bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple iso‐proteins of FNR in Arabidopsis: evidence for different contributions to chloroplast function and nitrogen assimilation
Authors: HANKE GUY THOMAS , OKUTANI SATOSHI , SATOMI YOSHINORI , TAKAO TOSHIFUMI , SUZUKI AKIRA , HASE TOSHIHARU
Published: August 2005

In chloroplasts ferredoxin:NADP(H) oxidoreductase (FNR) enzymes oxidize the final reduced product of the photosynthetic electron transport chain, ferredoxin (Fd), to reduce NADP+, and play a role in cyclic electron transport. Oppositely, in non‐photosynthetic plastids FNR oxidizes NADPH to provide reduced Fd for enzymes of bioassimilation and biosynthesis. These separate plastid types predominantly contain different iso‐proteins, with distinct leaf FNR (LFNR) and root FNR (RFNR) features. Genomic and transcript information has identified multiple isoforms of both LFNR and RFNR in several species. We have used a technique for rapidly purifying Fd‐interacting proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana to identify the two LFNR and two RFNR proteins encoded in the genome. Analysis of purified LFNRs revealed variation in pI and in abundance between stromal and thylakoid fractions of chloroplasts. Transcript and protein levels of the two LFNRs were similar in leaves, but varied in relative abundance between stems and siliques and in response to different nitrogen growth regimes. Relative transcript accumulation and protein abundance of the two RFNR isoforms varied between organs and in response to different nitrogen growth regimes. These results show that the multiple FNR iso‐proteins of A. thaliana have variable metabolic roles and contribute differentially to nitrogen assimilation.
Donor polymorphisms in Toll‐like receptor‐4 influence the development of rejection after renal transplantation
Authors: Palmer Scott M , Burch Lauranell H , Mir Saad , Smith Stephen R , Kuo Paul C , Herczyk Walter F , Reinsmoen Nancy L , Schwartz David A
Published: August 2005

Abstract:  Background:  Although innate immunity is crucial to host defense against pathogens, the extent to which innate immune mechanisms participate in the rejection of allogenic tissues in humans is unknown. We hypothesize that activation of innate immunity through Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) critically regulates the development of renal allograft rejection. We have recently demonstrated decreased acute rejection in lung transplant recipients heterozygous for either of two functional polymorphisms in TLR4 associated with endotoxin hyporesponsiveness. In the present investigation, we sought to evaluate the role of innate immune activation through TLR4, in either donor or recipient, upon the development of renal allograft rejection.

Methods:  Patients and donors were screened for the TLR4 functional polymorphisms (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using sequence‐specific primers.

Results:  The incidence of biopsy‐proven acute renal allograft rejection was significantly reduced in patients receiving donor grafts heterozygous for the Asp299Gly or Thr399Ile alleles, when compared with wild type (22% vs. 0%, respectively, p = 0.02). There was no association with recipient TLR4 allele and rejection.

Conclusions:  The results suggest activation of innate immunity through TLR4 in the donor kidney contributes to the development of acute rejection after renal transplantation.
Activity of CuZn‐superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in erythrocytes in kidney allografts during reperfusion in patients with and without delayed graft function
Authors: Domański L , Dołęgowska B , Safranow K , Różański J , Myślak M , Romanowski M , Sieńko J , Sulikowski T , Ostrowski M , Kędzierska K , Domański M , Chlubek D , Pawlik A , Ciechanowski K
Published: August 2005

Abstract:  Background:  Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the main mechanism involved in the ischemic/reperfusion damage of the transplanted organ. Oxygen burst is a trigger for complex biochemical events leading to generation of oxygenated lipids and changes in microcirculation. Many markers have been researched to prove the presence of ROS in the transplanted tissue. Some of them, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) are considered to play a major role in graft protection against oxygen stress during reperfusion.

Methods:  The aim of this study was to examine the changes of SOD1, CAT and GPx activity in erythrocytes during the first minutes after total graft reperfusion. Forty patients undergoing kidney transplantation at our center were assigned to two groups: with or without delayed graft function (DGF). Before anastomosing kidney vessels with recipient's iliac vessels, the ‘0’ blood sample was taken from the iliac vein. Next blood samples I, II and III were taken from the graft's renal vein. The reperfusion of the transplanted kidney was evaluated precisely with the thermovision camera. Erythrocyte SOD1, CAT and GPx activity was measured with a spectrophotometric method.

Results:  We did not observe statistically significant changes in SOD1, CAT and GPx activity in erythrocytes during the early phase of reperfusion in patients with and without DGF.

Conclusions:  Erythrocyte‐antioxidative system in graft's vein remain stable during the early phase of reperfusion. The results of the study suggest that further studies on extracellular enzymes are required for the assessment of antioxidant system in the conditions of ischemia/reperfusion.
DNA extraction procedure: a critical issue for bacterial diversity assessment in marine sediments
Authors: Luna Gian Marco , Dell’Anno A. , Danovaro R.
Published: August 2005

