bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative morphology of the adductor mandibulae musculature of notothenioid fishes (Pisces, Perciformes)
Authors: IWAMI TETSUO
Published: February 2004

The jaw musculature of notothenioid fishes is described and compared based on a total of 38 species referred to eight families of the suborder Notothenioidei. In the Notothenioidei, the adductor mandibulae, the largest and most conspicuous of the cranial muscles, is generally composed of sections A1, A2, A3 and Aw as in the generalized percoids. The morphology of the adductor mandibulae is similar in most notothenioid families except the Nototheniidae and Bathydraconidae. Notothenia, Paranotothenia and Dissostichus are clearly distinguished from the other nototheniid genera in having A3. Gymnodraco of the Bathydraconidae has a fused A1-A2 complex and the anterior element is segmented by a tendinous intersection from the A1-A2 complex. These features are unique to Gymnodraco and not seen in other bathydraconids. The Harpagiferidae and Artedidraconidae share the same apomorphy, the presence of A1β, with the Nototheniidae and have no synapomorphies with the Bathydraconidae and Channichthyidae. The character distribution, however, shows some inconsistencies with the previous classifications. Based on the limited evidence obtained in this study, the Notothenioidei can be divided into six groups and it seems reasonable to suggest a review of the current classification of the Nototheniidae.
The gene for the heat-shock protein 70 of Euplotes focardii, an Antarctic psychrophilic ciliate
Authors: LA TERZA ANTONIETTA , MICELI CRISTINA , LUPORINI PIERANGELO
Published: February 2004

In the Antarctic ciliate, Euplotes focardii, the heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) gene does not show any appreciable activation by a thermal stress. Yet, it is activated to appreciable transcriptional levels by oxidative and chemical stresses, thus implying that it evolved a mechanism of selective, stress-specific response. A basic step in investigating this mechanism is the determination of the complete nucleotide sequence of the E. focardii Hsp70 gene. This gene contains a coding region specific for an Hsp70 protein that carries unique amino acid substitutions of potential significance for cold adaptation, and a 5' regulatory region that includes sequence motifs denoting two distinct types of stress-inducible promoters, known as “Heat Shock Elements” (HSE) and “Stress Response Elements” (StRE). From the study of the interactions of these regulatory elements with their specific transactivator factors we expect to shed light on the adaptive modifications that prevent the Hsp70 gene of E. focardii from responding to thermal stress while being responsive to other stresses.
Molecular phylogeny and divergence time of the Antarctic sea urchin (Sterechinus neumayeri) in relation to the South American sea urchins
Authors: LEE YOUN-HO , SONG MIWHA , LEE SANGHOON , LEON ROXANA , GODOY SYLVIA O. , CANETE IVAN
Published: February 2004

Sterechinus neumayeri is an abundant regular sea urchin that lives in the shallow Antarctic waters. This organism has been used as a model system in many fields of the Antarctic biology. Yet, understanding of the evolutionary identity of the species, such as its phylogenetic relationships and divergence time, remains limited. Here, we reconstructed the molecular phylogenies of the species together with two sea urchin species in southernmost South America (Loxechinus albus and Pseudechinus magellanicus), a parechinid species (Paracentrotus lividus) and three strongylocentrotid species (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. intermedius, and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus) using mitochondrial DNA sequences of 12S rDNA-tRNA(gln) region (877nt) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI, 1079nt). The rate of sequence evolution and the divergence time of the species were then estimated from the trees. The phylogenetic trees reveal that S. neumayeri is a sister group to the lineage of L. albus and P. lividus, and separated from the lineage 24–35 million years ago (m.y.a.). The divergence between S. neumayeri and L. albus coincides with the separation of Antarctica from South America, suggesting that the tectonic event must have provoked the cladogenesis of the species through vicariance.
Estimating divergence times of notothenioid fishes using a fossil-calibrated molecular clock
Authors: NEAR THOMAS J.
Published: February 2004

Hypotheses concerning the diversification of notothenioid fishes have relied extensively on estimates of divergence times using molecular clock methods. The timing of diversification of the cold adapted antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP)-bearing Antarctic notothenioid clade in the middle to late Miocene has been correlated with the onset of polar climatic conditions along the Antarctic Continental Shelf. Critical examination of the previous molecular clock analyses of notothenioids reveals several problems associated with heterogeneity of nucleotide substitution rates among lineages, the application of potentially inappropriate nucleotide substitution rates, and the lack of confidence intervals for divergence time estimates. In this study, the notothenioid partial gene mtDNA 12S-16S rRNA (PG-rRNA) molecular clock was reanalysed using a tree-based maximum likelihood strategy that attempts to account for rate heterogeneity of nucleotide substitution rates among lineages using the penalized likelihood method, and bootstrap resampling to estimate confidence intervals of divergence time estimates. The molecular clock was calibrated using the notothenioid fossil Proeleginops grandeastmanorum. Divergence time estimates for all nodes in the PG-rRNA maximum likelihood tree were substantially older than previous estimates. In particular, the estimated age of the AFGP-bearing Antarctic notothenioid clade predates the onset of extensive sea ice and development of polar conditions by at least 10 million years. Despite caveats involving the fossil calibration and limitations of the PG-rRNA dataset, these divergence time estimates provide initial observations for the development of a novel model of the diversification of cold adapted Antarctic notothenioid fishes.
Investigations on Trematomus bernacchi immunoglobulins at gene and protein level
Authors: ORESTE UMBERTO , COSCIA MARIA ROSARIA
Published: February 2004

