bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Rhetorical Presidency
Authors: Bimes Terri
Published: May 2010

This article first addresses the historical development of presidential rhetoric, with a particular focus on Jeffrey Tulis' agenda-setting study of the rhetorical presidency. It then turns to a consideration of the impact of presidential rhetoric on American politics, reviewing both quantitative political science studies and more interpretative works by political communications scholars. It finally reports the directions for further work that will capitalize on the promise of new data sources to address substantively important questions. In the end, although earlier critiques of the field of presidential rhetoric for the absence of systematic evidence gathering and hypothesis testing were largely on target, the study of presidential rhetoric has made substantial progress in recent years.
Public Evaluations of Presidents
Authors: Gronke Paul , Newman Brian
Published: May 2010

This article summarizes recent research that endogenizes and contextualizes the aspects of the political and economic environment that drive presidential approval and determines the important questions that should motivate future research. It then proceeds by discussing the forces that shape approval and ways in which polarization, changes in the media market, and the post-9/11 context may alter their impact. Additionally, it explains the roots of these forces themselves, showing how these forces depend on competition among political actors, including the president, and the media environment in which this competition occurs. The proliferation of media outlets poses significant challenges to the executive branch's ability to set the news agenda. Heterogeneity across groups can influence approval in two ways, via different perceptions of political and economic conditions and via the different impacts of those conditions. Presidents may be advantaged in competitions over the criteria by which they are evaluated.
The Presidency and the Mass Media
Authors: Cohen Jeffrey E.
Published: May 2010

News is the primary source of information for the overwhelming number of people in modern mass democracies. Through news coverage, political leaders gain access to the public, providing opportunities to lead the public and set its policy agenda. Presidential news can be thought of as all stories that mention the president or only those in which the president is an important subject or actor. Most research on presidential news focuses on the national news media but good reasons exist to also study coverage in the local media. Presidents are concerned with news coverage beyond their local visits. The move toward a theory of presidential news production is presented. The article also addresses the impact of presidential news on public opinion. It concentrates on the influence of presidential news on presidential approval. The topic of the presidency and the news media is an interdisciplinary one.
Legislative Skills
Authors: Wayne Stephen J.
Published: May 2010

This article first discusses legislative skills in some detail. The internal executive policy-making and policy implementation processes drive the institutional components of the legislative presidency. The article then outlines the research on the impact of these skills on legislative policy output, and poses some substantive and methodological issues that scholars and practitioners need to address. It specifically addresses the divergence of opinion on the importance of presidents' legislative skills on policy outcomes in Congress. The limitations that the constitutional, institutional, and political systems impose on the exercise of presidential power in Congress create a variety of leadership problems for presidents. They widen the gap between promises and performance. Both president and Congress have a stake in making the system work by creating mechanisms for building policy consensus and for bridging the institutional and oftentimes political divide.
The Consequences of Divided Government
Authors: Coleman John J. , Parker David C. W.
Published: May 2010

This article starts by asking: what is the nature of political parties in a system of separated powers? It then describes the most recent empirical manifestation of that debate: does party control of government matter? It also discusses what has yet to be learned about divided government and provides some thoughts about future research directions. The policy production of the president and Congress is greater in periods of unified government. Much of the research on divided government has focused on legislative outputs. The president's use of his commander in chief powers also varies systematically depending on party control. Furthermore, it explores the avenues that may benefit research into the presidency and largely set to the side other possible research directions regarding divided government.
Connecting Interest Groups to the Presidency
Authors: Loomis Burdett A.
Published: May 2010

This article explores the core findings and trends within the patchy scholarship that links presidents, lobbying, and interest groups, and then suggests ways for scholars to construct a fuller understanding of the complex and often hidden relationships between the executive and organized interests. Within the political science literature, at least three major perspectives shape analyses of linkages between the presidency and organized interests. There is both a dearth of theory building on relationships between the presidency and organized interests, and a striking lack of information on these linkages, especially the traditional outside-in group activities. The institutions of the presidency and of organized interests represent two elephants, in reasonably close proximity.
Going Alone
Authors: Mayer Kenneth R.
Published: May 2010

This article discusses the logic of the unilateral powers model. The theory of unilateral presidential action is based on two foundational assumptions. The article also evaluates the state of empirical work on the model's predictions. Then, the unresolved questions that can motivate future research are addressed. Furthermore, a troubling implication of unilateral action theory is presented: the prediction that, over time, presidents will use unilateral action to expand the reach of presidential authority and centralize power within the White House. The theory of unilateral action depicts an institutional struggle, in which presidents compete with Congress for policy control. ‘Unilateral powers’ has become a major research agenda, with a consistent theoretical framework and a strong empirical tradition. Unilateral action raises important questions about the balance of power among the institutions of national government, and the effectiveness of congressional and judicial checks on executive energy.
Prerogative Power and Presidential Politics
Authors: Pious Richard M.
Published: May 2010

This article uses the broadest possible definition of presidential prerogative, covering all powers a president may claim from the Constitution. Prerogative politics involves the substitution of presidential fiat and unilateral action for statutory authorization and collaborative decision making. The open politics of routine domestic prerogative is fundamentally different from the closed politics of ‘high prerogative’. The assertion of prerogative leads to the institution of prerogative governance. The outcomes of prerogative governance are covered. Some insights from traditional political science literature are dealt with, and then some of the newer methodological approaches are described. Each method of advancing the study of presidential prerogative has made important contributions. The study of presidential prerogative power is likely to advance on all three fronts: through doctrinal approaches, behavioural approaches, and the use of formal modeling.
Organizational Structure and Presidential Decision Making
Authors: Burke John P.
Published: May 2010

Three important works began to capture the impact of organization upon the presidency: Richard Tanner Johnson's Managing the White House (1974), Irving Janis' Victims of Groupthink (1972), and Graham Allison's Essence of Decision (1971). Johnson's work proved important both in recognizing the different organizational patterns and in beginning to recognize the related dimension of the presidential management of them. Janis sought to demonstrate that poor policy choices were made by participants who were otherwise highly intelligent, substantively experienced, and politically sophisticated. He attributes this failure in decision outcome to a particular pathology of small groups: the emergence of ‘groupthink’. Allison's work is important as an examination of Kennedy's decision making, but it has captured enduring scholarly attention for its three models and the different explanatory light each sheds. There are a number of additional issues that merit further consideration concerning the relationship of organizational structure and presidential decision making.
Influences on Presidential Decision Making
Authors: Hult Karen M. , Walcott Charles E.
Published: May 2010

This article starts by examining the range of factors that scholars have identified as primary shapers of presidential decisions. Then, it discusses the presidential advisers who help shape the agenda, frame many of the problems, and filter much of the information presidents cope with in making decisions. An exploration of the analytical, methodological, and prescriptive dimensions of contemporary scholarship on presidential decisions and decision making is also provided. Furthermore, suggestions for future work are presented. In addition, common features and some of the disconnects and gaps in presidential decision making are described. The given data should suggest that the scholarly literature on presidential decision making is diverse and rich, yielding many insights. Even so, much work remains.
The Presidency–Bureaucracy Nexus
Authors: Khademian Anne M.
Published: May 2010

This article explores the ways in which the literature engages neutral competence and how neutral competence matters for presidential governance of the bureaucracy. It also investigates three areas of the literature: studies of the management and reorganization of the bureaucracy, studies that apply economic theory to questions of presidential influence, and studies of direct ‘unilateral’ presidential action. Then, two related research topics in the institutional presidency are reported. The article applies theories of leadership developed in the field of public administration to the study of the presidency. Moreover, the useful connections between the fields of political science and public administration are elaborated. Ambiguity as a resource for the institutional presidency rests within the grant of authority in the Constitution, as well as in the mandates, processes, and debates of the policy-making process. Presidents are affected by models of leadership that emerge from the complexities of the institutional presidency.
Judicial Checks on the President
Authors: Whittington Keith E.
Published: May 2010

This article summarizes the judicial checks on the presidency from two perspectives. The first perspective describes the doctrinal framework within which the courts consider executive power. The second addresses the theoretical and empirical research on how these judicial checks operate in practice. The three legal doctrines that are relevant to the judicial checks are described: political question doctrine, doctrinal frameworks for evaluating assertions of presidential power, and Chevron doctrine for judicial review of administrative action. There is reason to be skeptical of the judicial check on the presidency as a heroic force in American politics. The judiciary is part of the broader political system, and the courts have particularly strong ties to the presidency. The judicial check will matter more if the executive branch anticipates it and adjusts its behaviour accordingly. Theoretical and empirical investigation is further needed to elaborate whether and under what conditions the executive anticipates judicial action.
Presidents, Domestic Politics, and the International Arena
Authors: Kriner Douglas L.
Published: May 2010

Presidency scholarship on foreign policy has systematically minimized the importance of other domestic political actors in constraining presidential discretion in the international arena. When choosing their foreign policy strategies, presidents look to the partisan balance of power on Capitol Hill, anticipate the amount of leeway Congress will grant them to pursue their policy preferences, and adjust their conduct of policy making accordingly. The article then draws on literatures from within American politics and international relations to identify three mechanisms through which other domestic political actors can retain some measure of influence over the president's conduct of the nation's IR, even when they are unable to legally compel him to change course. It finally explores the ways in which political and strategic considerations moderate the capacity and willingness of Congress, the courts, and organized interests to use these mechanisms to influence presidential decision making in the international arena.
Presidents and International Cooperation
Authors: Pevehouse Jon C. W.
Published: May 2010