In order to evaluate whether different DNA extraction procedures can affect estimates of benthic bacterial diversity, based on 16S rRNA gene terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) fingerprinting technique, we compared two in situ lysis procedures (a SDS‐based protocol and a commercial kit for DNA recovery) and one cell‐extraction protocol on a variety of marine sediments. Despite the two in situ lysis procedures resulted in significantly different DNA yields (highest with the SDS in situ lysis), estimates of bacterial diversity provided a not significantly different ribotype richness, as well as similar values of the Shannon‐Wiener (H′) and Margalef (d) indices of biodiversity and of evenness (Pielou index, J). Conversely, the cell‐extraction procedure for DNA extraction resulted always in a significantly lower ribotype richness and diversity. The analysis of similarities (anosim) among the T‐RFLP electropherograms allowed concluding that ribotypes composition did not change significantly using different protocols. However, the analysis of β‐diversity (turnover diversity) revealed that a large number of ribotypes was observed exclusively with one of the three protocols utilized. When unshared ribotypes from in situ lysis and cell extraction were pooled together, total ribotype richness resulted much higher (up to 80%). Our results indicate that estimates of ribotype diversity based on a single protocol of DNA extraction can significantly underestimate the total number of bacterial ribotypes present in the benthic domain. We recommend that future studies will not only integrate different DNA extraction procedures, but also will explore the possibility of integrating two or more different genetic markers in order to increase our ability to detect the actual bacterial diversity in environmental samples.
Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the island of Gran Canaria: comparison of three major diagnostic proposals
Authors: Boronat M. , Chirino R. , Varillas V. F. , Saavedra P. , Marrero D. , Fábregas M. , J. Nóvoa F.
Published: August 2005

Aims  The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in a Canarian population, and to compare its frequency as defined by the most commonly used working definitions.

Methods  Cross‐sectional population‐based study. One thousand and thirty adult subjects were randomly selected from the local census of Telde, a city located on the island of Gran Canaria. Participants completed a survey questionnaire and underwent physical examination, fasting blood analyses, and a 75‐g standardized oral glucose tolerance test. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was estimated according to the definitions proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) and the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), the latter with the original (6.1 mmol/l) and the revised criterion (5.6 mmol/l) for abnormal fasting glucose.

Results  The adjusted prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 28.0, 15.9, 23.0 and 28.2%, using the WHO, EGIR, NCEP and revised NCEP criteria, respectively. The measure of agreement (κ statistic) was 0.57 between the WHO and the original NCEP definitions, and 0.61 between the WHO and the revised NCEP definitions. After excluding diabetic subjects, the agreement between the EGIR and WHO proposals was fairly good (κ = 0.70), whereas concordance of the EGIR with the original and the revised NCEP definitions was moderate (κ = 0.47 and 0.46, respectively).

Conclusions  Whichever the considered diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in this area of the Canary Islands is greater than that observed in most other European populations.
Where Does the Ownership of a Decision Lie?
Authors: Moore Peter G.
Published: August 2005

SUMMARY This paper examines Leavitt's three‐part model of path‐finding, problem solving and decision making, and implementation in order to explore how far this model encapsulates the senior manager role. The discussion suggests that all three dimensions are important. The author argues that the top manager of the future in an increasingly complex economic world must primarily have good all round vision of the world in which he or she operates and the ability to communicate and implement his plans via subordinates. Increasingly he can delegate much of the problem solving function. This managerial profile implies that the education of the top manager of the future needs re‐examination to ensure that potential senior executives are adequately equipped to guide commercial institutions into the 21st century.
Managing as a Performing Art
Authors: Mangham Iain L.
Published: August 2005

This paper considers the activities of senior managers as isomorphic with the activities of actors. It takesperformingas not a matter of metaphor, but a matter of form; life at the top of an organization is intrinsically theatrical; each of us is blessed or cursed with histrionic sensibility. Proceeding by way of a comparison of Edmund Kean and Lee lacocca it touches upon matters of text and interpretation, rehearsal and performance and the importance of individuation. The argument – such as it is – is that both Kean and lacocca performthemselves, the former's Richard III, the latter's Chrysler being the fullest realizations of that which was, hitherto, inchoate and emergent. The final part of the paper is concerned with the implications of this perspective for education, training and development; current management education appears geared to reduce rather than to promote individuality. Techniques are imposed and answers are provided and the entire educational performance revolves around teachers as performers rather than managers as performers. The way to become a management star, it is suggested, is to do managing, not simply to be audience for academic stars.
Managing Corporate Knowledge Experiences with SODA and V·I·S·A
Authors: Ackermann Fran , Belton Valerie
Published: August 2005

It is often said that success in today's competitive environment depends on the acquisition and application of sound, relevant knowledge. This paper introduces two management science approaches that have been used for the effective management of knowledge, towards the development of strategy, planning and decision making, in a wide range of organizational settings. Both approaches make use of computer technology to provide a flexible and interactive environment incorporating a visual representation of the problem. The paper briefly describes each approach, together with a case study illustrating its use in practice. A number of common themes relevant to the management of knowledge are identified and discussed. The themes highlight the benefits which arise through the use of computer technology alongside a number of issues relevant to the management of the group process.
FINANCING POLITICAL PARTIES
Authors: GROSSMAN RICHARD
Published: August 2005

In this and the next issue we print some articles on alternative ways of funding political parties. He who pays the piper may not always get quite the tune he expects, but it is certainly in the public interest to consides that public funding of parties is possible, as well as controls of types of contribution and enforced publicity. We begin the symposium by reprinting from The Times of April 11, 1973, a characteristically provocative piece by the late Richard Crossman from his all too short‐lived “Personal View Column”. We thank The Times for permission to reptint, and pay tribute to the memory of Crossman who was a member of the Board of THE POLITICAL QUARTERLY from 1939 to 1960.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, THE LAW AND GOVERNMENT STRATEGY
Authors: GREGORY ROY
Published: August 2005

“A monetary policy that would break the coercive power of the unions by producing extensive and protracted unemployment must be excluded, for it would be politically and socially fatal. But if we do not succeed in curbing union power at its source, the unions will soon be faced with a demand for measures that will be much more distasteful to individual workers, if not the union leaders, than the submission of the unions to the rule of law: the clamor will soon be either for the fixing of wages by governments for the complete abolition of the unions.”

