Archaea are prominent members of the prokaryotic communities colonizing common forest mushrooms.

In this study, the abundance and composition of prokaryotic communities associated with the inner tissue of fruiting bodies of Suillus bovinus, Boletus pinophilus, Cantharellus cibarius, Agaricus arvensis, Lycoperdon perlatum, and Piptoporus betulinus were analyzed using culture-independent methods. Our findings indicate that archaea and bacteria colonize the internal tissues of all investigated specimens and that archaea are prominent members of the prokaryotic community. The ratio of archaeal 16S rRNA gene copy numbers to those of bacteria was >1 in the fruiting bodies of four out of six fungal species included in the study. The largest proportion of archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences belonged to thaumarchaeotal classes Terrestrial group, Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group (MCG), and Thermoplasmata. Bacterial communities showed characteristic compositions in each fungal species. Bacterial classes Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacilli, and Clostridia were prominent among communities in fruiting body tissues. Bacterial populations in each fungal species had different characteristics. The results of this study imply that fruiting body tissues are an important habitat for abundant and diverse populations of archaea and bacteria.

Natural decay process affects the abundance and community structure of Bacteria and Archaea in Picea abies logs.

Prokaryotes colonize decaying wood and contribute to the degradation process, but the dynamics of prokaryotic communities during wood decay is still poorly understood. We studied the abundance and community composition of Bacteria and Archaea inhabiting naturally decaying Picea abies logs and tested the hypothesis that the variations in archaeal and bacterial abundances and community composition are coupled with environmental parameters related to the decay process. The data set comprises >500 logs at different decay stages from five geographical locations in south and central Finland. The results show that Bacteria and Archaea are an integral and dynamic component of decaying wood biota. The abundances of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes increase as wood decay progresses. Changes in bacterial community composition are clearly linked to the loss of density of wood, while specific fungal-bacterial interactions may also affect the distribution of bacterial taxa in decaying wood. Thaumarchaeota were prominent members of the archaeal populations colonizing decaying wood, providing further evidence of the versatility and cosmopolitan nature of this phylum in the environment. The composition and dynamics of the prokaryotic community suggest that they are an active component of biota that are involved in processing substrates in decaying wood material.

Social competence of preschool children with epilepsy.

The aims of this study were to describe the social competence of 3- to 6-year-old children with epilepsy (n=26) compared with that of age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=26). Social competence was assessed with the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, Conners' Parent Rating Scales-Revised, and the Child Behavior Checklist. The results indicate that the children with epilepsy, especially with complicated epilepsy, had fewer age-appropriate social skills and more attention and behavior problems than the healthy children, as reported by parents. It is possible that the lack of age-appropriate social skills and the presence of attention problems predispose to behavioral problems. Also, epilepsy-related factors impaired the achievement of social competence. This study shows that the preschool children with complicated, early-onset epilepsy are at increased risk of difficulties in social competence.

Neurologic symptoms are common during gestation and puerperium in CADASIL.

Based on a structured questionnaire and medical records, the authors found that 12 of 25 mothers with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) with the R133C NOTCH3 mutation had had neurologic symptoms in 17 of their 43 pregnancies, most commonly hemiparesthesia (76%), hemiparesis (36%), aphasia (65%), and visual disorders (47%). In 82% of the patients, the symptoms were the first manifestation of CADASIL. The symptoms were most common during puerperium and in patients older than age 30.

Tolerance and biodegradation of m-toluate by Scots pine, a mycorrhizal fungus and fluorescent pseudomonads individually and under associative conditions.

The tolerance to, and degradation of m-toluate by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), a symbiotic mycorrhizal fungus (Suillus bovinus) and Pseudomonas fluorescens strains, with or without m-toluate-degrading capacity, was determined individually and in all symbiotic/associative plant-microbe combinations. Fungal survival on medium with m-toluate was increased in co-culture with the degradative bacterial strains on agar plates (up to 0.02%, w/v). When fungi were grown in mycorrhizal association with Scots pine seedlings in test-tube microcosms containing expanded clay pellets and growth media, the fungus was able to withstand m-toluate concentrations up to 2.0%, w/v in all treatments. The seedling tolerance remained unaltered regardless of the presence or absence of mycorrhizal fungi or biodegradative bacteria. Reduction in m-toluate levels was only detected in treatments inoculated with bacterial strains harbouring TOL catabolic plasmids. The plant and fungus, alone or in mycorrhizal symbiosis, were unable to cleave m-toluate. The presence of easily available plant-derived carbon sources did not impede m-toluate degradation by the bacteria in the mycorrhizosphere.

X chromatin, endomitoses, and mitotic abnormalities in human cervical cancer.

