Pseudomonas viridiflava, a Multi Host Plant Pathogen with Significant Genetic Variation at the Molecular Level

The pectinolytic species Pseudomonas viridiflava has a wide host range among plants, causing foliar and stem necrotic lesions and basal stem and root rots. However, little is known about the molecular evolution of this species. In this study we investigated the intraspecies genetic variation of P. viridiflava amongst local (Cretan), as well as international isolates of the pathogen. The genetic and phenotypic variability were investigated by molecular fingerprinting (rep-PCR) and partial sequencing of three housekeeping genes (gyrB, rpoD and rpoB), and by biochemical and pathogenicity profiling. The biochemical tests and pathogenicity profiling did not reveal any variability among the isolates studied. However, the molecular fingerprinting patterns and housekeeping gene sequences clearly differentiated them. In a broader phylogenetic comparison of housekeeping gene sequences deposited in GenBank, significant genetic variability at the molecular level was found between isolates of P. viridiflava originated from different host species as well as among isolates from the same host. Our results provide a basis for more comprehensive understanding of the biology, sources and shifts in genetic diversity and evolution of P. viridiflava populations and should support the development of molecular identification tools and epidemiological studies in diseases caused by this species

The police and the far right in Greece::a case study of police voting behaviour in Athens

The electoral advance of the far right party of Golden Dawn has left a clear mark on the Greek parliamentary elections of 2012. A less debated aspect of these results involves the extent of the electoral influence of Golden Dawn among police personnel. Using electoral data from two districts in Greece’s capital city, this paper explores the extent of that influence among major front line police units based in those localities. Our analysis obtains clear indications that Golden Dawn’s presence has been much more emphatic among police personnel than among the general public. These results warrant further exploration of this development, particularly in light of the possibility that far-right ideology may influence the character of everyday policing in Greece and the use of police discretion at the detriment of vulnerable or politically undesirable groups

Feedback microwave thermotherapy with the ProstaLund((R)) compact device for obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia: 12-month response rates and complications

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the ProstaLund (R) Compact Device in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Patients and Methods: A series of 38 consecutive patients with a mean age of 72.6 +/- 8.2 years, 19 with an indwelling catheter, underwent transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) with the ProstaLund Compact Device. Pretreatment evaluation included transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), urodynamics, and cystoscopy for all patients and flow rate (Q(max)), postvoiding residual urine volume (PVR), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality-of-life (QoL) assessment for those without a catheter. The mean prostate volume was 63.5 +/- 30 cc. The Q(max), IPSS, and QoL studies were repeated at 3, 6, and 12 months, while urodynamics, cystoscopy, and TRUS were repeated at 6 and 12 months. Results: The treatment lasted a mean of 43.1 +/- 17.1 minutes, achieved a maximal intraprostatic temperature of 58.7 +/- 7.2 degrees C, and destroyed 18.4 +/- 14.3 g of prostatic tissue. Twelve months post-treatment, for the patients without a catheter preoperatively, the IPSS was improved from 21.5 +/- 6.3 to 6.5 +/- 3.1 (P < 0.001), Q(max) from 7.2 +/- 3.1 mL/sec to 18.1 +/- 7.4 mL/sec (P < 0.001), detrusor pressure at Q(max) from 87.5 +/- 15 cm H2O to 48.4 +/- 16.4 cm H2O (P < 0.001), and PVR from 113.2 +/- 78.2 mL to 34.6 +/- 36.7 mL (P < 0.01). The good-response rates for IPSS (<= 7 or >= 50% improvement), Q(max) (>= 15 mL/sec or >= 50% improvement), PVR (< 50 mL or >= 50% decrease), and QoL (:52) were 73.7%, 84.2%, 73.7%, and 94.7%, respectively. For the patients with a catheter preoperatively, the IPSS improved from 9.5 +/- 6 at 3 months to 5.1 +/- 5.3 (P < 0.05) at the end of the follow-up period. The Q(max) was 13.2 +/- 6.4 mL/sec at 3 months and remained stable throughout the follow-up period. Patient good-response rates for IPSS (:57), PVR (< 150 mL), and QoL (:52) were 75%, 87.5% and 75%, respectively. Only two patients were unable to void after the treatment. Complications were similar to those presented in the literature, and bladder stone formation was noted as well (five patients). Conclusions: ProstaLund thermotherapy is a highly promising alternative treatment for BPH, improving substantially both objective and subjective measures of bladder outflow obstruction