Diffuse Spots Research Articles

First Report of Natural Infection of Garlic with Iris yellow spot virus in the United States.

Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV; family Bunyaviridae, genus Tospovirus) is an important constraint to onion bulb and seed production in several onion-growing regions of the United States (1,3). While garlic (Allium sativum) was reported to be infected with IYSV in Réunion Island (4), there have been no confirmed reports of natural infection of garlic in the United States. Garlic plants showing near-diamond-shaped lesions were found in August of 2008 in Marion County, Oregon. The 0.4046-ha (1-acre) field plot consisted of various true-seeded garlic varieties and was adjacent to three onion fields that showed IYSV symptoms. Symptoms were observed on 5% of the garlic plants with most of the symptomatic plants displaying small and diffuse straw-colored spots. Seven of these symptomatic plants were selected for testing. Of these, two showed characteristic diamond-shaped, elongated, straw-colored lesions on garlic scapes. However, the lesions were more diffuse with less-defined edges compared with the characteristic diamond-shaped lesions that are often associated with IYSV infection (1). All symptomatic plants were positive for IYSV by double-antibody sandwich-ELISA with a commercially available kit (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN). To verify IYSV infection, total nucleic acid extracts from the symptomatic parts of the leaves were prepared and tested for the presence of IYSV by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with primers 5'-TAAAACAAACATTCAAACAA-3' and 5'-CTCTTAAACACATTTAACAAGCAC-3', which flank the nucleocapsid (N) gene coded by the small RNA of IYSV (2). An approximate 1.1-kb amplicon was obtained from all symptomatic plants and cloned and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence comparisons using BLAST showed that a consensus of three clones derived from the amplicon from garlic (No. FJ514257) was 85 to 99% identical with IYSV sequences available in GenBank (Nos. AF001387, AB180918, and AB286063), confirming the identity of IYSV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infection of IYSV infection of garlic in the United States. Additional surveys and testing are needed to obtain a better understanding of IYSV incidence in garlic to evaluate its impact on garlic production.

3D Imaging of the Single Microdischarge Development in Coplanar Barrier Discharges in Synthetic Air at Atmospheric Pressure

AbstractThe evolution of the luminosity of the coplanar barrier discharge in the single‐filament mode was studied by the technique of cross‐correlation spectroscopy and intensified high‐speed CCD camera. For the first time 3D‐spatially and temporally resolved investigations of the luminosity of second positive (at 337.1 nm) and first negative (at 391.5 nm) system of molecular nitrogen in this discharge type were realized. Although the coplanar barrier discharge is sometimes referred to as a pure surface discharge, it shows clear 3D structure. From these experimental data, the propagation of the cathode‐directed ionizing wave in the space above the gap is clearly seen. Also, a second ionizing wave propagating towards anode later on has been detected, too. The diffuse spots created by impact of ionizing waves onto the dielectrics and their propagation on the dielectric surface is described. The results for the coplanar barrier discharge are compared with corresponding experimental results obtained for the volume barrier discharge and basic similarities are pointed out (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Pseudocercospora cladosporioides, the cause of leaf spot on olive, a pathogen new to the United Kingdom

) is of great economic importance for its fruits andoil. In the UK, olive trees are popular ornamentals grown in frost free areasor in glasshouses. Olive trees are benefiting from climate change and aresurviving further north in Europe than 30 years ago (Moore & White,2003). Evidence of this includes the establishment of Britain’s firstcommercial olive grove of 120 trees, planted in Devon in 2006 (McCarthy,2006).In May 2005, diseased samples of olive originating from private gardensin Suffolk and Surrey were received at the Royal Horticultural Society,Wisley. The symptoms were diffuse spots on the lower leaf surfaces. Leavessubsequently turned yellow, reddish-brown and then dropped. The funguswas dirty grey in appearance and growing on lower leaf surfaces. Conidiawere subcylindrical, guttulate, very pale to medium olivaceous-brown,apex obtuse, straight or often curved, 3–8 septate, 27–55 × 3·5–4·5 μ m.Conidiophores were mostly unbranched, 110–125 × 3–4·5 μ m. Conidio-genous cells were terminal bearing one or more scars. The morphologicalcharacteristics fit with

