Rheology of protic ionic liquids and their mixtures

The rheological properties of five pure protic ionic liquids (ILs), ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), propylammonium nitrate (PAN), ethanolammonium nitrate (EtAN), ethylammonium formate (EAF), and dimethylethylammonium formate (DMEAF), are characterized and interpreted by considering the effects of both the H-bond network and the solvophobic nanostructure of the liquids. The results demonstrate that these effects are not, however, independent or simply additive. At 20 °C, EtAN has the highest zero shear viscosity of 156.1 mPa·s, followed by PAN (89.3 mPa·s), EAN (35.9 mPa·s), EAF (23.1 mPa·s), and DMEAF (9.8 mPa·s). The primary ammonium ILs behave as Newtonian fluids at low shear rates but shear thin at high shear. Fits to the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann model reveal that nanostructure is not affected appreciably by temperature and that all the ILs studied are of intermediate fragility. The rheology of binary mixtures of these ILs was analyzed and used to demonstrate fundamental differences in the way IL cations and anions interact. IL mixtures containing both nitrate and formate anions resist flow more strongly than the pure liquids, which is a consequence of the difference in hydrogen bonding capacity of the anions. Mixing cations can give rise to complex behavior due to the offsetting effects of hydrogen bonding and solvophobic nanostructure formation.

Nucleotide receptor P2RX7 stimulation enhances LPS-induced interferon-β production in murine macrophages

Stimulation of P2RX(7) with extracellular ATP potentiates numerous LPS-induced proinflammatory events, including cytokine induction in macrophages, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are not well defined. Although P2RX(7) ligation has been proposed to activate several transcription factors, many of the LPS-induced mediators affected by P2RX(7) activation are not induced by P2RX(7) agonists alone, suggesting a complementary role for P2RX(7) in transcriptional regulation. Type I IFN production, whose expression is tightly controlled by multiple transcription factors that form an enhanceosome, is critical for resistance against LPS-containing bacteria. The effect of purinergic receptor signaling on LPS-dependent type I IFN is unknown and would be of great relevance to a diverse array of inflammatory conditions. The present study demonstrates that stimulation of macrophages with P2RX(7) agonists substantially enhances LPS-induced IFN-β expression, and this enhancement is ablated in macrophages that do not express functional P2RX(7) or when the MAPK MEK1/2 pathways are inhibited. Potentiation of LPS-induced IFN-β expression following P2RX(7) stimulation is likely transcriptionally regulated, as this enhancement is observed at the IFN-β promoter level. Furthermore, P2RX(7) stimulation is able to increase the phosphorylation and subsequent IFN-β promoter occupancy of IRF-3, a transcription factor that is critical for IFN-β transcription by TLR agonists. This newly discovered role for P2RX(7) in IFN regulation may have implications in antimicrobial defense, which has been linked to P2RX(7) activation in other studies.

Effect of chipping on emergence of the redbay ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and recovery of the laurel wilt pathogen from infested wood chips

Significant mortality ofredbay trees (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.) in the southeastern United States has been caused by Raffaelea lauricola, T.C. Harr., Fraedrich, & Aghayeva (Harrington et al. 2008), a fungal symbiont of the exotic redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, Eichhoff (Fraedrich et al. 2008). This pathogen causes laurel wilt, which is an irreversible disease that can kill mature trees within a few weeks in summer. R. lauricola has been shown to be lethal to most native species of Lauraceae and cultivated avocado (Persea americana Mill.) in the southeastern United States. In this study, we examined the survival of X. glabratus and R. lauricola in wood chips made from infested trees by using a standard tree chipper over a 10-wk period. After 2 wk, 14 X. glabratus were recovered from wood chips, whereas 339 X. glabratus emerged from nonchipped bolts. R. lauricola was not found 2 d postchipping from wood chips, indicating that the pathogen is not likely to survive for long inside wood chips. In contrast, R. lauricola persisted in dead, standing redbay trees for 14 mo. With large volumes of wood, the potential for infested logs to be moved between states or across U.S. borders is significant. Results demonstrated that chipping wood from laurel wilt-killed trees can significantly reduce the number of X. glabratus and limit the persistence of R. lauricola, which is important for sanitation strategies aimed at limiting the spread of this disease.

Females do not have increased risk of early or late mortality after isolated aortic valve replacement: results from a multi-institutional Australian study

AIM

There is controversy regarding whether isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) in women is associated with an increased risk of early and late mortality. The current study evaluates the impact of gender as an independent risk factor for early and late mortality after isolated AVR.

METHODS

Data obtained between June 2001 and December 2009 by the Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons Cardiac Surgery Database Program was retrospectively analysed. Demographic, operative data and postoperative complications were compared between male and female patients using χ(2) and t-tests. Long-term survival analysis was performed using Kaplan Meier survival curves and the log rank test. Independent risk factors for short term and long term mortality were identified using binary logistic and Cox regression, respectively.

RESULTS

Isolated aortic valve replacement was undertaken for 2790 patients in 18 Australian institutions; 41.9% were female. Female patients were generally older (mean age 72 vs. 66 years (P<0.001) and presented more often with hypertension (P<0.001) and obesity (P<0.001). They were less likely to present with cerebrovascular disease (P=0.018), renal failure (P=0.017) and non-elective presentation (P=0.017). Women were observed to have a lower 30-day mortality (1.7% vs. 2.1%) but there was no difference on univariate (P=0.490) or multivariate analysis (P=0.983). There was no difference in the incidence of early complications but women were more likely to require red blood cell transfusion (P<0.001). Long-term survival was comparable between men and women (P=0.662).

CONCLUSION

Female patients undergoing isolated AVR do not have an increased risk of early and late mortality. Further investigation is required to delineate the impact of gender on early and late outcomes following AVR.

Recommended standards for newborn ICU design, eighth edition

This is the eighth edition of the Recommended Standards for Newborn ICU Design. It contains substantive changes in recommendations for patient room size and feeding preparation areas, and a number of refinements of previous Recommended Standards with respect to family space, hand hygiene, lighting and other aspects of the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) design.