To study how teleosts have modified their immunoglobulin structures to adapt to the Antarctic environment, we investigated Trematomus bernacchii IgM at protein and gene levels. Serum IgM was purified, characterized and quantified. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of IgL and IgH were determined. Upon comparison with other teleosts, T. bernacchii IgH showed a higher hydrophilic character and the presence of two remarkable insertions, probably increasing the flexibility of the molecule. To investigate the amplitude of the antibody repertoire, a VH library was constructed. The analysis of rearranged VH/D/JH transcripts revealed a high occurrence of the RGYW motif and a clear bias in the usage of serine codons. Diversity generated by insertions/deletions occurred more often than in other species. VH sequences fell into only two gene families referred to as Trbe VH I and Trbe VH II. The deduced amino acid sequence of the membrane region was found to be the longest and an F/Y substitution was observed at a highly conserved position. Models of the transmembrane helices of T. bernacchii and other teleost Ig were constructed by molecular dynamics. Finally, the analysis of the antibody specificity revealed the presence of antibodies specific to the proteins of nematode parasites.
In search of notothenioid (Teleostei) relatives
Authors: DETTAÏ AGNÈS , LECOINTRE GUILLAUME
Published: February 2004

Ninety-five percent of the fish species known from the Antarctic continental shelf and upper slope are acanthomorphs, i.e. spiny teleosteans. Notothenioids (suborder Notothenioidei) are acanthomorphs and so is their sister group. Unfortunately, until recently acanthomorph intra-relationships were so poorly known that it was necessary to sample all of this diversity just to search for a single sister group relationship. Using recent advances in acanthomorph molecular phylogenetics, particular properties of separate analyses and a new protocol of dataset combination, we identified a clade that contains the sister group of notothenioids, the Percidae (perches), and a number of relatives. Among these relatives are the Serranidae (sea basses), the genera Trachinus (weeverfish), Chelidonichthys (gurnard), Scorpaena (scorpionfish), and a group composed of the Zoarcoidei (eelpouts) and the Cottoidei (sculpins) with the Gasterosteidae (sticklebacks) as their sister group. Interestingly, that clade contains 88% of the fish species found on the Antarctic continental shelf and upper slope. The interrelationships of its components and their distribution show that the Antarctic benthic fish fauna has at least three origins.
Stress‐induced, time‐dependent fracture closure at hydrothermal conditions
Authors: Beeler N. M. , Hickman S. H.
Published: February 2004

Time‐dependent closure of fractures in quartz was measured in situ at 22–530°C temperature and 0.1–150 MPa water pressure. Unlike previous crack healing and rock permeability studies, in this study, fracture aperture is monitored directly and continuously using a windowed pressure vessel, a long‐working‐distance microscope, and reflected‐light interferometry. Thus the fracture volume and geometry can be measured as a function of time, temperature, and water pressure. Relatively uniform closure occurs rapidly at temperatures and pressures where quartz becomes significantly soluble in water. During closure the aperture is reduced by as much as 80% in a few hours. We infer that this closure results from the dissolution of small particles or asperities that prop the fracture open. The driving force for closure via dissolution of the prop is the sum of three chemical potential terms: (1) the dissolution potential, proportional to the logarithm of the degree of undersaturation of the solution; (2) the coarsening potential, proportional to the radius of curvature of the prop; and (3) the pressure solution potential, proportional to the effective normal stress at the contact between propping particles and the fracture wall. Our observations suggest that closure is controlled by a pressure solution‐like process. The aperture of dilatant fractures and microcracks in the Earth that are similar to those in our experiments, such as ones generated from thermal stressing or brittle failure during earthquake rupture and slip, will decrease rapidly with time, especially if the macroscopic stress is nonhydrostatic.
Temporal properties of intense GPS L1 amplitude scintillations at midlatitudes
Authors: Ledvina B. M. , Kintner P. M. , Makela J. J.
Published: February 2004

The first observations of large‐amplitude GPS L1 amplitude scintillations in the midlatitude ionosphere were made on 25–26 September 2001. The scintillations, which were intense at times (≥20dB, S4 ≈ 0.8), occurred during the main phase of a moderate geomagnetic storm (Dst = −100 nT) when a storm‐enhanced density (SED) event coupled with a broad and structured ionospheric trough occurred over the eastern United States. The preliminary results, using a modified single‐frequency GPS receiver and a dual‐frequency (L1/L2) GPS receiver and measuring total electron content at Cornell University (53.2°N magnetic latitude), have been published previously. In this effort we examine the scintillation autocorrelation functions using data from the fast sampling (50 Hz) single‐frequency GPS receiver. The intention is to derive a measure of the scintillation pattern velocity which can be estimated from the Fresnel radius and the width of the autocorrelation function. We show that a minimum in the autocorrelation function width, corresponding to a maximum in the velocity, is located near the equatorward boundary of a broad trough. We also demonstrate that estimates of the scintillation pattern velocity are consistent with other measures of ionospheric drift in midlatitude storm time convection. In at least two of the GPS signals the inferred velocity has narrow peaks of several hundred meters per second, characteristic of subauroral ionospheric drifts (SAID) and perhaps driven by plasma pressure gradients in the inner magnetosphere. This presentation, along with the paper by Ledvina et al. [2002], strongly demonstrate that the SED and associated SAID can cause debilitating scintillation levels for GPS receivers.
Ionospheric response to the solar flare of 14 July 2000
Authors: Dymond K. F. , Budzien S. A. , Nicholas A. C. , Thonnard S. E. , McCoy R. P. , Thomas R. J. , Huba J. D. , Joyce G.
Published: February 2004