F. A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty
“DOWN THERE ON A VISIT” SOUTHERN AFRICA TWENTYFIVE YEARS ON
Authors: LICHTENSTEIN LEONIE
Published: August 2005

Leonie Lichtenstein was born and educated in South Africa. She taught at schools and at the University of Witwatersrand and was for a period a full‐time organiser for the Liberal Party in South Africa. She lived in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) from 1957–1962, where she and her husband became involved in the struggle against white minority rule. She moved with her family to England in 1962 where she was a lecturer in English at Goldsmith's College, University of London, and also active in community relations and as a governor of schools and higher education colleges.

In 1988 she returned to South Africa to give the keynote address to the Association of University English Teachers of South Africa on Literature and Politics. The present article stems from that visit. Soon after completing it, on 10 May 1989, she died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 58. She had completed a novel shortly before her death.
FIN DE SIÈCLE BLUES: THE POLICE FACE THE MILLENNIUM
Authors: REINER ROBERT
Published: August 2005

‘What people in our own age think of when they hear the words “English police” is an unarmed police force of constables who are ordinarily courteous to tourists, patient, and restrained in confronting crowds.’
POVERTY, THE POLL TAX AND THATCHERITE WELFARE POLICY
Authors: MACGREGOR SUSANNE
Published: August 2005

Our clergy in outer urban estates and in old inner‐city areas tell us that they have not met so many desperately poor people for a long time (the Anglican Bishop and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Good Friday, 1991).
LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE AND THE BIRTH OF THE MAN‐MIDWIFE
Authors: Bancroft‐Livingston George
Published: August 2005

Now, I'm sorry to say, At that time of day,

The Court of Versailles was a little too gay;

The Courtiers were all much addicted to Play,

To Bourdeaux, Chambertin, Frontignac, St. Peray,

Lafitte, Château Margaux, And Sillery (a cargo On which John Bull sensibly (?) lays an embargo),

While Louis Quatorze Kept about him, in scores,

What the Noblesse, in courtesy, term'd his ‘Jane Shores,’

—They were called by a much coarser name out of doors.—

This, we all must admit, in A King's not befitting!

For such courses, when followed by persons of quality,

Are apt to detract on the score of morality.

Ingoldsby Legends:“The Black Mousquetaire”
Eleven‐year clinical outcome of schizophrenia in Bali
Authors: Kurihara T. , Kato M. , Reverger R. , Tirta I. G. R.
Published: August 2005

Objective:  To contrast the short‐term and long‐term outcome of schizophrenia in Bali.

Method:  The clinical outcomes of 46 schizophrenic patients (DSM‐IV‐TR) consecutively admitted to Bangli Mental Hospital were evaluated by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Eguma's Social Adjustment Scale (ESAS) at a 11‐year follow‐up, which was subsequent to a 5‐year follow‐up.

Results:  Neither the PANSS score nor the ESAS score were significantly different, and there was a significant correlation between the two follow‐up data. Subjects categorized into either the best or worst outcome group at the 5‐year follow‐up tended to be classified into the same category at the 11‐year follow‐up more often than those who were categorized into the medium outcome groups at the 5‐year follow‐up.

Conclusion:  The 5‐year outcome of schizophrenia strongly predicted the 11‐year outcome, especially for subjects who had gone into either a remissive or severe deterioration state within 5 years.
Population size in stream‐living juveniles of lake‐migratory brown troutSalmo truttaL.: the importance of stream discharge and temperature
Authors: Lobón‐Cerviá Javier , Mortensen Erik
Published: August 2005

Abstract – Based on the analysis of 17 successive year‐classes, this investigation attempted to identify the factors determining year‐to‐year variation in population size of the stream‐living juveniles of Lake Hald‐dwelling brown troutSalmo truttaL. Population size appeared to be influenced chiefly by annual recruitment that in turn, was determined by stream discharge and temperature. These patterns matched those previously highlighted for a resident population located >2500 km apart and emphasised the importance of environmental (climatic) variability as a major regulating agent of population size in stream brown trout. However, distinctly shaped recruitment–discharge relationships between the two populations suggested different mechanisms in response to environmental variability and thus to persist in time.
Identification of Heterogeneous Aquifer Transmissivity Using an AE‐Based Method
Authors: Janković Igor , Fiori Aldo , Suribhatla Raghavendra , Dagan Gedeon
Published: August 2005