Abstract P5-20-05: A Phase 2 trial of RAD 001 and Carboplatin in patients with triple negative metastatic breast cancer

BACKGROUND: RAD001 is an oral mTOR inhibitor that has exhibited activity in breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer cells are unable to repair double stranded DNA breaks and hence have sensitivity to platinum agents that cause interstrand cross-links. Rapamycin acts synergistically with platinum agents to induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in at least two different breast cancer cell lines (including ER/PR negative cell lines). We propose that combination RAD001 and carboplatin may have activity in triple-negative breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary objective of the study is to determine clinical benefit (complete remission (CR) + partial remission (PR) + stable disease (SD more than 6 months)) and the toxicity of this combination in triple negative metastatic breast cancer who have had 0–3 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease. Twenty-five subjects were to be entered in this Phase II study. This design has greater than 80% power to test the null hypothesis that the clinical benefit rate is less than or equal to 10% versus the alternative hypothesis that clinical benefit rate is greater than or equal to 30%. Prior carboplatin is allowed. Women with treated brain metastasis are eligible. Secondary objectives are to determine progression free survival and relationship between pretreatment sensitivity (biopsy at baseline) and clinical response (biopsy post 2 cycles) using IHC staining for abundance of key proteins in the Akt-mTOR pathway and their activity using surrogate phosphorylation site-specific antibodies. According to the original study plan, carboplatin AUC 6, was to be given intravenously every three weeks. Five mg of RAD001 was to be given daily with a 3 patient run-in and then 10 mg daily if there were no dose-limiting toxicities. Due to a surprising amount of thrombocytopenia with this combination the dose of carboplatin was first amended to AUC 5 and most recently to AUC 4 with 5 mg of RAD001 (and no plan to escalate to 10 mg).

RESULTS: 23 patients of a planned 25 have been recruited thus far. Median age is 59. Of the 20 patients assessable for response at this time, there have been 1 CR, 5 PRs, 8 SDs and 6 PDs. One SD was achieved in a patient progressing on single agent Carboplatin at study entry. Median duration of CR+ SD +PR thus far is 13 weeks (range: 6–74 weeks). 5 of 22 patients assessable for toxicity had grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia and 4 patients had grade 3 neutropenia (no febrile neutropenia). 13 out of eighteen patients have had treatment held and/or dose reductions secondary to hematological toxicity, however, since amendment for starting dose of Carboplatin to AUC 4 the regimen has been very well tolerated with only 1 out of eleven patients with grade 3 neutropenia and grade 3 thrombocytopenia. 1 patient suffered from grade 3 dehydration. The estimated clinical benefit rate is 45% (95% confidence interval: 23%, 67%). Median time to progression or death is 85 days from start of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study has met the primary end point of demonstrating clinical benefit in triple negative metastatic breast cancer. Dose limiting thrombocytopenia was an unexpected side effect requiring protocol amendment. We continue to accrue study subjects at the amended dosing.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-20-05.

Hippocampal tissue of patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with astrocyte activation, inflammation, and altered expression of channels and receptors

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy. Previous research has demonstrated several trends in human tissue that, undoubtedly, contribute to the development and progression of TLE. In this study we examined resected human hippocampus tissue for a variety of changes including gliosis that might contribute to the development and presentation of TLE. The study subjects consisted of six TLE patients and three sudden-death controls. Clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated by H&E staining. Immunohistological staining and Western blotting methods were used to analyze the samples. Neuronal hypertrophy was observed in resected epileptic tissue. Immunohistological staining demonstrated that activation of astrocytes was significantly increased in epileptic tissue as compared to corresponding regions of the control group. The Western blot data also showed increased CX43 and AQP4 in the hippocampus and downregulation of Kir4.1, α-syntrophin, and dystrophin, the key constituents of AQP4 multi-molecular complex. These tissues also demonstrated changes in inflammatory factors (COX-2, TGF-β, NF-κB) suggesting that these molecules may play an important role in TLE pathogenesis. In addition we detected increases in metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) 2/3, mGluR5 and kainic acid receptor subunits KA1 (Grik4) and KA2 (Grik5) in patients' hippocampi. We noted increased expression of the α1c subunit comprising class C L-type Ca(2+) channels and calpain expression in these tissues, suggesting that these subunits might have an integral role in TLE pathogenesis. These changes found in the resected tissue suggest that they may contribute to TLE and that the kainic acid receptor (KAR) and deregulation of GluR2 receptor may play an important role in TLE development and disease course. This study identifies alterations in number of commonly studied molecular targets associated with astrogliosis, cellular hypertrophy, water homeostasis, inflammation, and modulation of excitatory neurotransmission in hippocampal tissues from TLE patients.

First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Silk Bay in Florida

Silk bay (Persea humilis Nash) is a member of the Lauraceae precinctive to the scrub forests of central and southern Florida and a sister species to the primary laurel wilt host, redbay (P. borbonia (L.) Spreng), which is generally not found in these ecosystems. In November 2011, observations of silk bay mortality near Lake Placid in Highlands County, FL, were reported to Florida Forest Service agents. A subsequent visit to roadside and homeowners' properties in the area revealed many dead and dying silkbays with characteristic laurel wilt symptoms, including wilted crowns with brown persistent foliage, frass accumulated at tree bases, sapwood with dark streaking, and ambrosia beetle entrance holes (1). Twig samples were taken and later confirmed as silk bay by the Florida Division of Plant Industry in Gainesville. Trunk samples were taken from four trees for fungal isolation. Stem sections with vascular discoloration were surface disinfested for 30 s in a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution and then plated onto cycloheximide streptomycin malt extract agar (CSMA) (1). All sapwood pieces from the four samples resulted in the same cream-buff submerged fungal growth characteristic of the laurel wilt pathogen Raffaelea lauricola T. C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva (2). DNA was extracted from a single-spore derived isolate, PL1389, and an 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence was generated with primers NS1 and NS4, resulting in a 1,031-bp amplicon (3). A BLASTn search showed identical homology to R. lauricola strains PL159 and PL382 (GenBank Accessions No. EU257806 and JF797171, respectively, 100% similarity, e-value 0.0, and a total score of 1,982). The sequence was deposited into GenBank and assigned the accession No. JQ247569. In December 2011, a spore suspension was made by flooding a PL1389 culture plate with 2 ml of sterile water, collecting by pipette, and quantification and adjusting to 3.25 × 10⁶ spores/ml by hemacytometer. Pathogenicity was tested on potted plants in a growth chamber experiment. Five silk bays and three redbays were drill-wounded with a 3/32" drill bit and inoculated with 20 μl of the spore suspension. Three silk bays and two redbays served as water-inoculated controls. Within 5 weeks, all inoculated plants displayed the wilt and vascular discoloration characteristic of laurel wilt disease, while all water-inoculated controls remained healthy. Sapwood samples from all plants were plated onto the same CSMA media. R. lauricola was later recovered only from the wilted plants inoculated with PL1389, while no fungal growth was recovered from the asymptomatic water-inoculated controls. Silk bay, which plays a significant role in the limited scrub ecosystems of Florida, has now become another host in the laurel wilt epidemic, with its implications upon the scrub forests yet to be seen. References: (1) S. W. Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington et al. Mycotaxon 104:399, 2008. (3) M. A. Innis et al. PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press. San Diego, CA, 1990.

