Fish intake in pregnant women and its impact on maternal-fetal health status / Ingesta de pescado en mujeres embarazadas y su impacto en el estado de salud materno-fetal

Objective The objective was to evaluate the consumption of fish in pregnant women and its association with maternal and infant outcomes. Material and methods In this observational study carried out at the La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital in Valencia, 300 pregnant women participated. The participants were divided into 2 groups according to their fish consumption during pregnancy for comparison. The χ2 test or ANOVA test were applied for comparisons for qualitative and quantitative variables respectively. Results It was observed that 49% of women consumed adequate amounts of fish during pregnancy (2 or 3 weekly servings). Significant differences were observed for iron supplementation (higher in women with inadequate fish consumption), threatened pregnancy loss (higher in women with inadequate fish consumption), infant size (better in women with adequate fish consumption), and arterial O2 pressure (better in women with adequate fish consumption). In regard to the other components of the dietary pattern, no differences were observed but the adequacy of intake for grains and white meat was very poor (less than 5.0%). Conclusions Half of the women met the recommendations for fish intake during pregnancy and presented an overall healthier eating pattern but without statistical significance (AU)

Objetivo Evaluar el consumo de pescado en mujeres embarazadas y su asociación con la salud materno-infantil. Material y métodos En este estudio observacional llevado a cabo en el Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe de Valencia participaron 300 mujeres embarazadas. Las participantes se dividieron en dos grupos según su consumo de pescado durante el embarazo para comparar. Para las comparaciones de variables cualitativas y cuantitativas se aplicaron la prueba de χ2 o la ANOVA, respectivamente. Resultados Se observó que el 49% de las mujeres consumieron cantidades adecuadas de pescado durante el embarazo (2 o 3 raciones semanales). Se observaron diferencias significativas para la suplementación con hierro (mayor en mujeres con consumo inadecuado de pescado), amenaza de pérdida del embarazo (mayor en mujeres con consumo inadecuado de pescado), tamaño del bebé (mejor en mujeres con consumo adecuado de pescado) y presión arterial de O2 (mejor en mujeres con consumo adecuado de pescado). En cuanto a los demás componentes del patrón dietético, no se observaron diferencias, pero la adecuación del consumo de cereales y de carnes blancas fue muy pobre (menos del 5,0%). Conclusiones La mitad de las mujeres cumplían con las recomendaciones de consumo de pescado durante el embarazo y presentaban un patrón alimentario globalmente más saludable, pero sin significación estadística (AU)

Feasibility of coronary blood flow simulations using mid-fidelity numeric and geometric models.

The fractional flow reserve index (FFR) is currently used as a gold standard to quantify coronary stenosis's functional relevance. Due to its highly invasive nature, the development of noninvasive surrogates based on simulations has drawn much attention in recent years, emphasizing efficient strategies that enable translational research. The focus of this work is twofold. First, to assess the feasibility of using a mid-fidelity numerical strategy (transversally enriched pipe element method, TEPEM), placed between low- and high-fidelity models, for the estimation of flow-related quantities, such as FFR and wall shear stress (WSS). Low-fidelity models, as zero- or one-dimensional models, are computationally inexpensive but in detriment of poorer spatially detailed predictions. On the other hand, high-fidelity models, such as classical three-dimensional numerical approximations, can provide detailed predictions but their transition to clinical application is prohibitive due to high computational costs. As a second goal, we quantify the impact of the length of lateral branches in the blood flow through the interrogated vessel of interest to further reduce the computational burden. Both studies are addressed considering a cohort of 17 coronary geometries. A total of 20 locations were selected to estimate the FFR index for a wide range of Coronary Flow Reserve (CFR) scenarios. Numerical results suggest that the mid-fidelity TEPEM model is a reliable approach for the efficient estimation of the FFR index and WSS, with an error in the order of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively, when compared to the high-fidelity prediction. Moreover, such mid-fidelity models require much less computational resources, in compliance with infrastructure frequently available in the clinic, by achieving a speedup between 30 and 60 times compared to a conventional finite element approach. Also, we show that shortening peripheral branches does not introduce considerable perturbations either in the flow patterns, in the wall shear stress, or the pressure drop. Comparing the different geometric models, the error in the estimation of FFR index and WSS is reduced to less than [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively.

Temporomandibular joint ankylosis after condylar dislocation into the middle cranial fossa: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Dislocation of the mandibular condyle into the middle cranial fossa after a trauma is a rare event. The lack of appropriate treatment can lead to ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). We report about a case of TMJ ankylosis following intracranial dislocation of the mandibular condyle through the roof of the articular fossa. CASE REPORT: A 9-year-old patient was referred for a severe limitation of mouth opening that began progressively one year before. A history of chin injury due to an accidental fall was found. Preoperative CT scan showed a TMJ ankylosis on the right side combined with a dislocation of the mandibular condyle into the middle cranial fossa. Treatment consisted in an intracranial resection of the mandibular condyle, partial removal of the ankylosis block and TMJ arthroplasty. DISCUSSION: Our case is the second case of TMJ ankylosis following intracranial dislocation of the mandibular condyle and treated with arthroplasty alone published in the English literature. There is no consensus regarding the pathophysiology of TMJ ankylosis and regarding the attitude towards the ankylosis block. In our case, no recurrence was noticed after a one-year follow-up. An interdisciplinary approach is needed, including maxillofacial surgeon, neurosurgeon, physiotherapist and orthodontist.

