Invasive everywhere? Phylogeographic analysis of the globally distributed tree pathogen Lasiodiplodia theobromae

Fungi in the Botryosphaeriaceae are important plant pathogens that persist endophytically in infected plant hosts. Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a prominent species in this family that infects numerous plants in tropical and subtropical areas. We characterized a collection of 255 isolates of L. theobromae from 52 plants and from many parts of the world to determine the global genetic structure and a possible origin of the fungus using sequence data from four nuclear loci. One to two dominant haplotypes emerged across all loci, none of which could be associated with geography or host; and no other population structure or subdivision was observed. The data also did not reveal a clear region of origin of the fungus. This global collection of L. theobromae thus appears to constitute a highly connected population. The most likely explanation for this is the human-mediated movement of plant material infected by this fungus over a long period of time. These data, together with related studies on other Botryosphaeriaceae, highlight the inability of quarantine systems to reduce the spread of pathogens with a prolonged latent phase.Supplementary material. Figure S1: Maximum likelihood tree of the tef1a sequence dataset for the initial identification of isolates for inclusion in this study. Included were type and paratype strains of other Lasiodiplodia species, Figure S2: STRUCTURE output from pairwise comparisons of populations. Each plot includes the DeltaK analysis from STRUCTURE HARVESTER (top) and the corresponding barplot for the highest value of K. Pairwise comparisons as follows: (a) north America and south America, (b) north America and Africa, (c) north America and Eurasia, (d) north America and Australasia, (e) south America and Africa, (f) south America and Eurasia, (g) south America and Australasia, (h) Africa and Eurasia, (i) Africa and Australasia and (j) Eurasia and Australasia, Table S1: Polymorphic sites for the respective haplotypes for the ITS, tef1a and tub2 datasets, Table S2: Haplotype assignments for every isolate used in this study, based on the sequence datasets, Table S3: Summary of haplotypes obtained and unique haplotypes (listed in brackets) found for each locus, Table S4: Posterior probabilities (with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses) of pairwise comparisons for three scenarios to test for possible ancestry between populations done in DIYABC. In scenario 1, population 1 is ancestral to both. In scenario 2, population 2 is ancestral to both. In scenario 3, both populations diverged from an unknown source population.The Department of Science and Technology (DST)-National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and members of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), South Africa.http://www.mdpi.com/journal/forestsam2017Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologyPlant Production and Soil Scienc

Botryosphaeriaceae associated with die-back of Schizolobium parahyba trees in South Africa and Ecuador

Die-back of Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum is a serious problem in plantations of these trees in Ecuador. Similar symptoms have also been observed on trees of this species in various parts of South Africa. The most common fungi isolated from disease symptoms on S. parahyba var. amazonicum in both locations were species of the Botryosphaeriaceae. The aim of this study was to identify these fungi from both Ecuador and South Africa, and to test their pathogenicity in greenhouse and field trials. Isolates obtained were grouped based on culture morphology and identified using comparisons of DNA sequence data for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1[alpha] (TEF-1[alpha]) gene regions. The β-tubulin-2 (BT2) locus was also sequenced for some isolates where identification was difficult. Three greenhouse trials were conducted in South Africa along with a field trial in Ecuador. Neofusicoccum parvum was obtained from trees in both areas and was the dominant taxon in South Africa. Lasiodiplodia theobromae was the dominant taxon in Ecuador, probably due to the subtropical climate in the area. Isolates of Neofusicoccum vitifusiforme (from South Africa only), Neofusicoccum umdonicola and Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae (from Ecuador only) were also obtained. All isolates used in the pathogenicity trials produced lesions on inoculated plants, suggesting that the Botryosphaeriaceae contribute to the die-back of S. parahyba trees. While the disease is clearly not caused by a single species of the Botryosphaeriaceae in either region, N. parvum has been introduced into at least one of the regions. This species has a broad host range and could have been introduced on other hosts.The Department of Science and Technology (DST)/National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and members of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), South Africa.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.comjournal/10.1111/(ISSN)1439-03292015-10-30hj201

