Brown Center Research Articles

Reprint Retrospective: Selling Radio: The Commercialization of American Broadcasting, 1920–1934

This is a reprint of excerpts from Susan Smulyan's 1994 book Selling Radio: The Commercialization of American Broadcasting, 1920–1934 . The selections are accompanied by a recorded conversation about the book between Susan Smulyan, Professor of American Studies and Director of the John Nicholas Brown Center at Brown University, and Kathleen Franz, Chair and Curator of the Division of Work and Industry at the National Museum of American History. The reprint and conversation's goal is to encourage historical reflection on advertising's roles as technology and media change. As Smulyan notes about radio's emergence in the 1920s and 1930s, there were concerns about financing the exciting, cutting-edge medium at the time. The commercialization of radio mainly won out, but not without significant debates among a variety of interest groups. Today, there are concerns about the degree to which digital technologies and spaces, especially the Internet, should be commercialized. The dominant media may have radically changed since the 1920s and 1930s, but today's concerns about the shifting roles of advertising and the commercial values that underlie them are not necessarily new.

The new first-line defense: the potential of nasopharyngeal colonization in vaccine strategies

The new first-line defense: the potential of nasopharyngeal colonization in vaccine strategies Win-Yan Chan, Jonathan M Cohen, Jeremy S Brown Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK Abstract: Pathogens that can colonize the upper respiratory tract include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. While these pathogens commonly asymptomatically colonize the nasopharynx of healthy adults, disease progression may occur in some individuals. In addition to these respiratory pathogens, there are a large number of commensal species also found in the upper respiratory tract which only very rarely cause disease, creating a complex community of bacterial species in the nasopharynx. This review addresses the novel, potential strategies that utilize the interactions between both homologous and heterologous species in the nasopharynx to vaccinate individuals against pathogenic bacteria. These strategies include the mechanisms employed by colonizing bacteria to regulate the presence of other species in the nasopharynx and the effect that colonization of the nasopharynx has on the host immune response. Interventional strategies investigated so far include the introduction of nonpathogenic bacteria to the nasopharynx to immunize against a closely related species, controlled colonization using both wild-type and attenuated species, and the use of other nonpathogenic colonizers to express antigens from potential pathogens. All these approaches harness the ability of the colonization to induce a mucosal immune response that can protect against future infection. In this review, S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis colonization are used as case studies for this approach as the immunological effects of colonization have been widely studied in animal and human models. Colonization-based strategies have great potential, and, in particular, the attenuated strain approach has produced some encouraging data in animal models. However, the strategy for attenuating virulence must be stringent and caused by highly stable mutations that are unlikely to revert. In addition, the consequences of artificial administration of genetically modified bacteria to the nasopharynx on the usual host microbiome are unknown and would need to be monitored carefully. Keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae, colonization, adaptive immunity, antibody, protein antigen, capsular antigen, Neisseria sp.

Ocurrencia y propiedades de Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli y xanthomonas pestolíticas, epifíticas en malezas

Populations of Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli and other Xanthomonas occur in natural form la non symptomatic weeds. Sevently seven samples of twenty one weed species from fields Infested with common blight "Tizón común" In San Juan, Higuey, Constanza of the Dominkan Republic were evaluated. The isolationswere obtained by adding 10 ml of the buffer (12.5 mM K2PO4 + 10 mM Mg SO4, ph < 7.1). The pathogenicity tests were performed on the Dark Red Kidney bean, by inoculating plants, trifoliates and seed pods. To confirm the starch hydrolisis reaction with methyl violet and methyl green, an evaluation of the production of brown dye and thin layer chromatography for the Xanthomonadin pigment was made. Of the observed results, fourteen samples and eight species of weeds of X. campestris pv. phaseoli and 23 species of weeds of atypical Xanthomonas were found. The pathogenic isolations from leaf innoculum at two weeks the yellow zone had expanded and covered a wide area around the necrotic brown center. The bean seed pods inoculated with pathogenic isolates showed typical symptoms around ten days. All the pathogenic isolates on the leaves became pathogenic on the seed pods. None of the isolates of collected weeds after harvest. In the "Constanza" area showed any symptoms on the bean leaves. The weed samples collected from the common blight Infested fields had more pathogenic of isolates X. campestris pv. phaseolithan the samples taken from the outside ends of the fields or after harvest. We found eight weed species all belonging to six botanic families which might act as sympto-matic hosts suggests that other species could contain epiphitic X. campestris pv. phaseoli.