We present our observations of the global ionospheric response to the X‐class solar flare that started the Bastille Day storm on 14 June 2000. The observations were made using the Low‐Resolution Airglow and Aurora Spectrograph (LORAAS) instrument on the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS). The ARGOS is in a Sun‐synchronous orbit at 0230/1430 LT at approximately 840 km altitude. During the daytime the LORAAS observes the 911‐Å emission; this emission is produced by radiative recombination of F region O+ and electrons. We simultaneously invert approximately one‐half of an orbit of 911‐Å limb scans (approximately 30–45 min of observing) using a tomographic inversion technique to produce dayside electron density maps in the orbit plane. We compare our observations of orbits immediately before and after the flare to the orbit in which the flare occurred. We observed a 41% increase in the average 911‐Å brightness during the flare orbit compared to the orbits before and after the flare. This corresponds to an overall increase of electron density by ∼20%. This density enhancement has largely decayed by the next orbit. At altitudes near the F region peak, 250–450 km, the density enhancement has decayed to the preflare value. An enhancement of the electron densities at approximately −50° geomagnetic latitude has moved northward in the flare orbit, which may be indicative of enhanced meridional transport postflare. We compared our results to output from the SAMI‐2 model, which was run for the flare study presents in the work of Meier et al. [2002].
Arctic ozone loss and climate change
Authors: Rex M. , Salawitch R. J. , von der Gathen P. , Harris N. R. P. , Chipperfield M. P. , Naujokat B.
Published: February 2004

We report the first empirical quantification of the relation between winter‐spring loss of Arctic ozone and changes in stratospheric climate. Our observations show that ∼15 DU additional loss of column ozone can be expected per Kelvin cooling of the Arctic lower stratosphere, an impact nearly three times larger than current model simulations suggest. We show that stratospheric climate conditions became significantly more favorable for large Arctic ozone losses over the past four decades; i.e., the maximum potential for formation of polar stratospheric clouds increased steadily by a factor of three. Severe Arctic ozone loss during the past decade occurred as a result of the combined effect of this long‐term climate change and the anthropogenic increase in stratospheric halogens.
Along‐strike variations in underthrust sediment dewatering on the Nicoya margin, Costa Rica related to the updip limit of seismicity
Authors: Spinelli Glenn A. , Saffer Demian M.
Published: February 2004

Along the Costa Rican subduction zone offshore the Nicoya peninsula, an offset in the updip limit of seismicity coincides with a transition between subduction of warm crust generated at the Cocos‐Nazca Spreading Center and cool crust formed at the East Pacific Rise. We evaluate whether the observed difference in thermal state of incoming crust would result in significant differences in sediment dehydration reaction progress along strike, thought to be a control on the updip limit of seismicity. We combine thermal models with models of dehydration reaction kinetics for opal and smectite to estimate the distribution of diagenetic fluid sources. The modeled distribution of diagenetic fluid sources mimics the pattern of the updip limit of seismicity; seismicity begins ∼15–20 km landward of most of the smectite‐to‐illite transition. This suggests that the location of the updip limit of seismicity may be influenced by the dissipation of fluid overpressures landward of smectite‐to‐illite dehydration.
Equation of state and phase stability of mantle perovskite up to 140 GPa shock pressure and its geophysical implications
Authors: Gong Zizheng , Fei Yingwei , Dai Fu , Zhang Li , Jing Fuqian
Published: February 2004

We performed shock wave experiments on a natural pyroxene with chemical composition close to (Mg0.92, Fe0.08)SiO3 and initial density of 3.06 g/cm3, between 48 and 140 GPa. The relationship of shock wave velocity us and particle velocity up can been described linearly by us = 3.76(±0.24) + 1.48(±0.07) up (km/s). The model Hugoniot for the assemblage of (Mg0.92, Fe0.08)O (Mw) + SiO2(St) is significantly different from the experimental data, excluding the possibility of chemical decomposition of perovskite to oxides during the shock compression. The Grüneisen parameter γ obtained by fitting the experimental data can be expressed by γ = γ0 (ρ0/ρ)q, where γ0 = 1.84(2) and q = 1.69(3). Using the third‐order Birch‐Murnaghan finite strain equation of state, the shock experimental data yield a zero‐pressure bulk modulus K0s = 260.1(9) GPa and its pressure derivative K′0s = 4.18(4), with ρ0 = 4.19 g/cm3. A comparison of the experimental Hugoniot densities of perovskite with the PREM density profile prefers a perovskite‐dominant lower mantle model.
Shear wave splitting and waveform complexity for lowermost mantle structures with low‐velocity lamellae and transverse isotropy
Authors: Moore Melissa M. , Garnero Edward J. , Lay Thorne , Williams Quentin
Published: February 2004