Confronting the constraints of morphological taxonomy in the Botryosphaeriales

Identification of fungi and the International Code of Nomenclature underpinning this process, rests strongly on the characterisation of morphological structures. Yet, the value of these characters to define species in many groups has become questionable or even superfluous. This has emerged as DNA-based techniques have increasingly revealed cryptic species and species complexes. This problem is vividly illustrated in the present study where 105 isolates of the Botryosphaeriales were recovered from both healthy and diseased woody tissues of native Acacia spp. in Namibia and South Africa. Thirteen phylogenetically distinct groups were identified based on Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rDNA PCR-RFLP and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1-α) sequence data, two loci that are known to be reliable markers to distinguish species in the Botryosphaeriales. Four of these groups could be linked reliably to sequence data for formerly described species, including Botryosphaeria dothidea, Dothiorella dulcispinae, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae and Spencermartinsia viticola. Nine groups, however, could not be linked to any other species known from culture and for which sequence data are available. These groups are, therefore, described as Aplosporella africana, A. papillata, Botryosphaeria auasmontanum, Dothiorella capri-amissi, Do. oblonga, Lasiodiplodia pyriformis, Spencermartinsia rosulata, Sphaeropsis variabilis and an undescribed Neofusicoccum sp. The species described here could not be reliably compared with the thousands of taxa described in these genera from other hosts and regions, where only morphological data are available. Such comparison would be possible only if all previously described taxa are epitypified, which is not a viable objective for the two families, Botryosphaeriaceae and Aplosporellaceae, in the Botryosphaeriales identified here. The extent of diversity of the Botryosphaeriales revealed in this and other recent studies is expected to reflect that of other undersampled regions and hosts, and illustrates the urgency to find more effective ways to describe species in this, and indeed other, groups of fungi.THRIP initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), (DST) and National Research Foundation (NRF).http://www.persoonia.orghttp://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/pimjtm201

Voluntary exercise inhibits intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice and azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-treated mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidemiological studies suggest that physical activity reduces the risk of colon cancer in humans. Results from animal studies, however, are inconclusive. The present study investigated the effects of voluntary exercise on intestinal tumor formation in two different animal models, <it>Apc</it>^Min/+mice and azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In Experiments 1 and 2, five-week old female <it>Apc</it>^Min/+mice were either housed in regular cages or cages equipped with a running wheel for 6 weeks (for mice maintained on the AIN93G diet; Experiment 1) or 9 weeks (for mice on a high-fat diet; Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, male CF-1 mice at 6 weeks of age were given a dose of AOM (10 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) and, 12 days later, 1.5% DSS in drinking fluid for 1 week. The mice were then maintained on a high-fat diet and housed in regular cages or cages equipped with a running wheel for 16 weeks.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the <it>Apc</it>^Min/+mice maintained on either the AIN93G or the high-fat diet, voluntary exercise decreased the number of small intestinal tumors. In the AOM/DSS-treated mice maintained on a high-fat diet, voluntary exercise also decreased the number of colon tumors. In <it>Apc</it>^Min/+mice, voluntary exercise decreased the ratio of serum insulin like growth factor (IGF)-1 to IGF binding protein (BP)-3 levels. It also decreased prostaglandin E₂and nuclear ��-catenin levels, but increased E-cadherin levels in the tumors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results indicate hat voluntary exercise inhibited intestinal tumorigenesis in <it>Apc</it>^Min/+mice and AOM/DSS-treated mice, and the inhibitory effect is associated with decreased IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, aberrant β-catenin signaling, and arachidonic acid metabolism.</p

Distinct molecular signatures of clinical clusters in people with type 2 diabetes:an IMI-RHAPSODY study