A Pink Color Large Gerbera Cultivar ‘Pink Party’ with Semi-double Type and Brown Center for Cut Flower

A Pink Color Large Gerbera Cultivar ‘Pink Party’ with Semi-double Type and Brown Center for Cut Flower

Poor actigraphic and self-reported sleep patterns predict delinquency and daytime impairment among at-risk adolescents

ObjectiveTo evaluate associations between actigraphic sleep patterns, subjective sleep quality, and daytime functioning (ie, sleepiness, symptoms of depression, and delinquency and other conduct problems) in at-risk adolescents. DesignProspective, observational cohort study. SettingProvidence, RI, predominantly home and school and 2 visits to the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk. ParticipantsA diverse group of low-income 13-year-olds (n = 49) with and without prenatal drug exposure. InterventionsNone. MeasurementsActigraphy, sleep diaries, and sleep and health questionnaires. ResultsAbove and beyond the effects of prenatal drug exposure and postnatal adversity, actigraphic daytime sleep was a significant predictor of daytime sleepiness and delinquency. Subjective sleep quality was a significant predictor of daytime sleepiness, delinquency, and depressive symptoms. Later bed times predicted increased delinquency. ConclusionsThere was a unique effect of actigraphic daytime sleep duration, subjective nighttime sleep quality, and bedtime on daytime functioning (ie, sleepiness, symptoms of depression, and delinquency and other conduct problems) of at-risk adolescents. In these vulnerable youth, these problematic sleep patterns may contribute to feeling and behaving poorly. Intervention studies with at-risk teens should be conducted to further explore the role of these sleep parameters on daytime functioning.

First Report of Neofusicoccum parvum Causing Panicle Blight and Leaf Spot on Vitis heyneana in China.

The climbing vine, Vitis heyneana Roem. & Schult, is a member of the grape family endemic to Asia. Its fruits are used in wine production, and its roots, stems, and leaves can be used in medicinal materials. This plant is grown in Southwest China, as well as in India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Mulao Autonomous County in Guangxi Province is the only artificial cultivation area in China. During the summer of 2013, a panicle blight and leaf spot were detected on V. heyneana on four farms in Mulao Autonomous County. The symptoms were observed from the onset of florescence through fruit harvest. Brown lesions initially appeared at the base of a panicle and then extended to the whole panicle, finally causing the panicle to die and fruit to drop. When the disease developed on leaves, the symptom initially appeared as small dark brown circular spots, later enlarging into irregular spots (average diameter 6 mm) with a light brown center and dark brown rim. With severe disease, some individual leaves were affected by numerous spots, leading to premature senescence. Small sections of diseased tissue excised from 10 panicle and 10 leaf samples were plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 28°C. Fungal colonies developed, initially with abundant white aerial mycelium, which turned olivaceous gray after 5 days and formed black pycnidia after 25 days. The conidia were hyaline, ellipsoidal to fusiform, externally smooth, thin-walled, and nonseptate. Thirty conidia were measured; the dimensions were 12.0 to 17.5 × 4.0 to 6.0 μm. Morphological characteristics of the isolates were similar to the descriptions of Neofusicoccum parvum (3). The isolate MPT-1 was selected as a representative for molecular identification. Genomic DNA was extracted and used for PCR to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α) gene, using primers ITS1/ITS4 and EF1-728F/EF1-986R, respectively. The obtained ITS sequence (GenBank Accession No. KJ599627) and EF1-α sequence (KM921768) showed >99% homology with several GenBank sequences of N. parvum. Morphological and molecular results confirmed the isolate as N. parvum. For pathogenicity tests, detached, young healthy panicles and leaves of V. heyneana were surface-sterilized, wounded by sterile needle, and inoculated with mycelial plugs (3 mm in diameter) of four N. parvum isolates. Ten panicles and 10 leaves were used for every isolate. Control panicles and leaves were treated with sterile PDA plugs. All the samples were placed in a humid chamber (RH 90%, 28°C, 12 h of light) for 3 days. Symptoms similar to those observed in the field developed on all panicles and leaves inoculated with N. parvum isolates. N. parvum was reisolated from all inoculated, symptomatic tissues. The controls remained symptomless. N. parvum has been reported to cause trunk canker on V. vinifera (2), dieback on Cupressus funebris (3), and a leaf spot on Myristica fragrans (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. parvum causing panicle blight and leaf spot on V. heyneana in China. Panicle blight caused a large number of fruits to drop and reduced the yield seriously. Some effective measures should be taken to control this disease.

A New Yellow Large Gerbera ‘Dragon Star’ with Brown Center and High Yielding for Cut Flower

A New Yellow Large Gerbera ‘Dragon Star’ with Brown Center and High Yielding for Cut Flower

Drip as Alternative Irrigation Method for Potato in Florida Sandy Soils

Seepage irrigation is the most common irrigation system for potato production in Florida, which relies on control of the water table to irrigate the crop. A 2-year trial was established to evaluate the feasibility of drip irrigation as an alternative to seepage for potato production. The performance of ‘Atlantic’, ‘Fabula’, and ‘Red LaSoda’ varieties were evaluated by comparing two drip tape installation depths, surface (SUR) and subsurface (SUB) with seepage (SEP). The overall potato total yield was 25.3; 19.2 and 29.9 Mg ha−1 for SUR, SUB and SEP, respectively. The SUR and SEP treatments yielded similarly for ‘Fabula’ in both years and ‘Atlantic’ in 2011. The ‘Red LaSoda’ consistently obtained lower yields under both drip treatments compared to SEP. Conversely, drip irrigation promoted significant reduction of the incidence of tuber physiological disorders such as brown center, hollow heart, and internal heat necrosis.

대륜계통의 고온적응성 분홍색 반겹꽃 거베라 신품종 'Harmony'

국립원예특작과학원에서는 2010년 거베라 신품종 'Harmony'를 육성하였다. 'Harmony'는 2007년 분홍색 반겹꽃 'Pavilov'와 자주색 반겹꽃 'Marathon'을 교배하여 얻은 실생계통으로부터 2007년부터 2010년까지 4년 동안의 생육특성검정을 거쳐 선발된 절화용 품종이다. 꽃은 암갈심의 밝은 분홍색(RHS R49B)으로, 평균 직경이 11.8cm인 반겹꽃 대륜계통이다. 화경장이 59.2cm로 매우 길며, 꽃목 직경은 3.9mm 굵다. 절화수명은 12.0일로 대조품종에 비해 3일 이상 길며, 연간 채화량도 57.0본/주로 대조품종보다 10.5본/주 더 많은 다수성 품종이다. A new gerbera cultivar 'Harmony' was bred by the National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science in 2010. 'Pavilov' with pink and 'Marathon' with purple, which have semi-double flower, were crossed in 2007. After investigation of the characteristics for four years (from 2007 to 2010), it was selected specially for the use as a cut flower. The 'Harmony' had brilliant pink color (RHS R49B) with dark brown center. The flower was semi-doubled with 11.8 cm in diameter. It had a long and thick peduncle with length and upper width 59.2 cm and 3.9 mm, respectively. The vase life of 'Harmony' was 12.0 days, which was 3 days longer than the control cultivar. And its average yield was 57.0 stems per plant, which were 10.5 stems more than the control.