Shear waves that traverse the lowermost mantle exhibit polarization anomalies and waveform complexities that indicate the presence of complex velocity structure above the core‐mantle boundary. Synthetic seismograms for horizontally and vertically polarized shear waves (SH and SV, respectively) are computed using the reflectivity method for structures with low‐velocity sheets (“lamellae”), and for comb‐like models approximating long wavelength vertical transverse isotropy (VTI). Motivated by evidence for partial melt in the deep mantle, lamella parameter ranges include (1) δVP from −5 to −10%, δVS = 3δVP; (2) 100 to 300 km thickness of vertical stacks of lamella; (3) lamella spacing and thickness varying from 0.5 to 20 km; and (4) lamellae concentrated near the top, bottom, or throughout the D″ region at the base of the mantle. Such lamellae represent, in effect, horizontally emplaced dikes within D″. Excessively complex waveforms are produced when more than ∼20% of D″ volume is comprised of low‐velocity lamellae. Many lamellae models can match observed Sdiff splitting (1–10 s delays of SVdiff), but typically underpredict ScS splitting (1–4 s delays of ScSV). VTI model parameters are selected to address D″ observations, and include (1) 0.5 to 3% anisotropy; (2) discontinuous D″ shear velocity increases up to 3%; (3) D″ thicknesses from 100 to 300 km; and (4) VTI concentrated at the top, bottom, or throughout D″. VTI models readily match observed splits of ScS and Sdiff. We discuss lamellae and VTI model attributes in relationship to waveform complexities, splitting magnitude, triplications from a high‐velocity D″ discontinuity, and apparently reversed polarity SVdiff onsets. The possible presence of melt‐filled lamellae indicates that local chemical or thermal perturbations can produce regions that exceed the solidus within D″. Such melt could occur in the bulk of D″ because the melt is either close to neutral buoyancy, advective velocities exceed percolative velocities, or both.
Continuous GPS measurements of postglacial adjustment in Fennoscandia: 2. Modeling results
Authors: Milne Glenn A. , Mitrovica Jerry X. , Scherneck Hans‐Georg , Davis James L. , Johansson Jan M. , Koivula Hannu , Vermeer Martin
Published: February 2004

Data collected under the auspices of the BIFROST GPS project yield a geographically dense suite of estimates of present‐day, three‐dimensional (3‐D) crustal deformation rates in Fennoscandia [Johansson et al., 2002]. A preliminary forward analysis of these estimates [Milne et al., 2001] has indicated that models of ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) in response to the final deglaciation event of the current ice age are able to provide an excellent fit to the observed 3‐D velocity field. In this study we revisit our previous GIA analysis by considering a more extensive suite of forward calculations and by performing the first formal joint inversion of the BIFROST rate estimates. To establish insight into the physics of the GIA response in the region, we begin by decomposing a forward prediction into the three contributions associated with the ice, ocean, and rotational forcings. From this analysis we demonstrate that recent advances in postglacial sea level theory, in particular the inclusion of rotational effects and improvements in the treatment of the ocean load in the vicinity of an evolving continental margin, involve peak signals that are larger than the observational uncertainties in the BIFROST network. The forward analysis is completed by presenting predictions for a pair of Fennoscandian ice histories and an extensive suite of viscoelastic Earth models. The former indicates that the BIFROST data set provides a powerful discriminant of such histories. The latter yields bounds on the (assumed constant) upper and lower mantle viscosity (νUM, νLM); specifically, we derive a 95% confidence interval of 5 × 1020 ≤ νUM ≤ 1021 Pa s and 5 × 1021 ≤ νLM ≤ 5 × 1022 Pa s, with some preference for (elastic) lithospheric thickness in excess of 100 km. The main goal of the (Bayesian) inverse analysis is to estimate the radial resolving power of the BIFROST GPS data as a function of depth in the mantle. Assuming a reasonably accurate ice history, we demonstrate that this resolving power varies from ∼200 km near the base of the upper mantle to ∼700 km in the top portion of the lower mantle. We conclude that the BIFROST data are able to resolve structure on radial length scale significantly smaller than a single upper mantle layer. However, these data provide little constraint on viscosity in the bottom half of the mantle. Finally, elements of both the forward and inverse analyses indicate that radial and horizontal velocity estimates provide distinct constraints on mantle viscosity.
Deep seismic imaging of the eastern Nankai trough, Japan, from multifold ocean bottom seismometer data by combined travel time tomography and prestack depth migration
Authors: Dessa J.‐X. , Operto S. , Kodaira S. , Nakanishi A. , Pascal G. , Uhira K. , Kaneda Y.
Published: February 2004

