bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The faceless encounter: ethical dilemmas in telephone nursing
Authors: Holmström Inger , Höglund Anna T
Published: September 2007

Aim.  This paper aims to present the findings of a study designed to describe ethical dilemmas, in the form of conflicting values, norms and interests, which telenurses experience in their work.

Background.  Telephone nursing is an expanding part of health care. Telephone nurses in Sweden assess care needs, provide advice, support and information, and recommend and coordinate healthcare resources. Lately, ethical demands on healthcare professionals in general have increased. The reasons include new biomedical competence, an ageing population and constrained resources which have made priority setting a primary concern for doctors and nurses. When ethical problems arise, colleagues need open dialogue. Despite this, nurses lack such a dialogue.

Method.  A purposeful sample of 12 female telenurses in Sweden was interviewed twice during 2004 and 2005. The transcribed interviews were analysed thematically.

Results.  Five themes were found: talking through a third party; discussing personal and sensitive problems over the phone; insufficient resources and the organization of health care; balancing callers’ information needs with professional responsibility; and differences in judging the caller's credibility.

Conclusion.  The present study has identified five different themes in which Swedish telenurses experience ethical dilemmas in their work. This shows how ethical dilemmas in various forms are present in telenursing. Questions of autonomy, integrity and prioritizing are particularly highlighted by the participating nurses. Telenurses in Sweden also experience new ethical demands due to a multicultural society. Although several of the identified dilemmas also occur in other areas of nursing we argue that these situations are particularly challenging in telenursing.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The work organization should provide opportunities for ethical competence‐building, where ethical dilemmas in telenursing are highlighted and discussed. Such a strategy might lead to decreased moral uncertainty and distress among telenurses, with positive consequences for callers.
National survey on edentulism and its geographic distribution, among Mexicans 18 years of age and older (with emphasis in WHO age groups)
Authors: MEDINA‐SOLÍS C. E. , PÉREZ‐NÚÑEZ R. , MAUPOMÉ G. , AVILA‐BURGOS L. , PONTIGO‐LOYOLA A. P. , PATIÑO‐MARÍN N. , VILLALOBOS‐RODELO J. J.
Published: September 2007

Summary To determine the prevalence of edentulism in adults aged 18 years and older in Mexico and to describe its distribution in 20 of the 32 States in Mexico, highlighting the experience in the WHO age groups. A secondary analysis of the National Performance Evaluation Survey 2002–2003 (representative at the state level and part of the Word Health Survey) was undertaken. The sample design was probabilistic, stratified and through conglomerates. Data on dental conditions were available only for 20 of the 32 states of Mexico, leading to a total of 24 159 households (N = 54 638 654). The percentage of edentulism was determined as the proportion of subjects that self‐reported complete loss of teeth. Data were analyzed using the SVY module for complex surveys in STATA 8·2®. The mean age was 41·3 ± 17·0 years (range 18–99). An estimated 6·3% (N = 3 437 816) of the population ≥18 years was edentulous. Lowest prevalences were observed in the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla and the Estado de Mexico with 3·4%, 3·8% and 4·5%, respectively. Highest prevalences were observed in San Luis Potosí, Colima, and Michoacán with 10·3%, 10·2% and 10·1%, respectively. Following the WHO age groups, the prevalence ranged from 2·4% in the 35–44 group through 25·5% in the 65–74 group. No obvious association between socio‐economic and socio‐demographic indicators at the state level and prevalence of edentulism was found. The prevalence of complete tooth loss observed in the present study varied greatly across states, although no straightforward association was found with socio‐economic and socio‐demographic indicators at the state level. This study could serve as a baseline to enable future evaluations of the oral status of Mexican adults and elders, following WHO age groups.
Tooth loss and prosthodontic rehabilitation among 35‐ to 44‐year‐old Iranians
Authors: HESSARI H. , VEHKALAHTI M. M. , EGHBAL M. J. , MURTOMAA H.
Published: September 2007

Summary  This study aimed to investigate the frequency of tooth loss and the magnitude of prosthodontic rehabilitation based on socio‐demographic information among 35‐ to 44‐year‐old Iranians. Data (n = 8240) were collected by 33 examiners as part of a national survey using WHO criteria for sampling and clinical diagnosis. Gender, age, place of residence and level of education served as socio‐demographic information. The number of teeth, functional dentition (subjects with 20 or more teeth) and prosthodontic rehabilitation were used as clinical variables. The chi‐square test and logistic regression analysis were the methods of statistical evaluation. Of all subjects, 3% were edentulous. Of dentate subjects, 3% had 1–9 teeth, 21% had 10–19 teeth, 37% had 20–24 teeth and 39% had 25–28 teeth. In total, 76% of dentate subjects enjoyed a functional dentition. Among dentate subjects, 11% of the men and 16% of the women had prosthodontic rehabilitation with higher figures (P < 0·001) among women, older subjects and urban residents. Having a functional dentition was more likely among those with higher levels of education [odds ratios (OR) = 1·8, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1·6–2·1]. Women (OR = 2·4, 95% CI = 1·8–3·0) and urban residents (OR = 2·4, 95% CI = 1·8–3·3) were the most likely groups to have prosthodontic rehabilitation. Having prosthodontic rehabilitation was more likely among those lacking a functional dentition (OR = 6·0, 95% CI = 4·8–7·6). The greatest unmet treatment needs were found among those without a functional dentition. Functional dentition should be set as a primary oral health goal among working‐age adults.
Discovering new treatments for sensitive teeth: the long path from biology to therapy
Authors: MARKOWITZ K. , PASHLEY D. H.
Published: September 2007

