bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Root Rot of Hydroponically Grown Lettuce Caused by Phytophthora drechsleri in Mexico
Authors: Rodríguez-Alvarado G. , Pérez-Cáliz M. I. , Caudillo-Ruiz K. B. , Garay-Serrano E. , Rodríguez-Fernández R. , Fernández-Pavía S. P.
Published: September 2009

During March of 2008, bibb lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants with severe wilting and root rot were observed in a commercial liquid-hydroponic greenhouse in Guanajuato, Mexico. By July of that year, the disease affected most plants in the facility. A Phytophthora sp. was consistently isolated from diseased roots on potato carrot agar. Several Phytophthora isolates were morphologically characterized. Sporulation was achieved by placing colonized disks of clarified V8 juice agar (V8A) into nonautoclaved soil extract (10 g avocado soil/1,000 ml distilled water, stirred for 3 h, and filtered). Sporangia were persistent, nonpapillate, and 40 to 58 μm long × 30 to 40 μm wide. External and internal proliferation was observed. Hyphal swellings were predominantly rounded. Oospores were not observed. The isolates grew on V8A at 35°C. Pathogenicity tests were conducted twice by utilizing a representative isolate (AC1) on bibb lettuce seedlings (10 replicates per experiment). Seeds were placed on sterile, water-soaked paper in petri dishes. After 10 days, each lettuce seedling was placed into a tube containing approximately 2 ml of sterile distilled water and 2,000 zoospores. Control plants were placed in tubes with water only. Plants were incubated for 7 days in a moist chamber at 25°C. Symptoms of wilting and root necrosis were observed 2 to 3 days after inoculation. All plants were dead 5 to 7 days after inoculation. A Phytophthora sp. was always isolated from the roots of inoculated plants. Control plants remained healthy. The pathogen was identified as Phytophthora drechsleri Tucker according to morphological characteristics. To confirm the identity of the pathogen, sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) were obtained from three representative isolates. The ITS sequences that were obtained shared 100% homology to several strains of P. dreschleri, including isolates from cucurbits (GenBank Accession No. AF228097). The ITS sequence was deposited in NCBI as Accession No. FJ790770. P. cryptogea and P. dreschleri have been reported as causing root rot on lettuce grown hydroponically in the United States and Korea (1,2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. drechsleri causing root rot on lettuce in Mexico.

References: (1) H. J. Jee et al. Plant Pathol. J. 17:311, 2001. (2) A. R. Linde et al. Plant Dis. 74:1037, 1990.
First Report of Fusarium Wilt of Endive (Cichorium endivia) Caused by Fusarium oxysporum in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Gilardi G. , Troisi M. , Gullino M. L.
Published: September 2009

In the summer of 2007, a wilt of endive (Cichorium endivia) cv. Myrna plants was observed on several commercial farms near Alessandria in northern Italy. Approximately 40% of the plants on each farm were symptomatic. Affected plants were stunted and yellow and their root systems were poorly developed. Basal leaves eventually wilted. Black streaks were observed in the proximal part of the leaf vascular system. Fusarium oxysporum was consistently isolated from symptomatic vascular tissue on a Fusarium-selective medium (1). To confirm identification of the pathogen, the translation elongation factor 1α and the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer (IGS) region were partially sequenced (2). Genomic DNA was extracted from mycelia growing on potato dextrose agar. Amplification of the EF-1α region generated a sequence of 648 bp; the IGS amplicon was 2,500 bp. The EF-1α sequence (GenBank Accession No GQ398152) was 99% similar to the sequence of a F. oxysporum strain isolated from soil and a strain pathogenic on cotton plants (GenBank Accession No. EU246574). The IGS sequence (GenBank Accession No GQ398153) was 97% similar to the sequence of a F. oxysporum strain (GenBank Accession No. EF661647). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 15-day-old endive plants (cv. Myrna). Ten plants were inoculated by dipping their roots in a 1 × 106 CFU/ml suspension of one of the isolates recovered from a wilted endive plant. Inoculated and noninoculated plants were transplanted into pots filled with steamed soil and maintained in a glasshouse at 23 to 28°C. Wilt symptoms and vascular discoloration of the roots, crown, and veins developed 60 days after inoculation. F. oxysporum was consistently reisolated from infected plants. Noninoculated plants remained healthy. The pathogenicity test was conducted twice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of wilt caused by F. oxysporum on endive in Italy.

