Differences In Symptom Expression Research Articles

Characterisation of turnip mosaic virus isolates reveals high genetic variability and occurrence of pathotype 1 in Brazil

Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) infects many plant species, being the only potyvirus able to infect brassicas. TuMV isolates have been classified into 12 pathotypes according to symptoms induced in lines of Brassica napus, and molecularly clustered into six lineages (basal-B, basal-BR, Asian-BR, world-B, Iranian and OMs). Despite being considered one of the most important viruses infecting brassicas worldwide, there is little information on this virus in the Neotropical region. Aiming to fill in this gap and advance knowledge on occurrence, genetic variability, and biological aspects of TuMV in Brazil, 40 isolates were identified and characterised. Five of these isolates were selected to determine their host range, sequence their genomes, and for phylogenetic, recombination and diversity analyses. Mechanical inoculations performed on plant species from 10 families showed differences in symptom expression among isolates. Inoculations of 13 TuMV isolates in B. napus lines revealed occurrence only of the pathotype 1. According to phylogenetic analyses of the coat protein, TuMV Brazilian isolates clustered into the groups: world-B (subgroups world-B2 and world-B3) and basal-BR. In the latter, there was a formation of a subclade named Brazilian subgroup composed by 31 Brazilian TuMV isolates. Intralineage and interlineage recombination events of world-B, basal-B and basal-BR suggest that Brazilian TuMV isolates had a European origin. Our diversity analysis suggest that a strong negative selection is acting on polyprotein coding region. We confirmed that Brazilian TuMV isolates showed high variability, which together with their ability to infect wild brassicas and to circumvent resistance genes highlight their genetic and epidemiological potential in causing damages in cultivated species of brassicas and other crops in Brazil.

Depression in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms commonly occur after trauma-exposure, both alone and in combination with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This article reviews recent research on comorbidity between these disorders, including its implications for symptom severity and response to treatment. Despite considerable symptom overlap, the two disorders represent distinct constructs and depend, at least in part, on separate biological mechanisms. Both, however, are also clearly related to stress psychopathology. We recommend that more research focus specifically on the study of individual differences in symptom expression in order to identify distinct subgroups of individuals and develop targeted treatments. However, a barrier to this line of inquiry is the trend of excluding particular patients from clinical trials of new interventions based on symptom severity or comorbidity. Another obstacle is the overreliance on self-report measures in human research. We argue that developing computer-based behavioral measures in order to supplement self-report can help address this challenge. Furthermore, we propose that these measures can help tie findings from human and non-human animal research. A number of paradigms have been used to model MDD-and PTSD-like behavior in animals. These models remain valuable for understanding the biological basis of these disorders in humans and for identifying potential interventions, but they have been underused for the study of comorbidity. Although the interpretation of animal behavior remains a concern, we propose that this can also be overcome through the development of close human analogs to animal paradigms.

M98. IS THERE A DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMAGENIC PHENOTYPE OF PSYCHOSIS?

BackgroundDevelopmental trauma (DT) induces vulnerability to psychosis in adulthood. Adult survivors of DT with psychosis (ASDTP) have worse prognosis across a range of outcomes compared to individuals with psychosis without DT exposure. It has been suggested that this may reflect a developmental ‘traumatogenic’ psychosis phenotype, distinct from idiopathic schizophrenia. Given the implications for precision medicine, we therefore sought to test this hypothesis by conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the literature comparing psychotic symptoms and neuroimaging findings between adults with psychosis diagnoses with and without developmental trauma.MethodsWe registered our search protocols in PROSPERO (CRD42018105021 and CRD42019131245). We systematically searched literature databases for relevant studies published up to July 2019. “Embase”, “MEDLINE”, and “PsychINFO” were systematically searched. Reference lists, OpenGrey, and Google scholar were hand-searched. Phenomenological outcomes of interests were quantitative and/or qualitative differences in psychotic symptom expression (primary outcome) and other domains of psychopathology (secondary outcome) between ASDTP and people with psychosis who did not report developmental trauma. Neuroimaging outcomes of interest including markers of brain volume and function (e.g. task-induced blood-oxygen dependent signal).ResultsSeventeen studies of symptomatology were included. Of these, four were meta-analysed. There was a relationship between DT and greater positive (Hedges g=0.53; p<0.001) and negative (Hedges g =0.41; p=0.001) symptom severity. ASDTP had greater neurocognitive deficits and symptom severity in other domains of psychopathology compared to individuals without DT. There was evidence that psychotic symptom content related to traumatic memories in those with experiences of DT. We identified twenty-seven imaging studies (n = 1,438 psychosis patients, n = 1,114 healthy controls or healthy siblings). DT was associated with global and regional differences in grey matter; corticolimbic structural dysconnectivity; a potentiated threat detection system; dysfunction in regions associated with mentalization; and elevated striatal dopamine synthesis capacity. Meta-analysis indicated that developmental trauma is associated with reductions of cortical thickness, global grey matter volume, and hippocampal volumes in patients with psychosis.DiscussionAdult survivors of developmental trauma have more severe psychotic symptoms than those without developmental trauma histories. Alongside findings of differences in symptom expression and neuroimaging, the evidence suggests that there may be developmental traumatogenic psychosis phenotype. However, a key mechanistic gap remains how clinical and neuroimaging findings relate to each other. Nonetheless, alternative interpretations, such as an underdiagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, could also be plausible. These findings warrant further research to elucidate vulnerability and resilience mechanisms for psychosis in adult survivors of developmental trauma.