Type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial disease with multiple underlying aetiologies. To address this heterogeneity a previous study clustered people with diabetes into five diabetes subtypes. The aim of the current study is to investigate the aetiology of these clusters by comparing their molecular signatures. In three independent cohorts, in total 15,940 individuals were clustered based on five clinical characteristics. In a subset, genetic- (N=12828), metabolomic- (N=2945), lipidomic- (N=2593) and proteomic (N=1170) data were obtained in plasma. In each datatype each cluster was compared with the other four clusters as the reference. The insulin resistant cluster showed the most distinct molecular signature, with higher BCAAs, DAG and TAG levels and aberrant protein levels in plasma enriched for proteins in the intracellular PI3K/Akt pathway. The obese cluster showed higher cytokines. A subset of the mild diabetes cluster with high HDL showed the most beneficial molecular profile with opposite effects to those seen in the insulin resistant cluster. This study showed that clustering people with type 2 diabetes can identify underlying molecular mechanisms related to pancreatic islets, liver, and adipose tissue metabolism. This provides novel biological insights into the diverse aetiological processes that would not be evident when type 2 diabetes is viewed as a homogeneous diseas

Use of biological based therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases in a university-hospital in New York City

BACKGROUND: The use of complementary and alternative products including Biological Based Therapy (BBT) has increased among patients with various medical illnesses and conditions. The studies assessing the prevalence of BBT use among patients with cardiovascular diseases are limited. Therefore, an evaluation of BBT in this patient population would be beneficial. This was a survey designed to determine the effects of demographics on the use of Biological Based Therapy (BBT) in patients with cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the education level on the use of BBT in cardiovascular patients. This survey also assessed the perceptions of users regarding the safety/efficacy of BBT, types of BBT used and potential BBT-drug interactions. METHOD: The survey instrument was designed to assess the findings. Patients were interviewed from February 2001 to December 2002. 198 inpatients with cardiovascular diseases (94 BBT users and 104 non-users) in a university hospital were included in the study. RESULTS: Users had a significantly higher level of education than non-users (college graduate: 28 [30%] versus 12 [12%], p = 0.003). Top 10 BBT products used were vitamin E [41(43.6%)], vitamin C [30(31.9%)], multivitamins [24(25.5%)], calcium [19(20.2%)], vitamin B complex [17(18.1%)], fish oil [12(12.8%)], coenzyme Q10 [11(11.7%)], glucosamine [10(10.6%)], magnesium [8(8.5%)] and vitamin D [6(6.4%)]. Sixty percent of users' physicians knew of the BBT use. Compared to non-users, users believed BBT to be safer (p < 0.001) and more effective (p < 0.001) than prescription drugs. Forty-two potential drug-BBT interactions were identified. CONCLUSION: Incidence of use of BBT in cardiovascular patients is high (47.5%), as is the risk of potential drug interaction. Health care providers need to monitor BBT use in patients with cardiovascular diseases

THE USE OF INDICES TO CONTROL DRUG COST IN HOSPITALS

The cost of drugs used in hospitals and other health care institutions is continuing to escalate, but there has been no effort made to determine what knowledge the pharmacy administrator has in reference to drug costs. In addition, there had been almost no attempts made to design a method to chart the changes taking place in the cost of drugs used in hospitals and other health care facilities. This study surveyed selected hospitals in the United States to determine what information was available concerning drug cost, what method of control was used to determine if costs were changing and what methods of charting changes were recommended by the pharmacy administrators surveyed. The writer also developed and tested a group of indices that could be used by a health care facility to chart changes in the cost of drugs and to determine why these changes were taking place. The study concluded that the pharmacy administrators surveyed had very little knowledge concerning the cost of hospital operations, the cost of drugs or the reasons that the cost of drugs change. A series of indices were used to describe and chart drug changes in a selected hospital showing that changes might be due to inflation, census, patient-mix or pharmacologic drug use. The importance of this information was demonstrated for the budgeting process, third party reimbursement formulas and the development of drug utilization review programs. It recommended that health care facilities use indices to chart drug costs in order to be able to control this supply expense better

The High School at The Turn of The Century: A Study of the Changes in Theaims and Programs of Public Secondary Education in the United States, 1890-1900

359 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1954.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD