bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial differentiation and biogeography of Hyla meridionalis (Anura: Hylidae): an unusual phylogeographical pattern
Authors: Recuero Ernesto , Iraola Ainhoa , Rubio Xabier , Machordom Annie , García‐París Mario 
Published: March 2007

AbstractAim  To study the patterns of genetic variation and the historical events and processes that influenced the distribution and intraspecific diversity in Hyla meridionalis Boettger, 1874.Location  Hyla meridionalis is restricted to the western part of the Mediterranean region. In northern Africa it is present in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. In south‐western Europe it is found in the south of France, north‐western Italy and north‐eastern and south‐western Iberian Peninsula. There are also insular populations, as in the Canaries and Menorca.Methods  Sampling included 112 individuals from 36 populations covering the range of the species. We used sequences of mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) for the phylogeographical analysis (841 bp) and COI plus a fragment including part of tRNA lysine, ATP synthase subunits 6 and 8 and part of Cytochrome Oxidase III for phylogenetic analyses (2441 bp). Phylogenetic analyses were performed with paup*4.0b10 (maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony) and MrBayes 3.0 (Bayesian analysis). Nested clade analysis was performed using tcs 1.18 and GeoDis 2.2. A dispersal‐vicariant analysis was performed with diva 1.0 to generate hypotheses about the geographical distribution of ancestors.Results  We found little genetic diversity within samples from Morocco, south‐western Europe and the Canary Islands, with three well‐differentiated clades. One is distributed in south‐western Iberia and the High Atlas, Anti‐Atlas and Massa River in Morocco. The second is restricted to the Medium Atlas Mountains. The third one is present in northern Morocco, north‐eastern Iberia, southern France and the Canaries. These three groups are also represented in the nested clade analysis. Sequences from Tunisian specimens are highly divergent from sequences of all other populations, suggesting that the split between the two lineages is ancient. diva analysis suggests that the ancestral distribution of the different lineages was restricted to Africa, and that an explanation of current distribution of the species requires three different dispersal events.Main conclusions  Our results support the idea of a very recent colonization of south‐western Europe and the Canary Islands from Morocco. South‐western Europe has been colonized at least twice: once from northern Morocco probably to the Mediterranean coast of France and once from the western coast of Morocco to southern Iberia. Human transport is a likely explanation for at least one of these events. Within Morocco, the pattern of diversity is consistent with a model of mountain refugia during hyperarid periods within the Pleistocene. Evaluation of the phylogenetic relationships of Tunisian haplotypes will require an approach involving the other related hylid taxa in the area.
MreB is important for cell shape but not for chromosome segregation of the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120
Authors: Hu Bin , Yang Guohua , Zhao Weixing , Zhang Yingjiao , Zhao Jindong 
Published: March 2007

SummaryMreB is a bacterial actin that plays important roles in determination of cell shape and chromosome partitioning in Escherichia coli and Caulobacter crescentus. In this study, the mreB from the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 was inactivated. Although the mreB null mutant showed a drastic change in cell shape, its growth rate, cell division and the filament length were unaltered. Thus, MreB in Anabaena maintains cell shape but is not required for chromosome partitioning. The wild type and the mutant had eight and 10 copies of chromosomes per cell respectively. We demonstrated that DNA content in two daughter cells after cell division in both strains was not always identical. The ratios of DNA content in two daughter cells had a Gaussian distribution with a standard deviation much larger than a value expected if the DNA content in two daughter cells were identical, suggesting that chromosome partitioning is a random process. The multiple copies of chromosomes in cyanobacteria are likely required for chromosome random partitioning in cell division.
