bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warm temperatures induce transgenerational epigenetic release of RNA silencing by inhibiting siRNA biogenesis in
Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhong Si-Hui , Liu Jun-Zhong , Jin Hua , Lin Lin , Li Qun , Chen Ying , Yuan Yue-Xing , Wang Zhi-Yong , Huang Hai , Qi Yi-Jun , Chen Xiao-Ya , Vaucheret Hervé , Chory Joanne , Li Jianming , He Zu-Hua
Published: May 2013

Owing to their sessile nature, plants have evolved sophisticated genetic and epigenetic regulatory systems to respond quickly and reversibly to daily and seasonal temperature changes. However, our knowledge of how plants sense and respond to warming ambient temperatures is rather limited. Here we show that an increase in growth temperature from 22 °C to 30 °C effectively inhibited transgene-induced posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in
Arabidopsis
. Interestingly, warmth-induced PTGS release exhibited transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. We discovered that the warmth-induced PTGS release occurred during a critical step that leads to the formation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for producing small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Deep sequencing of small RNAs and RNA blot analysis indicated that the 22–30 °C increase resulted in a significant reduction in the abundance of many
trans
-acting siRNAs that require dsRNA for biogenesis. We discovered that the temperature increase reduced the protein abundance of SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING 3, as a consequence, attenuating the formation of stable dsRNAs required for siRNA biogenesis. Importantly, SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING 3 overexpression released the warmth-triggered inhibition of siRNA biogenesis and reduced the transgenerational epigenetic memory. Thus, our study reveals a previously undescribed association between warming temperatures, an epigenetic system, and siRNA biogenesis.
Broader perspective on ecosystem sustainability: Consequences for decision making
Authors: Sidle Roy C. , Benson William H. , Carriger John F. , Kamai Toshitaka
Published: May 2013

Although the concept of ecosystem sustainability has a long-term focus, it is often viewed from a static system perspective. Because most ecosystems are dynamic, we explore sustainability assessments from three additional perspectives: resilient systems; systems where tipping points occur; and systems subject to episodic resetting. Whereas foundations of ecosystem resilience originated in ecology, recent discussions have focused on geophysical attributes, and it is recognized that dynamic system components may not return to their former state following perturbations. Tipping points emerge when chronic changes (typically anthropogenic, but sometimes natural) push ecosystems to thresholds that cause collapse of process and function and may become permanent. Ecosystem resetting occurs when episodic natural disasters breach thresholds with little or no warning, resulting in long-term changes to environmental attributes or ecosystem function. An example of sustainability assessment of ecosystem goods and services along the Gulf Coast (USA) demonstrates the need to include both the resilient and dynamic nature of biogeomorphic components. Mountain road development in northwest Yunnan, China, makes rivers and related habitat vulnerable to tipping points. Ecosystems reset by natural disasters are also presented, emphasizing the need to understand the magnitude frequency and interrelationships among major disturbances, as shown by (
i
) the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami, including how unsustainable urban development exacerbates geodisaster propagation, and (
ii
) repeated major earthquakes and associated geomorphic and vegetation disturbances in Papua New Guinea. Although all of these ecosystem perturbations and shifts are individually recognized, they are not embraced in contemporary sustainable decision making.
“We just don’t even know”
Authors: Fuchs Robert , Gut Ulrike , Soneye Taiwo
Published: May 2013

This study investigates the usage of the pragmatic focus particles even and still in Nigerian English (NigE). A comparison of ICE-Nigeria and ICE-GB showed diverging frequencies of both particles across different registers between the two varieties of English and a significantly higher overall usage of even in NigE. Qualitative analyses revealed that even has acquired a wide range of new pragmatic meanings in NigE, such as emphatic, affirmative, particularising and epistemic meanings, and that still can be used to express promises and predictions. It is shown that these usages mirror meanings of the equivalents of even and still in the Nigerian languages Yorùbá and Igbo; their spread across a wide range of speakers in Nigeria attests to the status of even and still as nativised structures rather than learner errors.
Sources of BET
Authors: Ponsford Dan , Hollmann Willem B. , Siewierska Anna
Published: May 2013

We investigate the sources of betting constructions, and specifically their predicates. The notion of risking something of value on an outcome is a complex one. Culturally, some degree of disposability of property is required. The concept is nevertheless lexicalized in many parts of the world. Betting takes various forms, ranging from betting between individuals, which we contend is the basic case, to betting in the context of an institution such as horse racing, cockfighting, lotteries, or on games such as card games. Taking a similar approach to Zalizniak (2008), we use polysemy as a means of investigating etymology. A sample of 271 polysemous predicates from 177 languages are surveyed, where one sense is BET. Treating relevant other senses as earlier senses, we find that the most frequent source concepts are ones that profile (in Langacker’s 2008 sense) the relation between the bettor and the stake. The most frequent are SECURITY and PUT. Other important sources, profiling instead the relation between the bettors, are ARGUE, COMPETE and AGREE.
Like I said again and again and over and over
Authors: Levin Magnus , Lindquist Hans
Published: May 2013

