Molecular, Morphological, and Biological Differentiation between Anagrus virlai sp. n., an Egg Parasitoid of the Corn Leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in the New World, and Anagrus incarnatus from the Palaearctic Region (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae).

The common New World egg parasitoid of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (DeLong) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), an economically important pest of maize from Argentina to southern USA, has long been misidentified as the Palaearctic species Anagrus incarnatus Haliday or its synonym A. breviphragma Soyka (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). Using a combination of genetic and morphometric methods, and available biological information, specimens reared from eggs of D. maidis in Argentina and Mexico, described and illustrated here as Anagrus (Anagrus) virlai Triapitsyn sp. n., are shown to be different from those of A. incarnatus from the Palaearctic region. Mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data provide clear evidence for the separation of the two species. Anagrus virlai is also known from Brazil, Colombia, Guadeloupe (France), and Guyana.

Armored Scales and Their Parasitoids on Commercial Avocados Grown in California or Imported from Mexico.

Levels of armored scales (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on Mexican Hass avocados imported into California over May 2008-June 2009 were monitored on 135 trucks entering the state via the Blythe border station, the entry point receiving the highest volume of fruit. Levels of live sessile scales were 3.9-fold higher than indicated in a previous survey (September 2007-April 2008) although levels of live eggs and crawlers were similar to previous levels. A survey of avocado fruit in California infested with armored scales detected four species known to be endemic but failed to find any of the seven exotic Diaspididae entering the state on Mexican fruit. Monitoring of Mexican armored scales on imported avocados from September 2007 to December 2010 recovered 10 species of parasitoids predominated by two species of Signiphora Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Signiphoridae). One of these species, Signiphora flavopalliata Ashmead, comprised 36% of all collected Mexican parasitoids and is a known hyperparasitoid. A survey of armored scale parasitoids present on commercial California avocados detected 17 genetic signatures, with only four of these in common with those detected on imported Mexican fruit. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Behavioural and molecular endophenotypes in psychotic disorders reveal heritable abnormalities in glutamatergic neurotransmission.

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are biologically complex and carry huge population morbidity due to their prevalence, persistence and associated disability. Defined by features such as delusions and hallucinations, they involve cognitive dysfunction and neurotransmitter dysregulations that appear mostly to involve the dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems. A number of genetic and environmental factors are associated with these disorders but it has been difficult to identify the biological pathways underlying the principal symptoms. The endophenotype concept of stable, heritable traits that form a mechanistic link between genes and an overt expression of the disorder has potential to reduce the complexity of psychiatric phenotypes. In this study, we used a genetically sensitive design with individuals with a first episode of psychosis, their non-affected first-degree relatives and non-related healthy controls. Metabolomic analysis was combined with neurocognitive assessment to identify multilevel endophenotypic patterns: one concerned reaction times during the performance of cognitive and emotional tests that have previously been associated with the glutamate neurotransmission system, the other involved metabolites involved directly and indirectly in the co-activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, a major receptor of the glutamate system. These cognitive and metabolic endophenotypes may comprise a single construct, such that genetically mediated dysfunction in the glutamate system may be responsible for delays in response to cognitive and emotional functions in psychotic disorders. This focus on glutamatergic neurotransmission should guide drug discovery and experimental medicine programmes in schizophrenia and related disorders.

Does human milk reduce infection rates in preterm infants? A systematic review

One of the reasons for advocating human milk (HM) feeding for preterm infants is the belief that this provides the infant with a degree of protection from infection...

Risky ripples allow bats and frogs to eavesdrop on a multisensory sexual display.

Animal displays are often perceived by intended and unintended receivers in more than one sensory system. In addition, cues that are an incidental consequence of signal production can also be perceived by different receivers, even when the receivers use different sensory systems to perceive them. Here we show that the vocal responses of male túngara frogs (Physalaemus pustulosus) increase twofold when call-induced water ripples are added to the acoustic component of a rival's call. Hunting bats (Trachops cirrhosus) can echolocate this signal by-product and prefer to attack model frogs when ripples are added to the acoustic component of the call. This study illustrates how the perception of a signal by-product by intended and unintended receivers through different sensory systems generates both costs and benefits for the signaler.