Determination of hydraulic head, H, as a function of spatial coordinates and time, in ground water flow is the basis for aquifer management and for prediction of contaminant transport. Several computer codes are available for this purpose. Spatial distribution of the transmissivity, T(x,y), is a required input to these codes. In most aquifers, T varies in an erratic manner, and it can be characterized statistically in terms of a few moments: the expected value, the variance, and the variogram. Knowledge of these moments, combined with a few measurements, permits one to estimate T at any point using geostatistical methods. In a review of transmissivity data from 19 unconsolidated aquifers, Hoeksema and Kitanidis (1985) identified two types of the logtransmissivity Y= ln(T) variations: correlated variations with variance and correlation scale, IY, on the order of kilometers, and uncorrelated variations with variance . Direct identification of the logtransmissivity variogram, ΓY, from measurements is difficult because T data are generally scarce. However, many head measurements are commonly available. The aim of the paper is to introduce a methodology to identify the transmissivity variogram parameters (, IY, and ) using head data in formations characterized by large logtransmissivity variance. The identification methodology uses a combination of precise numerical simulations (carried out using analytic element method) and a theoretical model. The main objective is to demonstrate the application of the methodology to a regional ground water flow in Eagle Valley basin in west‐central Nevada for which abundant transmissivity and head measurements are available.
A Nested‐Cell Approach for In Situ Remediation
Authors: Luo Jian , Wu Weimin , Fienen Michael N. , Jardine Philip M. , Mehlhorn Tonia L. , Watson David B. , Cirpka Olaf A. , Criddle Craig S. , Kitanidis Peter K.
Published: August 2005

We characterize the hydraulics of an extraction‐injection well pair in arbitrarily oriented regional flow by the recirculation ratio, area, and average residence time in the recirculation zone. Erratic regional flow conditions may compromise the performance of the reactor between a single well pair. We propose an alternative four‐well system: two downgradient extraction and two upgradient injection wells creating an inner cell nested within an outer cell. The outer cell protects the inner cell from the influence of regional flow. Compared to a two‐well system, the proposed four‐well system has several advantages: (1) the recirculation ratio within the nested inner cell is less sensitive to the regional flow direction; (2) a transitional recirculation zone between the inner and outer cells can capture flow leakage from the inner cell, minimizing the release of untreated contaminants; and (3) the size of the recirculation zone and residence times can be better controlled within the inner cell by changing the pumping rates. The system is applied at the Field Research Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where experiments on microbial in situ reduction of uranium (VI) are under way.
Estimating Recharge Rates with Analytic Element Models and Parameter Estimation
Authors: Dripps W.R. , Hunt R.J. , Anderson M.P.
Published: August 2005

Quantifying the spatial and temporal distribution of recharge is usually a prerequisite for effective ground water flow modeling. In this study, an analytic element (AE) code (GFLOW) was used with a nonlinear parameter estimation code (UCODE) to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of recharge using measured base flows as calibration targets. The ease and flexibility of AE model construction and evaluation make this approach well suited for recharge estimation. An AE flow model of an undeveloped watershed in northern Wisconsin was optimized to match median annual base flows at four stream gages for 1996 to 2000 to demonstrate the approach. Initial optimizations that assumed a constant distributed recharge rate provided good matches (within 5%) to most of the annual base flow estimates, but discrepancies of >12% at certain gages suggested that a single value of recharge for the entire watershed is inappropriate. Subsequent optimizations that allowed for spatially distributed recharge zones based on the distribution of vegetation types improved the fit and confirmed that vegetation can influence spatial recharge variability in this watershed. Temporally, the annual recharge values varied >2.5‐fold between 1996 and 2000 during which there was an observed 1.7‐fold difference in annual precipitation, underscoring the influence of nonclimatic factors on interannual recharge variability for regional flow modeling. The final recharge values compared favorably with more labor‐intensive field measurements of recharge and results from studies, supporting the utility of using linked AE–parameter estimation codes for recharge estimation.
Use of Sequential Filtration for Determining Transportable Lead in Ground Water
Authors: Bailey Renata , Marchesani Joseph , Marinucci Andrew C. , Reynard Jennifer , Sanders Paul
Published: August 2005

This study examines the effects of sequential filtration on the particle abundance and lead concentrations in ground water from four monitoring wells in New Jersey with a history of high turbidity, elevated metal concentrations, or where differences in metal concentrations exist between filtered and unfiltered samples. In these monitoring wells, both transportable suspended particles, such as colloidal particles that are suspended in solution, and nontransportable particles that are disturbed during sample collection but not considered mobile transportable species may be present in solution with potential overlap in particle size distribution. Filtration, particularly the operational pore size (25 to 0.45 μm) of the filter, was evaluated as a method to obtain a representative sample of the transportable metal, as defined by the dissolved phase and particles that are persistently suspended in solution. Two monitoring wells at the Denzer‐Schaefer site, a silty/clay aquifer with high particle concentrations (>8900 mg/L) from samples taken with bailers and a low‐flow purge (LFP) pump, showed that a filter of pore size 25 μm could remove 60% to 90% of soil‐derived particles, with minimal loss of suspended particles from solution. The two monitoring wells within the highly conductive Picatinny Arsenal sand aquifer provided higher particle abundance with the samples collected with bailers (4300 to 6500 mg/L) than with the LFP pump (4 to 11 mg/L), indicating greater artificial particle disruption with a bailer. At Picatinny Arsenal, the major portion of nontransportable particles in the ground water samples could be removed by filtration through a 25–μm pore size filter, with a minimal loss in suspended particles. Filtration of ground water through a 25–μm pore size filter followed by acidification at the sampling site would provide investigators a tool to examine particle transport in aquifers where there exists the potential for artificial particle disruption during sampling.
Three‐Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Steam Override Observed at a Full‐Scale Remediation of an Unconfined Aquifer
Authors: Gudbjerg Jacob , Heron Tom , Sonnenborg Torben O. , Jensen Karsten H.
Published: August 2005

