bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Susceptibility of Olive Cultivars to Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum acutatum
Authors: Moral J. , Trapero A.
Published: September 2009

Selected olive (Olea europaea) cultivars were tested in the field and laboratory for their relative susceptibility to anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. A rating scale to assess fruit-rot incidence in naturally infected trees was validated by comparing ratings with direct counts of affected fruit. Fruit-rot incidence varied greatly among 20 cultivars and was correlated with the severity of branch dieback symptoms that developed after fruit-rot epidemics. For determining whether artificial inoculation can be used to predict anthracnose susceptibility in the orchard, detached fruit of 12 cultivars were inoculated with C. acutatum and fruit-rot severity was assessed periodically. Progress of disease severity over time fit the logistic function for all cultivars. The best correlation between fruit-rot incidence in the field and disease severity on inoculated fruit was obtained using a disease susceptibility index that integrated the maximum disease progress rate and the estimated time to reach 50% disease severity. Based on field observations and laboratory data on susceptibility to anthracnose, 21 cultivars were classified into three groups: highly susceptible (Cornicabra, Hojiblanca, Lechín de Sevilla, Manzanilla de Sevilla, Morona, Ocal, Picudo, and Verdial de Huévar); moderately susceptible (Arbequina, Arbosana, Morrut, Pajarero, and Villalonga); and resistant (Blanqueta, Empeltre, Frantoio, Koroneiki, Leccino, Morona-D, Picual, and Razzola). The assessment method may be useful to screen olive cultivars for anthracnose resistance.
Fitness and Competitive Ability of an Azoxystrobin-Resistant G143A Mutant of Magnaporthe oryzae from Perennial Ryegrass
Authors: Ma B. , Uddin W.
Published: September 2009

Development of azoxystrobin resistance in Magnaporthe oryzae from perennial ryegrass has been reported in certain locations in the United States, and possible development of resistance in additional areas is a major concern in the golf course industry. The study was undertaken to evaluate the relative fitness and competitive ability of a field-collected azoxystrobin-resistant G143A mutant by comparing it with a wild-type strain using detached perennial ryegrass blades. A fitness comparison experiment indicated that the disease severity of the wild-type strain was significantly higher than that of the mutant; however, the mutant produced greater secondary inoculum. When inoculated with three mixed populations of resistant and wild-type strains at different ratios, the production of conidia by the wild-type strain increased and that of the mutant decreased after infection occurred in all three populations tested. In an experiment on the effect of various fungicides on the population initially containing 5% of the mutant, preventive application of azoxystrobin allowed 5% of the mutant to dominate the population after the infection. However, other non-quinone outside inhibitor fungicides and mixtures of azoxystrobin with contact fungicides eliminated the entire mutant. This study demonstrates that the wild-type strain of M. oryzae has a competitive advantage over the mutant within the environment tested. Mixtures and alternations of fungicides with different modes of actions may prevent rapid build-up of resistance in the gray leaf spot pathosystem.
First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Sassafras in Florida and South Carolina
Authors: Smith J. A. , Dreaden T. J. , Mayfield A. E. , Boone A. , Fraedrich S. W. , Bates C.
Published: September 2009

Laurel wilt disease, caused by Raffaelea lauricola (T.C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva sp. nov.), which is a fungal symbiont of the nonnative redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff), has caused widespread mortality of native redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng) in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida since 2002. The disease has been noted on other species in the Lauraceae including sassafras in Georgia (1), and more recently, on avocado and camphor in Florida (4). Since 2005, wilted shoots, branch dieback, and tree death have been observed in sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum (L.)) in Liberty, McIntosh, Chatham, Effingham, Bulloch, Evans, and Screven counties in Georgia; Bamberg, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, and Orangeburg counties in South Carolina; and Putnam County in Florida. Symptomatic sassafras trees ranged from 1 to 12 m high and 2.5 to 25 cm in diameter at breast height. In contrast to red bay trees that retain wilted foliage, symptomatic sassafras defoliate rapidly as trees wilt and die. Multiple symptomatic ramets originating from a common root system have been observed. Removal of bark from stem and root sections from wilted trees revealed black-to-brownish staining in the sapwood, characteristic of laurel wilt. Wood chips from symptomatic areas of branches and roots were surface sterilized and plated on cycloheximide-streptomycin malt agar as previously described (1) and R. lauricola was routinely isolated. Small subunit (18S) sequences from rDNA were amplified by PCR and sequenced using primers NS1 and NS4 (3) for isolates from sassafras from Florida and South Carolina. BLASTn searches revealed homology to Raffaelea sp. C2203 (GenBank Accession No. EU123076, 100% similarity) described by Fraedrich et al. (1) from redbay and later named R. lauricola (2). The small subunit rDNA sequences for these isolates have been deposited into GenBank ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html ) and assigned Accession Nos. EU980448 (Florida) and GQ329704 (South Carolina). Koch's postulates have been completed with R. lauricola on this host previously (1). Laurel wilt on sassafras often was geographically isolated from other symptomatic hosts in Georgia and South Carolina and appears to occur on this host independently of proximity to redbay. Further studies to determine the epidemiology of laurel wilt on sassafras, potential resistance, and impact on sassafras life history and distribution are needed. Given the clonal nature of sassafras, the disease would appear to have the potential to move through roots of trees once established in a stand.