Differing patterns of brain structural abnormalities between black and white patients with their first episode of psychosis

BACKGROUND: African-Caribbean and black African people living in the UK are reported to have a higher incidence of diagnosed psychosis compared with white British people. It has been argued that this may be a consequence of misdiagnosis. If this is true they might be less likely to show the patterns of structural brain abnormalities reported in white British patients. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate whether there are differences in the prevalence of structural brain abnormalities in white and black first-episode psychosis patients. METHOD: We obtained dual-echo (proton density/T2-weighted) images from a sample of 75 first-episode psychosis patients and 68 healthy controls. We used high resolution magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based methods of image analysis. Two separate analyses were conducted: (1) 34 white British patients were compared with 33 white British controls; (2) 41 African-Caribbean and black African patients were compared with 35 African-Caribbean and black African controls. RESULTS: White British patients and African-Caribbean/black African patients had ventricular enlargement and increased lenticular nucleus volume compared with their respective ethnic controls. The African-Caribbean/black African patients also showed reduced global grey matter and increased lingual gyrus grey-matter volume. The white British patients had no regional or global grey-matter loss compared with their normal ethnic counterparts but showed increased grey matter in the left superior temporal lobe and right parahippocampal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence in support of our hypothesis. Indeed, the finding of reduced global grey-matter volume in the African-Caribbean/black African patients but not in the white British patients was contrary to our prediction.

Physician assistant distribution in Texas-Mexico border counties: public health implications.

PURPOSE: Texas Medical Board physician assistant (PA) data were assessed to assist workforce education and planning strategies for PA programs in regions with high percentages of Hispanic populations. METHODS: Data were assessed for gender, ethnicity, program attended and current employment addresses within the 14 Texas-Mexico border counties. RESULTS: Of the 329 border county PAs, 227 self-reported as Hispanic (69%), and 53% were female. Remarkably, 72% of all Hispanic PAs attended two of the six public Texas PA Programs. CONCLUSIONS: The Sullivan Commission report of 2004 concluded that the primary cause of poor public health care for minorities resulted from unequal representation of minorities in the health care professions. Two public Texas PA programs have made substantial contributions to public health care access in poverty-stricken border areas by educating and placing Hispanic PAs within medically underserved communities.

Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. dried calyx ethanol extract on fat absorption-excretion, and body weight implication in rats.

The effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Hs) calyx extract on fat absorption-excretion and body weight in rats, was investigated. Rats were fed with either a basal diet (SDC = Control diet) or the same diet supplemented with Hs extracts at 5%, 10% and 15% (SD(5), SD(10) and SD(15)). Only SD(5) did not show significant increases in weight, food consumption and efficiency compared to SD(C). The opposite occurred in SD(15) group which showed a significant decrease for these three parameters. The SD(10) responses were similar to SD(15), with the exception of food consumption. In both SD(C) and SD(5) groups, no body weight loss was observed; however, only in the latter group was there a significantly greater amount of fatty acids found in feces. A collateral effect emerging from the study is that components of Hs extract at the intermediate and greater concentrations used in this experiment could be considered possible antiobesity agents.

High levels of exotic armored scales on imported avocados raise concerns regarding USDA-APHIS' phytosanitary risk assessment.

Between 1914 and 2007, a quarantine protected California avocado, Persea americana Mill., groves from pests that might be introduced into the state along with fresh, imported avocados. Soon after Mexican avocados were first allowed entry on 1 February 2007, live specimens of several species of armored scales (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) not believed to be present in California were detected on 'Hass' avocados entering the state from Mexico. Initially, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) prevented avocados infested with these scales from entering the state or required that they be fumigated with an approved treatment such as methyl bromide. After a Science Advisory Panel meeting in May 2007, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) reaffirmed its position that armored scales on shipments of fruit for consumption (including avocados) pose a "low risk" for pest establishment. In compliance with APHIS protocols, as of 18 July 2007, CDFA altered its policy to allow shipments of scale-infested avocados into the state without treatment. Here, we report on sampling Mexican avocados over an 8-mo period, September 2007-April 2008. An estimated 67 million Mexican Hass avocados entered California over this period. Based on samples from 140 trucks containing approximately 15.6% of this volume of fruit, we estimate that approximately 47.6 million live, sessile armored scales and an additional 20.1 million live eggs and crawlers were imported. We found eight probable species of armored scales in the samples, seven of these are not believed to occur in California; 89.3% of the live scales were Abgrallaspis aguacatae Evans, Watson and Miller, a recently described species. In contrast to the USDA-APHIS opinion, we believe the volume of shipments and levels of live scales they contain present a significant risk to California's US$300 million avocado industry and to other crops that might become infested by one or more of these exotic species.

Psychoses, ethnicity and socio-economic status.