The easternmost segment of the Nankai trough remained unruptured during the 1944 and 1946 earthquakes that affected the rest of the trench. It is therefore a zone of seismic gap that also undergoes a peculiar tectonic regime due to its proximity with the Izu collision zone. We investigate this area with densely sampled active seismic data. One hundred ocean bottom seismometers, spaced only 1 km apart, were deployed along a line perpendicular to the trough. A two‐step tomographic approach, designed for this type of acquisition, is applied: first, a long‐wavelength velocity model is built by a linearized inversion of first arrival travel times, its resolution is assessed, and its reliability is confirmed through a semiglobal approach in which a large range of starting models is tested; second, this tomographic model is used to exploit late reflected arrivals with a prestack depth migration, the result of which is validated by classically modeling refraction and reflection travel times in the derived structural model. Thus both velocities and discontinuities are mapped in our model with a minimum of data interpretation and a priori knowledge. Our results bring new insights on the deep crustal zones of the margin and its evolution. The existence of presently inactivated major thrusts is very clearly evidenced in the backstop. A general timing for its evolution and deformation is proposed. Farther seaward, the presence of a subducted ridge beneath the accretionary wedge is confirmed. Its compressive structure and origin are demonstrated. It exhibits a thickened lower crust which nature is discussed. Besides, strong analogies between this “Paleo‐Zenisu” subducting ridge and the Zenisu ridge, observed farther south, are also emphasized, bringing evidences for a steady state crustal deformation pattern.
Retrieval and analysis of stratospheric NO2 from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment
Authors: Wenig M. , Kühl S. , Beirle S. , Bucsela E. , Jähne B. , Platt U. , Gleason J. , Wagner T.
Published: February 2004

We describe the retrieval of stratospheric NO2 vertical column densities from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) aboard the ERS‐2 satellite. Different differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) evaluations are compared in order to investigate uncertainties caused by the diffuser plate. An improved version of our algorithm to separate the tropospheric and stratospheric fraction of NO2 from GOME satellite data is described and is used to extract a long term data set of stratospheric NO2 (1996–2000). In addition, the average seasonal variation in the global distribution is determined, which allows us to monitor and investigate specific aspects of stratospheric chemistry, in particular the interhemispheric comparison of stratospheric NO2. In contrast to other satellite observations (e.g., SAGE II, OSIRIS), GOME observations of stratospheric NO2 include the lower stratosphere. In general, our observations are in agreement with previous measurements and confirm the current knowledge of stratospheric nitrogen chemistry.
Retrieving profiles of atmospheric CO2 in clear sky and in the presence of thin cloud using spectroscopy from the near and thermal infrared: A preliminary case study
Authors: Christi M. J. , Stephens G. L.
Published: February 2004

The benefits and limitations of retrieving a typical source profile of CO2 in the lower atmosphere employing high‐resolution measurements from the 1.6 μm region in the near infrared (NIR) and moderate‐resolution measurements from the thermal infrared (IR) are explored for clear‐sky scenarios as well as scenarios containing thin cloud. With respect to CO2 column‐average values, the results of this study show that all errors in CO2 column‐average values were 1 ppmv or less for the cases considered. Retrievals using measurements from the NIR alone slightly outperformed those using measurements from the IR alone provided that atmospheric scatterers were properly constrained. It was also found that IR and NIR measurements complement one another in retrieving column CO2 and potentially provide better retrievals than using either set of measurements alone. With respect to CO2 surface values, the preliminary retrieved CO2 profiles show the NIR measurements are the clear winner due to the fact that the NIR obtains its CO2 information from the lower troposphere as opposed to the IR measurements which obtains its CO2 information from the mid and upper troposphere. However, measurements in addition to the NIR measurements (such as provided by the O2 A‐band or by lidar) would be required to assist in constraining unwanted scattering.
Mycotic keratitis: profile of Fusarium species and their mycotoxins
Authors: Naiker S. , Odhav B.
Published: February 2004

In this study, Fusarium species isolated from 29 patients with mycotic keratitis were identified and tested for their ability to produce mycotoxins. Members of the F. solani species complex (Fs complex) were the predominant species isolated, followed by F. verticillioides, F. dimerum, members of the F. oxysporum species complex Fo complex), F. incarnatum, F. chlamydosporum and F. lateritium. Of these, 76% of the Fusarium isolates produced fusaric acid, moniliformin or fumonisin B1. Many of the fusaria isolated are common aetiological agents of mycotic keratitis infections. However, F. incarnatum, F. chlamydosporum and F. lateritium have previously not been found in this infection. These findings indicate that a greater variety of fusarial species are becoming associated with mycotic keratitis infections. This paper further demonstrates the mycotoxin‐producing ability of these clinical isolates and assesses cellular cytotoxicity.
Incidence of systemic mycoses in autopsy material
Authors: Koch S. , Höhne F.‐M. , Tietz H.‐J.
Published: February 2004

The incidence of systemic mycoses was investigated in the autopsy material of the Institute of Pathology of the Humaine Hospital in Bad Saarow, Germany. This hospital provides qualified standard care in east Brandenburg with a wide spectrum of medical disciplines caring for patients with acute medical conditions as well as oncological cases (660 beds). Between 1973 and 2001, 47 systemic mycoses were diagnosed in 4813 autopsies of deceased adults, corresponding to 0.98%. During the period of investigation, both the care provided by the hospital and the organization of the health service changed. The autopsy frequency fell from about 80% (1973–1991) to about 28% (1992–2001). This is thus still far higher than the average of about 3% assumed for the Federal Republic of Germany. Although the incidence of systemic mycoses increased during the entire 29‐year period of investigation, the number of cases in whom this was the immediate cause of death decreased. Whereas candidoses predominated from 1973 to 1991, a shift in favor of aspergilloses was noticed in the period from 1992 to 2001. Systemic mycosis was diagnosed intravitally in only three of 47 cases. The present study therefore underscores the significance of clinical autopsy as a diagnostic method and means of medical quality control.
Surgical treatment of multiple skull abscesses associated with coccidioidomycosis
Authors: Baddley J. W. , Cobbs C. S. , Pappas P. G.
Published: February 2004