References: (1) S. W Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington et al. Mycotaxon 104:399, 2008. (3) M. A. Innis et al. PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990. (4) J. A. Smith et al. Plant Dis. 93:198, 2009.
Interactions with Hosts at Cool Temperatures, Not Cold Tolerance, Explain the Unique Epidemiology of Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2
Authors: Milling Annett , Meng Fanhong , Denny Timothy P. , Allen Caitilyn
Published: September 2009

Most strains of the bacterial wilt pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum are tropical, but race 3 biovar 2 (R3bv2) strains can attack plants in temperate zones and tropical highlands. The basis of this distinctive ecological trait is not understood. We compared the survival of tropical, R3bv2, and warm-temperate North American strains of R. solanacearum under different conditions. In water at 4°C, North American strains remained culturable the longest (up to 90 days), whereas tropical strains remained culturable for the shortest time (≈40 days). However, live/dead staining indicated that cells of representative strains remained viable for >160 days. In contrast, inside potato tubers, R3bv2 strain UW551 survived >4 months at 4°C, whereas North American strain K60 and tropical strain GMI1000 were undetectable after <70 days in tubers. GMI1000 and UW551 grew similarly in minimal medium at 20 and 28°C and, although both strains wilted tomato plants rapidly at 28°C, UW551 was much more virulent at 20°C, killing all inoculated plants under conditions where GMI100 killed just over half. Thus, differences among the strains in the absence of a plant host were not predictive of their behavior in planta at cooler temperatures. These data indicate that interaction with plants is required for expression of the temperate epidemiological trait of R3bv2.
Differential Recognition of Phytophthora infestans Races in Potato R4 Breeding Lines
Authors: van Poppel Pieter M. J. A. , Huigen Dirk Jan , Govers Francine
Published: September 2009

Introgression breeding has resulted in several potato lines that are resistant to late blight, a devastating plant disease caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans. The traditional differential set consists of potato lines with 11 late blight resistance specificities, referred to as R1 to R11. With the exception of the R4 locus, all the resistance loci in these lines have been genetically mapped or positioned in resistance (R) gene clusters. In this study, we show that potato lines that are defined to carry R4 do not necessarily recognize the same P. infestans strains. Field isolates appeared to be avirulent on either the R4 differential developed by Mastenbroek or the one developed by Black but not on both. Previously, we identified the avirulence gene PiAvr4, which is a member of the RXLR effector family. In planta expression of PiAvr4 revealed that recognition of PiAvr4 is strictly confined to the Mastenbroek R4 differential. Segregation of the trait in two independent F1 progenies showed that late blight resistance in this differential is determined by a single dominant gene, now referred to as R4Ma.
Segregation of Distinct Variants from Citrus tristeza virus Isolate SY568 Using Aphid Transmission
Authors: Velazquez-Monreal J. J. , Mathews D. M. , Dodds J. A.
Published: September 2009

A well-studied severe isolate of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) known as SY568 has previously been shown to contain multiple variants of the virus which differ in their genetic and biological characters. Aphid transmission was used in an attempt to segregate some of these variants for further characterization. Resulting infections gave symptoms which varied from asymptomatic to more severe than the inoculum source. RNase protection assays (RPAs) were used to compare nine regions of the CTV genome and determine whether unique strains could be identified. Five aphid-transmitted subcultures, with fingerprints that were different from those of the inoculum sources in at least one genomic area, were then cloned, sequenced, and compared with known isolates. An asymptomatic strain was shown to be different in every area of the CTV genome when examined by RPA and sequencing of selected regions. Mixed-infection studies using graft transmission of the asymptomatic subculture and two of the more severe aphid-transmitted subcultures showed that the mild strain was not able to compete well when in the presence of any of the severe variants tested, and its titer was significantly reduced from that seen in single infection. The mild strain and a selected severe strain were singly graft inoculated into five different citrus hosts (sweet orange, grapefruit, sour orange, lemon, and lime), where they maintained their distinct biological and genetic characteristics.
Diversity of Ampeloviruses in Mealybug and Soft Scale Vectors and in Grapevine Hosts from Leafroll-Affected Vineyards
Authors: Fuchs M. , Marsella-Herrick P. , Loeb G. M. , Martinson T. E. , Hoch H. C.
Published: September 2009

The occurrence and diversity of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1) and Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) in the soft scales Parthenolecanium corni and Pulvinaria innumerabilis and in the mealybug Pseudococcus maritimus was determined in leafroll-affected vineyards in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Groups of 1 to 4 specimens were collected under loose grapevine bark and tested by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for segments of the second diverged copy of the GLRaV-1 coat protein gene or GLRaV-3 heat-shock protein 70-homologue gene. Virus-specific RT-PCR products were amplified from immature insect vectors and adult mealybugs. Single viral amplicons were obtained mostly from immature vectors (35%, 30 of 85) and dual viral amplicons from immature (16%, 10 of 61) and adult (100%, 14 of 14) mealybugs, including individuals. These observations suggested a simultaneous uptake of GLRaV-1 and GLRaV-3 by individual mealybugs. Furthermore, a comparative nucleotide sequence analysis of viral amplicons from soft scales, mealybugs, and grapevines from which vectors were collected showed identical or highly similar haplotypes, indicating that uptake of GLRaV-1 and GLRaV-3 likely occurred by direct feeding of vectors on their host plants.
Predicting Infection Risk of Hop by Pseudoperonspora humuli
Authors: Gent David H. , Ocamb Cynthia M.
Published: September 2009