Summary  Tooth sensitivity is a common dental pain condition where sufferers experience brief episodes of sharp well‐localized pain when their teeth are subjected innocuous stimuli such as cold, air‐currents and probing with a metallic instrument. In this review, we will make no attempt to describe all the treatments that have been developed to treat tooth sensitivity. We will review the basic anatomic and physiological mechanisms responsible for sensitivity. The insights into the dental lesions responsible for tooth sensitivity, as well as the physiological processes linking stimuli and pain generation have suggested several treatments and preventive strategies. Unfortunately, many tooth sensitivity treatments fail to perform better than placebos in clinical trials that seek to assess the effect of agents on pain symptoms. In the case of the most commonly used self‐applied desensitizing agent, potassium salts, the mechanism of action established by laboratory and animal models may not apply to clinical use. Thus results obtained with laboratory and animal models must be applied with care to clinical use. Clinical literature suggests that tooth sensitivity is the symptomatic manifestation of significant dental problems, such as wear and other forms of non‐carious tooth structure loss. These conditions are increasing in frequency as people age, retaining their natural teeth longer. They are frequently the consequences of aggressive oral hygiene practices and diets rich in acids. Treatments directed at the underlying causes rather than the symptoms of tooth sensitivity would hinder the development of these lesions and provide researchers with objective targets for assessing therapeutic efficacy.
The genealogy and genetic viability of reintroduced Yellowstone grey wolves
Authors: VONHOLDT BRIDGETT M. , STAHLER DANIEL R. , SMITH DOUGLAS W. , EARL DENT A. , POLLINGER JOHN P. , WAYNE ROBERT K.
Published: September 2007

The recovery of the grey wolf in Yellowstone National Park is an outstanding example of a successful reintroduction. A general question concerning reintroduction is the degree to which genetic variation has been preserved and the specific behavioural mechanisms that enhance the preservation of genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding. We have analysed 200 Yellowstone wolves, including all 31 founders, for variation in 26 microsatellite loci over the 10‐year reintroduction period (1995–2004). The population maintained high levels of variation (1995 H0 = 0.69; 2004 H0 = 0.73) with low levels of inbreeding (1995FIS = –0.063; 2004FIS = –0.051) and throughout, the population expanded rapidly (N1995 = 21;N2004 = 169). Pedigree‐based effective population size ratios did not vary appreciably over the duration of population expansion (1995Ne/Ng = 0.29; 2000Ne/Ng = 0.26; 2004Ne/Ng = 0.33). We estimated kinship and found only two of 30 natural breeding pairs showed evidence of being related (averager = –0.026, SE = 0.03). We reconstructed the genealogy of 200 wolves based on genetic and field data and discovered that they avoid inbreeding through a wide variety of behavioural mechanisms including absolute avoidance of breeding with related pack members, male‐biased dispersal to packs where they breed with nonrelatives, and female‐biased subordinate breeding. We documented a greater diversity of such population assembly patterns in Yellowstone than previously observed in any other natural wolf population. Inbreeding avoidance is nearly absolute despite the high probability of within‐pack inbreeding opportunities and extensive interpack kinship ties between adjacent packs. Simulations showed that the Yellowstone population has levels of genetic variation similar to that of a population managed for high variation and low inbreeding, and greater than that expected for random breeding within packs or across the entire breeding pool. Although short‐term losses in variation seem minimal, future projections of the population at carrying capacity suggest significant inbreeding depression will occur without connectivity and migratory exchange with other populations.
Tracing the first step to speciation: ecological and genetic differentiation of a salamander population in a small forest
Authors: STEINFARTZ SEBASTIAN , WEITERE MARKUS , TAUTZ DIETHARD
Published: September 2007

Mechanisms and processes of ecologically driven adaptive speciation are best studied in natural situations where the splitting process is still occurring, i.e. before complete reproductive isolation is achieved. Here, we present a case of an early stage of adaptive differentiation under sympatric conditions in the fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra, that allows inferring the underlying processes for the split. Larvae of S. salamandra normally mature in small streams until metamorphosis, but in an old, continuous forest area near Bonn (the Kottenforst), we found salamander larvae not only in small streams but also in shallow ponds, which are ecologically very different from small streams. Common‐environment experiments with larvae from both habitat types reveal specific adaptations to these different ecological conditions. Mitochondrial and microsatellite analyses show that the two ecologically differentiated groups also show signs of genetic differentiation. A parallel analysis of animals from a neighbouring much larger forest area (the Eifel), in which larvae mature only in streams, shows no signs of genetic differentiation, indicating that gene flow between ecologically similar types can occur over large distances. Hence, geographical factors cannot explain the differential larval habitat adaptations in the Kottenforst, in particular since adult life and mating of S. salamandra is strictly terrestrial and not associated with larval habitats. We propose therefore that the evolution of these adaptations was coupled with the evolution of cues for assortative mating which would be in line with models of sympatric speciation that suggest a co‐evolution of habitat adaptations and associated mating signals.
A Pseudomonas aeruginosa transcription factor that senses fatty acid structure
Authors: Zhang Yong‐Mei , Zhu Kun , Frank Matthew W. , Rock Charles O.
Published: September 2007