This case emphasizes that aggressive neurosurgical management may benefit patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis and skull abscesses. Disseminated infection due to Coccidioides immitis, the causative agent of coccidioidomycosis, is difficult to treat and often requires prolonged antifungal therapy in addition to surgical debridement. We present a case of a young woman with disseminated coccidioidomycosis who had multiple skull lesions, two of which penetrated the skull and invaded the subgaleal and epidural spaces. Despite prolonged aggressive medical management, these lesions failed to resolve until they were surgically drained.
Phylogeography of the circumpolar Paranoplocephala arctica species complex (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) parasitizing collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx spp.)
Authors: Wickström L. M. , Haukisalmi V. , Varis S. , Hantula J. , Fedorov V. B. , Henttonen H.
Published: February 2004

The Paranoplocephla arctica complex (Cyclophyllidea, Anoplocephalidae), host‐specific cestodes of collared lemmings Dicrostonyx, include two morphospecies P. arctica and P. alternata, whose taxonomical status now must be considered ambiguous. The genetic population structure and phylogeography of the P. arctica complex was studied from 83 individuals sampled throughout the Holarctic distribution range using 600 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) phylogeny divides the species complex into one main Nearctic and one main Palaearctic phylogroup, corresponding to the main phylogenetic division of the hosts. In the Palearctic phylogroup, the parasite clades correspond to the host clades although the parasites from Wrangel Island form an exception as the host on this island, D. groenlandicus, belongs to the Nearctic phylogroup. In the Nearctic, northern refugia beyond the ice limit of the Pleistocene glaciations are proposed for the hosts. All reconstructions of parasite phylogeny show a genetically differentiated population structure that in the Canadian Arctic lacks strict congruence between phylogeny and geography. The parasite phylogeny does not show complete congruence with host relationships, suggesting a history of colonization and secondary patterns of dispersal from Beringia into the Canadian Arctic, an event not proposed by the host phylogenies alone.
Erosion of interspecific reproductive barriers resulting from hatchery supplementation of rainbow trout sympatric with cutthroat trout
Authors: Docker Margaret F. , Dale Angie , Heath Daniel D.
Published: February 2004

The frequency of hybridization between cutthroat (Onchorhynchus clarki clarki) and rainbow (O. mykiss irideus) trout from coastal habitats in British Columbia, Canada, was examined in seven populations where the two species are sympatric with no history of rainbow trout stocking and compared with areas where native rainbow trout populations have been supplemented with hatchery fish (three populations). Four nuclear markers were used to identify each species and interspecific hybrids and one mitochondrial marker showed the direction of gene exchange between species. The frequency of hybrids was significantly higher (Fisher exact test, P < 0.001) in river systems where hatchery rainbow trout have been introduced (50.6% hybrids) than in populations where the two species naturally co‐occur without supplementation (9.9% hybrids).
Differentiation between subpopulations of a polychromatic damselfly with respect to morph frequencies, but not neutral genetic markers
Authors: Wong Alex , Smith Myron L. , Forbes Mark R.
Published: February 2004

The damselfly, Nehalennia irene (Hagen), has two distinct female colour morphs. Individuals of one morph have male‐like colouration and pattern (androchromes), whereas gynochromes are different from males and androchromes in these respects. In several damselflies, such female‐limited polychromatism is attributable to a single genetic locus. We developed six polymorphic genetic markers, which were codominant, to test for genetic differentiation in N. irene, collected from two sites located 8 km from one another in eastern Ontario, Canada. Based on three censuses spanning a 10 year period (1992–2001), morph ratios differed consistently and significantly between these two sites. However, subpopulations at these sites were not genetically differentiated with respect to the putatively neutral markers. Our results suggest that site differences in morph ratios of female N. irene cannot be explained by genetic drift, but are consistent with spatially variable selection operating on different morphs, perhaps mediated by male density. Alternatively, morph type may be a plastic trait and cues for induction may differ between sites.
Microsatellite markers to assess the influence of population size, isolation and demographic change on the genetic structure of the UK butterfly Polyommatus bellargus
Authors: Harper G. L. , Maclean N. , Goulson D.
Published: February 2004

Five microsatellite DNA markers were isolated and used to quangify population genetic structure among a subset of UK populations of the Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus Rottemburg). Specifically, whether population size, degree of isolation or history of bottlenecking in 1976–1978 can explain current patterns of genetic variation. The butterfly is at its northern range limit in the UK, where it exists as a highly fragmented metapopulation on isolated pockets of calcareous grassland. Most populations were affected by a severe bottleneck in the late 1970s, when a drought caused the host plant (Hippocrepis comosa) to wilt. Mantel tests and spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated a significant effect of isolation by distance among the UK populations, a relationship that broke down at greater geographical scales (> 23.85 km), probably because of large areas of unsuitable habitat presenting barriers to gene flow. Similarly, amova revealed that variation among geographical regions was almost double that observed within regions. Larger populations were found to support significantly higher levels of genetic diversity, suggesting that small populations may lose genetic diversity through drift. If, as in other butterfly species, low genetic diversity increases the probability of population extinction, then these populations are likely to be under threat. Neither isolation nor a history of bottlenecks appeared to influence genetic diversity. The results indicate that adequate population size a crucial factor in the conservation of genetic diversity in P. bellargus in the UK.
Piercing – Risiken, Folgen und psychologische Hintergründe eines kulturellen Phänomens
Authors: Stirn Aglaja
Published: February 2004