Laurel Wilt, Caused by Raffaelea lauricola, is Confirmed in Miami-Dade County, Center of Florida's Commercial Avocado Production

Laurel wilt, caused by Raffaelea lauricola, threatens native and nonnative species in the Lauraceae in the southeastern United States, including the important commercial crop, avocado, Persea americana (2,4). Although the pathogen's vector, Xyleborus glabratus, was detected in Miami-Dade County, FL in January 2010, laurel wilt had not been reported (4). In February 2011, symptoms of the disease were observed on native swampbay, P. palustris, in Miami-Dade County (25°72'N, 80°48'W). Externally, foliage was brown, necrotic, and did not abscise; internally, sapwood was streaked with dark gray-to-bluish discoloration; and, in dead trees, holes of natal galleries of the vector from which columns of frass were attached were evident. On a semiselective medium for R. lauricola, a fungus with the pathogen's phenotype was isolated from symptomatic sapwood. Colonies were slow growing, light cream in color, with dendritic, closely appressed mycelium and often a slimy surface. A representative strain of the fungus was further identified with PCR primers for diagnostic small subunit (SSU) rDNA (1) and its SSU sequence (100% match, GenBank Accession No. JN578863). In each of two experiments, plants of 'Simmonds' avocado, the most important cultivar in Florida, were inoculated with three strains of the fungus, as described previously (3). Symptoms of laurel wilt developed in all inoculated plants and the fungus was recovered from each. After aerial and further ground surveys, additional symptomatic swampbay trees, some of which had defoliated, were detected in the vicinity of the original site. Since swampbay defoliates only a year or more after symptoms develop (4), the 2010 detection of X. glabratus may have coincided with an undetected presence of the disease. As of July 2011, a 6-km-diameter disease focus was evident in the area, the southernmost edge of which is 5 km from the nearest commercial avocado orchard. In August 2011, a dooryard avocado tree immediately north of the above focus was affected by laurel wilt, and an SSU sequence confirmed the involvement of R. lauricola (GenBank Accession No. JN613280). The outbreak of laurel wilt in Miami-Dade County represents a 150 km southerly jump in the distribution of this disease in the United States ( http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/dist_map.shtml ) and is the first time this disease has been found in close proximity to Florida's primary commercial avocado production area. Approximately 98% of the state's commercial avocados, worth nearly $54 million per year, are produced in Miami-Dade County. Since effective fungicidal and insecticidal measures have not been developed for large, fruit-bearing trees, mitigation efforts will focus on the rapid identification and destruction of infected trees (3,4). References: (1) T. J. Dreaden et al. Phytopathology 98:S48, 2008. (2) S. W. Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (3) R. C. Ploetz et al. Plant Dis. 95:977, 2011. (4) R. C. Ploetz et al. Recovery Plan for Laurel Wilt of Avocado. National Plant Disease Recovery System, USDA, ARS, 2011.

First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Pondspice in Florida

Laurel wilt is a fungal vascular disease of redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng) and other plants in the family Lauraceae in the southeastern United States (1). The disease is caused by Raffaelea lauricola T. C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva, which is vectored by the exotic redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff) (2). Pondspice (Litsea aestivalis (L.) Fern.) is an obligate wetland shrub listed as endangered in Florida and Maryland and threatened in Georgia (4). On 29 August 2008, 369 of 430 (85%) pondspice trees observed at St. Marks Pond in St. John's County, Florida were dead and/or dying (4). Stem samples were collected from plants with wilted and reddened foliage, entrance holes with boring dust characteristic of ambrosia beetle attack, and dark discoloration in the outer sapwood. Discolored stem sections were surface disinfested for 30 s in a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution and then plated onto cycloheximide streptomycin malt extract agar (1). Smooth, cream-buff, submerge hyphae with uneven margins resembling R. lauricola (2) was observed growing from all sapwood pieces. DNA was extracted from a single isolate (PL 392) and the 18s small subunit rDNA was PCR amplified and sequenced with primers NS1 and NS4 (3), resulting in a 1,026-bp amplicon. A BLASTn search showed identical homology to R. lauricola strain PL 159 (GenBank Accession No. EU257806). The 18s small subunit rDNA sequence was deposited into GenBank (FJ514097). In May 2011, a spore suspension was made by flooding a single-spore culture plate of isolate PL 392 with 2 ml of sterile water, collecting the spores by pipette, and quantification by hemacyometer to 1.5 × 10⁶ spores/ml. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 1 to 1.5 m tall pondspice plants. Six saplings were wounded by a 3/32-inch drill bit, with four receiving 50 μl of the spore suspension and two serving as water-inoculated controls. All plants were kept in a greenhouse under ambient temperature. Within 21 days, all fungal-inoculated saplings displayed complete canopy wilt, typical of laurel wilt. R. lauricola was later recovered from all four infected plants, completing Koch's postulates. To determine if the vector can reproduce in pondspice, infected stem sections were placed in a plastic rearing box indoors at room temperature, and both callow and mature adult female X. glabratus emerged in October and November 2008. Although laurel wilt has been previously observed on pondspice in South Carolina and Georgia (1), this is the first confirmation of the disease on pondspice in Florida and the first confirmation of the vector from stem material of this host. References: (1) S. W. Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington et al. Mycotaxon 104:399, 2008. (3) M. A. Innis et al. PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press. San Diego, CA, 1990. (4) J. A. Surdick and A. M. Jenkins. Pondspice (Litsea aestivalis) Population Status and Response to Laurel Wilt Disease in Northeast Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL, 2009.

