Fungal Planet description sheets: 1112-1181.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Austroboletus asper on soil, Cylindromonium alloxyli on leaves of Alloxylon pinnatum, Davidhawksworthia quintiniae on leaves of Quintinia sieberi, Exophiala prostantherae on leaves of Prostanthera sp., Lactifluus lactiglaucus on soil, Linteromyces quintiniae (incl. Linteromyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Quintinia sieberi, Lophotrichus medusoides from stem tissue of Citrus garrawayi, Mycena pulchra on soil, Neocalonectria tristaniopsidis (incl. Neocalonectria gen. nov.) and Xyladictyochaeta tristaniopsidis on leaves of Tristaniopsis collina, Parasarocladium tasmanniae on leaves of Tasmannia insipida, Phytophthora aquae-cooljarloo from pond water, Serendipita whamiae as endophyte from roots of Eriochilus cucullatus, Veloboletus limbatus (incl. Veloboletus gen. nov.) on soil. Austria, Cortinarius glaucoelotus on soil. Bulgaria, Suhomyces rilaensis from the gut of Bolitophagus interruptus found on a Polyporus sp. Canada, Cantharellus betularum among leaf litter of Betula, Penicillium saanichii from house dust. Chile, Circinella lampensis on soil, Exophiala embothrii from rhizosphere of Embothrium coccineum. China, Colletotrichum cycadis on leaves of Cycas revoluta. Croatia, Phialocephala melitaea on fallen branch of Pinus halepensis. Czech Republic, Geoglossum jirinae on soil, Pyrenochaetopsis rajhradensis from dead wood of Buxus sempervirens. Dominican Republic, Amanita domingensis on litter of deciduous wood, Melanoleuca dominicana on forest litter. France, Crinipellis nigrolamellata (Martinique) on leaves of Pisonia fragrans, Talaromyces pulveris from bore dust of Xestobium rufovillosum infesting floorboards. French Guiana, Hypoxylon hepaticolor on dead corticated branch. Great Britain, Inocybe ionolepis on soil. India, Cortinarius indopurpurascens among leaf litter of Quercus leucotrichophora. Iran, Pseudopyricularia javanii on infected leaves of Cyperus sp., Xenomonodictys iranica (incl. Xenomonodictys gen. nov.) on wood of Fagus orientalis. Italy, Penicillium vallebormidaense from compost. Namibia, Alternaria mirabibensis on plant litter, Curvularia moringae and Moringomyces phantasmae (incl. Moringomyces gen. nov.) on leaves and flowers of Moringa ovalifolia, Gobabebomyces vachelliae (incl. Gobabebomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Vachellia erioloba, Preussia procaviae on dung of Procavia capensis. Pakistan, Russula shawarensis from soil on forest floor. Russia, Cyberlindnera dauci from Daucus carota. South Africa, Acremonium behniae on leaves of Behnia reticulata, Dothiora aloidendri and Hantamomyces aloidendri (incl. Hantamomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Aloidendron dichotomum, Endoconidioma euphorbiae on leaves of Euphorbia mauritanica, Eucasphaeria proteae on leaves of Protea neriifolia, Exophiala mali from inner fruit tissue of Malus sp., Graminopassalora geissorhizae on leaves of Geissorhiza splendidissima, Neocamarosporium leipoldtiae on leaves of Leipoldtia schultzii, Neocladosporium osteospermi on leaf spots of Osteospermum moniliferum, Neometulocladosporiella seifertii on leaves of Combretum caffrum, Paramyrothecium pituitipietianum on stems of Grielum humifusum, Phytopythium paucipapillatum from roots of Vitis sp., Stemphylium carpobroti and Verrucocladosporium carpobroti on leaves of Carpobrotus quadrifolius, Suttonomyces cephalophylli on leaves of Cephalophyllum pilansii. Sweden, Coprinopsis rubra on cow dung, Elaphomyces nemoreus from deciduous woodlands. Spain, Polyscytalum pini-canariensis on needles of Pinus canariensis, Pseudosubramaniomyces septatus from stream sediment, Tuber lusitanicum on soil under Quercus suber. Thailand, Tolypocladium flavonigrum on Elaphomyces sp. USA, Chaetothyrina spondiadis on fruits of Spondias mombin, Gymnascella minnisii from bat guano, Juncomyces patwiniorum on culms of Juncus effusus, Moelleriella puertoricoensis on scale insect, Neodothiora populina (incl. Neodothiora gen. nov.) on stem cankers of Populus tremuloides, Pseudogymnoascus palmeri from cave sediment. Vietnam, Cyphellophora vietnamensis on leaf litter, Tylopilus subotsuensis on soil in montane evergreen broadleaf forest. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 128-153.