References: (1) H. Komada. Rev. Plant Prot. Res. 8:114, 1975. (2) G. Mbofung et al. Phytopathology 97:87, 2007.
Importance of Autoinfection to the Epidemiology of Polycyclic Foliar Disease
Authors: Mundt Christopher C.
Published: September 2009

Autoinfection (infection resulting from inoculum produced on the same host unit) can result in strongly clustered disease at the local scale. In contrast, much epidemiological theory incorporates the simplification of spatially random or uniform infection. Earlier studies suggested only low to moderate levels of autoinfection, especially when the host unit is small. However, several studies published within the last 5 years suggest that autoinfection rates may be substantially higher than previously indicated. I discuss the potential importance of accounting for high autoinfection rates in example epidemiological processes that occur at different spatial scales: microbial interactions on the phylloplane, temporal disease progression in plant populations, and spatiotemporal disease spread at the landscape scale. Accounting for high autoinfection rates can have important qualitative and quantitative consequences for epidemiological processes, and further studies of autoinfection will contribute significantly to our understanding of epidemics.
Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping for Adult-Plant Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Chinese Wheat Cultivar Bainong 64
Authors: Lan Caixia , Liang Shanshan , Wang Zhulin , Yan Jun , Zhang Yong , Xia Xianchun , He Zhonghu
Published: September 2009

Adult-plant resistance (APR) is an effective means of controlling powdery mildew in wheat. In the present study, 406 simple-sequence repeat markers were used to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for APR to powdery mildew in a doubled-haploid (DH) population of 181 lines derived from the cross Bainong 64 × Jingshuang 16. The DH lines were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replicates in Beijing and Anyang during the 2005–06 and 2007–08 cropping seasons. Artificial inoculations were carried out in Beijing using the highly virulent Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici isolate E20. Disease severities on penultimate leaves were scored twice in Beijing whereas, at Anyang, maximum disease severities (MDS) were recorded following natural infection. Broad-sense heritabilities of MDS and areas under the disease progress curve were 0.89 and 0.77, respectively, based on the mean values averaged across environments. Composite interval mapping detected four QTLs for APR to powdery mildew on chromosomes 1A, 4DL, 6BS, and 7A; these were designated QPm.caas-1A, QPm.caas-4DL, QPm.caas-6BS, and QPm.caas-7A, respectively, and explained 6.3 to 22.7% of the phenotypic variance. QTLs QPm.caas-4DL and QPm.caas-6BS were stable across environments with high genetic effects on powdery mildew response, accounting for 15.2 to 22.7% and 9.0 to 13.2% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. These results should be useful for the future improvement of powdery mildew resistance in wheat.
Resistance to Stem Rust Race TTKSK Maps to the rpg4/Rpg5 Complex of Chromosome 5H of Barley
Authors: Steffenson B. J. , Jin Y. , Brueggeman R. S. , Kleinhofs A. , Sun Y.
Published: September 2009

Race TTKSK (Ug99) of the wheat stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) is a serious threat to both wheat and barley production worldwide because of its wide virulence on many cultivars and rapid spread from eastern Africa. Line Q21861 is one of the most resistant barleys known to this race. To elucidate the genetics of resistance in this line, we evaluated the Q21861/SM89010 (Q/SM) doubled-haploid population for reaction to race TTKSK at the seedling stage. Segregation for resistance:susceptibility in Q/SM doubled-haploid lines fit a 1:1 ratio (58:71 with χ2 = 1.31 and P = 0.25), indicating that a single gene in Q21861 confers resistance to race TTKSK. In previous studies, a recessive gene (rpg4) and a partially dominant gene (Rpg5) were reported to control resistance to P. graminis f. sp. tritici race QCCJ and P. graminis f. sp. secalis isolate 92-MN-90, respectively, in Q21861. These resistance genes co-segregate with each other in the Q/SM population and were mapped to the long arm of chromosome 5H. Resistance to race TTKSK also co-segregated with resistance to both rusts, indicating that the gene conferring resistance to race TTKSK also lies at the rpg4/Rpg5 locus. This result was confirmed through the molecular analysis of recombinants previously used to characterize loci conferring resistance to race QCCJ and isolate 92-MN-90. The 70-kb region contains Rpg5 (a nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat serine/threonine-protein kinase gene), rpg4 (an actin depolymerizing factor-like gene), and two other genes of unidentified function. Research is underway to resolve which of the genes are required for conferring resistance to race TTKSK. Regardless, the simple inheritance should make Q21861 a valuable source of TTKSK resistance in barley breeding programs.
Identification of Genes Potentially Involved in the Biocontrol Activity of Pseudozyma flocculosa
Authors: Marchand G. , Rémus-Borel W. , Chain F. , Hammami W. , Belzile F. , Bélanger R. R.
Published: September 2009

Flocculosin is an antifungal cellobiose lipid linked to the biocontrol activity of Pseudozyma flocculosa and whose structure is very similar to that of ustilagic acid produced by Ustilago maydis. In this work, homologs of the U. maydis cyp1 gene, involved in the biosynthesis of ustilagic acid, were isolated and sequenced from P. flocculosa and P. fusiformata, the latter species being also known to produce ustilagic acid. Interestingly, no homologs were found in four other closely related Pseudozyma spp. from which no evidence of ustilagic acid production has ever been obtained, thus supporting the specificity of cyp1 with ustilagic acid synthesis. In addition, a homolog of the U. maydis uat1 gene involved in the acetylation of the molecule and located next to the cyp1 gene was partially sequenced from P. flocculosa. All three newly sequenced genes showed strong sequence similarity to their counterparts in U. maydis. Cyp1 expression was monitored in conditions that were either conducive or repressive to flocculosin production. Expression increased markedly (>100×) when P. flocculosa was inoculated in a growth medium conducive to flocculosin production but was rapidly downregulated in a repressive medium (in vitro) or on powdery mildew-infected cucumber leaves (in vivo). This suggests that the molecule was preferentially synthesized early in the process of searching for a growth substrate. This study provides the first identification of genes involved in the production of flocculosin, a molecule potentially associated with the biocontrol properties of P. flocculosa.
Rapid evolution of mouse Y centromere repeat DNA belies recent sequence stability
Authors: Pertile Mark D. , Graham Alison N. , Choo K.H. Andy , Kalitsis Paul
Published: September 2009

The Y centromere sequence of house mouse, Mus musculus, remains unknown despite our otherwise significant knowledge of the genome sequence of this important mammalian model organism. Here, we report the complete molecular characterization of the C57BL/6J chromosome Y centromere, which comprises a highly diverged minor satellite-like sequence (designated Ymin) with higher-order repeat (HOR) sequence organization previously undescribed at mouse centromeres. The Ymin array is ∼90 kb in length and resides within a single BAC clone that provides sequence information spanning an endogenous animal centromere for the first time. By exploiting direct patrilineal inheritance of the Y chromosome, we demonstrate stability of the Y centromere DNA structure spanning at least 175 inbred generations to beyond the time of domestication of the East Asian M.m. molossinus “fancy” mouse through which the Y chromosome was first introduced into the classical inbred laboratory mouse strains. Despite this stability, at least three unequal genetic exchange events have altered Ymin HOR unit length and sequence structure since divergence of the ancestral Mus musculus subspecies around 900,000 yr ago, with major turnover of the HOR arrays driving rapid divergence of sequence and higher-order structure at the mouse Y centromere. A comparative sequence analysis between the human and chimpanzee centromeres indicates a similar rapid divergence of the primate Y centromere. Our data point to a unique DNA sequence and organizational architecture for the mouse Y centromere that has evolved independently of all other mouse centromeres.
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a critical evaluation of cytomorphological features in seven cases
Authors: Das P. , Iyer V. K. , Mathur S. R. , Ray R.
Published: September 2009

P. Das, V. K. Iyer, S. R. Mathur and R. Ray Anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a critical evaluation of cytomorphological features in seven cases

Objective:  Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a rare subtype of non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma that is difficult to diagnose on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Detailed descriptions about the cytomorphological features of ALCL are few and do not illustrate the various categories of cells, which we have done in this study.

Methods:  Eight FNAC specimens from seven patients with biopsy‐proven ALCL over a period of 6 years were reviewed. Cytomorphological details were analysed and the various cell types identified were enumerated on Papanicolaou and May–Grünwald–Giemsa (MGG)‐stained smears.

Results:  Of the seven cases, five were of conventional type, one of the lymphohistiocytic variant and one of the small cell variant. Aspiration from the conventional type showed a mixed population of lymphoid cells with many plasma cells. The tumour cells were intricately admixed within and distributed as single cells without grouping. Distinct hallmark cells, doughnut cells, embryo cells, tennis racket cells, cells with wreath‐like nuclei, Reed–Sternberg‐like cells and nondescript cells were seen. Nucleoli were rounded, occasionally tubular in shape. The tumour cells showed abundant blue cytoplasm on MGG stain with a perinuclear hoff. Aspiration from the lymphohistiocytic and small cell variants showed a small number of similar characteristic giant cells. All cases were confirmed as ALK‐1 positive.

Conclusions:  The morphological spectrum of ALCL is wide and it may be misdiagnosed as a metastatic poorly differentiated malignant tumour on FNAC. Identification of unusual giant cells on FNAC helps in establishing a diagnosis on an early lymph node biopsy.
Assessing effects of water abstraction on fish assemblages in Mediterranean streams
Authors: BENEJAM LLUIS , ANGERMEIER PAUL L. , MUNNÉ ANTONI , GARCÍA‐BERTHOU EMILI
Published: September 2009

1. Water abstraction strongly affects streams in arid and semiarid ecosystems, particularly where there is a Mediterranean climate. Excessive abstraction reduces the availability of water for human uses downstream and impairs the capacity of streams to support native biota.

2. We investigated the flow regime and related variables in six river basins of the Iberian Peninsula and show that they have been strongly altered, with declining flows (autoregressive models) and groundwater levels during the 20th century. These streams had lower flows and more frequent droughts than predicted by the official hydrological model used in this region. Three of these rivers were sometimes dry, whereas there were predicted by the model to be permanently flowing. Meanwhile, there has been no decrease in annual precipitation.

3. We also investigated the fish assemblage of a stream in one of these river basins (Tordera) for 6 years and show that sites more affected by water abstraction display significant differences in four fish metrics (catch per unit effort, number of benthic species, number of intolerant species and proportional abundance of intolerant individuals) commonly used to assess the biotic condition of streams.