First Report of Diplodia corticola Causing Branch Cankers on Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) in Florida

Numerous cankers on small branches showing dieback were observed on live oak (Quercus virginiana) trees in September 2010 in Marion County, FL. Approximately 24 12-year-old landscape trees planted on a farm displayed symptoms. Samples were collected from six of the symptomatic trees and returned to the laboratory for processing. Isolations were made from canker margins after surface sterilization of samples in 2.5% sodium hypochlorite and by plating on potato dextrose agar (PDA). A suspect Botryosphaeriaceae sp. (based on colony morphology) was consistently isolated from the symptomatic branches from all six trees sampled. Fungal colonies consisted of plentiful, white, aerial mycelium that turned dark olive after 5 to 7 days at 23°C with the underside of the cultures turning black (1). Total genomic DNA from three representative Botryosphaeriaceae sp. isolates was extracted and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8s-ITS2) region of the rDNA (GenBank Accessions Nos. JF798638, JF798639, and JF798640) using the primers ITS1 and ITS4 (3) and a portion of the β-tubulin gene (Bt), (GenBank Accession Nos. JF798641, JF798642, and JF798641) using the primers Bt2a and Bt2b (2) were amplified, sequenced, and deposited in GenBank. BLASTn searches of the ITS-rDNA sequences resulted in 100% homology (467 of 467, 467 of 467, and 540 of 540, respectively) with Diplodia corticola isolate CBS 112074 (GenBank Accession No. AY268421). BLASTn searches of the Bt sequences resulted in 99, 98, and 99% (391 of 393, 396 of 400, and 392 of 394, respectively) matches with D. corticola strain UCD2397TX, GenBank Accession No. GU294724. To complete Koch's postulates, nine seedlings of Q. virginiana, 0.6 to 0.9 cm in diameter at ground line maintained in a greenhouse, were inoculated with isolate PL949 (GenBank Accession Nos. JF798638 and JF798641) by making a 1.5-cm incision with a single-edge razor blade into the xylem 10 cm above ground line. Inoculations were done by placing mycelial plugs (1 × 0.25 cm) from cultures on PDA in the incision with the mycelium facing the center of the stem. Wounds were sealed by wrapping them with Parafilm. Three negative controls were mock inoculated as previously described except sterile PDA plugs were used. Eight weeks postinoculation, the lengths of the necrotic lesions were measured. Mean lesion length of the inoculated seedlings was 41.2 cm ± SE 4.5 and ranged between 27 and 63 cm. The negative control inoculations showed no necrotic lesions. Three of the inoculated seedlings were plated on PDA in an effort to reisolate the inoculated fungus. D. corticola was reisolated from each and all had the same ITS sequence as D. corticola strain CBS 112074. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. corticola causing cankers on Q. virginiana and the first report of the disease occurring in Florida. D. corticola has been reported to cause cankers and dieback in several Quercus spp. in Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain and has recently been reported to cause cankers on Q. chrysolepis and Q. agrifolia in California. References: (1) A. Alves et al. Mycologia. 96:598, 2004. (2) N. L. Glass and G. C. Donaldson. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:1323, 1995. (3) T. J. White et al. PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.

Generalist niche, specialist strategy: the diet of an Australian percichthyid

Dietary analysis revealed that an impoundment population of Australian bass Macquaria novemaculeata holds a generalist niche, but one arising from persistent individual specialization and interindividual variation. This 'individual specialist' strategy appeared adaptive, but the strength of individual specialization was largely independent of variation in diet composition, except during blooms of Daphnia sp. Diet composition and dietary overlap showed only moderate ontogenetic variation, and niche breadth showed no relationship with ontogeny. Macquaria novemaculeata showed an asymmetric predator and prey size distribution, consistent with many aquatic predators, with positive relationships between fish size and average, maximum and minimum prey size. There was no asymmetry in the relative size-based niche breadths of individuals, however, which indicates that the niche is a fixed 'window' of relative prey sizes. The difference in the dietary niche and prey-size relationships of M. novemaculeata at the population and individual levels highlights the necessity of assessing the niche at both these levels.

Transforming growth factor-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition facilitates epidermal growth factor-dependent breast cancer progression

TGF-β and EGF play critical roles in regulating the metastasis of aggressive breast cancers, yet the impact of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by TGF-β in altering the response of breast cancer cells to EGF remains unknown. We show here that murine metastatic 4T1 breast cancer cells formed compact, and dense spheroids when cultured under 3-dimensional (3D) conditions, which contrasted sharply to the branching phenotypes exhibited by their nonmetastatic counterparts. Using the human MCF10A series, we show that epithelial-type and nonmetastatic breast cancer cells were unable to invade to EGF, while their mesenchymal-type and metastatic counterparts readily invaded to EGF. Furthermore, EMT induced by TGF-β was sufficient to manifest spheroid morphologies, a phenotype that increased primary tumor exit and invasion to EGF. Post-EMT invasion to EGF was dependent upon increased activation of EGFR and p38 MAPK, all of which could be abrogated either by pharmacological (PF-271) or genetic (shRNA) targeting of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Mechanistically, EMT induced by TGF-β increased cell surface levels of EGFR and prevented its physical interaction with E-cadherin, leading instead to the formation of oncogenic signaling complexes with TβR-II. Elevated EGFR expression was sufficient to transform normal mammary epithelial cells, and to progress their 3D morphology from that of hollow acini to branched structures characteristic of nonmetastatic breast cancer cells. Importantly, we show that TGF-β stimulation of EMT enabled this EGFR-driven breast cancer model to abandon their inherent branching architecture and form large, undifferentiated masses that were hyper-invasive to EGF and displayed increased pulmonary tumor growth upon tail vein injection. Finally, chemotherapeutic targeting of FAK was sufficient to revert the aggressive behaviors of these structures. Collectively, this investigation has identified a novel EMT-based approach to neutralize the oncogenic activities of EGF and TGF-β in aggressive and invasive forms of breast cancer.

