bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
First Report of Botrytis Blight Caused by Botrytis cinerea on Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in Italy
Authors: Garibaldi A. , Bertetti D. , Gullino M. L. 
Published: April 2009

Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle), a perennial plant belonging to the Apocynaceae family, is grown as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. This species is characterized by a long flowering period and prized for its white-to-dark pink flowers. In October of 2008, 15% of C. roseus plants in a public garden located in Torino (northern Italy) showed symptoms of a previously unknown blight. When the disease developed, temperatures ranged between 10 and 24°C (average 17.3°C) and plants were being watered through sprinkle irrigation. Necrosis developed on the stems first, eventually spreading to leaf stalks, and the the entire leaf. Subsequently, the pathogen developed a scant, delicate, gray mycelium on affected tissues, particularly diffused on the stems. Severely infected leaves and stems eventually became completely rotted and desiccated. Tissues were excised from diseased leaves, immersed in a solution containing 1% sodium hypochlorite for 10 s, and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The fungus produced abundant mycelium on PDA medium when incubated under constant fluorescent light at 22 ± 1°C. Numerous sclerotia were produced on PDA plates incubated for 20 days at 8 ± 1°C. Sclerotia were dark and irregular, measuring 0.5 to 2.8 × 0.5 to 2.2 (average 1.4 × 1.1) mm. Conidia were smooth, ash colored, ovoid, measuring 8 to 16 × 6 to 10 (average 10 × 7) μm, and similar to those described for Botrytis cinerea (2). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with primers ITS4/ITS6 and sequenced. BLAST analysis (1) of the 780-bp segment showed a 100% homology with the sequence of Botryotinia fuckeliana (perfect stage of B. cinerea). The nucleotide sequence has been assigned GenBank Accession No. FJ486271. Pathogenicity tests were performed by placing numerous fragments of PDA cultures on leaves of healthy, potted, 8-month-old C. roseus plants. Plants inoculated with PDA alone served as controls. Three plants per treatment were used. Plants were covered with plastic bags for 5 days after inoculation and maintained in a greenhouse at temperatures ranging between 18 and 25°C. The first foliar lesions developed on leaves 5 days after inoculation, whereas control plants remained healthy. B. cinerea was consistently reisolated from these lesions. The pathogenicity test was completed twice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of B. cinerea on C. roseus in Italy. The same disease was previously reported in many countries including the United States (3) and Taiwan (4). References: (1) S. F. Altschul et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 25:3389, 1997. (2) H. L. Barnett and B. B. Hunter. Illustrated Genera of Imperfect Fungi. Burgess Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN, 1972. (3) M. L. Daughtrey et al. Compendium of Flowering Potted Plant Diseases. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, MN, 1995. (4) W. Ou-Yang and W. S. Wu. Plant Pathol. Bull. 7:147, 1998.
First Report of Tomato torrado virus Infecting Tomato in Hungary
Authors: Alfaro-Fernández A. , Bese G. , Córdoba-Sellés C. , Cebrián M. C. , Herrera-Vásquez J. A. , Forray A. , Jordá C. 
Published: April 2009

During the growing seasons of 2007 and 2008, in commercial greenhouses of tomato crops (Solanum lycopersicum L.) located in Szeged, Öcsöd, and Csongrád (southeastern regions of Hungary), unusual disease symptoms were observed, including necrotic spots in defined areas at the base of the leaflet, necrosis in the stems, and necrotic lines on the fruits surface. Affected plants appeared inside the greenhouses with a random distribution and the incidence recorded was at least 40%. These symptoms resembled those described for Tomato torrado virus (ToTV) infection in Spain (1) and Poland (3). To verify the identity of the disease, three symptomatic plants from commercial greenhouses of each geographic location were selected and analyzed by double-antibody sandwich-ELISA using polyclonal antibodies specific to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Loewe Biochemica, Sauerlach, Germany), and Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). Total RNA was extracted and tested by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with three pair of specific primers: one pair used to amplify the coat protein (CP) gene of PepMV (2) and the other two pairs specific to ToTV that amplify 580 bp of the polyprotein (4) and a fragment of 574 bp in the CP Vp23 (3). Nonisotopic dot-blot hybridization using a digoxygenin-labeled RNA probe complementary to the aforementioned fragment of the polyprotein was also performed. Tomato samples were negative for all the viruses tested by serological analysis and for PepMV by RT-PCR. However, all three samples were positive for ToTV by molecular hybridization and RT-PCR. RT-PCR products were purified and directly sequenced. The amplified fragments of the three Hungarian isolates, ToTV-H1, ToTV-H2, and ToTV-H3, for the polyprotein (GenBank Accession Nos. EU835496, FJ616995, and FJ616994, respectively) and the CP Vp23 (GenBank Accession Nos. FJ616996, FJ616997, and FJ616998, respectively) showed 99 to 98% nt identity with the polyprotein and the coat protein regions of ToTV from Spain and Poland (GenBank Accession Nos. DQ3888880 and EU563947, respectively). Whiteflies, commonly found in Hungarian greenhouses, have been reported to transmit ToTV (3), although the efficiency of transmission is unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ToTV in Hungary. References: (1) A. Alfaro-Fernández et al. Plant Dis. 91:1060, 2007. (2) I. Pagán et al. Phytopathology 96:274, 2006. (3) H. Pospieszny et al. Plant Dis. 91:1364, 2007. (4) J. Van der Heuvel et al. Plant Virus Designated Tomato Torrado Virus. Online publication. World Intellectual Property Organization. WO/2006/085749, 2006.
First Record of Oidiopsis taurica Causing Powdery Mildew of Capparis spinosa in Egypt
Authors: Abdel-Azeem A. M. , Abdel-Moneim T. S. 
Published: April 2009