Cells regulate their membrane phospholipid biophysical properties by the co‐ordinated synthesis of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In bacteria, unsaturated fatty acids are produced by the de novo fatty acid biosynthetic pathway anaerobically, or by oxidative desaturation of the existing fatty acids catalysed by desaturases. A transcriptional repressor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, DesT (PA4890), regulates the expression of an acyl‐CoA desaturase operon (desCB, PA4889 and PA4888). The desCB operon is located adjacent to desT and is transcribed in the opposite direction. The expression level of desCB is strongly and selectively upregulated in a ΔdesT‐deletion strain. Both electrophoresis mobility shift assay and DNase I footprinting analysis demonstrated the existence of two DesT binding sites in the desT–desCB promoter region, P1 and P2. The binding of purified DesT to P2 was enhanced by unsaturated acyl‐CoAs, whereas saturated acyl‐CoAs prevented DesT interaction with P2. The biological importance of this interaction was verified by the upregulation of desCB and desT in cells grown in the presence of stearate and their repression when oleate was present. This unique ligand selectivity allows DesT to sense the physical properties of the cellular acyl‐CoA pool and modulate the expression of the acyl‐CoA Δ9‐desaturase system to adjust fatty acid desaturation activity accordingly.
Timing of sperm transfer in Diacamma pallidum
Authors: ALLARD DIANE , GOBIN BRUNO , BILLEN JOHAN
Published: September 2007

Abstract Diacamma species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) differ from other ants by the extremely long duration of copulation. By using histological sections through mating pairs of Diacamma pallidum (F. Smith), it is demonstrated that the transfer of sperm to the female genital tract only takes 2 min and is completed quickly after the onset of copulation, although the male and female will remain connected for many hours. Next to the two traditional hypotheses of mate guarding and mate manipulation commonly invoked to explain prolonged copulations, a new hypothesis is proposed linked to the interference of the nestmate workers with the mating pair, and suggestions for further research are given.
Techniques to measure grain‐size distributions of loamy sediments: a comparative study of ten instruments for wet analysis
Authors: GOOSSENS DIRK
Published: September 2007

Ten instruments for measuring the grain‐size distribution of loamy sediments in water were tested in a comparative study. Instruments tested were: the Malvern Mastersizer S, the Coulter LS 200, the Fritsch Analysette 22 (version C), the Horiba Partica LA‐950, the Sedigraph 5100, the Atterberg cylinder, the Coulter Multisizer 3, the CIS‐100, the EyeTech and the image analysis software Histolab. The first four instruments use laser diffraction. The Sedigraph and Atterberg cylinder are based on sedimentation. The Coulter Multisizer 3 uses impedance measurements and the last three instruments use optical techniques. Grain‐size analyses were carried out on four sediments with median grain diameters of approximately 35, 30, 12 and 9 μm, respectively, and with no particles >90 μm. The laser diffraction instruments produced the best results for the various criteria considered in this study, followed by the Coulter Multisizer 3 (electrical sensing zone technique), the sedimentation techniques and the optical methods. However, the study also showed that there is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ method because techniques may score differently according to the criterion tested. An appropriate evaluation thus requires that various criteria be considered. Issues to be taken into account are: type of sediment, quantity of sediment available, speed of measurement, complexity of the measurement protocol, processing of the data, reproducibility of the results and the specific aims of the study undertaken.
The ancient subclasses of Arabidopsis ACTIN DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR genes exhibit novel and differential expression
Authors: Ruzicka Daniel R. , Kandasamy Muthugapatti K. , McKinney Elizabeth C. , Burgos‐Rivera Brunilis , Meagher Richard B.
Published: September 2007

The Actin Depolymerizing Factor (ADF) gene family of Arabidopsis thaliana encodes 11 functional protein isovariants in four ancient subclasses. We report the characterization of the tissue‐specific and developmental expression of all Arabidopsis ADF genes and the subcellular localization of several protein isovariants. The four subclasses exhibited distinct expression patterns as examined by qRT‐PCR and histochemical assays of a GUS reporter gene under the control of individual ADF regulatory sequences. Subclass I ADFs were expressed strongly and constitutively in all vegetative and reproductive tissues except pollen. Subclass II ADFs were expressed specifically in mature pollen and pollen tubes or root epidermal trichoblast cells and root hairs, and these patterns evolved from an ancient dual expression pattern comprised of both polar tip growth cell types, still observed in the monocot Oryza sativa. Subclass III ADFs were expressed weakly in vegetative tissues, but were strongest in fast growing and/or differentiating cells including callus, emerging leaves, and meristem regions. The single subclass IV ADF was constitutively expressed at moderate levels in all tissues, including pollen. Immunocytochemical analysis with subclass‐specific monoclonal antibodies demonstrated that subclass I isovariants localize to both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of leaf cells, while subclass II isovariants predominantly localize to the cytoplasm at the tip region of elongating root hairs and pollen tubes. The distinct expression patterns of the ADF subclasses support a model of ADF s co‐evolving with the ancient and divergent actin isovariants.
PRR7 protein levels are regulated by light and the circadian clock in Arabidopsis
Authors: Farré Eva M. , Kay Steve A.
Published: September 2007