BACKGROUND: Consistent observation of raised rates of psychoses among Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups may possibly be explained by their lower socio-economic status. AIMS: To test whether risk for psychoses remained elevated in BME populations compared with the White British, after adjustment for age, gender and current socio-economic status. METHOD: Population-based study of first-episode DSM-IV psychotic disorders, in individuals aged 18-64 years, in East London over 2 years. RESULTS: All BME groups had elevated rates of a psychotic disorder after adjustment for age, gender and socio-economic status. For schizophrenia, risk was elevated for people of Black Caribbean (incidence rate ratios (IRR)=3.1, 95% CI 2.1-4.5) and Black African (IRR=2.6, 95% CI 1.8-3.8) origin, and for Pakistani (IRR=3.1, 95% CI 1.2-8.1) and Bangladeshi (IRR=2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.7) women. Mixed White and Black Caribbean (IRR=7.7, 95% CI 3.2-18.8) and White Other (IRR=2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.8) groups had elevated rates of affective psychoses (and other non-affective psychoses). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated rates of psychoses in BME groups could not be explained by socio-economic status, even though current socio-economic status may have overestimated the effect of this confounder given potential misclassification as a result of downward social drift in the prodromal phase of psychosis. Our findings extended to all BME groups and psychotic disorders, though heterogeneity remains.

DDT and HCH isomer levels in soils, carrot root and carrot leaf samples.

Agricultural cultivation assists organochlorine pesticide migration from contaminated soils to growing plants. This phenomenon is caused by retention processes that modify volatile pesticide exchange between soil, air and plants. The aim of the study was to monitor organochlorine pesticide (HCB, alpha- and gamma-HCH, pp'DDE, op'DDT, pp'DDT) levels and compare these concentrations in soil, carrot roots and carrot leaves. Fifty soil samples, 50 carrot root and 50 carrot leaf samples were taken from the same fields and analyzed by GLC-ECD. The results reveal organochlorine pesticide diffusion from agricultural soils to growing carrot plants and their vapors adsorption by leaves. Within the carrot plant, organochlorine pesticides accumulate especially in carrot root peel, 3-7 times more than in root flesh.

Grey matter correlates of minor physical anomalies in the AESOP first-episode psychosis study

BACKGROUND: Minor physical anomaliesare more prevalent among people withpsychosis. This supports aneurodevelopmental aetiology forpsychotic disorders, since these anomalies and the brain are both ectodermally derived. However, little is understood about the brain regions implicated in this association. AIMS: To examine the relationship between minor physical anomalies and grey matter structure in a sample of patients with first-episode psychosis. METHOD: Sixty patients underwent assessment of minor physical anomalies with the Lane scale. High-resolution magnetic resonance images and voxel-based methods of image analysis were used to investigate brain structure in these patients. RESULTS: The total anomalies score was associated with a grey matter reduction in the prefrontal cortex and precuneus and with a grey matter excess in the basal ganglia, thalamus and lingual gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: Minor physical anomalies in a sample of patients with first-episode psychosis are associated with regionalgrey matter changes. These regional changes may be important in the pathogenesis of psychotic disorder.

Pathways to care and ethnicity. 1: Sample characteristics and compulsory admission. Report from the AESOP study.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have found high levels of compulsory admission to psychiatric hospital in the UK among African-Caribbean and Black African patients with a psychotic illness. AIMS: To establish whether African-Caribbean and Black African ethnicity is associated with compulsory admission in an epidemiological sample of patients with a first episode of psychosis drawn from two UK centres. METHOD: All patients with a first episode of psychosis who made contact with psychiatric services over a 2-year period and were living in defined areas were included in the (AESOP) study. For this analysis we included all White British, other White, African-Caribbean and Black African patients from the AESOP sampling frame. Clinical, socio-demographic and pathways to care data were collected from patients, relatives and case notes. RESULTS: African-Caribbean patients were significantly more likely to be compulsorily admitted than White British patients, as were Black African patients. African-Caribbean men were the most likely to be compulsorily admitted. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that factors are operating at or prior to first presentation to increase the risk of compulsory admission among African-Caribbean and Black African patients.

Pathways to care and ethnicity. 2: Source of referral and help-seeking. Report from the AESOP study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has found that African-Caribbean and Black African patients are likely to come into contact with mental health services via more negative routes, when compared with White patients. We sought to investigate pathways to mental health care and ethnicity in a sample of patients with a first episode of psychosis drawn from two UK centres. METHOD: We included all White British, other White, African-Caribbean and Black African patients with a first episode of psychosis who made contact with psychiatric services over a 2-year period and were living in defined areas. Clinical, socio-demographic and pathways to care data were collected from patients, relatives and case notes. RESULTS: Compared with White British patients, general practitioner referral was less frequent for both African-Caribbean and Black African patients and referral by a criminal justice agency was more common. With the exception of criminal justice referrals for Black African patients, these findings remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that factors are operating during a first episode of psychosis to increase the risk that the pathway to care for Black patients will involve non-health professionals.

First Report on Molecular Detection of Phytoplasmas in Papaya in Cuba.