Emotion Dysregulation and Early Trauma in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Exploratory Study.

Background:Borderline personality disorder (BPD) research is in its nascent stage in India though studies have estimated its prevalence in psychiatric conditions. Trauma experiences and emotion regulation difficulties are well documented in BPD in the international literature. Thus, it is imperative to examine the role of trauma experiences and their relation to emotion dysregulation in BPD in the Indian context.Materials and Methods:This study used both self-report and semistructured interview data from 34 adults with BPD who presented for outpatient or inpatient psychiatric treatment and compared them with a gender-matched control group. The tools used were the International Personality Disorder Examination, Kessler-10, Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form, modified-Positive And Negative Affect Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS).Results:The BPD group reported higher negative affect, increased use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and a deficit of adaptive strategies, after depression scores were controlled for. General abuse, physical punishment, and emotional abuse were significantly higher in the BPD group. The high occurrence of childhood emotional abuse and negative affect in BPD patients emerged as a major correlate accounting for 68.4% of the variance in DERS scores.Conclusions:Although we obtained results similar to the western literature on BPD pathology, sociocultural factors such as family and economic conditions, cultural differences in symptom expression of BPD, and treatment forms used in India warrant further research.

Epidemiology of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus in cucurbit crops in a remote tropical environment

In the remote Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) in tropical northwest Australia, severe Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) epidemics threaten dry season (April-October) cucurbit crops. In 2016–2017, wet season (November-March) sampling studies found a low incidence ZYMV infection in wild Cucumis melo and Citrullus lanatus var. citroides plants, and both volunteer and garden crop cucurbits. Such infections enable its persistence in the wet season, and act as reservoirs for its spread to commercial cucurbit crops during the dry season. Tests on 1019 samples belonging to 55 species from 23 non-cucurbitaceous plant families failed to detect ZYMV. It was also absent from wild cucurbit weeds within sandalwood plantations. The transmission efficiencies of a local isolate by five aphid species found in the ORIA were: 10 % (Aphis craccivora), 7% (A. gossypii), 4% (A. nerii), and 0% (Rhopalosiphum maidis and Hysteroneura setariae). In 2016–2017, in all-year-round trapping at five representative sites, numbers of winged aphids caught were greatest in July-August (i.e. mid growing season) but varied widely between trap sites reflecting local aphid host abundance and year. Apart from one localised exception in 2017, flying aphid numbers caught and ZYMV spread in data collection blocks during 2015–2017 resembled what occurred commercial cucurbit crops. When ZYMV spread from external infection sources into melon blocks, its predominant spread pattern consisted of 1 or 2 plant infection foci often occurring at their margins. In addition, when plants of 29 cucurbit cultivars were inoculated with an ORIA isolate and two other ZYMV isolates and the phenotypes elicited were compared, they resembled each other in overall virulence. However, depending upon isolate-cultivar combination, differences in symptom expression and severity occurred, and one isolate caused a systemic hypersensitive phenotype in honeydew melon cvs Estilo and Whitehaven. When the new genomic RNA sequences of 19 Australian isolates were analysed, all seven ORIA isolates fitted within ZYMV phylogroup B, which also included two from southwest Australia, whereas the remaining 10 isolates were all within minor phylogroups A–I or A–II. Based on previous research and the additional knowledge of ZYMV epidemic drivers established here, an integrated disease management strategy targeting ZYMV spread was devised for the ORIA’s cucurbit industry.