Genetic relationships among American donkey populations: insights into the process of colonization.

This study presents the first insights into the genetic diversity and structure of the American donkey metapopulation. The primary objectives were to detect the main structural features underlying variability among American donkey populations, identify boundaries between differentiated gene pools, and draw the main colonization pathways since the introduction of donkeys into America in the 15th century. A panel of 14 microsatellite markers was applied for genotyping 350 American donkeys from 13 countries. The genetic structure of this metapopulation was analysed using descriptive statistics and Bayesian model-based methods. These populations were then compared to a database containing information on 476 individuals from 11 European breeds to identify the most likely ancestral donor populations. Results showed the presence of two distinct genetic pools, with confluence of the two in Colombia. The southern pool showed a unique genetic signature subsequent to an older founder event, but lacked any significant influence of modern gene flow from Europe. The northern pool, conversely, may have retained more ancestral polymorphisms and/or have experienced modern gene flow from Spanish breeds. The Andalusian and, to a lesser extent, the Catalan breeds have left a more pronounced footprint in some of the American donkey populations analysed.

Genetic characterization of local Criollo pig breeds from the Americas using microsatellite markers.

Little is known about local Criollo pig genetic resources and relationships among the various populations. In this paper, genetic diversity and relationships among 17 Criollo pig populations from 11 American countries were assessed with 24 microsatellite markers. Heterozygosities, F-statistics, and genetic distances were estimated, and multivariate, genetic structure and admixture analyses were performed. The overall means for genetic variability parameters based on the 24 microsatellite markers were the following: mean number of alleles per locus of 6.25 ± 2.3; effective number of alleles per locus of 3.33 ± 1.56; allelic richness per locus of 4.61 ± 1.37; expected and observed heterozygosity of 0.62 ± 0.04 and 0.57 ± 0.02, respectively; within-population inbreeding coefficient of 0.089; and proportion of genetic variability accounted for by differences among breeds of 0.11 ± 0.01. Genetic differences were not significantly associated with the geographical location to which breeds were assigned or their country of origin. Still, the NeighborNet dendrogram depicted the clustering by geographic origin of several South American breeds (Criollo Boliviano, Criollo of northeastern Argentina wet, and Criollo of northeastern Argentina dry), but some unexpected results were also observed, such as the grouping of breeds from countries as distant as El Salvador, Mexico, Ecuador, and Cuba. The results of genetic structure and admixture analyses indicated that the most likely number of ancestral populations was 11, and most breeds clustered separately when this was the number of predefined populations, with the exception of some closely related breeds that shared the same cluster and others that were admixed. These results indicate that Criollo pigs represent important reservoirs of pig genetic diversity useful for local development as well as for the pig industry.

Porcine colonization of the Americas: a 60k SNP story.

The pig, Sus scrofa, is a foreign species to the American continent. Although pigs originally introduced in the Americas should be related to those from the Iberian Peninsula and Canary islands, the phylogeny of current creole pigs that now populate the continent is likely to be very complex. Because of the extreme climates that America harbors, these populations also provide a unique example of a fast evolutionary phenomenon of adaptation. Here, we provide a genome wide study of these issues by genotyping, with a 60k SNP chip, 206 village pigs sampled across 14 countries and 183 pigs from outgroup breeds that are potential founders of the American populations, including wild boar, Iberian, international and Chinese breeds. Results show that American village pigs are primarily of European ancestry, although the observed genetic landscape is that of a complex conglomerate. There was no correlation between genetic and geographical distances, neither continent wide nor when analyzing specific areas. Most populations showed a clear admixed structure where the Iberian pig was not necessarily the main component, illustrating how international breeds, but also Chinese pigs, have contributed to extant genetic composition of American village pigs. We also observe that many genes related to the cardiovascular system show an increased differentiation between altiplano and genetically related pigs living near sea level.

Genetic characterization of Latin-American Creole cattle using microsatellite markers.

Genetic diversity in and relationships among 26 Creole cattle breeds from 10 American countries were assessed using 19 microsatellites. Heterozygosities, F-statistics estimates, genetic distances, multivariate analyses and assignment tests were performed. The levels of within-breed diversity detected in Creole cattle were considerable and higher than those previously reported for European breeds, but similar to those found in other Latin American breeds. Differences among breeds accounted for 8.4% of the total genetic variability. Most breeds clustered separately when the number of pre-defined populations was 21 (the most probable K value), with the exception of some closely related breeds that shared the same cluster and others that were admixed. Despite the high genetic diversity detected, significant inbreeding was also observed within some breeds, and heterozygote excess was detected in others. These results indicate that Creoles represent important reservoirs of cattle genetic diversity and that appropriate conservation measures should be implemented for these native breeds in order to minimize inbreeding and uncontrolled crossbreeding.