This article starts by briefly outlining the state of the field of international relations and domestic politics and examines how this literature has developed over the years. It also reports some of the recent literature on two-level games — i.e., the idea that presidents simultaneously play a bargaining game at the domestic level (with Congress) and at the international level (with other states). Then, new literature that links presidents to questions of international cooperation, in particular, cooperation that occurs within international organizations, is presented. The article concentrates on the core theoretical and empirical debates in the literature surrounding the presidency and international cooperation. It is suggested that presidents have incentives to limit their own policy autonomy in order to gain bargaining leverage domestically. Much of the exciting research in international relations lies at the border with American politics.
War's Contributions to Presidential Power
Authors: Howell William G. , Johnson Tana
Published: May 2010

This article traces the evolution of the argument regarding the contribution of war to presidential power, as well as its empirical record. It then provides critiques that are meant to guide future research on the topic. The close of the Vietnam War and the concurrent congressional resurgence did not silence discussions of an imperial presidency. They merely put them on hold. Future scholarship should assess the precise origins of the presumed relationship between war and presidential power, as well as the conditions under which it is more and less likely to hold. It should account for both war's benefits and costs to presidential power.
Whose Presidency Is This Anyhow?
Authors: Heclo Hugh
Published: May 2010

This article starts by discussing the growth of presidential studies. The modern presidency that was said to be represented by FDR did not generate the growth of presidential studies. There were also more substantive concerns driving the growth of presidential studies. The three currents of research are described. The first scholarly current focuses on a president's personal influence. The second strand of mainstream emphasizes presidential unilateralism. A third research current has emphasized the contingent relationship of presidential leadership to the array of political forces in different time periods. ‘Formality’ that has not been corrupted into formalism is a mark of respect. As research on the presidency has grown exponentially, the performance of presidents has, if anything, deteriorated.
Political Scientists and the Public Law Tradition
Authors: Fisher Louis
Published: May 2010

It is rare for a political scientist or historian to dissect a judicial opinion and find its legal reasoning deficient. Political scientists are unlikely to be called before a congressional committee to testify on constitutional and legal matters or even to be solicited for advice on those issues. The public debate about the legality of the war centered around comments not from attorneys or political scientists but from three historians: Henry Steele Commager, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., and Edward S. Corwin. The first two strongly supported President Harry Truman; the third did not. Commager and Schlesinger did great damage to public law by defending a war that violated basic constitutional principles. In time, they admitted their errors. Legal standards suffered also from the writings of political scientist Richard Neustadt. Political scientists have a duty to keep alive an appreciation for the values that made America unique.
The Study of Presidential Leadership
Authors: Edwards George C.
Published: May 2010

This article argues that one needs to think more rigorously about presidential leadership in order to advance its understanding. More specifically, we need to reorient the focus from one that concentrates on presidential persuasion as the core of successful leadership to one that centers on facilitating change through the recognition and exploitation of opportunities in the president's environment. The political system compels the president to attempt to lead while inhibiting his ability to do so. The most effective presidents exploit opportunities already present in their environments to achieve significant changes in public policy. It is noted that facilitators can make crucial contributions to transforming policy without performing transformational leadership. The importance of understanding leadership is discussed. Leadership remains a core concept in the study of the presidency. Fortunately, this focus of scholarship has produced good news and even better news.
The State of Research on Political Parties and Interest Groups
Authors: Maisel L. Sandy , Berry Jeffrey M.
Published: May 2010

This book addresses the literatures on political parties and on interest groups. It first presents a series of discussion on theoretical and methodological perspectives. This is followed by party history and parties in the electoral process. It then considers the party in government as well as bias and representation. The final part, on dimensions of behaviour, analyzes different interest group roles and forms of advocacy. The parties and interest group fields are dynamic and this book reflects judgments about research at a particular point in time.
Theories of Parties
Authors: Aldrich John H. , Grynaviski Jeffrey D.
Published: May 2010

This article evaluates the role of formal theory in the study of political parties. It describes the mechanisms by which two important sets of political institutions interact to give structure to political outcomes in democratic polities. It starts by describing the formal theories of electoral rules and the number of parties. It addresses how party organizations give structure to electoral competition in the context of the spatial model of elections in settings where the early impossibility results suggest that structure should not exist. Additionally, the article considers a question that links the electoral promises made by parties and candidates to the actions of parties when in office. The elucidation of the forces underlying Duverger's Law showed how political party leaders faced the rather different problem of aggregating the within-district tendencies toward two-partyism into a national two-party system.
The Evolution and Alteration of American Party Coalitions
Authors: Brewer Mark D.
Published: May 2010

This article argues that, at their most fundamental level, political parties have one primary goal: the construction of a coalition that enables them to win elections and exercise governmental power. In particular, it explores the electoral coalitions of both the Republican and Democratic parties. A heavy emphasis is placed on mapping partisan change from the 1930s to the present, explaining how and why change took place, and examining the meaning of change. The article finally provides a discussion of what this dynamic shows about electoral change, and a bit of speculation about what the partisan change of the future might look like. The Republican and Democratic parties of the early twenty-first century are very different from each other, offering Americans relatively clear policy choices across the board. These differences exist, to a certain extent, because the two parties have very different electoral coalitions.
The Road Less Taken
Authors: Shea Daniel M.
Published: May 2010

This article summarizes the seemingly paradoxical positions that party organizations have been revitalized while citizen attraction to party has declined. It also argues that recent elections have triggered a dramatic change in the electoral system, affording party organizations a unique opportunity to draw citizens into the party rubric in meaningful ways for decades to come. Party organizational resurgence can be aptly dubbed one of the great comeback stories of American politics. It is stated that service-oriented organizations grew precisely because voters abandoned partisanship. While the ‘revived’ parties of the last few decades before the 2008 election afforded candidates cutting-edge services, little of what they did fostered a sense of citizenship. The revival of party organizations over the past few decades has been impressive. The electorate stands ready to embrace a more participatory, more ideological role.
Winning Isn't Everything
Authors: Rapoport Ronald B.
Published: May 2010

This article explores the factors that allow the emergence and continuity of third parties; the factors that allow them to succeed; and finally, at the long-term effects that third parties can have on the two-party system. It also mentions both factors that ‘push’ voters away from the two major parties and those that ‘pull’ voters toward third party candidates. It then investigates the issues of party formation and then moves on to consider bases of and barriers to third party electoral success. Third party success looks rather meager if one focus on the ability of a third party to become a permanent part of the party system either by displacing a major party or by establishing itself as a significant and consistent vote getter at the highest level.
The Evolution of National Party Organizations
Authors: Herrnson Paul S.
Published: May 2010

This article describes the development of national party organizations, their relationship with other party committees, and their evolving role in contemporary elections. Changes in the parties' environment and internal governance fostered the emergence of a candidate-centered election system. The institutionalization of the national party organizations refers to their becoming fiscally solvent, organizationally stable, larger and more diversified in their staffing, and adopting professional-bureaucratic decision-making procedures. The institutionalization of the national party organizations has provided them with the resources to develop a variety of state and local party-building programs. Major national party organizational change usually occurs in response to electoral instability and political unrest. The reemergence of national party organizations has resulted in their becoming important players in twenty-first-century party politics and elections.
The Pure Partisan Institution
Authors: Shafer Byron E.
Published: May 2010

This article concentrates on national party conventions, the ‘pure partisan institutions’ of American politics. First, it identifies the convention within a conceptual framework for analyzing the evolution of the institution itself. It moves on to the practical implications of this evolution, from institutional mechanism to institutional arena. Next, it describes the politics of the contemporary institution, organized around its role as ‘infomercial’. It then explores the changing partisan content of that infomercial, in effect the substance of its message. Moreover, the nature of elite-mass linkages at the convention, as well as their contribution to this message, is addressed. The distinctions that remain among conventions, the place of the generic convention in a larger national politics, and some possible harbingers of further change are finally covered. The convention is in transition as an institution in its own right.
Activists, Influence, and Representation in American Elections
Authors: Stone Walter J.
Published: May 2010

This article describes the place of party activists in the electoral process, with attention to questions about whether and how they distort processes of electoral representation in the United States. In general elections, activists' strong partisanship is usually seen as pushing them inexorably to support their party's candidate. Furthermore a study of the 2006 midterm elections in the House of Representatives is elaborated. The effect of activist opinion in districts on incumbent position-taking and the influence of activist mobilization on incumbent vote share are reviewed. There is an increasing realization among scholars of the electoral process that activists are essential to understanding the connections between the public and candidates, party images, and processes of change. It is possible that the participation of activists contributes essentially to the health and functioning of the electoral system.
Political Parties and Consultants
Authors: Magleby David B.
Published: May 2010

This article explains the development of political consultants in American politics and the increasing interaction of consultants and political parties. It starts by reviewing the history and describing the broader role that consultants play in American politics. Next, it describes in more detail specific functions that consultants have taken over for parties and for individual campaigns. It specifically discusses the broader phenomenon of political consultants and American electoral democracy. The two major parties (the Republican Party and the Democratic Party) operate in some quite different ways while both being organized around the units of competition at the federal level. This is true not only for relationships between the three party committees for each party but also in how they interact with consultants. The disputed nexus between political consultants and weak parties is presented. Political parties have played an important coordinating function between the consultants they employ and those retained by candidates.
What a Difference Twenty-Five Years Makes
Authors: Rohde David W.
Published: May 2010