Downy mildew, caused by Pseudoperonospora humuli, is one of the most destructive diseases of hop. Weather factors associated with infection risk by P. humuli in the maritime region of western Oregon were examined for 24- and 48-h periods and quadratic discriminant function models were developed to classify periods as favorable for disease development on leaves. For the 24-h data sets, the model with superior predictive ability included variables for hours of relative humidity >80%, degree-hours of wetness, and mean night temperature. The same variables were selected for the 48-h data sets, with the addition of a product variable for mean night temperature and hours of relative humidity >80%. Cut-points (pT) on receiver operating characteristic curves that minimized the overall error rate were identified by selecting the cut-point with the highest value of Youden's index. For the 24- and 48-h models these were pT = 0.49 and 0.39, respectively. With these thresholds, the sensitivity and specificity of the models in cross validation by jackknife exclusion were 83.3 and 88.8% for the 24-h model and 87.5 and 84.4% for the 48-h model, respectively. Cut-points that minimized the average costs associated with disease control and crop loss due to classification errors were determined using estimates of economic damage during vegetative development and on cones near harvest. Use of the 24- and 48-h models was estimated to reduce average management costs during vegetative development when disease prevalence was <0.31 and 0.16, respectively. Using economic assumptions near harvest, management decisions informed by the models reduced average costs when disease prevalence was <0.21 and 0.1 for the 24- and 48-h models, respectively. The value of the models in management decisions was greatest when disease prevalence was relatively low during vegetative development, which generally corresponds to the normally drier period from late spring to midsummer in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
A New Selective Medium for the Recovery and Enumeration of Monilinia fructicola, M. fructigena, and M. laxa from Stone Fruits
Authors: Amiri Achour , Holb Imre J. , Schnabel Guido
Published: September 2009

Isolation of Monilinia spp. from stone and pome fruit surfaces is difficult due to the presence of several fast-growing fungal species such as Rhizopus, Alternaria, and Penicillium spp. Therefore, a new selective medium (acidified potato dextrose agar [pH 3.6] amended with fosetyl-aluminum [fosetyl-AL] at 500 μg/ml) (APDA-F500) was developed for the recovery of Monilinia propagules. The antifungal agents fosetyl-Al, dichloran, ammonium molybdate, and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-dD-glucose) were tested in potato dextrose agar (PDA) for their selective activity against Monilinia fructicola and seven common fungal contaminants of peach, including Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Colletotrichum acutatum, Gilbertella persicaria, Penicillium expansum, Phomopsis amygdali, and Rhizopus stolonifer. Dichloran, ammonium molybdate, and 2-dD-glucose inhibited spore germination and mycelial growth of all test fungi, including M. fructicola, at comparable levels. Fosetyl-Al added to PDA (PDA-F) at 500 or 1,000 μg/ml did not inhibit germination of any of the fungi but had a strong effect on mycelial growth of six of eight test fungi at 1,000 μg/ml, with the exceptions being R. stolonifer and M. fructicola. Germination and mycelial growth of M. fructicola were least affected on APDA-F500 compared with the other test fungi. On APDA-F500 at pH 3.2 and 3.6, germination of M. fructicola was not inhibited but mycelial growth was reduced by 54.2 and 24.2%, respectively. In all, 17 M. fructicola, 6 M. fructigena, and 6 M. laxa isolates collected from different geographic locations and diverse hosts were evaluated for their germination and mycelial growth on APDA-F500 (at pH 3.6). Germination was not inhibited for any isolate and relative mycelial growth was 45.8 to 83.3%. Field-grown peach fruit from South Carolina and Hungary and plum fruit from Hungary were used to test the selectivity of APDA-F500 for the recovery of three Monilinia spp. compared with PDA-F500 and Monilinia selective medium (MSM) previously developed for Monilinia spp. detection. Percent recovery of M. fructicola from South Carolinian peach fruit was highest on APDA-F500 (0, 17, and 69% in June, July, and August, respectively) compared with PDA-F500 (0, 3.5, and 50%, respectively) and MSM (0, 0, and 6.8%, respectively). Moreover, APDA-F500 selectively recovered M. fructigena and M. laxa propagules from the surfaces of Hungarian peach and plum fruit. Our results indicate that APDA-F500 is a useful medium for selective isolation and enumeration of the three most common Monilinia spp. attacking stone fruits worldwide.
Local Dispersal of Puccinia triticina and Wheat Canopy Structure
Authors: Frezal Lise , Robert Corinne , Bancal Marie-Odile , Lannou Christian
Published: September 2009

The development of dynamic models jointly to simulate host growth and disease spread necessitates a precise description of pathogen dispersal in relation to canopy structure. In this study, we measured disease spread from a single infected leaf positioned at different heights in wheat canopies. The resulting lesion distribution was described along crop rows and over three leaf layers. The spore sources, although limited to a single leaf, nearly saturated the host surface accessible to the spores. Most of the lesions were found within 30 to 40 cm of the source. The vertical position of the source influenced the lesion distribution and the steepness of the disease gradients. The leaf layer and the wheat row that contained the spore source were the most infected. Close to the source, a few heavily infected leaves produced steep disease gradients, whereas spore diffusion resulted in shallower gradients along the adjacent rows and on the other leaf layers. Depending on the precision needed, the lesion distribution can be described either at the level of leaf layers or by dispersal gradients for each row and leaf layer.
Dietary Na does not reduce dietary Cu uptake by juvenile rainbow trout
Authors: Kjoss V. A. , Kamunde C. N. , Niyogi S. , Grosell M. , Wood C. M.
Published: September 2009

Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry in moderately hard water were exposed to control or high levels of dietary Cu (c. 6 and 580 ug Cu g food−1) at one of three levels of Na (1·5, 3·0 or 4·5%) in the diet, i.e. six experimental groups. Fish were fed a 4% body mass ration daily for 28 days and 10 individuals from each group were sampled every 7 days. Concentrations of Cu and Na were measured in the gills, liver, gut and remaining carcass of sampled fish. Growth was not affected and no consistent differences were found in mass, total lengths (LT) or indices of body condition among any of the groups on any sampling day. Copper concentration was significantly higher in tissues of Cu‐exposed groups, although within treatment types (control Cu v. high Cu diet), it did not differ consistently among groups that received different levels of dietary Na. Tissue Na concentration did not differ among any of the groups and did not show any marked changes over time. In Cu‐exposed groups, the proportion of total body Cu burden contained in the liver approximately doubled over time, from c. 30% on day 7 to c. 60% on day 28. In unexposed fish, the liver maintained c. 25% of the total Cu burden throughout the experiment. In contrast, the proportion of the total body Cu burden contained in the gut decreased somewhat over time in Cu‐exposed fish, from c. 40% on day 7 to c. 30% on day 28, and remained fairly stable at c. 25–30% in control groups, i.e. approximately equal to liver values. In all groups, the carcass contained by far the largest portion of the total Na content (>80%). Measurements made 36 h post‐feeding indicated that all six groups had much higher Na efflux relative to influx, suggesting that the fish were eliminating excess Na taken up from the diet, and differences in Na influx rates were small. Na efflux rate was significantly higher in the high Cu and high Na group than in the high Cu and low Na group. The results indicate that at the concentrations used in this experiment, dietary Na has little effect on dietary Cu uptake by juvenile rainbow trout, and dietary Cu has little effect on Na homeostasis.
Identification of the transforming activity of Indian hedgehog by retroviral expression screening
Authors: Hatanaka Hisashi , Takada Shuji , Tsukui Mamiko , Choi Young Lim , Kurashina Kentaro , Soda Manabu , Yamashita Yoshihiro , Haruta Hidenori , Hamada Toru , Tamada Kiichi , Hosoya Yoshinori , Sata Naohiro , Nagai Hideo , Yasuda Yoshikazu , Sugano Kentaro , Mano Hiroyuki
Published: September 2009

To identify novel cancer‐promoting genes in biliary tract cancer (BTC), we constructed a retroviral cDNA expression library from a clinical specimen of BTC with anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction (APBDJ), and used the library for a focus formation assay with 3T3 fibroblasts. One of the cDNAs rescued from transformed foci was found to encode Indian hedgehog homolog (IHH). The oncogenic potential of IHH was confirmed both in vitro with the focus formation assay and in vivo with a tumorigenicity assay in nude mice. The isolated IHH cDNA had no sequence alterations, suggesting that upregulation of IHH expression may contribute to malignant transformation. Quantitation of IHH mRNA among clinical specimens has revealed that the expression level of IHH in BTC with APBDJ is higher than that in BTC without APBDJ and than in non‐cancerous biliary tissues. Our data thus implicate a direct role of IHH in the carcinogenesis of BTC with APBDJ. (Cancer Sci 2009)
Independent and cooperative roles of tumor necrosis factor‐α, nuclear factor‐κB, and bone morphogenetic protein‐2 in regulation of metastasis and osteomimicry of prostate cancer cells and differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3‐E1 osteoblast‐like cells
Authors: Graham Tisheeka R. , Agrawal Krishna C. , Abdel‐Mageed Asim B.
Published: September 2009

The molecular mechanisms involved in prostate cancer (PC) metastasis and bone remodeling are poorly understood. We recently reported that phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) mediates transcriptional regulation and activation of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)‐2 signaling by nuclear factor (NF)‐κB in bone metastatic prostate cancer cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that NF‐κB, whether activated by recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α or by ectopic expression of the p65 subunit, is involved in extracellular matrix adhesion and invasion of osteotropic PC‐3 and C4‐2B, but not LNCaP, cells. The enhanced metastatic potential was associated with transcriptional upregulation of osteopontin, osteocalcin, and collagen IA1 in osteotropic PC cells, suggesting their role in osteomimicry of PC cells. Unlike BMP‐4, BMP‐2 protein enhanced the invasive properties of C4‐2B cells, but not in LNCaP cells. Also, this effect was nullified by Noggin. In addition, BMP‐2 mediates TNF‐α‐induced invasion of C4‐2B cells in a NF‐κB‐dependent fashion. TNF‐α or conditioned media (CM) of TNF‐α‐stimulated C4‐2B cells upregulated BMP‐2 and BMP‐dependent Smad transcripts and inhibited receptor activator of NF‐κB ligand transcripts in RAW 264.7 preosteoclast cells, respectively, implying that this factor may contribute to suppression of osteoclastogenesis via direct and paracrine mechanisms. In contrast, CM of TNF‐α‐stimulate or BMP2‐stimulated C4‐2B cells induced in vitro mineralization of MC3T3‐E1 osteoblast cells in a BMP‐2‐dependent and NF‐κB‐dependent manner, respectively. Taken together, the results suggest that mutual interactions between these factors may be pivotal not only in enhancing the osteomimicry and metastatic potential of PC cells, but also in bone remodeling and in shifting the balance from osteoclastogenesis towards osteoblastogenesis. (Cancer Sci 2009)
Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis and management of Warthin’s tumour of the salivary glands
Authors: Viguer J. M. , Vicandi B. , Jiménez‐Heffernan J. A. , López‐Ferrer P. , González‐Peramato P. , Castillo C.
Published: September 2009

