitioners can help to improve the health and well‐being of children in foster care by becoming informed about adolescent health behaviours, as well as the health behaviours of their peers and other important non‐parental adults.
Twin–singleton influence on infant development: a national birth cohort study
Authors: Lung F‐W. , Shu B‐C. , Chiang T‐L. , Lin S‐J.
Published: April 2009

Background  While studying the development of twins, gestational age and birthweight were suggested as two of the major mediators to be considered. In addition, maternal age, maternal education, parental income and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) also should be considered as moderators. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the mediators and moderators of twin and singleton development.

Methods  Being a national birth cohort study, 21 648 infants were randomly selected and developmental measures were assessed at 6 and 18 months post partum. Children's development at 6 and 18 months were measured using the high reliable Taiwan Birth Cohort Study instrument, which measures children's development in four domains of gross motor, fine motor, language and social development. Additionally, maternal sociodemographics including maternal age, maternal education and parental income; children's characteristics including gender, birthweight, gestational age, single or multiple births, ART or natural conception information were also collected. These data were analysed using a three‐step multiple linear regression analysis and further validated using structural equation modelling.

Results  Parental sociodemographics, children characteristics and being twin all had effect on children's development. Additionally, ART and twin were mediators between maternal age and children's development. Mothers aged over 40 were more likely to choose ART, thus increases their likelihood of having twins. Additionally, mothers aged over 40 were more likely to give birth to premature or low‐birthweight babies, regardless if they were twin or not. Twins had a higher prevalence of prematurity or low birthweight, which also affected their development in all four domains at 6 and 18 months. Thus prematurity and low birthweight were mediating factors between twin and children's development; with these two mediating factors controlled, there were no difference between twin and singleton development.

Conclusions  The conceptual construct of structural equation modelling showed these factors interacted and influenced children's development through multiple pathways. Medical intervention may facilitate children's development through prenatal growth and premature care.
Measles in Europe: an epidemiological assessment
Authors: Reading Richard
Published: April 2009

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Muscat M.,
Bang H.,
Wohlfahrt J.,
Glismann S. &
Mølbak K., for the

. (
2009
)

,
373
,
383
–
389
.

Background  Measles persists in Europe despite the incorporation of the measles vaccine into routine childhood vaccination programmes more than 20 years ago. Our aim was therefore to review the epidemiology of measles in relation to the goal of elimination by 2010.

Methods  National surveillance institutions from 32 European countries submitted data for 2006–2007. Data for age‐group, diagnosis confirmation, vaccination, hospital treatment, the presence of acute encephalitis as a complication of disease and death were obtained. A total of 30 countries also supplied data about importation of disease. Clinical, laboratory‐confirmed, and epidemiologically linked cases that met the requirements for national surveillance were analysed. Cases were separated by age: younger than 1 year, 1–4 years, 5–9 years, 10–14 years, 15–19 years, and older than 20 years. Countries with indigenous measles incidence per 100 000 inhabitants per year of 0, less than 0.1, 0.1–1, and more than 1 were grouped into categories of zero, low, moderate, and high incidence, respectively.

Findings  For the 2 years of the study, 12 132 cases of measles were recorded with most cases (n = 10 329; 85%) from five countries: Romania, Germany, UK, Switzerland and Italy. Most cases were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children; however, almost a fifth were aged 20 years or older. For the same 2 years, seven measles‐related deaths were recorded. High measles incidence in some European countries revealed suboptimum vaccination coverage. Of the 210 cases that were reported as being imported, 117 (56%) came from another country within Europe and 43 (20%) from Asia.