Bacillus subtilis strain deficient for the protein‐tyrosine kinase PtkA exhibits impaired DNA replication
Authors: Petranovic Dina , Michelsen Ole , Zahradka Ksenija , Silva Catarina , Petranovic Mirjana , Jensen Peter Ruhdal , Mijakovic Ivan 
Published: March 2007

Summary Bacillus subtilis has recently come into the focus of research on bacterial protein‐tyrosine phosphorylation, with several proteins kinases, phosphatases and their substrates identified in this Gram‐positive model organism. B. subtilis protein‐tyrosine phosphorylation system PtkA/PtpZ was previously shown to regulate the phosphorylation state of UDP‐glucose dehydrogenases and single‐stranded DNA‐binding proteins. This promiscuity towards substrates is reminiscent of eukaryal kinases and has prompted us to investigate possible physiological effects of ptkA and ptpZ gene inactivations in this study. We were unable to identify any striking phenotypes related to control of UDP‐glucose dehydrogenases, natural competence and DNA lesion repair; however, a very strong phenotype of ΔptkA emerged with respect to DNA replication and cell cycle control, as revealed by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. B. subtilis cells lacking the kinase PtkA accumulated extra chromosome equivalents, exhibited aberrant initiation mass for DNA replication and an unusually long D period.
Basal expression rate of comK sets a ‘switching‐window’ into the K‐state of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Leisner Madeleine , Stingl Kerstin , Rädler Joachim O. , Maier Berenike 
Published: March 2007

Summary Bacillus subtilis cell population divides into a competent fraction and a non‐competent fraction in the stationary phase. The transition from the non‐competent state (with basal ComK concentration) to the K‐state (with high ComK concentration) behaves like a bistable switch. To better understand the mechanism that sets the fraction of cells that switch into the K‐state (K‐fraction), we characterized the basal comK expression in individual non‐competent cells and found a large cell‐to‐cell variation. Basal expression rate increased exponentially, reached a maximum and decreased towards zero in the stationary phase. Concomitantly, the intrinsic switching rate increased and decreased with a time lag. When switching was induced prematurely by reduction of ComK proteolysis, the K‐fraction increased strongly. Our data support a model in which the average basal level of ComK raises during late exponential phase and due to noise in basal comK expression only those cells that are on the high end of comK expression trigger the autocatalytic feedback for ComK transcription. We show that a subsequent shut‐down of basal expression rate sets a ‘time‐window’ for switching and is thus involved in determining the K‐fraction in the bimodal population.
Channel mutations in Hsp104 hexamer distinctively affect thermotolerance and prion‐specific propagation
Authors: Kurahashi Hiroshi , Nakamura Yoshikazu 
Published: March 2007

SummaryThe yeast prion [PSI+] represents an aggregated state of the translation termination factor Sup35 resulting in the tendency of ribosomes to readthrough stop codons. In this study, we constructed an auxotrophic chromosomal marker, ura3‐197 (nonsense allele), applicable to selection for loss of [PSI+] to [psi–]. Unlike [psi–] yeast strains, [PSI+] yeast strains exhibit nonsense suppression of the ura3‐197 allele and are not viable in the presence of 5‐fluoroorotic acid (5‐FOA) that is converted to a toxic material by the readthrough product of Ura3. We selected 20 5‐FOA‐resistant, loss‐of‐[PSI+], mutants spontaneously or by transposon‐mediated mutagenesis from ura3‐197[PSI+] cells. All of the 20 [psi–] isolates were affected in Hsp104, a protein‐remodelling factor. Although most of them were disabled in a normal Hsp104 function for thermotolerance, three single mutants, L462R, P557L and D704N, remained thermotolerant. Importantly, L462R and D704N also eliminate other yeast prions [URE3] and [PIN+], while P557L does not, suggesting that Hsp104 harbours a unique activity to prion propagation independent of its function in thermotolerance. The mutations that are specific to prion propagation are clustered around the lateral channel of the Hsp104 hexamer, suggesting a crucial and specific role of this channel for prion propagation.
