59 research outputs found
Hsp90 orchestrates transcriptional regulation by Hsf1 and cell wall remodelling by MAPK signalling during thermal adaptation in a pathogenic yeast
Acknowledgments We thank Rebecca Shapiro for creating CaLC1819, CaLC1855 and CaLC1875, Gillian Milne for help with EM, Aaron Mitchell for generously providing the transposon insertion mutant library, Jesus Pla for generously providing the hog1 hst7 mutant, and Cathy Collins for technical assistance.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Pervasiveness of Parasites in Pollinators
Many pollinator populations are declining, with large economic and ecological
implications. Parasites are known to be an important factor in the some of the
population declines of honey bees and bumblebees, but little is known about the
parasites afflicting most other pollinators, or the extent of interspecific
transmission or vectoring of parasites. Here we carry out a preliminary
screening of pollinators (honey bees, five species of bumblebee, three species
of wasp, four species of hoverfly and three genera of other bees) in the UK for
parasites. We used molecular methods to screen for six honey bee viruses,
Ascosphaera fungi, Microsporidia, and
Wolbachia intracellular bacteria. We aimed simply to detect
the presence of the parasites, encompassing vectoring as well as actual
infections. Many pollinators of all types were positive for
Ascosphaera fungi, while Microsporidia were rarer, being
most frequently found in bumblebees. We also detected that most pollinators were
positive for Wolbachia, most probably indicating infection with
this intracellular symbiont, and raising the possibility that it may be an
important factor in influencing host sex ratios or fitness in a diversity of
pollinators. Importantly, we found that about a third of bumblebees
(Bombus pascuorum and Bombus terrestris)
and a third of wasps (Vespula vulgaris), as well as all honey
bees, were positive for deformed wing virus, but that this virus was not present
in other pollinators. Deformed wing virus therefore does not appear to be a
general parasite of pollinators, but does interact significantly with at least
three species of bumblebee and wasp. Further work is needed to establish the
identity of some of the parasites, their spatiotemporal variation, and whether
they are infecting the various pollinator species or being vectored. However,
these results provide a first insight into the diversity, and potential
exchange, of parasites in pollinator communities
Biocontrol Potential of Forest Tree Endophytes
Peer reviewe
Facilitated Integrated Mood Management for adults with bipolar disorder.
OBJECTIVES: We describe the development of a five-session psychoeducational treatment, Facilitated Integrated Mood Management (FIMM), which contains many of the core elements of longer evidence-based psychosocial treatments for bipolar disorder. FIMM incorporated a novel mood monitoring program based on mobile phone technology. METHODS: Adult patients with bipolar I and II disorders (N = 19) received six sessions (Pilot I: n = 14) or five sessions (Pilot II: n = 5) of FIMM with pharmacotherapy. Treatment facilitators were novice counselors who were trained in a three-day workshop and supervised for six months. FIMM sessions focused on identifying early signs of recurrence, maintaining regular daily and nightly routines, rehearsing mood management strategies, maintaining adherence to medications, and education about substance abuse. Patients sent daily text messages or e-mails containing ratings of their mood and sleep, and weekly messages containing self-ratings on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) and the Altman Self Rating Mania Scale (ASRM). Patients also completed a weekly mood management strategies questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, 17 (89.5%) completed FIMM in an average of 9.2 ± 3.4 weeks (Pilot I) and 7.6 ± 0.9 weeks (Pilot II). Patients reported stable moods on the QIDS and ASRM over a 120-day period, and on average responded to 81% of the daily message prompts and 88% of the weekly QIDS and ASRM prompts. Facilitators maintained high levels of fidelity to the FIMM manual. Patients' knowledge of mood management strategies increased significantly between the first and last weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with bipolar disorder can be engaged in a short program of facilitated mood management. The effects of FIMM on the course of bipolar disorder await evaluation in randomized trials. The program may be a useful adjunct to pharmacotherapy in community centers that cannot routinely administer full courses of psychosocial treatment
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