Exploring symptom expressions according to different age groups in fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundFibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder which mostly affects women. This study investigates whether the prediction of self-report based fatigue, stress, everyday memory and impact (the most affected components of health status, i.e., physical impairment, feeling good, doing work, pain, anxiety, etc.) differ between younger patients and older patients with fibromyalgia.Participants and procedureThe current study included a community-based sample of 1,205 participants who had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Participants were categorized into four age groups (30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-90). Binary logistic regression was used to analyze whether there were differences between the youngest patients (30-39) and the older patients (40-49, 50-59 and 60-90) in the prediction of each variable (i.e., fatigue, impact, stress and memory deficits).ResultsWhen the youngest patients’ scores were compared with the older patients’ scores, there was at least one significant result for each dependent variable (i.e., fatigue, impact, perceived stress and everyday memory). The youngest patients reported more fatigue than the 50-59 age group and a greater impact than both the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups; furthermore, they exhibited lower everyday memory function than the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups. However, the youngest patients reported less perceived stress than the elderly patients (60-90).ConclusionsThe current findings suggest that the youngest patients generally report having more symptoms than older patients in terms of fibromyalgia. There have been a limited number of studies examining symptom expressions in different age groups. Further research should clarify the differences in expression of symptoms between age groups by investigating coping skills and illness perceptions in fibromyalgia.

5.4 Gender and Ethno-Racial Differences in Symptom Expression of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Among Child Trauma Victims

5.4 Gender and Ethno-Racial Differences in Symptom Expression of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Among Child Trauma Victims

Differences in symptom expression between Vietnamese and German patients utilizing a psychiatric outpatient service using the PHQ

ObjectiveDespite a large body of work on somatic symptom presentation among people of Asian descent, research has shown heterogeneous results. Examining symptom presentation in clinically and ethnically well-characterized populations constitutes a first step towards better understanding differing patterns symptom of presentation. This is the first larger study aiming to compare Vietnamese and German psychiatric outpatients regarding symptom presentation.Methods110 Vietnamese and 109 German patients seeking psychiatric treatment at two outpatient clinic services in Berlin were asked to complete the patient health questionnaire (PHQ). Comparisons of Vietnamese and German patients were conducted using independent t-tests. The somatic symptom module (PHQ-15), the depression module (PHQ-9) and the original PHQ-modules examining anxiety and psychosocial stress levels were compared for both groups using multivariate analysis. Categorical variables were evaluated using Chi2 analysis. Crohnbach's alpha was calculated separately for both groups and all PHQ modules.ResultsVietnamese patients endorsed significantly higher levels of somatic symptoms overall and on individual somatic items, such as pain-related disturbancies. Yet, German and Vietnamese patients did not differ in terms of depression severity. Vietnamese patients with fewer German language skills showed a significantly higher tendency for somatization. While German patients showed higher total scores on the anxiety- and stress-modules of the PHQ, this difference was not statistically significant. Vietnamese and German patients showed comparable Crohnbach's alpha for all subscales.ConclusionAs data was collected from both groups upon the first visit to an outpatient clinic, the symptoms reported could be reflective of culture related symptom awareness when feeling discomfort in the context of mental illness.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Differences in symptom expression between unipolar and bipolar spectrum depression: Results from a nationally representative sample using item response theory (IRT)

BackgroundThe inclusion of subsyndromal forms of bipolarity in the fifth edition of the DSM has major implications for the way in which we approach the diagnosis of individuals with depressive symptoms. The aim of the present study was to use methods based on item response theory (IRT) to examine whether, when equating for levels of depression severity, there are differences in the likelihood of reporting DSM-IV symptoms of major depressive episode (MDE) between subjects with and without a lifetime history of manic symptoms. MethodsWe conducted these analyses using a large, nationally representative sample from the USA (n=34,653), the second wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. ResultsThe items sadness, appetite disturbance and psychomotor symptoms were better indicators of depression severity in participants without a lifetime history of manic symptoms, in a clinically meaningful way. DSM-IV symptoms of MDE were substantially less informative in participants with a lifetime history of manic symptoms than in those without such history. LimitationsClinical information on DSM-IV depressive and manic symptoms was based on retrospective self-report ConclusionsThe clinical presentation of depressive symptoms may substantially differ in individuals with and without a lifetime history of manic symptoms. These findings alert to the possibility of atypical symptomatic presentations among individuals with co-occurring symptoms or disorders and highlight the importance of continued research into specific pathophysiology differentiating unipolar and bipolar depression