Steam injected below the water table tends to move upward because of buoyancy. This limits the horizontal steam zone development, which determines the optimal spacing between injection wells. In this study, observations indicating steam override at a full‐scale remediation of an unconfined aquifer are analyzed by numerical modeling using the code T2VOC. A simplified three‐dimensional (3D) numerical model is set up, which qualitatively shows the same mechanisms as observed at the site. By means of the model, it is found that it will be possible to achieve a larger horizontal extent of the steam zone in a layered geology compared to the homogeneous case. In the homogeneous case, the steam injection rate increases dramatically when the injection pressure is increased, which is necessary to achieve a larger horizontal development. The development of the steam zone under unconfined conditions is found to be a complex function of the geologic layering, the water table at steady‐state extraction, and the injection/extraction system. Because of this complexity, it will be difficult to predict steam behavior without site‐specific 3D numerical modeling.
A comparison of genetic maps constructed from haploid and BC1mapping populations from the same crossing betweenGossypium hirsutumL. andGossypium barbadenseL.
Authors: Song Xianliang , Wang Kai , Guo Wangzhen , Zhang Jun , Zhang Tianzhen
Published: August 2005

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) genetic maps have been separately constructed based on doubled haploid (DH) and (or) haploid and BC1populations from the same cross between Gossypium hirsutum L. 'TM-1' and Gossypium barbadense L. 'Hai7124'. The BC1population was produced by pollinating individual plants of the 'TM-1' × 'Hai7124' F1with 'TM-1', whereas the DH and (or) haploid population developed from the offspring of Vsg × ('TM-1' × 'Hai7124'). Vsg is a virescently marked semigamy line of Gossypium barbadense L. Pima. The BC1map included 34 linkage groups with an average distance between markers of 9.80 cM (Kosambi, K) and covered 4331.2 cM (K) or approximately 78.7% of the tetraploid cotton genome constructed using 440 SSR and 2 morphological marker genes. Among them, 26 were assigned to 20 chromosomes, 7 to A or D subgenomes, and 1 was unassigned. The haploid map comprised 444 SSR markers mapped to 40 linkage groups with an average distance of 7.35 cM (K) between markers, covering 3262.9 cM (K) or approximately 60.0% of the tetraploid genome. Twenty-nine linkage groups were assigned to all 19 identified chromosomes, 10 to A or D subgenomes, and 1 was unassigned. Fairly good collinearity of marker order was observed along most of the chromosomes or linkage groups. Significant differences in recombination between maps was observed at the chromosomal and genomic level and possible reasons were discussed. Map comparison and combined data provided an essential basis for further mapping of interested genes and QTLs and for studies of diversity, population structure, and phylogeny in Gossypium species.Key words: cotton, SSR, comparative mapping, semigamy.
A high-resolution karyotype of cucumber (Cucumis sativusL. 'Winter Long') revealed by C-banding, pachytene analysis, and RAPD-aided fluorescence in situ hybridization
Authors: Koo Dal-Hoe , Choi Hae-Woon , Cho Jeongki , Hur Yoonkang , Bang Jae-Wook
Published: August 2005

Using molecular cytogenetic DNA markers, C-banding, pachytene analysis, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a high-resolution karyotype was established in the cucumber. C-banding showed distinct hetero chro matic bands on the pericentromeric, telomeric, and intercalary regions of the chromosomes. The C-banding patterns were also consistent with the morphology of 4'-6-diamino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI)-stained pachytene chro mosomes. Two repetitive DNA fragments, CsRP1 and CsRP2, were obtained by PCR and localized on the mitotic metaphase and meiotic pachytene chromosomes. CsRP1 was detected on the pericentromeric heterochromatic regions of all chromosomes, except chromosome 1. CsRP2 was detected on 5 (chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7) of 7 chromosomes. All homologous chromosome pairs could be distinguished by FISH using 2 RAPD markers. This is the first report on molecular karyotyping of mitotic and meiotic spreads of cucumber.Key words: Cucumis sativus, C-banding, FISH, karyotype, pachytene, RAPD marker, rDNA.
Structure ofAegilops ventricosachromosome 6Nv, the donor of wheat genesYr17, Lr37,Sr38, andCre5
Authors: Tanguy Anne-Marie , Coriton Olivier , Abélard Paulette , Dedryver Françoise , Jahier Joseph
Published: August 2005

An Aegilops ventricosa Tausch (2n = 28, DvDvNvNv) subtelocentric chromosome added to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a disomic addition line was found to carry the genes for resistance Yr17, Lr37, Sr38, and Cre5 already transferred onto chromosome 2AS of the wheat line VPM1. Previous works demonstrated that this Ae. ventricosa chromosome is translocated with respect to the standard wheat genome. The present investigations showed that this chromosome pre-existed in Ae. ventricosa and contains only chromatin specific to the N genome. Using biochemical markers and suitable cytogenetic materials including the monoisosomic addition line for the translocated long arm (6NvL–2NvS), its structure was defined as being 6NvSdel.6NvL–2NvS. It consists of a segment of the short arm 2Nv, containing the resistance genes, attached to a group 6 chromosome lacking a distal part of its short arm. The 2 re arrangements could already be present in Aegilops uniaristata Vis. (2n = 14, NN), the source of the Nvgenome of Ae. ventricosa.Key words: wheat, Aegilops ventricosa, GISH, translocation, isochromosome.
Evolution of a triplet repeat in a conifer
Authors: Sokol Kerry A , Williams Claire G
Published: August 2005