The Perfect Stage of Powdery Mildew of Grapevine Caused by Erysiphe necator Found in Peru.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) has been cultivated in Peru since the sixteenth century to produce wine and grape brandy called "Pisco". Grapevine powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe necator (Schwein.) (formerly Uncinula necator [Schw.] Burr.; anamorph Oidium tuckeri) is currently the most important disease of grapevine in Peru. Table grape producers rely heavily on fungicide applications to manage powdery mildew infections. In Peru, the pathogen is normally found in the anamorphic state, except for one report of the teleomorphic state in 1972 (2) on wine grape varieties. In July 2011, ascomata were observed on table grapevine leaves cv. Sugraone in a commercial field near Huaral in the central coast of Peru. Abundant, mature (black) and immature (brown), globose ascocarps were visible on the abaxial leaf surfaces covered by the anamorphic state of the fungus. The chasmothecia were epiphyllous and ranged from 93.3 to 157.5 µm in diameter. The appendages were hyaline, variable in number (9 to 17), septate, with the apex helicoid when mature, and measuring 310 to 480 µm long. Each ascocarp contained four to seven subglobose asci (55.3 to 76.7 × 36.3 to 52.0 µm) with two to six (mostly three) ascospores. The ascospores were elliptical, hyaline, and measured 20.2 to 25.0 µm long by 11.1 to 17.3 µm wide. The pathogen was identified as E. necator on the basis of the host genus and morphology of the teleomorph (1). The teleomorphic state of E. necator could be a source of primary inoculum before infection by anamorphic conidia occurs, provide the basis for genetic recombination, and lead to more frequent appearance of new races. This could have serious implications for managing fungicide resistance in the pathogen population and may also result in the development of virulence to the resistance of some grape varieties tolerant to powdery mildew infections. In South America, the teleomorph of E. necator has been recently detected in Chile (3), and has caused great concern among grape producers. To our knowledge, this finding represents a first record of the presence of the ascigenous state of the pathogen on table grapes in Peru. References: (1) U. Braun. A Monograph of the Erysiphales (powdery mildews). J. Cramer, Berlin-Stuttgart, 1987. (2) S. L. Dongo and M. E. Arestegui. Fitopatologia 8:35, 1973. (3) F. Riveros et al. Aconex 83:24, 2004.

Outbreak of a New Phytophthora sp. Associated with Severe Decline of Almond Trees in Eastern Spain.

Since 2007, a decline of young almond trees (Prunus dulcis) has been observed in different field-grown nurseries in Valencia (east-central Spain). Early symptoms in affected trees included chlorosis, wilting, cankers, and profuse stem gumming. A Phytophthora sp. was consistently isolated from cankers, roots, and soil of affected trees. It was a heterothallic species with amphigynous and/or paragynous antheridia, and its morphological features did not conform to any of the described Phytophthora species. Pathogenicity was proved by artificial inoculation, completing Koch's postulates. All isolates were sensitive to the phenylamide fungicides metalaxyl and mefenoxam. Amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1 alpha gene (EF-1α), the ß-tubulin (ß-tub) gene, and the region containing the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene fragment identified the species as Phytophthora taxon "niederhauserii", and phylogenetic analyses placed it in Phytophthora Clade 7b.

First Report of Phaeoacremonium parasiticum Causing Petri Disease of Grapevine in Peru.