단단한 화경의 핑크색 절화용 거베라 신품종 '파티타임' 육성

경남농업기술원 화훼연구소에서 2000년부터 교배조합 육성을 위하여 국내 재배농가로부터 유전자원을 수집한 후, 2003년 3월에 자주색 대륜계 'Hope'를 모본, 핑크색 대륜계의 'Sunnyeo'을 부본으로 인공교배를 실시하여 계통 육성 후, 2004년부터 2007년까지 특성검정을 실시한 결과 화색, 화형, 수확량 등 품질과 수량이 우수하다고 판단되어 2007년 농작물 직무육성 신품종선정위원회의 심의를 거쳐 'Party Time'으로 명명 품종등록(품종보호 제2691호) 하였다. 'Party Time'은 선명한 핑크색(RHS 65-C)과 갈색 화심(RHS 166-A)과의 조화가 선명한 반겹꽃의 대륜화이다. 또한 화형이 안정되고 화경이 강건하며 본당 수량은 연간 3회 검정 결과 평균 47.3개이며, 평균 절화수명은 12.7일이다. A new pink gerbera (Gerbera hybrida Hort.) cultivar 'Party Time' was developed from a cross between 'Hope' and 'Sunnyeo', followed by seedling and line selections at the Flower Research Institute of Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services (GARES) in 2007. Detailed characteristics of the new cultivar were evaluated from 2005 to 2007. 'Party Time' has semi-double type large flowers in a good harmony with pink (RHS, 65-C) ray floret and brown center. It has a good, stable flower shape and strong peduncles, and its vase life was 12.7 days. The average flower yield of 'Party Time' was about 47.3 stems per plant a year in greenhouse yield trails carried out 2005 to 2007. 'Party Time' (Grant No. 2691) was registered to the Korea Seed and Variety Service (KSVS) for commercialization in 2009.

Use of narrow-band imaging in detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

To compare narrow-band images of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with those of normal adenoidal tissue. Patients with a nasopharyngeal mass were evaluated using both conventional white light and narrow-band light. Biopsies were performed and Epstein-Barr viral serology was tested for all patients. Thirty consecutive patients were recruited. Twenty-one patients had normal adenoidal tissue and seven had nasopharyngeal carcinoma. One patient with papillary adenocarcinoma was excluded. The features of narrow-band imaging in normal adenoidal tissue were: (1) a regularly arranged follicular pattern, and (2) each 'follicle' comprising a pale centre with surrounding dark periphery. The features of narrow-band imaging in nasopharyngeal carcinoma were: (1) absence of surface patterns (n = 7), and/or (2) 'reverse', haphazard follicular pattern comprising a dark brown centre and pale periphery (n = 3). Narrow-band imaging of the surface of adenoidal tissue and nasopharyngeal carcinoma appears to identify distinct, characteristic features as described. Narrow-band imaging may be a useful adjunct in differentiating normal adenoidal tissue from malignancy. Further studies are needed to evaluate its diagnostic accuracy.

First Report of Leaf Spot on Tibouchina semidecandra Caused by Beltrania rhombica in China.

Tibouchina semidecandra Cogn. is a popular ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas (1). In August 2011, a leaf spot was observed on approximately 70% of 5,000 potted plants of T. semidecandra in a nursery in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China. Each leaf spot was round with a brown center surrounded by a reddish brown border, and ranged from 8 to 10 mm in diameter. A fungus was isolated consistently from the lesions by surface-sterilizing symptomatic leaf sections (each 3 cm2) with 75% alcohol for 8 s, washing the sections with sterile water, soaking the sections in 3% NaOCl for 15 s, rinsing the sections with sterile water three times, and then placing the sections on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28°C. Each of three single-spore isolates on PDA produced gray, floccose colonies that reached 70 mm in diameter after 5 days at 28°C. Setae were dark brown, straight, erect, distantly and inconspicuously septate, and 125 to 193 × 3.0 to 4.5 μm. Conidiophores were light brown, cylindrical, simple or sometimes branched at the base, and 105 to 202 × 3 to 5 μm. Separating cells were hyaline, oval, and 12 to 13 × 4 to 5 μm. Conidia were unequally biconic, unicellular, dark brown with a pale brown or subhyaline band just above the widest part, and 26 to 31 × 8.5 to 12 μm (mean 27.3 × 10.6 μm) with a conspicuous appendage at the apex that was 6 to 14 × 1 to 1.8 μm. These characteristics were consistent with the description of Beltrania rhombica Penz. (3). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of one isolate (GenBank Accession No. JN853777) was amplified using primers ITS4 and ITS5 (4) and sequenced. A BLAST search in GenBank revealed 97% similarity to the ITS sequence of an isolate of B. rhombica (GU797390.1). To confirm pathogenicity of the isolate, ten detached leaves from 3-month-old plants of T. semidecandra 'Purple Glorybush' were inoculated in vitro with 5-mm diameter, colonized mycelial plugs from the periphery of 5-day-old cultures of the isolated fungus. The agar plugs were put on the leaf surface and secured with sterile, moist cotton. Sterile PDA plugs were similarly used as the control treatment on ten detached leaves. Leaves were placed in petri dishes and incubated in a growth chamber with 12 h of light/day at 28°C. Necrotic lesions appeared on leaves after 2 to 3 days of incubation, whereas control leaves inoculated with sterile PDA plugs remained asymptomatic. B. rhombica was consistently reisolated from the lesions using the same method described above, but was not reisolated from the control leaves. Although there are approximately 77 reported hosts of B. rhombica (2), to our knowledge, this is the first report of B. rhombica causing a leaf spot on T. semidecandra. Because the disease caused foliar damage and reduced the ornamental value of the nursery plants, control measures may need to be implemented for this species in nurseries.