Interlocking transcriptional loops and regulated protein degradation are the principal mechanisms involved in the generation of self‐sustaining circadian rhythms in many organisms. In Arabidopsis the first proposed regulatory transcriptional loop involved the transcription factors CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) and the pseudo‐response regulator TIMING OF CHLOROPHYLL A/B BINDING PROTEIN (TOC1/PRR1). Recent findings indicate that the TOC1 homologues PRR7 and PRR9 might also be involved in transcriptional regulatory loops with CCA1 and LHY. In this study we show that the overexpression of PRR7 in Arabidopsis leads to severely compromised circadian rhythms. These transgenic lines display significantly reduced levels of CCA1 and LHY RNA, providing further evidence for a transcriptional feedback loop between PRR7 and these transcription factors. In addition, we show that the PRR7 protein is phosphorylated in a circadian regulated manner and that its levels are post‐translationally regulated by both diurnal and circadian mechanisms. The Arabidopsis circadian oscillator is therefore likely to be entrained to light/dark cycles both through transcriptional and post‐transcriptional mechanisms.
The Pseudomonas syringae type III effector tyrosine phosphatase HopAO1 suppresses innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Underwood William , Zhang Shuqun , He Sheng Y.
Published: September 2007

The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) strain DC3000 infects tomato and Arabidopsis plants, and is a model for studying the molecular basis of bacterial disease. Pst DC3000 secretes a battery of largely uncharacterized effector proteins into host cells via a type‐III secretion system (TTSS). Little is currently known about the molecular mechanisms by which individual TTSS effectors promote virulence. The effector HopAO1 has similarity to protein tyrosine phosphatases, including a conserved catalytic site, and suppresses the hypersensitive response (HR) in some non‐host plants. Whether HopAO1 has a similar effect in the host Arabidopsis is not clear. Here, we show that transgenic expression of HopAO1 in Arabidopsis suppresses callose deposition elicited by the Pst DC3000 hrpA mutant, and allows the normally non‐pathogenic hrpA mutant to multiply within the leaf tissue. HopAO1 also suppresses resistance to Pst DC3000 induced by flg22, a pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP). However, HopAO1 does not suppress the HR triggered by several classical avirulence genes. These results suggest that HopAO1 targets primarily PAMP‐induced innate immunity in Arabidopsis. The virulence function of HopAO1 is dependent on an intact phosphatase catalytic site, as transgenic plants expressing a catalytically inactive derivative do not show these effects. Intriguingly, expression of the catalytically inactive HopAO1 has a dominant‐negative effect on the function of the wild‐type HopAO1. Analysis of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity suggests that HopAO1 targets a step downstream or independent of MAPK activation. Genome‐wide expression analysis revealed that expression of several well‐known defense genes was suppressed in hrpA mutant‐infected HopAO1 transgenic plants.
Two genes in Arabidopsis thaliana encoding GDP‐l‐galactose phosphorylase are required for ascorbate biosynthesis and seedling viability
Authors: Dowdle John , Ishikawa Takahiro , Gatzek Stephan , Rolinski Susanne , Smirnoff Nicholas
Published: September 2007

Plants synthesize ascorbate from guanosine diphosphate (GDP)‐mannose via l‐galactose/l‐gulose, although uronic acids have also been proposed as precursors. Genes encoding all the enzymes of the GDP‐mannose pathway have previously been identified, with the exception of the step that converts GDP‐l‐galactose to l‐galactose 1‐P. We show that a GDP‐l‐galactose phosphorylase, encoded by the Arabidopsis thaliana VTC2 gene, catalyses this step in the ascorbate biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, a homologue of VTC2, At5g55120, encodes a second GDP‐l‐galactose phosphorylase with similar properties to VTC2. Two At5g55120 T‐DNA insertion mutants (vtc5‐1 and vtc5‐2) have 80% of the wild‐type ascorbate level. Double mutants were produced by crossing the loss‐of‐function vtc2‐1 mutant with each of the two vtc5 alleles. These show growth arrest immediately upon germination and the cotyledons subsequently bleach. Normal growth was restored by supplementation with ascorbate or l‐galactose, indicating that both enzymes are necessary for ascorbate generation. vtc2‐1 leaves contain more mannose 6‐P than wild‐type. We conclude that the GDP‐mannose pathway is the only significant source of ascorbate in A. thaliana seedlings, and that ascorbate is essential for seedling growth. A. thaliana leaves accumulate more ascorbate after acclimatization to high light intensity. VTC2 expression and GDP‐l‐galactose phosphorylase activity rapidly increase on transfer to high light, but the activity of other enzymes in the GDP‐mannose pathway is little affected. VTC2 and At5g55120 (VTC5) expression also peak in at the beginning of the light cycle and are controlled by the circadian clock. The GDP‐l‐galactose phosphorylase step may therefore play an important role in controlling ascorbate biosynthesis.
The soybean Dof‐type transcription factor genes, GmDof4 and GmDof11, enhance lipid content in the seeds of transgenic Arabidopsis plants
Authors: Wang Hui‐Wen , Zhang Bo , Hao Yu‐Jun , Huang Jian , Tian Ai‐Guo , Liao Yong , Zhang Jin‐Song , Chen Shou‐Yi
Published: September 2007