Since 2005, symptoms of grapevine decline have been observed on 4- to 8-month-old grapevines (cvs. Red globe and Crimson) grafted onto 1103 P rootstock in Ica and Pisco valleys in southern Peru. Affected plants exhibited weak growth, interveinal chlorosis, necrosis and wilting of leaves, and death. Dark brown-to-black streaking of the xylem was seen when transverse or longitudinal cuts were made in the trunk and shoots. Symptomatic plants were collected and sections (5 cm long) were cut from the zone between the rootstock and the scion, surface sterilized for 1 min in a 1.5% sodium hypochlorite solution, and washed twice with sterile distilled water. The sections were split longitudinally, and small pieces of discolored tissues were placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with oxytetracycline (500 mg liter-1). Plates were incubated at 25°C in the dark for 15 days. A Phaeoacremonium sp. was consistently isolated from necrotic tissues. Single conidial isolates were obtained and grown on PDA and malt extract agar (MEA) in the dark at 25°C for 3 weeks until colonies produced spores (3). Colonies were brown on PDA and olive brown on MEA. Conidiophores were branched, 27.5 to 67.5 (42.5) µm long, and often consisting of a single phialide. Conidia were hyaline, oblong ellipsoidal, 2.5 to 4.5 (3.6) µm long, and 1.2 to 1.9 (1.6) µm wide. On the basis of these characteristics, the isolates were identified as Phaeoacremonium parasiticum (Ajello, Georg & C.J.K Wang) W. Gams, Crous & M.J. Wingf. (teleomorph Togninia parasitica L. Mostert, W. Gams & Crous) (2,3). Identity of isolate Ppa-1 was confirmed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the internal transcribed spacer region (Phaeoacremonium-specific primers Pm1-Pm2) with the restriction enzymes BssKI, EcoO109I, and HhaI (1). Additionally, the beta-tubulin gene fragment (primers T1 and Bt2b) of this isolate was sequenced (GenBank Accession No. FJ151015). The sequence was identical to the sequence of P. parasiticum (GenBank Accession No. AY328379). Pathogenicity tests were conducted using the isolate Ppa-1. Approximately 20 µl of a suspension containing 103 conidia ml-1 was injected into the pith of four nodes on each of 10 dormant, unrooted, 15 cm long cuttings of cv. Red Globe. Four nodes on each of 10 cuttings were used as controls and injected with an equal volume of sterile distilled water. Inoculation points were covered with Parafilm. The cuttings were planted in plastic pots and maintained at 24 ± 3°C in diffuse light, watering as needed. Within 2 months of inoculation, all P. parasicitum-inoculated cuttings exhibited shoots with very poor growth with small leaves and short internodes. In the xylem vessels, black streaks identical to symptoms observed in declining vines in the vineyard were observed. Control plants did not show any of these symptoms. The fungus was reisolated from internal tissues of symptomatic shoots of all inoculated cuttings but not from the control shoots. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. parasiticum causing young grapevine decline in Peru. References: (1) A. Aroca and R. Raposo. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73:2911, 2007. (2) P. W. Crous et al. Mycology 88:786, 2006. (3) L. Mostert et al. Stud. Mycol. 54:1, 2006.

First Report of Neofusicoccum parvum Associated with Dieback of Mango Trees in Peru.

Mango (Mangifera indica L) is one of the most important cash crops of northern Peru. Since 2003, adult mango trees (cvs. Criollo and Kent) located in Piura Province developed symptoms of dieback characterized by the death of twigs and branches in the tree canopy. Additional disease symptoms involved darkened, elongated lesions on the peduncle, causing an early maturation of the fruit, and in advanced symptoms, stem-end rot of fruits. Symptoms were frequent in the spring months (September to November) when the lesions expand rapidly. Diseased tissues from branches and fruits were collected and small pieces of necrotic tissues were surface disinfected and plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) with 0.5 g L-1 streptomycin sulfate. Plates were incubated at 25°C in the dark. All affected tissues consistently developed colonies with a white mycelium, moderately dense, and becoming olivaceous gray after 5 to 6 days. Pycnidia were produced on sterile mango twigs placed on the surface of potato carrot agar (PCA) after 10 days. Conidia were hyaline, guttulate, aseptate, measuring (15-) 18.5 (-22.5) × (4-) 5.2 (-7.5) µm. Conidia became olivaceous and developed one or two septa before germination. Isolates were identified as Neofusicoccum parvum (Pennycook & Samuels) Crous, Slippers, & A.J.L. Phillips (1). DNA sequences of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and part of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α) genes were used to confirm the identification through BLAST searches in GenBank (ITS: 99% identity to Accession No. EU080928; EF1-α: 98% identity to Accession No. AY343367). Representative sequences of the studied DNA regions were deposited at GenBank (ITS: Accession No. FJ528596; EF1-α: Accession No. FJ528597). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 18-month-old potted mango plants cv. Kent with two N. parvum strains (A4 and A5). A mycelial plug (3 cm in diameter) taken from the margin of an actively growing colony of each isolate was put in a wound made with a cork borer of the same diameter on the stem of each plant. Inoculation wounds were wrapped with Parafilm. Controls were inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. Ten replicates for each isolate were used with an equal number of control plants. Plants were maintained in a greenhouse with a temperature range of 22 to 28°C. After 4 weeks, mango plants showed necrotic stem lesions originating from the inoculation point affecting also the branches of the inoculated plants. No differences in lesion area between strains were obtained. No lesions developed in the control plants. Reisolations from necrotic tissues were successful and both isolates were morphologically identical to those used for inoculations. N. parvum was isolated from all symptomatic trees in all surveyed areas. This pathogen has already been reported on mango (2) and currently represents a serious problem in the mango-producing areas of Peru. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. parvum affecting mango in Peru. References: (1) P. W. Crous et al. Stud. Mycol. 55:235, 2006. (2) B. Slippers et al. Mycologia 97:99, 2005.

Comparison of Application Methods of Systemic Fungicides to Suppress Branch Cankers in Clementine Trees Caused by Phytophthora citrophthora.