This article provides a critical overview of some major theoretical perspectives in the literature on party leadership, organization, and activity in the US House from the 1970s on. It then addresses a few of the major issues raised in this work in more detail, and describes some avenues for future research that can build on the solid foundation recent work has offered. The Democratic majority in the House established a series of institutional reforms between 1970 and 1976. Cartel theory gave the greatest attention to negative agenda power. This theory also expected that some features of legislative organization would vary with the homogeneity of preferences within the majority party, and some features would be invariant, and the existence of this constant minimum of party power is the principal difference between the theories.
The Mobilization and Influence of Business Interests
Authors: Smith Mark A.
Published: May 2010

This article provides a discussion on mobilization and the effect of business interests, emphasizing American domestic politics. One major area of research involves questions over why and when business participates in politics. Participation could involve several different kinds of behaviours. The forms and magnitude of business influence in politics raise questions of interest not only to political scientists but also to the public at large. Four books, by David Vogel (1989), Frank Baumgartner and Bryan Jones (1993), Mark Smith (2000), and Sheldon Kamieniecki (2006), offer two lasting lessons for future research on business influence. These books nevertheless provide an important perspective for future research on business and politics to consider.
The Comparative Advantage of State Interest Organization Research
Authors: Lowery David , Gray Virginia
Published: May 2010

This article provides a contrast between the ‘explosion of large-n studies’ and the more modest progress in theory building and hypothesis testing in research on state-level interest groups. It explores the recent dialogue between theory and empirical analysis on the politics of interest representation. It also argues that examination of the states offers critical advantages over studying the interest system of the US or other national governments. The comparative advantages of the states are reported in some detail. Moreover, the article examines several leading research themes uniquely originating in contemporary state politics research and how these have influenced or should influence interest group scholarship more generally. It is clear that the state literature is no longer so isolated from the more general research program on interest organizations.
Interest Groups and Agendas
Authors: Baumgartner Frank R.
Published: May 2010

This article starts by paying homage to E. E. Schattschneider, crediting him with initiating the study of interest groups and agenda building. Schattschneider shows a sense that the groups of voters were clearly unfair. There is little evidence that the system's elitist character is due to harsh boundary setting or active efforts to exclude; rather, the bias comes from the fact that some segments of society mobilize powerfully and speak with amplified voices and others mobilize little or not at all. Schattschneider's dual observations about groups and agendas have been at the core of subfield for almost fifty years now and there is no reason to abandon these important questions. Assessing the roles of groups in affecting what policymakers in Washington hear about is sobering.
Components of the Pseudomonas syringae Type III Secretion System Can Suppress and May Elicit Plant Innate Immunity
Authors: Oh Hye-Sook , Park Duck Hwan , Collmer Alan
Published: May 2010

The type III secretion system (T3SS) of Pseudomonas syringae translocates into plant cells multiple effectors that suppress pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI). P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 no longer delivers the T3SS translocation reporter AvrPto-Cya in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue in which PTI was induced by prior inoculation with P. fluorescens(pLN18). Cosmid pLN18 expresses the T3SS system of P. syringae pv. syringae 61 but lacks the hopA1Psy61 effector gene. P. fluorescens(pLN18) expressing HrpHPtoDC3000 or HopP1PtoDC3000, two T3SS-associated putative lytic transglycosylases, suppresses PTI, based on multiple assays involving DC3000 challenge inoculum (AvrPto-Cya translocation, hypersensitive response elicitation, and colony development in planta) or on plant responses (vascular dye uptake or callose deposition). Analysis of additional mutations in pHIR11 derivatives revealed that the pLN18-encoded T3SS elicits a higher level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than does P. fluorescens without a T3SS, that enhanced ROS production is dependent on the HrpK1 translocator, and that HopA1Psy61 suppresses ROS elicitation attributable to both the P. fluorescens PAMPs and the presence of a functional T3SS.
Infection-Specific Activation of the Medicago truncatula Enod11 Early Nodulin Gene Promoter During Actinorhizal Root Nodulation
Authors: Svistoonoff Sergio , Sy Mame-Ourèye , Diagne Nathalie , Barker David G. , Bogusz Didier , Franche Claudine
Published: May 2010