First Report of Blight Disease on Buxus Caused by Cylindrocladium buxicola in France.

Cylindrocladium buxicola Henricot causes twig blight on Buxus spp., severe defoliation, and eventually death of plants, especially in young seedlings (1). The disease was first observed in the United Kingdom and New Zealand in the 1990s and recently, the fungus was detected in other European countries (1). In November 2006, box blight symptoms were observed in a Buxus sempervirens nursery located in the South West of France (La Reole). Since then, more diseased samples from other French sites, including forestry areas and ornamental garden nurseries, have been received, indicating that this disease is spreading. Symptomatic twig samples were sent for lab analysis and dark brown spots were observed on the leaves, sometimes coalescing to cover the entire leaf surface, with black streaks on the stems. Fungal fruiting structures were observed directly on the leaf surface and were examined with a stereomicroscope. Microscopic slides were then prepared by gently pressing a clear adhesive tape onto the surface covered by mycelium and spores, which was further stained with lactic acid and methyl blue. Cylindrical, straight, biseptate, hyaline conidia, 53.8 to 75.3 (64.4) × 4.4 to 5.2 (4.6) μm, were observed, sterile hyphae with terminal vesicles ended with a pointed apex, and conidiophores were penicilliate; all of those characters were consistent with C. buxicola (2). To support the diagnosis, fruiting structures were plated on malt agar media supplemented with 100 ppm of chloramphenicol. The pure culture obtained showed a whitish mycelium with a tan brown center that was in line with the original description of C. buxicola (2). DNA was extracted from the pure culture and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified by PCR using the ITS1-ITS4 primer pair (4). Nucleotide sequence was determined and deposited on GenBank (Accession No. JQ743502). BLAST analysis of the sequence showed 100% identity with all currently available C. buxicola ITS sequences, which confirmed our morphological diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. buxicola (teleomorph Calonectria pseudonaviculata) in France. The occurrence of this disease in France worries the nursery industry since losses can sometimes be dramatic as seen in United Kingdom, where the disease is widespread (3).

Potato Physiological Disorders - Brown Center and Hollow Heart

Brown center and hollow heart are internal noninfectious physiological disorders of the potato tuber. Brown center is characterized by a region of cell death in the pith of the tuber that results in brown tissue. Hollow heart is characterized by a star- or lens-shaped hollow in the center of the tuber. This revised 2-page fact sheet was written by L. Zotarelli, C. Hutchinson, S. Byrd, D. Gergela, and D. L. Rowland, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, May 2012. HS945/HS197: Potato Physiological Disorders—Brown Center and Hollow Heart (ufl.edu)

First Report of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni in Ornamental Prunus laurocerasus in the Netherlands.