4. We discuss the utility of these metrics in assessing impacts of water abstraction and point out the need for detailed characterisation of the natural flow regime (and hence drought events) prior to the application of biotic indices in streams severely affected by water abstraction. In particular, in cases of artificially dry streams, it is more appropriate for regulatory agencies to assign index scores that reflect biotic degradation than to assign ‘missing’ scores, as is presently customary in assessments of Iberian streams.
Consumer body composition and community structure in a stream is altered by pH
Authors: LARRAÑAGA A. , LAYER K. , BASAGUREN A. , POZO J. , WOODWARD G.
Published: September 2009

1. Low pH inhibits microbial conditioning of leaf‐litter, which forms the principal energy input to many headwater streams. This reduces food quality and availability for the shredder assemblage, thereby creating a potential bottleneck in the flux of energy and biomass through acidified food webs.

2. We explored the consequences of acidity on the well‐characterised community of Broadstone Stream in southeast England, by quantifying the physiological condition (protein and lipid content) of three dominant shredder species (Leuctra nigra,L. hippopusandNemurella pictetii) and relating this to changes in the numerical abundance and biomass of invertebrates across a longitudinal pH gradient (5.3–6.5).

3. Total taxon richness increased with pH, as did shredder diversity. The acid‐tolerant stonefly,L. nigra, exhibited a positive correlation between pH and protein content, but its abundance was suppressed in the less acid reaches. These results suggest that the impacts of environmental stressors might be manifested differently at the population (i.e. numerical and biomass abundance) versus the physiological (i.e. protein content of individuals) levels of organisation. Body composition ofL. hippopusandN. pictetiidid not exhibit any significant relationship with stream pH in the field.

4. The survey data were corroborated with a laboratory rearing experiment usingN. pictetii, in which survival rate, growth rate, and protein and lipid content of individuals were measured in stream water of differing pH and acid versus circumneutral microbial conditioning regimes. Acid‐conditioned leaves were associated with increased mortality and reduced protein content in consumers’ tissues, with acid water also having the latter effect.

5. Our results suggest that biochemical constraints within key taxa might create energy flux bottlenecks in detrital‐based food webs, and that this could ultimately determine the productivity of the entire system. Hence assays of the body composition of macroinvertebrates could be an effective new tool that complements population level studies of the impacts of stressors in fresh waters.
Strong growth limitation of a floating plant (Lemna gibba) by the submerged macrophyte (Elodea nuttallii) under laboratory conditions
Authors: SZABO SANDOR , SCHEFFER MARTEN , ROIJACKERS RUDI , WALUTO BEATA , BRAUN MIHALY , NAGY PETER T. , BORICS GABOR , ZAMBRANO LUIS
Published: September 2009

1. The asymmetric competition for light and nutrients between floating and submerged aquatic plants is thought to be key in explaining why dominance by either of these groups can be stable and difficult to change.

2. Although the shading effect of floating plants on submerged plants has been well documented, the impact of submerged plants on floating plants has been poorly explored hitherto.

3. Here, we used laboratory experiments to examine how submerged plant (Elodea nuttallii) alter nutrient conditions in the water column and how this affects the growth of floating plants (Lemna gibba).

4. We demonstrate that, at higher nutrient concentrations, Lemna is increasingly likely to outcompete Elodea.

5. Under low nutrient concentrations (0.1–2 mg N L−1) Elodea can strongly reduce the growth of Lemna. Growth of floating plants virtually stopped in some of the experiments with Elodea.

6. Extremely reduced tissue N, Mn, chlorophyll and elongated roots indicated that the growth inhibition of Lemna by Elodea was predominantly caused by the latter’s impact on the nutrient conditions for floating plants.

7. These results strengthen the hypothesis that submerged plants can prevent colonization of a lake by floating plants.
Biomass and structure of planktonic communities along an air temperature gradient in subarctic Sweden
Authors: JANSSON MATS , JONSSON ANDERS , ANDERSSON AGNETA , KARLSSON JAN
Published: September 2009

1. Air temperature will probably have pronounced effects on the composition of plankton communities in northern lake ecosystems, either via indirect effects on the export of essential elements from catchments or through direct effects of water temperature and the ice‐free period on the behaviour of planktonic organisms.

2. We assessed the role of temperature by comparing planktonic communities in 15 lakes along a 6 °C air temperature gradient in subarctic Sweden.

3. We found that the biomass of phytoplankton, bacterioplankton and the total planktonic biomass were positively related to air temperature, probably as a result of climatic controls on the export of nitrogen from the catchment (which affects phytoplankton biomass) and dissolved organic carbon (affecting bacterioplankton biomass).

4. The structure of the zooplankton community, and top down effects on phytoplankton, were apparently not related to temperature but mainly to trophic interactions ultimately dependent on the presence of fish in the lakes.

5. Our results suggest that air temperature regimes and long‐term warming can have strong effects on the planktonic biomass in high latitude lakes. Effects of temperature on the structure of the planktonic community might be less evident unless warming permits the invasion of fish into previous fishless lakes.
Freshwater ecosystem structure–function relationships: from theory to application
Authors: SANDIN LEONARD , SOLIMINI ANGELO G.
Published: September 2009

1. In this issue we aimed to answer the questions: (i) under what circumstances are functional variables better than structural ones for assessing ecosystem health? and (ii) are there good indicators of change in ecological functioning along perturbation gradients?

2. Of the numerous functional indicators tested in this issue, several show a response to anthropogenic stress and could be included in assessments of ecosystem health and integrity in running waters.