Novel species of microfungi described in the present study include the following from Australia: Catenulostroma corymbiae from Corymbia, Devriesia stirlingiae from Stirlingia, Penidiella carpentariae from Carpentaria, Phaeococcomyces eucalypti from Eucalyptus, Phialophora livistonae from Livistona, Phyllosticta aristolochiicola from Aristolochia, Clitopilus austroprunulus on sclerophyll forest litter of Eucalyptus regnans and Toxicocladosporium posoqueriae from Posoqueria. Several species are also described from South Africa, namely: Ceramothyrium podocarpi from Podocarpus, Cercospora chrysanthemoides from Chrysanthemoides, Devriesia shakazului from Aloe, Penidiella drakensbergensis from Protea, Strelitziana cliviae from Clivia and Zasmidium syzygii from Syzygium. Other species include Bipolaris microstegii from Microstegium and Synchaetomella acerina from Acer (USA), Brunneiapiospora austropalmicola from Rhopalostylis (New Zealand), Calonectria pentaseptata from Eucalyptus and Macadamia (Vietnam), Ceramothyrium melastoma from Melastoma (Indonesia), Collembolispora aristata from stream foam (Czech Republic), Devriesia imbrexigena from glazed decorative tiles (Portugal), Microcyclospora rhoicola from Rhus (Canada), Seiridium phylicae from Phylica (Tristan de Cunha, Inaccessible Island), Passalora lobeliae-fistulosis from Lobelia (Brazil) and Zymoseptoria verkleyi from Poa (The Netherlands). Valsalnicola represents a new ascomycete genus from Alnus (Austria) and Parapenidiella a new hyphomycete genus from Eucalyptus (Australia). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are also provided.

Evaluation of resistance to Rhabdocline needlecast in Douglas fir variety Shuswap, with quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

A quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was developed that could detect DNA of Rhabdocline pseudotsugae and R. oblonga among DNA of Douglas fir needles to a limit as low as three copies of target DNA. Differential infection rates of two varieties (seed sources) of Douglas fir interplanted in a field were studied in relation to staggered bud breaks. Infection of Douglas fir var. San Isabel corresponded to ascospore release times for Rhabdocline spp., whereas infection of var. Shuswap Lake did not occur throughout the spore release period during 2 years of study, despite abundant inoculum and adequate moisture during bud break. Rhabdocline spp. DNA was never detected in Shuswap Lake and disease symptoms were not observed in any year. We provide evidence that Shuswap Lake is resistant and probably immune to Rhabdocline spp. infection and Rhabdocline needlecast under Michigan conditions.

The relationship between children's dental caries experience and the prescription of general anaesthetics. an evaluation of the effectiveness of a Personal Dental Service Pilot.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if there was a high correlation between the prescription of a general anaesthetic for dental treatment in young children by a Personal Dental Services (PDS) general anaesthetic pilot and the dental health of children at a ward level. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Postcode data from an audit of the single dental general anaesthetic provider in an area was extracted and mapped to individual wards. A proxy for the oral health population was obtained by using the results of a large-scale dental prevalence study of five-year-olds. The wards were ranked into quintiles by dmft and a mean dmft calculated for each. There were 1,406 patients who had a general anaesthetic, 74% were aged 11 years or less. SETTING: A personal dental service dental general anaesthetic pilot in the north of England providing services for a population of approximately 300,000 residents in a non-fluoridated area. RESULTS There was a positive correlation between increasing levels of dental decay in the population and increasing intervention ratios for dental treatment under general anaesthesia (r2 = 0.90). CONCLUSIONS: The PDS pilot provided dental care under general anaesthesia for more patients from wards with poor dental health than from wards with better dental health.