This study discusses an adverbial pattern which has so far been largely overlooked, namely ADV1 and ADV1, as in again and again, on and on and over and over. The paper is primarily based on the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The data show that these patterns follow typical paths of change, such as a movement towards more abstract meanings (metaphorization; over and over increasingly referring to repetition rather than to physical motion), lexicalization (e.g. up and up being used as a noun with idiosyncratic meaning in on the up and up), subjectification (e.g. on and on expressing negative connotations), iconic variation (again and again and again referring to multiple repetitions), simplification (loss of again after over and over), and the development of discourse functions (and on and on meaning “and so on”).
Phrases in literary contexts
Authors: Mahlberg Michaela , Smith Catherine , Preston Simon
Published: May 2013

This paper addresses relations between lexico-grammatical patterns and texts. Our focus is on a specific linguistic unit, the ‘suspended quotation’ (or ‘suspension’), which has received particular attention in Dickens studies. The suspended quotation refers to an interruption of a fictional character’s speech by the narrator with a sequence of at least five words. We show how corpus linguistic methods can help to systematically study suspensions in a corpus of Dickens’s novels: we investigate relationships between patterns of body language presentation and suspensions; we consider the distribution of suspensions across novels; and we illustrate how patterns in suspensions relate to meanings of reporting verbs. Overall, we argue that suspensions are discernible units that contribute to meaningful patterns in narrative prose.
On “true” portraits of Letters to Shareholders – and the importance of phraseological analysis
Authors: Murphy Amanda C.
Published: May 2013

The purpose of the present paper is primarily methodological. It provides evidence that a research question investigated in a corpus can produce different results according to the software adopted, queries the comparability of the results, and shows that the whole picture is more than one piece of software can reveal. The field of research is a corpus of Letters to Shareholders referring to 2008, the year the current financial crisis began, compared to identically constructed corpora from the same companies, referring to 2006 and 2010. The paper argues that the macro analysis of key words and key semantic domains needs to be complemented by close phraseological analyses, since it is in the phraseology of the texts that the nuances of a message are to be found.
The development of formulaic sequences in first and second language writing
Authors: O'Donnell Matthew Brook , Römer Ute , Ellis Nick C.
Published: May 2013

Formulaic sequences are recognised as having important roles in language acquisition, processing, fluency, idiomaticity, and instruction. But there is little agreement over their definition and measurement, or on methods of corpus comparison. We argue that replicable research must be grounded upon operational definitions in statistical terms. We adopt an experimental design and apply four different corpus-analytic measures, variously based upon n-gram frequency (Frequency-grams), association (MI-grams), phrase-frames (P-frames), and native norm (items in the Academic Formulas List – AFL-grams), to samples of first and second language writing in order to examine and compare knowledge of formulas in first and second language acquisition as a function of proficiency and language background. We find that these different operationalizations produce different patterns of effect of expertise and L1/L2 status. We consider the implications for corpus design and methods of analysis.
Lexical frames in academic prose and conversation
Authors: Gray Bethany , Biber Douglas
Published: May 2013

While lexical bundles research identifies continuous sequences (e.g. the end of the, I don’t know if), researchers have also been interested in discontinuous sequences in which words form a ‘frame’ surrounding a variable slot (e.g. I don’t * to, it is * to). To date, most research has focused on a few intuitively-selected frames, or has begun with frequent continuous sequences and then analyzed those to identify associated frames. Few previous studies have attempted to directly identify the full set of discontinuous sequences in a corpus. In the present study, we work towards that goal, using a corpus-driven approach to identify the set of recurrent four-word continuous and discontinuous patterns in corpora of conversation and academic writing. This direct computational analysis of the corpora reveals a more complete set of frames than alternative approaches, resulting in the documentation of highly frequent frames that have not been identified in previous research.
50-something years of work on collocations
Authors: Gries Stefan Th.
Published: May 2013

This paper explores ways in which research into collocation should be improved. After a discussion of the parameters underlying the notion of collocation, the paper has three main parts. First, I argue that corpus linguistics would benefit from taking more seriously the understudied fact that collocations are not necessarily symmetric, as most association measures imply. Also, I introduce an association measure from the associative learning literature that can identify asymmetric collocations and show that it can also distinguish collocations with high and low association strengths well. Second, I summarize some advantages of this measure and brainstorm about ways in which it can help re-examine previous studies as well as support further applications. Finally, I adopt a broader perspective and discuss a variety of ways in which all association measures – directional or not – in corpus linguistics should be improved in order for us to obtain better and more reliable results.
Choosing Emma’s ending
Authors: LeFebvre Leah , Blackburn Kate
Published: May 2013