Areal spread of the effect of cloud seeding at the whitetop experiment

With reference to arguments that weather modification technology is sufficiently advanced for the federal government to finance cloud-seeding operations as a means of alleviating water shortages, an analysis of the Whitetop rain stimulation experiment was performed. The average 24-hour precipitation in six concentric regions up to 180 miles from the center of the target on 102 days of cloud seeding was less than that on the 96 experimental days without seeding. For distances less than 30 miles, the apparent loss of rain due to seeding was 32 percent. With the increase in distance, this apparent loss decreased to a minimum of 9 percent for gages between 120 and 150 miles from the center. However, the 48 gages at distances between 150 and 180 miles showed a 22 percent apparent loss of rain due to seeding. The estimated average loss of rain within the whole region of about 100,000 square miles was 21 percent of what would have fallen without seeding. When a 5-year experiment, expected to produce a 5 to 10-percent increase, shows a 20-percent decrease in rainfall, the relevant technology does not appear reliable enough for practical use.

Timing of the apparent effects of cloud seeding

The average hourly precipitation amounts, on 96 experimental days without cloud seeding in the Whitetop experiment, show a marked maximum between 4 and 7 o'clock in the afternoon, presumably reflecting the convection activity caused by heating of the ground occurring during an earlier period. No such maximum is observed on the 102 days with seeding. The hypothetical explanation presupposes that seeding with silver iodide creates early general cloudiness, which prevents ground temperatures from rising to levels usually attained on days without seeding. This hypothesis may explain not only the mechanism of the loss in rain in the Whitetop experiment, apparently induced by seeding, but also may explain certain phenomena noticed in the Grossversuch III experiment.

Wind directions aloft and effects of seeding on precipitation in the whitetop experiment

The subdivision of all the experimental days of the Whitetop project into two approximately equal groups, group W with predominantly westerly winds aloft and group E with frequent easterly winds, shows a remarkable difference in the apparent effect of seeding. On W days there was no detectable effect of seeding on rainfall. On E days with seeding, the average 24 hour precipitation in an area of about 100,000 square miles was significantly less than that without seeding by 46 per cent of the latter. The decrease resulted from a "decapitation" of the usual afternoon rise in rainfall. It may be significant that the afternoon maximum of natural precipitation on E days occurs some two hours later than on W days. If the actual cause of the differences in rainfall was seeding, then the loss of water resulting from operational, rather than experimental, seeding would have averaged eight million acre-feet per summer.

First Occurrence of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Redbay Trees in Mississippi

Laurel wilt is a lethal, nonnative vascular wilt disease of redbay (Persea borbonia), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and other trees in the Lauraceae (1,4). It is caused by a fungus (Raffaelea lauricola) and transmitted by the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus), a nonnative insect first detected in Georgia in 2002 (1,2). Since introduction of the pathogen and vector (presumably from Asia), laurel wilt has caused extensive mortality to redbays in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina (1). In June 2009, a landowner in Gautier, MS reported dead redbay trees. Signs and symptoms were identical to those reported for laurel wilt along the Atlantic Coast (wilted, bronze red foliage, and dark gray-to-black vascular discoloration) (1). Infected trees have subsequently been confirmed in and near the Pascagoula River Basin. Size of infected redbays ranged from 5 to 20 cm (diameter at breast height). No heavily decomposed or fallen redbays were noted. Many individual specimens exhibited extensive drying of stem wood and dry, wilted, light brown foliage. This indicates that introduction to the area may have occurred within the last 3 years. X. glabratus adults were collected (30°26'44.45″N, 88°39'41.83″W) in a Lindgren funnel trap baited with phoebe and manuka oil lures. Beetle identification was confirmed by USDA-APHIS, and voucher specimens were submitted to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Mississippi Entomological Museum. Symptomatic redbay wood chips from the same location were surface sterilized and plated on cycloheximide-streptomycin malt agar and R. lauricola was isolated. A 1,026-bp portion of 18S rDNA (GenBank No. GQ996063) was amplified by PCR and sequenced using primers NS1 and NS4. BLASTn searches revealed perfect homology to R. lauricola isolate PL 697 (GQ329704). Two isolates of R. lauricola were recovered and prepared into separate spore suspensions (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml). Each isolate was inoculated into two healthy redbays. The inoculated redbays were placed in a growth chamber with two water-only controls. All inoculated plants, and none of the controls, exhibited wilt symptoms and died within 20 days. R. lauricola was recovered from the discolored sapwood of the inoculated plants, completing Koch's postulates. A model prediction for the natural dispersion of X. glabratus and R. lauricola estimated that these organisms may not reach Mississippi for 10 to 15 years (3). The current detection of laurel wilt in Mississippi is substantially ahead of this estimate. Currently, no records of laurel wilt have been reported from western Georgia, all of Alabama, or the panhandle of Florida. Confirmed locations in Mississippi are in Jackson County, along the Interstate 10 corridor and the Pascagoula River drainage. Due to the relatively large extent of the infestation (~64 km², including hundreds of infected trees) eradication is not being attempted. Surveys, remote sensing, and phylogeographic analysis are underway to delineate the extent of infestation and discover the mode of introduction. The current outbreak of laurel wilt in Mississippi is likely the result of human transport of infested wood, either from Asia as a separate, new introduction or from previously infested areas in the southeastern United States. References: (1) S. W Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington et al. Mycotaxon 104:399, 2008. (3) F. Koch and W. Smith. Environ. Entomol. 37:442, 2008. (4) J. A. Smith et al. Plant Dis. 93:198, 2009.