OmpC and the σE regulatory pathway are involved in adhesion and invasion of the Crohn's disease‐associated Escherichia coli strain LF82
Authors: Rolhion Nathalie , Carvalho Frédéric Antonio , Darfeuille‐Michaud Arlette 
Published: March 2007

SummaryIleal lesions of 36.4% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD), an inflammatory bowel disease in humans, are colonized by pathogenic adherent‐invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), and high levels of antibodies directed against E. coli OmpC are present in 37–55% of CD patients. We therefore investigated the expression of OmpC and its role in the interaction of CD‐associated adherent‐invasive E. coli strain LF82 with intestinal epithelial cells. High osmolarity induced a significant increase in the ability of LF82 bacteria to interact with Intestine‐407 cells, which correlates with increased OmpC expression. Deletion of ompC gene markedly decreased the adhesion and invasion levels of the corresponding mutant. A LF82‐ΔompR mutant impaired in OmpC and OmpF expression, showed decreased adhesion and invasion, and unlike a K‐12‐negative OmpR mutant did not express flagella and type 1 pili. Interestingly, the wild‐type phenotype was restored when OmpC or OmpF expression was induced in the LF82‐ΔompR mutant. Overexpression of RpoE in the LF82‐ΔompR isogenic mutant restored a full wild‐type phenotype without restoring OmpC expression. Increased expression of RpoE was observed in wild‐type strain LF82 at high osmolarity. Hence, the role of OmpC in the AIEC LF82 adhesion and invasion is indirect and involves the σE regulatory pathway.
Botryosphaeriaceae occurring on native Syzygium cordatum in South Africa and their potential threat to Eucalyptus
Authors: Pavlic D. , Slippers B. , Coutinho T. A. , Wingfield M. J. 
Published: March 2007

Eight species of the Botryosphaeriaceae (canker and dieback pathogens) were identified on native Syzygium cordatum in South Africa, based on anamorph morphology, ITS rDNA sequence data and PCR‐RFLP analysis. The species identified were Neofusicoccum parvum, N. ribis, N. luteum, N. australe, N. mangiferae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Lasiodiplodia gonubiensis and L. theobromae. Their pathogenicity on S. cordatum seedlings and a Eucalyptus grandis × camaldulensis clone was determined in glasshouse inoculation trials. Isolates of all identified species, except one of N. mangiferae, were more pathogenic on the Eucalyptus clone than on S. cordatum. Some of the species that cross‐infected these hosts, such as N. ribis, N. parvum and L. theobromae, were amongst the most pathogenic on the Eucalyptus clone, while B. dothidea and L. gonubiensis were the least pathogenic. Results of this study illustrate that species of the Botryosphaeriaceae from native hosts could pose a threat to introduced Eucalyptus spp., and vice versa.
Benign hypersensitivity reactions to smallpox vaccine
Authors: Bessinger G. Todd , Smith Sidney B. , Olivere Joseph W. , James Bruce L. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground  With the reinstitution of smallpox vaccinations, physicians are seeing significant numbers of adverse events for the first time since the 1980s. The most common adverse events seen in our large military population are benign. We observed a clinically and histopathologically distinct reaction pattern that has not been fully characterized previously.Methods  All smallpox‐vaccinated patients at Fort Hood, Texas with adverse cutaneous reactions were referred to the dermatology clinic at Darnall Army Community Hospital. Patients were evaluated by a staff dermatologist who performed a skin biopsy and took clinical photographs. If the patients had intact vesicles or pustules, direct fluorescent antibody testing, viral and bacterial cultures, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were also performed.Results  Three hypersensitivity reaction patterns were seen: exanthematous, erythema multiforme‐like (EM‐like), and urticarial. The patterns had distinct clinical and histopathologic findings. Of the 11,058 vaccinees, six had the exanthematous reaction pattern, two had the urticarial reaction pattern, and one had the EM‐like pattern.Conclusions  We describe a new exanthematous type of hypersensitivity reaction to the smallpox vaccine. Hypersensitivity reactions occur at a rate higher than previously reported. In a carefully screened military population, these three hypersensitivity reactions are much more common than life‐threatening or serious reactions. Although the reactions have distinct clinical and pathologic features, they are all characterized by mild or absent systemic symptoms and a benign outcome.