This single story investigation explores the ontological framework for analyzing how personal stories emerge. This analysis delineates a story told by Emma in a fashion to resemble that of audience members listening to a story for the first time. This article breaks apart the traditional narrative research approach of beginning, middle, and end facilitating a renewed focus on the role of orator and audience’s involvement. The purpose of this paper demonstrates how Emma as the orator builds a narrative while involving the audience and forces the listeners to consider the multiple paths she may experience. Showcasing Emma’s story evolution simultaneously demonstrates a theoretical understanding of how small and big stories intersect with antenarratives and narratives. The multiple paths encourage readers to interactively reinterpret their understanding of the narrative and experience antenarrative. This exploration addresses a gap in narrative research and scrutinizes antenarrative analysis applicability through a singular oral story performance.
An identity structure in narrative
Authors: Cohen Leor
Published: May 2013

This article refocuses the discussion of identity in narrative and practice by looking at structuring-in-practice and beyond to the discourse functions of identity. The narrative of an Ethiopian Israeli female college student is analyzed, wherein she tells about changing elementary schools — a context mirroring the immediate situation in her new academic setting. The analysis identifies and labels the partial, microgenetic elicitation of identity-attributable imagery in each utterance and then consolidates the accumulation of those images into the various groupings relevant in the narrative. In the particular narrative studied here all consolidated images contrast against the one identity-attributable image that is interactionally advantageous. This result, found in all 28 prototypical narratives in my corpus of 46, is evidence of a poetic identity structuring of narrative serving two discourse functions: (1) metasemantic- the contrastive identity work creates and indexes the narrative’s Complication and its subsequent Resolution; (2) metapragmatic- the contrastive identity work creates and indexes the identity for impression management. The contrastive basis of the poetic identity structure of narrative is indicative of much Western identity and narrative construction. Thus, identity and narrative are shown to stand in reflexive relation one to the other, where identity is an ‘indexical icon’, a map of itself drawn in the very narrative from which it emerges.
Narrative navigation
Authors: Heffer Chris
Published: May 2013

Particular attention has been paid in recent years to the functional embedding of narrative within sociocultural practices (De Fina & Georgakopoulou, 2008) and to the role narrative plays in the construction of identity (Bamberg, 2011). Narrative practices, though, are still equated with narrating activities, with “a form of action, of performance” (Blommaert, 2006) at a given moment in discursive time. This article argues that when narrative is embedded in particularly complex sociocultural practices such as the adversarial trial, it is not sufficient to consider activities of narrating and their immediate discursive environment. For while participants orient to narrative in a context such as the trial, the infrequency of identifiable narrative discourse can give the analytical impression that narrative is peripheral to the overall practice. The model of Narrative Navigation outlined here is the first systematic attempt to make salient the fundamentally dynamic, multifaceted and rhetorical nature of narrative in adversarial jury trial. The model should provide a more holistic picture of narrativity in such contexts and should enhance language-based discourse analytic approaches to narrative.
A Journey to a “Pure Islam”
Authors: Stadlbauer Susanne
Published: May 2013

This paper focuses on time, space, and identity relations in narratives of Muslim women in an Islamic student group in Colorado, who use autobiographies of how their faith developed for countering stereotypes of Islam and Muslims in post 9/11 America. In these faith development narratives, these women, who were born and raised in Islam, strive to dispel the often abstract media claims of Muslim women being oppressed by Muslim men and by Islamic doctrines, as well as being behind the times, stagnant in the past, or simply anti-modern, anti-secular, or anti-American. In narrating how they have progressed from unknowing children socialized into Islam to knowledgeable adults, the women decontextualize, and thereby idealize, Islam to stress their agency and individuality. The women resignify Islamic rituals, such as the salat (praying five times a day), sawn (fasting during Ramadan), and hijab (wearing the head scarf), by delinking them from the often criticized materialistic and pure-repetitious nature characteristic of religious rituals of the pre-modern. Instead, they project these rituals as self-disciplining and self-realizing practices very much in line with modern precepts of individuality and female emancipation. In their narratives, they reinforce the media’s binary opposition between America and Islam, reducing them to caricatures of a purely secular, somewhat ignorant, state and a perfect and pure religion, respectively.
Finding the arc
Authors: Bishop Emily
Published: May 2013

Powerful narratives exist about the nature, practice and validity of narrative inquiry. It is storied, for example, as complex, time-consuming and unappreciated by the conservative sociology academe. As a new PhD candidate I planned to undertake a straight thematic analysis. However, it became evident that an alternative approach was required. This paper tells a story about my struggle to comprehend narrative analysis and find the arc of my participant’s stories. Because writing ‘my sexual story’ provided a particular turning point in this journey I also recount this here, in addition to an outline of the analytical framework I developed to interpret my data. I argue that narrative analysis is not easily learned through traditional scholarship: texts, journal articles, supervisors and conferences. Rather, a lingering, challenging — but ultimately highly rewarding journey may be required. It is my hope that this paper will provide insight and assistance to the novice narrative researcher.
Narrative competences of Deaf children in German Sign Language
Authors: Becker Claudia
Published: May 2013

