Effect of nutrient availability on hyphal maturation and topographical sensing in Aspergillus niger

Topographical sensing (thigmotropism) is an essential component of efficient fungal growth. It is an important element in the complex pathway of sensory and mechanical elements that drive and control the growing hyphal tip, a fuller understanding of which will bring the mycological community a step closer to complete comprehension of the hyphal growth mode. Previous work has led us to hypothesize that the stress induced by nutrient deficiency causes structural changes in the hyphal tip that induces a thigmotropic response in Aspergillus niger, a soil fungus that does not display thigmotropism under normal conditions. In this study, we have sought to identify some of the factors that influence this induction of thigmotropism using a novel combination of microengineered substrates and imaging and analysis techniques to quantify thigmotropic behavior in complex hyphal systems. We have shown that the sensitivity of fungal contour sensing appears to be directly linked to nutrient availability and hypothesize that this may be caused by a stress-induced flattening of the tip and increased immaturity of the hyphal apex. Parts of this paper were presented at the Mycological Society of Japan (MSJ)/British Mycological Society (BMS) Joint Symposium, “The new generation of mycologists in Japan and the UK” held in Chiba, Japan, on June 3, 2006.     

English summary of papers in Nippon Kingakukai Kaiho published quarterly by the Mycological Society of Japan

English summary of papers in Nippon Kingakukai Kaiho published quarterly by the Mycological Society of Japan     

Experimentally manipulating fungi with optical tweezers

A short review of the use of optical tweezers in fungal cell biological research is provided. First, we describe how optical tweezers work. Second, we review how they have been used in various experimental live-cell studies to manipulate intracellular organelles, hyphal growth and branching, and whole cells. Third, we indicate how optically trapped microbeads can be used for the localized delivery of chemicals or mechanical stimulation to cells, as well as permitting measurements of the growth forces generated by germ tubes. Finally, the effects of optical trapping on fungal cell viability and growth are assessed. Parts of this review were presented at the Mycological Society of Japan (MSJ) / British Mycological Society (BMS) Joint Symposium, “The new generation mycologists in Japan and the UK” held in Chiba, Japan on June 3, 2006.     

Experimental and physiological ecology of ammonia fungi: studies using natural substrates and artificial media

Experiments using natural substrates and artificial media were categorized into three groups. Using experiments in these three categories, we investigated dispersion, invasion sequence, and decomposing ability of ammonia fungi in the field on natural substrates. Spore germination and vegetative and reproductive growth of ammonia fungi derived from monocultures and five-species cultures were assessed on natural substrates and on artificial media. These features assist understanding of the colonization and successive occurrence of ammonia fungi in the field based on estimation of interactions among the fungi and the physiological characteristics of each ammonia fungus. The sequential colonization and fruiting of ammonia fungi in the field can be explained primarily by the preference or tolerance of a species to high concentrations of ammonium-N under alkaline to neutral conditions. Succession of ammonia fungi results from their sequential colonization associated with the time needed for each fungus to produce reproductive structures. Colonization likely initiates from mycelia and/or spores preinhabiting the soil and from newly invading airborne propagules. Duration of occurrence of ammonia fungi in the field is shortened by the interactions among them. Saprobic ammonia fungi are the principal agents of litter decomposition under alkaline to neutral conditions. Parts of this review were presented as the presidential address of the Mycological Society of Japan (MSJ) at the Mycological Society of America (MSA) and MSJ Joint Meeting 2005 held in Hawaii in August 2005     

Bulletin of mathematical biology—facts,figures and comparisons

The Society for Mathematical Biology (SMB) owns the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology (BMB). This is an international journal devoted to the interface of mathematics and biology. At the 2003 SMB annual meeting in Dundee the Society asked the editor of the BMB to produce an analysis of impact factor, subject matter of papers, submission rates etc. Other members of the society were interested in the handling times of articles and wanted comparisons with other (appropriate) journals. In this article we present a brief history of the journal and report on how the journal impact factor has grown substantially in the last few years. We also present an analysis of subject areas of published papers over the past two years. We finally present data on times from receipt of paper to acceptance, acceptance to print (and to online publication) and compare these data with some other journals. This is an expanded version of a report published in the Society for Mathematical Biology Newsletter, Volume 16, Number 3, pp. 9–12, 2003. These authors contributed equally.     