Severe histiolymphocytic and heterophilic bronchopneumonia as a reaction to in ovo fowlpox vaccination in broiler chicks

Broiler chickens on several farms from a single poultry company experienced neurological signs and mortality in chicks between 3 days and 10 days of age over a 3-week period after use of a fowlpox-vectored infectious laryngotracheitis virus vaccine in ovo. At necropsy the lungs contained numerous tan or gray, opaque to translucent, 0.5- to 2.0-mm nodules in the parenchyma. Microscopic lesions were a multifocal severe lymphohistiocytic and heterophilic bronchopneumonia. Immunohistochemistry was positive for fowlpox virus in macrophages and lymphocytes, and polymerase chain reaction on paraffin-embedded lung tissues was positive for a fowlpox vector virus commonly used as a vaccine. The cause of the neurological signs was not determined.

Tooth pulp inflammation increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in rodent trigeminal ganglion neurons

Nociceptive pathways with first-order neurons located in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) provide sensory innervation to the head, and are responsible for a number of common chronic pain conditions, including migraines, temporomandibular disorders and trigeminal neuralgias. Many of those conditions are associated with inflammation. Yet, the mechanisms of chronic inflammatory pain remain poorly understood. Our previous studies show that the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is expressed by adult rat TG neurons, and released from cultured newborn rat TG neurons by electrical stimulation and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a well-established mediator of trigeminal inflammatory pain. These data suggest that BDNF plays a role in activity-dependent plasticity at first-order trigeminal synapses, including functional changes that take place in trigeminal nociceptive pathways during chronic inflammation. The present study was designed to determine the effects of peripheral inflammation, using tooth pulp inflammation as a model, on regulation of BDNF expression in TG neurons of juvenile rats and mice. Cavities were prepared in right-side maxillary first and second molars of 4-week-old animals, and left open to oral microflora. BDNF expression in right TG was compared with contralateral TG of the same animal, and with right TG of sham-operated controls, 7 and 28 days after cavity preparation. Our ELISA data indicate that exposing the tooth pulp for 28 days, with confirmed inflammation, leads to a significant upregulation of BDNF in the TG ipsilateral to the affected teeth. Double-immunohistochemistry with antibodies against BDNF combined with one of nociceptor markers, CGRP or transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1), revealed that BDNF is significantly upregulated in TRPV1-immunoreactive (IR) neurons in both rats and mice, and CGRP-IR neurons in mice, but not rats. Overall, the inflammation-induced upregulation of BDNF is stronger in mice compared to rats. Thus, mouse TG provides a suitable model to study molecular mechanisms of inflammation-dependent regulation of BDNF expression in vivo.

First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Sassafras in Florida and South Carolina

Laurel wilt disease, caused by Raffaelea lauricola (T.C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva sp. nov.), which is a fungal symbiont of the nonnative redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff), has caused widespread mortality of native redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng) in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida since 2002. The disease has been noted on other species in the Lauraceae including sassafras in Georgia (1), and more recently, on avocado and camphor in Florida (4). Since 2005, wilted shoots, branch dieback, and tree death have been observed in sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum (L.)) in Liberty, McIntosh, Chatham, Effingham, Bulloch, Evans, and Screven counties in Georgia; Bamberg, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, and Orangeburg counties in South Carolina; and Putnam County in Florida. Symptomatic sassafras trees ranged from 1 to 12 m high and 2.5 to 25 cm in diameter at breast height. In contrast to red bay trees that retain wilted foliage, symptomatic sassafras defoliate rapidly as trees wilt and die. Multiple symptomatic ramets originating from a common root system have been observed. Removal of bark from stem and root sections from wilted trees revealed black-to-brownish staining in the sapwood, characteristic of laurel wilt. Wood chips from symptomatic areas of branches and roots were surface sterilized and plated on cycloheximide-streptomycin malt agar as previously described (1) and R. lauricola was routinely isolated. Small subunit (18S) sequences from rDNA were amplified by PCR and sequenced using primers NS1 and NS4 (3) for isolates from sassafras from Florida and South Carolina. BLASTn searches revealed homology to Raffaelea sp. C2203 (GenBank Accession No. EU123076, 100% similarity) described by Fraedrich et al. (1) from redbay and later named R. lauricola (2). The small subunit rDNA sequences for these isolates have been deposited into GenBank ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html ) and assigned Accession Nos. EU980448 (Florida) and GQ329704 (South Carolina). Koch's postulates have been completed with R. lauricola on this host previously (1). Laurel wilt on sassafras often was geographically isolated from other symptomatic hosts in Georgia and South Carolina and appears to occur on this host independently of proximity to redbay. Further studies to determine the epidemiology of laurel wilt on sassafras, potential resistance, and impact on sassafras life history and distribution are needed. Given the clonal nature of sassafras, the disease would appear to have the potential to move through roots of trees once established in a stand. References: (1) S. W Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington et al. Mycotaxon 104:399, 2008. (3) M. A. Innis et al. PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990. (4) J. A. Smith et al. Plant Dis. 93:198, 2009.

First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Camphor in Florida and Georgia