J. M. Viguer, B. Vicandi, J. A. Jiménez‐Heffernan, P. López‐Ferrer, P. González‐Peramato and C. Castillo Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis and management of Warthin’s tumour of the salivary glands

Objective:  Local excision surgical procedures and non‐surgical conservative management are considered alternatives to superficial parotidectomy in the treatment and management of Warthin’s tumour (WT). Such therapeutic alternatives demand accurate diagnosis. In order to determine whether fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is capable of rendering such a minimally invasive diagnosis, we evaluated its accuracy and diagnostic parameters in a large series of histologically proven cases of WT.

Methods:  A cytohistological study of 116 salivary tumours from 110 patients (four WT were bilateral) with a histological or cytological diagnosis of WT.

Results:  Histology confirmed the cytological diagnosis in 103 of 114 tumours (90.4%). Two tumours were incorrectly diagnosed on cytology as WT. In 11 cases of WT there was an erroneous or non‐representative cytological diagnosis. The sensitivity was 90.4%, and positive predictive value 98.1%. Regarding malignancy, there were three misdiagnoses. One tumour diagnosed as WT was a low‐grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Two cases considered ‘suspicious of squamous cell carcinoma’ corresponded to WT. After review, 81.3% of the cases of WT were considered typical and 18.7% non‐typical; all misdiagnoses were in the latter group. Cytological difficulties could be divided into three areas: (i) absence of one or more diagnostic components; (ii) ‘squamoid’ pattern; and (iii) mucinous metaplasia. Degenerated oncocytes were present in 65% of cases.

Conclusions:  FNAC offers the possibility of a reliable diagnosis of WT. Pathologists must pay attention to the squamous appearance of degenerated oncocytes. Cytology, when coupled with clinical and image findings, may permit conservative tumour management.
The use of p63 as an effective immunomarker in the diagnosis of pulmonary squamous cell carcinomas on de‐stained bronchial lavage cytological smears
Authors: Uke M. , Rekhi B. , Ajit D. , Jambhekar N. A.
Published: September 2009

M. Uke, B. Rekhi, D. Ajit and N. A. Jambhekar The use of p63 as an effective immunomarker in the diagnosis of pulmonary squamous cell carcinomas on de‐stained bronchial lavage cytological smears

Objectives:  A diagnosis in pulmonary onco‐cytopathology primarily necessitates distinguishing small cell carcinoma (SCLC) from non‐small cell carcinoma (NSCLC), which includes squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Lately, p63 antibody has been used for distinguishing squamous cell carcinoma from SCLC and adenocarcinoma. We present an analysis of p63 expression in cytological smears from 100 bronchial lavage specimens comprising 51 cases of SCLC and 49 cases of NSCLC.

Methods:  A single Papanicolaou‐stained conventional smear was de‐stained and re‐fixed with cold acetone and methanol for immunocytochemical staining with p63 antibody. Staining results were graded as 0 (nil), 1+ (focal), 2+ (moderate, diffuse) and 3+ (strong, diffuse).

Results:  Out of 100 cases, 21 were cytologically diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. Twenty of these showed 2+ or 3+ p63 positivity, whereas one, which was adenocarcinoma on histology, showed 1+ staining. Of seven cases cytologically diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, six showed no p63 staining, whereas one, which was squamous cell carcinoma on histology, showed 1+ staining. All 48 cases cytologically diagnosed as SCLC were confirmed as such on histology and showed no p63 staining. Four cases were cytologically designated as poorly differentiated carcinomas, of which three showed no p63 staining and one showed 3+ staining. The former three were found to be SCLC on histology while the latter was squamous cell carcinoma. The remaining 20 cases were cytologically designated as NSCLC. Of these, eight showed no p63 staining, whereas 10 showed 1+ and two showed 2+ staining. The former eight were adenocarcinoma on histology and the latter two were squamous cell carcinoma. The 10 cases that showed 1+ p63 staining were adenocarcinomas (n = 5), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 4) and NSCLC, not otherwise specified (n = 1). Positive staining was seen in normal basal cells, which acted as an internal control. Overall sensitivity of p63 for squamous cell carcinoma was 100% and specificity was 90.4%.

Conclusions:  p63 immunostaining on processed cytology smears can be used to help identify squamous cell carcinoma. Its diffuse expression was specific for squamous cell carcinoma while focal staining was also seen in adenocarcinoma.
On the climate and weather of mountain and sub‐arctic lakes in Europe and their susceptibility to future climate change
Authors: THOMPSON R. , VENTURA M. , CAMARERO L.
Published: September 2009

1. The complex terrain and heterogeneous nature of the mountain environment coupled with remoteness from major centres of human activity makes mountains challenging locations for meteorological investigations. Mountainous areas tend to have more varied and more extreme weather than lowlands.