Eine breite Anzahl unterschiedlicher Medizinberufe sieht sich mit der zunehmend populären Praxis des Piercings konfrontiert. Dieser Artikel beschreibt die typischsten Formen dieser Art der Körpermodifikation, ihre Ursprünge und Besonderheiten sowie die mit ihnen verbundenen Nebenwirkungen und Komplikationen. Einige der vielfältigen und oftmals intensiven psychologischen Motivationen für Piercing werden vorgestellt und diskutiert.
Lipödem – aktueller Stand, neue Perspektiven
Authors: Meier‐Vollrath Ilka , Schmeller Wilfried
Published: February 2004

Aufgrund des lebenslangen, meist progredienten Verlaufs und des ausgeprägten Leidensdrucks ist das Lipödem ein wichtiges dermatologisches Krankheitsbild. Durch die vor Jahren als Standardbehandlung eingeführte Komplexe Physikalische Entstauungstherapie lässt sich eine deutliche Abnahme der krankheitstypischen Ödeme erzielen. Als neues effektives Verfahren hat sich die Liposuktion in Tumeszenz‐Lokalanästhesie mit vibrierenden Mikrokanülen erwiesen. Eine gezielte und dauerhafte Reduktion der unproportionierten Fettgewebsanteile verhilft den Betroffenen aufgrund des verbesserten Aussehens, der Ödemreduktion und der Schmerzbeseitigung zu einer ausgeprägten Verbesserung der Lebensqualität.
Aspergillusspecies in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Cameli‐Rojas Virginia , Mata‐Essayag Sofía , de Capriles Claudia Hartung , Magaldi Sylvia , de Pérez Elizabeth Garrido , Garrido Liselotte , Balderrama‐Caballero David
Published: February 2004

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency ofAspergillusspp. in the paranasal cavities of 40 patients with suspicion of chronic rhinosinusitis, by standard mycological as well as serological examinations. We foundAspergillusin nine of 37 patients.
Trichophyton rubrum in the external auditory meatus
Authors: Buzina W. , Lang‐Loidolt D. , Ginter‐Hanselmayer G.
Published: February 2004

We report the case of a 28‐year‐old immunocompetent male suffering from otitis externa. The right external auditory meatus was filled with cerumen and detritus, the tympanic membrane covered wallpaper‐like with layers of fungi. Mycological analysis revealed Trichophyton rubrum. With further examination tinea pedis of plantar and interdigital type and concomitant onychomycosis of the toenails due to T. rubrum could be detected. The auditory meatus was cleaned and treated topically with clotrimazole. Two weeks later the auditory meatus and the tympanic membrane were bare of fungi and the inflammation was resolved. Treatment of tinea pedis and onychomycosis with terbinafine (systemically and topically) is still lasting.
Toenail onychomycosis in Estonia
Authors: Järv H. , Naaber P. , Kaur S. , Eisen M. , Silm H.
Published: February 2004

The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical features, predisposing factors and pathogens of toenail onychomycosis in Estonia. During study period we interviewed and examined 436 dermatological patients with clinical signs of toenail onychomycosis in all counties of Estonia. In 69% of cases, the clinical diagnosis of onychomycosis was confirmed by the mycological analysis. The most common clinical symptoms of onychomycosis both in mycologically proven and non‐proven cases were discolorization of nail plate, hyperkeratosis and brittle nails. The number of infected toenails positively correlated with patients’ age. On average, patient had 5.4 infected nails. In 78% of culture‐positive cases, a dermatophyte was isolated as the causative agent, in 10% yeasts and in 7% moulds. In 6% of culture‐positive cases we reported mixed infections. Trichophyton rubrum was the most common pathogen. The high occurrence of mixed infections, clinical symptoms characteristic to long lasting or chronic infection and high number of infected toenails indicate that Estonian patients have more advanced stage of toenail onychomycosis compared with other western and central European countries.
Histological detection of intramyocardial abscesses in Candida sepsis mimicking left ventricular non‐compaction/hypertrabeculation on echocardiography
Authors: Stöllberger C. , Preiser J. , Finsterer J.
Published: February 2004

Left ventricular non‐compaction/hypertrabeculation (LVHT) is a rare cardiac abnormality characterized by more than three trabeculations protruding from the left ventricular wall, apically to the papillary muscles, visible in one echocardiographic image plane and intertrabecular spaces, perfused from the ventricular cavity. LVHT is frequently associated with neuromuscular disorders. Differential diagnoses of LVHT are intraventricular thrombi, false tendons, aberrant bands, intramyocardial hematoma, cardiac metastases and the apical type of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Intramyocardial abscesses have not been reported as a differential diagnosis of left ventricular non‐compaction. In the presented case, cardiac microabscesses as a result of Candida sepsis mimicked left ventricular non‐compaction in a 55‐year‐old man with hypopharyngeal carcinoma who died 20 days after chemotherapy. These microabscesses were not visible on echocardiography but were detected only at histologic examination of the myocardium. This case shows that intramyocardial abscesses as a result of Candida sepsis are a rare differential diagnosis of LVHT.
Identification of medically important fungi by the PyrosequencingTM technology
Authors: Gharizadeh B. , Norberg E. , Löffler J. , Jalal S. , Tollemar J. , Einsele H. , Klingspor L. , Nyrén P.
Published: February 2004