Laurel wilt is a recently described (1) vascular disease of redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng) and other plants in the family Lauraceae. The wilt is caused by Raffaelea lauricola, a fungus vectored by the nonnative redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff) (1,2). Since 2003, laurel wilt has caused widespread mortality of redbay in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida (1) and has recently been found on avocado in Florida (4). Since June of 2007, wilted shoots and branch dieback have been observed in several camphor trees (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Sieb.) in residential areas of McIntosh and Glynn counties in Georgia and Baker County in Florida. Symptomatic camphor trees ranged from 4.5 to 12 m high and occurred in areas where redbay mortality due to laurel wilt has been frequently observed during the last 2 to 3 years. In some camphor trees, only the smaller branches (<2 cm in diameter) were wilting or dead, whereas in other trees (e.g., Baker County, Florida), the larger branches and substantial portions of the crown were also symptomatic. Rapid wilt that affects entire trees that is usually observed in redbay, has not been observed in camphor. Some camphor trees in residential areas of Jekyll Island, Georgia (Glynn County), where extensive wilt of redbay has occurred, have exhibited only localized wilt of some shoots or branches and other camphors remain asymptomatic. Removal of bark from wilted branch sections revealed black-to-brownish staining in the sapwood, characteristic of laurel wilt. Although no evidence of ambrosia beetles was observed on these samples, more extensive surveys are needed to determine the role of this vector in laurel wilt of camphor. Wood chips from symptomatic areas of branches were surface sterilized and plated on cycloheximide-streptomycin malt agar as previously described (1,4) and R. lauricola was routinely isolated. Small subunit (18S) sequences from rDNA were amplified by PCR and sequenced using primers NS1 and NS4 (3). BLASTn searches revealed homology to R. lauricola C2203 (GenBank Accession No. EU123076, 100% similarity, e-value of 0.0, and a total score of 1,886). The small subunit rDNA sequence for this isolate has been deposited into GenBank ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html ) and has been assigned Accession No. EU 853303. The presence of laurel wilt in camphor provides an opportunity to understand the pathogen distribution and possible resistance mechanisms in this host, which could have implications for efforts to remediate the impacts of the disease in redbay and other species in the Lauraceae in the southeastern United States. References: (1) S. W Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington et al. Mycotaxon 104:399, 2008. (3) M. A. Innis et al. PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press. San Diego, CA, 1990. (4) A. E. Mayfield, III et al. Plant Dis. 92:976, 2008.

Sex differences and predictors of objective cough frequency in chronic cough

BACKGROUND

Women are consistently over-represented in specialist cough clinics and known to have a more sensitive cough reflex than men. Whether female sex and other patient characteristics are associated with higher cough rates is not known. A study was conducted to determine the predictors of objective cough frequency in patients presenting to a tertiary referral clinic with chronic cough.

METHODS

100 subjects (65 women) of mean (SD) age 55.8 (11.0) years and median cough duration 4 years (IQR 2.0-10.0) with unexplained chronic cough completed flow-volume loops (mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in 1 s 103 (15.2)% predicted; forced expiratory flow (FEF(50)) 68.8 (24.1)% predicted), methacholine challenge (42% positive), citric acid cough reflex sensitivity (C5; 0.12 M (IQR 0.06-0.50)) and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire. 24-h ambulatory cough monitoring was performed in 86 subjects; manually counted coughs were quantified as the number of explosive cough sounds per hour.

RESULTS

Women coughed significantly more than men (geometric mean 16.6 coughs/h (95% CI 13.1 to 21.0) vs 9.4 coughs/h (95% CI 6.4 to 13.9), p = 0.01)). The cough reflex was also more sensitive in women than in men (median logC5 -0.9 M vs -0.6 M, p = 0.002), but cough-related quality of life was similar in women and men (12.0 (3.6) and 12.2 (3.2), respectively, p = 0.76). Linear regression analysis showed that 38.6% of the variation in cough rate was predicted by sex (p = 0.01), logC5 (p<0.001) and age (p = 0.002) but not lung function or bronchial hyper-reactivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Ambulatory objective cough monitoring provides novel insights into factors modulating chronic cough. These findings suggest that effects of sex and age must be taken into account in the study of cough and when designing clinical trials testing novel antitussive agents.

First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by a Raffaelea sp. on Avocado in Florida

Laurel wilt is a vascular disease of redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.) and other plants in the family Lauraceae in the southeastern United States. It is caused by a fungus (Raffaelea sp.) that is vectored by a non-native insect of Asian origin, the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff) (1). Since the initial detection of the redbay ambrosia beetle near Savannah, GA in 2002, laurel wilt has caused widespread mortality of redbay in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida (1). In September 2007, an avocado (Persea americana Mill.) tree planted approximately 10 years earlier in a residential neighborhood in Jacksonville, FL was discovered to be infected with laurel wilt. The crown was in various stages of decline, including upper branches that were dead and leafless, those with wilted and drooping foliage, and those with healthy foliage. Removal of bark from wilted branch sections revealed black-to-brown streaks of discoloration in the sapwood and a few ambrosia beetle holes from which the discoloration extended into the adjacent wood. A Raffaelea sp. was isolated from discolored wood samples by surface sterilizing wood chips by submersion in a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 30 s and plating them on cycloheximide streptomycin malt agar (2). Small subunit (18S) sequences from the rDNA were amplified by PCR and sequenced with primers NS1 and NS4 (3). BLASTn searches revealed homology to Raffaelea sp. C2203 (GenBank Accession No. EU123076, 100% similarity, e-value of 0.0, and a total score of 1,886), which is known to be the causal agent of laurel wilt (1). The small-subunit rDNA sequence for this isolate has been deposited into GenBank and has been assigned accession No. EU257806. Pathogenicity of the laurel wilt pathogen on Persea spp. in growth chamber trials has been previously demonstrated (1). Laurel wilt is of concern to the commercial avocado industry and is a potential threat to the Lauraceae elsewhere in the Americas. References: (1) S. W. Fraedrich et al. Plant Dis. 92:215, 2008. (2) T. C. Harrington. Mycologia 73:1123, 1981. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols, a Guide to Methods and Applications. M. A. Innis et al., eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990.

The techniques and uses of intracellular pH measurements

Weak-acid, 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and microelectrode techniques for measuring intracellular pH (pHi) are compared by demonstration of their use in rat liver. The ultimate test of suitability of these methods is the confidence with which they can be used to clarify aspects of metabolic regulation, translocation of substances across biological membranes, and the control of cell pH itself. Though resting pHi in perfused liver is fairly similar with all three techniques, substantial quantitative differences between values obtained with 31P NMR and microelectrodes are revealed after addition of fructose to the perfused liver preparation. The use and limitations of weak-acid methods in determining the mechanism of inhibition of gluconeogenesis from lactate by acidosis and in determining the pH responsiveness of the lactate transporter in the hepatocyte plasma membrane are demonstrated. Microelectrode-derived values of pHi are probably referable to the bulk phase of the cytosol, whereas values from the other two methods are more complex in their interpretation. Microelectrode and NMR methods have the great advantage of being non-destructive, and continuous records may be obtained.