Hearing children acquire discourse competences like storytelling through everyday interaction and are systematically supported in this process by adults. In contrast, deaf children in Germany often lack appropriate interlocutors with German Sign Language proficiency in family or school. The focus of our research is on narrative competences in deaf children and on the consequences of the lack of interlocutors on the acquisition of these competences. We carried out three studies to examine narrative skills of deaf children aged 8 to 17. We collected data from dyadic conversations with deaf adults and analyzed this data against the background of a cognitive approach to language acquisition and of conversation analysis. From a developmental perspective, our results indicate that the narrative competences of most of the tested non-native signing children have not developed as would be appropriate for their age. From an interactive perspective, deaf adults cooperate with the children in telling their stories by using different strategies.
Asticcacaulis

solisilvae sp. nov., isolated from forest soil
Authors: Kim Seil , Gong Gyeongtaek , Park Tai Hyun , Um Youngsoon
Published: May 2013

An obligately aerobic, chemoheterotrophic, mesophilic prosthecate bacterium, designated strain CGM1-3ENT, was isolated from the enrichment cultures of forest soil from Cheonggyesan Mountain, Republic of Korea. Cells were Gram-reaction-negative, motile rods (1.3–2.4 µm long by 0.30–0.75 µm wide) with single flagella. The strain grew at 10–37 °C (optimum 25–30 °C) and at pH 4.5–9.5 (optimum 5.0–7.0). The major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl, C12 : 1 3-OH and summed feature 8 (comprising C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain CGM1-3ENT was 63.7 mol%. The closest phylogenetic neighbour to strain CGM1-3ENT was identified as

Asticcacaulis biprosthecium

DSM 4723T (97.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and the DNA–DNA hybridization value between strain CGM1-3ENT and

A. biprosthecium

DSM 4723T was less than 24.5 %. Strain CGM1-3ENT used d-glucose, d-fructose, sucrose, maltose, trehalose, d-mannose, d-mannitol, d-sorbitol, d-galactose, cellobiose, lactose, raffinose, fumarate, pyruvate, dl-alanine and glycerol as carbon sources. Based on data from the present polyphasic study, the forest soil isolate CGM1-3ENT is considered to represent a novel species of the genus

Asticcacaulis

, for which the name

Asticcacaulis

solisilvae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CGM1-3ENT ( = AIM0088T = KCTC 32102T = JCM 18544T).
Roseovarius

lutimaris sp. nov., isolated from a marine tidal flat
Authors: Choi Eun Jin , Lee Hyo Jung , Kim Jeong Myeong , Jeon Che Ok
Published: May 2013

A novel Gram-staining-negative, moderately halophilic and strictly aerobic bacterium, designated strain 112T, was isolated from a tidal flat at Taean, Korea. Cells were catalase- and oxidase-positive ovoids to rods and did not produce bacteriochlorophyll a. Optimum growth of strain 112T was observed at 30 °C, at pH 6.5–7.5 and in the presence of 2–4 % (w/v) NaCl. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0 and Q-10 was detected as the predominant ubiquinone. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain 112T was 58.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 112T formed a phyletic lineage within the genus

Roseovarius

of the class

Alphaproteobacteria

. Strain 112T was most closely related to

Roseovarius mucosus

DFL-24T, with 96.52 % similarity. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular properties, strain 112T represents a novel species of the genus

Roseovarius

, for which the name

Roseovarius

lutimaris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 112T ( = KACC 16185T = JCM 17743T).
Sphingomonas kyungheensis sp. nov., a bacterium with ginsenoside-converting activity isolated from soil of a ginseng field
Authors: Son Heung-Min , Yang Jung-Eun , Park YongJin , Han Chang-Kyun , Kim Song-Gun , Kook MooChang , Yi Tae-Hoo
Published: May 2013

A bacterial strain THG-B283T, which has β-glucosidase activity, was isolated from soil of a ginseng field. Cells were Gram-reaction-negative, oxidase- and catalase-positive, aerobic, motile with one polar flagellum and rod-shaped. The strain was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain THG-B283T grew optimally at around pH 7.0, at 25–28 °C and in the absence of NaCl on R2A agar. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain THG-B283T belongs to the family

Sphingomonadaceae

and is closely related to

Sphingomonas melonis

DAPP-PG 224T (98.2 %),

S. aquatilis

JSS7T (98.1 %),

S. insulae

DS-28T (97.6 %),

S. mali

IFO 15500T (97.1 %) and

S. pruni

IFO 15498T (97.0 %). Strain THG-B283T contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone. The major fatty acids included summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C18 : 1ω7c, C14 : 0 2-OH and C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 72.2 mol%. The major component in the polyamine pattern was sym-homospermidine. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified glycolipid, unidentified aminolipids, an unidentified phospholipid and unidentified lipids. Genomic and chemotaxonomic data supported the affiliation of strain THG-B283T to the genus

Sphingomonas

. DNA–DNA relatedness between strain THG-B283T and its closest phylogenetic neighbours was below 23 %. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genetic data, strain THG-B283T represents a novel species of genus

Sphingomonas

, for which the name Sphingomonas kyungheensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is THG-B283T ( = KACC 16224T = LMG 26582T).
Rhizobium paknamense sp. nov., isolated from lesser duckweeds (Lemna aequinoctialis)
Authors: Kittiwongwattana Chokchai , Thawai Chitti
Published: May 2013