Phlyctema vagabunda Causes Coin Canker of Ash (Fraxinus spp.) in North America.

During the spring of 2001, nursery-grown ash trees in Michigan and Ontario, Canada displayed coin cankers that were previously described (1). Cankered cultivars included Cimmaron®, ChampTree®, and Urbanite® (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and Autumn Purple® (F. americana). Tissue from surface-sterilized cankers (0.06% sodium hypochlorite or 70% ethanol, 3 min) was placed onto one-half strength potato dextrose agar amended with 200 ppm of streptomycin sulfate (½ SPDA). Plates were incubated at 20 and 4°C in the dark. Phlyctema vagabunda (anamorph of Neofabraea alba (E.J. Guthrie) Verkley, (1999)) was isolated on the 4°C plates from most tissue pieces from all cultivars. P. vagabunda causes stem cankers of apple (Malus spp.) (1) but its pathogenicity to ash has never been demonstrated (2). Inoculations with P. vagabunda were made to green and white ash to fulfill Koch's postulates. Apple trees were also inoculated with the ash isolate. In Corvallis, OR, 2-year-old, bare-root ash trees and 15 1-year-old apple seedlings were inoculated in January, 2003. In Michigan, 10 trees each of cvs. Cimmaron® and Autumn Purple® were inoculated in December, 2002. The trees were inoculated with a wound-freezing method (3). Wounded sites received a 5-mm-diameter plug of ½ SPDA on which a 30-day-old culture derived from a single conidium of P. vagabunda AR3664 was actively growing, with sterile ½ SPDA used as a negative control. The plugs were held in place with Parafilm. Each ash in Oregon received three inoculations per stem. Six trees each of cvs. Autumn Purple®, ChampTree®, and Urbanite® and four trees of cv. Cimmeron® were inoculated with the fungus. Four additional trees of each cultivar were treated with sterile ½ SPDA (three sites per tree). Ten seedling apple trees were also inoculated with the fungus (three sites per tree) and five additional trees (five sites per tree) were inoculated with negative control plugs. In Michigan, each tree received two plugs of inoculum and two negative control plugs. All trees were evaluated 4 to 6 months after inoculation. Cankers similar to the originals formed on all ash cultivars in Oregon and Michigan; 97 of 106 inoculated wounds developed cankers on ash, and 29 of 30 inoculated wounds on Malus spp. developed cankers. P. vagabunda was recovered from cankers on each of the inoculated ash and apple trees. Five of 88 controls developed necrotic areas, but Phlyctema spp. were not recovered from any of these wounds. To our knowledge, this is the first report that P. vagabunda causes cankers on Fraxinus spp. and the first to show that Malus spp. can be infected with an ash isolate. References: (1) T. D. Gariépy et al. Mycol. Res. 107:528, 2003. (2) A. Y. Rossman et al. Plant Dis. 86:442, 2002. (3) R. Scorza and P. L. Pusey. Phytopathology 74:569, 1984.

Distribution of NHS resources for children's dental care in general dental practice in England.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between the distribution of NHS resources in general dental practice and dental need and access to services for the population in England under the age of 18 in different socio-economic areas. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: A proxy for the oral health of under 18 year olds was made from prevalence surveys undertaken on five year old children in each health authority area in 1999/2000. The level of spending per head of the population was ascertained from Dental Practice Board data. Health authorities were grouped according to the eleven United Kingdom Office of National Statistics socio-economic groups. Access was measured by using registration levels of children. SETTING: General dental practices providing National Health Service treatment for children aged 0-18 in England. RESULTS: There was no correlation (r = -0.03) between increasing need for dental care using mean dmft as a proxy and increasing spending per head of the population for each health authority. There was a correlation (r = 0.38) between increasing registration rates and increased spending per head. The populations under 18 had more spent on their oral health care living in areas classified as Mixed Economies, Services and Education and Most Prosperous. Those in Inner London, Manufacturing, Ports and Industry had proportionately the least. The difference between the highest and lowest group was 33%. The groups of Authorities were not homogenous in their level of resources with variations between Authorities in the same groups. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of NHS resources to general dental practice for people under 18 does not reflect population need. The higher the registration rate for children the greater the amount resources deployed in an area.