Soybean is one of the most important leguminous seed crops among the oil crops. Although the pathways for lipid biosynthesis have been identified, the factors that regulate the biosynthetic pathways at the transcriptional level are largely unknown. Here, we report our findings on the involvement of soybean Dof‐type transcription factor genes in the regulation of the lipid content in soybean seeds. We identified 28 Dof‐type transcription factor genes in soybean plants, and these genes displayed diverse patterns of expression in various organs. Seven flower/pod‐specific genes and one constitutively expressed gene were further investigated. The proteins encoded by these seven genes were localized in the nucleus, and exhibited different abilities for transcriptional activation and DNA binding. Two genes, GmDof4 and GmDof11, were found to increase the content of total fatty acids and lipids in GmDof4 and GmDof11 transgenic Arabidopsis seeds. We also found that the 1000‐seed weight was increased in the GmDof4 and GmDof11 transgenic plants. Using microarray and DNA binding analysis, we found that the two Dof‐like proteins, GmDof4 and GmDof11, activated the acetyl CoA carboxylase gene and long‐chain‐acyl CoA synthetase gene, respectively, by direct binding to the cis‐DNA elements in their promoter regions. In addition, both proteins downregulated the storage protein gene, CRA1, through direct binding. These results suggest that the two GmDof genes may augment the lipid content of soybean seeds by upregulating genes that are associated with the biosynthesis of fatty acids.
Severing at sites of microtubule crossover contributes to microtubule alignment in cortical arrays
Authors: Wightman Raymond , Turner Simon R.
Published: September 2007

The cortical microtubule (MT) array and its organization is important in defining the growth axes of plant cells. In roots, the MT array exhibits a net‐like configuration in the division zone, and a densely‐packed transverse alignment in the elongation zone. This transition is essential for anisotropic cell expansion and consequently has been the subject of intense study. Cotyledons exhibit a net‐like array in pavement cells and a predominantly aligned array in the petioles, and provide an excellent system for determining the basis of plant MT organization. We show that in both kinds of MT array, growing MTs frequently encounter existing MTs. Although some steep‐angled encounters result in catastrophes, the most frequent outcome of these encounters is successful negotiation of the existing MT by the growing MT to form an MT crossover. Surprisingly, the outcome of such encounters is similar in both aligned and net‐like arrays. In contrast, aligned arrays exhibit a much higher frequency of MT severing events compared with net‐like arrays. Severing events occur almost exclusively at sites where MTs cross over one another. This process of severing at sites of MT crossover results in the removal of unaligned MTs, and is likely to form the basis for the difference between a net‐like and an aligned MT array.
The D‐lineage MADS‐box gene OsMADS13 controls ovule identity in rice
Authors: Dreni Ludovico , Jacchia Sara , Fornara Fabio , Fornari Monica , Ouwerkerk Pieter B. F. , An Gynheung , Colombo Lucia , Kater Martin M.
Published: September 2007

Genes that control ovule identity were first identified in Petunia. Co‐suppression of both FLORAL BINDING PROTEIN 7 (FBP7) and FBP11, two D‐lineage genes, resulted in the homeotic transformation of ovules into carpelloid structures. Later in Arabidopsis it was shown that three genes, SHATTERPROOF1 (SHP1), SHP2, and SEEDSTICK (STK), redundantly control ovule identity, because in the stk shp1 shp2 triple mutant ovules lose identity and are transformed into carpel and leaf‐like structures. Of these three Arabidopsis genes STK is the only D‐lineage gene, and its expression, like FBP7 and FBP11, is restricted to ovules. OsMADS13 is the rice ortholog of STK, FBP7, and FBP11. Its amino acid sequence is similar to the Arabidopsis and Petunia proteins, and its expression is also restricted to ovules. We show that the osmads13 mutant is female sterile and that ovules are converted into carpelloid structures. Furthermore, making carpels inside carpels, the osmads13 flower is indeterminate, showing that OsMADS13 also has a function in floral meristem determinacy. OsMADS21 is most likely to be a paralog of OsMADS13, although its expression is not restricted to ovules. Interestingly, the osmads21 mutant did not show any obvious phenotype. Furthermore, combining the osmads13 and the osmads21 mutants did not result in any additive ovule defect, indicating that osmads21 does not control ovule identity. These results suggest that during evolution the D‐lineage gene OsMADS21 has lost its ability to determine ovule identity.
Gene expression quantitative trait locus analysis of 16 000 barley genes reveals a complex pattern of genome‐wide transcriptional regulation
Authors: Potokina Elena , Druka Arnis , Luo Zewei , Wise Roger , Waugh Robbie , Kearsey Mike
Published: September 2007