Powdery mildew infections were observed on Capparis spinosa plants in Wadi El-Arbaein, Saint Katherine Protectorate, Egypt (28°32′43.1″N, 33°57′81″E, altitude 1,663 m) in the early fall to the end of winter of 2007 and 2008 when temperatures vary from the lowest mean value of 2.8°C to the highest mean value of 26.5°C. Symptoms first appeared as white, circular patches on the adaxial leaf surface (<1.3 cm in diameter), and as the disease progressed, both leaf surfaces were infected and these chlorotic areas eventually turned to necrotic lesions. Light microscopy revealed that the disease was caused by the anamorph stage of a powdery mildew fungus. Mycelium is predominantly endophytic with the presence of conidiophores emerging through leaf stomata. Conidiophores were simple or branched one or two times at random positions, 55 to 140 × 4.5 to 6 μm, producing conidia singly, and followed by two to three straight cells. Primary conidia were pyriform (68.9 × 18.5 μm) with a tapering end while secondary conidia were more cylindrical (59.1 × 18.0 μm). Mature conidia were hyaline, without distinct fibrosin bodies, and with angular/reticulated wrinkling of the outer walls. On the basis of these characteristics, the causal agent was identified as Oidiopsis taurica (1,3). The teleomorphic stage of the fungus was not observed. Pathogenicity tests were performed by inoculating three, potted, healthy C. spinosa plants with a fresh conidial suspension collected from powdery mildew colonies found on the infected plants (1 × 104 conidia/ml) under the same field conditions. After 15 to 17 days, symptoms and signs of powdery mildew developed on the foliage of inoculated plants. Herbarium specimens of C. spinosa leaves infected with O. taurica were deposited at the Herbarium of Botany Department (SCU), Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Egypt. To our knowledge, this is the first record of a powdery mildew disease on C. spinosa in Egypt. Recently, Leveillula taurica, the teleomorph stage of O. taurica, was reported from C. spinosa in Turkey (2). References: (1) U. Braun. Beih. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987. (2) H. Kavak. Plant Pathol. 53:809, 2004. (3) J. Palti. Bot. Rev. 54:423, 1988.
Changes in physical activity in pre‐schoolers and first‐grade children: longitudinal study in the Czech Republic
Authors: Sigmund E. , Sigmundová D. , Ansari W. El 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  The transition from kindergarten to first year at school is associated with a variety of psychosocial changes in children. The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify the changes in children's physical activity (PA) upon entry to first year at school; and to identify the days of the school week that exhibit low PA.Methods  We monitored the PA levels of 176 children twice: initially in kindergarten and again in first‐year classes at school. The age (mean ± standard deviation) of children at kindergarten was 5.7 ± 0.5 years and 6.7 ± 0.5 years at the first year of elementary school. We evaluated PA employing the activity energy expenditure (AEE – kcal/kg/day) from Caltrac accelerometer and daily amount of steps (STEPS) from Yamax pedometer. Participants were monitored over 7 days to include a weekend.Results  The mean AEE was 11.5 in pre‐school girls and 12.9 kcal/kg/day in boys; and STEPS were 9923 steps/day in girls and 11 864 in boys on weekdays. At weekends, it was 11.5 kcal/kg/day in girls and 12.7 kcal/kg/day in boys and 10 606 steps/day in girls and 11 182 steps/day in boys. The mean AEE and STEPS in first‐grade girls and boys was 9.9 and 9.8 kcal/kg/day respectively, and 7911 and 8252 steps/day respectively on weekdays, and 8.8 and 9.0 kcal/kg/day and 6872 and 7194 steps/day respectively at weekends. First‐grade school children had significantly lower PA than pre‐school children on weekdays (P < 0.0001) and at weekends (P < 0.0001). Decline in PA on weekdays was during time spent at school (P < 0.0001) and not during after‐school children's leisure time.Conclusion  The parts of the week when first‐grade school children show low PA are the times spent in lessons and in after‐school nursery and at weekends. PA needs to be promoted using intervention programmes mainly during the after‐school nursery programmes and at weekends.
Objectively measured habitual physical activity in a highly obesogenic environment
Authors: McLure S. A. , Summerbell C. D. , Reilly J. J. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  While the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children continues to grow nationally, prevalence in the North‐East of England is among the highest in the UK. The objective of this study was to investigate the habitual physical activity levels in a particularly obesogenic environment in the North‐East of England.Methods  Eight primary schools were selected using a stratified random sampling frame ranking average deprivation levels. Participating children (n = 246, mean age 10 years) wore an accelerometer (Actigraph, GT‐256) over five consecutive days (weekend plus three weekdays). Total daily moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity was calculated using thresholds by Puyau and colleagues.Results  Only 7% (17/246) of children were sufficiently active. Boys were more physically active than girls (766 ± 268 vs. 641 ± 202 counts/min, 95% CI for the difference 63–186 cpm.). Total physical activity was not influenced significantly by deprivation levels or weight status, and there were no significant differences in physical activity between school or weekend days.Conclusions  The North‐East of England is a recognized ‘hot spot’ for paediatric obesity and the present study shows that low levels of habitual physical activity are typical. Choice of accelerometry threshold affects both the apparent amount of physical activity and the ability to detect groups with particularly low levels of physical activity.