Phlyctema vagabunda Isolated from Coin Canker of Ash Trees in Michigan.

The coelomycetous fungus Phlyctema vagabunda Desm. (teleomorph Neofabraea alba (E.J. Guthrie) Verkley, synonym Pezicula alba E.J. Guthrie) is associated with a serious canker disease of cultivated ash trees in Michigan. Four- to five-year-old trees of Fraxinus americana cv. Autumn Purple and F. pennsylvanica cvs. Champ Tree, Cimmaron, and Urbanite had cankers that were smooth, round, brownish yellow, approximately 2 to 4 cm in diameter with distinct reddish, cracked margins. Immersed, eventually erumpent, unilocular acervuli developed in the central portions of these cankers. The same fungus was isolated both from the conidia as well as from the margin of the canker. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (AY064704) and beta-tubulin (AY064702) sequences were identical to sequences identified in GenBank as Pezicula alba from apple (1), and the morphology was consistent with Phlyctema vagabunda as well (2). P. vagabunda has been studied primarily as the cause of Bull's eye canker of apple (1). P. vagabunda under its numerous synonyms has been reported on various hardwood and herbaceous hosts from temperate regions around the world, including the United States. However, it has not been reported previously on species of Fraxinus. A specimen and culture from the ash cankers in Michigan have been deposited (BPI 841384 and CBS 109875). References: (1) S. N. De Jong et al. Mycol. Res. 105:658, 2001. (2) B. C. Sutton. The Coelomycetes. CMI, Kew, Surrey, UK, 1980.

The fertility of HD-affected individuals in Tasmania.

A study was conducted of the fertility (number of live births) of Huntington's disease (HD)-affected individuals compared to that of the general population using data from the 1986 Census of Population and Housing. HD-affected individuals were found to be at least as fertile as members of the general population. This finding supports earlier studies.

PIP: Since Huntington's disease (HD) is very prevalent in Tasmania, Australia (12.1/100,000 double the mean Western prevalence), researchers conducted a field survey of HD families in Tasmania to determine fertility of affected members of these families and to compare it with that of the general population (GP). They adjusted GP data to match the age distribution of the 26 affected individuals (AIs) living in Tasmania in June 1986. The survey included inspection of all earlier collected and unpublished pedigrees, cooperation of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian HD Association, assistance of a Mental Health Services Commission of Tasmania research social worker, publicity via mass media, informing general practitioners via their newsletter, and collecting data from family members and others sources. AIs had an average of 2.96 children compared to 2.85 children for the GP. The relative frequency stood at 1.04 (AIs/GP). Therefore the HD affected population in Tasmania could produce at least as many children as GP. This finding supported other studies. Further, like the GP, AIs have shifted towards smaller family sizes. The resultant fertility level occurred despite disabling symptoms of HD. Moreover the fertility levels of unaffected siblings observed in other studies either matched or were below those of AIs. Since the study only considered children of living HD affected people, some asymptomatic heterozygotes were probably missed. If they would have been included, however, the fertility levels of the GP would have been artificially elevated. Further research will explore why AIs are as fertile as the GP since they are disabled early in adult life.

Reproduction and age of onset of Huntington's disease in Tasmania.

This study demonstrates that in Tasmania, individuals born before 1930, with an onset of Huntington's disease (HD) after the mean age of onset, were significantly more fertile than their unaffected siblings and the general population. This applied to both sexes. The mean parental age of men with late-onset disease was significantly greater than that of their unaffected male siblings. The clinical implication is that those individuals at 50% risk of late-onset HD who have achieved their desired family size should be offered sterilisation.