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium was isolated and designated strain L6-8Tduring a study of endophytic bacterial communities in lesser duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis). Cells of strain L6-8Twere motile with peritrichous flagella. The analysis of the nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain L6-8Twas phylogenetically related to species of the genusRhizobium. Its closest relatives wereRhizobium borboriDN316T(97.6 %),Rhizobium oryzaeAlt 505T(97.3 %) andRhizobium pseudoryzaeJ3-A127T(97.0 %). The sequence similarity analysis of housekeeping genesrecA,glnII,atpDandgyrBshowed low levels of sequence similarity (<91.5 %) between strain L6-8Tand other species of the genusRhizobiumwith validly published names. The pH range for growth was 4.0–9.0 (optimum 6.0–7.0), and the temperature range for growth was 20–45 °C (optimum 30 °C). Strain L6-8Ttolerated NaCl up to 2 % (w/v) (optimum 1 % NaCl). The predominant components of cellular fatty acids were C19 : 0cyclo ω8c(31.32 %), summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7cand/or C18 : 1ω6c; 25.39 %) and C16 : 0(12.03 %). The DNA G+C content of strain L6-8Twas 60.4 mol% (Tm).nodCandnifHwere not amplified in strain L6-8T. DNA–DNA relatedness between strain L6-8TandR. borboriDN316T,R. oryzaeAlt505TandR. pseudoryzaeJ3-A127Twas between 11.2 and 18.3 %. Based on the sequence similarity analyses, phenotypic, biochemical and physiological characteristics and DNA–DNA hybridization, strain L6-8Tcould be readily distinguished from its closest relatives and represents a novel species of the genusRhizobium, for which the nameRhizobiumpaknamensesp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is L6-8T( = NBRC 109338T = BCC 55142T).
Fluviimonas pallidilutea gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the family

Cytophagaceae

isolated from a freshwater river
Authors: Sheu Shih-Yi , Chen Yu-Siang , Shiau Yu-Wen , Chen Wen-Ming
Published: May 2013

A bacterial strain designated TQQ6T was isolated from a freshwater river in Taiwan and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells of strain TQQ6T were strictly aerobic, Gram-staining-negative, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-containing, non-motile, non-spore-forming, long rods surrounded by a thick capsule and forming pale orange colonies. Growth occurred at 20–40 °C (optimum, 25 °C), at pH 7.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0) and with 0–0.5 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %). The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, C16 : 1ω5c and C16 : 0. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7 and the DNA G+C content was 42.2 mol%. The polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, two uncharacterized aminophospholipids and three uncharacterized phospholipids. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain TQQ6T represents a distinct phyletic line that reflects a novel generic status within the family

Cytophagaceae

with relatively low sequence similarities (less than 90 %) to members of other genera with validly published names. On the basis of the genotypic and phenotypic data, strain TQQ6T represents a new genus and novel species of the family

Cytophagaceae

, for which the name Fluviimonas pallidilutea gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TQQ6T ( = BCRC 80447T = LMG 27056T = KCTC 32035T).
Redox Modulation of Plant Developmental Regulators from the Class I TCP Transcription Factor Family
Authors: Viola Ivana L. , Güttlein Leandro N. , Gonzalez Daniel H.
Published: May 2013

TEOSINTE BRANCHED1-CYCLOIDEA-PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR1 (TCP) transcription factors participate in plant developmental processes associated with cell proliferation and growth. Most members of class I, one of the two classes that compose the family, have a conserved cysteine at position 20 (Cys-20) of the TCP DNA-binding and dimerization domain. We show that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) class I proteins with Cys-20 are sensitive to redox conditions, since their DNA-binding activity is inhibited after incubation with the oxidants diamide, oxidized glutathione, or hydrogen peroxide or with nitric oxide-producing agents. Inhibition can be reversed by treatment with the reductants dithiothreitol or reduced glutathione or by incubation with the thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase system. Mutation of Cys-20 in the class I protein TCP15 abolished its redox sensitivity. Under oxidizing conditions, covalently linked dimers were formed, suggesting that inactivation is associated with the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds. Inhibition of class I TCP protein activity was also observed in vivo, in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells expressing TCP proteins and in plants after treatment with redox agents. This inhibition was correlated with modifications in the expression of the downstream CUC1 gene in plants. Modeling studies indicated that Cys-20 is located at the dimer interface near the DNA-binding surface. This places this residue in the correct orientation for intermolecular disulfide bond formation and explains the sensitivity of DNA binding to the oxidation of Cys-20. The redox properties of Cys-20 and the observed effects of cellular redox agents both in vitro and in vivo suggest that class I TCP protein action is under redox control in plants.
The SUGAR-DEPENDENT1 Lipase Limits Triacylglycerol Accumulation in Vegetative Tissues of Arabidopsis
Authors: Kelly Amélie A. , van Erp Harrie , Quettier Anne-Laure , Shaw Eve , Menard Guillaume , Kurup Smita , Eastmond Peter J.
Published: May 2013