Characterization of a New Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Isolates Found in Hippeastrum hybridum (Hort.) Plants in Poland

Abstract Two Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) isolates H1 and H2 found in Hippeastrum hybridum plants were characterized based on biological, serological, and molecular properties. Virus isolates showed differences in symptom expression – H1 isolate displayed severe necrotic spots and patterns, whereas mild mosaic symptoms were observed on H2-infected H. hybridum plants. Both TSWV isolates showed comparable reactivity with TSWV-specific antibodies and they induced similar symptoms on herbaceous indicator plants, but some differences between these isolates were detected at the nucleotide sequence level of genomic S and M ssRNAs segment fragments. The nucleotide sequences encoding nucleocapsid (N) and nonstructural (NSs and NSm) proteins showed 98.2%, 97.5%, and 96.5% identity, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of N and NSs sequences conducted for tested isolates and 31 TSWV isolates included for comparison revealed that H1 and H2 isolates fell into the same cluster and they were grouped together with isolates found previously in different vegetables, ornamentals, and weeds. When NSm ORF was analyzed, the tested isolates formed a separate cluster: H1 isolate showed the highest affinity with TSWV isolates infecting chrysanthemum and pepper plants, whereas H2 isolate was most closely related to other virus isolates found in sweet pepper and tomatoes. These results indicate that both isolates were reassortants between different virus isolates, and represented two novel genetic patterns of TSWV.

Sex differences in emotional reactivity to daily life stress in psychosis

BackgroundA recent study did not find clear-cut sex differences in psychotic symptoms. Studies investigating altered stress reactivity more consistently report differences between the sexes, although the results are contradicting in suggesting either men or women to be more stress-sensitive. We assessed self-reported experiences in the context of real-life to more fully understand the nature of sex differences in psychosis.MethodsWe employed the Experience Sampling Method, a structured diary technique, to investigate in real-life:– symptoms;– behavior in context;– underlying mechanisms in 283 healthy controls, 268 subjects at risk for psychosis and 232 patients with psychotic disorder.ResultsMultilevel regression analyses revealed no differences in symptom expression between the sexes. Similarly, men and women did not differ in their level of social interaction and overall activity. However, men at increased risk of psychosis were more often alone and were less involved in goal-directed activities compared to women. Finally, women reported more emotional reactivity to daily life stress then men but women also reported more positive affect when pleasant events had happened.DiscussionThe data thus suggest only minor differences between men and women in psychotic symptoms and actual behavior. However, whenever differences were apparent, they consistently pointed towards more severe symptoms and more deficiencies in men compared to women. In contrast, increased environmental reactivity in women (to both negative and positive environments) in addition to more social contacts may constitute a protective factor for the development of more severe psychopathology.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Missing the mark: Cultural expressions of depressive symptoms among African-American women and men

ABSTRACTMany studies state that African Americans are underdiagnosed with major depressive disorder when compared to Whites, yet little research exists on the specific differences in symptom expression in African Americans. Even fewer studies explore gender-based differences in depressive symptom expression between African Americans. This article reviews literature on African-American symptom expression differences through a social determinants of health framework. While commonalities exist, the differences in symptom expression between African-American women and men should not be ignored. Based on research information presented, implications for social work and mental health intervention are discussed, and best practice recommendations are provided.

Resistance Inducers and Plant Growth Regulators Show Only Limited and Transient Effects on Infection Rates, Growth Rates and Symptom Expression of Apple Trees Infected With ‘candidatus Phytoplasma mali’

The effects of four commercially available bio-active compounds on the infection rates, symptom expression and growth rates of apple trees (Malus × domestica Borkh.) cv. Golden Delicious infected with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ (the so-called Apple Proliferation phytoplasma or AP) were tested over a three-year period under controlled conditions. Post-infection treatments using Bion® (active ingredient: Acibenzolar-S-Methyl), Messenger® (Harpin protein), Regalis® (Prohexadione-Ca) and Dormex® (Cyanamide) had no significant effect on infection rates. Terminal growth of apple trees (grown as one-shoot pruned trees) was increased significantly by AP infection; Prohexadione-Ca was the only compound which had a significant (inhibiting) effect on the growth of both infected and non-infected apple trees. Acibenzolar-S-Methyl and Harpin had no significant effects on symptom expression. AP symptoms were masked during summer by Prohexadione-Ca, which caused severe growth abnormalities. Cyanamide changed the seasonal appearance of AP symptoms: while symptoms were delayed compared to the untreated control the first two years (2008 and 2009), symptoms appeared earlier the third year (2010). Differences in symptom expression levelled off later in the vegetative season, and no significant difference was found in October.

