Diverse Evolutionary Mechanisms Shape the Type III Effector Virulence Factor Repertoire in the Plant Pathogen Pseudomonas syringae

Many gram-negative pathogenic bacteria directly translocate effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells via type III delivery systems. Type III effector proteins are determinants of virulence on susceptible plant hosts; they are also the proteins that trigger specific disease resistance in resistant plant hosts. Evolution of type III effectors is dominated by competing forces: the likely requirement for conservation of virulence function, the avoidance of host defenses, and possible adaptation to new hosts. To understand the evolutionary history of type III effectors in Pseudomonas syringae, we searched for homologs to 44 known or candidate P. syringae type III effectors and two effector chaperones. We examined 24 gene families for distribution among bacterial species, amino acid sequence diversity, and features indicative of horizontal transfer. We assessed the role of diversifying and purifying selection in the evolution of these gene families. While some P. syringae type III effectors were acquired recently, others have evolved predominantly by descent. The majority of codons in most of these genes were subjected to purifying selection, suggesting selective pressure to maintain presumed virulence function. However, members of 7 families had domains subject to diversifying selection

Changes in Grape Maturity Induced by Spraying Ethanol

Three different ethanol solutions were sprayed onto Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) clusters during the ripening period: 2.5, 5 and 10% by volume in water. Controls were sprayed with water alone. Three different times of spraying were also tested: 8, 10 and 13 weeks post-flowering. One of the observed changes was a lower titratable acidity in grape samples at harvest, when the clusters were sprayed with ethanol at 10 weeks, in comparison with controls. The wines made with grapes treated with ethanol after mid-veraison, had higher ODs at 520 nm than did the controls. This may due to a combined effect of red pigment levels and acidity. In addition, following malolactic fermentation, the acidity levels of wines made with ethanoltreated grapes were slightly higher than those made with the control grapes. Spraying ethanol at 13 weeks post-flowering increased the berry weight by 10% at harvest without decreasing the °Brix value. The corresponding wines had similar degrees of alcohol. This observation was made for the first time in 2001

False-positive iodine-131 whole-body scan findings in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma: report of 11 cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Iodine-131 (I-131) whole-body scan (WBS) plays an important role in the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), to detect normal thyroid remnants and recurrent or metastatic disease. A focus of I-131 accumulation outside the thyroid bed and the areas of physiological uptake is strongly suggestive of a distant functioning metastasis. However, many false-positive I-131 WBS findings have been reported in the literature. PATIENT FINDINGS: We describe a series of 11 personal cases of patients with DTC, collected from 1992 to 2011, in whom diagnostic or post-treatment WBS showed false-positive retention of I-131 in various locations. SUMMARY: False-positive accumulations of I-131 on WBS may be classified according to the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms: external and internal contaminations by body secretions, ectopic normal thyroid and gastric tissues, inflammatory and infectious diseases, benign and malignant tumors, cysts and effusions of serous cavities, thymic uptake, and other non classified causes. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians must be aware of possible false-positive findings to avoid misinterpretations of the I-131 WBS, which could lead to inappropriate treatments

The effect of truncation on very small cardiac SPECT camerasystems

Background: The limited transaxial field-of-view (FOV) of avery small cardiac SPECT camera system causes view-dependent truncationof the projection of structures exterior to, but near the heart. Basictomographic principles suggest that the reconstruction of non-attenuatedtruncated data gives a distortion-free image in the interior of thetruncated region, but the DC term of the Fourier spectrum of thereconstructed image is incorrect, meaning that the intensity scale of thereconstruction is inaccurate. The purpose of this study was tocharacterize the reconstructed image artifacts from truncated data, andto quantify their effects on the measurement of tracer uptake in themyocardial. Particular attention was given to instances where the heartwall is close to hot structures (structures of high activity uptake).Methods: The MCAT phantom was used to simulate a 2D slice of the heartregion. Truncated and non-truncated projections were formed both with andwithout attenuation. The reconstructions were analyzed for artifacts inthe myocardium caused by truncation, and for the effect that attenuationhas relative to increasing those artifacts. Results: The inaccuracy dueto truncation is primarily caused by an incorrect DC component. Forvisualizing theleft ventricular wall, this error is not worse than theeffect of attenuation. The addition of a small hot bowel-like structurenear the left ventricle causes few changes in counts on the wall. Largerartifacts due to the truncation are located at the boundary of thetruncation and can be eliminated by sinogram interpolation. Finally,algebraic reconstruction methods are shown to give better reconstructionresults than an analytical filtered back-projection reconstructionalgorithm. Conclusion: Small inaccuracies in reconstructed images fromsmall FOV camera systems should have little effect on clinicalinterpretation. However, changes in the degree of inaccuracy in countsfrom slice toslice are due to changes in the truncated structures. Thesecan result in a visual 3-dimensional distortion. As with conventionallarge FOV systems attenuation effects have a much more significant effecton image accuracy