The MtEnod11 gene from Medicago truncatula is widely used as an early infection-related molecular marker for endosymbiotic associations involving both rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In this article, heterologous expression of the MtEnod11 promoter has been studied in two actinorhizal trees, Casuarina glauca and Allocasuarina verticillata. Transgenic C. glauca and A. verticillata expressing a ProMtEnod11::β-glucuronidase (gus) fusion were generated and the activation of the transgene investigated in the context of the symbiotic associations with the N-fixing actinomycete Frankia and both endo- and ectomycorrhizal fungi (Glomus intraradices and Pisolithus albus, respectively). ProMtEnod11::gus expression was observed in root hairs, prenodules, and nodules and could be correlated with the infection of plant cells by Frankia spp. However, no activation of the gus reporter gene was detected prior to infection or in response to either rhizobial Nod factors or the wasp venom peptide MAS-7. Equally, ProMtEnod11::gus expression was not elicited during the symbiotic associations with either ecto- or endomycorrhizal fungi. These observations suggest that, although there is a conservation of gene regulatory pathways between legumes and actinorhizal plants in cells accommodating endosymbiotic N-fixing bacteria, the events preceding bacterial infection or related to mycorrhization appear to be less conserved.
Rhizobial Adaptation to Hosts, a New Facet in the Legume Root-Nodule Symbiosis
Authors: Koch Marion , Delmotte Nathanaël , Rehrauer Hubert , Vorholt Julia A. , Pessi Gabriella , Hennecke Hauke
Published: May 2010

Rhizobia are able to infect legume roots, elicit root nodules, and live therein as endosymbiotic, nitrogen-fixing bacteroids. Host recognition and specificity are the results of early programming events in bacteria and plants, in which important signal molecules play key roles. Here, we introduce a new aspect of this symbiosis: the adaptive response to hosts. This refers to late events in bacteroids in which specific genes are transcribed and translated that help the endosymbionts to meet the disparate environmental requirements imposed by the hosts in which they live. The host-adaptation concept was elaborated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and three different legumes (soybean, cowpea, and siratro). Transcriptomes and proteomes in root-nodule bacteroids were analyzed and compared, and genes and proteins were identified which are specifically induced in only one of the three hosts. We focused on those determinants that were congruent in the two data sets of host-specific transcripts and proteins: seven for soybean, five for siratro, and two for cowpea. One gene cluster for a predicted ABC-type transporter, differentially expressed in siratro, was deleted in B. japonicum. The respective mutant had a symbiotic defect on siratro rather than on soybean or cowpea. This result demonstrates the value of the applied approach and corroborates the host-specific adaptation concept.
Phloem Protein Partners of Cucurbit aphid borne yellows virus: Possible Involvement of Phloem Proteins in Virus Transmission by Aphids
Authors: Bencharki B. , Boissinot S. , Revollon S. , Ziegler-Graff V. , Erdinger M. , Wiss L. , Dinant S. , Renard D. , Beuve M. , Lemaitre-Guillier C. , Brault V.
Published: May 2010

Poleroviruses are phytoviruses strictly transmitted by phloem-feeding aphids in a circulative and nonpropagative mode. During ingestion, aphids sample virions in sieve tubes along with sap. Therefore, any sap protein bound to virions will be acquired by the insects and could potentially be involved in the transmission process. By developing in vitro virus-overlay assays on sap proteins collected from cucumber, we observed that approximately 20 proteins were able to bind to purified particles of Cucurbit aphid borne yellows virus (CABYV). Among them, eight proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The role of two candidates belonging to the PP2-like family (predominant lectins found in cucurbit sap) in aphid transmission was further pursued by using purified orthologous PP2 proteins from Arabidopsis. Addition of these proteins to the virus suspension in the aphid artificial diet greatly increased virus transmission rate. This shift was correlated with an increase in the number of viral genomes in insect cells and with an increase of virion stability in vitro. Surprisingly, increase of the virus transmission rate was also monitored after addition of unrelated proteins in the aphid diet, suggesting that any soluble protein at sufficiently high concentration in the diet and acquired together with virions could stimulate virus transmission.
Importance of Volume and Concentration for Ropivacaine Interscalene Block in Preventing Recovery Room Pain and Minimizing Motor Block after Shoulder Surgery
Authors: Fredrickson Michael J. , Smith Katherine R. , Wong Andrew C.
Published: May 2010

Background

This three-staged study estimated the volume and concentration of interscalene ropivacaine that would prevent recovery room pain after shoulder surgery under general anesthesia.

Methods

Stages 1/2: Interscalene catheter administration of ropivacaine was by a 10% incremental up-down sequential manner depending on the presence of recovery room pain in the previous patient. Stage 1: Ropivacaine (0.5% volume) was varied from 30 ml. Stage 2: Ropivacaine (20 ml, the ED(volume)95 estimate from stage 1) concentration was varied from 0.45%. Stage 3: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive 30 ml of ropivacaine, 0.5% ("conventional dose"), or 20 ml of ropivacaine, 0.375% (the estimated ED(volume+concentration)95 from stages 1/2). A postoperative elastomeric infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine (2 ml/h) was administered. Grip strength was measured in the recovery room and time to first pain at 24 h.