Materials for the fungus flora of Japan (55)

From recent isolates of microfungi on soil materials collected at several localities in Japan, three onygenalean species are described and photographed as new to Japan:Aphanoascus durus, Kuehniella racovitzae, andShanorella spirotricha. (54) Yokoyama, T. and Nasu, H., Mycoscience41: 91–93, 2000.     

真菌学报创刊十周年纪念

《真菌学报》自1982年创刊以来已10年,共发行10卷38期和1增刊,约450万字;刊登论文487篇,其中用英文撰写的85篇,占17.5%;简报34篇,占6.9%。发表菌物新属2个,新种413个,中国新记录种645个。论文主要内容涉及菌物的分类和资源、形态和超微结构、生态和区系、生理和遗传、应用菌物学和生物技术,以及病理学和综述等。对我国菌物学的发展起了促进作用。     

Hyaloscyphaceae in Japan (4): New records of the genusLachnum

Six species of the genusLachnum, Hyaloscyphaceae are described:Lachnum longispinum andL. radiatum spp. nov.;L. fuscescens, L. palmae, L. pulverulentum, andL. rhytismatis, new to Japan. Mycoscience40: 401–404. 1999.     

Editorial

As Protist enters its seventh year of publication, we can again look back to a successful year of publishing the most exciting research on our favourate organisms, the protists. Submissions, published printed pages and the impact factor (IF 2002: 2.617; ISI, Philadelphia) are all up from last year and have reached the highest levels since Protist began operation in 1998. To me this shows that research on protists in the twenty-first century is well alive and thriving, and it gives me the opportunity to thank all those involved in the production of a quality journal, namely the Editorial Board, Editorial Office, publisher's staff, expert reviewers, and last but not least all authors, who submit their best work to our journal. In particular, I wish to thank Donald M. Anderson and Egbert Tannich who have resigned from the Editorial Board after four and six years, respectively, of dedicated service to the journal, and I welcome C. Graham Clark and Karen A. Steidinger as new members on the Editorial Board.     

Hyaloscyphaceae in Japan (2)*: Glassy-haired members of the tribe Hyaloscypheae

Fungal specimens of discomycetes in the family Hyaloscyphaceae were collected from across Japan and identified. In this report, glassy members of the tribe Hyaloscypheae, subfamily Hyaloscyphoideae are described and illustrated. The 7 species involved include two new species (Urceolella brunneola andU. pseudopani), and five species new to Japan (Hyalopeziza millepunctata, H. pygmaea, Mollisina uncinata, Urceolella carestiana andU. crispula). Cultural studies were carried out, and the anamorph is discussed forM. uncinata. Mycoscience38: 171–186, 1997.     

New journal: Algorithms for Molecular Biology

This editorial announces Algorithms for Molecular Biology, a new online open access journal published by BioMed Central. By launching the first open access journal on algorithmic bioinformatics, we provide a forum for fast publication of high-quality research articles in this rapidly evolving field. Our journal will publish thoroughly peer-reviewed papers without length limitations covering all aspects of algorithmic data analysis in computatioal biology. Publications in Algorithms for Molecular Biology are easy to find, highly visible and tracked by organisations such as PubMed. An established online submission system makes a fast reviewing procedure possible and enables us to publish accepted papers without delay. All articles published in our journal are permanently archived by PubMed Central and other scientific archives. We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.     

真菌学报创刊十周年纪念*

《真菌学报》自1982年创刊以来已10年,共发行10卷38期和1增刊,约450万字;刊登论文487篇,其中用英文撰写的85篇,占17.5%;简报34篇,占6.9%。发表菌物新属2个,新种413个,中国新记录种645个。论文主要内容涉及菌物的分类和资源、形态和超微结构、生态和区系、生理和遗传、应用菌物学和生物技术,以及病理学和综述等。对我国菌物学的发展起了促进作用。     

Materials for the fungus flora of Japan (49)

Two interesting microfungi are described as new to Japan:Talaromyces galapagensis (anam.Penicillium galapagense), isolated from soil in Shizuoka; andPenicillium megasporum, isolated from marine sludge in Nagasaki. Some observations are recorded, particularly on ascomatal initials ofT. galapagensis, which are similar to those described forTalaromyces flavus.(48): Kaneko, S., Mycoscience 36: 359–360, 1995.     

Hyaloscyphaceae in Japan (5): SomeLachnum-like members

Five members of the family Hyaloscyphaceae with multiseptate hairs and lanceolate paraphyses (Lachnum-like members in broad sense) are described:Albotricha fagicola andDasyscyphella longistipitata spp. nov.;Trichopeziza discolor, T. sulphurea, andTrichopezizella barbata, new to Japan. (4): Mycoscience42: 597–609, 2001.     