2. The EMERGE program has the primary aim of assessing the status of remote mountain and sub‐arctic lakes throughout Europe for the first time. In this study, we describe the main features of the climate, ice‐cover durations and recent temperature trends of these areas. The main weather characteristics of European mountain and sub‐arctic lakes are their cold temperatures and year‐round precipitation. Mean annual temperatures are generally close to 0 °C, and maximum summer temperatures reasonably close to 10 °C.

3. Maritime versus continental settings determine the main differences in annual‐temperature range among lake districts (10.5 °C in Scotland to 26.7 °C in Northern Finland), and a similar factor for ice‐cover duration. Radiation ranges from low (120 W m−2) in the high latitude sub‐arctic and high (237 W m−2) in the southern ranges of the Pyrenees and Rila. Similarly, precipitation is high in the main Alpine chain (250 cm year−1 in the Central Southern Alps) and low in the continental sub‐arctic (65 cm year−1 in Northern Finland).

4. The main temporal patterns in air temperature follow those of the adjacent lowlands. All the lake districts warmed during the last century. Spring temperature trends were highest in Finland; summer trends were weak everywhere; autumn trends were strongest in the west, in the Pyrenees and western Alps; while winter trends varied markedly, being high in the Pyrenees and Alps, low in Scotland and Norway and negative in Finland.

5. Two new, limnological case studies on Lake Redon, in the Pyrenees, highlight the sensitivity of remote lakes to projected changes in the global climate. These two case studies involve close linkages between extreme chemical‐precipitation events and synoptic wind‐patterns, and between thermocline behaviour and features of the large‐scale circulation.

6. Individual lakes can be ultra‐responsive to climate change. Even modest changes in future air temperatures will lead to major changes in lake temperatures and ice‐cover duration and hence probably affect their ecological status.
Biological activity of aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands in sediments from remote European lakes
Authors: BORONAT SUSANNA , GARCIA‐REYERO NATÀLIA , FONTS ROGER , FERNÁNDEZ PILAR , GRIMALT JOAN O. , PIÑA BENJAMIN
Published: September 2009

1. Sediment extracts from 63 European remote lakes were tested for the presence of ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), using a yeast‐based bioassay. The lakes belong to different European mountain regions in Central Norway, Scotland, Piedmont (Italy), Tyrol (Austria and Italy) and the Julian Alps (Slovenia).

2. AhR ligand activity varied about 40‐fold among the examined lakes, with Scotland having the highest proportion of lakes with high AhR ligand activity, whereas samples with low AhR ligand activity predominate in the Julian Alps.

3. AhR ligand activity in sediment samples correlated with the concentration of several environmentally relevant compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hexachlorobenzene and several polychlorobiphenyl ether congeners. These correlations suggest an anthropogenic origin for the detected AhR ligands, rather than being generated from natural processes.

4. We conclude that pollutants deposited in remote lakes by atmospheric processes are active AhR ligands at the concentrations found in these lakes. Given the high toxicity associated with ectopic activation of AhR in different animal systems, this activity may represent a significant risk for the exposed fauna.
Ecological thresholds in European alpine lakes
Authors: CATALAN JORDI , BARBIERI M. GRAZIA , BARTUMEUS FREDERIC , BITUŠÍK PETER , BOTEV IVAN , BRANCELJ ANTON , COGĂLNICEANU DAN , MANCA MARINA , MARCHETTO ALDO , OGNJANOVA‐RUMENOVA NADJA , PLA SERGI , RIERADEVALL MARIA , SORVARI SANNA , ŠTEFKOVÁ ELENA , STUCHLÍK EVŽEN , VENTURA MARC
Published: September 2009

1. Species assemblages of diatoms, rotifers, chydorids, planktonic crustaceans and chironomids were studied in 235 alpine lakes in the Alps, Pyrenees, Tatras (Western Carpathians), Retezat (Southern Carpathians) and Rila Mountains (Balkans).

2. For all taxonomic groups we found a hierarchical structure in the community assemblage using distinct scales of lake clustering (number ofk‐means groups) based on species composition similarity (Hellinger distance). We determined the optimal partition in assemblage types (i.e. number of lake clusters) for each taxonomic group by maximising the sum of the taxon indicative value (IndVal) and performed discriminant analyses, using environmental variables not conditioned by geographical patterns. Relevant environmental variables differed among and within taxonomic groups. Therefore the assemblages respond to a complex environmental mosaic, with the exception of diatom assemblages, which followed an acid–base gradient.

3. The significant environmental variables could be grouped into four general factors: lake size, tropho‐dynamic status, acid–base balance and ice‐cover duration (i.e., altitudinal gradient). Lake size was significant for the highest number of assemblage types; however, the most significant factor differed among taxonomic groups: acid–base balance for diatoms, lake size for rotifers, ice‐cover duration for chydorids and planktonic crustaceans and tropho‐dynamic status for chironomids. No single environmental typology accounted for the assemblage structure of all taxonomic groups.

4. However, defining ecological thresholds as values within environmental gradients at which the rate of change in assemblages is accelerated relative to points distant from that threshold, we were able to find specific threshold values for each of the four main general environmental factors identified, which were relevant across several taxonomic groups: 3 ha for lake area; 0.6 mg L−1for dissolved organic carbon; 190 days for ice‐cover duration and 200 μeq L−1for acid neutralising capacity. Above and below these values ecosystem organisation change substantially. They have direct applications in establishing lake typologies for environmental quality and biodiversity conservation programmes, and in improving predictions about global change impacts.
Trace elements in alpine and arctic lake sediments as a record of diffuse atmospheric contamination across Europe
Authors: CAMARERO L. , BOTEV I. , MURI G. , PSENNER R. , ROSE N. , STUCHLIK E.
Published: September 2009

1. We surveyed the distribution of several trace elements in contemporary and pre‐industrial sediment s in 275 lakes in alpine and arctic lake districts across Europe including the Pyrenees, Alps, the Rila Mountains, Retezat, Julian Alps, Tatras, Scottish mountains, Central Norway and Greenland.