Since 2002, considerable losses of Clementine trees (Citrus clementina) have been observed in Spain due to Phytophthora branch canker of citrus caused by Phytophthora citrophthora. Due to the low efficiency of the available cultural and genetic control measures, application of fungicides is required for economic management of the disease. Fosetyl-Al, metalaxyl, and its enantiomer mefenoxam are the only systemic fungicides registered for control of Phytophthora diseases in Spain. However, their efficacy has not been tested against Phytophthora branch canker. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted for 3 years in Spain to evaluate the ability of these fungicides and application methods to reduce lesion expansion. Nevertheless, with the inoculation technique used, it was not possible to evaluate the protective activity of fungicides, which can play an important role in their performance under field conditions. None of the fungicide treatments inhibited lesion expansion when applications were made on a curative basis. The residual effect was better on young than on mature trees. Paint treatments were generally more effective in reducing lesion expansion that drip chemigation or foliar sprays. However, this application method is laborious and becomes uneconomical in Spain. Trunk and branch sprays as well as long-term programs of foliar sprays or drip chemigation for control of spring and autumn infections are proposed as targets for future research.

First Report of Leaf Spot and Twig Blight of Rhododendron spp. Caused by Phytophthora hibernalis in Spain.

During the early spring of 2004, an estimated 20% of containerized nursery stocks of Rhododendron spp. in Asturias (northern Spain) were affected by a foliar disease that has reoccurred annually. Leaf spots were dark brown to almost black, generally oval to round, visible from both sides of the leaf, and expanded to affect the entire leaf including the petiole. Affected leaves abscised from the plant. A Phytophthora sp. was consistently isolated from symptomatic leaf tissues on PARBH medium (3) and hyphal tips were transferred onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). Colonies grown on PDA at 20°C were submerged, had a growth rate of 2.2 mm/day, and had lobes of compact mycelium. Sporangia were semipapillate and caducous with a pedicel (20.0-) 37.7 (-52.5) µm long. Sporangia were asymmetrical in shape with the broadest point near the apex: 25.2 to 40.4 µm long × 10.2 to 15.8 µm wide (average 33.1 × 12.6 µm), and length/width ratio was 2.8:1. Chlamydospores were not observed. Isolates were homothallic and oogonia ranged from 26.5 to 27.5 µm in diameter. Antheridia were mostly amphigynous but occasionally paragynous. Oospores were plerotic and 23.1 to 25.5 µm in diameter. These characteristics conformed to those of Phytophthora hibernalis Carne (2). Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions on the isolates and comparison with other sequences in GenBank showed that they were identical to P. hibernalis (Accession No. AY827556.1 from Citrus sp.). For pathogenicity tests, four isolates of P. hibernalis were used to inoculate detached leaves of Rhododendron hybrid Brigitte. The underside of five detached leaves was inoculated with a drop of 40 µL of a suspension of 104 zoospores/ml. Controls were inoculated with a 40-µL drop of sterile distilled water. Leaves were incubated in a moist chamber at 20°C in the dark. A quantification of the lesion area was made 8 days after inoculation using the software Assess-APS. All inoculated leaves developed necrotic lesions that ranged from 0.246 to 1.512 cm2. P. hibernalis was reisolated from infected tissue. Symptoms were not detected on the controls. The test was repeated twice and similar results were obtained each time. P. hibernalis has been described previously as causing brown rot on citrus in Spain (4) and was isolated from rhododendron plants in California and Oregon (1). To our knowledge, this is the first record of P. hibernalis causing foliar blight on Rhododendron species in Spain as well as in Europe. References: (1) C. Blomquist et al. Online publication. doi:10.1094/PHP-2005-0728- 01-HN. Plant Health Progress, 2005. (2) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul MN. 1996. (3) S. N. Jeffers and S. B. Martin. Plant Dis. 70:1038, 1986. (4) J. J. Tuset. An. Inst. Nac. Investig. Agrar. Ser. Prot. Veg. N.7, 1977.

First Report of Leaf Spot, Blight, and Stem Lesions Caused by Cylindrocladium pauciramosum on Callistemon in Spain.