Phytoplasmas and rickettsias have been associated with recent nonviral papaya diseases (1,2). Forty leaf samples with symptoms similar to papaya bunchy top (PBT) (1) and Australian papaya diseases (2) were collected from surveys done in Cuban papaya areas of Havana and Villa Clara provinces. Thirty nine plants showed typical PBT symptoms, while 35 plants also exhibited symptoms previously described for phytoplasma diseases (2) such as yellowing, crinkling, necrosis and deformation of older leaves, phyllody, virescence, short internodes, reduced latex flow, stunted crown leaves, and abscission of the fruit. Samples were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) with 16S ribosomal RNA phytoplasma primers SN910601/DH6-R16F2n/R16R2, PCR with rickettsial succinate dehydrogenase gene (sdhA) primers PBT1/PBT2, HaeIII, RsaI, and AluI enzyme restriction, and phytoplasma intergenic sequence analyses. Rickettsia PCR amplifications of 750 bp were obtained for samples with PBT symptoms, while the 35 phytoplasma-infected samples yielded amplifications of 1,250 bp. Restriction profiles and a 98% homology in the intergenic sequence (GenBank Accession No. AY257547) confirmed the presence of apple proliferation phytoplasma group. Electron microscopy analysis evidenced the presence of particles similar to rickettsia and phytoplasma pleomorfic bodies in more than 50% of samples analysed. Also, those similar to potyvirus and rhabdovirus were observed in 22.5%. To our knowledge, these results are the first report on the molecular detection of phytoplasmas in papaya in Cuba and suggest a possible concomitance among phytopathogens detected. References: (1) M. Davis et al. Curr. Microbiol. 36:80, 1998. (2) K. Gibb et al. Plant Dis. 80:174, 1996.

Climate variability 50,000 years ago in mid-latitude Chile as reconstructed from tree rings.

High-resolution proxies of past climate are essential for a better understanding of the climate system. Tree rings are routinely used to reconstruct Holocene climate variations at high temporal resolution, but only rarely have they offered insight into climate variability during earlier periods. Fitzroya cupressoides-a South American conifer which attains ages up to 3,600 years-has been shown to record summer temperatures in northern Patagonia during the past few millennia. Here we report a floating 1,229-year chronology developed from subfossil stumps of F. cupressoides in southern Chile that dates back to approximately 50,000 14C years before present. We use this chronology to calculate the spectral characteristics of climate variability in this time, which was probably an interstadial (relatively warm) period. Growth oscillations at periods of 150-250, 87-94, 45.5, 24.1, 17.8, 9.3 and 2.7-5.3 years are identified in the annual subfossil record. A comparison with the power spectra of chronologies derived from living F. cupressoides trees shows strong similarities with the 50,000-year-old chronology, indicating that similar growth forcing factors operated in this glacial interstadial phase as in the current interglacial conditions.

Short-chain hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency presenting as unexpected infant death: A family study.

We describe a case of liver-specific short-chain hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency. Enzymatic confirmation of heterozygosity was shown in family members, illustrating the recessive nature of this new disorder. Heterozygous carriers did not present with biochemical abnormalities when challenged by fasting.

First Report of Virus and Phytoplasma Pathogens Associated with Yellow Leaf Syndrome of Sugarcane in Cuba.

Yellow leaf syndrome (YLS) has been seen recently in sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) in Cuba. The primary symptom is a yellow discoloration of the midrib that may spread from the midrib to the lamina in cane 6 months and older. In certain cultivars, such as CP 5243, EPC 17-395, and F31-156, a reddish coloration has been observed. In severe cases, plants are stunted and can be pulled easily. YLS was first reported from Hawaii, followed by Brazil, Florida, and Australia, where it is associated with a luteovirus: sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV). However, in South Africa, YLS is associated with a phytoplasma: sugarcane yellow leaf phytoplasma (ScYLP) (1). A survey performed in Jovellanos, Matanzas, Cuba, for ScYLV, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with antiserum provided by B. E. L. Lockhart, showed that only a small percentage of canes with YLS carried the virus. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (1) was used to amplify phytoplasma 16S/23S rDNA from sugarcane leaves with YLS symptoms, also collected from Jovellanos. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with HaeIII, RsaI, and AluI produced patterns similar to those of members of the aster yellows group for 260 of 277 samples tested. Sequencing of the 16S/23S intergenic rDNA PCR products, followed by BLAST (basic local alignment search tool) analysis, confirmed the high homology (97%) of these amplimers to the DNA of phytoplasmas belonging to the aster yellows I-A subgroup. This is the first report of ScYLV and ScYLP from Cuba, and it demonstrates the difficulty of determining the identity of the YLS pathogen based on symptoms alone. Reference: (1) C. P. R. Cronjé et al. Ann. Appl. Biol. 133:177, 1998.