There has been considerable interest recently in the prospect of engineering crops to produce triacylglycerol (TAG) in their vegetative tissues as a means to achieve a step change in oil yield. Here, we show that disruption of TAG hydrolysis in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) lipase mutant sugar-dependent1 (sdp1) leads to a substantial accumulation of TAG in roots and stems but comparatively much lower TAG accumulation in leaves. TAG content in sdp1 roots increases with the age of the plant and can reach more than 1% of dry weight at maturity, a 50-fold increase over the wild type. TAG accumulation in sdp1 roots requires both ACYL-COENZYME A:DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE1 (DGAT1) and PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE:DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE1 and can also be strongly stimulated by the provision of exogenous sugar. In transgenic plants constitutively coexpressing WRINKLED1 and DGAT1, sdp1 also doubles the accumulation of TAG in roots, stems, and leaves, with levels ranging from 5% to 8% of dry weight. Finally, provision of 3% (w/v) exogenous Suc can further boost root TAG content in these transgenic plants to 17% of dry weight. This level of TAG is similar to seed tissues in many plant species and establishes the efficacy of an engineering strategy to produce oil in vegetative tissues that involves simultaneous manipulation of carbohydrate supply, fatty acid synthesis, TAG synthesis, and also TAG breakdown.
Sweet's syndrome associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Tsuji Hideaki , Yoshifuji Hajime , Nakashima Ran , Imura Yoshitaka , Yukawa Naoichiro , Ohmura Koichiro , Miyagawa‐Hayashino Aya , Kabashima Kenji , Mimori Tsuneyo
Published: May 2013

A 35‐year‐old Japanese female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with fever, erythematous papules and nodules, and polyarthralgia. Skin biopsy of a nodule was compatible with Sweet's syndrome. The papules/nodules were well treated with an oral glucocorticoid. Thirty cases of Sweet's syndrome associated with lupus erythematosus (LE) have been reported in the published work. The mean age was 34.2 years. They showed a higher male ratio (male : female, 1:2) compared with patients with SLE (1:9) and Sweet's syndrome (1:3.7). Sweet's syndrome may occur as a manifestation of LE, and a moderate dose of an oral glucocorticoid will result in a good response.
Efffect of the ABCC3 –211C/T polymorphism on clopidogrel responsiveness in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Zou Jian‐Jun , Fan Hong‐Wei , Chen Shao‐Liang , Tan Jie , He Bang‐Shun , Xie Hong‐Guang
Published: May 2013

Multidrug resistance protein 3 (MPR3), encoded by the ATP‐binding cassette, subfamily C (CFTR/MRP), member 3 (ABCC3) gene, functions as an important drug efflux transporter. The ABCC3 –211C/T polymorphism is associated with decreased MRP3 mRNA expression, and low MRP3 mRNA expression is associated with increased clopidogrel response in patients. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the –211C/T polymorphism is associated with altered antiplatelet effects and clinical outcomes in clopidogrel‐treated patients.

A subcohort of 249 patients not carrying the CYP2C19*2, *3 or *17 variant was identified from a total of 617 consecutive clopidogrel‐treated patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and then categorized into three groups on the basis of their ABCC3 –211C/T genotype. Baseline data, clinical characteristics and DNA samples were collected for all patients. Light transmittance aggregometry was used to determine ADP‐induced maximum platelet aggregation (MPA) in blood samples obtained from patients on Day 3 after starting daily clopidogrel maintenance doses. Genotyping of CYP2C19*2, *3 and *17 variants and the ABCC3 –211C/T polymorphism was performed using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry. The primary clinical end‐point was a definite stent thrombosis (ST) episode, whereas secondary end‐points were other major adverse cardiovascular events within 12 months after stenting.

There were no differences in MPA values according to ABCC3 –211C/T genotype. A multiple linear regression model revealed that the ABCC3 –211C/T polymorphism was not independently associated with ADP‐induced MPA measurements; a multiple logistic regression model revealed that carrying the ABCC3 –211C allele was not associated with the risk of developing an ST event in clopidogrel‐treated patients not harbouring CYP2C19*2, *3 and *17 variants.

In conclusion, the ABCC3 –211C/T polymorphism seems not to be associated with altered antiplatelet effects and clinical outcomes in clopidogrel‐treated patients.
Birth weight and ovulatory dysfunction
Authors: Shayeb AG , Harrild K , Bhattacharya S
Published: May 2013

Objective

To explore the association between birthweight and ovulatory dysfunction in adulthood.

Design

Case–control study.

Setting

Northeast of Scotland University Hospital, hosting the regional fertility centre and maternity unit.

Population

A total of 18 846 mother–daughter record pairs from the Aberdeen Fertility Centre Data Set and the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank (AMND). Cases were the daughters with ovulatory dysfunction attending the Aberdeen Fertility Centre between 1992 and 2007, Control group 1 included the daughters attending the fertility centre with confirmed ovulation, and Control group 2 included all women naturally fertile who gave birth in Aberdeen during the same period.

Methods

The electronic maternity records of the mothers of women in the three groups were retrieved from AMND and compared.