Results

Stage 1 (n = 34): Ropivacaine 0.5% ED(volume)50/ED(volume)95 (95% CI) estimates were 2.7/20.5 ml (2.4-9.5/17.3-25.8). Stage 2 (n = 29): Ropivacaine 20 ml ED(concentration)50/ED(concentration)95 (95% CI) estimates were 0.15/0.34% (0.13-0.30/0.29-0.43). The ED(dose)50 was similar for stages 1/2 (13.5 vs. 30 mg), but the ED(dose)95 was higher for stage 1 (102.5 vs. 68 mg). Stage 3 (n = 40): Satisfaction (0-10) was modestly higher for the new/lower dose (median [interquartile range] = 10 [10-10] versus 9 [8-10], P = 0.007). Pooled data regression analysis showed that increasing ropivacaine concentration increased grip weakness but not block duration.

Conclusions

Ropivacaine interscalene block requires a threshold volume and concentration, with concentration primarily determining motor block. When combined with continuous blockade, suprathreshold ropivacaine doses do not significantly prolong primary block duration but may compromise patient satisfaction.
Role of 70-kDa Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinase, Nitric Oxide Synthase, Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β, and Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore in Desflurane-induced Postconditioning in Isolated Human Right Atria
Authors: Lemoine Sandrine , Zhu Lan , Beauchef Gallic , Lepage Olivier , Babatasi Gérard , Ivascau Caline , Massetti Massimo , Galera Philippe , Gérard Jean-Louis , Hanouz Jean-Luc
Published: May 2010

Background

Desflurane during early reperfusion has been shown to postcondition human myocardium. Whether it involves "reperfusion injury salvage kinase" pathway remains incompletely studied. The authors tested the involvement of 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase, nitric oxide synthase, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3beta, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore in desflurane-induced postconditioning.

Methods

The authors recorded isometric contraction of human right atrial trabeculae suspended in an oxygenated Tyrode's solution (34 degrees C, stimulation frequency 1 Hz). After a 30-min hypoxic period, desflurane 6% was administered during the first 5 min of reoxygenation. Desflurane was administered alone or with pretreatment of rapamycin, a 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and atractyloside, the mitochondrial permeability transition pore opener. GSK-3beta inhibitor VII was administered during the first few minutes of reoxygenation alone or in the presence of desflurane 6%, rapamycin, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, and atractyloside. Developed force at the end of a 60-min reoxygenation period was compared (mean +/- SD). Phosphorylation of GSK-3beta was measured using blotting.

Results

Desflurane 6% (84 +/- 4% of baseline) enhanced the recovery of force after 60 min of reoxygenation when compared with the control group (54 +/- 4%, P < 0.0001). Rapamycin (68 +/- 8% of baseline), NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (57 +/- 8%), atractyloside (52 +/- 7%) abolished desflurane-induced postconditioning (P < 0.001). GSK-3beta inhibitor-induced postconditioning (84 +/- 5%, P < 0.0001 vs. control) was not modified by desflurane (78 +/- 6%), rapamycin (81 +/- 6%), and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (82 +/- 10%), but it was abolished by atractyloside (49 +/- 6%). Desflurane increased the phosphorylation of GSK-3beta (3.30 +/- 0.57-fold increase in desflurane vs. control; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

In vitro, desflurane-induced postconditioning protects human myocardium through the activation of 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase, nitric oxide synthase, inhibition, and phosphorylation of GSK-3beta, and preventing mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening.
Isoflurane Causes Greater Neurodegeneration Than an Equivalent Exposure of Sevoflurane in the Developing Brain of Neonatal Mice
Authors: Liang Ge , Ward Christopher , Peng Jun , Zhao Yifan , Huang Baosheng , Wei Huafeng
Published: May 2010

Background

We hypothesized that isoflurane has a greater potency to induce neurodegeneration than sevoflurane in the developing brains of neonatal mice based on our previous studies in cell culture.

Methods

We treated 7-day-old mice with either 0.75% isoflurane or 1.1% sevoflurane ( approximately 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration) for 6 h and then obtained blood and brain samples at 2 h after the anesthesia treatment for determination of neuroapoptosis in different brain regions and the neurodegenerative biomarker S100beta in the blood. The mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by isoflurane or sevoflurane were also compared by determining protein expressions of the cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins. In separate groups, memory and learning ability were evaluated through the use of Morris Water Maze testing in mice at postnatal day 42 after anesthesia treatment at postnatal day 7.