Malignant melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers in Northrhine‐Westphalia, Germany: a patient‐ vs. diagnosis‐based incidence approach
Authors: Stang Andreas , Ziegler Sebastian , Büchner Ute , Ziegler Barbara , Jöckel Karl‐Heinz , Ziegler Volker 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground  Dermatologists have repeatedly criticized that the public health importance of nonmelanoma skin cancers is not appropriately reflected by the patient‐based cancer incidence rates of population‐based cancer registries. The aims of this study were to estimate the patient incidence rates of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and skin melanoma, and to study the effect of multiple primary skin tumors on the incidence rates.Methods  We used a network of physicians covering a population of about 75,000 individuals to register all newly diagnosed invasive skin cancers (996 diagnoses in 796 patients), including BCC, SCC, and skin melanoma, from July 1998 to June 2003. We calculated age‐standardized (world standard population) incidence rates (cases per 100,000 person‐years) for the first diagnoses (called “patient incidence”) and for any diagnoses of BCC, SCC, and skin melanoma (called “case incidence”).Results  The patient incidence rates of BCC were 63.6 in men and 54.0 in women, and the case incidence rates of BCC were 82.7 and 71.1, respectively. The patient incidence rates of SCC were 17.4 in men and 9.7 in women, and the case incidence rates were 20.4 and 10.2, respectively. The patient and case incidence rates of skin melanoma were about the same at 13.6 in men and 18.5 in women. Twenty‐five per cent of the BCC patients and 14% of the SCC patients suffered from more than one BCC and SCC, respectively, during the 5‐year period.Conclusions  Patient incidence rates of BCC and SCC substantially underestimate the burden of nonmelanoma skin cancer in the population.
A single educational intervention aiming to improve dermatology care in western Nepal
Authors: Hubbard V. G. , Neumann‐Basting U. , Vega‐Lopez F. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground  There is limited dermatologic training available for healthcare workers in Nepal.Methods  We visited a rural area of western Nepal to set up a pilot program of dermatologic teaching. This consisted of 2 days of interactive lectures, followed by 2 days of practical dermatology in the clinic.Results  After the theoretical training, the overall accuracy of the diagnoses made by the attendees was high at 79%. All trainees felt that the program had been useful. The most common conditions seen were eczema and skin infection.Conclusion  We aim to expand this dermatologic training program in western Nepal in the future.
Topical zinc oxide vs. salicylic acid–lactic acid combination in the treatment of warts
Authors: Khattar Joe A. , Musharrafieh Umayya M. , Tamim Hala , Hamadeh Ghassan N. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground  Warts are a common dermatologic problem. Treatment is painful, prolonged, and can cause scarring.Objective  To evaluate topical zinc oxide for the treatment of warts.Methods  This was a randomized, double‐blind controlled trial of 44 patients. Twenty‐two patients were given topical zinc oxide 20% ointment, and the other 22 received salicylic acid 15% + lactic acid 15% ointment twice daily. All patients were followed up for 3 months or until cure, whichever occurred first. All patients were observed for side‐effects.Results  Sixteen patients in the zinc group and 19 in the salicylic acid–lactic acid group completed the study. In the zinc oxide‐treated group, 50% of the patients showed complete cure and 18.7% failed to respond, compared with 42% and 26%, respectively, in the salicylic acid–lactic acid‐treated group. No patients developed serious side‐effects.Conclusion  Topical zinc oxide is an efficacious, painless, and safe therapeutic option for wart treatment.
Evolutionary specialization in mammalian cortical structure
Authors: BARTON R. A. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractChanges in neocortex size were a prominent feature of mammalian brain evolution, but the implications for cortical structure, and consequently for the functional significance of such changes in overall cortical size, are poorly understood. A basic question is whether functionally differentiated cortical areas evolved independently of one another (adaptive specialization) or were allometrically constrained to co‐vary tightly with the size of the whole. Here, I provide comparative evidence for adaptive specialization of cortical structure. First, the sizes of individual areas differ significantly between taxa after controlling for overall cortical size. Second, an analysis of separate visual cortical areas reveals that these exhibit statistically correlated evolution, independent of variation in nonvisual areas. Third, visual cortex size exhibits correlated evolution with peripheral visual adaptations (eye morphology and optic nerve size) and with photic niche. Thus, the evolution of mammalian cortical structure was closely associated with specialization for different sensory niches.