Main outcome measures

Daughters' birthweight and standardised birthweight, characteristics of mothers and daughters at delivery and current daughters' characteristics.

Results

Cases, Control group 1 and Control group 2 included 466, 548 and 17 832 daughters, respectively. The mean birthweight (standard deviation) in grams was comparable between Cases 3203 (522), Control group 1, 3235 (482) P = 0.30, and Control group 2, 3226 (495) P = 0.31. The proportions of daughters born small for gestational age, large for gestational age, or preterm were comparable between the Cases group and each Control group, as was the mode of delivery and Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes. The age at delivery, body mass index, social class or pregnancy complications were comparable in the mothers of the Cases and each Control group.

Conclusions

Ovulatory dysfunction does not appear to be related to birthweight or perinatal events.
Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors: Multitarget drugs, not only antidiabetes drugs (D ipeptidyl peptidase ‐4抑制剂：多靶点药物，不仅仅是降糖药)
Authors: Zhao Yunjuan , Yang Lin , Zhou Zhiguang
Published: May 2013

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)‐4 inhibitors are a new class of antidiabetic agents that reduce blood glucose by preventing the degradation of the endogenous incretin hormones glucagon‐like peptide‐1 and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. Protection by DPP‐4 inhibitors of β‐cell function has been demonstrated in patients with type 2 diabetes. Because DPP‐4 is an enzyme widely expressed in humans, DPP‐4 inhibitors are speculated to be multitarget agents. However, other potential therapeutic benefits of DPP‐4 inhibitors remain unknown. Recently, some therapeutic effects of DPP‐4 inhibitors, such as immune regulation, cardiovascular protection, and anti‐inflammatory effects, have been observed. This article provides a systematic and comprehensive review of current research into the newly found effects and mechanism of action of DPP‐4 inhibitors in a therapeutic context.
Can intensity‐modulated radiation therapy spare the central flapped area while encompassing the target volume in radiotherapy after immediate breast reconstruction?
Authors: Lee Jung Ae , Yoon Won Sup , Chung Se Young , Yang Dae Sik , Lee Suk , Park Young Je , Kim Chul Yong , Son Gil Soo , Yoon Eul Sik
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Radiotherapy increases the morbidity of immediate breast reconstruction. To spare the flapped area without an adverse dose distribution of the target volume and organ at risks, various radiation techniques were assessed.

Methods

Twelve breasts undergoing skin‐sparing mastectomy and immediate transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction were evaluated. After a delineation of whole breast, the doughnut‐like breast target volume (BTV) including the chest wall and skin and the subtracted central flapped volume (FV) were defined. The opposed wedge tangential radiotherapy (3‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3‐D CRT) ), field‐in‐field radiotherapy (FiF), inverse intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (iIMRT), volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMRT) and the mixture of FiF and iIMRT (HYBRID) were tried. Total 50 Gy was prescribed to the BTV. The paired student t‐tests were performed.

Results

The V47.5Gy of the BTV was improved in iIMRT and VMRT compared with 3‐D CRT and FiF. The mean FV doses in iIMRT and VMRT were 76.7 ± 3.9% and 85.5 ± 4.0%, respectively. However the mean ipsilateral lung doses were aggravated by iIMRT and VMRT. In terms of HYBRID, the V47.5Gy for the BTV was 97.5 ± 0.7%. The mean FV dose was 89.4 ± 2.1%. While the mean FV dose in HYBRID was 13.7 ± 2.1% (P < 0.001) lower than FiF, it was 12.8 ± 1.9% (P < 0.001) higher than iIMRT. The mean ipsilateral lung dose in HYBRID was 2.8 ± 1.9% (P < 0.001) worse than FiF, and 2.6 ± 1.8% (P < 0.001) better than iIMRT.

Conclusions

The HYBRID could minimise the adverse dose distribution of lung and reduce 10% of the mean dose to the flapped area. For patients with adverse factors for the failure of breast reconstruction, the HYBRID could be considered.
The G20 and Food Security: a Mismatch in Global Governance?
Authors: Clapp Jennifer , Murphy Sophia
Published: May 2013

When the G20 took up food security in 2010, many were optimistic that it could bring about positive change by addressing structural problems in commodity markets that were contributing to high and volatile food prices and exacerbating hunger. Its members could tighten the regulation of agricultural commodity futures markets, support multilateral trade rules that would better reflect both importer and exporter needs, end renewable fuel targets that diverted land to biofuels production, and coordinate food reserves. In this article, we argue that although the G20 took on food security as a focus area, it missed an important opportunity and has shown that it is not the most appropriate forum for food security policy. Instead of tackling the structural economic dimensions of food security, the G20 chose to promote smoothing and coping measures within the current global economic framework. By shifting the focus away from structural issues, the G20 has had a chilling effect on policy debates in other global food security forums, especially theUNCommittee on World Food Security (CFS). In addition, the G20 excludes the voices of the least developed countries and civil society, and lacks the expertise and capacity to implement its recommendations.
Varieties of the Regulatory State and Global Companies: the Case of China
Authors: Wong Shiufai
Published: May 2013