A variant of blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus associated with red lesions in blueberry

The complete genome of a variant of the multi-segmented (+) RNA virus blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus (BNRBV), which has not been assigned to a genus, was obtained from foliar red lesions on southern highbush blueberries grown in Alachua Co., Florida. The genome organization of this variant, BNRBV-RL, is the same as that of BNRBV: four genomic segments and seven ORFs (one ORF on each of RNA 1, RNA 2, and RNA 4 and as many as four ORFs on RNA 3). BLAST analysis revealed nucleic acid sequence identities of 89%, 90%, 90% and 86% to BNRBV RNA 1, RNA 2, RNA 3 and RNA 4, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the amino acid sequence of the putative RdRp domain indicated that BNRBV-RL was closely related to BNRBV and less related to citrus leprosis virus type C and three other mite-transmitted viruses. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence differences between BNRBV-RL and BNRBV combined with differences in symptom expression in blueberry would suggest that BNRBV-RL is a strain of BNRBV.

THE R-DOC INITIATIVE: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE

A research focus upon dimensions of observable behaviors and neurobiological indices, as outlined in the R-DoC initiative, is likely to enhance our understanding of psychopathology in a number of ways that are outlined in this article. Specific examples include a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying comorbidity and complexity of symptom manifestation, individual differences in symptom expression, and developmental changes in symptom expression. Furthermore, the R-DoC approach may have treatment implications, including treatment efficacy, and identification of treatment moderators and treatment mediators.

Age differences in symptom expression in patients with major depression

The aim of the study was to compare symptom expression in primarily middle-aged (<60) and older (60+) patients who were depressed and determine if symptom profiles differed by age. Patients diagnosed with major depression (N = 664) were screened using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression scale and sections of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Patients were separated into homogeneous clusters based on symptom endorsement using latent class analysis. Older patients were less likely to endorse crying spells, sadness, feeling fearful, being bothered, or feeling life a failure but were more likely to endorse poor appetite and loss of interest in sex. Older patients were also less likely to report enjoying life, feeling as good as others, feeling worthless, wanting to die, and thinking about suicide. In two latent class models with depressive symptoms as indicators, three-class models best fit the data. Profiles supported heterogeneity in symptom expression. Clusters differed by age when other demographic, clinical, health, and social variables were controlled but did not support age-specific symptom profiles. Overall, older patients had later age of onset, had fewer lifetime spells, were more likely to have ever received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and were less likely to have comorbid anxiety. Older patients also had more cognitive impairment, health conditions, and mobility limitations but had higher levels of subjective social support and had experienced fewer stressful life events. There are age differences in symptom endorsement between younger/middle-aged and older patients with major depression. The data, however, did not identify a symptom profile unique to late-life depression.

Screening for depression in African American and Caucasian older women

Objective: To assess the performance of a two-choice (yes/no), 10-item shortened form of the CES-D in both African American (AA) and Caucasian (CA) older women. The CES-D is a widely used screening instrument, but its use has been questioned for routine screening because of its length and the complexity of its four-choice format. There is also little data available about its suitability low-income AA respondents. Method: Telephone screening for depression followed by in-home diagnostic interviews were conducted in a community sample of 256 CA and 186AA low-income older women who ranged in age from 64 to 94 years. Standard receiver operator curves were plotted to determine the sensitivities and specificities of the screening instrument at different cut-scores against a criterion of SCID-based diagnoses of current major depressive episode (CMDE). Results: Sensitivity and specificity of the 10-item scale and an even shorter 5-item version was slightly higher for AA than for CA women. While both short forms produced significant numbers of false positives against a criterion of CMDE, many of the women identified by the screen did have significant depressive symptomatology. Significantly, fewer AA women received a diagnosis of CMDE primarily because they did not show diminution of functioning associated with their depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Short, easy to administer forms of the CES-D can provide useful information in working with older patients. Clinicians should be aware of ethnic differences in symptom expression and levels of functional impairment that are likely to occur in follow-up medical and psychiatric exams.

Does cytokine-induced depression differ from idiopathic major depression in medically healthy individuals?