Results

Isoflurane but not sevoflurane significantly increased the neurodegenerative biomarker S100beta in the blood. Isoflurane treatments significantly increased apoptosis indicated by the activation of caspase-3 and elevation of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase in different brain regions. An equipotent exposure of sevoflurane tended to increase apoptosis in hippocampal and cortex areas but was significantly less potent than isoflurane. Neither isoflurane nor sevoflurane significantly changed protein levels of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, beta-site amyloid beta-precursor protein-cleaving enzyme, and cell cycle regulatory proteins (CDK4, cyclin D1). Isoflurane and sevoflurane at the selected exposures did not significantly alter memory and learning ability.

Conclusion

At equipotent exposures, isoflurane has a greater potency than sevoflurane to cause neurodegeneration in the developing brains of neonatal mice.
A global network of coexisting microbes from environmental and whole-genome sequence data
Authors: Chaffron Samuel , Rehrauer Hubert , Pernthaler Jakob , von Mering Christian
Published: May 2010

Microbes are the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth. In contrast to macroscopic organisms, their environmental preferences and ecological interdependencies remain difficult to assess, requiring laborious molecular surveys at diverse sampling sites. Here, we present a global meta-analysis of previously sampled microbial lineages in the environment. We grouped publicly available 16S ribosomal RNA sequences into operational taxonomic units at various levels of resolution and systematically searched these for co-occurrence across environments. Naturally occurring microbes, indeed, exhibited numerous, significant interlineage associations. These ranged from relatively specific groupings encompassing only a few lineages, to larger assemblages of microbes with shared habitat preferences. Many of the coexisting lineages were phylogenetically closely related, but a significant number of distant associations were observed as well. The increased availability of completely sequenced genomes allowed us, for the first time, to search for genomic correlates of such ecological associations. Genomes from coexisting microbes tended to be more similar than expected by chance, both with respect to pathway content and genome size, and outliers from these trends are discussed. We hypothesize that groupings of lineages are often ancient, and that they may have significantly impacted on genome evolution.
Clinical trial: vitamin D3 treatment in Crohn’s disease – a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Jørgensen S. P. , Agnholt J. , Glerup H. , Lyhne S. , Villadsen G. E. , Hvas C. L. , Bartels L. E. , Kelsen J. , Christensen L. A. , Dahlerup J. F.
Published: May 2010

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 377–383

Background  Vitamin D has immune‐regulatory functions in experimental colitis, and low vitamin D levels are present in Crohn’s disease.

Aim  To assess the effectiveness of vitamin D3 treatment in Crohn’s disease with regard to improved disease course.

Methods  We performed a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial to assess the benefits of oral vitamin D3 treatment in Crohn’s disease. We included 108 patients with Crohn’s disease in remission, of which fourteen were excluded later. Patients were randomized to receive either 1200 IU vitamin D3 (n = 46) or placebo (n = 48) once daily during 12 months. The primary endpoint was clinical relapse.

Results  Oral vitamin D3 treatment with 1200 IU daily increased serum 25OHD from mean 69 nmol/L [standard deviation (s.d.) 31 nmol/L] to mean 96 nmol/L (s.d. 27 nmol/L) after 3 months (P < 0.001). The relapse rate was lower among patients treated with vitamin D3 (6/46 or 13%) than among patients treated with placebo (14/48 or 29%), (P = 0.06).

Conclusions  Oral supplementation with 1200 IE vitamin D3 significantly increased serum vitamin D levels and insignificantly reduced the risk of relapse from 29% to 13%, (P = 0.06). Given that vitamin D3 treatment might be effective in Crohn’s disease, we suggest larger studies to elucidate this matter further. ClinicalTrial.gov(NCT00122184).
Effects of desmopressin on platelet function under conditions of hypothermia and acidosis: an in vitro study using multiple electrode aggregometry*
Authors: Hanke A. A. , Dellweg C. , Kienbaum P. , Weber C. F. , Görlinger K. , Rahe‐Meyer N.
Published: May 2010

Hypothermia and acidosis lead to an impairment of coagulation. It has been demonstrated that desmopressin improves platelet function under hypothermia. We tested platelet function ex vivo during hypothermia and acidosis. Blood samples were taken from 12 healthy subjects and assigned as follows: normal pH, pH 7.2, and pH 7.0, each with and without incubation with desmopressin. Platelet aggregation was assessed by multiple electrode aggregometry. Baseline was normal pH and 36 °C. The other samples were incubated for 30 min and measured at 32 °C. Acidosis significantly impaired aggregation. Desmopressin significantly increased aggregability during hypothermia and acidosis regardless of pH, but did not return it to normal values at low pH. During acidosis and hypothermia, acidosis should be corrected first; desmopressin can then be administered to improve platelet function as a bridge until normothermia can be achieved.