Understanding the medically unexplained: emotional and familial influences on children's somatic functioning
Authors: Gilleland J. , Suveg C. , Jacob M. L. , Thomassin K. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  Many youth experience impairing, unexplained somatic complaints. Psychosocial models of child somatization have primarily focused on parent somatic functioning. Although helpful in understanding child somatization, this narrow focus on parental factors leaves a large proportion of the variance unaccounted for when explaining children's general somatic functioning. The goal of this investigation is to extend current models of child somatization by collectively examining the influence of parent somatization and child emotional functioning.Methods  Forty‐two children (50% male; M age = 9.11) reported on their somatic symptoms, emotion awareness skills, and negative affect. Parents reported on their own somatic symptoms and their child's somatic symptoms and emotion regulation skills.Results  Regression analyses indicated that poor awareness of emotional experiences and frequency of negative effect predicted child‐reported somatic symptoms. Parental somatic symptoms and parent reports of children's emotion regulation difficulties predicted mother‐reported child somatic symptoms. Only parental somatic symptoms significantly predicted father‐reported child somatic symptoms.Conclusions  These results suggest that models of child somatization should consider both family – (e.g. parent somatization) and child‐level (e.g. emotional functioning) variables. The discrepancies between parent and child report of youth somatic symptoms underscore the importance of including multiple reporters on symptomatology in research and clinical settings. Suggestions for future research are provided.
Health risks for older US adolescents in foster care: the significance of important others' health behaviours on youths' health and health behaviours
Authors: Farruggia S. P. , Sorkin D. H. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  Little research to date has examined older foster care youths' physical health and the associated health behaviours of the youth and important people in their lives (parents, peers and important non‐parental adults).Methods  Older US foster care youth (n= 188) completed surveys on multiple indicators of self‐report physical health, including number of chronic health problems, overall health and sick symptoms, as well as their own health‐compromising behaviours and the health‐compromising behaviours of important others.Results  The findings suggested that boys, particularly those placed in non‐kin foster homes and group homes, appeared to have poorer health than did boys in these placement settings. Girls, however, engaged in similar levels of health‐compromising behaviours as boys. Furthermore, the health‐compromising behaviours of peers and important non‐parental adults (VIPs), but not parents, were associated with youths' health behaviours, which, in turn, were associated with the physical health status of the foster care youth.Conclusion  Youth report high levels of health‐related problems and involvement in health‐compromising behaviours. Healthcare practitioners can help to improve the health and well‐being of children in foster care by becoming informed about adolescent health behaviours, as well as the health behaviours of their peers and other important non‐parental adults.
Twin–singleton influence on infant development: a national birth cohort study
Authors: Lung F‐W. , Shu B‐C. , Chiang T‐L. , Lin S‐J. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  While studying the development of twins, gestational age and birthweight were suggested as two of the major mediators to be considered. In addition, maternal age, maternal education, parental income and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) also should be considered as moderators. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the mediators and moderators of twin and singleton development.Methods  Being a national birth cohort study, 21 648 infants were randomly selected and developmental measures were assessed at 6 and 18 months post partum. Children's development at 6 and 18 months were measured using the high reliable Taiwan Birth Cohort Study instrument, which measures children's development in four domains of gross motor, fine motor, language and social development. Additionally, maternal sociodemographics including maternal age, maternal education and parental income; children's characteristics including gender, birthweight, gestational age, single or multiple births, ART or natural conception information were also collected. These data were analysed using a three‐step multiple linear regression analysis and further validated using structural equation modelling.Results  Parental sociodemographics, children characteristics and being twin all had effect on children's development. Additionally, ART and twin were mediators between maternal age and children's development. Mothers aged over 40 were more likely to choose ART, thus increases their likelihood of having twins. Additionally, mothers aged over 40 were more likely to give birth to premature or low‐birthweight babies, regardless if they were twin or not. Twins had a higher prevalence of prematurity or low birthweight, which also affected their development in all four domains at 6 and 18 months. Thus prematurity and low birthweight were mediating factors between twin and children's development; with these two mediating factors controlled, there were no difference between twin and singleton development.Conclusions  The conceptual construct of structural equation modelling showed these factors interacted and influenced children's development through multiple pathways. Medical intervention may facilitate children's development through prenatal growth and premature care.
Measles in Europe: an epidemiological assessment
Authors: Reading Richard 
Published: April 2009