Callistemons (Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels), evergreen plants of the family Myrtaceae, are commonly grown in Mediterranean gardens for their red bottlebrush-like flowers. During November of 2006, 1-year-old potted plants of callistemon showed leaf spots and blight in commercial nurseries in Valencia, Spain. Symptoms consisted initially of minute brown spots on the leaves, developing into black-gray blotches that finally coalesced. Diseased plants also showed stem lesions and blight of young shoots. Approximately 30% of the plants were affected. A Cylindrocladium sp. was isolated consistently from the infected tissues. Six single conidial isolates were grown on carnation leaf agar (CLA) under near-UV light at 25°C for 7 days (1). The macroconidiophores comprised of a stipe, a sterile elongation, and a penicillated arrangement of primary, secondary, and tertiary branches. The stipes were septate, 110 to 175 (138) µm long, with a terminal obpyriform vesicle measuring 3.75 to 7.5 (5.8) µm wide. Phialides (12.5 × 3.6 µm) were hyaline, doliiform to reniform, with conidia 40 to 55 × 3.7 to 5 µm, cylindrical with rounded ends, aseptate or one septate. Chlamydospores were brown and formed microsclerotia. These features conformed to the description of Cylindrocladium pauciramosum (3). Further confirmation was obtained by sequence analysis. The 5' end of the ß-tubulin gene was amplified using primers T1 and ßt2b (2). Comparison with other sequences in GenBank revealed that the isolates described here were identical with C. pauciramosum (Accession No. AY880064) isolated from Ceanothus in the UK. To confirm pathogenicity, 1-year-old plants of callistemon were inoculated with two isolates by spraying with a spore suspension of the fungus (1 × 105 conidia per ml) obtained from 14-day-old single spore colonies on CLA. Control plants were treated with sterile distilled water. After inoculation, all plants were maintained in plastic bags and kept at 22 ± 2°C. Four days after inoculation, the plants developed symptoms similar to those observed in natural infections, and C. pauciramosum was reisolated, successfully completing Koch's postulates. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. C. pauciramosum has been recorded on several hosts, including Callistemon citrinus, in Italy (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. pauciramosum on callistemon in Spain. References: (1) P. W. Crous and M. J. Wingfield. Mycotaxon 51:341, 1994. (2) B. Henricot and A. Culham. Mycologia 94:980, 2002. (3) C. L. Schoch et al. Mycologia 91:286, 1999. (4) C. L. Schoch et al. Plant Dis. 85:941, 2001.

Bleeding Canker on Mesquite in Peru caused by Phytophthora syringae.

Mesquite (Prosopis pallida (Wildenow) Kunth) is a drought-tolerant tree widely distributed in the northern Pacific Coast of South America. This species prevents soil erosion, provides shade, conserves prairies, supports bee nutrition, and provides fruits for human and animal consumption. Since the spring of 2004, bark lesions and bleeding cankers were observed on trunks and branches of 70% of declining mesquite trees in some parks at Ica in southern Peru. Badly affected trees were killed by the disease. Isolations were made from the edge of necrotic lesions of the inner bark and roots using PARPH medium (2) and incubated at 22°C for 7 days. A Phytophthora species was consistently isolated from lesions of 10 mesquite trees, and six pure cultures (PS-87-PS-92) were obtained by transferring hyphal tips and characterized. Colonies were stellate on V8 juice agar (VJA; 2 g CaCO3, 200 ml of V8 juice, and 15 g of agar in 800 ml of distilled water), uniform to slightly radiate on corn meal agar (Oxoid Ltd., London, England), and knotty on PDA (Biokar Diagnostics, Beauvais, France). On VJA at 22°C, the average radial growth rate for the six isolates was 1.7 mm per day. Colonies grew slowly at 5 and 25°C with 0.4 and 0.7 mm per day growth rate, respectively. There was no growth at 30°C. Catenulate hyphal swellings formed on VJA and liquid media (1.5% sterile soil extract). Sporangia were persistent, ovoid to obpyriform, semipapillate with narrow exit pores (<5.0 µm in diameter), 32.3 to 39.7 × 21.0 to 27.2 µm, with a length/width ratio of 1.4:1 to 1.6:1. Sporangia were produced by cutting 5-mm disks from the advancing margin of a colony on VJA and adding disks to 10 ml of 1.5% sterile soil extract for 4 to 5 days at 22°C under fluorescent light. Isolates were homothallic with spherical oogonia, 32 to 35 µm in width with paragynous antheridia, and aplerotic oospores, 26 to 31 µm. These characteristics fit the descriptions of Phytophthora syringae (Kleb.) Kleb. (1). Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions on the isolates and comparison with other sequences in GenBank showed that they were identical to P. syringae (Accession No. AJ854297 from Citrus limon). In 2005, two methods were used to inoculate mesquite with two isolates. One method used two 20-mm-diameter branches of five 5-year-old mesquite trees where a 5-mm wound was made with a cork borer and a 5-mm block of the agar culture was placed under the bark and sealed with Parafilm. Another method used 10 4-month-old potted plants that received a 30-ml drench of a 104 zoospores/ml suspension per plant. Controls received clean agar blocks and a sterile water drench for 10 control pots. Two weeks after inoculation, black areas and resinosis were observed around inoculated wounds. Inoculated branches produced cankers of 4.7 to 6.8 cm2, 4 weeks after inoculations. Twenty days after inoculation of roots, wilting and root rots of seedlings occurred. No symptoms were found on the control plants. P. syringae was reisolated from the diseased branches and root rots and pure cultures were established. This test was repeated for both methods with similar results. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. syringae in Peru and the first description of this pathogen on mesquite worldwide. References: (1) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul MN. 1996. (2) S. N. Jeffers and S. B. Martin. Plant Dis. 70:1038, 1986.