First report of Albugo trianthemae on Delosperma and Lampranthus in the UK

Olive ( Olea europaea ) is of great economic importance for its fruits and oil. In the UK, olive trees are popular ornamentals grown in frost free areas or in glasshouses. Olive trees are benefiting from climate change and are surviving further north in Europe than 30 years ago (Moore & White, 2003). Evidence of this includes the establishment of Britain’s first commercial olive grove of 120 trees, planted in Devon in 2006 (McCarthy, 2006). In May 2005, diseased samples of olive originating from private gardens in Suffolk and Surrey were received at the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley. The symptoms were diffuse spots on the lower leaf surfaces. Leaves subsequently turned yellow, reddish-brown and then dropped. The fungus was dirty grey in appearance and growing on lower leaf surfaces. Conidia were subcylindrical, guttulate, very pale to medium olivaceous-brown, apex obtuse, straight or often curved, 3–8 septate, 27–55 × 3·5–4·5 μ m. Conidiophores were mostly unbranched, 110–125 × 3–4·5 μ m. Conidiogenous cells were terminal bearing one or more scars. The morphological characteristics fit with Pseudocercospora cladosporioides (Avila et al ., 2005), the causal agent of cercosporiosis or leaf spot disease on olive. Single spore cultures were made on potato carrot agar supplemented with ampicillin and streptomycin. The fungus was slow growing but produced abundant conidia when plated onto potato dextrose agar and incubated for four weeks at 20 ° C in the dark. To fulfil Koch’s postulates, one olive plant was inoculated with a spore suspension (1·5 × 10 5 spores mL − 1 ). Sterile distilled water was used on the control plant. The plants were kept in a glasshouse at 20 ° C, covered with a polythene bag for the first 48 h to increase humidity. After 15 days, the leaves of the inoculated plant became yellow and dropped. Pseudocercospora cladosporioides was reisolated from these infected leaves and confirmed by morphology. The control plant was not infected. The cercosporiosis disease is common and widely distributed in most olive growing regions in the world including Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania, Tunisia and USA (Crous & Braun, 2003; David, 2004). This is, however, the first record of P. cladosporioides in the UK.

Manifestation of lower extremity atherosclerosis in patients with high ankle-brachial index

The purpose of this study was to identify the manifestation of lower extremity atherosclerotic lesions in patients with high ankle-brachial index (ABI). We studied 92 diabetic patients at random from the Endocrine Department of the Chinese PLA General Hospital. According to the ABI value, the subjects were divided into three groups: high, normal and low ABI groups. On the basis of the results of lower extremity artery duplex ultrasound, the patients in the high ABI group had a lower incidence of low extremity artery occlusion than those in the low ABI group, and the atherosclerotic lesions of patients in the high group mainly displayed diffuse dot-like hyperechogenicity spots or small plaques (60.9%), and their atherosclerotic lesions in the lower extremity were mostly found in the distal segment (44.4%). This atherosclerosis in the lower extremities of patients in the high ABI group was shown to be consistent with the pathological features of artery intimal and medial calcification. It suggests that a high ABI is highly predictive of artery calcification, which is a marker of poor cardiovascular prognosis in diabetes. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2009;9:160—164

Nanometer-Sized Domain Structures in LuFeMO4 (M = Cu, Co) Revealed by Energy-Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy

Diluted effect on the charge ordered (CO) structure in dielectric materials LuFeMO4 (M = Cu, Co) were investigated by an energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in combination with a conventional TEM. It is revealed that partial substitution of Cu2 + and Co2 + for Fe2 +in LuFe2O4 destabilized the CO structure. In LuFeCuO4, there exist characteristic zigzag-shaped diffuse streaks and diffuse spots at the h/3-δ h/3-δ 0-type positions (h: integer, δ = 0.06) in reciprocal space, which originate from static cationic ordering of Fe3 + and Cu2 + ions in the triangular lattice. Moreover, real-space images by the energy-filtered TEM revealed that nanometer-sized domain structures with the 5∼10 nm size are formed. In contrast, honeycomb-shaped diffuse streaks were found in LuFeCoO4, in which no domain structures are observed in real-space images.

Source modeling sleep slow waves.