In 2008, Dutch ornamental plant growers observed a leaf spot of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) at a greater incidence (5 to 50%) than the usual sporadic level (<1%). For advice on disease control, ~5 to 10% of these growers contacted Dutch regulatory officials. In November and December 2008, six symptomatic samples from northern and southern parts of the Netherlands were submitted for diagnosis. Leaf spots were chlorotic, most had a necrotic brown center with a distinct margin, and the spots readily abscised, resulting in a "shot-hole" appearance. Leaf spots from the samples were surface sterilized (2 s in 70% vol/vol alcohol), blotted dry on tissue paper, chopped into pieces (1 to 2 mm in diameter), and incubated for 30 min in 10 mM phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (1). A 20-μl aliquot of extract per sample was streaked by dilution plating on four plates of yeast peptone glucose agar medium (1), and the plates were incubated for 2 to 3 days at 28°C. Isolations from all six samples yielded Xanthomonas-like colonies. After purification, characterization of all six isolates revealed oxidative, nonfermentative metabolism of glucose by rod-shaped, gram-negative bacterial cells. All six isolates were identified as Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni based on biochemical tests (1), fatty acid analysis (4), and immunofluorescence (IF) using polyclonal antibodies (Plant Research International, the Netherlands). Pathogenicity was tested on potted peach plants (cvs. Peregrine and Vaes Oogst) and on detached leaves of P. laurocerasus (cv. Novita) (1). The six field isolates from 2008 were each inoculated (108 CFU/ml) onto four leaves per plant of each of two peach plants (replicates). As positive control treatments, two reference strains (ATCC 19312 and PD740) were each inoculated onto the same number of leaves and plants, and as a noninoculated negative control treatment, leaves of two peach plants were treated with sterile 10 mM PBS buffer (1). All leaves inoculated with the six field isolates and the two reference strains developed typical bacterial spot symptoms in 3 to 4 weeks. Negative control plants showed no symptoms. The detached leaf assay performed with the same treatments on each of two leaves (replicates) showed identical results. The bacterium was reisolated from leaf spots associated with each of the eight symptomatic treatments and identity of the reisolates was confirmed by IF. Additionally, genotypic variation of 35 Dutch isolates of X. arboricola pv. pruni was assessed by BOX-PCR assay with the BOX A1R primer set (3), and Gyrase B gene sequencing (2). Both methods revealed 100% homology among the 35 isolates, suggesting a single, recent introduction of X. arboricola pv. pruni into the Netherlands. In a 2009 survey to assess distribution of the disease in the Netherlands, X. arboricola pv. pruni was found in 41 fields. Infected hosts included P. laurocerasus cvs. Otto Luyken, Rotundifolia, Novita, Etna, Anbri, Herbergii, Mischeana, and Caucasia. X. arboricola pv. pruni is a quarantine organism in countries affiliated under the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization). Phytosanitary measures were taken to prevent movement of infested plants from nurseries where X. arboricola pv. pruni was detected.

&lt;I&gt;Aspergillus&lt;/I&gt; &lt;I&gt;sydowii&lt;/I&gt; による爪真菌症の1例

Onychomyosis caused by Aspergillus sydowii is rare and difficult to diagnose. We report a case in which this disease was diagnosed by molecular-biological methods. The patient was a 53-year-old woman without any notable past history. She visited our hospital complaining of itching around the right first toenail in June 2010, although she had noticed nail opacification for 4 years. Opaque thickening of the nail, covering 57.3% of the normal nail area, was observed. Direct microscopic examination revealed thick mycelia with septa and black spores. While colonies with a red brown center and a grayish blue-green margin were observed in culture on Sabouraud ' s glucose agar at 25℃, radially arranged conidia in the conidial head were observed in slide culture. Thus, onychomycosis caused by Aspergillus was suspected. There were no blood or biochemical test abnormalities. We directly extracted deoxyribonucleic acid from the nail and analyzed the base sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 regions of the ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene, and identified Aspergillus sydowii. Because the minimal inhibitory concentration of itraconazole (ITCZ) is 0.25 μg/ml, we administered pulse therapy with monthly 1-week cycles of oral ITCZ 400 mg / day for 3 consecutive months. The opaque area subsided to 17. 9% of the normal nail by 6 months after treatment completion. However, 3 months later, the opaque area increased again to 22. 3%, and the same fungus was isolated and identified. The 3-month ITCZ pulse therapy was repeated and the symptoms disappeared, with complete cure achieved by 3 months after the second therapy.