Lavender Cotton Root Rot: A New Host of Phytophthora tentaculata Found in Spain.

Lavender cotton, Santolina chamaecyparissus, is an evergreen shrub growing primarily in dry, calcareous habitats and is grown in rock gardens and mixed borders mainly for its ornamental and aromatic foliage. During 2004, several commercial nurseries in Valencia Province (eastern Spain) reported high mortality of lavender cotton. The foliage of the diseased plants turned brown, wilted, and died. A Phytophthora sp. was isolated consistently from the soil and roots of infected plants using apple baits and the selective medium PARBH (1), respectively. Four pure cultures (PS-31, PS-32, PS-33, and PS-34) were established from hyphal tips and characterized. Colony morphology on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 24°C was stoloniferous (short stubby branches) with a growth rate of 2.2 mm per day. Sporangia, chlamydospores, and oospores were produced on V8 agar. The sporangia were ovoid to obpyriform, 27.5 to 64.8 (48.3) × 25 to 52.5 (37.5) µm, length/breadth ratio of 1.3:1, and papillate, from which 20% were caducous with a short pedicel (<5 µm). Hyphal swellings and chlamydospores (22 to 38 µm in diameter) were present. Isolates were homothallic, oogonia were globose, mostly terminal 27.5 to 40 (36.2) µm in diameter, 88% of the antheridia were paragynous, monoclinous, or diclinous, and occasionally with two paragynous antheridia per oogonium. Amphigynous antheridia (12%) were also observed. Oospores were aplerotic, 25 to 35 (32.3) µm in diameter, and thin walled. These characteristics and measurements conformed to the description of P. tentaculata described by Kröber and Marwitz (2). Sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region of Santolina isolates PS-32 and PS-34 and comparison of these sequences with other sequences available in GenBank revealed that they were identical to P. tentaculata (AF266775). Pathogenicity tests used 10 4-to-5-month-old potted lavender cotton and two methods. In the first method, inoculum was prepared on a media of 200 g of oats and 120 ml of V8 juice to 1 liter of distilled water. The medium was inoculated with P. tentaculata grown on PDA and incubated in the dark at 20°C for 4 weeks. Inoculum was buried into the compost mixture around the roots at a rate of 3% (w/v). The second method applied a zoospore drench of 50 ml per plant (1 × 104 zoospores per ml) obtained by inducing zoospores in sterile soil extract from cultures of V8 juice agar. The control plants were inoculated with sterile media and sterile distilled water. The following day, the pots were flooded for 2 days, plants were maintained in a glasshouse at 24 ± 5°C, and watered twice a week. All plants inoculated with the first method had wilted foliage and died within 2 months after inoculation, while plants inoculated with zoospores died after 3 months. P. tentaculata was reisolated and the test was repeated twice. The control plants did not show any symptoms of the disease. P. tentaculata was first reported causing root and stalk rot on Chrysanthemum frutescens hybrids, C. leucanthemum, Delphinium ajacis, and Verbena hybrids in Germany (2). It has also been reported on Verbena hybrids in Spain (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. tentaculata causing root rot on lavender cotton. References: (1) S. N. Jeffers and S. B. Martin. Plant Dis. 70:1038, 1986. (2) H. Kröber and R. Marwitz. Z. Pflanzenkr. Pflanzenschutz 100:250, 1993. (3) E. Moralejo et al. Plant Pathol. 53:806, 2004.

First Report of Phoma exigua var. heteromorpha Causing Oleander Dieback in Spain.