The incidence of X chromatin bodies and mitotic modifications and aberrations has been analyzed using Feulgen-squash preparations in 47 cervical cancers from Helsinki and 35 from Madison. Sixteen of the 82 tumors did not display any X chromatin bodies, and some others showed a lower than normal frequency, especially in the large nuclei. Different hypotheses to explain the absence of Barr bodies in female tumors have been reviewed. A new observation is that 44/82 tumors contained endomitoses. The metaphase/prophase ratio (M/P) was higher than 1.5 in all but three cases, reaching values as high as 23.0 (Madison) and 34.2 (Helsinki), and in one exceptional case, 51.8. The different types of cells, mitotic, endomitotic, and those with large to giant nuclei, form their own strands or layers. Cervical cancer is diagnosed earlier in Finland than in Madison due to a Pap mass screening program, and consequently, the survival of the patients after 5 years was 27/47 in Helsinki and 6/35 in Madison. No correlation could be established between the M/P (or other mitotic phenomena) or the stage and grade of the tumor, the age of the patient, or survival time.

Mitotic modifications and aberrations in human cervical cancer.

Mitotic modifications and aberrations characteristic of human malignant tumors have been analyzed and illustrated in cervical cancer. Most of them can be explained by assuming that the coordination of the centrosomal and chromosomal mechanisms, typical of normal mitosis, is disturbed. When the spindle mechanism is ahead of the chromosomes, the prophase is relatively shortened. This expresses itself in an increase of the ratio of metaphases to prophases (M/P), which in normal tissues is around 1. With M/P values of 4-6, the first tripolar metaphases are formed, and with higher ratios, divisions having more and more poles appear. The spindle and the chromosomes are out of step in the opposite direction in endocycles, in which the spindle is slowed down or absent. The most common of the endocycles is endoreduplication, followed by endomitosis, which is found in more than half of the cervical cancers. Mitotic abnormalities include lagging chromosomes in metaphase and anaphase and bridges in anaphase, which, when numerous, may lead to restitution. More sporadically occurring are C-mitosis and other abnormalities, including cell and nuclear fusions. There is a wide range of variation in the occurrence and frequency of chromocenters within a tumor, and an even greater variation between tumors. About one-fifth of cervical cancers lack X chromatin bodies. The abnormal chromosome constitutions in cancer are the result of various mitotic modifications and aberrations, as well as chromosome rearrangements. New chromosome combinations are constantly created and selection promotes the fastest dividing ones, which, in turn, become new stem lines of the tumor.

Management of vaginal agenesis.

Long-term results obtained through different methods of treatment were analysed in a series of 39 patients with congenital absence of the vagina. Thirty-three patients were treated with the McIndoe skin graft technique, 6 of them by the modification of Counseller and Davis. In three patients the neovagina was grafted with amnion and three were treated with the Frank nonoperative method. The result was graded good in 27 and satisfactory in 11 patients. In one patient the McIndoe operation resulted in a complete failure. There was no obvious difference between the results obtained by different methods except for the modification of Counseller and Davis which gave a good result in all cases. Judging from the general appearance and cytological pattern of the artificial vagina a more physiological result was achieved in patients with an amnion graft as compared with those with a skin graft. The nonoperative method is suggested as the first alternative in the treatment of patients with congenital absence of the vagina.

Results of treatment of carcioma of the cervix, 1964--1969. A report of 768 cases.

A series of 768 cases of primary invasive carcinoma of cervix was collected during the six years 1964--1969. This unselected material represents nearly one third of all new cases in Finland. The percentages of different stages (St) were: St I 49%, St. II 26%, St III 22% and St IV 3%. In comparison with earlier materials from our clinics an increase of St I was seen at the expense of St II. This probably results from increased use of the Papanicolau smear technique examinations. The incidence of St III and St IV was unchanged. Operative treatment combined usually with radiotherapy was used in 85% of the St I and in 38% of the St II cases. The remainder including those of St III--IV were treated by irradiation. The 5-year observed survival rates and relative survival rates (in brackets) were: St I 88% (92%), St II 51% (54%), St III 28% (31%), -t IV 0% and all stages together 63% (67%). A significant improvement in the 5-year results was found in the stages I and III when compared with the earlier material.

Cervical cancer. Mass screening, incidence and mortality in Finland.

Since mass screenings were started in Finland, the incidence of cervical cancer has dropped by about 50 per cent. In the age groups 25-60 the decrease has been two thirds. Moreover, there has been a similar decrease in mortality in the younger age groups, in particular. All risk groups are not covered by the screening program, however. Cervical carcinoma is still a socio-medical and clinical problem particularly among elderly women.