The opportunity to trace the evolution of a triplet repeat is rare, especially for seed-plant lineages with a well-defined fossil record. Microsatellite PtTX2133 sequences from 18 species in 2 conifer genera were used to calibrate the birth of a CAGnrepeat, from its protomicrosatellite origins to its repeat expansion. Birth occurred in the hard-pine genome ~ 136 million years ago, or 14 million generations ago, then expanded as a polymorphic triplet repeat 136-100 million years before a major North American vicariance event. Calibration of the triplet-repeat birth and expansion is supported by the shared allelic lineages among Old and New World hard pines and the shared alleles solely among North American diploxylon or hard pines. Five CAGnrepeat units appeared to be the expansion threshold for Old and New World diploxylon pines. Haploxylon pine species worldwide did not undergo birth and repeat expansion, remaining monomorphic, with a single imperfect 198-bp allele. A sister genus, Picea, had only a region of cryptic simplicity, preceding a proto-microsatellite region. The polymorphic triplet repeat in hard pines is older than some long-lived microsatellites reported for reptiles, yet younger than those reported for insects. Some cautionary points are raised about phylogenetic applications for this long-lived microsatellite.Key words: gymnosperms, microsatellite evolution, cladogenesis, phylogenetic analysis.
The two ribosomal proteinL23Agenes are differentially transcribed inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: McIntosh Kerri B , Bonham-Smith Peta C
Published: August 2005

Arabidopsis thaliana ribosomal protein (r-protein) L23A (RPL23A) is a member of the conserved L23/L25 family of primary ribosomal RNA (rRNA) binding proteins. The 2 AtRPL23A isoforms, RPL23A-1 and RPL23A-2, are 94% identical at the amino acid level, yet RPL23A-1 and RPL23A-2 share only ~40–50% primary sequence identity within the 5' regulatory regions. While the RPL23A-1 and -2 5' regulatory regions share many similar predicted motifs, the arrangement and number of these motifs differs between the 2 genes. Differences in regulation between RPL23A-1 and -2 have been investigated via reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) expression profiles. Overall, transcript abundance for RPL23A-1 and -2 varied slightly in specific tissues and under some abiotic stresses. The highest transcript abundance for both RPL23A genes was detected in mitotically active tissues such as bud, flower and elongating carpel, as well as in root and stem while the lowest transcript levels were found in mature leaf and bract. Hormone-treated seedlings showed increased RPL23A-1 and -2 transcript levels following IAA and BAP treatment while ABA treatment resulted in a transient lowering of transcript levels. Expression patterns differed between RPL23A-1 and -2 in cold-, wound-, and copper-stressed seedlings. In all tissues examined, RPL23A-2 transcript levels were consistently lower than those of RPL23A-1. This report shows differential transcriptional regulation of the 2 RPL23A genes, which should no longer be identified as "housekeeping" genes.Key words: ribosome, ribosomal protein, RPL23A, RT-PCR, regulation, Arabidopsis.
Population and virulence factor dynamics in fecalEscherichia colifrom healthy adults consuming weight control diets
Authors: McOrist A , Veuilett G , Vuaran M , Bird A , Noakes M , Topping D
Published: August 2005

Individual susceptibility to gastrointestinal infection is seen commonly in food poisoning outbreaks, but factors (such as diet) which may modulate this variability are understood poorly. Similarly, factors altering the population dynamics of enteric non-pathogenic Escherichia coli or of pathogenic E. coli containing toxin-signature DNA sequences in the colonic flora of healthy individuals are largely unknown. Feces were collected 4 times over a 12 week period from 41 healthy volunteer adults on a weight control diet (high or low in fiber). E. coli strains were examined by conventional culture followed by PCR for virulence genes stx1, stx2, eae and hlyA, and polymorphic β-glucuronidase. Total E. coli counts ranged from undetectable to 8.75 log10CFU/g feces and were unaffected by dietary fiber consumption or gender. Total E. coli counts were correlated positively with age (r = 0.401, P < 0.05). Fifty-eight percent (n = 24) of study individuals harboured more than 1 morph of β-glucuronidase, indicating the presence of more than 1 strain of E. coli. Virulence genes were detected in 12 of 41 adults, comprising 10 stx1, 3 stx2, 3 eae, and 0 hlyA, but occurrence was not associated with diet, gender, or age. Factors influencing strain mobility over time did not appear to include diet or gender, while the positive relationship between total E. coli numbers and increasing age suggests that some older individuals are "more permissive" to mobile E. coli, including those with toxin genes.Key words: Escherichia coli, virulence, healthy humans, diet.
HasF, a TolC-homolog of Serratia marcescens, is involved in energy-dependent efflux
Authors: Kumar Ayush , Worobec Elizabeth A
Published: August 2005

