Search

The 16S rDNA, endoglucanase, andhrpBgenes were partially sequenced for Asian strains ofRalstonia solanacearumspp. complex, including 31 strains ofR.solanacearumand two strains each of the blood disease bacterium (BDB) andPseudomonas syzygii. Additional sequences homologous to these DNA regions, deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases were included in the analysis. Various levels of polymorphisms were observed in each of these DNA regions. The highest polymorphism (approximately 25%) was found in the endoglucanase gene sequence. ThehrpBsequence had about 22% poly-morphism. The phylogenetic analysis consistently divided the strains into four clusters, as distinctly shown on the phylogenetic trees of 16S rDNA,hrpBgene, and endo-glucanase gene sequences. Cluster 1 contained all strains from Asia, which belong to biovars 3, 4, 5, and N2. Cluster 2 comprised the Asian strains ofR. solanacearum(as biovars N2 and 1) isolated from potato and clove, as well as BDB andP. syzygii. Cluster 3 contained race 3 biovar 2 strains from potato, race 2 biovar 1 strains from banana, and race 1 biovar 1 strains isolated from America, Asia, and other parts of the world. Cluster 4 was exclusively composed of African strains. The results of the study showed the distribution and diversity of the Asian strains, which are present in three of the four clusters. The similarity of Asian strains to those in the other regions was also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Front Cover: Origin of the Isomer Stability of Polymethylated DOTA Chelates Complexed with Ln3+ Ions (Eur. J. Inorg. Density functional calculations, Electrostatic repulsion, Isomers, Lanthanide complexes, Polymethylated DOTA chelates To understand the origin of the stability of one isomer over the other, the structures and energetics of DOTA-like chelates complexed with Lu ions were investigated with DFT calculations. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Atrial tachyarrhythmias are common and difficult to treat in adults with congenital heart disease. Dronedarone has proven effective in patients without congenital heart disease, but data are limited about its use in adults with congenital heart disease of moderate to great complexity. Methods: A single-center, retrospective chart review of 21 adults with congenital heart disease of moderate to great complexity who were treated with dronedarone for atrial tachyarrhythmias was performed. Results: The median (IQR) age at dronedarone initiation was 35 (27.5-39) years. Eleven patients (52%) were male. Ten patients (48%) had New York Heart Association class I disease, 10 (48%) had class II disease, and 1 (5%) had class III disease. Ejection fraction at initiation was greater than 55% in 11 patients (52%), 35% to 55% in 9 patients (43%), and less than 35% in 1 patient (5%). Prior treatments included β-blockers (71%), sotalol (38%), amiodarone (24%), digoxin (24%), and catheter ablation (38%). Rhythm control was complete in 5 patients (24%), partial in 6 (29%), and inadequate in 10 (48%). Two patients (10%) experienced adverse events, including nausea in 1 (5%) and cardiac arrest in 1 (5%), which occurred 48 months after initiation of treatment. There were no deaths during the follow-up period. The median (IQR) follow-up time for patients with complete or partial rhythm control was 20 (1-54) months. Conclusion: Dronedarone can be effective for adult patients with congenital heart disease and atrial arrhythmias for whom more established therapies have failed, and with close monitoring it can be safely tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum strains isolated from eggplant (Solanum melongena) grown in five provinces of the Philippine island group of Luzon was assessed using a recently described hierarchical system. All strains keyed to race 1, biovar 3 or 4. Phylotype-specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated that, like most other strains of Asian origin, all the strains in our Philippine collection belong to phylotype 1. Taxometric and phylogenetic analyses of partial endoglucanase gene sequences of strains from this collection and those previously deposited into GenBank revealed at least four subgroups among the otherwise monophyletic phylotype I strains. Nucleotide polymorphisms within each subgroup were infrequent and, among the subgroups identified in this study, variation was always <1.3%, indicating that the large majority of strains could be assigned to a single sequevar. Genomic DNA fingerprinting using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR revealed additional fine-scale genetic variation that was consistent with the endogluconase sequence data. Whole-pattern and band-based analyses of the genomic fingerprint data revealed four and eight distinct genotypes, respectively, within our collection. Eggplant from infested fields in different provinces tended to harbor mixed populations of ERIC genotypes, with the predominant genotype varying by location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]