Interpretation  The suboptimum vaccination coverage raises serious doubts that the goal of elimination by 2010 can be attained. Achievement and maintenance of optimum vaccination coverage and improved surveillance are the cornerstones of the measles elimination plan for Europe.
Respiration of nitrous oxide in suboxic soil
Authors: Vieten B. , Conen F. , Neftel A. , Alewell C.
Published: April 2009

Reduction of nitrous oxide (N2O) is an autonomous respiratory pathway. Nitrous oxide is an alternative electron acceptor to O2 when intensive biological activity and reduced diffusivity result in an O2 deficit. Hypoxic or anoxic micro sites may form even in well‐aerated soils, and provide a sink for N2O diffusing through the gas‐filled pore space. We reproduced similar in vitro conditions in suboxic (0.15% O2) flow‐through incubation experiments with samples from a Stagnosol and from a Histosol. Apparent half‐saturation constants (km) for N2O reduction were similar for both soils and were, on average, 3.8 μmol mol−1 at 5°C, 5.1 μmol mol−1 at 10°C, and 6.9 μmol mol−1 at 20°C. Respiration of N2O was estimated to contribute a maximum proportion of 1.7% to total respiration in the Stagnosol (pH 7.0) and 0.9% in the Histosol (pH 2.9).
S and the Structure of the Upper Mantle
Authors: Lehmann I.
Published: April 2009

The European as well as the north-eastern American observations of S at small epicentral distances indicate the presence of a low velocity layer. In Europe its upper boundary seems to be at a depth of about 140 km. Since late S phases are observed at epicentral distances down to about 10° there is likely to be an abrupt increase of velocity (as well as of velocity gradient) at the lower boundary of the layer at about 220km depth. Late S phases beyond 20° can be accounted for if a further strong increase of velocity gradient at a greater depth is assumed.
Molecular physiology of the insect K‐activated amino acid transporter 1 (KAAT1) and cation‐anion activated amino acid transporter/channel 1 (CAATCH1) in the light of the structure of the homologous protein LeuT
Authors: Castagna M. , Bossi E. , Sacchi V. F.
Published: April 2009

K‐activated amino acid transporter 1 (KAAT1) and cation‐anion‐activated amino acid transporter/channel 1 (CAATCH1) are amino acid cotransporters, belonging to the Na/Cl‐dependent neurotransmitter transporter family (also called SLC6/NSS), that have been cloned from Manduca sexta midgut. They have been thoroughly studied by expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and structure/function analyses have made it possible to identify the structural determinants of their cation and amino acid selectivity. About 40 mutants of these proteins have been studied by measuring amino acid uptake and current/voltage relationships. The results obtained since the cloning of KAAT1 and CAATCH1 are here discussed in the light of the 3D model of the first crystallized member of the family, the leucine transporter LeuT.
Inbreeding avoidance under different null models of random mating in the great tit
Authors: Szulkin Marta , Zelazowski Przemyslaw , Nicholson George , Sheldon Ben C.
Published: April 2009

In populations where inbreeding causes a substantial decrease in fitness, selection is expected to favour the evolution of inbreeding avoidance behaviours. Elsewhere we have documented substantial inbreeding depression and the importance of dispersal in avoiding inbreeding in a long‐term population study of the great tit Parus major in Wytham (UK). In this study, we ask whether individuals from this population actively avoid mating with kin.

We generated four contrasting models of random mate choice that assumed varying levels of mate availability in each year of the data set. This allowed us to compare observed and simulated distributions and frequencies of inbreeding coefficients from 41 years of breeding data.

We found no evidence that birds avoid mating with related partners. Our results show that birds breed more often with relatives than expected under null models of mate choice that lack population structure, but not when compared to scenarios where birds were mated with their nearest neighbours. Pedigree‐derived FIS values were positive for all scenarios of random mating, confirming the lack of inbreeding avoidance in this population.

These results imply the existence of spatial genetic structure where related individuals occur closer together than nonrelated individuals while breeding, and suggest that the relatedness between breeding individuals of the opposite sex decreases with distance. Thus, while dispersal from the natal site decreases the number of relatives around an individual, it does not completely homogenize genetic structure.

We show that brother–sister pairs are observed more often than under any scenario of random mating, suggesting that not only birds do not avoid mating with kin, but also that the apparently maladaptive choice of mating with a sibling is made more often than expected.

Our results provide no evidence to suggest that individuals actively avoid kin. In fact, some types of inbreeding occur more often than expected, despite the substantial fitness costs. The observed lack of inbreeding avoidance is in agreement with other studies of non‐cooperatively breeding passerine birds, although the higher than expected frequency of sibling mating remains a puzzling result.