Slow waves are the most prominent electroencephalographic (EEG) feature of sleep. These waves arise from the synchronization of slow oscillations in the membrane potentials of millions of neurons. Scalp-level studies have indicated that slow waves are not instantaneous events, but rather they travel across the brain. Previous studies of EEG slow waves were limited by the poor spatial resolution of EEGs and by the difficulty of relating scalp potentials to the activity of the underlying cortex. Here we use high-density EEG (hd-EEG) source modeling to show that individual spontaneous slow waves have distinct cortical origins, propagate uniquely across the cortex, and involve unique subsets of cortical structures. However, when the waves are examined en masse, we find that there are diffuse hot spots of slow wave origins centered on the lateral sulci. Furthermore, slow wave propagation along the anterior-posterior axis of the brain is largely mediated by a cingulate highway. As a group, slow waves are associated with large currents in the medial frontal gyrus, the middle frontal gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, the anterior cingulate, the precuneus, and the posterior cingulate. These areas overlap with the major connectional backbone of the cortex and with many parts of the default network.

TEM investigation of intermediate phase transformation and micromodulation in Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Intermediate phase transformation, martensitic transformations and modulated structures in Ni–Mn–Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys were investigated by TEM. The transformation from high temperature L21 phase to intermediate phase was characterised by the appearance of diffuse satellite spots at 0˙167q220 positions in electron diffraction patterns and intense fine striations in bright field images. These results are consistent with the reported results of neutron diffraction measurements related to the phonon anomaly. Also, high resolution TEM observations and fast Fourier transformation analysis on the near intermediate phase state in Ni–Mn–Ga–Gd were conducted. It was revealed that the coarse tweed contrast was associated with a long wavelength strain field while the fine striations are associated with the satellite spots and domains of micromodulation aligned parallel to {110}.

DURABLE RESISTANCE OF APRICOT CULTIVARS HARLAYNE AND BETINKA TO SIX DIFFERENT STRAINS OF PLUM POX VIRUS

Results of a six-year evaluation carried out in the Czech Republic (CR) for resistance of apricot cvs Harlayne and Betinka to six different strains and isolates of PPV are presented. Two-year-old trees of both cultivars were inoculated by chip budding with PPV-M (type strain), PPV-D (type strain), PPV-Rec (originally recovered in the CR as PPV-W), PPV-M (isolated in the CR from peach), PPV-D (isolated in the CR from Prunus insititia), and PPV-Rec (isolated in the CR from P. insititia). PPV susceptible apricot cvs Karola and Velkopavlovicka were used as controls and were chip-bud inoculated with PPV strains. No symptoms appeared in the leaves and fruits of cv. Betinka during six years of observation following inoculation with PPV-D (type), PPV-D (P. insititia), PPV-Rec (PPV-W), PPV-M (peach) and PPVRec strains, and in two trees inoculated with PPV-M (type) strain. Likewise, ELISA did not detect the presence of PPV in the leaves of both cultivars. RT-PCR gave a slight positive reaction from the leaves of a symptomless tree of cv. Harlayne inoculated with PPV-Rec (PPV-W) and from leaves of a symptomless tree of cv. Betinka inoculated with PPV-D (P. insititia). The presence of PPV in these trees is under investigation. Mild diffuse rings and spots appeared occasionally in the leaves and fruits of one tree of cv. Betinka after inoculation of PPV-M (type). The presence of PPV was confirmed by ELISA and RT-PCR. The relative concentration of PPV-M (type) protein in the leaves of a tree of cv. Betinka determined by ELISA was low (2.5×10-1) in comparison with the control (cv. Karola, 1.95×10-3). Severe symptoms appeared in the leaves and fruits of susceptible control cvs Karola and Velkopavlovicka. The presence of different PPV strains in control cultivars was confirmed by ELISA and RTPCR. Thus, cvs Harlayne and Betinka displayed durable resistance to the six different strains and isolates of PPV over the six year trial.