Rapid diversification of male genitalia and mating strategies inOhomopterusground beetles
Authors: TAKAMI Y. , SOTA T. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractWe analysed evolutionary diversification and covariation in male genitalia and four mating traits related to sexual selection, i.e. testis size, spermatophore size, copulation duration and post‐copulatory guarding duration, inOhomopterusground beetles using phylogenetically independent contrasts. Male genital size and mating duration have evolved more rapidly than body size and the other traits studied. Male genital size was negatively correlated with copulation duration, suggesting that elongated male genitalia may enable decreased time investment in a single copulation because it is more effective at facilitating spermatophore deposition. Male genital size was positively correlated with spermatophore size, suggesting coevolution between offensive and defensive male mating tactics because the elongated male genitalia may be advantageous in displacement of rivals’ plug‐like spermatophores, and decreased mating duration may intensify sperm competition. Thus, the remarkable diversity of male genitalia inOhomopterusmay have been facilitated by the interplay between inter‐ and intrasexual selection processes.
Quantification of Monosporascuscannonballus Ascospores in Muskmelon Fields in Eastern Spain
Authors: Beltrán R. , Vicent A. , Garcia‐Jiménez J. , Armengol J. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe populations of Monosporascuscannonballus ascospores in the soils of 14 muskmelon fields throughout muskmelon production areas of Comunidad Valenciana (eastern Spain) were quantified from 2002 to 2003. The fields were surveyed in July, at the end of the cropping season, when plants approached maturity and symptoms of vine decline in the canopy appeared as patches of wilted or dead plants. Ascospores were recovered from all muskmelon fields surveyed. The average soil populations ranged from 1.54 to 6.33 per g of soil and the number of ascospores within a soil sample ranged from 0.50 to 16.20 ascospores/g of soil. This is the first detailed report on ascospore populations of M. cannonballus in muskmelon fields from a cucurbit‐growing area in Spain and the Mediterranean basin.
Characterization of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum Isolates from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: Damasceno e Silva K. J. , De Souza E. A. , Ishikawa F. H. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractAnthracnose disease of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, is responsible for extensive yield losses worldwide. This pathogen is known to vary greatly in its pathogenicity. Control strategies include chemical control and, mainly, the development of resistant cultivars, taking into account the population structure of C. lindemuthianum. The objective of this study was to investigate the pathogenic and genetic diversity and population structure among C. lindemuthianum isolates collected in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. When these isolates were inoculated on 12 differential cultivars, a total of 10 races were identified within a series of 48 isolates collected in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Races 65, 81 and 73 were the most frequent races and occurred in most of the regions. This study also detected race 337, which had not been reported previously in the literature. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis performed on the same 48 isolates revealed great genetic diversity, clustering the series into five groups at a maximum similarity value of 89.6%. There was no clear relationship between the loci sampled by RAPD markers and the pathogenic characterization. Analysis of molecular variance showed that 96.06% of the variability was contained within regions and 3.94% among regions, indicating a high exchange of genetic material among the regions of the State. Most of the variability was detected within races (75.24%). The pathogenicity and RAPD assays corroborated the broad genetic diversity of the pathogen and the results have been useful in breeding for resistance to anthracnose.
Application of the occupational adaptation framework in child and adolescent occupational therapy practice. A case study
Authors: Bouteloup Zoe , Beltran Ruth 
Published: March 2007

Background: The occupational adaptation frame of reference asserts that a person's occupational functioning may be improved through positive changes in his/her adaptive processes. This framework's authors advocate that occupational adaptation theory can be applied to practice with clients of all ages (Schultz & Schkade, 1992). Published literature to date has been focused on the application of this framework with adults and adolescents.Method: This paper reviews the major theoretical constructs and guide to practice of occupational adaptation theory whilst interweaving descriptions of its application to a paediatric case study conducted within a child and adolescent mental health unit.Conclusion: While it was shown through the case study that the occupational adaptation frame of reference can guide occupational therapy practice with a child nearing adolescence critical reflections about the experience suggest some challenges for the practitioner and students.