3. In three of eight studies, function showed a stronger response to anthropogenic stress than structure, whereas one study showed a response in structure and not function, and four studies showed responses in both structure and function. Thus structure alone could not detect all types of impairment and functional aspects should also be included and further developed for assessing running‐water ecosystem health and integrity. Functional variables may be especially useful in situations where there is a stronger response among organisms not usually included in stream assessment (e.g. fungi and bacteria) than the commonly used invertebrate, macrophytes and fish indicators.

4. Leading research questions related to the use of functional indicators in running waters include: (i) how large is natural and operator‐induced variation for functional indicators? (ii) how small of an effect size (delta) can be detected using structural versus functional indicators? and (iii) how do we efficiently improve theories as well as predictive ability for functional measures to assess the effects of anthropogenic stressors?

5. To advance the use of functional indicators in applied running‐water studies, we need to supplement the approach of using large‐scale datasets and correlation with ecosystem manipulations.
Co‐ordinated regulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cell surface receptors upon stimulation with herpes simplex virus type 1
Authors: Schuster Philipp , Donhauser Norbert , Pritschet Kathrin , Ries Moritz , Haupt Sabrina , Kittan Nicolai A. , Korn Klaus , Schmidt Barbara
Published: September 2009

Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) are crucial for innate and adaptive immune responses against viral infections, mainly through production of type I interferons. Evidence is accumulating that PDC surface receptors play an important role in this process. To investigate the PDC phenotype in more detail, a chip‐based expression analysis of surface receptors was combined with respective flow cytometry data obtained from fresh PDC, PDC exposed to interleukin‐3 (IL‐3) and/or herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1). CD156b, CD229, CD305 and CD319 were newly identified on the surface of PDC, and CD180 was identified as a new intracellular antigen. After correction for multiple comparisons, a total of 33 receptors were found to be significantly regulated upon exposure to IL‐3, HSV‐1 or IL‐3 and HSV‐1. These were receptors involved in chemotaxis, antigen uptake, activation and maturation, migration, apoptosis, cytotoxicity and costimulation. Infectious and ultraviolet‐inactivated HSV‐1 did not differentially affect surface receptor regulation, consistent with the lack of productive virus infection in PDC, which was confirmed by HSV‐1 real‐time polymerase chain reaction and experiments involving autofluorescing HSV‐1 particles. Viral entry was mediated at least in part by endocytosis. Time–course experiments provided evidence of a co‐ordinated regulation of PDC surface markers, which play a specific role in different aspects of PDC function such as attraction to inflamed tissue, antigen recognition and subsequent migration to secondary lymphatic tissue. This knowledge can be used to investigate PDC surface receptor functions in interactions with other cells of the innate and adaptive immune system, particularly natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
CD4+ T‐cell localization to the large intestinal mucosa during Trichuris muris infection is mediated by Gαi‐coupled receptors but is CCR6‐ and CXCR3‐independent
Authors: Svensson Marcus , Russell Karen , Mack Matthias , Else Kathryn J.
Published: September 2009

Summary Infection of mice with the gastrointestinal nematode Trichuris muris represents a valuable tool to investigate and dissect intestinal immune responses. Resistant mouse strains respond to T. muris infection by mounting a T helper type 2 response. Previous results have shown that CD4+ T cells play a critical role in protective immunity, and that CD4+ T cells localize to the infected large intestinal mucosa to confer protection. Further, transfer of CD4+ T cells from immune mice to immunodeficient SCID mice can prevent the development of a chronic infection. In the current study, we characterize the protective CD4+ T cells, describe their chemokine receptor expression and explore the functional significance of these receptors in recruitment to the large intestinal mucosa post‐T. muris infection. We show that the ability to mediate expulsion resides within a subpopulation of CD4+ T cells marked by down‐regulation of CD62L. These cells can be isolated from intestine‐draining mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) from day 14 post‐infection, but are rare or absent in MLN before this and in spleen at all times post‐infection. Among CD4+ CD62Llow MLN cells, the two most abundantly expressed chemokine receptors were CCR6 and CXCR3. We demonstrate for the first time that CD4+ CD62Llow T‐cell migration to the large intestinal mucosa is dependent on the family of Gαi‐coupled receptors, to which chemokine receptors belong. CCR6 and CXCR3 were however dispensable for this process because neutralization of CCR6 and CXCR3 did not prevent CD4+ CD62Llow cell migration to the large intestinal mucosa during T. muris infection.
Toll‐like receptor‐induced innate immune responses in non‐parenchymal liver cells are cell type‐specific
Authors: Wu Jun , Meng Zhongji , Jiang Min , Zhang Ejuan , Trippler Martin , Broering Ruth , Bucchi Agnes , Krux Frank , Dittmer Ulf , Yang Dongliang , Roggendorf Michael , Gerken Guido , Lu Mengji , Schlaak Joerg F.
Published: September 2009