BEHAVIOUR OF TRANSGENIC PLUM POX VIRUS-RESISTANT PRUNUS DOMESTICA L. CLONE C5 GROWN IN THE OPEN FIELD UNDER A HIGH AND PERMANENT INFECTION PRESSURE OF THE PPV-REC STRAIN

Transgenic plum (Prunus domestica L.) clone C5 was grafted on virus-free St. Julien rootstocks and inoculated by bud grafting with the recombinant strain (PPVRec) of the Plum pox virus (PPV). Non inoculated C5 plums were used as controls. Transgenic plums infected with PPV-Rec and control plants were evaluated for six years in the open field. PPV symptoms, mild diffuse spots and rings, appeared on the basal leaves the second year after inoculation. The presence of PPV was confirmed by DAS-ELISA, ISEM, and RT-PCR. Severe PPV symptoms appeared in the leaves of shoots grown from non-transgenic inoculum buds. A reduction of symptoms and a decrease of the relative PPV concentration, as determined by DAS-ELISA in transgenic C5 plants, were observed from the third to the fifth year after virus inoculation. Very mild symptoms in older leaves of the basal branches of trees subsided by the end of the vegetative period, and were difficult to observe. The level of PPV detection by DAS-ELISA dropped from June to August together with a reduction of symptoms. PPV was undetectable by DAS-ELISA in more than half of the trees by the end of August. PPV-Rec was detected by RT-PCR in the basal and middle parts of the C5 scions. The upper leaves did not contain a detectable level of the virus. These results show the high level and stability of PPV resistance in graft-inoculated C5 trees.

Interactions of Plum pox virus strain Rec with Apple chlorotic leafspot virus and Prune dwarf viruses in field-grown transgenic plum Prunus domestica L., clone C5

Transgenic plums, <I>Prunus domestica</I> L. clone C5, were inoculated by bud grafting with <I>Plum pox virus</I> (PPV-Rec, recombinant strain originated from plum), PPV-Rec + <I>Apple chlorotic leafspot virus</I> (ACLSV), PPV-Rec + <I>Prune dwarf virus</I> (PDV), and PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV. Non-inoculated transgenic plums served as controls. Plants were grown in an open field for 5 years. They were evaluated by visible symptoms, by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. Mild PPV symptoms, diffuse spots or rings appeared two years after inoculation in some leaves of plants artificially inoculated with PPV-Rec, PPV-Rec + ACLSV, PPV-Rec + PDV, and PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV. Severe PPV symptoms appeared in leaves of shoots growing from infected buds used for inoculation. During the following three years, further weakening of PPV symptoms was observed in transgenic plants. In 2007, very mild PPV symptoms were found in only a few leaves, and over 60%, resp. 70% of the C5 trees showed no PPV symptoms. The presence of PPV was confirmed by ELISA, ISEM and RT-PCR. No difference in PPV symptoms was observed between PPV-Rec and combinations PPV-Rec + ACLSV, PPV-Rec + PDV, PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV. No symptoms of ACLSV appeared in combinations of ACLSV with PPV-Rec and PPV-Rec + PDV during 2004–2007, but the presence of ACLSV in leaves of transgenic plants clone C5 was proved by ELISA and RT-PCR. Neither synergistic nor antagonistic effects of ACLSV on PPV-Rec were observed. No symptoms of PDV appeared in combinations of viruses with PDV during 2004–2007. PDV was not detected by ELISA, and the presence of PDV was uncertain by RT-PCR in most of inoculated trees in 2006 and 2007. The results of RT-PCR will be further confirmed by sequence analysis and discussed. These results suggest a possible antagonistic interaction between PPV-Rec and PDV in plum clone C5.

Study of Early Leaf Senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana by Quantitative Proteomics Using Reciprocal 14N/15N Labeling and Difference Gel Electrophoresis