During the autumn of 2003, a new disease was detected in oleander (Nerium oleander L.) nurseries in Valencia and Murcia in eastern Spain. Affected leaves showed ovoid or ellipsoid necrotic spots. Necrotic lesions were also observed on stems and lateral shoots that resulted in severe blight and defoliation. In some cases, severe infections caused the death of plants. Isolations from symptomatic leaves and stems onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with 0.5 g liter-1 of streptomycin sulfate (PDAS) consistently yielded dark olivaceous fungal colonies. For sporulation, these isolates were transferred to potato carrot agar (PCA) and incubated at 25°C for 15 days with a 12-h photoperiod. Abundant pycnidia (200 µm in diameter) developed superficially or immersed in the culture medium. Conidia were hyaline, ellipsoid or cylindrical, guttulate, and occasionally, one septate. Conidial dimensions were 6.1 to 9.6 × 2.2 to 3.2 µm (average 6.2 × 2.8 µm). The addition of a drop of concentrated NaOH to the cultures gave a blue-green pigmentation to the agar changing to brown-red. On the basis of cultural characteristics and fungal morphology, the isolates were identified as Phoma exigua Desmaz. This identification was confirmed by sequencing the complete internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2, including the 5.8S ribosomal DNA of isolate Pho 6 (GenBank Accession No. AY899262). This sequence was identical to sequences in GenBank from well-characterized strains of P. exigua (1). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 9-month-old oleander plants (cv. Splendens Gigantium) using three isolates of P. exigua from different locations. Two methods of inoculation were used. Leaves were spray inoculated with an aqueous suspension (1.5 × 105 conidia per ml) of conidia harvested from 15-day-old cultures grown on PCA, or a 5-mm-diameter agar disc, cut from the margin of an 8-day-old culture growing on PCA, was inserted mycelium side down in a stem wound made with a sterile scalpel and sealed with Parafilm. Controls were inoculated with sterile distilled water or sterile PCA discs. There were five replicates for each isolate and inoculation method with an equal number of uninoculated plants. After inoculation, all plants were covered separately with plastic bags for 48 h to maintain high humidity. Plants were maintained in a greenhouse at 20 to 30°C. Within 5 to 15 days after inoculation, symptoms developed that were similar to those observed in the nurseries. The fungus was reisolated from the stems and leaves of all inoculated plants, completing Koch's postulates. On the basis of ITS sequence data and the host from which they were isolated, our isolates were identified as P. exigua var. heteromorpha (Sch. et Sacc.) Noordeloos et Boerema (2,3). This disease has been previously reported to cause severe damage to oleander in France, California, Italy, and the Netherlands. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. exigua var. heteromorpha on oleander in Spain. References: (1) E. C. A. Abeln et al. Mycol. Res. 106:419, 2002. (2) M. E. Noordeloos and G. H. Boerema. Versl. Meded. Plziektenk. Dienst. Wageningen 166:108, 1988. (3) H. A. van der AA et al. Persoonia 17:435, 2000.

Total nutritional therapy: a nutrition education program for physicians.

OBJECTIVE: Almost half of all hospitalized patients are malnourished with low physician awareness or implementation of nutrition support. To address this problem, a 2-day immersion course in clinical nutrition for physicians was developed by the Latin American Federation of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (FELANPE) with support from Abbott Laboratories. The goal of Total Nutritional Therapy (TNT) is to help physicians utilize this nutrition knowledge to increase their awareness of malnutrition and implementation of nutritional therapy. Since 1997, over 8,000 physicians have completed the TNT course in 16 Latin American countries. RESEARCH METHODS & PROCEDURES: During 1999 and 2000, 675 participants responded to a survey 6 months after having completed the TNT course to determine what impact the course had on the use of nutrition assessment, nutrition support teams, or nutrition consultations in their clinical practice, and if they had participated in any nutrition association or conferences. RESULTS: The majority of physicians who completed the survey increased their use of nutrition assessment and time dedicated to nutrition therapy, and increased the number of their patients placed on nutrition therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The TNT course has been shown to be an efficient model of clinical nutrition education for general physicians. The course should be considered as part of the training of medical residents.

[Transcultural adaptation of the Liver Disease Quality of Life instrument (LDQOL 1.0) for its use in the Spanish population]. / Adaptación transcultural del cuestionario específico de calidad de vida para hepatopatías crónicas (LDQOL 1.0) para su uso en la población española.

Instruments of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) help us to interpret the results of treatments and health interventions. In Spain there is no HRQOL instrument specifically designed for use in patients with liver disease or to measure the effect of interventions such as liver transplantation. The Liver Disease Quality of Life (LDQOL 1.0) questionnaire is an American instrument developed for use in these patients. The aim of this study was to produce an appropriate version of this questionnaire for use in Spain. Cultural adaptation was performed in 3 phases: a) modification for use in Spain of a Hispanic version of this questionnaire supplied by the original authors; b) back-translation to English of a new version of the questionnaire and comparison with the original version in English, and c) a pilot test in a small sample of patients. In the first phase consisting of revision of the Hispanic version, the changes were mainly linguistic due to cultural and idiomatic differences. The validated Spanish version of the SF-36 was directly incorporated and items that could be of interest to local investigators were added. Few changes were made in the second phase of the process: changes involved an item on the appearance of feces and another item on taking naps. In the final phase, various changes suggested by the patients were introduced. Before applying the new version of the LDQOL 1.0 in clinical studies in Spain, its psychometric properties (its reliability, validity and sensitivity to change) must be verified in a subsequent validation study.

A new meatless diet for adult screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Screwworm flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were fed on honey and spray dried egg product; honey, molasses, and spray dried egg product; honey and spray dried meat protein; as well as on a control diet of honey and horsemeat, which is the standard diet used for screwworm adult colony in the mass-rearing facility. In general, the weight of eggs laid by females fed on the diet of spray dried egg product was significantly higher than that laid by females fed on the standard horsemeat diet. Egg production declined when spray dried meat protein replaced the egg product. Partial replacement of honey with molasses in the egg diet did not decrease egg production, compared with the control diet. The use of spray dried egg diet has advantages over the horsemeat diet, such as storage, handling, preparation, feeding, and expense. A cost analysis suggests that replacing the horsemeat with spray dried egg product, and half of the honey with molasses, would reduce the cost of the diet by more than US $100,000 annually.