.

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

. (
2009
)

,
373
,
383
–
389
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Background  Measles persists in Europe despite the incorporation of the measles vaccine into routine childhood vaccination programmes more than 20 years ago. Our aim was therefore to review the epidemiology of measles in relation to the goal of elimination by 2010.Methods  National surveillance institutions from 32 European countries submitted data for 2006–2007. Data for age‐group, diagnosis confirmation, vaccination, hospital treatment, the presence of acute encephalitis as a complication of disease and death were obtained. A total of 30 countries also supplied data about importation of disease. Clinical, laboratory‐confirmed, and epidemiologically linked cases that met the requirements for national surveillance were analysed. Cases were separated by age: younger than 1 year, 1–4 years, 5–9 years, 10–14 years, 15–19 years, and older than 20 years. Countries with indigenous measles incidence per 100 000 inhabitants per year of 0, less than 0.1, 0.1–1, and more than 1 were grouped into categories of zero, low, moderate, and high incidence, respectively.Findings  For the 2 years of the study, 12 132 cases of measles were recorded with most cases (n = 10 329; 85%) from five countries: Romania, Germany, UK, Switzerland and Italy. Most cases were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children; however, almost a fifth were aged 20 years or older. For the same 2 years, seven measles‐related deaths were recorded. High measles incidence in some European countries revealed suboptimum vaccination coverage. Of the 210 cases that were reported as being imported, 117 (56%) came from another country within Europe and 43 (20%) from Asia.Interpretation  The suboptimum vaccination coverage raises serious doubts that the goal of elimination by 2010 can be attained. Achievement and maintenance of optimum vaccination coverage and improved surveillance are the cornerstones of the measles elimination plan for Europe.
Respiration of nitrous oxide in suboxic soil
Authors: Vieten B. , Conen F. , Neftel A. , Alewell C. 
Published: April 2009

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

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

AbstractK‐activated amino acid transporter 1 (KAAT1) and cation‐anion‐activated amino acid transporter/channel 1 (CAATCH1) are amino acid cotransporters, belonging to the Na/Cl‐dependent neurotransmitter transporter family (also called SLC6/NSS), that have been cloned from Manduca sexta midgut. They have been thoroughly studied by expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and structure/function analyses have made it possible to identify the structural determinants of their cation and amino acid selectivity. About 40 mutants of these proteins have been studied by measuring amino acid uptake and current/voltage relationships. The results obtained since the cloning of KAAT1 and CAATCH1 are here discussed in the light of the 3D model of the first crystallized member of the family, the leucine transporter LeuT.