Leaf senescence represents the final stage of leaf development and is associated with fundamental changes on the level of the proteome. For the quantitative analysis of changes in protein abundance related to early leaf senescence, we designed an elaborate double and reverse labeling strategy simultaneously employing fluorescent two-dimensional DIGE as well as metabolic (15)N labeling followed by MS. Reciprocal (14)N/(15)N labeling of entire Arabidopsis thaliana plants showed that full incorporation of (15)N into the proteins of the plant did not cause any adverse effects on development and protein expression. A direct comparison of DIGE and (15)N labeling combined with MS showed that results obtained by both quantification methods correlated well for proteins showing low to moderate regulation factors. Nano HPLC/ESI-MS/MS analysis of 21 protein spots that consistently exhibited abundance differences in nine biological replicates based on both DIGE and MS resulted in the identification of 13 distinct proteins and protein subunits that showed significant regulation in Arabidopsis mutant plants displaying advanced leaf senescence. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large and three of its four small subunits were found to be down-regulated, which reflects the degradation of the photosynthetic machinery during leaf senescence. Among the proteins showing higher abundance in mutant plants were several members of the glutathione S-transferase family class phi and quinone reductase. Up-regulation of these proteins fits well into the context of leaf senescence since they are generally involved in the protection of plant cells against reactive oxygen species which are increasingly generated by lipid degradation during leaf senescence. With the exception of one glutathione S-transferase isoform, none of these proteins has been linked to leaf senescence before.

A magnetic anomaly associated with an albedo feature near Airy crater in the lunar nearside highlands

We describe a strong crustal magnetic anomaly, recently identified in Lunar Prospector magnetometer data, that is associated with a previously unreported albedo feature near the crater Airy in the lunar nearside highlands. Other workers have demonstrated a correlation between magnetic anomalies and the enigmatic bright markings known as lunar swirls. We have used Earth‐based telescopic spectra and Clementine multispectral images to investigate the compositional and optical maturity characteristics of the Airy swirl. The Airy albedo feature does not exhibit the complex sinuous structure of well‐known swirls such as the Reiner Gamma Formation, but does possess a bright loop and central dark lane. Another strong magnetic anomaly, in the Apollo 16/Descartes region, corresponds to a simple diffuse bright albedo spot. On this basis we suggest that a continuum of swirl morphologies exists on the Moon, with the Airy feature representing an intermediate or incipient swirl form.

Spatio-temporal breakdown in surface DBDs: evidence of collective effect

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the plasma ignition in a dielectric barrier surface discharge in air at atmospheric pressure. CCD pictures of the discharge are compared with electrical measurements. A detailed study of the current peaks during the positive half period of the applied voltage has been performed. CCD pictures of single discharges events have been taken. They show synchronous breakdowns of plasma filaments, corresponding to current intensities of several amperes. It is shown that each plasma filament transfers a current of about 40 mA. The influence of adsorbed electrons on the synchronization of the plasma filaments is discussed. The length of the filaments increases during the half period and can be plotted as a linear function of the difference between applied and ignition voltages. The differences between the discharges of positive and negative half periods are presented. The discharges of the negative half period consist of diffuse spots of shorter lengths and are characterized by low currents (several milliamperes), and individual breakdowns.

HRTEM Observation of the Age Hardening Precipitates in Mg-Gd-Sc Alloy

High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) observation was carried out to investigate the precipitates in Mg-Gd-Sc alloy. In the specimen aged at 473K, the hardness increased gradually with increasing aging time, started to increase rapidly after 16h and the peak hardness was obtained at 128h. In the as-quenched specimen, the diffuse spots considering to the some ordering were observed between 0000 transmitted spot and 1100 magnesium matrix spots in the selected area diffraction pattern. The diffraction spots corresponding to D0 19 type structure (a=0.64nm, c=0.521nm) were observed in the early stage of aging at 473K. The contrast of the precipitates similar to the B' phase based on base centered orthorhombic structure in Mg-Gd alloy were observed predominantly in the specimen after aging for 32h. It was revealed that the precipitates in Mg-Gd-Sc alloy were similar to that of Mg-Gd alloy.

First Report of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus in Quince in Greece.