Symbolic Policies versus European Reconciliation: the Hungarian ‘Status Law’

International audienceThis chapter is organized as follows. First, it puts the Status Law back in the context of Hungarian symbolic policies and the development of European standards for minority protection after the Cold War. Agenda-setting at the COE and the OSCE is then analyzed to show how the originally bilateral controversy quickly became a ‘European problem’. The third part of the chapter underlines that the circulation of European standards between these European agencies was intrinsically ambiguous. At the international level, each organization interpreted these norms according to its own history, identity and resources, while at the national level politicians contested the ‘European solutions’ that they felt were being imposed on them

Predicted Infrared and Raman Spectra for Neutral Ti_8C_12 Isomers

Using a density-functional based algorithm, the full IR and Raman spectra are calculated for the neutral Ti_8C_12 cluster assuming geometries of Th, Td, D2d and C3v symmetry. The Th pentagonal dodecahedron is found to be dynamically unstable. The calculated properties of the relaxed structure having C3v symmetry are found to be in excellent agreement with experimental gas phase infrared results, ionization potential and electron affinity measurements. Consequently, the results presented may be used as a reference for further experimental characterization using vibrational spectroscopy.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Physical Review A, 2002 (in press

Phenotypic microarrays suggest Escherichia coli ST131 is not a metabolically distinct lineage of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are the major aetiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. The emergence of the CTX-M producing clone E. coli ST131 represents a major challenge to public health worldwide. A recent study on the metabolic potential of E. coli isolates demonstrated an association between the E. coli ST131 clone and enhanced utilisation of a panel of metabolic substrates. The studies presented here investigated the metabolic potential of ST131 and other major ExPEC ST isolates using 120 API test reagents and found that ST131 isolates demonstrated a lower metabolic activity for 5 of 120 biochemical tests in comparison to non-ST131 ExPEC isolates. Furthermore, comparative phenotypic microarray analysis showed a lack of specific metabolic profile for ST131 isolates countering the suggestion that these bacteria are metabolically fitter and therefore more successful human pathogens

Uncertainties in shoreline projections to 2100 at Truc Vert Beach (France): Role of sea‐level rise and equilibrium model assumptions

Sandy shorelines morphodynamics responds to a myriad of processes interacting at different spatial and temporal scales, making shoreline predictions challenging. Shoreline modeling inherits uncertainties from the primary driver boundary conditions (e.g., sea-level rise and wave forcing) as well as uncertainties related to model assumptions and/or misspecifications of the physics. This study presents an analysis of the uncertainties associated with future shoreline evolution at the cross-shore transport dominated sandy beach of Truc Vert (France) over the 21st century. We explicitly resolve wave-driven shoreline change using two different equilibrium modeling approaches to provide new insight into the contributions of sea-level rise, and free model parameters uncertainties on future shoreline change in the frame of climate change. Based on a Global Sensitivity Analysis, shoreline response during the first half of the century is found to be mainly sensitive to the equilibrium model parameters, with the influence of sea-level rise emerging in the second half of the century (∼2050 or later), under several simulated scenarios. The results reveal that the seasonal and interannual variability of the predicted shoreline position is sensitive to the choice of the wave-driven equilibrium-based model. Finally, we discuss the importance of the chronology of wave events in future shoreline change, calling for more continuous wave projection time series to further address uncertainties in future wave conditions. Our contribution demonstrates that unmitigated climate change can result in shoreline retreat of several tens of meters by 2100, even for sectors that have been stable or slightly accreting over the last century

Non-smooth developable geometry for interactively animating paper crumpling

International audienceWe present the first method to animate sheets of paper at interactive rates, while automatically generating a plausible set of sharp features when the sheet is crumpled. The key idea is to interleave standard physically-based simulation steps with procedural generation of a piecewise continuous developable surface. The resulting hybrid surface model captures new singular points dynamically appearing during the crumpling process, mimicking the effect of paper fiber fracture. Although the model evolves over time to take these irreversible damages into account, the mesh used for simulation is kept coarse throughout the animation, leading to efficient computations. Meanwhile, the geometric layer ensures that the surface stays almost isometric to its original 2D pattern. We validate our model through measurements and visual comparison with real paper manipulation, and show results on a variety of crumpled paper configurations