2. Sediment cores were collected at the deepest part of each lake and analysed at two depths (surface sediment and at 15–17 cm depth) for Ti, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, As, Hg and Se.

3. The concentrations of trace elements found in the lakes included in the survey are comparable to those reported in aquatic sediments receiving higher contamination loads. With the exception of Greenland, a large percentage of lakes showed enrichment factors for most elements well above 1.5, indicating atmospheric contamination. The influence of contamination has increased the co‐distribution of trace elements in sediments, with the exception of As.

4. Pb is the element that shows the highest contamination level at the European scale, followed by Hg and As. Zn, Cd, Cu and Se contamination is detectable to a lower degree.

5. The Tatra Mountains and Scotland seem to be most affected. Natural mechanisms leading to the formation of highly organic, metal‐binding sediments may be the cause of the high levels in Scotland, whereas those in the Tatras appear to be due to elevated deposition.

6. The Retezat and Central Norway appear to be least polluted.

7. In the Alps, enrichments in Pb, Hg and Zn are higher in southern than in central areas suggesting a flux of these pollutants from the south. In the Pyrenees, the high natural levels of As are remarkable. Metal enrichments in the Rila Mountains are comparable to those in the Tatras, but concentrations are much lower.

8. In general terms, the increase in trace elements in modern with respect to pre‐industrial sediments reflects the history of a long range contamination affecting the remotest locations in Europe.
Similar breakdown rates and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages on native and Eucalyptus globulus leaf litter in Californian streams
Authors: LAĆAN IGOR , RESH VINCENT H. , McBRIDE JOE R.
Published: September 2009

1. Eucalyptus globulus, a tree species planted worldwide in many riparian zones, has been reported to affect benthic macroinvertebrates negatively. Although there is no consensus about the effects of Eucalyptus on aquatic macrobenthos, its removal is sometimes proposed as a means of ecological restoration.

2. We combined the sampling of macroinvertebrates with measurement of the colonisation of leaf packs in mesh bags, to examine the effects of riparian Eucalyptus and its litter on benthic macroinvertebrates in three small streams in California, U.S.A. Each stream included one reach bordered by Eucalyptus (E‐site) and a second bordered by native vegetation (N‐site).

3. The macrobenthos was sampled and two sets of litter bags were deployed at each site: one set with Eucalyptus litter (Euc‐bags) and one with mixed native tree litter (Nat‐bags) containing Quercus, Umbellularia, Acer and Alnus. Bags were exposed for 28, 56 and 90 days and this experiment was repeated in the autumn, winter and spring to account for effects of changing stream flow and insect phenology.

4. Litter input (average dry mass: 950 g m−2 year−1 in E‐sites versus 669 g m−2 year−1 in N‐sites) was similar, although in‐stream litter composition differed between E‐ and N‐sites. Litter broke down at similar rates in Euc‐bags and Nat‐bags (0.0193 day−1 versus 0.0134 day−1), perhaps reflecting the refractory nature of some of the leaves of the native trees (Quercus agrifolia).

5. Summary metrics for macroinvertebrates (taxon richness, Shannon diversity, pollution tolerance index) did not differ significantly between the E and N sites, or between Euc‐bags and Nat‐bags. No effect of exposure time or site was detected by ordination of the taxa sampled. However, distinct seasonal ordination clusters were observed in winter, spring and autumn, and one of the three streams formed a separate cluster.

6. The presence of Eucalyptus was less important in explaining the taxonomic composition of the macrobenthos than either ‘season’ or ‘stream’. Similarly, these same two factors (but not litter species) also helped explain the variation in leaf breakdown. We conclude that patches of riparian Eucalyptus and its litter have little effect on stream macrobenthos in this region.
Utilization of semi‐natural grassland through integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass. II. Effects of hydrothermal conditioning and mechanical dehydration on anaerobic digestion of press fluids
Authors: Richter F. , Graß R. , Fricke T. , Zerr W. , Wachendorf M.
Published: September 2009

A procedure (Integrated Generation of Solid Fuel and Biogas from Biomass, IFBB) was developed which uses a screw press to separate the readily digestible constituents of mature grassland biomass into a press fluid for conversion into biogas and a fibrous press cake for processing into a solid fuel. Effects of mechanical dehydration and prior hydrothermal conditioning at different temperatures (5, 60 and 80°C) on concentrations of organic compounds in the press fluid and on methane production in batch experiments were evaluated for five semi‐natural grasslands typical of mountain areas of Germany. Results show that the crude protein concentration of the press fluids was higher and crude fibre concentration was lower than that of the parent material (herbage conserved as silage). Digestion tests in batch fermenters showed that the methane yield of the press fluids was double [397–426 normal litre (NL) kg−1 volatile solids (VS) after 13 d] that of the whole‐crop grassland silage (218 NL kg−1 VS after 27 d) but no consistent effect of higher temperature during conditioning was observed. Within 13 d of fermentation the decomposition of the organic matter (OM) that occurred in the press fluids was 0·90, whereas after 27 d of fermentation more than 0·40 of the OM remained undigested in the whole‐crop silage, pointing at a marked reduction in retention time for anaerobic digestion of press fluids in continuous systems. Press fluids produced 0·90 of the maximum methane yield after 4 to 7 d compared with 19 days for the whole‐crop silage.
Interleukin‐10 and interferon‐γ modulate surface expression of fractalkine‐receptor (CX3CR1) via PI3K in monocytes
Authors: Ramos María V. , Fernández Gabriela C. , Brando Romina J. Fernández , Panek Cecilia A. , Bentancor Leticia V. , Landoni Verónica I. , Isturiz Martín A. , Palermo Marina S.
Published: September 2009