BackgroundCytokines of the innate immune response may contribute to behavioral alterations that resemble major depression as manifested in medically healthy individuals. MethodsTo explore potential similarities and differences between cytokine-induced depression and idiopathic major depression in healthy subjects, dimensional analyses comparing specific symptom dimensions of depression were conducted in 20 patients with malignant melanoma administered the innate immune cytokine, interferon (IFN)-alpha, and 28 medically healthy subjects with major depression of similar age and gender distribution. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was used to assess severity of individual depressive symptoms. ResultsSeverity of symptoms of anxiety, depressed mood, and impaired work/activities were comparable between patients with IFN-alpha-induced depression and medically healthy depressed patients. Interestingly, however, compared to medically healthy patients with major depression, patients with IFN-alpha-induced depression reported significantly greater psychomotor retardation and weight loss and significantly less severe feelings of guilt. LimitationsThe relatively small sample size limited statistical power to detect small differences in symptom expression among groups. ConclusionsThe data suggest that there is considerable overlap in symptom expression between cytokine-induced depression and idiopathic depression in medically healthy subjects. Nevertheless, differences in isolated symptom domains suggest that cytokines may preferentially target neurocircuits relevant to psychomotor activity (e.g. basal ganglia), while having a limited effect on cognitive distortions regarding self-appraisal.

First Report of Tomato torrado virus Infecting Tomato in Single and Mixed Infections with Cucumber mosaic virus in Panama.

In February of 2008, in open-field-grown tomato crops (Solanum lycopersicum L.) from the central regions of Coclé, Herrera, Los Santos, and Veraguas of Panama, unusual disease symptoms, including deformation, necrosis, purple margins, interveinal yellowing, downward and upward curling of the leaflets alternately, necrotic lines in sepals and branches, fruits distorted with necrotic lines on the surface, and severe stunting, were observed. Tomato production was seriously damaged. To verify the identity of the disease, five symptomatic tomato plants from four fields of these regions were selected and analyzed by double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA using specific antibodies to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Potato virus X (PVX), Potato virus Y (PVY), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Loewe Biochemica, Sauerlach, Germany), and Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) (DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). Total RNA was extracted from all plants and tested using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with three pairs of specific primers: one pair designed to amplify 586 bp of the coat protein gene of CMV (CMV-F 5'-CCTCCGCGGATGCTAACTT-3' and CMV-R 5'-CGGAATCAGACTGGGAGCA-3') and the other two pairs to Tomato torrado virus (ToTV) that amplify 580 and 574 bp of the polyprotein (4) and coat protein (Vp23) (3) region of RNA2, respectively; and by dot-blot hybridization with a digoxygenin-labeled RNA probe complementary to the aforementioned polyprotein. The serological analysis for PVX, PVY, ToMV, TSWV, and PepMV were negative. ToTV was detected in all samples analyzed. Three of these samples were also positive for CMV by serological and molecular analysis. No differences in symptom expression were observed between plants infected with both viruses or with ToTV alone. RT-PCR products were purified and directly sequenced. BLAST analysis of one CMV sequence (GenBank Accession No. EU934036) showed 98% identity with a CMV sequence from Brazil (most closely related sequence) (GenBank Accession No. AY380812) and 97% with the Fny isolate (CMV subgroup I) (GenBank Accession No. U20668). Two ToTV sequences were obtained (GenBank Accession Nos. EU934037 and FJ357161) and showed 99% and 98% identities with the polyprotein and coat protein region of ToTV from Spain (GenBank Accession No. DQ388880), respectively. CMV is transmitted by aphids and is distributed worldwide with a wide host range (2), while ToTV is transmitted by whiteflies and has only been reported in tomato crops in Spain and Poland and recently on weeds in Spain (1). To our knowledge, this is the first time ToTV has been detected in Panama and the first report of CMV/ToTV mixed infection.

Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder in China: Current status and future directions

This paper reviews the current status and future directions of borderline personality disorder (BPD) research in China. Although the committee of the third version of the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders (CCMD-3) rejected BPD as a valid diagnostic category and instead adopted the term impulsive personality disorder (IPD), our literature review on personality disorders from 1979 to 2008 in China indicated that BPD was the most popular research topic among researchers and clinicians. Available empiric evidence on BPD in China provided preliminary support for the construct validity and clinical utility of BPD in clinical and nonclinical Chinese samples. Future studies in the following areas are suggested: 1) developing reliable assessment instruments for measuring BPD pathology in China, 2) comparing the construct validity and phenomenology of CCMD IPD and DSM BPD among Chinese patients, 3) examining potential cultural differences in symptom expression of BPD pathology among the Chinese, and 4) exploring indigenous and imported methods for treating BPD patients in China.