Little is known of how the Toll‐like receptor (TLR) system can modulate the function of non‐parenchymal liver cells (NPC) as a major component of the innate and adaptive immune system of the liver. To investigate the diversification of TLR signalling pathways in NPC, we isolated Kupffer cells (KC) and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) from wild‐type C57BL/6 mice and examined their responses to TLR1 to TLR9 agonists. The data show that KC respond to all TLR ligands by producing tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) or interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), to TLR3 and TLR4 ligands only by producing interferon‐β (IFN‐β), to TLR1 and TLR8 ligands by significantly up‐regulating major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and costimulatory molecules, and to TLR1, ‐2, ‐4 and ‐6 ligands by inducing high levels of T‐cell proliferation and IFN‐γ production in the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Similarly, LSEC respond to TLR1 to ‐4, ‐6, ‐8 and ‐9 ligands by producing TNF‐α, to TLR3 and ‐4 ligands by producing IL‐6, and to TLR3 ligands by producing IFN‐β. Interestingly, despite significant up‐regulation of MHC class II and co‐stimulatory molecules in response to TLR8 ligands, LSEC stimulated by TLR1, ‐2 or ‐6 could stimulate allogeneic T cells as assessed by MLR. By contrast, myeloid dendritic cells, used as positive control for classical antigen‐presenting cells, respond to TLR1, ‐2, ‐4 and ‐9 ligands by both up‐regulation of CD40 and activation of allogeneic T cells. In conclusion, NPC display a restricted TLR‐mediated activation profile when compared with ‘classical’ antigen‐presenting cells which may, at least in part, explain their tolerogenic function in the liver.
Migration of immature and mature B cells in the aged microenvironment
Authors: Minges Wols Heather A. , Johnson Kara M. , Ippolito Jill A. , Birjandi Shirin Z. , Su Yan , Le Phong T. , Witte Pamela L.
Published: September 2009

Studies in aged mice show that the architecture of B‐cell areas appears disrupted and that newly made B cells fail to incorporate into the spleen. These observations may reflect altered migration of immature and mature B cells. Using adoptive transfer, we tested the effect of the aged microenvironment and the intrinsic ability of donor B cells from aged mice to migrate to spleens of intact hosts. Spleens of aged recipients were deficient in attracting young or old donor immature B cells. In contrast, immature and mature B cells maintained an intrinsic ability to migrate to young recipient spleens, except that as the aged immature B cells matured, fewer appeared to enter the recirculating pool. CXCL13 protein, which is necessary for the organization of B‐cell compartments, was elevated with age and differences in CXCL13 distribution were apparent. In aged spleens, CXCL13 appeared less reticular, concentrated in patches throughout the follicles, and notably reduced in the MAdCAM‐1+ marginal reticular cells located at the follicular edge. Despite these differences, the migration of young donor follicular B cells into the spleens of old mice was not impacted; whereas, migration of young donor marginal zone B cells was reduced in aged recipients. Finally, the aged bone marrow microenvironment attracted more donor mature B cells than did the young marrow. Message for CXCL13 was not elevated in the marrow of aged mice. These results suggest that the aged splenic microenvironment affects the migration of immature B cells more than mature follicular B cells.
Novel primary immunodeficiencies relevant to internal medicine: novel phenotypes
Authors: Maródi L. , Casanova J. L.
Published: September 2009

Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are often recognized in adults, either because of delayed diagnosis of a paediatric illness, or increasingly because of the recognition of adult onset forms of these diseases. Moreover, a growing fraction of children diagnosed with PIDs reach adulthood. It has become clear that many of these conditions affect various organs and therefore will be referred to professionals from various fields of internal medicine. It is well known that infectious diseases, allergy, auto‐immunity and cancer may result from PIDs. Surprisingly, other clinical manifestations were recently found to reflect inborn errors of immunity. Ground‐breaking discoveries suggest that atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and alveolar proteinosis may actually be manifestations of novel PIDs.
Are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia the same? Implications for the provision of appropriate mental health intervention
Authors: MCKAY P. G. , DUFFY T. , MARTIN C. R.
Published: September 2009

Accessible summary

This paper views the historical perspectives of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and fibromyalgia (FM) that gives an understanding of the background to these complex syndromes.

The relationship between CFS/ME and FM are considered based on the evidence presented, which identifies that there is compelling evidence that these two syndromes may in fact be the same. This is interesting as current evidence suggests that these two syndromes are currently treated differently.

The long‐standing controversy surrounding the aetiology CFS/ME is discussed in relation to the issues of mental health, in particular anxiety and/or depression that has been associated with this condition. In contrast, FM is reviewed in relation to the associated symptomology of anxiety and/or depression.

This review provides the reader with compelling evidence to suggest that the initial presenting symptoms of these two diseases may dictate differential diagnosis and the subsequent treatment they receive if any and, moreover, if indeed these syndromes are confused with that of a psychiatric disorder.