The sanitary status of pome fruit trees was evaluated in central and northern Greece during a survey in the autumn of 2004 and spring of 2005. Twenty-six leaf samples were collected from five symptomless and 21 symptomatic quince trees showing fruit deformation (FD) symptoms and diffuse chlorotic leaf spots. All samples were tested for the presence of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), a member of the Trichovirus genus, initially by ELISA and then by a specific reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay reported previously (1). ACLSV has a broad host range that includes most, if not all, Prunoidae (peach, apricot, plum, and cherry) and Maloidae (apple, pear, and quince) fruit tree species. Although it has been tentatively linked with fruit, leaf, bark, and growth retardation symptoms in quince (2,3), its geographic distribution and association with specific symptoms is still poorly determined. ACLSV was initially detected by serology in two plants, one symptomless and one showing FD symptoms. ACLSV presence in these two samples and in an additional symptomless plant was confirmed by the ACLSV-specific RT-PCR assay. Sequencing of the RT-PCR amplicon from the symptomatic isolate (EMBL Accession No. AM292923), which was positive in both assays, confirmed the identification of ACLSV. The obtained sequence shows 93% nucleotide identity with an apple isolate of ACLSV (EMBL Accession No. AY677103). To our knowledge, these findings represent the first report of the presence of ACLSV in quince in Greece. They further indicate that at least for some host-cultivar/virus isolate combinations, ACLSV may be asymptomatic in quince and that the symptoms observed in the plants sampled are unrelated to ACLSV infection.

Effects of 10 MeV electron irradiation at high temperature of a Ni–Mo-based Hastelloy

A Hastelloy alloy was irradiated with 10 MeV electrons at 650 °C for 700 h to a total dose of 2×10 −3 displacements per atom (dpa). The microstructure of irradiated and non-irradiated specimens of this alloy were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The non-irradiated specimens were analyzed by 3-D atom probe tomography (APT) in a local-electrode atom-probe (LEAP™). TEM analysis before the irradiation detects small precipitates with a mean diameter of 22 nm, which are coherent with the FCC matrix. The number density of these precipitates is ∼7×10 18 m −3. Electron diffraction patterns from these precipitates exhibit superlattice reflections corresponding to the L1 2 ordered structure. The chemical composition of the precipitates, as measured by APT, is around 75 at% Ni with additions of Al, Ti and Mo. After electron irradiation, small precipitates with an irregular morphology are observed. The number density of these new precipitates about 10 20 m −3 is greater than that of the L1 2 ordered precipitates before irradiation. The L1 2 superlattice reflections disappear completely, instead diffuse diffraction spots are observed at 〈 1 1 2 0 〉 FCC , which is attributed to compositional short-range order (SRO). The results are discussed with respect to the influence of the electron irradiation on the morphology and structure of the ordered precipitates.

Diffuse White Spots of the Duodenum May Suggest Glucose Malabsorption

Purpose: It has been unclear what endoscopic finding reflects small intestinal malabsorption. At panendoscopy, the second part of the duodenum was usually observed, and diffuse white spots were found in some patients. This endoscopic finding is considered to reflect abnormal lipid transport from the villi of the small intestine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between white spots observed in the duodenum and malabsorption of nutrient. Methods: Consecutive 165 subjects who underwent upper gastrointestional endoscopy were recruited in this study. At endoscopy, a tip of endoscope was placed to the second part of the duodenum and 20 ml of water containing 100 mg of 13C-glycine (N = 65), 13C-acetate (N = 65), and 13C-glucose (N = 35) was infused into the duodenum. Breath samples were taken at baseline and at 10-min interval for 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min after administration in 13C-acetate, 13C-glycine, and 13C-glucose breath test, respectively. The 13C/12C ratio of each sample was analysed and were expressed as delta over baseline. Absorptive function was determined as cumulative% dose at the endpoint of sampling. Results: Patients were divided into three groups according to the grade of duodenal white spot as follows; “absent,”“patchy,” and “diffuse.” The mean values of cumulative% dose at 30 min of acetate were 7.3 ± 2.5%, 6.8 ± 2.8%, and 7.1 ± 1.3% in the “absent,”“patchy,” and “diffuse” group, respectively. For absorptive function of glycine, the mean values of cumulative% dose at 60 min were 11.4 ± 4.0%, 11.7 ± 4.0%, and 12.8 ± 3.0%, respectively. For glucose, these values at 90 min were 7.1 ± 1.3%, 5.9 ± 2.2%, 5.7 ± 1.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Differences in absorptive function of acetate and glycine were not found between patients with and without duodenal white spots, whereas absorptive function of glucose tended to be lower in patients with duodenal white spots. White spots observed in the duodenum may be one of endoscopic findings, reflecting malabsorption of glucose.

Plum Pox Virus Mixed Infection Detected on Apricot in Pakistan.