Transcript abundance from cRNA hybridizations to Affymetrix microarrays can be used for simultaneous marker development and genome‐wide gene expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis of crops. We have previously shown that it is easily possible to use Affymetrix expression arrays to profile individuals from a segregating population to accurately identify robust polymorphic molecular genetic markers. We applied the method to identify more than 2000 genetic polymorphisms (transcript derived markers, TDMs) from an experiment involving two commercial varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare; Steptoe and Morex) and their doubled‐haploid progeny. With this set of TDMs, we constructed a genetic map and used it for the genome‐wide eQTL analysis of about 16 000 genes in a relatively large population (n = 139). We identified 23 738 significant eQTLs at a genome‐wide significance (P ≤ 0.05), affecting the expression of 12 987 genes. Over a third of these genes with expression variation have only one identified eQTL while the rest have two to six. A large proportion of the quantitatively controlled transcripts appear to be regulated by both cis and trans effects. More than half of the quantitatively controlled transcripts appear to be primarily regulated by cis eQTLs in this population. We show that although there appear to be eQTL hotspots many of these are in chromosomal regions of low recombination, such as genetic centromeres, and so have a high gene density per centimorgan. Some chromosomal regions have a significant excess of eQTL over the number expected from gene density, and many of these are biased towards eQTL for which the allele from one particular parent increases the expression level.
Utilizing tiling microarrays for whole‐genome analysis in plants
Authors: Gregory Brian D. , Yazaki Junshi , Ecker Joseph R.
Published: September 2007

The recent explosion in available genome sequence data has ushered in an era in which analysis of a whole genome can be performed in a single experiment. While DNA microarrays have long been the established technology for measuring gene expression levels, standard expression arrays use relatively few probes for each gene and are typically biased toward known and predicted gene structures. Recently, with the availability of complete genome sequences for many organisms, very‐high‐density oligonucleotide‐based microarrays that span the entire genome have emerged as the preferred platform for genomic analysis. Whole‐genome tiling microarrays can be employed for a myriad of purposes, including empirical annotation of the transcriptome, chromatin immunoprecipitation–chip studies, analysis of alternative RNA splicing, characterization of the methylation state of cytosine bases throughout a genome (methylome), and DNA polymorphism discovery. Here, we review several applications of whole‐genome technology to obtain a variety of genomic‐scale information in plants.
CAUT lines: a novel resource for studies of cell autonomy in Arabidopsis
Authors: Furner Ian , Ellis Louise , Bakht Saleha , Mirza Bushra , Sheikh Mazhar
Published: September 2007

Plant development is critically dependent on the interactions between clonally unrelated cell layers. The cross‐talk between layers can be addressed by studies of cell autonomy. Cell autonomy is a property of genetic mosaics composed of cells of differing genotypes. Broadly, if the phenotype of a mutant tissue reflects only its genotype and is unaffected by the presence of wild‐type tissue, the trait is cell‐autonomous. Conversely, if the phenotype of a mutant tissue reflects that of wild‐type tissue in the mosaic, the trait is non‐autonomous. Here we report a novel, versatile and robust method for studies of cell autonomy in Arabidopsis. Cell autonomy (CAUT) lines consist of a collection of homozygous stocks, each containing one of 76 mapped T‐DNA inserts, each of which corrects the yellow ch‐42 mutant to green (CH‐42) by complementation. This has the effect of translocating the colour marker to 76 new locations around the genome. X‐irradiation of heterozygous CAUT line seeds results in yellow sectors, with loss of the CH‐42 transgene and adjacent wild‐type genes. This property can be used to remove the wild‐type copy of developmental genes in appropriate heterozygotes, resulting in yellow (ch‐42) sectors that are hemizygous for the trait of interest. Such sectors can provide insight into cell autonomy. Experiments using the ap1, ap3, ag and clv1 mutants show that CAUT lines are useful in the study of cell autonomy.
26S proteasome regulatory particle mutants have increased oxidative stress tolerance
Authors: Kurepa Jasmina , Toh‐e Akio , Smalle Jan A.
Published: September 2007

The 26S proteasome (26SP) is a multi‐subunit, multi‐catalytic protease that is responsible for most of the cytosolic and nuclear protein turnover. The 26SP is composed of two sub‐particles, the 19S regulatory particle (RP) that binds and unfolds protein targets, and the 20S core particle (20SP) that degrades proteins into small peptides. Most 26SP targets are conjugated to a poly‐ubiquitin (Ub) chain that serves as a degradation signal. However, some targets, such as oxidized proteins, do not require a poly‐Ub tag for proteasomal degradation, and recent studies have shown that the main protease in this Ub‐independent pathway is free 20SP. It is currently unknown how the ratio of 26SP‐ to 20SP‐dependent proteolysis is controlled. Here we show that loss of function of the Arabidopsis RP subunits RPT2a, RPN10 and RPN12a leads to decreased 26SP accumulation, resulting in reduced rates of Ub‐dependent proteolysis. In contrast, all three RP mutants have increased 20SP levels and thus enhanced Ub‐independent protein degradation. As a consequence of this shift in proteolytic activity, mutant seedlings are hypersensitive to stresses that cause protein misfolding, and have increased tolerance to treatments that promote protein oxidation. Taken together, the data show that plant cells increase 20SP‐dependent proteolysis when 26SP activity is impaired.
Expectations held by type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus patients and their relatives: the importance of facilitating the health‐care process
Authors: Escudero‐Carretero María J. , Prieto‐Rodríguez MaÁngeles , Fernández‐Fernández Isabel , March‐Cerdá Joan Carles
Published: September 2007

Aim  To understand the expectations held by type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM 1 & 2) patients and their relatives regarding the health‐care provided to them.

Design  Qualitative. Focus groups.

Setting and participants  Andalusia. A theoretical sample that includes the most characteristic profiles. Thirty‐one subjects with DM. Segmentation characteristics: receiving health‐care for DM in Primary or Specialized care, living in urban and rural areas, men and women, age, varying diagnosis times, DM course and consequences. Subjects were recruited by health‐care professionals at reference care centres.