This paper will give the reader time for thought over the issue that: just because there is at present no specific diagnostic test or treatment for this condition, why then is the conclusion reached that this must be a psychiatric condition.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia represent distinct diagnostic entities within both the clinical and research literature. A common feature of both presentations is that they are often accompanied by a significant mental health burden. A further salient feature of both conditions is that there is no consistent consensus on aetiology. Evaluation of the features of each disorder seems to present a convincing case that both disorders may indeed have a common aetiology and further, the possibility exists that chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia represent the same underlying disorder. Paradoxically, given this possibility it is remarkable that both patient groups are treated clinically with considerably different approaches to care and management. Mental health practitioners will come into contact with both groups of patients when support for the psychological consequences of diagnosis are necessary; however, many practitioners will be unaware of the debate regarding the aetiological ambiguities surrounding these presentations. The purpose of this review is to highlight the above issues in order to both facilitate awareness of the current aetiological/diagnostic impasse and facilitate provision of optimum mental health support.
A potential model for the first all Wales mental health service user and carer‐led research group
Authors: WILSON C. , FOTHERGILL A. , Rees H.
Published: September 2009

Accessible summary

This paper will inform mental health service users and carers on how a University in Wales established a service user and carer‐led research group.

The group's primary aim will be to undertake its own service user and carer‐led research projects.

Mental health service users have undergone empowerment and research training at a University in Wales. This is an important initiative because it is the first service user and carer‐led research group in Wales.

This paper is co‐authored by a mental health service user and includes transcripts of service users’ stories written in their words.

Service user and carer involvement in research has been gaining momentum in recent years. However, this involvement to date has primarily been as research respondents or ‘subjects’ in research studies. A group of mental health service users at a University in Wales underwent empowerment and research training to enable them to become active participants in the research process; this training was a necessary step to equip mental health service users with the skills to become independent researchers and to carry out service user‐led research. We included transcripts from mental health service users on their views of the empowerment and research training received. We are not reporting, in this paper, on the findings from a research study rather it aims to inform readers how a service user and carer‐led research group has been established in Wales. The group has two purposes: (1) to train service users in research methodologies, and thus for them to gain essential research skills; and (2) to undertake their own service user and carer‐led research projects thereby implementing the research skills they have acquired from the training. The latter is a primary aim of the group; a future paper will report on its development.
Pandemic influenza communication: views from a deliberative forum
Authors: Rogers Wendy A. , Street Jackie M. , Braunack‐Mayer Annette J. , Hiller Janet E. ,   The FluViews Team
Published: September 2009

Objective  To use a deliberative forum to elicit community perspectives on communication about pandemic influenza planning, and to compare these findings with the current Australian national communication strategy.

Design  Deliberative forum of 12 persons randomly selected from urban South Australia. Forum members were briefed by experts in infection control, virology, ethics and public policy before deliberating on four key questions: what, how and when should the community be told about pandemic influenza and by whom?

Results  The forum recommended provision of detailed and comprehensive information by credible experts, rather than politicians, using a variety of media including television and internet. Recommendations included cumulative communication to build expertise in the community, and specific strategies to include groups such as young people, people with physical or mental disabilities, and rural and remote communities. Information provided should be practical, accurate, and timely, with no ‘holding back’ about the seriousness of a pandemic. The forum expressed confidence in the expert witnesses, despite the acknowledged uncertainty of many of the predictions.

Discussion and Conclusion  The deliberative forum’s recommendations were largely consistent with the Australian national pandemic influenza communication strategy and the relevant literature. However, the forum recommended: release of more detailed information than currently proposed in the national strategy; use of non‐political spokespersons; and use of novel communication methods. Their acceptance of uncertainty suggests that policy makers should be open about the limits of knowledge in potentially threatening situations. Our findings show that deliberative forums can provide community perspectives on topics such as communication about pandemic influenza.
Social participation in health in Brazil and England: inclusion, representation and authority
Authors: Barnes Marian , Coelho Vera Schattan
Published: September 2009

Aim  This article offers a brief description and analysis of public participation in health in Brazil and England in order to highlight different motivators and tensions within an acceptance of participation as official policy.

Sources/methods  The article draws on a range of research in both countries and an analysis of official documents relating to participation. It is based on collaboration between researchers deriving from broad programmes of work on public participation in which the authors are involved.

Argument  There is a tension between different principles underpinning collective public involvement in health both within and between countries. Different aspirations or claims have been made about what such participation will achieve and there are trade‐offs between design principles that have consequences for issues such as who takes part and thus also for what can be achieved. The democratic origins of public participation are more evident in the Brazilian situation than in England, but there are still questions about the inclusivity of the practices through which this is achieved. The English picture is both more diverse and dynamic, but formal decision‐making power of participatory forums is less than in Brazil. Whilst social justice claims for participation have been made in both countries, there is as yet limited evidence that these have been realized.
Revolution or evolution: the challenges of conceptualizing patient and public involvement in a consumerist world
Authors: Tritter Jonathan Q.
Published: September 2009

Background  Changing the relationship between citizens and the state is at the heart of current policy reforms. Across England and the developed world, from Oslo to Ontario, Newcastle to Newquay, giving the public a more direct say in shaping the organization and delivery of healthcare services is central to the current health reform agenda. Realigning public services around those they serve, based on evidence from service user’s experiences, and designed with and by the people rather than simply on their behalf, is challenging the dominance of managerialism, marketization and bureaucratic expertise. Despite this attention there is limited conceptual and theoretical work to underpin policy and practice.