Resilience Challenged: Thoughts on Children's Mental Health in the Gulf Coast 5 Years After Katrina

Geographic circumstances: Soon after Hurricane Katrina, I tended to the mental health needs of children and families and to the need for developing programs to take care of the most affected populations; I revisited the Gulf Coast area of impact about twice per month for days at a time for ∼3 years. About the author: I am a fellow at the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and adjunct faculty at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, and I privately practice psychology in New York City. A few days after Katrina's landfall I participated in a needs assessment with the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. While at the George R. Brown center in Houston, Texas, I interacted with many evacuees and helped them connect with relatives and offered them psychological first aid and support. This shelter was housing literally tens of thousands of people, which allowed us to both help many people and obtain information that later helped to shape our programs. My life and that of my colleagues at Columbia's National Center for Disaster Preparedness and the Children's Health Fund changed dramatically as it became our mission to develop permanent medical and mental health programs and training that would provide assistance not only immediately but also in the long-term aftermath of this horrible disaster. Although my home remained in New York City, I spent a great deal of time in Louisiana and Mississippi over the next 3½ years. I feel honored to … Address correspondence to Paula A. Madrid, PsyD, Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, 22 Putnam Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139. E-mail: questions{at}paulamadrid.com

Hypoxia Preconditioned Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Vascular and Skeletal Muscle Fiber Regeneration After Ischemia Through a Wnt4-dependent Pathway

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent postnatal stem cells, involved in the treatment of ischemic vascular diseases. We investigate the ability of MSC, exposed to short-term hypoxic conditions, to participate in vascular and tissue regeneration in an in vivo model of hindlimb ischemia. Transplantation of hypoxic preconditioned murine MSC (HypMSC) enhanced skeletal muscle regeneration at day 7, improved blood flow and vascular formation compared to injected nonpreconditioned MSC (NormMSC). These observed effects were correlated with an increase in HypMSC engraftment and a putative role in necrotic skeletal muscle fiber clearance. Moreover, HypMSC transplantation resulted in a large increase in Wnt4 (wingless-related MMTV integration site 4) expression and we demonstrate its functional significance on MSC proliferation and migration, endothelial cell (EC) migration, as well as myoblast differentiation. Furthermore, suppression of Wnt4 expression in HypMSC, abrogated the hypoxia-induced vascular regenerative properties of these cells in the mouse hindlimb ischemia model. Our data suggest that hypoxic preconditioning plays a critical role in the functional capabilities of MSC, shifting MSC location in situ to enhance ischemic tissue recovery, facilitating vascular cell mobilization, and skeletal muscle fiber regeneration via a paracrine Wnt-dependent mechanism.

Halo Nevus of the Choroid in 150 Patients

To evaluate choroidal halo nevus. We performed a retrospective medical record review on all patients with a clinical diagnosis of choroidal halo nevus treated at the Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Institute from April 1, 1974, through June 30, 2008. Their clinical characteristics and natural history were studied. The choroidal halo nevus showed 2 components, including a distinct central pigmented region surrounded by a yellow halo. Of the 150 patients, 107 (71.3%) were women and 43 (28.7%) were men; and 149 (99.3%) were white, with a median age at presentation of 54 years. Autoimmune disorders were found in 4 patients (2.7%), a rate similar to the prevalence in the US population (2.7% vs 3.1%, P = .74). Preexistent cutaneous melanoma was found in 5 patients (3.3%), which was significantly more prevalent than the rate for the US population (3.3% vs 0.3%, P < .001). The halo was peripheral in 139 patients (92.7%) and slightly internal in 11 (7.3%). Two patients (1.3%) had multifocal halo nevi. The nevus location was superior in 31 patients (20.7%), temporal in 43 (28.7%), inferior in 29 (19.3%), nasal in 27 (18.0%), and macular in 20 (13.3%). Related features included drusen in 85 patients (56.7%), subretinal fluid in 21 (14.0%), orange pigment in 13 (8.7%), and retinal pigment epithelial atrophy in 15 (10.0%). There were no intraocular inflammatory findings. Of the 110 patients with nevi with follow-up, growth into melanoma occurred in 4 patients (3.6%) at a median interval of 41 months. Halo nevus is a variant of choroidal nevus that has a brown center and yellow halo. No relationship was found with autoimmune disorders, but a relationship with previous cutaneous melanoma is possible.

William L. Brown Center's Global Discovery Program: Markets, Healers, Vendors, Collectors and Modern Applications – Medicinal Plant Use in Northern Peru

William L. Brown Center's Global Discovery Program: Markets, Healers, Vendors, Collectors and Modern Applications – Medicinal Plant Use in Northern Peru