Variant form of STAT4 is associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the STAT4 gene have recently been shown to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a related autoimmune disease thought to have a pathogenesis similar to these diseases. To test the hypothesis that the variant haplotype of STAT4 seen in RA and SLE is also associated with pSS, we genotyped rs7574865, the most strongly disease-associated SNP in the variant STAT4 haplotype, in 124 Caucasian pSS subjects and compared them to 1143 Caucasian controls. The disease-associated T allele was more common in chromosomes of the pSS patients (29.6%) than in controls (22.3%), leading to a P-value for association of 0.01. These results implicate polymorphisms in the STAT4 gene in the pathogenesis of pSS.

The personal experience of juvenile Huntington's disease: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of parents' accounts of the primary features of a rare genetic condition

There has been a paucity of research into the psychosocial impact of juvenile Huntington's disease (JHD) on the child and the family. The study reported here is part of larger project that aimed to address this and investigate the social and health care needs of those affected by JHD. Ten semistructured interviews with the main caregiver(s) were carried out and were analyzed using the qualitative methodology interpretative phenomenological analysis. The main themes arising from the analysis are reported here: first becoming aware something is wrong; physical symptoms; speech and communication difficulties; behavioral problems; a slow but relentless process. These are discussed in relation to extant literature. We hope the article will be helpful to clinicians working with families where a child is affected by JHD and also contribute to the general literature on understanding symptoms in childhood illness.

Principles and practice in ethical review of animal experiments across Europe: summary of the report of a FELASA working group on ethical evaluation of animal experiments

This paper summarizes a more detailed report produced by the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA 2005), which describes and explores a set of principles for the conduct of ethical review of laboratory animal use. It presents a synopsis of results from a questionnaire that elicited information on how each of 20 countries represented in FELASA currently approaches such ethical review. This information suggests that, although local practices differ, there is an emerging consensus on the key elements that any ethical review process should involve. Drawing on the questionnaire findings, this summary also includes a brief discussion to support and amplify a series of recommendations, covering the objectives of ethical review; legal requirements; the scope of work reviewed and the 'level' at which review is approached; general principles for the organization of ethical review processes; the factors considered in the review; needs for ongoing review after initial authorization; participants in the review process; wider impacts of the review process; and strategies that can help to ensure quality and consistency of review outcomes. For further information and examples of current practice, as well as more detailed discussion to support the recommendations, readers are urged to refer to the complete report, available at http://www.lal.org.uk/pdffiles/FELASA_ethics_FULL_Report. pdf or via: http://www.felasa.eu/recommendations.htm.

Clinical and cardiorespiratory effects of propofol in the spotted bamboo shark (Chylloscyllium plagiosum)

Sharks are important exhibit animals in aquariums and zoologic institutions worldwide. Although veterinarians are encountering these species more frequently in these institutions, our knowledge regarding safe restraint and anesthesia is limited. To date there have been only a few anecdotal reports or studies evaluating the effects of tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222), ketamine hydrochloride, and tiletamine and zolazepam (Telazol) in sharks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and cardiorespiratory effects of propofol in spotted bamboo sharks (Chylloscyllium plagiosum). Nine wild-caught adult female spotted bamboo sharks (mean weight 2.4 kg+/-SD 1.45 kg) were used in this study. Propofol (2.5 mg/kg) was administered over 30 sec via the caudal tail vein. Heart rate, respiratory rate, time to relaxation, escape response, loss of righting reflex, and response to noxious stimuli (fin pinch) were evaluated and recorded at baseline and 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min after propofol administration. A surgical plane of anesthesia was achieved when the shark lost its righting reflex, did not respond to noxious painful stimuli, and no longer resisted handling. The righting reflex was lost within 5 min of propofol administration, and a surgical plane of anesthesia was observed in all nine sharks. Heart rate (P = 0.5) and respiratory rate (P = 0.5) did not change significantly over time. The righting response returned within 60 min in 44% (4/9) of the sharks, 75 min in 22% (2/ 9) of the sharks, and over 200 min in 33% (3/9) of the sharks. All nine animals recovered uneventfully. Propofol provided a safe anesthetic event for spotted bamboo sharks.

Phytophthora Species Associated with Diseased Woody Ornamentals in Minnesota Nurseries

Phytophthora species are responsible for causing extensive losses of ornamental plants worldwide. Recent international and national surveys for the detection of P. ramorum have led to the finding of previously undescribed Phytophthora species. Since no previous Phytophthora surveys have been carried out in Minnesota, surveys of ornamental nurseries were performed over 4 years to isolate and identify the Phytophthora species causing diseases of woody plants in Minnesota. Species were identified by direct sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA, β-tub, and mitochondrial coxI genes. Species associated with diseased ornamental plants include P. cactorum, P. cambivora, P. citricola, P. citrophthora, P. hedraiandra, P. megasperma, P. nicotianae, and the previously identified but undescribed taxon P. Pgchlamydo. The most common species encountered were P. cactorum, P. citricola, and P. citrophthora. Two additional isolates obtained did not match known species. One was similar to P. alni subsp. alni, and the other appeared to be a new species and is referred to as P. sp. MN1. In addition, species are reported for the first time from several hosts. Results indicated that several Phytophthora species were more widespread in the nursery industry than previously thought, and undescribed species were causing disease in Minnesota ornamental nurseries.

The association between body size, prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen

Increasing prostate volume contributes to urinary tract symptoms and may obscure prostate cancer detection. We investigated the association between obesity and prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA density among 753 men referred for prostate biopsy. Among men with a negative biopsy, prostate volume significantly increased approximately 25% from the lowest to highest body mass index (BMI), waist or hip circumference or height categories. PSA was 0.7 ng/ml lower with a high waist-to-hip ratio. These associations were less consistent among subjects diagnosed with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or cancer. Our data suggest that obesity and height are independently associated with prostate volume..