Sharka, caused by Plum pox virus (PPV), is the most detrimental viral disease of stone fruit trees. First reported from Bulgaria in 1917, the virus is now widespread in Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and Asia Minor and is sporadically present in North and South America. On the basis of molecular and serological properties, six PPV subgroups are recognized, from which PPV-D, PPV-M, and PPV-Rec are the most common (1,2). Several apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca) showing mild, pale green rings and diffuse chlorotic spots on leaves were found in a small orchard in the Baltistan District in northern Pakistan at approximately 2,400 m above sea level. Dried leaf samples from one symptomatic tree randomly selected from the orchard were positive for PPV using double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with antisera prepared in the laboratory, immunoblot analysis, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting the capsid protein (CP) gene using standard procedures (1). To check the subgroup affiliation and evaluate the molecular variability, the 562-bp variable region spanning the C-terminus of NIb and the N-terminus of the CP was amplified, the RT-PCR product was cloned into the pGEM-T Easy vector (Promega, Madison, WI), and positive clones were analyzed by restriction and sequence analyses. Interestingly, sequence analysis of four clones revealed mixed infection, i.e., the presence of two different PPV isolates in the apricot sample. One isolate belonged to PPV-D (GenBank Accession No. DQ422147) and the other belonged to the PPV-Rec subgroup (GenBank Accession No. DQ422148). Multiple alignment of the sequenced genome portion of the Pakistan PPV-D isolate indicated 96 to 99% nt identity with various PPV-D isolates without unique, clear-cut differences. Similarly, the PPV-Rec isolate had 98 to 99% identity with European PPV-Rec isolates and retained the cross-over at nucleotide position 8450 in the 3' terminus of NIb. This sequence had the amino acid signature at the N-terminus of the CP typical of the PPV-Rec subgroup (2). Moreover, no particular clustering of the Pakistan isolates within PPV-D and PPV-Rec could be observed after phylogenetic analysis. The DAG motif, essential for aphid transmission, was present in both sequences. To our knowledge, this is the first indication of PPV occurrence in Pakistan and first identification of the PPV-Rec isolate outside Europe. Together with previous reports on the PPV presence in China and Kazakhstan (3,4), this report indicates the need for more detailed epidemiological studies focusing the PPV spread and its molecular diversity in Asia.

Gastrointestinal: Focal lymphangiectasia

What disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are associated with pathological changes in lymphatic vessels? Perhaps the best known is that of intestinal lymphangiectasia. This can occur as a primary congenital disorder (Milroy’s disease) or may be secondary to widespread lymphatic obstruction from disorders such as retroperitoneal carcinoma or lymphoma, retroperitoneal fibrosis, constrictive pericarditis and chronic congestive cardiac failure. The presenting symptoms are those of intestinal malabsorption and protein-losing enteropathy. At duodenal endoscopy, dilated lacteals can be seen as diffuse white spots or white-tipped villi sometimes associated with white nodular lesions. The histological appearance is that of marked dilatation of lacteals, sometimes associated with mucosal inflammation and blunting of villi. Rare disorders of the lymphatic system include cavernous lymphangiomas and lymphangiomyomatosis. Cavernous lymphangiomas are usually diagnosed early in life and are thought to be a developmental abnormality of lymphatic vessels. In the abdomen, the most common sites for cavernous lymphangiomas are the mesentery and retroperitoneum. In lymphangiomyomatosis, there is diffuse proliferation of smooth muscle within lymphatics and lymph nodes in the retroperitoneum and mediastinum. This may also involve lung parenchyma. Another disorder of lymphatic vessels is a localized form of intestinal lymphangiectasia as illustrated below. The patient was a women, aged 29, who was investigated because of intermittent epigastric pain for several months. Various blood tests including a lymphocyte count were within the reference range. Endoscopy revealed an elevated whitish plaque, about 2 cm in diameter, in the second part of the duodenum. In addition, there were several other white spots in the region (Fig. 1). After a biopsy was taken, milky fluid drained into the duodenal lumen. Histological evaluation revealed marked dilatation of lymph vessels in the mucosa and submucosa without any evidence of inflammation (H&E ×40) (Fig. 2). This example of focal lymphangiectasia was attributed to a localized developmental abnormality of lymphatic vessels that involved the second part of the duodenum.