The membrane‐anchored form of the chemokine fractalkine (CX3CL1) has been identified as a novel adhesion molecule that interacts with its specific receptor (CX3CR1) expressed in monocytes, T cells and natural killer cells to induce adhesion. In addition, CX3CL1 can be cleaved from the cell membrane to induce chemotaxis of CX3CR1‐expressing leucocytes. Recently, marked variations in CX3CR1 monocyte expression have been observed during several pathological conditions. Regulation of CX3CR1 in monocytes during basal or inflammatory/anti‐inflammatory conditions is poorly understood. The aim of this study was therefore to examine CX3CR1 expression during monocyte maturation and the effect of soluble mediators on this process. We found that basal expression of CX3CR1 in fresh monocytes was reduced during culture, and that lipopolysacchairde accelerated this effect. In contrast, interleukin‐10 and interferon‐γ treatment abrogated CX3CR1 down‐modulation, through a phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase‐dependent pathway. Most importantly, CX3CR1 membrane expression correlated with monocyte CX3CL1‐dependent function. Taken together, our data demonstrate that CX3CR1 expression in monocytes can be modulated, and suggest that alterations in their environment are able to influence CX3CL1‐dependent functions, such as chemotaxis and adhesion, leading to changes in the kinetics, composition and/or functional status of the leucocyte infiltrate.
Men’s and carers’ experiences of care for prostate cancer: a narrative literature review
Authors: Sinfield Paul , Baker Richard , Camosso‐Stefinovic Janette , Colman Andrew M. , Tarrant Carolyn , Mellon John K. , Steward William , Kockelbergh Roger , Agarwal Shona
Published: September 2009

Objective  To review studies of patients’ and carers’ experience of prostate cancer care.

Design  Narrative literature review.

Methods  Search strategies were developed for the following databases: MEDLINE (1966–2006), EMBASE (1980–2006), CINAHL (1982–2006) and PsycINFO (1987–2006). A search of SIGLE (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe) was also undertaken. Experience was defined as patients’ and carers’ reports of how care was organized and delivered to meet their needs. A narrative summary of the included papers was undertaken.

Results  A total of 90 relevant studies were identified. Most studies reported on experiences of screening, diagnosis, the treatment decision, treatment and post‐initial treatment. Few studies reported on experiences of the stages of referral, testing, and further treatment and palliative care, and no studies reported on monitoring or terminal care.

Conclusions  Although some phases of care have not been investigated in detail, there is evidence that: (i) many patients have a low level of knowledge of prostate cancer; (ii) patients with prostate cancer and their carers need information throughout the care pathway to enable them to understand the diagnosis, treatment options, self‐care and support available; and (iii) increasing patient knowledge and understanding of prostate cancer (e.g. through interventions) are often associated with a more active role in decision making (e.g. screening, treatment decision).
Desloratadine relieves nasal congestion and improves quality‐of‐life in persistent allergic rhinitis
Authors: Holmberg K. , Tonnel A.‐B. , Dreyfus I. , Olsson P. , Cougnard J. , Mesbah K. , Devillier P.
Published: September 2009

Background:  Symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR), particularly nasal congestion, can impair quality‐of‐life (QoL). However, only a modest correlation exists between these symptoms and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores, suggesting that both be evaluated for a complete assessment of health.

Methods:  Subjects with a ≥2‐year history of moderate‐to‐severe AR to dust mite or cat dander were randomized to desloratadine 5 mg/day (n = 293) or placebo/day (n = 291) for 28 days. Primary endpoint was change from baseline in a.m./p.m. nasal congestion score. Secondary outcomes included change from baseline in total nasal symptom score, individual symptom scores and RQLQ scores (completed on days 1, 7, and 28).

Results:  The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma criteria for persistent allergic rhinitis (PER) were fulfilled by 99% of subjects in the placebo arm. Between‐treatment difference in a.m./p.m. nasal congestion score, observed from day 8 onward, significantly favored desloratadine (P = 0.0003). Desloratadine significantly improved a.m./p.m. nasal congestion and RQLQ scores after 1 week and at treatment end (P < 0.05). Improvements in 5 of 7 RQLQ domain scores exceeded the minimal important difference. On days 7 and 28, desloratadine was also significantly superior to placebo in mean change from baseline in a.m./p.m. total nasal symptom score and rhinorrhea score (both P ≤ 0.01). Symptomatic benefit was primarily driven by improvement in nasal congestion and rhinorrhea.

Conclusions:  Desloratadine 5 mg/day significantly improved symptoms associated with PER, including nasal congestion, and provided significant improvement in QoL after 1 week of treatment.