Content analysis of oncology-related pharmaceutical advertising in a peer-reviewed medical journal

Background

The oncology market represents one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in any medical field, and printed advertising in medical journals is an important channel by which pharmaceutical companies communicate with healthcare professionals. The aim of the present study was to analyze the volume and content of and trends and changes in oncology-related advertising intended for healthcare professionals in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Information that could be included in advertisements to promote drug development and improve treatment strategies for cancer patients is discussed on the basis of the results of the analysis.

Methods/Principal Findings

Overall, 6,720 advertisements covering 13,039 pages in a leading oncology medical journal published (by the American Society of Clinical Oncology) between January 2005 and December 2009 were analyzed. The advertisements targeting pharmaceuticals and clinical trials, in particular, were reviewed. A total of 6,720 advertisements covering 13,039 pages were included in the analysis. For the years 2005–2009, the percentages of total journal pages dedicated to advertising were 24.0%, 45.7%, 49.8%, 46.8%, and 49.8%, respectively. Package insert information and efficacy and safety explanations appeared in more than 80% of advertisements intended for pharmaceutical promotion. From 2005 to 2009, the overall quantity of drug advertisements decreased by approximately 13%, whereas advertisements calling for the enrollment of patients into registration trials increased by approximately 11%.

Conclusion/Significance

Throughout the study period, oncology-related pharmaceutical advertisements occupied a considerable number of pages relative to other journal content. The proportion of advertisements on ongoing clinical trials increased progressively throughout the study period.     

Editorial: Writing in Grana

It has been necessary to re-organize the production of GRANA. The following changes in publishing policy are the most important. 1. GRANA will continue to accept papers in its traditional field of interest, but in future, papers in the applied branches of Palynology, such as pollen-analytical studies, will also be published, as well as papers on other micropalae-ontological fields, in which the methods correspond to those used in palynological research (dinoflagellates, chitinozoa, diatoms, etc.). Only material that is obviously of international interest will be accepted. 2. From now on, there will be restrictions as to the length of a paper. Two types of contributions will be acceptable: Articles, containing 16 printed pages at the most, including the figures, and Notes, covering four printed pages at the most. The Notes will be given priority over the Articles, and will be included in the journal as soon as they have been scrutinized by a referee and prepared for publication by the editorial staff. Thus, the writing of Notes will be the quick way to secure publication in GRANA. The rest of this article gives the technical specifications of GRANA and also some instructions for authors.     

Quantifying shifts in topic popularity over 44 years of Austral Ecology

The Ecological Society of Australia was founded in 1959, and the society’s journal was first published in 1976. To examine how research published in the society’s journal has changed over this time, we used text mining to quantify themes and trends in the body of work published by the Australian Journal of Ecology and Austral Ecology from 1976 to 2019. We used topic models to identify 30 ‘topics’ within 2778 full‐text articles in 246 issues of the journal, followed by mixed modelling to identify topics with above‐average or below‐average popularity in terms of the number of publications or citations that they contain. We found high inter‐decadal turnover in research topics, with an early emphasis on highly specific ecosystems or processes giving way to a modern emphasis on community, spatial and fire ecology, invasive species and statistical modelling. Despite an early focus on Australian research, papers discussing South American ecosystems are now among the fastest‐growing and most frequently cited topics in the journal. Topics that were growing fastest in publication rates were not always the same as those with high citation rates. Our results provide a systematic breakdown of the topics that Austral Ecology authors and editors have chosen to research, publish and cite through time, providing a valuable window into the historical and emerging foci of the journal.     

Luminescence Literature

The journal provides comprehensive literature searches on all aspects of luminescence which will be published in most issues. These lists have been produced regularly since 1986—some by year and some by specialized topic. This survey of papers on Obelia, Renilla, Aequorea and Gonyaulax is drawn from the 2000 literature and covers the biology of these organisms and the applications of genes and proteins from these organisms in analysis.     

EDITORIAL

With the debut of the much anticipated CURRENT ZOOLOGY,a historical move has been made after years of hesi-tation and preparation.This metamorphosis of the flagship journal of the Chinese Zoological Society from the bilingual Ac-ta Zoologica Sinica to the all-English CURRENT ZOOLOGY reminds me of this flagship journal at its inception in 1935 ,which was called The