Results  Patients expect their health‐care professionals to be understanding, to treat them with kindness and respect, to have good communication skills, to provide information in a non‐authoritarian manner while fully acknowledging patients’ know‐how. Regarding the health‐care system, their expectations focus on the system’s ability to respond when required to do so, through a relevant professional, along with readily available equipment for treatment.

The expectations of people affected by DM1 focus on leading a normal life and not having their educational, labour, social and family opportunities limited by the disease. Expectations in people with DM2 tend towards avoiding what they know has happened to other patients.

Conclusions  ‘Facilitating’, is a key word. Both the health‐care system and its professionals must pay keener attention to the emotional aspects of the disease and its process, adopting a comprehensive approach to care. It is vital that health‐care professionals take an active interest in the course of their patient’s disease, promoting accessibility and an atmosphere of trust and flexibility.
Patient‐specific transfusion‐related acute lung injury
Authors: Muniz M. , Sheldon S. , Schuller R. M. , Young N. S. , Klein H. G. , Leitman S. F. , Stroncek D. F.
Published: September 2007

Transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) is one of the leading causes of transfusion‐associated mortality. The inadvertent transfusion of neutrophil antibodies can cause pulmonary transfusion reactions and TRALI. However, not all patients transfused with neutrophil antibodies experience transfusion reactions. A 22‐year‐old man with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) experienced TRALI after a platelet transfusion. The donor was found to be alloimmunized to human neutrophil antigen (HNA)‐3a, an antigen expressed by neutrophils from approximately 90% of Caucasians. Eleven other platelet components from this donor were transfused prior to this event and two caused reactions: one chills and one TRALI. Both episodes of TRALI occurred in the same male patient with SAA. The fact that one patient experienced TRALI following both exposures to anti‐HNA‐3a from the same donor whereas nine other recipients did not adds evidence to the observation that patient factors make a significant contribution to neutrophil antibody‐mediated transfusion reactions.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN RETRACTED: Pathological biochemistry of α‐synucleinopathy
Authors: Iwatsubo Takeshi
Published: September 2007

Lewy bodies (LBs) are hallmark lesions in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We raised a monoclonal antibody LB509 against purified LBs from the brains of patients with DLB that strongly immuolabled LBs, and found that α‐synuclein is one of the major components of LBs. Thus, the deposition of α‐synuclein, an abundant presynaptic brain protein, as fibrillary aggregates in affected neurons or glial cells, was highlighted as a hallmark lesion of a subset of neurodegenerative disorders, including PD, DLB and multiple system atrophy collectively referred to as synucleinopathies. Importantly, the identification of missense mutations in and multiplication of α‐synuclein gene in some pedigrees of familial PD has strongly implicated α‐synuclein in the pathogenesis of PD and other synucleinopathies. We then examined the specific post‐translational modifications that characterize and underlie the aggregation of α‐synuclein in synucleinopathy brains by mass spectrometry and using a specific antibody, and found that serine 129 of α‐synuclein deposited in synucleinopathy lesions is selectively and extensively phosphorylated. Furthermore we generated transgenic C. elegans overexpressing α‐synuclein in neurons, and found that overexpression of familial PD‐linked mutant form of α‐synuclein impairs functions of dopamine neurons. These findings collectively underscore the importance of deposition of α‐synuclein as well as its phosphorylation in the pathogenesis of α‐synucleinopathies.
Intraventricular meningioma with anaplastic transformation and metastasis via the cerebrospinal fluid
Authors: Shintaku Masayuki , Hashimoto Kenji , Okamoto Shin‐ichiro
Published: September 2007

We report a surgical case of intraventricular meningioma that arose in the trigone of the right lateral ventricle of a 61‐year‐old woman. Local recurrence and metastasis (dissemination) via the CSF to the fourth ventricle developed about 52 months postoperatively. Further subarachnoid dissemination in the pontine base and spinal cord occurred 6 months later. The tumor exhibited a histopathological appearance of transitional meningioma without cellular atypism in the original specimen, but in the metastatic nodules in the fourth ventricle and spinal subarachnoid space the histopathology was that of typical anaplastic meningioma. Only four cases of anaplastic intraventricular meningioma that developed metastasis via the CSF have been reported. This report presents the fifth case, which is also the second case in which progression from ordinary low‐grade meningioma to anaplastic meningioma was demonstrated histopathologically.
Bilateral striopallidodentate calcification (Fahr's syndrome) and multiple system atrophy in a patient with longstanding hypoparathyroidism
Authors: Preusser Matthias , Kitzwoegerer Melitta , Budka Herbert , Brugger Stefan
Published: September 2007

Recently, a family with idiopathic brain calcification was reported, in which one family member was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy (MSA) at autopsy. We report here a case showing similar neuropathological features in a patient with longstanding hypoparathyroidism. Our female patient had a history of hypoparathyroidism with hypocalcaemia and tetany since the age of 9 years. In her 50s she developed dementia and parkinsonism. She died of myocardial infarction aged 65 years. Neuropathology showed severe brain calcifications of the Fahr type in the basal ganglia, thalami, cerebral and cerebellar white matter and dentate nuclei. Additionally, there was prominent alpha‐synucleinopathy of the multiple system atrophy type (MSA). The patient has a healthy identical twin and there is no family history of hypoparathyroidism or neurological disease. Data on alpha‐synuclein accumulation in various cases of Fahr's syndrome are needed to establish the correlation between alpha‐synucleinopathy and bilateral striopallidodentate calcification.
MIB‐1 immunolabeling: A valuable marker in prediction of benign recurring meningiomas
Authors: Vankalakunti Mahesha , Vasishta Rakesh Kumar , Radotra Bishan Das , Khosla Virender Kumar
Published: September 2007