Objective  This article proposes a conceptual framework for patient and public involvement (PPI) and goes on to explore the different justifications for involvement and the implications of a rights‐based rather than a regulatory approach. These issues are highlighted through exploring the particular evolution of English health policy in relation to PPI on the one hand and patient choice on the other before turning to similar patterns apparent in the United States and more broadly.

Conclusions  A framework for conceptualizing PPI is presented that differentiates between the different types and aims of involvement and their potential impact. Approaches to involvement are different in those countries that adopt a rights‐based rather than a regulatory approach. I conclude with a discussion of the tension and interaction apparent in the globalization of both involvement and patient choice in both policy and practice.
IL7RA polymorphisms and chronic inflammatory arthropathies
Authors: O'Doherty C. , Alloza I. , Rooney M. , Vandenbroeck K.
Published: September 2009

The C allele of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs6897932, located in the interleukin‐7 receptor alpha chain (IL7RA) was recently found to be associated with multiple sclerosis and Type I diabetes. We analysed 13 SNPs in the IL7RA gene in a combined cohort of patients with chronic inflammatory arthropathies (rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis; 368 patients and 532 unaffected subjects). No significant associations with disease were found with the exception of the non‐synonymous SNP rs6897932. This SNP showed modest enrichment of the TT genotype in arthritic patients compared with controls [P = 0.02; OR 1.72 (95% CI 1.08–2.75)]. Our data are suggestive for a role of rs6897932 in predisposition to chronic inflammatory arthropathies.
Diseases mimicking allergic rhinitis
Authors: Gane S. B. C. , Scadding G. K.
Published: September 2009

Gane SBC, Scadding GK. Diseases mimicking allergic rhinitis. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: e114–e118. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Although allergic rhinitis is the commonest diagnosis in the child with nasal obstruction and rhinorrhoea, the differential must include other, much rarer, conditions. We present three case histories and discussion of several other diagnoses which should be considered.
Elasticity analysis in epidemiology: an application to tick‐borne infections
Authors: Matser Amy , Hartemink Nienke , Heesterbeek Hans , Galvani Alison , Davis Stephen
Published: September 2009

Ecology Letters (2009) 12: 1298–1305

The application of projection matrices in population biology to plant and animal populations has a parallel in infectious disease ecology when next‐generation matrices (NGMs) are used to characterize growth in numbers of infected hosts (R0). The NGM is appropriate for multi‐host pathogens, where each matrix element represents the number of cases of one type of host arising from a single infected individual of another type. For projection matrices, calculations of the sensitivity and elasticity of the population growth rate to changes in the matrix elements has generated insight into plant and animal populations. These same perturbation analyses can be used for infectious disease systems. To illustrate this in detail we parameterized an NGM for seven tick‐borne zoonoses and compared them in terms of the contributions to R0 from three different routes of transmission between ticks, and between ticks and vertebrate hosts. The definition of host type may be the species of the host or the route of infection, or, as was the case for the set of tick‐borne pathogens, a combination of species and the life stage at infection. This freedom means that there is a broad range of disease systems and questions for which the methodology is appropriate.
A reduction in severe hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes in a randomized crossover study of continuous intraperitoneal compared with subcutaneous insulin infusion
Authors: Liebl A. , Hoogma R. , Renard E. , Geelhoed‐Duijvestijn P. H. L. M. , Klein E. , Diglas J. , Kessler L. , Melki V. , Diem P. , Brun J.‐M. , Schaepelynck‐Bélicar P. , Frei T. ,   for the European DiaPort Study Group
Published: September 2009

Aim: Continuous intraperitoneal insulin infusion (CIPII) with the DiaPort system using regular insulin was compared to continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) using insulin Lispro, to investigate the frequency of hypoglycemia, blood glucose control, quality of life, and safety.

Methods: In this open, randomized, controlled, cross‐over, multinational, 12‐month study, 60 type 1 diabetic patients with frequent hypoglycemia and/or HbA1c > 7.0% with CSII were randomized to CIPII or CSII. The aim was to obtain the best possible blood glucose while avoiding hypoglycemia.

Results: The frequency of any hypoglycemia was similar (CIPII 118.2 (SD 82.6) events / patient year, CSII 115.8 (SD 75.7) p = 0.910). The incidence of severe hypoglycemia with CSII was more than twice the one with CIPII (CIPII 34.8 events / 100 patient years, CSII 86.1, p = 0.013). HbA1c, mean blood glucose, and glucose fluctuations were not statistically different. Treatment‐related severe complications occurred mainly during CIPII: port infections (0.47 events / patient year), abdominal pain (0.21 events / patient year), insulin underdelivery (0.14 events / patient year). Weight gain was greater with CSII (+ 1.5 kg vs. − 0.1 kg, p = 0.013), quality of life better with CIPII.

Conclusions: In type 1 diabetes CIPII with DiaPort reduces the number of severe episodes of hypoglycemia and improves quality of life with no weight gain. Because of complications, indications for CIPII must be strictly controlled. CIPII with DiaPort is an alternative therapy when CSII is not fully successful and provides an easy method of intraperitoneal therapy.