The PyrosequencingTM technology was used for identification of different clinically relevant fungi. The tests were performed on amplicons derived from the 18S rRNA gene using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) universal primers for amplification. Sequencing was performed up to 40 bases in a variable region with a designed general sequencing primer and the Pyrosequence data were analyzed by BLAST sequence search in the GenBank database. DNA from a total of 21 fungal specimens consisting of nine strains of clinically relevant fungi and 12 clinical specimens from patients suffering from proven invasive fungal infections were PCR‐amplified and analyzed by gel electrophoresis, PCR‐enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the Pyrosequencing technology. All data obtained by the Pyrosequencing technology were in agreement with the results obtained by PCR‐ELISA using species/genus‐specific oligonucleotides and were as well in accordance with the culture results. The results demonstrate that the Pyrosequencing method is a reproducible and reliable technique for identification of fungal pathogens.
Orbital pythiosis: a non‐fungal disease mimicking orbital mycotic infections, with a retrospective review of the literature
Authors: Mendoza L. , Prasla S. H. , Ajello L.
Published: February 2004

In the past decade there have been four well‐documented cases of orbital pythiosis caused by Pythium insidiosum. All were recorded in apparently healthy children. Although pythiosis seems to be a rare infection in humans, we recently conducted a review of the medical literature to investigate misdiagnosed cases of orbital pythiosis in the past 100 years in children. To track putative cases of orbital pythiosis, we first identified orbital cases initially diagnosed as fungal infections. We were particularly interested in cases (a) involving apparently young healthy hosts, (b) the presence of hyaline, aseptate hyphal elements in the infected tissues, (c) the morphological features of the hyphal elements, (d) the presence of an eosinophilic granulomatous reaction with the Splendore–Hoeppli phenomenon around the mycelial elements, (e) resistance to antifungal therapy, (f) outcome after therapy, if any, and (g) cultural strategies. This study showed that indeed, there had been five other recorded cases of orbital infections, all in young children in the USA, with characteristics consistent with infections caused by P. insidiosum. The reports had described those cases of orbital‐cranial‐arterial diseases as patients with aspergillosis (one case), penicilliosis infection (one case), and zygomycosis (three cases). We reviewed those anomalous cases and discuss details about their clinical, pathologic, therapeutic, and etiologic evidence used to reclassify them as putative cases of orbital pythiosis.
Comparative evaluation of the efficacy and safety of two doses of terbinafine (500 and 1000 mg day−1) in the treatment of cutaneous or lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis
Authors: Chapman S. W. , Pappas P. , Kauffmann C. , Smith E. B. , Dietze R. , Tiraboschi‐Foss N. , Restrepo A. , Bustamante A. B. , Opper C. , Emady‐Azar S. , Bakshi R.
Published: February 2004

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral terbinafine (500 and 1000 mg day−1) in the treatment of cutaneous or lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis. A culture for Sporothrix schenckii was required for inclusion into this multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, parallel‐group study. Patients received either 250 mg b.i.d. or 500 mg b.i.d. oral terbinafine for up to a maximum of 24 weeks and were assessed up to 24 weeks post‐treatment. The main efficacy outcome measure was cure, defined as no lesion and absence of adenopathy at the end of follow‐up. Adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests, vital signs and ophthalmological examinations were also assessed. Sixty‐three patients (14–85 years of age) were treated with 500 mg day−1 (n = 28) or 1000 mg day−1 terbinafine (n = 35). The majority of patients were cured after 12–24 weeks of treatment, and the response was dose‐dependent throughout the study and at the end of follow‐up. The cure rate was significantly higher in patients treated with 1000 mg day−1 terbinafine compared with those treated with 500 mg day−1 terbinafine (87% vs. 52%, respectively; P = 0.004). There were no cases of relapse after 24 weeks of follow‐up in the 1000 mg day−1 terbinafine group, compared with six relapses in the terbinafine 500 mg day−1 group. Terbinafine was well tolerated and the frequency of drug‐related AEs was slightly higher in the 1000 mg treatment group. Both doses of terbinafine were well‐tolerated and effective for the treatment of sporotrichosis. The 1000 mg day−1 terbinafine dose was more efficacious than 500 mg day−1 in the treatment of cutaneous or lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis.
Infections of the central nervous system by melanized fungi: a review of cases presented between 1999 and 2004
Authors: Kantarcıoǧlu A. S. , de Hoog G. S.
Published: February 2004

Several types of infections of the central nervous system by melanized fungi can be distinguished: (a) single‐organ infection of the cerebrum, (b) extension into the cerebrum from adjacent cavities, (c) fungal presence in the cerebrospinal fluid, or (d) meningitis. The fungal order Chaetothyriales (containing Exophiala‐like black yeasts and relatives) is particularly rich in fungi causing cerebral infections. Cases by the main agents, Cladophialophora bantiana, Exophiala dermatitidis, and Ramichloridium mackenziei, published during the last 5 years are reviewed. Most of these infections prove to be fatal. Resection of the lesions in combination with antimycotic therapy may reduce mortality.