Histological analysis has limited value to predict biological behavior of meningiomas. We investigated the utility of cell proliferative indicator in the evaluation of histologically benign meningiomas. We selected 25 benign non‐recurrent meningiomas, 15 benign recurrent meningiomas after complete surgical resection, 30 atypical meningiomas, and 15 anaplastic meningiomas out of 384 cases studied. MIB‐1 Labeling Index was evaluated by two methods: Highest Labeling Index (HLI) and Random Labeling Index (RLI). There was no dependable histological parameter to predict recurrence among benign‐looking meningiomas. HLI had significant difference when compared with RLI in all categories. The mean MIB‐1 HLI values ± SD were 3.47 ± 2.0% for benign meningiomas, 5.08 ± 4.0% for atypical meningiomas and 11.66 ± 7.06% for anaplastic meningiomas. In comparison, the mean MIB‐1 HLI of benign non‐recurrent meningiomas were 2.66 ± 1.7% and with recurrence were 4.21 ± 2.78% (P = 0.0339). Using receiver operating characteristic, it was seen that neoplasm recurred with the MIB‐1 HLI of > 2.6 having the sensitivity of 64.6% and specificity of 68% among benign (grade I) meningiomas. MIB‐1 positive tumor cells were maximally aggregated at the periphery of excised specimen. MIB‐1 HLI, integrated with standard histopathology can provide better information about the disease biological nature in benign meningiomas.
Papillary glioneuronal tumor
Authors: Gelpi Ellen , Preusser Matthias , Czech Thomas , Slavc Irene , Prayer Daniela , Budka Herbert
Published: September 2007

Papillary glioneuronal tumor (PGNT) is a rare, recently recognized tumor type histologically characterized by pseudopapillary architecture associated with compact areas composed of neuronal elements in different maturation states. The histogenesis of this tumor type is still unclear. The immunophenotype of PGNT comprises expression of several glial and neuronal proteins. Recently, immunohistochemical expression of Olig2 in a fraction of tumor cells has been reported, suggesting an additional oligodendroglial or at least oligodendroglia‐like tumor cell component. We report a further case of papillary glioneuronal tumor in a 12‐year‐old boy with immunohistochemical expression of PDGFRα, Olig2 and Nestin in support of a postulated origin of this tumor type from common progenitor cells in the subependymal plate. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to clarify the histogenesis of PGNT.
The Lewy body in Parkinson's disease: Molecules implicated in the formation and degradation of α‐synuclein aggregates
Authors: Wakabayashi Koichi , Tanji Kunikazu , Mori Fumiaki , Takahashi Hitoshi
Published: September 2007

The histological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the presence of fibrillar aggregates called Lewy bodies (LBs). LB formation has been considered to be a marker for neuronal degeneration, because neuronal loss is found in the predilection sites for LBs. To date, more than 70 molecules have been identified in LBs, in which α‐synuclein is a major constituent of LB fibrils. α‐synuclein immunohistochemistry reveals that diffuse cytoplasmic staining develops into pale bodies via compaction, and that LBs arise from the peripheral portion of pale bodies. This α‐synuclein abnormality is found in 10% of pigmented neurons in the substantia nigra and more than 50% of those in the locus ceruleus in PD. Recent studies have suggested that oligomers and protofibrils of α‐synuclein are cytotoxic, and that LBs may represent a cytoprotective mechanism in PD.
Immunohistochemical and gene rearrangement studies of central nervous system lymphomatoid granulomatosis
Authors: Nishihara Hiroshi , Tateishi Ukihide , Itoh Tomoo , Nagashima Kazuo , Tanaka Shinya
Published: September 2007

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) is a rare multisystem disorder with characteristic angiocentric lymphoproliferative features, most frequently involving the lung, skin, and rarely the CNS. LYG has been classified into three subtypes based on the relative proportions of atypical and inflammatory infiltrating cells. Most systemic LYGs have been shown to be EBV‐associated, T‐cell rich, B‐cell proliferative disorders. Here, we present four cases of LYG arising from the CNS and have analyzed them by immunohistochemistry to assess the phenotype of the infiltrate, and by PCR‐SSCP (single‐strand conformation polymorphism) analysis for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) and T‐cell receptor (TcR) γ gene rearrangements. Three cases revealed perivascular infiltration of T‐cell dominant lymphoid cells, two cases showed monoclonal TcRγ gene rearrangement, while the remaining case had a B‐cell immunophenotype and monoclonal IgH gene rearrangement with EBV genome expression. This is the first report of a gene rearrangement study on CNS‐LYG. We confirm that some cases of CNS‐LYG are derived from T‐cell monoclonal lymphoproliferative disease, although this disease should be classified as a borderline malignancy and should be separated from overt malignant lymphoma of CNS.