A tolC-like gene (hasF) was identified upon scanning the incomplete database of the S. marcescens genome. This gene was amplified using PCR and cloned in the pUC18 vector to yield pUCHF. Sequencing of the S. marcescens tolC-like hasF gene and subsequent amino acid sequence prediction revealed approximately 80% amino acid homology with the Escherichia coli TolC. A tolC-deficient strain of E. coli (BL923) containing pUCHF/hasF was analyzed for susceptibility to fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin), chloramphenicol, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ethidium bromide. Antibiotic susceptibility assays of the E. coli tolC-deficient mutant BL923 demonstrated a 64-fold increase in resistance to SDS and ethidium bromide upon introduction of the S. marcescens tolC-like hasF gene. No change was observed for susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicol. Ethidium bromide accumulation assays performed using E. coli BL923:pUCHF established the role of the S. marcescens hasF gene product in proton gradient-dependent efflux.Key words: HasF, TolC, efflux, S. marcescens.
Substrate specificity of glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) ofEnterobacter asburiaePSI3 and rock phosphate solubilization with GDH substrates as C sources
Authors: Sharma Vikas , Kumar Vikas , Archana G , Kumar G Naresh
Published: August 2005

Enterobacter asburiae PSI3 is a rhizospheric isolate that solubilizes mineral phosphates by the action of a phosphate starvation-inducible GDH (EC 1.1.5.2). We report here that GDH activity of this isolate shows broad substrate range, being able to act on mono and disaccharides. Enterobacter asburiae PSI3 was proficient at bringing about a drop in pH and solubilization of RP with the use of 75 mmol/L of each of the GDH substrate sugars tested as the sole C source. It liberated amounts of P ranging from 450 µmol/L (on arabinose) to 890 µmol/L (on glucose). When grown on a mixture of 7 GDH substrates at concentrations of 15 mmol/L each, the bacterium solubilized RP equivalent to 46% of the value when 75 mmol glucose/L was the C source. HPLC analysis of the culture supernatant under these conditions showed that the acidification of the media is primarily due to the production of organic acids. The significance of these results on the efficacy of E. asburiae PSI3 at solubilizing phosphates under rhizospheric conditions is discussed.Key words: glucose dehydrogenase, substrate specificity, P solubilization, Enterobacter asburiae PSI3.
INSTABILITIES OF NONCOMMUTATIVE TWO-DIMENSIONAL BF MODEL
Authors: BLASI ALBERTO , MAGGIORE NICOLA , MONTOBBIO MICHELE
Published: August 2005

The noncommutative extension of two-dimensional BF model is considered. It is shown that the realization of the noncommutative map via the Groenewold–Moyal star product leads to instabilities of the action, hence to a non-renormalizable theory.
MEASUREMENTS OF THE W AND Z PRODUCTION CROSS SECTIONS TIMES THE LEPTONIC BRANCHING RATIOS AT THE FERMILAB TEVATRON
Authors: MARTIN VICTORIA
Published: August 2005

We report measurements of inclusive cross sections times branching ratios in electrons, muons or taus for W and Z bosons produced in [Formula: see text] collisions at 1.96 TeV using data collected with the DØ and CDF detectors in 2002-2004. Using the ratio of the cross sections times branching ratios for the W and Z bosons we also obtain constraints on the total decay width of the W boson.
WARD-TAKAHASHI IDENTITIES AND SPIN-0 COMPONENTS OF W AND Z FIELDS
Authors: Li Bing An
Published: August 2005

It is shown that three scalar fields are dynamically generated after spontaneous symmetry breaking. Their masses are dynamically determined at about 1014GeV. They are ghosts. Unitarity of the SM is broken at 1014GeV.
Searches for Technicolor Particles at DØ
Authors: FELIGIONI LORENZO
Published: August 2005

We present preliminary results of searches for technirho (ρT) and techniomega (ωT) particles, using the decay channels (ρT), ωT → e+e- and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. These searches are based respectively on 200 pb-1 and 238 pb-1 of data collected in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron. We select events with b–quark jets by identifying secondary vertices in the jets. We interpret our findings in terms of limits on the production of particles predicted by extended technicolor models. For the WπT analysis, in the absence of an excess over standard model background, we compute a 95% C.L. upper limit on the techniparticle production cross section for the mass combination m(ρT) = 200 GeV and m(πT) = 105 GeV of 6.4 pb. In the e+e- channel, for certain model parameters, we exclude the existence of degenerate ρT and ωT states with masses below 367 GeV; the most restrictive constraints on dilepton technicolor decays to date.
LARGE EXTRA DIMENSIONS AND THE MINIMAL SCALE CONSTRAINTS THROUGH HIGH PRECISION EXPERIMENTS
Authors: HARBACH U. , HOSSENFELDER S. , KOCH B. , BLEICHER M. , STÖCKER H.
Published: August 2005

We give a brief introduction to the recent idea of Large eXtra Dimensions (LXDs). We give a motivation for the existence of a minimal length scale and show how to incorporate it into quantum theory. We derive first order corrections to high precision measurements such as transition frequencies in He + and the muon gyromagnetic moment. The results clearly show that effects due to a minimal length have to be considered in models with LXDs.
YANG-MILLS AMPLITUDES FROM STRING THEORY IN TWISTOR SPACE
Authors: SPRADLIN MARCUS
Published: August 2005

Tree-level gluon scattering amplitudes in Yang-Mills theory frequently display simple mathematical structure which is completely obscure in the calculation of Feynman diagrams. We describe a novel way of calculating these amplitudes, motivated by a conjectured relation to twistor space, in which the problem of summing Feynman diagrams is replaced by the problem of solving a certain set of algebraic equations.
Comments on Supersymmetry Algebra and Contact Term in Matrix String Theory
Authors: MORIYAMA SANEFUMI
Published: August 2005