Understanding what kind of regulatory state/capitalism China represents can be an arduous task, and the issue is still under debate. This article uses a dynamic regulatory perspective to examine how the Chinese government has changed its roles of governance and relationships with global companies. Obviously, the changes would depend on the type, scope, power and other case‐by‐case intricacies of global companies. Using statistics across the 100 largest global companies chosen from Fortune's Global 500, this article explores the central tendency and relationship between regulators and global companies in China. As the evidence tends to suggest, in no respect can China's regulatory choices be looked upon as those of the regulatory state represented in the literature. The regulatory tactics of the Chinese government have merely allowed it to utilize the professional/technical expertise of the more well‐established and/or credible foreign actors and regulators. The Chinese government has never its compromised long‐term national goals or interests.
The Rise of East Asia's Global Companies
Authors: Kim Sung‐Young
Published: May 2013

How have the developmentally oriented states of East Asia coped with the unprecedented levels of structural power that global companies now possess? This article argues that under conditions of intensifying knowledge‐based competition, states with strategic industry objectives seek new ways of managing collaborative ties between public and private actors. The argument is developed by examining the development of the Korean telecommunications sector from the 1980s to the 2000s. The Korean state's relationship with the conglomerates or chaebol has been based increasingly on an equal partnership in which the chaebol themselves are expected to bear greater responsibility for promoting national techno‐industrial competitiveness. These expectations have been translated into two main forms: (i) collaborating in state‐sponsored efforts to promote the international standardization of Korean‐developed technologies, and (ii) providing initial markets for the innovations created by fledgling high‐tech start‐ups who provide crucial sources of innovation in the pursuit of the Korean state's emphasis on transitioning towards innovation‐led development.
Treatment with the sphingosine‐1‐phosphate analogue FTY 720 reduces loss of plasma volume during experimental sepsis in the rat
Authors: LUNDBLAD CORNELIA , AXELBERG HELEN , GRÄNDE PER‐OLOF
Published: May 2013

Background

Increased vascular leakage leading to hypovolaemia and tissue oedema is common in severe sepsis. Hypovolaemia together with oedema formation may contribute to hypoxia and result in multiorgan failure and death. To improve treatment during sepsis, a potential therapeutic target may be to reduce the vascular leakage. Substances affecting the endothelial barrier are interesting in this respect, as it is suggested that increase in vascular leakage depends on reorganisation of the endothelial cells and breakdown of the endothelial barrier. The agonist of the bioactive lipid sphingosine‐1‐phosphate, FTY720, has been shown to modulate the integrity of the endothelium and reduce permeability both in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to determine if FTY720 could reduce the loss of plasma volume during experimental sepsis in rats.

Methods

Sepsis was induced by ligation and incision of the caecum in the rat. Plasma volume was determined before and 4.5 h after induction of sepsis by a dilution technique using 125I‐labelled albumin.

Results

FTY720 in a dose of 0.2 mg/kg reduced the loss of plasma during sepsis by approximately 30% compared with vehicle, without any adverse effects on haemodynamic and physiological parameters. The increase in hematocrit and haemoglobin concentration was also found to be higher in the vehicle group.

Conclusion

FTY720 in a dose without haemodynamic side effects reduces loss of plasma volume during experimental sepsis most likely because of reduction in permeability and may therefore be beneficial in sepsis.
Tea Polyphenols Modulate Antioxidant Redox System on Cisplatin‐induced Reactive Oxygen Species Generation in a Human Breast Cancer Cell
Authors: Periasamy Vaiyapuri S. , Alshatwi Ali A.
Published: May 2013

Tea polyphenols (TPP) have potent antioxidant and anticancer properties, particularly in patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. However, few studies have been conducted on treatments using a combination of TPP and the conventional chemical anticancer drug cisplatin (CP). This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of the cytotoxicity of total TPP and CP, which may synergistically induce cell death in cancer cells. Here, breast cancer cells (MCF‐7) were treated with various concentrations of TPP alone or in combination with the chemotherapeutic drug CP. The effect of TPP on cell growth, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, apoptosis and gene expression of caspase‐3, caspase‐8 and caspase‐9 and p53 was investigated. The MTT (3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay revealed that the MCF‐7 cells were less sensitive to growth inhibition by TPP treatment than either CP or the combination therapy. Propidium iodide nuclear staining indicated that exposure to this combination increased the proportion of apoptotic nuclei compared with a single‐agent treatment. Flow cytometry analysis was used to quantify changes in intracellular ROS. Detection of activated caspases by fluorescently labelled inhibitors of caspases (FLICA) combined with the plasma membrane permeability assay demonstrated that the percentage of early and late apoptotic/secondary necrotic cells was higher in the cells treated with the combination than in those treated with either TPP or CP alone. The combined TPP and CP treatment synergistically induced apoptosis through both caspase‐8 and caspase‐9 activation and p53 over‐expression. This suggests that TPP plus CP may be used as an efficient antioxidant‐based combination therapy for estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive and p53‐positive breast cancer.