We write down two supercharges in the matrix string theory at the leading order, following previous works relating the matrix string theory to the light-cone superstring field theory. We check the supersymmetry algebra at this order and also discuss the problems of higher order contact terms.
BRANCHING FRACTION AND DIRECT CP VIOLATING ASYMMETRIES IN CHARMLESS TWOBODY B DECAYS AT BABAR
Authors: HULSBERGEN WOUTER D.
Published: August 2005

We present preliminary measurements of branching fractions and direct CP violating asymmetries in charmless twobody B decays, obtained with the BABAR detector using a sample of 227 M [Formula: see text] decays. We report the first observation of [Formula: see text] and the first observation of direct CP violation in B0 → K+π- decays.
Constraints on the CKM angle α in the B → ρρ decays
Authors: Li Haibo
Published: August 2005

Using a data sample of 122 million [Formula: see text] decays collected with BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B factory at SLAC, we measure the time-dependent-asymmetry parameters of the longitudinally polarized component in the B0 → ρ+ρ- decay as CL = -0.23 ± 0.24 ( stat ) ± 0.14 ( syst ) and SL = -0.19 ± 0.33 ( stat ) ± 0.11 ( syst ). The B0 → ρ0ρ0 decay mode is also searched for in a data sample of about 227 million [Formula: see text] pairs. No significant signal is observed, and an upper limit of 1.1 × 10-6 (90% C.L.) on the branching fraction is set. The penguin contribution to the CKM angle α uncertainty is measured to be 11°. All results are preliminary.
LIMITATIONS OF RADAR COORDINATES
Authors: BINI DONATO , LUSANNA LUCA , MASHHOON BAHRAM
Published: August 2005

The construction of a radar coordinate system about the world line of an observer is discussed. Radar coordinates for a hyperbolic observer as well as a uniformly rotating observer are described in detail. The utility of the notion of radar distance and the admissibility of radar coordinates are investigated. Our results provide a critical assessment of the physical significance of radar coordinates.
THE MASS FUNCTION OF DARK MATTER HALOES IN A COSMOLOGICAL MODEL WITH A RUNNING PRIMORDIAL POWER SPECTRUM
Authors: ZHANG TONG-JIE , LIANG HONG , LIU WEN-ZHONG , WANG BAO-QUAN
Published: August 2005

We present the first study on the mass functions of Jenkins et al. (J01) and an estimate of their corresponding largest virialized dark halos in the Universe for a variety of dark-energy cosmological models with a running spectral index. Compared with the PL–CDM model, the RSI–CDM model can raise the mass abundance of dark halos for small mass halos at lower redshifts, but it is not apparent on scales of massive mass halos. Particularly, this discrepancy increases largely with the decrease of redshift, and the RSI–CDM model can suppress the mass abundance on any scale of halo masses at higher redshift. As for the largest mass of virialized halos, the spatially flat ΛCDM models give more massive mass of virialized objects than other models for both of PL–CDM and RSI–CDM power spectral indexs, and the RSI–CDM model can enhance the mass of largest virialized halos for all of models considered in this paper. So we probably distinguish the PL–CDM and RSI–CDM models by the largest virialized halos in the future survey of cluster of galaxies.
A NEW LOOK AT THE STRESS INDEX FOR LUNG INJURY
Authors: CROOKE P. S. , MARINI J. J. , HOTCHKISS J. R.
Published: August 2005

Ranieri and colleagues1,2 have proposed a simple mathematical equation (Paw(t) ≈ atb+c) where a, b, and c are constants that relates airway pressure, Paw(t), over inspiration (0 ≤ t ≤ ti) in constant flow mechanical ventilation to ventilator-induced lung injury. They have correlated b with low-volume stress (b ≤ 0.9), high-volume stress (b ≥ 1.1), and minimal stress (0.9 ≤ b ≤ 1.1) in the lungs. In this paper we examine the theoretical underpinnings of this empirical equation and show that it has a relationship to the upper and lower inflection points of the Pelastic - V curve during inspiration. An alternative equation [Formula: see text] that comes from the theoretical analysis of this type of mechanical ventilation is presented. Both equations are compared using experimental data.
A REMARK ON THE CONTINUITY OF THE HEAT FLOW FOR MINIMAL SURFACE WITH PLATEAU BOUNDARY CONDITION
Authors: CHANG KUNG-CHING , LIU JIA-QUAN
Published: August 2005

We prove that the [Formula: see text]-solution of the heart equation for the minimal surface with plateau boundary condition is continuous up to boundary in all variables.
Chromatin Remodeling in Dosage Compensation
Authors: Lucchesi John C. , Kelly William G. , Panning Barbara
Published: August 2005

In many multicellular organisms, males have one X chromosome and females have two. Dosage compensation refers to a regulatory mechanism that insures the equalization of X-linked gene products in males and females. The mechanism has been studied at the molecular level in model organisms belonging to three distantly related taxa; in these organisms, equalization is achieved by shutting down one of the two X chromosomes in the somatic cells of females, by decreasing the level of transcription of the two doses of X-linked genes in females relative to males, or by increasing the level of transcription of the single dose of X-linked genes in males. The study of dosage compensation in these different forms has revealed the existence of an amazing number of interacting chromatin remodeling mechanisms that affect the function of entire chromosomes.